So you're a phtographer too...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT... I had a person come up to me after seeing the lettering on my truck and say, "so your a photographer too." Anymore, I just cringe when I hear some tell me that. I asked this person what subject matter they shot. The response, maternity and newborns, mostly outdoors, which for me translated into, I am clueless about lighting. I also asked if is she was a member of the CPP or the PPA? This persons response, "I'm not a member of anything, but I guess I should look into joining a group" 

What I thought about was a post another working professional photographer posted on his site about these kinds of and I use this term loosely, "professionals."

Where I live, the "professionals" are crawling out of the cracks in the sidewalks in droves.

The best I can do is try and educate one client at a time, about the importance of hiring a true professional to do the work. One who has years of experience, who either went to school, apprenticed with a real working professional photographer for at least 3 years or an equivalent of schools, workshops and experience. 

This is from Ryan-Persona Studio's Facebook post.

From the MCP Actions Blog/e newsletter this morning:

Pricing Photography: How high should you be prices be?

Last week I ran across a photographer online who listed her prices in the sidebar of her blog/website. Her bio indicated that she was a “professional photographer” which of course is often used loosely in 2010. She said she had 5 years of experience shooting weddings, portraits and pets. In my opinion, her work did not appear to compete with many professional photographers I see daily. Her prices: $60 for all your photos from a portrait photography session on a disk. The print prices were extremely low. And that fee of $60 included the photo session too. I not only questioned how this might lower the bar for photography as a whole, but how she could make a living. Then again… maybe she is not earning an income from photography. She may be doing this as a “hobby” and just want gas money. She also may not be a legitimate business. And she may not be paying taxes. There are so many variables. I decided to post about this discovery on my Facebook Page thread. And the emotions, opinions and questions stirred. I know pricing is ultra controversial amongst professional photographers. Some photographers develop their prices based on what they want to make in a year, figuring in expenses, taxes, and other costs. Many photographers start out unsure what to charge. These photographers may pick numbers out of thin air. Many photographers research what other photographers in their area charge, and build pricing based on those numbers. I would love to get a dialog going here on the MCP Blog answering these questions in the comment section:
Do you consider yourself a professional photographer?
How to you determine your pricing?
Do you feel you are priced too low? high? or just right?
Do you price yourself based on others around you?
Based on your experience?
Or based on what you want to earn?
How does it make you feel when you see someone charging $60 for all photos on a disc, including the photo shoot?

Here is the entire article and it is a great read: http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2009/10/12/how-should-i-price-my-photography-words-of-advice-from-jodie-otte/

I get many calls from people who want prints by the pound, or all the raw files because "they know how to use Photoshop." It's amazing the mindset the digital age has produced. 

Alice/Black City Magazine

Alice contacted me after finding my website. We did this shoot for her to upload to
blackcitymag.com. She is great to work with. Modeling goes much deeper than looks alone. I've always found it difficult to put in words, what potential and successful models have that makes them what they are. The years I owned and operated a high volume portrait studio, shooting between 2700 to 3400 sessions a year, averaging 15,200 people, I found between 9-12 had what takes to become a successful model. Those who would actually find work in places like New York and L.A. I started by assisting a friend who has an agency in New York back in 1987-89. Much of my foundation came from those 2 years. Alice is someone who could do well by working her way into this field.

We shot on a couple different days with a variety of outfits and backdrops. I've put up a few here as examples. Alice has a great look and camera presence. Her look draws you in. She was very easy to work with and things clicked very early on. Working with someone you've never worked before is like a new friendship, there is always an awkwardness. That's just human nature. But like life, you adapt, laugh a little and do your best to bring out the best in each other. The camera is only 5% of the whole process when working with people. The 95% is the connection with your subject or subjects. Gaining experience in the field of modeling is also a large part of be successful. Doing TFCD or TFP (time for CD or time for prints) is a great way to start building a portfolio.
Make sure whatever photographer you work with has experience in the modeling/fashion/print industry if you want strong images for your portfolio. While photographers might have strong portrait work, they might not be the best choice for a portfolio.  

I hear "I want to be a model" often. The first thing I ask is "why do you want to model and what type of modeling are you interested in." There are several choices when it comes to modeling from ad work to print to fashion and so on. I've worked with people who have a "great look" but after a test shoot, find out that they don't have other qualities which would make them successful and marketable. I encourage them to work on strengthening and building up other qualities, so when we work on a portfolio for them, everything comes across in the image they want to present potential clients. I'd be happy to take their money for producing the work, but if I can't give them something which will produce work for them, it's not a win win situation, which is always the most desirable. caseylipokphotography@yahoo.com

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 Casey Lipok Photography