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This post is to answer questions I have been frequently getting recently.
..............................less than minimum wage at the price now
A great breakdown can be found here
2. I have a camera and photoshop, what can I do to start a business like you?
1. Why are you raising your prices?
The main reason, I am losing money on the $80 deal. I don't just show up with a "fancy camera" and my camera doesn't take great pictures, I spend LOTS of time making my dull lifeless images straight out of my camera and turning them into your families art you hang for everyone to see. It takes time for advertising, booking a session, getting paperwork together. Travel to a location or set up and travel back or break down. Time to upload images, and sift through to pick the best. Time to individually edit each image. Time to back up the images. Time to make an on-line gallery. Time to proof the images. Time to put in print orders. Time to make CD's. Time to do each and every thing. Then factor in the cost of business - keeping up equipment and updating when necessary. Taxes, insurance, business expenses. So after all of that how much do I, the photographer, actually make?..............................less than minimum wage at the price now
2. I have a camera and photoshop, what can I do to start a business like you?
The short answer: Learn your camera, and I don't mean Auto. ONLY use manual (M) mode. Shoot in RAW. Learn what ISO, aperture, and shutter speed do to impact correct exposure and how to manipulate them to produce quality work. Photoshop cannot fix everything, it should be used to ENHANCE what you have already produced in camera.
Another great blogger wrote a much more in depth article about it. You can read it here
Thanks for this post. Could you perhaps do a tutorial for how you edited the photo you show here? :)
ReplyDeleteI made a duplicate layer and put it in screen blend mode.
ReplyDeleteI enhanced the eyes using my magnetic lasso, put them on their own layer.
Put in soft light and ran a high pass filter at about 10.
Added a warming filter.
Adjusted curves, levels and saturation.
I think it's great that you took the time to break all this down for your clients. Some people just don't understand how much time or money it takes to run a photography business. They think it's as simple as point and shoot, which it clearly is not. Quality photography equipment is extremely expensive as well. I also think it's great that you share your techniques with other photographers. Most people are not so quick to share their secrets.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, Morgan!
ReplyDeleteI applaud your tenacity to your art.
People simply do not want to pay for your time; their time is much more valuable. I've given up on several ventures out of frustration with clientelle.
Keep clicking,girl. You are amazing and thank you for so generously sharing your techniques.