The Management Consulting Group

Cheap digital photo processors are a dime a dozen

Digital photo processors that do the printing cheap abound. They are everywhere you look. But to find an affordable location that can give you the quality that you expect is another story. Some places offer prints for as low as 12 cents for a 4X6 print. Others can charge as much as 58 cents per print.

What do you get for 12 cents per print?

Many customers of the chains that offer prints this cheap have a complaint similar to this one; “Some companies try to “alter” the images to get the “highest” quality photos. This person had done a test and submitted the same photos to various processing services. What they received were totally different results. Their complaint was that the photo shops try to make them look good instead of trusting their customers abilities. As simple as it sounds, leaving the picture alone can be a difficult quality to find in a photo printer online. To try to find out on your own is quite a lot to ask of paying customers. Other than altering your photos after you upload them common complaints are that the quality is not what they expected. As a photography lover let me tell you there are a lot of companies that will give you very high quality prints that will amaze you no matter what your expectations are.

What can you get if you find the right photo printing company?

There are printers that do not charge very much more and the quality is outstanding. With these more capable companies they offer very good sign-up bonuses such as 60 free 4X6 prints to start, and free membership. They can also offer various albums to organize your pictures online. All the while offering file uploads as high as 10MB. Other great services are bulk order prices. With bulk order pricing the more you order the cheaper they get. That way having a family reunion will not break the bank. As you look for a great company to print all your favorite photos remember that there are photo printers that can disappoint and there are printers that can dazzle.

Digital Photo Printing
Utah Wedding Photographer
Online Photo Mugs

If you plan on taking some pictures at a wedding, there are a few shots
That seem to end up in every album. If you capture all of these events,
you will be known as a great photographer.

Number one is the cutting of the cake picture. The usual sequence starts with a close up of the cake followed by both bride and groom looking down and cutting then looking up (this is the best shot). It ends with a ritual feeding each other and hopefully not a smash job. One full length shot is enough. The rest should be cut at the knees for a medium crop. The feeding can be closer.

Second is the first kiss after the ceremony. This event can come quickly so you’d better be positioned ahead of time with your finger on the button and the camera to your eye. You only get one chance. This picture is mostly symbolic so it doesn’t matter if you can’t see all of the faces.

Third most popular is the picture of the bride and groom getting in the limousine after the ceremony. Right after the throwing of the rice shot, you must race around to the street side of the car, open the door and be prepared to stop the bride from entering prematurely. You must get the bride and groom’s faces close to each other for a good shot. Take two to be sure.

Loved by brides, grooms and parents alike is the close up picture of the bride looking up into the groom’s eyes. Include the bouquet and show the rings in the shot. Make several variations: looking at the camera, touching heads, and looking out to the distance. Of course take some full length pictures, some with the flowers on the ground , the bride and groom hugging.

Fifth is the toast picture. It makes a great wallet and thank you card as well as ending up in every album. Because it is so popular, take one toasting each other and two looking at the camera. The same shot works well with the parents as well. If engraved, be sure the glasses are turned toward the camera.

Pictures in the house are kind of anticlimactic, but there is one shot that gets all the oohs and aahs. This one has the bride with her bouquet looking out of the living room window for the limousine to arrive. Usually no flash is needed, the light from the window supplying a perfect portrait quality. Her left hand can be parting the curtain and the right hand holds the bouquet. The lace always looks great.

Finally, the first dance picture showing happiness, togetherness and action at the same time. The ideal shot is full length taken as the bride and groom tilt toward the camera. The photographer is at a low angle and the bride and groom are cheek to cheek. Because the timing is so difficult, no one will mind if you take several tries for the perfect shot. Though these wedding shots are the most popular, the most important shots are the family picture and the portrait of the bride and groom.

Retired portrait and wedding photographer. Comments anyone?

I was going through one of our closets looking for something. It was a closet that I normally don’t go into because all it has in it are towels and bathroom stuff. I happened to look up on a shelf and I saw an old tan leather case which I knew contained some of my wife’s old camera stuff. Years ago, before we met, she was involved in photograhy.

She used to take pictures of weddings and special events and then take orders for prints. She had totally forgotten what type of camera equipment she had.

Well, being the curious sort that I am I took the case down and laid everything out in the floor. I was shocked, she had a goldmine of all kinds of photography equipment. I found two Pentax 35mm film cameras. Plus, all different kinds of lens. I found a telephoto lens that will go up to 300mm and a 24mm wide angle lens.

There were several other lenses in between. If only I could make them work on my digital camera I’d have it made. Well, I guess I’m going to have to take some film pictures now that I have access to all this equipment. A little more study required, but I’ll bet it will be worth it.

Steve McArthur
www.PhotoZoomy.com
Camera Equipment

Photo Editing Software

Most people don’t want to mess with their digital camera’s settings. The rest of us may not understand what they are for and what they can do. Camera manufacturers realize this and are making it easier to take great photos. It is done through a feature called scene modes. Scene modes are mini-programs designed to automatically adjust your camera’s settings that are best suited for the situation. By merely twisting a knob or pushing a button a few times, you are able to quickly and easily adjust your camera to get a great shot nearly every time.

Here are some of the more common scene modes and what they do:

Backlight - eliminates dark shadows when light is coming from behind the subject or when the subject is in the shade.

Beach/Snow - this mode is used when photographing beach, snow and sunlight water scenes. Exposure times and white balance are set to help prevent the scene from becoming washed out looking.

Fireworks - shutter speed and exposure are set for shooting fireworks: pre-focusing and the use of a tripod is highly recommended.

Landscape - this mode is used to take photos of wide scenes. The camera automatically focuses on a distant object.

Macro - is used to take close-up shots of small objects, such as coin, flowers or insects. The lens can be moved closer to the object than in other modes. The use of a tripod is highly recommended.

Night Scene - is used when photographing night scenes - what else? Slow shutter speeds are used. You’ll need that tripod again.

Panning or Action - this mode will “freeze” the action of the subject while blurring the background to give the feel of motion or speed.

Panorama - is used to take a series of shots from one point and “stitch” them together with software to make a wide angle scene.

Party Mode - is used to take photos in a dim lit room. Exposure and shutter speeds are adjusted for room brightness. The camera must be held very steady in this mode.

Portrait - this mode automatically focuses on the subject and puts the background slightly out of focus.

Sports - is similiar to action modes. Fast shutter speeds “freeze” the action. Best shots will result when taken in bright lighting conditions and when you are pre-focused on an area.

Sunset - is used to take photos of sunsets and sunrises. This mode helps keep the deep hues in the scene.

Some cameras have as many as 20 different scene modes. Some modes will automatically adjust the size of your photo for on-line auction. Some are supposed to take 10 pounds off the subject. Regardless of how many scense your camera has, always read the instruction manual. Each manufacturer has their own terminology. By understanding and using scene modes, you will get a great shot every time.

Let me share with you something that happened to me just the other day.

I was contacted by a guy named David. He had just purchased a panasonic pv-gs400 3 ccd camcorder and has always been attracted to the videographers lifestyle. He also liked the possibility of earning an extra income doing something that can be a whole lot of fun.

From speaking to David I discovered that he didn’t have much experience with camcorders and was unsure as to whether he would be any good (he seemed to lack a bit of self confidence), but was atleast willing to learn and have a go.

He wasn’t too far from where I live me so I said I was able to get in the car and have a personal meeting with him.

One of his questions to me on the phone was “what should I film?” I told him of the traditional markets - Weddings, Business videos Training videos. Good areas to get started in and the most obvious subjects to film.

David lives in a growth area, outer suburbs continually building and expanding. I found myself driving past new homes being built, young families together in parks, sporting fields and large shopping malls.

Then it dawned on me! It was so obvious the potential subjects, and clients, David had in his own backyard!

The Builder

• video proof of the quality that goes into his work
• satisfied customer testimonials

Sporting Clubs

• club records of big games
• match/play review and training tapes

Parents

• children’s party videos
• records of their child’s achievements (academic, sporting etc.)

Business

• local shops and businesses provide potential customers with a video of services

…and the list goes on. So if you find yourself short of ideas on what to film, have a good look around you. The answer might be right under your nose.

Now back to David. He inadvertently made a great choice in the the panasonic pv-gs400 3 ccd camcorder.

It is a great tool for providing a quality finish which will be a high priority as he will be charging for the work he does. It has 3 separate image chips which help give definition to the completed video and for such a top quality camcorder is very reasonably priced.

So with just a few more tools (tripod, lights, external microphone etc.), David is well on his way to a career (either full or part time) in video production.

Mark Sturge is the owner of KMS Productions and webmaster at video-production-mastery.com. A site where visitors can find digital camcorder reviews such as the panasonic pv-gs400 3 ccd camcorder as well as useful hints and tips to better their filming techniques.

Marketing your photography studio does not have to be expensive. I’ve used hundreds of low cost marketing strategies over the last twenty five years and managed to build my photography studio to the point where I am one the busiest and most successful studios in my city. Here’s a few tips for you:

1. Create a photo display. A photography display can be as simple as displaying a few small portraits at a store and offering some free information about your studio or more elaborate set ups with framed wall samples. You can even create large temporary displays in malls or at events such as trade shows. The important thing is how it looks. You will attract a lot of attention with some great images, especially from woman, who happen to be your target market. Displays will help you create a lot of business if you play your cards right. Have a great selection of images, be presentable yet never pushy, have a system for collecting names and address’s from those wanting more information by simply asking or offering a draw prize, and keep in touch with all those prospects. It’s the beginning of a potential long term and lucrative relationship.

2. Have a free giveaway. Offer a time limited in studio session and small reprint. Tell them there is no obligation for further purchase, and mean it. You will make some sales anyways and you will acquire many long term clients if you do a good job for them. Some will only grab the freebie, but the odds are very good that you will upsell without being sneaky or pushy. Especially if you are professional and create some great images. Do this at mall displays, banks, schools or offer it to a list of clients from a non-competitive business in your town or city. Freebies are the best way to get your studio busy, start making sales and most of all for getting tons of exposure.

3. Reward referrals. Make a policy to reward anyone who brings you referrals. When a client brings in a propective client, give them a gift of appreciation, such as a coupon worth reprints dollars at your studio, frames, or to a local spa or restaurant. As an added incentive, give a small gift to the new client as well.

4. Create a tie-in with another business. Contact a local business and offer to exchange coupons. For example, your client receives coupons from a local restaurant, hair salon, spa, or wherever your typical prospect would shop. A great place to start is with clients of yours who already own their own businesses.

5. Make your reception or waiting room “prospect and sales friendly”. Whenever you create a family portrait or are shooting a wedding there are often people waiting in your reception area. Offer them snacks or something to drink. Make sure your place looks great and smells nice. Make it comfortable. Use this time to increase your upcoming sales presentation by explaining some of the items such as wall portraits and other packages and services. Answer objections that you know will be coming up later during the sale presentation with a consultive approach and people will not only trust you more but will likely make the sale easier for you and even buy more. This is also a great time to collect names. These people are somehow associated with you and at this point make excellent prospects.

6. Make copies of news articles about yourself and your studio. Hang them on the walls or pass them out. Past publicity is better than any advertising or promotional literature you can create. Give copies of positive articles to everyone who comes in for information.

7. Raise money for charity. Not only do you help a good cause, you get plenty of free, positive publicity and exposure. Hold a contest, offer some photography classes, give out free booklets- that you can easily write yourself and print for pennies by having them photocopied- think up your own exciting charity event.

8. Submit press releases to the local newspapers about a noteworthy event at your studio or a human interest story. Did you win a photography contest? Is there and article on photography that relates to local sites in your area or has to do with the seasons? Make your release interesting to the readers, never self-serving and you will get press coverage.

9. Give a free photography seminar or presentation at your studio. Invite members of the public and clients family members to be a part. A seminar gives them the chance to see your studio and your work. Offer something timely to do with how to create great photographs with digital cameras or offer a slide show from some of your more exotic travels. You could create an exhibition highlighting your work. Don’t forget to invite the local newspaper.

10. Leave your business cards everywhere. Whenever you are at a restaurant, leave a nice tip and your card. Drop a stack off at the local jewellry store. Make sure card is loaded with your best samples and print on both sides to maximize the space for your sales message.

Robert Provencher has been a professional portrait and wedding photographer for over 25 years. He has trained hundreds of professional photographers throughout North America in live workshops and through his online forum. Robert has authored several manuals on digital photography and photogaphy marketing. http://www.nobsphotosuccess.com

One of the most common problems when dealing with scanned photographs as part of a digital restoration activity is that after scanning, the digital image appears to have a textured pattern to it.

This is often caused by the fact that the photograph in question has been printed on textured photographic paper.

This article will show you how to remove the un-desirable pattern effect without significantly loosing any of the important image detail.

The problematic photo may well be an old black and white, sepia, or even a more modern colour photograph.

(I remember Kodak introducing their “Silk finish” prints many years ago printed on a silky sheen textured paper!).

The example image on our web-site is an old black and white wedding photograph that has been printed on a textured paper.

If you look closely at the white cornice behind the bride and groom you can clearly see that the textured pattern of the photographic paper has been faithfully re-produced during the scanning of the photo.

Before we commence any major restoration work we would like to remove as much of the un-desirable textured pattern as is possible.

Step 1

Open the image up in Adobe Photoshop and the first step is to create a duplicate (copy) layer of the original image by selecting Layer-> Duplicate Layer .. and give the new layer an appropriate name.

Zoom in close enough to get an appreciation of how severe the textured pattern is, but keep some picture detail visible (especially people’s faces) so that you can easily judge how well the texture removal is proceeding without loosing too much important picture detail.

Step 2

With the duplicate layer active apply a Gaussian Blur by selecting Filter->Blur->Gaussian Blur …

A pop-up option box will allow you to set the amount of Gaussian blur to apply to the image.

I generally start with a Radius = 1.5 and work up from there, constantly looking at the image to see the affect as I increase the blur radius.

Anything over a Radius = 5.0 will usually be far too harsh, so in the example on the web-site the required outcome is to “minimise” the texture pattern effect without compromising the important detail in the photo.

For our web-site example image I found I was able to set Radius = 3.5 without any significant loss of detail.

The example image is starting to “soften”, but the textured pattern has clearly diminished.

Step 3

Zooming out to have a look at the complete photo reveals that the un-desirable textured pattern has all but vanished with only minor softening of the important image detail.

Each photo you work on will have to be judged on its own merits when determining the amount of blur to apply.

But all is not lost on retaining that important image detail!!

Step 4

Remember … the Gaussian blur has been applied to the duplicate layer we created at the start of the exercise.

The original image, complete with texture, is sitting under the duplicate layer.

By using Photoshop’s Layer Blending Modes and Layer Opacity we can produce an image made up of a combination of both layers with some of the detail from the lower original layer showing through.

Again, each photo will be judged on its own merits and the setting I finalised on for our example image on the web-site may not be the same as you will find most suitable for your own images.

Try experimenting with the different blending modes and layer opacity settings.

I finally settled on a blending mode of “Luminosity” and Opacity of 85% for the Gaussian Blur layer.

Step 5

To finalise the image I then “flattened” the two layers into a single image layer by selecting Layer->Flatten Image.

Step 6

I then checked the tonal range of our combined layered image using the Levels command by selecting Image->Adjustment->Levels … and fine tuned the black, white and grey points.

Step 7

And last but not least, we can still bring a little bit more “sharpness” out of the image by finally applying a small amount of Unsharp Mask by selecting Filter->Sharpen->Unsharp Mask …

Experimenting with the various settings, I was able to settle upon Amount = 185%; Radius = 2.5 pixels; and Threshold = 50 levels.

And there you have it … the removal of an un-desirable textured pattern without significantly sacrificing important image detail.

If you find the steps being taken are a little hard to understand in this text based article, you can click on the link at the end of this article to see the same method explained on our website with the aid of example graphical images.

© Gary Wilkinson 2005 - All Rights Reserved

You can see this method complete with example images at Removing a textured pattern from a scanned photo

Feel free to re-print this article provided that all hyperlinks and author biography are retained as-is.

Gary Wilkinson is a photographer, photographic restorer and the owner of a photographic retail business. He is also the publisher of the http://www.restoring-photos-made-easy.com website, where other methods of correcting common photographic restoration problems are discussed.

There are two main types of photography to sell, that is assignment photography and Stock Photography. Assignment photography is taking photographs of a predetermined event, and stock Photography is taking photographs in the hope that you will be able to find a future buyer. Most professional photographers take both types, the weddings and portraits take care of immediate bills, as they command a higher price, because they are generally only of interest to a limited number of people. There are exceptions like being hired for a specific assignment to photograph an Olympic Event, and then being able to sell that photograph Internationally. In general, stock photographs command a lower price, but they are more saleable to a wider base.

Stock photographs’ are generally sold on the Internet through what is known as “Stock Libraries”. They generally all work on a very similar system, you take photographs and submit them to a stock library and they sell them to interested parties such as travel brochure companies, advertising agents, book publishers. This way of marketing photographs has distinct advantages, if you are a part time freelancer, or have just started your own business. Either way you are probably too busy making portfolios, and taking pictures to market them. Another factor, which makes this method of marketing advantageous, is that when you are starting you do not have the network of contacts to market your photographs. Added to that there are some people who won’t or can’t perfect their marketing skills.

A downside of this marketing method is that there is a little more to it than taking photographs and waiting for the Royalty cheques to come in. Most stock libraries, will want to re-caption your pictures to fit in with their image, this can be a time consuming process and it can take months to get them online. Like many aspects of selling it is a “numbers game”, the more photographs you have available to sell the more you are likely to sell. This is a fairly general aspect of marketing, but it is more specific in this instance, as prospective buyers may look at other images, if they like one particular one. Because of the time factor of getting your work to the buyers or the public, many stock libraries, have insisted on a minimum contract, which means that they typically ask to retain your work for a minimum of two years.

Some of the stock libraries are general and some are more specific. Marine Themes obviously specialise in underwater photography, and they scan and correct all their images before sale. They are then color corrected to ensure that any prints will be the best quality. All this takes time, to get the images actually for sale on the Internet. The benefit is that marine photography is highly specialised, and this process does increase your chances to merchandise your work.

In the past the market was limited to buyers who were sent colour brochures and made their selection from them, now the market is expanding, as many libraries have widened their sales base by allowing customer’s to make their purchases directly on line. This factor alone has increased the numbers game the more people who have access, the more who are likely to buy. Some stock libraries are general and some are highly specific such as South African images. Some cover specialist areas such as marine photography, or nature.

So how do you choose the stock library that will be the most beneficial to you? There are independent reports covering the various strengths and weaknesses. The annual Freelance Photographer’s Market Handbook in the UK features a section on stock libraries and is an excellent reference guide. Some of the stock libraries have been established for ten years. They have hundreds of photographer’s and hundreds of thousands of images. As a result of this they may be reluctant to take on new clients. However if you have a large portfolio available immediately it may be worth trying one of the older companies. However you will be competing with established photographers who have built up a client base. Many of the new companies have less than a hundred photographers and you will start by being a bigger fish in a smaller pond.

At the end of the day, the choice has to be your personal decision, and there is nothing to stop you from registering with more than one library. Whilst the market is growing and will continue to grow to encompass on line sales, remember to consider that sales from a printed catalogue will be important for a while, and it may be advantageous for you to choose a library with a well referenced catalogue.

Every stock library has different terms and conditions. In general most give you a straight 50% of the earnings. However some do let the images go into the hands of “sub agents”, and they will expect an additional cut from any sales. Read your contract well before you sign and beware of copyright issues. Normally when the photograph is sold the buyer is issued with a license number, which only allows them to use the image the once. You minimise your royalties if you allow a buyer to pay once and then get multiple uses out of it.

All in all if you are prepared to look at your market strategy over a long period of time, stock libraries offer you an option. There are forums for professional photographers that do address the issue, and it may be worth you looking into othe peoples style and work. Here are some I recommend you look into and consider selling your stock through:- PhotoStockPlus and Photo.com

There are also available a huge number of royalty free sites. You may question why buyer’s would consider paying for an image whilst they can obtain other’s free? The answer here is that royalty free photographs don’t make them free, you do purchase them, but you have the rights to re-use the stock photos and CDs for as many different projects and clients as you wish without paying further licensing fees.

Publisher & Author: Roy Barker. Roy specializes in profitable photography solutions for passionate and keen photographers. A whole world awaits keen eyes, imagination and some get up and go. Find out how you can easily expand your passion and skills in photography into a profitable career at http://www.photo-photography-resource.com/

The fashion model session - What to pack in your model case

OK, you’re off to a model photo shoot. But, did you remember to pack your bag? Did you put everything you need in it? I hope this article will be helpful to you and start you on the right foot in making sure your model bag is complete.

What do you bring?

What you bring to your model photo session will depend upon whether this is your first shoot for a portfolio or a paying job. Either way, this section will help you to be prepared for whatever reason you’re doing the model session.

First things first - Know what the client wants

If you are shooting for an agent or client, he will tell you what to bring but you still need to carry basics in case of changes in hair, makeup, etc. All the tips listed here are meant to be a guide and a checklist of sorts so you can always add to the list when you feel it’s necessary.

Ready? Let’s get started to create your model “kit”

Below I’m going to list suggestions for your photo shoot mainly so you don’t forget anything the day of the shoot. In fact, I’d like to see your model case prepared before the day of the session so there’s no rush. You may want to copy and print the section below so that you’ll have a guide handy each time you go for a photo shoot.

You’re now standing lifeless in front of your closet - Wardrobe Essentials

Here are the essentials for your wardrobe. As stated above, some of the clothing listed here will be provided if this is a model shoot for a client.

- Casual - blue jeans, sports & knit tops, button up tops, shorts, cutoff blue jeans, etc.
- Business Suit - for a different look
- Sports (exercise, uniforms, shorts, etc.) - If you plan to do some sports modeling
- Lingerie - If you plan to enter the lingerie market
- Swim wear - needs to be a bikini that really flatters you
- Any props like hats, neckties, men’s shirts, jackets, etc.
- G-string & bra in flesh tone color - This is to eliminate lines that show under clothing
- Hose/nylons in an assortment of colors
- Socks in different colors including black and white
- Bring several different bras including at least one push-up and one in flesh tone color
- A robe to wear between changes during the photo session
- Bring a scarf to wear when changing to help keep makeup off client’s and your clothing
- You may also want to pack an iron or steamer for those wrinkles that are bound to show up from the trip.

Accessories - You’ve got to have something to compliment the clothes, right?

Along with each outfit, try to bring accessories which will accent or match the outfit. Keep accessories simple.

- Assortment of necklaces
- Earrings
- Bracelets
- Choker (these are popular at the time of this writing)
- Wristwatch - You normally wouldn’t wear a watch unless you are doing a photo where you will be looking at the time.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

As with accessories, shoes should match or accent the outfit. But, you can also think outside the box on the subject of footwear. For example; High heels have a totally different look with jeans or swim wear than with an evening dress.

- Dress shoes - Bring several different pairs
- High heels - Also an assortment
- Jogging shoes - white
- Boots or high heel boots
- Sandals

Don’t forget about the hair

Below are some items you’ll need for your hair (or hair removal)

- An assortment of combs and hairbrushes
- A curling iron
- Hair rollers
- Straightener
- A couple of headbands
- Shaving cream and a couple of sharp razors
- Anything else you use for hair care

When coming to the model shoot, I would suggest leaving the hair fairly natural with very little (if any) hairspray so that you, or the MUA, can work with it after you arrive.

Makeup and facial

Even if your shoot involves a make-up artist, you still may want to pack the following …

- Your complete makeup kit along with a mirror
- A moisturizer
- Cottonballs and swabs
- Lip balm
- Vaseline
- A good skin cleanser
- Several different shades of lip color (be sure to bring some solid colors)

Nails, finger that is.

A quick tip about nails. Remember that in photos, your eye will move to vivid colors first, especially red. So, take this into account as to whether you want people viewing your hands or your face.

- Here is a checklist for nail products to take to your photo shoot.
- Your complete manicure kit
- Nail polish with neutral color
- Remover kit for nail polish

A nice manicure will really enhance your model photos, especially images where your hand is near your face in close-ups so pay particular attention to your nails.

This should pretty much cover you for most photo shoots but as stated above, listen to the photographer or client and be sure to bring wardrobe he or she wants.

Now, you’re ready so off your model photo session!!!

Bob Pardue is a professional model photographer located in the Southeastern US. His work has been published worldwide.Bob Pardue Photography

Several years ago, I met a fellow photographer - albeit, he was an amateur, a very
good one (the difference is not the quality of the work . the difference is that one
does it for love, the other does it for money). He is now a new friend and fellow
photographer named Marco, an Italian. His day job is as a top children’s heart
surgeon. His passion for photographing people takes him all over the world,
seeking out that special face, interesting enough to be captured on film/file.

During our brief encounter in my brother’s hairdressing salon, we had found
common ground and a need to explore each other’s pictures. He asked me if I would
visit his photographic society to meet the other members and discuss the possibility
of me giving a talk about my fashion photography. I said to Marco, “Whatever will I
talk about?”

Well, first off, he said, there is something very magical in the expressions of my
models and in the atmosphere of my pictures that he would love to have in his. He
asked me how do you achieve this. Shocked at his remark, I said, “No, I can’t,
because I don’t know myself.” You have to find out he said because this is what you
should talk about. We spent the next couple of hours disgussing photography and
the feelings and techniques of managing your subjects whilst shooting.

During my visit to his camera club, we arranged for my talk to be done nearly 9
months later, so I had time to think about my talk and to get myself prepared.

For days, I looked at my work and examined myself whilst shooting assignments. It
was maybe 6 months later whilst photographing a bridal-wear collection for one of
my clients that something clicked. (No pun intended!)

I had decided that I would like to start shooting with wider lenses to change the
style of my bridal-wear pictures. I shoot for so many bridal-wear designers, so I
have to make them look and feel different to the each other. It also helps to use a
short zoom, because during most of my shoots, I can take a variety of images from
full length to portrait shots from the same distance, so my client gets much more
usage out of the shots.

While moving in closer to my model, I noticed a big difference in the expressions in
her face and her body language - they changed, as I got closer. I experimented
more and began to play with this for the rest of this shoot. Not only could I see
better, it also created a much better flow of the energy and communication between
my model and myself. For years, I have been shooting fashion pictures using
medium-length telephotos, at times so far away that my models could not hear me
directing them. An amazing thing had happened. I could see and control so much
more in my pictures. Not to say that I will never use long lenses, just that I prefer
the new results that I am getting with wide lenses. In fact, most of my recent
projects I have shot with a wide zoom.

I find that by doing the poses and expressions in my face that I want, my models
seem to mirror mine. If I act daft, they act daft. If I laugh, they laugh. If I pull a sad
face, they pull a sad face - which always makes them smile

Since this experiment, I have been adapting my directions to my models in much the
same way, obviously changing my energy levels to match the levels I want in my
pictures. If I want a nice soft and gentle feel, I express this in my voice and my
manor and my body. If I want high energy, I do high energy. If I want my model to
leap, I will leap.

Think about this as if you were a conductor. The next time you attend a concert,
watch him or her, and watch the orchestra. They mirror him - fast tempo, slow
tempo, and medium tempo. You can do the same with your models.

Fashion pictures for me have RHYTHM and TEMPO. If you want to express high
energy or tempo in a picture, the shoot has to be high energy or tempo, or visa-
versa.

I look at pictures and sometimes wonder how boring the shoot must have been. I
love to change the tempo up and down whilst I’m shooting, I would hate it if anyone
viewing my pictures did not feel this energy. This is why I strive to make my shoots
exciting for myself, my model, the other members of my team, and, most important,
for my clients.

As a photographer, you are the conductor, your models are your orchestra, and your
clients or viewers of the pictures are the audience. So you have to direct and
entertain. Your performance will reflect in your pictures.

I want you to try a little experiment. The next time you have people over to your
house or you get a moment with some people at work, pick a volunteer. Face each
other, one or two feet apart, don’t speak, and don’t look at each other. In fact, do
your best to imagine they are not there. Stay like this for 30 seconds and remember
how this feels. Stay in this position but hold each other’s hands, look into each
other’s eyes, smile at each other, don’t speak. Instead of imagining they are not
there, do the opposite. Try and send them all of your good energy. Stay like this for
30 seconds. Remember how this feels, and compare the feelings. Ask your friend or
colleague and the others to explain how it felt for them. The next time you are
shooting pictures, remember all of these feelings.

Bruce runs courses, master classes and workshops that give students an insight
into the fascinating world of fashion photography. Instructor and photographer
Bruce Smith teaches the fundamentals of preparing for a fashion shoot and
setting up and photographing a shoot. “Introduction to Fashion
Photography” is intended for anyone who wishes to shoot fashion images for fun in
order to impress family and friends or for those who have a burning desire to
become a professional fashion photographer.

Bruce’s objective is to helps young photographers, initially to produce single fashion
shots and eventually to produce fashion stories that would not look out of place in
today’s fashion magazines.

With a fashion photography career spanning 30 years, Bruce has shot projects in
many parts of the world from Alaska to Thailand. For the past 3 years he has been
giving workshops, lectures and talks in various parts of the UK as well as abroad,
teaching hands-on the skills and techniques he has learned during his professional
career.

There are several variations to the courses that photographers can take, from an
online 8 week intense practical asignments course to 5 day master classes in
beautiful settings in the South of France and Italy. Bruce teaches studio photography
on his fashion and beauty or Glamour and Fine Artistic Figure and Nude
photography workshops, held every month in fabulous studios in South West
London. Students can expect to learn a lot of the secrets behind Bruces amazing
fashion, beauty, glamour and fine artistic figure and nude photographs.

His work can be seen on his web sites:

http://www.brucesmithphoto.com

http://brucesmithphotoworkshops.bravehost.com/online.html

You can read the many letters of thanks from his former students. There is also a
students gallery where you can see the standard of photography his students are
achieving in a short period of time whilst attending his photography master
classes and workshops.