Posts filed under 'Kids Photography'
Yesterday I went to a local photographic tradeshow, as there were a number of speakers that I was interested in listening to. And they didn’t disappoint.
Plus I could have a good look at some digital albums – something I want to introduce. I have one brand it mind, but I always like to have another supplier too. Lots of reasons for that, in this case I wanted an album that was of reasonable quality, price and wouldn’t take too long to produce.
Now I was getting a bit hung up on page thickness, until I spoke with a friend, who’d had her wedding album produced by one of the companies on my shortlist. Page thickness was not something she even considered – she just liked the look of the album. What she’d really loved about her album experience was the little guest books they’d also printed for her! Lesson learnt ..!
May 9th, 2007
I’m currently working on my “core marketing message” for my soon to be repositioned portrait photography business – Blue Eyes Kids Photography. I’m working with a marketing consultant who has been asking me a range of questions. It’s really intense stuff, and I find myself looking at other people’s businesses and wondering if they have ever even thought about their core marketing message or who their ideal customer might be. Or did they just instinctively know how to make their customers fall in love with them?
I sure hope all the thinking is worth it! Part of the difficulty for me is the type of portrait photography I want to do, and how I communicate that to the world. I’m so not into the white background variety, or shooting with flash for the ‘rabbit in the headlight’ look. I’m aiming for a more candid form of portraiture that happens outside of the studio and offers clients a more relaxed and naturalistic style. For me natural light is king. Being out of doors is just more fun and that shows in the final collection of photographs.
February 16th, 2007
I found myself toying with the idea of joining a local BNI chapter this morning, for no other reason than the fact that I could combine it with a trip to the gym! Seriously though I wondered if it would be a good thing to do to promote my Kids Photography business.
I used to go to networking events a lot in the beginning - well the beginning of promoting my landscape photography, but decided it just wasn’t the right way to promote that business.
Kids Photography is slightly different, but what puts me of attending is not having to be there for 7am, but that it has to be every week. And I mean every week.
And the fact that a friend went along to a meeting and was unable to leave as there was a queue of people wanting to tell her about their services, the first time she ever met them. It really put her off.
So I think I’ve talked myself out of that idea!
What would be really nice if every happy client told two of their friends, and they booked a sitting. Sadly life intervenes, and it doesn’t happen as I’d like it to all of the time.
December 12th, 2006
I went to a seminar on photographing children; simply because my sister in law was pregnant, and I was being ‘told’ that I’d have lots of opportunity to photograph the baby.
So I thought I’d brush up on my techniques – go to a seminar and continue my professional development. Then I had a light bulb moment – the photographer speaking was a fan of natural light and operating as a mobile photographer.
Suddenly I was thinking of a whole new angle for my photography business. No way was I interested in factory photography – which is what I feared having a traditional studio would result in. Lots of photographing people in the same poses – just different faces, and frankly not the kind of photography that would get my creative juices flowing.
Ok so I know my clients may not want loads of creativity, but they still want me to photograph their child as they are, to see their child’s many faces photographed, and I want to give them a range of shots so they can decide themselves.
I prefer relaxed and natural portraits of children, and whilst not every parent wants a stranger coming to their home, a lot more appreciate the convenience of not having to load the children into the car, drive somewhere, arrive and wait their turn, whilst fretting that the child won’t cooperate once in front of the camera. And believe me a child is much more confident in their own home, than in a strange new environment, and that shows in the photographs.
Given my other love is outdoor photography it’s no surprise that I wanted to incorporate this in my kids photography business, by photographing on location – either at the clients home or garden. In fact I want to extend this – I have an artist studio on an old flour mill, the building is listed so it’s got lots of quirky bits to it, and I think this location would make a fabulous backdrop for photographing children.
Every photographic session is different because every child is different. And that’s what makes it fun to do. It’s like a breath of fresh air each time. And to me that’s important, I like the fact that every child responds to their environment differently, and that I have to respond differently too – photographically speaking that is.
Ultimately the parent wins, because they get to chose from a unique set of prints, that captures their child’s personality during those precious childhood years.
October 27th, 2006
I made a client cry today. Not on purpose you understand. I’d photographed her baby daughter and had returned to show her the results. She was so happy with them, she cried!
It is hugely satisfying when a client loves your work. Makes it all worth the effort. She doesn’t know it, but she made my day!
What was also interesting was I had shown her all the pictures that I had taken, including a few when her daughter had a very thoughtful look on her face. She really liked those, and appreciated the fact that I had captured her daughter as she is.
I sometimes worry that I show the client too many pictures, give them too much choice, and then they can’t decide what to do. On the other hand a mother wants to see all the photographs taken, and who am I to try and second guess which ones I think she’ll like.
October 3rd, 2006
