Google's Nik Collection Of Photo Editing Software is Now Free

Google just announced that they are making their Nik Collection of desktop photo editing software, that used to sell for $150, totally free! That's right... this software is now 100% free!

The Nik Collection has 7 desktop plug-ins that provide a wide range of features including mimicking the look of old cameras and films, retouching and correcting photos, darkroom retouching, adjusting color and tonality, HDR, image sharpening and noise reduction. The collection is for both Windows and Mac.

Back in September 2012 was when Google first acquired Nik Software and its Snapseed photo editing app. Then, in March 2013, after they killed off Snapseed for Desktop, they began selling the entire Nik suite for $150 - which was originally valued around $500. It is pretty awesome that you can now get a program that was once valued at $500 for FREE! 

GET THE NIK COLLECTION HERE FOR FREE! 

Here is a quick video introduction to the Nik Complete Collection of software. Hear about the software features include noise reduction, optimizing color and contrast, stylizing images as well as sharpening an image for output. Check it out today to see if this free program is something that you would be interested in using or trying out. 

According to this article on PetaPixel, the entire collection was free to download on March 24, 2016 and if you spent money buying the collection before that date anytime this year, you will get a full refund of your purchase price which will be automatically issued very soon. 

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We just love this "Photography is Life" coffee mug from Photographer Candy! If you are a photographer, or you know someone who is, this would be the perfect gift! Get yours today for only $19! 

 

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How Much Should You Really Be Charging For Your Photography?

Each photographer and their business is different and each offers many different types of services. You may photograph only weddings, or focus on portraits. You could be a photographer who does sports photography, beautiful landscapes or travel photography. Now-a-days, with as easy as it is to have a nice camera, there is a bunch of competition out there so you want to make sure you are offering competitive prices that will keep your business going. So how much should you really be charging for your photography? 

When a client is trying to research and find their perfect photographer for the type of photos they are looking for, they most likely will not want to choose the cheapest photographer out there, but not the most expensive one either. Some photographers will charge with a package price that includes a certain amount of hours of shooting and the photos or an album included, such as a wedding photographer. Others may charge simply per photo. Some may charge as little as $25 per photo while top photographers could ask for thousands of dollars for a single photograph. It really does depend on the client you are photographing for and the location as well. Photographers shooting for a major magazine would make much more than someone taking a photo for a small, local business. 

Photo credit: ImprovePhotography.com 

Even though the prices really do vary depending on what you are photographing and who you are shooting it for, here is what PetaPixel says is the average range of what various professional photographers should charge. 

Student Photographer:
$50-$100 per hour or $25-$100 per image

Just like any other photographer, a student rate varies depending on how long they have been photographing, their experience level and the type of work they do. Some students who have tons of experience should charge just as much as professional photographers, while some that are just starting out may need to charge less. 

Semi-Professional:
$50-$150 per hour or $25-$125 per image

Semi-professional photographers are those that want to join the ranks of the professional. These are photographers who typically have another job or income source to keep them going, but they want to eventually leave that other job behind to just focus on their photography. Many of these semi-pros will compete with the professional photographers for jobs but are just not quiet ready to fully start a full-time photography business. 

Professional:
$75-$250 per hour or $75-$250 per image

When we are saying professional photographer here, we are meaning someone who depends solely on their photography to make a living. A professional photographer has a solid portfolio to represent the specialty that they photograph. 

Top Professional:
$200-$500+ per hour or $250-$1,500 per image

This is the elite group of professional photographers. Many top image makers charge over $10,000 per day or $1,500 for one single photograph. 

Photo credit: Pinterest

There are also different prices to charge for the various areas of photography. Here are some average price ranges that may be helpful. 

Wedding Photography: $1,700-$3,500

Wedding photography can have a pretty wide range and it also can depend on the needs of the client. Beginner wedding photographers may just charge $500 while top professionals could ask for $10,000.

Looking for a great place to list your wedding photography business? Check out SnapKnot!  

Senior Portrait Photography: $125-$300

This rate can depend on many factors including the number of locations, clothes changes and the type of print package that your client chooses. 

Local Website Photography: $25-$150 per image

If you are a small local business that is in need of a photographer, finding one in this price range can be pretty easy to do. The specific rate will depend on many different factors like we have discussed already, such as location, the type of photography needed and the production required as well. If the business is just looking to get a image file to use for branding, it may be a cheaper price than a business that wants the photographer to give them a huge photograph blown up to decorate their storefront with. 

And just remember, pricing your photography is so important. If your prices are too high, or even too low, you may not get the business that you want to get. We found this great information in an article on PetaPixel. 

Did you love this article? Here are a few more we think you may enjoy:

• 5 Tips For Fashion Photography
• 8 Ways To Make Money With Your Photography
• 3 Essentials For Building A Photography Business

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Do you still need a little more help with pricing your services? Here is a great guide that we love called "Photographer Pricing Made Easy." This guide is for every type of photographer and will give you over 125 pricing packages in every type of niche you can think of. You can get this awesome guide today for $149.99! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE "PHOTOGRAPHER PRICING MADE EASY" NOW! 

 

 

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1 Man and 6 Different Photographer Perspectives

It is truly interesting how every photographer can see the same subject in a different perspective. Canon captures it perfectly with this really cool project they did and we just had to show it to you all today. One man was photographed with six different photographer perspectives. 

Photo credit: Tip Hero

No matter what type of equipment you use, this shows that the camera is really not what does the work and it is the person behind the camera who makes the photo what it is. A different angle, a specific pose or even the expression captured on the subjects face can make one person look like many different types of people. It is all in how you capture them. 

Check out this really awesome video below and be sure to tell us your thoughts in the comments below. 

We originally saw this video on Tip Hero. 

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"Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them." That quote is so true and explains what this video is trying to show.  Do you love this quote? Why not get it on a coffee mug for daily inspiration? Get it here for only $19!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THIS COFFEE MUG NOW! 

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First Photos And Specs Of The Nikon D5 Leaked

Calling all Nikon lovers out there! The first photos and specs of the new Nikon D5 leaked. We saw on PetaPixel that Nikon Rumors began sharing some specs that were rumored of the body of the new Nikon a few months ago, but now they have the first known photos of the D5 DSLR which are included here. 

Here is a photo of the current Nikon D4S that you can use for comparison: 

You can see from the photos below that the physical interface on the top of the camera has some small tweaks. There is a redesigned Nikon "swoosh," a new ISO button, no MODE button on top, a relocated video recording button and a few microphone holes right above the D5 on the front of the camera.

PetaPixel also says that Nikon Rumors are very confident of a number of rumored specs including: the camera will feature 153 autofocus points with a new focusing module that has a larger coverage area. There is also a native high ISO of 102, 400, up from ISO 25,600 in the D4S. 

Stay tuned for the announcement of the new Nikon D5 which is expected in early 2016! We are excited!  

Have You Entered Our Current CAMERA GIVEAWAY!

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Save Big On A SnapKnot Pro Membership

Check out this awesome deal that SnapKnot is offering for Black Friday! Sign up to the Pro Membership for just $7 for the first month... that is 89% OFF the normal monthly membership!!! What a great deal! 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS GREAT OFFER NOW!

A SnapKnot Pro membership is the best, most cost-effective way for you to get yourself in front of new clients and book more weddings. It takes just 5 minutes to create your profile and get listed on SnapKnot. 

As a SnapKnot member, you will have support with you at every step along the way, from profile recommendations to photography education to business tips. You will also get over $400 in VIP partner offers just for being a SnapKnot member. 

What will you get from your SnapKnot membership?

• Your 1st Month (30 days) of the SnapKnot Pro membership with all the benefits
• A beautiful personalized profile to display your portfolio with unlimited photos, a link to your website and contact information
• Display in search results in up to 5 different cities
• Priority access to new couples via the Lead Match System
• SnapKnot pro member badge to display on your website and blog
• Unlimited leads

To read more about this amazing offer that is 89% off the normal monthly membership price, or to read more about SnapKnot, click here. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS GREAT OFFER NOW!

40% Off SmugMug Account Through November 30

Here is a great deal for all of your photographers who have wanted to get a SmugMug account! Now through Cyber Monday, get 40% off a SmugMug account! 

Looking for a professional website with a  responsive design that automatically adapts to mobile, tablets and monitors that is easy to use for your business. 

CLICK HERE TO GET 40% OFF AT SMUGMUG NOW! 

To get the 40% off, simply follow this link and then click the green TRY IT NOW button at the top of the page and your discount will be applied once you sign up. 

CLICK HERE TO GET 40% OFF AT SMUGMUG NOW! 

This Couple Was Looking For Wedding Photography In Exchange For Instagram Publicity

As we have said time and time again, social media is important for marketing your photography business in today's technology driven world. But, some things take it a little too far in our opinion! 

A young couple in the Chicago area decided they wanted to find a photographer to shoot their wedding in exchange for Instagram publicity. The couple's Instagram has over 17,600 followers.

Like this article in PetaPixel mentions, there are many times when there are big events that will be hugely publicized in the media realm who are looking for "sponsors" for the event in exchange for that awesome publicity. That makes sense.... when you and your business will truly get something out of the amount of work put in.    

Photographer Kate Hailey saw the couple's post and decided to comment. In one of her quotes she said "it is highly offensive to think, much less ask, for people to provide you with goods and services for free. Do you actually think you are special or any different than any other couple because you have followers on Instagram?" 

Here is her full response in the image below. 

Definitely an interesting request and the original listing has been deleted since it was flagged by other Craigslist users. 

What are you thoughts on this request? We would love to hear below in the comments section. 

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Marketing in today's busy technology driven world is so important and helps you succeed... but there is no need to just give your work away like this couple is asking for someone to do. With proper marketing of your products, your business will soar! 

Need a little extra help with your marketing? These Marketing Made Easy! Templates are just what you need! This set of marketing templates include proven tactics to increase business and client traffic. They are perfect for using in email marketing, on social media or simply as a flier printed out. And for only $59.99 (a $249.99 value) it would be a great investment for your business! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE MARKETING MADE EASY NOW!

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White House Photographer Now Shooting With a Sony a7R II

Chief Official White House photographer Pete Souza is now shooting with a Sony a7R II! Pretty cool stuff! 

The official White House Flickr photostream shows that Souza used the Sony mirrorless camera to photograph President Obama talking to Cuba President Raul Castro in the Oval Office in mid-September. 

Photo credit: Pete Souza

Under the posted photo, here is what the EXIF section shows:

Prior to using the Sony camera, Souza used the Canon 5D Mark II and then upgraded to the Canon 5D Mark III. 

If you are looking to purchase your own Sony a7R II you can see more here! 

This article was originally found on PetaPixel. 

Be sure to check out a few other articles and great photography you are sure to love: 

• Nighttime Photos of NYC Captured Out Of An Open Door Of a Helicopter 
• Amazing Photos of Glowing Mushrooms

Enter Our Next CAMERA GIVEAWAY!

Enter your info below to know when our next giveaway starts. Coming soon, a chance to win a Canon 5D Mark III or Nikon D800! Don't miss out! 

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Amazon Prime Membership Is Discounted Today Only!

Have you been thinking about signing up for Amazon Prime but just not sure if you wanted to spend the money on the membership? Today only, an Amazon Prime membership is discounted, so today is the day to try it out! 

For today only, you can try out Amazon Prime for $67 for the year - normally $99! WHAT AN AMAZING DEAL!

This offer is valid only through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 25 so be sure to hurry and sign up now!  

CLICK HERE TO GET A YEAR OF AMAZON PRIME FOR $67 TODAY ONLY!

An Amazon Prime membership offers so many benefits including:

• FREE 2-day shipping
• Unlimited, ad-free access to over a million songs
• Instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video
• Free unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive
• Read free books each month through Kindle First and the Kindle Owners' Lending Library

CLICK HERE TO GET A YEAR OF AMAZON PRIME FOR $67 TODAY ONLY!

Smithsonian Magazine Hosts Worldwide Photo Contest

We wanted to make sure that all photographers everywhere know that Smithsonian Magazine is currently accepting entries to its annual worldwide photo contest! The contest opened up for submissions this past March, but the final deadline is November 30, 2015. 

Contestants can submit up to 15 photos to each of the following seven categories:

• The natural world
• Travel
• People
• The American experience
• Altered images
• Mobile photos
• Sustainable travel

The grand prize is $2,500 and each category winner, as well as the readers' choice winner, will receive $500. The winner in the sustainable travel category will receive two round-trip plane tickets for travel to any place in North America, the Caribbean and Central America. 

Both professional and amateur photographers can enter this contest. For the photo to be eligible for entry, it must have been taken since January 1, 2013. 

For the contest rules, or to enter, visit the Smithsonian Magazine website. Good luck everyone! 

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Tell us  below what type of photos you will be submitting!