Awesome Rainy Day Wedding Photos And 4 Tips To Be Prepared For Bad Weather

Wedding photographers have to be able to go with the flow, and sometimes that means dealing with bad weather. Rain and storms can happen at anytime, especially over the warmer months when the temperatures are soaring. 

As a great wedding photographer, you need to be able to use the bad weather to your advantage and that is what these photographers did in these 9 great photos below. As you are checking out these great photos, we will also give you a few tips to be sure you are always prepared for bad weather no matter what type of wedding you are photographing. 

Unplugged Photography via SnapKnot

Tip #1 - Be Prepared With Your Equipment

You do not want a sudden downpour or steady rain to ruin your equipment and even though most cameras are weather sealed, you still want to give these expenses pieces extra protection just to make sure they stay dry. Bring plastic ziplock bags or anything else that works best for you along in your bag so you have them handy. These can be great for covering your camera, lens and anything else quickly.

Also, think about yourself as well. If you know it is supposed to rain and it is a mainly outdoor wedding, dress appropriately and even think about bringing yourself a poncho to keep yourself covered and dry. It is much easier to take photos when you are comfortable (even though we know you are all great at taking photos anytime and under any circumstance)! 

"Wedding in the rain" by Ivan Zamanuhin via 500px 

Tip #2 - Back-Light the Rain

When shooting photos in the rain, you want the raindrops to stand out just like they do in all of these amazing photos and the best way to do this is with a backlight. You can do this with a flash, but also with another light in the distance such as a front porch light or even the sun.  

Federer Photography via SnapKnot

Tip #3 - Look for Puddles

Puddles are a great way to include amazing reflections in your photos so be sure to use the rain and the puddles it creates to your advantage! 

"Rockleigh Rain" by Ryan Brenizer via 500px 

Tip #4 - Use The Best Camera Settings

Cloudy skies typically come along with rainy weather so you want to be sure you are using the best camera settings you can to get the best possible photos you can for your bride and groom. Be sure to use a higher ISO setting. You most likely shoot outdoors with an ISO around 200... for rainy weather, you may find yourself raising it to 600, 800 or even up to 3,200 depending on what camera you are using. You also want to make sure that you have a shutter speed fast enough to catch the raindrops in your photos which will most likely be 1/500th of a second or faster.

Garrett Hubbard Studios via SnapKnot

"Let It Rain" by Alexey Tsibin via 500px

"Thailand Destination Wedding" by Adam Johnson via 500px

Hoffer Photography via SnapKnot

"I & M" by Zoran Ivanovic via 500px

These photos came from articles we found on SnapKnot and FStoppers. Are you a wedding photographer? Here are a few other articles on Camera Giveaways that you may be interested in:

• 4 Tips To Photographing An Amazing First Look Wedding Shoot
• 3 Tips To Pricing Your Wedding Photography Packages To Sell

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Are you a wedding photographer and know that some things just do not go as planned? Sometimes you have to find a plan B when the weather does not agree and you have to stay indoors rather than use the gorgeous outdoor scenery you wanted to utilize in the wedding photos. The Indoor Wedding & Engagement Posing Guide is for you! Learn when it is best to reschedule your shoot due to rain, shooting in the rain, using indoor elements and SO MUCH MORE! 

GET THE INDOOR WEDDING & ENGAGEMENT POSING GUIDE NOW! 

 

 

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7 Great Travel Photography Tips To Remember

Traveling is fun to do all throughout the year. You may be taking a family vacation over the summer and want to photograph all the great things you do and see. Perhaps, you are traveling with your goal being to capture great photos of landscapes, unique places, events or people. No matter your reason for your travels, you always want to plan ahead and keep a few things in mind to make sure your photos turn out how you hope they do. 

Today, we want to share 7 great travel photography tips that you want to remember before and during your travels. Safe travels and happy photographing! 

Photo credit: Sebastien Bicard Photography

1. Do Your Research

Before you go, you want to do your research of the location you are visiting. You can find really great locations that are popular around that city or town, off-the-beaten areas that may be unique to photograph and events or fairs that may take place that would be great to capture the culture and people of the destination. 

Doing research is also important so you make sure you bring travel items that are necessary during your visit. You would not want to be without sunscreen if you will be roaming outside in the sun all day or bug spray if you are in a state park that has tons of trees and mosquitos.

2. Pack Essential Gear and Backups

When packing, you want to make sure you pack your camera, extra backup batteries and lenses. It is also important to have a reliable camera bag or book bag you can easily explore while carrying your equipment and items comfortably. Also, you may want to have a laptop, extra memory cards and a removable drive back at your hotel if you need to store your photos there to keep everything organized. Depending on what you plan to photograph, you may also need a tripod. Here are a few reasons why a tripod may come in handy.

3. Dress Comfortably 

You want to make sure you dress comfortably when you are out photographing and you want to be prepared. Dress according to the weather... you would hate to be sweating in jeans when it is going to be 90 degrees outside. Being hot can distract you from enjoying the sites and capturing amazing photos. Also, wear comfortable shoes that you can get around in easily. You do not want to fall while carrying your expensive equipment (and of course so you do not injure yourself)! A wide brimmed hat may also be helpful in keeping the sun out of your face. 

Photo credit: Airows.com

4. Get Out Early

When you are traveling, it is always nice to get out early before the rush, especially if you are photographing a busy city. This will give you time to capture the architecture and other details without tons of people crowded around getting in the way of your photos. 

It is also great to get out early to take photos in the beautiful morning light. Once the morning is over, the late afternoon into the evening when the sun sets is also an ideal time to capture photos. This time is called the 'magic hour' and your scenes can be illuminated with a warm, golden glow. 

5. Shoot In RAW 

When you shoot in RAW, you can go back at any time and process the image in a different way. It's good to have the original RAW file to convert again and again.

6. Take Candid Shots

When traveling, while you may want to have a few posed shots if you are with your family or friends, candid shots that are very natural and can make some awesome shots. Take photos of subjects who are unaware you are photographing them. Perhaps a group of people enjoying a bite at a sidewalk cafe, or a few children playing around near a farmers market or playground. Finding those places and people that showcase the uniqueness and culture of that city can be perfect for your travel photos. 

7.   Look For Unique Areas or Architecture

One great thing about travel photography is the ability to get out and explore the unique areas and architecture in that city or town. Keep an eye out for unique textures, bright colors or cool patterns that would make for a nice shot. The possibilities are truly endless! 

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Do you have any travel photos that you want to add a little something extra to? Do you want to fill in a blown out sky? Overlays Made Easy! would be perfect for you. Along with these great overlays, you will also get video tutorials on how to use each one. 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE OVERLAYS MADE EASY! NOW. 

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4 Wedding Photography Mistakes You Want To Avoid

As a wedding photographer, you are responsible for capturing the precious moments between a couple's engagement and wedding day. They are looking to get the most amazing photos that they can, so they have something perfect to remember their day by. 

You want to make sure that you take the absolute best photos you can and need to remember you need to shoot those photos perfect the first time. Unlike portrait photography where you can take more time to shoot many different shots, at a wedding, everything continues on a schedule and you will not get a second chance! Sometimes, mistakes can be made that can create not so great photos and we want to make sure you do not make these mistakes! Today we want to share with you 4 mistakes wedding photographers can make that you want to make sure you do not to keep your clients happy customers. 

Photo credit: Deposit Photos

1. Not Thinking About The Background

There is so much going on during a wedding.... there are guests everywhere, people setting up and more. Whether you are capturing candid shots throughout the event, or have posed portraits of the bride and groom and their family and friends, you want to make sure you ALWAYS consider what is in the background of the photo. Angle your photos so they show off the beautiful wedding decor or make sure it is something that is not an eyesore that will take away from the shot. This is much easier to do when you are taking the portraits, because you can scout out the perfect location to take these photos, but you still need to keep the background in mind when you are snapping candid shots over the course of the wedding day just the same.

2. Squinting

Even though you want to capture many photos in the beautiful sunlight or in the gorgeous outdoor venue your couple has booked, you want to make sure you are not shooting in a spot where the sun is making everyone squint. Squinting does not look natural and the photos will show that so be sure to find outdoor locations that can showcase the sunlight but that is out of the direct sunlight. Perhaps under a nicely shaded tree or if you are in open space, be sure to face away from the sun. 

3. Not Having A Second Shooter

If you know ahead of time that the wedding is large and that you will be stretched thin to capture all the shots you will need to throughout the event, you want to make sure you are prepared with an assistant or second shooter to help you out. If you try and do the event on your own, there is chance you could miss some very important moments. Planning ahead when hiring a second shooter will make the process much easier. Here are 3 things you should think about when hiring a second shooter. 

4. Forgetting Those Little Details

A wedding day tells a wonderful story from the moment the bride wakes up and begins to prepare with her bridesmaids all the way to the moment the newlyweds leave together. Every single moment needs to be captured to make the photos tell the story of this special wedding day. Make sure you do not forget all the little details that make it as special as it is to the specific couple you are photographing. Perhaps their decor incorporates the military or other public service that one of them do for their career... be sure to capture that. Maybe the bride and her bridesmaids have a fun ritual they all do together because they have been best friends for years... try and get some great shots of them together. These little moments will be what make their wedding day special to them and should not be forgotten.

Do you not think you can capture every single moment on your own? Re-read number 3 and why it is important to have that second shooter to help you out! 

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If you shoot weddings or engagement photos and need some great new pose ideas, you must get the Posing Guide For Couple Portraits today! In this 209 page guide, you will get tons of pose ideas as well as tips on finding the perfect location, keeping the couple comfortable, pricing and even post processing.  For $249.99 you can get this awesome guide today! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE POSING GUIDE
FOR COUPLE PORTRAITS NOW! 

 

 

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5 Tips For Better Outdoor Sports Photography

The warmer months are full of outdoor sports and activities. Whether it is baseball, soccer, golf, tennis or any other sport you can do outside, you may be tasked with capturing photos of one of these specific sports. We have talked before about tips on indoor sports photography so today we wanted to share a few tips to help take better outdoor sports photography. 

1. Have A Zoom Lens Handy

You will want to take photos of the entire group, but while photographing a sporting event, it is also great to capture close-up images of players in action or even on the sidelines. It is very important you have a zoom lens that allows you to zoom in and get a crisp, clean shot. 

Here is a good zoom lens that will work nicely with Canon SLR cameras. And here is a zoom lens for Nikon cameras. 

Photo credit: CNN

2. Use A Low ISO

The brighter it is outside where you are photographing, the lower you should set your ISO. Even if you are shooting at night, if you have a stadium full of lights, the settings would most likely be similar for you because the lights make it so bright. 

3. Bring Along A Tripod 

Even though you may be moving all around the field so you can document all the great moments and plays of the game or sport, you never know when you need a little more stabilization. A tripod is always a perfect way to secure the camera and be able to take shots when you are sure to not be shaking or moving. 

Need a good tripod? Here is a 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod With Bag that you may like. 

Photo credit: BeachCamera.com

4. Use A Higher Shutter Speed

You want to have your shutter speed fast enough to capture the moment without having the photo turn out blurry. And especially when shooting outdoors, the fast shutter speed will help compensate for the brightness of the sun. You have to make sure you do find a balance though; a shutter speed that is TOO fast may leave the photo too dark. Depending on the variables of your shooting conditions, you just want to adjust your shutter speed as you go... for example, if the sun goes behind the clouds every few minutes. 

5. Capture Every Angle and Be Ready

Just like any sport, you never know what is going to happen. You need to stay alert so you are aware and ready for great photo opportunities, but also for your own safety as you do not want to get caught up in the middle of the game. Make sure you move around the sidelines so you do not miss out on a potentially perfect angle for a photo.   

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2 Important Factors To Creating A Successful Senior Photography Business

Each and every school year, thousands of seniors graduate high school in excitement of what is to come in their lives. They may be moving away to college, staying home to begin working or even taking time to travel and figure out what their true passion is in life. Many of these graduating seniors and their parents want them to get senior portraits taken to help capture this important time and all the years of school they have accomplished. With all this said, being a photographer that captures senior portraits can be a very great business to be in!

If you are interested in getting into senior portraits, "Creating A Successful Senior Photography Business" is the perfect eBook to give you all the tips and tricks you need to begin. Written by Keala Jarvis with Keala Jarvis Photography, who has a successful senior photography business who averages about $1,300 per senior session, will help you grow your business with marketing, social media, pricing, and more! 

Photo credit: Keala Jarvis Photography

Two very important factor that comes directly from this eBook is to figure out what your ideal client is so you can focus your marketing to that specific type of person. We are going to give you a few pointers on figuring out your ideal client below and how to market to them! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
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1. Find Your Niche

It is much easier to market to one specific group of people and focus your advertising dollars, website and everything else to that one thing. Sure, you can do other work, but having that focus will be beneficial. 

When you first start photographing, you are most likely to going to shoot anything you can. You may dabble in weddings, family portraits and anything else someone would hire you for. If seniors are something you do very regularly and you want to focus on them, Keala recommends in this eBook to make the switch quickly and put 110% into it. Some photographers tend to slowly transition to their niche.... still shooting weddings or family portraits here or there and while that is okay, it takes away from your focus of seniors.

Photo credit: Keala Jarvis Photography

2. Market to Teens

When you are a senior portrait photographer, while you want to get the word out to parents who have students, you really do want to focus some of your marketing directly to the teens. Keala says that the best place to find teens is on Twitter. Be sure that your business is on Twitter and is active on there so you can reach as many potential customers as you can! 

It is also important to get out and go to where the seniors are. Go to school sporting events in your town, or even work with other vendors to help cross-promote each other. Think about hairstylist or a local boutique that sells prom dresses. Working to promote each other would be very beneficial because these are places that teens will be visiting! 

If you are a senior portrait photographer, be sure to check out a few of our other posts including: 3 unique places to find high school senior clients and 2 factors to consider when photographing senior girls. 

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Finding your niche and marketing is such an important part of your business and if done correctly, will help your business thrive! This guide offers many more great tips about marketing, keeping your clients happy, word of mouth, pricing and so much more. Get "Creating A Successful Senior Photography Business" on sale for a limited time only for only $39.99 (a $129.99 value)! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
"CREATING A SUCCESSFUL SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS" 
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5 Cool Things To Know About The Nikon D810

It does not matter what brand of camera you love, each camera has different features that work for all different types of photographers. If you are a Nikon user, you may or may not have the newest version - the Nikon D810. If you have considered upgrading to the newest one day in the future, we wanted to share with you 5 cool things that you should know about the Nikon D810 before you buy! 

1. The Nikon D810 has no OLPF/AA filter.

The difference between the D800 and the D800E is the filter stack in front of the sensor. This mean that the D800 has two stacks of anti-aliasing/blur filters along with the regular UV/IR filter, which is what effectively reduces moire in images. The D800E, on the other hand, has a blur filter in the front of the filter stack, which is cancelled out by another filter at the end,

The Nikon D810 does not have the two low pass filters, so there is nothing that needs to be cancelled out. Only a regular filter stack (mostly to combat UV) is present in front of the camera sensor. There is practically no difference between the D810 and the D800E which reveals that the Nikon D800E filter stack was probably designed that way for cost reduction reasons. Now there is no need to do that, since both D800 and D800E have been combined into one line.

2. EXPEED 4 offers better autofocus performance and is 30% faster. 

The EXPEED 4 processor applies faster calculations to fast-changing scenes, which in turn improves autofocus speed and accuracy. The Nikon D810 gains exactly the same autofocus system as the D4s, so we can expect similar improvements in performance.

With a roughly 30% faster processor, the D810 can process images faster too, so the improvement is not only limited to the autofocus system. Thanks to the faster processor, images are also handled faster and more aggressive noise reduction algorithms are applied at high ISOs in the imaging pipeline. EXPEED 4 also translates to faster frames per second and other performance gains listed below.

3. The battery and MB-D12 are compatible. 

No need to worry about buying different batteries for the D810 if you are upgrading from the earlier version, because the older EN-EL15 battery is compatible with the D810! In addition, the MB-D12 battery grip for the D800/D800E is also compatible with the D810, which should make it easier for existing Nikon owners to make the transition if upgrading to this version. 

4. Electronic Front-Curtain Shutter completely eliminates camera shake. 

As a photographer you probably know how simple shutter vibration can impact images when shooting at slow shutter speeds. The new Electronic Front-Curtain Shutter on the Nikon D810 is amazing for this issue! When shooting, once the mirror is raised and the camera is in Live View mode, the shutter does not have to close and reopen at the beginning of the exposure. The shutter is only lowered at the very end of the exposure, which obviously does nothing to introduce potential blur. As long as you do not have continuous vibrations due to wind or other factors, the Electronic Front-Curtain Shutter will give you sharp, blur-free images. This mode will also work in Mirror Lock-Up mode, so it is not just limited to Live View!

5. Lower Base ISO of 64 and Higher Native ISO of 12,800. 

Most of you know that cameras give the best dynamic range at the lowest base ISO. With the D800 and D800E, the base ISO was 100, so you get the best performance at ISO 100. Although these cameras offered a “low boosted” ISO of 50, it is not native to the sensor, meaning that it is a software boost, which only reduces the dynamic range. With the D810, the base ISO is 64, so it is native to the sensor. This means that the best dynamic range on the D810 will be at ISO 64 and you can further “low boost” it to ISO 32. Having the ability to shoot at ISO 32 means you might not need to carry your ND filter when you need to use a slower shutter. For photographers that want to shoot wide open with fast f/1.4 lenses or with flash in bright daylight conditions, this is a definite plus. The native ISO range has been also been expanded to 64-12,800 range from 100-6,400. This means lower amounts of noise at high ISO levels, particularly past ISO 1600. 

So, what do you think of all these cool features and upgrades? If you are a Nikon user, tell us in the comments below what your favorite feature of this camera is. 

These are just a few of the cool features that the Nikon D810 offers to its users. To see even more cool thing that the model offers, check out this post on Photography Life.

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Are you looking to purchase your own Nikon D810 or want to upgrade? If you are looking to purchase your own, check out this Nikon D810 today. 

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2 Great Ideas To Use When Taking Family Portraits

Are you a portrait photographer who loves capturing amazing photos of families? It is a wonderful thing to photograph the love and special bond that a family shares. Finding fun ways to pose and capture their personality and love is awesome and Learning The Basics of Family Photography, a guide by Kimberly Reid Photography and BP4U has so many great posing tips and ideas for photographers just like you to use when you are photographing a family.  

In our post today, we want to share with you 2 great ideas that you can use when taking family portraits. We hope these will give you some great new ideas that help you to keep your photos fresh with different and unique poses. Enjoy! 

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1. Use Props To Bring Spice To The Photos

Using props is fun for a family to do and the prop can be anything... the possibilities are endless! Talk to the family beforehand and see what it is that they love. Do they have a sport that they all enjoy to play together or a car that would be fun to include? It could even be something simple like bringing along a picnic blanket and basket so they can relax and have a picnic while taking their photos. 

2. Capture Their Silhouette

If you are doing the family photo shoot during the time of a sunset, try and plan to capture a silhouette of the family together. Seeing them stand together holding hands or looking at one another can be stunning and make for a wonderful portrait. Kimberly Reid mentions in the guide that in order to get a good silhouette shot, its important to have a blank canvas behind your subjects. One good way to do this is to get on the ground and shoot them up, so the sky is your canvas. 

If you love the tips we have provided here, you have to purchase "Learning the Basics of Family Photography" today! With special code FAMILY100 you can save $100 (regularly $149.99) and you will get a 55-page guide for posing families and children along with 35 posing cards so you can take your tips on the go! 

CLICK HERE TO GET THIS GUIDE NOW!

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7 Social Media Post Ideas To Keep Your Followers Engaged

Social media is so important to any business in today's online world. People are always online and checking in on their various social media accounts many times throughout the day and night so it is very important for your business to have a presence as well. We have talked before about the importance of social media and how it is a great, and FREE, way to reach potential customers and stay up-to-date with those you have already worked with, but what should you actually be posting about?  

First of all, it is important to post regularly. Whether it be once a day, or four times a week, you want to be consistent and continue to post new and fresh content that your followers will be interested in. It's good practice to mix it up and post a variety of different things. Do not just post all about your business because your followers may get bored and want to block or unfollow you. You also want to make sure you take time to like, comment and share posts from others that you follow - so you can share the love and hopefully they will do the same for you! 

Today we want to help you out with other unique social media post ideas that you can do throughout the week. We hope these 7 social media post ideas will keep your followers engaged and interested. Enjoy!

1. Quotes

People love great quotes. Whether it is something about love, life, work, happiness... quotes stand out to others, especially when they are with a graphic or beautiful photo. Create your own graphics or simply search online for quotes and find an image that has already been created to use (just be sure you give photo credit when you use someone else's work)! When you find a quote that you know people will love, each time someone shares your post, you reach a whole new group of potential followers or customers! Here is a great example of a quote graphic we made!  

2. Content From Your Blog

Along with social media, blogging is so important. Not only does a blog help with SEO, it is a great way to boost your presence online and become a thought leader in your industry.  We have talked about the importance of having a blog on your website, and along with being an important aspect to your website, your blog posts give you evergreen content that you can use over and over again. For example, if you are a wedding photographer who wrote an article discussing important questions you should ask your photographer before booking them that you know is very popular, you can continue to post that every few months which will keep visitors coming to your site.    

3. Company Milestones

Just because you should not talk about your company ALL THE TIME, does not mean you shouldn't toot your own horn every now and then! Is it your 10th anniversary of being in business? Did your photos make it into a huge magazine you have been dreaming about for years? Tell everyone and announce it proud! You want your followers to know about the great work that you do, and you should be proud of yourself for your accomplishments and want to tell others.... just be sure you do not go overboard! 

4. Giveaways, Contests or Special Deals You Are Offering

These types of promotions get tons of traffic because people love giveaways and discounts! If you are holding a holiday special for family portraits, post about it on your social media pages and encourage your followers to tell others. Are you a photographer who takes senior portraits and is giving away a free session to one lucky winner? Post it! You will find that it can get tons of traffic. 

For a small amount of money on Facebook, Instagram or even Pinterest, you can boost your post and have it reach so many additional people - many who could potentially be your next customer! These types of posts are great for that sort of promotion because they could potentially give you an good ROI back from people who book. 

5. Funny Industry Posts

Memes are such a huge hit and there are so many funny things out there that you can post about photography, weddings, cameras or anything else that you want to share. You can create your own someecards (or use ones that have already been created) or find funny memes that you know your followers will love. 

6. Industry News

Did you read an excellent article in the New York Times about the photography industry that you think other photographers would like to see? Share it and be sure to tag that news source you saw it in! Tagging them always brings the potential of getting new followers or page views! 

7. Questions For Your Audience

It is always a good idea to get your followers engaged and comment on your posts and this can be done easily with a fun poll. Do you photograph boudoir photos? Perhaps ask your followers what is the one thing they were most nervous about during their session. Maybe you are looking to see when your followers are having wedding anniversaries. For those that answer, perhaps you can start a conversation about having photos of the couple taken. The possibilities are endless.

If you thought this was helpful, here are a few other articles you may enjoy: 

• 4 Things To Include On Your Photography Business Website
• 7 Important Facebook Tips For Photographers
• 3 Essentials For Building A Photography Business

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If you are still in need of a little more help with your social media but do not have the budget to hire a social media expert, then this Social Media Kit Bundle is perfect for you! Get 5 great social media products bundled together to help you do your social media like a pro for only $350! 

 GET THE SOCIAL MEDIA KIT BUNDLE NOW!

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In A Photography Rut? Here Are 5 Ways To Get Out!

Taking photos is something you love to do... whether you do it as a profession or hobby. Just like anything else in life, you can get into a funk and struggle to produce photos that are unique, different or even something you really are excited about. Don't worry... a photography rut can happen to the best of us. Writers get writers block, athletes go through rough times... but there is a way to break out of that photography rut that you find yourself in.

Here are a few ways to get out of your photography rut and start shooting the photos that you know you are capable of doing! 

1. Change It Up

Many times photographers tend to photograph what they know but that can get monotonous. Change it up and experiment with other subjects. If you shoot landscapes, try taking some portraits. If you are a wedding photographer, maybe test your skill photographing a sporting event. 

Photo credit: Nomadic Matt

2. Don't Stop Shooting

Just because you are in a rut, doesn't mean you should put your camera away and stop for a few days or weeks. You should actually do the opposite. Continue to bring your camera with you and find new things to photograph that happen in your every day life or travels. If you are having to take photos of the same type of subject you always do because of your profession, switch up those photos by experimenting with different camera settings, backgrounds or lighting. 

3. Find A Photography Group

Being around others who love the same things that you love can always bring inspiration and new ideas. Find a local photography group or plan a monthly get together with all of your photography friends who all love taking photos as much as you do. Different social media sites also have photography related groups that you could join. 

Photo credit: Pinterest

4. Purchase or Rent New Equipment

There is nothing like getting some new equipment to help increase your excitement! Anytime you get a new gadget, toy or technology, it is fun to test it out, play around with its different features and see what it can do. The same goes for a new camera, editing program, or any other type of photography related item. It is not always feasible to buy something new, so check out local rental shops. If you are looking for some great deals on new photography actions and presets, business tools and more, be sure to check out Photographer Candy!  

5. Do A Daily Photo Project

To make things a bit more interesting, having a project to work on will keep your mind going. We love the idea of a daily photo project. This type of project will make you take at least one photo a day and may get you to think outside of the box. Michael Pach is a photographer in Colorado Springs who did a photo project where he took a photo of the same tree every single day for a year and it is amazing how different each photo is. Read more about his tree photo project here.  

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Do you love taking photos are really want to start your own photography business doing exactly what you love? This guide titled"How To Start Your Photography Business"would be perfect for you! For $149.99, you will learn how to find clients, what you should be charging those clients, when to give out contracts, creating a website, advertising and so much more! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THIS GUIDE NOW! 

 

 

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Consider These 4 Things When Pricing Your Photography

Pricing your photography is so important. We have talked about it before... photography is so popular and it has become much easier over the years for anyone to buy a camera and start taking photos.  Some of you are professional photographers who use your photography to earn a living, some of you may just do your photography on the side, while others may just have a passion for it but are not concerned about making money with your photography. 

We have talked in the past about how much you should be charging for your photography but today we want to talk about things you need to consider when you are actually trying to set your prices. You need to think about various costs that your business will incur and charge based on that. You want to make sure you are making your income goals and also covering your business expenses. If you do not think about these things when making your prices, sadly, your business may not make it.

Photo credit: michaelhyatt.com

Here are 4 questions you want to ask yourself when trying to price your photography. 

1. How much do I wish to earn in a year?

Just like any industry in the arts, whether it be photographers, writers, etc., the average person can make a decent living but will most likely not make a ton of money. The average photographer will make about $30,000 per year, while a small few make the big bucks. Again, that is not just photographers. Think about the popular novelist of our time; not everyone makes the same salary that James Patterson does. 

But remember, if photography is what you are passionate about, and you are up to the challenge of building your business, you can make a decent living. What is better than doing something that you love?  

2. How much are my annual business expenses?

We have touched base on this point for wedding photographers in our recent post "3 Tips To Pricing Your Wedding Photography Packages to Sell." No matter what type of photographer you are, you need to figure out an estimate of what your business expenses will be before you price out your services.

Think about every cost your business will incur. Do you own an office space or studio? If so, you need to include the monthly rent for that as well as any internet, electricity and other items you may need such as decor. You will also need to think about the costs to update, clean and buy equipment. If you use specific computer programs for photo editing or do marketing (which we talk about in #3), those are other costs to think about. Then of course you need to factor in little costs here and there that you will need such as meals and travel expenses you incur while going to photo shoots, weddings or sessions. 

All of these items together can tell you how much you need to make money at the MINIMUM. Based on this number, you will know for sure that you at least need to make this amount to cover your business costs, and anything over that will be yours. 

3. What is the cost to do marketing?

Marketing is very important for your business. This can include everything from the sponsored posts you buy on Facebook or Instagram, Google AdWords, money you spend on bridal shows, marketing materials like fliers, business cards and more. These are essential expenses because marketing yourself and your business is a great way to get new clients and get the word out about what you can offer. 

4. How often do I want to work over the next year?

Based on what your salary goal is over the next year, and all of your different expenses, you need to decide how much you want to work. If you are a wedding photographer, do you want to try and book at least one wedding each week, or two a month? If you do not want to work as much, you need to consider that and remember that will play into how much money you end up making. 

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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 GET "PHOTOGRAPHER PRICING MADE EASY" NOW!

 

 

 

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