B Y NA P C P NOVEMBER 2018
Featuring Pamela Salai of of Pamela Salai Photography
The
LATEST INSIDE
Success!: Child Portrait Session Tips
Holiday NAPCP Gatherings, 2019 Educational Summit Details, and 4 Myths About School Photography!
A season of appreciation...
Our cornucopia is full of blessings and our days are steeped in tradition. We’re expressing our gratitude
and thanks with holiday get-togethers, reflection and remembrance. As we celebrate life’s harvest, we’re entering the holiday season in the loving company of friends, family, and of course, NAPCP!
Our final NAPCP Gatherings of the year will be held the week of December 11th-18th. Eat, drink, be merry
and join us! You can find more information about local NAPCP Gatherings on our dedicated NAPCP Gatherings page, by browsing the “NAPCP Gatherings” topic in the NAPCP Member Community on Facebook, or by searching for “NAPCP Gathering” in Facebook Events. If you encounter any trouble finding an event in your area, please email our team at info@napcp.com so we can connect you with your local NAPCP Ambassador!
Speaking of NAPCP Ambassadors, applications will open around the new year; keep an eye out for the
announcement! We look forward to new relationships and the continued growth of our association in 2019.
Congratulations to our November 2018 Inspired magazine featured photographer, Pamela Salai of Pamela
Salai Photography! Pamela’s images are filled with wonder, childlike awe, and a sense of magic. Pamela is an encouraging and enthusiastic voice uplifting the industry of child portrait photography, as well as NAPCP, and we are absolutely elated to share her and her work with you. If you missed Pamela’s recent Marketing Mondays segment in the NAPCP Member Community, we invite you to view the video there and engage Pamela in discussion, as she will be checking comments and has made herself available to answer your questions. If you are not yet a NAPCP member, submit your application now to be eligible to gain access to our full Marketing Mondays library, Facebook Live segments, and to take advantage of member pricing for the 2019 NAPCP Educational Summit.
Friends, family, food, and football also means the January 23, 2019 Educational Summit is practically
around the corner! We can hardly contain our enthusiasm over our fun-filled and generous (not to mention expert!) speaker lineup. We hope you’re making plans to join us (whether in person or virtually). Don’t forget, if you register before Monday, December 31, you’ll be able to take advantage of early bird pricing, and we may just have some prizes in store for our early bird registrants, too! Shhhhhhh ...
If you’re already up to your ears in holiday gifts to wrap and can’t put off the wrapping any longer -- or
you’re assembling gifts for clients, exchanges, and your child’s favorite teachers -- download and print our free holiday gift tag printables. Another item checked off your shopping or to-do list!
Last (but certainly not least!), 2019 Educational Summit speaker Heather Crowder, of Heather Crowder
Photography and Modern School Pictures, is sharing 4 Myths About School Photography. Heather is incredibly passionate about sharing everything one needs to know to become a modern school pictures photographer, and we simply adore her and her no-nonsense yet loving advice.
May the bounty of the season fill your hearts and homes.
Wishing you the best, The NAPCP Team
TA BL E O F CO NTE N TS Pg. 4 ............................... Free Printable Gift Tags Pg. 5 ........................................What’s Happening Pg. 6 ............Featured Photographer Pamela Salai
Pg. 28 ...........................2019 Educational Summit Pg. 30 ....................................Marketing Mondays
Pg. 31 ........................NAPCP Holiday Gatherings Pg. 32 ..................4 Myths of School Photography Pg. 36 .................................... #NAPCPInstaFaves Pg. 37 ..................................Membership Benefits
F R E E
D O W N LO A D
HOLIDAY GIFT TAGS
GET WRAPPING
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WHAT’ S HA P P E NI N G
right now Sign up to host a Marketing Mondays segment in the NAPCP Member Community. Share your favorite tips and tricks, what’s in your camera bag, your favorite things, or come up with your own topic!
Share your favorite fall or holiday photo session on the NAPCP blog. Email katie@napcp.com for more information.
December 2018 Make sure you take advantage of early bird pricing and register for the 2019 Educational Summit in Atlanta on January 23rd -right after Imaging!
January 2019 If you can’t make it to Atlanta, we hope you will join us virtually on January 23rd to watch the 2019 Educational Summit LIVE from the comfort of your own couch -- pajamas optional!
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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER PAMELA SALAI
Images by Pamela Salai of Pamela Salai Photography
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P
amela Salai is the maternity, child, and family portrait photographer
and business owner behind Pamela Salai Photography, which she operates from her ideally located studio 20 minutes from the heart of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pamela has been honored with many notable awards and features. Most recently her work was featured on the cover of MADISON
Fashion Magazine, she received placement in both NAPCP’s International Image Competition and the Inspired by NAPCP Gallery Event & Print Competition, and 5 of her images were awarded in the 2018 Portrait Masters Competition by Sue Bryce. Pamela considers her most important job to be as a full-time wife and mum. She makes her home with her husband and 3 children, and they affectionately call their family the “Salai Tribe”. The Salai Tribe firmly believes that life is too short not to have fun and be silly; they love the beach! When Pamela is not working she enjoys stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), collecting seashells, snorkeling, crafting, and of course, taking snapshots of her family.
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AT A GLANC BEHIND 1. Officially opened business? 2012 2. Favorite camera? Canon Mark series (I have my eye on the 1D X) 3. Lens of choice? I love my 135 mm for outside. 4. Favorite lab? Musea Lab 5. Favorite client product? Albums 6. Favorite subject to photograph? Children
Pamela Salai
7. Favorite musician? Oh goodness ‌ only one? Jack Johnson
CE WITH SCENES
PAMELA SALAI
8. Favorite movie? These questions are getting harder. I love Tim Burton so really any of his movies. 9. Recent favorite read? The Universe Has Your Back, by Gabrielle Bernstein 10. 3 things you can’t live without? Any camera, a music player (I love music.), and a good oversized flannel
F L I P T H E PAG E F O R OU R E XC LUS I V E I N T E RV I E W W I T H PA M E L A !
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Congratulations on being the Inspired feature photographer this month, Pamela! Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into the world of professional photography. Thank you so much! It’s an honor to be featured. I describe myself as a free spirit, wander-lusting soul, and natural light photographer. My favorite light is during the magic hour, that hour before sunset when the Earth exudes this beautiful, illuminative light. My family is everything. I have been happily married to my husband Dave for over 11 years. We have 3 beautiful, fun-loving children who I am lucky to use as my muses from time to time. Our son Brody is seven, and the twin girls, Harlow and Gabriella, are age five. For as long as I can remember, I have been a creative. Photography has been a huge part of my life, sometimes without me even realizing. “Back in the day” ( when I was 10-11 years old …) my mum would purchase throwaway cameras and I would fill them with friends, selfies and scenic photos of vacations and travels. I learned how to shoot on film in high school, and how to develop and all about the exposure triangle. It was definitely a cool experience. However, it was not an “Aha!” moment. I started modeling when I was about 16 and continued to model until I was about 23 years old. Being in front of the camera was cool but it still didn’t feel like it was what I wanted to do. My creative side was still trying to bust out of the seams. In 2010 a friend of mine purchased a Canon Rebel camera and asked me to go out and “play” so she could practice. It had been years since I was in front of the camera and I thought, “Sure. Why not?”. At one point she handed me her camera and said, “Here, you give it a try.” I lifted the camera up to my face and pushed the shutter button. I thought that glitter exploded out of that camera at that very moment. It was my Aha! moment. I felt it in my heart. I fell in love! In April of 2011 I had my son and purchased a Canon 60D. By 2012 I very naively started taking on clients. It was still a hobby to me but I thought, “Why not just do it for fun?”. Fast forward to 2018 and my hobby is a full blown career and my creative juices are flowing every day. It’s such a fulfilling feeling because, as the saying goes, when you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life.
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You’re a big supporter of the NAPCP Member Community. Why is this community so important to you? I think it’s so important to find a community in which you feel welcomed, loved and can grow in. I have found that in NAPCP. I wish I would have connected with NAPCP sooner; I would watch from the sidelines thinking, “I hope to be a part of that community one day,” and then I finally said, “Wait, what am I waiting for?”. You all welcomed me with open arms and with warm virtual hugs. Here I’ve found endless opportunities, virtual friends, and so much inspiration. Speaking of community, would you share a little about your studio with us? I would love to. Let me take you on a tour with words. My studio is located about 5 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, in the heart of Deutschtown. This awesome area is historical and dates back as far as the 18th century. There are a ton of great shooting spots around the studio, on the street and alleyways. West Park is within walking distance of the studio.
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The studio itself is an open concept studio with beautiful natural light! It features exposed red brick wall – floor to ceiling. Opposite of the brick wall is a pure white floor-to-ceiling area. The sitting area doubles as a floor-to-ceiling gray space. I have a studio partner, Sarah, who is a really great friend of mine (we connected through photography). We choose to rent out our studio because it’s such a beautiful space and should not be kept for just us. I am a true believer in community over competition. We share all the props and furniture in the studio with renters. You love photographing children and families. What has been your biggest influence with regards to how you approach your sessions? Raising your children is a magical time. I truly believe that these magical moments should be cherished, captured and remembered for years to come. I want to capture all the stories, fairytales and magic that families, maternity and childhood bring.
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Storytelling is at the heart of all my images. I customize sessions by learning about my clients. I am able to create a story through the photos I take. To me, childhood is meant to be exaggerated and family portraits shouldn’t be so serious – it’s okay to have a couch in the middle of the woods. We’d love to know ... What is your dream session and what would be the location? Y’all are really giving me some tough questions here – haha. I have a book of concepts and ideas that I have not gotten to use. If I had to pick my favorite …? I really would love to shoot in the desert. I think a bohemian shoot with lots of fabric, flowers, and tons of pillows. Of course this would take place during the golden hour. Okay, now I really want to do this!
Thank you so much, Pamela!
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Three Tips F O R A S UC C E S S F U L C H I L D P O RT R A I T S E S S I O N b y Pa m e l a S a l a i
1- Don’t leave home without “bribes”. Be sure to confirm with parents or guardians what the kids are allowed/not allowed to have.
2- Bring a small prop, even if it’s a basket for pulled grass. Kids like to have their hands full and small tasks can keep them busy. This means they are relatively still for a few shots before they want to move on.
3- Be playful. Kids want to have fun. Don’t we all?! Children don’t think like we do so we need to think like they do. Play peek -a-boo, sing out of tune, and crack jokes. Even if you are more introverted kids do not care, they simply want to have a connection with you ... just as you do with them. Otherwise we, as photographers, look like a big one-eyed monster that is yelling “Hey, look here! Hey, kid!”
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BEHIND
We visited Pamela’s Instagram feed and gathered some of our favorite captures.
SCENES
WITH PAMELA SALAI
Follow her at instagram.com/pamelasalaiphoto/to see more beautiful imagery!
BODIES: Canon 5D Mark III
LENSES: Canon 24-70mm 2.8 Sigma ART 35mm 1.4 Sigma 85mm 2.8 Sigma 135mm
EXTRAS: House of Flynn bag Cute unicorn keychain from another photographer as a thank-you gift (I leave it on my bag because it makes me happy and reminds me of all the good people in the community.) Star wand ‌ because I like to bring magic to every session
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CAMERA BAG ESSENTIALS W I T H PA M E L A S A L A I
K a te T. Pa r ke r
K at ie Rain
Tracy Sween e y
january 23, 2019
He a ther C ro w d e r
M e g an Go nzalez
A my Trip pl e
R EGISTE R F OR THE SUMMIT All the excitement and magic of the 2018 Marketing Summit comes together again for the 2019 Educational Summit presented by The National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP). The 2019 Educational Summit presents a full day of education you won’t find anywhere else, including exclusive speaker appearances, a vendor showcase, and the crown jewel of NAPCP — community. Our theme for the 2019 summit is MORE! We don’t want you to work MORE, we want you to have a MORE successful business and personal life by harnessing the gifts you already have! We have chosen speakers that will challenge you to think of ways to create more INCOME, more BALANCE, and MORE love for life! The NAPCP Educational Summit is open to NAPCP members and non-members alike! Take advantage of early bird pricing now through December 31st!
In-Person Attendees The 2018 NAPCP Marketing Summit will take place January 23rd, 2018 in Atlanta, GA at the beautiful Park Studios. Our in-person attendees will receive the following: • Continental Breakfast & Coffee
• Box Lunch (sandwich, chips, fruit, dessert)
• Digital Download of NAPCP Creative Copy Guide,
• Digital Download of 2019 NAPCP Marketing
Email Marketing Guide, and 12 Month Content Calendar (available to download in December) • “Strong is the New Pretty” Book by Kate T. Parker
Guide (available to download in December) • Light hors d’oeuvres & cocktail reception with book signing by Kate T. Parker
$299 Member | $399 Non-Member | $450 Become a NAPCP Member & Save on Both!
Virtual Attendees Our virtual attendees will receive all of the inclusions in the download, speaker materials, a recording of the summit speakers to watch at a later time, PLUS Facebook Live access on Wednesday, January 23rd from 9am-5:30pm EST for live viewing of scheduled speakers!
$99 Member | $129 Non-Member
S IGN ME UP!
JOIN US FOR # NA P C P G AT H E R I NG S Take a break after the busy fall business season! Join us the week of December 11th18th at locations around the world, for the last Gathering of the year. Many NAPCP Ambassadors have chosen to host gift exchanges or holiday parties, too!
F I N D A G AT H E R I N G I N Y O U R A R E A
N A P C P I n s p i r e d M a g a z i n e N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 78 | 3 1
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School Photography?
NO WAY!
But wait! Are these common misconceptions keeping you from cashing in on a new genre in your photography business?
Myth #1
“I’m a boutique photographer - school photography will damage my brand, lower my perceived value and affect client impressions of me as a photographer.” Been there! (If only you’d seen the ‘clearly she has no idea what kind of photographer I am’ eye roll that I gave on the other end of the phone when asked if I would photograph a local preschool.) A few seconds later, though, I realized that offering ‘the right kind’ of school photos would introduce new clients to my brand, and create love at first sight! Wow-ing parents with images they love of their children, in lieu of what they’re used to, will have your phone ringing off the hook!
Myth #2
“I need to have a lot of equipment. I don’t have all of that studio lighting, backdrops and stuff used for school photography. The process feels overwhelming” Here’s your equipment checklist: camera, favorite lens (I happen to love my 70-200), cute stool, great back-end system, coffee. (You will need this for sure, the kiddos will keep you on your toes.) That’s about it. Sure, you’ll put your own spin on it, maybe find that a cute prop or 2 that fits your style, but that’s optional and frankly, I’ve found that the images that really sell are the simplest! Parents rave over a tight headshot, or seated shots on a simple box or bench. In my opinion, less is more when it comes to school portraits! Simplicity is also key on the back-end. Having a great system in place for client viewing and ordering of their child’s images adds to your bottom line AND makes for a seamless experience for parents.
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Myth #3
“School pictures are cheesy, tacky and terrible!” Ok, I’m actually not going to completely disagree with this one. We all know what traditional school photography looks like. BUT, there is no reason why school photos have to be the source of laughing emojis on social media! You can create beautiful images that reflect your style and have modern appeal. The contemporary style of school pictures that I’ve been offering for the past decade continue to thrill parents and provide an incredible revenue stream for our studio.
Myth #4
“School photos are cheap and inexpensive … I charge a lot more for my work … There can’t be much money in school photography!” School photography is a volume business, and a ‘game’ of averages. On the surface, individual print prices may seem far lower than what you’re charging a wedding or portrait client. BUT carefully calculated package pricing, efficiency in your shooting schedule, and creating pictures that parents can’t say no to, all = HUGE income potential! Some of our parents spend $300+ on their children’s photos, and many use the digital files they purchase for their holiday cards. Immediately after galleries are released for viewing, our phone starts ringing for family portrait sessions. We’ve hit $1250 per shooting hour in school picture sales!
Don’t miss the boat on an incredible opportunity to add additional revenue to your studio!
Since 2007 Heather Crowder has been delighting families, children and professionals with her style of contemporary portraiture. In addition to being a photographer, she is the owner of The Lightbox Studio, a multi-use portrait studio, creative space and venue in the heart of her town’s arts district. A decade ago Heather put her twist
Meet Heather
2019 Educational Summit Speaker
on capturing children in the school setting, and turned traditional school photography on its side with the launch of her brand modernschoolpictures.com; since then she’s photographed over 10,000 children!
A BO U T HEATHER ’S CLAS S Stand Out: School Pictures Parents Love! Delight Your Clients + Make More Money Tired of competing for clients with the countless other photographers in your city, and being away from your family on evenings and weekends? Imagine a parent being excited about their child’s school pictures! Unheard of, right? Heather will share with you the top reasons why you should add this genre to your studio and offer school photography in your area. She’ll outline her system for success, dispel some common ‘school picture myths’ and give you the tools you need to book your first school by spring! The school photography business is booming, and her “Modern School Pictures” system will make it easy for you to capitalize on it, thrill parents, and provide a great new revenue stream for you!
R E G I STE R FO R T H E S U M M I T e a r l y b i rd p r i c i n g t h r u d e c 3 1 s t
# N A P C P I N S TA FAV E S The images of these amazing photographers caught our eye in November. Visit them on Instagram and follow along! Tag #NAPCP on Instagram and you may see your work in a future issue of Inspired.
@DA
SONPHO
JOHN @COREY
@NOLWENNPU G
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OTOGRAP H P S A P A Y N R E H T A E @H
@stefan
iecolepho
tography
H
IG NALE
HY TOGRAP
@YO FI
PHO
TOG
RAP
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TS
AI R T R PO
@ ELLO
RYGRA
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TO
HO @REDBRIDGEP
CLY
TRU S R U O Y @
winning image by Willy Wilson
Membership Benefits Read about NAPCP and see the many benefits of NAPCP membership, on our site. Download freebies and preview member-exclusive videos; get to know the heart of our association! LEARN MORE
Please visit napcp.com or email us at info@napcp.com with questions or inquiries. CLICK HERE TO PRINT THIS ISSUE
NAPCP Inspired Magazine November 2018 | 37
NAPCP Issue 71