Precious Moments in Time Photography Idea Book
Table of Contents Creative Sessions Theme Ideas
Portrait Poses Location Location Location Pricing and Packages Product Offerings Special Offers, discounts, contests etc References
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Creative Session Theme Ideas To be a successful portrait photographer I think you have to have a creative mind for coming up with creative session themes. This is something I personally struggle with a lot so researching this will be of great benefit to me. The themes would vary by the person you are taking pictures of or even the couple or group of people.The theme could also be something related to a holiday or time of the year. To be able to do some of the themes you may need to buy props or make a set that fits the theme so this will also be something I do research on. This may consist of plans to build a set or instructions on placement of certain objects for the shoots. Another part of this could also be the client themselves bringing something of their own to the shoot, maybe something that is special to them or has meaning to them. You also might need to ask the client to dress the part so you could have them wear a costume so this would mean you have to buy costumes as well or you could have the client bring their own if they like. If the client is dressing up in costume you will also then need to have them do their hair and make-up. Optionally you could do those things yourself or even hire someone to do it for you. In some situations, you may also find yourself using Photoshop to manipulate parts of the photo of even making composite photos from different shots you took just for doing this.
Creative Session Theme Ideas The creativity in this photo makes great use of shadows, I think. They have also done well in creating contrast in the photo. I love the way this photo has been done with the use of the frame to make an image within the photo itself using the road as a metaphor for the path she is on leading to her dreams.
Creative Session Theme Ideas This photo is too cute! I love the idea of posing them with the coke and making it the focus to show that they both enjoy it. It shows the bond they have or the things they have in common. I love too that her nails are red, it goes well with the coke bottle and the cool striped straws. This one also shows lots of love between these two!
This is such a great idea! This is obviously a composite photo but I love the idea of her dancing to his guitar playing. It gives the photo a sort of whimsical feel and one that shows love.
Creative Session Theme Ideas
This is such a super cute idea! I love the idea of taking a fun and carefree picture like this of a couple. Kind of makes me feel like it shows they are kids at heart and it shows something they both enjoy.
I love this view for a couple. The way she is holding the man’s head is so sweet too. I think this photo is great for showing their love for one another.
Portrait Poses Posing is a big part of photography and something that you must get right. When you pose a client you must make sure you are properly placing the hands so as to not make the picture look awkward in any way or so you do not draw attention away from the subject. Posing also is very gender specific so you must know how to pose a female client whether she be older, middle aged, younger or even a young girl. The same is true for male clients. So you must also know how to pose an older gentleman, a middle aged man, a younger man or even a young boy. In either case ultimately what you are looking to do is to pose them in the most flattering way for them. For a female client this means that you make sure to pose her in such a way that accentuates her best features and with a male client you want to do this as well but you also want to make sure the pose is something manly and or that shows off their strength or power even. In addition to knowing how to do all of the above you must also know how to pose couples, children, and groups of people such as a family or even a business shoot. For a couple the posing would depend on the occasion. For instance, if the couple is celebrating an anniversary or an engagement or maybe even the announcement of a pregnancy you would factor all this into the way you pose them. When it comes to a group shoot you of course want to make sure everyone can be seen so paying attention to height is a big deal.
Portrait Poses This photo represents portrait posing ideas I would use in my photography when shooting families. This photo displays the way you should pose them by making an “triangle� per se from the top of their heads or by height. We also see in this that the hands are placed well also.
This is a posing idea for a large group of People, again we see that they are posed so everyone is clearly seen and according to height or where they are.
Portrait Poses Fun family portraits are something I love so I love how each of these photos were done. I love that they look real and do not seem posed in any way. That is something I want to excel at in my photography, for the emotion to look real and not fake.
This pose is great because it is a close up so really shows the emotion of both people. But also this is great in the way it shows love, but also a little something more, the real raw attraction they have for one another.
Portrait Poses This is such a cute photo! The way this young little boy is posed is so cute. It makes him seem older in a sense and more manly I guess. His clothes also I think add to the boyish look in this photo.
I chose this photo because I loved how it showed such great love and happiness in it the way they were posed. The photographer got them laughing and that really went a long way in making this photo great!
Location Location Location Location is also a pretty big deal when it comes to photography. It can make or break a photo I think. Location is not just about finding that perfect spot for a shoot whether it is inside or out but also the placing of the client. Make note of the objects around you and make sure there is nothing in the photo that will draw attention away from the subject. It is also a good idea to make note of the weather that day prior to the shoot, even days ahead to be honest. Once you get to the spot you want to make sure that the sun is not blinding the client or causing the photo to be blown out. You want the sun to gently “kiss� the picture or the client. A great time for getting beautiful shots outside is during sunrise or sunset. As a photographer it is your job to also scout the location prior to the photo shoot to find the best spot to shoot. So try to find a spot that will give the photo a beautiful backdrop. You may find that a client has a place already picked out and that is fine but again you need to scout the place out so you will know how to get the best shot possible. This place picked out by the client may be somewhere that has special meaning to them so I believe it is very important to make sure you have scouted the place.
Location Location Location So this is an odd show of location but I like it. I think it is so great, fun and cool. Thought provoking in some way too and telling us maybe that these kids love to climb trees.
I really love the look and feel of this photo. The location is so colorful showing all the beautiful colors of fall. I love a location such as this and the way it just brightens the photo and gives it personality.
Location, Location, Location
This photo is great because it is a unique location and one that I am taking to be their own family farm so it is great too that it reflects something about them.
This photo is wonderful not just for where it was shot which seems to be somewhere along a trail maybe in the woods but because of the beautiful colors of the trees changing color for the fall. The fall colors really help this image to pop and give it life I think. It has great foreground and background.
Location, Location, Location
Ok so this is just nuts! But I still love it. It just gives the photo that extra flair or level of cool. I think in some way it could give even the viewer I like this location because it just gives the photo a whole different feel for a rush like I am sure it was for the couple and me. I can’t totally describe it. I think too that because of the greyish color photographer. of the stairs it helps pop the picture that much more.
Pricing and your sessions Pricing is very important for a photographer because you need to make enough to pay yourself. You also need to make enough to keep your business going. Remember you have many expenses for your business such as your camera, the maintenance of your camera, you may decide you need to upgrade your camera at some point too, your lighting equipment will need to be cared for, you will have expenses for props or any sets you build, website expenses, advertising expenses, should you decide to give the clients actual prints you will have expenses for your printer such as the ink or the paper and just general maintenance of it as well, you may also give the clients a cd or usb drive with their photos on them so that is an expense as well and lastly but certainly not least is the expense of your car that you drive to each session that includes gas and general maintenance of italso.
So when it comes to pricing you need to first do your research. You need to know who your target clients are, in what area or areas they live, approximately how much they make yearly which in turn will tell you about what they can afford. You also will need to find out about other photographers in your area which will include thing like what their specialty is, where they get their clients from and how much they charge as well. These things will help to figure out how you should price yoursessions
Pricing and your sessions
This is wonderful example of pricing I would be Interested in doing. I think packages are great because they give the client more options.
This pricing model also is great because it too has so many options for the client and also it is separated from the other types of sessions.
Pricing and your sessions I like this pricing because it keeps things simple and straight forward. It helps the customer to know what pricing is and not have to ask all sorts of questions about pricing.
In this pricing model I liked how their were sample images. I do think though there leaves a lot to be desired in the way of what else would go into the pricing of the session.
Pricing and your sessions
This pricing model is one I like because of how once again you see that the customer is given choices on the package they want.
This is very different from what most photographers do but I still like it because it gets the questions answered that every customer asks.
Product offerings The products a photographer offers can be many and are quite varied between different photographers. Products not only include the physical things such as prints of the photos taken at a session, digital images that are put on a dvd or cd for the client, a usb drive, taking it even further a photographer might offer things such as keychains or even photos on a coffee mug or a mousepad, they may also offer to have the photos professionally framed or put on a canvas, you may even find a photographer offer to make a puzzle out of the prints. Products also include the type of packages a photographer has. These packages will also vary greatly depending on the specialty of the photographer as well as the occasion for the shoot. For instance, a wedding photographer may offer more photos for the session than say a photographer who shoots families. A wedding photographer might not just offer more photos but also as noted above things such as their photos on a dvd or cd or usb drive. They may also offer to make a wedding album for the newly married couple. They may have a flat fee for their sessions or possibly price by the hour. There are some photographers who do many different styles of photography so they will have many different packages they offer for their sessions. Some photographers will have packages that only allow for so many people to be in the shoot and will charge extra for more people as well as limiting the clothing changes should the client wish to do that and again charging extra for more clothing changes.
Product offerings
Here is an example of some products I might consider adding to my business. People love albums and to display their photos so these are great options for that.
This shows more great examples of products to be offered by a photographer. This has different types o albums and has an image box.
Product offerings These are some cool ideas for products to offer. I like the idea of a hard back book featuring their photos. Also the idea of cards is neat, I think that would be a great idea to do holiday cards.
This product offering is great because it gives you a choice on the amount of photos you get.
Product offerings
These are absolutely so adorable! I think this is so way cool and a wonderful idea for a way for new parents to carry around photos to pass out to everyone.
This is another cute idea that I love. Putting pictures in frames on your wall is great but I think this is wonderful because it gives clients friends and family members a way to view so many more and not have to worry about the photo falling or anything.
Special offers, discounts, contests etc From time to time it is a good idea to do things for your business that will help you to get more business which means more clients. In order to do this, you can do things such as run specials for your sessions during certain times of the year like during the summer, the spring, the fall or winter and also for holidays during certain times of the year such as Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, back to school photos, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas too and in addition to all this you can give discounts or have specials for things like birthdays or anniversaries. With these specials you may offer extra photos or something that is tailored to whatever the occasion is. Many photographers have what they call mini sessions for holidays. These sessions are shorter and may cost less and offer less photos as well. You can also do things such as have contests where maybe you ask people for the best answer to something or maybe even a question that you know the answer to and the first person to get it right wins a free session. In addition to these things you may also want to offer your services at events in your area as a way to put your name out there or even just to find a business that will allow you to display your business cards for the people that come to the business and also you can ask a business if they would like to display some of your work in their office.
Special offers, discounts, contests etc I really like this list of discounts. I especially love the one for the new parents. Having a ne baby is so expensive so it’s good to see others recognize that & try to not add to that.
I really love this example of discount pricing! It is awesome to show respect to those that risk their lives daily for us and to recognize that they deserve to be cut some slack for it.
Special offers, discounts, contests etc. This is another great idea for a discount for customers. Customers already love to hang their photos so this is a good way to get them to spend just a little more for a bigger size photo.
I really love the idea here of giving the customer a discount for ordering more. It encourages them to buy more and to be a loyal customer as well I think.
Special offers, discounts, contests etc
Ok so I realize this is hard to see but it is something that the photographer has done where he is giving customers ideas for shoots and also offering discounts and specials on certain shoots or if people will pose for him to expand his portfolio.
This I think is a wonderful idea because it is obvious that this is not his actual normal price but one that is discounted to attract new customers. What a great way to get new clients.
References Eric Schmidt Photography,. 'A Special Offer To Glen Ellyn Newcomers For Fall Family Photography Sessions'. N. p., 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://www.ericschmidt-photography.com/2014/offers/fall-family-fest-special-offer-glenellyn-newcomers/ Pyphoto.com,. 'Peter Yamasaki Photography - Special Offers'. N. p., 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://www.pyphoto.com/offer.html Minneapolis St. Paul Newborn, Baby, Child & Family Photographer | Ten Tiny Toes,. 'Product Spotlight: Spiral Bound Proof Books | Twin Cities Baby Photographer'. N. p., 2010. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://blog.tentinytoesphoto.com/product-spotlight-spiral-bound-proof-books-twin-cities-baby-photographer/ Hushabye Photography,. 'Print Tin - A Bespoke Product - Hushabye Photography'. N. p., 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://www.hushabye-photography.co.uk/babies/print-tin-a-bespoke-product Utopia Bay Photography,. 'Session Guide & Pricing'. N. p., 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://katereali.com/photo-sessionguide-pricing/
References cont Jenna Bishop Photography,. 'Photo Shoot Pricing'. N. p., 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://www.jennabishopphotography.com/general-creative-session/ Sanchez, Stacy. '[PHOTO SHOOT LOCATION] Cliffhanger Photo Session: Part Two Breckweddings'.Breckweddings.com. N. p., 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://breckweddings.com/2011/10/photo-shootlocation-cliffhanger-photo-session-part-two/ Info, Workshop et al. 'Lighting For On-Location Photo Sessions - Pick Your Battles - Tangents'. Neilvn.com. N. p., 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://neilvn.com/tangents/lighting-for-on-location-photo-sessions-pick-your-battles/ ProPhotoNut,. 'Photographing Couples Workshop ~ Pictures And Poses - Prophotonut'. N. p., 2010. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://www.prophotonut.com/2010/10/21/photographing-couples-workshop-pictures-and-poses/ Jph-photography.blogspot.com,. 'JPH Photography: 2011 Photo Retrospective'. N. p., 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://jphphotography.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-photo-retrospective.html
References cont Megan Arroyo Photography,. 'Engagement Photography – The Most Excited Bride Ever…She’S Counting The Seconds Until She Ties The Knot!'. N. p., 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://meganarroyo.com/engagement-photography/mostexcited-bride-ever/ Jeansmithphotography.com,. ' Chris And Theresa…Engaged'. N. p., 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://www.jeansmithphotography.com/blog/chris-and-theresa-engaged/ Liz Labianca Photography,. 'Portfolio'. N. p., 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2015. http://lizlabiancaphotography.com/portfolio/