Monthly Archives: February 2013

Design Aglow’s acclaimed magazine collections provide you with exciting, colorful, and useful features to help make your professional photography business shine! Like a workshop series in a handy package, you will be blown away by the amount of useful information and business strategies you will be able to implement immediately.

For a limited time, you can purchase Design Aglow’s entire Magazine Collection at 50% off: featuring 11 of Design Aglow’s highly acclaimed issues, each averaging 300+ pages ad-free, beautiful content per issue, packed with brilliant photography and the most insightful articles and expert advice from industry leaders. This collection covers all aspects of your photography business. Extensive resources and imagery teach shooting, styling, marketing, PR, pricing, products, studio set-up, business planning and even managing difficult situations. Expert industry advice includes promotions, branding, albums, packaging, copyrights, and upselling. Technical expertise walk-throughs include overcoming challenges like lighting and retouching. Photographer profiles and virtual tours of real life studios will inspire you in your own business.

No matter what your interest level, professional or casual, whether your specialty is children’s portraits, weddings, boudoir, shooting stock, or fine art, you’ll find something that speaks to you, your style and your business.

Contributors include:

• Elizabeth Messina
• Jose Villa
• Jerry Ghionis
• Barb Uil (Jinky)
• Anna Kuperberg
• John Michael Cooper
• Huy Nuygen
• Sarah Rhoads
• Jasmine Star
• Spanki Mills

Get them while they’re still available, because once they’re gone, they’re gone forever! Instantly download, and have at your fingertips, a vast collection of information and inspiration from the minds of some of our industry’s most creative and successful photographers.

Check them out in the shop at the following prices for a limited time:
$15 per issue (with gift code “MAG15″) or $150 for the entire collection (with gift code “ALL150″) – That’s 50% off each issue, and you’ll get one free if you purchase the entire collection at once!

“I really need the disk. We want them all, and we want them on the DVD. We don’t need anything else.”

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it one hundred times. Your first, maybe second interaction with a client and they have stated up front, the only thing they want are the files, not another thing. You might charge $300 or $3,000, but if you are simply handing over all your files with no other products (tangibles), you are probably doing your business a huge disservice.

Yet, over and over we have also heard from clients, “Once I had the images, I had no idea what to do with them.  I uploaded them to a photo site so friends and family could print them, and I put some of Facebook, but after that, I was sort of stuck and did nothing.” By providing your client with the option to do nothing, you are enabling them to put their images alongside old family snapshots in the proverbial shoebox… not displayed, not enjoyed, and certainly not providing a return on their investment. When clients are left to determine what to do with their images, you have essentially handed over the presentation of your art and provided absolutely no value add on top of the creation of the images.

It’s a matter of return on investment…

After listening to hundreds of not only photographers, but also clients, in most instances, we have found that clients are more likely to value, even LIKE, their images more, if they were provided to them in the form of a product (rather than just a digital file).  When clients are provided with (i.e. they purchase) products, they are more likely to display them and “visit” them often (whether it be browsing through an album, or passing by a wall print).  And because of this, they are more likely to appreciate both the investment they made in custom photography and their return, and invest in it again in the future.  And while a client buying “all the files” might add up to a larger, one time, sale, as a small business owner who is creating a sustainable business, your goal should be to create a client base that understands your value, and will provide you with repeat sessions and a lasting relationship. Even if your client “loves them all,” encouraging them to select products that showcase even just some, or maybe all, will ensure that your work, and their investment, does not end up at the bottom of a kitchen junk drawer or lost in a keepsake shoebox for eternity.

It’s a matter of differentiation…

To be successful in an industry that has extremely low barriers to entry and is doubling in size almost daily, you must be able to differentiate yourself.  One of the major differentiators you can create between you and your competition is to provide add-on services other than just shooting the session (and burning it to a DVD).  If you provide the value on the front end (i.e. impressive marketing materials, correspondence and pre-session consults), then you should be providing the same value once the session is complete (tangible products).  Let’s face it, any client can take a disk down to Walmart or Costco and make their own enlargements. With permission they can even create wall size canvases with your work to share on their walls. However, when their friends and family remark on the images (which you must hope have been printed to an acceptable standard) and they ask “Who did those for you?” are you comfortable with their response of “I printed them myself at Costco!” or would you rather have them say “We ordered them from our professional photographer.”  And if they can do them on their own, alongside their own personal snapshots, have you created any real value add or differentiation?  And if they purchase no product, and you offer just the DVD, what is to differentiate you from the pop-up studio down the road who does the exact same thing for hundreds of dollars less?  Walking away from clients by handing over a DVD is much like giving the bank teller your money, and hoping that they remember to deposit it.

A matter of planning and education…

You probably know all of this, and while you might do it for the “ease” of transaction, you might also do it because how on earth do you convince your client that there is anything better than a DVD with “all the files?”

It starts with planning and education.  How are you engaging and educating your clients prior to the session?  Are you simply scheduling time with them and hoping that it all works out for the best and you get a great order?  Or do you discuss their intentions for the session?  Photography is an investment.  Ideally, before each session, you and your client discuss what sort of images they are looking for, and what they plan to DO with their images.  You can talk “What to Wear” and “Where to Shoot,” but it is almost a waste of everyone’s time to blindly shoot without understanding their eventual image usage. If you understand what they are looking for, then you can focus on shooting for that… and ordering will be much more productive because the conversation will move from “I want them all on disk” to “That’s the image we would like on canvas over our fireplace” or “These are the 8X10s we will need for the grandmother’s.” No doubt that clients may still want them “all” or at least files of the ones they ordered as products, but if you can provide your client with the guidance to DO something with their images, undoubtedly you have increased both your value-add and their return on the investment. And, you will probably be in business much longer too!

But they still want them all…

Keep in mind that often your clients have not thought through the “What do I DO with my images?” question and so “all” just seems like the best alternative because it leaves all their options open.  Having the pre-session consultation, and narrowing down their specific goals will allow you both to understand what the absolute “must have” images will be.  From there, you have simplified specific aspects of the ordering session, and even should the client purchase digital images, they also understand what, in addition, they will be purchasing prior to even shooting the session.  This helps you both set realistic expectations about their budget and their plans.

It might also be worth pointing out that it is impossible to know what “all” looks like prior to even shooting the session.  We know as a professional, you will deliver a gallery that is consistent with the work you showcase in your portfolio (and you should be able to show clients multiple example galleries).  However, we also know that things happen and there are so many uncontrollable factors: light/weather, how is the baby/child/family is feeling, stress and other dynamics that could drastically reduce the length of the session.  So “all” might not be 50 images that have both range and redundancy, but might be 20-30 images that meet their goals of the session.  There may be images that are worthy of significant enlargement, as well as filing the gift albums for grandma, but “all” isn’t really necessary.  Or the opposite could be true where every image is spectacular and the client can fill their immediate goals, and then much much more.  But attempting to define “all” prior to the session is not always productive.

We understand, if it works for your pricing model, and you can achieve profitability and make a smart business decision, you might sell them all. But do so at a high premium, and structure your offerings so that when they get them “all” they get something tangible as well.  Remember these important points (which are included in our Essential Pricing Guide for Portrait Photographers):

• If you are going to sell your digital files, charge a premium (at least 2-3 times your product sales goal) in order to keep your studio viable
• Unless your client truly values their worth, “the Disk” is very likely lay around in a desk drawer
• Be scalable, don’t make “all” your easiest package to purchase, otherwise you will never have the opportunity to provide your clients with the specialty products and value-adds that differentiate you from every new “Photographer” in town
• It is possible to create packages that meet both the digital needs of your clients and your studio product goals

We understand that in this “digital age” our clients can become focused on only that.  However, our job as professionals is to continue to raise the standards of our industry and provide our clients with takeaways that can be held in their hands and placed on their shelves and walls as well as digitally archived.  And that “ease” of digital is not always the best way to sustain a profitable business for the long term.  And we also understand that determining exactly how to value products versus digital images can be confusing, and that you want to be all things to every client. It is for these reasons that Design Aglow continues to share industry insights with respect to both artistry AND business, and has created valuable education tools such as “Essential Pricing Guide for Portrait Photographers” to help you navigate these challenging topics and guide your business in a smart, and successful, direction.

~ The F Stops Here is an exclusive collection of articles by Design Aglow, designed to be used and shared by photographers. Look for this column twice monthly here on the Design Aglow Blog and feel free to grab & share on your site, blog and/or social media pages with a byline and link to DesignAglow.com.

Some embellishments were designed to help your products and creativity soar; this incredible hand painted acrylic alphabet is no exception. Each letter (and ampersand) comes as a Photoshop PSD with a transparent background, so the possibilities of how you choose to embellish your images, marketing materials and products are truly limitless. Each easy-to-apply design can be used to customize portraits, cards, albums, and even gift tags beautifully, without losing precious studio time.

Perfect for: Newborn portraits, monogramming, blog posts, birthdays, announcements, album covers, showpiece canvases, studio wall clings and props and marketing materials.

Click here to see them in the shop!

What’s your creative process when planning for an upcoming shoot? Have you found any particular method to be helpful in solidifying a final concept? One great way to sculpt a vision for any creative project, including photo-shoots, is to create a mood board.

When working on a new project, one my favorite places to start is with a mood board. It’s one of the best way’s I’ve found to organize my thoughts. Because creativity is a process and it does not have perfect rules or boundaries, many times our projects start from a place of endless or seemingly random inspiration. How will you know what to keep and what to cut? When will you find out if the risk of combining elements that are polar opposites will in fact reward you with the most unique and perfect harmony?

Enter – The Mood Board. You need a gathering place to collect all of your inspiration and mix and edit until you’ve formed one refined theme. Then you can move forward with the execution knowing that your concept is rock solid.

Digital or Physical?
Although the cork board style physical mood boards are fun to create for a personal project or even for the long-term planning of an idea, digital mood boards offer the added benefit of being quick to make. This can pay off big time when brainstorming for a photo-shoot. This is something you can use solely for your own development of an idea, or it can be a great communication tool to share your vision with a client.  Show them rather than tell them.

When creating a mood board you can use color, patterns, photography, graphics, etc. to help you evoke an emotion. Don’t worry about making your selections too literal or combining things that necessarily “make sense”, simply include elements that together create the overall look and feel you are going for.

An image you took of a favorite travel location can fit nicely right alongside a cropped image of a past client’s outfit, or pattern you used on your last baby announcement may inspire a color palette for an senior session. An image you shot of an old clock on your last wedding shoot may be the starting place for a Mad Hatter-themed engagement session. Whatever the inspiration pieces, collect and mix and match until right before your eyes, your concept comes to life.

A Breakdown of the Elements in a Digital Mood Board:

Pick a palette and use elements in your mood board that fit the hues. Include large and small swatches of color to balance out the collection.

Pick out patterns that match your theme – whimsical, simplistic, traditional, modern, etc.  If these are patterns you’ve purchased for use in your design projects, change the colors to match your palette. You may wish to see these patterns show up in the final execution as part of a client’s outfit or in other textiles or props.

As a photographer, you are lucky to have your own personal stash of images from past sessions and personal work.  Gather images of a favorite location you visited on your last summer vacation. Zoom into one element from a shoot, say, the palm beach style hedge in the background or the oh so sweet selection of perfectly pastel gelato. Grab an image you took where the light was just right. Crop into the outfit of a recent client that wore the perfect pair of wedges and grab a sampling of her fabulous necklace.

Very often graphics can evoke an emotion in their shape and layout. Even signage or typography can become a graphic, so feel free to throw some in if you like.

Here I’ve created two mood boards to demonstrate two different concepts I have for two different shoots.  To create these mood boards, I used two of the templates from Design Aglow’s “Pin Me” Blog and Print Boards. These blog boards have been created to allow your blog imagery to be easily pin-able while making sure your work is always credited your name and website. I think they are also a great time-saver for making digital mood boards!

This first mood board is a concept for a senior portrait session. I’m calling this, “Splendid Summer”. I was inspired by the bright and happy colors of the summer season, sun-drenched light, old-fashioned treats, bike-rides and time spent outdoors.

Here I’ve also included the name of the concept, “Splendid Summer” on the mood board. You may choose to do this more for your clients to have a name to go by especially if you are sending them multiple mood boards to choose from. (And of course, take care to choose a font that doesn’t hinder the look you’ve created.)

Design Aglow products used to create “Splendid Summer”: Pin Me Blog Boards, Pattern Collection: Bold & Graphic and Pattern Collection: Express Yourself.

The second mood board is a concept for an engagement session. I’ve named this one, “Urban Garden”. I was inspired by the grittiness of the old industrial buildings looking much like patchwork quilts in the midst of city life, hardy but beautiful plants like succulents that can survive in the roughest conditions, and a casual walk through the areas less traveled.

Design Aglow products used to create “Urban Garden”: Pin Me Blog Boards and Pattern Collection: Bold & Graphic.

*Special thanks to Tinywater Photography for the lovely sample images.

Today we have another simple and easy customization of a Design Aglow template from Liz of Elizabeth & Jane Photography. She writes, “I had my new assistant create a DVD case and disc design using one of the templates from For Collectors of Art and Style. She was able to easily add a pattern that my clients use in their branding and change the colors to match their style. It was so easy for my assistant to make this look like we designed it specifically for my clients. They run a bridal boutique and it was important for me to give them a custom experience. They couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful the design was – which is fabulous because they have immediate access to potential clients for my wedding photography business.”

From the shop:

Products from Design Aglow are always in vogue, and in these fashionable DVD Covers: For Collectors of Art and Style, the attention is in the details in this high quality presentation. Endlessly customizable with your studio name, text, colors and images, your clients will treat them like museum pieces.

DVD Covers: For Collectors of Art and Style at a glance:
• Templates for single and double CD cases and CD labels
• Six smart and stylish designs
• Layered PSD files for unlimited customization, including color changes

PERFECT FOR:
• For those who prefer high-resolution images delivered electronically, adding value to their substantial investment.
• Turning any session into a collector’s item. You’re offering a digital product that is unparalleled.
• Sending prospective clients and referrals a peek at your portfolio.
• Coordinating matching cards, album covers or even wall art with portrait sessions.
• Revitalizing your own studio’s image with updated marketing materials, websites and blogs.

Click here to check them out in the shop.