“Don’t forget—I made you!” While on the surface, it’s a silly joke between her and me, it has planted this reverence in my mind. Mothers (and fathers) shape who we are. The mothers of great people must be great themselves. It is with that idea in mind that I approached Shutter’s ultimate den mother: Terri Cincotta, affectionately known as Momma C.
The standards for client communication are changing constantly; what might have been standard five years ago just isn’t anymore. In general, communication with clients is now about more texting/internet time and less in-person/phone time. You'll find that not knowing how to talk to your clients in the language and medium that they prefer will lose you potential business and cause you stress for no reason.
As the increasing dominance of visual content continues to expand on the web, it creates new opportunities for increasing your site’s traffic and overall digital blueprint. Just as I tell all of my photography clients, you are the gatekeeper to this valuable content, and you have a slight advantage, because you are the creator of visual imagery.
I recently picked up a new set of V-Flats for the studio from the aptly named V-Flat World. V-Flats, a studio staple, are typically comprised of a pair of two 4x8 sheets of foam core—black on one side, white on the other—taped together along their long end to create a book-style configuration of panels that can be opened (hence the V in V-Flat) or closed.
The way I see it is this: Connection is just another form of creativity. Connections are the lifeblood of my business model and will continue to drive my reach, my awareness, and my revenue. My willingness to connect has allowed me to have true freedom—freedom to help others, freedom to inspire others, freedom from the opinions of others.
Remember, you are the boss of YOU! You control where you volunteer. You control the amount of work you do. You control the time you give. Don't ever forget that. Don't get me wrong, it can feel GREAT to volunteer, to assist others, to help change people's lives, but if it starts to affect your personal life in negative ways, you may come to resent volunteering.
The wedding details, such as the ring, accessories, invitations, and other little elements, come together to make the big day as special as it is. The ceremony is important, of course, but it is often the photos of these little details that allow the bridge, the groom, and their friends and family to really revel in the awe and beauty of the wedding.
Maternity Portraiture, along with just about every type of portrait photography, has changed. Why has it changed? Because times change, styles change, EVERYTHING changes.
So many of you have dreams of being a full-time photographer, but you can’t afford to go full-time until you can’t afford NOT to. That means your part-time income from photography has to exceed what you’re making in your day job, so you have to go full-time or lose substantial revenue.
Sometimes my child-whispering strategies feel like magic, but it’s nothing you can’t learn. So let’s look at just a few techniques to help you become a child-whisperer, too!