professional photographer 2012 08

©Beth Jansen

AUGUST 2012

Rich vibrant color Durable prints without glass Waterproof 4 different fi nishes available Rounded corners Sizes from 5x7 to 20x30 Various wall hanging and easel-back options available

Inks are infused directly into specially coated aluminum sheets, using high temperature and pressure. Your images take on a bright, vibrant, luminescent quality when printed on metal through this process.

Meridian’s Metal Prints have to be seen to be appreciated, examples shown in a magazine ad or on the website just can’t do them justice.

Phot

o by

Rex

Kes

ler

Photo by Wawro Photography

Phot

o by

Rex

Kes

ler

Lab corrected photographic prints on Kodak® Endura Premier® professional paper. Kodak Premier Metallic paper also available.

MeridianPro keeps adding cool new specialty products, perfect for senior packages or sport and event promotions.

LAB CORRECTED

8X10 ONLY

$1.49

What do you call a professional lab that offers photographers lab corrected color at the same price as uncorrected, on over eighty

print sizes as well hundreds of other photo products?

“My new lab.”

This is only a small sample, Meridian offers over 80 print sizes, with panoramic sizes up to 120 inches. That’s correct, true photographic prints, lab corrected, as large as ten (10) feet long.

Your choice of “Lab Corrected” or “No Correction” at the same price.

8 wallets 1.754 x 6 .295 x 7 .99

8 x 10 1.4910 x 10 2.49

11 x 14 3.9916 x 20 13.5020 x 24 19.9920 x 30 24.9930 x 40 49.99

Great Prints. Great Prices. Easy Ordering. It’s that Simple.

No application process to wait for. Go to our website, sign-up, download our free ordering software and begin ordering today.

www.meridianpro.com | 800-544-1370

METAL PRINTS SPECIALTY PRODUCTS

PHOTOFLIP FLOPS

DOUBLE SIDED

WALLETS

iPHONECASES

KEYCHAINSDOG TAGS

TICKETSDRINKWARE

MEMORY MATES

TRADERSBUTTONS

BRACELETS

LAB CORRECTED

11X14 ONLY

$3.99

PROFESSIONAL PRINTS

“In some ways I consider myself more of a sculptor than a

photographer, with RAW fi les being the hunks of marble I’m

trying to work, and Photoshop being my toolbox of chisels, if

you will. Alien Skin’s fi lters, particularly Exposure, are some

of my favorite. I often throw an image into Exposure to

quickly play with color swings. It’s a fantastic place to start

dialing into the feeling I want for my imagery.”

— CHRISTOPHER WILSONChristopherWilsonPhotography.com

The Photo Bundle gives you all of our photography

software at less than half price. Our tools

help your photography look natural, not digital.

Visit AlienSkin.com to see beautiful examples

and try the Photo Bundle for yourself.

Phot

o ©

201

2 Ch

risto

pher

Wils

on

4 • www.ppmag.com

PROFESSIONAL

senior editorJOAN [email protected]

features editorLESLIE HUNT

[email protected]

editor-at-largeJEFF KENT

[email protected]

art director/production managerDEBBIE TODD

[email protected]

creative services manager/publications & SSACHERYL [email protected]

circulation MOLLIE O’[email protected]

eastern region ad managerTARA TRUITT,

404-522-8600, X230; [email protected]

central region ad managerBART ENGELS

847-854-8182; [email protected]

western region ad managerAMY WALLS

404-522-8600, X279; [email protected]

publications sales staff

director of sales & strategic alliancesWAYNE JONES

404-522-8600, x248; [email protected]

EDITORIAL

director of publicationsJANE GABOURY

[email protected]’s your client?There’s no single answer

This issue presents an interesting topic for professional photographers,

one worthy of discussion and debate: Who’s your client?

In our interview with Lori Nordstrom (“Senior Momentum,”

page 84), she’s very clear that while her goal is to delight the

students who come to her for senior portraits, these young adults

are not her clients. Nordstrom has forged a notable career not

only with the quality of her photographic work but with her business

savvy as well. They don’t call the ties that bind the wallet “purse

strings” for nothing. “Moms are my market,” Nordstrom says. By

all means, inspire seniors with images they’ll love and love to

share, but it’s Mom who makes the purchase. It’s Mom who

decides where the portraits will be hung and the albums displayed.

By contrast, there’s Jim Lersch, who also has a successful

studio and is likewise sought after by his peers as a source of expert

photographic advice (“Through Their Own Eyes,” page 116). Like

Nordstrom, he didn’t initially intend to take on senior photography

as a business line, but when he did, he found satisfaction both

creatively and financially. Now here is the point of divergence:

Lersch doesn’t want to just delight his senior subjects, he wants to

give them a creative outlet to express their truest selves. His pre-

shoot consultations are akin to counseling, getting seniors to open

up about their likes, dislikes, personality, and dreams. After the

portrait session, Lersch allows students to help drive postproduction

choices to further express their inner life. Sometimes the resulting

portrait reveals a self much different than the one Mom and Dad

expected to see. For Lersch, connecting with the senior portrait

subjects opens creative and financial doors.

Just as there is no law of senior portraiture, there’s no single

best answer to the question, Who’s your client? Successful

businesses are built and sustained through a variety of methods.

Read, learn, and understand how prominent peers have made

their name, but don’t discount your own instincts and

professional passions. It’s the things that make you tick as an

artist and an entrepreneur that set you apart, reveal your own true

brand, and get clients to your door. �

Jane Gaboury

Director of Publications

[email protected]

Discover new products, share yourfavorites, and join the community.

PPMAG.COM/SHOP

contributing editorsDON CHICK, LORNA GENTRY, ROBYN L. POLLMAN, ELLIS VENER

editorial officesProfessional Photographer

229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303-1608 U.S.A.404-522-8600; fax: 404-614-6406

Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly subscriptions

Professional Photographer P.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606; 800-742-7468;

fax 847-291-4816; [email protected]; www.ppmag.commember services

PPA - Professional Photographer 800-786-6277; fax 404-641-6400; [email protected]; www.ppa.com

Advertising materials contact: Debbie Todd at [email protected]

Subscription rates/information: U.S. Print: $27, one year; $45, two years; $66,three years. U.S. Print and Digital Combo: $37, one year; $65, two years; $96, three

years. Canadian Print: $43, one year; $73, two years; $108, three years. CanadianPrint and Digital Combo: $53, one year; $93, two years; $138, three years.

International: $19.95 one year digital subscription.Back issue/Single copies: $10 U.S.; $15 Canada; $20 International.

PPA membership includes: Domestic $17.50, Non-Domestic $42 annual subscription. Subscription orders/changes: Send to Professional Photographer, Attn: Circulation

Dept., P.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606; 800-742-7468; FAX 847-291-4816; email: [email protected]; Web site: www.ppmag.com.

Periodicals postage paid in Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Professional Photographer magazine,

P.O. Box 3606, Northbrook, IL 60065-3606Copyright 2012, PPA Publications & Events, Inc. Printed in U.S.A.

Article reprints: Contact Professional Photographer reprint coordinator at Wright’s Reprints; 1-877-652-5295.

Microfilm copies: University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106

Professional Photographer (ISSN 1528-5286) is published monthly for $27 per year by PPAPublica tions and Events, Inc., 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2200, International Tower, Atlanta,GA 30303-1608. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, Ga., and additional mailing offices.

Acceptance of advertising does not carry with it endorsement by the publisher. Opinions expressed byProfessional Photographer or any of its authors do not necessarily reflect positions of Professional Pho -tog raphers of America, Inc. Professional Photographer, official journal of the Professional Photog raphersof America, Inc., is the oldest exclusively professional photographic publication in the Western Hemisphere(founded 1907 by Charles Abel, Hon.M.Photog.), incorporating Abel’s Photo -graphic Weekly, St. Louis & Canadian Photographer, The Commercial Pho tog -rapher, The National Photographer, Professional Photographer, and Pro fes sionalPhotographer Storytellers. Circulation audited and verified by BPA Worldwide.

Forbeyon focuses on creating the highest quality album products and accessories made entirely by hand. We’re here to make sure every album is unique and every studio has a one-of-a-kind experience. We take pride in our artistic craftsmanship to bring you an album unlike anything you’ve seen before. Whether you need a custom cameo size or distinctive cover materials for your client, Forbeyon is committed to providing you with a truly personalized experience.

Flus

hmou

nt /

11x

14 /

Pea

rl w

ith F

ashi

oned

Cha

mp

agne

/ M

etal

Cam

eo 6

x6 /

Cam

eo Im

age

by

Stou

t Pho

tog

rap

hy

70% off Studio Sampleswww.forbeyon.com

1-800-540-1480

We’ve all heard tales about how great those really, really expensive European lights are supposed to be – super accurate, fast, consistent color, digital controls and all that. Fact is, most mono ash units now on the market are outgrowths of Paul Buff’s game-changing 1986 White Lightning™ Ultra design. Digital controls and packaging changes were added, but the core technology is fundamentally the same.

Recently, Paul set about to create all new, next generation technology that will surely be the standard against which future mono ash units will be judged.

The core of Einstein™ lies in its IGBT ashtube control (in place of more primitive analog methods), true digital control, and tightly integrated radio remote control with full color LCD display system.

Einstein™ features plug-and-play global powering, absolutely constant color over an ex-traordinarily wide nine f-stop power variability range, ultra-fast t.1 ash durations for razor sharp action stopping, fan cooling, and a bright, voltage-regulated 250W quartz modeling lamp precisely located in a frosted Pyrex dome for smooth-as-silk lighting patterns. Adjustable in exact digital 1/10f stops, its accuracy is unsurpassed by any other light on earth.

But that’s just the start...the brilliant color LCD display is fully integrated with our 2.4GHz Cyber Commander™ to display and control virtually every aspect of the system - ash durations, color temperatures, Wattseconds, EU Numbers, model-to- ash ratios and more, either from the rear panel or from your camera. With the Cyber Commander™ (CyberSync™ system components sold separately), you can control and meter up to 16 lights, bracket in camera f-stops, create in nite groups and more. No more calculating WS and light ratios – you can do it all in actual camera f-stops and even store complete setups on the supplied Micro SD Card.

Of course, you can turn the recycle beeper and slave eye on or off, and meter, control and examine every parameter of each light (up to 16 lights) from the palm of your hand. Fast 0.08 to 1.7 second recycle and crash proof power supplies allow up to 12 fps shooting and reliable operation from our brand new 3.5lb Vagabond MiniTM Lithium battery supplies.

In short, no mono ash on earth even begins to come close to the All American Einstein™ 640. You’ll truly be singing:

“What The World Needs Now is Einstein™, Sweet Einstein™”

EINSTEIN™ E640Self-Contained Studio Flash(re ector not included) $499.95***

• 9f Variability (2.5 to 640WS)• Global Voltage• 0.08 to 1.7 Sec. Recycle• 1/1700 to 1/27000 Second

t.5 Flash Duration (1/580 to 1/13500 Sec. t.1)

• Constant 5600° Color at any power setting

• Color LCD Display• 12 fps Capability• 250W Modeling Lamp• Pyrex Diffusing Dome• Fan-Cooled• Audible Recycle Beeper• Optional CyberSync™

Plug-in Radio Remote• Ultra Compact - 4.25lbs• Rugged Lexan Housing*** Factory-Direct Price

from Paul C. Buff, Inc.

THE WHOLE PACKAGE Beth Jansen invites clients into her worldfor a premium baby portrait experienceBy Jeff Kent

SENIOR MOMENTUM Lori Nordstrom serves the senior marketwhile staying true to her unique styleBy Jeff Kent

LIGHT QUEST Megan Squires photographs seniors bathed in the beautiful California sunBy Lorna Gentry

BABIES: LOVE AT FIRST CLICK

Nicola Toon dives into the dreamBy Stephanie Boozer

BABIES: CULTIVATING A LIFESTYLE

Jennifer Dell uses props and toys to yield genuine, engaging responses By Lorna Gentry

SENIORS: THROUGH THEIR OWN EYES

Jim Lersch believes in expressing one’s self as an exercise in self-awarenessBy Stephanie Boozer

IMAGE BY: MEGAN SQUIRES

102

94

112

116

76

84

Features

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER AUGUST 2012

CONTENTS

DepartmentsCONTACT SHEET22 Under the bridge24 Pin-up portraits28 Giveaway of the month28 PP asks: Favorite vacation spot30 The Coiffure Project30 What buyers want30 School calendar

PROFIT CENTER33 What I think: Jennifer Dell36 Ask the experts38 Starting over: I was a rocker once

by Kalen Henderson42 Making money: Profitability

by Bridget Jackson44 The pros and cons of Pinterest.com

by Carolyn E. Wright48 Prepping the parents

by Robin Long

THE GOODS53 What I like: Jim Lersch54 Roundup: Baby portraiture products

by Robyn L. Pollman56 Pro review: Photogenic

PL5R-Fresnel Reflectorby Ellis Vener

58 Pro review: Photogenic CL500by Betsy Finn

62 Pro review: Lastolite Joe McNallyTrigrip Kitby Ellis Vener

64 Roundup: Continuous lightby Joan Sherwood

68 Photoshop: New spot fixesby Martin Evening

ON THE COVER: Beth Jansen captured the coverimage of her niece with a Canon EOS 5D camerawith a 50mm f/1.4 lens at f/1.4 for 1/6,400 sec-ond, ISO 400. “She has been a princess from theday she was born,” says Jansen of her niece. “Iwanted to show off how soft her skin tones were,how feminine she is, and how well gorgeous lightradiates in her beautiful blues.”

8 • www.ppmag.com

14 FOLIO

49 IMAGING USA

125 PPA TODAY

138 GOOD WORKSPROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | AUGUST 2012 | WWW.PPMAG.COM

As Lori Nordstrom watched her clients’ children grow up,

she faced a dilemma. She’d built special relationships with customers through her

maternity and baby portraiture, and now those clients wanted her to do their kids’

senior portraits. Could she do that without compromising her style?

IMAGE BY: LORI NORDSTROM

CONTENTS

84

[email protected] www.elinchrom.us

"In my studio we do everything withElinchrom’s BXRi compacts. In fact, all mystrobes are Elinchrom lights - but I don't justuse them in the studio - they're with me forlocation shoots and when I'm on the roaddoing my live training sessions around thecountry. I need light I can count on everytime, and the BXRi's are ultra consistent andincredibly dependable, and that's reallyimportant to me.

I especially love the BXRi's built-in Skyportwireless control and triggering system,because it lets me change power and lightingratios right from the top of my camera (nomore climbing up ladders, or pulling downbooms, or getting out of "the zone" just tomake a simple adjustment). I do all right frommy camera position, and it saves a ton of time,frustration, and money.

Skyport has saved my butt on more than oneoccasion and honestly, now that I have thistype of control I just couldn't go back justbeing able to pop the lights.The BXRi's withthe built-in Skyports have changed everything,and that's why I tell all my friends who arephotographers - you gotta go Elinchrom.I love my BXRi's, they justflat out rock!

Photoshop was notused to place any elements in this image.Learn more about cameras, photography,Photoshop, Lightroom and many otherphotography related topics atwww.scottkelby.com

White House Custom Colour, Your Professional Photographic and Press Printing Partner

Our Favorite Products for Sport & Event Photography

Images for products © John Hartman

White House Custom Colour is a full service, professional photographic lab and press printer. In addition to the showcased products

on these pages, we offer a full line of products and services to make a positive impact on your goals for continued success in building

your photographic business. For more information visit our website, www.whcc.com

PostersPosters are the perfect short run piece for sports teams. Printed on 11.25x17 Standard or Pearl paper, Posters are great for showcasing an entire team, promoting the team’s schedule or as a way for fans to show off their school spirit. Posters also make great fundraising ideas.

Pick-A-PackPerfect for the event photographer, our Pick-A-Pack system allows you to offer any combination of 8x10, 5x7, or 4x5 prints, as well as enlargements, wallets, buttons and magnets. Create your own personalized package to include images of the individual athlete and the team.

Image FoliosUpgrade from a traditional sports package display to a customized Image Folio. Completely customize the two inside panels and the outside cover with your own design. You choose the design and the layout; add images from multiple sports and include the team’s logo to create a piece that is memorable and easy to display and share.

Metal PrintsOffer your Sport and Event clients a product they can’t get anywhere else – their image printed on Metal! The color vibrancy and glossiness of the Metal Print brings the image to life. Add a gatorboard block to hang the Metal Print on a wall or add metal posts or acrylic for an even more contemporary look.

www.whcc.com

i d th l t

al Print on a wall or add

rd g an entire team, f t h ff th i

p g pg pp

whcc’sFAVORITE THINGS FOR

Sport & EventPHOTOGRAPHY

Professional Photographers of America229 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2200Atlanta, GA 30303-1608404-522-8600; 800-786-6277FAX: 404-614-6400; www.ppa.com

2012-2013 PPA boardpresident*TIMOTHY WALDENM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

vice president*RALPH ROMAGUERA SR.M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, [email protected]

treasurer*SUSAN MICHALM.Photog.Cr., CPP, [email protected]

chairman of the board*DON DICKSONM.Photog.Cr.,Hon.M.Photog, [email protected]

directorsDON MACGREGORM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

MICHAEL GAN M.Photog.Cr., CPP [email protected]

ROB BEHM, [email protected]

LORI CRAFT, [email protected]

MICHAEL TIMMONSM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

RICHARD [email protected]

STEPHEN THETFORDM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

AUDREY L. WANCKETM.Photog.Cr., [email protected]

industry advisorKEVIN [email protected]

PPA staffDAVID TRUST, CAE Chief Executive Officer [email protected]

SCOTT KURKIAN, CPA, CAEChief Financial OfficerChief Operating [email protected]

JANE GABOURYDirector of [email protected]

KRISTEN HARTMAN Director of MemberValue and [email protected]

WAYNE JONESDirector of Sales & Strategic [email protected]

SCOTT MORGAN Director of [email protected]

WILDA OKEN Director of [email protected]

CARLA PLOUIN Director of Marketingand [email protected]

LENORE TAFFEL Director of [email protected]

CLAIRE WHITEDirector of Allied [email protected]

SANDRA LANGExecutive [email protected]

*Executive Committee of the Board

12 • www.ppmag.com

Discover more online at

Natalie LiciniFine Art Photographer

“Whether it’s hung on a wall or archived

in a beautiful storybook album, I know

that I'm always delivering an art piece

that will stir their soul, again and again.”

The Mosaic AlbumTh M Alb“With Black River Imaging, I can be a historian,

epic storyteller and artisan to my clients; deliver-

ing timeless, high quality products with impec-

cable craftsmanship”

Accordion Mini BooksA d M B kB k“With every client session, I know I am

visually writing the pages of their life

stories. They trust me with the wonder-

ful, intimate moments of their lives that

can pass in a single moment.”

Greeting CardsG C d

“Preserving the intimate history of our clients' lives is a sacred priviledge. I trust Black

River Imaging not just as my printing vendor of choice, but as a partner in preservation.

They help ensure that I am always giving my clients the best, time and again.”

Natalie Licini of Je Revele Fine Art Photography's work can be viewed at www.jerevele.com


folio| Comprising images selected from the files of the PPA Loan Collection, Folio is a monthly sample ofaward-winning photography selected from PPA’s annual International Photographic Competition (IPC),which is open to non-PPA members. The Loan Collection is a select group of more than 500photographs chosen for distinction by the IPC jurors. ppa.com/competitions/international.php

THOMAS J. HENNWhile shooting on assignment for the Wyoming Office of Tourism, Thomas J. Henn, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, of TH Photographic in Monument, Colo.,created “600 Lbs. of Determination” with a Nikon D2X camera and Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom lens, with an exposure of1/1,250 second at f/3.5, ISO 320. Henn got down low and set his camera to high-speed continuous mode for rapid fire. “These 600-pound steersare fast, strong, and hard to bring down,” says Henn. “This image truly tells that story.” In Adobe Photoshop, Henn removed a hoof from a corner ofthe frame, performed minor color corrections, and used a Topaz filter to increase detail and contrast. thphotographic.com

©Thomas J. Henn

DANIELLE AUSTENDanielle Austen of Danielle AustenPhotography in Hillsborough, N.J.,

was kayaking along the shoreline ofthe Merrill Creek Reservoir when she

passed this group of trees. With aCanon EOS 5D Mark II camera andCanon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM

EF lens, Austin exposed “Remnants”for 1/125 second at f/13, ISO 250.

She performed minor retouching inAdobe Photoshop. “I was captivated

by the dozens of weathered treesreflecting in the water to the

contrast of the fall colors in thebackground,” says Austen.

danielleausten.com

©Peter Burg

PETER BURGWhile strolling the grounds of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance car show, Peter Burg, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, of Burg Photographix in Maitland,Fla., captured this curvaceous Talbot-Lago with a Canon EOS 5D camera and Canon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM EF lens, exposing the frame for1/60 second at f/16, ISO 100. In Adobe Photoshop, he clipped out the car and created a new studio-like background. He used Topaz filters toenhance areas of the car for the final image, “The Art of the Car.” burgphoto.com

©Danielle Austen


PAUL ERNEST“All of this started with a singular idea for a personal project, owing to atug of the heart,” says Paul Ernest of Paul Ernest Illustrative Photographyin McKinney, Texas. With a Nikon D3 camera and Nikkor 70-200mmf/2.8 G ED AF-S VR lens, Ernest exposed “Chasing Butterflies,” below, for1/160 second at f/11, ISO 200. Influenced by painters such as NormanRockwell, Jean-Francois Millet, Winslow Homer, and Andrew Wyeth,Ernest used Adobe Photoshop to create a painterly look. paulernest.com

PENELOPE PALUMBOPenelope Palumbo, M.Photog., CPP, of Studio p3 in Pasadena, Calif.,created the two-image composite “Arrangement in Black and White”for a commercial assignment. Palumbo shot the model in the studiowith a Canon EOS-5D Mark II camera and Canon 85mm f/1.2 L USMEF lens, exposing the frame for 1/125 second at f/11, ISO 100. A 500-watt-second Profoto D1 500 and 4x6-foot Profoto soft box was themain light, with a second D1 500 and 60-inch Photogenic Octagonsoft box for fill. The second image of the wall portrait was taken in abedroom setting lit with one Profoto Acute-B light. Palumbo combinedthe images in Adobe Photoshop, adding a fine layer of smoke andperforming minor retouching. studiop3.com

©Penelope Palumbo

©Paul Ernest

www.sigmaphoto.com

In pursuit of exceptionalperformance and image qualityNow with Sigma’s Optical Stabilizer,A large aperture telephotomacro lens is unveiled.

This large aperture telephoto macro lens comes withSigma’s proprietary Optical Stabilizer System.Our newest optical design enables this high quality lensto perform with even higher efficiency. Rendering superior image quality and beautiful bokeh enhance your photographic journey to macro photography and extend your entire range of photography.

NEW RELEASESIGMA LENS for DIGITAL

150mm

F2.8EX DG OS HSM

APO MACRO

Case, Bayonet type Hood, Hood Adapter, Tripod Socket supplied.

CA

ME

RA

: SIG

MA

SD

1 : ISO

100

, F5

.6, 1/16

0se

c | L

EN

S : S

IGM

A A

PO

MA

CR

O 15

0m

m F

2.8

EX

DG

OS

HS

M : 15

0m

m | C

op

yrig

ht©

Olg

a V

asilk

ova, V

-stud

io

SIGMA CORPORATION OF AMERICA 15 Fleetwood Court, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779, U.S.A. | Tel: (631) 585-1144 | Fax: (631) 585-1895 | www.sigmaphoto.comFollow us on Twitter.com/Sigma_Photo and Facebook.com/sigmacorporationofamerica

USA 4 Year Service Protection

GR

OW

YO

UR

STU

DIO

Accordion Books as envisioned by McClanahan StudioLearn more at www.millerslab.com/accordionbooks

M O R E I S M O R E

CONTACT SHEET

Interstate 91 cuts through the heart of New

Haven, Conn., effectively segregating several

neighborhoods and creating a cultural dead

zone. Dark underpasses are the only thing

connecting the residential areas on either

side of the highway.

New Haven residents Ben Berkowitz and

Miles Lasater initiated a community project

to beautify the bridge underpasses and bring

a sense of connectedness to the bisected

neighborhood. They began piecing together

a project inspired by Inside Out, an interna-

tional art movement that uses public por-

trait displays to tell the stories of various

peoples around the globe.

Berkowitz and Lasater acquired approval

from the local government agencies, set up

funding through Kickstarter, and enlisted

volunteers.

Photographer Ian Christmann joined five

other volunteer photographers. Over the

course of three Saturdays, they created por-

traits of passersby, community volunteers,

and local residents, then printed some 100

4x6-foot prints. Along with 50 volunteers,

they hung them on the underpass walls with

nontoxic, biodegradable paste.

“The project model is relatively simple

and can be applied anywhere people are

invested in improving their community,"

says Christmann.

All images ©Ian Christmann

What’s New, Cool Events, Interesting People, Great Ideas, Etc.

Under the bridgeBeautifying a cityscape with portraiture

BY JEFF KENT

In 2005, the Orlando Museum of Art issued

a call for artists to submit work reminiscent

of World War II-era pin-up posters. Erie,

Colo., photographic artist Iman Woods, who

was living near Orlando at the time, was a

fan of the genre, and she decided to recreate

the style through a combination of photog-

raphy, digital painting, and acrylic painting.

Woods photographed three women, styling

and posing them with a vintage look reminis -

cent of 1940s pin-up art. Then she loaded the

digital images into Corel Painter and applied

hand-painted effects. Next, she made giclée

prints of each image and hand-applied acrylic

paints to add depth and tactile brush strokes.

The museum accepted all three of Woods’

works for the exhibit. The local newspaper

published a story about the show, generating

publicity for Woods’ studio. Commissions

for pin-up portraits started pouring in, and

Woods soon became one of the nation’s

most recognized pin-up artists.

Delving deeper into the style, Woods real-

ized she had a golden opportunity to make an

impact on the way women see them selves.

Woods’ process requires her spending time with

clients prior the session. She learns about their

self-perceptions, what parts of their bodies

they like and don’t like, then she accentuates

the positive through posing, lighting, and

painting. She employs hair and makeup

artists to style the subjects into hyper-glam-

orous retro-pin-up girls.

The resulting images idealize the women,

but the portrait experience itself has proved to

be a self-esteem builder—almost therapeutic,

according to Woods. She consulted a few

therapists about ways to boost a sense of

empowerment in her clients. “I wanted to take

women who saw themselves only by their

flaws and shake all that negativity away so

they could say, ‘I look pretty,’” says Woods.

Part of doing it was making a rule against

self-criticism. While they’re in the studio,

her clients are forbidden to say negative

things about themselves. “Some people are

shocked by this at first,” says Woods, “but

they feel better when they are not constantly

putting themselves down. It gives them the

space to feel pretty.”

The pin-up style has grown in popularity

in recent years. Woods, who started her busi -

ness trying to explain the concept, now finds

herself trying to explain why she’s different

from other practitioners.

“It’s definitely not just about the photog-

raphy; that’s the icing on top,” she says. “I try

to make this a once-in-a-lifetime experience

for my clients. Yes, I’m creating an heir-

loom-quality piece of art, but at the end of

the day the women are more thrilled by the

experience than anything else.”

—Jeff Kent

See more from Iman Woods at imanwoods.com.

CONTACT SHEET

Pin-up portraits


Iman Woodspackages thepower of experience along with photographicprints

All images ©Iman Woods

TENBA.COM · 914.347.3300DISTRIBUTED BY MAC GROUP

ROADIE II is a collection of distinctive equipment cases for the traveling

professional. Roadies are built for endurance, with rugged ballistic nylon exteriors, an

internal support frame, genuine YKK® zippers, and smooth-rolling, ball bearing wheels.

And like true luxury travel cases, Roadies fit into the overhead compartment.

Don’t trust your gear investment to baggage handlers. Keep your cameras close in a

Tenba Roadie. Elegant, innovative and ready to roll.

ROADIE IIREADY TO ROLL

SEE IT FOR YOURSELF AT TENBA.COM/ROADIE-II

Khara & MpixPro: A Creative Complement


CONTACT SHEET

PP Asks …We love hearing from all ofyou on our Facebook page.We ask the questions; youanswer with brilliantinsights. This month, inthe thick of the summer travel season, wetalk about vaca tions. These are just a few ofthe responses readers posted on our wall. Clickthe Like but ton to join the conversation atfacebook.com/ppmagazine. This month’s post:

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SUMMERVACATION SPOT? DO YOU TAKEYOUR CAMERA EVERYWHERE ORSET IT DOWN TO LOOK AT THEWORLD WITHOUT A VIEWFINDER?

The Monterey Peninsula and much of theCentral Coast region of California. I take mycamera always, but I still enjoy the views. Nosense photographing something to remem-ber it if you don’t take time out to enjoybeing there in the first place.

—Lauri Baker

The ocean. I pick a day or two to reallyphoto graph and then take snapshots.Experiencing the world through my chil-dren’s eyes is my new favorite way to seeour vacation spots.

—Dana Michele Heisler

The Florida Keys. Once I’m actually downthere and enjoying the view, it’s extremelyliberating. It puts things in a whole new per-spective when you know you can’t capturethe moment on film, only in your mind.

—Ruth Shepherd

A spot in Hawaii on the Na Pali Coast. It’s an11-mile hike to reach it. I saw the picture ofthe beach when I was serving in Afghanistan,and it was the most beautiful thing I’d everseen. It was even more amazing in person. Idid have my camera. The pictures are great,but the experience was heavenly.

—Albert Moreno

My vacations often incorporate miles of dirtmountain roads through the amazing andwild Wyoming and Montana wildernesses. Ioften visit the same spots good ol’ Mr.Adams did, chasing just the right light. Ienjoy seeing life through my viewfinder andwouldn’t want it any other way.

—Stacy Boisseau McIntosh

PP ’s Giveaway of the Month

WIN THIS!ENTER TO WIN A SIGMA 50MM

F1.4 EX DG HSM LENS AT PPMAG.COM/WIN

The Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM is a fast, fixed focal length lens

that incorporates the company’s Hyper Sonic Motor for quiet and

high-speed auto focus. This large aperture lens is optimized for use

with full-frame DSLR cameras and is ideal for portrait and low-light

photography. When used on digital cameras with an APS-C size

image sensor, it effectively becomes a 75mm F1.4 lens with most

cameras. This lens is available in Sigma, Nikon, Canon, Sony, and

Pentax camera mounts and is valued at $680.

Learn more at sigmaphoto.com.

NO PHOTOSHOP? NO PROBLEM.

Download your free copy today! onOneSoftware.com/layers

PERFECT LAYERS 2 NOW FREE

© 2012 onOne Software, Inc. All rights reserved. onOne Software is a registered trademark of onOne Software, Inc. The onOne Software logo and Perfect Layers are trademarks of onOne Software.

TOO LIGHT

TOO DARK

BLENDED JUST RIGHT

CONTACT SHEET

If If you work with media outlets, advertising agencies, book publishers, or otherclients who license images or assign photo projects, you’ll want to consult the recentlypublished guide, “What Buyers Want from Photographers.” PhotoShelter and AgencyAccess released the free report earlier this year. It’s based on data from 1,000 surveyresponses given by photo editors and commercial photo buyers.

Among the highlights of the guide is the kind of technology photo buyers are find-ing most useful, such as Bluetooth tethering, which allows the production team at ashoot to view photos on laptops and other portable devices as they’re created. Thereare also details about the skills and personal traits buyers look for in a photographer aswell the biggest turn-offs they encounter when choosing one: a lack of passion was acommon response, as was mysterious or confusing pricing.

The majority of the buyers surveyed said their photography budget for the year wouldremain the same as last year’s. When looking for images to license, the vast majority ofbuyers search the major stock agencies first, followed by searches on Google or othersearch engines, then searches on the websites of independent photographers. Mostphoto editors ask colleagues for recommendations when hi r ing a photographer for anassignment rather than respond to queries from photographers or their reps.

The majority of buyers check Facebook to discover new talent, followed by Pinterest andLinkedIn. Social media preference varies somewhat by field; Facebook, for example, is popu-lar with advertising agencies, editorial publications, and design agencies. The top mis-takes photographers make in reaching out to photo aggressive and showing workirrelevant to the buyer’s needs. “What Buyers Want from Photographers” is amongthe free downloads at photoshelter.com/mkt/research.

What buyers want New study offers insights for commercial and editorial photographers

THE COIFFURE PROJECT:

BIG, BOLDBEAUTIFULThe Coiffure Project began as a series of

casual cell phone pictures taken by

Baltimore photographer Glenford Nunez

of his assistant, an African-American

woman who wears her hair au naturel in

voluminous hairdos. Nunez became

inspired. Over several months, he con-

ducted a series of shoots with women

sporting natural hair, building a collec-

tion of hair-focused portraits. The first

exhibition of this work opens Sept. 15 at

Silo Point in Baltimore. See more from

the project in our Web-exclusive feature

at ppmag.com.


©Glenford Nunez

Aug. 6-9

Long Island Photo Workshop, Sheraton Long

Island Hotel, Smithtown, N.Y., Jerry Small,

516.221.4058, [email protected],

liphotoworkshop.com

Aug. 12-16

Evergreen School of Photography Summer

Session, Ft. Worden, Port Townsend, Wash.,

Rich Breshears, 509.586.6695,

[email protected], ppw.org

Aug. 26-31

Georgia School of Professional Photography,

North Georgia Technical College, Clarkesville,

Ga., Kevin Jiminez, 706.854.8885,

[email protected], gppaschool.com

Send all additions and corrections to

[email protected]

2012 AffiliateSchools SchedulePPA members receive both merits andthe best published prices.

This moment was captured for the Luong family by

Tyler Vu Photography ©2012

A tradition of quality, care and value since 1976rA tr

Take advantage of this limited time Custom Framing OfferBuy one at 50% off* • Buy two at 55% off* • Buy three or more at 60% off*Bring in this ad to redeem offer. Excludes Custom Frame Express, expedited shipping, custom cut mirrors, engraved plates and package

pricing where applicable. Must purchase a custom frame. May not be combined with any other coupon, sale or discount in effect.

Offer valid July 30 through September 10, 2012. ©2012 Michaels Stores, Inc.

*Only applies to certain collections. Discount only applies to collections on promotion at time of purchase. Visit your local Michaels store for full details and collection options. Some exclusions and conditions apply.

You’ve capturedthe moment, Michaels can make it last.Beautifully displaying and protecting

your work has been our passion for

over 35 years. Visit your local Michaels

or Michaels.com to learn more.

Find us on:

PPA Has Got You Covered.

$15,000of equipment insurance...

now included in yourPPA membership.

PPA helps you protect what matters and, as a pro photographer, that includes your photographic equipment. With PhotoCare, PPA covers your premium* for $15,000 of equipment insurance. It’s just one more way that membership in PPA pays.

*PhotoCare Equipment Insurance is available to U.S.-based PPA Professional Active and Life members only. Policy is provided by PPA as a part of membership and includes equipment coverage up to $15,000 per year. Restrictions apply. Additional coverage is available for purchase. Insurance provided by Lockton Affinity. PPA members must activate their policy and maintain membership to receive coverage.

WWW.PPA.COM/INSURANCE

ACTIVATE YOUR POLICY TODAY!

August 2012 • Professional Photographer • 33

Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Business, Marketing, and Sales Strategies

What I thinkJennifer Dell’s path to success includeshard work and personal responsibility

What advice would you give to someone just starting

out in the photography business? Make sure you’re

creating a quality product and pricing to be prof-

itable. Take advantage of things like the PPA Studio

Financial Benchmark Survey, PPA business work-

shops, and networking. You need to be able to pay

yourself a decent salary as well as cover your taxes

and other costs of running a business.

What’s the greatest challenge your business has

faced in recent years? Moving into a retail

location. I had to weigh the pros

and cons while looking at my

profit margins and the way I run

my business.

How has professional photography

changed in the past few years? We’ve seen

an influx of new photographers. I hope they

continue to seek guidance from organizations

such as PPA so we can keep the industry stan-

dards intact.

What’s the secret to running a successful photogra-

phy business? A lot of hard work, well-made deci-

sions and planning, like any other business. Keep

your head down, do what you need to do, and

don’t worry about what everyone is up to; only

you can make your business successful.

IMAGE BY JENNIFER DELL

JENNIFERDELLPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

Q. How much should I edit the files I showclients? I understand that by doing theediting, I’ll have a better chance at sellingthem, but I don’t want to waste time onfiles that won’t be purchased.A. Some studios edit down the images prior tothe sales session and do quick routine touchingup as needed, maybe picking an image toenhance as an artist’s favorite. Clients tend toorder the artist’s favorite as they know theartist has a pretty good eye and because theimage looks “finished.” This works well formany photographers.

At our studio, we like to have the sales ses -sion immediately following the session, so wedon’t have time to retouch the files. We shoota raw+JPEG format, and after down loading, weedit for expression, make our ProSelectfolder, and present the images. After thesales session, we simply process and retouchonly the files the client ordered, which savestons of time in the course of a week.

Getting it right in the camera is key to sav -ing time in your editing. Having solid expo-sures and keeping your eye on compositionwill allow you to shoot with a purpose andmaintain a low image count so you can focuson the sale and not overwhelm the client.

Jeff Dachowski, M.Photog.Cr., CPP

Q. My studio has been in business since2000, and I have focused on portraits. I’vedecided to do some weddings and havespent a year doing research. I have only twoweddings for my portfolio, and I’ve lost acouple of bookings without more to show.How do I build my portfolio?A. That’s a difficult question to answer with-

out knowing more particulars of your situation.Building a wedding portfolio is not the sameas booking weddings. Most wedding photog-raphers started by doing family weddings,maybe a couple of weddings at a discount, orworking as an assistant or second shooter

with an established wedding photographer.Presentation is everything. With your two

weddings to draw from, you now have to assem-ble them in separate albums that cover the entirewedding day. I prefer to make albums that tella story from start to end. Mixing the two wed -dings would lead to a discontinuity that wouldnot represent what the bride can expect.

Along with the albums, you also need toshow any ancillary products you plan to offer,such as parents’ albums, save-the-datecards, and thank-you cards. I’d have somekey events from both weddings made intoframed wall prints. These should be displayedin a dedicated wedding section of your gallery.They can also serve as displays in bridal fairs.I’d then top this off with a slideshow on DVD.

These items are the basic tools you needfor presentation. Adding wedding-specificbrochures and forms to the mix is also impor-tant: You don’t want weddings to look like anafterthought in your lineup.

Finally, it comes down to you. Listen to cou-ples’ needs and ask open-ended questions; bothare essential in selling. Show confidence inyour presentation, and you’ll have what you needto start your journey. The forums on ppa.comare an excellent resource for further info.

Vance Wagener, CPP

Q. I’m looking over a contract for a freelancejob and there’s a section that concerns me.It asks me to “indemnify and hold harmless”the company in the event of serious problemsthat arise in the job. They ask me to do thesame should a third party cause a problem. A. Such “indemnification” or “indemnity”clauses are often used to help share or redis-tribute the risk among contracting parties.This kind of clause often asks one party toassume the majority of the risk associatedwith performing the assignment. It can soundscary, but you might think of it as a way thecontracting party (in this case, your client)

can ensure that you’ll perform the job safelyand with minimal risk to their firm.

Before you sign an agreement containing anindemnity clause, you should evaluate the scopeof the indemnification you are providing againstany insurance coverage or other protection youmay have. Depending on the extent of theindemnification clause, you may have coveragethrough your general or business liability insur -ance, professional liability (malpractice) insur -ance, or PPA Indemnification Trust. In addi tionto carrying at least one of these policies, youmay want to consult with your broker.

Knowing how you are protected againstpossible risks, you can assess whether or notyou can commit to such a clause or whethermodifications may be necessary. It’s importantto note that contracts are two-way streets. Ifthe firm regularly hires photographers under astandard agreement, they’re likely presentingyou with a boilerplate agreement—somethingthat broadly meets their needs regardless ofthe specific working relationship they havewith each photographer. You can always askfor amendments or edits to the agreement,especially clauses like these. �

Maria Matthews, PPA Copyright & Government Affairs Manager

Got a question? The SMS team wants to hearfrom you. E-mail our panel of experts c/o PPeditor Jane Gaboury at [email protected].


GURUS FROM PPA STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICES ANSWER YOUR BUSINESS,MARKETING AND SALES QUESTIONS. FOR INFO ON WORKSHOPS, GO TO PPA.COM.

Ask the expertsEditing images, breaking into weddings, indemnity clauses

STUDIO MANAGEMENT SERVICESPROFIT CENTER

©Veer

If you’re expecting this month’s column to

be a revelation on high school senior por-

traits or a poignant piece about newborn

photography, you’re going to be disappointed.

The thing is, I’m beginning to feel old.

Ours could be one of those cruel profes-

sions in which the age of the artist might influ -

ence the buying public. After all, how could

a 50-year-old photographer possibly ride the

same creative wave as a 25-year-old? The

elder photographer probably gets her creative

inspiration from The Weather Channel, reruns

of “Full House,” and (gasp) Fox News, as

opposed to the younger photographer’s MTV,

“Swamp People,” and The Black-Eyed Peas.

Let me be clear: There’s nothing wrong

with being young. We were all there once upon

a time. However, potential clients’ discrimi-

nation against me for my age is beginning to

bug me. Sure, I probably did their parents’

senior portraits, but shouldn’t that say some -

thing about my longevity, experience, and dili -

gence? I’m not sure today’s seniors understand

those words, let alone appreciate the concepts.

With these feelings in mind, I’m ques-

tioning whether to celebrate our studio’s 25th

anniversary. For most businesses, that land-

mark would signify the survival of economic

fluctuations and various acts of Congress,

the growth of the business, and having enough

cash on hand to launch a paean to this mile-

stone. But in the photography business, it

seems to convey that your backdrops smell

like mothballs, you still use a standing view

camera with a drape over your head, and

your fanciest prop is a rusty wagon wheel.

Such was my frustration. Until I gave myself

a good swift kick (and fell down, but that’s

probably an age-related thing) and got my act

together. I recalled the cardinal rule of market -

ing that’s based on features and benefits. I had

somehow lost sight of half of the equation.

The rule works like this: For every feature

your business offers, there’s a benefit for poten -

tial clients. Sell the benefits. Pretty simple.

That’s the part I’d mislaid, and I think other

photographers have as well. We go to great

lengths to tell you how cool and hip and young

we are, and—dig this—we have a couch to pose

you on somewhere in the tall grass. The

reply to that is generally So what? A good

marketer will respond with a list of benefits.

For example, you might want to blast out

over your social media that you have a couch

in tall grass. So what. Well, to comfortably

pose your family in a casual, outdoor envi-

ronment and give you an original and

unique family portrait to cherish. Listing

features without benefits is like bragging

about yourself—kind of obnoxious.

Taking my own advice, I grasped a handy

No. 2 pencil and my Partridge Family note-

book and made a list of the features and bene -

fits of being in the business for 25 years. I

succeeded in making a relatively lengthy list,

but even more important, I convinced myself

that age doesn’t have to be a factor. It was

apparent to me that, examined in the right

perspective, it’s impressive that I’m on my

second generation of high school seniors,

especially in this economy.

It says not only that I believe in what I do

but that I’m dedicated to making it work

regardless of software updates or any other

obstacle thrown in my way. It also says that

my clients trusted me then and they trust

me now to be professional, contemporary,

affordable, and maybe even fun to work with.

Take that, naysayers. If my age is one of

my features, then the benefit of that feature

is my extensive experience. If there was a

mistake to be made, I’ve probably made it,

and chances are that I’ve learned from it and

won’t make that mistake again. My customers

should find comfort in this. They should also

consider the millions of exposures I’ve taken

and the hundreds of thousands of prints I’ve

sold to delighted customers over 25 years.

One day, when historians are digging up

old homesteads and dinosaurs in this part of

Iowa, they’ll unearth portraits with my logo

on them and wonder, Who the heck was

Henderson? Until then, age is a number on

my driver’s license. And that, my friend, is

both feature and benefit. �

Kalen Henderson’s Studio K/HendersonPhotography is located in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.


I was a rocker onceAnd I’m not ready to retire in one

PROFIT CENTER: STARTING OVER

BY KALEN HENDERSON, M.PHOTOG.MEI.CR., CPP, API

©Veer

For pricing and information on Collages.net’s complete product line, visit www.collages.net/products

*Coupon code PPA25 is valid on one order $100 and over and does not cover the cost of shipping. One per customer. Offer expires August 31, 2012.©2012 Collages.net Inc. All rights reserved. Photos © Elegant Images & Photographs.

Love designing…again!collagesDesigner 2.0

$400VALUEFREE!

Free Sign-Up: www.collages.net/PPAsignup (877) 638-7468 | [email protected]

Albums | Books | Professional Printing | Cards | Sell Images Online | Gallery Wraps | StoryBlocksTM

Receive $25 off* your first book or album with coupon code PPA25

Download now: www.collages.net/freedesign

The newest, hottest album and book design software on the block.

A $400 value and it’s FREE! No cost for upgrades—ever!

Easy to learn—you’ll be designing in just a few minutes.

Autoflow feature creates a professional design in seconds.

Red trim lines indicate “safe areas”—never cut off an important design element again.

A wide variety of page templates, backgrounds, and flourishes to choose from—or import your own!

Page styles created by Collages.net’s professional design technicians.

Export JPEGs and e-mail a proof for client approval.

Mac and PC compatible.

After your design is complete, place your order with a few clicks of your mouse. It’s that easy!

This marks the launch of a monthly business

column by Bridget Jackson, CPA, manager

of PPA Studio Management Services. Her

mission is to explain step by step how to take

advantage of the data gathered in the PPA

Studio Management Financial Benchmark

Survey—real-world financial info provided

by successful real-world professional photog-

raphers. The analysis of that data by certi-

fied professional accountants is nothing less

than a formula for business profitability.

Whom to market to, what to sell and at

what price—addressing these concerns

effectively is essential to running a profitable

operation. No matter if your studio is the

primary or secondary source of your family’s

income, you are in business to make money.

The first step is to understand how to record

financial data so you can com pare it to the

proven, studio-specific business standards,

or benchmarks, established through the lat-

est PPA Studio Management Financial

Benchmark Survey. The benchmarks are

based on the principles of managerial account -

ing. This method of accounting organizes

financial data in a way that helps you evalu-

ate your company’s financial health, pin-

point problems, and make adjustments to

ensure profitability. The studio benchmarks

are a means to do that. Honestly, you’ll see.

MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING:INCOME

In managerial accounting, a business’s

income and expenses are based on what

those figures relate to as opposed to what

they are specifically. For example, income is

categorized by each product line and its cat-

egories, not by actual products:

Product line: Studio portraits

Product line categories: Children, fam-

ilies, babies

Product line: Senior portraits

Product line categories: West High School,

Riddell High School, Sycamore High School

Product line: Weddings

Product line categories: Platinum package,

Gold package, Silver package

Once you know how many sessions you’ve

done in each product line and the total amount

you’ve collected in sales for the sessions, it’s

easy to come up with the sales average for

that product line. For example, if the total

sales from 10 Platinum wedding packages

was $150,000, then the average sale per

session would be $15,000 ($150,000 ÷ 10).

Do the same for each of your product lines.

MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING:EXPENSES

Business expenses are grouped into cate-

gories based on function. The expense func-

tions established in the Benchmark Survey

are cost of sales and general expenses.

Cost of sales is the amount you spend to

produce products and associated services:

• Retouching, printing, print finishing

• Production labor, contract labor

• Job-specific costs

• Frames, albums, packaging

• Commissions

• Freight

• Credit card fees

At this point, never mind about the par-

ticulars of each item. The important thing

is how general expenses fit into the big

picture. The Benchmark Survey found

that for a studio to be profitable, for every

dollar of sales it takes in, it should cost

no more than 25 cents to produce the

product and associated service. So the

benchmark for cost of sales for any photog-

raphy business is 25 percent: cost of sales =

25 percent of sales.

For example, if your total cost of sales is

$37,500 and your total sales are $150,000,


Formula for profitabilityKnowing the benchmarks puts you in position for success

PROFIT CENTER: MAKING MONEY

BY BRIDGET JACKSON

BENCHMARK DATAThe PPA Studio Management Financial Benchmark Survey offers recommended finan-cial guidelines based on data compiled from hundreds of photography studios. Thefindings of this industry-wide survey give insight into why some studios are successful,why others fall short on profitability, and what pitfalls to avoid. This survey, the mostrecent of which was published this summer, is the only comprehensive financial analysisfor professional photographers.

The full data set and self-evaluation tools are available to PPA members atwww.ppa.com/benchmark.

then your cost of sales is 25 percent

($37,500 ÷ $150,000). If your answer is

higher than 25 percent, you need to discover

the reasons why. Are there inefficiencies that

are driving up your costs? Are your prices

too low? But much more on those issues in a

later column.

General expenses, also called fixed

expenses, represent the cost of doing busi-

ness aside from the cost of sales. These are

costs the business incurs whether or not it

makes any sales. General expenses are

expressed as a percentage—this time based

on cost of sales as well as total sales. How-

ever, the benchmark is different for home-

based studio businesses and retail-location

studios because the cost of doing business is

simply more expensive in retail spaces than

at home. The benchmark for home studios is

30 percent. The benchmark for retail stu-

dios is 40 percent.

General expenses are:

• Administrative costs (accounting/legal

services, auto expenses, education, interest,

office expenses, props and camera costs,

taxes and license fees, telephone)

• Employee expenses (non-production

workers’ salary and benefits)

• Advertising and marketing

• Depreciation (capital expenditures less

than $500)

• Building overhead (building mainte-

nance, rent/mortgage interest, property tax,

utilities, insurance)

If you’re a home-studio owner and

you’re wondering if you can afford to move

to a retail location, these benchmarks are

critical to making an informed decision. If

the business is not operating at or below

the benchmarks for both cost of sales and

general expenses, it would be difficult (per-

haps impossible) to operate with the added

general expense.

With your product lines and cost of sales

organized in the managerial accounting format,

take a deep breath, give yourself a pat on the

back, and drop in next month for another

step toward greater profitability. �

Bridget Jackson, CPA, is Studio Manage-ment Services manager at ProfessionalPhotographers of America, where she helpsmembers build more profitable businesses.Reach her at [email protected].


Years ago, when a woman got “pinned” by a

college fraternity member, it meant they

were going steady—there was a mutual com -

mitment. For a photographer these days,

getting pinned means someone has copied

one of your images onto Pinterest.com,

which comes with certain advantages and

disadvantages. Knowing both can help you

protect your work, minimize risk, and enjoy

the benefits of this social media website.

When a photo is pinned from your web-

site, Pinterest provides a link that takes

viewers to your website when they click on

the image. Pinterest also posts the Internet

source adjacent to your photo, which is a click -

able hyperlink. That makes Pinterest a

market ing outlet for your photography busi -

ness, since the feedback is largely (although

not necessarily) positive. This contrasts

with review sites such as Yelp that include

both positive and negative feedback.

Unfortunately, Pinterest’s linking sys-

tem doesn’t always work the way you want

it to. For example, one wedding photogra-

pher’s photo was pinned from a Google

search in Canada, so the source is identified

as google.ca, and the hyper link sends viewers

to the Google search results. Fortunately,

the Google search links to the website

where the photo originated (Figure 1).

But it gets worse. Digital images may

have properties or metadata written into the

file to identify such information as the pho-

tographer’s name and contact info, a copy-

right notice, the camera model and lens

specs used to capture the image, and

descriptive keywords to be used by search

engines. In this example, the photo’s meta-

data included the photographer’s name but

no copyright notice, and the original file

name (Figure 2).


Are you ready to go steady?

BY CAROLYN E. WRIGHTPROFIT CENTER

The pros and cons of Pinterest.com

Figure 1

Figure 2 (top); Figure 3 (bottom)

When the image was pinned, Pinterest

automatically changed the filename and

stripped its metadata, even the photogra-

pher’s name (Figure 3).

Of additional concern, some Pinterest

users pin photos from their desktop, so no

original source or link is provided. Poten-

tial clients have no idea who took the

image or how to contact the photographer

(Figure 4).

Does pinning images cause copyright

infringement? Copyrights give the owner

the exclusive right to do (or to authorize oth-

ers to do) specific things with your photo-

graphs, effectively giving the copyright

owner a legal monopoly on the image. Sec-

tion 17 of the U.S. Copyright Act specifies

those exclusive rights as the right to:

• Reproduce the copyrighted work.

• Display the copyrighted work publicly.

• Prepare derivative works based on the

copyrighted work.

• Distribute copies of the copyrighted

work to the public by sale, rental or lending,

and/or to display the image.

Copyright law contains an exception to

those rights called fair use. It permits the

limited and reasonable uses of an image

without the owner’s consent as long as the

uses do not prejudice the copyright owner’s

rights or inter fere with normal exploitation

of the work. In sum, fair use is limited to

nonprofit uses such as criticism, comment,

news reporting, teaching (including multi-

ple copies for classroom use), scholarship,

or research (Section 107).

Courts have held that Google’s display of

SAYING NO TO PINNINGYou can prevent images on your website from being pinned by adding this small

piece of code to the head of any Web page: <meta name=“pinterest” content=“nopin” />Pinterest users who try to pin images from blocked pages will see the message

“This site doesn’t allow pinning to Pinterest. Please contact the owner with any ques-tions. Thanks for visiting!”

–Source: Pinterest


photos for Internet searches is fair use, but

it’s difficult to determine whether a court

would hold that pinning a photo to Pinter-

est is a fair use. Pinterest does link to the

original source but risks liability for remov-

ing the metadata from the image file and

for physically copying photos to its server.

Professional photographers understand

the importance of sharing photos on the

Internet. Some may want to add a “Pin It”

button (available at pinterest.com/about/

goodies) to their website to invite others to pin

their work. You can, however, take steps to

minimize the risks of the relationship.

First, register your copyrights with the

U.S. Copyright Office so that you can

collect the maximum damages due you

from the infringer.

Second, embed your copyright notice

and contact information as a watermark in

each of your images. It might stop someone

from copying your photos at all. And when

you post a copyright notice with your regis-

tered images, the infringer cannot claim

that the infringement was innocent (reduc-

ing the damages you can collect to as little

as $200 per work). Pinterest does not crop

photos to remove water marks, so even if

your photo gets separated from your web-

site, your business infor mation will remain

visible to potential clients.

Third, enter your copyright management

info (CMI) in the metadata of your images.

CMI includes the title and other informa-

tion identifying each work and your name

and contact info. Section 1202 of the Copy-

right Act makes it illegal for someone to

remove your CMI from your photo to hide

an infringement. The fines start at $2,500

and go to $25,000 in addition to attorneys’

fees and any damages for the infringement.

If you decide that Pinterest is not in

your best interest, you may ask Pinterest

to remove any of your pinned photos.

Follow the takedown provisions found at

pinterest.com/about/copyright. You also

may block pinning of your Flickr photos

through your privacy settings by selecting

“No” in the area where you “Allow others to

share your stuff.” Finally, if you don’t want

your website photos pinned, you may add

the Pinterest html blocking code (see “Say-

ing no to pinning,” previous page).

Take advantage of the benefits of using

the Internet to promote your work but

make time to minimize the hazards. The

information provided here is for educa-

tional purposes only. If you have legal con-

cerns or need legal advice, be sure to consult

with an attorney. �

Attorney Carolyn E. Wright specializes inthe legal needs of photographers and is theauthor of “The Photographer’s Legal Guide.”


PINNERS ARE BUYERSBefore you write off Pinterest as a copyright nightmare and block pinning entirely, con-sider this data point: More than one in five Pinterest users has pinned an item they laterpurchased. And that correlation is even stronger between offline purchases than online.

—Source: Harvard Business Review Blog, May 11, 2012

Figure 4

Parents often don’t know what to expect in a

new born’s portrait session. It’s up to the

photographer to tell them exactly what to

anticipate and how to pre pare for it, helping

to ensure a happy experience.

Plan to spend an hour in a pre-session

consultation with the parents. You’ll not

only be discussing details, you’ll also use this

time to build a trusting relationship.

Remember that they’re putting their most

precious gift in your hands.

I give all my clients a packet of informa-

tion with details of everything they need to

know about the session, including the tem-

perature of the room, feeding the baby

ahead of time, how to dress the baby, and

many other instructions. The session may

have been booked six months out, so I ask

parents to revisit the information right

before the session to refresh their memory.

Explain the importance of creating a calm

environment for the baby, how it will help the

baby to feel relaxed and comfortable. Assure

the parents that you have everything under

control and they can sit back and relax.

Quite often, parents fall asleep on my couch.

SHOOT TO SELLWhen I go into a session, I’m well prepared.

I know exactly what I’m shooting because I

gathered appropriate information at the con -

sultation. Parents don’t always know what

they want, so I guide them. Show what you

want to sell. Have examples of your products

in your studio so they can see and feel the

quality. I generally shoot for albums, as this

is what I love to sell. It’s fine if the parents

want wall hangings. I ask them where they’ll

hang them and about the colors and theme

of that room. The answers help me choose

props and sometimes poses. I’m shooting to

sell. If there’s something my client wants,

then I’m going to shoot it.

I also want to know what colors and

poses the clients do not like. There’s no rea-

son to shoot something the parents aren’t

going to buy, so ask ahead of time. If they

want a storyboard with the baby’s little fea-

tures, such as the hands, eyes, nose, and

mouth, I make sure I shoot for that product.

I do have clients who will let me express

my creativeness with images and props of

my choosing, and I prepare to shoot for those.

Some parents want sleepy, curly poses, while

others love the awake shots. Organizing all

the details ahead of time shows that you care

about making the clients happy.

The pre-session consultation is also when

I ask about photographing the parents and

siblings with the newborn. I always take

family and sibling shots at the beginning of

the session when all parties look their best.

Then I can concentrate on the newborn

alone.

A lot of preparation goes into a newborn

session, including juggling the session date,

setting up all the baby posing tools and sup-

plies you’ll need, and washing and cleaning

all the fabrics and surfaces. Being prepared

and shooting to sell will not only save you time

but will also increase your sales. �

Robin Long Photography is in Salem, Ore.


Prepping the parents

BY ROBIN LONGPROFIT CENTER

Ease anxiety before a newborn session

©Robin Long

10 TIPS FOR PREPPING THE PARENTS• Schedule the session before the baby is born.• Plan to do the session within two weeks of the birth. • Ask the parents to feed the baby before the session.• Dress the baby in loose clothing that zips or snaps, nothing that goes over the head.• For family shots, parents should keep their clothing solid and simple.• Bring extra milk if the baby is bottle-fed.• Stress the importance of a calm environment.• Discuss poses, products, and colors.• Nursing moms should avoid foods that can make the baby gassy.• Circumcisions should be scheduled after the session, or at least early enough to

allow the baby at least five days of healing.


Professional Photographer P R E S E N T S Products, Technology, and Services

What I likeJim Lersch learns that bigger is better

What’s the best equipment investment you’ve

ever made? My Hasselblad H digital system. It

gives me superbly sharp images, and it’s paid

for itself several times over.

Little thing, big difference ... My Zykkor Fader

ND Pro filter. On location I often want to shoot

at a wide-open aperture, but there’s too much

light. This filter allows me to shoot the way I want.

What hot new product are you going out of your

way to use? My new Nikon D800 and MB-D12

battery grip. I’ve done some tests pitting the

Nikon against the Hasselblad. The D800 may

not be quite as sharp as the Hasselblad, but it is

truly amazing, especially in mid-tone areas.

Has a piece of equipment ever changed the way

you approach your photography? The first time

that I exposed an 8x10 transparency with a

Deardorff view camera changed my life forever.

I learned that bigger is better and that I needed to

control and craft light to do justice to the images.

What’s the one piece of gear that would have to

be pried from your cold, dead fingers? My AF-S

Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens. It provides

some really interesting looks for senior portraits,

and it’s always in my camera case for commer-

cial jobs. For interiors and exteriors, it is the

finest lens I’ve ever owned for my Nikons.

IMAGE BY JIM LERSCH

LERSCHPHOTO.COM

THE GOODS ROUNDUP BY ROBYN L. POLLMAN

Oh, baby


Clients will go gaga over these products for baby portraiture

Find these and additional products, plus shareyour own favorites at PPMAG.COM/SHOP.

SAFETY LIDThe Jamie Rae WHITE SUN HAT WITH WHITE RASPBERRY PEONY is asfunctional as it is adorable. A chinstrap keeps it secure, and built-in UV protectionshields tender skin from the sun’s rays. Jamie Rae Hats; $26; jamieraehats.com

PHOTOGRAPHER’S BLOCKMade from durable material, CUBE DÉCOR blocks are 4-inch-squareimage panels laminated onto solid wood. The blocks combine to createa one-of-a-kind home decoration. Artsy Couture; starting at $24.99;artsycouture.com

ROYALLY APPEALING

Handcrafted in the United States, REGALCROWNS frames are custom made of

sustainable wood for displaying canvas artand personal portraits. Images are repro-

duced on archival canvas in the gicléemethod. Dish and Spoon Productions;prices vary; dishandspoonproductions.com

WORRY-FREE MESSESAs small as 5x4 feet, SIMPLY CHALK BOARD backdrops arewell suited to infant and baby shoots. Write on the backdrop withchalk or let the little ones get messy with a cake, then just wipe itdown with a damp cloth for easy cleanup. Simply Color; from$98; simplycolorlab.com (Use code PPABD12 for 20 percent offthrough Aug. 31.)

DEEP PERSPECTIVEIMAGE BLOCKS allow you to create custom displays that highlightlife’s milestones. Available in 26 multi-block configurations and a varietyof sizes, the units are wrapped with photographic luster or metallic printsaround 1-inch-thick base blocks. WHCC; from $26; whcc.com

PLAN FOR SUCCESSThe COMPLETE BABY PLAN presents a detailed formula to help photographerscreate profitable marketing campaigns. The kit balances tools for success with ele-gant design in fully customizable templates that include professionally crafted textand graphics. Design Aglow; $195; designaglow.com

(IM)PERFECT LUXURYThe distressed details on LUXE FRAMES are a natural feature.Available in four shapes and colors, they are sized in 8×10- and 10×10-inch formats and are ready to hang with a styrene-mounted print.Miller’s Professional Imaging; from $53.91; www.millerslab.com


One sure-fire way to make your photos stand

out from your competition’s is masterful use of

light. Broad lighting, whether done with

bounced light, soft box, or umbrella, is func-

tional and can be truly beautiful, but you can

precisely draw the viewer’s eye to the spot you

intend and define the shape of the subject by

narrowing the angle of illumination. A versa-

tile spotlight can be an attention-getting

key, fill, or accent light to do just that.

Enter the Photogenic PL5R-Fresnel

Reflector. Unlike many solutions for narrow-

ing the angle of illumination, the PL5R is

not large, fragile, bulky, or expensive. The

PL5R kit consists of two light modifiers:

an 8-inch deep narrow-beam reflector and

a removable Fresnel lens. The combination

works the way a grid spot does, with a

secondary modifier—in this case the

Fresnel lens mounted at the open end of

THE GOODS: PRO REVIEW

Go Hollywood without hefting the bulk with this beaming modifier.

BY ELLIS VENER

Spot on PHOTOGENIC PL5R-FRESNEL REFLECTOR


NARROWING THE ANGLE OF ILLUMINATION

There are several ways to narrow a light’s angle of illumination. For flash equipment, themost common method is to use a grid spot, an anodized black honeycomb-like modifierthat fits into the front of a wider-angle reflector. The angle of illumination is determinedby the size of the individual cells, which generally come in sets of 10, 20, 30, and 40 degrees.

There are also sport or long-throw reflectors that concentrate a soft-edged, rel-atively narrow beam of light over a long distance. Some have a highly polished interior,others a softer silver finish that’s more suitable for portraits. Celebrity and beauty pho-tographer Matthew Jordan Smith makes excellent use of the soft-silver Profoto Magnumreflector in his portraits.

Then there are highly polished parabolic reflectors such as the Paul C. Buff RetroLaser reflector, which throws a very narrow, very intense beam of light a long, long way.

Occasionally you’ll see an ellipsoidal-type spotlight. It’s similar to both the lensin a projector and the spotlights used at concert performances.

Finally, there are Fresnel-type spotlights. In those dramatic 1930s-era portraitsby Hollywood master George Hurrell, the key light was usually a large-lensed Fresnelspot. Most Fresnel-type spotlight modifiers for monolights, and pack-and-head flashsystems are large, bulky and expensive gizmos that few photographers outside the fash-ion industry use.

With the exception of grid spots, the trouble with most of these solutions is thatthey’re bulky and difficult to drag along for location shoots and so require even bulkierand heavier cases. Combined with broader light sources for fill, the

Fresnel Reflector makes a nifty key light.

Photo courtesy of Photogenic

©Ellis Vener

a reflector—to concentrate the light. Like

a grid spot, and unlike other large Fresnel

and ellipsoidal spotlights, the beam cannot

be focused.

A Fresnel lens is a single element, glass

or plastic, with the front side cut or molded

into a series of concentric prisms. The cut

of the concentric rings greatly reduces the

depth, mass, and weight of the lens com-

pared to the smoothly curving surface

of a conventional plano-convex lens of the

same power.

The Fresnel lens in the PL5R is remov-

able from the reflector, which has a 5-inch

opening. Sans lens, the reflector still nar-

rows the beam to, as Photogenic describes

it, a 20-degree beam spread. I didn’t meas-

ure it, and Photogenic does not provide

the specs for the beam angle with the lens

installed, but it is a tighter pattern, and

because the lens concentrates the light, it

projects that narrow angle over a relatively

long distance.

The glass Fresnel beam concentrates the

light in a different way and gives it a unique

cha racter. It’s still soft-edged, but the

edges have a crisper quality than light from

a grid spot.

The kit also includes a two-side barn

door assembly and a filter holder that can

be added to the combination to further

shape the beam. Because heat can rapidly

build up in a closed-end light modifier, the

PL5R reflector is vented around its narrow

base. The vents are baffled to keep the light

inside the reflector.

Fresnel spots are typically used for Hol-

lywood glamour-style portraits, but I found

this one also makes a nifty key light for still

life when it’s combined with broader

sources for fill. Used at a caterer’s showcase

dining room, the narrow beam and the

quality of the light imbued the scene with a

sense of streaming daylight, adding a nice

edge and sparkle to low-contrast subjects.

Another way to use a Fresnel spot to add

inter est to a shot is to use a gobo—Hollywood

shorthand for go-between—meaning any-

thing that breaks up a light pattern. Gobos

can be made from virtually anything. If it’s

positioned closer to the lit surface than to

the light itself, the gobo will project a

sharper-edged pattern. The closer the gobo

is to the light, the softer-edged and subtler

the pattern will be.

The Photogenic PL5R-Fresnel Reflector

Kit retails for $183.50 (photogenic.com). �


Whether you’re working in the studio or on

location, there are times when it’s better to

use continuous light rather than strobes.

The continuous light Photogenic CL500

(rated up to 500 watts) has a quick-change

mounting system so you can use various

light modifiers as your shoot requires.

This compact, lightweight unit is simple

to operate. On the back are a handle, power

cord, on/off switch, and vent openings for its

4-inch, whisper-quiet fan. The front features

only a heavy-duty ceramic 26mm Edison

socket and the mount release for the quick-

change system adapters.

I tested a two-light travel kit that

includes two each CL500 units, 7-inch

reflectors, umbrellas, and air-cushioned

stands. The kit came efficiently packaged in

a rolling travel case. You could also pair the

CL500 with a 24x32-inch soft box; Photo-

genic sells a travel kit that includes two soft

boxes rather than umbrellas. Soft boxes

mount to the unit via a quick-change

adapter, and umbrellas mount directly.

Working mostly in-studio, I tried the

lights with both live and inanimate subjects.

The light quality was pleasing, and the units

were easy to operate. When photographing

potentially skittish subjects such as pets or

infants, the harsh pop and flash of a strobe

could upset the shoot. With a continuous

lighting system, there are no such distrac-

tions. Using the CL500 in a newborn ses-


Continuous light frees you from the jarring pop ofstrobes and sets a more intimate studio session.

BY BETSY FINN, M.PHOTOG.CR., CPP

Working hotPHOTOGENIC CL500

In this two-light setup, one CL500 unit with an umbrella is the main light, and the other bounces lightoff the ceiling for fill (above). Notice the soft, even light in the final shot.


Photo courtesy of Photogenic

Making clients insanely happy

Not worrying about marketing

Generating revenue online

Saving time for the stuff he loves

Selling prints & downloads

Licensing stock photos

Attracting search engine traffic

Creating a social media sensation

Backing up his archive

Protecting his images online

FTPing photos to 5 clients at once

MULTITASKINGRIGHT NOW, THIS PHOTOGRAPHER IS:

Try PhotoShelter websites and tools FOR FREE at photoshelter.comYOUR PHOTOSHELTER WEBSITE’S GOT YOUR BACK.

sion, I was able to preserve a quiet, intimate

atmosphere, and with a baby, the added

warmth from the bulb is welcome. Do be

extra careful to secure the light stands and to

place the lights at a safe distance: You don’t

want to burn anyone or melt your props.

Overall, I loved working with the Photo-

genic CL500 units. I’ve relied primarily on

studio strobes in my current work, but the

CL500 makes it a joy to work with continu-

ous light again. I appreciate the flexibility of

being able to mount most any Photogenic

light modifier so I can use a mix of Photo-

genic strobes and hot lights without having

to purchase separate adapters. I liked the

CL500’s light weight, and its rugged alu-

minum housing should stand up to a rea-

sonable amount of rough handling.

The only drawback is the unit’s fixed

light output. To change the output, you

have to either change the bulb or move the

light farther away from the subject, but

that’s just part of working with continuous

light—there’s not always a dimmer. If you

love the results, it’s a minor inconvenience.

The CL500 retails for $160, the two-light

travel kit for $620 (photogenic.com). �

Betsy Finn owns a portrait studio in Michigan.



An umbrella mounts directly to the unit. Simplyguide the umbrella shaft through a hole in thereflector and secure the end in the slot on thelight’s mount.

I used a single-light setup for a family portrait during the same session. The pullback shot shows my main light, the CL500, modified by an umbrella andplaced fairly close to the subjects. The soft box at camera left serves as a reflector, bouncing fill light into the scene. I was pleased with the even quality of illu-mination and the unobtrusiveness of the lights. Working without strobes creates a totally different studio dynamic that’s perfect for this kind of session.

I appreciate the flexibility of being able to mountmost any Photogenic light modifier so I can usea mix of Photogenic strobes and hot lightswithout having to purchase separate adapters.

With his experience, talent, geniality, educa-

tional outreach, and inspiring creativity, Joe

McNally is the Michael Jordan of photogra-

phy’s first digital era. It was inevitable that

some manufacturer would not only feature

him in its advertising and marketing cam-

paigns, but start licensing his name as well.

The Lastolite Joe McNally TriGrip is one of

five Lastolite products bearing his name.

There are other Lastolite TriGrips, but

this one is different. All of the TriGrips are

collapsi ble triangular reflectors with a han-

dle in the triangle’s apex. When collapsed

for storage, a TriGrip coils down to nearly

a third of its unfurled size. Setting it up

could not be easier: Remove it from the

protective bag, grasp the handle, pop

your wrist, and it’s good to go—just make

sure to have plenty of space around you.

The McNally TriGrip is 35.4 inches (90

centimeters), a useful size for diffusion, reflec -

tion, or light blocking, and it’s far easier to

handle than the 48-inch Lastolite Jumbo, but

generally more useful than the 18- or 30-inch

models. The basic material is a two-stop dif-

fusion fabric, and the kit comes with two

sleeves. On one side, the first sleeve pairs sil-

ver and Softsilver—alternating silver and white

stripes with wider silver stripes. Inverted, the

sleeve has two options, Sunlite (alternating nar -

row gold and wider silver stripes) and Sun-

fire (wider gold stripes, narrower silver ones).

The black window mask sleeve has remov-

able 15x21-inch panels held in place with

Velcro strips. The strips extend beyond the

edges of the window so the panels can be

used to make smaller windows of different

shapes. Gels or black wrap can be easily

clipped to the edges of the window opening

to change the quality and nature of the light.

With the slightly loose fit of the black

sleeve, you aren’t limited to using the diffu-

sion material. Put the reflector sleeve on

first, put the black sleeve over that, and

you’ve got a small reflector.

While all TriGrips work well with small

speedlight flashes, this one is also suitable

for more powerful monolights and pack-and-

head systems, or tungsten, HMI, fluorescent,

and LED lights. The size of the McNally

model makes it easier to put multiple lights

behind it when it is used as a diffuser.


This modifier kit delivers portability and versatility bycombining reflective surfaces, diffusion, and masking.

BY ELLIS VENER

More thanmere reflection

LASTOLITE JOE MCNALLY TRIGRIP KIT


Joe McNally (left) is shown using the TriGrip branded with his name in a configuration with the blackwindow mask sleeve over the two-stop diffusion fabric.

Photo courtesy of Lastolite

This portrait uses sunlight reflected off the Soft-silver sleeve on the TriGrip as the key light.

©Ellis Vener

While photographing a private collection of

dolls and figures for a catalog, I used the

McNally TriGrip with three Canon 580EX

II Speedlites behind it as my main light. Most

of the time they were clustered to create a mod -

er ately large, uniformly diffuse light source,

but to fine-tune the quality of the light I used

several variations: aiming the lights to create

a larger source, moving them apart to make

a better highlight reflection pattern, and

chang ing the E-TTL setting on individual

lights to create a subtle fall-off pattern. I com -

pleted the light setup with a Canon Speed-

light on the opposite side of the camera and

another in a Chimera Octa 2 Beauty Dish over

the top of my set. The TriGrip-diffused lights

served as either the key or the fill light. Using

smaller E-TTL-controlled lights rather

than larger monolights made it easier and

much faster to change the quality of the light.

An outdoor portrait shoot of author and

New York Times reporter Drew Jubera helped

me appreciate the quick-change versatility of

the McNally TriGrip. With Jubera sitting in a

shady spot of his backyard, the Softsilver

sleeved TriGrip created the key light, reflect-

ing a large triangle of crisp sunlight back at

him from a low angle, producing a nice

catch light in his eyes. A Speedlite in the

Octa 2 provided fill. The shoot lasted a half

hour, and the different qualities of the Tri-

Grip surfaces allowed me to work in three

different locations in and outside of Jubera’s

house, alternately using the TriGrip as a

reflector or a diffuser.

At $245 MSRP, the McNally TriGrip kit

isn’t cheap, but given its versatility, it’s an

investment that pays immediate dividends. �


Continuous light offers many potential applica -

tions for the innovative photographer. It can

cozy up the scene for a napping infant. It can

beautifully light video interviews with ecstatic

clients or capture a few heartfelt words from

the father of the bride before the wedding cere-

mony. And if you’re just learning lighting

technique, then starting out with a what-you-

see-is-what-you-get method of adding light can

help you master the basics. Check out these

options in a spectrum of styles and price points.

A COOL HALF KDesigned to run on AC power, the Flash-

point 500 LED dimmable light racks up

500 daylight-balanced LEDs controlled in

two groups, allowing you to fine-tune the

output. The built-in barn doors can be

adjusted to flag or spill light. The light

comes with a yoke for mounting on a stand

or 5/8-inch stud. $199.95; adorama.com

GO BOTH WAYSYou get everything you need for portraits,

interviews, or product shots with the Smith-

Victor K48 3-Light Portraiture Soft

Box Kit, which includes two heavy-duty

765-UM quartz halogen lights with safety

glass, two 24x32-inch heat-resistant soft

boxes, an SV840 AC/DC constant light with

barn doors and daylight filter, two 600-watt

and one 100-watt quartz halogen lamps,

stands, cables, and a rolling soft case. The

765-UM lights have high-efficiency pebble-

finish reflectors for a 30-degree beam and

umbrella ports. $949.95; smithvictor.com

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOODThe Cool-Lux Hollywood Combo Light

goes anywhere and does it all. It can be used

directly as a broad light, indirectly as a soft

light with the scoop reflector, or with a soft

box (sold separately). The Combo Light uses

a color-neutral metal bounce reflector to

provide soft illumination for interviews and

close-ups. It provides a flattering light that

produces excellent skin tones and dimin-

ishes wrinkles and blemishes, while deliver-

ing soft shadow edges. $299; cool-lux.com

FLUORESCENCE IN THE BANK The Photogenic HorizonLight CF2 (two-

tube) and CF4 (four-tube) fluorescent con-

stant light panels

have a removable

translucent Plexi-

glass panel that dif-

fuses the light,

simulating a strobe

and soft box look.

The panels produce

a pleasing soft light

for photography

and videography,

and they’re made in

the United States. A

larger CF8 panel is

available as a special

order item. $582.50

and $797.95;

photogenic.com

THE GOODS: ROUNDUP

Sometimes flash isn’t the right solution for your light.

BY JOAN SHERWOOD

Beaming up CONTINUOUS LIGHT


BRRR, IT’S COLD IN HEREThere must be some Westcott Ice Light

in the atmosphere. This handheld LED day-

light-balanced light source brings you fluid,

spontaneous lighting composition with a

dimmable 1,600-lumen LED. The frosted

diffusion front delivers a beam angle of 72.6

degrees. Power it with the rechargeable

lithium-ion battery for one hour’s use at full

power, or plug it in and run it continuously.

$599.90; fjwestcott.com

STEADY DOWNSHIFTThe small, sleek Luma from Litepanels

keeps its daylight-balanced color steady even

when you use the 0 to 100 percent dimmer,

and it can be powered by six AA batteries, an

AC adapter, or off the D-Tap on a pro cam-

era battery pack, so it’s good to go anywhere.

It’s great for high-illumination fill light with

a 50-degree spread that’s flicker free at any

frame rate. $396; litepanels.com

READY FOR PRIME TIMENew from Tiffen Co. is the Lowel Prime

LED System, including the 200 and 400

models that are available in dedicated day-

light or tungsten renditions. Though designed

for studio use, they also make a versatile add i -

tion on location. They have a 90+ color ren-

dering index rating, run without a fan, and

come with a hanging clamp or stand mount.

$2,150 and $2,775; lowel.com

HMI-STOUNDINGThe new Profoto ProDaylight 200 Air

and ProDaylight 400 Air HMI lights are

not for sissies. They’re smaller and lighter

than the ProDaylight 800 Air but still power -

ful and robust. They come with Profoto’s Air

radio remote function for light control in the

palm of the hand. HMI lights run cooler and

use less power than incandescents, and they

don’t use fans, making them great for video

work. The kit includes ProBallast 200/400

multivoltage ballast for flicker-free perform-

ance. $4,473 and $4,803; profoto.com

RADIO REMOTEThe ikan id500 and id1000 come with an

RF remote control that allows the user to

turn the light off

and on and dim

it from up to

100 feet away.

The remotes

may be pro-

grammed to

control each

light individu-

ally or in groups.

This series fea-

tures LEDs

selected for their

color tempera-

ture and color

rendering index

performance in

daylight temperatures. The units are very

mobile, with several power options. Chimera

is developing a soft box kit for these. $499

and $999; ikancorp.com

DELICIOUS PAIRINGThe awesomely named RayD8 c3200

Tungsten Kit from Lastolite fits the


bill for an entry-level studio system. With

tungsten light balanced at 3,200K you get

two heads, two soft white 31.5-inch

umbrellas, two 50-degree reflectors, two

500-watt bulbs, and two stands. $488;

lastolite.us

GET YOUR FEET WET

If you want to dip into continuous light for

portraits or macro without risking your

budget in a riptide investment, check out

the Polaroid LED Video Light Panel

PLLED54. It features 112 LED bulbs day-

light balanced at 5,600K housed in a hot-

shoe mount light bar. It runs up to eight

hours on five AA batteries, comes with

removable barn doors, and features an

adjustable dimmer. You can even mount

additional units to build a bigger bank of

light. $79.95; bhphotovideo.com

HALOGEN ON ZOOMThe Elinchrom Zooming Scanlite Halogen

can go from wide angle to hotspot with

its zooming function. It makes use of a

300-watt or 650-watt halogen lamp and

comes with a transparent glass dome for

safety. The fan speed is electronically tem-

perature controlled. The light features an

umbrella mount, and all Elinchrom reflec-

tors, umbrellas, and soft boxes (except

Portalite) can be used up to 300W. Most

Elinchrom metal reflectors can be used up

to 650W. $491.99; elinchrom.com

NOW THEY MAKE LIGHTSManfrotto has long been lauded for its

quality tripods and supports. Now it’s

introduced a line of LED lights, including

the ML840H Hybrid-84 Hybrid+,

which offers a flash function that creates a

burst of light four times the continuous

output for 1/1,000 second. It’s a ball head-

to-hot shoe system that can be pivoted,

angled, and turned. It’s stackable with

other ML series lights and is suited for por-

traits, close-ups, and low-light conditions.

$329.99; manfrotto.us �


The following is an edited excerpt from the 10th

edition of Martin Evening’s “Adobe Photo-

shop CS6 for Photographers” (Focal Press,

$54.95). View CS6 video tutorials based on

the contents of this book at ow.ly/bGz6C.

SPOT HEALING IN CONTENT-AWARE MODE

The Content-Aware mode was added to the

spot healing brush options in Photoshop

CS5, and it intelligently works out how best

to fill the areas you retouch when you use

the spot healing brush. The spot healing

brush default is Proximity Match mode, and

with that you have to be careful not to work

too close alongside sharply contrasting areas

because it may cause the edges to bleed.

Let’s look at what the spot healing brush is

capable of when used in Content-Aware mode.

In the Figure 1 example, there were a lot of

electric cables and wires in the photograph

that spoiled the view. By using the spot heal-

ing brush in Content-Aware mode, I was

able to carefully remove them to produce the

finished photo. Although the end result was

quite effective, I should point out that a cer-

tain amount of skill is required in brush-

work and choice of settings in order to use

this tool effectively.

Note that content-aware healing makes

use of the image cache levels set in the Pho-

toshop performance preferences to help

speed up the healing computations. If you

have the cache limit set to four or fewer lev-

THE GOODS: PHOTOSHOP

The Content-Aware patch in Photoshop CS6 adds control to your healing powers.

BY MARTIN EVENING


New spot fixesBOOK EXCERPT

Figure 1: This shows before (top) and after (bottom) versions, where I used the spot healing brush inContent-Aware mode to retouch the photo.

All im

ages ©M

artin Evening

Photographed on ORIGINAL FREEDOM CLOTH® Mac Brown Photographers

WWW.DENNYMFG.COM1.800.844.5616

Light Shaping System

FB050 FB065

FBS2560

FB050 Octabox - 20” Black & Silver, Carrying Bag, Shoe Mount, Adapter Ring & BracketFB065 Octabox - 26” Black & Silver, Carrying Bag, Shoe Mount, Adapter Ring & BracketFBS2560 Stripbox - 10”x24” Black & Silver, Carrying Bag, Shoe Mount, Adapter Ring & Bracket

With it’s patented design and construction, the Firefly™ creates Soft and Diffused Light using the exclusive Firefly™ Diffusion system. Furthermore, it can reflect light over the limit without the front diffusion panel like a beauty dish reflector. The Firefly™ front diffusion panel can reduce hot spots and soften shadows. With it’s “umbrella-like” opening and closing, Firefly™ is the perfect solution for off camera flash especially in regards to fast and easy set up and tear down!

MANUFACTURING CO., INC.Backdrops | Props | Lighting | Accessories

els, this can compromise the performance of

the spot healing brush in Content-Aware

mode when carrying out big heals. It is there-

fore recommended that you raise the cache

limit to six or higher.

The Normal blend mode worked best for

retouching the cables that overlapped the sky

since it uses diffuse edges to blend seamlessly

with the surroundings. I also mostly used long,

continuous brush strokes to remove these from

the photograph and achieve a smooth, blended

result with the rest of the sky. When retouching

the rocks, I applied much shorter brush strokes

using the Replace blend mode to gradually

remove the cables bit by bit. I find that you

need to be patient and note the result of each

brush stroke before applying the next. Drag-

ging the brush from different directions can

also influence the outcome of the heal blend

retouching, and you may sometimes need to

carry out an undo and reapply the brush stroke

differently several times until you get the best

result. You can disguise the retouching better

by adding extra, thin light strokes 90 degrees

to the angle of the first, main brush stroke.

PATCH TOOLThe patch tool uses the same algorithm as

the healing brush to carry out its blend cal-

culations except the patch tool uses selection-

defined areas instead of a brush. The patch

tool operates in a lasso selection mode when

selected. (Holding down the opt/alt key tem -

porarily converts the tool to a polygonal lasso

with which to draw straight line selection

edges.) The selection can be used to define

the area to patch from or patch to. You don’t

actually need the patch tool to define the selec -

tion; any selection tool or selection method

can be used when preparing a patch selec-

tion. Once you have made the selection, select

the patch tool to proceed to the next stage.

Unlike the healing brushes, the patch tool

has to work with either the background layer

or a copied pixel layer. What is useful, though,

is that the patch tool provides an image pre-

view inside the destination selection area as

you drag to define the patch selection.

The patch tool works in a way that is

similar to the healing brush. In the next

example I want to demonstrate how to use

the patch tool to repair a large area of an

image quickly in one go. When you select

the patch tool, you can use it just like the lasso

tool to draw around the outline of the area you

wish to patch and loosely define a selection


Figures 2 and 3: Make a selection and use thepatch tool in Source mode to drag it to anotherarea. The results will be previewed in the destination selection.

STROKING A PATHA really useful tip is to use the stroke pathoption in conjunction with the spot heal-ing brush to apply a precisely targeted spotheal brush stroke. For example, to retouchthe cables seen in the Figure 1 photo, youcould try this alternative approach. Selectthe pen tool and use it to create an openpath that follows the line of one of thecables. With the path still active, you cango to the Paths panel options and chooseStroke Path. This will open the StrokePath dialog, where you can select thedesired tool from the menu. If you selectthe Spot healing brush and click OK, youwill apply a spot healing brush stoke thatfollows the direction of the path.

Figure 2

Figure 3


area. However, you can use any selection tool

method you like to define the selection as you

prepare an image for patching (Figure 2).

Having defined the area I wanted to patch,

I made sure that the patch tool was selected

(and was in Source mode) and dragged inside

the selection to locate an area of the image

that could be used to patch over the original

area (i.e., remove the matted hair). Dragging

the patch selection created a second selec-

tion area, which I could use to define the

area to clone from. Meanwhile, I was able to

see a live preview in the original patch selec-

tion, indicating which pixels would be

cloned to this selection area (Figure 3).

As I released the mouse, Photoshop began

calculating a healing blend, analyzing the pixels

from the source area (that I had just defined)

and used these to merge them seamlessly with

the pixels in the original selection area. The

patch tool repair will usually work effectively

the first time. If it doesn’t look quite right, I

suggest deselecting and using either of the

healing brushes (or the clone stamp) to

fine-tune the result. In this final version, I

repeated using the patch tool to remove some

of the matted clumps of hair (Figure 4).

THE PATCH TOOL AND CONTENT-AWARE FILLING

Photoshop CS5 saw the introduction of con-

tent-aware filling. This is where you can make a

selection, choose Edit > Fill and use the

Content-Aware fill mode. Now in Photo-

shop CS6, there is also a Content-Aware

mode when working with the patch tool. The

following steps show a comparison between

the use of the Edit > Fill command and the

patch tool in Content-Aware mode. Note

that when the Sample All layers option is

checked, you can apply a patch tool content-

aware fill to an empty new layer.

Figure 5 was taken at sunset, and you can

see the shadow of the tripod and camera. To

remove this from the image, I first made a

rough lasso selection to define the outline of

the shadow.

I then went to the Edit menu and chose

Fill… (shift-F5 is a shortcut). This opened

the Fill dialog, where I selected Content-

Aware from the pop-up menu in the Con-

tents section. When I clicked OK, this filled

the selected area. You can see the result of

this fill at the top in Figure 6.

I undid the content-aware fill, selected the

patch tool, and chose the Content-Aware

option in the patch tool Options bar. I added

an empty new layer and with the Sample All

Layers option checked, dragged the selection

to the left and released the mouse. With the

selection still active, I was able to go through

all the different options from the Adaptation

menu, finally settling on the Very Loose

option (Figure 7).

When you use the Content-Aware Fill

feature, you have no control over the adapta-

tion mode that’s used. Even so, the Content-

Aware Fill feature works well in a lot of

cases. If you don’t get a satisfactory result

straight off, there are a couple of things you

can try. For example, expand the selection

slightly before applying a content-aware fill.

Use the Refine Edge command or go to the

Select menu and choose Modify > Expand.

It can also sometimes help to apply a con-

tent-aware fill more than once. As you apply

subsequent fills, you may see the filled area

improve in appearance each time. �

Martin Evening is a London-based photog-rapher and Photoshop Hall-of-Famer whohas worked with the Adobe Photoshop andAdobe Lightroom engineering teams formany years. He is one of the founding mem-bers of Pixel Genius, a software design com-pany producing automated production andcreative plug-ins for Photoshop.



Figure 4: In this final version, the patch tool has successfully removed the mats of hair.

Figure 5: Removing the tripod shadow is a goodtest of the patch tool in Content-Aware mode.


Content-Aware Fill Very Strict Strict

Very LooseMedium Loose

Figure 6: Examples of content-aware fill outcomes using different adaptation methods.

Figure 7: The Patch tool in Content-Aware mode eliminates the tripod shadow effectively.

Your guide to the perfect products

Camera AccessoryThis must-have lens accessory complete with a squeaker captures attention easily. With a Camera Creature, you’re just a squeak and click from the perfect picture. Use code PPM for 20% off CameraCreatures.com’s Member Page. CAMERA CREATURES™ cameracreatures.com

Studio Management SystemStart a Free Trial of Simply Studio System. A cloud-based studio management, online selling and proofi ng system plus so much more. Get organized with just one program. SIMPLY STUDIO SYSTEM simplystudio.com

Handmade Picture FramesWith 12 designs and 18 colors, our clean weathered frame collection marries well with a cozy, cottage style decor or a more chic, contemporary setting. Display your beautiful photographs in our edgy yet classic frames.OBRIEN SCHRIDDE DESIGNS obrienschridde.com

Signature Letterpress Business Cards An extraordinary branding tool for your studio, this high-end business card incorpor-ates our Signature Letterpress technology to create a premium marketing piece that solidi-fi es your image and personifi es your taste.MILLER’S PROFESSIONAL IMAGING millerslab.com/letterpressbusinesscards

Pro-Line Photo MountsStyles range from a tasteful marble design to basic black. Other styles feature a pop-out easel that can be used horizontally or vertically. Sizes range from 4x6 to 8x10. Extremely affordable with prices starting at $0.27 each.NEIL ENTERPRISES, INC.neilenterprises.com

Acrylic Display BoxAlbum Crafters is excited to announce our custom Acrylic Display Box. Based on our best-selling acrylic cover, this stunning all- acrylic, two-piece display box is the ultimate way to store and display your album. ALBUM CRAFTERS albumcrafters.com

Recon gurable Wall Displays Get creative with NEW intensiTile™ wall displays, and change them up as often as you like! Unique swappable image tiles fl oat above the background for a highly fl exible piece of 3-dimensional art. BAY PHOTO LAB bayphoto.com

Contoured Baby PoserThe patent-pending Bella Bun™ contouredposers by Amanda Rachael, are portableposing tools designed with safety andcomfort in mind. The specially designedcurves help put a baby at ease, and providea vast range of posing options! BELLA BUN™ bellabun.com

Digital Textures & BackdropsFreshen up your backgrounds with color and style! NEW for August—Vintage Back-drops and several online specials! We have something for everyone—vivid colors and soft hues! Also available—album and card templates.GINGER MOSS ginger-moss.com

“Beloved” Crown Handcrafted Crowns are unique and elegant photography props perfect for newborn fi ne art portraiture. Start your crown collection today! Use code PPMAG20 for 20% off. HANDCRAFTED CROWNS handcraftedcrowns.com

Picture Perfect HandbagsA snappy line — a snappy program! With over 50 photo accessories, Snaptotes™ has something for everyone. Enjoy offering a photo line that has no extra fees, just extra product!SNAPTOTESsnaptotes.com

Looking to have a BIG presence in Professional Photographer at a great price?The Source is a perfect advertising opportunity to get your companynoticed. The Source is the new Professional Photographer advertorialsection, with prime positioning in the magazine and eye-catching designthat features your company. Contact your sales rep today!PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER ppmag.com

and services, from beginning to end.

All images ©Beth Jansen

The whole pack

ageBeth Jansen invites clientsinto her world for a premiumbaby portrait experience

BY JEFF KENT

ometimes you sell your art. Sometimes you sell youroverall aesthetic. Sometimes you sell your per -son ality. Sometimes you sell it all in one package.

For portrait photographer Beth Jansen, business, life, and art are wrapped in a single bundle that she happily

shares with clients. Her blog is just as likely to display pictures of her redecorated bedroom as her latest baby portrait

shoot. Her home studio is a colorful representation of who she is as both an artist and an individual. From her sense of

design to her clothing, she’s a walking embodiment of her artistic approach to photography. “Everything I do relates to

everything else, from my photography to the decorating of my home to the way I dress,” says Jansen.

Jansen began her photography business in earnest about six years ago, after relocating from Omaha, Neb., to Oklahoma

City. The move was an ideal opportunity to reinvent herself after having done a bit of experimentation in professional

photography back in Nebraska. In her new environment, she focused on a particular type of clientele that would help

define her business—affluent customers who appreciate art and a little bit of flair. Not every client fit this description, but

Jansen worked to attract the market she was after. She displayed only images of the kind she wanted to sell, bought

‘‘’’

Some photographers’ work

looks completelydifferent from one

shoot to another. That’s

not me. I consider it a big

complimentwhen someone can

recognize my work

from one session to another.

Drawing on the beauty of light

SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USDThe world’s first F/2.8 full-frame standard zoom lens with image stabilization. Explore the subtle aspects of beauty with Tamron’s all new, high-speed standard zoom that gives you top in class optical quality while featuring VC anti-shake mechanism, fast, accurate and quiet USD AF system with full-time manual focus, and rounded 9-blade diaphragm for beautiful bokeh. Di design for use with full-frame DSLR cameras for excellent format versatility.

For Canon, Nikon and Sony* mount. *Sony mount without VC

Focal length: 70mm Exposure: F/2.8 Aperture fully opened 1/80 sec ISO100

© L

aura

Ros

e

www.tamron-usa.com

advertising in local media that catered to her

target, and networked in the areas where her

ideal clients worked and lived. Six years

later, she’s built a reliable referral base, and

her portrait studio is known for fine quality.

One of Jansen’s effective marketing pieces

is the video bio on her website. She promotes

the entire experience of working with her, so

she thought that showing herself in action

made perfect sense. “As a photographer, part

of what you’re selling is your personality,”

she says. “If you’re willing to put yourself out

there and say, ‘I’m an individual,’ you will

draw reactions. I’d rather you have a nega-

tive opinion about me than no opinion at all.

I like people to know about my daily life—

what I dress like, what my house looks like—

because it’s all wrapped up in my work. It’s

all me, my style, and it’s all about the mod-

ern woman. That resonates with my clients.

The video intro wraps it all up in a format

that communicates clearly.”

PORTRAIT DESIGNJansen’s creative process revolves around

designing portraits as complete compositions,

styling the subjects, the background, and all

peripheral elements into a coordinated image.

It’s akin to designing a room, she says: “When

I go into a new situation, I look for things

that I can piece together. I don’t like mixed

and matched. I like coordinated. I style all

my clients, even babies. I view the subject as

a design element coordinated into a space.”

For newborn and baby sessions, Jansen

creates a scene in a safe, controlled environ-

ment. She prefers to work in places that are

special to the client, and for these subjects,

it’s often the client’s home, where children

are most comfortable.

Each session is distinct, but there’s con-

sistency in color, composition, lighting, and

style. Jansen rarely shoots at the same loca-

tion twice, even with the same client, yet

each collection of images is cohesive. “Some

photographers’ work looks completely dif-

ferent from one shoot to another. That’s not

me,” she says. “I consider it a big compli-

ment when someone can recognize my work

from one session to another.”

In postproduction, Jansen applies

enhancements that complement her style.

She uses Adobe Photoshop and Bridge but

seldom uses actions and automated process-

ing. The result is skin tones that are not

overprocessed and eyes that remain vivid.

The key to Jansen’s sales strategy is prompt

follow-up. Within two weeks of the session,

the enhanced images are posted online, and

clients have a week to place an order before

the gallery expires. “It’s important to get the

images out quickly, especially for newborn

and baby sessions,” she says. “A newborn is

completely different from a 6-month-old, or

even a 3-month-old, so if you postpone the

sale, the parents are in a different mindset

with a completely different child. You lose

the excitement and you give up sales.”

No photographer can risk that in this topsy-

turvy market. But it’s about more than the

money, says Jansen; it’s also about building

client loyalty through a positive experience.

People will bounce from photographer to pho -

tographer for child portraits unless they’re

motivated to stay with one provider. Jansen

provides that motivation with top-to-bottom

attention to service and sharing herself openly.

“I gain energy from the people around me,

and I share that energy with my clients,”

Jansen says. “People get excited about the expe -

rience and the process. That’s helped me attract

the kind of clients who appreciate my work and

what I’m about. When you can build that type

of clientele, then you’re in a good place.” �

To see more from Beth Jansen, visit bethjansenphotography.com.


All images ©Lori Nordstrom

MOMENTUMLori Nordstrom serves the senior market

while staying true to her unique style.

BY JEFF KENT

S E N I O R

hen Lori Nordstrom, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, opened her studioin Winterset, Iowa, in 2000, she specialized in maternity andbaby portraits. As her clients’ children grew up, she began to get inquiries about senior

portraits. Nordstrom had never considered photographing seniors. High school kids seemed

a world apart from her cozy work with moms and babies. Would her style translate?

Would she need a new professional identity,

new branding, a different marketing strategy?

After she’d done a few senior sessions to

appease her clients, Nordstrom realized

something important: Senior portrait clients

spend a lot of money. “I started re-examin-

ing that side of the business, and I decided

to invest in it,” she says. “I looked at how I

approached the work and what I needed to

do to develop it into a real product line.

Going through that process made a big dif-

ference. Now I love photographing seniors.”

Nordstrom calls her seniors line Real Sen-

iors, which describes both her branded prod-

uct line and style of photography. As with

her baby, maternity, and family portraits,

the senior style is casual and relaxed. She likes

the lighting to be natural or augmented by a

single light. According to Nordstrom, she

avoids trendy tricks that some students

gravitate toward. “I’m shooting for the

moms,” she explains. “My goal is to make

the seniors love us and talk about us, but the

moms are my market. My images are about

the subjects’ personality and my interactions

with them, not elaborate setups or effects.”

The consistency in the style of Nordstrom’s

specialties unifies her brand and creates a

recognizable identity in her market. “If you

can be true to you, you won’t have any com-

petition because there’s only one you,” she

says. “You will change and evolve and grow,

but if you keep your work consistent with

who you are, it will always be unique.”

As in other areas of her business, the

sales process for Nordstrom’s Real Seniors

begins with the first phone call. Nordstrom

and her staff script every client communica-

tion from the initial inquiry to the ordering

appointment. Throughout, she coaches

clients on portrait presentation options,

steering them toward a set of items that will

work best for them. Then the ordering

appointment is just that, a time for clients to

select what they want without pressure.

The key to selling this way, says Nordstrom,

is to find common ground during the initial

contact and initiate a conversation about the

client’s family and home. If someone calls in

order to shop price, Nordstrom clearly states

the studio’s pricing, then redirects the conver -

sation to the portrait subject. She wants to

change the conversation from How much is

an 8x10? to How can we create memories?

Nordstrom asks questions such as, “Could you

tell me about the person we are going to photo -

graph? What is he like? What is he interested

in?” Then she asks about the client’s plans

for the images: “Have you thought about

where you are going to hang your portraits?”

“My goal is to makethe seniors love usand talk about us,but the moms are mymarket. My imagesare about the subjects’personality and myinteractions withthem, not elaboratesetups or effects.”

“Ninety-nine percent of the time, the answer

to this question is ‘No,’” says Nordstrom. “It’s

our job to let them know that we specialize

in wall concepts, that we focus on producing

collections for their home.” The next step is

to get the client talking about his or her

home, where the family eats dinner, where

they hang out, where people gather when

the family entertains. Once the client begins

discussing the important areas of the home,

Nordstrom can start customizing products.

By the time of the ordering appointment,

Nordstrom has already created customized

products to show the client. To help the

client choose what to purchase, Nordstrom

uses her four-step “Build-a-Collection”:

Step 1: For the wall. A discussion of big-

ger prints for wall displays

Step 2: Set it out. A look at smaller prints

up to 11x14 inches

Step 3: Mix it up. A presentation of mul-

tiple-image pieces, including desktop dis-


plays, wall folios, image boxes, and 20x24-

inch designer collections

Step 4: Make the cover. Choosing an

album, which comes in three different

styles and pricing tiers.

Clients who make a purchase in all four

categories are rewarded with a 20 percent

discount on the entire collection. Nord-

strom’s bonus schedule encourages the pur-

chase of certain other specialty items, such

as DVD slideshows or unmounted proof

prints at various purchase amounts.

Nordstrom developed her system over

time as an alternative to selling pre-determined

packages. She used to offer packages, but

she felt she was missing opportunities at the

end of every sale. Her Build-a-Collection

concept increases sales while also giving clients

more of what they truly want. After its imple -

mentation, she noticed a substantial uptick

in sales. “The system improves sales averages

because we are walking clients through exactly

what we want them to buy,” says Nordstrom.

To keep things fresh, Nordstrom has been

increasing her video line-up, now adding fusion

video DVDs. She’s been incorporating video

with her sessions, capturing footage between

still shots for a full-featured representation

of the session. “It’s all about the experience,”

she says. “People are willing to invest more if

they feel like they’ve had a part in the creation

of the image. Video helps them remember

that experience and be engaged in it.”

Though she schedules only 40 high school

senior sessions each season, this product line

makes up almost 40 percent of Nordstrom’s

gross revenue. She doesn’t do traditional mar -

keting for senior portraiture, relying instead

on referrals. To cross-pollinate family and

senior portraits, she offers a free family ses-

sion to the family of every senior portrait client.

Those family sessions always yield high aver-

ages because the parents have already been

through the sales process with the senior

portrait, and they understand the system.

To photographers interested in ramping

up their senior portrait business, Nordstrom

recommends looking inward to find what

unique attributes you bring to the market.

Also consider the products you can design

that will work for your clientele. “For my

seniors clients, those products are wall con-

cepts and large displays,” she says. “For your

clients, it may be something different. The

key is to ask them, ‘What memories do you

want to see when you sit down for dinner?’

If you can provide those memories for them,

you will always stay busy.” �

To see more about Lori Nordstrom’s seniorportraiture, visit nordstromseniors.com.


Lori Nordstrom presents “Pricing for Profit”at Imaging USA in Atlanta, Jan. 20-23, 2013.

All images ©Megan Squires

Lightquest

Megan Squires photographs seniorsbathed in the beautiful California sun.

BY LORNA GENTRY

he sublime light of Northern California is legendary. Goldenor crisp, it’s a photographer’s dream, and Megan Squires usesits magic to create beautiful portraits. And yet, the Folsom, Calif., family portrait photogra-

pher admits that when she started in photography she was afraid of light: “I only wanted to

shoot on cloudy days so I wouldn’t have to worry about the sun. Then I realized photographyis all about capturing light. Allowing light

into my lens creates a natural feeling. I fell

in love with backlighting, and I’ve come to

be known for that. Now that I’m out of my

‘open-shade’ phase, I’m loving color.”

That’s evident in Squires’ high school

senior portraits. Alongside a posting on her

blog of photos from a senior session,

Squires writes, “I wanted to give you all an

idea of how . . . just one hour can provide

such a variety: bright, bold images, hazy

sun-washed images, and gorgeous golden

light shots. Don’t be afraid to try different

things with lighting. If you’re an open-

shade shooter, step out into an open field

and play with backlighting. If you’re strictly

a golden-hour photographer, schedule your

session one hour earlier than usual and

play around for the first half of the session.

Push yourself to learn a new technique, and

I promise you won’t be disappointed!”

For senior portraits, Squires is partial to

end-of-the-day light, so she often asks sen-

iors to arrive at her studio two hours before

sunset. “We go through their wardrobe first

and talk about where they want to be pho-

tographed. Around my studio is urban, but

nature is nearby. The kids are usually up for

anything. Most of my work is referral and

word of mouth, so they know my work from

seeing their friends’ pictures. They trust me,

which is a huge compliment to me. When

seniors don’t have anything particular in


mind for location it frees me to be creative.”

Squires uses primarily natural light.

“Although I have AlienBees and a reflector,

I seldom use them,” she says. “When I

started out I was photographing friends’

children and it wasn’t practical to be

running after toddlers with a reflector. If I

have a mom with us on a shoot I’ll some-

times get her to hold the reflector, but for

the most part I use natural reflectors, like

sidewalks.”

Specializing in newborns to seniors,

Squires got her start in photography seven

years ago when she was a young mother

armed with a camera and a drive to capture

her son’s childhood frame by frame. When

she lost her father to kidney cancer four

years ago, she had an epiphany. “I realized

all I had left of him were photographs. One

of my best pals, who started in photography

at the same time I did, took a picture of my

family 10 days before my dad passed. Every

time I look at that picture I think about him.

“My dad had been an amateur photogra-

pher. When I was in high school he wanted

to teach me how to use his camera,” she con-

tinues. “I humored him but wasn’t interested.

Now, oh, how I’d love to sit down and talk

shop with him! When he died, my daughter

was a year old and my son was 3. I wanted

them to have a relationship with him, but

these photographs are all they have. I cannot

think of a better job for me than to provide

photos of loved ones for other people.”

Folsom is a suburb of Sacramento, the

state capitol, where competition is plentiful.

“The market is saturated; within the past

year I’ve gotten to know more photographers.

If anything, we have all benefited from hav-

ing so many photographers in this area. We

have Facebook groups, and we communi-

cate outside of photography. I don’t consider

them my competition because we refer each

other for jobs if we can’t do them.”

Squires shoots a Nikon D700 digital

SLR. When photographing newborns she

most often reaches for her 50mm lens, but

for seniors her lens choice is the 70-200mm

f/2.8 zoom. “I love that lens because it’s so

sharp and I love the compression. Some-

times for close-ups I’ll use the 85mm, but

usually I stick with the 70-200mm, even for

close-ups. And I love that I get a workout

with it because it’s so heavy!”

For now, Squires’ business is part time.

With 7- and 5-year-olds at home, she feels

it’s important to limit time away from them.

“When I first started shooting professionally

four years ago, I would do any job that

came along, like birthday parties. Then I

realized it was better for my own family,

myself as photographer, and my clients if

I specialized. So I now specialize in new-

borns through seniors. I cut back on the

number of sessions I do to 10 to 12 sessions

per month, a third of which are seniors.”

Both of her children will be in elemen-

tary school next year, Squires says, so she

may get a little more done, not to mention

grabbing a little more sleep. “I do all my

editing after the kids go to bed, so I’m usu-

ally up until midnight. The beauty of being

a small business owner is that I can set my

own schedule. And I have found that

because of my limited sched ule, my clients

adjust their schedules around me because

they really want me to take their chil dren’s

photographs. That’s a great feeling.” �

To see more of Megan Squires’ images, visitmegansquires.com.

“I only wanted to shoot on cloudy days so I wouldn’t have to worryabout the sun. Then I realized photography is all about captur-ing light. Allowing light into my lens creates a natural feeling. Ifell in love with backlighting, and I’ve come to be known for that.Now that I’m out of my ‘open-shade’ phase, I’m loving color.”

here really isn’t much rhyme or reason in

what inspires Nicola Toon’s baby and child

images. The ideas just come to her. Out

driving her car, something as ordinary as a

weedy, overgrown patch of grass will spark

her imagination. Once, while walking her

dogs and kids through fresh snow, the path

led to someone’s crude attempt at a teepee.

Toon rushed her brood home, grabbed a

camera and piece of white fur, fashioned a

paper crown, and ran back to the teepee

with her son for a portrait shoot.

“It was a very Narnia-Where-the-

Wild-Things-Are kind of shoot,” says

Toon. “It all happened in about an hour.

The snow, the teepee, and the beautiful

overcast light that morning—I was like,

Wow! I have to do it!”

Located in Cambridge, a small town

nestled between the Great Lakes in south-

ern Ontario, Toon’s studio, HulaHoop

Children’s Photog raphy, specializes in por-

traits of families, babies, and children. Her

story is not unfamiliar: Holding an unin-

Nicola Toon rushed headlong into a new career and couldn’t be happier—with both her well-earned success and the creative satisfaction.

BABIES BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

Love at first clickDiving into the dream

TAll images ©Nicola Toon

’’‘‘I look back at how far I’ve

come in two yearsand I just can’t believeit. I’m lookingat my

images the way I had looked

at otherphotographers’

imagesnot so long ago.

spiring job with a young family at home,

Toon wrestled with a strong desire to do

something more rewarding, some thing she

loved. Always creative, Toon would pore

over wedding and baby photography with

pure admiration for the artistry and feel that

matching it was beyond her untrained grasp.

About three years ago, providence inter-

vened on a vacation, when the family camera

slipped from Toon’s hands and smashed. She

resolved to replace it with a “real” camera

with a shutter and lens fast enough to keep

up with her constantly moving children.

She bought a Canon Rebel. She’s since moved

up to a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, but it was

that Rebel—the right tool at the right time

—that opened a realm of possibilities to her.

BABIES

©Im

age

cour

tesy

of M

cCla

naha

n St

udio

WWW.MILLERSLAB.COM/SPORTSANDEVENTS/OVERVIEW | 800.835.0603

IMAGES SO CRISP YOUR SUBJECTS COULD RUN OFF THE PAGE. TURNAROUND TIME SO FAST IT’S LIKE A SPRINT INSTEAD OF A MARATHON. PLUS SUPERIOR SERVICE AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT LEAVES THE REST IN THE DUST.

WE’RE NOT JUST HERE TO WIN BUT TO SET THE RECORD.UNBEATABLE

S P O R T S & E V E N T S

“It allowed me to evolve from pictures of

my kids saying ‘Cheese’ to capturing my chil-

dren as they were, doing what they enjoy,

not even looking at the camera,” says Toon.

“Parents love images of such moments more

than anything else.”

When she posted her images on Facebook,

people noticed. Friends of friends wanted

Toon to photograph their children, and the

circle kept widening. Riding a wave of excite -

ment, Toon dove in headfirst. She took com-

munity college courses in photography,

attended workshops and, most important,

continued chasing her ideas with the camera.

“I look back at how far I’ve come in two

years and I just can’t believe it,” says Toon.

“I’m looking at my images the way I had

looked at other photographers’ images not

so long ago.”

One defining element of Toon’s style is

her natural approach. She shoots on loca-

tion, either outdoors or in the client’s

home, except when the subject is a new-

born. She photographs the wee ones in her

home studio, cur rently housed in a second-

floor bedroom; she’s in the process of con-

verting the basement into a roomier studio

and consultation area.

“For most babies and toddlers, being in

their own home is best for them and for me,”

says Toon. “They’re so much more relaxed

in their own environment that I really get a

sense of who they are, even at that young

age. I just follow them, and the images

aren’t forced because they’re engaged.”

She prefers shooting in natural light on

location and never takes along a flash or

even a reflector, as she didn’t like the

results she got when she tried it outdoors.

She knows that some pro photographers

would disagree, but Toon feels strongly

about “Mother Nature’s lighting.” She

schedules outdoor shoots for the evening,

starting around 6 p.m.

“Often, the parents are a little worried

because the kids go to bed at 7,” says Toon.

“But they discover that when kids are out-

doors or in a new environment, they’re usu-


BABIES

SUCCESSWARE.NET | 800.593.3767

What do top studio owners use to manage?These owners have all chosen SuccessWare to help them manage their businesses. Other software may track your business but they all fall short when it comes to managing your business. SuccessWare is the only studio management software that will assist you with; creating a business plan, pricing your products, preparing financial reports and tracking client information. SuccessWare manages all your day-to-day operations giving you the knowledge to make solid management decisions necessary to achieve your goals and take your studio to the next level. You can’t get that with just tracking software.

TRACK. PRICE. PLAN. PROFIT. MANAGE.

Don’t just take our word for it, see what Jed, Vickie and other successful photographers have to say at: www.successware.net/success_stories

“Having a financial management program that lays everything out in front of you so that you can get the information you need, when you need it to make good business decisions is vital...the bottom line for us is that SuccessWare puts us in control.”

Jed & Vickie Taufer | VGallery | Morton, Illinois

ally happy. The littler ones especially are just

so curious, and you can see that in their faces.”

While HulaHoop Children’s Photography

gains momentum, Toon is trying to maintain

a life-work balance by controlling its growth.

For now, she limits sessions to two a week, as

she’s doing all of the postproduction herself.

When it’s feasible financially, she plans to out -

source the editing and shoot five sessions

weekly, still low volume but producing

high-quality work. She has images in doc-

tors’ and midwives’ offices in the area,

and she’s not afraid to pursue magazines

and other media for exposure. She gladly

donates time for charity events, making

sure to inform the local paper and unleash

a social media blitz. She avoids the Easter

mini-sessions but pushes Valentine’s

Day specials, in which clients get 30

personalized photo valentines with candies

to hand out to friends and family.

“I don’t pay for marketing,” says Toon. “I

just get myself out there the best way I can,

organically, and it’s working. I’ve pushed to get

where I am, and I’m not going to stop. I am

so over the moon in love with what I do.” �

See more of Nicola Toon’s work and read herblog at hulahoopphotography.com.

Stephanie Boozer is a writer in Charleston, S.C.

BABIES

™

...................................................#CAE60D 18MegaPixels

..................................................#CAE5D221Mega

Pixels

............................................... #CAE7D18Mega

Pixels

............................................................................ 18Mega

Pixels

16MegaPixels

(USA)

(USA)

(USA)

(USA)

(USA)

16MegaPixels

..............................................22Mega

Pixels

............................................ 18MegaPixels

082012

™

800-947-9964212-444-6664

Fax:

212-239-7770

BandH

299.95499.95 249.95

229.95499.95

1,799.95799.95999.95249.95499.95439.95

AF-360FGZ 149.99 149.99349.99 499.99

1,399.99449.99799.99999.99799.99549.99

1,999.99249.99

399.99 196.95

1,199.95 16

199.95 367.95349.95

79.95

239.95

45.95

24

$746.9516

$646.95

10

$5,999.95 16

12

$2,999.95 36

699.95699.95646.95 24

Although she prefers location shoots, Jennifer Dell finds her new studiomakes clients more comfortable and is helping to grow her business.

BABIES BY LORNA GENTRY

Cultivating a lifestyleProps and toys yield genuine, engaged responses


All images ©Jennifer Dell

riving to her newly opened

studio on a recent hot sum-

mer morning, Jennifer Dell

pulled over when a butterfly

floated past the car as her two

young children squealed with excitement from

the back seat. Taking a few minutes out of a

busy morning to marvel at nature with her kids

is worth everything to Dell, who for three years

has been balancing motherhood and a grow-

ing family photography business. Earlier this

year, Dell opened her first studio in an historic

district in Tomball, Texas, a suburb of Houston.

Professional Photographer caught up

with Dell to talk about her new digs and her

beautiful newborn and children’s photogra-

phy, on which she’s building a reputation.

Professional Photographer: Why did you

pick this neighborhood to open a studio?

Jennifer Dell: My studio is located among

boutiques in historic buildings, which reflects

my brand of heirloom photography. The

studio is 1,200 square feet, open, and homey

with tons of windows. I don’t plan on shoot-

ing here much, except for milestone shots of

babies in mini sessions. I still prefer location

work, but the studio provides a place to

meet with clients before sessions and for the

ordering appointments afterward.

You’ve been in business for three years. What

made you decide to open a studio now?

I’d gotten to the point with my clients where

I wanted to be more interactive before sessions

and to meet with them somewhere other than

Starbucks. I’ve found that the more they meet

with me, the more comfortable they are with

me. And if I’m asking them to invest in pho-

tography, then I want them to feel as com-

fortable as possible. I had a good year last

D

year and saved enough money to pay for my

first year’s rent, which was one of my stipu-

lations before opening a studio. I’d liked to

have opened one sooner, but I waited until

businesswise it made sense to make the leap.

You went to the Art Institute of Houston,

where you studied both graphic design and

photography. What made you chose photog-

raphy over graphic design as a career?

Good design makes me incredibly happy,

but I prefer working with people. When I do

albums and marketing pieces, I get to use

my graphic design background, but when I

work one-on-one with people, I really like

the connection. I love creating family heir-

“I don’t do babies on beanbags anymore.My clients find that the pictures they valuemost are more of a lifestyle approach.”

BABIES

looms that people will pass down to their

children. That’s the coolest part.

Who are your clients?

Most are moms in their mid-30s to mid-40s.

They are very involved in their family, com-

munity and [children’s] schools. It’s a 50-50

split between stay-at-home and working moms.

These moms know what’s cool and what’s

happening. They come to me typically because

they’ve seen photos their friends have. I get a

lot of bookings for my stylized sessions. My

clients are creative, but they don’t know how

to create what they want, so they come to me.

How do you market to them?

I do a lot of social marketing and joint mar-

keting with area boutiques. I get a lot of refer-

rals from my joint marketing. I print VIP cards

for the boutiques to hand out, and I hang

photographs in their stores. In return they

get perks, such as discounts on photography.

In fact, a lot of the times the prints that go

into the stores are of their own family, so they’re

even more apt to talk about them. I put as

many pictures on their walls as they let me.

You use a lot of props in your children’s pho-

tography. Why?

I get genuine reactions from children when I

use props, and it helps get them involved in the

shoot. When they’re learning something new

or just playing with a new toy, they get excited.

It’s a technique that’s evolved over time with

my clients. It helps the sessions flow better.

How do you come up with new creative ideas?

Many times a prop will give me ideas to cre-

ate a shoot around it. I’ve even gone through

books of fairytales to come up with ideas.

I’ve been building a set to do “The Princess

and the Pea” with my daughter for her 4th

birthday. Sometimes my clients mention

that their child is into a particular item or

idea and we build upon that. I’ve had clients

bring things the grandparents have given

them, like little cowboy boots, and we build

the session around it.

How do you work with babies and young

children?

I don’t do babies on beanbags anymore. My

clients find that the pictures they value most

are more of a lifestyle approach. During a ses-

sion, I follow the child’s lead and do what

they want to do, which keeps them happier.

If I’m shooting for an hour and a half, I want

them to be as happy as they can be.

I prep parents as much as I can before a

session. My website has a section that explains

to parents what to expect during a session so

they’re prepared. Then they’re more relaxed

and the little ones pick up on it. With older

kids when they aren’t into the session, I give

them the camera and let them take a picture.

They get so excited and then they’re into it.

What equipment do you use?

I use a Nikon D700 camera, but I’ll soon be

getting my hands on a D4. I use all prime

lenses, no zooms. I have a 50mm f/1.4,

85mm f/1.4, 105mm f/2.8, and the 135mm

f/2.0D, which is my favorite—I waited a

year for it. For lighting, I prefer natural

light. Right now I’m really into the warm,

dewy, hazy look of backlighting for its

dreamy feel. �

To see more of Jennifer Dell’s work, visit jenniferdellphotography.com.

Washington, D.C.march 24-26, 2012Walter E. Washington Convention Center

PHOTOSHOP WORLD

las vegas , N.V. 201

2

PSWALUMNI

50$

SKIP THE PARTY POLITICKING AND ELECT TO EXPERIENCE

THREE NON-STOP DAYS OF THE WORLD’S BEST

PHOTOGRAPHY, LIGHTING AND PHOTOSHOP TRAINING,

ALL TAUGHT BY MORE THAN 40 INDUSTRY LEADERS!

Early Bird Registration Deadline: register by FEBRUARY 17, 2012 &SAVE $100

www.PhotoshopWorld.com| 800.738.8513

Images from iStockphoto.com. Adobe, the Adobe logo, and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other logos are registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Las Vegas, NVSeptember 5-7, 2012Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino

PHOTOSHOP WORLD

las vegas , N.V. 201

2

PSWALUMNI

50$

SKIP THE PARTY POLITICKING AND ELECT TO EXPERIENCE THREE NON-STOP

DAYS OF THE WORLD’S BEST PHOTOGRAPHY, LIGHTING AND PHOTOSHOP

TRAINING, ALL TAUGHT BY MORE THAN 40 INDUSTRY LEADERS!

Adobe, the Adobe logo, and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other logos are registered trademarks of their respective holders. Images from iStockphoto.com, Jim Sykes and Brad Moore.

www.PhotoshopWorld.com| 800.738.8513

Early Bird Registration Deadline: register by August 3, 2012 &SAVE $100

aving a high school seniors line of

business was never on photog-

rapher Jim Lersch’s radar. In fact,

he had dismissed it with a laugh

when his wife suggested it.

“But the more I thought about it, the

more I thought it wasn’t a bad idea,” says

Lersch, M.Photog.Cr., API. “I could do it as

a break from my commercial work. I wasn’t

really thinking about making money at it.”

Based in Nixa, Mo., Lersch has been pri-

marily a commercial photographer for over 30

years. An active member of PPA since 1974, he

cut his teeth in the industry at a large com-

mercial studio in Chicago. After opening a

second branch of the studio in Michigan,

Lersch made his way to Missouri, where he

started his own business and became one of

the main photographers for the entertain-

ment industry in Branson.

Business was booming, but he was look-

Jim Lersch gives seniors what they want—the more fanciful and flamboyant, the better. But first, they have to open up to him.

SENIORS BY STEPHANIE BOOZER

Through their own eyesExpressing one’s self as an exercise in self-awareness

H

All im

ages ©Jim

Lersch

“WHEN MY BUSINESS PARTNER (MY DAUGHTER) DECIDED TO PURSUE ANOTHER DREAM, SMS WAS THERE TO HELP ME RESTRUCTURE MY WORKFLOW…AND RECLAIM TIME TO THINK CREATIVELY AGAIN!”– CINDY CHRISTANTE / NATURAL IMPRESSIONS PHOTOGRAPHY

STRENGTHEN YOUR BUSINESS& FREE UP YOUR LIFE.Cindy and her daughter, Maari, are just two of hundreds of photographers who have

CALL TODAY TO SEE HOW PPA CAN HELP YOU.888.851.0405 | WWW.PPA.COM/SMS

© Cindy & Maari Christante

ing for something different, a creative outlet

that wouldn’t curtail his bread-and-butter

work. Sometime around 2005, Lersch heeded

his wife’s advice and gave seniors a go.

“Having this commercial background, I

knew the best thing to do was to go in and

analyze the market,” says Lersch. “I wanted

to see what seniors were getting and what

they did or didn’t like.”

Lersch met with a principal and teachers

from a local high school, who gathered a

group of seniors for a discussion with him.

“Right off the bat, I asked how many of

them were happy with their photos, and less

than half raised their hand,” says Lersch.

“The number one reason was that their pho-

tos looked the same as everyone else’s.” Ler-

sch established his prime directive there and

then: He’d create portraits that said exactly

who the senior was at this stage of life.

To find that out, Lersch has 13 questions

he asks each senior client. In addition to dis-

covering subjects’ favorite colors and hobbies,

he wants to know what they’d change about

themselves and how friends perceive them.

“In a college psychology class, I learned

the relationship between colors and the mind,”

says Lersch. “I pick up a lot about the person

from the answers to these questions—every-

day things can say a lot.”

The studio’s consultation room has two

chairs and a love seat. That arrangement is

tactical: The way senior clients and their

parents seat themselves reveals much about

the family dynamics. That insight, too, helps

Lersch craft a portrait session true to that

senior. The session is, he says, a chance for a

student to express who he or she is.

Lersch lets the senior drive the session, from

choosing the props and sets to postproduction.

Rather than a sitting fee, he charges what he

calls a “creation fee” that covers the initial ses-

sion or sessions. Postproduction is billed by the

hour. He limits senior sessions to 25 a year,

so he has the flexibility to take as much time

as needed on each client. The senior often

sits alongside Lersch as he works on the

images, and he loves their involvement.

“I never duplicate an idea. I’m shooting

seniors their way, which is what draws

them,” he says.


SENIORS

AdvertisementAdvertisement

Who doesn’t love the soft, out-of-focus background

in a great head-and-shoulders portrait? The shallow depth of field needed to create the effect dramatically isolates sub-jects from their environment, blurring distant detail to make it less distracting.

Yet soft backgrounds come at a price, literally. “Portrait” lenses —moderate telephotos with wide maximum apertures—are expensive because their glass elements must be wider too. It’s tempting to splurge, because with an all-purpose zoom set to moderate-tele, the maximum aperture is too small to smooth out the background.

Now budget-conscious photog-raphers can have it both ways. The Pro Optic 85mm f/1.4 ASPH is a high-quality portrait lens that produces a soft, creamy

defocus, yet costs a fraction of your DSLR system’s equivalent. This fast prime lens has a nine-element optical formula that incorporates state-of-the-art aspheric design.

The Pro Optic’s cost is also kept reasonable by eliminating auto-focus. Is that a drawback? Not for the close portraits this lens excels at. Many photographers actually turn off their AF system to keep the focus point from shifting every time they take another shot. Manual focus means that once focus is set, you can concentrate on the subject’s expression.

Photographers who’ve bought this well-built lens give it high marks. “Nice bokeh,” says one, referring to the smooth quality of its out-of-focus backgrounds. “It feels like a much higher-priced lens,” writes a reviewer at Adorama.com. “I’ve compared it to to many other name-brand lenses, and the difference in optical quality is nil.” Indeed, the Pro Optic 85mm f/1.4 ASPH stays sharp where you need it to be—on your subject’s fea-tures—even when you set it wide-open, to f/1.4.

The lens’s 85mm focal length delivers flattering perspective when you’re shooting up close and personal, with no bulging noses or big foreheads. And while it “covers” full-frame DSLRs such as the Canon EOS 5D or Nikon D700, it can also be used on smaller-sensor DSLRs such as the Nikon D5100 or Canon EOS Rebel—yielding effective, por-trait-perfect focal lengths rang-ing from 110mm to 146mm. ■

SCAN TO GET YOURS TODAY

The Pro Optic 85mm f/1.4 ASPH is available exclusively from , starting at $279. To order, visit the Adorama store, Adorama.com,

or call (800) 223-2500.

PRO OPTIC 85mm f/1.4 ASPH

L E N S R E P O R T

Below, a portrait shot with the Pro Optic 85mm f/1.4 ASPH lens set wide-open, which created a soft, simplified background

If you think you can’t afford the fast optics needed for soft portrait backgrounds, this

lens will change your mind. By Marvin Good

G L A S S ACT

SENIORS


For example, in an image of a brother

and sister with their shiny new Camaros

superimposed before the Louvre in Paris,

Lersch has incorporated elements from a

dozen conversations with the subjects. A

lightning strike in the background repre-

sents the brother’s love of storms, and the

Louvre pays homage to the siblings’ first

European trip—a Parisian escapade that

changed their worldviews.

In another image, the subject is wrapped

in chains beneath a giant lock, an expression

of how the senior felt caged by his parents.

That image provoked a family dialogue that

led to a healing understanding. “This was a

good kid, an honor roll student,” says Ler-

sch. “But he felt his parents were holding

him back. When he explained the image to

them, it opened their eyes.”

The most profound story Lersch shares is

about a session with a morose, detached girl.

After a few unusable takes, Lersch invited

her behind the camera to view the images.

She started crying uncontrollably. He put

the camera away and began to talk with her.

“She said she wanted to die, that her dad

had cancer and her mom was an alcoholic,”

says Lersch. After gently nudging her to seek

help from the counselors at school, Lersch

didn’t hear from her for a while.

Then one day she called the studio, ready

to reschedule her session. “At the appointed

time, she bounded in and gave me a big hug,

saying she finally had an idea for her portrait.

She wanted to appear in a black zone in the

far corner of the image, her face half lit, to

Easy-Shoot Solutions

16” x 16” Deshadow BoxPortable still life studio-in-a-bag with 16” x 16” soft light box, halogen lamps, blue background sweep, a custom carrier and camera stand. An easy on-the-go lighting solution

“Q” Series Light

For shoe-mount strobes, great for on-location pho-tography or work in a small studio. Includes a Beauty Dish Reflector, Snoot, Diffuser Dome, and accessory pack. Each also available for pur-chase seperately,

Background Support System

Portable Stand

10’ Stand 13’ Stand

The background stand comes with interlocking 4 section crossbar. and a handy carrying bag with compartments.

The top of the stand meets the crossbar there is a screw and wing nut to keep the crossbars secured to the stands.

5-in-1 Collapsible Disc

Translucent, white, black silver and gold surfaces. Perfect for reducing contrast, warming skin tones, eliminating shad-ows or just softening light. Can be held by hand or light stand. Available in three sizes

Allows you to use your flash with Bowens light modifiers, Beauty dish & softboxes, Sold Separately

Speedlight To Bowens Adapter

$29.95

$129.95

STARTING AT

$16.95

$24.95

FPBS13B

$64.95FPBS10

$99.95FPBS13

$129.95

for a full line of Muslin backgrounds

show how trapped she felt before she got help.”

It’s connections like these that give Ler-

sch immense satisfaction in a genre of pho-

tography he thought he’d never try.

“I’ve gone from laughing at my wife

about this to loving it,” he says. “I’ve never

regretted it. It does my heart good.” �

See more of Lersch’s senior portfolio andcommercial projects at lerschphoto.com.

Stephanie Boozer is a writer in Charleston, S.C.

SENIORS

Jim Lersch is among the specialty track presen-ters at Imaging USA 2013 in Atlanta, Jan. 20-22.


42 West 18th StreetNew York, NY 10011888-270-6151www.adorama.com

If it’s not in the store, we’ll

GUARANTEEDIN STOCK!!SHIP FORFREE!

Visit our new Pro Imaging Shop in New York City’s stylish Chelsea!

Take advantage of one-stop shopping

with our pro lab and rental department

Get hands-on experience with the most

exciting new photo and video gear

Get expert, one-on-one advice

of professionals

ARE CONTRACTSMAKING YOU CRAZY?©Farrah Braniff, Cr.Photog., CPP

As an artist and business owner, you have your hands full. We know the last thing you want to worry about is business legality. And we have a solution: PPA offers members free online legal resources, from sample model releases to copyright licenses and independent contractor agreements. It’s one more way PPA helps keep you and your photography business safe and sane.

“With access to PPA’s resources right at my fingertips,I was able to pull together a contract and quotefor a project with the greatest of ease.”Bert Tovrog / Wheeling, IL – Photovrog

Download your free sample contracts and forms today*

PPA.COM/CONTRACTS*This is an exclusive PPA member benefit.

Some things have never changed for us at Walden’s

House of Photography, such as connecting with the right clients with the right message at the right time. The only thing that has changed with that is the method, going from direct mail and community exhibits to the use of social media and more proactive, creative marketing. For example, we are…

More Focused on Proactive MarketingWe spent our set-aside marketing money on a professional marketing/talent agency that specializes in social media and how to reach today’s consumer. They helped us with:

effectively.

After a few weeks, we asked the agency to teach us to do that work ourselves, and now we control and work our social media marketing! To keep our momentum, we devote half of each Tuesday to marketing meetings, discussing ways to stay proactive and brainstorming for the future. We journal everything in Evernote (evernote.com), so nothing falls through the cracks. Everything we do now is with the thought that it must bring us business and not waste our time, energy

understand the trends and how to successfully proceed in

the future. Then we develop marketing to replicate those efforts. We note the failures and successes of those efforts in Evernote, too. So if an idea doesn’t work, we can make an intelligent decision about trying again or dropping it.

Using Technology to Our Advantage& to Save MoneyOur studio is open only four days a week now, but we haven’t lost the personal element of a real person versus an answering machine. Even though we are closed on Monday, we roll over the studio phone to a staff member’s cell phone so she can take calls. We pay her for three hours as opposed to a whole day, and she is required to answer the phone from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., along with other duties. Because our studio management system is online, she also can book appointments from her house. With computer systems at home and in the studio, we also are able to work from home if we don’t have appoint-

have a staff member work from home instead of driving 45 minutes into the studio every day.

Not Afraid to Think DifferentlyThe E-Myth Blog (e-myth.com/blog) says it best: “Just because things have always been done one way doesn’t mean that must continue. Even one new idea—something you’ve been considering but haven’t had the guts or time to act on—could reenergize your business if you implement it right now.”

thanks to our willingness to try new ideas and methods. If you have decided to rest on your past accomplishments and ways of doing things, you are not standing still; you are going backwards. Even if you are at the top of your game,

revealed!

PPATODAYAUGUST 2012

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGETim Walden, M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP - 2012-2013 PPA President

PPA

MEM

BER

NEW

SLET

TER

www.ppa.com

© M

onic

a C

ubbe

rly-E

arly

www.ppa.com

PPA

MEM

BER

NEW

SLETTER

BE SOCIALLY SMARTPPA MEMBERS SHARE HOWBy Angela Wijesinghe

Harnessing social media is harder than it sounds, especially for a photographer who is wearing

so how can you best use these ever-changing communica-tion tools? Here are a few pointers from PPA members who have successfully hitched their studios to social media.

Be Where Your Clients AreDetermining which social media channels your clients

or commented on an image helped John Pyle of Georgia realize that Facebook was where the majority of the parents and even grandparents were active; Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest were where his high school senior clients spent their time. Both are important audiences for Pyle, who is a senior, lifestyle and fashion portrait artist.

Brian of New Jersey focused his social media use for his more mature clientele. He uses Facebook, blogs and Pinter-est to a degree, but he doesn’t use Twitter at all.

Separate As NeededSometimes separate accounts or pages on the same social media platform can be smart, too. Brian is expanding his family portrait side and plans on adding a separate blog and Facebook page for those clients. That will allow him to target posts to each audience, rather than bombarding them with irrelevant content. Pyle also advises clear separation in communicating to your clients and peers. “I’ve seen too many blogs where photographers post something for their customers and, immediately after, post about how to upsell clients,” he notes. “I wouldn’t want my clients to see that!”

Know What Works Best WhereWhen using more than one platform, it’s tempting to link all the accounts you can and auto-update. While it may feel like saving time, it might not the most effective use of those spaces. Selective posting may be a better bet.

Blogs—Both Brian and Pyle post longer, educational pieces on their blogs. Brian and his staff create articles for brides in-house (or share what vendors send) on topics like how to time the hair and makeup sessions.Facebook—“It’s all about engaging with your clients,” says Brian. So instead of giving online images to the clients, he asks them to tag themselves on his Facebook page, even in the behind-the-scenes images and video slideshows.

blog. He’ll post teaser images from a session (linking to the blog), make announcements or even share the accomplish-ments of his senior clients, such as when one signed with a college baseball team.Instagram—Pyle’s favorite social media, Instagram, allows him to share behind-the-scenes images on Twitter, Face-book or email without having to log in to a separate site. He likes to show the client just arriving, picking out the wardrobe or trying to get in position for the shot. “With Instagram, it’s easy to build excitement around what we’re doing,” he explains. “I am able to keep everyone updated on my destination shoots, and I get comments back instantly with seniors saying, ‘Can’t wait until my session!’”Twitter—Because his senior clients check this site often, Pyle also uses it to keep his name top of mind. He shares his music and cool products he sees—anything to put himself in the “cool crowd,” as he says.Pinterest—Brian shares tips and suggestions for wedding photographs, along with detail ideas from weddings he’s covered. Pyle even created a Pinterest Style Guide to give models and seniors ideas of what to wear to sessions. Show Personality & Values“If you just post pictures, prospects still don’t know what makes you different,” Brian says. “So brainstorm ideas for unique things to post. How are you as a person different?” He shows his quirky, fun personality by posting “photo-bombs” on Facebook. These are tangents to his photo shoots where he randomly pops in the family portrait or starts photographing his bridal couple with strangers (who agree to it) in the park.

to align himself with brands that share similar values. On Pinterest, for example, his pin boards showcase various brand-name products. “If I’m going to demand an invest-ment for my photography, why should I use social media to pass on coupons or ways the beat the system?”

Make It About the ClientAlthough you want to show your personality on social media, you don’t want to get caught up in self-promotion or lose sight of your purpose. “Keep it fun and behind-the-scenes, but don’t spiral down into depressive, way-too-personal topics,” advises Brian. Pyle stays on track by always turning the post back to the client. “Even if we win an award, I want to put the client on the pedestal, not my image,” he explains. “My social media isn’t for bragging; it’s for celebrating my client.”

Manage Time Wisely“My wife would tell you I don’t manage my time,” admits Pyle. “I’m always on my iPhone.” That’s the danger in using so many social media platforms for a small busi-ness. However, Pinterest recently added the ability to allow

-ing this option. He’s having a past client who follows the fashion blogs pin to his Style Guide board. Creating a systematic process about what to post where could help ease the strain too, as could focusing on only one or two social media platforms. Using a few tools wisely is a better option than misusing them all because you are stretched too thin.

Use ItDespite the potential drain on time, most photographers do agree that some form of social media is necessary. “It’s hard to draw people to my website every day, but I know my ideal clients will check Twitter or Facebook,” says Pyle.

When he went to replenish business cards at a boutique he partners with, he shot an Instagram image of a staff member holding some boots and posted that he was “hanging out with the girls” at that store. Within 30 minutes of the post, three people had called the store asking about those boots. “For me, it’s brand recognition—John Pyle is in that store with the cool clothes you wear,” he explains. “It also posi-tions me in a good relationship with a store that caters to the targeted market I want to reach.” Getting that kind of reaction takes time, though. It takes building up a follower base, smart uses and timing of posts, and so on. But it can happen. Social media is word of mouth on steroids when used correctly. Learn more about PPA member Jordan Brian at jordanbrian.com.

Learn more about PPA member John Pyle at johnpylephotography.com.

KEEP IMAGES SAFE ONLINEWhatever social media you use, don’t forget to keep your images as safe as possible. Any online use of an image means your rights as the creator could be infringed. Help protect your images in these ways:

at copyright.gov.

images.

if you prefer. (Visit ppa.com/ppa-today-blog/ and

(if the social media platform offers that option, like

SHARE SAFELYPPA BENEFIT TO PROTECT YOUR WORKBy Cassandra Gulia

Social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest and Flickr allow creators and users to meet in new, changing ways. The growth and popularity of casual

social sharing—and work online in general—introduces

makes protecting members’ work a priority by offering discounts on services that can help, such as Digimarc® for Images.

help protect your images by placing visible or imperceptible digital watermarks on your images—or both. “We provide a complete solution for the professional photographer’s true ownership rights,” explains Ben Boun-keth, Digimarc’s Product Line Manager. In fact, Digimarc can assist a photographer from the early prevention stages all the way until an infringement is found in their automated system. “Often, photographers themselves do not have the

like that,” he adds. Digimarc’s notice for a takedown of the image also provides added leverage in such situations. Bounketh recommends that pro photographers take advantage of Digimarc’s Professional Edition. With it, photographers can:

-

Photoshop® or a URL of your choosing.

visual integrity of photographs.

or the free Digimarc Reader for Images software.

crawls the Web to identify digitally watermarked images. (You’ll know where your images are being used online, ensure you are fairly compensated for their use, and be able to better manage your brand online.)

PPA

MEM

BER

NEW

SLETTER

www.ppa.com

DISCOUNTS FOR DIGIMARC & MOREPPA has partnered with Digimarc and a host of other companies to offer members the best deals on products and services that make a professional photographer’s life easier!

Get all your PPA member discounts here:

Communicate ownership and usage rights without affecting the visual integrity of your images.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Eye Candy Collages offers the finest in coffee table books. These flush-mount albums are exquisitely crafted, hard-cover bound books with no visi-ble hinges. Our genuine leather books are customizable, giving each album aunique appearance.www.eyecandycollages.com

Capture a child’s smile with the DaisyGrip. A revolutionary new tool forphotographers that holds a child’s favorite toy, stuffed animal, handpuppet, iPhone or iPod just above the camera’s lens. The ways to catcha smile are limitless!www.daisygrip.com

PROFESSIONAL

FIND new products. SHARE your favorites. JOIN the community.Shop with a simple click at PPmag.com/shop.

Mobile devices are changing how we live and how we do business. However,word-of-mouth referrals are still your most valuable currency. Sticky Albumsgives you a way to leverage this mobile revolution into wow-factor referrals.www.stickyalbums.com

Personalize your cellphone with our Simply Cellies™ 3D covers. We printthe image directly on the back and sides of the covers. The lightweight,thin covers come in seven popular styles for iPhones, iPod Touch, HTC,Samsung, and Blackberries.www.SimplyColorLab.com/simply-cellies


WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICESLabTab


WHERE THE PROS GO FOR THE BEST IN REPRODUCTION SERVICESLabTab

It’s NEW. It’s what’s NEXT. It’s happening NOW.It’s the new and improved ShopPP.

Shop with a simple click at ppmag.com/shop

Buyer’sGallery

THIS SECTION ISTHE MONTHLYRESOURCEPHOTOGRAPHERSUSE TO FIND THE PRODUCTSTHEY NEED. PUTYOUR MESSAGEPROMINENTLY IN FRONT OFINDUSTRY PROSAND STARTTURNINGBROWSERS INTO BUYERS.


Buyer’sGallery

2012 ad rates:

AD SIZE: 2 1/4” X 4 3/4”

12X RATE: $640

6X RATE: $690

(Gross rate per month)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR ADVERTISING

REPRESENTATIVE:

BART ENGELS, Central Region 847.854.8182, [email protected]

TARA TRUITT, Eastern Region404.522.8600, x230,

[email protected]

AMY WALLS, Western Region404.522.8600, x279,

[email protected]

BACKGROUNDS

DENNY MANUFACTURING revolutionized the photo -graphic industry with the introduction of "Freedom Cloth"Wrinkle-Free backdrops! Hundreds of innovative andtimeless designs are available and they are machinewashable, color fast and the color rendition pops. FreedomCloth is durable, rip resistant and hangs without sagging inthe center! Add a Denny Roll Up Floor printed on aneoprene material with a non-skid rubber backing andedges that do not curl up! Visit www.dennymfg.com toview our vast array of photographic props and accessories,too! www.facebook.com/dennymfg

CANVAS MOUNTING

CANVAS MOUNTING, STRETCHING, FINISH LAC -QUERING. Original McDonald Method. Considered bestAVAILABLE. Real istic canvas texture. Large sizes aspecialty. WHITMIRE ASSO CIATES, YAKIMA, WA. 509-248-6700. WWW.CANVASMOUNT.COM

COMPUTER/SOFTWARE

SUCCESSWARE®—Studio Management Softwareavailable for both Windows® and Macintosh®.Recommended by Ann Monteith, the nation’s foremoststudio manage ment con sultant. Call today for a FREESuccessWare® Tour 800-593-3767 or visit our Web sitewww.SuccessWare.net.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

BEST L.E.D. PHOTO GALLERY LIGHTING, Bright warmwhite, 30-degree spot, 9W Low heat, no UV, 40,000 hourlife. SAVES $ GUARNATEED. Quantity discount for 10+.AvalonPortraits.com; 530.891.3442.

GREEN SCREEN SOFTWARE

New Photo Genie, GREEN SCREEN SOFTWARE, OneScreen Operation, Camera tethered, Auto MultiBackgrounds & Auto Layers, Batch Processing. Freetechnical support. PPA special starting at $87. To learnmore visit www.thegreengenie.com or call 562-381-2091.

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED: Assistant photographer for con tem porarypho tojournalistic wedding coverages in Orange County, CAarea. Must have digital equipment. Email John [email protected].

INCORPORATION SERVICES

INCORPORATE OR FORM an LLC today! Your art is a business. Treat it like one. The Company Corpora-tion can help you incorporate or form a limited liabil-ity company in as little as ten minutes. We are fast, accurate and affordable. Provide additional credi-bility to your photography studio or business at thefraction of the cost of using an attorney. Call 1-800-206-7276 or visit www.incorporate.com today!

LOOKING TO SELL SOMETHING? Then look no fartherthen the classified ad section of Professional Photographermagazine to get your service or product sold. For just a fewcents per word you can reach 55,000+ potentialcustomers. Don’t delay ... September 2012 issue closesJune 20th. For more information, or to submit your ad,contact Monique Martin at [email protected] or 404-522-8600, ext 221. All ads must be prepaid. Rates: $1.50per word; $2.00 per word for caps and bold face.Confidential reply box ads (optional) $10.00 per issue.Minimum $30.00 per ad.

INSURANCE

Instant Online Photography Insurance. Quotes. Tom C.Pickard Insurance. www.tcpinsurance.com 800-726-3701, ext. 117. Lic. 0555411

PACKAGE CHOICE Insurance Program for photographersby Hill & Usher. Available Natonwide. Complete onlinequestionnaire, receive customized insurance proposal.Accidental Breakage, Theft, Rented Gear, FullReplacement, Errors & Omissions, Free Certificates.www.PackageChoice.com; 866.977.4725.

LAB SERVICES

BEST QUALITY OR FREE OF CHARGE. FREE 20X30with $50.00 order. Digitalcolor Beverly Hills Dark-room-FTP-Lifepics-Mail up to 4’x8’ Kodak Metallic-Matte-Glossy-Backlit film; www.digitalcolorbh.com;310.274.3445.

CHECK OUT PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER’S LabTab section where the pro’s go for great reproductionservices.

PHOTO RESTORATION

1st PHOTO RESTORATION FREE! Try us, you’ll like us!Point & click easy. No sign up cost. 100% guaran tee.Online leader since 1993. Wholesale only to pro fes sionals.www.hollywoodfotofix.com. Call 888-700-3686 or [email protected]

PRESENTATION BOXES

BOXES—FREE SAMPLE PRESENTATION BOX—FROMTHE ORIGINAL BLACK BOX MANUFACTURE—Fastdelivery, Finest quality 4"x5", 5"x5", 4"x6", 8"x10",11"x14", 16"x20", 20"x24". AUFENGER BOX, 4807COLLEY AVE., NOR FOLK, VIRGINIA 23508; 757-440-1147 (phone); 757-440-1149 (fax); 888-440-1146 (tollfree). www.aufengerbox.com

PRESENTATION BOXES available for immediateshipment; 19 sizes—4 stock colors. For FREE catalog & samples call 800-969-2697 or fax request 800-861-4528. BUY DIRECT AND SAVE. NPD Box Com-pany, 11760 Berea Rd., Cleveland, OH 44111.www.NPDBox.com

SALES AIDS

BOXES—FROM THE ORIGINAL BLACK BOX MANU -FAC TURE—FREE SAMPLE—Fast delivery, Finest quality4”x5”, 5”x5”, 4”x6”, 8”x10”, 11”x14”, 16”x20”, 20”x24”. AUFENGER BOX, 4807 COLLEY AVENUE,NORFOLK, VIRGINIA 23508; 757-440-1147 (phone);757-440-1149 (fax); 888-440-1146 (toll free).www.aufengerbox.com

STUDIOS FOR SALE

PORTRAIT STUDIO, Sarasota County, Florida. Turnkey,assets 23K. Cheap rent or buy the building. 941-928-1118.

STUDIOS WANTED

COLUMBUS CAMERA GROUP, INC. buys whole stu diosor any part including cameras, film, darkroom, long roll,lighting, and misc. No quantities too small. Call 800-325-7664. Ask for Eric.

ClassifiedAdvertising

Classified rates: • $1.50 per word; • $2.00 per word/words with all caps or bold face. • $10.00 per issue—Con -fiden tial Reply Box Ads (Optional)—$30 minimum per ad. Contact: Pro fessional Photog rapher Class ified Ads, 229Peach tree NE, Ste. 2200, Atlanta, GA 30303; 800-339-5451.


CLASSIFIED ADS Place a classified ad in the next

issue of Professional Photographerto reach over 55,000 qualified buyers.

For information contact:

Professional Photog rapher /Classified Ads

229 Peach tree NE, Ste. 2200 Atlanta, GA 30303

800-339-5451, ext. 221

PROFESSIONAL

or 10 years before she was a pro -

fessional photographer, Andi

Diamond of Tampa, Fla., was a

child life specialist working with

hospitalized children to make the

experience less frightening. She practiced thera -

peutic recreation and coached kids through

surgeries and other scary procedures.

While she enjoyed the work, Diamond

yearned for a more artistic outlet, which she

found in photography. Yet when she embraced

photography as a career, she missed giving

back to her community and helping chil-

dren. When she found out about Flashes of

Hope, a nonprofit organization that uses

photography to change the way children with

cancer see them selves, Diamond felt she’d

found a perfect match.

Flashes of Hope stages daylong profes-

sional portrait shoots at hospitals, turning

public areas into studios. The organization

sponsors every aspect of the session, includ-

ing makeup and styling for the young sub-

jects, and donates the final portraits to the

children’s families. The idea behind the proj-

ect is to help children with cancer feel better

about their changing appearance. Flashes of

Hope also raises money for cancer research

through a separate fundraising arm.

So far, Diamond has volunteered to be

the photographer at four portrait days at

hospitals in the Tampa area. An example of

how life can come full circle, she has

worked closely with the hospitals’ child life

specialists in selecting subjects and coordi-

nating shoots. At day’s end, Diamond edits

the images and sends them to Flashes of

Hope, where the portraits are printed and

burned onto discs, then disc and prints are

sent to the subjects’ families. Everything is

provided at no cost to the families.

“Cancer is not biased in terms of who it

strikes, but many of the families we serve are

from [low-income] socioeconomic groups.

There would be no way they could afford a

custom portrait session,” says Diamond.

“For some of these kids, this is the only pro-

fessional photo shoot they’ve ever had. Some

of the children pass away, and the images we

create are the only portrait their family has

of them. And some kids get better, go into

remission, and the images serve as a positive

way to look back on the experience.”

To other photographers interested in vol-

unteering their talents, Diamond recom-

mends looking into your heart to discover

what you’re truly passionate about, then call-

ing local organizations that are involved with

that cause—they almost always need profes-

sional photography. “Do it with the inten-

tion of giving freely,” she suggests. “If you

share yourself and your talents without

expectation of anything in return, it comes

back to you tenfold, not necessarily monetar-

ily but emotionally.” �

Flashes of Hope needs professional photog-rapher volunteers at several children’s campsit serves yearly, including locations in Utah,Idaho, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, andOhio. For more information, visit flashesofhope.org.

See more work by Andi Diamond at andidiamond.com.


good works | Images wield the power to effect change. In this monthly feature,Professional Photographer spotlights professional photographers using their talents to make a difference through charitable work.

Flashes of HopeANDI DIAMOND’S PORTRAITURE BOOSTS THE SPIRITS OF CHILDREN

Share your good works experience with us by e-mailing Joan Sherwood at [email protected].

©Andi Diamond

F

Bambi Cantrell and Profoto D1. Overpowering the Sun

© Bambi Cantrell

Profoto.com/US · 914 347 3300 Distributed by MAC Group

Educational video showsBambi's lighting techniques:Profoto.com/US/Cantrell

professional photographer 2012 08

Documents