Thu, 05 Sep 2019 10:00:00 +0000
Three Things I'm Loving Right Now: Summer 2019 EditionI have a guilty confession to make...here are my top three things I'm loving right now!
- BH 90210 - The Beverly Hills 90210 reboot series has only aired a few episodes and I'm so thrilled with how they did it! It's not a typical reboot that picks up almost 30 years after the original series ended. The original cast play themselves in a distorted reality-based way. If you were a fan of the original, it's worth checking out this reboot!
- "The Art of Racing in the Rain" (Movie Edition) - OK - I'm a "This is Us" fan (Milo 😍). And, I love dogs (especially golden retrievers)....and well, I love Kevin Costner and Ferraris too! But, I finally had a chance to watch this in the theater and let's just say I'm so very glad there were only a few other people in the theater as I silently sobbed from the first 30 seconds to the very last 30 seconds. I have not read the book. So, I don't know how they compare, but this movie was so beautifully scripted and portrayed. From the dog-mance (?) to the romance to the family evolution to the racing action, the movie held my attention from start to finish.
- The Far Side comics - this one might be from left field, but is one I recently rediscovered. My daughter recently had a dentist appointment, and while I waited for her in the waiting room, I noticed a set of books on a table. Needing to occupy myself for a few minutes, I realized they were the "best of" The Far Side comics. I giggled, laughed and snorted my way through a few dozen pages while I waited! Then, I looked it up on social media to find a few fan groups. Now I see a few of these comics every day. I love the non-PC and satirical nature of Gary Larson!
What are your three things you are loving right now? I'd love to hear from you!
୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!Thu, 29 Aug 2019 11:30:00 +0000
The Generation Without A Photo Album?As I work on the business plan for my photography studio, I am stuck on defining my target client. Which has me thinking: do I completely write off Generation Z as a bad fit for my studio?
The fact that Gen Z has always owned electronic devices with cameras installed and their devices are always "connected" so their photos and videos can easily be shared with family and friends on a variety of social media accounts with one touch, leads me to conclude that these are not my target clients. But, it's hard to write off a potential 73 million clients that easily!
Surely, the easier and cheaper it has become to take photos in the digital age, we seem to take more photos than the film generations before us did. The very nature of the film age of photography required photographs to be printed to be shared! And even in the early days of digital photography, photographs were still being routinely printed for albums and wall art. Combined with cheap storage options (eg, external hard drives, cloud servers, etc.), does Gen Z take the time to print photographs for archival purposes?
Luckily, I am not alone in my wonderment!
The Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends study, conducted in the summer of 2018, called "Gen Z to Boomers: Segmenting High-Spending Personas for Increased Share of Wallet" compared photo behaviors and attitudes across four generations: gen Z, millennials, gen X and baby boomers. I have read a summary of the study, and I'm happy with what I'm reading!!
Key Points from the study regarding Gen Z:
- 19% of Gen Z said they share photos in the form of prints;
- 41% of Gen Z responded they had purchased photo prints at a retail store, online or via mobile app in the previous year; and
- While this percentage (41%) was lower than that of millennials, InfoTrends found it is about the same as Gen X and considerably higher than baby boomers both of whom presumably have more available income and are more likely to have children than their younger counterparts.
୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!Thu, 22 Aug 2019 13:00:00 +0000
If I Could Have Witnessed An Event In History, Which Would I Choose? And Why?Off (photography) topic post today! What Event in History Would I Have Wanted to Witness and Why?
Hmmm.... I have so many moments that I'm going to cheat a little (OK, cheat a lot!) and say that I would want to have been 10 years old in 1960. The entire decade of the '60s has always excited me!!!
Had I been 10 in 1960, it would have let me experience the following events throughout the decade, in no particular order:
- JFK's assassination
- Woodstock
- Beatles Mania
- Vietnam
- Landing on the Moon
- Telephones and TVs were introduced into many households
- MLK, Jr
- Cuyahoga River caught fire
- Hippies
- Title IX
- Detroit muscle cars
- The Graduate, Breakfast at Tiffany's and the 007 franchise
The pop culture, social and political climates and women's rights were ever changing (revolution or evolution?) throughout the '60s faster than most decades had ever changed before then. I'm awestruck by how much positively changed in these 10 years: men and women became equals and segregation legally ended.Of course, what I know about the '60s I've learned from history books, movies, books and stories from my relatives who lived in this period. I admit that I have a poetic and hopeful view of this period of time.As much as I want it to be filled with rainbows and kittens, I know there was strife and agony for many; men who were destroyed by war and unwelcomed when they returned home, drug addiction spiked with the introduction of new drugs, and gender and race equality were federally mandated but not in reality.But, I still would want to experience this decade more than any other event in history. Now it's your turn! What event would you choose and why?୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:46:00 +0000
My Top 3 Tips for Photographing Your Child's Birthday PartyI don't know about you, but my kids are still young enough that EVERY birthday is still an event. And, we do two parties per kid for each birthday: one for family and one for friends. So, what have I learned? A lot! But, when it comes to taking pictures, here's my top 3 tips:
Designate a Photographer
This is usually a great job for Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Joe or an older sibling! Ask one person to focus on taking photos for you. It is one thing that is easy to delegate and get off Momma's plate because you have enough to juggle from planning to hosting the party!DIY Photo Booth
Find one small area in your home or yard where you can create a photo booth. You don't need much space and you won't spend a lot of money either!If you are indoors, head to your local dollar store and buy a plastic table cloth to use as the background. Grab some color matching balloons and streamers to finish the setting.If you are outdoors, pick up a helium balloon or two from the dollar store and tie them to a chair from your dining room table. Put this in your yard. If you have a fence in your yard, you can hang streamers and balloons on the fence!If you have a small white board or chalk board, write the guest's name down and have them hold it up for you!This setup does not need to be fancy or expensive! As kids arrive to the party, encourage them to stop at the photo booth location and take a quick picture!Shoot In Continuous Mode
Every parent knows how kids just cannot sit still. For someone taking photos, movement usually results in blurry and out of focus pictures. One way to prevent that is to shoot pictures in "continuous" or "burst" mode.You will need to find your camera or phone's manual to find this setting. When you shoot a picture, you will hold down your trigger button and the camera will take a fast series of pictures as long as you hold down the trigger button. The camera is quick to take each picture and will refocus before each shot.You will end up taking more pictures than you intended, but you will have a nice selection to choose from after all is said and done!Most of all, have fun and enjoy your kid's party! With these tips, you will have time to breathe during the party while still getting photos you will cherish for years to come!୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!Thu, 08 Aug 2019 15:43:00 +0000
What To Wear To Your Family Photography Session (and What To Bring!)After booking a session, the biggest issue I hear from my clients is deciding what to wear or bring to their session. Well, here's some of my top tips to fix that dilemma!
What To Wear
- Keep clothing simple. Try to choose solid colors for your photo session.
- Make sure you coordinate clothing from head to toe with everyone in your group.
- Darker clothing slims. Choose shades of black, brown, blue, dark green and other jewel-toned colors.
- Scoops or v-necks flatter shorter necks and full faces. Turtlenecks or high-necked garments flatter longer necks and slender faces.
- Keep clothing consistent. Dress everyone in your group in the same style. Don't mix casual and formal clothing in photos.
- Add accents. Show your style in small accents. Save stronger colors and patterns for accessories like scarves and neckties.
- Consider the background of your photos especially for indoor photos. For example:
- Wear light on white. Light pastel or white clothing looks best against a light-colored or white photography background.
- Wear dark on dark. Dark clothing looks best against darker backgrounds and creates a more formal mood.
Bring Props!!
Props add in your personality. While I have props in my studio that you are welcome to use in your session, bring your own props for a personal touch. Consider items such as:
- A favorite stuffed animal
- Favorite food or snack
- Baby blanket
- Family memorabilia
- Hand knit sweaters, scarves, leggings, baby booties
- Artwork created by your little one(s)
- Bows, ribbons and other hair accessories
- Grandma’s old costume jewelry
- Sports items or jerseys
- Religious items or outfits
- Special toy or toy collections
- Musical instruments
୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!Thu, 01 Aug 2019 13:05:00 +0000
4 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Photographer
Photography sessions may be routine for models and actors but for the rest of us, it is usually a purchase the requires a little bit of research. But, where to start? What questions should you ask before hiring a photographer?
I'm glad you asked! Here's my top four questions that I think you should ask:
- Who will be my photographer? You may love the photographer you spoke with on the phone or read about on their website, but this won't matter if that isn't the same photographer who shows up for your photo shoot.Now and for the foreseeable future, Broken Road Images, is a one-woman show. I (Kelley) do it all from scheduling to editing to social media management to website maintenance in addition to being the only professional photographer.
- Can I review your written contract? Never hire a photographer that doesn’t supply a written contract. Without a contract, a seemingly simple issue that may come up can land you in a huge argument (or even worse: court). It's worth taking the time to make sure it's all in writing! And, actually spend the time to read it to see what terms you are agreeing to.If there's something that you do not agree with, ask the photographer if it can be removed or reworded to make you feel more comfortable. It's OK to walk away from a photoshoot if you do not feel comfortable with the contract.The biggest request I used to get was to exclude the model release clause. A model release clause gives the photographer permission to share any of the photos from your session on the photographer's online media, portfolio and marketing materials without any additional permission. Although many people today eagerly share their photos on social media, just as many people have valid concerns about having their photos posted online. I have removed this specific clause from my contract. I now ask in my pre-session questionnaire if the client will agree to my model release. I'm happy if they do, but I completely understand if they don't!
- Will I have the digital rights to my photos? First, what are digital rights? US copyright laws give a photographer an immediate copyright on each picture they take the second they take a photo. Copyrights to a specific photo can be sold but the price is usually steep and it's really only necessary for commercial purposes (think greeting cards or postcards). What a photographer can do instead is give or sell digital rights which give you permission to share any pictures online watermark-free.Broken Road Images includes personal digital rights to every client with every digital file purchased. We LOVE that you love your photos! We encourage you to share your purchased digitals with everyone you know! Commercial digital rights can be purchased for an additional fee (quoted upon request).
- Will I have printing rights to my photos? Similar to digital rights, printing rights give you the ability to print a photo whenever and where ever you wish. Without printing rights, you will only be able to obtain prints through your photographer. With printing rights, you will be able to print your photos at home, through an online service such as Shutterfly or in person at a kiosk at your local drugstore.As a courtesy, Broken Road Images includes printing rights with every digital file purchased. As a professional photographer, I highly recommend printing photos through a professional print house which can easily be done from your online gallery on my website. The higher quality of photos printed by a professional print house will ensure correct coloring and longer lasting photos! However, as a mom, I want my walls plastered with photos of my family! I try to keep my print prices affordable, but I realize there are many online deals and coupons that I can't compete with.
Do you have any suggested questions? If so, please comment below!୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫
My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!
Thu, 25 Jul 2019 12:32:00 +0000
So far, I'm loving Honeybook!
Heads Up: This post contains affiliate links! If you buy something through one of these links, you won't pay a penny more (in fact in this circumstance, you'll get a 20% discount), but I'll get a small commission, which helps keep the lights on. Please note that I have not been given any free products, services or anything else by this company in exchange for mentioning them on my site. The only consideration is in the form of affiliate commissions. Thanks!
As my photography business has been growing, I've started to feel unorganized and out of control. I have been using an app called Remember The Milk for my to do list for the last few years, but I felt that I needed to step up my game and try out something that includes some automation: HoneyBook.I signed up for the HoneyBook 7-day free trial. No credit card needed - that's a huge plus! I was sold in the first day on HoneyBook and didn't waste time signing up!My initial reaction: I will admit that diving into HoneyBook is overwhelming. But, I waited until after my kiddos were in bed and I eagerly got started.It didn't take me long to figure out how HoneyBook is organized. The interface is user friendly and intuitive to me. I found this video from HoneyBook that helped get me acclimated to HoneyBook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2027&v=6UnPkPaHVmg.I spent about 4 hours getting HoneyBook configured to my liking. It's more time than I wanted to spend, but I do feel that the time was well spent and here's why:
- Automations! I edited the provided brochure within HoneyBook to include my information and pictures. I removed all pricing from my website. Now, when someone wants to know my prices, HoneyBook will automatically send an e-mail to them that includes my pretty brochure AND it let's me know that I have a new inquiry. A follow up e-mail will be sent to that person 3 days later to check in with them. These two things are being done FOR ME! Even better is that I have one brochure for each type of photography that I offer. HoneyBook will send out the correct brochure based on the inquiry's interest!
- MORE Automations! Once a new inquiry is created in HoneyBook, it adds the inquiry to my project area. HoneyBook will send a questionnaire as a follow up to every inquiry to gather more details about their photo shoot. This questionnaire is specific to the type of shoot (eg, one for events, one for portraits, one for seniors). Gathering information at this stage helps me learn more about their expectations and makes the booking process less daunting because it's one more thing they have already completed. My old process was to provide the questionnaire, contract and retainer invoice all at once which many clients said was overwhelming for them.
- Contracts are electronically signed! Standard contracts are provided that you can use, edit or replace completely. Once you have your contracts setup, it's easy peasy to click the send button. The client receives the contract by e-mail, reviews it and digitally signs it for you. And...another automation! HoneyBook will send an e-mail reminder a few days after a contract is sent but still unsigned to help with obtaining the signed contract back!
- Scheduled invoices! When a contract is generated, you have the ability to create the related invoices to be sent automatically (which your client can pay online with credit card or their checking account through Stripe!). If you require multiple payments for each photo shoot, this is a game changer. No more remembering who you sent an invoice to or who has paid (or not). Schedule is once and forget it!
These are just my top 4 things I love about HoneyBook! If you are a business owner in the creative industry, why don't you take HoneyBook for a test drive to see how it will improve your life? Sign up for your free 7-day trial and if you decide to sign up, you'll get a 20% discount on your first year's cost by using this link: FREE HoneyBook Trial + 20% off!
PS - Added bonus - When you register and pay your initial payment with HoneyBook, they will give you a chance to do a one-time upload your contracts, invoices, item descriptions, and packages to them where they will do their magic to input the data into your HoneyBook for you! This alone saved me hours of time!
୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!- Automations! I edited the provided brochure within HoneyBook to include my information and pictures. I removed all pricing from my website. Now, when someone wants to know my prices, HoneyBook will automatically send an e-mail to them that includes my pretty brochure AND it let's me know that I have a new inquiry. A follow up e-mail will be sent to that person 3 days later to check in with them. These two things are being done FOR ME! Even better is that I have one brochure for each type of photography that I offer. HoneyBook will send out the correct brochure based on the inquiry's interest!
Thu, 18 Jul 2019 13:00:00 +0000
The Number One Mistake I Made in My Photography Business
Photography has been a hobby of mine since high school, and although I never planned to open a photography studio at any point in my life, sometimes life throws you a curve and you can catch it or duck out of the way. I caught my curve ball and opened my studio.While I've owned several businesses over the years, I still stumbled into problems when I started my photography business. Most problems were just hiccups, but one was huge: shooting for free.By offering photo sessions with digital images included for free, I found that most people who booked my free session just didn't value my time as much as if they spent their money to hire me. They would show up late to their session or reschedule several times before cancelling altogether. This was tough on my ego. I couldn't understand why people didn't appreciate the value of the photo session and the amount of time I had wrapped up into them!I quickly learned two better options:- giving a client more value than they expect: Instead of giving sessions and digital images for free, I will do little things that they will love instead. For example, I might bring treats to the session or send a hand written thank you card with a 4x6 print from their session afterwards.
- giving a discount on standard prices for digitals and prints: I will give a large discount on a full digital gallery if they buy it within two days from when I open the online gallery for them.
I have found these are things that make clients feel special. They want to refer me to their friends so their friends can feel the love too!I also do other things that help me stand out from my local competitors to build my value.- I don't require clients to agree to my modeling clause. Listen, I love taking photos! And, I am over the moon when a client shares my photos on their social media accounts. But, I personally have a love/hate relationship with social media. So, I completely understand when someone doesn't want their photos used in my marketing...for any reason (or even no reason). To me, it's well worth doing a session without a model release than to force the issue and lose a client.
- I don't limit the number of people per session or impose a sitting fee per person. I realize that it takes extra time to pose a large group, but I don't want anyone to feel as if they are an imposition. I also don't want to have such a high session fee that would turn off a client from buying all of the prints that they want.
- I don't choose which digitals they receive. I usually take about five times the amount of photos I've promised in their package. After the gallery is culled, it's usually 3 times the number of photos that remain for their selection of digitals and prints. I have found that the photos I love are not always the ones that my clients love. So, I don't force them to take the ones I choose. Bottom line: they pick.
- Have transparent prices. Be very clear about what is included (or excluded) from your session fee. There's no "right" answer here about what to include in your session fee...just be sure you are clear to your clients. There should be no surprises to your clients from start to finish. If you are discounting your prices, you should also reveal your standard price. This will facilitate their appreciation for your value.
These things work for me and may not work for every photographer with every client. Use what works for you! I'd love to know what you do that helps you stand out from your competition! Comment your advice below!The bottom line is that people will value your work more if they pay for it. When they value you, they will put more effort into preparing for the session and be less likely to reschedule or cancel. Also, they will take your business seriously. To turn them into repeat clients, make them feel special and extra cared for!୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!Thu, 11 Jul 2019 19:22:00 +0000
How to Prepare Your Husband for Your Family Photo SessionEvery time I even think about scheduling a family photo session with my family, my husband has excuses before I even finish my thought. I don't get it either. He's sexy and photogenic! He has no reason to avoid a camera. But, let me share my secrets with you on how I prepare my husband for a photo shoot!
TimingFind the best time that works with his schedule. I know that as the CEO of your family, your schedule it hectic between the mom taxi duty, groceries, getting dinner on the table, and chores around the house. But, sometimes it is worth giving a little in order to get a lot.If he normally gets off work at 4 pm each weekday, then schedule a weeknight session. If he works late every night then try a weekend. The biggest hurdle I have to jump over is finding a time that he already has some down time. Once I get past this hurdle, it's so much easier to get his cooperation!What To WearI'm sure there's one nice outfit that will coordinate perfectly with the clothes that everyone else in the family is wearing! There's no need to buy brand new outfits. Remember that coordinating does not need to be perfectly matched. For example, everyone wearing different shades of blue or gray or browns will look great.Unless you desire a photo with everyone wearing the exact same shade of a color, different shades of the same color will work. So will neutral colors for some family members with a non-neutral color for other family members.Just keep in mind what your background will be. If you are going to have an outdoor session surrounded by greenery, greens will not be the best color to wear because you'll blend right in! If you will be in a studio, the photographer should have a backdrop available to compliment your clothes.
Make it Fun and Interesting For HimIs your husband an avid sports fan? Hunter? Restores cars in his spare time? Find a way to incorporate his hobby into the session! Change everyone's shirts midway through the session to his favorite team's jersey. Bring his favorite (unloaded) gun. Pose with his hobby car.There's plenty of time in a photo session to shift the focus away from your husband's hobby!୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!Wed, 03 Jul 2019 01:31:00 +0000
Why I started My Photography Business
I know that you know the obvious answer: I love taking photographs! And I really do. I lugged a camera case of 30 rolls of 35 mm film through Italy before digital cameras were available! But to start a photography business is a labor of love; it's just not taking awesome photos. So, how did I get where I am today?I've always been strong willed and independent. For as long as I can remember, I've set my eyes on a goal and put my nose to the grindstone until I reached my goal. There's been success; there's been heart ache. So far, I've lived a great life!But, after 10 years of working for "the man", I decided that it was time to gamble and venture out into the world of self employment! Back then, I was a CPA by day while my photography was a weekend hobby. I took a calculated risk and opened my first company which was a CPA firm. And, boy was I busy from the start. Busy with bookkeeping, taxes and payroll, I quickly got bored with my work, although I loved my clients. Then, I became intrigued with the radio and TV ads about fixing tax problems. I decided to niche my CPA firm to focus only on solving tax problems. How exciting, right? Fight the IRS and live to tell about it!Well, it was more exciting than preparing taxes but my kids were starting to grow up and head to school. They started developing interests in new activities and hobbies which renewed my passion about photography. While being a CPA paid the bills, I longed for a creative outlet. I realized that photography on the weekends just wasn't enough for me anymore.I started taking more hikes with my camera. I carried my camera on bike rides. To the park. On shopping trips. I became obsessed with my camera. Then, I started to notice how I was more excited about my photo shoots than fighting with the IRS.My photography business started with a website full of my landscape and nature photographs. That satisfied me for almost 6 months.
Then, fate stepped in.While attending the Wye Road Bridge Lighting, an annual Black Friday event in my home town of Bath, Ohio, I noticed that the cute, red barn near the bridge event was empty. In an instant I realized how perfect it was: inside it was a perfect layout for a photography studio, the side door opened to a landscaped yard for outdoor session, and extra space to store props!I asked someone at the event what they knew about the status of the barn and in the blink of any eye, every piece fell into place! It was available starting December 1st! Rent was reasonable, and the landlord was easy going. I didn't even hesitate to scoop it up before I even had a business plan worked out!Since renting the barn for my studio, I started to scale back my CPA firm work while I work to get my photography studio launched. I've had so much fun so far with getting the studio setup and shopping for studio props. I know how blessed I am! And, while I love shooting at my studio, I'm just as excited to meet clients at a park or favorite hang out for a photo shoot.୫ ୫ ୫ ୫ ୫My mission with photography is to capture the moments of your life: belly laughs, smiles, excited faces, hugs, tears of joy, and loving glances. Let's have some fun! Click on the button below to schedule your photo shoot with me. It's quick and easy!
