I’m always saying…

we need to stay one step ahead of our competition and Be Creative and Be Smart.

What I mean is that if we don’t constantly offer new portrait ideas to keep our business FRESH…we will end up loosing any buzz about our photography business.

One of the biggest challenges at first for us…was to constantly come up with new ideas for our past clients. The easiest ways (In My Opinion) to come up with great ideas…is to BE Inspired by others.

That’s why I always want to share any ideas we have created so you can Swipe them and use them in your photography.

Now…here’s the “Be Smarter” part.

If you don’t find new things to offer your clients…you are actually loosing money.

Here’s what I mean.

Let’s say you come up with (3) new portrait themes for your clients for Valentines Day. You then offer all your past clients a special for a $97 package and you only get 15 people to book an appointment…that’s $1,455 that you would have never generated in income.

So…to Be Smart, we need to constantly stay fresh and offer new portrait ideas for our clients…period!

5 Portrait Ideas To Swipe!

Here’s a few that we just created for our Digital Creation’s Club…but you could Swipe these ideas and create something similar by getting the props to create these very easily.

Portrait #1

(Props Used) Candy Lollipops – Vase – Candy Corn – Wicker or simple stand

Portrait #2

This is another version using a white background and a few strands of rope hearts.

Portrait #3

(Props Used) Ceramic unique bowl – wood flooring – white baseboard – Damask material

Portrait #4

(Props Used) Similar to the one above…just different colors and woven basket

Portrait #5

(Props Used) Candy hearts – White Background – Ceramic Heart Bowl – Added Red Vignette

OK…so there you have it. NO Excuses to not create some new portraits for your clients and start adding profits to your bottom line…RIGHT?

If you want to make it even easier and not have to put all this stuff together…you should check out our Digital Creation’s club where we do it for you.

]]> http://newportraitbiz.com/blog/1194/valentines-day-portraits/feed/ 0 http://newportraitbiz.com/blog/180/digital-photography-tips-and-tricks-for-better-photos/ http://newportraitbiz.com/blog/180/digital-photography-tips-and-tricks-for-better-photos/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 13:12:22 +0000 NewPortraitBiz http://newportraitbiz.com/blog/?p=180

Digital Photography is easier to get started than ever. With the explosion of digital technology, taking photos has become relatively easy and inexpensive. The availability of new and larger memory cards lets you take hundreds of photos, gives you instant access and has allowed the average person to view, share or print their shots easily.

If you would like to take your photos from a simple snap-shot to a more professional looking image, here are a few tips to steer you in the right direction.

Tip #1 – Shadows

Shadows can work for you or against you. If you are trying to take a shot outside on a bright sunny day, then the glaring sun can produce a very harsh and contrasty photo.

Having your subjects facing the sun will get rid of shadows but produce the ‘squints’ which make the eyes disappear. Photograph your subjects with their backs to the sun and use either a reflector or your camera’s flash to provide fill light. Avoid angles in direct sun. If you can find shade somewhere, use it but remember you need to adjust your white balance.

On point and shoot cameras there is most likely a setting for ‘Shade.’ Better yet, wait for the golden hours to shoot outside. These are the first and last hour of the day; they are called the Magic Hour for very good reason. Try the early morning sun or early evening when the sun is going down.

Tip # 2 – Backgrounds

Watch what is in the background behind your subject. Having trees and poles coming out of people at various angles can be most distracting. Also having other people walking in or out of the photo or showing objects, such as signs or cars, can detract from an otherwise great shot.

Keep it simple; busy backgrounds will take the viewers eyes from the main subject. If possible, scout out your locations before the shoot.

Tip #3 – Subjects

Make sure you give your subject clear and explicit directions. Showing them where to stand, how to pose and where to look can help you compose the shot you are looking for. Take your time, but within reason.

People have a tendency to lose interest and have trouble maintaining their smiles and poses for extended periods of time. It is good to have some idea before hand of what kind of shots you want and where you want to take them.

If there is more than two people, grouping them to form triangles is a great way to make your photos look more interesting. Remember not to amputate hands, legs or arms at the joints or at awkward angles.

Tip #4 – Candid Shots

When taking candid shots, it is sometimes difficult to make sure you have the shadows right and the backgrounds clear. The subjects will not be posed but instead will be caught in real-life moments. Sometimes these turn out to be the most emotional and exciting photos.
A little blur can give movement, out of focus can add softness to a photo.

Use different angles and lighting. Most of all, take a ton of shots. Use your creativity, you may be surprised at what you captured!

Use every opportunity you get to practice these key elements. Use these tips all the time, engrain them in your memory so you do them instinctively and they come naturally to you; they will take your photos from snap-shots to works of art!

If you would like to share a Digital Photography Tip that you’ve learned, post a comment below.

Happy shooting!

Here’s a few more examples you can use either digitally or in a studio. These were all done using my Digital Background Secrets Techniques and our Digital Backgrounds and Props we create for our Club.

Enjoy!

Click Here to check out Digital Background Secrets

Here is my last video I will be creating for 2008. I just wanted to take a minute to say thanks and give you a few ideas of what you need to be doing to plan for 2009.

Watch this video in full size….HERE

Video Run Time 3 Min 43 Secs

Here are two things that you need to be doing on a regular basis. The first one I discovered due to a storm we just had that made me realize how important this is.

The second one has nothing to do with the storm we just had, but I figured it was a good time to talk about it. This is the fastest way you will build and promote your business and it will cost you pennies to do.

Watch the video and I’ll explain everything.

I’ll talk to ya soon!

Scott

P.S

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Run Time: 8 min 9 secs

Feel free to post a comment.

Talk to ya soon!

Scott

Hey Everyone,

I hope things are going well.

Here is a new short Podcast to answer a few more questions. I talk about lighting and watermarking proofs.

Let me just say this again. Don’t go over the top trying to do all these complicated lighting set ups at first. Keep it simple and learn to get a nice exposure. If your exposures are on…your pictures will look fine.

We were guilty of this in the beginning as well and looking back, if we would have just kept things less complicated, we would of been smarter.

I’m mostly talking to the guys. (LOL) We tend to over think things.

I will try and get another Podcast out to you real soon.

Here is the Blog that I posted on YouTube.

I’ll talk to ya soon!

Enjoy the Podcast.

Scott

P.S
Keep the questions coming in under the “Submit Your Questions” link.

P.S.S
I should be posting some news about my secret project real soon. Stay tuned!

Hey Everyone,

I’m going to make this post very short.

I just posted another Podcast I completed answering a few more of your questions.

Check it out!

Keep the questions coming in and post them under the “Submit Questions” section in the far right of this page.

I’ve got some really exciting news I’ll be sharing real soon. This project has been consuming a lot of my time, but it’s going to be worth it.

I’ll talk to ya soon!

Enjoy the Podcast.

Scott

Download Podcast Episode 3 – Right Click and “Save As” to you PC