I wanted to share a post that one of our Digital Creation Club member’s just posted on Facebook. It proves that Digital Backgrounds and Props can be added to any photography business and bring in More Clients and More Business.

His name is Ty Bellitti of Ty Bellitti Photography and he did exactly what I have preached for years. Get an idea and TAKE ACTION!

That’s exactly what he did. He joined our Digital Creation Club on November 17th of 2011 and didn’t waste anytime. He has photographed over 40+ dogs using Digital Backgrounds and Props and his customers are loving these portraits.

Ty explains “I never thought to use digital background until I watched a Digital Creations youtube video by accident. I loved the idea and quickly became a member”.

He also gives a few tips on how he received his 40+ dogs to photograph and it something that I’ve taught in the past and is still a great technique.

1. Find businesses that your target market is already buying from.

2. Offer something to the business owner that will give value to their customers

It’s a WIN WIN!

So….I hope you can see that you always want to be open to try new ideas and expand what you offer your clients. Hey…you never know

Click the link below if you want to learn more about adding Digital Creations in your business.

I received an email the other day asking about Holiday Portrait Ideas for families and small groups. So…I wanted to share some portrait ideas and posing tips to help you create Amazing Shots this Holiday Season.

Here’s a portrait we just created for our Digital Creation’s Club and it’s called “Home For The Holidays”. Remember what I said before? You should always name your sets and themes that you advertise.  Go ahead and swipe our new name “Home For The Holidays”

Pic #1 – Home For The Holidays Theme (Family Pose)

Posing Tip: Try to always group subjects tight together avoiding gaps. Use the children as bookends to complete the pose.

Pic #2 – “Home For The Holidays Theme (Children Posing)

Posing Tip: Have the children look at a present or a book. This will help create a more natural pose and the parents will love it!

Pic #3 – Presents By The Tree Theme (Children Posing)

Posing Tip: Have your subjects touch hands and lightly touch heads. This will create a sense of closeness and bring the image together.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that make a great portrait. It can be a certain pose or a new portrait idea that inspired you to create a unique shot.

Feel Free to study these images and swipe these ideas to use in your own photography sessions.

In this post I wanted to show you how one of our  Digital Creations Club Members created (3) Studio Portraits with just (1) shot. This is why Digital Backgrounds and Props are so Amazing and so powerful…when using them in your Photography Business.

Her name is Colleen Ballard Thomas and she has a Photography Studio named “Memories In A Flash”. She posted this comment on our Digital Creations Facebook Page and shared these wonderful images.

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Colleen said: One cutout…three great pictures! Mom bought a canvas of the 2nd one and we sold all of them to family! Thanks Scott, you make it all possible!

Portrait #1

This set above she used is called “Snowy Sleigh Ride” in the Digital Creations Club.

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Portrait #2

This set above she used is called “Unique Winter Sleigh Set” in the Digital Creations Club. This is the one portrait she sold to the MOM on a large Canvas.

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Portrait #3

This set above she used is called “Holiday Cottage Set” in the Digital Creations Club.

As you can see, by using Digital Backgrounds and Props she created (3) beautiful portraits that her clients loved. They purchased all 3 portraits and a Canvas of Portrait #2.

You Need To Be Different!

As photographers, we always want to be creative and offer our clients a variety of Backgrounds and Sets. But…it’s not cheap to do this in most cases and sometimes can limit you to what your studio has to offer…year to year. This can cost your business sales.

If she was to purchase these Hand Painted Backgrounds and Antique Sleighs that were used in these portraits, it would have cost well over a $1,000 dollars. But, I can tell you that she didn’t spend 1% of that on these Digital Background Sets from our Club.

Now…I’m not saying you shouldn’t use regular backgrounds and props, but you should be offering these as an additional service, if you aren’t already.

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Thanks Colleen

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I want to thank Colleen for posting these images on our Digital Creation’s Facebook Group and showing others how she’s adding these to her business. It’s always nice to see what other Photographers are doing and learning from what works.

I hope everyone can see how fun this business can really be!

Happy Shooting

Feel free to post a comment below and let me know your thoughts!

If you want to learn more about our Digital Creation’s Club and how it can help you and your photography…Click Here!

Here is a Digital Background Portrait Idea For The Holidays.

This can be done with or without using a Digital Background or Digital Prop when creating this portrait. The Holidays are the busiest time for most Photography Studios and some times we need creative ideas we can offer to our clients.

So…I wanted to share a new Digital Creation we recently created for our NPB Digital Creation Club.

But…the key here is that anyone can create this shot with stuff you probably already have in your own kitchen.

Here’s a list of items to create this shot

• Cookie Dough
• Rolling Pin
• Cookie Cutters (Holiday Ones)
• Flour for the table, face and nose
• Chef Hat (If You Have One)
• Apron or White Jacket

…and obviously you’ll need a table or counter to set the shot up and a background or backdrop.

Here’s the before shot we took knowing we were going to use it for  our Digital Background and Prop Set.

Before Shot

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Here’s the shot with the first Digital Background we created.

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Here’s the 2nd shot with a different Digital Background.

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And the 3rd Digital Background we used was a muslin style.

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Now…by using Digital Backgrounds I created 3 shots from 1 basic image with very little work.

So, like I said in the beginning of this post. You can use this same idea in your photography studio and create a Holiday Baking Theme as a new idea to show your clients or just have some fun with your own kids.

Now get out there and create this Awesome shot

If you want to save yourself time and use our Digital Creation or others like the one I showed you in this blog post…Click Here!

Christmas is an amazing time of year! So much color, so much fun and so many treasured moments! Here are a few Christmas Photography Tips that will help you take memorable photos this holiday season with your digital camera.

Tip #1 – Make sure you have plenty of supplies

If you forget to have plenty of batteries and memory cards available, you may miss that precious shot of the delight on your loved one’s face when they open that special present.

Tip #2 – Get up close and personal

Fill your viewfinder or viewing screen with the subject to capture their expressions. You can capture amazing photos when you time your shots and snap that photo when they aren’t looking at the camera. Don’t forget to take those ‘traditional’ group shots of your family and friends.

Tip #3 – Use different angles

Have some fun and get interesting shots by getting on a chair and shooting down. Kneeling or laying down on your stomach can make your shots more dynamic and personal. Getting eye level with your subjects will also produce great shots.

Tip #4 – Using the camera flash

Most digital cameras have a zoom feature. Use this to your advantage when you are using the camera’s flash. Get as far from your subject as possible, then zoom in and take your shot. The extra distance you put between you and your subject will soften the sometimes harsh white flash. You can also diffuse the light by taping a tissue or some other opaque material to the pop-up flash. How about getting creative and attach a colored piece of transparent plastic over the flash. You may end up taking a shot of your very own Blue Christmas!

Tip #5 – Photograph the Christmas frills

Don’t forget to take photos of lights, decorations and the tree. A close-up shot of that treasured ornament will preserve that memory for you for a life-time. You will be amazed how shooting different aspects of Christmas will enhance your photo album for years to come.

Tip #6 – Fixing red-eye

When using the flash we sometimes get these bright red reflections in our subject’s eyes. With most cameras there is a red eye removal feature. Make yourself familiar with using it by reading your owners’ manual. There are also many other free photo editing software programs available to help you adjust your photos and remove red-eye.

Tip #7  – Take Outside shots

You can get some great shots outside at Christmas, but you might tend to think you don’t need your flash. Oftentimes, the faces of the people in the photo are dark while the background lighting is bright. Turning your flash on and using it will help to light up their faces.

Tip #8 – Take lots of shots

With the digital cameras and memory cards we have available now, it is a very worthwhile practice to take a ton of shots. You don’t have to waste your money or get disappointed because half of the shots you took with your film camera were not good. Simply delete the bad, print the good!

Tip #9 – Have fun

There is so much to see and do at Christmas; so many ways to capture the warmth, fun and excitement. It’s a wonderful time to experiment with your camera so go out there and capture the moments! You have the opportunity to make a treasured memory with one click of your shutter.

Use these simple tips this holiday season to help  capture those precious memories that will last a life time.

Happy Shooting!