So…I guess this would be Episode #1

The idea with these podcasts is to answer a question or two in under 10 minutes…so you can learn and apply what we teach as fast as possible.

Listen to the podcast below and leave us a comment.

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Usually an Artist…like a photographer, needs inspiration to get the creative flow moving. That’s what I wanted to do with this idea that Lisa and I came up with for one of our Digital Creations. It’s called “Summertime Lemonade”.

Forget that it’s a Digital Background and Prop we created for a minute and just study the idea. You can easily model this idea by using some stuff right around the house.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. A nice day with some blue skies. Usually a field or park is a good background that has flowers or a pond.

2. A glass or plastic pitcher for the lemonade and glasses

3. Lemonade in the pitcher and glasses

4.Wire or wicker stand

5. Lemons to include around the tray

6. Optional: Include some Sun Flowers

That’s basically all you’ll need to create this portrait.

I hope you can see that this an easy way for you to create a new portrait idea for your clients very easily.

If you want to have this instantly and use our Digital Creations version…check out our NPB Club.

Click Here to check out our Digital Creations Club!

Happy Shooting

Scott

P.S.

Leave your comments below to let us know what you think.

This is probably the Million Dollar question. The truth is that there are many ways to do this, but sometimes it takes trying and testing new methods until you find one that works for you.

That’s why I’m so excited to share a recording from a phone call I recently did with one of our NPB students. His name is Gregg Workman and he’s done some testing in this department and agreed to share one of his techniques with me and everyone else in our little NPB community.

This is why it’s so important to surround yourself with like minded people that have the same goals. You can speed up the process by learning from other peoples mistakes and success.

Press the play button to start the recording and Enjoy! As always…leave me a comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Make sure to take notes and do what Gregg did…Take Action!

In the video below I’ll demonstrate how using these Digital Backgrounds and Props in Photoshop can be super simple.

The Digital Background we used in this video is available in our Digital Creations Club.
Check it out…Here!

But, if you’re reading this blog post…you must love photography.

I wanted to post a few shots from 2 of the new sets and show you the before and after shots, so you can see for yourself.

Here’s a shot that was taken from one of our NPB Digital Creation Club members (Judy Kasper). This was shot on a black background and made it pretty easy to cut out in Photoshop.

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Here’s the after shot that I created. By using the Digital Creation, I was able to just cut out the dog in Photoshop and then insert him. I’m sure that if you had this image enlarged to a 16×20 or larger….you’ll get some heads to turn.

Now I wanted to also show how this same Digital Creation could be used for subjects other than pets. You always want to try and use subjects that target your market. If you’re creating a portrait to hang in your local pet grooming salon…go with portrait #1. This will align your services with theirs.

Here’s the before image I used to create the 2nd portrait.

And once again, after about 5 minutes on this one…I created another beautiful portrait.

For more information about our club…Click Here!

Here’s 2 more shots that were created with another one of our new Digital Creations. It’s called “Summer Picnic” and it works really well.

For more information about our club…Click Here!

So…I just wanted to post these examples of how using Digital Backgrounds and Props can turn you into a professional almost overnight. Plus it gives you access to $1,000’s of dollars worth of hand painted backdrops and props that you don’t have to purchase.

…and yes I would love you to join our club and start using our Digital Creations in your business.

Even if you just add these to your existing business…I’m sure your clients will love them and you’ll start to create some buzz.

Talk to ya soon!

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Watch the short video below to see how you can follow this simple technique.

As usual…post a comment and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Another common problem new photographers have…is creating their (IM) Aka: Interest Magnet. This is a portrait to create desire for their services. Check out some of our IM’s  that we’ve created and now offer to our NPB club members.

Click Here To Check Out Our NPB Digital Creations Club

Click Here to check out our NPB Digital Creations Club.

Here’s an example of the finished portrait. Great Job Carol!

I received some questions on how to add Digital backgrounds to the WorkFlow template.

Watch the video below to to see the actual process.

Click Here to check out our Digital Creations Club!

As always…leave your comments below and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

We would all like an easier and faster way to work in our business. If you want to speed up your WorkFlow and be more productive…Watch the video below.

These Digital Backgrounds are part of our New “Urban Graffiti Collection Vol.1″.

Click Here to see more of our Digital Creations!

Let’s face it, when you’re first starting out in the photography business you have wonderful dreams of owning all the ‘best’ equipment but your budget dictates just how much money you can put towards it. You already know that if you don’t have light, you simply cannot make a photo so let’s see what you can do as a starting photographer to produce well lit images.

In this series of articles we’ll be delving into identifying what your light sources are and how to use them effectively. Natural light has been around from the beginning of time and will always be an available free resource as long as it exists. Here are some basics on natural light that you might want to consider.

Using Free Light

Many people start out by using what available light there is and one absolutely free source of great lighting in nature is the sun. Even on a rainy or cloudy day, this light is wonderful to shoot with because the clouds become a great diffuser creating more even lighting with less shadows.

Avoid Direct Sun

At times the bright sun can become your enemy and produce harsh shadows, squinted eyes and blown out details. I suggest you find yourself a shady spot and use the more diffused light from the shade to light your subject more evenly. Shooting at the right time of the day, the golden hours (either one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset), produces incredibly stunning images.

Using Window Light

Window light is another great source to take advantage of. As long as the bright sun is not coming through the window, you have another diffused lighting situation. Using window light can produce some amazingly powerful effects that will make you stand out from the crowd.

Create A Softer Light

You can also add a white  light weight sheet over the window to create a large soft light. This works just like a studio “soft box” that most studios own and use on a daily basis. We will talk more about them in a future post.

We will check out what readily available artificial light sources you have on hand that you can use to take your photography business up a notch. It can help you decide where you need to invest your hard earned dollars. For now you can use these techniques above and  receive great results that look  professional.

Until next time, happy shooting!