Today, I am interviewing two photographers who have different viewpoints, different styles, but the same wedding vows and children. Meet Travis and Jean Smith ~ husband and wife photographers who live in New Hudson, Michigan.  You will love learning more about them and from them. They even have a few tips for your photography and businesses.

Jean, how did you get started in photography?

I have always wanted to be that cool kid who says their Uncle Vernon gave them a Polaroid camera when they were seven and their love of photography blossomed from there.  Alas, I was more the teenager with a point and shoot who obnoxiously made everyone squish together for self timers all of the time.  My love and interest with photography actually began a little over five years ago when I received my first SLR camera.  It was and continues to be my number one obsession and passion.

Travis, you are an MBA and were immersed in the corporate world.  How in the world did you make the switch to photography?

Honestly, it sneaked up on me.  Years ago I went to Photoshop World because I have always loved graphic design and creating in Photoshop.  I was only remotely interested in photography and I didn’t even take a camera with me to the conference.  But, I left 110% inspired by photography and came home and told my wife that I wanted to pursue photography as a career.

Jean, your response to that?

Freaked out!!!  But, it was obvious where his passion and direction was, so I wanted to support him.  AND, he’s really, really, really persistent.

So, now you both have your own flourishing photography businesses.  Tell us about what you each shoot.  

Jean:  I mainly photograph children, families, and weddings (which I primarily shoot with Travis).

Travis:  I run two separate photography businesses, one for commercial and editorial, and the other for high school seniors.

Do you prefer natural or artificial light?

Jean:  Natural…with added flash if needed at weddings, a location I want that has insufficient natural light, or to just create a dramatic look that natural light can’t provide.

Travis:  I love and use them equally.  I love the soft, natural look of available light, but I often need/want artificial light to supplement natural light or completely change the mood of the shot.

Besides your camera, what are your favorite two pieces of equipment?

Travis:  70-200mm 2.8, Nikon sb-900 external flash

Jean:  My favorites will always be lenses.  85mm 1.8 and 24-70 2.8.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone starting out?

Jean:  I think many photographers are super eager to jump into business.  I would suggest NOT starting a business until you know you can consistently produce a full gallery of quality images to a client.  And when that time comes, don’t underprice yourself…people will pay you what you are worth.  Always price yourself for the market you are trying to attain.  Otherwise, you will find yourself underpaid and burned out.

Travis:  Shoot what you love.  Period.  If you begin making exceptions, you’ll find your schedule full of work you don’t want to do and you’ll lose the passion for why you started in the first place.  Have the courage to say no.

So, you have four little boys!  How do you balance work and family?

Jean:  One word…Outsourcing.  It has saved my sanity.

Spill a little secret.  Just a little Jean and Travis bonus…

Jean:  Let your husband quit his corporate job to pursue his passion!  No, really.  A fun little trick is to turn your 50 mm lens into an instant and super sharp macro lens by taking it off the camera, turning it around, and manual focusing.

Travis:  Do you ever wish the sun was out or in a different spot so you could backlight your subject for that hazy, summery look?  Put your bare external flash on a stand behind your subject (flash facing you) and create your own sun/flare.

Rumor has it that you are giving away a free seat at your workshop on the MCP blog tomorrow.  Is this true and who exactly is this workshop for?

Jean:  Yep, the rumor is true!  We are super excited to work with Jodi from MCP Actions for the giveaway of a free seat to our He Said, She Said Photography Workshop in September.  The details will be on her blog tomorrow, but the workshop is for beginner to professional photographers.  We will not be covering how to use your camera or basic settings, but we are happy to give resources to get you up to speed in time for the workshop.  We also are offering $150 off our workshop to any MCP customers and blog readers. Just contact us if interested!

What would one learn at your workshop?

Travis:  We are covering everything from pre-production (location, style and creativity, etc), to production (posing and working with your subject, lighting with off camera flash, etc), and finally, to post production (workflow, post processing, and everything business).   Jean and I are so excited to be offering this workshop together because where one is weaker, the other is strong, and together, we offer a complete package with tons-o-knowledge.

So, stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post to learn how you can win a free seat at the He Said She Said Photography Workshop!!

To see more of their images: Jean Smith Photography, Jean Smith on Facebook, Travis Smith Photo, Boka Studios, Boka Studios on Facebook

Interview with Audrey Woulard, Professional Children’s Photographer

Last week, I had the opportunity to interview the talented and popular Chicago Children’s Photographer, Audrey Woulard. She is known for her natural light portraiture and her ultra sharp, colorful, with shallow depth of field photography. MCP Facebook Fans sent in questions and many attended this open dialog.  Even though this was a text based live interview, Audrey’s charisma and passion for photographing children shined through.  Both professional and hobbyist photographers will enjoy and learn from reading this transcript from our live chat.

Keep in mind, I asked questions as I received them, so the questions jump from topic to topic, and are less fluid that most interviews.

MCP Actions: What tricks do you have up your sleeve to get real smiles from kids who may not be into being photographed at that moment?

Audrey Woulard: The best trick I have found believe it or not is to try to gain the attention of your subject by limiting the people in the room. That way they can concentrate on just you.   From there, I try not to have awkward silences and keep chatting away.  Eventually they open up to you.

MCP Actions: How close are you usually to your subject and is cropping usually part of your post processing?

Audrey Woulard: The distance I am in relation to my subject really depends on the lens I am using. I would say on average about a foot. It really depends on what I am going for when I snap the picture.  As a rule, I try not to crop a lot after the fact.  I take the picture as I intend to sell it.

MCP Actions: How do you get the skin of your subjects so perfectly bright and well lit, without blowing it out?

Audrey Woulard: I use a lot of natural reflectors, and I prefer to expose for my subject and not the scene. You will notice more often than not that the background blows out, and not my subjects.

MCP Actions: What if you are in a location where you can’t find good natural reflectors (like a sidewalk or wall in the right spot to reflect light). Do you ever use reflectors or fill flash?

Audrey Woulard: Although I am not personally against fill flash or reflectors, I do not use them for my work at all. I have always been successful finding light.  Even if the light doesn’t match the core body of my work.

MCP Actions: You have said that you can get good images with high ISO’s if you know how to expose properly. So what’s the trick? What exposure tips can you give us?

Audrey Woulard: That is a hard question to answer with text. I will say in these instances, when using a digital camera, that you will need to use your eye, or histogram to expose. The in camera meter in your digital camera is usually off about a stop or two, and that tends to confuse people at time.

MCP Actions: Do you spot meter? Could you explain how to spot metering, and how/when to use it?

Audrey Woulard: I spot meter yes.  I move my focal points around when shooting so when I am using spot meter, I am telling my camera exactly where I want to expose which is using the focal point to measure.

MCP Actions: How do you get such strong pop, clarity, contrast without looking too photoshopped? How on earth do you get such vivid colors SOOC?

Audrey Woulard: I shoot Jpeg. because of that, I can change in camera parameters to achieve the look I am going for. With that said, when shooting jpeg, one should be really sure of what their outcome will be. IF you’re not sure, changing the in camera parameters coupled with a poorly exposed image can result in, well crap! Its really best to shoot RAW when you are not 100% sure of your output.  When shooting RAW the in camera parameters will not register on your image.  So in those instances you can shoot RAW and use a Photoshop action for the colorful images. I know Jodi’s MCP Actions have quite a few that will help one achieve that result!

MCP Actions: Tell us about your post processing. Do you do anything in post processing?

Audrey Woulard: My post processing is really simple, it depends on the image. I will always adjust my levels to taste and then add contrast back…and depend on the image. I will burn some detail. I work on each individual image. I’m old school!

MCP Actions: I am hoping you will write a full article on this next question someone submitted but for now can you touch briefly on FOCUS? How do you get that dead-on sharp focus you are known for?

Audrey Woulard: Because I shoot very wide open, It tends to make the sharper parts of the images appear very sharp.  I tend to keep my arms very close to my body coupled with the fact that I like wide open space in front, and behind my subjects so that they can “pop” a bit.

MCP Actions: How wide do you usually shoot? for one person? for two people? for a family? for a large group?

Audrey Woulard: As a quirk of mine, I always shoot at F/1.6. unless there is a lighting instance where I can’t, such as the beach, or a VERY sunny area.

MCP Actions: You shoot 1.6 even for groups?

Audrey Woulard: With groups, I like to keep them on the same plane. For me it works with my style. For others… staying on the same plane might be boring. In those instances you definitely need to stop down.  When closing up your aperture (or using a higher aperture) you can still achieve nice shallow DOF. I do shoot groups with a 1.6 aperture.

MCP Actions: How can I reduce the noise in my photos when taking pictures in low light?

Audrey Woulard: That’s a two fold question I believe.

a.) Certain cameras just do not have the capability to handle high ISOs unfortunately, and regardless of how you expose, you will still get noise

b.) With a camera that can handle high ISOs, you must expose properly. With proper exposure, the noise is GREATLY reduced!

MCP Actions: Can you tell us about your workshops? How do they work?  What information do you teach? Can you give a workshop spot away on the MCP Blog sometime?

Audrey Woulard: With workshops I cover natural light on Day One, then I upload the pictures that I have captured that day, and post process them.  We work indoors, and outdoors. Weather permitting.  On Day Two I discuss business, marketing, etc.  There isn’t a requirement on how long, or if one should be in business, I like working with newer photographers. But, you don’t have to “unfix” things! I will definitely give away a spot on MCP!

MCP Actions: Well we will have to chat and get that arranged. I am sure many here would LOVE to attend your workshop. And even more so win one.

MCP Actions: What are your most common camera settings for newborns and infant photography?

Audrey Woulard: I don’t have a common camera setting because the light really determines the settings I use. With moving children, I like to use an ISO400 then I only have to “mentally” worry about my shutter.  Plus I still have complete control over my camera because I am shooting manual.

MCP Actions: Do you ever offer digital options, like CD/DVD to your portrait clients? How much do you charge for these options if so?

Audrey Woulard: No.  I don’t offer digital options really. I have made some exceptions for really good clients that have spent quite a lot.  I do have a digital package for a newborn and baby for $2,500 I think? But that is the only thing I offer digitally to the masses. I prefer to be a full service studio.

MCP Actions: What type of in camera settings are you using? We know you said you shoot jpg, but what actual tweaks do you do in camera?

Audrey Woulard: I shoot Nikon, so I use the “vivid” setting. There isn’t a setting like that in Canon, but you are able to tweak some settings that will give you a bit of that look. I’m not sure what they are!

MCP Actions: How many years were you in business before you found “your” style and knew your focus was going to be working with children?

Audrey Woulard: In the beginning, I was an all Black and White shooter. The kids wore white pillow case dresses, or the boys had white shirts and khakis.  After about 2 years, I realized I was bored, and didn’t like the look.  I simply wanted to do something different than what the masses were doing.  That was when I found my style about 2 years into it.  I always knew from the beginning that I would work with children.

MCP Actions: What are your sales averages per portrait session and how do you guide your clients to consistently purchase at that level?

Audrey Woulard: My average sale is over $2,000. I don’t offer a lot of products, and I try my best to present images that clients simply can’t do without and they MUST purchase them. I only sell ala carte images and not packages, so that helps as well. Its hard to really crack into that part of it during a quick chat, but keep in mind that my clientele is high end so they are expecting to spend my average or more.

MCP Actions: What do you sell the most of?  Have your sales changed the past few years because of the economy?

Audrey Woulard: I sell a lot of albums, and of course pictures. That is all I offer, so that makes it easy! My sales haven’t changed due to the economy. What did change about a year ago was the number of cold calls.  Meaning clients who weren’t referred, but that picked back up last year.  I have a very loyal client base so that helped keep things afloat in ’09.

MCP Actions: How many sessions do you do per week or month?

Audrey Woulard: I scaled back last year to 4 a week.  Now that my kids are in school full time, I have found myself booking on Thursdays and Fridays which were my off days. On average I am at about 4-5 a week.

MCP Actions: What were your greatest mistakes as a photographer?  Greatest successes as a photographer?

Audrey Woulard: Good question!

Some of my biggest mistakes were copying other photographers.  I did that a LOT in the beginning.  I used to think I was Alycia Alvarez, or Lori Nordstrom.  Doing that made it hard to find myself, and in turn had me questioning things that I liked.  I was unable to find me because I was too busy chasing another photographers every move.  Once I got into businesses, I made a mistake of trying to offer every product out there, cards, purses, jewelry, boxes.  As photographers we are such visual creatures that we tend to LOVE looking at all the stuff that is available.  When I had all that stuff listed on my website it was so cluttered, that it made it hard for new clients to focus on what was important.  My images.

A success was putting in money for my own good website.  At the time that was a template but it was still much nicer than what I had. A professional designed logo, all of those minor things really add to the perception of your business and you don’t want to go cheap on those.  Deciding to specialize was a HUGE success and I didn’t know that it would be at the time.  By specializing, I instantly become the expert to the client.  Investing in good lenses was another success.  Using cheap lenses was a failure.  And quite honestly “and no, I wasn’t paid to say this, she doesn’t know it either” a great success is having forums such as MCP live.  It’s really good to bounce ideas off of other photographers as long as you know not to compare yourself to others and instead use it as a springboard to find yourself.

MCP Actions: Speaking of lenses, what lens is your go to lens. What other favorites do you have? And what camera bodies do you use?

Audrey Woulard: My favorite lens is an 85mm 1.4. That is probably my go to lens.  Keep in mind, that I usually have enough room to use this focal length properly. Outside of that, I love my 50mm 1.4, 28mm 1.4.  I have D700, D300, D200, and D2Xs.  All Nikon.

MCP Actions: Have you every shot Canon?

Audrey Woulard: I only shoot Canon at workshops!  I use the participants cameras when I need to troubleshoot something.

MCP Actions: Which Canon lens is your favorite?  Why do you favor Nikon?

Audrey Woulard: I like that 50mm 1.2 on the 5D and up! Its sweet! Nikon feels better in my hands really and I think (don’t shoot me Canon shooters!) the lenses are sharper. (ducks from the stones!!!)

MCP Actions: Love that lens too!  And the 85 1.2. I shoot Canon – but… No worries.

Audrey Woulard: :::whew:::

MCP Actions: How much wardrobe coaching do you do? The kids in your work are always dressed adorably. How do you make that happen?

Audrey Woulard: I don’t wardrobe coach a lot believe it or not. You can really tell when you look at pictures where the photographers wardrobe coached because the kids are OVER-STYLED and the clothes all look the same.  I prefer to tell them to keep it casual.  If the parents keep it casual, and have a lot of them on hand I can go in and piece things together.  By doing that I can keep the clothing special to the client, and my pictures don’t all look the same.  Plus the kids look comfy.  So it is a win-win.  Im not a fan of the over-styled kids pictures.  I find clients purchase more when the images contain clothes they own.  I have had parents say “I would have never thought to put that together!”  Then they love the image even more!

MCP Actions: So many photographers cannot make it a full time business. They often feel competition is too great or their area too poor, etc.  You are earning a nice 6-figure income. Any advice for those of us just starting out who want to make this our job and not just as a side gig?

Audrey Woulard: Its important to be a realist when it comes to business.  I think the term “high-end” has really overused a lot due to the internet.  If one lives in an area of just 200 people, their high end isn’t going to be my definition of high end.  But that doesn’t make that photographer who lives in a small town any less high end than me.  With that said, it’s also important to know that NO ONE starts out being booked with clients to capacity.  It took me about 3 years to really declare myself “full time”  The internet has really drawn so many Photographers closer, which is great, but we must never lose sight of reality!  If you start slowly.  Build your perception properly.  By the time your name has made its rounds, you will have the proper pricing put in place, your images will display your vision, and you can move forward to making photography your job.  Get your name out there as much as you can.  If you need to do something for free, do so, but do it in the name of a program such as a silent auction.etc.  Never cheapen your work, but if you must give something away make it for a reason.

MCP Actions: What sets you apart from your competition? Do you worry about competition?

Audrey Woulard: No.  I don’t worry about competition. Easier said than done right?  What sets me apart is me.  No one can be me.  It isn’t about a prop, an action, a style of clothing, a studio, etc that sets me apart.  It’s the way that I relate to my subjects and clients coupled with the fact that I can deliver the prints they love.  That is what sets me apart.  My personality can’t be duplicated.

MCP Actions: How do you balance your friendship with other photographers? Local? and across the globe?  Has it ever hurt you or does it help you – being friends with photographers?

Audrey Woulard: That’s a tough subject for me.  I have a few very, very close photographer friends.  Those that have personally met me know I would give them the world and then some that have never met me, but have just heard of me, tend to think I am mean.  Which is sad sometimes.  BUT I can’t do anything about that. I have a few local photographer friends, but not many and that isn’t by my doing.

MCP Actions: What lenses and camera would you recommend for someone who is just starting out and does not have the funds for professional lenses & bodies? Which do you feel is more important, good lens or camera?

Audrey Woulard: A decent prime lens is a must in my opinion.  One can never, ever go wrong with a 50mm 1.8 lens on any camera body.  For Nikon, if one can swing a D90, that will last you for a bit until you find your getting more clients which is bringing you into situations where you need to upgrade.  With Canon, a 50D is great, is there a 60D now? I’m not a fan of the Rebel.  At every workshop I have Rebel shooters struggle, struggle, and struggle.

MCP Actions: How do you deal with harsh sun on those bright , sunny days? What time of day do you usually shoot?

Audrey Woulard: Harsh sun.  This will be hard to explain in text but bear with me!  I have the subject’s back to the sun and I am facing the sun.  I have to make sure that there is NOTHING behind me, anything behind me will cause the face to be underexposed.  And yes, even a parent behind you can aid in that underexposure.  If you can remember those rules you can tackle harsh sun.  For me, I don’t mind it because I make sure my position is good.  Also a camera that has the capability to dial up to a 1/8000 shutter helps GREATLY.  In regards to the times of day I like to shoot, I book 10:30-2pm because I prefer to shoot when my kids are in school.  I don’t have a favorite time of day in relation to the light.  I just have a favorite time of day to shoot so that my kids don’t ask “Where is mom!??!?”

MCP Actions: How long does it take for you to narrow down a session and then edit the images?

Audrey Woulard: If I am not on the internet I can edit in an hour. If I am on the net it takes me about a day.  For example, the session I have open in Photoshop now, has taken me 4 days.  I don’t spend a lot of time mulling over an image. I pick my favorites and move on.

MCP Actions: How do you keep your files organized and backed up on your computer?

Audrey Woulard: I have a ton of external drives! I back up on the external, then DVD, than I upload to Mozy.com.  I keep two drives attached to my computer of sessions that I have worked on over the past 6 months.  The rest are archived away.

MCP Actions: Tell us about your rubber chicken?

Audrey Woulard: LOL!!!! I know who asked that…   Ok, at a workshop they asked how I keep the attention of kids.  I said my usual “oh… well I just talk!” Well one participant pulled out this chicken.  I looked at her like.. “Um.. that thing isn’t going to work!”  She looked at me like “Umm… yes it will”  So the kids come for the workshop and I kid you not, this chicken was the hit of the workshop.  After the workshop the parents were emailing asking where they could find this darn chicken.  She was so kind to send me my OWN chicken.  I brought this chicken home and my kids lost their minds even the dog wanted the darn chicken.  It was just a plain ol’ rubber chicken, but it has kids hooked.  I’m now a believer!

MCP Actions: How much sharpening do you do? What do you do to the eyes in post processing – or is that sharpness and vividness all in camera?

Audrey Woulard: I just do a regular unsharp mask. No selective sharpening, eyes are the result of good light!

MCP Actions: How many images do you show the client? And how many do you take in a typical photo shoot?

Audrey Woulard: I guarantee 40 images, but I have shown up to 120 before.  I use small cards.  My 2gig card holds just 187 and if that card fills then I am done with the session.   Big cards aid in overshooting!

MCP Actions: What tips do you have for finding the best lighting?  Do you have any recommended readings or just to get out there and practice?

Audrey Woulard: Catchlights are always the tell tale sign that you have good lighting.  If you have a 4yr old and up take them along with you as you look for light.  Then look into their eyes to judge.  That gives you time to gain the child’s trust as well. If you are photographing a baby.. you will have to use mom.  You can always SEE the light on the face before you shoot.  You can see blown images on the faces or clothes before you snap the shutter.  Look for those basic signs, and that will get you in the right direction.  I’m more of a get out and practice type of girl, but I know that book by Bryan Peterson.. Finding Exposure or something like that is good?

MCP Actions: How do you get those incredible whites backgrounds when photographing inside?

Audrey Woulard: Most of those are in my studio.  I have white walls, and a FAB white floor.  The both just bounce light right off of each other so when I expose for the subject, the floor, and wall blow out.

MCP Actions: How did you break into commercial photography? Can you tell us more about your commercial work? What is it like?  Do you enjoy commercial photography or portrait photography more?

Audrey Woulard: Real commercial work seems glamorous but it is far from it. You loose a LOT of control. I got into because ad executives heard of me and they just contacted me directly.  I tend to focus on commercial work which are ad campaigns, and not editorial work which are magazines..etc.  With commercial work, they give you a production book on what they are looking for and want to achieve. You are usually going for just 4-5 perfect images.   However, it takes literally a WEEK to get those. They have people who are set up to make sure everything is perfect. I even had a digital tech person who changes my ISO and other camera settings for me directly from his computer.  I love portrait work more, but I like the money in commercial ad campaigns.

MCP Actions: What is your favorite commercial job? Which are you most proud of?

Audrey Woulard: I only do a few, it is not worth it for me to do smaller commercial assignments.  So I tend to do maybe 1-2 a year.  My favorite will always be Pottery Barn. We all just got along so well, and they just let me do my thing.  I am most proud of my recent IAM’s campaign.  It was VERY corporate, but when they all sent me messages saying working with me was the first time they had fun, well that meant a lot.  If you all could imaging how corporate it was.  I was on conference calls with Proctor and Gamble in a room full of 4-5 different ad agencies and I had to tell them how I was going to make the campaign a success.  Can you say pressure?

MCP Actions: If you could photograph anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Audrey Woulard: I would photograph Gwen Stefani and her and her family.  Why? They are right up my alley!

MCP Actions: After all the photography you do, how often do you shoot your own family? Do you ever hire someone to do family portraits of your family?

Audrey Woulard: I actually just photographed my boys a few weeks ago! I was telling my husband how funny that one of my favorite images from 2010  happened to be of my own boys. I did hire out a few years ago, but I decided to do it myself this past December.

MCP Actions: Who is part of your team?  Do you have a staff?  What parts of your photography and business do yourself vs outsource?

Audrey Woulard: I hire college interns when things are very busy.  I am a firm believer that one must be able to physically do all aspects of your job unless you are able to hire a HUGE staff.  I have 2 assistants that come in towards the end of summer.  They handle more admin types of things.  Calls, emails, client galleries, shipping and packing.  My clients tend to talk to me, I don’t like to appear “untouchable”. That I believe is a huge part of my brand.

MCP Actions: What photographers do you admire most and why?

Audrey Woulard:

• Trish Reda www.trishreda.com Trish is such a fabolous BW photographer who is the poster child of believing in herself and her work.

• Tara Whitney www.tarawhitney.com We are so similiar it’s crazy. She photographed my family a few years ago. My youngest tends to hate everyone, but she cracked his silence code very early!!

• Carrie Sandoval www.capturedbycarrie.com We were friends before this whole photography thing, and she was a key person in helping me identify my brand.  Because she knew me as a person, she was able to help bring it to the forefront. She has designed all my logos.

• Lori Nordstrom is another person who I admire and is a key person in helping me find my voice www.lorinordstrom.com

MCP Actions: Thank you so much Audrey! I know everyone loved learning from you today. I appreciate you not only taking the time to share with us, but also the fact that you were so open and helpful to everyone.  Any parting words?

Audrey Woulard: Thanks so much for having me, and if I can say anything to anyone it will always be… “Believe in yourself!!!”

MCP Actions: Again – THANK YOU from all of us. I hope you will find the time to guest blog and share more with my audience. They love your work and your spirit!

Audrey Woulard: I will post something on your blog for sure along with a workshop spot! Thank you so much Jodi!!!

I am excited to bring you a close up look at professional photographer, Laura Novak.  She has built a successful photography business the past 10 years and has expanded to owning 2 portrait studios with 8 photographers. Laura is inspiring and full of helpful ideas and tips for new and experienced photographers. Please read and enjoy the interview.

Ask your questions in the comment section on my blog.

Laura will occasionally reappear and answer questions from readers.  So if you have something you want to know about business, photography, or about her work and experiences, just ask…

Tell us a little about you, your family, etc…

I live in Wilmington, Delaware with my husband John and our two rescue pups Art and Gertie. We love to travel, and spend time with our families and friends. I love yoga, exercising with friends, antique shopping and cooking.

What type of photography do you do most? And what do you enjoy most and why?

I started out mainly photographing weddings, assisting a wedding photographer in college when I was living in the Boston area. After college I moved from Boston to Delaware and started my own photography business as a wedding photographer and loved all the wonderful people I met on that journey. After a few years, my wedding clients started having children and asked me to photograph their kids and this is when I absolutely fell in love with children’s portraiture. Since then, I have been photographing fewer weddings and more children – and now I book a few select weddings a year and mainly fill my calendar with families.

What is the most challenging part about being a photographer for you?

For me the most challenging part is constantly coming up with creative new ideas, products and locations that get my customers excited year after year. I’m constantly location scouting whenever I am out to find places that I think the families I photograph would like. The people who hire me have very high expectations so I am always thinking about ways that I can surpass their expectations. Just yesterday I had three pre-consultations where each client said “I’m not sure how you are going to outdo the Holiday card you made for us last year.” Talk about a challenge! I like it though, because it keeps me from getting bored creatively.

Describe your photographic style? How did you develop your style?

My style is very much inspired by the family I am photographing at that time – so I would say that my style is connected. It’s really important to me to be present during the photo sessions, to bring my heart and soul to the session and connect with my subject and tell the story of their relationships. I love to make images that tell the story of who a person is, my favorite images are often of customers I have known for a long time because I develop a relationship with the child and then communicate who they are through the photograph. I love it when a client says “wow, that is SO my child.” To me, the creative process of achieving a great image is a collaborative effort between myself and the subject.

I will say that I developed my style not by looking at other photographers’ blogs or worrying about what other people are doing. I developed my style by developing a strong relationship with my customers and talking to them over time about what best represents them photographically. My clients inspire me more than anyone else to create images that are unique and meaningful.

How many sessions do you do per month? Do you feel you want more work or are you busier than you can handle.

I photograph about 100 sessions a year, about half of which occur in the fall. That is perfect for me! I love that number – there are some people that are photographed every year and others that I will see about every other year and it’s always fantastic to catch up with a family. The children get so big so quickly, it’s thrilling when I have the opportunity to be part of a family’s legacy. The winter is a nice time to relax and enjoy a slower schedule. My associate brand, called little nest, has two retail locations, eight employees, and will photograph over 600 family portraits this year so that also keeps me very busy – providing leadership, creative direction, technical support and anything else they need help with. I love the balance between running a business with little nest portraits, as well as having a creative outlet with my own portrait sessions under laura novak photography.

Describe a typical day in the life of Laura Novak?

I usually go to yoga first thing in the morning, and then come home, hang out with my dogs and husband and answer emails while watching the news. I’ll go into the Wilmington studio around 9ish and typically have a photo session, I will select images from the previous session and transfer the editing over to our production manager. I may do some admin work, take a look at our finances (I have daily metrics I look at every day), or work on our marketing. Then I will most likely have lunch with a friend or colleague and head over to our PA little nest location in the afternoon (about a half hour away). I’ll typically answer questions and mentor the photographers over there for a while, do some errands, have any meetings or finish the day with a photo session. I love it every day.

What was your scariest moment as a photographer?

When I was photographing weddings, I once got stuck in the freight elevator bringing my gear in right as the reception was starting. That was not a fun moment! I could care less about getting stuck, but I was so scared of missing moments I was hired to photograph. The fire department came, we were freed, and the bride never found out! Oh my… I’m sure everyone who has photographed weddings has stories like that one.

What is your best photography tip?

It’s really important to me to be present during the photo sessions, to bring my heart and soul to the session and connect with my subject. Children know when you are just humoring them, or if you really care. They are very intuitive. Each time I go out, even when I’m really busy, I try to make sure that I am thinking differently about a photo that can challenge me and bring satisfaction to my creative soul. I often advise my associate photographers to shoot 90% consistent and to meet the customers expectations, and then take 10% of the photos that you are not sure if they will come out, that are risky shots to take (from an artistic perspective) and that challenge you creatively.

What is your best post processing tip?

Hire people to help! When you first start out, it’s understandable to want to do everything yourself – and I think it is an important part of the process so you can learn how to train others. Be prepared for the late hours and challenges this can bring to a personal life. But as soon as you are able to, be sure to outsource and hire help as this is the key to growing a successful company. Ask yourself, what are the jobs that can be outsourced and are those jobs really worth my time? As the business owner you should be doing the high-paying hourly jobs like photography, marketing, strategy, and sales. I think it’s helpful to have a good understanding of what is worth your time, and what is not.

The other tip is to invest is technology that will make your life easier – MCP’s actions are a great example of this. There is no reason to struggle through Photoshop or Lightroom, there are so many actions and classes to help you.

Here are some of my photos in the MCP Magic Blog It Boards.

What is your best business tip for photographers just starting a business?

Being an entrepreneur is not easy, but it’s rewarding and yields great satisfaction. There are many joyful moments, as well as stressful times, and the path can be smoothed out for yourself greatly by taking some preliminary planning steps. Before getting to far, I think it’s important to work for a variety of photographers and draw up a strong amount of working knowledge of photography as well as experience in a professional environment. It takes both professional skills, such as handling difficult situations or customer, as well as technical photography skills, to be a successful photographer. Taking a short cut in this area will create a immense amount of stress that can be avoided simply through having experience.

I really believe that the business planning step that many people skip is the most important one. After speaking and teaching to hundreds of photographers, I find that when starting a business many people want to jump right to the implementation phase of the business and then run into problems. They want to buy gear, start running ads, or twittering without any idea of who their customer is and how they want to reach them. These activities, while useful, should be the result of having a business plan but they are not a business plan in itself. Starting a business without a business plan is like going for a drive to a location you want to go without a road map (or navigation system). You may, or may not get there, but it’s a lot easier and less expensive when you have the direct route.

If used correctly, your business plan will become your guiding light as you begin your journey. Instead of stressing about questions that come up when implementing a business strategy like “what should my logo look like? Where should I advertise? What should my pricing be?,” your business plan holds the answers that are specific to your personal vision, goals, target market, and financial strategy. Most people I have talked to in my workshops (women especially) fall into the photography by accident and don’t really have a plan for what they are going to charge, how they are going to get customers, how much money it is going to take to start and when they can start taking a salary. Then they are not taken very seriously by their spouses or family and become upset or frustrated which creates conflict. It’s always best to establish expectations in advance – for yourself and everyone else in your life!

What is your best pricing tip for photographers?

Pricing is a business activity that is difficult to change once you become known within a certain range. I think a common pitfall is look around your market, and say to yourself “well treasured memories charges $1500 for a wedding, and I have less experience than them but our work looks similar so I should probably charge $1200.” When choosing that price, you are not only deciding what to charge in that moment but you are teaching your customers how to value your work – which is a longer term implication. With proper experience, training and planning, your pricing should be based on industry benchmarks of profitability and supported by strategic marketing activities that attract and retain your target customer.

What is your best business tip for established photographers?

I think one place that often trips people up is with marketing. It might be natural, when starting a business, for new photographers look and say to themselves “ok, so what works in my area marketing-wise?” Then they duplicate the look and approach of other area photographers’ marketing activities. But this is the exact opposite of what a marketing strategy proposes, as the most promising way to be successful when using a marketing plan is to differentiate yourself from your competitors while focusing on a market of people who are not currently being serviced. When people say “how do I raise my prices,?” that is how! A good plan will force you to think through those challenges before a lot of money and time is spent making marketing mistakes.

Also – Dream big. And don’t allow your current market to limit your thinking of what is possible. There will be many people who will tell you why an idea won’t work, or why your dream can’t come true. Make sure you aren’t one of them.

You have been in business for almost ten years now… What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned along the way?

When I started my business, I was very fortunate to have experienced a huge surge in interest right away. At the time I started I was offering a style and approach that was very different than what others were offering. As I experienced rapidly growing success, I was having a hard time keeping my head above water and getting everything done mistake-free. At the time there were very few offerings that expedited workflow and I underestimated the amount of assistance I would need to complete the weddings I had booked. There were many days I felt like I was letting down myself and my customers by delivering items later than I had promised, or making mistakes on print orders. After a year or so of this I had a conversation with myself (as I sometimes tend to do) about the kind of life I wanted, and what I was willing to sacrifice for my business and what I was not willing to.

I realized that I had to let go of a common business owner problem called “no one can do it as well as I can.” At this time I revamped my business plan to include pricing that would allow me to outsource and hire help, as well as began to read up on leadership so I could be the best manager I could be to my new employees. The first person I hired during this period has grown to a essential role in the success of Laura Novak Photography and since then I understood the invaluable lesson of hiring help and outsourcing tasks. I rarely work after dinnertime and weekends are very limited so I can spend time with my family.

Tell us about your businesses outside of your studio photography business? Strategy Avenue… Workshops… What was the motivation behind these?

Most photographers I have talked to women especially) fall into the photography by accident and don’t really have a plan for what they are going to charge, how they are going to get customers, how much money it is going to take to start and when they can start taking a salary. I firmly believe that if someone is talented they * need * to be charging for their time and running a strong business. Otherwise, then they are not taken very seriously by their spouses or family and become upset or frustrated which creates conflict. It’s always best to establish expectations in advance – for yourself and everyone else in your life! A business plan helps to make that happen.

I just announced a new workshop with Kimberly Wylie to take place in Dallas next February – I really love watching a photographers ‘a ha!’ moment when they realize how they can change their workflow, marketing, branding, sales or artistry to be a better photographer. Both Kim and I have many years of experience in the industry growing a photography business so we find we have lots of wisdom to share… Hopefully we can help others avoid making some of the same mistakes we did!

How can MCP readers find you? Website, blog, facebook, etc.

twitter.com/lauranovak
facebook/lauranovak
www.lauranovak.com
strategyavenue.com business plans > $100 off with the discount code “MCP”

Senior Photography: Tips and Tricks on Posing, Locations and More

With Fall coming, photographers are getting ready for photograph high school seniors again.  This style of photography is very popular in the United States and is starting to gain presence in other countries.

I’m back with another compilation of links to great MCP Actions Blog articles.  My name is Jeanine and, as Jodi wrote in my first post, I’ll be writing ‘flashback’ posts that compile links on certain topics.  I often find myself searching Jodi’s blog on topics of my current interests, or pertaining to a certain shoot, or a technique that I want to practice.  I hope these posts come in handy for you and that you can put to use my time searching and utilize all the links gathered in my posts.  This time I went to my favorite resource for help on Senior Photography.  As always, feel free to comment with topics for compilation posts that you would like to see.

I shot my first Senior this week, and it didn’t hurt a bit!  I read up on everything here on the MCP Actions Blog.  Actually I had shot one before but that was a quick mini-session with a girl on her way to prom.  This one involved multiple locations and clothing changes.  You gotta love photographing someone that doesn’t chase after squirrels and has the ability to stay just where you want them.  Working with seniors comes with it’s own challenges.  I was truly lucky that my client was very comfortable in front of the camera.  I credit these MCP Actions Blog articles with getting me more comfortable behind the camera as I break into this new market area.  Now is a great time for Senior sessions as they begin that special school year.

To get you started, or freshen up your routine with Senior Photography, try these articles.

Breaking into the Senior Photography Market

Senior Photography: How to Find Great Locations

How to Pose Seniors

Photographing Seniors {An interview with Photography by Natalie B}

What to Wear:  How to Dress Teens and Seniors for a Portrait Session

Have you ever wanted to ask a professional photographer your photography questions? Deb Schwedhelm will answer some questions posed on the MCP Facebook Page, in this installment of “Ask Deb.” If you have more questions, please leave them in the comment section for a future installment.

• I have an online client information site that details as much as possible of my business (pricing, session information, forms, etc.), as I want to make sure communication is clear and there are no questions.  Before I launched my client information site, I shared the information via PDF documents, after client inquiry.  I make sure that my clients know exactly what to expect before, during and after a photo session.

• Regarding how to handle requests, I am just honest with my clients about things.  I explain to them that editing the photographs is part of my artistry and that I’m not a photographer that releases unedited images.  I explain that if they want unedited images, I’m sure there’s a photographer out there that can provide them with that, but I don’t offer that service.

Let’s say you’ve done a shoot, then you get home, take a good look at the pictures and realize they are not great.  Honestly, you just whiffed it with a wrong camera setting or something.  Do you ask the clients for a re-do or post-process as best you can to try and fix things?

• I would edit what I could and see how many photos I ended up with (I typically show 30-35 images).  And then yes, I would definitely offer a re-shoot to the client, if I didn’t have enough quality images.  Again, I would be as honest as possible, in explaining what happened – and apologize profusely.  Hopefully, it’s a session that can be photographed again.

• This is a good time to stress the importance of mastering the technical aspects, so something like the above doesn’t happen. No one wants to go through something like that – where you have to offer a re-shoot because of an error on your part.  Re-shoots do, on a very rare occasion, still happen but it’s typically due to a sick or tired child…or something along those lines.

Your thoughts on photographers who give a full resolution digital copy of photos to clients, included in the session fee.

• Unless their session fee is priced really high, it makes me really sad.  I feel that they’re not only doing a disservice to the photography industry, but also to themselves.  I feel the photographers that do so need to take a long hard look at their true costs of doing business.  Jodie Otte wrote a great article, How to price portrait photography, here on MCP, which I highly recommend.  Another great article that addresses this subject is So You Call Yourself a Professional?

I’m an on-location, natural light photographer, who lives out in the boonies…so no studio.  I was recently told by an “expert” that I would never be able to run my business by only doing online galleries for clients to sell prints….I needed to do face-to-face to make sales.  Thoughts?  Opinions?

• There’s many different thoughts out there regarding proofing and ordering models and I’m happy to share my personal experience.  I have never offered anything other than online proofing and ordering and have been very successful with it.  I am available for in-person proofing upon client request, but that has only happened twice in over four years.

• So I can say, from first-hand experience, yes – you can run a successful business using only an online proofing / ordering system (although my business was located in San Diego and not in the boonies).  My typical sale is currently $1500-$2000.

• I know there are many photographers that swear by in-person proofing and/or projection (for increased sales); however, I just haven’t been in a place that I could offer either.  Now that I’ve moved to Tampa and all three kids will be in school, it’s something that I am considering, although I’m still undecided at this time.

How do you handle a client that is super pushy, acting like they know the business better than you (the professional)?

• Breathe!  Educate them.  And then kill them with kindness.    Honestly, that’s exactly what I try to do.

What are the best tools for a beginner to learn on (besides the camera)?

• Besides a good camera, you need a good lens.  You’ll also need some editing software.  Then, if self-teaching, you’ll need to learn, study and practice as much as possible – books, forums, online articles, blogs, workshops, peers, etc.  Take advantage of as many resources and education avenues as possible.  And then give yourself time!!

What makes a photographer a “professional”? I know a stupid question, but I really want to know.

• Great question!  A few weeks ago, Jodi of MCP did a great article on “What is a Professional Photographer.” Check it out here.

• I also did a Google search and found these articles with interesting insights on what a pro photog is:

What Makes You a Pro Photographer

How to Become a Professional Photographer

What Makes a Photographer a Professional?

I’ve never learned how to solve (or what causes) shadowed eyes.  I’d love to hear more about lighting on faces and how to get that perfect shot in any situation.

• Practice, practice, practice!! You have to teach yourself to see the light.  Shadowed (raccoon) eyes are caused by overhead light (light is above, causing the brow to shadow under the eyes).

• In general, for outdoor sessions, I prefer to shoot at 8 AM or 1 ½ hours prior to sunset time.  I also look for open shade (from a tree, building, etc.), especially when trying to do portraits in mid-day light.

• A great way to practice lighting is to have your subject stand in one place.  Take a shot and then turn them slightly.  Take a shot and turn again.  Keep repeating until the subject is back in original position.  Look at the light on their face.  And then notice that same light in the image.  This could be done both indoors and outdoors.  I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to know your light – and all it can do for you.

How do you handle the ‘business stuff’ (accounting, marketing, taxes, legal stuff, contracts, etc.).  Do you do it or does someone do it for you.  Do you earmark a certain day of the week to be strictly ‘business’ in order to get it done?  I have an extensive customer service background, but know nothing about running a business, the accounting / legal side of it and it’s intimidating!

• In the beginning, when I didn’t know any better, I tried to do it all.  I’m sure that there are photographers out there that can do it all and do it well, but I am not one of them. Different photographers outsource different elements — RAW editing, Photoshop processing, SEO, social media, book keeping, etc.

• I decided to outsource my book keeping and accounting. As a mother to three kids and husband who travels often, there is just no way that I can do it all.  I think it’s important that every photographer look at their business individually and evaluate what you can and can’t do. In the end, it’s important to remember that each photographer / photography business is unique.  Do what is right for you.

Is it important to have a blog as well as Facebook and Twitter, to attract business or are you just providing other photographers with ideas?

• A blog, Facebook, Twitter can all be powerful tools for promoting your business, if used correctly.  But I also know how challenging it is to keep up with everything.  Again, I believe you should do what is right for you (as a person and photographer) and your business.

• I’m not one that is concerned or worried about providing other photographers with ideas via my blog, Facebook or twitter.  It’s just not something that I  worry myself with; if they’re looking for ideas from other photographers and they don’t find it from me, they’ll more-than-likely find it from someone else.

After graduating college, Deb spent 10 years as a registered nurse in the US Air Force.  It wasn’t until she left the military that her career as a photographer began.  In 2006, with the support of her husband, Deb decided to pursue her dream – she purchased a DSLR camera, began teaching herself photography and never looked back.  Today, Deb has a successful child and family portrait business and in partnership with Leah Zawadzki, and they host the Wallflower Friends photographer’s retreat.  Deb recently moved from Kansas to Tampa, Florida.

This week I had the privilege of interviewing Jessica Grieves, of Bubblegum Tree Photography, and the author/designer of the new Photographer’s Kickstart program. And as a BONUS - we also have a contest where you can win the Kickstart Training Module. Scroll to the end of the interview for contest details and your chance to win. If you have ever dreamed of teaching photography, now is your chance to make an impact and money at the same time.

Jessica, tell us about your photography studio? How long in business?  What type of photography?

• I started my photography business just about four years ago when I was pregnant for my second child.  I had not gone back to work after the birth of my son and was looking for something creative I could do stay active.  I specialize in newborn and preschool age casual outdoor photography although I will occasionally pick up an engagement session or band photo just to mix things up.  About three years ago I also added in teaching beginner’s photography classes which has been great fun!  I am currently working mainly on-location although I do share a loft space downtown with some other businesses for times I need to meet with clients or need a starting point for urban photo shoots.

What was the moment you knew you were meant to be a photographer?

• I never really had an “ah-ha” moment where suddenly I knew.  After the birth of my son photography was so much more important to me and like everything I do, I did it 110%.  I went to workshops and classes and studied online so that I could improve my technique and my technical know-how.  I started out really just wanting to take better pictures of my own family and stumbled into a photography business.  There are few things I can think of that are as important as having photographs of your family – both portraits and candid – that can be reflected upon as time marches on.

How did you get started teaching photography classes to moms?

• A few years ago I was asked to be a guest speaker at a mother’s share group in my area to talk about taking better pictures of your own children.  For that talk I developed my “10 Tips for Photographing Your Kids” which worked out to be about a one hour talk.  Perfect for a mom’s group.  After I gave that talk to a couple of other moms groups, I started getting email requests to offer a more detailed class that went over how to use their cameras too.  Given the explosion in DSLRs and that the price to attain one keeps going down, more and more moms have these “fancy” camera and use them essentially like a point and shoot.  I met with a few moms that were interested in learning more about how to use their camera as a focus group to find out what they really wanted to know, and built a class around that.

• I make between $250-$800 for every three hour class I teach – and the best part is that now that my materials are created, I spend almost no time outside of the class doing prep work which means my hourly rate for a class runs from $60-$200/hr depending on the number of participants in a class and including travel time.  Figure out your hourly rate for a portrait session and for most of us, this is a GREAT add-on income (I usually consider $45/hr my “take home” from a portrait session so I love the classes because it works out to a higher hourly rate in most cases).

How long have you been teaching and how has the class changed?

• Back before I was a photographer, I actually traveled the country teaching a programming class and then started working internally for another company teaching their staff how to use new software we were implementing so the teaching part comes naturally to me.  I’ve been teaching this beginner’s photography class in some form for the last 3 years.  I’ve updated the slides over time as I see areas where I get a lot of questions or that are topics that are harder to understand.  I also recently added in some more advanced topics for those moms that are maybe a little ahead of the pack.

What is the Photographer’s Kick Start: Training module?

• Over time I had a number of photographers contact me to ask me questions about my training materials and formula for pricing my classes. When it got to a the point where I had multiple photographers asking me in the same week, I knew there was a need for a product to help get them started in creating their own training program. To be honest, I think the biggest hurdle in creating a beginner’s photography class is putting together the class materials.  I know I spent considerable time coming up with an outline and building a presentation.  It is much easier to customize something to use for yourself, than to start from scratch.   There was a huge trend in photographer’s offering classes to moms as a way to generate extra revenue – especially during those months where portrait sessions are light.  January was a HUGE month for me for photography classes because it seemed everyone got a new camera for Christmas.  So I went back and took a hard look at my training materials, and from there built a full product that photographers could purchase to use as a foundation to offer photography classes.

Who is the Photographer’s Kick Start: Training module designed for?

• The package is designed for photographers who want to start teaching photography classes to moms in their market.  The materials include a 55+ slide Powerpoint (and Keynote) presentation with detailed speaker notes covering tips for photographing your children, the elements of exposure, the basic camera modes, and lenses in addition to the advanced material covering shooting in Av mode, manual mode, and changing your focus point (the three areas I am most frequently asked to cover when I teach advanced classes).  In addition, all the PSD files for the slide background and all the diagrams are included so you can customize them to match your branding.  And there are additional materials to help you with pricing, marketing, and customizing the materials for different audiences.  The materials can be completely used as they come but I recommend that you personalize them with your own family photos to make it easier for you to talk about the photos.

What is the price of the Photographer’s Kick Start: Training module?

• The retail price for the materials is $299 and includes a one year listing in our online photographer’s directory at iwanttoshootmykids.  The directory is already sending potential customers to photographers offering classes.  However, readers of the MCP Actions site can use the discount code “mcpactions50″ to save $50 off the retail price.  You should be able to make back the purchase price with your first class.

To enter: Add your comment to this interview post (not on Facebook) and let us know why you might want to teach basic photography skills to new camera users in your area. The winner will be picked at random on Sunday. If you decide to buy now, and you win, your purchase price will be refunded!

Plus get bonus contest entries:

Photography Style: How to Define Your Look

by Angie Monson of Simplicity Photography

I a so happy to have Angela Monson back on the MCP Blog.  You can check out my Interview with Angela Monson and the Q&A with Angie from last fall.

I think the key point to defining your style is to give yourself TIME to create what you think is perfect for you. So many times photographers start out just doing what everyone else is doing and don’t actually think about what really clicks within them. We all had to start somewhere so I think it is perfectly normal to be inspired by others. This may last a while, but for me it got old really quickly. I really wanted to stand out and set myself apart, not only with the look of my photographs but educationally as well. We will never know it all.

1. Continue to learn as much as you can. This benefits the journey of discovering your style. Then you have the knowledge to make your ideas come to life.
2. Give yourself time to define your style.  This allows you to feel open and free. When it is time and you will find exactly what you want for yourself.
3. Explore aspects of life that aren’t photography related. These will inspire the look of your photographs.
4. Defining your style changes over time. You will redefine your style often to keep fresh, excited, and different. I feel at this point in my career that I am in the middle of totally redefining my style. I am just plain bored of my work and the  things that used to inspire me have changed over the years. I am ready to redefine my style. It is always evolving in my eyes.
5. Shoot monthly just for yourself. I have started to shoot once a month just for me and it really has helped me love my job again. It allows me to be creative on a level that I feel is more difficult with a paid client since they are paying you for what is on your website.
6. Styling shoots on your own and dreaming up shoots in your mind are the building blocks to creating your perspective of beauty/art/etc.
7. I would encourage those that are struggling with their style to stop looking at other photographer’s blogs and just go out into the world and discover what is around you with fresh eyes.
8. Think about what YOU want as a photographer and what you have to offer. I think so many people worry about what they think their clients want instead of what you want as an artist. There is a photographer for everyone. Your style will appeal to someone and if you don’t put it out there they won’t know it is available.

As cheesy as it may sound, don’t live another day living for someone else only live for yourself. You will love what you do.

Angie Monson, of Simplicity Photography, is a child, senior and wedding portrait photographer in the Salt Lake City, Utah area.  She is known for her vibrant colors and crisp photographic style.  She is ever changing her look so she can grow as a photographer.

In the past few months I have done a number of FAQ posts on Photoshop actions and training, as well as having FAQ sections on my website to answer the most common questions. Erin Peloquin, who is working on converting some popular MCP Photoshop actions to be compatible in Elements, asked if she could interview me.

Her questions were a bit different than other interviews I’ve done, and I think you may learn some about how MCP operates reading them.

She asked me everything from “what is my favorite thing about my job?” to why I only create a few Photoshop action sets a year. Plus much more….  To learn how I make Photoshop actions and a bit of history on MCP, read here.

Tell us a little about you, your family, and your kids?

My name is Heather Armstrong. I couldn’t imagine living in a better moment than now! I love my life & all that it as become! I am a wife. I have three amazing kids–Conner-11, Kira-8, & Madison-7. And I am photographer. My website is www.heatherarmstrongphotography.com.

What first inspired you to pick up a camera and start taking pictures?

So many people say this, but it’s so my story too. I was first inspired to start taking pictures with the birth of my children! I wanted to capture every little minute of their lives!

Tell us where you met Jodi of MCP?  When and how did your eBay hobby began? What types of things did you sell on eBay?

Jodi & I go way back! Let’s start with my eBay business. I started out selling retired Thomas the Tank Engine trains to build my son’s train collection. It was fun, taught me some of the ropes of ebay listing/shipping/html, etc. Then my daughter was born…. I received a beautiful Baby Lulu bunting gown. It was gorgeous! I looked for more Baby Lulu around town, and in my searching someone mentioned checking eBay. I had NO idea that children’s clothes were sold on eBay! It pretty much all started there. I wound up finding a local boutique in Castro Valley, CA, who carried Baby Lulu, and she would have me sell Baby Lulu on eBay! That is when I met Jodi. I would sell to her when her girls were toddlers. I also would have her find me exclusive pieces from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale– I met Jodi all because of Baby Lulu!

How did your eBay hobby help you with your photography?

In order to successfully sell high-end boutique clothing items on eBay, I felt that the items needed to be modeled. My daughter, Kira, who was about 2, at the time, would pose & model the outfits for me. I started out with a Kodak Digital Camera, and eventually bought the Canon Rebel. I was an “auto” shooter and honestly found an excitement with taking the photos & learning what worked & what didn’t work. I always preferred shooting outdoors, although when the Spring/Cruise lines would ship, in January, & we would have to model bathing-suits, it was just too cold.  A once eBayer, now photographer, Carrie, of EMA Photography, was selling a High-Key Guide. I bought it, and learned high-key. I only had a studio set up for eBay. Another, once eBayer, now photographer, Shannon Stewart of Madison Ave Photography, was selling a Key to Natural Light Photography Guide, so I bought it, and pretty much from those two sources learned a few techniques, and photographed & sold lots & lots of clothing!

Tell us about your work with clothing stores and having your daughters model for stores? How did it work? How could others get into this if they desire?

With the amount of exposure Kira was getting on eBay, I would occasionally get e-mails from ladies who were selling custom clothing items on eBay, to see if Kira would model their item, for a trade. Kira’s first big job was with BabyGassyGooma, that gained her a little bit of exposure, and then we got an e-mail from Britchinpost to see if Kira would model for the store. We modeled for Britchinpost for about two years, and with some ownership changes ended up no longer working for that store. In the meantime, one of my close eBay friends opened up an on-line boutique, Little Posh Princess, and asked if both Kira & Madison would model for her. We’ve been with LPP now for around four years now. Modeling for the boutiques came so effortlessly, so as far as putting Kira out there, that just wasn’t her story.

Photographers could totally get into it if they desired. Boutiques always need models. Kids grow up way too fast. I would suggest sending in pictures of your child wearing the boutique’s brands of clothing. Make connection with the boutique owners. Build relationships with the owners, so that they can trust sending out their clothes!

When did you know you wanted to be a photographer beyond your work with eBay and kid’s clothing stores?

We lived down in the Bay Area for seven years & my husband owned a construction business. The market went flat, and we lost the business. In having to basically start over, we decided to move up to Redding, CA, as the cost of living is much less. My husband ended up taking a pastor’s job, and that meant I would have to work. I ran into an old friend, I was trying to get a job at a local restaurant and she looked at me and said “I don’t feel like you will have to waitress; I really think you are going to find photography!” That was about two years ago today….

Describe your photographic style? How did you develop your style?

Developing my style has taken time, I honestly still feel like I am still “in process”! Confidently saying that “I am a Photographer,” feels so empowering. I never thought I would say those words!
I would say that my style is candid & simple. Every time I go on a shoot, I say a quick prayer… “Lord, help me capture the heart of this family/individual. Help me to capture them the way You see them…”

How many sessions do you do per month?  Do you feel you want more work or are you busier than you can handle?

It varies month to month. Typically I do about 12-15 shoots a month and one wedding. I would love more work, but at the same time, I really feel that my time with my children is so short, that it’s most important to take time for them.

What type of photography do you most enjoy and why?

My favorite photography are children and seniors. My confidence is stronger in those areas of photography, so I honestly feel like is why I am drawn to those subjects. I love the change up’s especially with Seniors. And Seniors, 99.9% of the time, really want their pictures taken, so they are REALLY into working it & being willing to have a ton of fun.

What is the most challenging part about being a photographer for you?

Right now, honestly, pricing.

What photographer inspires you the most?

Brianna Graham – She has been a springboard for launching my photography.

Bride and groom in front of a building

What makes you stand out as a photographer?
This is hard, Jodi.. Capturing the heart. Capturing a deeper part of who that person, family, couple are.

Describe a typical day in the life of Heather Armstrong?
6:30 Get Up/Get Ready
7:30 Get Family/Kids out the door
7:30-10:00 Catch up on e-mails/blog/close out orders/have coffee with a friend
10:00 shoot
12:00 lunch
12:30 edit
2:30 pick up kids/hang with kids
or if I have an afternoon shoot this would be the time & kids would hang in daycare (which they love)!
4:00 if kira & madi need to model–shoot
5:00-8:30 Family Time
8:30-9:15ish–husband time
9:15-12ish–working/blogging/emailing

Nikon or Canon? Primes or Zooms? Mac or PC? iPhone or Blackberry? Lightroom or Photoshop?

Canon — 85mm 1.8/70-200 2.8/50mm 1.2.
iPhone
Photoshop
Both Mac & PC.. wanting to convert to Mac 100%… Right now just a Mac Laptop

What can you tell us about your workflow once you take the card out of your camera to process images?  Do you use actions, presets, prefer hand processing or a mix?
I shoot RAW, convert images to jpeg through ACR Bridge, touch them up using actions. Every photo ends with MCP’s Powder Your Nose action! I don’t know what I would do w/o that action! It has literally changed every photo.

What MCP photoshop actions are your favorites?

I use Magic Skin: Powder Your Nose action on every image.  I love the Eye Doctor and Dentist actions. And for preparing and sharing on the web, I love the Magic Blog It Boards, and they save me so much time.

Describe your dream location to do a photo shoot?
Italy

Who in this world would you most like to photograph?
Amy Grant

Can you share your most treasured photograph with us and tell us why?

Receptions at weddings are always moving quickly. This shot was meant to focus on the bride & her sister & it focused on this little girl. It brought me back to being a child & dreaming of being a bride one day & just capturing the innocence of romance that little girls have.

Young girl at a wedding

Can you tell us something about you that nobody knows?
I have never made a wedding album! That is about to change.

If you could tell one thing to MCP readers that you have learned that you want them to remember, what would that be?
You are the best at being you! Be the best YOU that you can be! Don’t sell yourself short! You are talented & gifted! Take your gift & reach for the stars.

Last week I interviewed Angela Monson of Simplicity Photography. To read this interview click here. Readers were allowed to ask questions and Angie picked 10 to answer below. Here are the questions and answers:

Susan wrote: Beautiful! I like to post-process a great deal, as well. My question is: Do you post-process every image for your clients before they see them? Does this take absolutely HOURS? Or do you narrow down to just a few favorites? Thanks!

Susan, I do process my images print ready for my clients to view. I know many people just do slight edits and then fully photoshop when they order, but a lot of my clients order the CD after they have made their order so I like to have them 100% ready! Also, I don’t think I could show them an image that wasn’t fully photo-shopped because I think clients have a hard time seeing the end result unless you SHOW them. People are visual.

Agata wrote: Angie your work is fabulous! I have been your fan the minute I saw your piece of art which is a year ago. This is also when I decided to change my job and to start as a photographer. My only question is: When can we expect a workshop? I would love to attend one!Please, please, please!

I wanted to answer this one because I get a lot of emails about workshops! I think one day I will teach them, but it is a huge time commitment and honestly I am 100% scared to teach one! I have done one on one mentoring and that freaks me out enough! I am thinking in a year or two when I cut back on photo sessions I will offer them! I will keep you posted on my blog!

Wendi Chitwood wrote: Angela… I just love your work, it is so original. 1… Will you be my best friend? 2… Do you have any tips for keeping yourself on track with your workflow? I find it hard to keep myself motivated while working at home with the demands of being a Mom, etc.

Again, I am all over the place, but one thing I am good at is keeping my word with my clients. If I say your images will be ready in 2 weeks, I mean it. It takes me 2-3 hours to edit a session so I just set aside time to edit them when my kids are at preschool, sleeping, or playing with daddy. I really just sit down and say okay, edit this session and then I can play or have a big bowl of ice cream! I just feel better when the work is done. Believe me, it’s hard but people are counting on me so I try hard to follow through.

Stacy I wrote: Angie– I am a fellow blu client, which is how I discovered your work. Amazing, of course. Soooo not the first person to tell you that! But I would love if you’d answer all these questions about clothes. I try so hard to urge people to be creative with their wardrobe—encourage patterns, texture, and color—but I can’t get my clients to think outside the box! If I see one more child dressed in head-to-toe GAP, I will seriously barf all over my laptop.

I love this question. I just love clothes so it comes somewhat naturally to me. If it doesn’t come natural to you, check out fresh new ideas from Cookie magazine, Crew cuts online, American eagle 77 kids, mini boden, etc. Watch closely how they style their photo-shoots. I really try to dress kids bold, with lots of texture. I think the biggest thing I try to do is create contrast, for example Put a fancy dress with converse… or deck out your kid in funky crazy clothes and take a picture of them next to a cow on a farm… you know what I mean, the unexpected. That is what makes people take a second glance. If you have pictures on your website that aren’t the type of clothing you want to shoot, take them off! Only blog and put on your website the type of photo shoots you are willing to do. It really helps clients find cute clothing and understand your style.

Alexa wrote: I have a question… When you say you developed your style through life, workshops, visualizing ideas, etc, exactly what does this mean? I guess what I’m asking is, is developing a style something that just happens overtime, or do you need to work at it? Would you say how you process your images is a big part of it as well? What tips would you give someone looking to “find”/develop a style? I love your work and thank you for sharing with us! Can’t tell you how much I love seeing before and afters!

I think it does come over time. When I first started photographing children I took ALL my inspiration for other child photographers, now I trust my gut more and find my own inspiration in so many different ways. I have so many ideas lately and I find it hard to execute them because of little time.

Kyla Hornberger wrote: Ditto everything above. You’re amazing and I am just thrilled to read anything I can about you and your art. You make it sound SO easy. I would love to learn how you saturate your color and keep it so pristine. Also, why is the 85mm your favorite? I have a love/hate relationship with mine right now! And ONLINE workshop would be so wonderful for us hermits with no way out! Hope you win Photog of the year! Thanks!!!!

I just love shooting wide open at a 1.8 with the 85mm and it is the perfect range for me. I do love getting surroundings in the image but I mostly want to focus on the subject and the 85mm helps me do this. The only thing I don’t like about the 85 is that you can’t get super close to your subject and interact with them like a wide angle lens.

Robbie Gleason wrote: Beautiful work! I’ve been a fan for a long time! I’d love to know how you use the burn tool, or if you use it, on your images.

I do use the burn tool at about 20% on mid-tones or 10% on shadows. You have to be careful with the burn tool though so keep the diameter of your brush large to keep it looking consistent.

Lindsie wrote: Wow! Your work is amazing and inspiring. I actually have two questions. First is, do you use actions for your black and white processing? And my second question is about how long would you say you spend editing a typical photo shoot? Thanks!!!

I do use a few actions – for black and white I sometimes use BAMF 8bit from TRA.
I also use Noiseware Professional.

I usually spend 2-3 hours editing a session. I show 30-40 images for kids sessions and 50-60 for family sessions. Some family sessions can take 3-4 hours if I have a situation where the lighting wasn’t great.

Cindi wrote: I also am interested in how you use light on location, especially with kids who tend to run all over the place. How do you choose your locations, what do you look for, how do you light your subject? Any tips for interacting with children?

It’s always a struggle with little kids! I just try to sit them on something and distract them with toys or lots of noise! I have an assistant to help me get their attention so I can focus on composition, light, and settings on my camera. It helps a lot! Bring a treat or prize if you can, make sure it is okay with mom and dad first. I really just try to make sure they have catchlights in their eyes, that way I know it’s good light and I can shoot wide open (the camera has a hard time focusing on shadows, so make sure you have those catchlights!).

Maranda wrote: Thanks for sharing Angie, I always find your work a great source of inspiration. My questions is what type of studio lighting do you use and what is your studio lighting set up?

I have all alien bees lights. I shoot one light with a large softbox. I do also have a beauty dish from alien bees that I love as well. I am starting to shoot with two lights, but it is a work in progress. I just really like the shadows from one light but sometimes it’s hard to get your subject to stay still in that perfect position!

Thanks for the fun questions! Good luck to everyone!
Peace out,
Angie