MCP Thoughts

Categories

lululemon bag costume 3

Set Your Goals – Then You Can Achieve Them

If you want something bad enough, set a goal and make it happen. If you believe you can do it, you can and will.

ba2

A Different Kind of Before and After

Rather than the usual Photoshop or Lightroom before and after, learn how I spent the last year becoming a before and after myself — via a change in my lifestyle.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

5 Reasons to Travel with a Smaller Camera on Family Vacations

Next time to you travel on a family vacation, decide if that bulky, heavy camera gear is truly the best choice… And consider leaving it behind.

Screen Shot 2014-12-31 at 11.32.25 AM

A Photographer’s Parody of a Taylor Swift Song

“Make You Look Like Taylor” – Blank Space Parody I’ve always been a fan of satire, especially parody songs I can relate to, such as Weird Al’s eBay Parody Song…. Well, now there’s one by Dabe Shores of Love Dot Photography — made for photographers.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If you…

Ellie photo shoot-44

How to Capture Emotion and Personality in Photos of Your Teens

Learn my tips and tricks for capturing images that show the personality of your subjects.

photography humor

Funny Friday for Photographers

If you love funny photography humor, check out our attempt at making you chuckle. We may not be real comedians, but you’ll likely relate and enjoy.

camera-data

The Most Valuable Photography Learning Tool… And It Is Free

While practice is the best way to improve your photography, there’s a learning tool you need to take full advantage of each click of your shutter.

bald-eagle-alaska

Edit Faster With My 15 Seconds Per Image Lightroom Workflow

If you want a quick, efficient way to edit your images, we are here to help you edit faster using our 15 seconds per image trick!

Cover Photo

The Plastic Senior: Enhance Beauty Without Over Processing

DO NOT TAKE POST PROCESSING TOO FAR! Here’s why you should make sure you do not over-process pictures of high school seniors.

redefining-perfection-title-600x400

Stop Following the Rules of Photography to Start Capturing Photos You Love

Why Lindsay Williams stopped following the rules of photography, and why you should too, in order to get “perfect” photos that you love.

LindsayWilliamsPhotographyFeaturePhoto-600x400.png

Finding Balance: 4 Tips for Juggling Career, Family, and Photography

When photography is not a full-time job, finding the right balance in life can be hard. Lindsay Williams of Lindsay Williams Photography offers advice on how to manage a career, a family, and a passion for photography whether you are a hobbyist or a part-time professional.

rp_occupations-of-photographers-600x600.jpg

The Hidden Occupations of Photographers

While it’s a photographer’s job to take amazing images and edit them beautifully, sometimes the demands from customers make photographers feel like they are doctors, magicians, and even plastic surgeons.   If you’ve ever had a customers request that you make them thinner, younger or alter their appearances, you’ll enjoy this sharable graphic we made…

infused-light71-600x400.jpg

An Extremely Controversial Photo of Siblings

When the word “controversial” pops into your head, is this image what you’d be picturing? Probably not! I had posted this image on the MCP Facebook Page in February showcasing our newest Lightroom presets (InFusion and Illuminate).  I never expected to hear anything except, “cute kids” or “how did you do that?” or “great save.”…

mcp.jpg

The Naked Truth Exposed: How Photographers Price Photography

  The Naked Truth Exposed: How Photographers Price Photography There is no right or wrong answer on how photographers should price their prints, digital goods or session fees! Most photographers find that pricing photography is the most difficult aspect to owning a photo studio.  It’s easy to under charge when you start out and soon…

Screen-Shot-2014-02-18-at-9.58.19-AM-600x435.jpg

Should Photographers Make Subjects Look Like Magazine Models?

How far is too far when it comes to slimming, smoothing, and altering your subjects in Photoshop? As photographers we decide how far to go every time we edit photos. My personal Photoshop retouching philosophy is to edit temporary things if a customer wants, such as reducing acne and smoothing out skin, but to leave…

protogapps.png

Top 5 iPad Apps for Professional Photographers

Tools like the the iPad and other tablets give you the ability to e-mail clients, schedule shoots, present and sign releases, check the weather for shoots, proof photos, show clients virtual samples, take payments and much more all one one sleek and professional device! If you’re a photographer with an tablet, here are some iPad…

JodiwEllieJenna.jpg

A Lot Has Changed In The Past 12 Years: Happy Birthday Ellie and Jenna

Happy Birthday to Ellie and Jenna!  12 years ago today, I heard the most precious sounds I will ever hear… the sound of your lungs screaming “hello” to the world.  And although it did not quite sound like “hello” (more like “eeeeeeeeeeh eeeeeeeeeh”), it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I can…

accurate-600x362.jpg

The Importance of Setting Accurate Expectations for Photography Customers

Recently, I received a call from my sister-in-law who had a baby in September. To protect the identity of the baby and photographer, I will refer to the baby as “D” and the photographer as “X”. Her: “I had Baby D’s photo taken but I am not happy with the pictures.” Me: “What aren’t you happy…

31lcdZjiiZL.jpg

Holiday Gift Ideas for Photographers + A Few Free Goodies

Are you stumped when it comes to buying a gift for the photographer in your life?  Whether you want to buy a gift as a token of thanks for the photographer who took your family photos or you want a gift for someone special in your life who loves taking pictures, we have you covered.…

four-choices-600x475.jpg

FAQ: How To Get These Looks in Photoshop

“How do you get these looks in Photoshop?” After posting this image on Friday, we got many inquiries asking exactly how we achieved each of these three looks using MCP Inspire Photoshop actions.   Rather than list every step out here, we thought it was easier to share our MCP Inspire Overview Video Tutorial with…

four-choices-600x475.jpg

What Is Your Favorite Look or Editing Style?

Do you have an editing style or look you love for your images? Close your eyes and imagine your ideal look you want for your images.  Now describe it – to yourself, to us in the comments, or to a friend.  What is the style you want for your photos? Perhaps you already know the…

Categories

Recent Posts