Tips for After Your First Portrait Portfolio Building Session by Pamela Topping

Yesterday I discussed 7 tips for your 1st portfolio building session.  Today I will give you some more ideas on what to do after you photograph your 1st “big shoot.”

1. Learn from Your Photos

Examining your images is the best way to develop your talent. Assess both technical and creative aspects of your photos. Vital technical elements are proper focus, exposure, composition, contrast and temperature. Likewise, significant creative components include emotional appeal, story telling and the overall message behind the capture. Additionally, post in a photography forum for critique because fellow peers with a trained eye offer the ideal feedback to grow as a photographer. However, do not let negative comments discourage you. Remember that art is subjective and rarely results in consensus.

2. Choose Compelling Images

Keep your portfolio consistent by displaying your best work only. Sharing fewer images is more desirable than throwing in mediocre captures with rockstar photos. This way, prospective clients gain confidence in your abilities and book sessions.

Make your portfolio easy to navigate by avoiding black & white copies of each color photo. Show a variety of both, but keep your galleries interesting and refrain from repeating photos.

Equally important, consider your target market. If your niche is portraits for children, do not post wedding photos.

3. Showcase Your Work

Word of mouth is the most effective way to boost popularity. In addition to uploading watermarked web-sized images to client galleries, post the session on social networks and tag your clients in the photos. Since an online presence often generates more clients, feature your best images from the session on a blog post.

4. Price Yourself Accordingly

Offering free shoots and photo CDs for friends is a great way to practice. In an informative blog post, renowned wedding photographer Jasmine Star recalls this method for learning her camera.

The ideal time to put together your portfolio is after mastering your camera. At this point, the process of building a business begins. The optimal scenario is informing clients of regular session and product pricing while offering discounted portfolio building rates. Advertising an expiration date for the reduced prices prevents clients from experiencing sticker shock.

The economics principle of opportunity cost explains the reason behind charging while portfolio building. Your time is worth the amount you could be making elsewhere, contingent upon the opportunity. Doing unpaid work is costing you money that you could be making at a paid job. Similarly, since product value is correlated with money, clients are more likely to appreciate a digital portfolio package when they pay for it.

Have Fun

Enjoy this new stage in your photography career. Spark your creative vision. Love, laugh and photograph!

Pamela Topping is a bilingual natural light portrait photographer and USC alum. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and three year old daughter. Check out Pamela’s blog www.pamelatopping.com and Facebook page.

7 Tips for Your First Portrait Portfolio Building Session by Pamela Topping

Are considering going from hobbyist to professional? If so, you will need a portfolio.  One great way to build a portfolio is to offer sessions to family, friends and even people you meet while out. Once you schedule a portfolio building session, here are tips for what to do next…

• Tip 1: Prior to the session, email and explain the Model Release to the client to save time. Make sure the Model Release is signed before you start shooting.

• Tip 2: Look through fashion magazines beforehand for creative posing, makeup and wardrobe inspiration. You can even put these into a small notebook to keep while you shoot.

• Tip 3: Accessories and props can add an interesting factor to an image. Popular choices include hippie headbands, knit hats, scarves, parasols, pettiskirts and jewelry. For a clean and simple look, use less than three accessories at a time.

• Tip 4: Bring a portable chair or step stool to obtain images from above. This is a flattering angle for all subjects.

• Tip 5: To make sure no ideas are left out, refer often to your pre-written list of poses.

• Tip 6: For children’s portraits, maintain a balance between balance taking charge and going with the flow. Use their high energy level to your advantage. For example, the subject in the portrait below walked away, but I fell in love with her tiny toddler footprints. I cropped out my helper – rest assured that this little one was safe.

• Tip 7: And most importantly, when your subject moves into the most perfect beautiful light, hold them hostage in that spot!

Pamela Topping is a bilingual natural light portrait photographer and USC alum. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and three year old daughter. Check out Pamela’s blog www.pamelatopping.com and Facebook page.

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