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WOW! It’s Memorial Day Weekend…my kids are close to being out of school and Summer is here! AMAZING! How does time fly by so quickly? I’ve been flooded lately with tons of emails and questions from you…and I thought I better do a blog post to get as many of them answered as possible. So here we go?
Your photos are always crystal clear and sharp is there a lens that works better to produce perfect focus & sharpness? Also, would love to know how you prepare images for print vs. web. In terms of post processing- do you do anything differently? Thank you for your time! Thank you for your question. So I primarily use an 85L lens …it’s on my camera about 90% of the time! I love this lens because of the aperture…it offers wonderful bokeh and I really do think that it helps with the sharpness of my images. I also think that there are a few other things that I focus on in order to get very sharp images!
In camera!
- Shoot in RAW: Shooting in RAW mode allows you to save every bit of detail that the camera captured, and it gives you the ability to look at all of the camera’s settings, and change them after the fact. If you captured an image in raw mode you can go back a year, even five years later, and change your decisions on a variety of camera settings. This means that you are able to get the most out of your lens and camera and if you have a lens that is super sharp, then shooting RAW will help maximize that. (Now I don’t always shoot RAW) but it does help
- Focal Points: Use them. The center focal point is the strongest one, and I would aim it at the corner of the eye. My personal view that is if the eyes are sharp, then the rest doesn’t matter as much.
- DOF (depth of field): This is very important when shooting more than one subject. If you have a 5 member family you dont want to shoot 1.2 or even 2. So if you have 5 people I would shoot at a 5 or 7 depending on your light. Shooting “wide open” will mean that less of your composition will be in focus.
- Fixed/Prime Lens are Sharper: This means that if you really want sharp images, you need to use a prime and not a zoom. (I know that there are photogs who get super sharp images with zooms)
- ISO matters: The higher the ISO the more noise you will have which will affect the sharpness…and ISO deals also with lighting, it’s really important to make sure that your subjects are properly lit..it will make a HUGE difference in your image
Post Processing:
- Keep images at the size you’ve shot in…meaning don’t crop too much. That always has an affect on the sharpness.
- Brighten and Contrast: Using this tool will help create a sharper feel to your images
- Always sharpen for web: I always do this, I use an action from Paint the Moon she has several for web and facebook. This will make a huge difference in the way your images appears on the web which is where your clients and future clients are viewing your work.
- High Pass Filter: I use an high pass filter in PS to sharpen my image overall! Keep posted and there may be a quick tutorial on this in the near future!
I feel this is my lifeline with you all…to share with you the fun things that happen here on a day to day basis!
Could you give details about what props/materials you use the most in a newborn session… such as what type of bean bag and how full it is, how large your materials are for backdrops, your backdrop stand, etc. also, i would love to hear about how you started off marketing yourself to build up a client base. i am just starting out and am having a very hard time getting work. it seems like the market in my area is just too flooded with photographers that are already well known. how can someone like me break into the photography world?
My go to props for newborns are as follows: I have a huge bean bag (the Newborn Nest) you can get these online and then you have to fill them yourself. I have a Bobby and a curved pillow. I use two space heaters & white noise makers to help keep the surroundings perfect for the little babe. I have loads of blankets (I would make sure they are not patterned and that they don’t have a sheen) textures are great! I also have lots of stuff to put babies in..baskets, crates etc…but I will warn you, prop aquireing is expensive and addictive! Just be careful!
For my marketing ideas! The main thing is this…be confident! You have to be super confident in what you do and what you offer! If you question it, then others will too. I make sure I offer the best product and the most amazing service..this helps with the word of mouth! I have never paid for advertisements…I am not afraid to talk about what I do. I mention it to everyone! I use every opportunity to promote myself and my work! You have to do whatever you can to set yourself apart from the “shoot & burn” photogs…what makes you different and do it exceptionally well!
Which lab do you use – and what are some of your best selling products?
I use both Mpixpro and WHCC I love them both for different reasons. There are a number of great photography labs…but these are two of what I think are the best. My best selling products are as follows: 5×7 prints, 24×36 canvas galleries & 10×10 albums! I sell these probably in 80% of my viewing sessions.
Are you glad you have your studio? What are the pros & cons?
Yes, I love my studio…it’s been a huge adjustment, but I love having the space for all my props and for my clients to have a place to come and view their images. I love having a physical presence in our community and I love having a place to go to, to work. I also love having a place to hold my workshops and training. I also enjoy being able to give clients both types of images..studio and on location…such as the session below!
This is one of my JOY (Just One Year) babies…here she was as a newborn
She is one of the PRETTIEST babies I have ever photographed! Here are her 6 months
Have a great weekend!