Photography Blog

Chris Marshall asked:




Are you an amateur photographer? Do you enjoy taking digital photos? Do you have good quality digital photos to share with others? You can do that and also make some extra money from it. This article will show you how you can enjoy sharing your photography work and also get some cash at the same time.

This article is not about turning you into a professional photographer or about making your digital photos your main source of income. It will show you how you can share your digital photos with others and also make some extra cash at the same time. This money should be considered as extra income usually a good source of cash to invest back into your digital photography hobby maybe to buy a new camera, lenses, batteries or anything else that you need.

Photo stock websites: Photo stock websites are becoming more and more popular. Photo stock sites provide a market place for photographers to show off their work while others can view that work and buy it for a price usually set by the photographers. Some photo stock websites allow you to define the exact rights that you grant to the buyer so you can better protect your work. When users buy your digital photos you get a commission out of that money. There are many flavors of photo stock websites examples of two are: www.photostockplus.com and www.smugmug.com.

Your own photo gallery site: Putting a website together is relatively easy using some free commercial tools. For example you can easily set a photo album web site using tools from Yahoo. On your website you can allow users to browse and download full resolution digital photos for free or you can sell the high resolution versions of the digital photos. Implementing a shopping cart and collecting money is easily done using checkout tools from companies like PayPal, Yahoo and Google. Another option is to make money by placing advertisement on your site for example by using Google Adsense. Advertisement however will only generate noticeable revenues if you can attract a high number of visitors to your site. If your digital photos are unique and interesting you might be able to do just that. Another option is to create a dedicated Blog website or to add a Blog to your digital photos website. You can easily do that with tools such as Blogger and Typepad. In the Blog you can present your digital photos and also write some interesting descriptions of how you took them, what is unique about them and anything else that might trigger the visitors’ interest. Tell your friends and family about your site and post information about it in forums and chat boards.

Work for hire: This is a more conservative and traditional option. You can offer your photography services by posting ads in local classifieds website or newspaper. If you have your own site you can also offer your services through that site or add a link to the site on your ads to allow potential customers to view your work. Make sure that you are candid and up front with your potential customers about what you do, your work and your experience. They should understand that you are an amateur photographer and view your work to decide if you are a good fit for their needs. To get a sense of how much to charge contact other local photographers and get quotes for their services. If you have never done photography for hire before it is a good advice to start with jobs that are not very important to the clients and that can be done again if the results are not satisfactory. For example shooting digital photos of a wedding is probably not a good idea to start with. Taking digital photos of someone’s car is a better option.

Coffee shops and galleries: It became trendy for coffee shops to hang local photographers or artists work on their walls. This is a win-win offering for them they get free decoration for the shop and also allow customer to buy work that they like. The coffee shop gets a commission of each sale. Although this option requires more work and upfront financial investment it can be a lot of fun and a good way to connect with the local community. Walk around and find a few coffee shops or galleries that you would like to have your work at. Print and frame a few of your best photos and go back to those shops. Show your work and convince them to showcase it. It is best to start with just a few prints to minimize the risk.

These were just a few options to make some cash from your digital photos. There are other options and with some creativity you can find your own original ones. One thing to remember though is to make sure that you have the rights to sell your photos and that you are legally covered when showcasing them, selling them or working for hire taking photos for others. For example copyright laws change from state to state and country to country and you should make sure you have the rights for your digital photos.

Paul Leach asked:




Finding a Wedding Photographer

It might seem tempting to let your uncle photograph your wedding — after all, he’s family and he’s willing to do it for free. The only problem is, Uncle Rick has never photographed a wedding before … but does that really matter?

The answer is a resounding YES. In 20 years, the wedding flowers will have wilted, the cake will have been eaten and the only items you’ll have to remember your wedding by is the photographs. Because of this, you don’t want the pictures to be anything other than spectacular.

But spectacular photos come at a price, which is why it’s tempting to let your amateur photographer cousin get the entire day on film for half the cost. Take it from us, the savings aren’t worth it. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a professional wedding photographer as a friend or family member, do the research and find a quality, professional wedding photographer.

So where to start? The Internet really is your best friend when it comes to finding wedding vendors — what did brides do before its invention, for goodness sake? — so hop online and start Googling.

Start by determining what style of photography you’re interested in. Categories include photojournalism, which means the photographer will do less posing and more of capturing the moments as they happen, or traditional, which leans toward classic, formal poses of everyone at the wedding. To see samples of each type of photography, Google “wedding photojournalism” or “traditional wedding photography.” You might also be interested in viewing samples of artistic wedding photography, which includes using digital manipulation after the photos have been taken to enhance them.

Once you have a handle on the different styles, start searching for a photographer. You can do this one of two ways — if you’re interested in photojournalists, the Wedding Photojournalist Association (www.wpja.com) will offer contact information for the top photojournalists in your area. You can also find specific photographers in your area by searching “wedding photojournalists” (or “traditional wedding photographers”) AND “your location.”

Another third option to find a wedding photographer is to visit your local wedding message board (most areas have their own space on www.theknot.com), and ask for recommendations. Most brides are happy to offer advice on why and how they chose their specific photographer. (These boards are also helpful once you’ve narrowed down your choices to a couple photographers and need help making a decision).

In the age of the Internet, most photographers have a gallery online of wedding images. (In fact, be leery of any photographer that doesn’t have a professional-looking website with a sample gallery). Take some time to browse through them to get a feel for which photographer’s work you like. Once you’ve narrowed it down a little, send each photographer an e-mail or give them a call to start a dialogue between you and him/her. Some important questions to ask:

What type of packages do you offer?

How many hours of coverage does a bride typically order?

Will you be the photographer the day of my wedding?

Is an assistant included?

Who owns the rights to the photos?

How long will the images be available for viewing online?

Do you have any specialties such as black and white photos or hand-coloring?

You can also just set up a time for a meeting and save these questions for that time. You should meet your photographer face to face before signing a contract because you want to make sure you click with the photographer. He or she will around for some very important, emotional times, therefore you want to be comfortable with their presence. Someone who rubs you the wrong way will just detract from your happiness.

At that same meeting, ask to a proof book from a wedding. These books show all the shots taken at one wedding, rather than the photographer’s favorites. This can be a telling sign and ensure you’ve chosen the right photographer.

When signing the contract, make sure everything is spelled out (this is a good tip for all vendors, not just photographers). Having everything in writing — from price to delivery time — makes sure that the photographer can skip out or change something you’ve agreed to.

A final word on price: First, it’s naturally going to a factor in your final decision — most brides these days are trying to cut corners — but don’t let it be the only factor. Choose a price point you’re comfortable with, then do research within those parameters to find the highest-quality photographer possible. Second, don’t select a photographer way out of your budget and expect to haggle them down. While you might be able to negotiate a small dollar amount or ask for an extra service for the same price, don’t expect them to knock $1,000 off the price just because you “really, really want them.” Photographers have expenses to pay, and the good ones are charging for the quality of their work, the price of their equipment and, often, an extra photographer the day of the wedding.