Giveaways
Carmen Chan {Simply Couture Designs}
I am a photographer, template designer and a mommi of a 5 years old girl and 5 months old baby boy. I started my photography business in March 2006, specializing in weddings. In 2007, I opened my home studio and started doing more baby and family portraits. In 2008, I photographed primarily babies as I was pregnant with my second child. Newborns and small babies are my favorite subjects to photograph. I enjoy capturing the precious tender moments of their first year.
After the birth of my second baby in October 2008, I decided to venture into Photoshop template design and hence added graphic design to my line of business. It is so fulfilling seeing other photographers using my designs and hearing compliments they receive from their customers. I feel very blessed with my design skill and I enjoy the time I spend on creating templates and logos for other photographers.
I find inspiration from everywhere I go. I love windows shopping and whenever I see something that inspires me, I will take a picture and add it to my scrapbook of inspiration. For my photography, I am inspired by viewing other photographers’ work and participating in forums. I also learnt a lot the business side of photography by reading PPA magazines and attending their annual conference.
out what would it be?
My workflow. When I first started, I spent a lot of time in front of the computer to process hundreds and hundreds of photos, especially from the weddings that I photographed. I later learnt to capture right on the camera, so I can spend less time re-touching and fixing the photos in post-processing.
Joining PPA is the best thing I have done for my business. There I have really learnt the business side of photography through their conferences, webminars and monthly periodicals. Their malpractice insurance included in the member benefits is a definite must-have for all professional photographers.
My favorite products are coffee table books and gallery wrapped canvas. I have many favorite vendors. To name a few: WHCC, Zookbinders, Graphistudio, Asukabook, Bella Grafica, Simply Canvas. Recently, photo bag is another favorite product of mine and I love Snaptotes!
My camera Canon 5D and my Power Mac.
For wedding photographers, I love seeing work from Bebb Studios, Chris+Lynn, and The Image is Found. For baby and child photographers, I admire Lori Nordstrom for her simplicity; Carrie Sandoval for her amazing newborn work; Brianna Graham for her awesome urban style and VGallery for their boutique studio work.
Simply Couture Designs is a small design shop with the photographers in mind. We create hip and chic, boutique style, Photoshop templates for the professional photographers. Our goal is to help photographers create eye-catching, customizable photo cards and books for their clients while spending little time in front of the computer.
Whenever possible, I attend photography seminars and conferences to learn the latest trend of the industry and hear tips from well established professionals. These opportunities give me lots of great ideas on photographing, marketing, packaging and sale.
Winner!!
Thank you again Ed for your wonderful information!! The winner of my drawing for a complete Senior Solutions Guide is Adrianne! Congrats!!
Check back soon for more great information and giveaways!!
Natalie
Interview with Ed Mercer
This week we meet Ed Mercer; photographer and photoshop guru! He has some great information for photographers so check it out!
Ed has also put together a great video tutorial on making collages/blends/composites. He normally sells his instructional videos for $27 but is giving Senior Solutions readers a special discount! Only $11 for 5 tutorials. See his links below.
Also this week from Saturday to Saturday I am going to do a giveaway for a Senior Solutions Guide complete with templates, contracts, etc. All you have to do is read about Ed and comment on his thread to enter! The winner will be randomly chosen next Saturday.
You can check out the link here :
http://www.photographytipsandsecrets.com/montagedownload.html
http://www.mercerphotography.com
http://www.photoshopsolutions.com
http://www.photographywizards.com
http://www.thzn.com
http://www.makemoneywithyourcamera.com
1. How did you start out photographing seniors? Did you transition from weddings, children etc?
We did start out photographing weddings back in 1977 and were doing over 100 weddings per year before we started
to photograph seniors. We were going to PPA seminars and conventions and were hearing speakers talk about high
school senior photography and decided to try some of the techniques they were teaching us, and before too long we
were getting a steady stream of non contract seniors. We eventually got a couple of contracts along with those non
contract seniors and have been doing it ever since.
2. What is your favorite thing about shooting seniors?
Senior photography is my favorite part of the photography business, and my favorite thing is meeting and talking
with the seniors and the fact that they really appreciate the time we are taking to get great photos for them. This
is a portrait that they want to have taken, so they are very cooperative. Unlike children who can be great or a nightmare,
almost every senior is great and they give you an opportunity to show your creativity because they will do what you
ask of them because they know you also want great photographs for them.
3. What advice can you offer to a photographer looking to break into the senior market?
The high school senior market is a tough market to break into and it always has been. Because it has the potential to
be so lucrative everyone wants to have a part of it. Most schools already have a contract photographer who has been
with them for a long time, so unless they really mess up it is hard to take the contract away from them. The best way
is to take the information that you learn at seminars and conventions and market to schools that use high volume
photography studios, (the same ones that do the underclass photos). You will be able to take market share away from
these studios because they will not be able to offer the quality or customer service that you will be able to. One other
way to break into the senior market is to photograph sports teams or specialized groups. The booster organizations
are always looking for photographs or gifts to give the students at the end of their seasons. We photograph these
groups on speculation and sell the photos online or we get hired by the boosters to make montage posters for the
students to be presented to them at the banquet. So you can make extra income doing this type of photography, but
more importantly you are making the connections with parents and coaches that can help you get names of upcoming
seniors who will get used to seeing you around and give you the opportunity to get a working relationship with them.
4. What kind of prep do you do with your seniors as far as make-up, clothing?
Most of the seniors that we photograph have been sent an information card explaining not to wear excessive makeup,
not get too tanned at the beach too close to their sitting date, what type of clothing looks and photographs the best, bring
props related to their hobbies or sports that they might be involved with, and we recommend three changes of clothing.
5. How do you stay current with trends?
We go to seminars at PPA on the national, regional and local level, as well as being members of SPI where the top
photographers in the world teach us all the new and great things in our business. We also go to the regional schools,
like NEIPP or other regional schools for a week at a time, and again study with the top photographers in our field.
6. What’s your best selling product?
Our best selling product would be our folios that are offered at a discount when a certain minimum purchase is reached
followed closely by our DVDs that are used to view their previews and are sold as an add on at the time of sale.
7. How do you balance appealing to the senior and the parents?
I usually have one of the parents in the studio with me when we photograph the senior. We always ask the senior if they
mind whether the parent comes in just in case it could be an uncomfortable situation for them. But 90% of the time it is
not a problem for them, and the parents get to see just how much work is involved in photographing high school seniors
and leave the studio very impressed.
8 What’s one thing you thought would never go over well that has been a huge hit?
When we changed showing previews to our seniors and replaced them with DVDs to music, I wasn’t sure how it
would be received. But it turned out being a great way for them to view their previews and a viral marketing tool
that they shared with all their classmates. And it was a great add-on to sell also.
9. What are some of the biggest mistakes you have made and what were the best remedies to those mistakes?
When we first attempted to get involved in the senior market we were overly aggressive and thought we could just go in
and take the yearbook contract away from the established contract photographer, which we eventually did. But we went
through a lot of stress that we could have avoided had we just slowly marketed the seniors away from that particular
contract photographer and grabbed a few seniors here and there from other schools.
10. What would you do differently if you knew then what you do now?
Again, I did not have the marketing skills back then that we do now, thanks to lots of conventions and seminars that we have
attended over the years. I think that quality and customer service can open the doors to getting more high school senior
business as well as any kind of business that you are pursuing
11. What do you personally like best about this business?
I like the positive feedback and appreciation that we receive from our clients for a job done well that most people in their
careers do not receive. If you’re good at what you do in this business, it is recognized and people want to tell you so. So doing
something that you love, getting paid for it, and then getting a pat on the back for doing so is a pretty good thing.
Winner!!
The Winner if Erin Duke’s Drawing is Heidi! She was the 10th person to post. Just so you know I took the comments from Erin’s & Joles Photography and found which person posted 10th.
Congrats!!
Erin Duke Designs Giveaway!
Forgot to mention that Erin Duke Designs is doing a giveaway this week on the blog!! All you have to do is check out the cool interview with Chris from Joles Photography ( see below) and comment. Then you are entered into the random drawing!!
What you could win… Your choice either her 11×14 Collage Set or 12×12 Collage set. These are great for any kind of photography!! Here are a few examples, to se more check out her website!
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