I love a good on-location family session, personally they are my fav… but when the weather starts to get cooler in my area, outside sessions are harder to come by which negatively affects my business. Having a big backdrop for studio family sessions keeps my bookings coming through the door in the colder months. I am going to share a few tips to help these shoots go smoothly while keeping the images beautiful and classy.
I teamed up with Intuition Backgrounds to show you how to take gorgeous portraits in any space. In this video I will walk you through 7 different lighting setups so that you can hang a backdrop in any space and make your clients look and feel absolutely amazing.
When it comes to Holiday Sessions, I’m well aware that my simplicity isn’t for everyone. I’ve had clients choose not to book with me because they are specifically looking for a prop heavy session. To be honest, I’m perfectly ok with that. Maybe you’re reading this and discovering that you too would like to simplify your sessions. You’re ready to downsize the props and extra “stuff” and focus more on the subject. Perhaps the props serve as a crutch for you and the idea of doing a session with literally nothing but the subject terrifies you. Not too worry. Here are some examples of how I have taken 6 simple, elegant backdrops and created Holiday “art” that can be enjoyed all year round. Whether your clients celebrate Christmas, or Hanukah, or perhaps something else, offering a different type of Holiday Sessions is completely achievable, and gratifying.
When I first started my business 11 years ago there was no Facebook, no Instagram or Pinterest. Youtube was just getting started. There weren’t posing guides or professional photographers teaching in person or online workshops on the art of posing.
I have been photographing babies for a little over 7 years now. I have a small studio in Central Florida, Iga Logan Photography. I have used different backdrops from different vendors, but I definitely have my favorite. Intuition Backgrounds is, hands down, my absolute favorite backdrop company ever. My clients almost always request the Intuition backdrops in my studio. The colors are perfect and the materials are amazing. I can also wash the mat floor material when needed. A quick spot clean or even a power wash works amazing. The mat floors also have a rubber backing that will keep them from slipping when moving around on them.
The way we, as Photographers, style a newborn session is one of the best ways to separate ourselves from others in our area and also help us form a consistent brand. It’s imperative that we listen to our client’s desires while also staying true to ourselves as artists. Prior to all of my newborn sessions, I meet with the expectant parents and talk about styling to ensure the overall aesthetic of the session suits their personal style and home decor. This leads me to my first tip on styling newborn sessions!
An editorial portrait is one that tells a story. The story of who your client is yes, but also the narrative that you’re creating about her. Are you going to portray your client as sensual? As a queen? Is she soft and romantic or strong and edgy? Your lighting, color palette, styling and camera angle – all of it works together to tell your story.
Regardless of the genre of photography that you specialize in, creating a visual story is always the key fundamental to producing beautiful photography. Elements like lighting, the right pose and expression can make or break your images, but the story can be a guiding force that helps the subject find that expression or helps you to guide the pose and lighting to produce great results. One of the first building blocks to establishing the story is the backdrop you photograph against. It isn’t the only element that defines story, but it is the first key element that immediately sets the visual expectation of where we are (as a viewing audience) and where we might go through your series of images.
The best thing you can do for your clients is to show them how amazingimages will look in their home. There are lots of wall guides on the marketthat you can buy and customize, or you can make your own! I created aquick little video to show how you can make your own.
For years I have tried many different ways of hanging and shooting my professional backdrops. These include the good ole’ backdrop stand, mounting a curtain rod to the wall and clamping my drops to that, long heavy duty Velcro strips on the wall with bits of the opposing strips on the back corners of my drops, and finally, what I currently use Metal Strips with Magnets.
Few things can make my heart sing the way it does when I walk into my studio. It just makes me happy. Partly because I love my job and feel blessed every day to do what I do. But also because I love how it is organized. A well-organized, color-coordinated studio brings such a sense of peace and tranquility.
