Answering Your Photography Questions: Part 1

A few times recently on my Facebook page, I gave everyone the opportunity to ask me any kind of photography-related question. I'm slowing down my photography mentoring over the winter, and meanwhile I thought this would be a great way to connect.

Onto the questions!

How do you sell your work to Getty Images?

I'm a Getty Images contributor, and most people don't know that I quietly worked toward that goal for a long time. Getty used to have a partnership with Flickr, and their curators would scope out different groups and photostreams on Flickr to find fresh work.

I was submitting to a lot of groups, uploading new images every day, and tagging  my images carefully.  I started shooting with the mindset of, "Would a magazine want this picture?" And one day, I found an e-mail from Getty in my inbox! I DID IT!

Getty wanted 17 images right away. Half of them were client sessions that I wan't comfortable with being used commercially, so at first I had a small handful of images in my portfolio. And for a while, Getty would regularly request images from my Flickr photostream, and I also submitted photos to a private Flickr group for the possibility of being selected.  Getty has since ended their partnership with Flickr, and I now get to choose my own images to upload. If an image meets Getty's standards and they don't have an overabundance of the subject matter, they'll accept it. It is a very slow process now, but I like being able to decide which images I want to submit.

My images have sold to companies like The Weather Channel, Tesco, Microsoft, Hearst Magazines, and more. Some months I make enough that it actually helps pay the bills. Some months it's enough to buy... a cup of coffee. I have noticed that now that I'm more proactive in adding to my portfolio, I'm selling more.

This image is my best seller. 

Getty is now accepting new submissions on their website here. I don't know very much about this process, but they explain it all on their website.

Things to keep in mind:

• Images with a face, even a blurry or silhouetted face, MUST have a model release. Even when you think you won't need a model release, it's best to upload one with your submission if there's a person in your photo at all. You'll notice that most of the people pictures in my portfolio are just legs and feet, because... model releases are a pain in the butt and ain't nobody got time fo' that! Haha. I have a stack of model releases I need to sign, scan, and upload for my own son.
• There aren't many photographers who can make a living off of this. It's just fun, unpredictable, extra income for most. 
• Some photographers have more success with other stock agencies, like Dreamstime. I aimed for Getty because it's the most recognizable. Open any textbook and look at the caption. Getty. Look at a news article and read the caption. Getty. Many big-name, reputable companies choose Getty. And that's why I chose Getty. 
• They tell you who buys the license, but not what the picture is used for. Sometimes they are specific enough to tell you if it's for web usage, periodicals, etc. but your images are difficult to find once they are purchased.

If you're thinking about becoming a contributor, good luck!

How can I take better shots of my products for Etsy?

Short answer: Do NOT use the flash on your camera and get by a window!

Not an Etsy product, but you get the idea. 

Long answer: It really is all about light. Chances are, if you are asking this, the only flash you have is the one that came with your camera. Don't use this! Natural light is your friend.

If you're shooting outside, avoid direct sunlight and find open shade instead. This could be your front porch, or the shady side of your house or a grouping of trees. Avoid dappled light. You need even lighting. Cloudy days are excellent for product shots outside.

If shooting inside, shoot right beside large sunny window or even your open front door. The light is obviously going to be very strong from one side, and you will need to balance it on the side where the shadows fall. You can do this by bouncing light back onto your product with a reflector. No reflector? Use a white poster board.

Avoid busy or distracting backgrounds. A lot of product photography is shot on a white background, but you could choose a solid color fabric that complements your product, or something rustic like an antique chair to display your product on. If you shoot from a lower angle, you'll need something underneath your product and a background behind it. For my food photos, I sometimes use one large board or piece of fabric to set my food on and prop up another board to use as the background. This makes it look like your product is on a table pushed up against a wall. Nobody will know it's just a couple of boards!

Get closer. Get detail shots. Move yourself around to get different angles, and move your product around, too.

What do you need to have in place legally before you officially open a photography business?

This varies slightly from state-to-state, so you need to check with your state's Department of Revenue website and/or talk to your county clerk. You'll probably need to register your business and get an EIN (Employer Identification Number), file a DBA at your local courthouse (Doing Business As), get liability insurance, and start a new bank account for your business.

I also recommend meeting with an accountant before you take the plunge. It is very difficult to maintain a profitable photography business.

What should I charge starting out?

I can't tell anybody what to charge, but I want to mention that you need to consider your overhead costs, your time, and the value of your talent. What do you need to make to be profitable? Are you underselling yourself? Many photographers who market themselves as "affordable" are paying themselves considerably less than minimum wage without even realizing it, because they haven't made a budget or considered their time at all.

While you're still establishing yourself in your community, you could charge "portfolio-building" prices. Make your PB clients aware that they are getting discounted rates, though, and that your pricing will go up soon.

Sample products are an expense you need to factor into your budget. 

Here are just some of the expenses you need to consider when setting prices:

• Taxes (put aside 20-30% from every sale)
• Sales tax and use tax 
• Insurance
• Cameras, lenses, memory cards, extra batteries, etc. 
• Legal fees & start-up fees
• Insurance
• Website/domain 
• Logo design
• Business cards and marketing materials
• Sample prints and products
• Editing software
• Bookkeeping software
• Advertising
• Cost of digital and deliverable products
• Props and backdrops
• Membership fees (PPA)
• Education (workshops, tutorials, classes) 

Do you ask business owners' permission before you take pictures at their business?

Yes, usually in advance. Sometimes it was more spur of the moment, like popping inside an antique store for a few fun pictures, but I would always ask the manager if it's okay first.

If I'm just taking pictures of my own kiddo, though, I don't ask. This was only a problem one time, when a very grumpy shop owner seemed disturbed by our presence altogether.

When you did your boudoir marathon, how many nights did you book the hotel room for and how did you work it into the session price?

I did a boudoir session marathon before Valentine's Day in 2013. I booked a hotel room in Evansville for two nights so that I could have a full day of shooting in between. The first night, I stayed there alone and took test shots and got the room ready. On Saturday, I had sessions scheduled a couple hours apart all day. My hired make-up artist and I hung out all day as clients came and went for their sessions. My husband stayed in the room with me the second night.

I can't remember what I charged for the boudoir session package, but doing several sessions covered the cost of the room for me.


My new camera comes with 2 lenses. Why exactly do I need 2 lenses? (One is 18-55mm and the other is 75-300mm.)

The difference between those is the focal length. They are both zoom lenses. Your 18-55mm lens will be able to shoot very "wide" at 18mm, with an almost fisheye effect. (You won't want to shoot at 18mm often, especially not close-up portraits.) This lens can extend on up to 55mm, which is perfect for portraits and just about everything.

The 75mm-300mm has a longer focal length to shoot subjects further away from you, meaning this is the lens you'll want to grab for sports photos, school concerts, and some events. 75mm is still a great focal length for portraits.

What lens should I pack for a family vacation?

I recommend taking two lens; a prime lens and a zoom lens. When we went to Holden Beach, I took my 50mm and my kit zoom. I used the 50mm the majority of the time. If you're driving, you could pack more, but you don't want to take a bunch of camera gear on your flight.

Do NOT put any camera gear in checked luggage. Take it on the flight with you.

If going to the beach, try your best to keep sand out of your camera.

My pictures are turning out blurry no matter what I do. How do I fix it?

This could be one of two things--your shutter speed wasn't fast enough to capture the motion, or your images are actually "out of focus."

If you were trying to capture a child in motion, you need to raise your shutter speed. You can't do this with all cameras, however you can even trick a regular camera and a phone camera to capture motion better by doing it in bright light. Back when I was using a cheap point-and-shoot camera, I was able to get a picture of my niece jump-roping without any blur because she was in bright sunlight. I "tricked" my camera into choosing a faster shutter speed.

Low light situations aren't easy to conquer without a camera that lets you change your settings. If this is something that continuously frustrates you, and you're willing to learn, it might be time to upgrade to a DSLR.

Now, if your entire images all look blurry and there's no sharpness at all, this means something's up with your focus settings. Every camera is different, but I suggest reading your camera's manual about the different focus settings. If you have a DSLR, you might have accidentally switched to manual focus on your lens. (It's easy to do.)