Saturday, April 4, 2015

Portraits VS. "Pics". These Two Words Are Very Different.

     When I think of the word "portraits", my mind envisions something well lit, beautiful and artistic.  I feel that I deliver that to my clients.  When I think of the word "pics"  I think of simple snap shots that we take throughout our daily lives of ourselves, children and other family and friends.   The problem with my line of work, that it is the digital age.  It is so easy for anyone to purchase a professional camera and simply start snapping away and call themselves a photographer.  Many people have asked me if it bothers me, if I lose a client to someone else who charges less or just gives away their photos on a Cd.  My answer is NO.


     Anyone who has worked with me, knows I put my heart and soul into my work.  I live for photography and I am constantly educating myself within the business learning new techniques on lighting, customer service, editing and so on.  It is an easy line of work to get into, but it is another to be successful at it. You have to work at it.  You have to work long and odd hours  and constantly stay on top of deadlines and time management. I learn and grow everyday and I am proud of that.  I have recently looked back at some of my older work and I am amazed at how much I have grown.  I have looked back at some of the images I have taken over the past few months and told myself how much I have grown since then. I critique myself to "myself"  and I try not to compare myself to other photographers.  We all start our journey as new to the field, and there is nothing more rewarding than self growth.  
     I feel like in the last months, I have learned so much.  I joined a few photography groups and organizations and just observing and reading fellow photographers posts and the way they run their businesses has opened my eyes.  It is an honor to be appreciated by colleagues.  
     I am excited to expand my business.  I will be offering a variety of new products which includes leather wall displays, prints on metal, canvas and custom made frames that I will be hand painting.  I am looking for quality items that can be displayed for years to come.  Some people have asked me why my canvas pricing is more expensive than other companies that sell canvas prints.  I have to tell you, it is hard to compete with multi-million dollar canvas companies that offer their canvas pricing so low.  I can easily tell you why I charge more and they charge less. Some of these larger companies print good quality canvas prints and then they wrap them over cardboard.  Then, they slap the backing on that has the wall attachments on it.  They are beautiful but how long will cardboard last?  It will bend and warp, it will not stand the test of time.  Twenty years from now, the card board will have disintegrated and the canvas will be left drooping on the wall.  My canvas prints are printed and then stretched over wood.  They will last 100 years or more.  That is the difference.  I want quality prints because I feel my work is art.  IT IS ART and I treat it as such. 
     I feel like I am going through a renaissance now with my company.  I am finding THE BEST quality prints and products and I so excited to share them with you all.  As I print examples of these products, I will be filming in high definition to show you all how these products look .  I would love to start booking appointments and find out what YOU want as the client.  Do you want a simple session with just a few prints or do you want a session that ends with a large canvas print or custom framed prints tailored to your taste or an album?  I would love to do this.  This is the next step for me.  I feel like for years, I have been a part of something wonderful.  I have the privilege to photograph families and as far as I know, my clients love my work.  I would be honored to take it a step further.  I just do not want to photograph a session for you, but I would love to create a work of art in your home with some beautiful wall displays.  I want people to walk into your home and see that beautiful family image in a custom frame or printed on leather or canvas.  I want people to be in awe of your family.  My home is filled with these beautiful products of my own family, and I always get compliments on my family portraits and I want to start helping others to find what they are looking for.  I am in the process of making new packages.  Some of these packages include custom framed prints and canvas wall displays.  I am almost ready to share these packages with you, but I need another week or two to fine tune them.  To end this, I will no longer be offering Cd's. I know this will upset many but I am learning that Cd's make people NOT print.  If they have them on the Cd, that is where they stay.  My goal is not to just take your portraits, but to give you something so beautiful, that I want them  in your homes and to celebrate your family with some gorgeous prints.  
     I want for all who is reading to take a step back, take a deep breath and think back to a few decades ago.  When a family would book a session with a photographer, it was an event.  The family went out and bought new clothes, planned out a time and went to a studio and the photographer arranged you with their background of choice, and took your portraits.  You then, would meet with the photographer, when he/she completed your session and you looked at proofs.  From there, you selected the photos you wanted printed and purchased your prints from that photographer.  You did not receive the film negatives and that never angered or upset you.  That is all I am trying to do, but in the digital age, for some reason, not offering a CD is enough to make a person not want to book you.  I think that is not fair for the hard working photographers.   I no longer WANT Walmart, Shutterfly or Snapfish, who earn millions a year to profit off my photo sessions anymore.  I.simply.will.not.have.it.  I know this will turn people away.  That saddens me, but again, this business is a business and I have to make it profitable :) .  When I compare it to the film generation of photography, I hope that will make you understand.  With all of that said, I will still offer "sales"  on high resolution images.  After a client purchases a certain amount of prints, I will offer high resolution downloads of certain images to be purchased.  That is the best I can do for now.
     This blog post is my second photography blog and I have to say, I am really enjoying writing for you all to read. I feel like these blogs will help you to "get to know me"  as a professional and I hope it will help with certain questions you may have for me.    Feel free to comment and share this blog.  Thank you for reading and thank you for being a fan of Studio V. Photography.  It means the world to me. 

2 comments:

  1. I am so impressed with all you have accomplished and having seen your work on Facebook and in person (through a friend whose daughter-in-law used you for bridal pictures last year) can honestly say you are a true artist.

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