Tampa Headshots and Professional Portraits

I decided to launch a new website this week:  http://www.headshottampa.com/.  It's just a one page site but it's dedicated to professional headshots.

I don't do that many headshots, to be honest, and I have no interest in going after the actor/model market.  So why launch a new website just for headshots?  Because I have a theory...

I personally believe that your headshot... the image that you use to represent yourself professionally.. is one of the most important business tools you have.  I also think that people don't take it seriously enough.  Too many people still view their professional portrait as just some stuffy picture that they have done for the "company."

It's so much more.

It's your first impression.  It's who you are to hundreds of people on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, your company website, business cards, etc...  and yet so many people have old, stodgy, boring headshots.  I know, I see them everyday online.

It doesn't have to be that way.  You can have a great picture, a portrait, that represents you exactly the way you see yourself.  If you think that the initial image that people see when looking you up on facebook or Google isn't important, consider that the typical magazine spends 8-10 hours of work to get one picture for the cover.  One.  That's how important that first impression is..

I started thinking about it this week after doing a few headshot portraits.  My wife, Bobbi needed one for her website (Perfect Florida Beach Wedding) and my friend Eileen over at Diva with a Fork needed one too (it's for her new website so it's not online yet).  They were both very happy with the results and I think it's because I come from a wedding/portrait background so I tend to want to use outdoor locations and great lighting to get portraits that are relaxed but still "portraits," (if that makes sense).

To be honest, I don't know that it will attract any business at all since I have no plans to really market it.  But it makes me feel good to know that it's out there.  My own little line in the sand that says, "Don't settle for the ordinary!"  I'm funny that way.  :)

Once again, I'm proved wrong...

At last month's TAPPA meeting (Tampa Area Professional Photographers Association) I decided to test a theory of mine regarding the print competition.

You see, it's my belief that I'm just not the sort of photographer who wins contests.  Not that my work isn't good, it's just that I don't feel that my style is what the typical contest is looking for.  It seems like contest winners are always perfect composition, perfect light, etc (as they should be, I guess) and I've always believed that some of the best images can be candid and unique.

So, I grabbed the image of mine that more people mention than any other image I have ever shot:

... and I entered it in the monthly competition.  My point being:  Everyone loves this picture but that doesn't mean it can win.  It's too much like a snapshot, it's not artistic enough... "fancy"...

Well, you probably guessed where this is going.  It won 1st place in the "Event" category.

Now, I don't know what to think.  I'm still not convinced that it could be a merited print.  Merited prints are picked by certified judges and those guys are tough.  I'm going to make it a point to ask some of the other photographers what they think.  I love this image and I think that it's a fine example of my work but that doesn't mean that it fits into the "mold" of a merited print.

I also entered a print in the "portrait" category and won 2nd place:

I'm a little more leery of "Portrait" than "Event" because there are always more entries in that category.  Plus, you are competing against photographers who shoot primarily portraits and often in-studio.  Portraits are what they do best so they produce some incredible work.  I was very happy to place in the category.

I guess this all goes to show that despite what I think, anything can happen.  :)

Booray is a photographer in Tampa Bay Florida

Taking pictures of fireworks

In my classes, I always get a big reaction when I show a picture of fireworks.  To a new photographer, it seems like an incredible feat to take a picture that freezes the action like that but by the end of my class they know that it's really quite easy.  All you need is a tripod and a slow shutter speed.

This year I decided to take an updated version of my fireworks shot.  I didn't want to really "stage" it because I didn't want to distract my kids from enjoying the show.  I also didn't want to use much equipment because we were going to be at a friend's house and I didn't want to carry it (Nor did I want to set it all up in the middle of a party.)  So, the task became, "How do I get a cool shot with a minimal amount of equipment?"

What is the proper etiquette when posting wedding pictures on Facebook?

Let's say you go to a friend's wedding and you take some pictures with your camera or phone.  Do you post them on Facebook the next day?  Should you?

First, a little history..

As a professional wedding photographer, I see a ton of wedding pictures online.  Every wedding that I shoot will be well documented on Facebook by friends and family long before I ever post an image myself.  As a rule, I don't post any images online until the couple have been to their viewing.  I think that the couple should have the honor of seeing everything in my viewing room before they go out to the world.  I don't want my client to come home from their honeymoon and discover that everyone has seen their wedding images except them.

That doesn't mean that there aren't plenty of pictures on Facebook the day after the wedding because everyone has a camera and everyone posts on Facebook.

The infamous "P" mode on a Canon camera.

A former student of mine wrote me last week about a conversation she had with the photographer at a wedding:

"She said she had no idea how to use settings and they all only use the Program mode, same thing I was told at the rehearsal the day before. So I thought...hum....thought Booray said not to use P mode and I think I even remember a comment about why do they put it on the camera...."

This is clearly an invitation for me to use my vast knowledge and razor sharp wit to wax philosophically about the infamous "P" mode.

( Lately I've been trying to work on my self-control.  I'm using self-control to eat fewer sweets.  I'm using self-control to not honk at people in the pick-up line at my daughter's school.  And, right now, I'm using tremendous self-control to refrain from commenting on the fact that my student met a wedding photographer who doesn't know how to use the settings on her camera...)

First, let's start with the "Auto" mode on a Canon camera.  The "Auto" mode is the one with the little green rectangle on the dial.  When you set your camera in "Auto" mode, you give all control to the camera.  It determines the exposure, pops up your flash if you need it, sets the ISO for you and re-balances the funds in your 401K.

Never use the "Auto" mode.

Why is wedding photography so expensive?

It's harder now to find the right wedding photographer than any time in the past.  The "digital revolution" has led to hundreds of new photographers.  Camera's are cheaper, there's no film or developing cost... it's never been easier to buy a camera and market yourself as a wedding photographer.

So, why do some photographers cost $500 and some cost $5000?

In this post, I'm going to let you in on some of the secrets behind modern wedding photography and how you can find the right photographer for your budget.

Let's start by looking at a broad number:  35%.  According to the Professional Photographers Association of America, that's the target profit margin for a wedding photographer.  The target.  Many make less.  So, for every $1000 that a photographer charges, figure he's probably taking home $200-$350 after expenses.  Of all the vendors you hire for your wedding, your photographer will have the greatest overhead.  I carry $10,000 worth of equipment to a wedding... equipment that gets broken and must be repaired or upgraded.  I have a website, marketing materials, studio management software, graphic design software, insurance, advertising, etc.  That's where 65%-75% of your money goes.

NEW! Gallery Blocks!

We have a brand new product at Booray Perry Photography and it is really something special!

Gallery Blocks are a new take on the classic gallery canvas look. Unlike a canvas wrap, where the canvas is stretched over a frame, your images are bonded to a solid-wood construction. This allows for lots of variety in design and a unique three-dimensional shape. It's also solid and heavy because it's solid wood!

The background image can be whatever you choose.  For the gallery block above I used a picture of the beach to compliment the beach portraits.