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Simple ways to maximize your time with a photographer

5/31/2019

(Written by guest blogger Julie Ohlemacher)

If you’re someone who uses platforms like Instagram to share your blog/business/personal-mission message multiple times a week, you may have come to a similar conclusion I have:

Coming up with content is easy - when you’re passionate about it! Pairing the content with photos...well, that’s another story.

I like to mix professional photos with my own “real-life” amateur photos.

Thankfully, I have Autumn in my back pocket. And after our last photoshoot, Autumn remarked how well I take advantage of our time together, and asked if I’d share my tips with you all. So here we are.

I typically work with Autumn around four times a year to do seasonal photos to refresh my webpage and gather photos for my instagram/Facebook pages.

When we do shoots, they’re either 30 or 60-minutes and I always have one mission in mind: get as many different photos as possible.

When thinking about instagram, I have to think about how the photos look together on the 9-photo grid that you see when clicking on someone’s profile. So it’s not helpful if I have 9 photos of me, in the same outfit, in the same location, in the same pose. I need different outfits, different poses, different locations to get as many different photos as I can to have a diverse collection to use on my instagram.

So before a shoot with Autumn I consider a few things:

Location. I want to use a location where I know we can get multiple different backgrounds quickly. Driving from place-to-place takes time. Autumn works with an hourly rate, so we don’t have time to waste, ya’ll. If we’re using my house, I think ahead of time about all the different places we can take photos to maximize unique photos. If we’re going outside, I think of an areas with lots of different backgrounds. For instance, in the fall we went to McPherson Commons. We took pictures at Arch Park, walked down by the pavilion, took photos by the river and on the bike path. So many different options! So many different looks! Yes please!
CLOTHES! This is huge. One of the easiest ways to make photos look different is with your clothes. I don’t worry about changing my hair. Changing clothes is easier, quicker, and makes a more noticeable difference between photos. I’ll typically pick out at least four different outfits that I can easily change into. The quicker the change, the more photos I get! (Note from Autumn: dang this girl is good at different outfit looks! Last summer, she went from shorts and a tank top to a dress within 10 seconds by keeping the shorts on under the dress - then bounced back to another t-shirt. Three outfits in less than 15 minutes!)
Location + Clothes. Combine the two and BOOM. So many options. Say Autumn and I are doing lifestyle photos at my home. I’ll take photos all around the house in all the different outfits and then get to mix-and-match locations with clothes and create a ton of different looks with ease! If we’re doing an on-location shoot, like the one we did at outside at McPherson Commons, I think in layers. I may have the same jeans and top on, but I’ll have a scarf, a vest, a jacket, etc. that can still give the same outfit entirely different looks.
Planning. Doing all of the above comes down to simple planning. I spent a summer interning at a national women’s magazine as a photo intern, so I learned about things like “shot lists.” A shot list is simply a list of the different photos you want to get. You plan for the photos you desire. Now, I don’t always have an actual physical paper list in my hand, but you better believe I have it all planned out in my head. The more you plan the shoot, the more ideas you have before Autumn (or any photographer!) arrives, the more clear you are on your vision for what you need: the more photos you get. (Another note from Autumn: Julie's shoots often include some food items - which she ALWAYS has laid out on her kitchen counter ready to go. This provides time during the shoot to get more photos rather than waste time pulling stuff out of the fridge or cabinets.)

So there you have it my friends. Simple ways to maximize your time with your amazingly talented photographers to make the most of both of your time and get as many unique photos as possible. Happy shooting!

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Instagram profile tips for businesses

5/24/2019

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You know I can talk to you all day long about how to get better photos - but did you know I also do some consulting for web design, user experience, and social media management?

I've been seeing some troubling things about many businesses' Instagram profiles recently that 1) have nothing to do with photography and 2) are SO EASY to fix.

Problem 1: your business Instagram doesn't have a business account
What?! Why? This unlocks your ability to display more info about your business as well as view analytics.

Problem 2: you aren't giving users easy ways to contact you
Like I said, switch to a business account so that you can create quick links for users to call, email, or get directions to your business. (How to switch? Google it. Details are everywhere.)

Problem 3: (this one drives me crazy) your brick and mortar's address isn't listed
I came to your Instagram, loved your brand, saw the great photos, and want to visit your physical location to eat/buy/do/see all the things...why isn't your address listed? I don't want to have to now go to another webpage or app to Google your business name and try to find your address. MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR WANNABE CLIENTS. You do want their money, right?

Problem 4: your bio doesn't talk about what you do or who you are
One time I went to a really cool instagram with gorgeous images of people inside homes - I couldn't tell if it was a travel magazine, a clothing retailer, or a lifestyle blogger. Since I didn't want to spend the time doing my research, I kept scrolling. If you want people to connect and engage with you on social media, be clear about who you are and what you do.

Problem 5: you want to link to your website but also share another link (for an ad, a special product, an event ticket link, etc.) but don't want to replace your website link
Try something like linktr.ee to post several links from your profile page.

As always, I hope this is helpful!

Happy Friday!
Autumn

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Why is this picture so grainy?

5/17/2019

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But seriously...why?

Events are sometimes hard to shoot. This event was the perfect example of how a client's needs and my needs don't always overlap. (And who is right? The client, of course. I just have to educate them about what will happen if we go with their choice.)

I've written about the exposure triangle before. There are lots of things I can do to take a photo in a dark situation. However, the more I use those techniques (without flash), the grainier the photo will be come. (Because my camera is basically trying to suck the light into the photo, but can only do so much if the room is dark.)

So why wouldn't I use flash? Well here's the difficult part about some events I shoot: the client wants a dark room because, hello, ambiance! I don't disagree. However, I need light, and there are only two ways I can get it: turn up the lights (clearly can't happen based on the preferred ambiance), or use flash - which is sometimes even MORE obtrusive than having lights turned up higher. So what does a photographer do? We do the best we can - but sometimes that means pretty grainy photos.

Happy Friday!
Autumn

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What is my photography "style?"

5/10/2019

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You see a photographer's work and immediately want to hire them. Why? Because you like their style!

My style is very specific: I shoot things/people/events the way our eyes see them in the moment. You could almost call this photojournalistic since I like to focus on color, contrast, motion, and candids as much as possible.

For example, the photo above is from spring commencement at The Ohio State University. The color, contrast, motion, and candid nature are are all what I was seeing with my eyes - so I captured it in that style.

Sometimes you know your own style and are looking for a photographer to fit it, which can be difficult for both parties. The dream photographer/client relationship is when everyone is looking for the same thing - which makes it easy to create and deliver!

If you're ever looking for a different style than mine, I might refer you to another photographer! It wouldn't hurt me at all - I just like to help match people with options that would give them exactly what they need!

Leave a comment about what types of photography styles you like! I'd love to know.

Happy Friday!
Autumn

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What's a speedlight vs. a strobe?

5/3/2019

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Ever wonder what the difference is between a speedlight and a strobe? Each is a type of flash that could be used for various purposes. A tiny intro is featured on today's PhotoVlog!

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to comment below or shoot me an email!

Happy Friday!
Autumn

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FOCUS FRIDAY

Simple ways to maximize your time with a photographer

Instagram profile tips for businesses

Why is this picture so grainy?

What is my photography "style?"

What's a speedlight vs. a strobe?

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