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7 Tips for Selecting the Perfect Background

Author: ShootDotEditOn: May 18Categories: Wedding Shooting No Comments

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When you shoot an engagement session or wedding, there are elements you look for to ensure you can create the best photos for your clients. From lighting to posing, to location, you make sure that you and your clients are set up for a successful shoot. In addition to the elements you look for, how much attention do you pay to select the perfect background?

The background can help you make a stunning photo, or can turn your shoot into a nightmare if you don’t use it to your advantage! So you can always find a background to suit your shoot, here are 7 tips for selecting the perfect background for your couples.

1. Look for Something New

As a photographer, you may spend time shooting the same locations over and over. While this is fine, don’t be afraid to mix it up. Look for backgrounds that you have not shot before. Perhaps you have always wanted to shoot your couple in front of a busy city or in front of a legendary monument. Find ways to incorporate backgrounds that differentiate your images from past ones. This creates stunning photos for your couple and also keeps you motivated to take dynamic photos.

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Image Compliments of Rachel Rossetti Photography

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Top 5 Tips for Creating Presets the Right Way

Author: ShootDotEditOn: May 17Categories: Lightroom & Photoshop Tips No Comments

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How many hours do you spend in your post-wedding workflow? Your time is so valuable that you need to make sure you use every minute to its fullest. Creating and using Lightroom presets to add your Signature Style to images is a fast way for you to maintain consistency and quickly deliver your images to clients. But, if you spend too much time creating presets, you are missing out on important parts of your business that require your attention.

In our Surefire Methods to Creating Presets the Right Way Webinar, Cole Joseph shared how to create custom presets for your business to match your Signature Style, and how to use them to simplify your process in Lightroom. Here are the top 5 tips from Cole’s recent webinar for you to implement into your workflow today.

1. Create Unique Presets for Images

Just like you can save time when you outsource various parts of your workflow, Lightroom presets help you eliminate time from your post-wedding workflow by allowing you to quickly apply artistic edits after your images are color corrected. Although you can purchase presets for your business, creating them means you have complete control over the style you place on your images. 

Lightroom presets help you provide exceptional service because you can add your style faster, meaning you will have a quick photo turnaround time. Plus, when you create and use presets, you save time which equals more money for your business. The more time you can save in your post-wedding workflow, the easier it will be to work on other projects to increase your profit.

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Creating Dynamic Photos using the Rule of Thirds

Author: ShootDotEditOn: May 12Categories: Wedding Shooting No Comments
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Whether you are a new photographer or have been shooting for years, how often are you using the rule of thirds for your images? Chances are you might know a bit about the rule of thirds, as it was likely one of the first lessons you learned about photography. But, are you using it to the best of your ability to create memorable and interesting images from every shoot?

For some, the rule of thirds revolves around how images are composed, and others use it as a starting point and then develop different framing techniques. The great thing about the rule of thirds is it allows you to look at your images differently. It is also helpful because it takes you away from shooting the same images every time. Instead of shooting your couple straight on, the rule of thirds allows you to move them away from the center of the photo. So you can discover if you are using the rule of thirds to its fullest, and to help in creating dynamic photos, here are a few tips you can use for your next shoot.

Understand the Concept

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The rule of thirds is based on a 3×3 grid where you place your subjects on the imaginary points where the lines intersect. Within the grid, use the rule of thirds to place the couple (or subject) in the top, bottom, left, or right portion of the frame. This splits the image differently than it would when you place the subject directly in the center of the image.

Image Compliments of Scott Robert Lim

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Stop Making Branding Mistakes: Solving Identity Crisis

Author: ShootDotEditOn: May 10Categories: How to Become a Photographer No Comments

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Have you ever missed out on booking an ideal client because of a branding mistake in your business? Often times, branding mistakes occur unintentionally, and since making adjustments in your business can take time, it may be likely you have not had the opportunity to fix the issue.

In our Branding Guide, we cover 7 mistakes wedding photographers make in their photography business. The first mistake we highlight is suffering from an identity crisis. When you share too many conflicting details about who you are as a photographer, and what you specialize in, you risk sending a confusing message to clients. Because you are a unique photographer who has a specialty unlike anyone else, it is crucial to your success to identify what your specialty is so you can attract the right clients to your business.

Identify a Specialty

As a photographer, you may enjoy shooting other areas outside of wedding photography, which is a great opportunity to practice your skills. But, if you are sharing multiple types of photography on your website, you may cause confusion for clients searching for a wedding photographer. To solve this, identify the type of weddings you want to shoot and the type of clients you want to interact with.

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Surefire Methods to Creating Presets the Right Way Webinar

Author: ShootDotEditOn: May 05Categories: Lightroom & Photoshop Tips No Comments

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In your post-wedding workflow, it’s easy to lose track of the time you spend on your tasks; especially adding your artistic edits. After your images are color corrected, applying your Signature Style is an important task to take care of to diversify yourself from others in the industry. Using Lightroom presets can assist you in developing a quick and simple process for adding your Signature Style to your images. But, spending too much time adjusting your presets can take away from other areas in your business. How can you make presets that represent your style and quickly add them to your photos?

In our Surefire Methods to Creating Presets the Right Way Webinar, Cole Joseph will demonstrate simple tips to help you create your very own presets for your Signature Style!

Wednesday, May 11th 
10am PDT – 11am PDT

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3 Steps to Shooting a Large Bridal Party

Author: ShootDotEditOn: May 04Categories: Wedding Shooting No Comments

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Ever have trouble organizing and shooting a large bridal party? Today, Amy and Jordan Demos are sharing 4 secrets for how to photograph a large bridal party on the wedding day in the fastest, most effective, and organized way possible. They will help you have a plan for a part of the wedding day that a lot of photographers dread, and will show you how to have fun with it, get great images, and get time back if the timeline’s fallen behind.

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1. Shoot with Chairs

One of our goals for large bridal party shots is to be able to see everyone as clearly as possible. If we string out twenty people in a line or single row, their faces are going to be so tiny! So we (almost) always, whenever possible, use chairs for bridal parties with more than four bridesmaids and four groomsmen when we’re photographing the entire group. Ten (in total) is the absolute most we’ll ever photograph without chairs. Again, that’s a general rule. You have to evaluate on a case-by-case basis, but that’s our basic idea heading into bridal party photos.

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Image Compliments of Amy and Jordan Demos

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Top 5 Tips for Doubling Income with Signature Style

Author: ShootDotEditOn: May 03Categories: Wedding Photography Ideas No Comments
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When you think about growing your business, what do you know you need to focus on to become the best photographer and business owner possible? Creating a Signature Style is one of the best ways for you to grab the attention of ideal clients and increase your overall income. Although developing your own style seems simple, there are important steps you must take to achieve success. Taking the time to develop a style which is recognizable to clients requires time and patience, but can allow you to quickly grow your business and your skills as a photographer.

In webinar, Doubling your Income with a Signature Style, Scott Robert Lim shared how to quickly create a unique style of your own to increase your profit drastically. To give you a sneak peek into our upcoming webinar, and to help you move closer to your goals, here are the top 5 tips for doubling your income.

“Passion gives us hope when the rewards of our efforts are disappointing.” – Scott Robert Lim

1. Master the Fundamentals

During a wedding shoot, there are various elements for you to attend to at once. Because there are so many technical aspects you need to utilize, mastering the fundamentals can help develop your Signature Style and double your income over time. The fundamentals include composition, lighting, and posing. In many of your shoots, you have to use all three at once. If you are unable to properly execute any of the fundamentals, your shoots could suffer and your creativity may be stunted. Scott breaks down the necessities of the fundamentals:

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How to Make More Money: Increasing Income with Photo Booths

Author: ShootDotEditOn: Apr 28Categories: How to Become a Photographer No Comments

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As a business owner, finding new ways to increase your income is something that may cross your mind on occasion. But, when you are tied down with endless to-do lists and overdue tasks, how can you work on new projects to help you increase your profit?

Picture this. A majority of your workflow is taken care of by a photo editing company and your profit increases through print sales (without having to add any additional work to your plate). With more free time and more money for your business, you could have the opportunity to work on profit-generating tasks and projects. 

One of the best ways to make more money with additional projects is to incorporate them into what you are currently doing. Photo booths are a popular option for you to offer clients for their wedding day. You can use a photo booth to make more money from every wedding, and you can leave your clients with fun and exciting memories for years to come. Photo booths are easy to set up, relatively inexpensive, and are a fun addition to your client’s wedding day. Here are a few other reasons why you should incorporate photo booths into your business to help you make more money.

Use Your Current Gear

Although you may need to purchase a few items to create a photo booth, many of the items required you likely have in your gear bag. These items include your camera, lights, flashes, light stands, and if necessary an umbrella to diffuse the harsh light. Items you may need to purchase or use what you already have, are a backdrop, props, laptop, and printer (if you decide to print your images on the spot). Remember, if you make initial purchases for the photo booth, you are likely to make up the deficit through booking the booth for your weddings this year.

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27 Ridiculously Simple Hacks to Transform your Business Guide

Author: ShootDotEditOn: Apr 27Categories: Wedding Photography Ideas No Comments

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We have exciting news to share with you! Extra, our complimentary gallery hosting solution for ShootDotEdit Customers, is now integrated with White House Custom Colour! To celebrate this awesome news, we collaborated to create a guide just for you – 27 Ridiculously Simple Hacks to Transform your Wedding Photography Business!

And the fun doesn’t stop there! Everyone who downloads the guide will also receive complimentary album templates from WHCC! What are you waiting for? Download it today!

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