Big brands with big budgets know all about this. The power of photography is strong. You can communicate feelings, ideas, and concepts in the blink of an eye. Whether you design and build, or have a product or service, potential customers will look to your site and social media to see what you're about. Small businesses have lots on th...
But under the surface, maybe the qualifier is a little strong. There are no rules that require anyone to like anything, or about when or why it might be reasonable to have a certain opinion. (that whole free speech thing...)
There are a lot of reasons to either like or dislike a photo. The real question comes down to the criteria of judgment. And oddly enough (and quite often), you will have opposite opinions depending on the criteria....
This is not a new concept. Every decision we make is in relation to the set of outcomes that decision will create. I'm not looking to run down the rabbit hole on a deep philosophical idea, so let's get back to my question: "do you like this photo?"
When I produce photos for a client, they've hired me based on a recommendation, looking at my past work, and/or a conversation with me. During this evaluation period, they are mitigating the risk paying for something unseen. At the same time, I am evaluating whether I can provide what the client wants. I certainly can be technically proficient and make high quality images. But are they the "right" images?
This idea is very clear when I shoot professional headshots. The large majority of people tell me they aren't photogenic and don't like pictures of themselves. This is normal and doesn't change how I proceed, it's just part of the process. Making a subject feel comfortable is a necessary skill.
Great product photography is good for sales and brand identity.It's best to have both simple catalog images on a white background as well as stylistic images.Powell Flutes launched a new highly reflective product, see the images. Do you remember the Sears catalog? We tore it to shreds every year before Christmas. I think LL Bean was the only ...
Somewhat surprisingly, clients often ask if I still have the images from a past photo session. I'm not sure if this idea is a holdover from the past when everything was physical (film, prints), but as a photographer, all my images are my assets, and I do everything possible to preserve and archive those assets.Sure, needs are different for professi...
Have you ever had some close up time with a horse? You may have ridden horses, or just come up close at a zoo or carnival. Either way, if you were paying attention, you noticed the horse reacting to you. If you really paid attention, you saw that reaction was based on how you felt about the interaction. Whoa. Not sure I noticed that the few t...
A client called me last week in preparation for their upcoming photoshoot. They just had a few questions. This particular session was scheduled by another person in the company who would not be part of the session, and the person that called would be photographed. This is fantastic, and in most cases required. I have a lot of questions before...
"There has never been a photo of me I liked…" I've heard 'em all. So what happens when you need a headshot for yourself, your business, or for the company you work for? I've shot lots of headshots. Many people come to it dreading the time, or just wanting to get through it because they are not fond of the experience. This most...
This past weekend we drove to Philadelphia to see my son at college. In this crazy time of the pandemic, he was unable to go in the fall, but the university opened up for the winter/spring terms, and so he is there, albeit under a bunch of restrictions. It's a 5 hour drive from where we live, so we packed up the car and prepared to stay a few days ...
Everyone loves a backyard pool. In the crazy year of 2020, during a global pandemic, no one was allowed to travel, so that exciting tropical vacation you had planned was a no go. But what if you could bring the vacation to you? What if you built a beautiful oasis right in your backyard? As a pool design and installation company, this is the message...
Let's just start off by saying that the title is only wishful thinking. I have never been able to "control" the sun. It does what is does, and we only have the option of planning so we can take advantage of the sun, not control it. When shooting any kind of architecture, if at all possible, I like to have a walk through with the architect, builder,...
