So we have come across some wonderful websites and wanted to share them with all of our wonderful friends and clients:

Moms with Camera’s – this site offers some wonderful insights for amateurs and professionals alike and deserves a look see.

Another fun site that I recently came across (thanks to Mom’s with Camera’s) is the PhotoDUDS site. Check them out for some pretty unique ideas.

Here is a preview of the first day of our Bunny Event!

Enjoy – couple of openings still available for Saturday and Sunday so call today.

Every year we have our annual bunny portraits and bring in real rabbits to the studio.   Our experience is that children naturally respond to live animals and we are able to create a special time in their lives while capturing a piece of art the parents are going to treasure for years to come.

Some concerns about having children close to a live bunny have come up over the years from parents and grandparents, so I will try and address those concerns here.

We work very closely with the rabbit breeders that supply us our bunnies, working only with breeders who handle their bunnies and socialize their bunnies on a daily basis.

We have our very own “Bunny Wranglers” at the studio during our Bunny Portraits ensuring that no parents or children need to handle the bunnies.  We will place the children into our photographic set and will then determine whether the child/parents are able or willing to have the rabbits placed on their lap or whether it is more appropriate for the rabbit to be placed in a nearby basket.  When working with infants we have special props to ensure the safety of the infant and will place the rabbits in such a way that the infant will be in the photograph with a rabbit but not in danger in any way.

“Why Baby Rabbits”  We use baby rabbits because a rabbit’s natural instinct when threatened is to Freeze.  An adult rabbit is often comfortable enough around our studio to hop away at an inopportune moment.  When using babies, we find they will remain where we place them until the shot is taken at which time we will then pick them up and place them back into their cage.

The bunnies we use in our studio are often adopted or purchased later by clients as pets for the children. We truly enjoy being able to offer this unique photographic opportunity to our clients while maintaining a safe environment for both the rabbits and the children.

Feel free to contact me with further question or concerns 503-320-3076

Bunny portraits are still scheduled for March 26, 27, and 28th.

Openings are limited so please call for your appointment today.

Amanda.3

Hey everyone!

We have had such a great response for our Bunny Portraits, but we still have a couple of openings left.  I wanted to offer a special to get those last slots filled!

Mention this Blog post when you call for your appointment and receive a Free 8×10 portrait with order!

This is a great offer and will be gone soon. This is only available until 5 p.m. tonight (March 23rd, 2010) so call now.

Everyone enjoy the sun and stay safe.

As part of our education on custom photography I thought this would be helpful to our clients and fit right in:

The digital revolution has brought amazing flexibility and ability to control various factors during the image taking and making process.  Photographers, the hobbyist, the professional, the amateur all benefit from this ability to manipulate pixels.  However, with flexibility comes a price.  Digital camera equipment is still considerably more expensive when you factor in its’ lifespan, the need for additional resources for processing those images, the time it takes to get a usable image and the effort that goes into creating a work of photographic art. We all know that you can go to the local Walgreen’s and pay a $1.99 for a print – as a client you may wonder why you may pay upwards of $50, $70, $90 for a custom photography print.   Photographers hear this statement every once in awhile:

“How in the world can you charge $60 for an 8×10 if it costs me less than $2 to print at x store?”

The truth of the matter is the answer to this question is multifaceted.  Much of the cost of a photographic print produced by a professional photographer has a lot to do with the time,  equipment costs, artistic vision and reputation of the photographer not to mention expertise and the usual costs of running a legitimate business. The cost of TIME Approaching it from a time standpoint, let’s imagine that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love.  This photographer is traveling an hour to your destination to photograph your session.  Here is an example of a time break down:

• booking time: 30 minutes to one hour (client contact time + paperwork)
• pre-session prep time (30 mins – 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
• one hour travel time TO session
• 15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
• 90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
• one hour travel time FROM session
• 30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
• 30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
• 2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
• 1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
• 2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
• 1 hour sorting through and checking order
• 30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
• 30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
• any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues

In this example, the time spent per client can range from just under 13 hours to 19 hours – dependent on the photographer’s level of service.  This is time dedicated only to ONE session.  When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot (aka SESSION FEE) you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.

The COSTS of Maintaining a Custom Photography Business:

Regarding equipment costs, a good quality professional camera with a selection of good optical quality lenses and digital storage mediums and computer set up can run from $10,000-$30,000 costs dependent on the photographer.  Even though you can purchase a really good quality digital SLR for about $2100 there are still other costs related to photography.  A good lens for portrait photography can run from $900 to $2500.  A dependable computer system with software loaded for business and creative usage can run $2500 to $8000 dependent on the photographer. Then come lab costs for specialty products.  A good photographer knows their professional lab is an integral part of their success.  These labs often cost more and offer a range of products that allows the custom photographer to continually offer new, innovative products for the discerning client.

Discussion on other costs of running a photography business could take awhile so we’ll skip many of the intricate details.  An overview:  the costs of running the business, taxes, studio rental/mortgage if the photographer has ownership of a dedicated studio, vehicular costs, costs of advertising/marketing, costs of sample pieces that the photographer will likely bring to your session, etc.

APPLES to ORANGES to BANANAS: Often times clients will mention to their photographer that X studio in the mall/department store only charges $19.99 for an 8×10 “sheet” or they may mention other things related to discount photography chains.  The fact is those discount chains make their money on volume, not on customized 1:1 service.  In February 2007 a company who has leased photography retail space in a rather well known discount retailer closed down 500 of their portrait studios across the nation.  The reason it happened is simple, you cannot make money on 99¢ “professional” prints if you do not sell enough of them.  Interestingly enough – those same studios that offer the loss leader packages often charge much much more for their a la carte pricing vs. many custom photographers (as high as $40-50 for an 8×10).

A little history – the whole reason the big department stores began offering portrait services in the first place was to get you, the savvy consumer, in through their door so that you could spend more money with them in other departments.  Your “PORTRAITS” are considered the “loss leader”.  Your portraits that are meant to symbolize a once-in-a-lifetime stage in your child’s life are part of what a store considers a way to get you in there door to spend more money on goods that you might not really want or need but because you’re there “anyway” you buy.

Also keep in mind that when you go to a chain studio, as a consumer, you don’t have the benefit of 1:1 attention for 2 hours at your home where your child is allowed to explore, play and be comfortable in their home environment, nor do you get the experience that many custom photographers are known for as well as the lovely captures of natural expressions.  You simply get a bare bones, “SAY CHEESE” experience.

REPUTATION/EXPERTISE of the PHOTOGRAPHER: There is an old story about a ship that cost a company millions of dollars.  Something went wrong in the engine room and the ship was stuck in dock.  They called various “experts” who spent weeks trying to fix the issue to no avail and at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars.  Finally a older gentleman was called in who simply brought in his small tool bag and a hammer.  He set about pinging on various parts of the vast engine with his hammer, finally settling on one area.  He spent a few minutes pinging in that area, took out a few tools and fixed whatever what was wrong.  After a few moments the man straightened up, looked at the captain and instructed him to “start her up.”  The captain disbelievingly went to get the engines started while the man sat in the engine room listening as the engine roared to life.  The man tipped his hat as he exited the ship to the staff who sat dumbfounded because they had seen all the experts come on board for days with their expensive equipment only to have the ship not fixed.  This man did it in a few minutes with a few pings of his hammer!

A few days passed and the man sent the shipping company a bill for $10,000.  The accounting department contacted him immediately.  Why all the rumors mentioned that this man had only spent “a few minutes” fixing the ship “with his hammer and a few other random tools”.  When questioned about why his bill was for $10,000 – did he accidentally leave an extra zero on the bill?  The man confidently responded: “In fact the time was worth the $1,000.  The other $9,000 was for the years of experience and the ability to discern the issue as quickly as possible for the company.”

Now I’m not saying that photographers fix large ships but being in demand, being well known for quality work, having a good reputation often costs time on the photographer’s part (years of practice, study, experience, etc).  A photographer’s expertise comes at a cost, their time learning their craft and learning the intricacies of lighting and the commitment put forth on their end to create a persona about their business that oozes professionalism.  A great number of photographers go a very long time from the time that they purchase their first good camera to making money at the business of photography.  Many photographers, when first starting out, rush in thinking that the business will be easily profitable in no time, how expensive could it be to get a camera and use it to create their dream?  These photographers often undervalue what they do because they have the realization that they do not have experience or expertise but are very adept at pushing the shutter on the camera.  Many times these casual “professionals” neglect to factor in the cost of business, the cost of equipment, software, back ups, etc..  When you hire a photographer of sound reputation, you are hiring an expert, one that knows that they must always reinvest in their business to create the reputation of being top notch.  To create good work a photographer possesses not only sound knowledge in the technical and creative aspects of photography but also good, reliable equipment and back up equipment.

The photographer who desires to be known as better/best/unparalelled reputation-wise knows that the most important thing they can do for their business is reliability and dependability.  This is how reputations get built.  Good work often is a wonderful side product of building that good reputation.

I hope this (lengthy) article helps shed some light on WHY a custom photographer is a better choice for your family’s memories.  The photographs that are produced as a result of the professionalism and dedication that your photographer has will be cherished for a lifetime (or more) and great thought and consideration should be placed into hiring who is right for your family’s most precious investment.

author Marianne Drenthe

Finally,

A break from the Monday through Friday Schedule.  Although if you are like many people your daily lives don’t alter course for this yearly event.  I hope to encourage you as individuals to strive for some quiet quality time with your family this week.

I find myself making plans for projects left undone throughout the year that seem manageable during spring break.  I am forcing myself to remember that this is a great opportunity for my family to take a break and get away.  My husband teaches at a local college so leaving for the week is an option for us if we so choose.

So as a parent, business owner, wife, and all around busy woman (who isn’t 🙂 ) I challenge us all to take a break, relax and save out 2 days at the very minimum for ourselves before plunging into that project that needs doing.  Enjoy the sun, read a book, take a nap.  These are all things on my list that don’t get the attention they deserve on a regular basis.

So have a happy and safe spring break and check back often as we will have more tips for your family to capture some great spring break memories.

Amanda

Dear Friends, 

This year, I have the honor and pleasure of participating in MDA’s Outer Northeast Portland Lock-Up on April 8^th at Old Chicago to help “Jerry’s Kids®”. To reach my goal I need your help!

I’d like to include you or your company on my list of contributors who are helping me reach my goal. Your donation would help MDA continue the important fight against muscular dystrophy. Check out my web page by clicking on the link below. There you’ll find all kinds of information about MDA, and be able to make your tax-deductible donation on-line using your credit card.

MDA serves people in our community with neuromuscular disease by providing clinics, support groups, assistance with the purchase and repair of wheelchairs, braces and communication devices, and summer camp for kids. MDA also funds research grants to help find treatments and cures for some 43 neuromuscular diseases that affect people of all ages, right here in our community.

I sincerely hope that you’ll take the opportunity to support MDA. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail me.

On behalf of the families MDA serves, thank you!

Warmest Regards,

Amanda Campy

With the long summer days approaching I thought it would be good to give some helpful hints to all of you moms and dads out there who want to capture a great photograph of your children.

I find myself photographing my children on a daily basis and know that as other moms and even dads consider photographing their children, these basic tips may come in handy.

When you find yourself out on a sunny day, make it a point to photograph your children in a shady area. This will give you a nice quality of light as well as eliminate harsh shadows that cause anyone to squint.

Try not to place the sun directly behind or in front of your subject for a couple of reasons:

1. when the sun is behind your subject you often will get sun flare (when the sun shines into your lens) this is distracting to any photograph and hard if not impossible to eliminate post snap-shot.

2. When the sun is placed behind the photographer (you) it will cause those harsh shadows and squinting we discussed above.

Below is some information from a previous post I thought would be helpful.

Keep it fun.  Humor is a great icebreaker with children and most everyone else.

Nothing turns a child away faster than a persistent parent 🙂 and yet to get good photographs isn’t that what we must be?

When photographing your child make it fun. Give the children an opportunity to be the photographer, They love feeling important.

Try to pick a time of day when the children are well rested and have full tummies.

Every child loves a bit of encouragement.  In our house we use candy 🙂

Always have your camera handy.  I keep mine in my purse so it is always available.

Most of all keep it fun, fun, and more fun.  It is so easy to find ourselves frustrated to find that perfect picture opportunity slipping away.  Don’t push it, in 10 minutes another “perfect”  opportunity will arise.

Have fun and remember to get in on the fun. Being in our own photographs is something us parents often overlook. Remember 20 years from now our children will want to see what we looked like and we will finally appreciate how good we look now.