Pounds is pleased to present Cliff Ranson of Ranson Photography in our Signature Portrait Series.  We think you’ll agree that Cliff’s image is a great example of portrait design.  The lighting, colors, and  textures create a moody effect that really draws us in. We love how he chose clothing that would complement the background.  If Cliff was a rock star, this photo would be great on the cover of a CD! We can see why this is one of his favorite locations for Seniors.   Read his Behind the Scenes account of this very cool image.  But first, check out Cliff’s profile to find out why he is such a supportive member of the Pounds Community.

Pounds Community Profile: Cliff Ranson of Ranson Photography

Who was your portrait taken by and why did you choose that person?
This photo was taken by Hector Guerra. He has been a close friend since about 1995, and has photographed about 300 weddings with me.

How did you decide on that location?
This is a location I use quite often with Seniors.  It is an alley in downtown McAllen.  I have always liked the contrasting black with the blue.

What is distinctive about your style of photography and what makes this your Signature Portrait?
It is a portrait that would typically result after a consultation, knowing that the clothing would fit the environment.

Did anything funny or interesting happen during this shoot?
We had to use available light because the wind was blowing about 40 mph, so my portable softbox would not stand.  We did not have any others to assist in holding it up.

How did you feel in front of the camera and did you learn anything that will help you when you are photographing other people?
I don’t generally throw myself in front of the camera, but I will regularly show my subject what I am after by demonstrating myself.

The Pounds Community team wanted to do something fun for our members this summer, so we decided to add a special bonus to our newsletter.  Our e-book supplement, “Fame Fortune and Photography” makes the Summer Reading issue of PCN sizzle with hot ideas for cool studio promotions.   We’ve got some great tips for marketing your studio and increasing your sales with products from Pounds.  Check out our e-book, and if you’ve got suggestions you’d like to share, add your comments below.

The Pounds Community is pleased to feature Lewis and Carol Kincheloe in our Signature Portrait Series. When we asked the Kincheloes to participate, they headed off to one of their favorite locations with an unusual prop in tow.  Even though their session seemed vexed by the weather and the cancellation of their photographer, they produced an outstanding image by virtue of their can-do attitude and their creative vision.  We asked them to tell us what happened during the shoot and how their portrait illustrates their signature style.  See our profile of the Kincheloes.  Then, read on for the Behind the Scenes details of their amazing portrait.

Pounds Community Profile:  Lewis and Carol Kincheloe of Positive Image Photography

Who was your Signature portrait taken by?
We were rained out on our original session day. We finally had a nice evening and decided to make it a self-portrait and just set the camera on self-timer.

How did you decide on that location?
We have so many interesting locations in our area. This was the background we used for our son Travis’ graduation announcements last year.

What is distinctive about your style of photography and what makes this your Signature Portrait?
If I have a senior that comes in and doesn’t want to be here or seems nervous about being in front of the camera, I’ll have them sit in the barber chair.  I’ll spin them around and do a few shots and get them laughing. This usually loosens them up and lets them know we’re going to have fun during their session.

Did anything funny or interesting happen during this shoot?
We only had about 15 minutes of daylight remaining for the shoot. We were unloading and setting up in the street as fast as we could.  Once we started, I had to run back and forth to grab the tripod when a car was coming. We had three or four cars that just kept doing a loop around the block wondering what the heck we were up to. I think we ended up with 11 shots to choose from.

How did you feel in front of the camera and did you learn anything that will help you when you are photographing other people?
After I chimped the first shot, I saw I was just standing there with no pose, no expression, and no energy.  It reminded me of why we are the professionals and the importance in placing people in the right spot, in the right light - and our job of helping to set the tone or mood for the image.

Are you looking for ways to diversify your studio?  School Photography could be the solution.  If you’ve never considered it before, you might want to think about it now.  According to Schools and Events expert Chris Wunder, the market is expanding and studio photographers are capturing more of it.  Chris will present the basic training you need to sell, shoot, and manage high-volume workflow at the School Photography Boot Camp co-sponsored by Pounds. We asked Chris to tell the Pounds Community how Wedding, Portrait, Sports, and Event photographers can benefit from building their businesses with Underclass School Photography.

Is it best to specialize in Schools, or can Wedding and Portrait photographers diversify their studios to capture this market successfully?
Undergrad School Photography is the perfect addition to any studio’s marketing plan.  Most of the work is done on weekdays during the morning hours, so it doesn’t conflict with the busy time in regular studio schedules.  Plus, as many traditional studio market segments are seeing declines (in-studio portrait sessions, weddings, commercial work, etc) there’s a continuing and growing market for School Photography.  When times get tough, consumers look the best values they know, and a traditional favorite is School Photography.

Another good reason to enter the Underclass market is the revenue potential.  School photographers routinely take in $1500 per hour in revenues.  An average elementary school with 450 students can generate over $20,000 per year in sales for photographers who take advantage of all the opportunities there; Fall and Spring Portrait programs, Groups and Composites, Special Events and Yearbooks.

What kind of skills do you need to manage the post-production in a high-volume market like School Photography?
School Photography has the most developed and efficient workflow systems in photography.  You don’t have to be a computer whiz to manage it. These specialized workflows make it easy to match images of hundreds of students with corresponding student data provided by the school.  This is done using your laptop computer tethered to your camera, CamLynx capture software (provided thru Pounds Labs) and a barcode reader installed on your laptop.  Then, using special cards preprinted beforehand with student data and barcodes, you can easily link the images and purchase at the camera.  It’s easier than it sounds. After some practice, you can prepare 500 student orders for the lab in only 1- 2 hours.  That’s much less than the time required to process a wedding for the lab.

Can the techniques presented in the Boot Camp be used to build business in other high-volume markets?
The techniques learned at the Boot Camp in becoming a School Photographer are essential building blocks in understanding high-speed, volume workflow for many types of Event Photography including Youth Sports Team and Individual (T&I) photography, photography in Daycares and Pre-Schools, Dances and Proms and almost any “volume” photographic opportunity.  Anytime you need to do a lot of photos at an event, and be able to quickly track who you photographed and what they bought; you’ll need and use these basic techniques.

How can sole proprietors and small studio owners compete against school photography mega-companies that operate on a national level?
Competing against the “national” companies is easier than you think. Many schools are looking for a change.  They just don’t have many choices.  Many would consider a local studio that has learned the specialized photography needs of schools, has done specialized training, and has developed the workflows needed to handle 400 students in less than three hours.  The School Photo Boot Camp can provide the skills necessary to start your School Photography business and help you build long-term relationships with local schools.  It also helps to know the “secrets” of the competition and how you can out-service them.  You’ll learn all this at the Boot Camp as well.

What do school photographers need to look for when choosing a professional imaging lab to fulfill their orders?
School Photographers require a number of specialized lab products and services to be competitive with the “national” companies. Most pro labs do not provide these specialized services.  You need to find a lab that specializes in “volume” work for School and Sports Photographers and who has the unique products and processes to help you be successful.  Our company uses Pounds Photographic Labs because of their high quality and commitment to service. They offer all the specialized products we need to grow our School Photography business.

The Pounds Community team thanks Chris for sharing his expertise in School Photography with us.
For Boot Camp details and registration see Orlando: June 23-27 or Dallas: July 27-31.  Attend either Boot Camp and receive a Pounds savings certificate for studio samples of school products.  Sign up for the Dallas Boot Camp, and you’ll be invited to a special tour of Pounds Labs. We look forward to seeing you here!

Have you ever wished that you could improve the weather on the day of a portrait session?  Or, make a bleak background match the beauty of a bride?  How would you like to know the secrets to changing  the look of locations?  Pounds Community member Carrell Grigsby will reveal her techniques for turning mediocre images into masterpieces at the TPPA Kerrville Summer Seminar.  Carrell gave us a sneak preview of her topic “Build that Background Library and Make it Work” so we could share it with you.  We thank Carrell for taking the time to answer our questions and send us her images.  To attend her  presentation, register for the Kerrville Summer Seminar.

What is a “background library?”
Images that can be used to enhance a scene or print. That might be as simple as blue sky with clouds to use when you have no pretty sky on the day of a portrait  to an Italian cathedral doorway to go behind a gorgeous bride.

What are the benefits of having a background library?
Time and profit.  A beautiful scene that matches what the clients wanted to see can up the ante every time with very little work after the session.

How did you build your background library?
Years ago I started keeping all the test frames I took before the clients showed up for sessions.  A process evolved whereby I found that I often went back to those images to save time when combining images for the desired combination of subjects.

What skills do you need to create a background library, and to use it during post-production?
Any good photographer can capture a beautiful or dramatic scene.  Follow up with good cataloging has to happen or the image will not be available for use.  Photoshop skills are absolutely necessary.  This program would not be useful for a film photographer.  My goal is to minimize the amount of work in Photoshop, but some skill will be required.

What kinds of images can you create with a background library?
There is no limit except the maker’s creativity and imagination.  The concept of background
enhancement  can go from making a family portrait just a little more dramatic to creating a PPA Loan Print.

How are you planning to expand and use your library in the future?
I’ve already done the “next step” by using Virtual Backgrounds, a wonderful system, and a green screen. I have had the best success with any of these by careful blending of images creating a “reality” that is believable to clients and judges.

Wedding photographers, are you holding the line on your prices, or are you cutting them in response to the recession?  Photo District News, PDN, recently published an article with the results of their 2009 Wedding Business Survey.  In general terms, it seems studios are operating on a “glass half-full” or “glass half-empty” perception of how much they can charge for their photography and packages. That is –those that expected their income to rise this year, increased their prices.  The survey also took a look at how studios are reducing expenses, restructuring their packages, and allocating marketing budgets.  See the article at PDN Online, and let us know what you think. If you are a wedding photographer and would like to contribute to the Pounds Community as a guest blogger on this topic, contact us at community@poundslabs.com.

Meet Kelly Moore Clark.  Kelly is one of the featured photographers in our “Signature Portrait” series.  She stepped in front of the camera to have a portrait made in a location and style that she uses for her customers.  The Community team combined the image with a short profile and her comments on why she is a Pounds customer.  She also gave us a Behind the Scenes account of what happened during the shoot.  We’d like to thank Kelly for participating in this project.  And now, we are pleased to present this unique portrayal of Pounds Community member, Kelly Moore Clark:

See Kelly’s Profile

Who was your Signature portrait taken by?
Brandi Howard.  She’s my best friend and my assistant.

How did you decide on that location?
It’s my back yard

What is distinctive about your style of photography, and what makes this your Signature Portrait?
I would say my “signature style” is daring, fearless, edgy and fun.  I like the fun colors in this photo.  We found the chair at a junk sale.  Purple is my signature color, so we couldn’t pass it up!

Did anything funny or interesting happen during this shoot?
My shoes were covered in red mud!

How did you feel in front of the camera, and did you learn anything that will help you when you are photographing other people?
I’m usually pretty confidant in front of the camera, but I still have the nerves that everyone gets.  My goal is to photograph every one of my clients the way that I like to be photographed.  I work really hard to find people’s best angles, and make them look as great as they do in real life (and sometimes better!!)

We all hear doomsday talk about digital devices ruining the professional photography market, especially for teens, the customers of tomorrow.  With image displays on lap tops, cell phones, and i-pods, why would they ever want to buy prints?  Certainly not for sharing – the ubiquitous exposure of online sites is better, right? In a face-off between Pounds Press Books and Facebook – who do you think would win?

If you’re worried about the future demand for studio products, you’ll be interested in this story from one of our customers. Continue Reading »

At the 2009 PMA Convention, keynote speaker, Jeremy Gutsche of Trend Hunter Magazine, ended his “Unlocking Cool” presentation with a video about cutting-edge photography.  We contacted Jeremy and asked if we could share it with the Pounds Community and he sent us the link.  Check it out, and if you are using any of these techniques, let us know.  We would love to feature you and your work on the Community Blog!

It’s been said that rock stars dream of being actors, and actors dream of being rock stars.  Teri Quance suggests that some photographers also seek a celebrity status.  Teri is the president of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston.  In the March issue of their newsletter, she wrote the feature, “To Be a Rock Star or Not To Be.”  Are you a leader, or a learner? Whatever role you choose can be very rewarding.  Pounds has opportunities for photographers to develop as speakers or as professional “students.” Check out Teri’s article, and then leave us a comment to let us know how we can support your dreams!  To Be a Rock Star or Not To Be