Photo Field Notes Podcast: Career Advice for Photographers

Have you ever had a client ask you to touch up their skin or whiten their teeth? Maybe they’ve even asked you to make them look a bit thinner. Today on the podcast, I’m talking about how I deal with Photoshop retouching requests, and how I protect myself from getting bombarded with hours of extra retouching work.

You can also download the language I use in my contract that lays out how I will handle retouching. Note that I’m not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. This is simply how I do it. Please consult your lawyer before adding language to any contract.

Follow @photofieldnotes for quick tips, episode updates, and to be featured in a future episode. To get future episodes and other goodies, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, follow @photofieldnotes on Instagram, and sign up to get bonus guides, freebies, discounts and goodies below:

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Have you ever had a client ask you to touch up their skin or whiten their teeth? Maybe they’ve even asked you to make them look a bit thinner. Today on the podcast, I’m talking about how I deal with Photoshop retouching requests, and how I protect myself from getting bombarded with hours of extra retouching work.

You can also download the language I use in my contract that lays out how I will handle retouching. Note that I’m not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice. This is simply how I do it. Please consult your lawyer before adding language to any contract.

Follow @photofieldnotes for quick tips, episode updates, and to be featured in a future episode. To get future episodes and other goodies, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, follow @photofieldnotes on Instagram, and sign up to get bonus guides, freebies, discounts and goodies below:

First Name

Email Address

Have you ever had a client ask you to touch up their skin or whiten their teeth? Maybe they've even asked you to make them look a bit thinner. Today on the podcast, I'm talking about how I deal with Photoshop retouching requests, and how I protect myself from getting bombarded with hours of extra retouching work. You can also download the language I use in my contract that lays out how I will handle retouching (search for episode 111 on photofieldnotes.com).

Listen to the full episode to hear more details about each tip.

Listen to the full episode to hear more details about each tip.

* Get organized ahead of time. Have your client list out group combinations.

* Give yourself enough time. Tell them to anticipate about 3-5 minutes per grouping, so if they have 30 minutes at a wedding, for example, aim for around ten groups. If they want more, they need to leave more time.

* Choose someone to be the helper—this is the person who takes the list and reads the names and helps organize while I’m focused on getting people in there and lined up. And if it’s a wedding, it cant’ be the wedding day coordinator or any parent…because they have other things to do, and I’ve learned the hard way that they just won’t be able to do it.

* Choose the right lens for your photos. As your groups get bigger, don’t just go wider on your lens. You need to step back. I still use my 85 as much as I possibly can—I just step way back and let them know what I’m doing. If you use a wide lens with a big group, the people on the sides are going to look distorted and weird, and no one wants that.

* Pose the group. If I have ten people, I’ll stand them in one straight line (angle each person 45 degrees toward the center). If there are more than ten people, I’ll grab chairs or create rows.

* Getting kids to look. If I have an assistant, I’ll have the assistant help get kids’ attention (or a wedding guest). I also use my expo disc (because it’s shiny) or pop out my reflector as a “magic trick” and show them the shiny gold side.

* Talk them through it. If I’m backing up, I tell them that I’ll let them know when I’m ready. I tell them that I’m going to take at least five photos to make sure I have eyes open, and I tell them when I’m all set.

* For weddings, push some photos to the reception if you have to (e.g. high school friends, college friends, extended family, etc.). Have the MC call everyone to the dance floor or take everyone outside to a clear space.

* Frame your photos for the frame. Leave enough space on the edges to crop and frame the photos, and be sure to give everyone an opportunity to buy the prints. At weddings, I have cards that tell them where to find the gallery to sign up to get an alert when the photos are live.

* Always ask to make sure that you’ve gotten everything they want.

Follow @photofieldnotes for quick tips, episode updates, and to be featured in a future episode. To get future episodes and other goodies, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, follow @photofieldnotes on Instagram, and sign up to get bonus guides, freebies, discounts and goodies below:

First Name

Email Address

Listen to the full episode to hear more details about each tip.

* Get organized ahead of time. Have your client list out group combinations.

* Give yourself enough time. Tell them to anticipate about 3-5 minutes per grouping, so if they have 30 minutes at a wedding, for example, aim for around ten groups. If they want more, they need to leave more time.

* Choose someone to be the helper—this is the person who takes the list and reads the names and helps organize while I’m focused on getting people in there and lined up. And if it’s a wedding, it cant’ be the wedding day coordinator or any parent…because they have other things to do, and I’ve learned the hard way that they just won’t be able to do it.

* Choose the right lens for your photos. As your groups get bigger, don’t just go wider on your lens. You need to step back. I still use my 85 as much as I possibly can—I just step way back and let them know what I’m doing. If you use a wide lens with a big group, the people on the sides are going to look distorted and weird, and no one wants that.

* Pose the group. If I have ten people, I’ll stand them in one straight line (angle each person 45 degrees toward the center). If there are more than ten people, I’ll grab chairs or create rows.

* Getting kids to look. If I have an assistant, I’ll have the assistant help get kids’ attention (or a wedding guest). I also use my expo disc (because it’s shiny) or pop out my reflector as a “magic trick” and show them the shiny gold side.

* Talk them through it. If I’m backing up, I tell them that I’ll let them know when I’m ready. I tell them that I’m going to take at least five photos to make sure I have eyes open, and I tell them when I’m all set.

* For weddings, push some photos to the reception if you have to (e.g. high school friends, college friends, extended family, etc.). Have the MC call everyone to the dance floor or take everyone outside to a clear space.

* Frame your photos for the frame. Leave enough space on the edges to crop and frame the photos, and be sure to give everyone an opportunity to buy the prints. At weddings, I have cards that tell them where to find the gallery to sign up to get an alert when the photos are live.

* Always ask to make sure that you’ve gotten everything they want.

Follow @photofieldnotes for quick tips, episode updates, and to be featured in a future episode. To get future episodes and other goodies, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, follow @photofieldnotes on Instagram, and sign up to get bonus guides, freebies, discounts and goodies below:

First Name

Email Address

Today on the podcast, I’m sharing your ideas for bartering your services as a photographer (along with a few of my own ideas). Thanks for my contributors this week, who shared their own bartering experiences:

@jenniferemmphotography

@photographybylexim

* @stephsmithweddings

* @shotbydino

* @megansheppardphotography

* @diannevelthove_imagery

* @jonathantalbertphotography

* @thortography

* @uninventedcolors

If you want to grab this image that I created in collaboration with All Grand Events (as a part of our own barter), you can grab it here, then insert your own image to share online. Be sure to tag @allgrandevents or http://allgrandevents.com to give Emily credit for her gorgeous floral styling.

Related Episodes:

* Marketing Your Photography Business Through Partnerships with Zara Ashby

* How Ian Holmes Niched Himself as an English Speaking Romantic Photographer in Paris

* How to Start Selling More Products in Your Photography Business with Chris Scott

Follow @photofieldnotes for quick tips, episode updates, and to be featured in a future episode. To get future episodes and other goodies, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, follow @photofieldnotes on Instagram, and sign up to get bonus guides, freebies, discounts and goodies below:

First Name

Email Address

Today on the podcast, I’m sharing your ideas for bartering your services as a photographer (along with a few of my own ideas). Thanks for my contributors this week, who shared their own bartering experiences:

@jenniferemmphotography

@photographybylexim

* @stephsmithweddings

* @shotbydino

* @megansheppardphotography

* @diannevelthove_imagery

* @jonathantalbertphotography

* @thortography

* @uninventedcolors

If you want to grab this image that I created in collaboration with All Grand Events (as a part of our own barter), you can grab it here, then insert your own image to share online. Be sure to tag @allgrandevents or http://allgrandevents.com to give Emily credit for her gorgeous floral styling.

Related Episodes:

* Marketing Your Photography Business Through Partnerships with Zara Ashby

* How Ian Holmes Niched Himself as an English Speaking Romantic Photographer in Paris

* How to Start Selling More Products in Your Photography Business with Chris Scott

Follow @photofieldnotes for quick tips, episode updates, and to be featured in a future episode. To get future episodes and other goodies, be sure to subscribe in iTunes, follow @photofieldnotes on Instagram, and sign up to get bonus guides, freebies, discounts and goodies below:

First Name

Email Address

Today on the podcast, I'm sharing your ideas for bartering your services as a photographer (along with a few of my own ideas). If you want to grab this image that I created in collaboration with All Grand Events (as a part of our own barter), you can grab it at photofieldnotes.com (search for episode 109)

Today on the podcast, I’m talking about why photographs should be over-communicating with their clients every step of the way. I’m telling you how many touch points I have with my clients, when I get in touch with them to create a great client experience and set expectations, and what to do when things go wrong with a client project.

I’m also hosting a giveaway! Today through August 9, 2018, you can enter to win a free download of my Bride Guide Autopilot Email Series. I created three months of weekly emails to keep in touch with my brides after booking—I use the series to give them tips to create a smoother wedding day to and build trust. To enter, go ahead and subscribe to the Photo Field Notes email list and/or head over to Instagram and check out the other way you can enter (up to two entries). I’ll announce the winner through my email list on August 9.