Time to retreat

 I hate writing blog titles. Perhaps that will help you forgive me for how silly mine are. I seem to most people (myself included sometimes) to love puns, and think I'm hilarious, but really I envy those ESPN writers and their actually catchy headlines for a pretty heavy percentage of their stories.

 

I'm already laughing at myself for including an emo seeming b&w self portrait so that you won't have to. Or, we can laugh together.

The retreat I am referring to is double-edged, retreating from war, and a retreat to shut everything else out and rediscover yourself.

Most of the people I surround myself with, (have coffee with, send my ideas to via email, stalk on facebook and twitter), are other creatives, usually ones that also beat themselves up over what everyone else is doing. One of my least favorite skills is the ability to excuse any shortcomings I feel instead of pushing myself to be that much more amazing.

I obviously have trouble being open about the trials of being a wedding photographer on my business blog, and I think it's a bad move for me anyway, because these very real feelings have no place in my client's wedding day. And it isn't about them.

Things like facebook likes (which I am needlessly addicted to) quickly become annoyances when I realize other photographers are the ones 'liking' me. The constant reminder of how many people are also trying to make a photography business work, that we are all stretching our fingers out to grab the same awesome intimate french and vintage magic inspired wedding is tough. I don't want to actively discourage anyone since I was in their shoes just a few years ago, being that annoying budding photographer, that's silly.

I feel myself becoming more guarded about sharing myself with the world, I guess I want my clients to feel like they have exclusive access to some secret, some magic, that only I possess. This is untrue, if you look at well established photographers who tell all, they haven't given away any magic, I still won't get the same images they do consistently, that's one of the things I've constantly seen lamented on Jonas Peterson's formspring. And I'm not one to keep to myself, I tell my best friends the same stories a million times because I'm hoping somehow they haven't heard this one. I'm a Chatty Cathy if ever there was one.

I suppose I just want to chat one on one with the world, be best friends before I try to take over their lives with my advice (as I am want to do). There is no perfect formula that makes someone a great photographer or successful, but there are traits and reasons you can find for some success. Some people are well-connected or otherwise have the opportunities to do amazing things seemingly handed to them. Some people are amazing at marketing, truly talented and gifted, and become super stars within just a few years, and you'll bitterly look at their images and scoff about how you don't think they are more talented than you are.

I say this more to myself than anyone else, STOP making excuses, stop looking at the success of others with envy, and instead try to create an experience for your clients that they will remember and tell their friends about. It takes a while and I don't think everyone is cut out for the difficulty of owning their own business, of selling themselves, of dealing with the responsibility of a wedding day. I do believe you should love love love it. Don't choose weddings just because you think that's where the money is, commercial photography is pretty banging as well, and if you hate weddings your clients will feel that.

For myself, I think I need to turn everything off for a while (not to say I'm dramatically quitting facebook or anything like that). I need a few days where I'm not plugged into what everyone else is doing, where I'm seeking out my own vision again instead of assuming it's a given. I want to step away from the heat of my laptop and sit in the woods. I'd like to think this is something I do often in my spare time, as if I'm a favorite story book character who is lovely and interesting, but I don't. I just remind myself that I could totally be that. I could read actual bound books instead of blogs with mostly pictures and I could develop my own film. I could run again, anytime I want. It's like I'm addicted to giving things up.

Here is my non-resolution to live again. This probably means more work for my intern (soon to be part time assistant), but hopefully that's a win-win.

This is Kelly, signing off-ish...

Digital Negatives (oxymoron?)

Disclaimer: Skip to the end if the length of this entry is scaring you off. I will add a photo to distract you from the text.

I've been reworking my website and branding a little bit lately which is both really amazing and really frustrating, because I want everything to be perfect immediately. And it's not, of course. I'm impatient and I think that can be a strength, especially since I deal with wedding clients all the time and thus I can empathize with their impatience!

Anywho, I'm in the middle of reworking pricing and offerings for next year, and after some recent client meetings I'm figuring out that (duh), prospective clients aren't in the photography industry and they have no idea why we do the things we do. Or why different people offer different things. And so, I want to hear your opinion, and I want to say my two cents here.

Having a photography blog and a wedding/personal blog makes it difficult for me to share anything really personal on the business one, I feel like it'll turn people off to hear a photographer complain (not that that is my intention) about the industry when they are just seeking out someone to hire. So feel free to comment on that as well.

(Christmas gift idea, a photo session, comes with this lovely gift certificate!)

So, as far as "digital negatives" go... Here are the various thoughts on the matter:

• In days of yore, photographers used film. They had the film developed, and then they made proof sheets from the negatives. You selected your favorites, the photographer made enlargements, and the photographer kept the negatives so that if you wanted to order more later, you could.

You could sometimes buy the negatives, but it would be very expensive, because the photographer would no longer be able to make prints of their images.

• In days of yore, photographers made most of their money off of prints.

• Along came digital. Photographers slowly made the transition into digital for wedding photography because it offered more flexibility, it was cheaper than rolls of film, you could be sure you got "the shot", and you could back up your images in a way that you couldn't with film.

• The same photographers that were shooting film created the setup for Digital Wedding Photography. So, the emphasis was still on prints, and giving the clients the "negatives" felt problematic.

• Now, in 2010, clients know that most photography is digital, and in the age of the internet and facebook, and shutterfly, clients want to take control of the photography. They want to own the images and broadcast them to their friends and family. They are in the images, they feel like they own them (and I don't disagree).

• Another dilemma with digital photography is that when you feel like you, the client, own your images, you don't think it should cost extra, you want to order the prints yourself from whomever is cheapest, and if you post your images, you don't think to credit your photographer, because, they are your images.

Enough with the bullet points, I think. I believe I feel the weight of this issue more than most clients and photographers just because last year I was both a client and a photographer. The photography world is competitive and full of peer pressure.

I've been criticized by a fellow photographer for posting images of an engagement (of one of my friends even) on facebook, I was told it was "unprofessional", and I have heard horror stories passed around about clients who take an image and add some creative color techniques and words, post on facebook, and say "look at the wonderful image by Blank Photography!" I've heard that argument not to give clients their images, and then I have heard people like Matt Sloan (via his formspring/facebook) say he doesn't watermark because he doesn't care what happens to the images afterwards. I applaud that attitude. I also have a huge problem making the decision about digital negatives for myself.

I'm still fairly new to the business side of wedding photography, and a recession is not a great time to figure out pricing for a new business. I currently charge an additional fee for a disc of high resolution images but include it for free with album purchases. The philosophy behind that decision for me is that I want clients to have a physical product. Partly because I want my work displayed from the mountaintops, but mostly because I tend to think everyone is at least somewhat like me, and that without the obligation to order something physical, you may never get around to ordering prints or an album and feel shorthanded a year later when you remember that your images only exist on a computer somewhere.


I myself am a very bad bride, and have yet to order my own album. Our wedding was complicated with the multiple parts, and while I LOVE my images, I was pretty burnt out post-wedding. I'm hoping to kick it into gear and order for Christmas.

I am not good at staying on task with my essays. I should've probably failed my college classes. So, for those of you who can't follow 10 trains of thought, here is a summary:

• Photographers charge a lot for high resolution digital images because giving them to you ensures you will most likely not order images from them, and the way wedding photography pricing is set up across the board, they don't want to scare you off by just raising their package price to accommodate for that loss of money.

• Some photographers will not give you the digital images at all because they are afraid you will use them in a way that negatively reflects their brand. Plus, they know that if you love their photography enough you'll probably make do with that fact and just order prints instead.

Gifts for the Photographer in your life.

I saw some Polaroid notecards in Books-A-Million (or BAM! as Garrett calls it) and thought about how that would be something fun to have, but not the kind of thing I'd buy myself. I'm crazy about lists, and you probably are too, so here are a few fun photo-related gift ideas. If you are looking for something practical, ask yourself why. 

1. Leica Look-A-like iphone skin

$13 at the Petapixel Store. Found via twitter (@abryanphoto) on Katie Armour's blog

2. Lens Look-a-like coffee mugs

We certainly love when things resemble our gear. Because we most certainly want more. Always. 

We want to drink from it. Sleep on it. Keep it in our nests. Just make sure you know if they are Nikon or Canon. 

(Just so you can be a better judge of my character,  I'm Nikon.)

$36-55 on Cupshop.com, and they come in the 24-105mm for Canon, 24-70 for Nikon, and the 70-200 for both. 

$24 for the 24-105 Canon at Photojojo

3. Polaroid notecards

Pretty sure these are the ones I saw at BAM! $14.95 for 20 cards at Chronicle Books

4. Camera arm extender for the person who always looks like they are in a myspace photo.

You'd definitely want to limit this to your point and shoot for weight, but especially when you are a tourist in another country anyway, you can't look that silly with a camera extender.

You can find The Collapsible Camera Extender for $24.95 at the Photojojo Store

5. The Zumi Digital Camera

I don't shoot any video currently, but I definitely would with a zumi, they create some pretty hip 8mm style videos
 The Zumi Digital (2.0) is available for $190 at the Photojojo Store


6. Miniature Camera Replica with interchangeable lenses, $28

They seem to only have Canon, but the dinosaur with the camera is still amazing. Of course Photojojo is taking over this list, they tend to have really clever and inexplicably desirable goods. I do disagree with their idea of gifting a friend a tiny replica of the really expensive zoom lens they've been lusting after. That's just cruel.

7. A Lensbaby, $270

These attach to a digital camera for an awesome and fun tilt shift effect. I recommend the composer (I've played with one but don't own one. yet.)

8. Playmobil Wedding Photographer (with flower girl and ring bearer)

From the ridiculous Wedding Pavillion set that Playmobil has out now I saw this little gem at the local toystore. And even though I'm not a man in vest and khakis, I simply must have this set. They even have a wedding piano player. So clearly if you are getting married this year you need to thank everyone involved with a playmobil version of themselves.

$10.99 at ToysRUs.

You can also apparently buy Barbie as a baby photographer or her friend Becky as a school photographer. I really can't think of anything to say about that, I'll let you form your own opinions.

9.  Coby 1.5 inch Digital Photo Keychain $9-15 or the Tao Digital Photo Keychain ($10)

I am including this because it amuses me and it's too cheap not to want to buy it, take it with me to "networking events", for example,  and when I'm asked what I do, I'll pull out my keychain portfolio and smile. Who needs an ipad?

10. Camera tie tack, $10 (with mention of matching cufflinks) on etsy.

They also have these lego video camera cufflinks that I approve of for $19.99.

Have you seen an awesome photo gift that I don't have listed? I'd love to add more to the list so feel free to share!

mini LOVE sessions, $35! February 7th

I rarely mix my work and play but I certainly want to let everyone know about my mini photo sessions for Valentine's Day!

You don't need an excuse to be photographed. Really. But Valentine's Day helps! The purpose of the shoot is to give couples (and friend and people with pets) an affordable excuse to be professionally photographed! The price includes a 15 minute mini photo session with Kelly Cummings of Spindle Photography and a choice of one 8x10 (great for families and married couples) or two 5x7s (perfect for best friends and boyfriend/girlfriend couples).

 The mini love sessions will take place on Sunday, February 7th, in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, between 11am and 4pm. If you are unavailable on the 7th you may set up a weekday session for the following week, however the prints may arrive after Valentine's Day.  

Proofs will be available online by 8 am Monday morning and your prints will be ordered by 5:00pm on Monday to ensure their arrival by February 14th. Additional prints will be available at an additional cost. 

After you reserve your spot, if a friend books and mentions your name you will receive $10 off your session! 

If you would like to sign up, email kelly@spindlephotography.com or leave a comment below with your email address and I will be in touch!

Peeve, feel free to ignore.

I'm a little irked at the blogging/internet world. I find it bizarre that my entire life is online now, or at least feels like it. I spend most of my time on the computer, editing or blogging, and compared to the time I spend with the clients, it's sad. It's like I have an internet dating relationship. Anyway, it's odd that at least here in Birmingham most referrals are word-of-mouth but we spend so much time with our online presence.

But other than that, it irks me that people urge photographers to watermark their photos so they won't be stolen and that people request that their photographs not be used without permission. I don't mind people reposting my stuff, I just prefer that they say where it came from. I would like to know about it, but I love it when people think my ideas or photographs are good enough to spread on. I guess the fear with photography is that people might print out the images instead of paying you for prints? I want people to have access to the photographs and if they want quality prints, I'd hope they'd order through me. But at least for now I'm not the printer police.

And one more thing, I hate it when blogs give "credit" to a source by simply listing the main website. I've seen it done with EAD, and it's frustrating because there are multiple contributors and if you want to see the item in its original context it's completely unhelpful. If you have trouble keeping up with where things came from get a tumblr. Ok, done ranting. Carry on.