Where to start? Childrens photography...

Dizzle

Just getting back in to my "hobby" and want to focus back on what I have always done....taking pics of kids.

The ease of creating a site on SmugMug really has me jazzed about the potential (I usually spend more time making sites than I do actually using them).

I have a few shoot scheduled for friends who are either pregnant or have young 'uns that they want some pics of...but where do I really start?

Right now I am just trying to grow the portfolio and get some of the basics of learning out of the way (I am a film chick, going digital is so new to me it's not funny).

For friends I am just doing this for free, but what should I do to get soem actual paying clients? It's a bit easier being a woman going up to strangers and asking about photographing their kids, but I still feel like they look at me as a predator.

Just some ideas to help me out wold be great.

Thanks!

Oh, BTW, my work in progess SmugMug site is at justabigkid.smugmug.com (Already registered the domain....waiting for it to propogate)

dangin

TNicole wrote:

For friends I am just doing this for free, but what should I do to get soem actual paying clients?

first, take better portraits.

i'm not trying to be mean here; just realistic. for instance, your website header has 4 headshots of which one of them has uncorrected red eye. just thumbing through some of your images, it looks like you've got some composition issues: soft focus (probably from being too close to your subject), harsh shadow cast, not so great framing, and lack of exposure control...

don't be discouraged. nobody is born an ansel adams. well, except for ansel adams. as far as i'm concerned, there are only a handful of master photographers out there. everyone else is still learning the ropes so don't give up. i know i'm far from perfect... keep shooting away. pickup a book or two on composition and lighting. shoot your friends, shoot your family, shoot your dog... chaulk everything up to experience and learn everything you can.

Dizzle

dangin wrote:

first, take better portraits.

i'm not trying to be mean here; just realistic. for instance, your website header has 4 headshots of which one of them has uncorrected red eye. just thumbing through some of your images, it looks like you've got some composition issues: soft focus (probably from being too close to your subject), harsh shadow cast, not so great framing, and lack of exposure control...

don't be discouraged. nobody is born an ansel adams. well, except for ansel adams. as far as i'm concerned, there are only a handful of master photographers out there. everyone else is still learning the ropes so don't give up. i know i'm far from perfect... keep shooting away. pickup a book or two on composition and lighting. shoot your friends, shoot your family, shoot your dog... chaulk everything up to experience and learn everything you can.

No worries...lots to learn...unfortunately all my good film stuff is on a lost CD (yep, crying over that one...literally)

Right now just kinda working with the old images I have...the header photos most definitely need to be replaced...hopefully after the next few weeks I can get that taken care of.

I am actually taking some classes starting in the next two weeks...I am just starting with this digital stuff...so need all the help I can get

dangin

just for reference and not comparison here are some examples of simple kid portraiture from another dgrin'er:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=71991

just something to look at.

urbanaries

dangin wrote:

just for reference and not comparison here are some examples of simple kid portraiture from another dgrin'er:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=71991

just something to look at.

I think Dan's advice is on point, and just wanted to reiterate that taking good portraits is the FIRST and BEST thing you can do to build clients. It takes a long time to build a good reputation, and forever to recoup a bad one. JMHO

Dizzle

dangin wrote:

just for reference and not comparison here are some examples of simple kid portraiture from another dgrin'er:
http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=71991

just something to look at.

Thank you sir!

Unfortunately, the pics on my site are just PnS pics from over the years as I started out using the SM account for photo storage and not much else. I had archived my film prints on a CDs for safekeeping...and apparently during one of my moves the CDs were lost. I cried over that one....many years of pictures, good pictures, lost.

Guess it's time to start over with a fresh approach...It's been a long while since I focused on photography so the classes will be a big help.