Children's Portraiture

 

Getting ready for picture day can be fun for both the parents and the children.  Even toddlers can enjoy dressing up and planning for the big day.  As you can see from the images accompanying this post, our preschool/childcare pictures might be a bit more than you expect from school pictures.

I and the other photographers that I send into a childcare or preschool session are specialists in working with younger children, newborn through kindergarten.  Many people are surprised that we often spend more time getting to know the child than actually posing and photographing them.  It’s a little like what you would experience if you booked a family portrait session with a leading portrait photographer for a few thousand dollars.

Because we are working with the children in small groups and we are working with teachers that understand what we do, we can do this quickly and efficiently.  You can see some of this on my YouTube channel. Depending upon the package we are offering in your school you may have a simple one pose package or a multiple pose package.  The important thing to take away from my YouTube videos is that your child should be prepared to have a fun experience with the photographer without a preconceived plan of how to pose or smile.

We will never ask them to look at the camera or smile.  If the child comes in with instructions to look at the camera and give a particular smile it can be difficult to get them to relax and look natural.

Sometimes a child will be relaxed and engaged before they get in front of the camera and then immediately stare into the lens with a forced smile.  These can be the most difficult children to photograph.  I will spend a few extra minutes with those children, but if I cannot break though the “conditioning” I simply have to move on.

In Summation

Keep this in mind.  Your child will have a fun experience and you will have great pictures if they don’t have too many instructions.  Natural relaxed expressions come from relaxing and letting it happen.  Looking at the camera is no way to relax.

 

 

One of the most common questions I (and other photographers) get is “Who is the most difficult to photograph?”  Over the years I have discussed this with other photographers a lot.  My usual answer is the subject that stares into the camera Continue reading “The Most Difficult Subjects”

Picture day can be an exciting time for children and parents.  Picking out what to wear and practicing expressions are frequently part of getting ready for picture day.  This can be fun for both the children and the parents.   I’ll have some thoughts about picking out what to wear at the end.   The main goal of this post is to prepare both the child and the parents about what to expect from the photo session.

Every photographer is different. Continue reading “Picture Day!! 2023”

Which is Best for You?  For This School?

If you have followed me much, you’re probably aware that I do Speculation Packages a lot.  It’s most of what I do because for many childcare centers and preschools it is the best option.  It is easier.  I have lower costs.  I have happier customers, both schools and parents.  I make more money. I’ve been doing speculation a long time and I’m very good at it.

But there are other ways to sell your work Continue reading “Prepay, Online or Spec?”

SPAC has just wrapped up for another year.  Immediately before that was the  PPA’s Imaging USA.  I think I am through with conferences for another year.

At both conferences I met a lot of old friends and was introduced to many new people who have an interest in what I do, Preschools and Child Care Centers.  If the rest of my life does not intrude too much, I will be putting a renewed effort into what many have been waiting for, a way to convey to others what I have learned over the past fifty years.

If I have your email expect details and videos shortly.  If I do not have your contact information get it to me.  I don’t chase people.  You have to express an interest.

 

No, I didn’t get that backward.  I continue to be successful with a concentration on people, using technology only when it actually provides more value for and brings me closer to my customers.  This means avoiding technology when it creates distance between myself and my customers.

This may seem like the opposite Continue reading “Low Tech, High Touch”

Cap & Gown pictures for preschool or kindergarten graduation are an ideal way to introduce speculation packages to a parent, school or market.  It can introduce you to a new school or get you closer to an existing account.

If you already have more business than you can cram into your schedule this may not be for you.  The numbers are lower because you are primarily photographing the graduates, but the sales average Continue reading “Cap & Gown Pictures”

Thank you to everyone who attended my presentation at SPAC-USA 2022 today.  This is the link to download the Power Point slide show from today.

https://www.childrensportraiture.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Speculation-Packages.pptx

It includes every slide from my presentation (with a few edits I just did) and even slide 21 which mysteriously disappeared during my presentation.  If you were there you probably noticed my consternation.  Slide 21 depicts our 2-pose package.  It is kind of important because it our most popular package.  I do it every time I can talk the school into it.

I did try to cram in too much and went through some of the material too fast.  For those who are interested, I will go over some of the points in detail when I get back from this trip late next week.  For now this will be delivered on this blog.

Thank you for coming to SPAC and I hope I can show you how to avoid the pitfalls that made me walk away from this market segment in 1978.  You can still make the same mistakes today.  But you don’t have to.

An obstacle to learning is the time required from student and the teacher.  It’s expensive.  Most people who want to learn what I know don’t want to give up the time and they couldn’t afford to pay me.  Sooo–

You can learn everything you need to know in fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes a week.  Fifteen minutes a week to become a better preschool and child care photographer.

Over the last fifty years I have trained hundreds of photographers, sold millions of packages of pictures and   personally photographed hundreds of thousands of children.  I have learned a lot.  One thing I have learned is that it no longer pays to invest tens of thousands of dollars training someone to shoot for me.  And, you probably don’t want to pay me fifty or a hundred thousand dollars to learn the basics.

Here’s the plan.  For a modest monthly fee you get a weekly podcast that will help you advance your skills in every aspect of the business.  You will immediately have access to a large library of information that will help you get started and will serve as a reference.

Interested?  Email or phone me to get started.

It is still in the development stage.  I am looking for a few early adopters to help me design what will work for others.

You have a chance to get in on the ground floor.

 

The two images above are the first shot taken of this sitting and what we finally delivered.  As you can tell from the first shot, this was one of my Garage Sessions. It really was in a garage.

While everyone else was getting ready Continue reading “When Things Go Wrong”