For beginner photographers

I know it's been a while. Just so busy but I wanted to post something really quick. This time, though, it's for my colleagues instead of my clients.
I receive many requests from other photographers, asking for advice. I really feel honored that other people would reach to me to ask for advice.
When I was looking for advice, years ago, only one great gentleman offered any. The rest shut their door to me.  He took time from his busy schedule to invite me in his studio. Back then, when you asked for advice, you actually went to a studio and talked to the photographer, showed your portfolio and shook his/ her hand with your sweaty and nervous hand.
Yes, time have changed a lot.
But the essence it's the same. Even though now a days almost everything is done via email and electronic communications, the idea is to present yourself in the best light possible.

So, based on many requests I received in past years, I will state some key points.

When you first contact a photographer, be aware that they have a busy agenda. Any minute a professional takes from his/ her day, means lost revenue.
So sending an email asking to Google your portfolio, or find you on Facebook is just disrespectful.
Be prepared! provide a link, straight to your portfolio. Select the best images and be consistent.
If you reach out to me, ask me about my field, this is boudoir. Don't ask me about baby images.

Check your grammar! (I know I'm bad at this myself) but at least try to use proper language and not slang.

Ask real questions. Writing an email stating that you want to know how to start into photography is as vague and useless as it can be. I need to know about you. I need to see your work. I need to see what knowledge you have and what you lack. More over, I don't have time to tell you the story of my life, but if you ask concrete and direct questions, I'd be delighted to answer them.
So, ask me to critique your work. Or to help you figure out your prices. Or what's my best marketing strategy. Even ask me how I did such and such picture. Or how to deal with legal stuff.
But an umbrella question is a big no-no.

Be thankful. Nothing makes me want to delete an email more than not having a single 'please' or 'thank you' in such email. I know, it's old school. But think about it. I can help you learn the business. But if you lack people skills and basic manners, your customers won't follow you. And that's pretty much the end of your non-yet-started business.

Recently, I received an email from a young lady who wanted to know how to get started in the business. She told me to find her on Facebook by such and such name and to tell her how to get into business. She didn't even say which business.

When I replied to her that I would need much more information to help her, I also sent her a list of questions. Her second reply was even shorter than the original email. And none of my questions was answered. Not paying attention to my very lengthy email told me so many things about her. The most important was, she wasn't paying attention so my time was been wasted.

So, be respectful of a professional's time. Be concise. Be thankful. Pay attention, take your time. Put your portfolio together. A bunch of selfies on Facebook with cheap filter effects is NOT a portfolio.

The reward?
You could actually  get a professional to share the knowledge he or she has acquired in many years of hard work, many times based on mistakes that you don't have to make.

I did get valuable information once. Most of it was related on how to present my work. How to select my best images and how to improve my technique. The best feedback I got was the one that actually pointed out my weaknesses.

And that's what I treasure. It was raw, but was honest and well intentioned.
Cheers!

Nervous? actually, it's a lot of fun!

 I have many clients who keep coming back, over and over. I think the record so far is a lovely lady who drives 3 hrs, just to have her sessions and then drives back home. She's been at the studio 5 times! That got me thinking, that there must be something else, besides getting great pictures, that makes my clients come back. Then I remembered the images that never make it to the prints, sort of 'behind the scenes'. That gives a better idea of what really goes on on a session.  I figured I would post the 'official' image, next to the 'BTS'

It's quite fun to have such lovely and interesting ladies come over, be so nervous and then, within minutes they are already enjoying themselves. I guess it doesn't hurt that I'm a bit of a dork :)
Many ladies tell me they just don't know how to be sexy. I always tell them that their problem is that they try too hard! The secret is not to try to be sexy, but to relax, enjoy and have a good time. Then, when they least expect it, click... I got my image.

Some choose to have a glass of wine, some bring their favorite music. Some bring their hubby, or BFF. Whatever makes them feel great, is certainly welcomed.

It's not only about the images. It's also about the experience. The adrenaline rush, the fun, the excitement and empowerment that confidence gives us as human beings. And what a better way to feel confident than have beautiful hair, make up, sexy outfits and a photographer that knows how to find your angle, the perfect light for your features, and makes you feel at ease?

And some other clients just feel pretty comfy :)

The posing trend.

When I shoot, either weddings, models, boudoir, kids or pretty much anything, I'm an advocate of capturing emotions.
You see, there's a trend to make people look perfect. Family members will stop a photographer to 'fix' the bride, to move the dress, to ask her to smile.
Truth is, the more people tell the bride or the groom what to do, the more confused they get.
They hired a photographer to make them look good, but their friends, family members or bystanders keep interrupting and giving them all sorts of advise. Most of it contradictory and confusing.
By the time we get to take a picture, the look in their faces is truly the look of confusion.
What happened with spontaneity?

Years ago, the trend was photojournalism. Although most people really didn't understand the concept 100%, there was a hunger for pictures that looked honest, non-posed, true to reality.

Hereby I ask:
What's of more value to people, A true emotion or a posed and daunted look?
I choose the first one.
Granted, a professional already thought of the basics of composition, light, technique and overall mood before he/she takes an image. But there's this element of intimacy that a couple has, that a true professional tries to bring out, instead of eliminating it with constant interruptions and posing. Some guidance is great. Telling people what to do every moment is not.

This is true even more with the flood of 'perfect' images that people pin in their pinterest walls, or gather through months of research.
People are so desperate to have those 'perfect' shots that they loose track of what matters the most:
Each couple is different. Their language and story is different. The photographer may not do the images you saw on pinterest. And... would you want to have the same images another 1500 photographers are doing on every wedding?
As photographers, we see the new trends and try to balance what couple's want with what we do.
The most amazing images I get from my weddings is when I have freedom to do what I feel like doing, just for that couple.

On the following image, the couple was getting ready for the 'official' image. They are not even looking at the camera.However, you can feel the emotion and excitement.

So here, some images that show true emotions, without been technically perfect. I value these more. And all were taken on the flight, just casually between other images one the list.

Love the true love these guys have in their eyes :)

 Often times, all it takes is to have the perfect setting. The rest just happens.

Why photographers need exclusivity. The Cousin saga.

A couple weeks ago, I shot a destination wedding. The place was amazing. A castle by a lake!!
I had quite an interesting experience there.  It's always so uncomfortable to have to ask somebody to please stop shooting over your shoulder, or just to move out of the scene.
Have you heard those horror stories, where the most important image from the shoot is lost?
Well, that didn't happen, but quite close!
See what happens when a cousin believes he's a pro-photographer...
Let's see who can figure out who is our dear Primo!

 Groom is ready to take his place down the isle, nice arch, stone and...Primo!

 We have father of the bride, Groom, Pastor, Bride, somehow DJ was also there and then...Primo!

 Primo is busy checking his images.

 What a lovely scenery in the background.

 Flower girl and Ring bearer, plus photo- relative.

 Some nice jacket and elbow.

 Primo didn't want to miss the shot.

 I bet his image looks awesome with me in it too :)

Primo also doubled as entertainer!

Al joking aside, these are some examples of why is important to keep things under control. Many Brides are now opting for electronic-free weddings due to this very reason. The number of images where all the guests are staring into their little electronic screens instead of looking at the newly weds is just breath taking. When your professional photographer has to continuously ask other members of the ceremony and guests to please move so he can get the shot, is just uncomfortable for everybody.
Our goal is to get you the best images, so help us and make sure somebody keeps an eye on all the uncles, cousins and friends who have a really nice camera and are so eager to become the next family pro.
Certainly, we can take charge and just ask the other people to stop. But then again, why ruin the most important day for a  relative if all could've been avoided?
Just my 2 cents :)

The outfit issue, or what to wear?

The answer is complex. It is complex as it's tricky. When clients ask me if I provide outfits, or what to bring,
they probably believe there's a right kind of outfit. But there's not. What you wear is a reflection of who you are.
So, It would not be fair for me to provide outfits. It would make everybody look exactly like the other 550 clients I had. And...who wants that?
People come to see me because I do something that nobody else does. But the big part of that is that my images are not cookie cutter, like they would be if I provided outfits. That leaves still a big chunk out there:
So what should I bring?
Well, that depends on many things. What's your personality? Who are the images for? Are you confident? I've done session with one outfit through the whole time. And with one pair of shoes. Not ideal but I can work with whatever you have, however, I would ask you this:
When you go out, say on a very important event, maybe a wedding. You pick the perfect outfit. Spend days browsing on dresses, and finding matching shoes. Maybe some jewelry. You do this in an effort to find something in which you just feel gorgeous. Then you make an appointment for hair and make up, right?
Boudoir is pretty much the same. With on little caveat: The images might be intended to make you gorgeous on somebody else's eyes. Find out his/ her preferences!
And usually, guys and girls have different approaches to beauty and sexy standards.

Let me share some images. Check them out and see by yourself. What works best for you? simple? elaborated? is it worth it getting new stuff?
A boudoir session is the perfect excuse to do some shopping!

So, which one is more "you"?  bright color? matching set? dark? conservative? wild? No, there's not a 'right' kind of outfit. They're just different, as every person is.

A couple of things though,

• Please bring matching shoes for each outfit.
• Make sure all outfits are ironed.
• Remove tags from all of the outfits.
• Clean shoe's soles.
• If you bring garters, make sure you bring stockings and know how to attach them.
• Make mental notes of which outfits you like more and which less.
• Try to bring an average of 5 outfits per hr of session.
• I tend to favor matching outfits. But that's just me. I consider a matching outfit to be one with the same colors and fabric on both parts of it. Close enough is just close enough. However, it's your session and we'll do it YOUR way! :)
• Push yourself out of your shell. This is a once in a lifetime experience. So what kind of images are you creating? cute or mind blowing?

Adrian

Yelp is weird

If you had gone through my blog, you might have noticed that I believe that Yelp is a biased and unfair site.
Although I've tried several times to contact them and find out why they hide the positive reviews that my clients leave and show only the negatives, (which we vigorously disagree with), I've never received even an acknowledgement of the issue.There's not a phone number to call, nothing.  It's interesting because I even had sessions for Yelp employees! I thought I would just let it be, but today I received a call from one of my repeat customers. She is very private and asked not to be identified, however, she talked to me for about 40 minutes, and made me realize that some things are just not right. She's been in the studio 3 times already, and is looking forward to her 4th. So I thought I'll post an email of yet another positive review, that has already been buried with all the other 14 good reviews that our great clients left so far) There's a tiny gray link that says "Filtered" under the two reviews Yelp likes to show.  I thought I'll share what I've got on the mail from Yelp not too long ago.
So no,
We don't agree with Yelp and we don't hide it. We proactively try to inform our clients and let them make informed decisions.
We wouldn't be in business if we didn't have the highest standards in the industry.
Adrian

Interview: Tiffany Buckley

A- How long have you been a photographer?
T- I started using a camera about a little over three years and I’ve been a professional for about a year and a half, or two.

A- How did you start?
T- I knew someone who hooked me up to clean a photography studio and soon after that, a couple of people that worked there got fired or quit so I pretty much told the owner that I could do whatever they did and do it better and I did, so here I am. Sounds cocky, but it is true.

A- Are you talking about a job as a re-toucher or as a photographer?
T- I did little things like putting together proof books, and then I did some editing and then someone gave me a camera.
 

A- I find this interesting: You worked there, but you had never done the job. You just faced the owner and said “I can do this editing”. How did you figure out that you could do it, if you’ve never done it?
T- I took a Photoshop class in high school and I liked it, so I had the basics.

A- What photographers do you admire and or emulate?
T- I don’t necessarily emulate anyone. I don’t have the lighting means to do so, but I do admire a handful of photographers here in Kansas City. The first one that got me into it, Mike Freeland, I admire his wedding photography. He’s the one who taught me how to use the camera so I feel like I have a little bit of his style going on in my work, a lot to do with available light. A couple of photographers I worked with here in Kansas City; Ken Claypool for Bare Light Photography. He’s pretty phenomenal in the studio.
You, Adrian Vega. You have a dark, edgy style at the studio. Your lighting is different. I like it. It reminds me of Tim Burton. I like Steven Melvin; he’s available light as well. He shot me and we worked together a couple of times. I like his edginess and his “I don’t take crap attitude” and his willingness to push the model to get some great stuff. That’s my handful.

A- What’s your specialty?
T- I am a professional wedding photographer. I have shot 100 weddings even so far and I have 30 to 40 booked for this year.

A- How do you define your style?
T- I stumble upon it. I just keep shooting. I get some models who want to hang out, grab some clothes and stumble upon great things. Out on location, driving around and just jump out of the car.
 

A- If you were describing your portfolio to me, how would you describe the feeling, the mood, of the images?
T- I’ve heard people describe it as ‘stealing the soul of a person’ through the eyes. Maybe eventually I’ll be able to describe it, but right now I’m winging it.

A- Who do you market to?
T- So far, my page shows women between 18 and 30, but I try to make images that everyone likes. I don’t have a particular style, per se. Might be the available light factor, because I haven’t come up with a theme. It’s all jumbled and spotty. I’m experimenting with filters and angles and compositions and what not.

A- Do you have a marketing strategy?
T- I don’t. I’m not a business person. Maybe when I’m legit.

A- Are you not legit now?
T- I’m a contract worker. I’m a hired gun.

A- What do you want to be as an artist?
T-I want to be somebody that people appreciate. I want to photograph everything and anything. I want to travel, shoot for different markets, and maybe one day I’ll find out what I want to do. But so far, I haven’t experimented with everything yet.

A- Where do you think photography in the Midwest is going?
T- I think is going to follow the trends of the east and west coast, just like everything else. I think it’s going to be edgy, I think we’re finally bringing some fashion aspects to the Midwest, such as KC fashion. But as far as photography goes, we’re pretty big in wedding photography here; it’s one of the best ways to make money. And I feel like money starts trends. It’s either hate it or love it, and those who hate it, there’s a lot more. But those who love it make a good amount of money. Jason Domingues, Mike Freeland, Isaac Alongi, those are all big names in KC.

A- Can you name your five all time favorite photographers, dead or alive?
T- I don’t really embark on defining which photographers I like, names don’t stick with me. I’m not going to say Ansell Adams, or anybody. I just don’t know yet.

A- What are the top five items on your wish list?
T-A 5DMark II, a couple L series lenses, some lighting, a studio, merchandise like mugs and pens. I want to make a brand.

A- Can you describe your work flow?
T- Clients book and get a consultation. Can be months or years in advance. The day of the wedding, I usually shoot 8 hrs. It can be 2 or can be 14. It varies. From the time of the make up to after the bouquet gets tossed or when people are drunk on their asses on the dance floor. We don’t want to take pictures of that. You guys have your own cameras for that. Then I get home, dump your photos, organize them, get rid of the worse images, Photoshop a little bit, like get rid of sweat if it was too hot or cold noses if it was too cold. I don’t like to make things too over done. I think retouching a photo and still making it look normal is important. Then we put it online and they order stuff. If I’m doing my own wedding, I tend to spend more time on each image.

A- What’s your latest project?
T- For the last couple of years I’ve been doing this project called ‘girl of the month’. I just look for girls on my Facebook page (rawemotionbytiffanybuckley)/ I judge based on their profile picture and how I feel that day, we go out and shoot, find some cool locations, then I edit some pictures. It’s been pretty good. I have no complaints on my productivity or the models or the location. So that’s my constant project.

A- How did it start?
T- I didn’t want to go into Model Mayhem and find some questionable people. I wanted to build a market on Facebook. It’s a lot easier than other websites and shows my work with everyone.

A- What is the worst mistake that photographers make?
T- All sorts of things. Forget memory cards, forget batteries, break equipment. Assuming that someone wants something or not following up. One time I dropped my camera and I broke my lens. Cost $400 to fix it. It happens.

A- You know a lot of people in the industry. I’m sure you see people make mistakes.
T- One thing I don’t appreciate is when a photographer comes into the business brand new and charges
the normal average price, when they haven’t even done the work before. That makes me upset more than anything. I know it’s kind of bad to charge less than what you’re worth, but I find it to be a game of honesty. So if you come here, haven’t shot a wedding before and go out charging $2000 or $3000 for it, go home. I don’t like financially raping people. I don’t think that’s honest business. Just go home.

A- Now these are my questions for you as a model. I admire your work as a model as much as I admire you as a photographer. What drives you to Model?
T- It’s a hobby. I’ve only been paid once for it, out of 40 or 50 times. It’s fun. It’s like, going out golfing. I just want to go modeling.

A- How did you start modeling?
T- When I was 13 or 14, maybe 15, when the first America’s Next Top Model came out, one of my parents made me watch it and told me that she wanted me to try out for it. I was like, you’re crazy. I’m not pretty enough, confident enough or popular enough to do anything like that. I’ll never travel with that crowd. But it got me thinking later on, after knowing all these photographers, sometimes they need people to shoot and being a young female photographer, we’re not the majority, so when you understand one side of the lens, and somebody wants to be on the other, it makes it easier, and it helps you understand the other side a lot more, when you’re on the other side, when you are shooting a model. I feel like it is almost research. I get some cool photos and it's a confidence booster. You’ve never done it before?

A- No! Do you have a concept or certain things you’d like to try as a model?
T- I really want to try high fashion, in legitimate designer clothing. That’s pretty much all I really want to do now. I’ve done a nice wide array of things modeling wise, but nothing too specific for a certain reason.

A- Do you think that there’s a good modeling market here in KC?
T- For paid modeling? No. If you want to do that, just go home.

A- Where do you draw your inspiration for modeling?
T- I don’t know. I just think the female body is gorgeous. Every female body and every male body is gorgeous. You just have to find the little angle and things that make it gorgeous. And sometimes, more than others, it's not fair. I understand that. I don’t look like Gisele Bundchen. But I think it is great to capture the human body, the soul of the person. My inspiration is all of you and my own body.

A- Do you have any favorite model?
T- I like Lily Allen. Of course, I’m in love with all the Victoria’s Secret models. I think that’s everybody.

A-We’re done then..Thanks!

Raw at the VooDoo!

 From the Voo Doo lounge at Harras,we had a great time. Met some great artists and some very interesting characters. 

This was our booth. We had to get creative to get our pictures up.

An here's my lovely wifey, who insisted that I talked to all people who visited the booth, instead of  letting them be, which was my first choice. I guess I am more of the introverted type.

Oh the adrenaline!

Just a quick one this time, I promise.
When a client comes for a session, they probably think I'm crazy due to the questions I ask:
Can you describe a sexy image? Are you Nervous? What do you mean by classy?
and so on.
Some even get a little confused by the questions.. I don't mean to be a pain. It just helps me figure out what the session is going to be.
My goal is to create the right environment, where a client can open up, have fun, be creative and daring. Some clients get there easily. Some don't.
However, a session without trust is not only boring. It yields lifeless images.
This, on the other hand, is what happens when a client opens up and starts going with the flow.
It just inspires me to create something beautiful.
And just for them. It makes a difference when you 'connect' with the artist trying to make you look good.
Try it next time.
It just creates magic.
Adrian

What to look for, when searching for a boudoir photographer.

It almost sounds unfair. A photographer giving advise on how to choose a photographer. The truth is,
There are many options out there. And it's in all photographers interest to educate our clients.
A client who's highly critical will push a photographer to improve his or her craft. Also, will be appreciative or the effort it takes to be a photo artist.

So when I see the hundreds of options out there and the many lost consumers, I want to give some advise. It's honest. It's insightful. I hope it helps.

• Do your homework.  Many clients show up at a studio, not having checked the photographer's work in advance. This creates not only confusion, but can be very frustrating. A photographer takes pride in developing a style. It takes time, effort. And a customer who didn't check the work in advance, can either be disappointed by the images produced or have requests for the photographer, that can be just undo-able. I had many clients come and bring prints, laptops, tablets with my colleagues work and asked me to do the same images. Well, this is not only hard, but unfair. If they like photographer X's style, they should hire X. If they see me, I'll give them the images I produce. Original Adrian Vega's.
• Have a critical eye.  When checking a photographers work, it's easy to not see some important details. Does the artist portfolio reflect various different skills? Does it seem to be carefully crafted and put together or does it look like it was a weekend project? Is it technically skilled? Does it seem to have a message, trend, or is just a melange of random images with no defined intention? Do the images tell you something? Are they original or have you seen the stuff before?
• Value experience. Let's face it. All photographers start with no experience and that's just the nature of the business. However, we should be upfront and charge accordingly. Labeling ourselves as 'experienced' when all the images in my website are of the same person, is just suspicious. It's OK to ask how long a photographer has been in business. Usually, a more experienced photographer will charge more, because his overhead is higher. This means also that the end images will be more consistent, it means usually better and more efficient work flow, more gear, better settings and pride for the craft. Don't get me wrong, many new photographers are awesome, and not all older ones are good. But it's reasonable to expect that the older one will deliver the same level of quality all the time, (good or bad) and the less experienced one will vary based on the situation. Photographers with years of experience have learned the ropes and are more prepared to deal with unexpected situations. They also will back their work, if something goes south.
• Talk to your artist!  I believe in instinct. Take a minute or two and dial your artists number. Get a better feeling of who he or she is. There's a lot to be said about chemistry. Some people just don't click and some just work together flawlessly. If you just get this weird vibe from talking to the artist, run. On the other hand, you may find out that your photographer is an amazing person, and that will work in your and his/her benefit as well.
• Check the value of the products you get offered. There are so many variables when determining the price to pay for photography, that people easily get confused. First of all, figure out what you need. Do you need a couple of amazing prints or do you need 400 unedited images on a CD?  Do you really need prints? How big?  Are the images going to be used afterwards?  How? I've seen photographers try to sell their product by adding bath sets!  if I wanted a bath set, I'll go to bed bath and beyond! Ask exactly what you get. Is the $50 package for a session just the hook, to then charge you another $200 for the images on a CD?  Make a list of what you really need, and ask the final cost of getting it, whether is included in the package or is an add on. If something is cheap, there's a good reason for it. It's business. To cut your price, you have to cut corners.
• Be fair. Your artist will work hard, in a very competitive industry, where everybody wants to get a lot for close to nothing. Clients who ask for extra stuff, try to cut or negotiate the prices or have unreasonable expectations can put an artist out of business. If you like your photographer's work, pay for it. Asking your photographer to match Mr. Newbiegotacamera's price is not only insulting, but unfair. Mr. Newbie's lives in his parent's basement, has no insurance, pays no taxes, has little gear and works out of a laptop with bootleg software. Your favorite artist pays rent, insurance, taxes, advertising, art fairs, buys gear constantly, pays license fees for software and constantly educates him/herself to improve.  Now, if you like newbie's images better, go have fun! if not, be aware of the effort and cost that photography generates.
• Be open. I find out that everybody wants awesome images, but just a few are actually willing to put the effort to get them. Showing up unprepared, tired, late, or  with the wrong attire just doesn't help. Been open, flexible and willing to have fun just makes your session more pleasant. Consider that when hiring. Are the images all outdoors on a summer day at 99 degrees? you'll be miserable. Are they indoors? your own house or a real studio. Nothing wrong with any of those scenarios. Just be aware of the difference. Outdoors are buggy, windy, there's unexpected situations, walking, sweating, mud. If you're adventurous, this might just be perfect. Are you the owner of a huge, clean and uncluttered mansion, congrats! a location shooter will use it to create great pictures. Are you just average Jane who doesn't want a lot of effort or needs some pampering? a shooter with a studio will have a comfy place, refreshments, privacy, candles and music. All the things needed, ready. Your call.
• Addendum: I couldn't believe first, but apparently it's a new 'business' model. Looks like some people who take boudoir pictures, have it in their packages that their clients are responsible for booking a hotel room where the session will take place. Beware, hotels don't see it with good eyes when commercial photography in their property. You risk getting kicked out. I know, we all have done it. That's how we start, right? However, there's a difference on taking a model or a friend who's adventurous and fearless, renting a room and doing the guerrilla shoot. This works to build a portfolio, but using it as your business model is risky. Just my 2 cents.

The perfect day

I love my work, it allows me to express my admiration for women, for their strength and their beauty.
But sometimes, magic just happens. What does it take? who knows. It's a mixture of trust, chemistry, creativity and luck.
This is a clear example. Jenny, the Quixotic aerialist.
Jenny got in touch with me, because she had a special idea, more of a request. We talked it over, she came to the studio and we just clicked.
Months after that day, her session came. This is what we created together.

I don't think that this kind of art is possible without trust, great communication and to put it plain and simple: willingness to be open, to create, to think outside the box and go to places we haven't before.
Hanging upside down wasn't new for her. What was new for her was to be at the studio, trust me and put herself in my hands.
Me? well, I've done crazy things before,  but pictures of ladies hanging upside down wasn't one of them. They had always been hanging the 'normal' way :)

Thank you Jenny!
Adrian

PS
These are other crazy things I've done:

 A single good picture like this made my whole trip. Yep. Crazy.
So Creatives, artists, adrenaline-seekers, extreme crowd...Unite. Come create art.

What a trip!

It’s been quite a trip. Back in February 2011, we moved from a home-based business to a brand new (to us at least) 1400 square feet studio at the West Bottoms. Thinking back, it’s been quite a trip. Aside from all the stories and very interesting people we’ve met, our whole life has changed and is way richer than before.

I wanted to recap all the things that have changed, starting from the sets. Back then, we had about 4 different sets that we provided to our clients. Now, at the very least, we have 16 readily available sets, which we can use in a blink. We’re also working on new and fun sets, announcing them as we get them ready, to be tested by our brave boudoirettes (Yes, I made that word up). We have added classy seamless paper, black and white, custom made textured ones, played with water (and got in a lot of trouble with that!) and have also got rid of the least popular ones, such as the giant sand box (which is a bummer to my wife!).

We added two custom- made computers to our work flow, totaling three and improving the editing process, both in time and quality. We also added custom made furniture by local artist Ian Peters.

We have added in house printing with our spanking new Epson Dye based ink printer R2000, which allows us to improve the presentation of our CD’s with customized images printed directly on them and ad-hoc paper prints, all with calibrated equipment and a controlled source of fine art papers.

We expanded our network of friends, joined business networks, worked with four different make up and hair artists and learned how challenging it can be to try to merge two businesses together, which at the moment, we’re still working on.

We tried having two different apprentices, who helped us greatly and went on their own way, pursuing their dreams.

We have improved our client experience, in many different aspects, from the temperature during the session, which was a challenge when we started, due to the old building we’re located in, to the improved changing area, which is now more comfortable, has more room for outfits, better light and a cozier feeling. We also now offer refreshments to all customers during the session, making the experience more fun and relaxed.

We drastically improved the number of sample books available on site, having books for boudoir, pin ups, couples images, very edgy images, as well as more traditional books for weddings, portraits and children photography. Now you can get a full feeling of the many options, sizes and styles you can get when ordering a book.

We improved our workflow, now adding more and better editing to all our images.
Including new gadgets, interfaces, and even adopting technologies from other fields, to be able to keep up with the huge volume of work we have.

We learned how hard is to build a name for your brand, how it’s a real challenge to work with the big companies to improve your business. We have been trying to work with Google for months about their maps been inaccurate. We’ve been repeatedly ignored by Yelp about their rankings for our business, which we believe are biased since they hide all positive feedback provided by clients.

We ran specials with many companies, bringing our innovative product to many clients who otherwise would’ve never had a chance to fulfill a long time wish.

Groupon, Living Social, Deal Saver, Google Deals.  We did them all.
We heard our clients suggestions, now having easier to see proofing galleries, adding extra steps to our post-process to make the viewing easier for you!

We have learned so much about expectations and how important is to be clear about all processes and time frames. We have served over 371 clients and have about 150 more already booked, having a long waiting list that keeps us busy and very energized.
We have improved our pre-session communication process, having very detailed information sent to clients so they can prepare and squeeze the last drop of enjoyment out of their sessions.

When we look back, we see lots of changes, improvements and great times. When we look forward, we see a thriving future, with lots of opportunities and great friendships to be made.

We see new and exciting concepts, maybe some new partnerships, new lines of business and different models to make our product even more accessible, all while supporting our growth.

We are excited to be able to make a change in people’s lives, by showing them how beautiful they are, and the things they’re capable of doing. Empowering, inspirational, thrilling, life-changing are words we repeatedly hear from our very satisfied customers, many of whom return over and over for second and third sessions, or just stop by for a cup of coffee and a nice chat.
And this is just the beginning.

We definitely look forward to it.

Thank you.

Adrian and Michelle

Boudoir interesting facts

It's so interesting to learn and observe people in my profession. Why? Many feel vulnerable. Most people feel exposed so they act different. Most of the time, they behave so differently than the way they do when in a regular setting, that the transformation is short of amazing.
But today I wanted to just make some notes on things I've observed:

• About 30% of my clientele are teachers.
• About 30% are nurses or in the medical field.
• Men are WAAAAY shyer than ladies. (mostly)
• Mature ladies tend to be more confident and usually edgier and more relaxed.
• Most people are extremely nervous when they arrive, but get relaxed by their second set/ outfit.
• No two people have the same thing in mind when they say the want sexy pictures. So I really don't have a clue what they mean if they ask me to do 'sexy' pictures for them.
• Almost every client asks me how does my wife handles my job. (I'd like to know that myself! I guess she's just awesome!)
• Nobody really believes it, but I'm really shy. I blush quite frequently.
• Bringing your own music playlist usually make a world of difference.
• I've used three make up artists since I started working at my new studio. One left me and I miss her so much (You know it Katia) The other two... oh well,  just vanished.
• About 65% of my clients seem to ignore the information I send them. This usually makes the session slower.so PLEASE read it. It makes your session so much better!
• I purposely avoid checking other local photographer's work. I'm the most isolated photographer. I like knowing that any idea I have, it's my own.
• There are about six other photographers in my building. I know two of them.
• About 50% of my clients order a book to present their pictures to their significant other.
• Although seems like nobody does, apparently a lot of people check my blog. (I'm sorry for the typos. I'm the artist, the wife is the words lady ) If you do find something interesting, It'll be nice to hear from you.
• About 80% of my clients wish they had done a couple of risque pictures, but didn't ask for them.
• The oldest client I had so far was 71 years old.
• I never intended to become a boudoir photographer. I was a wedding photographer, but somebody liked some model images I had lost in my website. The rest is history.
• Most Make up artists (in words of one of them) think they're divas. They certainly make more money than the photographer. Plus they get tips.
• I've done specials with Groupon, Dealsaver, Google deals and Living Social. 
• In the last 16 months, I've done 350 sessions.
• Apparently in Kansas City there's a HUGE community of bondage, swingers, hard core people and all sorts of fun things. Nobody likes to talk about that though. Weird, I thought Kansas City was more conservative. Luckily, is not.
• Almost every photographer I know does boudoir... Under the table :)
• Photographers have a weird sense of humor.
• My average schedule on a work day is 6am to 10pm. I work Monday to Sunday. I take two days off every month.
• An average boudoir session takes 90 minutes. Editing 25 images takes me anywhere from another 90 to 180 minutes. The time I spend reading and answering each customer's emails averages another 30 minutes. So it's fair to say that each client gets about 4 hours of my time.
• Last year I took about 150,000 pictures. 
• Yes, I have pictures of my wife on my site. Guess who she is and win a free 60 minute session!
• I'll keep writing things as I remember them.
• If anybody is there, reading, be nice and drop me a line. Seriously. Gets kind of lonely here!

Should I be flattered?

I received an email today, it was really nice. One of those emails that make you feel special and good at what you do. Here it is:

"First, I just want to say that your work is stunning! I am a news photojournalist who is looking to develop my boudoir photography in to an art form. I definitely do not want to copy your work, but I would like to learn more about how you light, stage, pose, etc. Do you have any workshops coming up or any tutorials online?







Thanks for your time!


XXXX
"
Of course, I answered politely. What makes me feel weird is the fact that this photographer already has a website offering boudoir, and I have to say is way pricier than mine! Her prices go all the way to $1295. My priciest at the moment doesn't go over half of that!
Such is life.
Adrian

Why creativity costs

As an artists who spends plenty of time planning concepts, modifying the studio, buying gear, insurance, back up hard drives, consumables, props, clothes for models and customers, refreshments for the shoots, paying rent for a big and comfortable space, editing images, uploading images, printing, cleaning, driving to and from shoots, networking, etc. it amazes me how little value many people assign to our efforts as creative people.

Never fails the model wannabe who solicits your services and then wants YOU to pay her. Or the customer who paid for two hours of service and keeps asking for 'just a picture like the one in the magazine'. How about the customer who comes with a laundry list of 'small requests' to change things to their images?

I've never been good at people like that. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But as I become more aware of the responsibilities, legalities and little details that can make or break my business, it's just hard to keep pleasing everybody. specially the people who want to harvest the fruit of our job as creative and also who want it for free.

How many doctors, mechanics, contractors or other professionals do you know who will work for free?
How many people will provide a service without pay? Do you ask your mechanic to also replace the brake pads, since he's already into it, without expecting to pay for it?

As consumers, we've become used to the bargain, the special, the freebie. We're killing the livelihood of those who love their art and provide us with a number of satisfaction, services, art.

Let's re-learn to appreciate the time and effort  a professional puts into the goods we purchased with 70% discount at groupon and at least thank them, recommend them, why not, even tip them.
That professional may not be there next time you want him/ her.
Sorry for the rant.
Adrian

We're not as modern as we think. or are we?

Corset from 1902. Il y a des femmes qui lassent leurs amants plus vite que leur corset. (There are women who tire of their lovers faster than their corsets.) From La Vie Parisienne

Think about it: This image is one hundred and nine years old. Over a century. This lady is going to be remembered forever. She had no problem posing for revealing pictures, even a century ago, when things were so different. Maybe. It makes me laugh how even today, how so many people, especially in certain small cities (like mine), think boudoir is too risque, or feel it is too indecent. You wouldn't believe how uncomfortable some people really are with it. Yet you see way more sexually aggressive things on TV, you hear way more suggestive things on the radio. (My four year old daughter has shocked me and sings things I wouldn't even repeat, and I'm a boudoir photographer!).
So have we really changed so much?
I see the stores carry the lingerie ~ Targets, Walmarts, etc, etc. People hear it on the radio. People see it on TV. People read it in magazines, (Ten tips to make your guy ......... and other guides for your sex life in Vanity, Marie Clare, and most women magazines)
Yet, many people don't want to talk about it.
Michael Angelo did it. Leonardo did it. Renoir, Tizian, Botticelli, Picasso, Dali, Kahlo, Gauguin...
It's just art. It's so natural, that we're born with it. It's our body.
Let's embrace what makes us human.
Adrian

The art of waiting: a rant

Beware: this is just a rant. Seems like there has been an increase on the amount of people who think it's perfectly fine to waste somebody's time and money. And even worse, not even feeling the least amount of remorse. Two days ago, I spent an hour waiting, since I had an appointment with a potential customer. Not that I didn't enjoy good reading while I waited, but the gas I used to get there and back, the time I spent getting materials ready, putting pricelists, samples, albums together, the time and even more important, I left my family on a weekend, to accommodate her schedule. You would think she would have called. or emailed. Well, I'm still waiting to hear from her, two days after the date. Just a couple days before her, when I actually spend money building a set for a boudoir photo shoot, hauling raw materials into my studio, getting plants from the lake freezing temperatures, kept in touch and timely followed up with her, She cancels, five minutes AFTER the time of the shoot.

Is it asking too much to respect people's time and effort towards work?

Wedding photography? easy!

I just got done with one of the most challenging weddings I've done in years. That got me thinking, about how people, both customers and photographers, who want to start shooting weddings, don't usually have a clue what is involved in doing a decent job at shooting weddings. For one, most people think it is about having a camera. It's not. Nowadays cameras are fancy, so people think they just point, shoot and voilá. Great pictures!


Um, no.
Just to give a better idea, I'll describe the process I followed for this specific wedding. Granted, each wedding requires a different approach, based on the place, the time of day, the weather, the couple's taste, the particular idea you have for their wedding, the venue, etc.

This was a summer wedding, indoors. It was at a venue I love: Town Pavilion in Kansas City.
It's a gorgeous place. Since I've been there, I knew it was huge, dark and has four story ceilings. Gray ceilings.

The bride wanted to take some images outside. The forecast was 98 degrees and sunny. The time for the outside pictures, around 2pm.

So, the day before the wedding, I spent the whole day recharging about 50 AA batteries, camera batteries, the quantum battery and the Vagabond for the monoblock flash I intended to use for the outside pictures to kill the sun and have decent images. Also, to light the rotunda at Town Pavilion.

While going back and forth checking batteries, I was modifying the set up I use to transport gear.
So I was building a mobile cart with a light stand, to easily and quickly move the whole battery package, stand, umbrella, and many pounds of gear without having to do and undo every time we moved to a different location. (we shot at a total of nine locations)
I also made sure I had maps from every location, driving directions, made sure my assistant was ready to go, formatted memory cards, cleaned lenses, camera sensors, tested all flashes, remotes and wires.
It took me about eight hours to do all this. This wasn't the first time I had to do with this wedding. Previously, I did three engagement sessions for the couple. One last winter at the skating rink where I was taking pictures inside the rink trying not to get killed by the people who actually had skates on them! Then two sessions at the Overland Park Arboretum, another gorgeous venue we love.

Then, when gear was done, I mounted and matted the couple's signature image, a favorite one of our brides, which they display on an easel at the reception for their guests to sign.

Anyway, that was my Friday. Went to bed around 1:30 am, just thinking I had everything ready, car was in good shape and trunk with the gear packed.

Saturday came way too soon. Shelby, my assistant, came up at 8:40am, we went over the day and the plan, got a quick snack and got there right on time.
Weddings are fast stressful events. You got to hit them running. Started taking pictures right away, while setting equipment up. So we got the"getting ready" pictures started, got a good spot to hang the wedding gown up and took some more, then while Shelby kept taking candid shots, I went back for the rest of the gear, and then took off to take pictures at the groom's house, while he was getting ready.

Guys pictures are usually fast. They don't care about posing a lot, nor having lots of pictures. It's mostly about the bride. So once done, went back to Town Pavilion, right in time to get the images of her slipping into her dress, and take some amazing and emotional pictures. After that, it was time for the groom to see his bride for the first time, barely had time to set up my lights, and took some images there. Then went to the roof top for some amazing images with the city buildings, bridges and the river as the background. It was already very hot, and setting up gear was difficult. It was really windy on floor 37, so we tried to move fast.

Then off to the trolley. Trolley was packed and we went to three different locations( Union Station, The Westin and Kauffman Gardens) where we had to go out first, set up lights, do all bridal party and couple pictures, pose people, make them smile under their tuxes at almost a hundred degrees, pack up and move to the next location.
After all that was done, go back, get the rest of the gear and head up to the church to set up lighting for the formals. This picture was taken at the Westin Crown Center Hotel, where they nicely allowed us to use their waterfall for pictures.

We've been at it for already seven hours, and the most important part hasn't even started. We haven't eaten, have not even sat down. We get to the church to find out that we're behind schedule, so everybody is stressed out and have to do formals in about 40 minutes with a huge bridal party and a huge family on both sides. Once we managed that, had to pack up gear, because the church didn't allow flash, so we had to shoot all natural light. It's a good thing we have fast lenses and good cameras at high ISO's. After mass, the bride wanted some portraits by the stained glass, so we set up again at the church and took some portraits. Went on fast to get to the reception before them, and yes, set up lights again.

Now, Town Pavilion is HUGE! So we had to set lights on the third floor, second floor, and dance floor level, make sure nobody tripped on them, and move between hundreds of guests in a very packed area. A note to myself: I need to grab a different kind of bag for this scenario, my backpack is just too bulky.

We did the reception pictures, toast, first dance, dollar dance, bouquet tossing, garter tossing, candids, rings close up, a bunch of special picture requests for people we didn't even know, got in the dance floor to get in the middle of the action. I got to eat something at 10pm, right before we left around 11pm.
For all these different scenarios, we needed a lot of gear, we needed to know how to use it, set it up FAST, have back ups, work as a team and very important, keep our cool when things got stressful. At the end everybody was happy.... and we were so exhausted!!!!

Now, I look forward to editing the images. With just 2599 images to go through, sort and edit, should take me another 10 hours. Then, time to design the wedding album.
But now, I'm taking an painkiller for my back and legs.

That's why I really believe most people don't get all the effort it takes to get those images. It's countless hours of preparation, planning, strategy and passion, just to get a final product: A beautiful wedding album that the couple will hopefully keep for many, many years and show proudly to their families for generations. It's history in the making and we're proud to help show it.

You can see more images of the wedding in my website. click here.