Lindsay Smith Photography Blog

For the past month, I’ve been contemplating what to write in this post. Originally, I was going to write only about the goals I have for 2011. But, I realized that without an appreciation for the changes and accomplishments of this past year, next year looks like a formidable mountain to overcome.  So, here goes:

2010 Accomplishments

Personal

1. Planned 90% of my wedding details
2. Graduated college with honors
3. Got accepted into graduate school to study image processing
4. Grew closer to God during Michael’s deployment to Afghanistan

Business

1. Switched from Nikon to Canon
2. Refined my style – I call it “editorial-style documentary wedding photography” (a mouth full, yes?)
3. Made blogging a priority – both personal and photographic session posts
4. Narrowed my client scope to focus on couples and weddings

Details about the business accomplishments:

When I started this year, I wanted to be everyone’s photographer. Are you having a baby? Are you a graduating senior? Are you getting married? If you wanted images of something, anything really, I wanted to shoot it. Over the past year, I’ve taken stock of what I enjoy shooting, what I feel confident shooting, and what I can shoot with expertise. I’ve studied wedding planning since I was about 5 years old. I know the etiquette, I follow the blogs, and I watch for the latest trends like it’s a drug. I’m a wedding person. So, about midway through 2010 I decided to cater my website to serve my wedding and engagement clientele. Fashion photography is also a growing passion of mine, but I will talk more about that in my 2011 goals.

Another change I made in 2010 was switching my gear from Nikon to professional Canon equipment. A note of forewarning: if you are thinking about switching from one brand to another, please do so only with much consideration. I spent about 6 months preparing financially for the switch and learning more about the differences between the cameras I was contemplating purchase. Back in June, I knew I wanted to upgrade my camera to a full-frame sensor with high ISO capabilities. I am completely comfortable using my external flashes, but in many scenarios I choose to manipulate available light instead. I decided to purchase the Canon 5d Mark II because it was what I needed for my shooting style. Many successful professional photographers use both Nikon and Canon, and have a wide range of why they chose the gear they swear by. I challenge you to make all of your camera equipment purchases based on why you need it to fit your style.

Which brings me to my next point… defining my style. I listen to Ingrid Michaelson and John Mayer. I shop almost exclusively at J. Crew and Banana Republic. I am completely girly when it comes to weddings and being in love with love. I watch romantic movies but I almost never cry. I get just as excited about my bride’s wedding details and I do my own. I am a perpetual home decorator. I adore clean classy graphic design with a bit of edge, but not too much. So, when I redesigned my blog and my website, I wanted my style to determine my business presence, not the other way around. I didn’t want to hide behind a color combination or cheesy website that wasn’t me.

Because I am the only part of my business that someone else can’t copy.

So, I made blogging about personal happenings just as much of a priority as session posts. I wanted potential and longtime clients to learn more about me, so that will feel like an old friend when they are in front of my camera.

Now, I think it’s time to talk about what fun things are in store for 2011…

2011 Goals

Personal

1. Get Married – June 12, 2011!
2. Finish 90% of graduate school (I plan to graduate in March 2012)
3. Learn to cook
4. Be a less selfish person

Business

1. Switch over my business name & branding to my married name – Lindsay Smith Photography, LLC!
2. Shoot every wedding with my assistant(s)
3. Shoot more fashion photography
4. Get published in a wedding magazine

In 2011, my business goals are pretty self explanatory. I’m cooking up a new logo to go with my new business name that I can’t wait to reveal in June. Getting published in a wedding magazine is not an easy task, but I know to which magazines I’ll be submitting images from my spring weddings. I’m really excited to see the results from those submissions. I have several people that assist me during shooting, and my goal for 2011 is to have at least one of them at every wedding I shoot.

I hope you take the time to reflect on the blessings of this past year. And I’d love to hear your goals for 2011!

From snowy Ohio to wherever you are for Christmas… have a blessed holiday!

So often the lines between friends and family are blurred by shared memories. And maybe shared hair color too.

I’m excited to have Melody as an assistant at some of my 2011 weddings. More blogging about the future and goals for 2011 coming soon!

Merry Christmas to all.

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Dear Friends,

I should have named this post The True Cost of Hiring Uncle Harry. Why, you ask? Let me explain.

I speak with one voice, but represent many wedding photographers around the globe who desire our clients to see with our eyes. To understand why photography is an investment, and why we value our work enough to ask for your commission. This is the voice that asks you to read with an open mind.

Be forewarned. Many things I am about to say are generalizations, stereotypes, and correlations about majorities.

Here goes…

Professional wedding photographers are not individuals who woke up one day, drove to Best Buy, purchased the most expensive low-end DSLR, and created a business card.  Most consumer electronics chains hardly sell 10% of the equipment required to provide the proper level of photographic wedding coverage. Well, unless you live in Manhattan next to a certain camera superstore, from which most professional photographers order their gear.

Go watch a football game, or take a stroll at your local park. Look around you, and I guarantee someone nearby is carrying a fancy looking camera. This individual may take amazing images in their current setting, but does that mean he or she can shoot a wedding?

The real question is, what talents and proficiencies does it take to produce a high level of wedding imagery? In semi-list form, here are some of the major things:

- The ability to understand light. Period. Lighting in a dark reception hall is completely different from lighting outdoors at high noon.

- He or she has established proper business status and licenses for operation within his or her state. (That’s where the LLC at the end of my official business name comes from.)

- The ability to take charge of the wedding day timeline and ensure that you, the client, receive exactly the images you anticipate receiving.

- The ability to provide you with consistent color rendering and style. One or two images that look good among a large grouping of low-grade images are not satisfactory wedding photographs.

- The personality to handle the job. Being rude to guests and jumping around the ceremony with flashes going off every two seconds is not only annoying but also unacceptable. Eye roll here because we’ve all seen that guy.

- Professional quality gear. A photographer that walks into a wedding with one lens and one camera body should raise a few eyebrows. In this case, pray that he or she does not accidently drop a piece of equipment.

- The artistic ability to see each situation and shoot it beautifully, creatively, and uniquely for each client.

- Everything concerning the wedding photography is written in a formal contract. No word of mouth promises should ever be entertained.

Further, if the list above does not provide enough evidence as to why wedding photography is an investment, here are a few more things. Note that these are more specific to the individual photographer:

- Wedding photographers often use over $10,000 worth of gear at a single wedding. Over time, the 1,000 shots we take on average at each wedding begin to depreciate our gear. New gear must be purchased, and this must be included into the overall fees we charge.

- Driving to and from shooting locations adds vehicle maintenance and gasoline costs into the fee equation.

- Shooting time, naturally.

- Post-processing of the images. Rarely does a good photographer “shoot and burn,” or simply ship the images to you the way they are straight out of the camera. Color corrections, artistic additions, and stylish edits must be made. Normally this takes between 10-40 hours per wedding, depending on the individual photographer.

- The editing I just mentioned? It normally occurs on very expensive well-lit computers with extremely pricy imaging software. Those costs are again, added into the pricing equation.

- The packaging of the images, image gallery hosting, website hosting, and shipping costs.

In conclusion, when you hire Uncle Harry to shoot your wedding because he has a camera and likes to take pictures for free, you are probably choosing to sacrifice some or all of the items I have listed above.

When you compare this scenario to the expertise and artistry of a professional photographer who desires to make your wedding photography experience unique and beautiful, the true cost of hiring Uncle Harry may be more than you think.

I hope what I have shared has increased your insight as you make the important decision to invest in a custom photographer.

Most of us love what we do are excited to work for you…and we receive a blessing far beyond that of just the commission.

With Style,

Lindsay

Unique.

That’s the best word to describe the process of designing a wedding or engagement album. Every bride and groom like different cover styles, page layouts, and album sizes. Therefore, I make every effort to create fine art albums that are high quality sentimental mementos to be shared with family and friends for centuries to come.

Jocelyn and Nate like strong, vibrant design. (You can view their wedding and engagement images here and here.) Without hesitation, Jocelyn chose red leather as the cover color for her wedding album. For every wedding client, I design at least two layouts as a starting point for their album. From there, the layout they choose can be tweaked by switching images around or changing images from full color to black and white. The bride and groom have complete control as to what images get published in their wedding album.

Here’s an inside look at the album Jocelyn and Nate designed:

Jocelyn and Nate chose the trendy style layout with layered images and color accents. Also available is a magazine-style layout that was chosen by Ben and Kate and can be viewed here.