[Photography] 5 Steps to Building Relationships to Help You Get More Photography Clients

How to Build Relationships to Get More Photography Clients

So you’re trying to make a go of it as a freelance photographer. Maybe you are just looking for a few paid gigs on the side, or perhaps you really want to go pro. But the problem is actual paying gigs are still few and far between, even though you’ve tried everything.

Shooting every day. Doing free portrait sessions for family or friends. Spent hours and hours editing photos in Photoshop or organizing images in Lightroom.

So what should you do? Well, I have some good news – it may not be your photography. In fact, you may be an excellent photographer. But here’s the rub: being a successful freelance photographer takes more than artistic skills and technical knowledge. It takes something most photographers would rather not acknowledge is important.

Hang tight, because what I’m about to say may shock you.

By thinkpanama

Successful Photographers Know the Value of Relationships

Really successful photographers are good at developing relationships. That’s right, I said it. You need to focus on relationships. (I realize this is a photography blog so you can burn me for witchcraft now.)

You need to build the right relationships with key individuals who can help you to achieve your freelance dreams.

Now, this may not sit well with you, especially if you consider yourself a little shy. But the good news is you don’t need to be the life of the party to be good at developing key relationship to support your freelance work.

You just need to have some discipline and focus your energies in the right direction.

How Cultivating Relationships Can Support Your Freelance Photography Career

There are many ways in which cultivating and maintaining key relationships can help your freelance career. For example:

• Clients like to hire service professionals they already know, like and trust.


• According to public opinion surveys, 45 percent of people find work through other people. Thus, keeping in touch with a wide network is crucially important for landing gigs.


• By keeping in touch with editors, publishers and clients, you’ll be top of mind when new gigs come up.


• You may find out about photography gigs and projects that are not advertised.

Now, let’s turn to how you can be proactive about identifying the people who you want to establish relationships with and then go about nurturing relationships with them.

By Zuhair A. Al-Traifi

How to Establish and Nurture Relationships to Grow Your Freelance Photography Career

Below, I have laid out five specific steps you can take to start establishing, and building relationships that will help your freelance photography career.

1. Create a list of key relationships

By Eric Heupel

One of the biggest mistakes I see aspiring freelance photographers make, is they fail to think in advance about the types of people they need to be meeting and getting to know better. In other words, they let their relationships evolve naturally and organically. That works well for friendships, but it’s a poor strategy for if you want to make a living using your photography skills.

A much better approach is to sit down and proactively make up a list of at least 50 people who you want to develop a deeper relationship with over the next 12 months. I call this list your “Conversations List” because that’s really all you’re aiming to do – to have an ongoing conversation with people who matter.

Who do you include on this list? Well, picture yourself five years from now as a famous and in-demand photographer. Who is in your ideal circle of contacts? Who are the photographers, editors, agents, publishers or bloggers who you’d like to count as friends and peers five years from now?

Whoever you picture being in this group, write them down. These are the people who you are going to focus on getting to know better.

2. Choose your relationship-building tools

By zzpza

Once you’ve identified who you want to focus on getting to know, the second step is to decide on what tools you plan to use to develop and nurture relationships. These tools may include:

• Lunches and coffee meetings. One of the best sources of getting new gigs is the simplest. Invite a person off the list you created in Step 1 to lunch or coffee. Get to know one another. Repeat.


• Interviews. I am a huge fan of using interviews to develop relationships. For example, dPS’s own managing editor Darlene Hildebrandt and I got to know one another better when I interviewed her for my podcast and when she interviewed me on photography and the law. You also generate useful content that can lead to new clients finding you.


• Business meetings. There may be local business community meetings (such as Chamber of Commerce meetings) that present a good opportunity for you to meet and connect with others.


• Industry Conferences. You should identify conferences where you can meet and get to know people from the list you created in Step 1.

Next, let’s talk about your mentality as you do begin to reach out to others.

3. Give to others long before you ask for anything

By Brandon Warren

Steps 1 and 2 are critical, but may not be as important as Step number 3, which is to provide value to others before asking for anything for yourself.

Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI (Business Network International) says you need to make deposits into the relationship bank before you can make withdrawals. In other words, you need to help others before you can ask for help for yourself.

Too often, people try to make withdrawals before they’ve made any deposits. They ask before they give. That’s a recipe for failure. What you “give” of value doesn’t need to be big. It can be simple suggestions or recommendations of a restaurant to try or a new TV show.

For example, let’s say you manage to get to know an editor at a publication or website which just purchased some of your photos. You want to sell them more photos in the future.

You should try hard to learn as much about that editor as you can, so you can be as helpful to him or her as possible. In other words, be human and be useful, helpful and giving. As a result, the editor will have a positive feelings for you because you were so giving, and they will be more likely to want to work with you again.

4. Create an easy follow-up system

By slackorama

So far, we’ve identified who you are going to connect with, talked about the tools you are going to use to connect with them, and discussed a philosophy of giving value first.

Now, the challenge is to keep it up over time. If you want your connections to think of you first when a freelance gig comes up, then you need to always be “top of mind” with that connection. And to be “top of mind,” you need to have a good system for following up.

What does that entail? A follow-up system is simply a dedicated means for checking in with people in your network.

You can create a manual follow up system, or put reminders on your calendar, but neither works well. I suggest using a simple CRM (customer relation management) system such as Insightly or SugarCRM. I use a system called Contactually. Whatever system you use, following up is an excellent way to manage your relationships, particularly with people you do not see often.

5. Revisit and revise your conversation lists annually

Around once a year, revisit your Conversation Lists and determine who you should cut out and who you should add. You will naturally meet new people over time. You may decide that certain people on your list are not a good fit for you. And you may even decide to take your photography career in a different direction. These are all perfectly fine.

By revisiting and updating your lists annually, you can make sure you are developing and nurturing the right relationships, proactively, to support your photography career.

Now get out there and start meeting people

Now it’s time to put these ideas to work. The last thing I want you to do after reading this far is to give up now without acting on what you’ve learned.

So sit down and write out your list of the 50 people who you want to get to know better. Then use your chosen relationship-building tools to start developing relationships with them. And have some fun.

How do you nurture relationships to support your freelance photography career? Share your tips in the comments!

The post 5 Steps to Building Relationships to Help You Get More Photography Clients by John Corcoran appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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[Photography] The Worst Mistake a Travel Photographer Can Make

As a travel photographer and photography teacher, I meet a lot of photographers on a daily basis. Whether they’re amateur or pro, newbie or experienced, first-timers or old-timers, they often have one thing in common: too much gear.

The pro shooters who join me on my photography tours in Southeast Asia tend to look more like pack mules than people: they’re loaded with lenses, lights, filters, and a veritable menagerie of photographic accoutrement – you know, the kind of gear that makes you look like you know what you’re doing.

Being comfortable with your equipment allows you to compose your images better and faster.

The problem? None of them ever use any of the gear they’ve broken their backs to bring!

Ok, fine, there might have been one guy, one time, who made it a point to use every single lens he’d brought with him. But normally I see people sticking to one or two lenses per shooting session, never giving the extra gear a second thought. This is actually a really good thing, and all the more reason to ditch the extra baggage, and rely on one or two lenses alone.

Why am I so anti-gear?

1. Gear is heavy!

How are you going to move your feet, get down low, and capture your subject during the millisecond when the light is just right?

The first thing I teach beginning photographers is to get moving – move quickly, get close to your subject, and don’t be a lazy photographer. When you’re weighed down with kilos (pounds) of heavy gear, you’re not free to respond as each moment arises.

Having less gear allows for freedom of movement and enjoying interaction with the locals.

2. Gear is expensive!

I don’t mean you shouldn’t buy it because it’s expensive; I mean you shouldn’t bring it because it’s expensive.

As a travel photographer, I’m often in remote parts of the world where getting your gear stolen or damaged is a very real possibility. You can’t focus on the photo you’re taking, if you’re constantly worrying about your stuff getting jacked.

3. Gear is distracting!

If you have one or two lenses with you at any given time, your choice in a shooting situation is simple – A or B. If you’re hauling around 12 different lenses, you’ll not only face a major crisis every time you want to take a photo; you’ll feel the need to constantly switch lenses precisely because you brought so many lenses in the first place.

You’re also much more likely to use the wrong lens, in the wrong situation, just because it’s there. Bring less gear and eliminate the chance of making silly mistakes by 300%.

Keeping the same lens allows to react faster and more flexibility.

4. Gear makes you lazy!

I think of gear like a crutch. Instead of improving your skills, you become a slave to the latest and greatest gadget, thinking it will improve your craft. The thing about gear is that it takes years, even decades, to learn how to use a single piece of equipment masterfully. After 20 years of shooting with a certain lens, your brain begins to think in terms of its focal length. You effectively merge with the lens, become it.

That’s basically a hippy-dippy way of saying you should be a gear monogamist. Sure, you might play the field every once in a while, experimenting with a 35mm or 100mm lens, but you should remain faithful to your main squeeze in order to truly master her.

My main squeeze for the past three years has been a 50mm lens. Once in awhile I also use my 35mm and 100mm lenses, and it’s this trio that I plan to focus on for at least another decade in order to fully master their potential.

Knowing your equipment allows you more anticipation for better results in your composition.

A true travel photographer, or any photographer for that matter, is one who can capture a moment and communicate with his or her audience without the burden of a crap ton of gear. You’re much better off choosing one or two lenses and mastering them than you are having 17 lenses you can only sort of use.

All the photos in this article were taken during my photography tours in South East Asia.

How much gear do you bring with you on a shoot? Which lens can’t you live without?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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[Photography] Tips for Photographing Auto Racing

“Racing is life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting.” – to quote Michael Delaney (played by Steve McQueen) in the movie ‘LeMans’. You don’t have to be a race car driver to feel the adrenaline rush that is auto racing. Being a photographer, and being part of the action can also be very exciting and a lot of fun.

There are a number of different types of racing such as sports cars, stock cars, rally cars, open wheel cars and even your local short track cars that might race on dirt or asphalt. Each type will have different tracks with their own level of accessibility for you to take photos. Nothing beats having unlimited access and if you can get a press pass, that is definitely the way to go. But if you don’t have that option available what can you do?

PANNING

Road courses offer opportunities to get great action photos without having any special access. The images above was taken from the same vantage point of all spectators. By using a short ladder, I was able take this image over the fence instead of trying to look through it. A 300mm lens was enough to more than fill the frame, so an extreme telephoto lens was not required to get this photo.

I also used the technique known as panning. Panning with the car allowed the focus to stay on the main subject, but by slowing the shutter speed down enough you are still able to get the feeling of speed. You will need to find the right balance between aperture, shutter speed and ISO. If the shutter speed is too fast the car will look like it’s just stopped on the track. If it’s too slow then everything could be blurred. You want to slow your shutter speed down until the lettering on the tires just transforms into a nice short blur. Photograph a few laps at different speeds and then check them on your camera’s LCD screen until you get the right effect that you’re looking for.

Next, take notice of your aperture because this will determine your depth of field. Depth of field is typically less with a telephoto lens than it is with a wide angle. Adjusting your aperture will require a corresponding adjustment of the ISO to compensate and keep your exposure accurate. A depth of field that is too shallow may make it difficult to obtain a critical focus, so again take a look at a few practice images and make sure that your focus looks good to you (zoom in to 100% on your screen to be sure).

PREFOCUS

Autofocus is still sometimes unpredictable and it may lock onto a subject in the foreground or background just as you are about to take the shot. By switching to manual focus you can prefocus a location on the track and just wait for the cars (or motorcycles) to come to you. Once there, a simple click of the shutter and you’ve captured your racer in focus. There’s always an ideal racing line on any track so more than likely all racers will speed through at that same location unless they’re passing or being passed.

BLUR

This photo (image above) shows that sometimes you need to look around, notice your surroundings and try something a little different. By focusing on the spectators you can allow the cars to become a blur and emphasize their action on the track. Try different shutter speeds until you get the effect that you desire. This technique can be used for daytime or nighttime racing. A neutral density or gradual filter was not used for this image, but one could be used to increase the blur.

TRIPOD or MONOPOD?

Tripods and monopods are helpful to stabilize the action and help give you a sharper image. If you don’t want to use them there’s a formula for hand holding a camera with a long lens and it is as follows:

The shutter speed should be equal to or greater (faster) than the focal length of the lens (eg., 200mm lens = 1/200th shutter speed or faster) to avoid camera movement as you take your photo.

If you have a zoom lens like a 75-300 then this rule would apply at the longer focal length (1/300th of a second or faster). Don’t forget to add in the crop factor if this applies to your camera’s sensor also. With cameras that have stabilization systems either in the lens or camera body you can typically bend this rule by a couple of stops, but the tripod and monopod are still there to help when you need them. They are definitely preferable when using a super telephoto that you may be carrying around all day. I prefer a monopod because they are lightweight and easy to move around with, but you will need to find what works best for you with a little trial and error.

TWO CAMERAS

Photographing auto racing does require a certain amount of photographic equipment. We would all like to have the best that’s available, but most times that is not the case. Get the best equipment that you can afford and learn to make the best with what you have. If you can, carry a second camera with you so that you’re ready for that unexpected shot. Keep a telephoto lens on one camera and a shorter lens on the other. Being prepared for the unexpected to happen is when you’re going to get that great action photo.

ANGLE OF VIEW

Be on the lookout for creative images. If you see a crowd of photographers in one location – try looking for an angle of view that they haven’t seen. You can hold the camera at a 45 degree angle and take photos with cars going across the screen diagonally to emphasize speed (see image above). Try taking photos from a low angle or a high angle. You can attach your camera to a monopod with a remote release and capture a high angle such as this car being rolled out to the starting grid (image below). Even though there are crowds of people around, this car is isolated and not something that you see everyday.

PIT STOPS

Pit stops are some of my favorite things to photograph because there is always a lot of action! You can get a lot of great images with a relatively inexpensive wide angle such as this image (below) taken with a 20-35mm lens. Some race tracks will allow you to purchase a pit pass, or a press pass will gain you access to pit road. If you do obtain access to photograph pit stops maintain your ‘situational awareness’. Be aware that every one of the pit crew members around you has a job to do and you don’t want to get in their way while they’re doing it. There is the potential for serious injury for you and crew members. So pick the moment that you want to get in there, take your images and step back so that they can do their job.

Some forms of racing allow photographers over the pit road wall to photograph pit stop action as long as you wear a firesuit. This type of access, in my opinion, is the ultimate and you are able to move around the car taking images that few photographers get to take (like the image below). If you are able to gain this type of access you also need to be aware of cars (or motorcycles) entering and exiting their pits.

IN SUMMARY – ACTION PLAN

Photographing auto racing can be challenging but a lot of fun. Take the best photos you can from the areas that you have access to and buy a pit pass to get closer to the action. The camera equipment required can be expensive, but learn to work with what you have, and upgrade your equipment when you can. There are also numerous rental companies available now and you may want to consider renting equipment to try before you buy. Good luck and good racing!

If you have racing photos that you’d like to share with others here please add them in the comments.

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[[Optical Component]] Method for passive alignment of optical components to a substrate

A method for placing components on a substrate, the method comprising determining a reference point of a mechanical holding jig based upon a plurality of mechanical features of the mechanical holding jig and placing the substrate into the jig such that mechanical features on the substrate align with the mechanical features...



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[[Optical Component]] Pixel-shifting spectrometer on chip

Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods are described herein for implementing pixel-shifting or an interpixel shift to increase the effective dispersion and effective spectral resolution of a spectrometer in a manner which is faster, less complicated and more robust compared to conventional techniques that employ mechanical motion to implement pixel-shifting...



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[[Optical Component]] Wavenumber-linearized spectrometer on chip in a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography system

Various embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods are described herein related to a spectrometer that can generate a plurality of narrowband optical signals having a wavenumber linear format without using an increased number of optical components and without an increase in signal processing....



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[[Optical Component]] High power laser system with multiport circulator

A high power (HP) fiber circulator is configured with a case enclosing a plurality of optical components which are arranged so as to define multiple ports. The fiber circulator further includes a plurality of launching and receiving fiber components each of which has spliced delivery and pigtailed passive fibers selectively coupling...



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[[Optical Component]] Method for alignment between two optical components

A method for aligning two optical assemblies comprises positioning a first optical assembly in relation to a second optical assembly and securing the first optical assembly to the second optical assembly. The positioning aligns a plurality of first alignment features of the first optical assembly to a plurality of second alignment...



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[Photography] Let’s Talk About Light – 3 Types of Lighting Conditions and how to Use Them

What‘s all this talk about light?

When I started my photography journey I remember every article (or so it felt like), blog or book I read talking about light. “Find the light!”, “SEE the light!”, “It’s all about the LIGHT!”, “Follow THE LIGHT!”… AHHHH WHAT’S ALL THIS TALK ABOUT LIGHT!!!

Sound familiar?

I soon became obsessed about light. I would stare at people as they were talking to me; daydreaming, watching how the light was falling on their faces. When I was out walking I would always be looking at the direction of light and the way it behaved at certain parts of the day. It seemed however, that the harder I looked for The Light , the less I was able to see it. I honestly thought I would never be able to see the light!

Then something happened. I can’t tell you exactly when, but after months of obsessing about light, I finally saw ‘it’; its beautiful, soft, illuminating quality and its ability to change the mood and style of a scene.

Light plays a huge part in my photography style and the soft, romantic images I create. There are so many different types that I could easily write a whole book about light alone. For now however, I’m going to focus on three types of lighting conditions and how I use them to their advantage.

Open shade

Open shade is that spot between the sun and shade. The shade can be created by a building, a tree, a wall, etc. When using open shade it’s important to ensure that you still have available light reflecting into the shaded area. Choosing areas that have white, or light pastel, walls or floors will also help create additional soft, illuminating light by reflecting light off their surfaces. The reflected light will bounce all over your model giving them a lovely soft, gentle and even glow.

The above image was taken in open shade. Can you see the line in the bottom left of the frame that divides the light and shade area? I’ve placed my model just with in it, so that the light is still reflecting onto her. The limestone wall also acts as a reflective surface and bounces light back onto my model.

Another thing to consider when using open shade is the direction your model is facing. If facing in the wrong direction, open shade can leave your image looking dull and flat. Make sure to look at where the light is coming from and have your model facing it. Use reflective surfaces, or a reflector, to direct the light back towards your subject. By doing this, the light is still illuminating their face and you’re still getting those beautiful catch lights in their eyes. Open shade offers the flexibility to shoot any time of day. It’s a great tool to use when shooting in midday light, when the sun is high in the sky and is creating harsh shadows on your model.

Overcast days

Overcast days are my favourite sort of days to shoot. It’s like shooting in open shade, but instead the open shade is everywhere! While it’s still important to look for where the light is coming from, overcast days don’t limit you to shaded areas. The clouds act as a giant diffuser or soft box, giving you gentle, even light.

When shooting on an overcast day, I always look at where the sun is. Even if I can’t see it behind the clouds, I make sure I know where it would be if the clouds weren’t there. There are plenty of mobile phone apps available that will tell you where the sun is situated at that specific moment in time. They will also usually tell you where the sun sets and rises, which is a great tool to help you plan your shoot in advance.

The image below was taken on a wet, grey, overcast day. I still wanted to make sure that my models face was illuminated by light. For this frame I made sure that the sun was behind me. Although I couldn’t see it through the clouds, I could still see its brightness lighting up the area in the sky. Although my model was facing directly towards the sun, he wasn’t squinting and there were no harsh shadows being cast. The clouds where acting as my soft box giving me beautiful even light.

When starting out, many photographers are put off shooting on cloudy, overcast days. On the surface, the light appears dull; but look a bit deeper and you’ll see its wonderful illuminating quality. Some of my favourite images have been captured on days like this.

Backlighting

Backlighting, if done properly, can create some beautiful atmospheric and dramatic images. It takes a lot of practice to nail a backlit shot, but I think it’s worth the effort.

There’s different ways of positioning the sun in your frame. You can have it directly behind your model, just outside the image or in the shot completely. Each one will create a different effect and will influence how much sun flare and haze is captured in your image.

When backlighting, your metering plays a huge part in how successful the image will be. Shooting in manual mode will help ensure that perfect shot. When shooting towards the sun, I always meter for the models face, usually just under the eye closest to me. I know that this might blow out some of the highlights in the background or areas around my model, but I like the added glow that this creates.

Camera’s aren’t always too keen to shoot directly towards the sun. This is where having a lens hood comes in useful. However, sometimes even this isn’t enough and you’ll hear the whirring of your lens struggling to focus on your chosen spot. When this happens, try creating a small spot of shade for the camera by holding your left hand above the lens to bloke out the light. This usually does the trick but if not, the other option is to focus manually.

Some food for thought…

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got when starting out was to always look for the light first and the background second. It’s easy to be drawn into standing you models in front of something that looks pretty or interesting, but if the lighting in that location is poor, you’ll end up with a dull lifeless image, or a model that’s squinting and has harsh shadows on her face.

I’d love to know how you get on finding the light! Please share your comments and images below.

For more articles on lighting try these:

• 6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know


• Setting the Mood with Low Key Lighting


• Lighting Ratios to Make or Break your Portrait


• 14 Amazing Portrait Recipes – a dPS eBook

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[Photography] How to Create a Family Photo Essay

The way your son wraps his little arms around your leg to hug you. The way your daughter leaves little notes for you around the house. How it feels to snuggle, dance, and play. His crooked smile. Her knobby knees. Eyelashes. Elbows. Ankles sticking out from socks.

As parents, these are the little moments that we live for, the ones that make our hearts swell, the ones that reflect the spirit of the people we hold most dear.

And yet, as photographers, these are the very moments that we tend to gloss over in their familiarity.

We’re drawn to that moment that makes us feel something. It’s often what leads us to pursue photography in the first place. Reminding ourselves why we love this art form so much, how it connects us to the world around us and brings our experiences to life, places it into a larger context.

Enter the family photo essay!

The family photo essay puts your technical know-how to work in service of telling an emotional and meaningful story.

You see articles on family life in parenting magazines, but in them everything and everyone looks so perfect and polished. And yet, you know that real life looks nothing like that. Your kids go to school with un-brushed hair, mismatched socks, and cream cheese on their faces. Your floors need sweeping, your dishes need washing, and your laundry needs folding.

And that’s ok. That’s real. That’s true. That’s you. You don’t need to vacuum the carpet in order to find beauty in your everyday life. In many ways, the most important story is the perfectly imperfect one you live every day.

Turning your lens toward home to create a photo essay of your family allows you to capture not only what you look like, but also what it feels like to be you, belonging to your family, at this moment in time. And in this way, you can literally show your loved ones just how much they mean to you.

There are three stages to creating an effective photo essay: photography, selection, and structure. Here’s what to focus on in each stage of the process.

Phase one – photography

This is the time to ignore the old saw about “picture takers” and “picture makers” and give yourself permission to shoot A LOT. Yes, be intentional, be careful, be thoughtful. But also let yourself experiment. Let yourself play. Take a different angle than you do in your other styles of work.

Create a diverse body of work from which to draw: close ups, details, wide angle. The more variety in your images, the more complete your story will be.

Life moves quickly. Life is messy. Kids don’t sit still. It’s ok to let go of the pressure to create the “perfect” shot in the service of capturing real life. What to look for:

1) The moment

“Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory.” ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

As you move through your day with your family, pay close attention to your rituals and routines, the things you do every day with each other. Take a step back from habit and mine these moments for your story. When people are actively engaged in something that matters to them their essence shines through.

The messes, the tears, the comforts and the struggles—these are the things that make our real lives so beautiful. These are the moments that matter. These are the moments that we look back on and wonder, “Where did the time go?”.

Let yourself slow down. Pay attention. When the moment arises, keep shooting all the way through it. Your attention is an act of love, and as you let the love well up inside you, you’ll find that the moment becomes clear.

2) Shape

Shape is often the thing that helps bring the moment into focus in a beautiful way. Often, when discussing photography the discussion centers around the general term “composition”, but when I think about it as “shape,” it helps me really see what I’m looking for.

That moment when her head tilts ever so slightly. The moment when he jumps in the air and his feet lift off the ground.

Shape and moment are almost inextricably intertwined. Shape is what gives the moment form, interest, impact.

As you look through the viewfinder, look for shapes between people, shapes between kids and their environment, the shape of their body as they lay on the floor reading. Diagonals, s-curves, c-curves, triangles–shape is what gives an image it’s life.

3) Simplicity

“There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kinda the point?” ~ Pam, from the final episode of The Office

One of the struggles of documentary photography is how to get your subject to stand out from all the other stuff around you. Remember that the camera is only a tool; it can only see what you tell it to see.

As you compose your image, look for simplicity and harmony between subject and environment. Can you frame your images in such a way that the background and surroundings add to the story you’re telling? Don’t be afraid to move your feet.

Notice how the environment also impacts the meaning of your image. Your home, even on its messiest days, holds so much love. The way your kids interact with their surroundings says so much about who they are as people (not to mention gives you a reminder of just how big, or small, they are at this moment in time).

As the photographer, you get to choose what to focus on. You get to show us what’s important to you. You get to show us how you see the world, your unique view on your unique life.

NOTE: For those of you whose kids are old enough, I highly recommend getting them involved in this project. Get them access to a camera and let them show you what they see. And that way, images of you will be included in the essay as well.

Phase two – selecting images

After you finish gathering your images, sift through them and see what stands out to you. What do you notice? Are there moments that feel like they “sing”? Moments, themes, or attitudes that recur throughout your collection? You’ll begin to see what matters, what you value.

Look for patterns and through lines in your images. Look for moments that take your breath away or that “just feel right.” The images to include in your essay are the images that tell a story, reveal a truth, capture an essence, or evoke an emotion. Who is this person? What is their essence? What matters to them?

For each image you select ask yourself why it’s important. What story does it tell? And then ask again, why is that story important? You may also enjoy writing these stories down and adding them to your final product.

Phase three – deciding on structure

Once you’ve created and selected your images, it’s time to give them structure. There are several ways to go about this depending on the story you’re trying to tell:

• A day in the life


• The same event over time


• A theme that emerged that represents what matters to you


• A focus on each member of your family and the things that make them special

How you choose to structure your images may change from project to project, but the most important thing is to make a tangible copy. Print it, bind it, collage it, but make it a living document you share with your family and not just something that sits on your hard drive.

A family photo essay will grow to be a cherished part of your family’s legacy, giving your children a sense of belonging. Your story does indeed matter. It’s time to reclaim the art of the family snapshot.

Please share any other tips or comments you have below, as well as your family photo essay images. Have you done a project like this? Tell us about it.

The post How to Create a Family Photo Essay by Miki DeVivo appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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