Photographing Families: Tips for Capturing Timeless Images

Table of contents

1. About the Author
2. Credits
3. Acknowledgments
4. Foreword
5. Introduction
6. 1: Getting Started with Family Portraits
   1. Determine Your Portrait Style
      1. Lifestyle/Candid Portraits
      2. Posed Portraits
   2. Choose the Right Equipment
      1. Cameras
      2. Lenses
      3. Tripods
      4. Posing Props
      5. Camera Bags
      6. Reflectors
   3. Summary
7. 2: The Elements of Photography
   1. The Rule of Thirds
   2. Leading Lines
   3. Space
   4. Shapes
   5. Texture and Depth
   6. Color
   7. Impact or Emotion
   8. Summary
8. 3: Getting it Right in the Camera
   1. Understanding Camera Metering and Exposure
      1. P Mode Is Not for ‘Professional’
      2. Middle or 18% Gray
      3. Exposure Compensation
      4. Exposure Compensation in Practice
      5. Understanding Program Modes
      6. Depth of Field
   2. What Is ISO?
   3. Setting White Balance
      1. Custom White Balance
   4. Cropping in the Camera
   5. Summary
9. 4: Finding the Best Locations
   1. Finding the Perfect Light
      1. Sweet Light/Twilight
      2. Open Shade
      3. Window Light
      4. Window Light with Reflectors
   2. Choosing Locations
      1. Skating Rink
      2. Rocks, Trees, and Fountain Grass
      3. Crossing the Bridge
      4. Crossing the Bridge
      5. The Walkway
      6. A Wide Walkway
      7. The Wall
      8. The Retaining Wall
      9. The Not-So-Perfect Park
      10. The Church Archways
      11. Fountain Grass
      12. A Secret Sweet Spot
      13. Doorways
   3. Summary
10. 5: Understanding Your Client
    1. Working with Children
       1. Children Ages 18 Months to 4 Years
       2. Children Ages 5 to 10 Years
       3. Children Ages11 to 14 Years
    2. Calming Nervous Moms
    3. Warming Up Reluctant Dads
    4. Working with Blended Families
    5. Working with Large Family Groups
    6. Adding the Family Dog
    7. Working with Elderly Subjects
    8. Summary
11. 6: The Art of Posing
    1. Walk Like You Are Wearing Versace
    2. The Three Languages of Posing
       1. Body Language
       2. Verbal Language
       3. Sign Language
    3. Are You Hiding Behind Your Camera?
    4. Understanding Correct Camera Height
    5. Looking at Facial Angles
    6. Posing Groups
       1. Focal Plane
       2. Creating Triangles
       3. Diagonal Lines
    7. Building Groups
       1. Common Mistakes
    8. Summary
12. 7: Building a Profitable Family Portrait Business
    1. Creating a Business Plan
    2. Image Branding
    3. Marketing: Getting Your Name Out There
       1. Websites, Blogs, and Social Media
       2. Silent Auctions
       3. Local Business Displays
       4. Client Appreciation Parties
       5. Local Business Groups
       6. Infomercial Tactics
    4. Figuring Out Your Cost of Goods
    5. Pricing for Profit
    6. Selling Packages or A la Carte
    7. Using a Portrait Agreement
    8. Studio Management Software
    9. Summary
13. 8: Selling Your Portraits
    1. Conducting the Pre-Portrait Consultation
       1. Know How to Handle Objections
       2. Show What You Want to Sell
       3. Create Effective Slide Shows
       4. Ask the Right Questions
    2. Presenting the Images
       1. Projection Slide Shows
       2. Less Is More
       3. Presentation Software
    3. Managing Indecisive Clients
       1. In-Home Consultation
    4. Using Social Media
    5. Summary
14. 9: Postproduction
    1. Essential Postproduction Software
    2. Postproduction Workflow
       1. Organize Your Images
       2. Select Your Favorite Images
       3. Prep Your Images
       4. Add Presets and Actions
       5. Export Your Images
       6. Export Your Images
       7. Add Skin Softness
    3. Retouching
    4. Designing Albums
    5. Summary
15. 10: All Wrapped Up
    1. Packaging Considerations
    2. In-Home Delivery
    3. Framing
    4. Customer Service
    5. Summary
16. Appendix A: Four Generations of a Family