So . . . I came up with this great plan to file away the blog q&a questions in a Mac Mail folder because I have an obsessive need to keep my inbox clean. However, having a message in the inbox serves as a reminder that I have something to do. Therein lies the rub. : ) Fortunately, I remembered that I had some q&as stashed in that box when another one came in today to remind me. Here we go!
Q: My goodness I love your site and your blog! Your Q&A bit has me constantly coming back for more! As someone barely starting out I was wondering a couple of things. What do you say to the parents of your subjects when you arrive to a shoot? Do they leave you alone with the child, or help you get their attention? And lastly, have you ever had an utterly disastrous shoot that you had to redo? What did you say then? I want to be prepared for all scenarios, thanks so much for your help!!! ~ Rebecca
Thank you so much, Rebecca! Ah, parents at the session! Whether the parents stay in the same room when I'm shooting is actually kind of a case-by-case thing and is quite dependent on the age of the child and his/her temperament. Once I am settled and start shooting, I do tend to let parents know that they are free to make a phone call or just step outside the room within earshot if they prefer. The type of connection I strive to capture is nearly always made when the subject can focus on me rather than looking off to the side and such. With that said, there are some children who are more comfortable with mom and dad nearby and that's totally understandable! If I notice that I am not getting eye contact, I make sure parents know that they need to get right behind me or get ready to see a lot of "looking off to the side" shots. ha ha! With older children, it is almost always easier to get that connection when mom and dad are not right there watching. Above all--whether mom and dad are right there or not--I want them to RELAX. I realize the absurdity of "relaxing" while someone takes your photo, but as the session continues we get there. I always hear "Wow! That was so easy! I didn't realize it would be such a breeze." I want them to know that the house does not have to be perfect, the kids don't have to behave perfectly (how boring would that be?) and that we will just take it all in stride as the session proceeds. As for reshoots, I have not had to schedule a reshoot before (other than a reschedule for rain), though it is not inconceivable that it could happen. A little one could be coming down with something that wasn't apparent the night before or just in a cross mood. If I saw that things were not working and that a break didn't help, then I would just explain that we want the best possible photos and that perhaps it would be best for us to reschedule. Because I almost always shoot at the client's home, I think that creates a more comfortable environment from the get-go and perhaps has something to do with things moving smoothly.
Q: Let me first say, your work is beautiful, stunning and inspiring!!!! I stumbled upon your blog when researching new computers. I am REAL novice but hope to break into the children's portrait industry in next 6 -12 months. I am having the whole PC vs MAC debate (with myself) and got some price quotes for both.
I wanted to know your experience and if the iMac suits all your business needs? (They were suggesting the Mac Pro). Did you upgrade the RAM and video cards? Have you had any issues? Do you back up everything on to the computer or use external drives? Are you running CS3 and Lightroom? Did you upgrade or add an additional monitor or are you using the glass/reflecting monitor? Does this impact your ability to process, calibrate, etc? ~ Danielle
Thanks, Danielle. First of all, let me just say . . . MAC ALL THE WAY!! Now that that's out of the way . . . . I've been using an iMac G5 since starting my business and it has served me well. However, it is, for lack of a better word, tricked out as far as it will go. I upgraded the RAM as high as it will go, got a bigger harddrive, all of that. It is reasonably fast running CS2 but the time has come to upgrade. Or, more accurately, the estimated quarterly taxes are due and a substantial but necessary purchase might be in order. I will definitely go with a Mac Pro and set up a RAID system while I am at it. I currently have a comprehensive backup plan and burn to DVD, save to the harddrive, and save on an external, but having the raid and more drives will be heavenly and it is TIME. I have not upgraded the video card, have a matte monitor, and also use a Macbook Pro but not for proofing. The iMac is perfectly calibrated to my lab so I am a bit wary of making a switch, but my dreams of a machine that doesn't groan, however slightly, when I open up 30 RAW files, must be realized. :)
Thanks for your questions!
