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Hey everybody!
Every year I make a list of goals for the next 12 months; there's a power in writing down these goals to help visualize them. The years I've written them down (and some I've even shared publicly on this blog) have had a much higher success rate. Give it a try!
If your goals for 2016 include becoming a better photographer, a better business owner, or a better marketer, you should really check out 5 Minute Fix. The book is one that I wrote throughout the course of a year, either sharing tips I was currently using in my own business, or in my own photography.
Here's a link to get your book:
The 5 Minute FixHere's a little excerpt from the book in the form of a couple tips I randomly pulled:
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Tip #58 Pop That Shoulder
Popping a shoulder doesn’t refer to a knuckle-cracking alternative, but to a pose that can add drama to your shoot. By moving her shoulder in toward her chin, the subject automatically accentuates her collarbone and slims her figure. If a subject has difficulty with this, I’ll ask her to put her hand on a hip, but place the thumb forward on the front side of her hips, which turns her hand and naturally pops her shoulder, as shown in Figure 4.5.
FIGURE 4.5 Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Canon EF85mm f/1.2L USM lens, f/1.2, 1/1250 sec., Aperture-Priority mode at +1/3, ISO 100.78 The Perfect Veil Shot
To get those fabulously perfect moments of a bride in her wedding gown with a flowing veil, you don’t have to wait for the perfect wind. Instead, create your own illusion of wind. Have your second shooter or assistant give the veil a little toss up in the air, count 2 seconds, then shoot away. As the veil glides down, you get the beautiful flow that you see in Figure 5.12. FIGURE 5.12 Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Canon EF85mm f/1.2 USM lens, f/1.2, 1/8000 sec., Aperture-Priority mode at +1/3, ISO 500.
Tip 169 Beware: The Paradox of Choice
As business owners we typically want to be as accommodating as possible. Many photographers think that by offering all sorts of packages for their clients they are being helpful, and in turn, increasing sales and revenue.
Not true!
The paradox of choice argues that the more options we give a potential buyer, the less likely that person is to make a purchase. Buyers get overwhelmed when presented with too many options and decide instead to go away and think about it. Thinking it over is a boutique studio’s worst nightmare. We work so hard to show our clients great images and make them feel an emotional connection to our images. When they leave to think things over, the magic is lost.
I give my clients two choices to start: book me or don’t book me. I let them know that we’ll work out the perfect package for them later, but holding the date is the important step that needs to be taken immediately. Fewer choices equals happy sales!
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Here's to a fantastic 2016 where we are successful, happy, and strive to be the best versions of ourselves possible!
Again, here's a link to get your book:
The 5 Minute FixTalk to you soon,
Dale
