book

The Five-Minute Fix: 200 Tips for Improving Your Photography and Growing Your Business

Name: The Five-Minute Fix: 200 Tips for Improving Your Photography and Growing Your Business
Author: Dale Benfield
ISBN: 9780134289748

by Dale Benfield

November 2015

Intermediate to advanced

224 pages

4h 59m

English

Peachpit Press

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Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Contents
A Little Thanks...
Introduction
Downloading Bonus Materials
Section I: Photography Tips
One. Camera Settings
1 Blurry Backgrounds and Shallow Depth of Field2 Two More Ways to Attain Shallow Depth of Field3 Focusing Modes: Still Subjects4 Focusing Modes: Moving Subjects5 Ghosting (Dragging the Shutter)6 How to Get Straight Vertical Lines7 Adjust Image Size In-Camera8 Spinning Motion9 Minimum Focusing Distance10 Preset Your Camera to Capture Moments11 Macro Photography Without a Macro Lens12 Color Temperature and Custom White Balance13 Shooting in RAW14 Shooting Group Shots at Receptions15 Tilt-Shift Lenses: Fad or Fancy?16 Underexpose the Flash to Protect Skin Tones17 Exposure Compensation: When to Go Over and Under18 Understand Infinity Focus19 Use Shade White Balance in the Sun20 What a Difference a Lens Makes
Two. Lighting
21 Bounce It Off the Wall22 Catching Streaky Light23 Devil Eyes: Three Ways to Fix Red Eyes24 Diffuse Flash25 Grab a Video Light26 Eliminate Bright Areas27 Get Your Subject in the Perfect Light28 How to Look at Light: Backlight29 How to Look at Light: Sidelight30 How to Look at Light: Overhead Light31 How to Look at Light: Front Light32 How to Look at Light: Lighting Ratios33 Use North Light34 Reflect Color35 Use Natural Reflectors36 Using “Blue Light” and White Balance37 Using Creative Lighting Sources38 Off-Camera Flash Tips
Three. Composition
39 Change Your Angle40 Use the Foreground/Background Technique41 Use the Rule of Thirds42 Use Objects to Frame Your Subject43 Look to Layer Objects44 Make Subjects Pop45 Match Pretty with Ugly46 Shoot Patterns to Add Spice47 Shoot Vertical48 Kid Level for Kid Pics49 Simple Is Beautiful50 Avoid Overuse of the Tilted Camera51 Use a Size Contrast for Drama52 Use Leading Lines to Draw the Eye53 Addition Not Distraction

Four. Posing
54 Chin Up, Buttercup!55 Chin Down, Charlie Brown!56 Listen to Your Clients57 Play Games with Your Couples58 Pop That Shoulder59 Posing Newborns60 “What Do I Do With My Hands?”61 Look Away62 The Almost Kiss63 Posing by the Book64 The Universally Great Pose
Five. Shooting
65 Accentuate the Positive66 Action and Reaction67 Anticipate the Action68 Be Picky About Focus69 Create a Consistent Wedding Feel70 Dare to Be Different71 Day After: Take Risks72 Don’t Let the Wind Stop You73 Don’t Be Afraid to Ask74 Educate Your Clients75 Eliminate Objects with Your Feet76 Find the Ending Shot77 Get Close for the Best Shots78 The Perfect Veil Shot79 Have Your Picture Taken!80 It’s Okay to Forget the Groom81 Keep Shooting and Be Sneaky82 Let Kids Be Kids83 Location Isn’t Everything84 Look Behind You85 Wind Up the Wind86 Make Clients Feel Relaxed87 Moment Conquers All88 New Twists on Old Classics89 Overshoot: Especially with Children90 Safety Shots: Photographer as Record Keeper91 Tips for the Second Shooter92 Second Shooting for Fun93 See in Black and White94 Be Prepared for Better Dress Shots95 Shooting Cop/Funny Cop96 Start Early, Shoot Often97 Start the Photograph Without the Camera98 Think Outside the Studio99 Three Shots to Get at Every Shoot100 Develop Your Own Style
Six. Post-Production
101 Image Finder Software102 The Risks of Deleting Photos in the Camera103 Don’t Be Destructive in Photoshop104 Use Photoshop for Diffuse Glow105 Warm Up Your Images106 Saving for Web Viewing107 Sharpen Your Images108 Adobe Bridge Time Savers109 Edit Phone Pics with Snapseed110 Use Custom Actions to Prep Images for Blogging111 Use Eyes to Help Design112 Use Layer Masks to Perfect Your Image113 Use InDesign for Album Design114 Dominant Elements Are a Must
Section II: Business Tips
Seven. Infrastructure and General Practices
115 Have a Backup Plan116 Use a Quality Lab117 Second-Shooter Agreements118 Be Yourself119 Be Insured120 Be Prepared with Backups121 Delegate Responsibilities122 Write Down Your Goals123 Getting Jobs Second Shooting124 Save Time for Yourself125 Specialize and Customize126 Balance Family and Work127 Keep Them Coming Back128 Stack Travel129 Set a Wedding Agenda in Advance130 Three Reasons to Attend Conferences131 Don’t Be Lazy132 Try Before You Buy133 Two Things to Consider in Decision-Making134 What to Wear for Weddings135 Help! Somebody Copied My Work136 A Little Paranoid Is Good137 Own Your Own ZIP Code
Eight. Workflow
138 Recycle Responses139 Get Rid of Unwanted Emails140 Manage Minutes141 Use Photo Mechanic for Image Selection142 Save Time By Doubling Up on Work143 Set Up a Server for File Sharing
Nine. Marketing
144 Be Searchable145 Use Adobe Muse to Design Websites146 It’s Okay to Be Sold Out147 Be Transparent148 Get Featured in Magazines and Blogs149 Extend Your Market150 Put Your Logo on Images151 Giving Back Helps Your Business152 I Get by with a Little Help from My Friends153 Offer Custom Engagement Websites154 Post Travel Notices155 Should I Go to Bridal Fairs?156 Be in a Bridal Fair Without Going157 Running Polls158 Keep Helping Each Other Out159 Share the Love160 Shoot Your Vendors161 Have Vision162 Increase Client Referrals163 Wrap It Up Pretty164 How Do I Find Clients in Other Markets?
Ten. Sales
165 Believe in Your Concept166 Create a Loyalty Program167 How to Keep Clients Coming Back168 Figure Your Needs to Figure Your Prices169 Beware: The Paradox of Choice170 Charge a Price that Makes You Happy171 Family Money Matters172 How to Deal with Minimum Orders173 More Products Means More Money174 Brainstorm Multiple Income Streams175 Tap Advertising Income176 Hire Associate Photographers177 Be Persuasive, Not Pushy178 Perceived Value: Maximize Your Money179 Am I Too Cheap?180 Raising Prices: Face Your Fears181 I Raised My Prices, Now What?182 Sell Holiday Cards183 Sell Files for Christmas Cards184 What to Do When a Client Asks for a Deal185 You Sell What You Show
Eleven. Social Media
186 Avoid Overload187 Get Pinned188 Alerts and Beeps189 Increase Your Facebook Likes190 Know Your Unfollowers191 Find Time to Blog Every Day192 Shoot for the Facebook Crop193 Show One Image for Impact194 The Facebook Flytrap: Driving Traffic to Your Site195 Use Instagram to Get New Clients
Twelve. Read for Inspiration
196 Service Inspirations: Delivering Happiness197 Leadership Essentials: Good to Great198 What I Read: Inc. Magazine199 Advertising Savvy: It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be200 Recharge: Raving Fans
Index

Overview

Photographer Dale Benfield started The Five-Minute Fix as a way to share his photography and business knowledge with a growing base of subscribers to his business, Benfield Photography. It has evolved into an unparalleled collection of tips, tricks, and advice for beginning through early-professional photographers, covering topics ranging from shooting to pricing to marketing. For the first time, you can find it all in one beautiful full-color book: everything from attaining shallow depth of field to responding to people who steal your images… driving more Facebook traffic to dressing for your next wedding-day assignment. Benfield's friendly, bite-size, easy-to-use tips can help any working photographer create better images and happier clients -- and earn a lot more money, too!

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