The Pictage Blog

Session Topic: “Rockstar Wedding Photography - Your Backstage Pass to Making Brides Feel Like a Million Bucks”
Rockstar brides spend rockstar bucks. When brides feel like supermodels, they will indulge themselves with photographic pampering. By making them feel celebrated and beautiful through your environment, your rapport, and your service, they will gladly and extravagantly invest in their family legacies. Optimize your environment by creating a comfortable and relaxed spending atmosphere that gives brides permission to be excited about you and your work. Your interaction with brides is vital to establishing a lifetime of loyalty. Regardless of your price point, knowing your brides will allow you to maximize your profit potential and firmly establish credibility in your marketplace.

Bio:
A fourth generation photojournalist, Corey McNabb has been covering weddings for three years and travels regularly for destination weddings and honeymoon coverage. For a decade he worked in the film and fashion industries in California, and now specializes in covering events for the discerning bride worldwide — delivering a unique, unparalleled, and trustworthy service to his clients. Corey is an award-winning member of the International Wedding Photojournalist Association and was named one of their top photographers for 2006. He was also invited into the 5-Star Platinum Directory of Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine.

**Get your questions ready and join us Here today at 4PM(pst). If you’re not already registered for the Pictage Forums, sign up here and check out the community today!

Upcoming Speakers:
Don’t miss other Pictage Partner Conference Speakers every following Wednesday from 4pm - 6pm Pacific Time.

07-30-2008 Sara France
08-06-2008 Pepper Nix & Mitch Burt
08-13-2008 Travis Broxton
08-20-2008 Dane Sanders
08-27-2008 Chris & Katie Humphreys
09-03-2008 Justin & Mary Marantz

Every week we are bringing you new tips from some of our top photographers and PUG leaders. A big Thanks and we love you goes out to Cinematic Studios for the filming and production of these clips!

Mike Colon is an international wedding and lifestyle photographer based in Newport Beach, California. He was recently named a “Legend Behind the Lens” by Nikon.

Mike talks about the Pictage to Aperture Plug-in. We have also just released the Pictage to Lightroom Plug-in. Both of these improvements have streamlined your workflow by making image transfers between Adobe Photoshop Lightroom/Aperture and Pictage easier than ever!

Video Produced by Cinematic Studios.

The results are in and the schedule is set for what will be our best Pictage Partner Conference to date, check it out!

Register today for Partner Conference Los Angeles and save $20 off the regular registration rate. This Early Bird Special expires on July 23rd, so reserve your spot today!

Stay tuned for Partner Conference spotlights!  Will you be there?

Session Topic: See The Light: Passion, Fashion and Inspiration

It takes more than numbers to keep yourself going in the wedding market, it takes deep rooted passion, knowing your style; where you came from and where you want to go. Don’t end up as a photographer having a “break down” due to lack of inspiration. Finding and listening to your inner voice can keep you going with as much energy and vigor as you did the first time you picked up a camera.

Today’s wedding photography market is competitive, and shooting with available light is simply not enough to separate your imagery in the market place. With many photographers’ images looking the same, how can you stand out? Fashion photography is consistently molding what the savvy client is expecting. With the use of many types of lighting, your images can stand out and bring a new edge to your style.

Biography:

Having worked in fashion and editorial photography for over 20 years, Carlos knows that every diva has her day, and that being a supermodel is having a certain state of mind, not a certain look. His fashion fusion style has also made him one of the most sought after exclusive wedding photographers.

He has photographed the superstars of fashion, entertainment and sports. He has been published in iconic women’s magazines like Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, W, and has shot for advertisers like Revlon, BMW, and Sony records.

Carlos is a graduate of the renowned Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, where he periodically teaches as an adjunct professor, and is a nationally recognized speaker amongst his peers in photography. He recently became a member of an elite group of Art Institute alumni, earning his spot on the Art Institute’s Wall of Fame where his talent is showcased.

**Get your questions ready and join us Here today at 4PM(pst). If you’re not already registered for the Pictage Forums, sign up here and check out the community today!

Upcoming Speakers:
Don’t miss other Pictage Partner Conference Speakers every following Wednesday from 4pm - 6pm Pacific Time.

07-23-2008 Corey McNabb
07-30-2008 Sara France
08-06-2008 Pepper Nix & Mitch Burt
08-13-2008 Travis Broxton
08-20-2008 Dane Sanders
08-27-2008 Chris & Katie Humphreys
09-03-2008 Justin & Mary Marantz

Jules Bianchi (Pictage member since 2003 & LA PUG leader) let me snag today’s image and story from her blog…

“When I first saw Julie’s colors (red tones) I was excited because I knew there was a red wall in the parking lot level of the Walt Disney Concert Hall where she was getting married. For this image, I asked them to hold hands and look at me. I wanted them to simply stand quietly together because I was trying to capture something that might evoke feelings of a vintage wedding image like this one:”

“How I shot it:
I was shooting in RAW with my Canon 5D and my new 50mm 1.2 lens. This image was shot in manual mode at 1/80, f 1.6, ISO 500.Because it was rather dark down there, I used my Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 and had Shannon hold my 580 EX flash to light them. She was off to my side on a short staircase at about a 45 degree angle to the couple, and she held the light above her head pointed down at them.

My post-processing:
I used my own custom preset, “jb bluesy”, to process the RAW file in Bridge and then applied Kevin Kubota’s action, “The Look” to the jpg. I used The Boutwell’s Totally Rad Action, “Yin/Yang” to get some of the detail back in Julie’s dress and to pop a tiny bit of light back into their eyes. I then applied Jesh De Rox’s Fine Art Texture, “He Loved Her Italian Accent” to create the velvet wallpaper look in the background. The last thing I did was add an 85 warming filter set at 25% and remove the shadow behind Yas in Photoshop.

Wah lah!!”

before (straight out of camera):

After:

Thank you Jules!

Together, Justin & Mary form Justin Marantz Photography in Hartford, CT. It is one of the fastest growing studios on the east coast! They are also the leaders of our very own Harford PUG! Their work has been featured in Brides magazine, Grace Ormonde and La Bella. Mary and Justin founded The Portrait House in 2006 as a worldwide fundraising mission to raise money and awareness for Habitat for Humanity.

What do clients think when you give them your business card? Mary and Justin Marantz have customized their marketing materials to ensure that they stand out from the crowd. What does your card say about you?

Video Produced by Cinematic Studios.

Describe your photography style or words that describe your brand?
My background is in newspaper photojournalism and I approach a wedding no differently than I would a news assignment- carefully and organically documenting the day without intruding or directing.

What is a must read or must see?
“Truth Needs No Ally: Inside Photojournalism” by Howard Chapnick and “The Practical Dreamer’s Handbook: Finding the Time, Money, and Energy to Live the Life You Want to Live” by Paul and Sarah Edwards.

What are your work hours?
I have a new studio and have been trying to keep to a more normal schedule during the week (9:30a-6p) as I used to work non-stop when I operated out of my home.

What is your favorite thing about Pictage?
I love having a one-stop-shop for my printing and album needs, as well as paperless proofing and sharing for my clients.

What lens could you not live without?
A new purchase- the 50mm 1.2

How do you juggle your business and family/social life?
It’s challenging, especially since wedding season in New England is abbreviated (end of May- October). I don’t have a weekend off, and spend every day during the week editing, marketing, etc. I have just hired an in-house designer to help outsource my design work and will soon hire a studio manager.

What workflow tools do you use?
ShootQ, Lightroom and Pictage.

How long does it take you to upload to Pictage?
I typically start uploading on the Wednesday after the event when I leave the studio and it’s done when I return the next morning!

How long have you been a photographer?
8 years.

What was your very first job?
Photographer at USA Today in 2000.

Most listened to song on your ipod?
Anything by Kendall Payne.

What is something you have learned this year?
Dreams do come true.

What is one thing we don’t know about you?
You may or may not know this, but I am engaged to J Sandifer, who I met because he was my account rep at Pictage for a number of years. I visited the Pictage booth at WPPI in 2006 specifically to thank him in person for his help over the years. He showed me the new album designer, and the rest is history. Thanks for the matchmaking, Pictage!

How do you get most of your bookings? What is your primary way of marketing?
Primarily word of mouth referrals, and website search engines.

What blog do you stalk?
I spend a lot of time following friends on Facebook lately.

Thanks Emilie!  We are so excited that you and J are speaking at PartnerCon! 

Site - http://www.emilieinc.com/
Blog - http://blog.emilieinc.net

Session Topic: Liana’s Crazy Simple Workflow
Simplify your workflow using programs such as Adobe Lightroom and pairing with Pictage so that you can concentrate on doing what you do best! She will touch on an actual workflow to take better photos straight from the camera, starting with an end in mind, and the need for SPEED!

Biography
Liana loves her life and career! She is honored to spend her time shooting destination weddings in the US and abroad, speaking at major industry conventions, and helping other small businesses in her spare time. She recently become an Approved Business Instructor (ABI) for PPA, and is currently one of the only working professional photographers certified and willing to teach managerial accounting and business planning to other wedding and portrait photographers. Liana’s website recently received PPA’s AN-NE award for the 2006 Website of the Year. She is a third-generation entrepreneur and graduate of an exclusive program in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management and Marketing.

Get your questions ready and join us Here today at 4PM(pst). If you’re not already registered for the Pictage Forums, sign up here and check out the community today!

Upcoming Speakers:
Don’t miss other Pictage Partner Conference Speakers every following Wednesday from 4pm - 6pm Pacific Time.

07-16-2008 Carlos Baez
07-23-2008 Corey McNabb
07-30-2008 Sara France
08-06-2008 Pepper Nix & Mitch Burt
08-13-2008 Travis Broxton
08-20-2008 Dane Sanders
08-27-2008 Chris & Katie Humphreys
09-03-2008 Justin & Mary Marantz

It’s Monday again, and time for another Pictage Tip of the Week! This feature is where we bring you photography, business and Pictage tips from some of our top photographers and PUG leaders. Special thanks to Cinematic Studios for the filming and production of these clips.

Melissa Jill was a sophomore in high school when a camera was first placed in her hands and she was hooked! She never imagined that as a Philosophy and Christian Ministries major at Azusa Pacific University in CA, that she would one day create for a living. She always thought of art as a hobby until a friend, David Jay, started and grew his successful studio in Santa Barbara, CA. She started her business in the spring of 2003 and still marvels every day that she spends her life doing something she enjoys so much. Melissa Jill is our Phoenix PUG leader and has grown the group steadily over the past 2 years! She was recently featured in the newest issue of The Wedding Chronicle, a local publication in Phoenix, AZ.

What’s the best way to really get to know the wedding photography industry? Melissa tells us the value she has found in being a part of her local Pictage User Group. Have you been to your PUG lately?

Video Produced by Cinematic Studios.

Thank you to those who commented on our Digital Design posts!  We received some great ways people would spend the time they would save by purchasing our Digital Designs. 

The winner, Matthew DeJesus of Matthew DeJesus Photography, said, “What will I do?! That’s easy! I will finally have a long overdue date night with my bride and hold her prego belly as we countdown the days!!!”

Congratulations Matt, you will receive a FREE Digital Design!