How Many Photographs Will I Get?

I think the most common post-session comment I hear, aside from, “THANK YOU!” is, “I know you took more than X number of photographs, how come I only got Y number of photographs?”

I think it’s time to take a few moments and get that elephant out of the corner. Shall we?

So, let’s break it down.

30-minute portrait session: You can expect to receive between 15-30 beautiful images.

1 hour portrait session: You can expect to receive between 30-50 wonderful photographs.

6-8 hours of wedding photography: You can expect to receive between 500-1,000 gorgeous photos.

I know that you know that I took 500 photographs. Believe me, you don’t want to see every one of them. I estimate that for every 10-15 shutter clicks you hear, I know I have one beautiful shot. Sometimes I take slower photographs, sometimes I shoot rapidly. It’s just a matter of light, pose, etc.

And trust me, when I pick the 15-30 or 30-50 I edit, I agonize over it. I want to make sure the light is just so, that everything is properly in focus, that the exposure worked out well. I want to make sure your pose is correct, your eyes where I want them to be. Hell, I want to make sure your eyes are even open!

So perhaps I took six hundred photographs, but please do believe me when I say you only want to see thirty of them. There is no slight of hand here, no reason other than I only want you to see beautiful images of yourself and your family. Unfortunately, the reality is that the majority of photographs just don’t cut the mustard.

As always, quality over quantity, dears.

As a client, how many photographs do you want? Expect?

As a photographer, how do you handle questions about number of photographs?

Getting to Know You, The Client

Typically, wedding clients book about a year in advance. This gives me twelve months to get to know you. I must express the significance of this: Getting to know you as well as I can enables me to do the best job possible on your wedding.

You don’t intimately get to know your caterer or your DJ, most likely. You may see your hairdresser or makeup artist once or twice before your wedding, which is very important.

But consider this: Your photographer strives to capture your day from your point of view.

What. A. Task.

This means I want- and need- to know your preferences, your likes, dislikes, the way you present yourself, and the way you interact with your significant other. It is so crucial for me to understand where you’re coming from that I truly believe you will walk away from your wedding with not only beautiful photographs, but also a new friend and photographic companion.

I love adding clients on Facebook, I like chatting on the phone. Want to meet up for coffee or tea to chat about wedding plans? Yes! Let’s!

Knowing you and making the most of this year-long (hopefully longer!) relationship is one of my favorite parts of being your photographer.

I am not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of photographer. I am your new companion, your planner, your assistant.

From the day we first talk either in person, on the phone, or email, you’re gaining someone who is now heavily invested in your day. You’re going to receive emails, questionnaires, packets, and mail from me. I will strive to meet up with you and we will do your engagement shoot. Because for me, knowing you is the only way I can know how to shoot your wedding to the highest quality possible.

If you are looking for someone to just show up the day of your wedding and shoot, great! But that’s not me.

So send me that chatty email with pictures of your venue! Tell me about how you met your loved one! Ask me for my opinion. I love it! Keep it coming, folks!

Cheers,

Jenn

Check Out Markathon’s Auction Page… Win 6 Hours of FREE Wedding Coverage!

Mark Curdo of 94.3 FM (WCYY!) runs the Annual Markathon to benefit the Center for Grieving Children right in Portland, Maine.

It is hours upon hours of nonstop DJ’ing, where a listener donates money and then gets to pick a song to play. On top of that, there are donations, contests, auctions, etc. It is a GREAT cause and has raised over $180,000 over six years.

This year, Jennifer Marie Photography is teaming up with WCYY to donate 6 hours of free wedding coverage for a lucky bidder in 2015. The value is $2,500 and you get amazing coverage, and plus your donation benefits a PHENOMENAL cause!

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BID!

Proposal: Lily & Adam at Goochs Beach

I was privileged enough to be hired to photograph a gentleman from Boston proposing to his now-fiancée, Lily. Adam and Lily had been spending the last few days at the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. He scheduled a spa day for Lily this morning, and then took her for a romantic sunset walk on the beach.

No, I’m not making this up.

He chose a beautiful spot far away from the parking spaces on an outcropping of rocks that jutted into the ocean. We timed the sunlight just right.

We had picked the spot beforehand, but Adam must have decided to go further than we had decided. So, instead of being 20 feet away from the couple, I ended up being 200. And without ruining the moment, I couldn’t get any closer!

But, no matter, we still got some great shots and Lily was none the wiser.

Pet Project: NH Renaissance Faire

Early this year I went to shoot at the NH Renaissance Faire for a couple of people who are involved with the Neville Company. You can check their website out here.

Instead of documenting and seeing how many costumes I could photograph, I decided to take a little less in-your-face approach. Detail is paramount in these circumstances; in order to make the Faire feel believable, people put tons of effort into making it all seem as relevant to the times being portrayed as possible.

In that vein, I desaturated many of my photographs to give them a less vibrant feel. I felt like it did the photos justice. Were I to go back and do it again, I would have spent more time wandering around, but I only had about two hours total there.

Here’s your Wednesday nerd-fodder!

Client Advice: Preparing For A Shoot

Shooting people is very challenging. It takes two (or three, or four, or five!) to tango, and it is a delicate dance between the photographer and the subjects.

Taking the leap to book a photographer for anything can immediately fill the client with a sense of excitement, anxiety, or nervousness. Of course this is entirely natural. Would you believe me when I say that every time I go to a session I myself get butterflies? It’s true!

Many clients will ask how to prepare for a session, both mentally and physically. Here is my advice to you. It works for my clients, with the style that I shoot. Take it if you like it, leave it if you don’t!

Be comfortable. By which I mean, wear comfortable clothing. Unless we are doing a high-fashion shoot (of which I do very few…) then you do not need to be wearing the highest of heels or bustiest of shirts. Unless that’s your thang, in which case, do it! If you are uncomfortable in your clothing or your own body, then you are probably going to look uncomfortable in your photographs. So in terms of style, be comfortable.

Spend extra time getting ready. We all know the term, “look good, feel good.” Practice that! Give yourself some extra time to feel fully relaxed, beautiful, and pampered. Make sure you spend leisurely time getting ready, because you’re going to feel that much more attractive and confident in front of zee lens.

Avoid patterns. Just a quick note on clothing: Zig-zaggy stripes probably aren’t going to be flattering on a photograph. It’s just a plain-ol’ fact. Of course there are exceptions, (like flannel: DO WEAR FLANNEL!) but greenly stripes or geometric patterns are best avoided.

Body language & posture: Drop those shoulders down! I know you’re nervous, but don’t hunch your shoulders. Sit up straight if you can, keep those shoulders down and back and we’re gonna be all set. As long as you’re not slouching or hunching your shoulders, I’m sure those photos are going to look as natural as can be.

Chat! Chatting, laughing, joking, being friendly and just generally conversational will hep you out. It helps me out, too. Not rushing and enjoying your time is something that will show in your photographs. If you have a story to tell or something funny to say, good grief- say it! I love hearing them and the story of our session will be that much better. My favorite shots are ones where there is genuine joy and happiness.

Be clear. If you feel as though the direction of the shoot is headed somewhere you don’t want it to go (For example, say you hate birch trees for some reason and I have you in a grove of them…) say so. If you have an idea, speak up! I am very creative, but that doesn’t mean I can read your mind. So if you have thoughts before the shoot and during the shoot, please let me know. That way, we can get what you really want and I can help you achieve it. If you’re clear with your expectations and desires, you’re going to LOVE the way your photographs come out.

 

Do you have any advice? What do you tell your clients?

 

Cheers,

Jenn

Wedding: Beautiful Bride on the Coast

I don’t think words are necessary here, so I will let the photographs speak for themselves.

Commercial Photography: Menu Items at Marché Kitchen & Wine Bar

I was hired by the owner of Lisbon Street’s newest (fabulous, succulent) restaurant, Marché Kitchen and Wine Bar, to shoot their restaurant and some prepared food.
Kevin Cunningham, executive chef, created some incredible dishes that were so much fun to shoot. There is something so fun about shooting food porn. I always find myself poring over amazing food photography on Pinterest. There are so many different styles and ways to do it.

In this particular circumstance, Kevin was looking for bright, fresh, and clean-looking food. Funny adjectives, I know, but that was our end-goal. So, off we went! I put the food in front of the huge bay windows in the restaurant, allowing bright, natural sunlight.

Chef Cunningham prepared the dishes so all I had to do was the slightest of rearrangement and off we went. Being meticulous about placement and level of shine, etc., on the food enables appealing photographs.

Guys, I don’t even LIKE scallops, but these photographs made me want to eat them both.

Own a restaurant? Interested in having me come do photos for you? Just check out http://www.shaggysheepmedia.com, and send me an email. Let’s talk!

Weekend Photography Projects and Plans

This weekend seems to be a busy one! Not only do I have several personal projects to finish up, but I also have some photography to do.

A couple of weeks ago, I designed and launched a website for a restaurant in Lewiston, Maine called Marché Kitchen and Wine Bar. I photographed (and tasted!) some amazing food, and took a few quick snaps of the head chef and the bar manager.

Unfortunately, the bar manager is quite lens-shy, so it was a struggle to get a good shot of him. He literally hid behind a beer! So, tomorrow I have to go re-shoot Tom. That’s project number one!

You can check out Marché’s website here: http://www.MarcheMaine.com.

My second photography project is for a bride who wants to put her dress on and model it once again. She was married two years ago, and has always wanted to do a “rock the dress” shoot. So we are getting her all beautified (even though she is already beautiful!) and we are heading to a local beach to get some glamour shots of her in her stunning dress. Can’t wait to share the photos!

It’s always fun to shoot women in their wedding dress on a day that is NOT their wedding day. Not only are tensions insanely lower, but also the bride does not feel so on the spot and like she has an audience if it’s just her and I. It’s a good way to get her back in her dress and it’s a fabulous way to capture some unhurried shots.

The third shoot is on Sunday. I was hired by Argo Marketing Company to shoot one of their pet projects, a Chaga harvesting sub-company. I’m following a harvester into the woods to document him harvesting a mushroom called Chaga off birch trees. These are marketing photographs for digital and print marketing, as well as their website.

The second phase of this photo project is to shoot the end-product, which I think is a powdered sort of thing. I guess we’ll find out! In either case, it should be a pretty fantastic shoot because who doesn’t love running through the woods hunting down wild mushrooms hanging fifteen feet off the ground? AmIright?

Tallyho!

Mother & Son Portrait Session: Baby Cooper and Mama

I photographed this darling a little while ago. He was bright-eyed and in love with his Mama. The lighting was beautiful, we did the shoot right in his bedroom. Sometimes it is more comfortable for everyone (especially baby) if the shoot is performed in a familiar space. Typically we will turn the heat up if possible, and just play around until we find the right mood and lighting.

The more comfortable the little one is, the more happy he will look. I also like to note that many people are looking for “Anne Geddes” type portraits, and this is not something I typically do. While I do sometimes use props, it’s not a typical shoot for me to overdo the emphasis on props. I typically find the more natural the photographs, the more timeless they seem.