Photoshop Actions I Can't Live Without

There's some things you just can't live without. Totally Rad Actions are one of them for me. I invested in TRA before I even started my business. And when TRA 2 came out, I was quick to pickup that set as well. TRA has really changed my workflow. I typically have 4 of the actions that I use on a standard image. I've created keyboard shortcuts for those actions and can whip through an image pretty fast. When I have time, I like to play around with the different actions to come up with new effects for photos. I do believe that you can always over photoshop an image - so typically don't use the actions at 100%. I also believe in getting it right in camera and not trying to fix the exposure in photoshop!

If you are thinking about picking up TRA, be sure to visit the website and click ont he Try Em tab - you can download a few actions to try before you buy. And be sure to check out the new TRA Recipe site. Photographers have uploaded their images, along with their TRA recipes. Great combos to try out on your own images.

Below is a before and after of a photo that I used these actions on to give you an idea of before and after!

Little Whimsy Update

Just saw the below info in my email and wanted to pass along the sale with everyone!! Great way to stock up on studio samples if you don't have any yet! Check out the post below this one if you haven't read the info about Little Whimsy!

It's time to stock up for summer with our shop more and save sale! Starting Saturday June 27, 2009 through July 4, 2009, the more you spend the more you save.

Orders of $50-$99.99 enter code savemore10 to save an additional 10%.
Orders of $100-$149.99 enter code savemore15 to save an additional 15%.
Orders of $150+ enter code savemore20 to save an additional 20%

Coupons must be redeemed at time of sale, not valid on prior purchases. Coupon may be used more than once, but valid for the promotional value of each individual purchase. This offer can be combined with professional discounts.

Photo Jewelry & Gifts

I've been meaning to talk about Little Whimsy for awhile now, but I keep getting sidetracked. As I'm getting ready to run out the door right now, I thought I'd quickly share with you guys.

I came across Little Whimsy for a group buy from one of the forums I was on. Last fall I decided to order a few sample pieces to offer my clients. Her work is AMAZING!! I have a few different items to offer my clients - the mother of pearl pendants, they keychains, bookmarks, maple ornaments and magnets. All of which everyone loves!! She does offer a wholesale account for photographers which includes a discount on the items, which I feel are priced very reasonably to start with. Great customer service and the processing times are quick considering the work that is put into each piece.

I don't do much of a markup on my gifts, jewelry and cards for my clients. Why? Well, I feel like they are marketing pieces for me. When a client sends out my cards, I always have my logo and website on the back of the card - which means it's making its way into the hands of potential new clients and how many folks that receive those cards are sharing them with others? As for the jewelry and gifts, what mom or grandmother isn't going to showcase their cool new piece with a beautiful photo of their little one? Those items become another marketing tool as well. Keep that in mind when you are pricing out your speciality items!

Follow Up on Facebook Advertising

I wanted to follow up on the post from February about my Facebook advertising. Well, I'm glad I didn't spend big bucks on it. It did work out slightly for me. I had a lot of hits on my ad - so I was pretty excited. My ad was strictly for Senior Reps, I wasn't looking to book any regular sessions since I still needed to build my senior portfolio. I spent almost all of my $100 advertising credit - I think it was about $95. I had 4 girls contact me (no guys) and 2 apply to be reps. Both girls were selected (two different schools) but only one followed through. And we just did her session 2 weeks ago. It turned out great and she doesn't even have her proof book or rep cards yet and she's already sending folks my way.

My low turnout could have been from my lack of senior images on my site. Or the fact that I was advertising to Juniors in February and March to be reps and it wasn't even close to the end of the school year. I'm glad I did it and it was free - I did get one rep and that might be all I need to get the senior side of my business off the ground.

I plan on doing some additional senior advertising on Facebook mid-summer when the kids will really be looking to get there photos done. Especially since I have built up some additional senior images since my last round of advertising. And I just created a Facebook Fan Page for my business.

If you're thinking about doing it - just be careful that you watch what you spend. I can see that it could easily snowball into some big bucks!

Have you advertised on Facebook? Let me know how it's gone for you in the comment section below!

Great Posing Books!

A quick share on two posing books that I really like. The first is 500 Poses for Photographing Women: A Visual Sourcebook for Portrait Photographers it's a great inspiration right before going out on a session. The book is divided up into chapters based on the type of pose - head and shoulders, full length, seated, etc. Not much to read in this one - more for inspiration. There is a brief section in the back that has the basic tips for those just starting out.

The other is Mark Theil's Ultimate Posing Guide. Mark is actually located pretty close to me in Central Ohio. This book has been highly recommended on many photography forums that I've been on. With so many rave reviews, I decided to pick it up. It's been really helpful. Mark's book also has tips and tons of images. Mark's book also focuses on female posing.

Now ... if I could just find a book on posing guys, that would rock! Both books are a must have for your collection. They've been great in getting inspired right before some recent senior sessions!

{how to sell} guide - great handbook for achieving you're online sales goals!

I picked up the {how to sell} guide from Joyce Smith over at Wordsmith the other week but just had the chance to read it yesterday. Amazing! This is a great product for those photographers who do online sales only. Joyce has taken her proven method of online sales and come up with an easy to read and easy to understand workflow for you to implement in your own business. My readers probably know how much I love Joyce's products. I also own the {what to write} and {what to wear} guides, and adore both of them.
Joyce goes through each step of her workflow from booking the client session to the final sale. With a ton of great tips on how to make the sale work for you. She also offers access to both a PhotoCart (which I use) and a PickPic Gallery so you can see exactly how she's set-up her online sales.

If for whatever reason you have to do online sales and cannot do in-person sales - this guide is for you. As always, I highly suggest Joyce's products, they are well worth the money to help you start achiving more money in your sales!

Full Disclosure: Samples received from WordSmith.

I LOVE a Good Hat for Kid Sessions!

I have to admit - I'm addicted to hats and petti skirts for sessions. The kids get to play dress-up and I (hopefully) get great images of them in the process. Last year I stumbled across Kim's site - From My Heart to Your Head. She had a great promo going on at the time - she was clearing out some of her hats and was offering a "hat pack" at a really good price. I got a ton of hats for what I would have normally paid for 2 or 3 on etsy. It was such a great deal!

Over the weekend I had a few out of town session and made sure to pack all my hats for the trip. And I'm so glad I did! The image above is my absolute favorite from all my sessions, teddy bear, petti skirt and hat - what a great combo!

I emailed Kim earlier in the week and she said she'd love to offer a discount to my readers. Please be sure to check out her blog and get yourself some hats for your sessions! Get 10% off your purchase when you mention the Neil Creative Blog when you place your order.

{What to Wear} Guide is on sale for a short time!

I just saw on Joyce's site that she's offering a sale on the {What to Wear} Guide! Haven't heard about the guide? Check my review on it here. Regular price is $75 - the current sale is for $60. She doesn't have a finish date for the sale except that when she releases the {How to Sell} Guide the sale will be over. On a side note, I also have the {What to Write} Guide and LOVE it! I'll do a review on that in a few weeks. But get over to wordsmith now to get the {What to Wear} Guide at a great price!!!

Full Disclosure: Samples received from WordSmith

Tots 2 Teens Seminar

Wanted to share a quick post about the seminar I went to last night - Tots 2 Teens by Sandy Puc'. I attended last year's Babies and Bellies tour and couldn't wait for this year's Tots 2 Teens. It was great! I actually found it a lot more informative than last year's seminar. Sandy reviewed posing, sales, marketing and working with children in general. I found it extremely useful and can't wait to get out and use some of the new ideas Sandy shared on my next child session. I believe the tour is down to its last month, ending the begining of May. But if it's coming to your town be sure to check it out! It's only $79 for 5+ hours of education - and I bet if you do a google search you'll be able to find a few discount codes hanging out on the internet!

2010 will be the Family tour - and I can't wait!! I'm sure each year these seminars will continue to get better and better.

Portfoliositez - Great Web Templates for Photogs!

I love the gals over at Portfoliositez - they made getting a web site up and running a total breeze for me! I've been with them for about 6 months and can't stop spreading the love about them.

I only have had 2 issues with my site, one being that music wouldn't upload and the other was that my logo was super small, when I sent it a support ticket they did a follow up email in less than 8 hours saying they would look into it and then had it fixed in less than a day. I told them it wasn't important as my site wasn't ready to go live, but they fixed up my issues asap. And checked in with me 2 times after the fix to make sure everything OK!

I've read a lot of bad things about other web site providers (I won't name names) and their customer service - but I must say Portfoliositez goes above and beyond to help their clients get their sites up and keeping them running!!

I was checking out their blog the other day and see that they now offer a "Andy" a blogsite! I'm kinda jealous and think I may need to look into that a little more. Although I am still in love with my template - Dorothea V2.

You can purchase your template only if you have your own hosting or you can host with them, not a bad deal! I'm not going to go into all the details of their sites but here are some of the features depending on the template that you select - unlimited galleries, videos, proofing areas, shopping cart, mini client sites, email database, ability to add music and customize colors. I could go on and on ... but I'll leave that up to you to see what they have that fits your needs.

Full Disclosure: commission on sale via my link.