Some of the most purchased office photography is fall foliage photos printed on nice canvas and mounted. Case in point, I was attending a meeting at a corporate office last week and had to wait in the conference room for a few minutes on my own. What I noticed was that along the hallway of this particular office was a large assortment of canvas mounted photography works. Most of the pieces were nature related, and at least half of them were fall foliage photography.

What does this mean to you as a semi pro photographer, or even amateur photographer? It means that there is a huge market out there for fall foliage photography that you can tap into. However you need to get out there and actually shoot the photos! Some of the best places to shoot are public areas that have easy access. A few examples of this would be cemeteries, public hiking paths, farm lands, or apple orchards.

If you happen to live in the northeast then this time of year is fantastic for fall foliage photography, but its not limited to just the north east. Take time to figure out when the best fall foliage photographs can be taken in your particular area and you could start making some extra income by selling you images to companies looking to spruce up the interior walls of their offices.

Along with this contest I am offering a reduced rate on all my kids portraits package. Contact me for more details and to set up a time for a session - fall is almost here and the leaves are turning - don’t miss out on the fall foliage photographs! ]]> http://hexfire.net/2008/09/16/cute-kid-contest/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Hexfirenet&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhexfire.net%2F2008%2F09%2F16%2Fcute-kid-contest%2Fhttp://hexfire.net/2008/09/16/cute-kid-contest/ http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Hexfirenet/~3/331716262/ http://hexfire.net/2008/07/10/favorite-photo/#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:31:36 +0000 hexfire http://hexfire.net/?p=80 Another blogger over at www.photogb-log.com posted about one of their favorite photos of the past year, and I thought I’d take a moment to look back on my recent work to pick out a favorite of my own.

This particular photograph was done for a friend of mine for their engagement so obviously I’m a bit biased when it comes to picking out a favorite photo of my own, but still I think the image holds up well and carries some emotion with it.

The shot was directly into the sun at almost dusk which created the nice silloette for the shot, and was on a rocky beach which made the water in the background drop out nicely to pop the silloette even more.

If you’ve never tried shooting directly into the sun with an object in front of it I highly suggest you try some different things out - you might surprise yourself with what you get for an end product.

One of the hardest things to do in the professional field is start your own business. If you take a cruise around the internet and search for home businesses, home based photographer is generally up at the top of the results. Its fairly easy to set up a small studio in your garage or basement (provided your wife doesn’t kill you first) and start taking photographs that are passable as decent shots. The real tricky part is getting clients. Not many clients are up for traveling to your home and doing a shoot - especially if your home is creepy looking or your shooting in the basement. So whats the next step? Leasing studio space.

The search for studio space is one that I thought wouldn’t take long, and for some reason I’m an idiot. Of course it will take you time, energy, and in the end lots of money. The overriding principle of business is location, location, location. Ask any seasoned business owner and they’ll tell you that location is 80% of the final equation that will make or break you’re business venture. So when your out looking for studio space make sure its in an area that needs and more importantly can sustain your photography studio. The best studio space you find might be in the worst part of town and as such will hinder you’re efforts in gaining clients. Try and pick a space that is conducive to both clients that book by appointment over the phone, and those that are just walking or driving by your new space. If you take this into consideration when searching out studio space you’ll be much better off in the end, even if you don’t have the biggest or best space that you’ve looked at.

The next criterion you should look at when selecting studio space is the layout of the studio itself. Try to imagine how you would put together a floor plan while you’re looking at the different spaces. If you can’t easily envision the layout in your head as you’re looking at the space then its not going to work out very well once you start trying to move in furniture and backdrops. Also take into consideration various needs of your clients. Is there a bathroom available? Does the space have access to hot/cold water? Is there enough room to build in a changing room? A props or utilities closet?

The biggest concern when looking to lease studio space and move yourself up into a larger location then your basement is the bottom line cost. How much is this space going to cost you a month, and how much are you willing to go in debt to have it. Most photographers that are starting out work a day job, then work as a photographer nights & weekends - much like myself. This leaves a quandary for which the studio space is based solely on the disposable income of whatever is left over after all other bills are paid from the day job’s income. Depending on where you’re located, the price per square foot of space for leasing will vary. In this particular area of the country it ranges from $5 to $10 per square foot for unfinished space. This means that a 1000 square foot unfinished space will run you $420 a month on the low end, and up to $850 on the high end. And thats just for the space, thats not including heat, electric, water etc.

If you’re considering buying studio space the cost factor will be your biggest concern. Most new businesses take a loan out from the bank to offset the cost of leasing space. This is a good idea if you have the time to properly set up your business plan and you can get financing from a bank. I would highly suggest taking the time to come up with a business plan, financing from the bank, and then get the biggest space you can while staying under your budget. Keep in mind that most businesses loose money the first two years of operation.

So get your thinking caps on and fire up the synapses! Leave your captions in the comments below!

A beach shoot wouldn’t be complete without some seriously hot beachwear. Playboy just announced its 2008 swim collection, the link above will take you there directly. If you’re looking for a great outfit for your next shoot I highly recommend checking them out.

Portrait Photography Tutorials.

Photography videos.

Its also a great time to have your senior photos done. Get your shots done early and enjoy the rest of your summer with friends who want your photos. Contact me directly for pricing and scheduling of senior portraits sessions.

Outdoor Portrait Session - Friendly, Creative, Relaxed, and Fun! View your photo proofs online & select up to six images. Your chosen photos are professionally enhanced, touched up to remove blemishes, at no additional charge. Assemble your own custom package of portfolio, enlargements, wallets, ect. Your prints can be color, black and white, sepia, or a mixture of black and white with color.