I think most sports photographers are missing a lot team banner sales and other opportunities simply because the parents and coaches don’t think about us when it’s time to create their team banner. Many teams are having a mom on the team do a team shot and sending it to a local sign company to do the design and print the team banners.
To help increase team banners sales this season we have create an ad that will be included in every players SportsPress book this season. This will definitely help create awareness about the teamed banner program and you will be on their coaches and parents mind when it comes time to create that all-star banner. If if you aren’t using the SportsPress program and are still delivering traditional packages, this could also be an insert into every player’s picture package. Here’s a sample of the ad we created for this Spring season.
It seems like I get asked at least once a week by newer photographers just starting out “if you could only purchase one background, what would you get?”.
I usually recommend a gray muslin background for the simple fact that it is very easy to get numerous looks out of this one background. By adding gels to the background light, it is very easy to change the background color to match the customer’s outfit. I have created this Quick Tips video to show you how easy it is to get hundreds of background of a simple gray muslin.
Let me know if you find this tip helpful… or any ideas you would like to see for future Quick Tips tutorials.
I recently got a new ring light that I am absolutely loving.. the quality of light is just amazing. I thought I would probably just use it for model shoots, but I find myself using it to create a cool look for seniors as well. Everyone is loving their images.
Anyway, I videoed a recent session I did with this cool little light. Let me know what you think. Also, if you have shot with one of these let me know and how you are using it.
I have noticed that many new photographers tend to aim their main light source (this could be an umbrella, a softbox, etc…) directly at the subject. While this will definitely light the subject, it’s certainly not the most flattering way to use your light source. In this post, I would like to introduce you to an idea called “feathering the main light”.
By nature, your light source is typically brighter in the center and tends to fall off toward the edges. Therefore, by aiming your light source directly at the subject, it tends to create more specular highlights and can produce hot spots or can cause the highlights to become overexposed.
So next time, instead of just aiming the light right at your subject, try feathering the light. By this I simply mean to direct the light in front of your subject. You should be working with the edge of your light source and not the center of the light source. I will typically turn my soft box horizontally and have most of the light pass in from of the subject, and just work with the light from the back edge of my soft box. By working with the feathered position of the main light, it gives me a softer, more flattering light on my subject.
Not only is feathering the light much more flattering for my subjects, but it allows me to easily work with a reflector as my fill light – by reflecting the light passing in front of the subject into the shadow side of the subject. When working with a large soft box and feathering, this box acts as both the main light and the fill light ( a term referred to as wrap-around lighting). It also helps keep stray light off the background so I can control the brightness of the background through the use of a background light.
