Facebook Group
What's cooler than being cool?
Hands down the coolest thread in our Facebook group this past week was our new cover image from Susan Gietka!
Images like this don't just happen, they are planned for and then created!
The lighting, the composition, the styling, the expression, the processing... EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS PERFECTION!
And if you're wondering how Susan lit this, she was nice enough to share a quick pullback of her setup. Check it out! So much awesome!
Education
This is how you do it
Looking for some fantastic, bite-sized photography tutorials from someone that really knows how to teach?
No one crushes it in the photography education field more than fashion photographer, Lindsay Adler!
If you haven't browsed through her YouTube channel, do yourself a favor and check it out. There are tons of bite sized tutorials and image deconstructions, most of them less than 15 minutes long. Perfect for when you need that quick hit of knowledge!
Some favorites to get you started...
Meet the Photographer
Andy Phillips of TAP Photography
Andy and Ashley Phillips are the husband/wife team that run TAP Photography in North Carolina. Andy's the photographer in the family and his work has been featured on SeniorInspire and in our magazine many, many times.
This week we had a moment to sit down with Andy to ask him a few burning questions...
SeniorInspire: On Facebook I know you as AndyandAshley Phillips. Are you ever going to give Ashley her own Facebook account?
Andy: Actually you have that backwards. Ashley started the AndyandAshley account, then kind of turned it over to me and started another one of her own. 😂🤔
Ash and I are a team in everything. I shoot and sell, and she markets and edits. We spend 20+ hours a day together. That's not for every couple, but we thrive that way.
SI: Pretend I stole your camera bag, but because I'm a nice guy I left you your camera and one other thing. What's the other thing you want me to leave?
A: First off, if you steal anything out of my bag, be sure to take the camera and force me to finally upgrade from my old Nikon D800 to a new D850. But honestly the thing to leave is my new Sigma 35mm f1.4 DG HSM ART, by far, my favorite lense I've ever had.
SI: What special talent do you have?
A: Most people probably don't know that I've been a drummer and singer for 30 years and I'm also a Baptist Minister.
SI: What is the most interesting fact you know?
A: That's a difficult question. But i will say this, we as senior photographers are very blessed to be able to have a career doing something we love. Many people are miserable in their work and have jobs where someone else controls how much money they are able to make. The only ones who determine our success is ourselves and the good Lord above.
Trivia Answer
What is the inverse square law as it applies to photography?
According to digital-photography-school.com It's an equation that relates the intensity of a light source to the illumination it produces at any given distance.
Clear as mud? LOL... me too!
If you're not already an inverse square law expert, go check out this explanation from headshot photographer, Peter Hurley. He provides a great overview of the basics and why it's important to your photography.
Seriously, go check this out. It definitely an eye opener!
And Finally
A time to work, a time to recharge
With the seasons changing some of you may be heading into a slower time of year like I am.
After a grueling busy season, it's important to set aside a bit of time for yourself to recover... but then get right back to work.
Busy season will roll around again before you know it and NOW is absolutely the time to implement any changes you've been wanting to make!
Start by making a list of ALL the things you'd like to get done this offseason. Then narrow that down to the most important three and GET TO WORK!
Update your website, fine tune your marketing, take that SEO class you've been eyeing, deep clean the studio, sell off some old equipment. Whatever it is you've been wanting to do, now is the time to get them done, because before you know it busy season will roll around again and you'll be back to the grind!
And perhaps most importantly, GET YOURSELF IN BETTER PHYSICAL SHAPE. You're not getting any younger and, believe me, every year it gets harder and harder to drag yourself through that busy season unless you're in the best shape you can be.
Just do it!