Amherst Media - Master Guide for Photographing High School Seniors.pdf - [ebooks] - MultiZone

MASTER GUIDE FOR

PHOTOGRAPHING

HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Dave Wacker

Jean Wacker

J. D. Wacker

Amherst Media ®

PUBLISHER OF PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS

In Appreciation

Although we as a family have provided the words and images for this book, it would not have been possible without

help from our team members. We wish to thank Molly for hours of typing this manuscript and revising it many times.

We also want to thank Shelley for spending hours searching for picture files and preparing them for use in the final

book.

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 586

Buffalo, N.Y. 14226

Fax: 716-874-4508

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Assistant Editor: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt

Editorial Assistance from: John S. Loder, Charles Schweizer

ISBN-13: 978-1-58428-252-5

Library of Congress Control Number: 2008942238

Printed in Korea.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the author’s experience and opinions. The author

and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

Table of Contents

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Individual Biographies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Dave Wacker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Jean Wacker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

J.D. Wacker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Better Shooting Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

An Efficient Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

The Psychology of Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

In Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

1. Getting Seniors to Your Studio . . . . . . . . . .15

Demonstrate Your Skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Practice and Experience Pay Off . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

It’s Simple: Make Them Look Great . . . . . . . . . .15

Prove Your Worth in Competition . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Appeal to Their Tastes and Egos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Target Marketing to High School Seniors . . . . . . . .15

Evaluate Your Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Get Feedback from Your Clients . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Direct Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Designing Your Mailers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Staying Ahead of the Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

New Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

What’s a Photographer to Do? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Determine What Seniors Want . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Provide an Individualized Experience . . . . . . . . .13

Build Enthusiasm for a Big Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Perfect and Enhance Your Images . . . . . . . . . . .134

Additional Refinements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

2. The Sales Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Handling the Initial Phone Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

The Pre-Session Consultation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Evaluating Their Tastes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Show Exciting Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Plan the Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Evaluate the Subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Proofs for Senior Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Digital Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Inkjet Proofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

What Our Clients Had to Say . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Temporary Selection Prints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

The Sales Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Consider Outsourcing the

Design and Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Develop a Direct-Mail Marketing Program . . . . .18

Include Prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Make it Personal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Marketing Promotions to Try . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

$1000 Shopping Spree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Co-op Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Thank-You Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Find the Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Web Puzzle Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

High School Senior Idol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Coupons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Lump in the Envelope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Your Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Slide Shows for Social Networking Sites . . . . . . . . . .22

Our Most Effective Newspaper Ad . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Multimedia Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

3. Your Studio and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Getting Ready for the Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Check the Studio and Camera Room . . . . . . . . . .33

Check the Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Our Choices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Know Your Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Main Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Fill Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Background Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Overhead Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Window Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Ease of Use Ensures Variety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

High-Key to Low-Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Projection Flash Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Colored Gels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Digital Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Simple Posing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Stepladders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Nesting Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Director’s Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Wooden Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Sets and Props . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Display Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Painted Lath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Block Letters and Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Room Dividers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Variety is Critical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

4 MASTER GUIDE FOR PHOTOGRAPHING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Other Handy Items for the Camera Room . . . . . . . .39

Tool Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Rubber Cement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Smoke Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

5. Indoor Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

The Basic Yearbook Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

How It Used to Be . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

How It Is Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Don’t Take It Lightly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

What Guys Want . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

What Girls Want . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Show Their Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

What Else Can We Do at the Indoor Session? . . . . . .58

Collections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

A Special Outfit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Hats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Flames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Musical Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

High-Key Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Blowing Hair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

4. Posing and Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

When the Senior Arrives for Their Session . . . . . . . .41

Expressions Sell Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Forget About the Big Smile—

At Least for a While . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Use Music to Set the Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

The Guys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

The Girls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Control the Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Provide Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

When They’ve Loosened Up,

Get More Creative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Have Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Posing Separates the Professional

from the Amateur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43

A Systematic Approach to Posing Seniors . . . . . . . . .43

Five Basic Posing Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

The 80/20 Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

The Mental Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

The Mechanics of Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Posing Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Pose for Sale$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Top-Five Senior Girl Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

The Ski Slope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

The Standing S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

The Lean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Head and Shoulders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Hands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Top-Five Senior Guy Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

The Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

The Standing C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

The Lean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Head and Shoulders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Hands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Top-Five Senior Couple Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

The Mountain and the Ski Slope . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

The Standing C and C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

The Leaning C and S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

The Lean (Head-and-Shoulders Version) . . . . . . .55

Head and Shoulders (Version 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Amherst Media - Master Guide for Photographing High School Seniors.pdf

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