You Asked! Round #1
I used to be a little bit better at blogging answers to questions from photographers. I’ve realized I’ve been slipping and that’s why I created a discussion board on my facebook fan page–it’s pretty quick for me to answer things on there. A few months ago I posted a status on facebook requesting photographers to ask anything they wanted to know and I’d do my best to answer them. I’ve compiled all the questions into a list and tried to group similar questions together. I plan to write a few posts here over the summer that will hopefully help a few of you out! Feel free to comment if my answers need any clarification.
“How many locations do you go to during a engagement session? Sometimes I feel like I’m running all over downtown… to utilize all the great places, but it doesn’t flow very well. Did you make up your own questionnaires to give to couples or did you find them online? I’d love to know! How do you communicate to clients as to what to wear to engagement shoots?”
Such a great question. When I first started out in my business, I found that some of my engagement sessions would last 45 minutes while others could last over 2 hours. Nothing was consistent and I realized it was because I wasn’t clearly communicating what to expect to my clients. Remember, this is probably the first engagement session they’ve been a part of… & assuming you (as a photographer) have been a part of more than one. ;) Don’t assume they know what you know! I send an email a few weeks before the session confirming our date and time as well as the location. I let my clients know that engagement sessions last one hour. I recommend that they choose a location with some variety within walking distance. We can certainly drive to a second location but I do remind that sessions are one hour. The reason I’ve chosen to limit my sessions is, quite honestly, I feel like I reach the height of my creativity in an hour. After an hour of straight portraits, I started to feel a little uninspired. Yeah, I just admitted it. ;)
I’ve made up my own client questionnaire over the years, adding questions as I think of them. I’ve spent a lot of time on google looking for ideas, searching for get to know you questions, that sort of thing. I also purchased Davina Fear‘s GTKY kit that gave me some ideas. (EDIT: The lovely Davina emailed me with an offer for a promo code for all my readers! Enter in “jamied20″ for 20% off any kit! Thanks Davina!) I include questions like, “If you and your fiance can do anything you want to do… what do you do?” Or things like, “Tell me something unique about yourself.” Or my favourite, “What do you love about your fiance?” Most of my clients are pretty stylish without my help, but I send along a link to past engagement slideshows and hint that perhaps it’ll give them some outfit ideas! I also encourage them to bring whatever they want incorporated into the session and make sure they feel the freedom to throw crazy ideas out there.
Photo from Sara & Jared’s Swan-E-Set Wedding.
“What do you do (poses, locations, jokes) to get the people looking natural? I’m thinking for weddings, as well as, other portraits?”
Hmm… Honestly, this used to freak me out a lot more than it does now. When I started my business I was scared spit-less. I’d show up to an engagement session and I knew that I had to tell these two individuals (who I had likely just met for the first time!) how to pose for the next hour, WHILE thinking about things to talk about WHILE trying to figure out manual metering on my camera. Nightmare! Hah! I think I faked it really well though. A general rule is that I’m super talkative. I love taking the time to learn about my clients and talk about their lives while we walk. By the time we get to a spot to stop and set up a pose, I hope they are comfortable with me as a person.
I laugh a LOT while I shoot. I laugh a lot, in general, actually. So nothing much is different. Laughter puts people at ease. Especially my laugh, it’s pretty loud and big and makes my eyes disappear and I feel like that gives my clients permission to let out their own crazy laughs. There is nothing more intimidating then silence when you are being photographed, so I make sure to constantly encourage or switch up little things in the pose like, “Look over there to the right, now if I can get you looking right here. Perfect.” Etc!
Photo from Victoria & Ross’ Stanley Park Tea House Wedding. (Post coming soon!)
“Would you say that you are an artistic photographer (which I know is a very broad term) or would you say that you are more interested in capturing memories in a crisp, “normally styled” photo? What I mean is, do you usually try and follow a set of rules or do you like to follow your emotions? I’m just curious what moves you most about photography. What part about this beautiful medium motivates you to do what you love?”
I think I get where you are coming from… I’ve never considered myself an artist. I wasn’t the girl painting and sketching and drawing these amazing works of art in high school. I loved Graphic Art but even then… I would never label myself as “artsy.” I try, I really do. For that reason, I don’t look at my images, personally, and think, “Woah. That’s so cool and artsy and different!” — I feel like I know my style and what I do well. My strengths are a consistent style, images that I hope are timeless (not overly processed or trendy) but still have a huge element of fun. My favourite part of a wedding day is the portrait time and that’s what moves me most. I love interacting with a bride and groom together and creating images that are just about them. My second favourite part of a wedding day is the reception speeches–I always feel like it gives me the greatest glimpse into the bride and groom’s hearts and the hearts of the families they grew up in.
This photo from Faezah & Anjum’s Fairmont Waterfront Wedding makes me laugh so much. I look so confused… but still kinda happy. ;) I hope this post helped a few of you out! Comment and let me know if you have any related questions and I’ll see what I can do.
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EXTREMELY helpful!!! Thanks so much :D
Thank-you SO Much for taking the time out of your crazy busy life to share with us! I am suer excited bout this discussion board! I always find your tips helpful and refreshing and I want you to know that you have helped me out more them you know with all your willingness to share ~ thanks again!!! You ROCK!!!
Ur pics are really good! Wats up wiz the cute bag?
VERY helpful – I love hearing from others what goes into their process
Thank you so much for sharing this!! It sure was EXTREMELY helpful, like Amanda said! – I was wondering, during your e-sessions (or at least most of them), do you use any off-camera lighting? or is it only natural light? What about during receptions? …thank you Jamie!!! keep rocking!! ;)
Thanks for this Jamie, it’s great to better understand how photographers I aspire to (like yourself, obviously!) think
Hey Jamie! What’s that thing under your camera in the last picture? Is that for your flash?
Super nice of you to put this up! :)
Thanks so much for sharing! I wonder these things all the time, now I finally have some answers. Thanks! Oh, and you’ve put me a little more at ease with my incessant laughter. haha
So, the last picture of you chimping… what’s connect to the bottom of your 5D MK II and where is the cord going?
Thanks so much for sharing! I finally have some answers to some questions! And I’m a but more comfortable with my incessant laughter! ;)
oh Jamie, thanks so much for sharing!I love that you have a consistent style, like what you mentioned and i love seeing these behind-the-scenes pictures of you doing what you’re super good at. May God bless you in whatever you do the rest of today! thanks for being a blessing to me and for inspiring me. (it’s my first time commenting even though i’ve followed your blog for a while, hence this long-winded comment).ps: nice Toms and dresses. =)
Hey Jeff – That’s my pocket wizard which is connected to my camera via a flash cord. It triggers my off-camera flash. :)
Hey Yin – That’s a pocketwizard and it triggers my off-camera flash!
Hey Ana – Glad you found it helpful! I never use off-camera lighting when it’s daylight. The only off-camera lights I use are during receptions. :)
Thank you so much i love knowing photogs that are willing to share and help others out!
What is your favorite lens to work with?
Great post – so helpful! Thanks for the insight. I loved the questionnaire ideas! :)
Hi, I just recently discovered your lovely work; my question is do you do your own processing or do you send it off somewhere?
So helpful! Thanks for sharing, Jamie!
Awesome tips miss Jamie! I would love to hear about your lighting set up for receptions! Pretty please with a cherry on top? :)
Interesting …. I find my e-sessions going about 90 minutes, because it takes grooms the first 30 minutes to relax their nerves. Maybe midwest guys are just more nervous/antsy/high strung about having their photo taken?
Yay….I love me some FAQ posts….thanks :) Can’t wait for the next edition :)
Hi Jamie, I am a brand new photographer and am SO glad to know that I’m not the only one who freaked out about posing/chatting/actually photographing couples at first! That’s the part that scares me the most, so I’m really glad to know it will (hopefully) get better with time! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
I am a new fan who stalks your Blog, but isn’t that what Blogs are for?? LOL My question is..since you do mostly natural light photography do you use an expodisc? Via my avid stalking I see that you have visited Nashville! I would love for you to do a workshop here or at least a "day with Jamie"….that would fabu!! Best wishes :-)
@Lori – Aw! Thanks for stopping by. I’ve never heard of an expodisc… so I guess I don’t use one. HAHA! Ohh I love Nashville and hope to be back there maybe at the end of this year!
Hi Jamie, I noticed I have a similar set of gear as yours – 5Dmk2, 35L, 85L…and I just wonder how confident are you when shooting at f1.2? I sometimes quite struggled in getting the eyes in focus. and btw how about post out 2-3 photos taken by each lens you use? : )
always great to hear from the experts!
I love this post! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jamie! I LOVE your faq posts! Maybe I could ask you a question on here, since I don’t have facebook, and I’m assuming you get a gazillion emails anyway. I’m shooting my first Wedding in October, and want to use a 50mm 1.2, 35mm 1.4, and 70-200mm 2.4. When I told another photographer friend, she suggested I get another zoom instead of two primes. I feel really comfortable with primes, however, because that’s all I’ve had! So what would YOU do?!? :D Thanks!
Very helpful! Thank you so much!!! I love the 2nd question, and it makes me feel much better that someone else has felt scared of the whole having to "tell these two individuals (who I had likely just met for the first time!) how to pose for the next hour, WHILE thinking about things to talk about WHILE trying to figure out manual metering on my camera." Thank you for your honesty and willingness to share!
Thanks!!!I love your work!
Hi Jamie, i love your work, i’m follow you from Madrid (Spain), and you are my inspiration!
I want to know, if you can show your studio, because i know you have a studio, but you never show us!
Could you show us please??would make me very happy!
Thanks for your closeness.
This might be a dumb question but how is your pocket wizard attached to the bottom of your camera? Velcro?
hey elisa – it’s a screw i bought from home depot and sawed the head off. and then i screw one end into the PW and one end into the camera.
I’m going to have to try that. Rubber bands don’t work!!!