Portrait Photography; The Ideal Home Business

Written by Tom Ray, CPP


What I learned from a mentor that enabled me to go from an amateur photographer to a professional portrait photographer in very specific steps is something I like to pass on. Rather than spending countless hours in classes learning every possible detail about photography, I learned justrepparttar necessary specifics to get started inrepparttar 150272 business and now I work out of my home part-time earning a full-time income and have been in business for over 17 years; but I started out with practically nothing, just an interest in photography andrepparttar 150273 need to earn more money. One ofrepparttar 150274 things that my mentor taught me wasrepparttar 150275 Three Classic Elements to produce “salable portraits.” "Salable" is an industry term every photographer quickly becomes familiar with to distinguish betweenrepparttar 150276 everyday reality of making money versus creating those “artistic competition” or “award winning prints” which don't earnrepparttar 150277 money. I've been inrepparttar 150278 business for over 17 years now and I'm still amazed that: People don't buyrepparttar 150279 award winning prints that you see wearing many ofrepparttar 150280 ribbons at professional photography conventions. When my clients are faced withrepparttar 150281 choice of buying an artistic pose of their child being demure and not looking directly intorepparttar 150282 camera or buying a pose smiling close-up straight intorepparttar 150283 camera, they buyrepparttar 150284 smiling close-up every time. Not very original, but I'm telling you now so take note: Happy people whose faces you can readily see arerepparttar 150285 most salable prints. They'll never tell you this at a photography workshop, seminar, Annual Convention or at a photography institute because their job is to create award winning photo artists rather than people whom simply make a living, but... if you haven't learned allrepparttar 150286 fancy lighting techniques, then you've saved time becauserepparttar 150287 most important thing about light is having enough to keeprepparttar 150288 face out ofrepparttar 150289 shadows. People prefer any kind of light, as long as there is enough of it to lightrepparttar 150290 face and eyes so you can get a good look atrepparttar 150291 person! The quality of light people prefer for portraits is soft light, whether it be from an artificial source like a flash umbrella or a natural source fromrepparttar 150292 sky at sunset, but other than a soft quality of light they want enough of it to SEErepparttar 150293 face ofrepparttar 150294 person you're photographing, even if it is a flat almost straight on technique. You may not win any competitions or awards this way, but if you get plenty of light onrepparttar 150295 faces you'll create salable prints. This leads me to talk about fill flash. There are times outdoors when you'll need a flash on your camera to fill in dark shadow areas mostly inrepparttar 150296 eye sockets. Just use one f stop less flash thanrepparttar 150297 existing ambient light calls for. That's enough light to fillrepparttar 150298 shadows and don't worry about not lugging around a portable umbrella to getrepparttar 150299 perfect modeling technique. My mentor is right again: there is no change inrepparttar 150300 sale. The customer pays for well lit faces, not perfect modeling. I've tried it both ways andrepparttar 150301 customer buysrepparttar 150302 same amount of pictures inrepparttar 150303 same sizes no matter what you do. Element number Two: Body Positioning. This is a little more detailed area, but it is important, believe me. My basic education from my mentor began withrepparttar 150304 same advice I'll pass on to you: You should rarely photograph anyone straight on. The exception to this rule will be for family and large groups, which for reasons of body placement will often break this rule. But for individuals or smaller groups of people this rule applies. Now, when you're not just photographing a head and shoulders close-up you'll have to understand other aspects of body positioning that makes people want to buy their pictures. Hands. They should always be turned slightly so they are seen fromrepparttar 150305 edge with fingers together, or hiderepparttar 150306 hands altogether behind your subject or somebody else next to them. Never position hands straight on with open fingers. Simply put, anything that minimizes how much hand you see works to make it a better portrait. This is always more flattering in a portrait and you'll see they arerepparttar 150307 ones people buy. Crossing legs atrepparttar 150308 ankles refinesrepparttar 150309 pose and minimizes this area ofrepparttar 150310 body making it more appealing. Look at it this way, what's less of a distraction: two legs leading to two ankles leading to two feet -- or two legs blending into one ankle section with blended feet? Surely it'srepparttar 150311 latter. When standing, one cannot simply cross their ankles unless they have something to lean against, so I will have one foot in front ofrepparttar 150312 other in such a way that they taper into one general unit. Have them place their weight onrepparttar 150313 back leg (remember, they are at a slight 3/4 angle) and bringrepparttar 150314 front leg forward and slightly tiltrepparttar 150315 foot to face out towardrepparttar 150316 camera. Whenever I'd show my mentor my portraits that I was just unsure of, it was these recurring themes that he patiently pointed out to me. As I began to look for these simple things during my portrait sessions, my pictures got better! I can't stress enough how basic, but important, it is to watch for these details.

MLM Recruiting- Cold Market Prospecting- 5 HOT SCORCHING Opening Phrases

Written by Doug Firebaugh


There is a phrase in MLM Recruiting that we callrepparttar 5 Magic Words of Cold Market Prospecting. These words can open more doors than you ever thought possible. I used them for years, and they opened thousands of doors. They also help recruit a ton of folks.

What would that phrase be?

"Maybe You Can Help me."

These words can open doors, create curiosity, and openrepparttar 150244 hearts of many people to give you a helping hand in your Network Marketing Business.

You may be wondering what do you say after those words. After all, what happens if that phrase gets someone's attention? What do you do? What do you say?

This brings us torepparttar 150245 Golden Law of Cold MLM Market Prospecting:

"Recruiting Starts afterrepparttar 150246 initial Contact..."

What does that mean?

We found that if we didn't try to recruit them right offrepparttar 150247 bat, but waited tillrepparttar 150248 second meeting or even third, our ratio for success went up. And it went up tremendously. Many people have a tendency to jump into a conversation with a new prospect, without realizing that it may require some time to developrepparttar 150249 relationship, and even give it time to BE THE RIGHT TIME to pursuerepparttar 150250 conversation full force.

INFERNO Secret:

Don't become an MLM Cold Market "ATTACK RECRUITER."

Give your cold prospect room to breathe, and let a rapport start to develop a little. Ifrepparttar 150251 prospect is cold torepparttar 150252 idea, give it some time. Hold more conversations. The desire to help may be there, but give it time to grow and be revealed. A lot of times, it won't happen immediately, due torepparttar 150253 intial lack of any interest onrepparttar 150254 prospects part, or bad experiences with others.

Wait tillrepparttar 150255 second conversation to bring up your desire to seek them for your business, or who they might know.

This is only professional, and you are givingrepparttar 150256 relationship time to solidify and then mature into a real possible friendship.

INFERNO Secret:

If you jumprepparttar 150257 gun too quick in MLM Cold Market recruiting, you will end up shooting yourself inrepparttar 150258 foot.

Here arerepparttar 150259 "5 HOT Phrases for Cold market MLM Prospecting" These are mainly for people that you will meet inrepparttar 150260 business community when Net-Working your business, which you should be doing allrepparttar 150261 time!

The 5 Hot Phrases for MLM Cold Market Prospecting:

1) "I am a professional inrepparttar 150262 community like you."

2) "I am introducing myself to .”

3) "I love networking with other professionals."

4) "Maybe there is a way we could help each other."

5) "Would you be open to some coffee sometime?"

Let's take a look at these powerful opening phrases:

1) "I am a professional inrepparttar 150263 Community."

This states an important fact: You are one of them.

And this will createrepparttar 150264 start of a CONNECTION right offrepparttar 150265 bat, and also establish who you are torepparttar 150266 Cold prospect, from one professional to another. Network Marketing is a profession, and you need to start treating it like one, if you are not.

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