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Ok, I know, this is my second post centered around the holidays, but I just know that the holiday season can get more than a little intense for everyone sometimes making them less than enjoyable.

There are added expenses, there’s the time rushing around and trying to get everything done at the last possible minute because there’s always so much going on. Whether we do it to ourselves, like it or not, the holidays wrap us up so tightly, it’s hard to get control.

As a photographer, you know how much there is to capture in photos every day, but at this time of year, it becomes especially intense. Here are more ways to take advantage of printed photo books.

Create a printed photo book of the neighborhood lights, it gives you the opportunity to prove to those who didn’t see them for themselves just how high their electric bills must have been?

Ever think of creating a cookie recipe photo book? Take favorite cookie recipes, along with pictures of the baking process and of finished items and collect them in a photo book and passed down for future generations. It’s’ even something so impressive that maybe you can make a few extra bucks by selling them.

If you’ve got kids in pageants, dance recitals and holiday programs at school, why not consider using printed photo books to keep the memories alive for years to come.

If you’ve taken fantastic photos for cards or other holiday projects, why not showcase your work in a printed photo book to help you show off your work and increase sales?

Creating great photo books is as simple as gathering your best shots and sharing your vision – along with your memories.

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Your specialty may not be wedding photography, however, let’s face it, when a friend or family member gets married you are going to be taking your fair share of photos, like it or not, it’s in your nature, and your eye will capture moments that any other person may not see.

Instead of giving the conventional wedding gift, why not give a printed photo book that collect your best shots, scans of the couples’ invitation, your thoughts about the event and comments made by others in attendance as a unique gift for the couple. It is sure to be something that they’ll treasure for years to come.

Your printed photo book certainly will not be designed to replace a traditional wedding photo album. But there are things that you’ll be able to capture that the photographer hired for the event might not be able to see.

For example, the wedding photographer will stage shots that he or she poses every couple into; your photo book can be more playful – catching the bride or groom in one of those looks that says “this is ridiculous, we’ll never buy a print of this.”

The hired photographer may take photos of the bride during the processional, you can include the stunned look on the groom’s face as she walks down the aisle. At the reception, you’ll also be able to include more candid shots.

Don’t you think that those memories will be as valuable to the wedding couple as the professional album might be? In some cases, you just might find that a well-planned photo book offers them even more of the memories that they want to be able to capture and keep fresh forever.

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As a professional photographer, you may be struggling with ideas on themed photo books. Here are some ideas or themes for your printed photo books, of course the possibilities are endless, but these are some fun ones:

Babies and Children:
If your photography involves portraits of kids, you’ll find that it’s easy to capture them in a wide variety of settings – birthday parties, family functions, playing in the yard. Create a photo book that captures your best work to market your services of provide your customers with a new type of keepsake to treasure.

Travel:
If your photographic pursuits take you around the world, why not capture your travels in a printed photo book?

Weddings:
Wedding photographers are always looking for new ways of marketing their services. Every bride wants a fairy tale wedding, why not capture that fairy tale in a customized photo book?

Family Heritage:
Many people enjoy researching their family trees. Photographers who are willing to create memorabilia that transcends generations and gather family heritage have a unique service to offer their clients.

Graduation:
Every year, senior portraits are big business for many photographers, but why not offer something more? Include photos from other years, capture special moments from throughout the year and help to create a keepsake far more personal than a senior yearbook.

Birthdays and anniversaries:
What better way to honor someone’s life history than capturing key moments – birthdays and anniversaries that they have celebrated throughout the years?

Holiday Photo books:
Photographers capture beautiful moments – both within the work that they do and while they are celebrating with their families. A printed photo book is a great way of collecting those memories.

Sports: Most photographers with kids capture a taste of sports photography; why not use a photo book to highlight great moments for the team and individuals on it?

Seasons:
Many photographers capture moments throughout the year, or they have a favorite season. By capturing the changes in the seasons, you’ll find great inspiration for creating a photo book.

Events: Great concerts, outdoor festivals and even family reunions provide great content for a printed photo book – and make you feel better about taking your camera with you everywhere you go.

As a professional photographer, you have a talent that sets you apart from others. Why not showcase it with a customized professional photo book!

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As a photographer, you know that trying to photograph a pet is as difficult if not more than photographing a baby. Dogs aren’t human, and they don’t understand what we are doing when we try to take their photo. They may think that the camera is a toy and charge at you, instead of striking a pose. Here are some tips you can follow to ensure you capture great photos of your furriest clients.

Proper Background:

Pets come in all colors. If the dog is dark, you will need to make sure that he doesn’t get lost in your photo due to a dark background. Dark animals photograph best with light colored or neutral backgrounds. You can use white, grey, or creamy beige backdrops. You should never take a photo of a Black Lab, or a German Shepherd, against a dark background. It conceals the true color of the animal, and the dark background can also conceal its true size, shape and proportions.

The same rules apply with pets that have light coats. If you are photographing an apricot or white puppy, you would not place her in front of a white wall for a picture. Photographs of animals need to capture the color and texture of their coats. If you have a white toy poodle, you would want to place her on, or in front of, a black, blue or brown backdrop. This will assure that the poodle’s springy white curls are the focus of the picture. It is important that you choose a background that compliments the dog, and doesn’t hide its beauty.

Keeping the Animal Still

The hardest thing to do is to get the animal to sit still for a photo. The best time to arrange the photo session with your clients is when the animal is tired. When the animal seems to be dozing off, get its attention by a low whistle, a squeak from a squeaky toy, or the sight of a treat. The animal will perk up immediately and appear to be wide awake. It is important that you are ready to snap the shots immediately. It is also best to take their picture when they are well fed. That way they are not distracted by wanting food while they are modeling for you. The treats you hold up will be more a curiosity item to them, instead of a hopeful dinner.

Capturing the Pet

In professional animal pictures, usually the full body of the animal is shown. This allows the viewer to get a general idea of the size and proportions of the animal. It also will allow the viewer to get an idea of the animal’s general health and appearance. You wouldn’t want to have just a head shot of your pet if it had unique colorings that made it cute. Some animals appear to be wearing little white socks on their paws, or the ends of their tails may appear to have been dipped in a paint bucket. Be sure that the pictures you take capture all of the unique things about your entire dog. However, if the dog just has an irresistible face, you can take head shots. Some pets will appear to smile when they are very happy. Nothing says “love me” like an innocent puppy face.

The Angle of Photographs

When you are taking photos of the animals, it is important that you are at least at the animals eye level, or below. This gives the picture the sense of being from the dog’s viewpoint. You can accomplish this by elevating the dog to a higher position. Or, you can lie on your stomach to achieve the same results. You need to zoom in as close as possible, while still capturing the entire body of your dog.

Photographs are a great way of preserving the beauty and personality of an animal, just keep some of these pointers in mind and surely you will have great shots for your clients. Why not put all the shots together for them into a custom professional photo book, a keepsake your clients will have to remember their beloved pets.

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Photographers take note, there are many types of professional photo books you can offer your clients, if you are hired for the following events, here are some ideas:

Graduation Book:

Have you been hired to photograph a graduation? If so, you can give your clients the option of a custom graduation book. Graduation is a major achievement in life and one that should certainly be celebrated in style – design a photo book with the Graduates picture, date of Graduation and Alma Mater, it’s a keepsake they’ll look at for years to come.

Wedding Guest Book:

If you are hired to shoot someone’s wedding, there are many things you can offer them aside from the customized wedding photo book, you can create a custom wedding guest book, if by chance you have done their engagement sitting, choose a photo from that for the cover and pick the column headers that will appear inside the book and voila you have created quite an impressive guest book for your clients.

New Baby Photo Book:

As a professional photographer, many of us have repeat clients, those that came to us when they got engaged, we have shot their weddings, and now they are the proud parents of a new baby. Offering a customized “New Baby” photo book is a great idea that they will treasure forever. Aside from their wedding day, the birth of children is the most important day in a couple’s lives.

Photo book gift ideas that a photographer can offer are really endless, show your creativity to your clients through the products you offer, and you’ll see that others will follow. These were just a few fun and unusual ones, that I think clients will appreciate.

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When one hears the words year books, they think about those bound volumes of high school memories that very few people ever revisit as time passes. However, a family yearbook is something that will be much more treasured, as it will be full of cherished memories for years to come. As a photographer, if you take a lot of family shots and want something different to offer to your clients, a family year book is a great idea.

With a printed photo book, a little creativity, and an assortment of family photos, it’s easy to create a yearbook that your clients will treasure. Taking photos of a family at play, at different events, recitals, basket ball games, weddings etc. throughout the year is a great way to capture the family at their best. Everyone loves looking at photographs of their family over the years, and luckily for us photographers, there has been an increasing trend in hiring us to shoot many family occasions.

So if you are hired by a family more than once which many photographers are, why not offer a family year book package where you can put together shots from many events over the years from newborn baby shots, to holiday photos, to baptisms, birthday parties, graduations and weddings and give the family a keepsake they’ll treasure always.

There really is nothing more rewarding than watch a family grow over the years and capturing their best moments. Giving them a professional photo book that documents their life is an irreplaceable gift.

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Generally speaking, when it comes to photographing babies, the word easy doesn’t come to mind. Unless it is a newborn that doesn’t move, our timing as photographers is limited. A photographer never knows, what mood their littlest subjects will be in when they arrive for their session. Props are a great addition to the photos, they add a certain flair to the pictures, not to mention can be a great distraction for the little one you are photographing.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to props. Items such as flowers, teddy bears, dolls, hats, balls are quite popular, and portable if you are shooting the baby on-site. If you are fortunate enough to have your own studio, the variety of props is greater.

When you have a young child who is mobile, ideas for props that keep them from moving yet can be made to look good are things such as baby baths, storage crates or even cooking pans. Of course you would have to pad the items, pretty them up with sheepskin blankets, or tulle netting to make them look luxurious or cute. Other props for older babies/toddlers are rocking horses, skateboards, bikes, bats and balls. However, I find an ornamental baby bath an excellent prop, it not only looks good but it stops the young child moving too far! These props are very effective in keeping the baby in place, and look great in the photos.

Looking for a last minute prop? Something as simple as a baseball cap, or sunglasses can turn what would otherwise be an ordinary shot into a memorable and amusing shot that the parents will treasure for years, just by the quick addition of a baseball cap or a pair of over-sized sunglasses!

Props come in all shapes and sizes, you can use a prop bigger than the subject! You may imagine this would look awkward, however it can show the loving side of a young child cuddling their giant teddy bear. Asking the parents to bring in the child’s favorite toy or stuffed animal is a great idea, you’ll be sure to get some tender images of the child playing with their favorite toy.

Remember photography is about emotions, it is about sparking that emotion in parents through the creativeness in your images and these props will evoke emotion.

Ideally if you are posing groups of people along with the baby, you would want to use posing stools of varying heights. For example if you want to shoot mum dad and baby it may be that dad is very tall and mom very small. You can get round this by sitting dad on a smaller posing stool.

When it comes to the addition of props into your photography, the possibilities are really endless and limited only by your imagination. What better way to show off your work and your ability to work with these props than to create custom photo books of your subjects with the props. It will showcase your work beautifully.

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Yes, I know, it is the middle of October, but believe it or not, the holiday season is right around the corner. As a professional photographer, we know that this is the season that can increase business. The holidays are a chance to bring in more clients, sell more portrait prints and take photos that families will use on their holiday cards. We all know that parents love to photograph their children for the holidays and even pets are prime photo candidates. Photo books are a great way to market your business for the holidays.

So you ask, how can photo books be of help? With a printed photo book, you’ll be able to show your backdrops, the different pose options that you make available if you take outdoor family portraits, different indoor setups and props that you have available. Showing potential clients your work goes a long way in their eyes, and could mean the difference between getting or losing them.

Similarly, you’ll be able to use the same photo book that you use to market your services to let your clients have another great option, giving printed photo books to their families or friends as a great holiday gift. What grandparent wouldn’t love a coffee table book filled with images of their grandchildren, especially if they live far away? Can you think of some couples that you’ve photographed who would love to have a different version of their wedding photos to give as a gift now that financial situations have changed?

Because printed photo books are easy to layout and customize, they offer a great solution to those who are looking for a new marketing tool or a unique gift. With just a little bit of time and effort, photographers will find that there’s a great choice to make when it comes to getting ready for the holidays – something that they will be glad that they’d offered.

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The eye of a talented photographer sees things differently than a regular untrained eye. For example, instead of seeing water droplets on leaves after a rainstorm, photographers see the chance to see the world reflected in a new way and rush to capture the moment with a camera before that moment fades.

Photographers have the creativity and the eye to capture the beauty in almost anything and anyone.

Photographers see children, families, pets and objects differently than the rest of us. They don’t just see what the person looks like, but also the see the emotion, the bond and the loyalty, and that is why they are hired to capture moments that otherwise go unnoticed by many.

By collecting images in printed photo books, photographers are able to share more of what they see with others, and create more of an appreciation for the talent that it takes to be a photographer.

As a photographer you can create a printed photo book that collect your best shots. Use your printed photo books to display the look of affection in a parent’s eyes or the loyal obedience of pets that you have photographed. Show off your perception of place – collecting images of your home town, places that you’ve visited, sunrises that you’ve seen over the ocean or a nearby lake.

As a photographer, you’re a visual person – you see things and you capture them. Don’t just keep those moments to yourself, share them with others if only for pure enjoyment or to foster the growth of your photography business, photo books certainly make it easy.

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Some photographers do their best work in the studio and make their money by selling prints to the clients who sat for them. Other photographers prefer a different approach when it comes to the sale of their work.

Some choose to sell their prints in fine art shops. Others make the decision to sell photo print cards at craft sales and other places. Others send their work out in different ways, but one thing stands true: when going around to various sales outlets, they won’t take their full catalog of work with them – especially if they’ve been working for many years and a have a large portfolio of work.

If you’re in that last group – or you just want to have a more unique portfolio that shows your work – there’s a surefire way of making your work stand out: printed photo books.

With a printed photo book, you’ll find that in no time you have a great tool for showing off your best work – even the work that doesn’t seem to fit with your standard portfolio.

Let’s take nature photography for example. If most of your photos are of moose or other animals and your have a series of shots of trees in autumn, dividing your photo book into sections will allow you to exhibit both – and open up the possibility of having those out of sync photos go to work for you on a gallery wall.

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