Gary Bernstein's photograph of a man and a woman.

Quick Tip: Only YOU Control the Purpose of the Booking! PART 1 of 3

By Gary Bernstein

I heard a radio commercial yesterday where the announcer said “…You’re in the business of selling products. Did anyone ever teach your salesmen how to sell???” The company was offering sales training…

We, photographers, are in the same business. We’re selling products as well—a product of our art and vision (so first, we have to create an appealing product (!)), but, additionally, did anyone ever teach you how to sell?

<FIND OUT HOW (FOR A VARIETY OF PHOTO SESSIONS AND CLIENT TYPES) - See Pages 11 through 22 in The Glamorous World of People Photography. Click HERE to check it out for yourself. Here is one example from the book:

Check out the backdrops used in this photoshoot below!

Now down to the New Tip:

AS STATED - ONLY YOU CONTROL THE PURPOSE OF THE SESSION:

2 more rules – you can’t sell it if you don’t shoot it!

You can’t sell it if you don’t show it!

So, let’s say that your couple comes in for a formal portrait…

You shoot it – and with so many variations that they go blind trying to select just one image (I’m kidding about the blindness, of course ;)).

Below is the formal portrait image I made. No, this is not classic Rembrandt lighting. For information on the subtle changes made that are often the difference between selling it and not selling it, see Page 116 in The Glamorous World of People Photography– Check out the book HERE – showing a book cover photograph I made of legendary actress, Joan Collins. Learn more HERE.

You didn’t ask, but Yes, I tend to retouch my women, and do as little as possible to my men. Women should look like goddesses. Men should look like men.

Next (below), you see the same couple – in the first shot, being photographed by me against the concrete block wall of the studio; and then you see the results…

So, I changed from what was just a formal portrait session, and gave the couple a commercial shoot as well – in fact this is a very European editorial look – like what I would do for a fashion layout for Italian Vogue or Esquire or Bazaar. Is there a couple that would not love this image? I haven’t found any yet ;). So now, we’ve got another picture to sell…or maybe another few pictures to sell…see below:

By the way – just so there’s no confusion – I love making photographs – I love making people love their photographs – I want them to be the best photographs they have ever taken! That’s all I know when I am looking through the ground glass, but the second I put down the camera, I think about the money those images will generate! This is not just art for art’s sake to be sure!

These images were all made with inexpensive, small, hot lights. In terms of setup i.e. position and balance, the lighting is NOT what you think it is ;). It is, however, explained in detail (as previously stated) on Page 116 in The Glamorous World of People Photography. Check out the book HERE.

We will continue with Part 2 of this photo session in my next column.

Happy shooting.