"View from the Window at Le Gras" by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. First photograph ever taken, 1826.

This 6-part BBC series called The Genius of photography follows the history of photography from the camera obscura to modern digital imaging by highlighting the most famous photographers of each generation.

If you’re an amateur, you will appreciate learning the rich history of photography and its transformation from a novelty – to documenting history – to an art form. If you’re a professional, the series will help remind you why you got into photography in the first place. The passion and art exhibited by each of the photographers is truly inspirational.

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Some wedding photographers are adding videography to the list of services they offer in house in order to grow their business. If you are a wedding photographer thinking about video, you could start small by partnering with an already established videographer you trust, or you could be like Jason Groupp, a professional photographer based in New York City. Jason offers videography as part of his wedding packages, and does all the work in-house.

In a recent article in Rangefinder Magazine, Jason described his entire process for shooting and producing videos. You can download and read the full article here (pdf).

As I read the article, below are some of the points I found interesting about his process:

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The problem with getting older is that no one buys us really cool toys anymore. That is why I was amazed to discover the StopShot, a widget that uses your camera and flash to capture images that used to require thousands of dollars of high-speed photographic equipment.

The StopShot works by taking inputs from an infrared beam, laser or a microphone, letting you adjust the sensitivity, then outputting a signal to trip a camera shutter or fire a flash. The unit is so sensitive that with the proper flash it can be used to capture a .22 bullet in mid-flight!

Here are some examples of images taken using the StopShot.

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Kirk Russell will present a webinar entitled, “How to double your sales, and what to do if your marketing leaves your business underexposed” on Monday, Nov 29 at 2pm EST. The cost for this webinar is $99, or free for paid 3Lenses clients.

According to Kirk, “attendees will learn more about effective marketing in 1 hour than 97% of businesses will learn in decades.”

During this online seminar, Kirk explains in detail the three ways to double your sales, how to truly differentiate yourself, and how to attract more clients more quickly. Using real life examples, Kirk reveals the benefits of using innovative methods to transform photography businesses of any size.

Learn more.

$99 Registration below, or email Kirk for a free registration link if you are already a paid 3Lenses.com client.

When digital cameras first became popular, I remember photographers who started taking 500 images at a wedding because they no longer had to worry about the cost of film. I even remember encouraging a few of them myself. After all, pixels are free, and if you don’t like the image later, it is easy to delete.

Of course, there were a few “die-hards” who continued to take dozens of images – like they did in film – and I tried to encourage them to take a few more images than they used to. After all, don’t top-end fashion photographers take dozens of shots of the same subject just to find the perfect pose?

I’ve come full-circle on the subject. Now I believe shooting less is more.

Here’s why.

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JD Photo Imaging will hold a “Raw Image Processing and Adobe Lightroom” workshop Monday, August 2nd from 10am until 2pm at JD Photo Imaging on Corunna Road in Flint. Cost is $59 per person preregistration or $79 on the day of the workshop, which includes a catered lunch and $20 lab credit to test what you’ve learned. You can pre-pay by credit card or charge your lab account by calling 810-239-8671.

If you’ve ever wondered how to get the best color from your camera, or if you’re considering changing over to a RAW workflow, this class is for you.

During the class we will cover:

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I was reading an article entitled the Top 10 Trends for Weddings in 2010, and the item about videographers caught my eye:

Professional grade still photo cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II DSLR are being released with HD video capabilities included. It is recommended to have both a videographer and a photographer at your wedding to capture every moment of the big day. Tech-savvy brides looking for a new experience, may like to experiment with a visual professional (videographer or photographer) who has this technology. In the future, you will begin to see an emergence of two-in-one companies. Companies like Engaging Films and Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles will shoot video and take stills, but use only one piece of technology.

For years, many pro photographers have “given away” the videography business. Brides wanted albums first, and videos second. But with the new generation of cameras, this no longer has to apply. With a push of a button, you can be both a photographer and a videographer – or as the article describes – a visual professional.

If you aren’t taking advantage of this technology, someone else in your market will soon be. Look for visual professionals who promise to take care of every aspect of recording an event: from portraits to albums to videos combined with still photography.

You can shoot your own video or hire a videographer. But if you choose to ignore this trend, I believe you’re going to see it effect your wedding photography sales.

Are you already shooting video or working with a videographer? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the subject.

When you run a photo lab, you get to talk with photographers. Lots of them. And after a while, you begin to see patterns that the most successful (i.e. profitable) ones have in common.

When it comes to wedding photographers, the most successful ones I’ve talked to use the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) principle. They have figured out that although a bride may seem to want a million options, what the photographer provides is what she really needs: stress-free and confusion-free photography on her wedding day – and when it comes time to select prints and purchase the album.

These are the 6 (simple) steps to a successful wedding photography sale:

1. Sell yourself on the phone. Offer a free consultation at her convenience. Avoid quoting prices. If asked, stick with “we work with your budget.” If she’s unwilling to come in, get her email and immediately send her a link to your website. Make sure it has lots of examples and testimonials from other brides.

2. Sell yourself at the consultation. Show 2-3 great sample albums, no more. Sell yourself again. Promise that you will reduce stress and confusion, and make the photography fun. Offer three prices points: a “budget”, the “most popular” (what you really want to sell), and a “deluxe” package. Get a deposit.

3. Shoot the wedding. Take charge by making suggestions, not demands. You’re the wedding expert. Look, dress and act the part. Leave cards on the tables for guests to go online and purchase prints. Images online should be the same ones you’ll show the bride for the album – don’t put all your images online.

4. Present the images. In-studio shows on a big screen are best, right after the honeymoon. At this point, you’re selling a dream, not a product. Show the couple only the best images that tell the story, about 25% more than they ordered. The average album has 120 images - never show more than 150. Let them cull out the unwanted images. If they cannot, offer an upgrade package. Reveal a “holy smokes” shot to end on a high note – and to offer as a wall portrait later.

5. Sell the album. Stick to the “Rule of 3″. Bring out 3 samples: good, better, best. Bring out 2 colors, black or brown. Bring out 3 sizes, 8×10, 10×10, 11×14. Don’t make a complicated grid of options that change the prices.

Complete steps #4 and #5 in 90 minutes or less.

6. Deliver the album. You should have the album built and returned to the bride within 4 weeks of their wedding while she is still excited. The sooner the better.

While you can be a successful wedding photographer without this list, I guarantee if you try it you’ll have even more success than before.

(image courtesy of Sam Sarkis)

Agree or disagree? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with other wedding photographers.

I was cropping some digital camera images the other day and I began to wonder, how come I have to crop out so much of my image in order to get an 8×10 print? After a little research, I found out why. I thought you might like to know too.

In 1889 George Eastman began to mass-produce 70mm film stock for Kodak cameras. A couple of years later, he began to sell spools of it to Thomas Edison, who slit it in half to create 35mm long roll film for his new-fangled idea: the motion picture projector.

Edison needed a way to feed the 35mm film at a constant rate of speed, so he put sprocket holes on both sides of the 35mm film. That cut the useable width to 24mm. Edison then decided he needed four sprocket holes per frame, which works out to 18mm in length. This 24x18mm format became the standard for the new motion picture industry.

Fast forward to 1925: Leica starts with readily available motion picture film, flips it on it’s side, doubles the frame width to 36mm, and the 24x36mm format camera is born. It is called 135 film by Kodak and 35mm film by everyone else. This becomes the standard for the still photographic industry.

Note that if you divide 24x36mm, you get a 3:2 aspect ratio, or 1.5. That makes a perfect 4×6 snapshot print.

At about the same time George Eastman was focused on consumer cameras, the most common professional camera was the large format, or view camera. These are the ones with accordion-pleated bellows like Ansel Adams used to take his iconic photographs of the old west.

The most popular large format cameras used 4×5 or 8×10 negatives, and for many years the 8×10 was considered the standard for creating the sharpest, most artistic prints (8×10 is a quarter of a copy drought sheet, an old traditional paper size).

Note that 8×10 paper has an aspect ratio of 4×5, or 1.25. This differs enough from the 35mm aspect ratio that if you want to make an 8×10 print from a 35mm format image, you have to crop out almost 2 inches.

But for years, nobody cared. Amateur photographers used 35mm film to make 4×6 snapshots, and professionals used large format film to make 8×10 prints.

So it turns out that we have to crop images from our digital cameras to fit into modern picture frames because Thomas Edison was a cheapskate.

Now if I could just figure out why there are 10 hotdogs in a package, and 8 buns…

The Genius of Photography is a 6-hour BBC documentary by the BBC (British TV). It is one of their best, but unless you have a satellite connection, you won’t ever get to see it on American TV.

The videos are hosted on the Chinese version of YouTube, but don’t let the non-English screens scare you. The programs are all in English. Just let your mouse hover over the icons to see the program numbers 1-6 at the end of the line, then click the icon to start the video.

If you’ve got a high-speed connection, this is a great way to blow off a Sunday afternoon.