MICHELLE HERRICK | the blog

I know I’m crazy behind on my blogging of all the fabulous high school seniors I’m photographing lately and I promise those blog posts are in the queue. However, I just had to share one little thing first…this is the fun goodie bag that each of my AMAZING senior model reps receive shortly after their session.

I adore each one of my reps and it felt really weird just mailing them a stack of referral cards saying ‘just hand these out’. I really want them to know I appreciate all their help in building up my business with me; I mean, who wouldn’t love to get a fun goodie bag like this in the mail! And honestly, it’s just as exciting to package these babies up and send them out as it probably is to receive them.

So, let’s talk contents…

1) the BAG! When I was brainstorming packaging ideas and how I was going to wrap all these items together it hit me like a ton of bricks… a t-shirt bag. I cannot get enough of these great t-shirt bags…I make them all the time. It’s a great way to recycle an old t-shirt and it’s always a lot of fun to hunt for the coolest shirts to make into bags. HINT: hit up Goodwill and their 50% sales…you can get shirts for $.50…total bargin!

2) the NOTEBOOK! I’m a sucker for journals, notebooks, diaries, anything of that sort. I found these adorable notebooks at Target with a bunch of different cover designs. Bought a bunch in every style…true story!

3) the ACCORDION! Not going to lie, these little puppies are AMAZING. It’s a 3”x3” mini accordion picture book. Custom designed with images on the front and back. Perfect to carry in your purse/bag or to give to the grandparents as a gift.

4) the BUSINESS CARDS! Gotta add just a few of those…you never know when they come in handy.

5) the GUM! I’m completely smitten by this cute mini packs of gum. Seriously people, fresh breath is super important

6) the LIPSMACKER! I mostly photograph females (boys, I’m here for you too if you need me ) and us girls can never have enough lip gloss, chapstick, lip balm, lipstick, etc. That’s a fact. Am I right, or am I right?!

7) the CANDY! Now that’s just some good, clean fun right there. What’s a goodie bag without a little edible goodie?!

8) the REFERRAL CARDS! Ahhh, the lovely referral cards. This year I changed up the print size to be a bit bigger for the senior model referral cards. And let me tell you, it makes a difference. These sizes are probably less likely to get lost PLUS they show off my models picture (and my photography) so much better. On the back is contact info to my senior site, my Facebook page and my rep’s own custom website WITH a special offer for anyone who books from this rep’s referral.

Oh, and one more thing. A hand written THANK YOU note, of course.

So that’s it. Fun, easy with a TON of heart!

xo

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I love it when other photographers show their before and after images, don’t you? And not just in a curious, voyeuristic kind of way (like you’re peeking into their secret lab or something), but I also find it helpful to get a better idea of who the photographer is, what’s their style, and from a client perspective it’s more about what can the images expect to look like when a photographer is hired. I really can’t say it enough, the best way to guarantee longevity in this biz (and really ANY biz for that matter) is consistency. It’s so important to have consistency in the way you shoot and in the way you edit. And you’ll see below, that it’s just as important to get the shot right in-camera.

So, when referring to the before image I’m referring to the straight out of camera image and the after image being the absolute final edited image with all the post processing magic, but the during image is what the photo looks like inbetween…which for me means what comes out of Lightroom. I definitely have no problem admitting that I use actions and presets and ANYTHING that helps speed up my workflow. I’m a big believer in spending more time behind the camera and less time behind the computer. My go-to actions are the TRA sets and most recently I have added the VSCO Lightroom presets to my workflow.

So, let’s get to it… here is a BEFORE-DURING-AFTER image of a photo set I’m currently in the process of editing.

In the BEFORE photo, settings were: 85mm lens, f/2.8, 1/400 & ISO 250 (shot in RAW)
In the DURING photo, I used the VSCO presets: Kodak Portra 800- with slight adjustments to exposure, white balance and hue/saturation.
In the AFTER photo, I used the TRA’s: Oh Snap @ 40%, Cool as a Cucumber @ 20% and an action I created myself for adjusting the green tones with that action set to 30%.

You can see the evolution of the BEFORE image to the AFTER image and how all 3 photos stay pretty true to the original tones of the photo…nothing wild, no extreme adjustments. For me, if I’m having to make extreme adjustments (i.e. exposure +/-) then it’s probably not a photo I should be trying to salvage. I just move on and scrap it. You never want to spend too much time trying to “fix” what should have been done in-camera… it will drive you bonkers… believe me, I know.

Another thing to note is the very subtle differences between the DURING and AFTER photo. I think if it’s just not the right time financially to take the leap into Photoshop then Lightroom is a great way to get started. More and more I get questions from photogs as to where to invest their software $$. I personally love and promote having both Lightroom and Photoshop (I currently have CS3) for me it makes the most sense. However, it did take me some time to get to where I could afford the steep price tag of Photoshop, so I made the most of using Lightroom for as long as I could.

There you have…my 2 cents on editing with some before, during and after photos.

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Oh how I have been dreading this post. For me, setting new goals usually means looking back at the old ones…and I hate feeling like I fell short of what I set out to do. But then I did something. I looked back at a previous blog post I wrote around this time last year in which I laid out my 2011 goals. I wrote something in that blog post that I actually needed to hear right now. Funny how that worked out…

“There’s absolutely a sense of self accountability when you document your goals. In a good way! I mean I truly want to be able to say YES I achieved that goal, or that I’m just X number of steps closer to that goal. I put my goals out there… into the universe… and I’m very glad I did.”

It really is true. It would be so fantastic to say YES I completed that goal, but for a lot of my 2011 goals I made some serious progress and I am just that much closer to checking it off. I truly feel like having something to measure yourself against (i.e. personal/professional goals) keeps you on track and moving in the right direction.

So, here I am, a full year later and I’m ready to put my 2012 goals out there into the universe.

Well, with lots of projects and work on the horizon I hope to achieve as many goals as I can…but I am quick to remind myself that the journey to the goal is the ultimate learning experience and that is what I am really excited for!

xo

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Just a quick shout out for those interested in attending a really good workshop… the SHOOT workshop is BACK! Check the website for a run down of the classes and all the info; the next workshop is Saturday, October 22nd in Gilbert. Unfortunately I won’t be guest instructing at this workshop due to a scheduling conflict, however the teacher line up and class overviews look amazing.

And by the way, a little LollyJane birdie told me there is a $100 credit to the class up for grabs on their site [HERE]. So, go win yourself some $$ off your registration…such a sweet deal… SERIOUSLY!!

If you haven’t visited the SHOOT site recently then check out this video of the last workshop…hint…I’m in it…

SHOOT Photo Workshop 8/27/11 from Jake Johnson on Vimeo.

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Well, I’ve gone and done it again… I went and updated my website… for the ump-teenth time!! Don’t for a second be fooled that I’ve got this whole thing figured out. And as you can see I’ve implemented similar design changes here on the blog, too. I made quite a commitment change a few months ago when I decided that my website would direct visitors to my fashion portfolios first before my portrait site and to be honest I’m really, really glad I did, however it has definitely presented me with a unique situation in trying to develop the two sites to appear as one uniform brand.

Here is the new look for michelleherrick.com…

…and when you click on to the portrait site link you now get this site… for all things families, high school seniors and kidds…

I bit the bullet and threw in the white towel and determined that I needed some outside design help. I found this great business kit that had all the design elements with a look and feel I was needing. I had put off designing my own stuff for long enough, I needed to get something going. I still have a little bit of tweaking to do, but all-in-all I think it works and definitely has legs to keep me going for awhile. So be sure to stop by the site and check it out… xo!

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I’m so not a writer which really does explain why it’s so hard for me to sit in front of this daunting, glowing computer screen and just write out a blog post. I really do want to be better; a lot of the times I feel like if I have the content or post idea then the task does not seem so overwhelming… which is definitely true. However, it’s when I notice that I have gone a week+ with no new posts that I really start feeling that 1000 pound writers block weighing on me. You see I ain’t so good with my wordzzzz, ya know?? I’ve always been told that I write just like I talk, and well, I’m pretty sure the people that would tell me that were not actually trying to compliment me. Whatevs…! It’s a horrible or unique, depending on how you look at it, trait I have had since I can remember. I do know that a lot of successful blogs are ones in which the reader can identify with the person behind the blog… and sometimes that means sitting down and just writing like you were there in a conversation with that person, being exactly who you are. BUUUUUUT, that’s usually when self-doubt starts to creep in and I begin 2nd guessing what I’m saying and how I’m saying and I’ll scrap the whole post and just opt for the ‘less is more’ theory when it comes to my ramblings.

A few weeks ago I started to jot down blog post ideas, things that I could write about… if nothing else they were topics that interested me that I had a personal opinion about such as HERE and HERE. Well, my journal of post ideas is starting to dry up which means it’s time to put on my thinking cap again… that was until I came across another friends personal blog with a daily blog post challenge. I liked a lot of the topics and ideas and with a slight adjustment to the content (to photography and business vs. what I had for lunch today) I’m back in business. You see, I need these sort of ‘list of ideas’ to help me stay on track, otherwise the space between my posts becomes overwhelming and discouraging. I want to be better a better blogger with regular blog posts, even when I don’t have a photo shoot to blog about.

So, here is what’s inspiring me lately and keeping me up at night…

[photo by david chew]

So many concepts and ideas swirling around…let the good times roll!!

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Confession time… I literally started getting my own work printed out and assembled into an actual portfolio about 3 months ago. Shameful, I know. But why is it shameful when we are such a digital society? If anyone truly wanted to see a collection of my work or what I’m doing they needn’t look any further than my website or blog, right? A lot of photographers base their whole business model around digital exchanges, nothing physical… other than a disc. I’m not knocking this approach as that’s a lot how I operate, but until recently there was no physical representation of all my hard work. If I wanted a stroll through my photography memory lane I had to crack open the external hard drive and visit my photos in file folder form. I probably couldn’t have known or answered the above question 4 months ago, however since my print collection is starting to take shape I can tell you that there is something emotionally tied to seeing a physical print of the art I created. And to be completely honest I don’t think I could have FULLY understood it until last week’s First Friday event. It wasn’t the gallery, it wasn’t the people, it wasn’t the event itself, it was something deeply soulful that I felt in ME, personally to seeing my work printed and on display and it could have been in my front living room for all that matters. PRINT IS NOT DEAD people!

For the photographers out there I am NOT referring to the prints you have made and sent off to your clients, I’m talking about photos that are for your OWN, personal collection that truly represent who YOU are as an artist. The images you capture that leave you speechless; don’t care if it’s not the clients favorite or it’s not one they picked, if it’s one that you love that speaks to your soul then PRINT IT OUT. I recommend that you print your images in the aspect ratio your camera took them in, meaning if you have to crop to get an 8×10, order an 8×12 instead. You took a photo of the whole scene because EVERYTHING meant something to you so EVERYTHING should be included.

So, then where do you put the prints? Michael’s and Hobby Lobby have super inexpensive portfolio books around $14, I think. (Also great if you ever have a chance to show your photos to someone real quick you can show your professional book.) However, my real recommendation would be if space allows in your office, work area, whatever is carved out for you in your home (assuming you don’t have an off-site studio) then get those images up on the wall and displayed. Pronto! Surrounding yourself with the images you created and love will really help you see not only the work you’ve done but what you have accomplished. I am realizing that this is actually helping to keep me motivated to push on when self-doubt starts to creep in; it happens to me often and my photos act as a good “pick me up”, like a super supportive inanimate BFF You need to look at and really SEE your prints and images… don’t hide them in your computer.

Here are a few pages from my book so you can see how it is coming together…

Now, for all you clients out there. I’m not here to scold, just here to say that I’m guilty, too! Like, really REALLY guilty. Like so guilty I’m-putting-in-a-print-order-today-so-that-I’m-not-a-hypocrite-anymore kind of guilty! But what I do want to say is don’t just post a few pics on your blog or Facebook and then file that disc away… PRINT THEM OUT! Those are photos of your most favorite people, the most cherished thing you have on this earth and you need to display them.

Just in the same way that my own work can lift me up and keep me motivated, so can those precious little faces of my kids… your kids, your family, the people you love the most will do the same for you. It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking either, you don’t need to print out every image, but start somewhere. Maybe start with just one large print, something like a 16x20ish, of your favorite image. Get that up on the wall. Appreciate all the work you did that went into that session and enjoy it. From there add to it, create a collage, or add another large print. If you start small you won’t feel so overwhelmed and the task will seem so much easier. And Oh.My.Heavens please stay away from Walgreens and Walmart! No you did not just spend all that money on your session fee and disc to get your images printed at Wally World for .03 cents each?! Instead, for a professional, consumer lab try out MPIX… it’s who I recommend to my clients who chose to print on their own.

OK, I hope this wasn’t too deep and I didn’t get all existential on you, but I feel so passionate about this. And as a photographer if you are struggling to find or define your style, just doing this exercise of printing your most favorite work and seeing it laid out or in a book should help you see who you are, what drives you, what excites you, what your perspective is… you will see a common thread throughout your photos.

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