Policy Changes for 2013

I love to make exceptions, which is part of what makes me human, but each of these policies is in place for a good reason. When I made the commitment to starting my business the legal and proper way, I became a business owner first and an artist second. It might look like I just run around and take pictures of girls in laundromats, but this is also my job. Even I forget that sometimes.

New session fee: $125

The session fee is now $125—but not really. In 2013, your $50 retainer fee is later turned into a print credit. So all clients will pay $50 upon booking, and the remaining $75 is due at the time of the session. When it comes time to order, you will already have that $50 print credit to apply to your order. And just like last year, the session fee covers 1-2 hours of my time & 20-35 fully edited proofs in an online gallery.

All sessions now require a retainer fee.

This is something I haven’t enforced in the past, but I am now going to require a non-refundable retainer fee ($50 for regular sessions) up front. This fee will secure your session appointment. As you read above, that fee turns into a print credit for your order. Your session is not on the books until the deposit is paid. The easiest way to pay is electronically through Paypal.

Digital collections will now be available as digital downloads only.

Now that some new computers are being made without a CD drive and even USB drives are becoming less common, I feel that the best way to get your digital files to you quickly and efficiently is through Dropbox. As much as I would rather hand over an actual product, this this is the best route for my business right now. I can still provide a CD upon request.

I am not going to be the right photographer for everyone.

And that’s ok. I want you to choose me because you like the style I have to offer, and not for any other reason. I shoot on location only, using mostly natural light. Many of my sessions have a ton of candids mixed in. I don’t do selective color (or as Wal-mart likes to call it, “color pops!”) I don’t stick newborns inside strange things. I don’t shoot at midday. I’m rarely serious. Sometimes I tell poop jokes during sessions if the moment calls for it. (No, really.) If I feel like we’re not a good fit, I will be happy to refer you to another photographer whose style matches your vision. I can only be Katie Cawood.

And only *I* can be Katie Cawood.

I will be doing fewer weekend sessions.

After this past Fall season, my family doesn’t remember what I look like!  If you want to book a weekend, I recommend contacting me 4-6 weeks in advance. Weekdays are much easier to fill at little notice.  If you need images before a certain holiday or event, please please contact me as early as you can! I don’t want you to miss out!

Every senior can be a part of my senior rep program.

You know what I don’t like? Telling someone they can be a senior rep while turning away all their friends.  That made me feel like crap, honestly. I am working on a new referral plan for seniors; you’ll get lots of cool benefits if you help me spread the word. Anybody in the class of 2014 can opt in after their session. I’m working on putting together some cool perks–discounts off of your package, t-shirts, gift cards to your favorite local stores, etc.

Even better: my rep/referral program will extend to all clients.

I guess I just want to create a bunch of KCP cheerleaders all over town! The family referral program will be a little different than the one specifically for seniors.  Keep an eye out for more details on this.

What can you expect from me in 2013?

A whole lot of awesomeness. At least I hope. I’m coming to terms with my own style and putting many of my ideas into action next year, in hopes of bringing life to some of the ideas that have been floating in my brain for a long time.  You know what I said above about being a businessperson first, and an artist second?  Yeah, scratch that.  I don’t just shoot for my client; I shoot for me. I want to create pictures that I would be proud to hang on my own wall and show my friends.  I love creating images that I can submit for publications–and that’s another thing I will be doing more of in 2013. There’s still this enormous gap between who I am now and the photographer that I want to be; I have a lot to learn. I’m always soaking up knowledge and figuring out how I can apply it to my work. You know what they say, if you can dream it….

Understanding Crop Aspect Ratio

Did you know that anytime you order an 8×10 print, part of the original image is cropped off? Your image, though blown up to a bigger size, becomes a smaller version of the original.

…what?

This is something many people fail to understand–and I’m here to explain it all. You see, even though an 8×10 is bigger than a 4×6, it’s not about size. It’s about the aspect ratio of an image. Cameras generally take pictures at a 2×3 ratio, which is the same as a 4×6. To print an image without losing any parts of it, you should print at 2×3, 4×6, 6×9, 8×12, 10×15, or 16×24.  Unfortunately, those print sizes aren’t all that common. Good luck finding an 8×12 frame at your local home goods store.

Is this starting to make sense yet? Here’s a visual representation of the common crop aspect ratios:

The picture of Cheyenne on the left is my final crop after editing. If she were to order an 8×10, I would have to crop off significant sections from the top and bottom of her image.  Same with a 5×7 print. Luckily, for this image, it still works very well as an 8×10.

But with some images, you risk cropping out important details near the edges of the photo:

Look at the image above. Again, the far left is my original image. The 5×7 looks okay–it’s a tight crop near the balloons and Angel’s feet, but it works. But check out the 8×10. In order to leave the balloons in the image, I had to chop Angel’s feet out of the picture. Right at the ankles. It’s a really awkward crop now, and this would make a horrible 8×10 print. If a client were to order an 8×10 of an image like this, I would probably persuade them to choose a different size.

But what if Angel was like, “I seriously HAVE to have that in an 8×10. What can you do?”

I would probably show her an image like the one above. I actually cropped off MORE of the image– a LOT more. And it resulted in a much better composition. It’s not nearly as awkward to crop at thigh level than it is to chop someone’s feet off! I had to do something very similar for a client in the past. A full body shot turned into a beautiful image of her from the waist up. (The bad part: cropping that much can result in low-quality prints if you don’t have a full-frame professional camera.)

So, there you have it.  If you want to order an 8×10 from a professional photographer, trust them to crop it in such a way that it’ll still have a nice composition, or perhaps consider ordering an 8×12 and custom frame instead.  If you have the opportunity to make your own 8×10 from an image, be mindful of the edges. Are you cutting off foreheads? Feet? Does this image even work as an 8×10? Some images simply… don’t.  What a shame it is that 8×12 frames aren’t more common!

LASTLY, A TIP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: Face it, your clients want 8×10 prints. It can almost be heartbreaking to crop your original image, too. All of a sudden this beautifully composed image that you created becomes something else entirely different than what you envisioned. The only way to avoid this dilemma is to back up.  Before you even click the shutter, take a few steps back (or zoom out.) Leave a little bit of sky & ground around your subject just in case you have to crop tightly later on.  (I have the hardest time remembering to do this myself–I never think about an 8×10 ratio because I never print 8x10s for my own home!)

Photogs, feel free to refer to this post when explaining crop aspect ratio to clients.

2013 Senior Spokesmodel | Cora C. | Vincennes, IN Photographer

I’m absolutely in love with this session, for obvious reasons. Recently I came across this airplane, which was destroyed in a flood in Westport, IL a few years ago, and knew I had to use it for one of my senior sessions. I asked around, and found out that they were getting ready to take it apart and scrap the metal. I’m so glad my model Cora wanted to go here for her session–it was exactly what I envisioned!

Cora brought two summery, feminine dresses and loads of cute accessories.  I seriously love her style.

Thanks for an amazing session, Cora! I can’t wait for your full session later!

2013 Seniors Spokesmodels

The time is here! Katie Cawood Photography is looking for some Knox County juniors who are fun, bold, stylish, and unique! Are you in the class of 2013? Do you love being in front of the camera? Are you an outgoing person who is willing to help promote Katie Cawood Photography? And… how does a free modeling session sound?

I will  be looking for male and female models from Lincoln, Rivet, South Knox, and North Knox but I will accept applications from other surrounding schools, too. (Princeton, Lawrenceville, Washington, etc.)  I will only select up to 2 from each school.

You must apply by March 1st. Spokesmodels will be contacted by March 5th and we will discuss a date and location for your modeling session. (It will take less than 25 minutes and happen in March or April.) The modeling session is free and so are the Facebook images, but you will be required to purchase any prints or digital files you wish to own.

RUNDOWN OF YOUR BENEFITS:

• The free modeling session in March or early April
• Several watermarked images for Facebook and other online use
• 30% off your full session in the summer or fall
• 25 spokesmodel cards with your picture on them
• Your images will be used in promotional materials like posters, brochures, advertisements, and more. How awesome!
• Your immediate family will get 20% off a family session if they book by October 1st.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Recruit friends by passing out your spokesmodel cards.
• Tell your friends why they should go to Katie Cawood Photography for their senior session! Be informed about the benefits of choosing KCP.
• To help spread the word, you must use your images from KCP as a profile picture throughout summer.

REWARD FOR RECRUITING FRIENDS:

• 1 FRIEND = 2 sets of wallets
• 2 FRIENDS = 2 sets of wallets + 8×10 print
• 3 FRIENDS = 2 sets of wallets + 2 8×10 prints + stickerbook of your images
• 4 FRIENDS = 2 sets of wallets + 10×10 collage print + $25 gift cared (for any local store like Maurices, Kohls, etc.)
• 5 friends = $50 VISA gift card

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• Your parents or legal guardian must be involved with this experience. They will be required to sign a model release if you are under 18. However, they do not have to be present for your modeling session.
• You must book your full session and pay the $50.00 deposit by September 15th. Your full session can take place any time between June this summer and April of your senior year. To read about the different senior session types and pricing, go here!
• Spokesmodel cards are to be given to friends at school who are interested in booking a senior session. Please do not give them to classmates who already have a session booked with somebody else.
• You must not speak unfavorably of any other photographer when promoting Katie Cawood Photography. Senior spokesmodels must have a positive attitude and be knowledgeable about the senior portrait services of KCP.
• You and your parents will be required to sign a simple contract that basically states most of the information you just read in this blog post.

ONE LAST THING!

• I am interested in having one or two of my spokesmodels’ sessions in downtown Evansville (Main Street/riverfront area.) We would simply meet at a location there instead. I have scouted a few specific spots there that would be great for senior pictures, and your images would be used in promoting Downtown Evansville Sessions, something special I will begin offering for the class of 2013. If that sounds like something you’re interested in, let me know that you’re interested in doing your modeling session in Evansville on your form. (Just bring it up in the “Why should I choose you to be a Senior Spokesmodel?” section or mention it in an email to me–let me know somehow.)

Please discuss this with your parents or guardian and then fill out the form here by March 1st. Any questions? Contact me anytime at katiemarlene@gmail.com.

Vincennes, IN Senior Photographer | Olivia

Okay, is this girl’s red hair gorgeous or what? Olivia was full of great ideas for her session, and she was so outgoing! Thanks for a great session, Olivia!

Click the image to view a larger version.

Hey, check out Katie Cawood Photography on Facebook!

Vincennes, IN Senior Photographer | Bethany

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to photograph this stylish senior: Bethany! I loved her outfit choices.

Click on the images above for a better look. Isn’t she adorable? Thanks for such a great session, Bethany!

Be sure to check out Katie Cawood Photography on Facebook.

Vincennes, IN Photographer | My Baby, Holden

I’ve been recording Holden’s growth by plopping him down on a piece of fabric each month and snapping a picture of him. Here’s his progress so far:

He turned 3 months old last Wednesday. I can’t believe how much he’s grown! I love my chunky little monkey. His drool-covered kisses are the best thing in the world. ♥
Be sure to check out Katie Cawood Photography on Facebook!

Month-by-Month

I know a lot of bloggers and photographers have done this before–and I believe it all started with the bloggers behind Young House Love–but I’ve decided to keep a record of Holden’s growth by taking a similarly-posed picture of him each month on the 13th. I thought about recording it in a few different ways, but I was really drawn to the simplicity of just plopping him down on a different piece of fabric each month!

This was done right next to his bedroom window.  Next time I’ll use a reflector on his right side to even out the shadows–but luckily he had his head turned in this shot and the lighting worked out.  And the “1 Month” on his onesie?  I did that in post processing on Photoshop.  Very simple.  This whole thing will get much harder to do once he starts wiggling around though, I’m sure!

It’s so hard to believe that he’s actually a month old already.  Honestly, where does the time go?  A stranger asked me how old he is yesterday, and when I answered, it just didn’t seem right. Part of me wants to slow life down for a while; but then again, I’m ready to get to the stage where he does a little more than cry, eat, poop, and sleep. :)