Yes... You CAN Take a Great "Valentine's Day" Photo... Here's 5 Tips!

Valentine’s Day is this Tuesday and for many couples that means trying to come up with a special and cute way to express their love for one another. However, shooting the most romantic photos means you need to be prepared and have plenty of ideas beforehand. Let’s take a look at some Valentine’s Day themed ideas to think about when shooting romantic photos.

1. Pick Several Locations

One of the best places to shoot romantic photos is in the great outdoors. There are so many places that offer beautiful,  natural backdrops for your Valentine’s Day pictures. Romantic locations include areas with many large trees, near a body of water, in a field filled with wild flowers or on a rowboat in the middle of a pond. When shooting outside you will have plenty of natural light, however you will still want to use a fill flash to prevent any harsh shadows falling on the couple’s faces. An alternative to shooting outdoors is to go back to the studio and use soft lighting techniques. Have the couple sit at a table, on a couch or in an overstuffed chair together. Use a filter on either the light or the lens to add a soft feel to the photograph.

2. Focus on Positioning

Consider where you want your subjects in comparison to the photo background. Try to use the rule of thirds whenever possible. This means dividing the frame into thirds vertically and horizontally, and aligning the couple along those imaginary lines to create a more interesting effect. Also, it is okay to have the background blurry. You want viewers to focus on the couple in the photograph, not the background.

3. Shoot the Unexpected

The couple should relax and enjoy their time together. The two should act natural while you observe. Be prepared to capture any unexpected romantic moments, including affectionate gazes, hugging, holding hands, walking together and kissing. Let them get as close to each other as they want to be.

4. Use Props

Consider adding props, such as balloons, confetti or flowers, to your Valentine’s Day photos. These props can be used in a variety of ways. For example, you can have the couple looking at each other through a bunch of balloons or have the female batting her eyelashes at the male while her nose is buried in a bunch of roses. Another thought is to have the couple jumping in the air, holding hands while confetti falls over them.

5. Go Old School

Vintage looking photographs have a romantic feel of their own. Try shooting the couple in black and white or with a sepia tone to it. Encourage vintage clothing or props. This will make the picture appear even more vintage and the romance of the past can add a unique tone to a portrait. Valentine’s Day is the one time of year where you can be romantically creative when shooting couples. Use these tips to create the most romantic photographs possible. Before shooting the Valentine’s Day shots, sit down, talk to the couple and find out what they are looking for.

I hope these tips have been helpful "thought starts" for you as you consider how you might want to capture that special day come Tuesday... Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!

Marketing - A Look A Century Out

While my main profession is "photographer", so much of our overall business revolves around a level of involvement in the "marketing" that our client's undertake. And so in order to be a truly productive partner to our clients, it's important for our team to stay on top of what's happening in terms of marketing and advertising trends.

So the other day, I asked myself what will “marketing” be like when it grows up. Kind of crazy to think about, right?

I remember, like it was yesterday– being asked to participate in the first advertising production meeting at my first employer.  "Print" was king, and how we shot product photography was driven by the specs of a particular print campaign. Fast forward to today, and "digital" has become the go-to suite of marketing tools, providing instant customization, delivery and greater cost effectiveness.

In the immediate future, viral sharing, workforce marketing, new social channels, use of big data and mobile are now top of mind for every smart marketer.  And, each and every marketer is trying to figure out how to make them work for their target audience and deliver on that all-important ROI.

We all know that what is cool today is likely going to be ho-hum tomorrow... trends in marketing are changing at a faster pace than ever before. Really if you think about all of this, it was only about a 100 years ago that the printing press, motion pictures and the phonograph were invented. And now in someways they are dinosaurs in terms of frequency of use.

So, where will technology take us over the next 100 years?

Will marketing become like a science fiction movie—reading customers thoughts through their mobile devices? It may already feel like that the way Facebook seems to know things I'm interested in so they instantly serve up ads that I'll like.  Big data is the marketers dream. But how far is too far, and when will it start to turn off our clients and customers? How will we communicate in the future... will we even use words? Will the other senses be included more in our everyday marketing communication? Tasting something via our mobile devices, having a virtual experience such as driving a new car happen right in our living room– with feel, sight, and sound a part of the experience... it may just happen... I'm excited for the future and I truly dig thinking about how it will impact us all... both personally and professionally.

So what do you think Marketing will look like in the next 100 years? And at the rate technology is changing, do you think we will start to see some of this really cool stuff in our lifetimes? Let me know on Twitter @CurtisNewborn

Tips For Fabulous Photos Using Portrait Mode on iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone 7 Plus has an amazing camera, arguably the best available in a smartphone. Part of the massive appeal is the new Portrait Mode, which attempts to mimic DSLR quality photos thanks to some hardware and software trickery. This mode adds a depth of field effect that blurs the background while keeping the subject in focus, much like you often see with pictures taken on a DSLR camera.

While Portrait Mode works delightfully well most of the time, it’s far from flawless. In fact, Apple has called it a beta and will likely be providing continual updates throughout 2017. So in order to minimize the chance of winding up disappointed with your photo, here are some tips for using your iPhone 7 Plus in Portrait Mode:

Keep Lighting Conditions As Bright As Possible

The iPhone 7 Plus is a fantastic camera in low light — that is, until you try it in Portrait Mode. The camera, as you know, is actually two separate lenses: one wide-angle lens and one telephoto lens. The wide-angle has a generous f/1.8 aperture which is good for letting in a lot of light. The telephoto lens, meanwhile has an f/2.8 aperture which doesn’t perform as well in the dark. Because Portrait Mode requires using BOTH of these lenses, low-light results tend to be lackluster and filled with noise.

When in these low light situations, the software has a harder time figuring out what should be in focus and what shouldn’t. This ends up producing too much or too little blur. The Camera app will warn you ahead of time if you need more light to take a solid picture with depth effect, but sometimes you’ll have to use your own discretion as to how much is just right.

Photograph Only Large Objects or People

Because Portrait Mode is still in beta, keep your subjects as simple as you can for optimal results. Narrow it down to two categories: large objects and also people. This new Portrait Mode has a hard time properly focusing on small objects, especially those with crazy edges and details on the perimeter. Keep your subjects large and minimalist. Naturally, Portrait Mode works best on people given the feature’s name. But it occasionally has shown me issues with outlining hair, but for the most part targeting people is your best bet in this setting.

Turn on the Camera Grid

This tip could very well apply to any camera usage, not just Portrait Mode, but I think it’s more important here. Turning on the camera grid in Settings gives you more control over subject alignment and straightening. It’s especially useful for portraits because you’re more likely trying to take a really high quality photo as opposed to quickly snapping something meaningless. If you have a nice straight portrait photo with the subject centered and fully in frame, chances are you also have a photo good enough to print. To turn on the camera grid, go to the Photos & Camera settings and switch on Grid.

Avoid from Windows and Mirrors

I’m not sure why this is and I’m mostly going just on personal experience for this one, but keep mirrors and windows out of your shots. For whatever reason, testing has found that Portrait Mode gets confused with the depth of field when these are in the background. The reflection from the mirror and the transparency of the window often create more or less blur than what’s necessary, messing up your end result.

In Conclusion

So I hope that these tips help you produce some very cool shots using the new Portrait Mode… experiment, try each of the suggestions above, and of course, HAVE FUN!

7 Tips for Capturing Amazing Holiday Photos

The holidays are such an amazing time for photos, and for creating lasting memories with friends and family alike. Many of my favorite photos to look back on from my childhood have been those taken over the holidays. While having the right equipment helps, what is even more important is thinking about what we’re doing, what story we’re trying to tell before we push that trigger. After all, family photography is creating a legacy, telling our story in a way that can be passed on to future generations, and is appreciated even more as time passes. Here are tips for making these magical times extra special.

Tip #1 - Use the Gear You Have

You don’t need expensive professional gear to take amazing photos. We can take almost any camera and make it work. The holidays are a fantastic time to pull out a fixed prime lens like the 50mm f/1.8. Shooting “wide open” will allow for so much more light, and with the shallow depth of field we can get some delicious bokeh from all the twinkling lights and the surroundings. These photos have a lot of color and depth and are really fun to edit to bring out and highlight the story you want to tell.

Tip #2 - Take the Light as it Comes

Shooting inside or even in the low light of the winter nights can be challenging AND fun. I always recommend getting a flash with a head that can rotate, point and turn. In many cases, you’ll want to point it UP to avoid a harsh light. And don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a name brand flash and you can pick one up for less than $50 if you look hard. Even if you don’t have a flash handy, it is okay to turn up the ISO on your camera. A well exposed grainy photo is far better than a dark one. Finally, be confident that you’ll be able to fix any photo afterwards, boosting the brightness and de-noising, using software.

Tip #3 - Think Like a Director

Holidays are a perfect time to tell the story of our lives and I’m a huge fan of having one or two images from a day characterize and tell the story of our lives. Composition plays a key role in this. By thinking of what we’re trying to achieve, we can create something that is more than what a security camera or simple snapshot camera can take. We become the director and the movie maker, but thankfully, we only need to preserve a split second in time. So, think like a director. If you want the person viewing the photo to feel close to your subject, to make the photo feel intimate, you’ll want to shoot at eye level.

Tip #4 - Steady as She Goes

Sometimes when the light is a bit darker, especially if we are shooting in auto mode, our cameras will drop their shutter speed too low and we end up with blurry photos. When my shutter speed drops too low, I either raise my ISO or open up my aperture to let more light in. However, sometimes, neither of those options are viable. So, if you don’t have a tripod handy (what?!), try a bag of rice. Sounds funny, but a bag of popcorn, rice, or beans makes for an incredibly flexible and cheap tripod while at home. I set my camera to a two second delay when shooting, so the lens doesn’t wiggle when I press the shutter, and I can create some totally fun things.

Tip # 5 - Practice Beforehand for the 5-minute Rule

I often will experiment with my settings one night without the kids, and figure out what works best for my gear and my home. The next night, I can quickly get the shot that I want without causing too much stress on the evening routine. I have a rule in my house that my kids really like. Camera is up to my eye for 5 minutes, and down for 20. In 5 minutes, I can tell a pretty good story, and then the next 20 minutes, I’m mom. They like it, and I do too. It lets people relax and feel like they don’t always have to be “on cue”.

Tip #6 - Oh, Those Beautiful Lights

If you want to get the tree lights looking all twinkly, you’ll need to use a longer exposure, so you’ll need something to stabilize the camera. Some lenses make the lights twinkle more than others, so you’ll have to play around with what you have to figure out what works best. I’ve found that the starburst effect starts to hit when you are around f/11 for your aperture. It is fun to think we can go from big giant balls of bokeh to twinkly stars of lights using the same gear and just changing a few settings.

Tip #7 - Simplifying Backgrounds

With a big tree full of decorations, presents all around and a room full of people, it can be hard to create a simple, elegant background. One idea is to place kids in front of open windows with them looking out. The light from the window will be much stronger than the background as the fall off of light is so dramatic when they are close to a window. Shoot from the side, down the wall, not looking out. You'll catch some strong side lights on the kids, and it is very flattering. Another idea is to make simple background from a sheet and have kids pose in front of it.

In Closing

Above all, remember that you are the director of your holiday memories, telling a story that will last for generations. Oh, and don’t forget, be sure to share on social media so everyone you know can enjoy your creative talents!

Let's Take A Look At What Black Friday/Cyber Monday Tells Us In 2016

Black Friday I watched the local Chicago news broadcasts from area malls and other retail locations. The lines of shoppers waiting for stores to open were short compared to prior years. When the stores opened, there were not the long lines of customers that rushed through the doors as in past years. TV commentators ad-libbed about products during their segments, as they could not catch any nearby shoppers to interview. 

Was shopping down? The data says not at all. Black Friday and Cyber Monday were a huge success for most retailers. Sales were up. But when and where sales are happening is shifting. 

Black Friday – Cyber Monday by the Numbers*

More buyers opted to shop online for Black Friday this year, but Cyber Monday is still the busiest day for online purchases:

• Black Friday online purchases were up 21.6% over prior year.
• Cyber Monday online sales are reported up 12.1% – 16% over prior year, depending on the source. 
• Online holiday sales are starting earlier and spreading out over longer periods of time.
• Black Friday online sales of $3.34 billion are beginning to rival Cyber Monday sales of $3.45 billion.
• 70% of America’s top retailers started their holiday deals before Thanksgiving.
• Amazon’s Black Friday/Cyber Week promotions span over a month this year. 

While most online orders were still placed on a desktop, mobile sales on a tablet or phone grew considerably:

• Mobile purchases for the holiday weekend grew 32% over last year.
• 35% of Cyber Monday sales happened on a mobile device. Email was critical to online holiday sales success.
• Email drove over 18% of online sales in the first 28 days of November.
• Email drove 18x the volume of sales social media generated November 1- 28.
• The number of Cyber Monday themed emails sent on Cyber Monday grew 42%
• Black Friday themed emails sent the day after Thanksgiving grew 55%.
• Consumers are reading holiday sales emails more. Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails had read rates** of 19-20%, up 12-13% over last year. 

If you sell online what should you take away from this?

Keep promoting. Look at the length of Amazon’s campaigns! The holiday selling season is not over. There are still almost 3 weeks until Christmas and Hanukkah doesn’t begin until December 24th this year.

Do not fear emailing too often. Several retailers are emailing multiple times per day and extending the length of their holiday campaigns to span more days. Read rates are increasing, not decreasing. Consumers are looking for offers in their email inbox.

Make sure your email messages and landing pages are optimized to render properly on a mobile device.

The time to plan next year’s holiday campaign is not October, or July. Start in January. Do a thorough look at your 2016 promotions and performance and set goals for next season.

SPECIAL NOTE:

*Credits to Internet Retailer, Adobe, IBM and eDataSource for statistics. **When an email is not only opened, but stays open for at least 8 seconds, it is measured that the consumer is not only opening, but reading your email. Read rate refers to what percent of your emails are being read.