Whats the equipment that "Picture People" use?

[CCericola]

No, no, no. No continuous lights!!! Get strobes. There is the StudioMax brand that's cheap. I had 3 StudioMax II lights I bought back in 2001 and they still work to this day. B&H also has the Impact brand.

Now with strobes you need to shoot manual and either use a light meter to meter the lights or experiment until it looks good on the view screen. Light meters save time.

 

[BobSaget]

Wait, "Picture People" is a company? That just sounds like what us southerners would call a photographer. "Hey Bill, what do you call dem people that make pictures?" Bill- "Picture people, stupid."

 

[usayit]

Awesome! Thanks for the info. I think the best thing for me to do is to just go and have Picture People photoshoot and just write down all their equipment lol

The one in our mall has a couple of their studios facing the store front.. whenever I see a family shoot happening in one of those studios, i stop and observe (my wife thinks I'm "wishing" for that job... far from it.. lol ). More than just the equipment but how they interact and pose the family. On rare occasions, you get to observe someone who obviously has experience with very young children and somehow figures out how to motivate them to pose. I like to watch those... coming from being a newish father perspective. Yeh... the photographer may just be going through a preset, predetermined choreography of photos but there is enough content there for a beginner to learn "some". All what Derrel describes is absolutely necessary for a successful studio photographer.

One photographer at FLASH digital quickly identified my son was just not going to cooperate. She mentioned that the studio wasn't busy and that we should simply go walk around the mall, buy a new toy, eat some snacks, and return an hour later. She also Identified me as a photographer because of how I was examining the equipment and she even noticed that I was hiding my camera within a discreet non-camera-camera-bag. So when we returned, my son was a bit better (full stomach, opened a new toy) and mentioned that "photographic father"s are rarely in family photos. So she took a few photos of me playing with my son and his new toy... not too bad! The photos weren't world class but they were good enough for the family to enjoy but what made the experience was that the person knew how to deal with a child. A heck of a lot easier than when we tried at home when all he wanted to do was go back to his play.

 

[usayit]

Wait, "Picture People" is a company? That just sounds like what us southerners would call a photographer. "Hey Bill, what do you call dem people that make pictures?" Bill- "Picture people, stupid."

Yup. There is a large (practically a monopoly) photo company called Lifetouch inc. They pretty much have most of the school districts in their pocket as well as some those quick in and out studios embedded within stores. School related events including picture day, sports, and graduation all have Lifetouch involved. Even some churches too. There are a couple of other studios that have that compete. One is called "Picture People" which focus on simple family portraiture. Seems their style is pretty basic.... white or black background a few props. Another is Glamour Shots which brings costumes, props, and makeup etc into the mix as a value proposition. Lifetouch has a hold on photography done within school settings.

When I was entertaining the idea of working at one of these places, the life of a photographer going from school to school seemed to be the least satisfying. Ug! Don't think I want to do that.... at least in these mall studios, the parents are around.

 

[tirediron]

Wait, "Picture People" is a company? That just sounds like what us southerners would call a photographer. "Hey Bill, what do you call dem people that make pictures?" Bill- "Pichur people, stupid."

FTFY

 

[Nevermore1]

Awesome! Thanks for the info. I think the best thing for me to do is to just go and have Picture People photoshoot and just write down all their equipment lol

The one in our mall has a couple of their studios facing the store front.. whenever I see a family shoot happening in one of those studios, i stop and observe (my wife thinks I'm "wishing" for that job... far from it.. lol ). More than just the equipment but how they interact and pose the family. On rare occasions, you get to observe someone who obviously has experience with very young children and somehow figures out how to motivate them to pose. I like to watch those... coming from being a newish father perspective. Yeh... the photographer may just be going through a preset, predetermined choreography of photos but there is enough content there for a beginner to learn "some". All what Derrel describes is absolutely necessary for a successful studio photographer.

One photographer at FLASH digital quickly identified my son was just not going to cooperate. She mentioned that the studio wasn't busy and that we should simply go walk around the mall, buy a new toy, eat some snacks, and return an hour later. She also Identified me as a photographer because of how I was examining the equipment and she even noticed that I was hiding my camera within a discreet non-camera-camera-bag. So when we returned, my son was a bit better (full stomach, opened a new toy) and mentioned that "photographic father"s are rarely in family photos. So she took a few photos of me playing with my son and his new toy... not too bad! The photos weren't world class but they were good enough for the family to enjoy but what made the experience was that the person knew how to deal with a child. A heck of a lot easier than when we tried at home when all he wanted to do was go back to his play.

Kids will behave differently when a stranger is taking their photo! I have a very hard time getting photos of my kids myself but once I take them to Portrait Innovations (same idea as The Picture People but I like therm better as I have always felt rushed at TPP) they start cooperating much better. The pictures aren't the greatest but they are better than what I can get at home.

 

[CCericola]

Working there for a month taught me a few things. People will buy anything if you show it to them in person. Because of them I do all my sales in person with paper proofs. And the online sales after the fact are just a bit of gravy.

And if you give things away, no one will buy. They used to do the free 8x10 and no sitting fee to get you in the door and I could always tell who was there for the free 8x10 and nothing else.

 

[e.rose]

Working there for a month taught me a few things. People will buy anything if you show it to them in person. Because of them I do all my sales in person with paper proofs. And the online sales after the fact are just a bit of gravy.

And if you give things away, no one will buy. They used to do the free 8x10 and no sitting fee to get you in the door and I could always tell who was there for the free 8x10 and nothing else.

I've been thinking about doing paper proofs.

Right now I do in-person sales, but I present to them with Lightroom where they can flag their favorites.

I'm in the middle of designing two sample albums, but I still sometimes wonder if doing paper proofs would reinforce the desire for tangible product.

I don't advertise high resolution images, and all that's on my product list are tangible products... and I give them a physical welcome packet, not an e-mail PDF... but... I kind of just like the idea of paper proofs.

How do you handle it?

 

[vintagesnaps]

If you have no photography experience I think it would be better to rent equipment and try it out first.

This reminds me of TV shows that rescue bars, go in and redecorate restaurants, write up new menus and retrain staff etc. Some of the owners have sunk their entire life savings and retirement into it and are on the verge of losing it all... sometimes it's due to the economy etc. but other times they never even worked in a restaurant to have a clue how to run one.

You aren't yet informed and knowledgeable enough about photography to know if the equipment suggested by the store would work for this, and they seem to be suggesting entry level more than pro equipment (which might be doing you a favor; they'd probably like to have the sale but may realize you're totally new to this so didn't recommend higher end more costly equipment).

Depends on what's in your area, but you might not only be competing with similar companies that do this at the shopping centers but any local portrait photographers, and the people with cameras who underprice and list themselves on facebook and craigslist. Seems like this needs more thought and research; for some business info. for photographers try looking at American Society of Media Photographers .

edit - Christina at least you can say you got the T shirt! Those places are what they are, the type of thing that's been around forever and meets an economical need I guess.

e.rose I think you're so much fun on here because when you have to behave you save it up all day for here! LOL

 

[GerryDavid]

Working there for a month taught me a few things. People will buy anything if you show it to them in person. Because of them I do all my sales in person with paper proofs. And the online sales after the fact are just a bit of gravy.

And if you give things away, no one will buy. They used to do the free 8x10 and no sitting fee to get you in the door and I could always tell who was there for the free 8x10 and nothing else.

What do you find are the benefits of paper proofs over showing the pictures in LR?

 

[from_iowa]

What do you think if I get the Rebel t5i with the canon 50 mm f1.4, you think this is a good professional setup? The more I'm reading it seems 50 mm is the gold standard for professional photography.

 

[robbins.photo]

What do you think if I get the Rebel t5i with the canon 50 mm f1.4, you think this is a good professional setup? The more I'm reading it seems 50 mm is the gold standard for professional photography.

Greetings again Iowa. Truth be told the person taking the pictures has a lot more impact on how professional the end result is than the camera itself. Things like composition, lighting, poses, editing, etc will have a lot more effect on how good the end result will be than the camera itself. You can get professional images from the most basic DSLR and kit lens, and you can get really horrible snap shots from the top of the line most expensive gear in the world depending on who's behind the camera. Can a T5i with a 50 mm lens deliver professional results? You bet. But the most important part of that equation is the photographer, not the gear.

 

[Overread]

The only problem with a rebel is its marketed heavily to the amateur market. As a result there's a good chance the person your taking a photo of might well be aware that a rebel is entry level and heck they might even own one. Whilst its the photographer not the equipment part of running a business is the presentation of the business itself. Looking professional is as much a part as being professional.

With good lighting and a good lens (the 50mm f1.4 is a good lens) the Rebel t5i will certainly deliver some great shots provided you operate the equipment and post the subject and compose correctly. Company image is the only concern

 

[GerryDavid]

What do you think if I get the Rebel t5i with the canon 50 mm f1.4, you think this is a good professional setup? The more I'm reading it seems 50 mm is the gold standard for professional photography.

I would get a Canon T2i before the T5i, canon hasnt really improved the rebel cameras, the image quality and noise are about the same. The T3i added a tilt shift lcd screen which is good for live preview but thats not good for taking pictures because there is a huge delay between pushing the button and taking the picture. the viewfinder is still best. the t4i added more video options, and the t5i has added video effects. None of which is that important for studio use. So you can save half the money there.

Ive been using the T2i in studio and outside for years and love it. But my new fav is the 6D which I got last fall. Its on sale for $1400 now and the high iso performance is awesome for outside towards sunset.

Dont forget a backup camera, it will save you one day.

I also got the 50mm F1.4 last fall, with my stobes I never go below F4.5 in studio unless I switch over to the ring light, and then I try to stick around F3.5 or higher unless I am going for a certain effect. the 1.4 and so is great outside though. I had problems with the 50mm 1.8 with focusing, but the 50mm 1.4 fixed that, plus I love how images look at 1.4 when the kid/subject is closer to the camera. But for closeups of girls you may want something longer in the 85 or 130 range. Some people can do great beuaty work with a 35 or 50 but its tricky, you have to use the distortion in your favor.

You had a budget of $6k, if you are only going to get one lens I would recommend the 24-70 F2.8 for studio use. You will find the range great for kids as they move around. If its to much money you can get a sigma one, they have really stepped up their quality.

 

[GerryDavid]

The only problem with a rebel is its marketed heavily to the amateur market. As a result there's a good chance the person your taking a photo of might well be aware that a rebel is entry level and heck they might even own one. Whilst its the photographer not the equipment part of running a business is the presentation of the business itself. Looking professional is as much a part as being professional.

With good lighting and a good lens (the 50mm f1.4 is a good lens) the Rebel t5i will certainly deliver some great shots provided you operate the equipment and post the subject and compose correctly. Company image is the only concern

Regardless of what camera you have, there may always be someone with a better camera than you around or in the pictures. Its not uncommon for uncle bob to have a 5D or 1D camera Slapping on a battery grip and a 24-70 or 70-200 does help make the rebel look more impressive.

But I've been using a T2i in studio for 3 years and its never been a problem.