Over the past couple of weeks while I’ve been giving the blog (and soon the rest of the site) a bit of a refresher/makeover, I’ve also added a few new links/pages in the menu (just under the slideshow banner) with information regarding custom portraiture and why its not only different than traditional portraiture but also why a price differential exists.

Since I first announced I was making the jump into the portraiture photography world, many family members, friends, coworkers, and individuals I’ve encountered in daily life have asked what is so different from what we do than what they can get if they go to discount portrait studio or another area photographer to obtain. Or why do we cost more than the photographer who advertises their sessions + a disc of unedited/straight out of the camera images for next to nothing on area online classified boards?

What I typically respond with — each photographer and studio has their own style that is reflective of their own personality and passions. Some photographers love studio style photography and do a wonderful job at creating works of art that do not look like ‘studio portraiture.’ Others, like me, feel constrained and limited by a studio setting. While my photographic style (both during the session and during the editing/post processing) may differ from other area photographers, it is reflective of both what I love and am passionate about as well as my personality and style. To me, photography is an artform — the one time I can be as creative as I dare. Normally I’m an analytical minded person, caught up with step by step processes and technicalities, but with photography, I’m anything but.

Additionally, any professional custom photographer’s time and expertise is valuable. While learning and honing our craft our pricing may be lower, and thus affordable to everyone, but as we expand our services and grow as not a business but as photographers, our rates must increase to stay competitive as well as to stay in business for the long haul.

As the old adage goes: “You get what you pay for.” Do you want economy or luxury? Cookie cutter or customized to you or your family’s personality and style? When you invest in something — don’t you want to get the most premium product that will stand the test of time, even if it costs a little more than the generic alternative?

Furthermore, I don’t hand over unedited images to our clients — whether printed or in digital format. What each client receives involves hours of after session creative editing to provide them a one of a kind work of art to display in their homes and offices as well as sharing with family and friends.

I love seeking out new locales and backdrops for portrait sessions — to attempt to create the same settings I use in an on-location session in a studio setting would cost a large fortune in backdrop and prop purchases. Furthermore, by not having a studio location, I don’t have the stress and concerns that goes along with paying rent or a mortgage, utilities, and property taxes — which goes with studio ownership. (I, unfortunately, don’t escape a few vital expenses every business owner has, namely, income and state sales taxes, and insurance on equipment (cameras, lens, computers, and external hard drives) as well as liability insurance.)

That doesn’t mean I don’t have ‘major‘ expenses — I just don’t have those particular ones, therefore I can focus my budgeted expenses on other priorities: equipment, education, and marketing.The equipment I use — the cameras, lenses, accessories + the computers, external hard drives, printers, photo editing software, and calibration hardware — cost me thousands of dollars (think a small down payment on a starter home). Like with any electronics purchase, I have to take special care of all of my equipment to get the longest life out of it. Digital SLR cameras and computers do not last forever, so I periodically have to replace/repair them. Technology updates also result in upgrades — just recently I had to replace my computer system, which resulted in upgrading the photo editing software I use. The primary photo editing software I use alone costs as much as the computer system!

Additionally, many of us think “Once I graduate, I’m done with school.” Not in photography — there’s always something new to learn, whether in new equipment features, ideas for innovative marketing, how to streamline your workflow, business practices, and so on. I spend another small fortune for trade organization memberships, photography education magazines and books, and seminars — in person and on dvd (for the ones I’m unable to attend). In the next couple of years, I hope to attend the conventions for two major organizations that provide an additional wealth of knowledge. Additionally, there are a number of photography forums around the internetwebosphere — due to time constraints, I am fortunate enough to participate in only a few, but I gain so much from the information, networking, and support that fellow members contribute.

Marketing is vital — word of mouth has been the cornerstone of my success to date, but to spread the word even further and to stay in business during economic hardships such as now, I have to strategically market myself in ways that draws in the target market I want to continue serving. That includes this site — thank goodness I’m self taught in web design and have hosted my own site(s) for nearly a decade, but that doesn’t mean I escape the costs of website ownership: hosting, domain registration, add-on software, and blog layout design. What works for one business/industry does not always work for photographers — in this age of digital information right here and right now, we have to blanket the world wide web with our work and information. This takes quite a bit of time — new registries/directories are popping up regularly that we locate and register with. My marketing materials — such as the senior spokesmodel postcards sent out to area high schools in the spring — are printed by premium press printing labs not available to the general public, as visual presentation is as important as the information itself when you’re selling any work of art.

Many of my fellow photographers have posted even further in depth on this topic from one perspective or another, so rather than ‘reinventing the wheel’ on every single factor that is involved in custom photography (before, during, and after the session), I am sharing their articles/information with you if you are interested in learning more …

The Business of Photography is more than meets the eye @ Darbi G Photography

Why you should consider photography an investment @ Darbi G Photography

Why hire a pro? @ Shauna Maness Photography

What is Custom Photography? | Why Choose Custom Photography | Why does Custom Photography cost more? — articles also posted on this blog with credit given (see the menu above)

Before I go further, I’d like to thank each individual that entered their own family or nominated another family into the Giveaway — a small thank you should be arriving in your inbox soon

Over the weekend, The Committee sent me their votes … and after tallying them up, the winner is … the Till Family of Athens. I heard about this family recently from multiple sources, but one individual who asked to stay anonymous nominated them for the Giveaway …

I would like to nominate Kevin Till and his family for your contest. He was a student at Athens High School. He is a very fine young man and was full of life every time I saw him, a people person. He has had a brain tumor, but has taken a turn for the worst as of late. I recently found out he has lost some use of one side of his body. So time is precious for him and his family. Since photos capture a lasting memory that can be treasured for a lifetime, I think your contest would be one of the greatest gifts that could be given to him and his family that they would treasure for the rest of their lives. Please help this family capture some wonderful memories while they still have time.

Once I had the votes in, another individual who has been closer to Kevin and his family as of late helped me faciltate contact with them over the weekend. I wanted to make certain that their session is completed sooner than later as he has so many dreams he wants to accomplish already. So please leave the Till Family some congratulatory comments and remember them in your thoughts and prayers as they need every one they can get right now.

So … if you qualify (or know someone who fits one of these), email me at christina [at] christinamccall [dot] com ASAP — include a picture if possible. I’m leaving the location type (i.e. rural/urban) out because I’ll wait to see who responds and where you’re located — sessions will occur in either Henderson, Kaufman, Smith, or Van Zandt Counties.

I’m listing more ideas than total test sessions that will be conducted due to time constraints and previously scheduled sessions, but will try to work in as many as I can while the weather and my availability coordinate!

Additional details are listed after the ‘wish list’ …

(a) Children (individual session, ages 3-11) who …
      … have gorgeous curly hair (boy or girl, any ethnicity, any hair color) 
      … have freckles (boy or girl) (edited to add: have gotten plenty of responses for girls, now looking for boys w/ freckles!)
      … have green eyes (I seem to be missing them, lots of blue and brown keep coming my way!)
      … younger girl who is all girl (loves sundresses, playing dress up, any hair color, any ethnicity; edited to add: I really need a 3- 6 year old girl for this based on the ideas I have in mind.)
      … boy who loves to dress up in western wear (boots, wranglers, cowboy hat, western style shirt, any hair color, any ethnicity)
      … boy or girl with a puppy (must own puppy and child must be comfortable with it; any hair color, any ethnicity)

(b) Early Teens (individual session, ages 12-14) …
      … sandy haired boy who loves sports (have the gear too) or music (own an mp3/ipod, even better)
      … girl (any hair color, any ethnicity) who loves sundresses, cowboy boots, and Chucks (must own these items)
      … fashionista girl (any hair color, any ethnicity) — think dresses, heels, all glammed up

(c) Teen (individual session, ages 15-18):
      … girl (any hair color, any ethnicity) who loves sundresses, cowboy boots, and Chucks (must own)
      … fashionista girl (any hair color, any ethnicity) – think dresses, heels, all glammed up
      … musically inclined guy — high school band, rocker, or even classical musician (any hair color, any ethnicity)

(d) Maternity/Newborn (Belly to Baby — maternity session between 32-36 weeks, newborn session must be within first 10 days after birth.)
      … specifically looking for blonde or red headed mommas-to-be as well as African-American, Indian, Asian, and Hispanic mommas-to-be
      … dads-to-be and siblings welcome during maternity session; newborn session will be baby + mom & dad only

(e) Family (up to six people — parents and kids or single parent and kids; edited to add: already have a single mom w/ kids volunteered, so if there are any single fathers w/ kids that are interested in a test session, lemme know).
     … no specifics on hair color or ethnicty, but would love families (parents and children no older than college age) with a variety of interests and colorful personalities (this can range from ranchers and rodeo families to families with musicians, skateboarders, sports fanatics, wild hair styles, tattoos, piercings … you name it!). These will not be formal posed portraits, these will be lifestyle portraits either around your home or a location near and dear to you (that doesn’t assess a session permit fee).  

(f) Rock the Dress (Bridal/Prom)
    … no specifics beyond you must own or have access to a wedding gown or prom dress that you don’t mind getting dirty (or can dry clean afterward). You do not have to be a bride-to-be or recent bride either.

Please note …
  — These are all lifestyle photography sessions — few to no ‘formal portraits’ will be captured. 
 – Backdrops are not used at all (exception — some maternity images will involve a backdrop, as well as a number of the newborn portraits).
 – Indoor locations will only be used with maternity and newborn sessions; exception may be made with a family if the location is well-lit with natural lighting.
  — Sessions will be held on either a Saturday or Sunday in early AM (start between 8 am and 9:30 am due to lighting) or later PM (until the end of September, no later than 6:30 start; October – onward no later than 3:30 pm).
 – Wardrobe ideas will be discussed via email/telephone prior to your scheduled test session along with access to the CMP What to Wear Guide with ideas and websites for inspiration.

What do you get for participating in the CMP Autumn Casting Call?
 – In exchange for participating and signing a model release (parents must sign for all participants under age 18), all individuals/maternity-newborn/families selected will receive:
     … waived session fee ($150 value) for a 1-2 hour portrait session
     … 1 8×10 ($35 value)
     … a disc with 20 photographer-selected watermarked low-resolution images 
     … 10% off any a la carte or collection purchase made while the proof gallery is live (this discount is for session participants only; a one-time discount code will be provided with gallery access information)

After the session, a sneak peek post will appear on the CMP blogsite within one month along with a slideshow from the session. A private access proof gallery of 25-50 images will be launched within two to three weeks of your session date for you to view and share with family & friends. This gallery is online for only 21 days if you or any friends/family are interested in purchasing prints or boutique products.

If you’re interested, contact me ASAP! Once I’ve received enough responses to fulfill my ideas, I’ll post a note at the top of this post. Thanks in advance!

Wait a minute.

As hot as it is, I know y’all have to be anticipating cooler weather – and around here, that doesn’t hit (much of the time) until November and December — but at the same time y’all are all avoiding thinking about the holidays until the cooler weather arrives.

So — a quick reminder — Christmas is only 134 days away! Thanksgiving is only 105 days away! And — most importantly — if you’re considering a portrait session in time for images to send out with holiday cards, you only have 94 days to schedule and capture them (less if you consider the fact 99% of CMP’s portrait sessions are held on weekends)! 

Our ‘re-grand opening’ special expires in 18 days — details are here! And remember, if you schedule your session before August 31st, you also receive 10% off your custom designed Christmas card order. A few of the gorgeous card samples + details are available here.

(for the VIP’s who’ve received an email about a week and a half ago with a really awesome offer — remember, you have only 18 more days to take advantage of it!)

Additionally, the deadline to enter the Christmas in August Giveaway is less than 12 days away! If you’re still working on your entry or trying to think of a family to nominate — do NOT delay! Enter today

The CMP Fall/Holiday 2009 special will be announced on September 1st — so keep an eye out here for the details.

Of course, I can’t end this post without an image — and while I’ve shared this one while on the road during The Roadtrip, I think we all need a nice cool-temperature image to help us cope with this heat, right? That white stuff — that was snowplowed onto the shoulder of the road at Yellowstone in mid-June.

Something about this tree makes me think of A Charlie Brown Christmas …

Around this time last year, we (CMP aka ROLP — our former business name) held the Sweet Summer Faces contest, with a complementary session being the grand prize. Well, we’re at it again this year — although with a new business name, we’re also changing up the contest a bit …

This time around we’re focusing on families! Why? Well, to be honest, I got to thinking about the contest and in the process, realized that other than setting my camera up on a tripod and running back and forth setting the timer, the last time my family had a portrait was when I was 10 years old. Approximately 18+ years ago. So — I know my family cannot be the only ones who haven’t had professional portraits in years!

Why the essay, you ask? Simple — I want to see a family truly deserving receive a full portraiture session — one they otherwise wouldn’t have, whether due to financial setbacks, all the children growing up and going off to college, a parent in the military, health setbacks, or maybe they give all they have to help others and just don’t think of spending that money on themselves instead.

The Details:
So, tell us about your family — or a family you know that is deserving — 500 words roughly. To make it easier, you can fill out this form and copy and paste your essay in the essay section. After you fill out the form, attach a snapshot of your family (no old professional portraits — we can’t post those due to copyright restrictions!) so we can feature you if you’re the winner! If you have any problems attaching/uploading snapshots to the entry form, you may email them to christina@christinamccall.com.

The Deadline:
Entries and snapshots are due by midnight on Monday, August 24, 2009 — CMP will post the winner on Monday, August 31, 2009. Judging will be conducted by a committee of individuals I’ve selected who are not local and are unlikely to know any of the families entered.

The prize:
– A complementary 90 minute to 2 hour custom lifestyle family portraiture session (maximum six people) with one outfit change (total of two outfits) at two locations within a 20 mile radius — sure, we’ll get a handful of formal portraits, but we’ll also photograph your family as you are — location to be determined by CMP within Henderson, Kaufman, Smith, or Van Zandt Counties.
– Full editing of 30-50 photographer selected images with blogged sneak peeks, an online gallery, and an online slideshow
– A 10×20 luxe mounted storyboard featuring images from your session (photographer selected)
– A 2010 Computer Desktop Calendar featuring images from your session on cd (photographer selected)
– CD with web quality watermarked proofs of all color images from your session
– (1) 8×10 premium print of the family’s choice
– 10% off any additional collection or a la carte purchase
Prize value: $350

What are you waiting for? Submit your entry + email me your snapshot ASAP!!!

Over the past couple of weeks while I’ve been giving the blog (and soon the rest of the site) a bit of a refresher/makeover, I’ve also added a few new links/pages in the menu (just under the slideshow banner) with information regarding custom portraiture and why its not only different than traditional portraiture but also why a price differential exists.

Since I first announced I was making the jump into the portraiture photography world, many family members, friends, coworkers, and individuals I’ve encountered in daily life have asked what is so different from what we do than what they can get if they go to discount portrait studio or another area photographer to obtain. Or why do we cost more than the photographer who advertises their sessions + a disc of unedited/straight out of the camera images for next to nothing on area online classified boards?

What I typically respond with — each photographer and studio has their own style that is reflective of their own personality and passions. Some photographers love studio style photography and do a wonderful job at creating works of art that do not look like ‘studio portraiture.’ Others, like me, feel constrained and limited by a studio setting.  While my photographic style (both during the session and during the editing/post processing) may differ from other area photographers, it is reflective of both what I love and am passionate about as well as my personality and style. To me, photography is an artform — the one time I can be as creative as I dare. Normally I’m an analytical minded person, caught up with step by step processes and technicalities, but with photography, I’m anything but.

Additionally, any professional custom photographer’s time and expertise is valuable. While learning and honing our craft our pricing may be lower, and thus affordable to everyone, but as we expand our services and grow as not a business but as photographers, our rates must increase to stay competitive as well as to stay in business for the long haul.

As the old adage goes: “You get what you pay for.” Do you want economy or luxury? Cookie cutter or customized to you or your family’s personality and style? When you invest in something — don’t you want to get the most premium product that will stand the test of time, even if it costs a little more than the generic alternative?

Furthermore, I don’t hand over unedited images to our clients – whether printed or in digital format. What each client receives involves hours of after session creative editing to provide them a one of a kind work of art to display in their homes and offices as well as sharing with family and friends.

I love seeking out new locales and backdrops for portrait sessions — to attempt to create the same settings I use in an on-location session in a studio setting would cost a large fortune in backdrop and prop purchases. Furthermore, by not having a studio location, I don’t have the stress and concerns that goes along with paying rent or a mortgage, utilities, and property taxes – which goes with studio ownership. (I, unfortunately, don’t escape a few vital expenses every business owner has, namely, income and state sales taxes, and insurance on equipment (cameras, lens, computers, and external hard drives) as well as liability insurance.)

That doesn’t mean I don’t have ‘major‘ expenses — I just don’t have those particular ones, therefore I can focus my budgeted expenses on other priorities: equipment, education, and marketing.The equipment I use — the cameras, lenses, accessories + the computers, external hardrives, printers, photo editing software, and calibration hardware — cost me thousands of dollars (think a small down payment on a starter home). Like with any electronics purchase, I have to take special care of all of my equipment to get the longest life out of it. Digital SLR cameras and computers do not last forever, so I periodically have to replace/repair them. Technology updates also result in upgrades — just recently I had to replace my computer system, which resulted in upgrading the photo editing software I use. The primary photo editing software I use alone costs as much as the computer system!

Additionally, many of us think “Once I graduate, I’m done with school.” Not in photography — there’s always something new to learn, whether in new equipment features, ideas for innovative marketing, how to streamline your workflow, business practices, and so on. I spend another small fortune for trade organization memberships, photography education magazines and books, and seminars — in person and on dvd (for the ones I’m unable to attend). In the next couple of years, I hope to attend the conventions for two major organizations that provide an additional wealth of knowledge. Additionally, there are a number of photography forums around the internetwebosphere – due to time constraints, I am fortunate enough to participate in only a few, but I gain so much from the information, networking, and support that fellow members contribute.

Marketing is vital — word of mouth has been the cornerstone of my success to date, but to spread the word even further and to stay in business during economic hardships such as now, I have to strategically market myself in ways that draws in the target market I want to continue serving. That includes this site — thank goodness I’m self taught in web design and have hosted my own site(s) for nearly a decade, but that doesn’t mean I escape the costs of website ownership: hosting, domain registration, add-on software (some of which I’m in the process of installing/upgrading over the next couple of months), and blog layout design. What works for one business does not always work for us — in this age of digital information right here and right now, we have to blanket the world wide web with our work and information. This takes quite a bit of time — new registries/directories are popping up regularly that we locate and register with. Our marketing materials — such as the senior spokesmodel postcards sent out to area high schools — are printed by premium press printers, as visual presentation is as important as the information when you’re selling any work of art.

Many of my fellow photographers have posted even further in depth on this topic from one perspective or another, so rather than ‘reinventing the wheel’ on every single factor that is involved in custom photography (before, during, and after the session), I am sharing their articles/information with you if you are interested in learning more …

The Business of Photography is more than meets the eye @ Darbi G Photography

Why you should consider photography an investment @ Darbi G Photography

Why hire a pro? @ Shauna Maness Photography

What is Custom Photography? | Why Choose Custom Photography | Why does Custom Photography cost more?  — articles also posted on this blog with credit given (see the menu above)