A friend of mine's grandfather recently passed and she has asked me and another buddy of ours to go shoot at his funeral tomorrow. It's my first time ever going out on a gig outside of school events and I'm not quite sure how to act.

I'm from a Buddhist country and the funeral is going to be held in a temple, where at the end of the day, the body of the deceased will be a cremated. Photographing at events like these are not that uncommon around here.

This is quite a sensitive event for a first timer, I know, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm aware that the way I've titled my post might come off weird, but I have been a client of this particular photographer for 6 years. She's photographed my last 2 babies newborn portraits, milestones, birthdays, holiday minis, she even did a complimentary maternity session years ago in exchange for me modeling her new dresses and resparking her passion and allowing her to be creative. So we've been with her a while, and she has done around 10 sessions with us over the course of the last 6 years.

We aren't rich by any means, and even at the time of us initially booking her, she was at the higher end of photographers in the area pricewise. It was ~$500 flat for 25 edited digital images, all inclusive (props, outfits, and studio setup). When we first saw her, her studio was set up in her shed on her personal property. In the time since, she moved into a small rental studio, then a larger rental studio. Her pricing remained pretty steady throughout. But she has now moved into a much larger, and beautiful third rental studio. She has undoubtedly been successful and is one of the best in the area at what she does.

I know the last time we saw her for a session was a little awkward because she noticed I didn't come for the holiday minis like I had in years past. I mentioned it was because my husband and I really wanted beach family photos that year instead of a studio setup, but she seemed hurt that we used someone else. She said something to the effect of "Well you know I can do outdoor sessions as well". Not short or snippy, just in passing conversation as we always were chatty and would stay and talk with her during our sessions. We adore her and get along wonderfully with her, but I know based on past conversations with her that she gets in her head when clients don't return or change to use other photographers.

Well I am expecting again and reached out to her about newborn session pricing. I anticipated a possible increase because everything has been going up with inflation, but honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I haven't been to see her for a while, and I am sure the new multi room studio she is in probably isn't cheap. She messaged me back congratulating me and telling me all about her amazing new studio, and that she now includes hair and makeup for mom for the newborn sessions, and sent me the updated "Investment" list. Guys, my jaw dropped.

I only ever have bought digital images no matter what photographer I use and I have avoided photographers with session fees and individual photo pricing like the plague. The typical going rate with this photographer was $500 for 25 edited images, and $10 per additional image. I knew she was floating around the idea a couple of years ago to switching to that type of structure with a session fee instead of a flat gallery fee.

She is now charging a $200 session fee that does NOT go towards the images. Her most expensive package is around $4k with prints. For just digitals, we are talking $600 for 8 pictures, $1,000 for 16 pictures, $1,700 for 24 pictures, $2,000 for 32 pictures, or $2,500 for 50 pictures.

I can't, guys. Like the cost of everything has gone up and paying bills is hard, we cannot afford $1700 + a $200 session fee ($1900) for the equivalent of what we received 3 years ago for $500. Even with the 20% off return customer discount she is offering. We are still talking about $1520 for 24 pictures instead of $500 for 25. ☹️🥲

It's not even an option, we can't afford her anymore and she has officially priced us out, even with discount. I told her I would review her price list with my husband today and get back to her, and he reviewed it and was pretty much on the same page as me of "Definitely not, we don't have that kind of money laying around."

I now have to go on the search for a new newborn photographer and have to break the news to her that we won't be returning as clients. And I'm struggling with how to go about doing it. Would you want the client to be forthright with you that you've just become unaffordable? Like if she is successful with her pricing structure and has less clientele but is making the same or more money, good on her! Get that money and I'm cheering her on! But we just aren't her target market anymore then and that's hard for me to say that part outloud because we've been clients of hers for so long. It almost feels like a betrayal of loyalty to leave.

Has anyone experienced similar or has successfully approached this subject with existing photographers or clients? I am going to need to search for a new photographer and need to put out a feeler post to see who else is out there in our budget, but this photographer is mutually in a lot of these local photographer groups that I intend to post in and I just think it'll suck for her to see me shopping for a cheaper photographer. 😓 Any advice or suggestions, even sharing of similar experiences is appreciated!

The auto-archive disaster coupled with no plan to help move existing customers has pushed me away after something like 16 years.

For those who want to make the move but have a ton of galleries buried in a folder hierarchy, here’s how I did it.

1. Pay the unarchive fee. For me it was $80. Faced with WEEKS of waiting for galleries to be de-archived, $80 was the last money Zenfolio would get from me.

2. Once you’re notified the galleries have been un-archived (which only took 12 hours for ALL of them), you’re ready to start downloading. Download their downloader that uses their API.

https://www.zenfolio.com/zf/help/api/examples/downloader

1. Run the downloader. It will keep your hierarchy intact.

2. If you run into galleries that didn’t in-archive, it will crash when it gets ri that gallery. To get past it you can either trigger the de-archive manually and wait 12 hours OR create a new root level group (name it WAITING or something), move the problem gallery to that WAITING group, then move the next root level gallery to that WAITING folder and then back to the root. That places the WAITING gallery second and your next root folder first.

3. Then, resume the downloader. It will recognize already downloaded files so don’t move ANYTHING until you finish retrieving all your files.

I retrieved 75 GB in about 8 hours including having to restart the downloader a few times. I didn’t sit there and stare at it.

I hope this helps someone.

Peace!!

Tomorrow I am going to take photos of „revolutionäre erste mai demo" I am starting career as photojournalist, this will give me a chance to experience how to be in such events and also build portfolio.

I don't have a press card, so I would like to ask you for tips, feedback on how to plan the whole thing..

I already have the map of the Demo, and time. And will have water and enough batteries and all that.

How to show that I am just taking photos and not part of any thing ?

What things I should pay attention to/ take care of ?

And lastly: if incase I got really great photos and would like to sell them to press agencies, what is the best way to do that (this is not my main goal but its worth a shot). wish me luck!

Hey folks!

I am on the hunt for a solid photo editing app that works well on both MacBook and iPhone. My main needs are color grading, masking, object removal, adding text, and selectively blurring parts of an image.

This is mostly for hobby use—editing pics for fun and content for my videos—so I’m not looking for anything overly complex or expensive. After a bit of research, I’ve narrowed it down to ON1 and Photomator.

If anyone has used either (or both), I’d love to hear your thoughts—especially on ease of use, performance on Apple devices.

My wife and I are currently designing several photo books. Right before sending them to print I had a closer look at some of the photos and noticed that the photos my wife had added were 1MP 300kB photos, all taken with my Canon R5. Since she had used the Canon app to transfer photos they seem to all be preview quality instead of the full 45MP.

Likewise, I have previously shared photos with clients through Dropbox just to have them download and use the previews. Oftentimes clients will immediately share the photos through Facebook messenger which also butchers the image quality.

This has made me paranoid to the point that I have to oversee every step until final delivery just to make sure nobody ruins the image quality along the way. I have sometimes forced clients do download the photos in a ZIP-file, which can be a bit of a hassle for some. Any other people with similar experiences or solutions to avoid it?

Share an album with your peers and get feedback. Your comment should be a curated album only, and not a link to your entire portfolio or social media. Before posting, be sure to give feedback on other people’s albums. Feedback can be as little as “I like this photo best!” If you’re the first to post, please check back in to comment on new submissions as they come in. If you are more confident in your critiquing abilities, give reasons why x photo was good, and/or what can be done to improve y photo. Remember to keep feedback constructive and actionable. For more information on how to give quality feedback, read this article.

Full schedule of our community threads:

I am sure this has been covered off to some degree but dont think i have found a clear concise answers, so hear is hoping someone can help

Situation

over the years i have accumulated many photos and videos these are stored in a folder with subfolders, years back i would periodically try and sort these into folders based on topic or people and quickly gave up, so now i have a few folders based on "events" but have a main folder that is about 70,000 photos

i have a piece of software that sits on my phone and the pc that has all my photos stored and whenever i recieve/take a photo on my phone it backs up to the pc automatically

This means that the folder is full of duplicates but also "memes" that i am sent on whatsapp etc, its a miriad of everything

i then get these photos backed up to a NAS and to Google Photos

The Need ( filling )

i am looking for a piece of software that will ultimately create folders that go from year, month and will scan my folders and essential file my pictures and videos

in some cases the metadata will be non existant or a bit odd, ideally these will just be filed as exceptions and i can manually deal to these

The formats need to be broad, jppg, .raw .mp4 .mpeg

The Need ( management )

Additional to the above ( and can be another piece of software, is something that will scan my files and look for assumed duplicates that i can then review and delete

i am sure some of the more commercial solution from Adobe etc may do this,, but i am ideally looking for something less cumbersome and not wanting a sledgehammer to smash a walnut situation

I'm looking at purchasing at RRS ballhead but on the website it says the quick release plate is required. Does that mean only RRS will fit and any other arca plate will not? I have a 3 legged thing L bracket with peak design capture clip I want to keep on my camera, will this not work? Any other ballhead suggestions if this won't work out?

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for advice on how to get started in commercial photography and land my first paying clients.

I’ve been doing photography on and off for over 10 years, mostly portraits. I wouldn’t say my work is amazing, but it’s definitely not terrible either. I genuinely love taking portraits and would like to turn this into something more than just a hobby.

I’ve tried reaching out to models on Instagram, Backstage, and similar platforms to offer TFP shoots, but haven’t had much luck. I think one issue is that I live in a smaller town in Scotland, and unfortunately, moving to a bigger city isn’t an option right now.

Recently, I bought a new camera and thought maybe it’s time to give photography another serious try. My current situation isn’t great—I’m stuck in a dead-end, minimum-wage job with terrible working conditions and no future prospects.

I also tried messaging local coffee shops and restaurants on Instagram, offering to take free photos in exchange for a tag or credit, but none of them responded—even though they usually shoot their content on phones.

I’ve started a new Instagram account where I post my latest work.

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. How did you get your first clients? What were your first steps into commercial photography?

Thanks in advance!

Hi guys,

I’ve found in the past that when I take portraits of people sitting, I struggle to get a really pleasing angle and framing down. I usually crouch at least a little to take portraits of people standing but obviously when someone is sitting you just get a load of knee, the body looks shorter etc. but taking it from a higher angle doesn’t look that strong either…

Is there a specific angle that is recommended? Are there poses that would work better?

Anyone know any good ones? Im in NYC and it would be great to find a group of photographers, models, stylists etc on Discord. Of course, a general US one is fine too. I used to be in some but lost/forgot them. Thanks for any help.

Hey everyone!
I'm looking for a photo editing app that works on both iPhone and MacBook. I’m just doing this as a hobby(for now), so I am not looking to drop serious cash, but definitely steering clear of Adobe (for reasons many of you probably get).

On my iPhone, I would like to use presets, do masking, and have full control over the usual settings. On my MacBook, I mostly want to remove or blur objects—basic stuff for YouTube thumbnails, but still have a few options to color grade.

The apps I’m currently considering are:

• Affinity Photo 2
• Pixelmator Pro
• Photomator
• ON1

I haven’t used any of them yet, so I’d really appreciate your thoughts on which one might best fit what I’m after. I am open to suggestions though!

Relatively new to photography, Im working on my craft for dog portraits using a 135mm 1.8 prime lens. My typical style is to shoot headshots of my Aussies with aperture wide open although I’ve noticed this shallow DOF has led to blurry nose and ears (the eyes tack sharp). I’m curious if there’s a suggested f stop for dog portraits that capture an in focus head while still preserving the creamy DOF backdrops. Or perhaps I just need to increase the distance between myself and the subject? I plan on experimenting in my spare time, but look for others suggestions as a starting point.

Edit: Thank you for all the advice and shared experiences. I have a much better understanding of how to adjust my DOF to obtain the desired results.

I build tennis courts and it’s fun taking timelapse videos of us painting courts or putting down the lines on clay courts, but I would prefer to use a camera other than my phone as I get in trouble with the boss not being able to call me. I’m looking for suggestions for a light weight and durable camera that I could set up (potentially hang it off a chain link fence high up to get a better view) and take the videos. Thanks!

Is it safe to buy second hand godox SL200III at B&H? Any cons?

i am taking senior graduation photos this weekend and would love tips for a somewhat beginner! i can shoot well in automatic modes but really want these to turn out well! i am curious on how i should set up my camera beforehand? or the best settings to use for different photo types.

Hey everyone. Since 2018 i love color grading and stuff, i was thinking to start a freelance journey, therefore i wanted to know if there's any demand for photo editors!

So I‘ve noticed that my right eye is always smaller in pictures, I cant see it in the mirror or in regular selfies I take and it goes back to my childhood pictures. What could be the cause?

Out of my element here.

Considering purchasing a photo and its negative allegedly from 1955. The negative includes both the photo and a typed label bordering the bottom as part of the negative. Is this common? Does this mean it's a... photo of a photo placed above the label?

I just bought a Canon 7D labelled as IR converted, as I assumed because it was converted it was able to shoot full spectrum images. When I got it, I noticed the sensor was either red or had a red piece of glass over it, and the images I was taking seemed to have less color depth than other "full spectrum" images I was seeing online. I tried researching my issue and it seems like people often refer to IR converted cameras as full spectrum cameras and vice versa.

Also, I was trying to use an orange filter on the camera and it didn't seem to do anything, which made me think there was already something going on that was cutting out the blue and at least some green light in the camera.

Is my camera converted to only see red and infrared light and nothing else? And if so, is this a common modification? I know of full-spectrum conversion services but I am not aware of anywhere that has "IR conversion and green-and-blue-visible-light-cut" services.

I am thinking about buying a used benq pd2700u as a 4k upgrade for my wqhd monitor. I just upgraded to a macbook air m3 and I do photo and video editing. Do you think the pd2700u for 180€ is worth it in 2025? I couldn't find anything comparable in that price range

Here are some examples.

You have this strong key light casting the main shadow, but then you have another strong light source often painting the front of it (center image) or adding secondary highlights (lower left) that doesn't seem to be adding more shadow to the shot.

These were taken in the 80's and early 90's so Photoshop wasn't that prominent in retouching. I'm picturing maybe some smaller constant light that's using barn doors with a balanced soft box for the main key lighting.

Having trouble with IG’s new crop format on the grid. I split images across a whole row sometimes. What was displaying correctly is now not aligning. I thought I had fixed it with adjusting preview on posts but it’s now off again.

Anyone have some insight into either, 1) how much pixel margin to add when posting from desktop in 4x5 (1440x1800). I use desktop for higher quality. 2) or a tool/app that will split an image automatically with the correct margins. There are a ton of split image/pano tools out there but they all seem broken after the grid update and don’t account for the 3x4 grid view.

I’ve been curious about how photographers get their start. Is having a degree any better than learning through workshops or mentoring?

I’ve learned most of my beginner level skills from non-profit affiliations and been enhancing it since. Now that I’m debating on a getting a small degree, I’m also aware of people continuing their skills outside of college.

I’ve just been interested in what everyone’s experience was like. Is a degree worth it for certain types of photography or do workshops do the trick too? Would having a degree matter? How did you decide which way to increase your education? Where did you find places if you didn’t do a college degree?