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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

 

 

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Monday, November 29, 2010

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and survived “BLACK FRIDAY!”  I have been busy at work creating all kinds of new designs, templates, and revamping things around here.  I decided to update the header for our site and I think it looks pretty good if I say so myself.  I am working on a holiday header that I will have up by the end of the week.  Please fell free to make comments or leave suggestions.  Stay Tuned…

 

SGDP_BrookePink

 

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

As most of you know Sweet Graphix Design & Photography is holding a wedding give-a-way.  If this is the first you are hearing about the contest please refer to previous post titled, “Wedding Give-A-Way” for all of the details and official deadline for the contest.  After receiving several entries I thought I might share one of the sweetest I have heard yet!

This is the couple that was entered into the contest, Hunter & Jessica.

 

Hunter Morgan & Jessica Ryans_pICwITHfRAME

 

This is Hunter & Jessica’s Story:

Hunter Morgan & Jessica Ryans_ENTRY

 

Good Luck Hunter & Jessica

 

Enjoy!

SGDP_BrookePink

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Things have been officially CRAZY for the past couple of weeks.  My father’s side of my family has discovered a full blooded cousin and it’s been amazing to be a part of introducing her to the family and stepping back to see how everyone takes to one another.  Instantly, everyone bonded and acted like everyone knew each other for years. 

I have also taken some time with my two favorite girls.  Jocelyn’s 5th birthday is quickly approaching and I find it impossible for her to be turning FIVE YEARS OLD.  Jocelyn and Naomi have both changed so much since last Christmas and I think this Christmas will be so exciting and special for them.  We are looking forward to spending time with our friend’s and family.

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Please stay tuned….

There will be an entry post for the Wedding Give-A-Way contest and you will meet Hunter & Jessica of Chattanooga, TN.  What an adorable couple!

The release of Sweet Graphix Design & Photography’s Holiday Greeting Cards will be on November 28, 2010.  So gather up those favorite photograph’s and keep an eye out for an early bird special on the entire collection.

Take Care,

SGDP_BrookePink

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Saturday, November 13, 2010
I am still in the midst of gearing up for a crazy busy season, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have a lot of other exciting things going on with my business, branding, weddings etc. I am VERY excited to announce Sweet Graphix Design & Photography’s 1st annual Wedding Give-A-Way to one luck couple. 2010 was an amazing year and I am geared up and ready for the wedding giveaway of 2011! I will post the contest details below as well! The deadline is December 15th, so if you are getting married, or know someone getting married next year have them enter! What do you have to lose?
Thanks for visiting and I hope you all have a wonderful week!
WEDDING GIVEAWAY DETAILS!
One couple will receive: Four hour wedding day coverage by Brooke Ragsdale, an edited disc of all digital negatives from your wedding day.
Details:
The wedding must take place between February 2011 and July 2011.
One entry per couple please.
Entries must be received by Sunday December 15th, 2010.
The couple must sign a model release and contract (so that images may be published online and used for the Sweet Graphix Design & Photography website).
All travel expenses will need to be paid for by the bride and groom (Brooke is based in Chattanooga, TN).
Entry Information:
Please send an email with the following info to: sweetgraphix@live.com
Information about yourselves:
-Tell me your story and why you should win!
Detailed information about your wedding day:
-Where & When your wedding will be.
-Venue Location for ceremony and reception.
-Anything else like colors, theme, etc would be wonderful!
*Also please send in a photo (or a couple) of you and your fiancé.
GOOD LUCK and I look forward to reading your entries!

SGDP_BrookePink
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This article has been very well received by the photography community, and is published in the December 2009 edition of Professional Photographer Magazine.

In this digital age where everyone has cameras, scanners, and home “photo printers,” we hear this all the time: How do professional (or personal) photographers charge $X for an 8×10 when they cost just $1.50 at the drugstore? Simply put, the customer is not just paying for the actual photograph; they’re paying for time and expertise.

The average one-hour portrait session

First, let’s look at the actual work involved:

  • Travel to the session
  • Setup, preparation, talking to the client, etc.
  • Shoot the photos
  • Travel from the session
  • Load images onto a computer
  • Back up the files on an external drive
  • 2 – 4 hours of Adobe® Photoshop® time, including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening, and backing up edited photographs. Proof photos are also ordered.
  • 2 – 3 hours to talk to the client, answer questions, receive order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints, schedule shipment, and ship.
  • Possibly meet clients at the studio to review photos and place order. Meeting and travel time average 2 hours.

You can see how a one-hour session easily turns into an eight-hour day or more from start to finish. So when you see a personal photographer charging a $200 session fee for a one-hour photo shoot, the client is NOT paying them $200 per hour.

The eight-hour wedding

A wedding photographer typically meets with the bride and groom several times before and after the wedding. And it’s not uncommon to end up with 1,000 – 2,000 photos, much more than a portrait session. Many photographers spend 40-60 hours working on one eight-hour wedding if you look at the time that is truly involved. Again, when a wedding photographer charges $4,000 for eight hours of coverage, clients are NOT paying them $500 an hour!

(Don’t forget that the photographer runs the wedding day to some extent. A comfortable, confident wedding photographer can make a wedding day go more smoothly.)

The expertise and cost of doing business

Shooting professional photography is a skill acquired through years of experience. Even though a DSLR now costs under $1,000, taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.

Most personal photographers take years to go from buying their first camera to making money with photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera, there is a mountain of other equipment and software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website, etc. And don’t forget backdrops, props, rent, utilities, insurance, etc!

In addition to the financial investment, photographers actually have to have people skills to make subjects comfortable in front of the camera. Posing people to look their best is a skill by itself. You could argue that posing is a more important skill than actually knowing how to use the camera. A poorly exposed photo can be saved, but a badly posed photo cannot.

The chain store photo studio

Chain stores do have their place. For a very cheap price you can run in, shoot some quick photos, and be done with it. But you get what you pay for.

Consider the time and effort that a personal photographer puts into photographs, compared to a chain store. Store sessions last just a few minutes, while a personal photographer takes the time to get to know the people, makes them comfortable, makes them laugh. If a baby is crying at a chain store, they often don’t have the time (or the patience) to wait because everyone is in a hurry.

The truth is that many chain store studios lose money. In fact, Wal-Mart closed 500 of their portrait studios in 2007 because of the financial drain. What the chain stores bank on is a client coming in for quick, cheap photos…and while there, spending $200 on other items. They are there to get you in the door.

The real deal

Professional, personal photographers are just that—professionals. No different than a mechanic, dentist, doctor, or electrician. But a personal photographer often becomes a friend, someone who documents a family for generations with professional, personal photographs of cherished memories.

Maybe we need to help clients look at it this way: A pair of scissors costs $1.50 at the drugstore. Still, most people will gladly pay a lot more to hire a professional hair dresser to cut their hair.

The added attention and quality that a personal photographer gives is worth every penny.

Conclusion

We hope that those who have taken the time to read this page will have a better understanding of why professional photographs, created by a Personal Photographer are so expensive.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Why are Professional Photographers so expensive?
This article has been very well received by the photography community, and is published in the December 2009 edition of Professional Photographer Magazine.

In this digital age where everyone has cameras, scanners, and home “photo printers,” we hear this all the time: How do professional (or personal) photographers charge $X for an 8×10 when they cost just $1.50 at the drugstore? Simply put, the customer is not just paying for the actual photograph; they’re paying for time and expertise.

The average one-hour portrait session

First, let’s look at the actual work involved:

  • Travel to the session
  • Setup, preparation, talking to the client, etc.
  • Shoot the photos
  • Travel from the session
  • Load images onto a computer
  • Back up the files on an external drive
  • 2 – 4 hours of Adobe® Photoshop® time, including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening, and backing up edited photographs. Proof photos are also ordered.
  • 2 – 3 hours to talk to the client, answer questions, receive order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints, schedule shipment, and ship.
  • Possibly meet clients at the studio to review photos and place order. Meeting and travel time average 2 hours.

You can see how a one-hour session easily turns into an eight-hour day or more from start to finish. So when you see a personal photographer charging a $200 session fee for a one-hour photo shoot, the client is NOT paying them $200 per hour.

The eight-hour wedding

A wedding photographer typically meets with the bride and groom several times before and after the wedding. And it’s not uncommon to end up with 1,000 – 2,000 photos, much more than a portrait session. Many photographers spend 40-60 hours working on one eight-hour wedding if you look at the time that is truly involved. Again, when a wedding photographer charges $4,000 for eight hours of coverage, clients are NOT paying them $500 an hour!

(Don’t forget that the photographer runs the wedding day to some extent. A comfortable, confident wedding photographer can make a wedding day go more smoothly.)

The expertise and cost of doing business

Shooting professional photography is a skill acquired through years of experience. Even though a DSLR now costs under $1,000, taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.

Most personal photographers take years to go from buying their first camera to making money with photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera, there is a mountain of other equipment and software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website, etc. And don’t forget backdrops, props, rent, utilities, insurance, etc!

In addition to the financial investment, photographers actually have to have people skills to make subjects comfortable in front of the camera. Posing people to look their best is a skill by itself. You could argue that posing is a more important skill than actually knowing how to use the camera. A poorly exposed photo can be saved, but a badly posed photo cannot.

The chain store photo studio

Chain stores do have their place. For a very cheap price you can run in, shoot some quick photos, and be done with it. But you get what you pay for.

Consider the time and effort that a personal photographer puts into photographs, compared to a chain store. Store sessions last just a few minutes, while a personal photographer takes the time to get to know the people, makes them comfortable, makes them laugh. If a baby is crying at a chain store, they often don’t have the time (or the patience) to wait because everyone is in a hurry.

The truth is that many chain store studios lose money. In fact, Wal-Mart closed 500 of their portrait studios in 2007 because of the financial drain. What the chain stores bank on is a client coming in for quick, cheap photos…and while there, spending $200 on other items. They are there to get you in the door.

The real deal

Professional, personal photographers are just that—professionals. No different than a mechanic, dentist, doctor, or electrician. But a personal photographer often becomes a friend, someone who documents a family for generations with professional, personal photographs of cherished memories.

Maybe we need to help clients look at it this way: A pair of scissors costs $1.50 at the drugstore. Still, most people will gladly pay a lot more to hire a professional hair dresser to cut their hair.

The added attention and quality that a personal photographer gives is worth every penny.

Conclusion

We hope that those who have taken the time to read this page will have a better understanding of why professional photographs, created by a Personal Photographer are so expensive.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

**Article not by me! I wanted to re-post and share it**

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

 

Now it is more convent than ever to purchase print collections for Sweet Graphix design & Photography.  All you have to do is simply go to my Facebook page and click the SHOP NOW tab.  If you “LIKE” my page you will get 10% OFF regular priced collections.  Check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=349279917473&sk=basic#!/pages/Chattanooga-TN/Sweet-Graphix-Designs-Photography/349279917473 

And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter

 

Take Care

SGDP_BrookePink

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Now here is a Great deal for all of you watching your wallet.  Pay attention closely:  If you book a HOLIDAY SESSION before Thanksgiving you will receive 50% OFF your session fee’s.  You have to pay for your session at the time of booking to reserve your holiday session date.

In honor of this holiday price discount, I will reserve ALL Tuesday’s and Sunday’s until Thanksgiving to shoot your holiday session.

108522_ChristmasCandlelightss1

Please remember it is getting cooler out, so come prepared with a variety of warm clothes.

I look forward to working with you soon.

SGDP_BrookePink

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Monday, November 8, 2010

Baby CJ is one month old.  She is quite the beauty.  I think she looks like me…must take after her aunt Brooke. WINK.

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SGDP_BrookePink

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Here they are.  Anyone interested in prints please refer to my A La Carte’ and remember I can always customize a collection to suite your needs.  Thanks again Nick & Savannah, it was a pleasure working with you.  Enjoy!
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Savannah, notice the sunglasses STILL made it in the photo…LOL.  I removed them from a couple of the pic’s for you.  Nick you’re a NUT!

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Congratulations Nick & Savannah!
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Saturday, November 6, 2010

What a day!  I had a blast with this entire family.  Everyone was so nice and welcoming…and we shared a couple of laughs along the way.  Thank you Nick & Savannah for letting me be a part of your special day.  Savannah you have defiantly got your work cut out for you.  Here is a pic to tide you over until I am finished editing.  Congratulations!

 

DSC_3552

 

SGDP_BrookePink

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Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Oh my goodness when I received the email from Kevin & Amanda today I thought I “was” up-to-date on candles but apparently I was wrong.  The burner’s are absolutely amazing and look like works of art themselves.  The best thing is this stuff is totally affordable.  The burner’s are $30…that’s it!  It’s worth the time to stop by and check them out.

image

 

They even have something for your child’s room called Scentsy Buddy…check it out!  TOO CUTE!!!

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https://myscentevent.scentsy.us/Home 

Enjoy!

SGDP_BrookePink

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