It’s taken me almost three months from taking student pictures at George Washington Academy to delivering class pictures, but I’ve finally completed my first-ever school shoot!
I never thought it would be so many hours of work. I should have kept a tally, so that I could compare it to next season’s school picture project, but I was too lazy, or too distracted, and never got all the time written down. Needless to say, the work was more intensive than I thought it would be to get the pictures the way I wanted them to look (probably because I have perfectionist tendencies, sometimes to my own detriment). I’m glad to have had the experience. Thank you Valerie for asking if I would do that project. I’ve learned a lot about my camera gear & post-processing my photography in Lightroom, and a little about posing and lighting that will improve my abilities as a photographer.
I’ve became a hobbyist photographer gradually, following a camera purchase to document the lives of our children. I’ve mostly photographed my children, along with random inanimate objects, and the frequent beautiful Arizona sunsets that we get to witness. I’ve become fairly proficient with my abilities to push buttons on my camera, and have noticed that as my skills increase, my taste for more technically perfect and crisp photos also grows. What this means is that I might need to upgrade my gear soon and for really good equipment, it takes deeper pockets. So I’ve decided to do a little business on the side (yeah, like I have any time to spare…) so my hobby will at least support itself. That’s why I decided to take on this rather large (for me) project.
Unfortunately, I didn’t make any money on this project. But that is alright, because it allowed me to break even on my new gear. When I took on this project, I thought it would be nice if I could provide a professional version of what people wanted for a great price. Being a father, I understand how expensive school pictures can be when you have more than a couple of children. I’ve come to dread when school pictures roll around because of that reason. And not only that, but it seems like you have to order picture sizes you don’t want, just so you can get the pictures you do want. I hope I made a difference to someone out there.
I am amazed that you did that for free, I hope that school gives you a good review! That is dedication!
I didn’t do it for free, but I gave them a good price, because I know what it’s like to buy pictures for my children.