Diane Schuller, Your All Occasion Custom Photographer

“An image in hand can touch your heart more deeply than an image on a computer screen. Printed photographs are gifts.” ~ Meredith Winn

That is EXACTLY how I feel too. Thanks Meredith.

Some Handy Resources …

A little something, at a reasonable price, for keeping your printed photos:
Live-Love-Laugh Black Bookbound Photo Album w/ Memo Holds 200 Photos

Pearhead Side Photo Album

Malden Family Bookbound Photo Album, Holds 200 Photos, Black

Or if you prefer to read about family snapshots:
Phototherapy Techniques: Exploring the Secrets of Personal Snapshots and Family Albums

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.

Call today to book your fall session — only a few limited sessions available.

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I have a small illustration to demonstrate one behind-the-scenes segment of my photography business. I hope you find it of interest.

When I talk to you and when you read on my website, my contract, and other print material, and I use the terms “digital negative”, “high resolution”, “edited”, “retouched” it’s important that I clarify what those terms mean. You’ve likely also read in those same places that I take time to edit each and every image. Here is an explanation for what that really means and why I do so.

Many or most images are usually really nice just as they come out of the camera. But those images are RAW, in other words, they are a digital negative. A digital negative can be further enhanced to produce the final product and that’s what I do. It’s really no different than a film negative that then needs to be processed in the dark room. Sometimes the image will need a bit of enhancement by increasing the saturation, perhaps adjusting the clarity or tweak the white balance, and sometimes a bit of added light may add to the overall effect. Here is an illustration of this process showing the before-and-after. The image to the left is my digital negative (straight out of the camera as mentioned above). The same image to the right I took time to examine and retouch in my editing software. The result is a fully retouched image. So even if a client buys a CD from me, it will never be a digital negative but will be a retouched image in high resolution (so it can be printed).

With this image I lightened it up a bit, made a few other minor adjustments, and a tiny bit of a crop. I would have cropped this one quite a bit more but without her hand in the image, the reason for her looking down would not have been apparent so I held back. I could have spent a bit more time and removed some of the distracting background but since the young lady is working on her art, it is apparent she is in her home and not in a studio. But if the background was really cluttered with all kinds of distractions, I would definitely have taken the time to remove it all. Another thing about this example is that technically it would have been much better had the second arm been included in the image and not cut off, but it worked well to show the before-and-after. This is only one image from a regular photo session; there are anywhere from 20-30 and sometimes more proofs to receive this same attention-to-detail for every single photo shoot.

This one image is an example of what I do to each and every image that I select as a proof to post in each client’s gallery of proofs. The same process is necessary so I can have an image printed by my professional print lab or when I provide a disk of images on CD for a client. This is done for every client so the work continues after the initial photo session. So, in other words, every image that a client sees is a fully retouched image. This is also why editing time always takes longer than the actual photo session itself.

It’s for this reason that weddings take so long to process. Imagine taking photos all day and evening and then going through them one-by-one, after they have already gone through the initial elimination process. I must admit that with wedding proofs, it would be a lot easier and much less time consuming to show the proofs as-is and then only do the editing on the images for portraits or to be included in albums. My problem is that I prefer the client sees the final product even if many of those images will never be purchased.

I didn’t mention that, in addition to these edits, I also see certain images that I know will also look great as black & white or may even look better as black & white. In that case, the same process occurs PLUS I convert the image from colour to black & white. Leaving it as-is, is never an option because a straight conversion to black & white always looks very flat. I’ll have to do a demo on the differences in converting to black & white, but that will be another post.

So now when you read on my website or marketing materials, or read in my contract, that you receive a fully retouched image, you have an idea of what that really means. I hope you’ve enjoyed a peek into the behind-the-scenes from after the photo session.

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Photographs Never Forget! Keeping memories alive with custom portraits and albums.

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Many of you, especially my clients, are well aware of my stance on photographing newborns as well as older babies. To repeat what I quote on my website and here on my photo journal, “If you’re interested in things like … hanging newborns in nets … I’m probably not the photographer for you.” There is more to that statement, but that’s the part that applies directly to my philosophy on photographing newborns and other babies. I also am not hung up (sorry for the pun) on insisting that the newborn be photographed in the first 10 days or 2 weeks of his/her little life. Anytime that you are ready is fine with me. Besides I don’t need to mold your newborn into contortions so it doesn’t matter if they are sleeping or wide awake.

Yes, there is a huge trend these days with photographers, and rampant among amateur photographers, taking photos of infants hanging from nets, hanging from trees, and with their delicate hands holding their heads up in a most unnatural and unsafe manner (you know the ones where the babes are propped up on their elbows, head-on-hands). This follows the skillfully recreated Anne Geddes images, which by the way are conducted in a very safe manner (albeit very unnatural) with multiple hands and arms at the ready. Those safety devices and hands/arms are photoshopped out later on, by the way, in the case of Anne Geddes.

My style, as many of you are aware, is entirely different. Sure, I like to create some artistic images but my version of art does not include posing babies in totally unnatural ways. I prefer to focus on the true essence of the people I photograph and that includes infants. With babies I love to capture how they sleep, how they wake up, how they scrunch themselves up, or wrap a finger around mom or dad’s fingers. I love to capture the love or joy in the face of the parents or how they hold their treasured newborn. It’s important to me to capture the real babe, naturally, so that years and decades from now the parents and the child can look back and see (or remember) those special real moments. Not some contrived pose that was the whim of the photographer.

So I won’t pose your baby in some artificial, unreal, or unsafe pose. No poses for me because in the future, those poses will be just that: poses. They won’t reveal the genuine moments, the true essence of your precious newborn. I don’t treat babies like some still life as if they were oranges or pears. They are babies, darling infants you brought into this world, so I aim to capture the beauty and magic of their (and your) real life.

Sure, I’m willing to photograph a baby in a vintage carriage, a laundry basket, or alongside a football (if Dad’s a die-hard football fan), for instance. But I still won’t pose your darling babe; we’ll simply use those props as meaningful tools. That’s why I suggest to the parents to consider something that is meaningful to them and their life so that the prop has true significance. That item could be a special quilt or blanket handmade by a family member, or something of significance to you and/or your spouse, a toy one of you had as a child, or any other item of sentimental value.

My focus, when photographing newborns and other babies (as well as children or adults) is a lifestyle approach. I want you to look back on those photographs and remember that specific moment in a meaningful and heartwarming way; not to look back on it as a photographer who has used your child as still life incorporating some current trend.

If you are soon to give birth or have recently given birth, please contact me and we’ll discuss the types of portraits you envision. I look forward to capturing your new infant’s life in a meaningful and heartwarming way. Together we’ll create a lovely family heirloom you can proudly treasure for years and decades to come.

Ask me about birth photography — capturing the emotions and elation of giving birth.

“Photographs never forget!”

We live in a digital world but that doesn’t mean there is less value in having albums. In the past couple months I have conducted a poll and also have been asking the question to people about whether or not they get their digital images printed. I was shocked at how many people not only didn’t put their photos in self-albums anymore but that most of those people didn’t even get their images printed. Their images remain on hard drives and some are on discs.

I knew there would be some people who don’t get their images printed but had no idea that so few people bother to get their images printed out.

As my business has evolved, I have begun to realize the importance of offering my clients the opportunity to have the images I take of them put into books or albums. When you can bring a tear to someone’s eyes when they see their family in a beautiful album, it doesn’t take too many times to realize how much people do value albums – even in this digital era.

I’m now promoting the use of albums as much as possible. I’m making it easier than ever in my business for people to have a lovely custom created book or album from their photo session. On my Facebook business page I’m also trying to encourage people to get the images they take on their own cameras printed and either placed into an album, or a photo box.

I realize there are armies of amateur photographers ‘out there’ who are doing so-called photo shoots, passing themselves off as pro photographers, and then giving a disk of (usually terribly un-edited) images for people to do with as they please. That’s a shame because they are bastardizing true and quality professional photography. I definitely love that most people have their own camera and take all kinds of photos. That’s excellent! I hope that all the favourite photos on people’s memory cards and hard drives would end up being printed out. Going back to those amateur photographers. Rather than pay an amateur the small amounts they charge (while undercutting true photographers), I would rather people take their own photos or get a friend to take their photos and use their money to get all their images printed out and purchase an album to put them in.

I still love pulling out my parent’s wedding album, my mom’s photo albums, even my own wedding album and flipping through the pages and memories. If we don’t get our pictures printed and put into albums (or photo boxes), what will happen if the hard drive crashes? What will happen if the disks are corrupted or damaged? What will our children and grandchildren have to look through and enjoy? Sure we can still watch the images on slideshows and computer screens but nothing beats having those images in a physical album.

So yes, I do love albums.

In my business, I don’t just give away a disk of images. I do make it possible to purchase some of the digital images but that’s definitely not my priority. I also love creating the custom made albums and books my clients order. It’s a beautiful feeling to hand over a lovely work of art that I know the family will cherish and hand down as a family heirloom.

I hope you will reconsider all those images that are sitting on your hard drive or on disks. Little by little, why not start getting them printed out and placed into albums. It even feels good to hold an album in your hands. Give it a try!

“While many baby photographers do offer the files for sale, many custom photographers don’t. It’s a matter of quality control from start to finish. They realize cutting corners on that is a disservice to their clients.” ~ Lauri Baker, professional photographer.

“Photographs never forget!”

“… why are you trying so hard to fit in, when you’re born to stand out?” ~ Oliver James

My mother always encouraged my individuality and when she wasn’t encouraging it, she faithfully stood back and let me forge ahead to adventure, experiment, and learn from that path. I embraced that same approach when raising my son. My mother wisely valued individualism in its many manifestations. I’m so glad I’ve followed her lead. Individuality comes in many forms, and attempts to squash individuality come in many guises. As a person who makes her living creating art, I am continually finding myself in a position where I am justifying to others the value of art (and photography  – fine custom photography — is art). Art, regardless of the medium, is something that should be valued because it is unique, one-of-a-kind, and therefore has a higher value because of the quality components involved in creating that art. Those components include the person who created the art as well as everything else that goes into its creation.

That brings me to an article I strongly urge you to read. The article “Art and Mass Production” by contemporary artist photographer Roberta Murray, is well worth the 5 minute read. She makes such valid points for all of us to seriously consider. As she concludes in her one page article, “In order for people to believe in and value art, it has to start with educating society on the value and importance of art. But maybe even more than that, it has to start with individuality being valued.”

“The man who follows the crowd will get no farther than the crowd. A man who walks alone is likely to get places no one has ever been before.” ~ Alan Ashley-Pitt

Whether you are purchasing original art (painting, sculpture, custom or fine art photography for example), attending live theatre or dance, or purchasing hand made crafts YOU are supporting art and individuality — bravo.

You know, one of the things I have never liked whether I’m in front of the camera or behind it, are forced poses. I know I’m not alone in this because others I have talked with have said the same thing. I often cruise around Flickr partly because I get inspiration from some of the talented people there but then there are times I really get aggravated by what I see. I just came from Flickr and was tickled pink to see some really delightful images such as this or this or this moment.  But then I came across an image that just about made me want to throttle the person who took the photo. It was one of those forced ‘portraits’. You know the type I mean; when the people in the photo are choreographed where to put every part of their body, what direction to look, and to like it or not. Well the one that absolutely drove me to write this rant is a maternity shot. So many maternity shots are so contrived anyway which is why I don’t care for most of them but this one focused on the mom’s belly and her little boy, maybe 8 or 9-ish, had his hand on her tummy and he wore such a deep facial expression of discomfort and annoyance. I felt so sorry for him. He obviously was entirely uncomfortable touching his mom’s belly in that way PLUS the photographer had him without a shirt! Talk about making the poor kid feel insecure and awkward. That did not look like a warm, spontaneous moment to me that’s for sure; quite the opposite. Just sayin’.

Okay, so you get the idea. I dislike those stiff and unnatural poses so much. My clients never have to endure such things. I’m about making clients feel comfortable and at-ease and getting the real moments, the special interactions that come naturally or spontaneously. While I’m at it, I should also go on record saying that I really dislike those ubiquitous poses of infants where their head is being held up with their bent-backwards hands and other similar unnatural poses like hanging from a net. I love to see or take images of infants showing them naturally, not all contrived into pretzels.

Yes, a photographer will need to give direction and guidance to bring out some of the fun or special moments but it should not be so forced that the people in the resulting image look plastic or in pain. I’m just sayin’.

I don’t like to subject you dear readers to a rant but this just gets my goat, as the tired old saying goes. Never fear; much more uplifting posts are coming next. Oh, and fair warning: I have a few posts lined up so there will likely be one-a-day this week primarily for the ‘biz’, which is the main purpose for this little spot on the ‘net.

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If you would like Diane to take photos of you, your family, or your pets without any forced or contrived poses, contact her to book your session.

So glad you asked about that. I do have specific policies about that included in my “Client Info” tab under “Policies and FAQ” posted above and on my website, as well as in my “Welcome” package that I send to all my clients. I’ll respond with more clarification in this open letter. What I share here pertains to most photographers, not just me.

I love it when clients want to show off their images. That’s why I encourage displaying beautiful prints in your home and office. In this electronic world, the unfortunate thing is that some people assume the moment an image is online, it’s ‘free for the taking’. This confuses me because we don’t think that when farmers display their produce at the market; or clothing retailers hang their designer items on racks; or the local restaurant puts out their lunchtime buffet, that we can simply help ourselves and not pay for what we take. Yet when an artist or photographer displays photos online, some people feel it’s okay to take it.

I sure don’t want to be a big boob here but since you’ve asked the question, I’ll publicly respond with some important considerations. Pull up a chair and your favourite beverage while I begin to unravel the maze of considerations. Just as Maya Angelou says, “If we know better, we do better.” So I’m offering this so everyone will know better and be able to do the right thing.

Here are a few things to know about photographers in general plus my personal policies:

1. Please DO ask your photographer what their policy is regarding taking photographs from their website or blog, if they don’t already have that information posted. Most photographers don’t allow it – I definitely do not allow it. Most photographers use our blogs to promote our work and, as a courtesy to our clients, we also like to share a sneak peek from the recent photo session.

2. Please always remember that © is for copyright (the originator of the work owns the rights to the work whether it is words, images, or music).

3. If your photographer does allow you to use photos from their website or blog, please DO include the full name of your photographer (or the business name), including a link to his/her website – or at the very least to include the url so others can find them. Plain and simple that is a polite courtesy. In essence, the photographer has provided you with a sample to use.

4. I have recently implemented a new policy, specifically to accommodate clients who may want to share images with friends & family in online venues such as Facebook, a private blog, or other social media. With my new policy, for every image that a client orders a beautiful print, I will email a low resolution, watermarked version of that photo suitable for sharing in any social networking site, at no additional fee.

5. When a photographer does provide you with an image(s) for sharing in this way, DO NOT crop out their logo/watermark! In my policies, and with most photographers, it is clearly stated not to manipulate the photos. Removing a logo/watermark is definitely manipulating the photo.

6. Please DO NOT edit the picture. An important part of a photographer’s work is also involved in the darkroom or the digital darkroom. If you are a digital scrap booker or someone who loves to learn and use digital software, that’s great, just don’t experiment with the photographer’s photos. You may think you can do a better job or maybe you are experimenting with things like selective colour, please don’t alter the photographer’s image. Not only is it insulting but, for those who know the photographer took the picture, they will assume the photographer did the digital editing and I can guarantee none of us want our work altered in any way. Alter your own images please.

7. Please DO NOT take scans of a photographer’s photos and then try to print them. Not only is this illegal but the resulting quality is drastically lost and reflects very poorly on the photographer. If you are trying to save money, perhaps you should consider getting a neighbour or relative to take your photos and have them printed at a retail establishment. With custom photography not only are you paying for the considerable amount of time the photographer puts into every session (and editing process) but you’re also paying for expertise, packaging, one-on-one customer service, a higher quality print product, and the costs of doing business.

8. Don’t forget, a professional photographer whether s/he works full time or part time, as I do, is a business person. We have all the costs of doing business that other entrepreneurs have including office supplies, product samples, office equipment, photography supplies and equipment, marketing, insurance, shipping costs, professional development, and a wide range of other expenses. When someone helps themselves to photos we have displayed online, it is no different than shoplifting from our store.

“If we know better, we do better.” ~ Maya Angelou

I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of positive experiences this past year with my clients. I know some photographers are not as fortunate as I have been with some of the experiences they’ve had with their clients, in terms of photo shoplifting. Unfortunately over at Flickr I’m no longer posting photos because of the high incidence of theft.  I’m so glad you asked this of me because it gives me the opportunity to openly share my thoughts and policies with you. Even if you have hired someone else this past year to take your visual keepsakes, I hope you will adhere to the photographer’s policies with respect to the images they display in their online store/gallery. We can’t sell our products and services if we can’t safely display our wares.

That nicely segues into the ideal opportunity for me to thank each and every one of my clients particularly this past year – THANK YOU! My business has grown by leaps and bounds considering I have chosen to keep it as a part time business. I have new and exciting things to offer my clients coming in 2010 and I look forward to capturing more of your special moments through my lens!

This post and all photographs on this blog are Copyright © Diane Schuller. All Rights Reserved. That means it is illegal to copy any part of this or to copy and use any of the photographs for any purpose whatsoever. If you wish to reprint this information, you must contact Diane Schuller to make a request. You are welcome to create a link in your blog or website to this page, however. Thank you for respecting my copyright.

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MORE INFORMATION:

Protect Your Online Images plus  Posting Photos Online (especially of children).

Diane is an on-location natural light photographer serving Edmonton & Grande Prairie, Alberta. Visit Diane Schuller Photography.

As someone who has been writing for a long time I’ve learned that few people value certain talents and services. Perhaps it’s because everyone can write (albeit not very well in many instances) that the public assumes a writer’s worth does not equate in dollars and cents. Writers struggle to get paid and paid fairly. The same obviously applies to photographers. I’ve addressed the situation before in that the digital world has made everyone a photographer (of sorts). In two of the photographer discussion lists I frequent, other photographers have been discussing a photographer’s value. It’s something that concerns me as well so thought it would be worthwhile to share the behind-the-scenes of what photographers do. Whether you’re considering becoming a photographer, someone who has hired or may hire a photographer, or someone who simply  has an interest, this behind-the-scenes peek may come as a surprise.

I’m still considered a fledgling photographer because I’ve only been doing this for pay for two years, and that’s okay with me. What isn’t entirely okay is that some people think a photographer’s rates are out of line. On many of the photo shoots I have been doing I don’t make a profit or the profit doesn’t amount to enough for me to buy a nice lunch somewhere. I guess you could say I’m paying my dues (though my rates will definitely increase in 2010). Now that’s out of the way, let’s open that mysterious door to learn what a photographer does behind the scenes.

• Before beginning a photography business, a lot of training and expertise (whether formally trained or self taught) is necessary.
• Doing research regarding running a business including investigating the local market.
• Purchasing equipment that can easily cost up to $10,000 simply to start; for some photographers it’s as much as $30,000.
• At least one computer with large memory capacity plus multiple external hard drives. (Another significant investment)
• For studio photographers there is a huge cost outlay for lease space plus upkeep.
• For on-location photographers, a well maintained vehicle is a must.
• Office expenses, business licence, insurance, phone, internet fees, etc. (we still haven’t started any photo sessions …)
• Cost of designer to create logo and/or other branding materials.
• Advertising and marketing costs plus the time to plan and prepare all the materials (business cards, postcards, gift certificates, referral cards, brochures, and so on), press releases, and other related tasks.
• A professional photography-focused website to park a portfolio & information regarding the business (if using a designer it can range from $5-15,000; if purchasing a customizable template to create their own website the costs are $250-450 plus annual fees for web hosting and purchase of domain name).
• Optional: a blog (photo journal) for keeping clients, friends, and other photographers abreast of current work, photos, news, and relevant information (although blogs are free, templates such as this one cost a few hundred dollars to purchase).
• So now the photographer has their first client.
• Time is spent responding to questions, sometimes consulting, and sending off printed material either by email or post.
• Once a date is agreed upon, a deposit is required to hold the date. A file is started, calendar is updated.
• Follow up with client prior to session date, partly as a reminder but also to answer any additional questions they may have. Prepare paperwork for day of session (standard model release, contract, receipt for final payment of session, business cards, etc.
• For on-location photographers doing outdoor sessions, follow the weather forecasts (in the event an alternative indoor location is required).
• Charge camera batteries, ensure there are sufficient formatted memory cards for the session, be certain the vehicle is fueled up, and go over checklist (for everything needed to take to the photo session).
• Day of session, pack up gear and paperwork, then drive to location. (In my case, I travel no less than one hour one-way to do photo sessions; often further.)
• Take care of paperwork, get acquainted, and use those photography skills to capture as many special moments as possible for the client. This dedicated one-on-one creative session takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours on average, though some can take longer.
• Drive back to home office. (Again, in my case this is a minimum one hour drive one-way; often further.)
• Download all images to photo software on computer and back up files (this takes approximately 30-45 minutes, or more if it was an event).
• Review all images to begin sorting the wheat from the chaff (this is round one).
• Return to photos and begin to get ruthless with eliminating images that don’t meet the mark for whatever reason. This can take at least an hour, depending on how ruthless a photographer may be in this process. I spend more time with this process since I’m keeping the client in mind and what I feel/hope they are specifically wanting or expecting as I work through every individual image.
• Upload a few sneak peek images to the photo journal (blog) and email client so s/he can have a peek at a couple samples from the shoot.
• In between other sessions, marketing, bookkeeping, other paperwork, phone calls, emails, etc. begin the editing and processing of images. More images may be eliminated during this process as well but primarily time is spent on every single image, enlarging it on screen and checking on details. Some photos may require some colour correction or other minor edits, and others may be run through the digital darkroom to try out a few conversions to black & white, sepia, vintage, or other artistic techniques. This is all done for providing a variety of proofs for the client to view so they may make selections for purchasing prints or other products. This step takes hours and varies with every photo session (and much longer for sessions that include a group). Every session is unique, every client is unique, so the photographer attempts to provide products that will please the client.
• Once the hours of editing and processing are complete, it’s time to upload all the digital proofs to the website for the client to view. Uploading proofs is time consuming dependent upon how many proofs are presented (say 30 minutes or more).
• While at the website it is also necessary to create the custom client area (for each client) and settings which can take about 15 minutes or so, depending upon how a website is set up.
• Contact the client to advise that the proofs are online for their viewing plus provide instructions, ordering details, etc. and answer any questions that may arise.
• Now the waiting begins, anticipating the client will not only be delighted with the visual keepsakes you’ve created but that they will place an order.
• Once an order is placed, payment is received and processed. Then the photographer prepares the selected images for submitting to the professional photo lab (not a local drug store or one-hour service). Depending upon the items ordered and the number of different items, preparing and submitting the images to the professional lab can easily take another hour.
• When the photographer receives the fulfilled order, the photographer must take time to check the prints & other products against the client’s order to ensure all the items are correct, and as originally placed.
• The photographer then prepares and packages the order (the packaging is yet another cost to the photographer). For items that are mailed to the client, the package must be then prepared for mailing by post by being placed in the appropriate photo packaging mailers (two more expenses: postage + shipping packaging). These 2 steps take up to an hour.
• The photographer then either mails the package to the client or delivers (more cost and time) it personally.
• I took the time to calculate and I spend 15 1/4 hours on one photo session (yes, just one). That’s $4.92 per hour and no reimbursement for my gas (and I throw in a complimentary 8 x 10 on top of that so now you can deduct a couple hours pay as well).
• The photographer provides this level of quality and service because they are professional at what they do (and maybe half crazy too)
• So, how much is all that worth in terms of dollars and cents?

At the top of this photo journal in the dark grey menu bar I have a tab titled, “Check These Out” and the second item listed alphabetically is “Consumer’s Guide to Custom Photography” or “Why are Professional Photographers So Expensive?” I recommend reading either of those articles as part two of my harangue. Coming from someone other than me, may ease the news a wee bit or at least back me up

I hope you aren’t too exhausted after peeking behind this door. Feel free to drop a tip in the donation jar on the other side of the door and thanks so much for your kind attention.

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Copyright © Diane M. Schuller. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy or use without permission. Feel free to link to this post if you’d like to share the information.

{This will be much longer than most of my posts, due to the nature of the subject. I must also warn that this was written with my own personal views and, as you’ll discover, I have some strong opinions on this topic.}

As soon as we post a photo online, it’s out there, a sitting duck for anyone who may wish to do so, to come and grab a copy of it and use it for who-knows-what purpose. It happens and it happens more on certain sites than others. This is particularly important to be aware of if we are posting photos of children and you can guess why that is. In this digital world photos are easily manipulated in ways that I will leave to your imagination. I wrote a post earlier this year about protecting your online images and, if you haven’t read it, that may be an ideal starting point in realizing how often & easy it is to steal other people’s photos. You’ll notice that in the past year or more all the photos I upload either have my watermark or have the copyright © symbol attached (Notice how big and almost obnoxious it is? That’s intentional). This doesn’t necessarily stop someone from stealing it but it makes more work for someone who might be wanting the photo. I also have the right click disabled although people can still take screen shots if they really want to grab a photo. Even though this is totally illegal and against all copyright laws, people do this kind of thing everyday. I’ve already gone slightly off track. Let’s talk about posting photos of children online, specifically about posting them at public photo sharing sites such as Flickr.

I admit that I did post a few photos of children on my Flickr account. I never used to but earlier this year I began to think it couldn’t be that bad. Each time (and that was only 5 or 6 total photos) I did not add tags and was very careful about the title I attached. Why, you wonder? Because those creeps out there who are looking for photos of children to put on their website, to manipulate the photos in ways that are disgusting, search using the keywords many people put in their tags: child, children, baby, toddler, kids, bath time, girl, boy, and so on. Those creeps also go to public sites such as Flickr, in particular, because there are thousands of photos of children posted free for the taking, many of which are tagged. They can find them anyway even if they’re not tagged but they have to work a bit harder to get around that — but they do. When they go to Flickr, for example, they also head straight to the Groups where thousands of images in one subject area (kids, women, babies, etc.) exist and make it so easy to pick and choose whatever they want.  The reason I have pointed out Flickr is because it’s a known ‘playground’ for these people who steal photos for any purpose but that includes weirdos who want photos of children. They also know that there are public places (such as Flickr) where the pickings are easy and plentiful so they tend to go for the easy fishing holes. After all, why head out into the big wide ocean (or Internet) when you know there are these great spots where there are so many fish you can actually pick and choose?

So, if you’re going to stick with using a public photo sharing site, there are ways to make it less easy (notice I didn’t say hard) to access photos of your children. You can change your settings (but this is NOT foolproof) so the images are not public but only available to friends or family. It’s really important to leave titles blank or not to use titles that say things like “Timmy in the tub” or “Baby Brenda bare on the rug” — you get the idea. Avoid tagging the images especially with some of the words/phrases I mentioned earlier in this post. Don’t post images in Groups at Flickr. Check every single person who “follows you” or becomes “a contact”: if they don’t have images, block them; if they have questionable images, block them. Don’t post images of children posed in adult-like poses. I have seen two different ‘photographers’ on Flickr who have posted photos of children (theirs, I think) and they have them posed in seductive Hollywood-like poses — I’m talking toddlers and elementary aged children. It’s disgusting in my view but talk about tempting the weirdos. Or, you can do as I’ve done and remove every single photo of a child from Flickr.

Is there a safe online place? No. But if you’d like to have a way of sharing your children’s photos, why don’t you simply email a few to grandparents, aunts & uncles, or friends? Or better yet, mail a few prints to them. Consider avoiding these sites altogether and burn photos to CD and mail it to family & friends. If you really, really want to have an online spot for your child’s photos there are places that are less dense in terms of numbers and that require password protection. That is likely what I would suggest as an alternative to the public photo sharing sites. For anyone who has a Mac for instance, you can use the online gallery (MobileMe) with the password protection turned on (again, don’t tag them) and make the url available only to grandparents, relatives, and close friends. Also, change that password from time to time; don’t use the same one all the time. Password protection is a help but it definitely is NOT foolproof either. If you don’t have a Mac then seek out a place where you at least have the password protection for people to view the photos such as FamiPix, but there are others out there. (By the way my personal view is that I am adamantly against the use of Facebook for photos of any kind. But that’s a long topic all by itself.)

One quick note about blogs. If you post photos of your children on your blog, be sure you are (daily) checking your comments and those who are linking to you. Get savvy in realizing that many of these creeps attach themselves to blogs by saying things like “Love your site” “what great information” “I’ll come back” and other smarmy, flattering things. Many are spelled incorrectly, some aren’t using proper English (though some do), many use women’s names (that are surely false btw), but they are a bad kind of spam. Many of them are ‘feeder’ blogs (linking to you and linking to ___ ). Get rid of them! I have visited some of your blogs and have seen these in your comments; I’ve even given a hint in my comments, so hope the hint was caught. Be careful because this sort of spam is for sites that don’t respect children, if you understand what I mean. Don’t be flattered — that’s what they are counting on; check them out, thoroughly.

So now, some of you are wondering about why I post photos of children here on my photo journal. I’m not alone and you’ll find that nearly all photographers who photograph children and families, do post those images on their websites and blogs. These are harder to find for those weirdos out there because they go where the fishing is thick and easy. Would they or could they grab a photo from a photographer’s site? They could, but ours are harder to locate in terms of tags but also harder to capture (unless they do screen shots). It’s so much easier for them to head to those public places where they can pick and choose and help themselves so easily, I doubt they head off into deep water much at all. And then they have to get rid of the watermarks and so on … it’s so much easier to head to their favourite fishing hole (Flickr and Facebook public pages).

There’s more to discuss about this topic but I hope this gives people food for thought. Feel free to share these thoughts with others or to send the url of this post to others. Get a discussion going. Consider safer ways to share photos of your children. I think a lot of grandparents, in particular, would prefer to get actual snapshots of their grandchildren in the mail rather than those online glimpses. {Yes, I practice what I preach: although I do email a few photos to family, I regularly have images of the grandkids printed and send them in the mail! Who doesn’t love to receive mail?}

Recommended Resource:

“How Safe are Photo-Sharing Websites?” this addresses another important aspect of safety ( I recommend printing this article out and sharing the url with others so they can do the same. )

UPDATE (July 2010) FYI: The same principle now applies to posting photos on Facebook. Those same creeps who have been using the thick pool of photos-in-one-place for stealing photos of kids, babies, or women are now doing the exact same thing with Facebook. That is why I deleted my Facebook business page earlier this year and now only have a personal page for friends-only (and I have NO photos posted there either).

When I was little I used to love going for Sunday afternoon drives in the country. Imagine doing that with some old car that was simply good enough to get around, but letting the top down allowing the wind to mess up your hair and to experience the sights, smells, and sounds that are out there. The experience is enriched not by the car you’re in, but by your involvement and how you deal with what comes your way. (Even if what comes your way is an occasional bug, a bit of rain, a dust storm, or perhaps you’ll simply enjoy the pleasures of spring air and bird song.)

You know how so many photography blogs and photography networks have a focus on what gear the photographer uses? Initially this intimidated me but, not for long. I’ll admit I do have a wish list of lenses and a camera that I plan to add to my arsenal but I’m definitely not hung up on the fact I don’t have the highest end camera or a vast array of lenses and other photographic paraphernalia. I wrote about this several months ago, saying how I work with what I have and feel quite strongly that the value of a photographer is not measured by the camera s/he has or the gear in the bag.

Thanks to a twitter from Shelli Pabis, I was directed by curiosity to a short blog post by another photographer. It was really just common sense but when I read his third suggestion, I could have jumped out of the screen and given the guy a great big hug and a tweak on the cheek. He began by stating outright, “Don’t get hung up on gear.” No kidding! He is so absolutely correct and this is how I feel, in spades.

I encourage you not to judge yourself or others by their gear. Gear does not a photographer make, to use a play on an old cliche. Just think about some of the photographers a hundred years ago for instance — many made their mark in history based on their images and the skill with which they used those old clunky cameras. It was the photographer — the person behind the lens — that made the difference. How you use your camera and equipment together with an artistic eye is far more important than what equipment you have. In fact, I firmly believe a person is better off not going out and buying this-or-that lens or some high end camera until you are so adept at getting the most out of your current equipment that you can make it walk on water. Well, almost.

In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that some photographers who upgrade to a higher end camera and buy the lens-of-the-month, are doing themselves no favours (unless they first are getting absolutely every bit possible out of their current camera & equipment). All too often, the photographer relies upon the camera or the lens to do the work rather than progressing & developing their own skill level. I sure wouldn’t want to drive a car that was real pretty, had all the newest bells and whistles, but the guys didn’t bother to build a good set of brakes, drive train, and motor underneath before dressing it up with the pretty stuff — would you?

Yes I sometimes drool when I see images taken with a macro lens and often get a case of macro-envy. I don’t have a macro lens and likely won’t get one for a very long time in the future. In the meantime, I’m squeezing every bit out of my little Nikon and am proud of what I’m able to do with that little camera. I continue to stretch my capabilities — wringing every bit out of my lowly camera by experimenting & learning all that I can about every possible setting, bits of available light, exposure combinations, and moving targets to boot. I’ll upgrade my equipment — eventually, little by little. But what’s the hurry? I’m learning more and more as I tinker ‘under the hood’ of my little Nikon.

Sure, I can see making the jump from a point-and-shoot to a DSLR if a person is wanting to get more serious about their photography, but to go out and buy a top end Canon, Nikon, or whatever or the lens-of-the-month, that’s where I believe it’s better to keep the dollars in your pocket and take that little camera for some fun test rides! Take that camera for a drive in the country, with the top down (both metaphorically and literally).

{{UPDATE: Since this was originally posted, I have upgraded my camera though I continue to use my little Nikon as a dynamite back-up camera. As with all photographers, my photo accessories continue to grow. The general idea here should be emphasized in that it’s not the equipment but the person behind the lens and how they use the equipment that really makes the difference! Enjoy.}}

Diane is an on-location freelance photographer based near Grande Prairie, serving all points in Alberta plus northern BC. Visit Diane Schuller Photographs.