Like pretty much with everything I do, I am going to be honest with everyone. Mentoring was a lot of work. A lot more work than I was prepared for.

I really liked meeting new photographers, helping them grow their business and watching them become more successful. But the root of everything I do is photography – my business, my love for all of this. So if I were to be one of those photographers that stopped shooting because I was too busy teaching, I would be denying myself the one thing that keeps me passionate about this industry: taking photographs. We couldn’t maintain the pace of 4 new photographers every month, because we had our own clients and businesses to run.

So that’s one reason why this blog died down. The other is that it’s hard to work with one of your best friends. Danna and I are such close friends, we think so much alike. But we also are women that run our own businesses and are not exactly used to working with a partner with equal input. It was difficult for both of us to work with someone else, and we did have a lot of different ideas. What I like best about us though, is that we actually sat down and figured out together that this particular way of doing things wasn’t going to work. We both agreed that our friendship was too important to risk.

So that brings us to now. We’re teaching together locally, just some basic camera classes for moms. We still enjoy mentoring, and you can contact us separately if you’re interested in learning more about private mentoring with either of us. We are also still just as close friends as we were before (whew!). I’d still like to have this blog around – mostly because we STILL get comments and emails about the 25 Biggest Mistakes post. And I still love talking photography. I still love sharing ideas about new products, websites, etc. So I’d like to still post here. I’d like Danna to still post here because she has a zillion great ideas and oftentimes we get a great yin/yang thing going. But we just can’t do the mentoring at the pace we were doing, the way we were doing it.

Feel free to pop us an email if you want to chat about photography, have questions or ideas, or anything really.
Email Brandy
Email Danna

and you can always visit our blogs:
www.freshsugarblog.com
www.bowesphotography.ca/blog

I worked with Big Folio which just happens to be THE best website company I have worked with. I had originally hired a custom website designer, and that experience didn’t really work out. It left me a little bit broke, and a little bit disappointed in myself, because I felt like I had no idea what I wanted. I erroneously thought that custom website designer meant they would come up with the design for you – but you need to have ideas and know what you like – and I just wasn’t there. Yet.

When I saw Big Folio’s Artist Series, I knew exactly what I wanted. I loved the flexibility of the design – it reminds me of the ProPhoto Blog template that I also love, just because there are so many ways to customize it to make your site unique. I was thrilled because it was *like* a custom site, but already done, and at template prices.

I’m not sure where to start with the love, so I will just dive right in. I’ve used other templates for my website throughout the years, and either the design was lacking, the backend was confusing or the customer service was absolutely scary. With a Big Folio site, it’s basically idiot-proof. It tells you how to size your images, how to upload them (right through the site – no ftp’ing necessary), how to arrange them in the galleries (drag and drop, hurrah!) and pretty much how to change every aspect of your site. If you do have problems with figuring something out, support tickets are answered crazy fast. I don’t think I ever waited more than a few hours for an answer. Seriously.
If you’ve used some other companies, you know how unheard of this is.

One of the things I was most wary of was the fact that you have to host with them to have a site. I was happy with my hosting (GoDaddy) but I have to say that I have been equally happy with my hosting at Big Folio. They are so willing to help – it’s fantastic to be able to ask someone how to do something, or even have them do it for you!

After working with a custom designer, I am also now very appreciative of how affordable website templates truly are. My site has video included, tons of galleries and pages – all which are separate costs when going custom. Those costs add up fast, and it makes it harder to truly have your “dream” site. I might someday again try custom, but I will be sticking with Big Folio when that time comes. It’s a great company with amazing ideas and fantastic people.

Those fantastic people are offering readers a discount code: BFSAVE50 will save you $50 on a new site! Their prices are super reasonable, but not super cheap (meaning not every new photographer on the block will have the same site as you – a big plus!)

So go take a look at my new site: www.freshsugar.com and tell me what you think! If you get yourself a Big Folio site, let us know – we would LOVE to see what you’ve done with it!

Make sure you take a look to see all the awesome things you can do with her actions, and see some gorgeous photography to boot.
www.ashleymcnamara.com

Shawna Toth from Small Wonder gives us some great tips:

Slideshows, montages, photo DVDs. Taking still images and turning them into a dynamic presentation. It is a great way to present edited photos to clients. There are a few things to consider before getting creative with your slideshow. The most important thing to keep in mind? Don’t get carried away with the graphics and transitions. The purpose of the photo slideshow is to showcase your images, not the capabilities of your editing software.

The Basics:

Make each image 5-8 seconds long.

Use 1-2 second dissolves almost all of the time.

Transitions: Just because they exist does not mean you should use them. The clock, blinds, the sawtooth…video editors refer to these as “cheesy wipes” for a reason. There can be a time and place for them, but generally, they take away from the images they are between.

Graphics: Again, not necessary, and probably do more harm than good. Unless there is information that must be conveyed to the client within the slideshow, stay away from words and graphic images on the screen.

Adding interest to your slideshow:

Add slight motion to the photos. A small amount in one direction will add to the slideshow without becoming distracting. If every image is panning and zooming, it can be too much. Movement on 2 out of 3 photos is more than enough.

Put 2 images side by side. This can work especially well for comparison purposes, if you have 2 portrait oriented photos that are similar but obviously different. ie: one is black and white, or the same pose but different facial expression.

Background colour can add to a slideshow. Go with black or white, and keep it simple. Texture, moving backgrounds and bright colours will make people look at the background, not the images.

Add a simple, sleek, small frame to each photo. Again, don’t go overboard with a thick, wood-grained frame. A thin white line over a black background will make the image stand out.

The purpose of your slideshow is to have your clients get a sense of the beautiful images you have created for them. Use the video format to enhance those images by keeping things simple, consistent and smooth.

So, when can you use those “cheesy” transitions and graphics? Next time someone asks you, as a favour, to take photos of their friend’s stagette, or make a montage of old photos for college graduation, go crazy! Or just send them to me…

Shawna Toth (Video Editor)

www.Small Wonder.ca

The winners were chosen completely subjectively – basically they were ones that I really liked the creative ideas that were behind them.

The first winner did an amazing job of capturing the feeling of being left out of a group. I love love love this photo.
Jamie from Ever After Photography wins a set of actions from Ashley McNamara! Jamie, please send me your email address!

And the other winner just tickled me with all of her fun ideas for the Scooby gang.
Congratulations Kayla Bate!, you win The Photo Book! Please send me your mailing address!

We have a surprise giveaway tomorrow, so check back to see how to win!

We have two fun prizes this time, first is The Photo Book. If you are new to photography or self-taught, you would be amazed to learn just how much you DON’T know about the history of photography. This book is full of amazing photos from incredible photographers from the mid-19th century to today. It’s a really neat book, so if you don’t have it already go shoot some toys so you can get it!

The second super awesome prize we have is a set of actions from the talented Ashley McNamara. If you’re not following her blog . . . well, I can’t even imagine that. That’s just crazy talk. Of course you are following her blog. How else would you get the best Photoshop tutorials around and see some amazing photography? Since you’re already following her, you must be really wishing you had her action set by now. She was generous enough to give away a set to a challenge winner here on Two Photogs, so wish no more!

To finish up this post, I’m including my attempt at toy photography from this past weekend. It was lots more fun, yet a bit harder than I expected. I think I’m kind of addicted though, because it was my daughter’s birthday on Saturday and I was eyeing up all her new toys, lol! Next attempt I will try to set up more elaborate scenes with more storytelling.

When we found this blog a couple of months ago, we were immediately engaged. What a cool idea, to take pictures of TOYS!
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/40-brilliant-creative-examples-of-toy-figure-photography/

As moms, we have plenty of toys around the house just waiting to play subject in a creative portrait. Toys are small enough to be shot indoors or out, and it’s a lot easier to create complex sets for them with the simplest of items.

If you want more inspiration, take a look through Flickr – it’s chock full of amazing toy photography.
Here’s just a few groups we found that sparked our interest:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/danbo-love/pool/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/travellingtoys/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/secretlifeoftoys/

We’ll be announcing the prizes for this challenge next week, and the winners will be announced on April 20th. Contest closes at 5pm ET April 19th. Blog your photos and then come back here and post the link in the comments section.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with – enjoy this challenge and get creative!

I’ve been using Moo for some cool uses of my own for the past year. Because my business name is not my actual name, I need to find ways for people to associate my own name with Fresh Sugar Photography. One of the ways I do it is with a Moo sticker on the bag of each print. I signed my name using my Wacom and made it into a cute little sticker. This way I am letting my clients know that they have purchased one-of-a-kind artwork, and I am also keeping my own name in their minds, as well as my business name.

I use the Moo MiniCards as a way to incorporate new faces into my portfolio. I made “you’ve been spotted” cards to give out anytime I see a child or family that I would love to photograph. They are cute and fun, and a less-creepy way of saying “Are you a model?”.

I also ordered sets of cards for myself and Danna before WPPI. At $19.99 for 100 cute little cards, it was the perfect solution for small run needs. The cards are seriously yummy, so thick and sturdy – you won’t believe them until you see them. Plus, you can have 100 different images on 100 different cards. So cool!

So if all of this hasn’t convinced you to give Moo a try, then how about a discount on your first order? Moo is generously giving our readers 15% off their first Moo order. Use code 2RB2CK at checkout, and anxiously await your order! You’ll love their packaging too, totally cute!

We have a ton of blog posts coming up in the next couple of weeks, tackling things like competition and jealousy, cool ways to use Moo.com and an Inspiration Challenge that I am so personally excited about that I can’t stop thinking about it!

We’re also working on another side project (I know, like we aren’t busy enough), mentoring some amazing women (with more to come next week!), and gearing up for a very busy spring season in our portrait businesses.

Another thing we wanted to let everyone know is that the next round of mentoring is now sold out. We might be doing another in May, so if you are interested, please let us know by emailing me at brandy@twophotogs.com and asking to be put on the waiting list.
Our waiting list gets first dibs on the mentoring spots, which is why they sell out so quickly.

So look forward to the next couple of weeks where we will have a new project announced, a new Inspiration Challenge, new posts about cool things, and even some new partnerships with some awesome companies and blogs!

Our next session is scheduled to start on April 5th! The most exciting news about our new session is that we’ve decided to open it up to local photographers. We had always felt a bit weird about not including everyone in this mentoring, but felt it was just something we should do to protect our businesses. After much consideration, we have decided that it’s important to us to be as open as possible to anyone who wants our help.

Registration is now full. Please visit the contact page to send us an email to get on the waiting list.

Once you have registered and submitted payment, your account will be set up and it will be activated on April 4th.

Here’s what our past mentorees have been saying about our program:

“I am SO impressed with the mentoring program so far! In just one week I have been given enormous amounts of insight into what I need to do to get my business headed in the right direction. I am already feeling more confident in my ablilities as a photographer and I am extremely grateful to both Danna and Brandy for being so open and willing to share their knowledge with me. This program has been worth every penny, and I can’t wait to see what I learn in the second half!”

“The mentoring program has been fantastic. Both Brandy and Danna have been very open about their businesses and techniques and was works for them. The information they have given regarding products, equipment, and techniques has been excellent. The program is well designed to make you re-examine how you are doing things and where you should be going. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to take their photography or business to the next level.”

“I have been very impressed by the structure of the mentor program with Brandy and Danna. They immediately led me on my rebranding journey, that I so desperately needed and with a detailed portfolio/website review, I was well on my way. They are more than generous with their time and information for what they think will work for my business as well as the choices they have made within their own. With one more week left, I know I will walk away from this very special opportunity with new vision, confidence and validation not only as a professional photographer, but also as a successful business owner.”

“I have learned a lot of specific things about the technical side, and love seeing how other photographers work and see the workflow, just to confirm that I’m on the right track and to make sure my clients are getting the best product out of me”

And here is more information about our program:

Who is it for?

Anyone who is wanting to take their business to the next level and develop a style and brand that will get you there. You could be struggling with the business side of things, getting the clients you want and the sales you deserve. Maybe you are a natural light photographer wanting to learn studio lighting or a studio photog wanting to learn natural light. You might be tired of being intimated by light, or you want to do on-location sessions but don’t know what to do once you are in your client’s home. Or maybe you are just a fan of Danna and/or Brandy’s work and want to know “how they do it”. It’s like a tailor-made workshop specifically for YOU!

Topics we will cover:
Style
Creativity
Lighting
Pricing
Marketing
Branding
Maternity & Newborns
Boudoir
Fusion Slideshows
Social Networking
Products and Sales
Workflow

Who isn’t it for?
This is NOT a workshop to learn how to use your camera. You must have working knowledge of your DSLR and basic photography skills.

What is the price?
The price is $1250 USD.

What do you get?
You get 3 weeks worth of knowledge and help, from two photographers with over 15 years of combined business experience. Nothing is off limits to ask. You will receive weekly topics, questions and guidance and a personal portfolio/website review. Also included are 6 professional videos that you can view online to see us in action in a maternity, newborn and baby session as well as photoshop videos to see our post-processing.
Plus amazing vendor discounts, a pricing calculator, posing guides, lighting diagrams and more!

This isn’t a workshop or a class. While we will have PLENTY to teach you and assignments for you to complete, our focus is coaching you and your business and making our help as specific to you as possible. We will do everything in our power to help you succeed. Think of us as your personal cheering section – we want only the best for you and when you are done with your mentoring you will be ready to soar! Before starting your mentoring, think about the areas of your business that you would like to work on, and some specific questions/problems you want to discuss. The mentoring can only be successful if you are willing to commit the time to work on your business and your photography. We will be checking in daily with you (except on weekends which is when we hold our client sessions) throughout the program and expect you to try to do the same.

How many spots are there?
There are only 5 spots for each 3 week session. We want to give personalized and specific mentoring to each person.

How will it work?
We have something very new and very cool to use for our online mentoring. It’s a way to communicate privately with each person and give feedback daily. We can’t wait to show you all! We have also developed a small forum where you can chat with others and keep chatting after your 3 weeks mentoring is over.

Why online? Why no workshops?
We are super-busy running successful photography businesses. We get a LOT of emails asking questions about mentoring and workshops, and this was the only way we could fit it into our schedules at this time. It also saves you the hassle of finding childcare, and paying the added expenses of flight and hotel. We’re also going to talk *with* you, not at you.

-Brandy & Danna

http://www.twophotogs.com