Stacy Francis Blog &raquo; Modern.Fresh.Fun photos and silliness for everyday life

SFP now available on smart phones

05.23.10

I’ve been using an iPhone since a few months after they were released (and yes I’m still using the original, weighs a ton, doesn’t get good reception and doesn’t have any fun features like video phone that I started with). I was so excited to get my hands on one of these amazing devices, ahh the freedom. No more having to tote along a laptop if I was going to be gone over night just so I could promptly respond to emails, now I could do it from the ease of a tiny little device. Now I could sit in the pick-up line at school and keep up with Facebook, Twitter and the general happenings of the world, instead of pouring over the latest celebrity gossip in a magazine (come on admit it, you do it it too…). The only drawback I found was my website because it is flash based was not iPhone friendly. I wasn’t really sure what that would mean other than I couldn’t access my site if I had just met a potential client to show them all of the information and my web portfolio, but I knew I was disappointed that smart phone users would be missing out. Recently I came across a program that would allow me to create a miniature version of my website and with a few lines of recoding voila, I now have a smartphone friendly website. It’s not a full version of the website, but does showcase some portraits and has all of the important information listed. So if you’re a smartphone user go take a look, all you have to do is put in stacyfrancisphotography.com and you’ll automatically be redirected to the mobile version. Because I’m so excited about this everyone that takes a look please take a screen shot (iPhone users hold down the home button then press and release the “sleep” button to grab a screen shot) and email it to me at info@stacyfrancisphotography.com, all email submissions received by Monday at 6:00Pm will be thrown into a drawing for a free portrait session. Winner will be announced on Facebook tomorrow night.

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Are digital files included in my session fee?

05.18.10

A great article that explains why many photographers choose to not sell or give away the digital negatives from a session. Originally posted on http://www.babyphotographers.com/, written by the very talented Lauri Baker (http://www.lauribakerphotography.com/)

Surely you’ve noticed an increase in the number of photographers giving away digital files. As a customer, should you expect them to be for sale? Why don’t all photographers include them in the session fee for free, or at least make them affordable? Don’t the files belong to you anyway?

Federal copyright law is very clear about image ownership. They belong to your photographer, who has the sole right to print, display, and sell them. You should expect the price of files, if available, to compensate your photographer for her work and talent. Baby photographers don’t always sell a large package up front like wedding photographers. Instead, most charge a session fee that just covers some costs of providing the shoot. We rely on print sales as our sole source of income. The digital images are the key to those print sales. This is good for you. It means I have to do a good job for you, or I won’t get paid.

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.

Almost all of the file inquiries I get stem from an attempt to get my work for cheap…to get my vision, but to skip out on buying prints from me. Or from a misconception that digital is cheaper to produce than film. It’s not. The equipment is much more expensive, replacements are necessary more often, and the workflow, maintenance, troubleshooting, and constant education requirements make digital much more expensive.

Even at that, the real value of digital files comes not from the cost, but what the files contain: the work and artistry that prompted you to choose that photographer. If you purchase files, expect to pay a price that values the work, and is sustainable for the photographer. You want her to still be in business when your new baby starts sitting up. Or walking. Or when your family grows.

If you’re just looking for average portraits, you don’t care about prints or a long-term photographer, cheap photography is available in abundance on places like Craigslist and all the mommy boards. You can have a session and all the files for cheap. But for good baby photography, the important things to look for are artistry, print quality, experience with babies, safety, and service. Not the availability or price of digital files.

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Addison ~ Newborn Portraits { Stacy Francis Photography }

05.18.10

Meet Addison, isn’t she so sweet! This little darling came in with her big brother and sister to have portraits taken. I’ve been fortunate enough to watch big sister and big brother grow up from newborns to toddlers to being sweet children. Addison was a sleeper, until she showed up at the studio, but a quick run of the vacuum and she was out like a light (for a little while any way!). I love how I caught her nearly smiling in one of her portraits. I’m sure that was the one right after she peed on me(don’t worry, this happens often when you have a naked newborn, I’m used to it!).

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