What to Wear

She says:

Guys – for the love of all that’s holy, keep your clothes on unless you have a good reason for them to be off. Relaxed pic at the beach, you get a pass, bathroom selfie with your shirt pulled up, NO. You might as well kiss your biceps while you’re at it (actually if you manage to do that ironically you get a pass, too. Maybe.) This rule might or might not apply if you are looking for a casual hookup but even then…at least don’t make it your first pic. Ladies – does it really matter? We all know you will get a few gross messages and unwanted pics of his lil’ friend even if you wear a snuggie. What applies for both: wear what you would normally wear. If you are dressed up to the nines for your dating profile and the first date but are generally more at home in a hoodie and jeans, then there’s no point hiding that and vice versa. And if you have different styles and like to mix it up, show it in a range of pics!

He says:

Girls, how you dress is how you want to be treated. Us boys love it when you show off your looks, but show to much and it says something about you. Conversely, if all your pics are of you in large hooded sweaters that come across as a bit too reserved. And ladies, if you see a topless guy pic swipe right or left. Whichever way it is you swipe to say no f**ng way.
Fellas, nothing wrong with a t-shirt and shorts if that is who you are. But maybe add one of you dressed somewhat well to show girls that you can clean up.

Less Is More But Too Little is Worse

She says:

You should have at least 3-4 pictures in different scenarios. One where your face is clearly visible and the focus, one where your full body is visible, and a couple more can’t hurt. If you have more than six pictures I would probably get the impression that you REALLY like looking at yourself.

He says:

Yes, show a fill length. I went out on a date once with a girl that had only headshots for her profile. When we met in person, I found out why she only had face pics. We didn’t have a second date. I’ve had some great relationships with girls who had some shape to them, but by hiding it in a profile picture, it is just a turn-off. Big and proud, skinny and pretty, it doesn’t matter people, just be who you are and be happy about it.

To Smile, or Not to Smile

She says:

Guys – absolutely do smile, at least in your first picture, you can do the smoulder in the later ones. Dark, brooding and mysterious might get the girl in books and on TV, but in real life we are worried about being murdered on a first date (yes, really), and a nice open smile can go a long way to making you look less murdery. It should be a natural smile though – if the best you can do is a toothy grimace that does not reach your eyes, you will look MORE like a serial killer, not less.

He says:

Just be natural. That is why you are hiring us, we will get you to relax and look your best. Smile or no smile. What we do best is relaxed and natural!

Group Photos

She says:

The wooooooorst! “Hey I’m talking to this guy online, wanna see a picture?” “Sure – which one is he?” “Not sure but I hope the one on the right!” Worst case scenario here, obviously: you are NOT the one on the right.

Group pics are fine, but again, it should not be your first picture so it’s clear which one are you (and also if it’s one of those unfortunate pics where everyone else looks like they still have it somewhat together but you look close to falling over, pick a different one.) Also, avoid pictures with your ex (we already compare ourselves to others, we don’t want to start before we even meet you), and even worse, pictures where you have clearly cut your ex out of the pic and a lonely arm is still snuggled up to you out of nowhere…no matter how good you looked in that rented tux at the wedding you attended together, that just makes you look sad and like you’re not over them – if you were, you’d have newer pictures!

 

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He says:

Always start with a pic of just you. Too many pictures of you and your friends say, that you are trying too hard to show how fun you are and how many friends you have. We know you have friends, everyone does. We can meet your friends as the relationship progresses. And yes, instant turn off is when I see a dating profile of a girl with pics of her and a person who looks like an ex-boyfriend. I know that you were in relationships before me and pictures of you with the ex just make me think you are still into the guy.

Selfies

She says:

I suppose they are kind of unavoidable if you have no friends who can take a decent picture of you but, ugh. At least don’t take it in the bathroom? And does anybody still does the duckface thing – if yes, please don’t, it’s called duckface for a reason, and have you ever looked at a duck and thought “I’d tap that”? (By the way, if the answer to this question is “yes” then you might reconsider online dating, and your life choices.) See above for “to smile or not to smile”.

He says:

Whenever I walk down the street and see someone with a selfie stick I want to smack it out of there hands. Just hand your phone to someone. Or, even better, put it away and look at the world around you with your own eyes. When I see selfies on profile pictures I just think “someone obsessed with themselves. “Look at me! No really LOOK AT ME!”

So what SHOULD I do?

She says:

I can’t speak for everyone but here’s what would appeal to me:

• 1^st pic: a picture where I can clearly see the face, with a non-creepy smile, not blurry, not half-covered, clear and open and RECENT. I have gone on dates where there was a clear age difference between the pictures and the owner of said pictures. Spoiler alert: there was no second date. Dishonesty is not cute.
• With the following pics the order is not important.
• Picture that shows you in full and again, recent. Yes, we are a bit shallow. Might as well be honest about it. Goes for both sides, I have found that I got a lot more responses if I included a full-body picture on my dating profile. Don’t show just your torso with your head cut off, it makes us think there’s something wrong with it.
• Anything that shows a hobby is a bonus! Love skiing? Great, show me that picture! (Also great for lazy people like me who know instantly I would only waste your time.) Play in a band? Fab, include a picture of a gig. Have no hobbies? Yes you do. I have never, never ever ever, met anyone who is not interesting in some way/has something they like. If you are reading or knitting or cooking or watching TV or playing video games, those are all hobbies, and chances are there is someone out there who likes exactly that – that’s kinda the point of online shopping dating
• Have a pet? SHOW ME. First of all, it weeds out the dog/cat/guinea pig/rat haters, and you and your best pal don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. Second, nothing says “not a serial killer” than someone snuggling a Labrador, especially if you happen to be a big hairy axe murdery looking dude.

He says:

Yep, that sounds about right.

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For anyone who came to the door can attest the location didn’t have the best curb appeal. Often clients of mine would have to walk past smelly garbage bins and people doing drugs or sleeping near the door. After entering the space people would often see a messy entrance, dirty kitchen, and the business downstairs using the shared space as storage. There were also electrical problems with the breaker often switching off because of the poor wiring in the building. The space was also very cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

Inside the studio, there were other issues such as a leak in the roof I was constantly arguing with the property manager to fix. He would occasionally get someone on the roof to patch it, but the patch usually wouldn’t last long and the leak would begin again, leaving the carpet in the studio soaking wet. Not the best place for kids to be crawling around. This lead to the main reason I decided not to renew the lease. I subleased from Banaman the business downstairs and we would constantly be at odds because of the lack of maintenance on the building.

My new space on Malpas is smaller but still provides a good space for headshots. For larger families and groups I will use a few of the other photography studios in Dublin City center thanks to the great network of photographers within the city.

To my clients, the important thing is that you will continue to receive the same high-quality service and photography you have become accustomed, which has resulted in D Studios Photography is one of the top photography studios serving Dublin for over 10 years.

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The bottom of the pyramid is where most photographers start. It is also where the majority of photographers are. They are often new to the business, charging less in order to become established photographers. The experienced photographers who earn a bit more are higher up. There are less of them, because they are the ones who stick it out, develop their skills, and can justify charging a bit more.

Then, of course, you have the top. These are the really high paid ones, the ones that do celebrity weddings and weddings for those who have a lot to spend. These are the ones who know the business inside and out and are at the top of their game. These are often the photographers many of us aspire to become. This is not me. I think I am in the middle somewhere, and the reason is, I don’t focus 100% of my time on wedding photography. Primarily I focus on studio photography, with a smaller portion of my business relying on weddings. Still, I have learned a few things over the years that might help you out as you work your way up.

First and foremost, having a camera does not make you a wedding photographer. This is the majority of what makes up the base of the aforementioned pyramid, though – people who bought a camera, looked at a few pictures online or watched some YouTube videos, and think they can photograph a wedding. They then offer to do some for free or for a really low price. This is where most wedding photographers start, which is fine, but you don’t want to stay at this level. So, before you start, take a few classes and workshops. Classes and workshops provide hands-on experience that you can’t get by watching online videos. You should know how to use your camera without thinking about it. No automatic settings, all manual. You should also know how to use flash without making it look like you are using flash. Many wedding venues tend to be a bit dark, especially churches, so knowing how to light your pictures using remote strobes (to prevent the “deer in headlights” look) is important. Often (not always) when you see people promote themselves as “natural light” photographers, it is because they don’t know how to be strobe photographers.

After learning everything about your camera, figure out working with clients to get the best out of them. Weddings are often stressful for the bride and groom, so it is up to you, the professional to remain calm and relaxed in all situations. The best way to do this is by getting a job assisting an established photographer. By working with a professional you will get to experience first-hand how they interact with their clients to get the best photographs possible. If you can, try to get experience working with multiple people. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and doing this will provide you with the opportunity to learn what works for you and what doesn’t to ultimately develop your own style. One of the best opportunities I had was working for a wedding photography studio that employed multiple photographers. I started out as a second shooter at the studio which would then pair me with different lead photographers.

Most importantly, practice as much as possible. When assisting other photographers, they will often have you holding lights, moving gear and other things that allow them to focus on dealing with the clients, but they will also provide you with the opportunity to capture some images. When they are working with clients taking pictures from one angle, move over to the side and take a few from another angle. Take some candids of guests, and after the wedding, ask the photographer to sit down and critique your work. Take all feedback with an open mind.

Utilize friends and families. Years ago, I did a wedding for a couple friends of mine as I was starting out. This allowed me the chance to practice on people I know and not be as stressed about it. You can also use sites like craigslist or adverts to offer to do a few weddings. Just make sure that you make the client aware that you are a beginner in the field. Don’t try to pass yourself off as an expert and advanced photographer. This will ensure that when you provide them with the final images and they don’t look like the cover of a magazine, they won’t be shocked. Be sure at no matter what stage you are in your career to set proper expectations with your clients.

Over the past 10 years, the average amount a wedding photographer makes per wedding hasn’t climbed with inflation. In some markets, it has decreased. This is because there are so many people who want to be wedding photographers because they have the tools and think it is an easy source of income. But as someone who does all kinds of portrait, event, and wedding photography I can speak from experience and say: weddings are extremely stressful and difficult if you want to be a top wedding photographer. Don’t decide to be a photographer just because you have a camera and want to make a little money on the side. Decide to be a photographer because you love to work with people to capture lovely images that they will cherish. It is the passion for quality that sets those at the top of the pyramid apart from those at the bottom.

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For this one I wanted to do something a bit darker and moody.

This next one, in keeping with the dark look we decided to show off a little leg.

When people come into the studio they often think they have to smile in the pictures, but that is not always the situation. Sometimes a serious look has a wonderfully dramatic look to it.

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First a wedding. My cheapest wedding package is €900 for 8 hours of coverage. And to be clear, that is very cheap in comparison to a lot of wedding photographers. But yes, it will cost more than your cousin or that random person you found on craigslist.

€900/8 = €112.50 per hour.

A decent amount per hour, you might be thinking. But, for an eight-hour wedding, plan an additional 20 hours processing images, creating albums and books, client meetings etc.

€900/28 = €32.14 per hour.

€32.00 an hour is still not too bad, right? Absolutely, assuming I’m shooting weddings each weekend or even a minimum of one a week. Like other artists such as musicians who give lessons we need to stretch it out.

When your newborn child is added to the family you will most likely take thousands of pictures on your phone that will often stay on your phone. But how lovely would it be to have a photograph sitting on the mantle or hanging on the wall that isn’t washed out with direct flash, properly color corrected, and has the whole family in it since one of the family members isn’t holding the phone?

One of the things to think about when planning your wedding is what is going to be there 20, 30, or 40 years from now. The flowers that you spend thousands on will have wilted. The cake will have been eaten. And the odds on your daughter wearing that dress at her wedding are pretty slim. What you have left is each other, the wedding rings, and the pictures.

Most artist of any type don’t make a lot of money, and we would respond that we don’t do it for the money. If we lived in a world where money didn’t matter I would probably still be a photographer because it is a wonderful experience to be involved in contributing to people’s positive memories. So please, when it comes to photography, support an artist and hire a professional.

Note: Prices listed are as of the time of the writing of this blog post. Prices might have changed since then.

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Actors should be updating their headshots every few years or every time their look changes. This is to make sure that when going into auditions the casting directors see a person in front of them that looks like the photograph. A headshot should also be a representation of how you want to present yourself as an actor. I know the desire is to show range but when casting agents are flipping through a stack of images they are looking for something specific.

In these image of the same person we have two very different looks. The first taken two years ago is a much brighter look, a slight smile, and light backdrop. The second being a dark moody looking image. His head is angled down instead of up, and he has a serious look. Lighting is darker with a dark backdrop and more shadow. Both images have drastically different looks that tell a casting director different stories about him.

When thinking about getting a headshot, think about how you want to present yourself. Lighting, angles, an expressions all tell a story. Even if not working as an actor it is useful to keep this in mind. Are you a banker or a developer? A banker is probably going to show up for the shoot with a more formal suit as compared to a developer who might be well dressed but not necessarily in a full suit and tie. Girls this applies to you as well. Dressy or casual, relaxed or serious are all useful things to have ready.

And of course, break a leg at that next audition!

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During the session we talked camera drones (he has the one I want), we discussed life in the city and towards the end of the session, as he was leaving we talked about travel to Cuba. This leads to him pulling out a lovely Cuban cigar to show me. I don’t recall which one of us suggested it, but we couldn’t let an opportunity to snap a couple of pictures with this fantastic bit of flair go past. And literally, that is what we did. I set him down, set the lights, and snapped two pictures with this being one of the two.

Thanks for letting me post this picture and hope you enjoyed your visit to the park on that oddly nice day to sample that fine tobacco. Another joy of living in Europe is that they don’t have the ban on Cuban cigars that the US has.

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