Heather Lanell Photography & Design: 2012

September 18, 2012

Introducing the new Birthday Portrait Club!

Parents First & Last Name *
Address

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region Postal / Zip Code Country
Phone
### - ### - ####
Email
First Child Name & DOB (ie. Sally Smith, 12/22/2008)
Second Child Name & DOB (ie. Sally Smith, 12/22/2008)
Third Child Name & DOB (ie. Sally Smith, 12/22/2008)
Fourth Child Name & DOB (ie. Sally Smith, 12/22/2008)
Fifth Child Name & DOB (ie. Sally Smith, 12/22/2008)

September 13, 2012

Why choose a Professional Photographer for your Wedding

If your expectations are high and you want something original, you need to choose very carefully, with open eyes, rather than facing disappointment after. A professional photographer has made his/her life’s dedication to photography, just as a Doctor or a specialist would commit. You have ONE chance only to capture your day. And while we’re all looking to save money, saving $500 now to cut corners won’t matter too much ten years from now.
Your wedding photographs are in some way the only vivid record you’ll have to keep. Entrusting someone inexperienced to capture your big day is an enormous risk.
Consider this-
1) Professionals Have All The Gear They Need
Expensive cameras don’t equal great photographs and cheap cameras don’t equal bad photographs. A great photograph is captured because of the mind behind the machine. Most enthusiastic amateurs with an eye on the professional market will have a camera that is more than sufficient for the job and a lens that will ensure sharp images. They probably will have a flash unit that is tough enough to handle a big dark room and maybe even a stand to prop it up on for interesting formal photographs. This is all well and good, and provided nothing goes wrong, they will have the tools to capture some nice images.
But what if something does go wrong? Professionals will be ready with backups of the crucial gear, and the knowledge of how to work around gear that may have conked out. This usually isn’t the case with amateurs, and it isn’t fair to expect it of them.
2) Professionals Have the Time They Need
A wedding is eight or more hard-core hours of shooting with very little time to collect your thoughts and figure out what to do next. Your photographer will capture 1000 or more images. Have you ever gone on vacation and taken that many photos? It’s a lot of photographs to deal with. And while you probably didn’t do much with the photos from your vacation, your photographer will need to meticulously comb through all the photographs one by one, removing the duds and tweaking and processing the rest.
For an amateur without an established workflow it probably will be a long time before you see your wedding photos. After all, they have jobs, families and lives to attend to. A professional, on the other hand, has an established workflow, will have budgeted his time, and will be able to deliver your photographs in their best condition, and in a timely manner.
3) Professionals Have Plenty of the Right Experience
Shooting non-wedding events—parties, concerts, etc.—does not adequately prepare a photographer to shoot a wedding, though it does provide a necessary foundation. Professionals have followed a variety of paths into wedding photography and have had plenty of time to learn what to do and what not to do.
Your wedding day will be a complex event with a lot of moving parts. Your photographer, while capturing images of you and your spouse getting ready, will have to find time to snatch shots of the details—like your rings, dress, shoes, jewelry and decorations. When you have finished getting ready, he’ll have to shift gears immediately into the ceremony where he’ll need to remember where he can and can’t go without disrupting the ceremony and distracting the guests who are trying to focus on the commitment you’re making. Then, almost instantly, he’ll have to arrange and pose a big collection of people he doesn’t know and who aren’t accustomed to being photographed and really just want to party. And, he’ll need to do it in a short amount of time. When that’s over, he’ll have to change gears again to shoot in a variety of shifting light situations where the ‘auto’ mode on the camera is woefully inadequate.
There are countless things that could go differently than expected. What if the DJ brings some dance floor lighting effects? The professional photographer knows how to make his equipment meet the challenge. An amateur might not. What about a guest with a camera fighting for your attention too? The professional knows how to handle them gracefully without sacrificing the images you’ve paid him to create. What if the wedding planner hasn’t warned him that you’re about to cut the cake? The professional will be ready and forceful enough to wedge through the crowd to catch it in time.
In conclusion, everyone has to start somewhere, but save money elsewhere.
There are lots of ways and places to save money on your wedding. But don’t risk losing something you’re going to cherish for the rest of your life. Save on the cake, or the flowers, or the decorations, or the food—the things that will be gone the very next day and forgotten in a week by almost all of your guests. But trust the important, life long things to a professional who fully grasps the importance of the job.
Every professional was once an amateur with a lot to learn. If making mistakes is key to learning, you don’t want your wedding day being the classroom. Instead, if you have a friend who wishes to build a portfolio or get into the game, ask your professional photographer to allow him to shoot as well. With a little coordination between your professional photographer and your amateur friend, you can rest easy knowing the photography is under control and you can feel good about giving your friend a chance to gain experience he might not otherwise get.
After all, friendships are important and you don’t want something like bad images, or worse, no images, destroying them. Hire a professional, and set you mind at ease.

February 27, 2012

Free Senior Session?

Yes please! If you are a 2013 senior, you could get your senior session for free (plus free prints too!) by becoming a Heather Lanell Senior Spokesperson.
What do you need to do?
Fill out this form and email the pdf back to me! It's that simple. I will be choosing up to 3 seniors from each area school to represent Heather Lanell Photography. Applications will be taken until April 30th, 2012. Have any questions? Just give me a call (815.499.1307), shoot me an email (heather@heatherlanell.com) or hit me up on facebook (www.facebook.com/heatherlanell)!

February 21, 2012

Fantastic Post from fellow Photographer - why we charge 'so much'

So true- article originally found here:

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/01/26/why-wedding-photographers-prices-are-wack/

Why Wedding Photographers’ Prices are “Wack”

Earlier today my friend and fellow photographer posted a link to a craigslist ad from a woman in Seattle looking for a wedding photographer. The woman was upset because she thought that $3,000 for a wedding photographer was “wack” because all we do “is hang out at a wedding taking tons of photos and editing them” and that we are “making so much money its crazy.”
I first read this post earlier today while I was running errands and my head almost exploded. I immediately started drafting a horribly mean and punishing response in my head, but by the time I got home, I realized that this is probably a common misconception and that maybe I should try to explain why photographers charge what we do for our work.

Before I post my response, I want to thank all of my brides who appreciate my work and think that I am worth the price. This response is not meant to offend anyone. I understand many people are on a budget — especially in this economy — and I understand planning a wedding is both expensive and overwhelming. I always try my best to work with my couples and offer customized and discounted packaging options for those who are on a tighter budget.
I just want to state again, that being a photographer doesn’t mean that we wake up in the morning, photograph a wedding for 8 hours and then go home and our job is done. Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to support ourselves as full time photographers don’t just work as photographers. We are also small business owners, which also comes with the job of doing all of our own marketing, sales, accounting, scouting, art directing, managing our offices and studios, being our own webmasters, doing our own post production, designing, blogging, being students, being mentors, researching, etc…
Sorry for the novel. Here was my response:

Dear Bride,
I am a wedding photographer in the Erie, PA area. Wedding season only last about 4 months here, so I photograph an average of 20 weddings per year for an average of $2,500/wedding (which totals about $50,000/year).

That being said, I am a small business owner, so I pay all of my taxes, totaling about $15,000/year, which leaves me with a gross income of around $35,000
Of that $35,000 I pay $600/month in rent for my small house and garage which I converted into my studio (which is where I would be editing your wedding images). $35,000 – $7,200 = $27,800
Then I have my car, which I would use to get me to and from your wedding, which I pay $400/month for the lease, plus $200/month in car insurance. $27,800 – $7,200 = $20,600
To get to your (and my other brides) wedding consultation, second wedding pre-consultation, the wedding itself, and to and from the printers I spend $840/year in gas money. $20,600 – $840 = $19,760
I also have $500/year insurance in case you sue me, or if any of your drunk guests would happen to break any of my equipment. $19,760 – $500 = $19,260
You also probably found me through my website, which I pay $30/month for hosting, and another $30/month so that you can view your photos online and share the images with your friends and family. $19,260 – $720 = $18,540
Or perhaps you found me through my advertisements in the newspaper or local bridal magazines, or a bridal show that you attended that I paid to have a booth at. $18,540 – $1,000 = $17,540
I also pay $250/month for my own health insurance in case I were to get hurt at your wedding. $17,540 – $3,000 = $14,540
I pay $200/wedding for a second shooter for your wedding, so that you can have more images and different angles, as to make sure you get the best images possible at your wedding. $14,540 – $4,000 = $10,540
I also need to have a new pair of shoes ($100) every season because my shoes get worn out and dirty from season to season. $10,540 – $100 = $10,440
I need high speed internet so I can upload all of your images online, my home phone for my business and my cell phone so I can communicate with you. $10,440 – $2,500 = $7,940
Oh yes, and I also pay a lawyer to make sure my contracts are iron clad and an accountant to make sure that I am paying all of the taxes I need. $7,940 – $500 = $7,440
Sometimes I attend workshops and seminars to teach me how to better my business, and make my client happier (that would be you), as well as keep up on the trends and learn new techniques so that I can make sure you have the best quality images available.

That would technically leave me with about $7,000/year to feed myself, buy groceries, pay for my heat and electricity, clothe myself, etc. But, usually I end up reinvesting whatever I have left on upgrades and new equipment:
During your wedding, I bring my professional equipment that I use so that I can make sure you have the highest quality images.

I have 2 Canon 5D Mark II cameras (because you always need a backup in case of a camera malfunction, which would ruin your big day’s photographs) which cost $2,500/camera = $5,000
I also have quality lenses which can capture your special moments in low light situations:
Canon 24-70 f/2.8 lens = $1,200
Canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens = $1,300
Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens = $500
Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro = $600
…and I have speed lights to catch the fun moments at your reception:
2 x Canon 580EX II = $1,200
Also multiple battery backups and memory cards, lens filters, light stands, umbrellas, light boxes, external battery packs and a bag to carry everything in = $1,500
Because this is equipment, sometimes I need to have it serviced or cleaned to make sure it is all working properly = $200

After spending 8-10 hours at your wedding, I then come home to my home office and spend about 20-25 hours editing your images, creating your album, blogging about your wedding, posting pictures on Facebook, ordering you prints and burning your DVDs.

I edit your photographs using a 27-inch iMac computer = $2,500.
I edit your photographs on Adobe Lightroom ($200) and Adobe CS5 ($400 for the upgrade and $900 for the new program).
I print your DVDs on a printer which costs $300 and which uses $200/year in ink.
I buy the DVDs and jewel cases you’re getting printed for $300/year
I archive all of your photographs on 2 x 2TB external hard drives = $500.
I also back up all of my photographs online so if there was ever a fire in my office, you would never lose your photographs = $400/year.
I also have office expenses as far as buying paper, staples, envelopes, packaging, filing cabinets and files, etc…
I also spend time and money ordering your prints and albums, paying for shipping, going to the post office etc.

All of that being said, I’m usually in the hole at the end of the year, and take on many family portraits, senior portraits and corporate jobs in order to make ends meet.
Photography is my passion and my livelihood, and it is also expensive. Yes, it seems like a lot of money for one day, but one day isn’t all we spend on your photographs or on our business. You will spend thousands of dollars on a wedding dress or flowers or a venue or on catering which you are going to have for only one day, but your photographs will be the only thing you have to remember that one day for the rest of your lives.
I’m extremely insulted by your craigslist post and hope this sheds a little light on why we charge $3,000 for one day of your memories that are going to last you forever.
– Nikki Wagner, Photographer

February 16, 2012

Wedding Special!

January 27, 2012

Many Changes Coming...

I'm so excited for this upcoming year for all of the changes that will be coming. For one, good news for our wedding clients- we will be adding Videography to the Heather Lanell lineup. This is huge and we are happy to be joining this arena.
Secondly, to cater more to my in-studio clients, who may be used to my neutral colored basic backgrounds (because after all- I really do love to shoot outside more!), I've picked up almost 15 new backdrops. And I am sooo excited to stat using them. I just uploaded examples of some of them to facebook, so check it out (http://www.facebook.com/heatherlanell)
I've also picked up some new furniture. Now instead of my sleek black couches that I never actually used for props, I have a fun blue chaise, a settee, a beautiful white chair and a full sized wooden couch/bench. But of course, I still have the zebra bench- I don't think I could part with that!
I'm also hoping to do some destination shoots for those who are looking for something completely out of the norm for around here. Let me know if you're interested!
One of the things I'm most excited about is The Girls Night Out I'm hoping to put together. Either this summer or fall, a networking/social event for the ladies to enjoy themselves. Food, drinks, and fun!

There are more things coming down the pipeline, but I don't want to give everything away just yet :) The best way to find out about these things is to become a fan on facebook- that's were I post the latest images from sessions and the studio, and any specials I'm currently running. Address above!

Have a great weekend!

January 19, 2012

Couple things for sale

So I'm trying to clean house... or studio rather. So I have a couple things for sale-
First up-
Faux Leather Black/Brown Chair. Looks pretty much new! Great for an office chair! $20

Next: Latop cart on wheels. Also pretty much new. Used only a few times- now it's just collecting dust! $10

Next: 2 Red Microfiber Club Chairs. Again- these don't have much use on them. They are full-sized, not the children's ones. The fold up and include a zip up storage bag. $25 for both.

Either call or email me! heather@heatherlanell.com or 815-499-1307

January 12, 2012

It's a New Year!

Well hello! Let me start by brushing the dust off of this blog. I know- my last post was the middle of the year sometime- the last half of 2011 was SOOOOOOO busy. I do tend to keep up a little more on my facebook fan page, so if you're not following me on there, check it out at www.facebook.com/heatherlanell
So... Instead of cathching up on the loads of sessions I had the last half of the year, I decided to do a best of 2011 video! Yay!
This year's resolution- blog more often! Hmm.... I think that might have been my resolution last year.