Ok, I get you.  You took all your hard earned money and invested it into this beautiful action set because you fell in love with all the before & afters used to advertise it.   You're excited, you install it, you try it, and you fail at an exact replica...

This blog post is for the thick-skinned.   No sugar-coating here.   Read only if you want a little aggressive push to get to the next level. I'll start by saying there is nothing wrong with shooting in auto.   Nothing.   We've all done it.  I've done it.  Your favorite...

Strategic Photography Marketing: Scheduled Marketing Posts Do you ever think of a great fan engagement Facebook post, post it, & have another 3-4 ideas right away (but obviously don’t wanna be a newsfeed bomber)? Other times you’ve got nothin’? My marketing ideas come in spurts and usually after midnight!  ...

When I first started my photography business I was lost on the correct way to build.   Many mistakes were made as I went through the process.   I wasn’t sure what needed to be done first, and I spent more time fixing what I did because there wasn’t a...

  Things can get a little sticky when a client comes to you with issues or concerns.   Many times, it will be the first time you deal with this. So we put together the following situations that may arise and how you can handle them.   What to do...

Isn’t it exciting when you seek someone out via email & they respond super quick? In today’s society, especially as technology grows, people are looking for immediate satisfaction.  However, too often, I think “Wow, they were so quick to respond!” only to open the email to see that it is...

  by Stephanie MacFarland   High Sales, Happy Clients & Referrals Can Be Related To In-Person Sales I am asked often how I have consistently high sales, happy clients and a referral-based business that provides full time income, all in just 3.5 years in the business.  My answer, always, is...

Over at the Colorvale Facebook page, Stacie asked the community for a variety of WordPress and SEO questions. In this article I am going to answer as many of them as I can without boring you! . 1. What are things I can include in my blog posts (besides tags)...

Photoshop or Elements Actions are designed to save you time and enhance your images.   They are also an amazing tool for fixing photos that you may otherwise throw away do to exposure issues.   The following are some great tips & best practices when using actions.   Do I...

Maybe its the girl in me or the photographer, or both, but some glittery bokeh is to die for! I mean really, who doesn't want to be mesmerized by some buttery sparkly goodness?!  Boys, put your hands down I have a non-glittery tutorial coming up too.   Settings Macro shots...

No tools required & EASY! There are so many times as we explore our artistic ambitions that we look for textures and mediums that deliver contrast in our shots.   I am going to share with you one of the ways that I have learned to create a beautiful background...

(Prereqs: Lightroom, Difficulty: Beginner – Intermediate) First off, let me tell you who I am and what I do. My name is Nicklas and I’m a 27 year old ‘boy’ from Norway. I first started out with photography back in 2006 with a Canon 350D, and I’ve absolutely loved every...

  Macro photography is a passion of mine and I love to experiment with getting sharp, clean shots.   Achieving the desired results however, was not as easy as I thought it would be.  It wasn’t until I tested a macro light that I was awakened artistically. “How in the...

I just have to say that I absolutely love rings so so very much. I can’t get enough of photographing rings. Rings are super fun and easy to photograph so it should not be one of those things that turns stressful trying to put a lot of thought into it....

Article & photos courtesy of Day-Z Photography   So you’ve been invited into the home of your client, what do you do to ensure you get the perfect shots?   Here are some tips on a successful in home session and retaining the family quality that everyone loves.   Understand...

What’s all the hype?  A focus button?  That’s what I’ve got my shutter button for! NO, this is the olive in my martini … it’s what makes me faster, more efficient and sharper!  If you are not using this you may want to take moment to hear me out ......

Do you have your permalink structure set up to be SEO friendly? There are so many tricks to helping your search engine ranking and this one is important. If you look at the URL structure of a blog post it should read like human language rather than the ?p=123 structure...

Almost 20 years in corporate has taught me a lot about life. One thing is for sure, emails can become an overwhelming avalanche. As an executive program manager over multi-million dollar programs I learned that if you do not actively and efficiently manage your email inbox IT WILL BURY you...

Having a second shooter can be crucial to a wedding day that goes off without a hitch.   Not only do you have multiple view points of important shots such as a first kiss but you will also have another set of eyes to see something you don't.   2nd...

Photo by Anne Edgar     Many wedding photographers get into this niche because of the apparent large demand for work. However, when you’re marketing your wedding photography business, you’re not always attracting the types of clients you want to work with. You might get inquiries from potential clients that...

You definitely want to be paid and have your client date secure prior to the day of a session. And why?   Because most likely a client who hasn't paid will not take the date seriously.   If a client has money on the line they are more likely to...

It is common for clients to not understand your business process or why you do what you do.   The fact that they heard your shutter click hundreds of times but only have 50 or so photos in their gallery can be quite confusing (of course more for wedding photographers)....

The great debate!   The argument is this ... what is the perfect size and format for Facebook images?   What I have found to be true is this:  try, try and try!   With all the changes that are constantly taking place in the Facebook world the recipe will...

Saving time editing is something we are all about here at Colorvale.   The reason we create Photoshop Actions is because time is money and we want you to have as much bank in your pocket as possible.   But how can you batch edit your images without losing the ability...

How photographers can build a link list and drive traffic to their site Talk about learning as you go!   Creating a beautiful website and hoping people find you just isn't enough.   Taking incredible photos and hoping people hire you ... well that isn't so easy if no one can...

Watch as we edit a photo starting in Adobe Camera Raw, cleaning up tones and exposures as well as cloning and highlighting areas.      Part 1: Editing in ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) Sharpening tips Exposure Correction Bump Exposure         Part 2: Start with toning image in...

  We have had our fair share of "plugin" relationships and some have ended in serious breakups.   Here is the list of our top favorite Wordpress Plugins for Photographers.  The great thing about this list is it's not just comprised of really cool plugins that do nothing more than...

We’ve all heard the saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”  As cliché as it sounds, it’s true.  When I started my business 3 years ago I thought that I needed to shoot everything.  I said yes to every single session that came my way just so I could...

I’ve always been one of those people who likes to break the rules.   If there were a group of people in a line walking one way, I’m going to walk in the opposite direction.  I’ve never followed trends or worried about what the “in” thing was at that moment....

Image files on a computer can quickly resemble a sock drawer if you don't take the time to come up with a way to keep organized.   It really is a matter of taste how you want the hierarchy to go but remember that keeping originals, color edits and black...

Newborns are just the cutest little things to work with!  They are so tiny and so perfect. However, a newborn session is the most time consuming and need to know what you are doing and how to successfully prepare for it.  Here are 10 tips for preparing a newborn session...

In an environment where we seem to be drowning in photographers, getting an edge in your high school senior portrait market can be hard. It seems like everyone’s a photographer these days, whether they’ve got a fancy new DSLR camera, or they’re just wicked good with their iPhones. Being able...

Dodging Areas Of The Face - Portrait Photography Using the dodge tool can bring back a light resource that naturally reflects and contours the facial features.   It is one of the best portrait tools that so many photographers forget to use.  We have created an action that will allow...

Getting fan numbers isn't important, if you aren't keeping them.   True, we use social media to "get" more business but how you do this has to be thought out and clever.  There is nothing worse than a friend who wants to only talk about themselves or who calls 20...

Before we begin you should understand why you should shoot in raw Shooting in raw is something that I highly suggest to anyone considering themselves a professional photographer. It is absolutely a necessity due to the fact that your files are not yet "flattened" into a jpg. Here I will...

It can be tricky to make your subjects feel comfortable, relaxed or even sexy while they are being photographed.   Not only are you the photographer, but also the coach and confidence builder.  Your feedback and communication is key to a clients experience and the outcome of your photographs. Here...

by Jack Scicluna Photography, LLC - guest writer. The latest trend with computers is not including a CD/DVD drive.  This helps the computers to be small and lighter.  Apple has started doing this when the Macbook Air arrived on the scene.  They have also included this with their latest laptops and...

My name is Corrie Nakamura and I am lifestyle photographer based in Orange County, California. I have always loved creating things and being a part of bringing things to life through design since I was a little girl. After countless art classes and failed attempts at trying to figure out my niche...

This tip is perfect for straightening horizon Having pleasing lines in a photograph is extremely important.  If lines are slightly off it will make it appear as a mistake, especially photographs with horizons.   To easily correct this, Photoshop has a tool and you will be amazed at how easy...

Recently we asked our Facebook fans the following ... "What is the best business advice you would give someone just starting out?" and here is what they said!   Get a business license, create client policies, contracts and understand exactly what your costs of doing business are (cost of goods,...

Having thousands of photos unorganized can make for a panic situation later when you need to call upon a particular image.   Here are some great tips to keeping your computer or external drive clean and manageable.     Step 1:  Make a folder on your computer called "Sessions" - this...

  Backing up memory cards, photos and well just about anything digital is a MUST for anyone!   If you have ever been victim to a virus or computer failure you know that there is nothing more upsetting than losing valuable photos, templates you purchased and office files.   Even...

It is very common for us to get emails about painting on actions and it not having any effect.   This video will show you exactly how to use layer masks.         Watch Video   Troubleshooting Layer Masks Are you using a PAINTBRUSH tool Is your paintbrush MODE...

Let my husband tell you why you should! by Kurt Jensen, Husband to Stacie Jensen, COO, and self-proclaimed "Bag Boy" (he likes titles) Like everyone returning to work on Monday morning, I get a barrage of people generically asking what I did over the weekend.  Most of the time I...

Shooting a wedding is a large responsibility and having a second shooter or assistant is almost always necessary.   Here are some great tips to ensure your second shooter is prepared for this big day.  Planning a wedding day workflow with your second shooter will ensure a smooth transition into...

  Yes, our posts generally are written to gear towards photographers, it's our industry.   But this post is for anyone who owns a digital camera!   Disk Speed When selecting a memory card, speed does matter!  Its not just for those taking video.  When shooting RAW you will need...

  Understanding your camera will provide you more confidence and more artistic photographs.   But how do you learn without getting frustrated before you even begin? Becoming a manual-junkie is about understanding three components ... Shutter speed, ISO & aperture You see these settings every time you use your camera, but isn’t...

Having your profile set to sRGB for web display is very important prior to editing your images.   Having it set to AdobeRGB or other will simply muddy your colors when viewed online, making many clients unhappy. (top photo is Adobe RGB, bottom photo IS sRGB) * If this difference...

Pricing your work is dependent on many variables.   When deciding to take on the role of CEO to your very own business you also must dedicate time to business planning.   Here are a few things to consider when putting your pricing list together: Competition:  Your competition does not pay...

  Of course there is an art to this type of photography.   Getting the small details is not that easy but below are some great tips to get you the most beautiful ring shot for your bride and groom!     Best Background For Macro Jewelry Photos  Diamonds show...

A twist on batch editing - Save time today with this great tip! Editing more than one photo at a time is the most incredible time save!   We have a great video tutorial to show you how to do this.   The twist on this awesome tutorial is that...

Ensure A Successful Photos Shoot The art of getting the most out of  a photography session completely depends on the planning and relationship between the photographer and the client.   If you go into a session with introductions and laying expectations out on the table you will ensure that each...