We Like Being Different! {Knoxville Professional Photographers | Allan and Lisa Mueller}

Professional photographers all know how to take photographs, some are better at composition, lighting, post-processing or posing, but in general, to be a professional and get paid you have to be a pretty darned good photographer. So if every other professional photographer in your area is fairly great at taking a photograph, how do you set yourself apart from everyone else and create imagery that will get attention?

Offering an unbelievable experience to your customers is one way, but you aren't the only one who will be doing this. Delivering exceptional photographs and related products at a reasonable price isn't going to have folks banging down your door either. So, now you are sitting there trying to figure out how your photography business is different than the photographers down the street. Once you come up with some ideas, think about how you will execute on them. Chances are, in order to really and truly set yourself apart, you are going to have to invest a chunk of your hard-earned cash.

Several years ago we attended Imaging USA, which is the annual convention of the Professional Photographers of America, in Tampa, FL and we saw something that we were sure would set us apart from all the other photographers in Knoxville. What did we see? The Scene Machine from Virtual Backgrounds!  We happened upon the Virtual Background booth and had a wonderful conversation with Shirley Robinson, a photographer from Colorado who was working the booth. She had been using the Scene Machine for her boudoir photography business for many years and provided us with a lot of great information. This conversation led to lots of conversations between Allan and I and ultimately we decided to purchase a Scene Machine and 10' X 10' background.

We decided to set ourselves apart from all the other photographers in the Knoxville area by providing our client's with a virtually limitless collection of backgrounds. Not only can we photograph client's anywhere they choose outdoors, we also have hundreds of choices of backgrounds, featuring both indoor and outdoor scenes, for them to choose. How many different backgrounds can you incorporate into an hour session? Four or five? Maybe six. How many do you think our clients can have? The answer: A lot!

Right about now, you are probably curious how the Virtual Background System works and although we like to tell people it's magic, you can follow this link for a complete explanation. Images in this post are from yesterday's session and feature the use of a colored gel with the Virtual Background System. These images also feature Photoshop actions and effects available from design house. We'll be sharing more images shot incorporating the Virtual Background System on our Facebook page over the next few weeks.

Enjoy!

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Getting Schooled : Continuing Education for Professional Photographers {Allan and Lisa Mueller | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

Allan and Lisa at Imaging USA

(Image by Jamie Weiss, Jamie Weiss Photography)

It's hard to believe we haven't even been home from Imaging USA for a week and already we have begun implementing some key things we learned from industry leaders during the fabulous classes we took over three long days at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. Education is extremely important to ALM Photo and we take advantage of the annual conventions held by Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) as often as possible. Last week at Imaging USA, PPA's annual convention, there were classes geared toward wedding and portrait photography as well as many business classes on topics ranging from social media to workflow. Like many other professions, such as healthcare professionals, real estate agents, and teachers it is necessary for professional photographers to participate in continuing education in order to stay up-to-date on trends, learn new skills, be informed about equipment and find new ways to keep our photography fresh.  As I am writing this Allan and I are watching Master Photographer Doug Gordon's Bride and Groom Flow Posing DVD (well, Allan is obviously watching it more closely than I am!) so we can learn from his techniques for keeping the bride and groom moving while shooting them before and/or after their wedding ceremony. A photographer can never know everything, especially one who tells you they are a professional. Each year Allan and I take several workshops on a variety of topics like lighting, posing, and marketing as well as ones focused on specific genres such as glamour, boudior, or weddings. We also have a vast library of books and DVDs that we read and then constantly refer to when we need to determine the best way to handle a particular lighting situation, posing or edit images.

I must admit this post was started as just a little update of what we have been doing since we returned from Imaging USA, but then I realized many of you, the non-professional photographers and photography clients, may not realize the importance of continuing education.  Ask your photographer how and where they were educated. Ask them if they keep memberships with any photography affiliations. Many successful professional photographers do not have a degree in photography from an accredited educational institution (we don't!) but that does not mean the photographer has not been properly educated in their craft. Make sure you are working with a photographer that is open to learning and isn't a 'know-it-all'. Several years ago we started Next Level Photography Focus Group, a collective of Knoxville-area photographers (amatuer, hobbyist, part-time pro and full-time pro) who meet the first and third Wednesday of each month to discuss a pre-determined topic and share and learn with one another. The group, which also has a Facebook group, has grown to include over one hundred members and around 15 members regularly attend the lunch meetings. This group has been the jump-start some photographers needed to help them determine whether or not they are ready to become true professionals. Everyone learns something new each meeting. The key is learning and sharing!

Allan and I love what we do, capturing the moments of your life that will last forever, and couldn't do it as well as we do if we didn't take the time to improve our skills and learn something new every day. Our update will come in a future post since I did seem to get a little carried away about our opinion of the importance of continuing education. I almost forgot to mention that the next workshop we are attending is No Limits: Knoxville by local award-winning photographer Andy Armstrong. Here is information about the workshop for any photographers who may be interested in learning more about lighting, posing, working with client and Photoshop. Please share your thoughts on this topic so I can share with the Next Level Photography Focus Group members.

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Imaging USA 2010 {Allan and Lisa Mueller | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

Allan and I have returned home from Imaging USA, the annual convention of Professional Photographers of America, with our heads full of knowledge and a plan to implement five things we learned from the industry's best photographers and business people. Below is a video of a bird's eye view of the Expo for those of you who didn't attend. We will be sharing our experience and information at the Next Level Photography Focus Group lunch meeting on January 20th at 12pm at Makino Japanese Buffet. Other local photographers who attended will share as well so you won't want to miss it.



Some of our Knoxville photog peeps at Imaging USA...

In photos with us: Julie Poole, Colby McClemore, and Patti Googe.

Additional photos and information available on the ALM Photo Facebook page. Become a fan and follow us on Twitter too!

Off to a Fast Start in 2010! Finish Line Racing Track Days at Jennings GP {Allan and Lisa Mueller | Knoxville Professional Photographers}

ALM Photo is off to a fast start in 2010! Fast motorcycles that is! Here are some images from our four days shooting motorcycle track days for Finish Line Racing at Jennings GP in frosty Jennings, Florida just over the Georgia border.  Our mornings started with a chill but moving quick to catch the action warmed us up in no time.  Allan manned the twisties over around turn 10 while Lisa hunkered down in turns 1 and 2.  It was a lot of fun and we would love to have the opportunity to shoot this type of event again. We certainly have the gear, the stamina and the skill!

Let us know what you think of these images and be sure to check out the Facebook page for more images and all of the images will be available on our website in the proofs section. ALM Photo is off to Imaging USA, the convention for PPA, Professional Photographers of America in Nashville this weekend from January 9 to 12. We'll be like sponges and learning lots of new photography techniques and information that will help grow our business and take us to the next level.

Be sure to check out the ALM Photo Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and check our website to find out more about us and our imagery.