How Much Should I Charge for a Headshot?
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How Much Should I Charge for a Headshot?

Pricing headshots feels tricky for new photographers.  Most clients claim they only need one image and may balk at a full session fee.  But your expenses and talent doesn’t change, even if they only need one image.  And it takes an investment of time to create one really great headshot.  So headshots can feel harder…

Best Lens for Headshots [Complete Guide for 2020]
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Best Lens for Headshots [Complete Guide for 2020]

Headshots are a staple of business owners, actors, actresses, models, and real estate agents.  If you’ve been asked to take headshots for a client but have never had a headshot session, you may have questions about the equipment you’ll need.  We’ve got some pointers on choosing a lens for headshots.   What is the best lens…

What Equipment Do I Need to Take Headshots? Understanding the Basics!
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What Equipment Do I Need to Take Headshots? Understanding the Basics!

Offering headshot photography sessions can be a great way to diversify to your photography business.  It’s a service needed year-round and in every community.  But before you begin offering headshots sessions, or even practicing them, you’ll need to make sure you have the right equipment.  Fortunately, headshots require very little in terms of photography gear….

How To Clean A Camera Lens Safely and Correctly
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How To Clean A Camera Lens Safely and Correctly

All manner of debris can make its way onto your camera lens, from finger smudges to dust and oil. Regular camera lens cleaning helps you get a more precise, sharper shot with crisper details. But too much cleaning may lead to scratches on your lens. Keep reading for simple tips that will show you how…

What Lens Should You Buy Next?  Building A Lens Kit
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What Lens Should You Buy Next? Building A Lens Kit

What lens should you buy next? It all depends on your needs, budget, and style! Read any photography forum and you’ll find the same questions get brought up over and over again.  One of those is “what lens should you buy next?”  Lenses are expensive.  No one wants to make a bad investment into a…

Lens Calibration 101: The Why and How of tweaking your lens
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Lens Calibration 101: The Why and How of tweaking your lens

Check out our Lens Calibration 101 guide on why and how to adjust your lenses! There are a lot of different reasons your images might not be as sharp as you want. Dirty equipment, the wrong camera settings or even your shooting stance can affect the sharpness of your images. But if you find that…

Why a Headshot Background is Really Important!
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Why a Headshot Background is Really Important!

Many headshot backgrounds are either black or white, but there is a range of textures, natural elements, and other features that you can use to make a professional headshot stand out. Our tips for choosing the right background for your headshot will help you select a better setting, and impress your clients with a headshot…

How to Price Headshots: A Beginner’s Guide
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How to Price Headshots: A Beginner’s Guide

Learn how to price headshot sessions with confidence One of the most frequently asked questions in the Cole’s Classroom Facebook group is about how to price headshots. Pricing headshots feels more difficult than other sessions. But it doesn’t have to be. We have a few tips on how to price headshot sessions and set yourself…

Understanding Lens Basics
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Understanding Lens Basics

Get to know your camera’s BFF from inside to out with our guide to lens basics! If you’re new to photography or just have a new lens, you might not know what all the bits and pieces of your lens are there for. We’ll help you identify what this switch does, decode those lens numbers…

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens review – Is it worth the hype?
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Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens review – Is it worth the hype?

Photographers everywhere rave about their Sigma Art lenses.  But is the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens worth the hype? When I needed a fast 35mm lens for my kit, I settled on the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens. It wasn’t without reservations. I’d read reviews but my experience with Sigma lenses was less than satisfactory. After…

Best Newborn Photography Props – Our Top 10 List
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Best Newborn Photography Props – Our Top 10 List

From blankets and buckets to ribbons and bows…here are some items to stash on your list of best newborn photography props! Having a gorgeous newborn in your studio is a treat. Their sleepy smiles and tiny little noses are pure perfection in and of themselves. But experienced newborn photographers know that having some additional props…

Understanding Lens Filters
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Understanding Lens Filters

What lens filters do you need and why?  We’ll give you the basics! Have you ever heard a photographer talk about using a lens filter but didn’t really understand what that meant?  You’re not alone!  Lens filters are simple in design but can have many different functions.  They are also incredibly useful for getting your…

The Ultimate Introduction to Baby Photography
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The Ultimate Introduction to Baby Photography

Crawl before you walk!  We’re starting at the beginning of baby photography to start your growth spurt in this industry off right! Baby photography is not for the faint of heart.  It requires patience, stamina, a gentle touch and a strong stomach.  But if snuggling, shushing and swaddling make your heart clench in absolute joy,…

The Highly Recommended Nifty Fifty Lens – What’s so special?
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The Highly Recommended Nifty Fifty Lens – What’s so special?

What’s so nifty about the fifty?  Let’s find out! It’s inexpensive, easy to use and optically sound.  So what’s not to love about a 50mm nifty fifty lens? In a word, nothing. There is a reason the 50mm lens is nicknamed the “nifty-fifty.”  Learn why this lens is one just about every photographer owns and…

Best Macro Lens for Photographers: The Ultimate Introduction
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Best Macro Lens for Photographers: The Ultimate Introduction

What’s the best macro lens for your kit?  Read this first! Macro photography can be a lot of fun to shoot.  There is just something fascinating about seeing tiny details at life-size.  There’s a whole teeny, tiny world out there waiting for an explorer like you! The problem?  To uncover these bijou realms, you need…

The 70-200mm lens – 5 reasons to stop thinking and just buy it already!
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The 70-200mm lens – 5 reasons to stop thinking and just buy it already!

The workhorse 70-200mm lens should be on just about every photographer’s must-have list Are you on the fence about purchasing a 70-200 mm lens?  Worried about the cost?  The weight?  Whether it’s a good lens?  I can’t make these lenses get any cheaper or heavier, but I can alleviate your concerns about it being a…