Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

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Scott Lawrence

Scott launched a successful headshot photography business after years of the corporate grind. A believer in the power of a great first impression, Scott’s images help clients show their best selves to the world. He loves learning from and sharing with the photography community, geeking out about technical tricks, savvy marketing, and being a dad. He’s a regular at Out of Chicago events, and you can find him at scottlawrencephoto.com or on Instagram or Facebook.
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Latest posts by Scott Lawrence (see all)

Reviewed: Perfecting The Headshot

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Headshot photography, once reserved for actors and the occasional executive, is now about as mainstream as LinkedIn or Facebook. Whether you're looking for a job, changing careers, starting a new business, or looking for a date, an amazing headshot is step one. Headshots are the core to the now overused term of personal branding. Call it whatever you want, but it all starts with a headshot. I can think of no better way to learn headshot photography than from the man himself, Peter Hurley. Peter has been perfecting the craft of headshots for … [Read more...] about Reviewed: Perfecting The Headshot

Gear Review: Impact Posing Table and Stool Kit

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Classic elements of a portrait studio, the posing stool and posing table will always have a place in any studio. I took a closer look at the Impact Posing Table and Stool Kit. Let’s see how this particular model stacks up. Sold as a pair, for under $150, I believe it make sense to have both items. If you have a specialized use case or need, you might consider shopping around. But for general use, this kit is a good place to start. Unboxing, Assembly and Observations Opening the box gave me a flash of bad experiences with IKEA furniture. … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Impact Posing Table and Stool Kit

eBook Review: Get to Work – Dedpxl Business Primer

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Photographer Zack Arias, recently released a new ebook entitled, Get to Work. You might've heard Zack and Marco talking about it on the podcast (a great interview by itself). As a photographer knee deep in business development, I thought I’d check it out. While I’ve been operating as a full-time photographer the last couple years, I’ve recently relocated my business to a new state. So the great thing is that I get a fresh start, but the tough part is that I have to start from scratch. Having read some of Zack’s previous books, I knew this one … [Read more...] about eBook Review: Get to Work – Dedpxl Business Primer

My WPPI 2017 Experience

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You may have heard there’s a little photography convention in Vegas every year. Over ten thousand photographers (mostly of the wedding and portrait variety) gather along with every possible associated vendor for the annual WPPI convention. Just the scale alone of the event is impressive. If you want some new inspiration or to further your understanding of the industry and it’s latest trends, WPPI is where you want to be. This was my second year attending the conference and I thought I’d share my personal take on the event. Previously held in … [Read more...] about My WPPI 2017 Experience

A Portrait Photographer’s Highest Responsibility

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Weddings. Engagements. Pregnancies. Graduations. Professional portrait photographers are often invited into people’s lives at very special moments. Memorable moments. Moments of transition and transformation. As a headshot photographer, often my clients are involved in career transitions. Some are getting new headshots to mark a promotion. Others are launching a solo practice. It’s an honor to be part of these major turning points in a client’s life and career. Most of these occasions are happy. Sure, they can also be a bit stressful — … [Read more...] about A Portrait Photographer’s Highest Responsibility

How to Relocate Your Photography Business: Part 2

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As I write this second piece to the story of relocating my business, I’ve been in Michigan for about three months now. Part one covered some of the very basics of moving a photography business—some actions I began before packing the first box. Now, firmly on the ground in Michigan, I thought I’d share some notes about my latest activities. Networking Networking Networking Perhaps you’ve heard that the professional photographer spends at best 20% of his time actually clicking the shutter. The remaining 80% is spent running the business. It’s … [Read more...] about How to Relocate Your Photography Business: Part 2

Location Photography: On Assignment with Joe McNally

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ThinkTAPLearn has released a new training title with Joe McNally—Location Photography: On Assignment with Joe McNally. You’ll have a chance to watch over Joe’s shoulder as he works his magic on the set of a dance shoot. An industry legend, McNally began as a photojournalist and has worked for publications like Life and National Geographic. Joe continues to work on assignment today, producing amazing images and inspiring photographers. Watching him work is a treat. Who’s this course for? To get the most from this course, you’ll want to have … [Read more...] about Location Photography: On Assignment with Joe McNally

Reviewed: Fujifilm Instax SP-2 Printer

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I’m old enough to remember the days of the Polaroid. But I’m young enough to appreciate the benefits of a digital medium in photography. The brilliant Fujifilm Instax SP-2 Printer blends both worlds perfectly. It takes the fuss and pixel peeping tendency out of digital and puts tangible little business card sized prints in your hot little hand. The printer brings good simple fun to photography. Overview This latest model, the SP-2, brings improved resolution, a rechargeable battery and a choice of colors. But to get hung up on the specs is to … [Read more...] about Reviewed: Fujifilm Instax SP-2 Printer

Adobe Portfolio: Initial Impressions

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Adobe Portfolio, free with a Creative Cloud subscription, is a real gem. Even if you’re perfectly happy with your website, I recommend taking a look at it. For me, it’s a been a perfect tool to publish a broader selection of work while maintaining the narrow focus of my primary website—headshots. I’m of the opinion that you must be known for a specialization within photography. The website on your business card or in your Facebook Ads must make it very clear what you do. But marketing your speciality doesn’t mean you can’t publish other work … [Read more...] about Adobe Portfolio: Initial Impressions

How to Relocate Your Photography Business: Part 1

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For the past couple of years, I've been running a boutique headshot photography business in the suburbs of Chicago. It's a business I started from scratch when I was brand new to the area. I've learned a lot in the past couple of years — everything from good old fashioned networking to contracts to SEO. Oh yeah, I took some pictures too! Building that business was one of the most rewarding things I’ve done. It’s also hard work and takes a lot of time. And now, I get to do it all over again. Yep, we've moved again. This time, we landed in … [Read more...] about How to Relocate Your Photography Business: Part 1

Photography Activities for Kids — Point of View

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Exploring photography with your kids? This is my second in a series of posts offering ideas you can use to help your young photographer get comfortable with fundamental concepts. Last time we walked through the very basics of photographic composition: reduce and simplify. With just those two words in mind, you and your child will both be taking better pictures. Today’s activity expands the concept of composition a bit further. The goal is to play with the idea that there’s more than one way to see an object. Equipment Keep it … [Read more...] about Photography Activities for Kids — Point of View

Lightroom 2 Minute Tips from Nicolesy — Reviewed

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Nicolesy’s new Two Minute Lightroom Tips, a comprehensive Lightroom training video series, is a fantastic option for teaching yourself Lightroom. If you’re looking to develop your skills or speed up your workflow, this course is a great resource. Why learn Lightroom? While it’s name hasn’t been turned into a verb like Photoshop, Adobe’s Lightroom is arguably the more important tool for digital photographers these days. Lightroom has become an industry standard, and is built to accommodate everyone from the working professional to the casual … [Read more...] about Lightroom 2 Minute Tips from Nicolesy — Reviewed

Photography Activities for Kids — Composition 101

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EDITOR'S NOTE: We would like to welcome Scott Lawrence to our team of talented writers. I have vivid memories of my dad sharing his love of photography with me. The weight of this strange object in my hand the first time he brought out his old SLR is something I’ll never forget. It’s impossible to shake the smell of the chemicals when we set up a darkroom in a guest bathroom. Unfortunately, the bathroom was sorely lacking in ventilation. All great memories, if not flawless plans. Photography is amazingly complex. You can spend a lifetime … [Read more...] about Photography Activities for Kids — Composition 101