In this episode of Oh Shoot! podcast, Cassidy Lynne responds to your advice column submissions, including topics like upgrading your camera, storing photos on your computer, going back to a corporate job, and more!
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In this episode, Cassidy Lynne reads through your advice column submissions, including topics like upgrading your camera, storing photos on your computer, going back to a corporate job, and more!
Advice Column Submissions
Hello everyone! Welcome back to another episode of “Oh Shoot” with your host Cassidy Lynne. Today, I want to chat about the weather in Michigan and how it’s been affecting my photography workflow. The rainy, leafless scenery has definitely been dampening my motivation lately. Like many photographers, I’m going through my annual career identity crisis you know, that moment when bookings slow down, and you start questioning everything! But I’ve learned it’s totally normal to have these slower months. Now, let me share some exciting news about my film photography journey! Unlike my previous attempts, I think I’m finally hitting my stride.
I recently switched from a more complicated manual film camera to an Olympus point-and-shoot (the MGU 3150), and it’s been a game-changer! What makes it different? First, it has a built-in flash, which is perfect for achieving that classic film look I love. Second, being a point-and-shoot means no worrying about manual settings. I’ve been experimenting with both Kodak Gold and Fujifilm Color (35mm), and I’m probably leaning towards the Kodak Gold. The best part? I’ve shot four rolls in just six weeks, way more than ever before! It’s become this amazing way to document everyday moments without the pressure of getting that perfect Instagram shot. Just pop it in my purse, snap away, and hope for the best! Okay, lets start this advice column submissions episode!
Advice Column Submissions
Submission: First of all, I’m obsessed with the podcast and you give the best advice! So, a little back story I’m relatively new to the world of full-time wedding photography and I’m starting to actually book clients and actually get into full time numbers. But I’m really starting to struggle in this one area… storage! I’m currently using capture one to cull and Lightroom classic to edit and all of my photos are starting to really slow my laptop down. I have some photos on an external hard drive, but I’m scared to rely on them for weddings because of how often I hear about them corrupting. I feel like I would need to back up my photos on 3 different ones but that gets confusing and expensive really fast. So, WWCD (what would Cassidy do) from SD card to final product, how and where are you organizing, formatting and editing all these photos? Do you have Lightroom on its own hard drive? Do you only import photos to Lightroom from an external hard drive? Is the SanDisk one you use reliable? What other hard drives do you use and recommend? Have you ever had issues with them corrupting? HELP!!
Advice Column Submissions
Cassidy: Listen up, you absolutely cannot store all your wedding photos on your laptop. Period. It’s a recipe for the slowest Lightroom ever, what happens if your laptop crashes? Here’s the deal with photo storage: External hard drives are your best friend. Yes, I know you’re scared about them crashing, but here’s the solution: use two of them. Back up identical content on both drives. If one fails, you’ve got a backup. I’m more worried about your laptop crashing without backups! Here’s my workflow: I shoot to dual SD cards (instant backup), then transfer to two external drives when I get home. My Lightroom catalogs live on these drives, within the RAW photo folders.
I use Aftershoot to cull images, and create a “sorted RAWs” folder on both drives, and only these make it into Lightroom. Important note about Lightroom catalogs: You can’t sync between two drives simultaneously. Work on one, then copy the catalog to the second drive when done. Worst case? If a drive fails, you only lose the Lightroom catalog, not your actual photos. About drive brands (SanDisk, LaCie, Samsung) – honestly, every brand has horror stories. I use SanDisk SSDs without issues but knock on wood everyone has different experiences. The key is having multiple backups, and not stressing about specific brands. For extra peace of mind, keep your labeled SD cards unformatted until final delivery. That’s your third backup!
Advice Column Submission
Submission: This past year I recently went full-time. Profit wise I have done much worse than last year. I am at the point where I need to go back to my full-time job to pay my bills. Any advice on what you think I should do? I have put so much time and money into my business and it feel like a waste. I feel so defeated and I’m not sure what to do. Thank you in advance xoxo.
Cassidy: I’m so sorry you’re going through this tough time with your photography business. It’s completely normal to feel discouraged when things aren’t working out as planned. While I don’t think you should give up, it’s clear that some changes might be needed. Some things you can evaluate are your photos, consider if your technique, editing, or overall style needs refinement to stand out more. When it comes to your marketing strategy: Are you posting consistently? Creating video content? Really putting yourself out there? Next, website and branding: While not make-or-break, a professional website can help solidify bookings.
An important question to consider: Did you go full-time because you were overwhelmed with bookings, or did you hope going full-time would generate more bookings? There’s no shame in returning to a full-time job if that arrangement actually resulted in better business profits. Sometimes maintaining photography as a side business can be more sustainable. I know you mentioned that you have invested a lot in your business but can you consider investing in a photography mentor who can provide targeted guidance for your specific situation?
Advice Column Submissions
Submission: I shoot with a Sony a7iii I’m wanting to upgrade, what Sony would you recommend and why? I need all the details it’s so hard to make my decision. Thank you girl!!!
Cassidy: So you’ve got the Sony a7iii, that’s a solid workhorse camera. While it’s an older model, it’s super reliable and gets the job done well. Perfect for intermediate photographers! If you are thinking about upgrading, here are your main options: The most straightforward upgrade would be the Sony a7IV. It’s like the upgraded version of the a7iii. If you’re already comfortable with the a7iii, this is probably your best bet. If you’re looking to step it up even more, there’s the Sony A9 series. These cameras are beasts for fast-paced shooting like sports or wildlife photography. They’re super quick to focus and capture, which is why they’re popular with wedding photographers.
The new A9iii with its universal shutter is particularly exciting. Another option is the Sony A7R5. Just keep in mind that while it’s amazing, some photographers find the RAW files are actually bigger than they need. Bottom line? If I had to recommend just one upgrade path, I’d say go for the Sony a7IV. It’s a solid investment that’ll serve you well for a long time! Remember, whichever camera you choose will likely be your companion for quite a while, so it’s worth thinking through the decision!
Advice Column Submission
Submission: I did a TFP with another photographer. I had a contract in place stating no RAW photos and we both signed it. Literally the day after the trade session she started begging me for the RAW files. I gave her edits as promised earlier than we had agreed to. This was a month ago. She has yet to send me edits or any form of photos of me from the swap. This has been going on for a month. Thankfully, I had a model release and contract signed on my end. So, I’ve been able to use the images and they have been my most popular posts recently.
Cassidy: Trading photos with other photographers can be tricky without a contract in place. I’ve gotten multiple submissions about this issue, and it’s important to be cautious. When you’re just going off someone’s word, there’s no guarantee you’ll get what was promised. Even waiting a month for photos, they didn’t get paid for might not seem long to someone who procrastinates.
From my experience, the best way to handle photo trades is doing SD card for SD card, you get my RAW photos, I get yours, right then and there. This way, both photographers can edit the photos in their own style, which is especially important for branding shoots where you want your specific aesthetic. While it’s disappointing, keep hoping they’ll eventually send your photos. But let this be a lesson about being super careful with who you trade photos in the future. You never know if someone will follow through, which sucks but that’s just how it is sometimes.
Advice Column Submission
Submission: I need help to get my images sharp. I feel like I am doing everything by the book- changing from a kit lens to a prime lens, keeping my iso at 100, shutter speed is high, and the aperture is always low- as yet my images don’t always come out sharp. It’s making me lose my mind. Is there anything else I can do to get my images to look sharp every single time? I have a Canon Rebel t4i for reference.
Cassidy: The main issue is probably your low aperture setting. While a low f-number (like f/1.4) creates that beautiful background blur, it can actually make it super tricky to get your whole subject in focus. You might find that the eyes are sharp, but the nose is blurry – that’s totally normal at super low apertures! Here’s what I recommend: Try shooting at f/2.2 or f/2.5 for portraits.
You’ll still get that nice background blur, but your photos will be much sharper. If you’re currently at f/1.4, bump it up to f/2.8 and see the difference. Now, about your Canon Rebel – it’s a fantastic starter camera, but let’s be real: it might have some limitations. When I used one, I also struggled with getting tack-sharp focus. While it’s true that gear isn’t everything, there’s definitely a quality difference between a $500 and a $5,000 camera. Don’t beat yourself up comparing your shots to other photographers using high-end gear! Quick fix: Start by increasing your aperture to f/2.8. This should immediately help with sharpness while still giving you that professional-looking background blur you’re after.
Advice Column Submission
Advice Column Submissions: Okay so I have clients that are sisters. Sister 1 is dating a guy that is NOT good for her and sister 2 doesn’t like him (nor does any other of the fam). I have a family session with all of them and sister 1 messages me and wants to surprise everyone during the shoot that she is pregnant! I know sister 2 and fam will not be pleased as they don’t like the guy. What the hell do I do?!? I wanna tell sister 2 but also feel like I should stay out of it and just get pics of them yelling at her and upset??
Cassidy: Okay, so what you have here is what I like to call Insider knowledge. Insider knowledge is not something to be messed with. You are in a position where people trust you and feel like an outside person right? If you insert yourself into the situation, you are adding yourself to this drama. In my professional opinion don’t say a word. Let sister 1 reveal that she’s pregnant let everyone be mad. They’re hiring you to capture it so you capture it.
You know if you feel uncomfortable with it to the point where you’re like I don’t even want to shoot it maybe tell the entire family that you’re not a good fit for them. but I don’t see that being the best course of action because at the end of the day, you don’t know what their reaction is going to be. You don’t want to assume anything, and you definitely don’t want to put your hands in a situation where they don’t belong. This sounds like deeper-rooted drama than you don’t need to be in. We don’t know why the family doesn’t like him we don’t know any of that so I would say stay out of it take the photos and just let whatever happens happen.
Advice Column Submission
Submission: I’m just not sure where to go with my business. I have a part-time job as a supervisor at UPS and it’s my benefit job. My husband is a type 1 diabetic and he’s on my insurance along with our 2 kids. I want to go full-time with my biz but it’s a huge risk. Doing both my supervisor job and my photography business as well as raising our kids and homeschooling them is completely overwhelming. I’m literally running on empty all. the. time. And with the economy, we’re still not doing awesome financially. I feel so stuck!
Cassidy: I understand you’re in a tough situation with multiple factors to consider. The main questions are about your husband’s employment benefits and your photography business’s current state. Since healthcare is important, especially with a diabetic spouse and children, it’s risky to leave a job with good benefits. While full-time photographers can get healthcare, it’s expensive and comes out of pocket. The main question here is how well your photography business is performing. Are you overwhelmed with bookings and turning away clients? Or is the business still growing? If you’re making significantly more from photography (like double or triple your UPS salary), it might be worth paying for private insurance. However, if you’re not at that level yet, you might need to prioritize. With homeschooling kids and managing multiple responsibilities, something may need to take a back seat temporarily. Maybe wait until the kids are more independent before scaling up photography?
Show Notes:
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