Youth Portraits & Photo Sales

Portraits are a major portion of photo sales for many photographers. Staying “fresh” is a challenge for still many more photographers. Photo sales are generated when a lot of people like what is produced consistently by the photographer. But for many photographers, the boredom consumes them. They either get stuck in a rut. Or, they fail to realize what makes salable portraits. That doesn't have to be the case. Find your style - but be creatively flexible. Pay attention to your subject. Regardless of how they may appear to you, they are depending on you to make them look real good! Often, they're nervous. You, the photographer, must put them at ease. If you can't do so, chances are you won't get many good shots during the session. Pay attention to your subject. Relax them. Build their confidence. Success follows!

This is Destiny. She has had some experience modeling. This series is to demonstrate some of the posing positions.	Same pose - three variations. Simply by moving the camera length in and out changes the portrait focus.	The crossing of her hands lifts and squares her shoulders. This pose position produces a good head shot (composing the shot from the shoulders up).

Same pose with a different turn. The posing stool offers a good prop.	This shot conveys her youth and innocence.	Black and white is being requested more and more in current photo sales.

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Crossing of the arms offers good body structure in some poses.	Same shot in black and white.	The crossing of the arms should be relaxed. In this shot I shot the fingers of her left hand so that they are distracting - not good. I should have paid more attention when shooting.

Without her smile she seems stoic and thoughtful. This is a variation of the poses in the earlier portraits.	I've heard of the "Rule of Three" but I don't understand the concept nor do I adhere to it.	Destiny not smiling adds maturity to her look. This headshot is slightly off-center and landscape formatted purposely. I break rules often.

A change in clothes dramatically changes the mood of the photos	These portraits are shot to be purposely different from "Senior" portraits or the photos that youth take at the malls.	Destiny shows her youthful age in these shots. Her clothing changes her "maturity quotient."

The youth love looking more mature than their years. The parents want them to look their ages.	The parents are paying for the portraits that I shoot.	I shoot youth portraits to accomodate the parents. Of course, I shoot images that the youth are pleased with.

As a photographer, I attempt to get as much as possible out of each subject/model that I photograph. To increase photo sales, during the pre-shoot interview I ask the subject what type of portraits they want. Based on that information I plan the shoot. I also include ideas that will take many variations on poses, moods and tones. I assume the role of a movie director and "guide" them through the poses that produces the portraits that they told me that they want. I treat the subject like a "star." They relax, feel confident and pose well. All in all, this strategy keeps me up on what impacts my photo sales and what is salable.