CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/408796
32 | November/December • 2014 August. According to Tarbox, the typical photographer's marketing schedule and social media play a big role when scheduling appointments. Photographers usually start promoting their Holiday Sessions on social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) months in advance. Spreading the message earlier gets more clients thinking about scheduling an appointment. Bookings can get very busy in the months of October and November so don't wait until the last minute. Although there are still many families who value professional photography, most are taking their holiday photos with an iPad or iPhone. In recent years, a quick snap of a silly family moment at Myrtle Beach has contested the tradi- tional Christmas sweater-clad family photo. at being said, the idea of con- ventional family portraits is still relevant. ere have been many changes over the years concerning holiday cards, but many families still hold professional photography in high regard. Half of the photographer's job is the camera handiwork and the other half is editing the pictures. Nowadays, Christmas cards can be embellished with any- thing from fake snow and fake backgrounds to digital boarders of photos. is is a large jump from only being able to choose one photo and a red and green backdrop during the 1990's. As for the behind-the-scenes of digitally enhanc- ing the photos, there are some funny requests made by parents. "e biggest Photoshop requests are typical from the parents who jokingly love to ask if we can make them look better," laughed Tarbox. Over the past 10 years Tarbox has seen a few developments in Christmas card photography. She explained, "Just like everything else, photography grows and changes with the times." In the early the 2000s, parents wanted the classic studio portrait where everyone in the family wears the same color against a plain background. "Back then clothing was still 'matchy-matchy,' something that many modern photographers strongly advise clients to stay away from." Plenty of families still request those types of homogenous images, but to- day more people want a natural setting with a variety of clothing options. "It gives the photos a much more 'lifestyle' kind of feel," Tarbox stated. Clients are interested in shooting 'on-location,' which means using the outdoors as their backdrop. Typically this includes outfit and scenic changes. According to Tarbox, there aren't many different themes arising or trending at the moment, but clients are coming to photographers with more specific ideas of what they want in their holiday photos. "What used to be le up to the pho- tographer is now being le up to a handful of images printed off from Pinterest." e client expects the photographer to duplicate Pinterest-perfect moments for their holiday cards. Families are becoming much more creative with their ideas and making the photo shoot about bringing out personality and fun. Along with creative ideas for families comes creative freedom for the pho- tographer and his or her camera. Back in the day, circa 1940, families would have to spend hours in front of a film camera just to get a couple of good shots since the shutter speed was so slow. ankfully we have progressed a lot since then. Faster and more reliable technology creates more opportunities for cap- turing the right moment. Digital photography has helped photographers cap- ture wonderful moments that can be reviewed immediately, which makes the outcome of a session much more reliable. With that said, Tarbox explains that "it is not the camera that takes a great picture, it is the photographer. Without our knowledge and skills the images would not be as great." As far as slow shutter speeds and 1940s technology, America has come a long way from emotionless portraits and awkward body language. Surprisingly, it is still likely to see serious Christmas photos requested. ere are many different styles and tastes out there. What one family may cherish, another family may scorn. Even though technology and styles change, there will always be people who admire a pensive ambiance as opposed to laughs, dimples and smiles. Tar- box explained the need for a mix of styles stating, "e classic look will never Photos submitted by Harper Hutchens Photos submitted by Harper Hutchens Photos submitted by Jennifer Narron