Have you lost all your important pictures yet? Someday you will!

Do you have copies of all those pictures on your camera or phone? What happens if you lose your phone or camera? Or It gets stolen? Or you drop it in the toilet? (Don't laugh, it happens!) If you lose your camera or phone your pictures are gone and you will never get them back! Now, before going any further pull out your phone and scroll through those pictures. Could you imagine losing them forever? If your answer is no then please read on…

We live in a digital age that requires some responsibility. One responsibility is to back up those images. Make copies and put them away where that cannot be harmed, lost or stolen.

First of all, a back up doesn't exist unless there are at least 2 copies on different media types. Therefore, if one is lost you still have the other. And if one media type becomes non existent (as did the vinyl record, 8 tracks, cassettes, and VHS) the other copy is still there. 

There are probably a dozen different ways to back up all your images and I will touch on a few. Bottom line, back it up cuz you can't get it back!

On a regular basis download your images to your desktop or laptop. This is you first copy. Then burn those images to a rewriteable DVD (so you can continue to use the same disk) Now you have a second copy. But don't store both of those together. What if there is a fire? Your computer will burn and  and your DVDs will melt. Put it somewhere else in the house, or at work, or at your Mom's house. 

What other types of media can you use to back up your pictures? Here is a short list of ideas;

(Please note that I am not affiliated in any way with these products nor have these companies paid me any fees to advertise their products. I have either used them or have it on good authority that they meet the industry's expectation for their services.)

Thumbdrives - a 64 GB thumb drive is just $40 on amazon. The average picture is about 3 megabytes, you can store almost 22,000 images.

Amazon.com

External Hard Drives - 500 GB for $79 at Walmart.com Store up to 170,000 images! 

Walmart.com

OnLine back up is another great option but a bit more pricey than the previous. For about $60 a year these companies will back up all the important files on your computer and secure them in the cloud. No fire or flood in your home can destroy a back up in the cloud.

Carbonite.com 

Mozy.com

Backblaze.com

Bottom line, Back it up or you won't get it back!!!

The perfect portrait

My passion as a photographer stems from the obsession to create the most beautiful photograph possible of my client. And each client brings the challenge of outdoing myself from the previous session. Before we go much further it is important to understand that the art of photography is represented by two separate but equally important factors, the technical side and the creative side. (Anyone catch the Law and Order reference?) The technical side, depth of field, shutter speed, ISO, and lens selection is a very left brain activity. The creative side, lighting, background, posing, etc is a very right brain activity. Most people tend to be stronger on one side over the other and photography challenges you to use both sides. I am very technical person, so operating a camera is very second nature to me. Therefore, using my right brain for creativity is something I constantly study and practice. It is not about just looking through the view finder and snapping a shot, its about all things I just mentioned and pulling them all together at the same time. I am constantly battling one aspect or the other to get the perfect shot.

But I digress…This past October I decided I wanted to reward my past clientele with a very affordable, but quick Holiday session in the studio. Nothing fancy, just an opportunity to bring the family in and have a family portrait done for Christmas. One particular client, I will call her Ruth, was one of the first to book an appointment. Ruth is a 30 something young lady who self admittedly has overcome some challenging obstacles in her life. I have a feeling she probably really couldn't afford a regular photo session so I am glad she took me up no this offer. When she arrived for her session she introduced me to her father, who reluctantly had come along to get his photo taken with her. So we popped in to the studio, I did a few shots of them together and a few of each of them separately.

I put Ruth's photos up on line for her to view and she promptly made her selections and placed her order, one portrait of her and her father together, and one each of them alone. About a week later Ruth came by (alone) to pick up her portraits. We got to chatting about the portraits she had selected. I told her that I always pick out my favorites from each session and I am always interested in which portraits the client chooses and why. With a guarded tone and a lump in her throat, she shared with me that she had not had the opportunity to spend much time with her father when she was growing up and could never recall seeing him smile. That is why she had chosen this particular portrait of her father.

Now, I look at this picture and I see technical and creative opportunities. Why did I do this? Why didn't I do that? I beat myself up constantly for not shooting it perfectly. But Ruth didn't care about that. I captured a moment in time that she never got to see as a child. I guess, at least for today, I have finally taken the perfect portrait. Thank you Ruth for helping me see that.

A new venture...

Late last year I was asked to shoot a magazine launch party in Orange County. Long story short, it turned out to be a charity event I was covering for the magazine. Red carpet, celebrities, expensive cars, the whole kit and kaboodle. During the event I met an amazing photographer (and person), Carla Rhea. You can view her work at www.iwanabnpix.com

Since that night we have kept in touch and have worked together on several occasions. Carla is a true professional in our field. She has an extensive portfolio of event photography, celebrities, and children's head shots for acting and print work.

Due to an increase in business and a need to bring these different genres of photography together, she has created " The Foto Agency" (www.TheFotoAgency.com). As of today I am proud to share with you that I will be a fundamental part of this amazing organization.

So please take a moment and take a look at our website and keep us in mind for all your photography needs.

Carla Rhea 

Kevin Hackworth

How to hire a photographer

I recently attended a wedding show in Orange County just to see what other photographers are doing. (Side note, I shopped around as a consumer, not a photographer, nor did I ever disclose that I was a photographer.) Guess what I found? Nothing. They all basically provide the same service; 2 photographers on your wedding day, images on CD, a wedding album, and a set timeframe for photographing your wedding. 

They all had the same great looking images in the same albums (at least as far as a bride would know). So why should I consider photographer A vs. photographer B? Which photographer would I hire for my event? After some contemplation I chose one. Which one you ask? It doesn't really matter. What matters is how I came to my conclusion.

Two features or characteristics stuck out. First was personality. The photographer I chose connected with me. He was outgoing and found a way to be my friend and help me open up. You could say we instantly "hit it off". Think about this for a moment, whether it is your wedding, or any other photographed event, you want the photographer to capture the "real you". If you are uncomfortable with your photographer, you will have your guard up all day. But if you feel comfortable with your photographer, like you do with a close friend, he/she will be able to bring out the real you and capture those special moments just as you intended them to be.

Secondly, I found that each photographer had different packages. For this package it will cost this much and for that package it will cost that much. Doesn't a bride already have enough decisions to make? Does she really know what she wants from her photographer? Maybe she does, but for this reason I liked the photographer that offered just one package. I found this to be an easy decision, this is what he offers and this is what he will charge. Checkmark on photographer, let's talk to the caterers now. Shouldn't we, as the professionals in our industry, know basically what a bride wants and create a package for her and make this choice an easy one for her? Sure, we can have add-ons and extra services, but we can talk about that later.

Don't get me wrong. There are some important questions to ask; how many weddings have you shot? Do you have a second photographer with you? Do you have back up equipment? The list could go on forever. Do your research, know what is important to you and be sure to ask.

When all was said and done, here is what I came away with; 
- Feel comfortable with your choice of photographers, or any vendor you choose. 
- As a photographer, less can be more. Design a package that covers your bride's needs and put a price on it. Don't confuse her with half a dozen different packages to choose from. She may just gravitate towards the easier choice. 
-And for the brides/clients out there, know what you want and ask for it.

What are your thoughts? I would love to hear what you think on this topic. And please be sure to click the FaceBook share button at the top right.

Now accepting all major credit cards...

2011 is gearing up to be a great year, and with that we are proud to announce that we now accept all major credit cards; Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and AMEX! (This also includes any ATM card bearing the aforementioned logos.) Now you have the convenience of paying by cash, check, or credit card. Be sure to stop by our website and check out the great deals we have for you this year!

www.HackworthPhotography.com