PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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As we all know, the advent of digital photography has led to a whole bunch of folks thinking they are photographers. More people are trying to do-it- yourself every day. The DELETE button on their digital cameras allows them to throw out-of-focus, awkwardly framed, and miserable exposed images instantly. The result is still only bad picture.

When you hire a professional photographer, you aren’t just hiring someone with an expensive camera. You are hiring someone who knows how to make you, or whatever the subject is, look awesome. They use an artistic eye, they have an ability to put the subject at ease, and the technical skill to give you an image that everyone will notice. Artistic vision and the ability to see the image helps a photographer craft memorable images and snapshots.

As the saying goes, ‘you get what you pay for’ and paying for a professional photographer will bring you custom crafted images you’ll be proud to display and share for years to come.

Simply understand you’re not just paying for the actual photograph, you’re paying for time and expertise in creating the image itself. First, lets look at the actual time involved.

For a two-hour portrait session:

  • Travel to and from the session
  • One or two hours of shooting
  • 30 minutes of setup, preparation
  • 30 minutes to load photos on a computer for editing
  • 30 minutes to back up the files on multiple external drives
  • 3-4 hours of Photoshop time including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening

You can now see how one to two-hour session easily turns into more than ten hours of work from start to finish. So, if a photographer charges 4000 for a two-hour session then you can understand what it entails.

Qualities of a professional photographer.

  • Creativity and imagination.

Photography, for all intents and purposes, is a form of art. Therefore, it requires a creative mind- and plenty of imagination. A good photographer can look at something ordinary, or even extraordinary, and find a million different ways to interpret what he’s seeing and convey those interpretations in beautiful and meaningful photos.

  • An Eye for detail.

A good photographer has a very keen eye for detail to ensure that all elements within the photo- the lighting, the composition, the subject, and everything else in between- work together harmoniously to convey the right vision or message.

Key elements that make up a photograph:

  • Lighting
  • Composition
  • Storytelling
  • Emotion
  • Patience and flexibility

Whatever the photography field, a good photographer is patient. The patience to wait for perfect lighting. Patient enough to deal with crying babies, hyperactive animals, and difficult clients. And patience enough to keep trying when they can’t get the right shot. In addition to that flexibility is also so key. The two qualities go hand in hand as a photographer should be patient enough to deal with whatever comes his way, and to be flexible enough to make the best of undesirable conditions.

  • Good people skills.

Being a professional photographer means working with people – whether it’s a client, a model, or even a fellow photographer. Thus, a good photographer should have people skills. A photographer will also need to network to obtain clients and partnership, so knowing how to connect and communicate effectively with others is imperative. In addition to that, its just not enough to know how to take good photos. You must know how to interact with your subjects to make them feel at ease, get them to cooperate, or draw out all the right emotions out of them.

  •        Passion

What sets a good photographer from the rest? Passion.

When you’re passionate about what you do, it will always shine through in your work. It takes a lot of time and effort to make it as professional photographer, and the ones who do succeed and manage to make a name for themselves are those who are truly passionate about their craft.

 

Things to know when hiring a photographer.

  • You are hiring a visual solution provider.

This is what commercial photographers do. Every product has challenge to making it look great. Every service has challenges in bringing that service to a photograph. Professional commercial photographers are uniquely prepared to meet those challenges and provide solutions that make images that work for you.

  • All photographers are not the same

That wonderful photographer that photographed you sister’s birthday may not be a commercial photographer, nor have the skills needed to provide that work. If you need a people shot, you should look for someone who does that well. If you have a product, make sure the photographer can shoot products. Remember that their portfolio while not having the exact shot you are looking for, will let you know if they are capable of shooting products, people, locations and studio work.

  • Discuss your budget honestly.

Most professional photographers are decent, honest people and want to work with you. They can take your budget and find the best way to get what you need done. If your budget will not be enough for studio rental, they will find a way to shoot in location. If you only have a specific amount of money to spend on the photography, most photographers will find a way to make sure you get the absolute best work possible. And for sure, different photographers have different ways of getting things done.

  • Hire a photographer that understands your needs.

How will you tell if they understand your needs? They ask questions. Lots of questions. They will want to see what you consider your competition, they may want to scout your location, or meet with you for a pre-production discussion. They may ask to do test shots before the actual shoot to make sure they can solve the challenges in the best way possible. They may also want to know what you want to do with the images, so they can prepare them for the best presentation possible.

  • Great photography is not a cost item, it’s a profit center.

Good photography sells more product. It makes your service look better. It takes your business and shows it in the best light. Consumers and purchasers choose brands with great photography over products with bad, boring or mediocre imagery. Better photography sells more stuff to the clients you want to serve.

 

 

 

 

FUMIGATION

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No one wants to have their home fumigated but in some particular devastating cases of infestation, fumigating the entire property may be necessary. Depending on the species of pests, different chemicals may be used to fumigate. Nearly all pesticides used in fumigation are hazardous to humans and animals, though, so it’s imperative you never attempt to fumigate your property without a licensed extermination professional’s assistance.

STEPS TO PREPARE FOR A FUMIGATION.

There are a number of measures that your household will be asked to take in order to prepare for the event. It can take several days to prepare, so make sure you have a plan of action to follow and don’t wait until the last minute to get started. Your exterminator will provide you with a checklist of items to help you prepare for a successful fumigation.

  • Disconnect the gas supply.

If you use gas as an energy source in your home, you’ll need to have the gas shut off before fumigation begins. Schedule a temporary shutoff to happen first thing in the morning the day fumigation begins.

  • Remove plants, animals and people.

Anything that’s alive will need to be removed from the inside of your home and kept away from the house. Both animals could get into a spot where they would be exposed to the fumigant. Houseplants can be moved outdoors to a shady spot several feet away from the home’s exterior. You will need to find a place for your family to stay for up to three days.

Perishable food items, including those inside your fridge and freezer, must be either removed from the home or double bagged in special fumigation bags. Items you must double bag if they are to remain inside  include items such as rice and cereals that are packaged in plastic or cardboard, even if these items are unopened. Any canned or bottled items that are unopened/still sealed may remain inside your home. Don’t forget to remove bagged pet food too, even if it’s unopened.

  • Medications

Vitamins, over-the counter medications, and prescriptions must also be double bagged or removed from your home. Make sure you pack any medications you take regularly to keep with you and double bag all other items, including things like cough drop.

You’ll need to cut back plants and shrubs that are close to your home so they will remain outside the tented area. This can be a good excuse to get some much-needed pruning done. Once pruning is complete, thoroughly water the perimeter of your home to further protect the plants from the fumigant.

  • Remove plastic from indoor items.

The plastic tent is used to trap fumigant inside your home, but when plastic is covering items inside the home, the gases can get inside or underneath and become trapped, so they are not able to dissipate once the fumigation is over. Any items covered in plastic should have the plastic cover removed. Plastic storage totes should have the covers removed as well. If you’re not sure whether an item in plastic is airtight or not, remove it from the property.

 

WHAT HAPPENS DURING FUMIGATION?

  1. The area to be treated is covered with tarp (tenting) then all ventilation holes and slats are taped shut to ensure the fumigation chemicals are trapped inside.
  2. After all humans and animals have exited, pesticide vapors are pumped into the tent structure where the seep into wood, and all the elements of the structure to kill hard-to-reach pests.
  3. The chemicals are allowed to steep for a set period of time, usually between 24-72 hours, then the area is de-fumigated and the tent is removed.
  4. A pest control professional will manually check all areas of concern in the property to ensure the pest infestation is under control. Continued follow-up spot treatments may be necessary.

After all fumigation activities is done, it is safe to clean or hire a cleaning crew to completely clean your home. For anyone else who is considering fumigation, I would recommend insisting that anyone who fumigates your home or business hire a professional cleaning crew to come in after the fumigation to completely clean all surfaces in the home.

I would also recommend washing all bedding and clothing that has been exposed to sulfuryl fluoride. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

However, if you smell anything unusual, you may want to stay out another couple of days and then contact the fumigation company to have the check it out.