Sunday 11 October 2009

3 Ways You Can Earn More Money By Using A Green Screen And Children's Photography

By Doug Taylor

Photographing kids can be a very nice business to be in. From birth all the way to young grown person, moms and dads and family want to be able to have a visual record of their baby girl or boy growing up. In the majority cases parents bring in children mostly for special occasions and other reasons to observe. Normally they have pictures taken quite often when they are babies and every year or two after that. This can go on until the children become grown ups. And then there are the principal holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. All these portrait opportunities can add up to a nice residual income, particularly if a photographer gets lots of customers. Using a green screen can help you get those customers.

But wouldn't it be good if there was a means to raise the number of sales, especially during the early infancy years where the child's moms and dads may not normally bring them in for their portraits? Within of this piece you will find not one, not two, but three great ways you can earn more funds by using a green screen with the same clients - and it will not cost you much at all to execute them all.

The first idea is a imaginative use of a question all children get asked sometime during their adolescence: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This question routinely leads to the standard answers of doctor, firefighter, policeman, astronaut, and cowboy or cowgirl. Adults like to ask this question as a way to support a child to dream of an exciting future for themselves, but wouldn't it be neat to have a photo of the child dressed up as their favorite profession?

Here is a quick way to do this. First, to make sure you don't have to build complicated sets or print up some location backdrops, set up a green screen that you will take the child's picture in front of. Next, have the child dress up like their dream job would have them look - if feasible, help the parents by having low-cost props like a fireman's helmet, a cowboy hat, and a doctors mask with plastic stethoscope. Take the photograph then use simple chroma key software to place them in the suitable background.

An additional way to make the most of a green screen and offer another unique portrait opportunity is what I like to call the "show off" tactic. This idea calls for the parent to bring in something the child has accomplished that they are quite proud of. Then take the picture as if the child is standing next to the exhibit. If the child is into sports try taking the picture from the side with them leaning on a wall that is covered with green screen.

Finally do not forget to utilize themes to your advantage. For instance, find out what the child's favorite book is that they read and prized. Do some research and figure out a way to place them inside the books settings. If the book is something like one of the action books try placing them in the tropical rain forest or in the middle of a cattle ranch. For "Harry Potter" use old English streets, or pictures of the interior of ancient college hallways. If you are ready to make use of your mind, you will find the sky is the limit when it comes to unique children portraiture - especially when using a green screen.

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