All budding photographers, as well as those who’ve been shooting for awhile, are all looking for the same thing. They want to shooting stunning photographs that capture the “wow” factor. It is not an easy thing to do, since beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, it is not impossible and rather than following rules, sometimes it is necessary to break them. Be random and boldly follow your instincts to find that special picture that makes everyone stop and take notice.

1. Change the Perspective – Nearly all portraits are taken with the camera at eye level. Change the perspective by changing the angle from which you’re shooting. Get up high over your subject for one effect. From that vantage you may see an even more interesting aspect. Experiment with your composition.

2. Play with the Eyes – Eye contact or the direction in which the eyes are gazing heavily affects the effect of the portrait. Looking directly into the camera isn’t always the most interesting way to shoot someone. It may be more intriguing to have the subject look off to the side, drawing those who look at the shot to wonder what’s there, off camera, unseen. But be careful how you do this, because drawing the viewer’s eyes to the side also takes their eyes off your subject.

3. Staying Focused within the Frame – In other words, have your subject holding an object, like a woman holding a baby, or a child holding a toy keeps the viewers eyes focused inside the frame and on the subjects. It creates a second point of interest and helps to create a story within the frame with the subject.

4. Composition Rules – Composition rules as listed in portrait photography tips, are made to be followed and broken. The rules are great to know and to use, but stretching them, or pushing to the outer limits makes for more interesting portrait art. Learn the rules, get comfortable using them, then learn to break them in order to achieve a more eye catching result.

5. Experiment with Lighting – The possibilities are endless with lighting. You are hindered only by your imagination and ability to be creative. There is no good and bad. So go ahead and play with the lighting. You might surprise yourself. Sidelight, back-light, silhouette, the possibilities are infinite.

6. Make Subject Move – Interesting portraits happen when you take the subject out of his or her comfort zone. Make them move. Put them in clothing or in a setting where you wouldn’t ordinarily find them. Surround them with stuff that says who they are, but make them react differently to it. For instance, put them in business attire in an office, but have them jump up and down or read a book upside down. Again, be creative.

7. Don’t Stage the Photo – Shooting candid shots are better than posing the subject. People, and kids in particular tend to tense up and hide rather than reveal their personality when the picture is staged and they are required to pose. Photograph your subjects while they work or kids while they play. Try to catch them reacting naturally to their environment.

8. Using Props – Enhance your shot by creating another point of interest with a prop. For example, if you’re shooting a doctor, let them be wearing a stethoscope or holding a skull. Be careful not to let the prop dominate the picture, let it be part of the picture telling part of the story.

9. A Part of the Whole – Try focusing on a part of the whole, for instance, instead of shooting the head and shoulders of your subject, take a picture or two of their hands, or their back, or maybe even a shoulder with a special tattoo, keeping the face in shadow. Be dramatic and bold. Sometimes what is left out of the shot is as important as what is left in.

10. Variation on a Theme – Obscuring your subject in order to focus on one particular aspect works well too. In other words, shrouding a woman in a shawl leaving only her eyes visible and looking at the camera. Possibly making the shawl match the eyes of the subject making for a dramatic color statement.

The possibilities for taking creative and dramatic shots are limited only by your ability to think outside the box. Know the rules, know how to work them, then learn how to break them for a more creative effect. Finally, take a series of shots… not just one… shoot often and quick… sometimes, in order to get what you want.

Are you an existing photographer looking for additional customers or a new photographer looking to start a photography business? In either case you may want to take a look at targeting the tourism industry which accounted for $772.9 billion dollars of the US economy in 2008.

Why Target Tourists?

Tourists travel or vacation in every state in droves each year spending their money on activities, food and lodging, but to what extent?

Did you know that Idaho brings in 20 million visitors annually and that in 2008, in the midst of one of the largest recessions in United States history California had 338 million visitors generating $97.6 billion; even Delaware had 8.1 million visitors in 2008. Tourism is one of the largest bread winners for every state in the union and a therefore a great industry to draw photography customers from.

Why Tourists are a Profitable Customer Base

Tourists have the Magic Formula: Time + Money = Bookings

What are the most obvious reasons for people not booking a portrait photography shoot while at home? The infamous objections, “I don’t have enough time” or “I don’t have enough money”, stop people from getting portraits while at home. The great thing about people on vacation is that they have time, and they plan on having fun, so they have money to spend on activities.

Now, if you use popular tourist locations as backdrops for getting family, couples or senior portraits taken you have a customer base for your photography business and the perfect backdrop.

What Tourist Attraction Do I have Near Me?

Look at your states website, and find out how many people go to each tourist attraction near you each year and run the numbers of how many customers you could generate.

Here is an example of targeting tourism using New York’s Central Park as a customer base:

Let’s say you live in New York City a ½ hour commute to Central Park. Central Park commands 25 million visitors annually. If you can generate 1 photo shoot from just 1 in every 100,000 people going to that location you will generate 250 shoots per year.

Now Compare the Destination Photography Business Model (tapping into tourism customers) to a Standard Business Model:

Let’s also say you live in New York City and are advertising to the local community within a ½ hour commute of where you live for standard portrait photography. The total population of New York City is 8.3 million, already 16.7 million less than your potential target of Central Park tourists of 25 million. Now how many potential customers live within a ½ hour commute of where you live in New York City, let’s estimate 2 million. Even at 2 million potential photography customers that is still a pool 12.5 times smaller than that of Central Park tourists.

Now here is the important factor that makes the destination photography business model so appealing. These potential 25 million customers for Central Park Photography are also partially qualified in that they have the magic formula for deciding to book a photography session: Time + Money = Bookings.

In most instances you will not have a tourism draw as flooded as Central Park for your target. Every state has at least one attraction that is a viable draw for tourism based portrait photography.

Here are just a few potential examples:

Grand Canyon Family Photography
California Wine Country Portraits
Bryce Canyon National Park Family Photography
French Quarter Portrait Photography – New Orleans
Miami Beach Family Photography
Yellowstone National Park Family Photography

(Use your areas beautiful natural or man made backdrops as your photography studio)

Photographers need to understand that families and couples spend the year, sometimes a lifetime, planning a vacation and people want professional photographs to commemorate the event (if someone was offering them) or to have photos with backdrop they have been dreaming about during their special trip.

Steven Hill is the marketing director for Maui photographer Karma Hill, a destination photographer thriving targeting vacationing customers for the past 4 years in Maui, Hawaii (annual visitors only 2.075 million).

Steven has been promoting Karma’s new book, Destination Photography Business “How to Tap into the Multi-Billion Dollar Travel Industry”. Karma’s book is designed to help photographers start a photography business targeted towards this tourism market oozing with potential customers. Click on the start a photography business link to learn more about this fun, profitable and rewarding business model.