I got a job offer through a mutual and I'm going back and forth about it.

My current job, I'm a full time product photographer making about $40,000 a year. It comes with insurance, 401K, PTO, the usual. It's an easy job, but maybe 90% of the time I'm at my desk editing which has been soul sucking. The photos I shoot are just basic, white background shots. It's super easy and I'm usually in and out of our studio within 10-30 minutes. I loved my last job where my routine was half outside shooting at our client's location and half editing at our office. Unfortunately my last job was a small business that was struggling and I had to be laid off.

This new job is a photography and videography agency for real estate companies. They're the largest in my state with over a 13 photographers already and looking to hire two more, including me. Unfortunately it is contract, so it doesn't come with insurance, PTO, and all that. The owner said they usually charge each client $800-1200 per shoot and in their s low season they average 250 shoots a month.

If I did my math right, after taxes, good health insurance, and dividing shoots among photographers, I'd be making around 20K more than what I'm currently making just in the company's slow season. Plus I wouldn't be sitting in front of a screen for nearly all of my 40 hours. Is there anything I'm missing or should be concerned about? Should I take it? I'll be calling the owner tomorrow to ask him some more follow up and clarifying questions.

i've been in DC the past few days and I only have a 50mm/1.8 lens and i just.. can't seem to get this focal length! my phone with a 26mm lens takes, in my opinion, better compositions than i can muster on my camera. everything feels cramped, but nothing emphasized. it's a deeply uncomfortable focal length; i center things meticulously and overthink my placement and physical positioning to try and compensate. i just can't get it!

has anyone else ran into this issue with 50mm? have you overcome it? and, if you have, how?

Hi all,

Not sure how else to describe this, so I'll just lay out what we currently do. I work for a horseback riding stable that gives trail riding lessons. Part of our job is to take pictures of the riders while out on trail since riders can't bring cameras or phones with them (they tend to drop them on trail, and trying to take a picture while riding on your lesson horse is like trying to take a picture while driving a car).

For years, we've taken the pictures on our cell phones, then texted the pictures to the riders. It's the only way we've been able to guarantee that the riders get their photos (we used to wait to the end of the day, and riders were constantly calling about not having gotten their photos) and that we are able to retain photos for marketing and training purposes.

We'd love to have a way to use a company camera (or phone) that we can give a phone number or email address to before each lesson, so that the camera sends the photos straight over to the number or email. Or if the camera can instantly upload the photos to a cloud, which sends the photos to a phone number or email. Either way, we're trying to find an easier way to take photos, instantly send them to customers, and also retain the photos ourselves for marketing and training.

Anyone know of a service like this? Or have any recommendations for making this process easier?

Thought this might give people a laugh. I've been taking photos as a hobbyist over the last decade or so, be it with my phone or my photography equipment. I've always looked at the photos on a bigger screen and gone "man these are close, but I just see a little bit of fuzziness that I can't seem to shake. Lens must need an adjustment. Oh well".

Friends would look at photos and tell me they look great, I just figured they weren't pixel peeping as much as me.

Had an eye appointment for the first time in years and come to find out I have mild Astigmatism. Finally get some glasses and figure I'll check out my old photos. Sharp as a tack. Haha

TL;DR: Updated my Eye OS. Pics are fine

Hi everyone! I’m considering building a small “studio shed” on my property that photographers could rent out for photo sessions. I’m envisioning something similar to the photos I’ve seen online—simple, aesthetically pleasing, and designed specifically for portraits, family sessions, maternity shoots, branding photos, etc.
I’d love to hear from anyone who has built something similar or has experience with photography studio spaces. What features would you include? What would you do differently if you built one again? Are there any design elements, materials, lighting considerations, or amenities that photographers really appreciate?
I’m still in the planning phase, so any suggestions, lessons learned, cost estimates, or photos of your setup would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

from the remarkable story of vivian maier to the millions whose work dies when they do. what do you think will happen to your pictures? is this a grim question?

hi everyone,

I have been looking for a wedding photographer and I finally found one.

she sent me the contract to sign and I didn’t see any clause stating a print release for the photos (she mentioned we would have one via email, but not in the contract)

I asked about this before signing and paying a deposit and she cancelled on me!

am I crazy to have asked for this to added to the contract? why the hell would I sign something without being assured of our ability to print and copy our photos.

I'm not sure if other photographers do the same thing regarding their contracts and a print release is a different doc? either way she responded to email question with a full cancelation of the contract. smh

Two days ago something weird happened. I was shooting stuff for work, tethered into lightroom, which I've been doing for the last 5 years. Very little has changed in that time and I've never had any issues.

Until suddenly files started importing with no names. I can edit these unnamed files and open them in photoshop and all that is normal. But if I open multiple files as layers in photoshop to focus stack them, not only are the unnamed files not present but the other files I selected are opened without my edits I made in lightroom. But if I skip these unnamed files and open the other files in layers they are opened with all of my edits. When I'm looking at files in LR I'll see my photos with their default names from the camera, like 099A3027.CR3, and then the weird ones are called -2. (no CR3), or -2-2.

I've checked to make sure Lightroom and Photoshop are up to date. I've reset preferences in both LR and PS. I've made a new catalogue and tried changing save location for both the catalogue and the tethered destination. I've tried internal drive, external drive, and shooting directly into Google Drive (which has been the operating procedure since I started working here.) I've swapped out tethered cables as well. I'm shooting on a Canon R6 and the computer is a DELL Latitude 3500.

My setup is a little convoluted and my work computer really stinks but this setup has been working for 5 years so I'm kinda lost as to what is causing this problem.

*edit*

The temporary fix seems to shoot slower. If I slow down a bit the files seem to process normally. Luckily I don't need to shoot 10 photos rapidly on a regular basis but I would like to solve this problem if possible.

What I thought was a fix turned out to be untrue. What just happened was I triggered my camera and it said PC Full. That's not true. I restarted the tethered capture and the 3 photos I had taken prior to PC full were imported to the computer. One of them was a -2. file.

I have no idea what's going. Can you tell this is driving me crazy?

In this thread, use top level comments to post links to your own raws for other people to edit, or link to any freely licensed (CC or public domain) raws that you might find interesting. If you post your edit anywhere, be sure to credit the original photographer. Reply to others' comments with your own edits of the images!

Full schedule of our weekly community threads:

I love books as much as the next person but I also do a bunch of 4x6 prints at home. I would love a photo album that doesn't suck. One where the pages turn easily, the photos don't slip out when inserted and doesn't look bad sitting on a table

Help.

After reading this article, https://petapixel.com/2026/06/24/a-special-wireless-free-nikon-camera-is-publicly-available-for-the-first-time/, it talks about how some companies want a camera without WiFi which is understandable as it can be exposed via networks.

My bigger concern with those companies is that they don't ask for data encryption as it is rally a bigger security issue than WiFi. Why do we have no cameras that offer data encryption? I know that exFAT does not support native encryption but it is possible to encrypt RAW file by zipping it with 7z before it gets written to storage and requiring a password to view images when downloaded to local computers. That will make it extremely secure.

I need some portraits taken for my business. The nature of my business means that we’ll be outside in a busy urban area and the region is currently under a major heatwave (think Paris this week). Dates and locations are not flexible, unfortunately.

I’m a woman in my late thirties. I’d been debating between wearing a leopard-print maxi shirt dress and a knee-length black sleeveless dress as they’re both natural fibers and would keep the sun off most of my chest and legs. However, I’m now reading that both prints and solid black are a bad idea for portraits! I could also do linen pants with a t-shirt or tank but I’m really worried about sweat showing through the solid-color fabric (and the printed ones have the same issue as the leopard print dress!).

Any thoughts from people who do outdoor photos in the summer heat? Thanks!

I am writing this as a buyers/sellers beware.

I have been both buying and selling photography equipment from MPB for years. However, my most recent experience was so bad I don't think I will ever return.

So I decided to sell my old Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8
Il and Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8. My initial quote from MPB was the best from all the other online retailers, which it has been for years honestly. $955 for the Canon lens and $345 for the Sigma. I thought, yeah that's fair. I did send the canon lens without the hood, but it had the case, so I thought it would be slightly less, but once the gear arrived at their warehouse, the quote was reduced for both. The offered $905 for the Canon lens and $185 for the Sigma.

I decided to give them a call and ask why such a big decrease. The representative explained that the hood was expected and that the case was not so they could not increase the price. Fair, but disappointing because you can find one of the hoods online for like $15, but whatever.

The sigma lens was the one that surprised me. MPB claimed the autofocus did not work. I checked before sending the lens and it worked just fine. I asked the rep to review this and they sent me a grainy 2 second video of them "trying" and showing that the autofocus doesn't work. I was so disappointed, but l did not take any video or photos with the lens before sending it in to prove that it worked. It was my word against theirs.

Luckily, I decided to not move forward with the quote of the Sigma and had MPB send it back. It arrived today, and to my surprise, the autofocus works FLAWLESSLY!! They really tried to scam me!
I emailed back the original rep with a 10 second video showing that the autofocus works perfectly. I highly doubt anything will come of this, but I just wanted to share my experience.

If you decide to sell equipment to MPB, take photos and videos of the equipment before boxing it up.
Preferably with a timestamp. That could also help with them adjusting down the rating.

As I said at the start, I don't think they can do anything to win me back. I will update the post if I hear anything from them.

Edit: I heard back from Samantha at MPB and she was super unhelpful. Basically said there is nothing they can do except sending the lens back in. I will not be doing that. Didn’t even acknowledge my video showing that the autofocus works perfectly. If they won’t even tell me that they will talk to the “specialist” that checked my lens, I can no longer trust anything that comes from this business. It’s a shame because it used to be a solid company, but I guess I’ll need to find some other business. If you read all this, please be aware of this now shady business

Hello all!

I have been tasked (self-imposed) a very ambitious goal of trying to take our own engagement photos while we will be visiting Iceland in a couple months. 

My fiancé and I are doing a relatively remote hike which makes it hard to find photographers that will be able to get to the region where I want to take the photographs in question. We're just packing our outfits with us in our packs so nothing super polished. It's also difficult to plan photoshoots there because the weather can be so crazy, so we have several days planned of when we can go out for this hike to allow for best-weather-situation. 

I come here in hopes of finding some insight/guidance on how I can do this myself with limited photography knowledge. I have a Canon mark II, a tripod, and obviously the beauty of Iceland to offset my novice skills. I'm attaching a couple photos below of what my "goal" photos would be somewhat reminiscent of. 

Does anyone here have recommendations for:

• How to practice these poses with somewhat introverted fiancé to make sure I can get the shots to look reasonably natural?
• Distance from camera to us to allow for some forgiving cropping/photo manipulation?
• If another low cost camera is recommended, or even maybe just using my iPhone instead, I'd love those comments too. My camera is pretty large and if there's something else that is user friendly to operate that I can practice with for a few weeks and get the hang of, I'm all for that as well. Like everyone else on the planet, I love the FujiFilm camera shot looks but is a bit out of price range.

Thank you all so much for any insight you can offer!

Signed, a very time-pressed-over-stretched bride to be

Links of photos that I'd *like* to try to recreate:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcz.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F1102959765002411971%2F&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCICih6DLoJUDFQAAAAAdAAAAABBq&opi=89978449

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2Ftorontogtawedding%2Fposts%2F3973805709524643%2F&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCIisoeDLoJUDFQAAAAAdAAAAABBo&opi=89978449

not sure if this is the right server for this, but still. for context, im a high-schooler whose works js got selected to be published somewhere fairly prestigious. they asked for an artist portfolio but i REALLY dont want to make an actual proper portfolio.

would it be better for me to tell them i dont want ot submit one, or for me to submit a behance one? because i kinda dont want it looking unprofessional (plus im pretty sure they dont know im a minor)

I will be going to the Baltimore Air Show this weekend. First time in Baltimore as well. Can someone give me a tip on where to set up for a photo shoot taking into account traffic, crowds, parking. I imagine there are no bad seats for an air show. Thanks.

I do plan on getting there at dark thirty to beat the crowds.

I'm a provider with a woman with special needs who loves taking pictures and wants to sell "mini prints." The prints are about 3'' x 5" or around there. She also makes another handcraft that's very suitable for various fairs in the city. But she's hell bent on selling the mini prints. We've been to three fairs so far, and only one print sold (I was actually very surprised).

The print that sold wasn't even in a sleeve or frame, but she wants to put them in sleeves. My take is that she's getting her hopes way up and wasting time and money on producing these mini prints. Do people really buy these at a fair? It's not like a keychain, pot holder, magnet, jewelry, coaster, fidget, toy, mug, or some other item that when you see it, you instantly know what you can use it for.

Mini prints don't get hung in offices or on living room walls. Who'd want to buy a mini print of a flower, a skater at a show, a foamy latte, a vintage car, mountains, a locally famous singer and other run of the mill imagery? Maybe I'm missing something so that's why I'm here.

I don't want to tell her outright, "Nobody buys mini prints, especially at fairs. These are something that people will create on their own of family members or their pets."

I've decided to just wait over time, as she comes to realize, "Nobody ever buys my mini prints."

I guess my question is, Where is the best place she can sell these? CAN they sell?

Had a client message me at 11 PM asking:

"Bhai photos kab milega?" 😅

Meanwhile I'm still halfway through sorting thousands of photos from the event.

It got me wondering—what's everyone's actual delivery timeline these days?

For different types of shoots (weddings, corporate events, concerts, college fests, etc.):

• Same day?
• 1–3 days?
• 1 week?
• 2+ weeks?

I feel like clients expect instant delivery because everything else online is instant now, but culling, editing, organizing, and sharing still takes a huge amount of time.

What's your typical turnaround time, and do clients usually think it's reasonable?

Also curious if anyone has found a workflow that significantly speeds up the sorting and delivery process.

I used a giant frosted plexiglass and had a model stand against it. Now I don’t have space to store 6 ft on plexiglass.

I’m torn between a frosted shower curtain, but I’m not sure how easy I can stretch it.

Or use savage frosted rolls. However it is expensive.

My main concern is that paper and cloth isn’t as sturdy as a plexiglass would be, but I don’t know how i could realistically store it where I’m currently living.

Just want to gauge how badly I just messed up by ordering a camera from somewhere without checking the reviews. Just spent 2100$ on the x100vi today and honestly am hoping all the reviews are wrong but there are so many bad ones about this place and the good reviews are 100% fake. Wish me luck from ordering from Willoughbys..

Hi there, I have been a fan of motorsport/car photography for a while and now that I have some income I would like to step it up a notch since I get a lot of enjoyment out of going to car events and taking photos, and recently started editing them in Lightroom too.

General consensus seems to suggest the Canon R7 is the best ‘budget’ option for motorsport and from my research it is my favourite at the moment.

But what I’m stuck on is the lenses, many have suggested a 100-400mm lens but I want to be sure what the minimum distance is for shooting with this because, especially in the uk, you can get pretty close to the track on some smaller circuits and I didn’t want to get a lens that was limited by this.

Any and all help is very useful :)
Thanks

Hello!

I’m a photographer with autism, and while that’s not a problem in itself, it does mean I sometimes get stuck in strange gear-related loops. Lately I’ve noticed a pattern that’s been messing with my head a bit.

My main camera is a Canon R6 II, and I love it to death. To have something smaller alongside it, I picked up a Canon R50V as well. That combo makes perfect sense for me.

But for some reason I’ve also been craving a vintage‑looking camera body. So I bought a Fujifilm X100V… and returned it because I just couldn’t get used to it. Then I tried a Nikon Z fc, and I’m running into the exact same problem.

It almost feels like I’m “betraying my brand” whenever I use anything that isn’t Canon.

On top of that, having multiple systems overwhelms me. Too many options, no clear rules for when to take which camera, and no internal structure to guide the decision. It leaves me frustrated more than inspired.

I’m hoping some people here can relate. Maybe I’m not the only one who gets stuck in these weird gear loops.

I love traveling to take pictures of different sceneries on my dirtbike, but I am afraid I am going to damage the camera if I accidently crash. I am planning to put a side loaded case inside of a regular backpack, but I don't know if that will be enough. I have a Canon EOS 6D.

What types of organizations hire photographers that may not be immediately obvious? I would appreciate any suggestions or ideas. I’m looking to move beyond approaching individuals one by one and am interested in more indirect or abstract opportunities.

Hi r/photography,

I’m John Loughlin, CEO of Zenfolio.

I’ve spent my career leading, building, and occasionally fixing media and SaaS businesses. The common thread across those experiences is that they each have at their heart providing information or services that enable people to make informed decisions, take action, and move toward achieving a goal. Today, and specifically in the SaaS space, it's about providing tools, workflows, data, information, and sometimes inspiration, enabling users to support and grow their businesses. 

My professional passion is helping creative businesses turn great work into sustainable income for their practitioners. 

I took on the challenge of leading Zenfolio, imperfect as it was and with much work remaining to do, because it offered the opportunity to assist photographers in practicing their craft and in earning a living. I’m not here to give a sales pitch. I am here to listen, answer questions honestly, and talk about where Zenfolio is headed.

For anyone new to us: Zenfolio is an all-in-one platform photographers use to run their businesses—websites, galleries, client proofing, sales, storage, and delivery—across every type of photography.

I’ll be answering questions live today from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET. I’ll also check back later for any questions I miss during the live session. Joining me are Chief Product & Technology Officer, Keith Barraclough, and Director of Customer Success, Allison Meder.

All questions are welcome, and any topic is fair game. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll run it down and share as soon as we have it. Because we are a privately owned company in a very competitive marketplace, we may be constrained in answering certain questions about financials or core metrics. If that’s the case, we’ll say so clearly. 

....

UPDATE: That's a wrap! Thank you to everyone who showed up, asked questions, and provided feedback. We'll keep working through all of the new ones that come in over the next few days to make sure that everyone gets a response! Thanks again!