June 2016
IMPRESS YOUR CLIENTSVirtual projected backgrounds is one tool that can truly impress your clients. Why? Because they have never seen it before and because it enables their photographer to create images unlike any others and provide a much broader variety of images from which to choose. It’s simple…more variety…more possibilities for more sales.
When you work only on location, you are limited to that location or you will have to travel to another and another taking up valuable time. But when you have virtual projected backgrounds, you can have an infinite variety of locations to switch from one to another to another in seconds. You can go from a casual outdoor scene to a very professional canvas background in seconds all while using complementary lighting and posing. Keep this in mind. Surgeons don’t do their surgery out in the field on location unless they absolutely have to. In the surgical suite they have all the tools they need. Photographers should not have to work only on location. When they have a studio with virtual projected backgrounds, they are in charge and can do a much better job for their clients. Background Collections 50% Off All Sets of Slides in Stock! HOW TO MAKE MONEY WITH VIRTUAL BACKGROUNDS
There is an easy simple way to start making money with a projected virtual background system. It’s all starts with a free
e-book that you can download at any time. Written by Dr. Henry Oles, founder of the virtual backgrounds company, the easy to read book provides many ideas for ways to make real money by effectively using a virtual background system whether it is based on using slides or the new digital technology. If you are in professional photography and interested in being profitable or at least in being maximally creative and giving your clients a unique experience, you owe it to yourself to download and read this book. You'll be pleasantly surprised. To download the book, click here HOW TO IMPROVE BASIC GREEN SCREENVirtual backgrounds founder and president, Dr. Henry Oles, holds a patent on projecting colors for green screen operation in order to improve the quality of normal green screen results. Projecting the solid colored background instead of using green cloth or vinyl has many advantages over basic green screen. The projection of the background color can really make a significant improvement including all the other benefits. Applying the projection virtual background technology enables the photographer to work in a smaller area, eliminates the need for lighting the background separately to cancel shadows, and results in a cleaner image with no green fringe or greenish color on the subject. The system can be set up in minutes. Call your VB consultant for more information on how projection can improve your green screen.
A WORKING MANUAL EVERY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER NEEDSCompiled by B. Lensmith
and 44 of the most successful photographers in the USA. 16 Categories of Portraits, 276 Pages, Two Manuals In One. ALL FOR $89.95 + $9.00 S&H SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
DO YOU SUFFER FROM PARADIGM PARALYSIS?Nearly everyone suffers from paradigm paralysis…a way of thinking that can be very crippling to a business. A paradigm is a set of assumptions, beliefs, ideas, values or expectations that form a filter through which we make meaning out of life, create structures and process new information and make value judgments. The filter contains the rules and regulations by which we see reality. Our paradigms are what allow us to accept or reject new ideas or keep us from seeing information in a new way.
Many professional photographers are suffering and even going out of business because they have paradigm paralysis and do not even know it. A perfect example of paradigm paralysis is staying with what they have always done rather than being accepting of testing new ideas. A perfect example is virtual projected backgrounds. Even though there are many many super success stories of photographers who say they are in business because they have virtual backgrounds, most photographers don’t bother to even take a serious look at what this phenomenal concept could potentially be like an adrenaline shot for their business. As a result they are stymied. Your challenge is to take a serious look at the virtual projected background concept and ask yourself if it works so well for others, why am I not jumping up and down to learn how it can work for me? If you refuse to take a serious look, you have paradigm paralysis. YOUR BEST INVESTMENTEverything you buy for your business should be an investment…with the intent that it will pay for itself quickly and go on earning you additional money for as long as you use it. There is no better investment than virtual backgrounds. It helps you secure more jobs and helps you earn more from each and every job that you do. Virtual backgrounds open a whole host of new doors to making more money. If you don’t have a system, you don’t know what you are missing.
CLICK TO SEE THE MARCH ISSUE OF THE BACKGROUNDERCLICK TO SEE THE APRIL ISSUE OF THE BACKGROUNDERNEED HELP WITH VIRTUAL BACKGROUNDS CALL AND ASKIf you need help, just call. Don't let a virtual background system set in the corner.
SEE AND TRY A VIRTUAL BACKGROUND SYSTEM FOR YOURSELFBesides coming to the Virtual Backgrounds headquarters in San Marcos, TX you can visit Peter Budraitis in Long Island New York or Cindy Cofer Barclay in Louisville Kentucky.
Both Peter and Cindy have agreed to make their studios demonstration centers of virtual backgrounds. Just call and make an appointment. Visit
Peter Budraitis Long Island New York Studio to see VB in action. Call (516) 674-0227 Email: studio@pmbphoto.com Website: www.pmbphoto.com Visit Cindy Cofer Barclay in Louisville Kentucky
Watch this short video to get a personal invitation from Cindy to come visit.
You'll be amazed. Click on the Arrow to view the Video. IT IS NOT JUST WHAT WE MAKE!! HOW TO OVERTAKE YOUR COMPETITIONIt’s simple and it is true for most any business. Simply deliver highly desirable products created with technology that no one else has. The big problem with photography today is that every amateur now has the benefits that come with using a smart phone camera that is often better than the professional cameras professional photographers use. So, why hire a professional if all they produce is product like you can produce yourself? The key is to develop specific unique products no one else can do. If you have a better idea, please share it with us!
HOW TO PROMOTE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE VIRTUAL PROJECTED BACKGROUNDSYour success in using virtual backgrounds to bring you new business depends on how you promote it. One thing you do not want to do is advertise that you have a Scene Machine background system. That means nothing to the public. Instead you can say that you have advanced technology that enables you to offer infinite Hollywood type backgrounds in the studio to fit every need. Whenever possible show sample images that clearly demonstrate your unique technology.
TO GET A QUICK TWO MINUTE VIEW OF VIRTUAL PROJECTED BACKGROUNDS
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INTRODUCING THE NEW
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Russ and Nancy Hanson of Moorhead Minnesota have been in professional photography for 40 years, first in commercial and then in commercial and portraits. As the digital revolution took hold and business diminished and coupled with a severe Red River flood that hit their studio, they decided to try church directory photography because it was done entirely on location. The Hanson's decided to implement their Scene Machine virtual background system into church directories in part because every competitor used the same plain canvas background for every photo.
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Initially the Hanson's had to make sales calls to churches to let them know about their services. The big elephant in the church directory business as well as school photography is Lifetouch, a national company also based in Minnesota. The Hanson's had to convince the decision makers in each church that they had a better value for the church members, not necessarily in price but especially in service and guaranteeing that they would not engage in heavy pressure selling which most every pastor was against.
In addition to the better service, the Hanson's chose to make their Scene Machine virtual projected background system a key part of their program to enable them to use different backgrounds for different families so that every family did not have to have the same monotonous background in the directory. They also offered to use horizontal and vertical format instead of using the same format for every family. However, they also tell the decision maker, usually the pastor, that they could use a single background if that was their preference. Not one single decision maker has chosen the traditional single background concept after seeing their samples.
The Hanson's now do six to twelve churches per year. They have their busy period starting in the fall and they pretty much put their equipment in storage during the summer. They report that their very best sales are in the fall with people buying for Christmas gifts and they often want a quality family portrait for Christmas cards. Their satisfaction rate has been so good that today they spend little time exploring for new churches because churches that went with them 3 to 5 years ago are now calling them to book their next directory. The churches often do not even bother checking with others.
The Hanson's feel very fortunate to have gotten into directory photography because they have watched nearly every other full time studio in the Fargo Moorhead area go out of business but at the same time they know of at least 100 people calling themselves photographers who often do not even have a sales tax number or who probably don’t pay income tax. Plus with digital cameras, most of the 200,000 people that live in the area can take “good enough” pictures of their families with their smart phone camera. Quoting Nancy, “The studio business we came up through just doesn’t exist any more. Photography is just too much fun and basic photography is so simple that many people take their own pictures rather than go to a professional photographer therefore it is critical that the professional offer services and products they cannot do on their own.”
Nancy continued saying, “Lifetouch is the big player but we pride ourselves with being more flexible and developing a better relationship with each of our clients. We generally photograph 4 families per hour. Where there is no special interest in individual photographs, we just concentrate on creating the best possible photograph of the family and having the variety produced with the Scene Machine surely helps. We don’t high pressure the sales and people appreciate that. When Lifetouch does a church, we often get called for their next directory.”
As much as they would like to sell big enlargements, they don’t have many sales but they have reacted to the request from customers to buy the original digital files. They make the files available but at a price that makes it attractive both for the customer and for the Hanson's. All files are digitally retouched by Nancy.
Russ mentioned that they print all of their work on Endure metallic paper and promote the archival qualities of their prints as family heirlooms. Customers cannot get metallic prints at the local big box store. They generally take 3 family poses using three different Scene Machine generated backgrounds. They have been using the same transparency based Scene Machine since they first started but they keep a backup flash assembly available just in case the one they are using should fail.
Nancy noted that classic backgrounds are coming back in style. Years ago they did a lot of projected outdoor backgrounds but now the trend is more toward the more formal look. “It makes no difference when using the Scene Machine because we simply change the background transparency to go from one to another. It takes seconds. We never have to buy new backgrounds and lug them around.”
One of their specialties is to do a “fun shot” after the regular images are captured. The family enjoys cutting up and it is surprising how often they will buy this image in addition to the more formal images. They will do individual photographs if requested to be used for more formal functions such as job applications. Nancy explains, “People are learning that when they need a real professional photograph such as for a job application they need a real professional portrait rather than a snapshot. It gets a better reaction.”
The Hanson's are happy they landed in the church directory family photography market. They have done more than 100 directories and are looking forward to the new season starting in September.
Click below to visit Faith Family Directories Website! Phone (701) 293-1489
Faith Family Directories
In addition to the better service, the Hanson's chose to make their Scene Machine virtual projected background system a key part of their program to enable them to use different backgrounds for different families so that every family did not have to have the same monotonous background in the directory. They also offered to use horizontal and vertical format instead of using the same format for every family. However, they also tell the decision maker, usually the pastor, that they could use a single background if that was their preference. Not one single decision maker has chosen the traditional single background concept after seeing their samples.
The Hanson's now do six to twelve churches per year. They have their busy period starting in the fall and they pretty much put their equipment in storage during the summer. They report that their very best sales are in the fall with people buying for Christmas gifts and they often want a quality family portrait for Christmas cards. Their satisfaction rate has been so good that today they spend little time exploring for new churches because churches that went with them 3 to 5 years ago are now calling them to book their next directory. The churches often do not even bother checking with others.
The Hanson's feel very fortunate to have gotten into directory photography because they have watched nearly every other full time studio in the Fargo Moorhead area go out of business but at the same time they know of at least 100 people calling themselves photographers who often do not even have a sales tax number or who probably don’t pay income tax. Plus with digital cameras, most of the 200,000 people that live in the area can take “good enough” pictures of their families with their smart phone camera. Quoting Nancy, “The studio business we came up through just doesn’t exist any more. Photography is just too much fun and basic photography is so simple that many people take their own pictures rather than go to a professional photographer therefore it is critical that the professional offer services and products they cannot do on their own.”
Nancy continued saying, “Lifetouch is the big player but we pride ourselves with being more flexible and developing a better relationship with each of our clients. We generally photograph 4 families per hour. Where there is no special interest in individual photographs, we just concentrate on creating the best possible photograph of the family and having the variety produced with the Scene Machine surely helps. We don’t high pressure the sales and people appreciate that. When Lifetouch does a church, we often get called for their next directory.”
As much as they would like to sell big enlargements, they don’t have many sales but they have reacted to the request from customers to buy the original digital files. They make the files available but at a price that makes it attractive both for the customer and for the Hanson's. All files are digitally retouched by Nancy.
Russ mentioned that they print all of their work on Endure metallic paper and promote the archival qualities of their prints as family heirlooms. Customers cannot get metallic prints at the local big box store. They generally take 3 family poses using three different Scene Machine generated backgrounds. They have been using the same transparency based Scene Machine since they first started but they keep a backup flash assembly available just in case the one they are using should fail.
Nancy noted that classic backgrounds are coming back in style. Years ago they did a lot of projected outdoor backgrounds but now the trend is more toward the more formal look. “It makes no difference when using the Scene Machine because we simply change the background transparency to go from one to another. It takes seconds. We never have to buy new backgrounds and lug them around.”
One of their specialties is to do a “fun shot” after the regular images are captured. The family enjoys cutting up and it is surprising how often they will buy this image in addition to the more formal images. They will do individual photographs if requested to be used for more formal functions such as job applications. Nancy explains, “People are learning that when they need a real professional photograph such as for a job application they need a real professional portrait rather than a snapshot. It gets a better reaction.”
The Hanson's are happy they landed in the church directory family photography market. They have done more than 100 directories and are looking forward to the new season starting in September.
Click below to visit Faith Family Directories Website! Phone (701) 293-1489
Faith Family Directories
VIRTUAL BACKGROUNDS AT WORK
Look and see
Look and see
Here we have 16 poses photographed by Trevon Baker, of the same model with the same outfit with minor changes in posing BUT EVERY BACKGROUND IS DIFFERENT. Backgrounds were changed in seconds. Think of how boring the same proof sheet would be if the background were the same for every exposure. This is the beauty of being able to change backgrounds so easily and with zero post processing. With virtual projected backgrounds, the subject could be shown their images immediately and the sale completed. That’s BACKGROUND POWER!
BEST TIME EVER TO BUY A
REFURBISHED SCENE MACHINE
We have several factory refurbished Scene Machine projectors that use transparencies to create the backgrounds available at a drastically reduced price to clear the warehouse. The transparency based machines do a great job and are a perfect way for the new professional photographer to get started enjoying the many benefits that come with using virtual projected backgrounds. We also have refurbished background screens at special prices. Call your Virtual Backgrounds consultant for more information.
HOW TO BEAT YOUR COMPETITION
Professional photographers have never never had so much competition. Not only do you have more people than ever before who call themselves professional, but in reality, just about every man woman and child are able to take their own pictures with their smart phones…and they generally consider themselves “good enough”. The competition is horrendous and just being better at taking images is not usually enough especially if the public doesn’t clearly see the difference or care. But there is one thing the serious professional can do and that is to provide the public with images that they clearly cannot get anywhere else. Since amateurs and most professionals today shoot candidly on location running around from one spot to another and dealing with all the elements, the key to beating all this competition is to offer professional studio images with professional lighting, professional posing and the privacy that comes when working in a studio. Professional posing does not have to look artificial…the posing and lighting needs to make the subject look their very best without looking artificial.
Traditional studios used to be very limited to using hanging canvas backgrounds and it was hard to go from one to another. But with tools like virtual projected backgrounds, the benefits of the studio can also include an infinite variety of creative backgrounds that can be changed in seconds. Very quickly and easily a photographer can take 20, 40 or more shots with many different backgrounds; and with many different lighting and posing configurations to complement the subject (s). This approach provides the customer with a unique experience they will recognize as being truly different. Only a truly serious professional today has a studio which utilizes modern technology to achieve the very best results for the client. That is what separates them from all the other competition. Remember a studio can be anywhere including your living room or any available space.
Click on the arrow to view the video: Setting up Virtual Backgrounds.
Traditional studios used to be very limited to using hanging canvas backgrounds and it was hard to go from one to another. But with tools like virtual projected backgrounds, the benefits of the studio can also include an infinite variety of creative backgrounds that can be changed in seconds. Very quickly and easily a photographer can take 20, 40 or more shots with many different backgrounds; and with many different lighting and posing configurations to complement the subject (s). This approach provides the customer with a unique experience they will recognize as being truly different. Only a truly serious professional today has a studio which utilizes modern technology to achieve the very best results for the client. That is what separates them from all the other competition. Remember a studio can be anywhere including your living room or any available space.
Click on the arrow to view the video: Setting up Virtual Backgrounds.
SAVE BIG TIME - 50%
AND EVEN MORE
VB WAREHOUSE CLEARANCE
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE AT
GREATLY REDUCED PRICES.
We have a wide variety of photo products available for sale
while supplies last. Take a look at the list below.
GREATLY REDUCED PRICES.
We have a wide variety of photo products available for sale
while supplies last. Take a look at the list below.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
"If a photographer does nothing really special, then why should they get hired unless they are the cheapest? If the photographer can do something really special like using projected virtual backgrounds with all the advantages that it brings, then this catches the attention of the decision makers and brings jobs and profits"
SMART PHOTOGRAPHERS INVEST IN VIRTUAL PROJECTED BACKGROUNDS TO GROW THEIR BUSINESS
A smart investment is one that quickly pays for itself by bringing new business and higher sales averages. It is also a good investment if it simplifies things and makes the photographers life easier and more simple. That’s what can happen when a professional invests in a digital projected virtual background system. The many testimonials we publish are living proof of the pure power of this investment. Does virtual backgrounds work wonders for every owner? Of course not. Virtual backgrounds is a very powerful tool but it is only powerful if it is properly used and marketed. But that is true with any tool. The best power saw has no value unless the operator puts it to use building useful and desirable products. To be successful one must have a creative mind that is willing to step outside the box. If a photographer is unwilling to get outside the box, investing in a virtual background system is questionable at best.
July 26 - 28, 2016 - St. Louis, MO.
SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY BOOT CAMP - Underclass school photographers earn some of the best money in the photo industry.
Now is the time to diversify your studio business to bring in BIG
money during the Fall and Spring sessions. This comprehensive
3-day program presents everything you need to know to operate a successful undergraduate school portrait and yearbook business.
Early Bird Discount Available - Register by June 30th to Save!
To learn more visit
www.SchoolPhotoBootcamp.com
The School Photography Boot Camp continues to be one of the BEST VALUES in photography training! Learn to add a valuable profit center to your business in only three days and for an unbelievably low price.
SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHY BOOT CAMP - Underclass school photographers earn some of the best money in the photo industry.
Now is the time to diversify your studio business to bring in BIG
money during the Fall and Spring sessions. This comprehensive
3-day program presents everything you need to know to operate a successful undergraduate school portrait and yearbook business.
Early Bird Discount Available - Register by June 30th to Save!
To learn more visit
www.SchoolPhotoBootcamp.com
The School Photography Boot Camp continues to be one of the BEST VALUES in photography training! Learn to add a valuable profit center to your business in only three days and for an unbelievably low price.
Hotel & Conference Venue Information. The Boot Camp this year will be conducted at the beautiful Hollywood Casino facilities near St. Louis, Mo. They are offering us special rates of $89 per room, single or double on July 25 & 26, and $99 per room on July 27 & 28. They offer Complimentary Wi-Fi in all rooms and Complimentary Airport Shuttle to St. Louis / Lambert International Airport during service hours.
Call before the June 30th deadline to reserve your room. Call (855) 785-4263 from 8:00 am-5:00 pm CT and ask for "Group Code “S7PRESS” to get this special rate or online at by clicking here. Sorry, this deadline will not be extended.
Call before the June 30th deadline to reserve your room. Call (855) 785-4263 from 8:00 am-5:00 pm CT and ask for "Group Code “S7PRESS” to get this special rate or online at by clicking here. Sorry, this deadline will not be extended.
CO-OP ADVERTISING
Advertising can be expensive…very expensive if it doesn’t bring in business. One way to cut advertising cost and still get maximum bang for the buck is to do co-op advertising. We have all seen it for years in airline magazines. "BEST STEAK HOUSES IN AMERICA", "BEST DOCTORS IN AMERICA". There is a large usually full page ad that then lists a half dozen or more businesses that offer “the best” and the cost of the ad is divided among those who are featured. They all get the benefits of major advertising but at a fraction of the cost. Basically more bang for the buck. Consider taking a leadership role and putting together a joint advertising project such as, THE BEST PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS IN TEXAS or something like that. There are really many creative ways to advertise and promote your business other than going for it by yourself.
MAKE PHOTOGRAPHY SIMPLE
AND MORE CREATIVE
Being a professional photographer takes much more time today than what it should and it brings far fewer dollars then it should. There are many reasons. First, location photography takes a lot of time going to, from, and around and the setting up and taking down. Much location work today is glorified snapshots, not very different from what amateurs could do. Having a studio has many advantages but without background variety, studio photography is very limited to the classic portrait look alone. Green screen brings backgrounds but it takes a very long time to paste in the backgrounds and they usually look pasted in. Computer work takes a lot of time, especially if sloppy techniques requires a lot of fix up time.
The easiest and most effective way to simplify photography and be more creative is by using projected virtual backgrounds rather than running around to different locations or just producing the classic portrait look alone. With projected virtual backgrounds, the whole world is at your fingertips as well as infinite abstract backgrounds. There is NO post processing and no reason not to show the proofs immediately when the client is most excited about the experience and the fact that the results cannot be duplicated by others. The possibilities are endless. The key is to be as different as possible.
When you have a studio and virtual backgrounds, you are in control and everything becomes so much more simple.
The easiest and most effective way to simplify photography and be more creative is by using projected virtual backgrounds rather than running around to different locations or just producing the classic portrait look alone. With projected virtual backgrounds, the whole world is at your fingertips as well as infinite abstract backgrounds. There is NO post processing and no reason not to show the proofs immediately when the client is most excited about the experience and the fact that the results cannot be duplicated by others. The possibilities are endless. The key is to be as different as possible.
When you have a studio and virtual backgrounds, you are in control and everything becomes so much more simple.
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