VertoramaI have been doing HDR landscapes for years.  I have become inundated with 1’s and 0’s standing waste high in brackets that I have yet to process.  I feel I have triumphed pretty well in the landscape industry and am very satisfied with my photos.

Now the move…

I am curious about doing more portrait work and extending my business into the portrait market.  I love newborn photos, I have a soft spot for those.  I am not too fond of the idea of weddings, but I like the intimate portrait sessions for engagement photos and even maternity sessions.

The boudoir stuff is alright, but I think I would get looked at like

a weirdo by most women if I offered that, I don’t want to be classified as a perv, so I’ll stay away from that, even though I would know it is an art form.  See even trying to justify your case, it still looks a bit perv-ish.  There is no shovel large enough to dig me out of this one…

Topaz-Webinar

 

Regardless, I would really like to get into the HDR Backgrounds with portraits in the foreground.  I have done several of them for myself and my family, but now I want to extend that into my business.  However, I have one huge problem that I need your help with.

Michael-Big-Brother

The problem is not with my gear, I have three 600 EX-RT Speedlites and an ST-E3-RT droid to command them.  I recently purchased a 24″ x 24″ Soft Box, 26″ Octabox with beauty dish, and a very large 60″ Octabox.  I have several reflectors and continuous lighting setups and MANY stands for all the gear.  I just recently bought several fabrics and baskets for the arrival of my new baby (my first real client).  

So what is my problem?

I am a very, I mean VERY, timid photographer.  I like to take my time, very methodically with my landscapes, I study the scene, take my shots and move on.  If there are other photographers there, I tend to shy away from even using my camera.  I do not take my camera to family or social events, because I don’t want to seem rude or invasive.

I find it difficult to even operate my camera when there is another person on the other end, I have written books about the camera for crying out loud.  So I am asking you some questions for guidance.  I give out a ton of free insight and advice here on EverydayHDR, but this is one topic I struggle with and could use some help with.

  • So why is it so difficult?  
  • Why do I frequently break out in hot flashes when I am photographing someone?
  • Do I have a psychological condition?
  • Is this something I can recover from?  Because I just spent a lot of money on portrait gear if not 🙂

Thanks in advance for the help, I really do need it!  I would like to try and get this resolved within the next 2 weeks, my new client (second child) will be here and I really don’t want to let them down!

 

Blake Rudis
f.64 Academy and f.64 Elite are the brainchildren of Blake Rudis. While he is a landscape photographer, he is most passionate about post-processing images in Photoshop and mentoring others.

For Blake, it's all about the art and process synergy. He dives deep into complex topics and makes them easy to understand through his outside-the-box thinking so that you can use these tricks in your workflow today!
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