Our pets are adorable, but it's rather hard to capture that adorableness in the camera, even if you're a pro. So how do you light, pose and work with Fido?

Photographers must figure out the best ways to get the shots that pet parents pay the big bucks for. That's why PPA spoke with three of our pet photographer members - Sarah Petty, Teresa Berg and Leesia Teh - to get their advice on what pet images sell the best and how to capture them. PPA members can read the full article now.

IMAGE © SARAH PETTY PHOTOGRAPHY

Case studies sound boring, am I right? But is making money boring? Not so much! That's why we've gathered details and sales tips from three PPA members around the country (case studies, if you will). If you're a PPA member too, you can read all about their best-selling portrait/wedding sales packages here.

Not a member? Rectify that right now--join PPA and then you can learn all we've got to share!

Call them packages, call them collections, call them purchase programs--whatever the name, the concept is the same: You can encourage people to make larger purchases by grouping together products in an appealing assortment. It's sales enticement at its photographic best, and everyone has a slightly different approach.

Want to learn some basic structures and tips for sweetening the pot with packages? Here's some reading material for you (if you're a PPA member, that is)!

A family portrait session can be a stressful affair for the clients. They're trying to look their best. They're trying to wrangle their kids into the studio on time. They're trying to get everyone to behave somewhat normally. They're trying to get past the fact that a professional image maker will be examining their every move. Add to these factors the nagging knowledge that they're investing a bundle of money in the process, and it's not hard to understand why clients are a bit on edge when they show up for their family portrait.

So how do you, as a pro photographer, deal with all of those conditions and still figure out a way to make the experience enjoyable for everyone involved? (After all, you'd probably like your clients to return or give a referral.) Take a look at how this portrait studio makes it relaxed and fun!

When it comes to posing family portraits, there's the ever-present challenge of getting everyone to look good in an appealing composition without setting up a scene that is stiff and static. Grandma and the grandbaby just don't look or act the same (at least not usually!). But, as a pro photographer, you are paid to get it right. Clients come to you for the best! That's why we asked two family portrait studios to share their very different approaches in accomplishing this feat.

Is your big group approach similar? Do you have a different technique that works for you? PPA members can read the full article here, so let us know what you think below!

Money...it's a tricky thing. But if you're going to go through the trouble of earning it, then you might as well keep it. By following the PPA benchmarks and setting goals, you can enjoy more of the fruits of your photographic labor. And that's why we're posting this article for PPA members only, with some basic strategies for optimizing your bottom line. Get the scoop here! 

In today's portrait market, on-location shoots enjoy a strong level of popularity among all types of clients, from the progressive-minded to those whose tastes run more to the traditional.

Unfortunately, on-location sessions aren't always a picnic. Unlike the controlled environment of a studio, there are countless environmental factors, distractions and ever-changing lighting conditions. To get a handle on best practices for on-location sessions, we talked to PPA members Jennifer Dell and Gregory Daniel, M.Photog.Cr, F-ASP, both of whom do a variety of child and family sessions in a wide range of locations.

Members can read the full article.

Posing guides seem to be an rapidly expanding product niche. Have you purchased one (or more)? Which? Did you like it? Was it helpful?

Sign in to your account to leave your comments below!

When telling a couple's love story in images, few products provide a better vehicle than a well-crafted album or flush-mount book. Within that album or book, the images must not only be striking, but they also should be assembled in a storytelling fashion that sells the clients on the entire package. Those creative, high-impact images give you the ingredients for a delicious book that your clients just can't put down.

Start with a Wedding Day Timeline & Be Ready
For Zach and Jody Gray of Tennessee, the album creation process begins with telling the story of the wedding day. During the engagement session, pre-wedding consultations and through a detailed questionnaire, the Grays find out as much as possible about their clients before the wedding day. They create a wedding day timeline for the photography, which they punctuate with notes about key people, wedding specifics and important moments to look for.

Members, read the full article.

PPA recently finished analyzing the 2011 PPA Benchmark Survey, the latest comprehensive financial review of a broad range of PPA member studios. Compiled from 2010 year-end financial data, the 2011 Benchmark Survey follows two previous surveys, one conducted in 2005 and another in 2008. The surveys have led to a series of benchmarks, or recommended financial targets, that PPA's Studio Management Services (SMS) has put in place to help member studios reach a higher level of success. By adhering to the benchmarks, you can lower costs, improve profitability, and make well-informed business decisions based on real financial evidence.

One of the most useful byproducts of the 2011 Benchmark Survey is the evidence of how the benchmarks could guide studios through a difficult economic period. From 2006 to 2010, the combination of a nationwide recession and a massive influx of new photography studios into the marketplace caused a significant drop in sales for most existing studios. However, the studios that followed the benchmarks performed much better than those that missed the targets. Some even managed to increase their bottom-line profits despite an overall decrease in sales. In our ensuing coverage of the Benchmark Survey's latest results, we'll detail how these studios kept profits high even when sales were low.

In the coming weeks, PPA will roll out a series of member-exclusive articles and financial tools to help members take advantage of the 2011 Benchmark Survey:

• We'll boil down the exhaustive analysis into easy-to-understand summaries and follow up with clear action items for your studio.
• We're working on some interactive resources and handy guides so that you can keep your critical numbers in mind without losing your mind.
• We'll explain why SMS opted to adjust several of the key benchmarks.
• We'll discuss what you can do to enact positive change at your studio.

This all may sound like heady stuff, and you probably didn't get into photography to play around with accounting, but here's the good news: By following the benchmarks, you will improve your profit margins, you will gain a better idea of how much you need to sell to take home a suitable personal income, and you will understand how your expenses affect your bottom line. At the end of the day, you'll be able to manage your business better, make more money and, hopefully, enjoy a less stressful relationship with your studio.

Now those are some results that we can all applaud.

Want to learn more? PPA members can peek at the key findings and new benchmarks here.

Remember that PPA's Benchmark Survey details are only available for PPA members, so see how to join here: www.ppa.com/joinppa/