Work/Life Balance

We know the 2021 wedding season has been filled with doubleheaders and weddings every weekend. You've put in the work long before the wedding day rolls around, and the job doesn't end when you set the camera down. It's in this crazy hustle that the work/life balance becomes uneven, and you notice yourself working at a nonstop pace.

Photo editing by the Ginger Lab

Finding a sustainable rhythm is key to long-term success and quality of life + business, so we put together some tips to help you find your balance:

  1. 🌴 Outsource. From your editing to social media to album design and blogging, outsourcing is a tremendous resource to help clear your plate and enables you to get back to life. We created The Ginger Lab for this very reason, and it's our mission to help photographers step away from editing and focus on other things in their craft. Besides editing, we even cull, so once you've finished shooting, send us your files, and we'll get to work! We want you to scale your business, shoot more, and let us take care of your images.

  2. ⌚️ Set business hours and stick to them. (Easier said than done, right?) Every business has hours of operation, and it's completely understandable and even expected. You need them too! One of the things entrepreneurs love about being a business owner is the freedom to set their own schedule. Whatever hours you want to work, set a timeframe so you won't feel like you're working 24/7 and your business is running you. By outsourcing your editing, you'll be surprised by how much time you're freeing to check other things off your to-do list.

Film matching by the Ginger Lab

4. 💌 Delete the email app from your phone. This one goes along with setting business hours! If you're constantly noticing your inbox number ticking up, it can be tempting to slide into work mode to reply when you may be trying to spend time with family and friends.

Outsource photo editing by the Ginger Lab

3. 🧘🏼‍♀️ Create a positive environment. Just like a corporate setting, a good workspace and atmosphere are important to a productive workday. Choose your favorite place in your home and set up by playing music, watching a show, or listening to an audiobook/podcast. Do anything that will create a space that inspires and motivates you. Switch it up some days and work outside or visit your favorite coffee shop!

Wedding photo editing the Ginger Lab

5. 📔 Schedule tasks. Not knowing where to start and what to prioritize each day can make you feel overwhelmed. Give specific tasks to particular days of the week. Example: Monday is social media management, Tuesday is blogging, Wednesday is gallery delivery day, etc. Don't forget to give yourself a day or two off!

6. ☕️ Step away. If that album doesn't seem to be coming together after rearranging it for hours, or your eyes feel like they're going to bleed from staring at the computer screen all day, don't feel guilty to take a break. A step back can be needed, and then you can come back and view it with fresh eyes and a new perspective.

We hope you found these tips helpful so you can enjoy doing what you love even more!

Switching to Portra 🎉

by Shasta Bell Photographie

by Shasta Bell Photographie

If you love film like we do, you know the discontinuation of Fuji 400H was heartbreaking, but definitely not the end of the world for film shooters #filmforever. Switching to a new film stock might have a bit of a learning curve, but it's always exciting to learn and grow and try new things in your craft. Regardless of the film you shoot, remember that it has no effect on the talented photographer you are.

Simply view it as adding new colors to your paint palette.

Listed below are the top three Kodak stocks for portraits and their notable characteristics:

PORTRA 160

  • rate at 100 or 160

  • good for bright sun or at the beach

  • good skin tones

  • similar to Fuji with proper light

  • red cast if overexposed too much

  • good results pushed one stop

PORTRA 400

  • true 400 ISO means you can shoot with faster shutter speeds

  • typically rated at box speed, 320, or 200

  • wide dynamic range and exposure latitude makes it pretty forgiving, that said, overexposed too much you'll start to notice a yellow cast

  • fine grain

  • yellow base and warmer tones

  • good results pushed one or two stops

PORTRA 800

  • though it's 800 ISO it's actually light hungry, so rate at 400 or 200

  • has a bit more of a pink tint similar to Fuji's

  • saturated colors

  • good results pushed one or two stops

READY TO GO OUT AND SHOOT SOME PORTRA?

  1. Put together a test shoot so you can learn how it handles light and feel more confident about the results you deliver. Make sure you conduct your test in your most used light and location settings. If you live in a cloudy, overcast climate, don't wait for a sunny day, as it's not your usual shooting environment. Try rating at different speeds and take notes on which frames are which.

  2. Communicate with your lab (low contrast, cooler tones, etc). If you had to tweak your scans, share the examples with them so they can add it to your preferences.

  3. You may want to experiment between Noristu and Frontier, but for the most part, you'll still probably prefer your go-to scanner.

Keep in mind that any film stock has the ability to look the way you want it after finding and nailing your own formula of rating, metering, and lab preferences. Embrace trying something new and you'll be blowing yourself away with your results!

See Portra examples and be inspired by some of our talented friends:

Comparing Mastin Black-and-White Presets

It’s been a while since we’ve published any preset tests on our blog and we know you’ve been missing those just like we have 🙂

So here’s one we did for Mastin BW presets which you can use to see which style you like better and if those presets are at all what you’re looking for. Stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter on your right to not miss the upcoming tests of all other BW presets, Noble, Goodlight, Kindred, etc. included.

COMPARING: Mastin Everyday Tri-X 400, Mastin Ilford Delta 3200, Mastin Ilford HP5, Mastin Ilford Pan F
SETTINGS: Neutral

Comparing Film Scans From Different Film Labs

Just to show you the amazing variety of ways film can be scanned we’ve sent one frame to different film labs and asked them to scan it using their best judgement. Have a look at the results below and let us know in the comments what you think 🙌🏻

CAMERA: CONTAX 645
FILM: FUJI 400H rated @ 200


Mastin Portra Presets Comparison

Today’s another interesting test we’ve done for you. This time it’s the three main Mastin Portra presets: Mastin Portra 160, Mastin Portra 400 and, of course, Mastin Portra 800.

Spotlight: Alexis Ralston

 
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Alexis is a fine art photographer serving Georgia, the Carolinas and Southern California.

 

Why did you start shooting film?

I was looking for a more artistic approach in the way I photographed my clients. Not to say I couldn't be or do that with digital but it forced me to slow down and really visualize what I was doing when a dollar sign was associated with the click of the shutter. I also wanted to be able to understand color better and with all that I read in countless articles online the best way to do that was to shoot the medium.

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What should you consider and what should you pay attention to when you choose your film lab?

The most important thing about any film lab is communication. You will not just send in your film to any lab and they're just going to get it. Send them detailed notes, references, tell them what you like and what you don't about particular images or you can pick up the phone and have a conversation with them.

Understand it may take a few times for them to really get your preferences down. Do your research! Are you able to create a custom profile with the lab? Is that an additional fee if so? And finally, make sure you foster a relationship with your lab. It matters that you are not just a number but a valued customer.

Ellie + Adam - Coachella _ ARP-2.jpg

Do you shoot 100% film or are you hybrid? Why?

I am hybrid!  I would LOVE to be 100% film but honestly I still love the ability and satisfaction of seeing my images immediately with digital and I can't give that up completely quite yet.

I feel shooting hybrid is the best way for me to serve my clients at the moment, giving them the best of both worlds and serving my soul creatively and artistically. 

 

What was the most confusing thing for you when starting to shoot film? 

Metering. I read so many ways that you were "supposed" to be doing it. Bulb in, bulb out, 90 degrees, 45 degrees, in the shadows, under the chin, wherever it was darkest. It was a hot mess, my brain that is.

Finally, I figured it was just best for me to just try these methods out and see what gave me the results that fit my shooting style best. What made sense for me and worked best to achieve the results that I wanted with my lab ultimately is how it should be done, in my honest opinion.

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What’s the most effective way to start getting the scans you like from your film lab?

For sure, communication. Over communicate even! Be as detailed as possible. Send reference images and be specific about what you like and what you don't like. Get on the phone and talk to someone about your scans and see if there is something that you could be doing to get to where you want to be or if its adjustments on their end they could be doing to get the results you want.

You won't know unless you ask so ask away!

 

Do you outsource your editing? Why?

I sure do! I outsource because I enjoy having a life, ha! Editing doesn't come easy to me so I prefer to get my scans the way I like them and leave the digital editing to the pros aka The Ginger Lab 😉

Editing can be time consuming as well so it's an easy decision and part of the process to let the Ginger Lab handle as part of my outsourcing workflow.

Did outsourcing your editing affect your financial profitability? In what way?

Initially when I was interested in seeing if outsourcing was something that was going to work for my business my profit was less, yes. But, as I felt that it was working and giving me the time that I needed and wanted to do other things, like shoot, I adjusted my pricing to account for the cost of outsourcing.

If it makes sense for you and gives you the time and ability to invest elsewhere in your business you can easily adjust your pricing to ensure your profit is where you need/want it to be.

 

What’s the most effective way to start getting the edits you like from your editing lab?

I would recommend the same for your editing lab as I would for getting the results you want from your film lab. Communication! For me, I have my film edited and marked for my editing lab to reference when editing my digital images. In the beginning when I was getting to know my editing lab, if anything was off I would communicate anything I would like changed for future orders and go from there.

As with film labs getting your preferences nailed down can take a few tries. For any orders that were all digital I would send along digital references so they would have a clear idea of the direction I was wanting to go with my edits.

 

Spotlight: Jenny Tong

Jenny’s been capturing stories on film since 2010 and started her career officially in 2014. Based in Hong Kong, she travels worldwide.

I’ve been constantly inspired by how beautiful human relationship could be – which has been one of my strongest motives behind progress and continuing my photography journey.
— Jenny Tong

Check out more of Jenny’s work here

Why did you start shooting film?

Film serves my aesthetic and gives me the look I simply love.  Shooting film not only is an exciting process itself, but also opens up my imagination, improves my skills, and brings my creation to the next level which is so important for a professional photographer.

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What was the most confusing thing for you when starting to shoot film?

I was already a film lover and shooter a few years before I became a photographer.  Luckily that experience helped me a lot when I brought film into my career. But I did have a hard time shooting in complex lighting situations for example. 


What’s the most effective way to start getting the scans you like from your film lab?

Talk to them. Talk to them. Talk to them.

And secondly, gathering some reference photos that can describe your preference the best. I also send ‘before and after’ photos to my lab so they can understand exactly what I like and dislike. That helps a lot too! 

Do you shoot 100% film or are you hybrid? Why?

I used to shoot 100% film for quite a time but now I am a hybrid for better results. The clients trust me with the most important day of their life, as much I want to shoot film, the highest priority should always be the quality of photos I deliver and the moments to capture.

We all love the colours and textures of film, but meanwhile we have to admit that in some particular situations (e.g. low light) it doesn’t work as perfectly as in ideal settings. And we should never allow ourselves to miss any moment because of the equipment in our hands.   

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What should you consider and what should you pay attention to when you choose your film lab?

I have tried different film labs globally. I think the communication is what I value most because I need not only to choose a lab which does an amazing job but also one that is reliable and trustworthy. 


Do you outsource your editing? Why?

Yes, I do! I tried out The Ginger Lab and instantly fell in love with them! They made things so easy and have saved me a lot of time! 

Did outsourcing your editing affect your financial profitability? In what way? 

With no doubt it led to some extra expenses but at the same time it saved a part of costs from purchasing & processing film.  

 

What’s the most effective way to start getting the edits you like from your editing lab?

When you’re shooting an event, make sure you shoot some film in different settings as much as you can, so the lab can have examples as reference. The Ginger lab does a great job matching my digitals and film scans! 

EXPOSURES

 

We took similar photographs with different exposures and scanned them with neutral settings.

LAB: Richard Photo Lab
COLOR / BRIGHTNESS / CONTRAST: neutral
SCANNER: Frontier
RATING FILMS: at box speeds

 

FUJI 400H:


PORTRA 400:


PORTRA 160:


PORTRA 800:


EKTAR 100: