Main Website:John Wood Photography | Portrait & Wedding Photographer Berkshire
10 things that I decided to do because it helps my photography and it helps my business.
1. Camera Rechargeable Batteries
After every job I remove the camera battery and put it on charge. My tip is, “Don’t put it back in the camera, use another battery that has already been charged. Cycle your batteries.”
This means that all your batteries are regularly used and charged. I was caught out once when I went to use a battery and found that it was so long from when it was last charged that it had lost a good percentage of its charge.
2. Flashgun AA Rechargeable Batteries
I used to use Lithium batteries because I found that they would last for ages. They are more expensive than normal batteries but stand up to the heavy use I was giving them.
Unfortunately, when I was on a job they would run out from time to time and there are some moments that you never, never want to miss because of a dead battery. So now I use rechargeable AA Batteries and find them excellent. I researched on Google and decided to go with Sanyo Eneloop. They come highly recommended. Now when I go out to a job, I have full batteries everytime.
3. Camera Settings
When picking up the camera for a job I check the following settings are correct:
ISO
Colour Balance
Speed / Aperture
Exposure Adjustments
Flash Exposure Adjustments
Lenses are on Auto Focus
Camera is on Single Focus
Focus Method
Exposure Method
Battery
Memory Card
This is a useful habit to cultivate to avoid going to take a shot and have seriously wrong settings. I have turned up to take photographs and there was no card in the camera – I only did this once.
4. Background Roll of Paper
When setting your background up, place the roll of paper so that it rolls down from the side nearest you.
This way, when you place it one the floor it will not be able to roll itself up again.
5. Background Paper Roll Clip
Have a large clip to put on the roll/inner tube to stop it from unrolling more than you want.
6. Background Paper on the floor
When using paper on a carpet and the model has high heels then use a wooden board (hardboard is ideal) to place underneath where the model is to stand. This saves your paper from being punctured!
7. Google Adwords – keeping the costs down
Use for specific key phrases and enter a low Maximum Bid Price. Phrases such as “Wedding Photographer Berkshire” need a high bid price to appear on the first page. “Wedding Photographer Ascot” is much much cheaper. I just need to copy that phrase for each town.
8. Google Adwords – Avoiding hits with no return
Lots of people look for photographs with no intention of buying your services. Photographers often look just to see what is out there.
To keep your click costs down, avoid phrases/words that likely to be filled in by these people. “Wedding Photographer” is more effective than “Wedding Photographs” or “Wedding Photography”
9. Remove ineffective Google KeyWords
Use Google Analytics to set up Goals (eg visits to your contact page). See which key words never result in someone looking for your contact details and remove these KeyWords. Find the effective key words and boost their budget to increase your enquiries.
10. Save time with Softbox Umbrellas on small jobs
If you set up your studio lights on location and you do not have much time, Softbox Umbrellas and ordinary Umbrellas are much quicker to set up than softboxes that need assembling.
I hope that you appreciate my Top 10 Photography and Business Tips; please feel free to comment on them and to add your own in the comments box below.
View my latest photographs after taking my own advice above: Latest Photographs
If you want a portrait of your own then contact John Wood to discuss your ideas without obligation.
I used to use lithium batteries (CR123/CR123A) for my Nikon SU800 Commander to control my SB900, SB800 and SB600 speedlights. Unfortunately I found that after a heavy day’s shooting that the battery would die on me, so I decide to change over to re-chargeable batteries.
Nikon have developed a wireless Speedlight (flashgun) Control System called CLS, Creative Lighting System. 
A soft box is a light modifier. It is place around a light (either strobe, flashgun or continuous light). It is in the shape of a box with a translucent front. It is normally collapsible and therefore portable.
Portrait photography? No problem! Just find a pretty girl, buy a flashgun and take her picture and hey presto you have a portrait. But do you like it? Would she pay you money for it? Facebook is full of such photographs. Our albums are full of such photographs.
This particular article is about how I found the lighting equipment I used to start with for portrait photography. It is aimed at photographers; if you want to view portrait photographs then click 