Want to know WHY it's worth it?

About two years ago (right before I joined NOBS), I was the queen of the $700 wedding and portraits? Forget about it. I had no idea on portraits. Actually, I didn't have much of a clue about weddings either.

Enter NOBS.

Now I have sold some $3500 weddings, I have a studio that is about 2000 sq. ft. and I am doing portraits and working on selling LARGE portraits. ***This month, I sold $7,000 of photos in a day and a half. Really. And I had the guts to go after that business (and now I'm going after other versions of the same opportunity) all because of NOBS and people that I met on NOBS.***


WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT IT IS WORTH THE MONEY?

Would you like to raise your prices to 3-5x's what they are now and still have clients knocking down your door?

Do you want an insanely supportive family of fellow photographers helping you every step of the way?

The difference between the businesses that fail and the businesses that take off like crazy is the willingness to reach out for help. NOBS and it's members offer that help to everyone here.

And no, Rob and Hodgy didn't put me up to this testimonial. I love this place.

Here are some photos of my not quite finished studio. I was just so excited when I received my studio furniture today that I had to set it up and take photos only to have to tear it down again to finish painting.

The first photo is my shooting space/camera room. It's 30x40. I just moved the shooting space out of the first room and into its own room- thus the total mess. I have about 30-40 backdrops to put in there. Plus all the shelving and props. I'm so glad to finally have the shooting space separate from the office area!

The others are of the office/client consultation room which is 25x35. I'm not done painting yet, but it will be very nice when it's done.

I also joined for the forums I have learned so much from everyone here.

Kris,
You have a beautiful studio, may you have great success!

Bob

Beautiful!

Wonderful job. Thanks for inspiring us all.

Adam

I needed this today! Thanks for the inspiration!

very inspiring - congratulations!

Kris I'm so happy for you!!!!!!!!!! You go girl!

I'll post some updated studio photos soon so people who are wondering if NOBS can really do "that much" for a person will be able to see for themselves.

I just recently posted some old 2004 stuff and some new 2007 stuff to show some growth. I thought I'd post it here so people who are thinking of joining will see the difference NOBS can make for them.

So here we go with some old 2004 stuff. One of my first real paid weddings- 2004- $399.

Now let me show you what NOBS can do for you.

Those last five images are all NO FLASH ALL NATURAL LIGHT images.

Here are a few more from my 2007 stuff.

And a few more recent ones. ALL stuff that I learned on NOBS.

These are early 2003-2004. I went through an "everything has to have a border phase." Sorry.

Please keep in mind that I had never touched a studio light, let alone thought about using one, before about 18 months ago.

Here are a few more to show the difference.

Here are a few from a wedding in 2004 that I am almost ashamed to claim. But you have to start somewhere right?

And now some from 2007 after almost exactly two years on NOBS.

Now ask yourself if two years worth of $20 per month is worth it to go from THAT to THAT?

Heck yeah! Double that would still be a bargain.

On top of all the download tutorials, you have almost 1000 members here- all ready to talk you through whatever you need help with- anytime. This place is not like other forums. So drop your ego at the door, join up, and then post your flops, your mess ups, your good lord what happened there images... And ask for help. Even the seasoned pros here discuss new ways to do things and new ideas. Just fantastic stuff.

Here are two engagement sessions of mine. The first one here is from July of 2005. This was four months before I joined NOBS. I've been here for two years now.

Here are my results after two years on NOBS. I just did this engagement session last week.

Kris, you just keep getting better, don't you! Great work.

Gretchen

Kris thanks for sharing the before and after. Awesome improvements. I know your a teacher so that is a full time job, How do you keep up with everything? I think you have a child and a husband also. I find myself reading and studying NOBS and then I get behind on editing[retouching]. Hey girl...When do you sleep? I hope to meet you at the Michigan get together.

yeah kris!!!

That is so inspiring...

I don't sleep much. I edit images on my laptop a lot. I have also learned to speed up workflow by about 100 times more than what I was doing before.

I used to think people who said they could edit a wedding in a few hours were nuts. Now I get it. All because of my NOBS colleagues.

More recent stuff. Nothing too fancy but WAYYYY improved over my stuff from two years ago (ACK!).

Here are some images from the past year or so that I have just redone for a revamp of my website. I put the color block effect on and added a watermark. Just trying to spruce up the site a bit. But these are all techniques that I learned on NOBS.

To truly understand what I'm talking about, you really need to read this thread from the beginning and look at the sucky bad images that I was producing back in 2005.

Here are two more from that site revamp that I was talking about. These were done in 2006 after I'd been on NOBS about a year. I copied that "camera on the floor/wide angle" shot from someone here. Not afraid to admit it either. Blatant swiping. Everyone here is okay with that. It's kind of an honor to be swiped. This is so different than other online communities.

NOBS members are different. Join NOBS and you'll find out for yourself!

OK, do you need more convincing to join? Here are some more examples of how much you can improve your skills through NOBS.

Here is a family that are friends of ours. They have let me practice on them throughout the years. Five years ago I did some "portraits" of their oldest son with his fancy toy motorcycle. I am ashamed to post them here. AWFUL!!! The Hawaiian shirt photos (hey I didn't ask them to bring those shirts) were about 18-24 months ago. The kilt/sweater combo was two weeks ago. I'm still working with this family on clothing consultation. :-)

Big improvement Kris...
you are doing so great!

I keep posting these here because non-members can see this thread and decide whether or not to join. Can you guys start a thread with your own before/after NOBS images?

I LOVE your work Kris! It's beautiful! I have one quick question...that last wedding pic you posted...camera on the floor/wide angle...what were your camera settings? It is exposed so perfectly and it's so crisp and clear! Gorgeous! I'm very new and churches frustrate me because I have a hard time getting a decent exposure. Thanks again! You are very inspiring!

Sit the camera on the floor, click. Angle up a nudge, click. Same thing, click. Same thing, click. No commando in the back of the church. Just stoop down on one knee and do it quickly before you get in trouble for sitting in the middle of the aisle. Do this in the back of the church.

Sharpen for web very accurately.

:-)

That kid shot ROCKS KG!!!

How do you "sharpen for the web"?

Thanks

- Rob

PM me and I'll explain.

OK, so MORE proof of how fast you can improve here.

Here is a teen that is an acquaintance of mine. I did the first two portraits about six months ago in my dining room. That would be about a year after I purchased my studio strobes and about 1.5 years into my NOBS membership.

The ones after that were just done two weeks ago. That's 1.5 years after purchasing my studio strobes and 2 years into my NOBS membership.

OK, here are the ones from two weeks ago. I put this makeup on her in photoshop. She showed up with no makeup on and several large blemishes, dark circles, etc. All of these techniques are things that I learned on NOBS.

I hope this is a good incentive for the non-members who can see this thread. Rob and Hodgy did not put me up to this.

Wow! GREAT inspiration. If I weren't a member, I'd sure join after seeing this.

Thanks so much for taking the time to post all the before and after images.

Cindy

Couple of recent wedding images.

After two years on NOBS...

If you go back and read this thread from the beginning, you'll see the progress I've made in my two years of membership here on NOBS.

Rob and Hodgy did not put me up to this. I want to show non-members who aren't sure if they want to join how much this forum has helped me!

These are POST-NOBS... Two years into my membership here.

NOBS has influenced my composition, choice of lenses, and use of natural light. Here are a few examples of macro ring images that I ***NEVER*** would have dreamed of doing prior to joining NOBS just two years ago.

Recent layouts- scroll back through this post to see the progress that you can make on NOBS. My work has improved a lot thanks to the caring and helpful attitudes of everyone on this forum.

A few images from a recent wedding last week. Go back and look at my earliest images posted in this thread to see the progress that NOBS can offer to you.

From an engagement session in December 2007.

My YouTube channel link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/bellavitastudiosfw

These are all things that I learned on NOBS over the past two years. Read the whole thread to see some before NOBS and after NOBS images.

More...

Kris,
Nice stuff & very inspirational.
Thanks

Thanks Jack! Did you go from the beginning of the thread and see the crap that I did about 2-3 years ago? YIKES.

These are the kinds of lighting issues that you learn here. When you CAN use natural light and what the limits are, how to make flash look not so obvious, etc.

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When you learn how to mix ambient light and flash, you can get some great low light exposures that show off a reception hall or DJ. Sending these images to the various vendors gets your name in front of potential clients when the vendors put your images on their website- watermarked with your web address of course.

Most vendors have horrendous photos on their websites- p/s with blast-o-flash... This is a great opportunity to network- but you have to show their venue or their work very well. Most receptions are low light situations, so learning how to deal with that is very important. This is one of the many invaluable skills that I have learned through NOBS.

I used to really struggle with getting good exposures in low light situations. Learning why there is a difference in 2.8 lenses vs. 4.0 lenses made a huge difference for me. My fellow NOBS members were very helpful in explaining what differences I would see for my money. Having their invaluable advice before making a purchase was exactly what I needed. I have spent WAY LESS TIME in post production based on taking this advice and purchasing a 70-200/f2.8 lens for weddings. I am getting much better exposurse now and am, for the most part, nailing my exposures- straight out of camera. The time saved in post production can be spent in marketing or shooting more, which makes me more money. I am explaining this to anyone who is thinking of joining NOBS and isn't sure if it's worth the money. YES, IT IS.

So here are some examples of SOOC exposures (some with crops or soft focus but the exposure is SOOC) from a wedding yesterday. I spent 4-5 hours culling these down and doing the post production work today. That's it. Now two hours or so to design the album and order it and I'm done. How much time are YOU spending on wedding work? If it's more than this, you should join NOBS! I used to spend WEEKS agonizing over wedding photo post production. Not anymore.

Here are some more from yesterday's wedding. Many of these images and the approach to composition were influenced by my fellow NOBS members.

If you want to see some progress of what NOBS has taught me over the past two years here, read this thread from page one. I even included some of my old images for comparison!

That last one is Greg, another NOBS member. He tagged along with me to second shoot and learn more about wedding photography. A lot of NOBS members help each other this way.

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I am posting these because NOBS has helped me learn how to relate to brides. This particular bride said she had a bad experience with a previous wedding photographer at her sister's wedding a few years ago... That wedding photographer had not taken any formal portraits or getting ready candids of the mother and sisters with the bride. The family felt hurt because the mother and daughters are very close.

NOBS has helped me learn what to say to a bride in a consultation and in a planning session before the wedding- what questions to ask, what to cover, how to explain it, etc.

Because I knew this going in, I was able to make sure I was there to cover these things and make the family very happy with the coverage. Happy clients=$$$ and referrals!

Where do I join?!?! Oh wait. I am already a member! Thanks for the inspiration! These are also the reasons I joined.

This bride called me today when she got home from her honeymoon to thank me for being everywhere on the wedding day and staying level headed in the middle of chaos. She apologized for not thanking me at the end of the reception. How sweet! I rarely have clients think to do that- on the wedding night or even later.

She was shocked that the proofs were online before they even got home from the honeymoon. I don't want to start a precedent with THAT but it did feel good to crank a wedding out asap.

Stuff from this past weekend's wedding...

And some more...

I know that non-members can see this thread so I'm posting old work and then newer work to show what you can learn in about two years (hey I learn kinda slow sometimes) on NOBS... Go back to the beginning of this thread and read from page one to see some of my old stuff and then read through the posts to see some newer NOBS-influenced work. Is this forum worth the money?

YES! It's worth way more than the monthly fee. This place is not like other forums. Very helpful and friendly members- like a big photo family. Super knowledgeable though...

A few more...

I never thought that I would get to the point of having sample albums, let alone having my own images of those albums on my website. Or a decent looking website (not great but it's the best I can do at the moment!)... So here are some product images that I shot on my own in my lovely basement.

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I just got a call from one of the last wedding's vendors (reception hall) wanting to order a large print of one of the web resolution files I emailed to them. They also wanted a list of other files to put on their website and make me a featured recommended photographer listed directly on their website (everyone else just gets to leave cards in the lobby). Wow- this is huge for me.

Here is the image that they bought.

Here is some more recent work. Everyone here has pushed me to improve so much. I keep posting images and writing about my experiences here on NOBS in hopes that it will help people make the decision to join. NOBS is a wonderful place to learn and grow as a photographer!

Go read this thread from page one and you will see some of my old stuff from 2-3 years ago (pre-NOBS). OH MY! I'm not where I want to be yet (are we ever?) but I've definitely made a lot of progress!

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very inspiring Kris... you go girl!

Recent engagement session. I thought I wouldn't get anything decent out of this. We are our own worst critics, huh?

I also did boudoir portraits for this bride. To see my progress over the past two years since joining NOBS, go back to page one of this thread and read it all the way through.

NOBS is worth the money. It's worth ten times the money.

Even more. Many members here inspire me with their creativity and unique posing ideas. These are swipes from another member on ANOTHER CONTINENT. NOBS is a worldwide organization! I love that!

To see the progress I've made since joining NOBS on 11/5/05, go back to the beginning of this thread.

These are from a wedding on 7/19/08. Very small wedding and a reception at a restaurant. I have applied what I have learned here on NOBS regarding custom white balance and the use of natural light to the preceremony and ceremony images. Improvising a different studio light use at the ceremony site for formals was something I learned from NOBS. And the effective use of a flip it flash modifier at the reception also came from knowledge gained on NOBS.

To see my progress since joining here, go back to page one of this thread and read all the way through. Many members have stories of improvement similar to mine.

NOBS ***IS*** worth the money. Every single penny and more. It's not just an internet forum. It's my photo family. Everyone here is so helpful. If you are on the fence about joining, just jump in and do it. Rob and Hodgy have a money back guarantee (at least I think they still do that!). It will be one of the best investments that you have ever made in your photographic journey.

Here are a few more from the wedding on 7/12/08. These are all techniques that I learned from NOBS.

More from 7/12/08... Some of these images show the business side of photography and how I have learned to network with the reception hall, caterers, florists, etc.

More from 7/12/08... One of these shows my "photo favors" that I include for my packages with albums... Great way to market... Reception images were all shot with on camera flash with a flip it flash modifier.

7/12/08 wedding

Always find a way to show the hall at different times of day!

Starting to get more seniors booked this year...

To see some of my progress over the past two years here on NOBS, go back and read this thread from page one.

To see what kind of progress you can make by being a member of NOBS for about two years, go look at this thread from the beginning!

I learned how to do this stuff via NOBS tutorials and advice from other members:

Two more from Saturday's wedding...

To see what kind of progress you can make on NOBS in two years, go back and read from the beginning of this thread!

I should post the absolute CRAP my wedding albums were about two years ago. MAYBE two years ago. I have learned a lot about album design and flow from everyone here, let alone all of the software help.

If you are thinking about joining NOBS, it IS worth the money and the members here are very friendly and helpful. Go back and read this post from page one to see some examples of what I have been able to accomplish since joining NOBS nearly three years ago. Two and a half? Anyway, here are some recent album designs. I'm not done yet. This couple had an "Asian Tropical" theme for the florals and reception. They wanted something more modern but not too crazy.

What a great story you have and such a great inspiration for someone like me who has the desire but virtually no experience. I see what you have done here and in my own life I would be beyond thrilled to do half of what you have done but I will work for more. I know this is a long and challenging journey for me but I bet when you look back it seems like yesterday?

Congratulations on your success and thank you for sharing.

Koda,
You are welcome to visit anytime. I have had several other NOBS members follow along on weddings and engagement sessions from Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

Here are some more recent images. To see the amount of progress that I have made from being a member of NOBS since 11/04/05, go back to the beginning of this thread and check out some of my older work!

NOBS is a wonderful community of photographers who are very giving and friendly. It is unlike any other photography forum on the internet today. It is well worth the investment. Actually, it's worth MANY TIMES OVER the investment that you make to be a member here.

Some more recent images from the same engagement session.

Here are a few from a recent engagement session where I focused on relationships and posing. Also, I've included a few from the same couple's wedding where I was able to use flash during the ceremony. I also used pocket wizards to trigger dual flashes during the reception. I learned all of these techniques from other members on NOBS.

The tutorials, freebies, and other goodies here are wonderful. But the members are the best asset of this forum. They share freely and encourage each other. They're led by example by Rob and Hodgy. If you want to join the best photography forum on the internet, this is it.

Go back and read this thread from page one and see the progress that I have made while I've been a member here for almost three years. I'll admit that sometimes it takes me a while to "get" something. If it weren't for NOBS and its wonderful members, I'd still be making most of the same mistakes that I was making three years ago.

The constant encouragement and willingness to answer questions here are what have helped me not only stay in business but also PROSPER in uncertain economic times. NOBS is well worth the investment.

Here is a recent engagement session. To see what NOBS can do for YOU, go back to page one of this thread and read from the beginning. There's an engagement session in there that I did in 2005, I believe. Summer of 2005. Three years later- this is where I am. And I feel like I'm actually a SLOW learner that has to try and try and try and try again and again to get this stuff.

NOBS is by far the fastest way to up your game in your photography and business skills. It's also quite the collection of helpful, skilled, and friendly members.

I am new to the forum and I hope to improve in my photography over the next couple of years and then I also plan on opening a studio. It is amazing your growth, but you can see why with the quality of your work. Being new which section of the forum did you find most useful?

Digital Shop Talk was the most useful to me. And Photoshop Mechanic. I read those all the time but I don't post a lot there. Just learning.

The biggest help for me was to reach out and call other members and ask for explanations on things I didn't understand.

Everyone here is super friendly and helpful. You are welcome to call me anytime.

You should go back to the beginning of this thread and look at some of my older work! YIKES!

Another recent engagement session. My favorite so far! Studio lighting, off camera flash, natural light outdoors, night portrait- you name it. All of which I learned how to do on NOBS.

More from the same session... I learned how to do all of this from NOBS.

OK just a few more. The studio ones were at the bottom of the folder for some reason.

Once again, I learned how to do ALL of this from NOBS.

Your earlier pictures look like mine right now, and I thought mine were at least ok. I'm glad I chose to do the right thing and join. I've been downloading videos and watching them like crazy, taking notes along the way. I am just now applying them to my work. I have a wedding in 1 more week and will be practicing all this weekend and next week. Can't wait to see what I can tryout.

Well it depends on which earlier ones you are talking about but I have been a member of NOBS since November 2005 so maybe 3.5 years now? But I feel like the learning really started kicking in for the past two years. Once I got over the whole "should I ask that?" thing... The more questions you ask and the more you practice, post, ask for CC, try again, practice, post, etc. the faster you will grow. I'd love to see some of your wedding photos from next week. Good luck! You can do it!

Here is a recent very impromptu engagement session that I did just a mile from my house with a half hour or less to do the whole session right at sunset. I learned how to handle the ambient/fill flash issue from the information here on NOBS. I never would have tried to do this kind of work before learning some of the techniques that have been taught here on NOBS about dragging the shutter, feathering the flash/light, etc.

Recent stuff. I learned how to do pretty all of this from NOBS. Totally worth the money. Totally worth ten times the money.

Last one. Night shot at 12:30am. Light painting with two flashlights, a tripod, shutter release cord on the camera.

Hi Kris,
Went thru your thread and its fantastic to see the difference from then to now.More importantly I can see clearly where I'm at and where I can go. All in all very inspirational- thank you. I personally have learn't so much from NoBs in all aspects of photography esp marketing and even with the current economic gloom I'm confident with my future as a professional photographer. By the way with your last image where did you position the 2 flashes and how did you work the white balance?
Ciaran

Two flashlights about 15-20 feet away from the subjects, one with an incandescent bulb and one with LED bulbs. I wanted the LED flashlight for the power and the incandescent one for the warmth of color. I did run a warming filter in Photoshop on this to try to match them to the background lighting a bit more. It's a technique called light painting. NO flashes- just flashlights.

Thanks for taking hours and hours of your time to post all these images, Kris. Your work is amazing and keeps on getting better and better. I joined a couple of months ago and have spent tons of time reading. Natural light, reflectors and an on-camera flash was my deal. After reading many tutorials on lighting, I bit the bullet and bought some studio lighting with remote transmitters & receivers. I also bought adaptors so I could use my old two flash units with those same transmitters and receivers when I'm outside my home studio. What a difference already. I'm hooked!

Hope to meet you in person some day. Did I see your presentation in the amazing FREE download from the 2008 workshop in Nashville? Now THAT is worth the price of admission alone!

cheers,
Cherie

Some more recent work on portraits. Just last night I showed a photographer friend (non-NOBS) some "portraits" that I did about eight years ago or so. {{{shudder}}} SHEESH they were bad!!!

Here are some from yesterday's session.

A few from recent weddings. Now go back and read from the beginning of this thread to see the quality that I was putting out a few years ago just prior to joining NOBS. Can you learn from an internet forum? YES!!!

Another recent wedding on 5/23/09. Read from the beginning of this post/thread to see the quality that I was putting out several years ago just prior to joining NOBS. YES, you can learn photography from an internet forum. The wealth of resources here and the knowledge of the members themselves is worth much more than the price of admission.

More recent work. Go back and read this post from the beginning to see how much NOBS has helped me learn. If you are wondering if any ONE internet forum can help you learn, then the answer is an emphatic YES!!! Everyone here is very friendly and helpful but there certainly is NO B.S. going on. You won't get pats on the back for blown out highlights and funky lighting here. But you WILL get thoughtful, helpful, and 99.9% polite critiques. Often, the critiques are quite detailed and members will even discuss your images or certain techniques with you via phone. Many members have get togethers in their regional areas. You may have been a member of other forums, some paid and some free. Is this one worth it? YES. With all of the tutorial videos, actions, and other materials like marketing info, etc. it is worth the price of admission and more. But it's the members themselves and their willingness to help each other in such depth that is the true hidden gem of NOBS. To access THAT, you have to be active on here and you have to reach out to the membership and use those resources. This is a very open and welcoming group that encourages newbies right along side the veterans. Plus there is still a money back guarantee if I'm remembering right, so what are you waiting for? Go sign up!

More recent stuff. NOBS has taken me from a struggling, about to throw in the towel and give up, underpriced and overworked photographer to a profitable, in control, sought after entrepreneurial small business owner. NOBS is worth the money many times over.

I was the second shooter for another NOBS member this past weekend.

I used some techniques that I learned here on NOBS.

This past weekend's wedding. Go back and look at my work when I was just starting out that is near the beginning of this thread! ACK! NOBS has taught me so much. Worth every penny many times over.

Kris,

OMG! You sooo inspire me! I'm slowly learning and trying new things since I joined 3 months ago. I'm still trying to perfect the OCF and ambient light thing. Slllowly getting it and understanding it. I'm very blessed to be here and learn from such great photographers.

Lynn

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Latest wedding from 12/19/09...

I recently went back and looked at some pre-NOBS work and the first wedding that I ever did for hire. MY GOODNESS- I should really scan those proofs and show you guys.

The more you post, ask questions, and ask for honest feedback on your images- the faster you will grow. Yes, there are a wealth of resources here just with the included guides, actions, videos, etc. but there is a huge resource just in the members themselves and their willingness to help you improve.

I have learned so much here... If you are thinking about joining, go back and read this thread from the beginning so you can take a look at the difference NOBS can make in your work. I've learned probably at least 95% of what I know from NOBS. Yes, you really can learn from an internet forum. The more you interact with the members here, the more you will learn and improve- in all aspects of your photography and business.

Some recent album designs... I learned how to do this from NOBS members. I learned all the lighting techniques from NOBS members and the NOBS videos on this site too.

This isn't the entire album, but they're my favorite layouts.

I hope you are still watching this forum KRISG, cause i want to tell you that you almost make me cry of joy reading this testimonial. I just have to stand up and applause you. You do have guts...... and NOBS
Hurray for KRISG and NOBS!!!!!!
Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations
Yours sincerely....
Val.