I'm sorry updates are coming late, it unintentional kindly accept my apology.

27 -02- 2019

Mr Fred. A. Erunkulu a.k.a Eikonworld lectured on "The Multitasking Myth – How to Really get things done" at exactly 7p.m.

Mr Fred a Portrait and Event photographer, noticed must photographers are "one man Army".

This means you are the one doing everything from talking to clients, shooting, selecting or culling, editing, designing and presenting.

As a photographer do you take a lot of time to finish a photo project?
Do you get to be as creative as you want or there is not enough time?
Or sometimes you feel overwhelmed?

One of the problems we face as photographers is how to be "productive" within our "work time"... In the bid to do more. We unconscious multitask.. (kill two birds with one stone).

Most times lots of photographers lament this way!
"I have just finished shooting  an event... i have 1800 pictures to cull and edit and it is taking me a a whole week to get it done"

The truth is that.. 
with proper understanding of your daily task and right planning,  you can always get things done faster and better and be on top of your game "The multitasking myth"

We all do it: Texting while walking, sending emails during meetings, chatting on the phone while cooking dinner. In today’s society, doing just one thing at a time seems downright luxurious, even wasteful.

But chances are, you’re not doing yourself any favors by multitasking your way through the day. Research shows that it’s not nearly as efficient as we like to believe, and can even be harmful to our health.

Here are some reasons why you should stop and rethink the way you work.

1. You’re not really multitasking - What you call multitasking is really Task - Switching or Switch Tasking. Moving back and forth between several tasks actually wastes productivity, because your attention is expended on the act of switching gears—plus, you never get fully “in the zone” for either activity.
A good example is editing pictures and you are also chatting with someone on WhatsApp... !

2. It’s slowing you down - Contrary to popular belief, multitasking doesn’t save time. In fact, it will probably take you longer to finish two projects when you’re jumping back and forth than it would to finish each one separately.

What tends to save the most time is to do things in batches. “Edit your pics all at once, then send your emails all at once. Each task requires a specific mindset, and once you get in a groove you should stay there and finish.

3. You’re making mistakes - Experts estimate that switching between tasks can cause a 40% loss in productivity. It can also cause you to introduce errors into whatever you’re working on, Imagine discovering you made a mistake after spending a good amount of time on a portrait!

4. Your memory may suffer - It makes sense that if you try to do two things at once—Culling and watching television, for example—that you’re going to miss important details of one or both. But even interrupting one task to suddenly focus on another can be enough to disrupt short term memory, according to a 2011 study.

Each time you switch back, you must remind yourself about what it was you were doing, while dealing simultaneously with the slight distraction from the other task. This can increase your cognitive load (Mental Ability)

You end up feeling tired early,  or lose your drive... And you decide to call it a day and start again the next day... And before you know it.. A whole week has pass

Please understand that he's talking from a photographer workflow.

Here are some steps to help you

1. Plan tomorrow today.
Don't wait till you are up and about before thinking of what or who. You starting your workday wrongly.

2. Know how much "Work time" you really have each day.
What is work time?
Some of us work from home,  some have an office or studio which is some distance from home.. 
The time you have to work is different.

A person working from home can decide to be on his/her system by 6.30am. Another person going to the office or studio might not get to sit down to work until  9am. He will also want to close and get home to rest unlike the person who is working from home.

3. Know your mental strength and weakness:
He is at his best early in the morning till around 2pm and he has learn to maximize this over time..

4. Learn to *break* your *tasks* and *work time* into Chunks - Focus and Breaks

5. And Finally; Your WillPower.
You have to be discipline and in time, it becomes you.

Let's go back to no4. (Learn to *break* your *tasks* and *work time* into Chunks - Focus and Breaks)

You have just finished shooting an event, you have over 1800 images, you have clients to call or follow up and some balance to collect
How do you do all this?
He came across a simple but effective technique called "POMODORO"

Pomodoro has been used all over the world by different individuals in their place of work, it works

So what is Pomodoro?
While there are slight variations out there, the Pomodoro technique is a standardized productivity approach emphasizing the following

steps:
Choose a task.

Set your timer to 25 minutes and work uninterrupted on the task.
When the timer is up, take a 5 minute break.
Resume and repeat four times, giving yourself a 20 minute break after the fourth cycle

But can this technique work for us as photographers?

Yes with some modification
He personally use it and with little discipline, you too can.
You are free to increase your time but it shouldn't be less than 45 min

Choose a task e.g Culling.
Set your timer to 45 minutes and work uninterrupted on the task.
When the timer is up, take a 10 minute break. Get up and walk around or make a call or check your chats.
Resume and repeat four times, giving yourself a 30 minute break after the fourth cycle

Do the maths
You will find out that you have actually worked for 3hrs and also taken a break for 1hr.
You are *Focus* and also have time for *breaks*.

Imagine sitting down by 6.30am or 9.00am...and by 10.30am or 1am, you have done quite a lot.

What do you do during your breaks?

You can put on simple calls or mails or chats during this time...
do not take a sensitive call or mail during breaks...
also use it to walk around,  stretch limbs.. Grab a drink
When you resume, your mind is relax and ready to pick up...

You will find that you are able to do your edits or selections,  make the serious calls and still have time for fun calls and chat.

please note he didn't advise that you group your serious calls or chat together as a task and not during breaks.

If you are doing photo related task face them and when done completely or at least to the point you wish to reach for the day. Then you can face calls or chats... Vice-versa

Now you might be asking..

Is there an app/software for this technique?

There are quite a lot for windows, mac and android, some are free and some are paid version.
He personally use RESULTIVE
It is free, simple, easy to use and it sit quietly on your desktop while you work....

Like the others, it tells you when to stop, take a break and start.
He also during *Focus* period have my phone either face down or on silent..

Whenever I get an idea or remember something urgent or fun that I want to do in the day,  i use another simple "To do "app called" *Microsoft To Do*

It is simple,  free, easy and have a clean interface
of course there are quite a lot of other options..  Find the one you are comfortable with and use it...

Remember you have to plan your tasks in order of importance or urgency.

!!!?KEEP CLICKING!!!

Your Target Audience

Your Target Audience

When I started photography it was kinda easy for me to understand the word target audience due to the few seminars and trainings I had attended but it was difficult for me to know my ideal clients.

Clearly there are many factors that go into a strong inbound marketing strategy, however, photography is not one to be overlooked. It can actually make or break all your marketing efforts. 

Many photographers make much sales on Instagram but my sales are from Facebook, I sat down sometime last week to do a background check on my pictures I wouldn't mind rebranding myself, if it also means paying for it.

With the continual research and development on technology there are many tools or ways to advertise and sell pictures, whether you’re photo savvy or not, it’s important for every business owner to educate themselves on what it means to use (and have) strong photography.

What is Target Audience?

Target audience is simply your ideal clients - those clients that are meant to patronize you, as a photographer depending on your niche not everyone should be your client. (Let pause this for now)

How to reach your ideal clients

• Good Photograph

Can we face it? Some of us don't take time to checkmate our pictures, there should be a big difference between the amateur and a professional, lately ve been doing some background check on my pictures, photography is much more complex than just pointing and shooting.
I'd starve to invest in good photographic kits rather than dropping from the qualities I have started with.

As a trained professional photographer your pictures are to capture emotions, convey quality, and communicate value. They are capable of capturing a specific message you’d like to portray to your target audience.

• Using The Right Hash tags{#}

Hashtags create great visibility and help you reach your target audience, by using the right hashtags that you know your audience is already following. When you promote an event, the hashtag not only connects you with your followers, but your followers with each other.

For instance, if I hashtag #bellanaija# in any of my pictures I'm automatically in their page, therefore if anyone search for #bellenaija# my pictures becomes visible too on their page.

The downside of hashtag is making use of the irrelevant ones,  we all might be a photographer but our #hashtags# differs so i suggest you discover your niche (that is your kind of photography). It advisable  to add your location(s) too, make research to guide you with your appropriate hashtags.

I know typing hashtags can be weird 😂 so I'd advice you create a personal notes to make it easier to copy and paste, you can as well add more.

• Right Techniques

You may have over 10 years of experience in photography business, but it doesn't matter if your pictures doesn't speak a language to your ideal clients,
we are creatures that are victims to “first impressions" it might take a longer time and conviction to win their heart. Don't forget your ideal clients will glance ➡ judge ➡ and make up mind.

What are the techniques?

• LIGHTING • There may be brands in which dark photography is acceptable (perhaps you’re in the haunted house industry), but chances are your business would benefit most from well-lit photos. Good lighting can be achieved through white balance and ISO settings. 

• ANGLES • Try changing up the orientation of your camera to your subject. Shots at different angles can affect the style, by making the subject appear more interesting. Try shooting your subject from above, below, or the side versus straight on.

• BACKGROUND • Your choice of where photos are taken have a major influence on how your service or product is received. The background should appear like it was given thought and effort. Don’t just position someone or something and take the photo. There needs to be a sense of consistency that is creatively integrated within your brand’s style guide.

• RESOLUTION • Avoid cheap, grainy looking photos shot with your smartphone by investing in a higher resolution pro camera. This will help your shots look great on the web!

PS: Everyone, including myself "we all are work in progress" keep doing you, do not relent in your efforts, make your photography growth count and be more intentional about it.

Every organization needs photograph start making research, irrespective of the experience keep upgrading. If you feel you're not getting things rightly ask questions, talk to someone in the community be free, do not feel intimidated.

Like they always say, “A picture is worth a thousand words . What is your brand’s photography telling customers? Imagery should convey your quality. So go ahead and start inspiring your target audience with better images, to want to know more, and ultimately gain their trust!

Thanks for reading!
I'd hope to buzz you soon!

Don't forget to follow our Instagram page
@footprintachievers

Facebook page
Footprint Achievers

Keep Clicking!

#SPLASHOFMEMORY2018#

Thank you for choosing Librafotography to capture your memory.

The relaxed and colorful atmosphere created at the different shoots were really outstanding.

The memory you just watched took place September 2018, Lagos Nigeria.

As always, i hope you enjoy this COLLECTION so don't rush through it. Take your time to savour and absorb all of it rich moments.

At Librafotography, we strive to capture the Joy, Happiness and Elation of your special day.

Thanks you once again for your time, we wish you #SPLASHOFMEMORY#
and to the newest couples #HAPPYMARRIEDLIFE#

UNDERSTANDING CAMERA MODES

TODAY'S CLASS WITH STUDENTS WAS WOW, WE LEARNT ABOUT UNDERSTANDING YOUR CAMERA(CAMERA MODES)

Camera body can affects a user in different ways, a person who has small hand may have difficulty with large bodies and conversely large hands might have difficulty with small bodies

The little differences in body design can have a significant impact on their ease of use, it is advisable to understand{test} it yourself before going for any events.

CAMERA MODES
There are various modes on your camera dial and each can affect the quality of your pictures

The pictures below shows the different modes and its function

MANUAL MODE: I love this mode because it enables me to take charge of the camera, whatever you set is what you get ranging from your SHUTTER SPEED, APERTURE and ISO, with this mode you're the captain of your camera and it comes as M on the camera dial

AUTOMATIC MODE: I'm not an automatic mode photographer because it does all the work, the A+ mode doesn't care if the picture will come out nice or not, however it can be of great advantage when it freezes moving subjects
that is, it has automatically set the exposure triangle itself{ SHUTTER SPEED,APERTURE,ISO}
This mode also causes noise on an image therefore I don't approve this mode if you need quality pictures

PROGRAM MODE: The (P) mode has some attributes with that of A+ mode, it also automatically work on the SHUTTER SPEED and APERTURE but the ISO can be   configured manually.
I use this mode too depends on the purpose of the picture(s), when using this mode take note of noise on picture

SPORT MODE: I really really love this mode because it has to do with capturing of motions, though it automatically work on your exposure triangle too, yea it can cause noise if it automatically increase the ISO but it good for wedding photography_ That moment when the couple are kissing and it's like they don't feel like stopping, for me I use this MODE to capture continuously to get different shots of their motion.

Many photographer believes you're not a professional unless you always use MANUAL MODES on your camera

I won't dispute that fact, but I believe you're the captain of your camera, therefore you should know what modes works for you and where it necessary to use .

However, understanding your camera setting is very important so has to avoid any unforseen embarrassment like loosing important moments

CHIGBOGU BIOGRAPHY

Nworie Chigbogu is a young Nigerian actor and a cinematographer. He was born in to the family of Nworie Peter of Ugwueke Inyimagu  Ikwo Local Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. He is the CEO of Uwa Images and Films, a videography and photography set for shooting of movies, music videos, Portraits, Events and Candid photography. He is a co-founder of Life hope Africa Foundation. A professional with a difference.

HIS FAVORITE QUOTE: Don't let the difficulty of actually achieving a shot make you think that the shot is good.

For further inquiry, you can  contact him with the details below.

EMAIL:, chigboisalife@gmail.com, uwaimagesandfilms@gmail.com

PHONE NUMBER: +2348082374061
/ +234701 162 8783

Biography

Douye Mercy is a photographer who specialises in evocative image of the living world. Born October 10th 1986 from Ondo state Nigeria.

Photography began has a result of heart break, during that period of emotional trauma, she started seeing life through the lens,capturing and documenting the memories.

She later went for training in photography and editing for a year

Douye Mercy concern for humanity is strongly evident in her images, she strives to capture the people's memory of moments. 

Her venture into documentary photography was a continuation of her exploration of different genres of photography.

Her goal is to teach how to take great photos and to use images to communicate with the entire society. 

She believes the power of photography has a piece of personal communication.

Douye Mercy is also a teacher, writer and a business vendor. She loves to travel, read, write and cook

She see's the subtitles of every moment and the candid connections between people, her greatest joy is to savour those moments and give them a place to be remembered and cherished

For further inquiry or suggestions, you can  contact her with the details below. 

EMAIL: librafotography16@gmail.com

PHONE NUMBER: +2348066644017/ +2348106663502

LIBRAFOTOGRAPHY CORPORATE SHOOT

CAMERA MODES

One of the wonderful things that modern electronic digital and film cameras give you is many high-tech options for your image making.

The goal of every camera mode is to create proper exposure, you're the photographer you can choose when to use these modes, someone once said you only know professional photographers only when he uses manual mode for me you shouldn't be restricted to a particular mode.

Don't be scared or intimidated to change mode while shooting to see if one works better for you than another.

For kid photography i rather prefer SPORT MODE with shutter speed 1/500sec because I need to capture all the actions.

Lastly! don't forget to always check your camera modes before you get to an event, so you won't end up using Aperture Priority Mode for a Wedding Photography.

Librafotography Collection

WHAT ISO DOES IN THE CAMERA.

Usually when you plug your headphone a handset or mp3 player if you keep volume down on your handset and turn up the volume on the headphone, you'll notice that while your music gets louder there's a hissing sound that get louder as well, that hissing sound is called NOISE.

This is similar to a camera setting known as "ISO" and it function is to make images come out brighter.

If a picture is too dark increase your ISO, your digital camera can amplify the signal from the sensor, just as you can turn the volume up on your headphone to make music louder.

The downside is, just as with your music when it volumes turn up you get more noise so is the camera ISO, the higher you increase the more noise your image have.

Usually, you want to minimize noise so keep ISO down as much as possible.

WHAT ISO DOES IN THE CAMERA.

Usually when you plug your headphone a handset or mp3 player if you keep volume down on your handset and turn up the volume on the headphone, you'll notice that while your music gets louder there's a hissing sound that get louder as well, that hissing sound is called NOISE.

This is similar to a camera setting known as "ISO" and it function is to make images come out brighter.

If a picture is too dark increase your ISO, your digital camera can amplify the signal from the sensor, just as you can turn the volume up on your headphone to make music louder.

The downside is, just as with your music when it volumes turn up you get more noise so is the camera ISO, the higher you increase the more noise your image have.

Usually, you want to minimize noise so keep ISO down as much as possible.

WHAT APERTURE DOES IN THE CAMERA

Aperture controls the size of the opening in the lens.
Wider Apertures will give you a blurred background
Narrow Apertures will make everything shaper.

Narrow Aperture: 200, 1/200, F/5.6
Wider Aperture: 100, 1/160, F/4.5

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COMPETITION.

Mercy why don't you buy the human hair, it's nice and less expensive at least, and I replied my love I don't have power for human hair for now, I know my budget as much has I love to be good looking ...

She actually told me that because someone got it, my life isn't a competition so why running a race off track ? Life is not as difficult as we thought but our individual mindset is biased towards unnecessary things .

You want to marry because your friends are married, why running their race in your own world? Is marriage a guarantee to success? Or a race that all must run? Why competing blindly?.

Don't you think you're still where you are! because you've not discovered YOU or you've not taking some steps, you're not in the right channel, it could be your daily thoughts, it has to be something wakeup! rather than hurting yourself and trying to compete with someone who doesn't know you're existing "FIND YOU".

Don't hurt yourself over mare pictures you see on social media, lots are going on in our individual lives, who knows if you're better than that person but because you don't project your mind on necessary things, you're blind mentally and hurting your self unnecessarily.

Borrow sense, slow and steady wins a race_ hard work leads to success, be you, be sensitive, stay focus, maintain your lane, you can't afford competing with someone, change your circle of influence, there is no time to waste time.

STAY FOCUS! STAY BEAUTIFUL!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
I LOVE Y"ALL.

BUILDING A TRACK RECORD

Track records is a documentation of what you have done OR all the achievements or failures that someone or something has had in the past.

It's good to take proper records of your business, because it helps to break things down into series of manageable task.

IMPORTANT OF BUILDING A TRACK RECORD
------------------------------------------------------------------------

>It helps you identify the strengths and weaknesses in your business.

>It helps you improve in your business.

>It maximise and minimise your expenses

>It helps you to know if your business is liable for paying tax.

It is important to do the above because your clients and prospective investors may request to see your portfolio.
Ensure you document everything  that has to do with; payments, receipts of purchase, credit and sales. If you can't get a receipt get a notebook to record every essential details.

BE PHOTOGRAPHIC, BE CREATIVE, BE PASSIONATE.

DOUYE MERCY

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY

Documentary photography s an important method of recording history, it makes photography one of the most important methods of documentation of people, events and feelings, both historical and in the present day.

Documentary enables us to SHARE AND COMMUNICATE___it's a language that enables us to speak and share what we find beautiful to others.

Documentary makes us an ARTIST__it allows us to express ourselves through art form, at moments of great sorrow or joy everyone can create something different for one reason or the other.

Documentary is a LANGUAGE__Everyone speaks different language with photograph, images can express sorrow or joy, we also can find human emotion in photography. It gives us a language to express feelings for which no words can find.

BE PHOTOGRAPHIC, BE CREATIVE, BE PASSIONATE.

PHOTOGRAPHY VIEW

The way I see things might be different from yours, we all have our opinions and no one should condemn us.

Photography for me means a lot and that "a lot" comes with passion and crazitivity. If you can't be creative and crazy then you can't be a photographer.

Even in the days of analog it deals with thinking and thinking , its not easy to look through the EYECUP then adjust adjust the lens and capture something, its not also easy to sit on the system and edit something nice.

Whatever your subject matter might be ,you need a lot of sense to determine the outlook of that image .

I love to photograph because they speak a language, they tell you something , they send a signal, whatever it is keep discovering you ,keep learning , keep upgrading , don't stop , don't get tired , love your camera as you do love yourself , cherish every moments .

BE PHOTOGRAPHIC, BE CREATIVE, BE PASSIONATE.
DOUYE MERCY
CEO LIBRAFOTOGRAPHY

MONEY IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Mercy I want to go into photography because there's money in photography, yes there is but......and she interrupted no but.

She wants to go into photography because of money not because  of her passion for it. Many of us put money first and forget about the basics, no wonder we have many incompetent people around.

In my own view I believe passion is the Paramount{ passion will enable you to take every necessary risk, take the insults and stress}.

A man might have the money to start a business but might lack business strategies and tomorrow he claims its the witch from his village.

Wisdom is the principal thing and in all get understanding, she want to venture into photography not because she as passion for  it but she believes am making money{smile}.

Dear friends, yea the aim of every business is to make money but in this journey I have paid dues, I remembered when I go for events with colleagues free of charge, I beg for exposure, I volunteered, I went through stress many times with my own money, do you know what kept me going? Its called PASSION.

Passion won't kill  you, it will make you and urge you to continue don't just sit there and assume someone is making money and now you want to make money , you don't know what they have passed through or what they're passing through.

Until you stop putting money first and get to know the key things, critical success factors, business and market analysis then you're on your own, however it's a free world if you want to be a photographer please go ahead am not stopping you, but please stand out, be unique, be mad and creative.

BE PHOTOGRAPHIC, BE CREATIVE, BE PASSIONATE.
DOUYE MERCY
CEO LIBRAFOTOGRAPHY

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CAMERA

A year ago, he came to borrow my Canon camera because it is full frame, while I took

his Nikon in case I have a job--- using his camera was a problem because I did not UNDERSTAND it.

Camera body can affect a user in different ways, a person who as small hands may have difficulty with large bodies and conversely large hands might have difficulty with small bodies.

It is always advisable to "UNDERSTAND" your camera from exposure basic such as aperture, shutter speed and iso. The camera modes such as manual, programme, automatic etc---- There are various modes on your camera dial and each modes serves a purpose, for instance if you are to photograph a night scene in a movie, once you understand the EXPOSURE BASICS+CAMERA MODES you can photograph the scene even in the morning .

Many photographers believes you're not professional unless you always use manual mode on your camera-----yes I accept but then I believe you're the captain and you understand your camera more than anyone.

The little differences in design can have a significant impact on their ease of use. Think about possible hazards to avoid the risk of not UNDERSTANDING your camera, sometimes it could be hazardous trying to understand when it is too late.

Be photographic, Be creative and Be passionate.

DOUYE MERCY 

CEO LIBRAFOTOGRAPHY

WHY I THINK CAMERAS ARE SPIRIT!!!

She looks so beautiful and irresistible on the gown, her  makeup and jewelries looks charming on her.
The problem now is that, she needs just ten soft copies.

I set up my kits, took my camera and started with one shot, two shots, three shots etc, aside from model being charming THERE IS A FORCE PUSHING ME TO GIVE MORE SHOTS, FORGETTING MODEL NEEDS ONLY TEN COPIES AT MAXIMUM.

The force that connects your body and soul with the CAMERA is unexplainable even if you are hungry you don't remember food.

My friend was traveling with kids she drove to a particular village and stopped by to do some documentation with her camera, she said Mercy I almost forgot I had a journey to catch and this camera can't remind me {smile}.

That is what  I am talking about, there is a force(spirit) behind a camera that once you hold it or try to test run it, if you are not careful you will forget yourself.

A pastor needs to be filled with the Holy spirit so he can speak in a new tongue ,so also is the camera, it needs your body and soul to stay connected always. A camera has no respect for anyone, it doesn't care about your age once it turns you on you are set for action.

I have just come to a conclusion that cameras are "SPIRIT" yes an undescribable spirit, IF NOT SO---why is that when you are not happy and peradventure you come across a camera what kind of spirit will push you to take one shot, two shots, three shots till fifty if you are not careful{ smile}.
I will like to read your comment below, your experience with a camera and why you think it is a SPIRIT like I do.

Till I come your way again, BE PHOTOGRAPHIC, BE CREATIVE and BE PASSIONATE!!!
DOUYE MERCY
CEO LIBRAFOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY SPEAKS A LANGUAGE.

Photography is a multiple language. The photos we capture at any event can communicate a story.

The definition of language is open to debate, but for the sake of this discussion, I'm going to define LANGUAGE as the system of words or signs that people use to express thoughts and feelings to one other.

Photography sometimes has multiple interpretations
which are not necessarily understood on the same
terms by everyone, but the most important thing to note is that it serves as a piece of "communication."

A photograph of a baby can be simply interpreted as a
photograph of a baby, but getting beyond that, there are many other interpretations which can sometimes be defined by the action or what is occurring
in the photograph.

People have different contexts in which they use and speak photographs as they communicate different things to different people.

SPEAK PHOTOGRAPHY!

BE CREATIVE!! BE PASSIONATE!

DOUYE MERCY
CEO, LIBRAFOTOGRAPHY