My name is Cheryl Williver, and I’ve owned Images Everything Photography since 2003. I started photography at the age of 12, after receiving my first (film) camera for Christmas. I’ve loved photography since then! Because I grew up in a quiet, rural area in Northwestern New Jersey, I had a lot of material to photograph: the great outdoors- landscapes, waterscapes, nature, flora, fauna, architecture, etc. You name it, I took it.
In the last few years, I have been carefully blending all of my studies and talents into what it is today. I concentrate on Home and Garden Photography because it allows me to combine my knowledge of home interiors and real estate with my photography skills. Taking commercial photos for professionals in the home industry is great work. I get to travel, shoot all kinds of things from Real Estate to flowers and gardens, to hardscapes such as masonry work. All of these professionals need photos for their brochures, catalogs, websites, and social media accounts, and I love the versatility I have in my business. No two days are the same!
In this first set of photos, you’ll see images that I took at a local flower and garden show.
This second set of photos is from a website project that I did for a masonry company in Chester, NJ. They had completed many new jobs, and wanted to create a new website. They needed pictures for that and their new marketing materials, which would include some before and after photos. It was challenging to photograph that many and then edit, separate into categories (such as “driveways”, “pool surrounds”, “outdoor kitchens”, etc., but it was fun to go through the hundreds of photos and find the best ones to use. I worked with the webmaster on the proper sizing, so he was able to use them right away.
Now, all of these photos may look nice, but because much of this was done outdoors (or at least meant to look it!), there was quite a bit of preparation and clean up that went into the shoot, before I even started. A broom and dust pan, (or better yet, a leaf blower), a ladder, a portable vacuum, a reflector (I use a 5-color reflector, so I have any color I need), a Plamp (mine is made by Wimberley…a very handy tool to have!), and patience were just some of the things I brought to each shoot.
Getting all the dirt, leaves, mulch, worms and bugs, and other unwanted items out of the way prior to the shoot are a necessity. If you’re shooting at the right time of day (which of course depends on your location and the season, not to mention the weather), you can basically shoot and not need to edit much, if anything at all. How much time you spend on your prep will determine how much time you spend on your computer later.
When you’re shooting at a residence, it is customary to get their permission to use/post photos of their property, so providing them with your Property Release is something you’ll need to think of ahead of time. If they are not home, a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) is something you should leave for them, so all they need to do is sign and return. This should be handled by you, and not the contractor, as you are the one stepping foot on their property after the contractor’s work is finished.
Another thing to consider is pricing, and this varies by region, and even by season. High-demand times of the year, you should consider pricing accordingly, as the demand for your services can be just as taxing as portraiture, because time is money, no matter what you shoot. The best bet, I have found, is to group shoots together, and offer a package deal. If there isn’t much prepping to be done (say, if a job was just finished, or the lawn was just cut and blown, or if there aren’t any weather issues), you can bulk-shoot by grouping them together by proximity.
Make sure you leave plenty of time for travel and traffic, in early-morning and late-afternoon shoots. The sun plays a huge role in when you will shoot a home, so doing your scouting and knowing the areas well is a must. Tree, power line, and building shadows can ruin a landscaping shoot, and harsh sun can cause poor coloring and unwanted sun glares, so make sure you discuss these obstacles with the contractor, prior to your shoots. And don’t forget the early morning dew…if stepped on, it leaves your footprints, which you will either need to edit out or re-shoot! See, you thought this was easy, didn’t you?
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