The Art of Photography

nd the Marketing Behind

S

Photography
and
the
Marke
Presented By: Kunqian Li
Mentor: Wendy Larsen, CPP
Lakewood Photography
League City, Texas
Independent Study
Mentorship Spring 2015
ISM Teacher: Mrs. Click
DISCLAIMER: SOME INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION COMES FROM OUTSIDE
SOURCES

What is Independent Study

Mentorship (ISM)?

This course is a project-based learning experience at the

professional level.

Provides opportunities for an in depth study in a particular

curricular area.

Students must:

Document 3-5 hours of work each week

Submit weekly logs of documentation

Meet with mentor on a regular basis

Present a final project

Wendy Larsen, CPP

She is a Certified Professional

Photographer

Worked for Sports Illustrated

Studied Fine Arts Photography

at the University of Houston

Photojournalism background
allows her to capture a story
behind each picture

Lakewood photography

Samples of Mrs. Larsens

Work

Why Did I Choose

Photography?
Last semester, I focused in infectious diseases
This semester, I want to relax and explore my

passions
Im interested in learning how to take better

pictures
However, Im also a business fanatic. Which is why

Im also looking at the marketing aspect

Background on
Photography
Photography is a word derived from the Greek words

photos ("light") and graphein ("to draw")

In 1826, Frenchman Nicphore Nipce produces first

permanent photograph of a view from nature.

In 1992, Kodak introduces the Photo CD, the first

method of storing digital images to become available

to the general public.
JPEG also came out in 1992
Mrs. Larsen uses Raw image format. It allows for

precise editing before the final print.

Purpose of This Project

E
A
R

Educate myself on the basics of photography

Analyze the marketing aspect of photography and

understand how to manage a business

Relay my newfound knowledge to my friends and

family in the audience

Weebly
kunqianliism.weebly.com

The Daily Life of a

Photographer
Input calendar from Mrs. Larsens agenda

A Photographers Tools

Camera
Reflectors
Flash
Photoshop
Lightroom

Photoshop

A slide on Photoshop. Put a video here of Mrs.

Larsen doing photoshop.

Interview
1. For someone working in your field, please
describe the fantasies versus realities of the job.

Fantasies: Spend time out shooting subjects and being creative.

Youll make lots of money

Realities: Vast majority of the time is spent on the business end

and not behind the camera. Theres a lot of hidden expenses

6. What potential for growth is there in your field?

Very limited potential growth for the field

An industry that is getting more and more difficult to make a

profit in

Photojournalism, newspapers, magazines have continued to lay

off photographers, all freelancers.

Survey
1. Are you a male or female?
2. How old are you?
3. How many pictures do you have on your phone?
4. On a scale of 1-10, how skilled do you consider yourself to be in photography?
5. Have you heard of Lakewood Photography?
6. Have you worked with a professional photographer before?

7. What is the biggest thing stopping you from working with professional photographers?
8. What total amount would you spend for an on-location, custom photo session, including

retouching and printing of custom artwork from the session?

9. Which of these options would you use MOST when searching for and selecting a

photographer?
10. Which social media site do you spend the most time on?

Results of the Survey

Based on previous research, three main

hypotheses were developed. They are:

Approximately 35% of participants have
heard of Lakewood photography.
Most people consider themselves to be
good photographers.
50% of people havent worked with a
professional photographer

Results Continued

The data
supports the
statement that
the general
public simply
isnt aware of
the cost of
professional
photography.

Results Continued

76% of people
believed that
they were
average or
above average
at
photography !

Results Continued

Facebook
and
Instagram
would be the
best
marketing
tools

Final Product

My product included this Powerpoint presentation as

well as my marketing statistics which will be displayed
on a posterboard

I currently have all my information stored on an excel

file and soon, those numbers will transform into graphs

In order for me to complete this project, I plan to

continue visiting my mentor and working diligently

I will focus more of my time on analyzing marketing

trends than taking pictures.

Social Media Trends

Initial Facebook

Broken Google Plus Link

on the Website
Initial Twitter

Initial Instagram

Pinterest

944 Likes

17 followers

17 followers

11 boards

105 Visits

35 following

23 following

187 pins

4.5/5 Stars - 10 Reviews

25 Tweets

1 post

2 followers
21
following

2 Photos

Notes: No Twitter link

add a profile pic

Add links to
social
Media

Last Photo: December 11, 2014

Add a header

add a bio

No Video

Add a bio

Add links to FB and Twitter

Might want to say you do commercial photos

Add links to FB and IG

Social Media

Conclusion

This semester has been one of the most

influential semesters Ive had in high school

Much has been learned through hands-on

experiences in a professional field

My knowledge on marketing photography has

increased tremendously

Picture from Microsoft Office Clipart

Questions

Helpful Sources

kunqianliism.weebly.com

Lakewoodphotography.com

Contact Information

kunqianli96@gmail.com
832-738-9166

Thank You
Special thanks to:
My outstanding mentor:
Wendy Larsen

And of Course

My wonderful ISM teacher:

Mrs. Click
My Parents:
George Li and Congying Wang
My generous and terrific evaluators:
And all those who supported me this

semester

Works Cited

"Home - Lakewood Photography." Lakewood Photography.

N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. <http://
lakewoodphotography.com/>.

PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/

wgbh/amex/eastman/timeline/index_3.html>.

"Raw Image Format." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation,

n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Raw_image_format>.

"Wendy Larsen Photography." - League City, TX. N.p., n.d.

Web. 22 Feb. 2015. <http://www.yelp.com/biz/wendylarsen- photography-league-city-2>.