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 Thursday, July 08, 2010
Need a new gadget?
Posted by Mary
Sometimes you just need a pocket-sized camera for the casual moments in life—after all, it's a bit silly to ALWAYS have a camera strapped around your neck (no matter how cool you look).
So if you're a Nikon person, you may be interested in reading this review on the latest Coolpix (Sample shots and specs included, free of charge). The author seemed to be pretty impressed.
Not so fun if you're a Canonite, but we'll just have to wait for the next Powershot to compare...
~Joie
Thursday, July 08, 2010 5:22:41 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Keep your chin up.
Posted by Mary
Wrapping up the end of this holiday weekend wasn't easy. It was another high weekend for photography, leaving a dip in activity soon to follow.
Here are some tips for fine art photographers. Maybe it will be motivational...
Enjoying Life As A Fine Art Photographer.
~Joie
Tuesday, July 06, 2010 4:24:52 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Back to Square One
Posted by Mary
No matter where you are in the stages of photography (beginner, intermediate, advanced or professional), sometimes it helps to take a step back and review the basics.
Why do you like photography? What is it that you want to capture? What will it take to capture it?
Reviewing some photo news, I found an article that is so basic and to the point. (As well as fun because of the "Star Wars" reference.)
Jedi Mind Tricks That Every Food Photographer Should Know
Set aside the term "food photographer." These three tips (sharp focus, depth of field and color) serve as a reminder for any kind of photographer. Sometimes I get so caught up in the lighting that I don't put enough emphasis on the balance of the photo—the depth that could be there.
I guess what I'm trying to say is there's more to the photo than having an interesting viewpoint; execution counts for so much. The angles, the lighting, the focus and the focal point ... it all adds up to something, so put thought into it.
I'll leave you with a summer tip:
Weddings—they are happening everywhere. You may think that it's too late to get in on the action (no, not proposals and all that). Most couples book a photographer well in advance but, lucky for the less organized of us, some haven't. Head over to your city's craigslist and see if there are any ads asking (or begging) for a last-minute photographer. If not, advertise your availability. Most likely you'll get a few responses. Nothing like a little extra cash in your pocket for that new lens you've been eying.
-Joie
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 4:27:48 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Summer SALE at the North Light Shop ends today!
Posted by Mary
Hi there. It's Mary again. I just wanted to let everyone know that today is the last day to partake in our summer sale and save an extra 10% off already low prices at the North Light Shop. If you haven't bought it already, this would be a great time to pick up the 2010 edition of Photographer's Market. Just enter the code SUMMER2010 when you check out.
Happy shopping!
Mary
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 11:24:22 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, June 24, 2010
2010 AGDM Excerpt: Leveraging Social Media
Posted by Mary
Hi there! It really is Mary this time. I've been busily editing the
articles for the 2011 edition of PM, and I sure do appreciate Joy
stepping up to keep you informed on the latest news.
I thought
it was time I shared another article excerpt. This time I have a great article from PM's sister publication Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market. In
this article designer and illustrator EC (Lisa) Stewart takes on social
media and explains how you can make Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the
like to promote and market your art (or photography!). Check out the 2010 edition of AGDM for tips and advice for getting your work out there.
Leveraging Social Media as a Creative
by EC (Lisa) Stewart
I’d rather be looked over than overlooked.
—Mae West
The
landscape of traditional marketing is rapidly changing, and traditional
publishing is eroding due to the flood of social media (SM) and new,
online competition. Small business owners are embracing this change and
establishing a presence in the growing world of online business. And
the savvy creative entrepreneur knows to go and grow where their
customers are and they’re discovering that social media platforms are
very low-cost way to establish a meaningful dialog with customers.
How does this affect me?
Social networking is growing.
QuickFact: There are 152 million U.S. Internet users.
QuickFact: 3 out of 4 Americans use social technology.
Social
media provides creative businesses with online access to current and
future customers and allows them to connect virtually across miles. Web
2.0, the latest generation of the Internet, allows small businesses and
creative entrepreneurs to interact and engage directly with customers,
enlivening traditional print advertisement into a one-to-one personal
service. As a creative entrepreneur, people love knowing they’re
interacting directly with the artist and social media enables us to
readily connect.
In addition to your website, consider enlisting
a number of popular social media tools as key components of your
marketing program to augment your online presence. Blogs, videos, and
social networks are a powerful combination and play to the strengths of
small businesses by fostering meaningful relationships through links to
other sites, resources, and people.
Simply being active on the
social media platforms can help provide transparency that today’s
customers are looking for and lets you directly engage with your
biggest supporters. Remember, 78% of people trust recommendations from
other consumers and one of the best ways to get those recommendations
is through direct engagement.
The benefits of social media—build, protect & grow your reputation
Social
Media can help you build a presence and generate new ways to be found
easily. And online opportunities are typically less expensive than
traditional marketing, but you should be aware that they often involve
more planning and time-intensive work. Shifting money to social media
to augment your traditional print advertising budget will allow you to:
- Make connections, even if you’re typically shy;
- Build your persona and business brand awareness;
- Manage your brand’s reputation.
Social media community & tools
Social media can take many different forms including blogs, forums, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video.
QuickFact:
6.8 million people between age 15 and 24 visited social networking
sites in June 2009, up 13 percent year-on-year and roughly in line with
increased usage of the Internet overall by this age group.
The fundamental categories of social media include:
- Communication:
This includes tools such as blogs, micro-blogging, social networking,
social aggregation, and events. Examples include, Wordpress, Blogger,
Typepad, Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Friendfeed,
Upcoming, and Meetup.com all of which allow you to find and link to
other people and activities. Once linked or connected to someone, you
can keep up to date on that person’s contact info, interests, posts,
birthdays, etc.
- Collaboration: Includes tools such as wikis,
social bookmarking, social news, and opinion sites. Wikipedia,
Delicious, StumbleUpon, GoogleReader, Digg, Reddit, and Yelp are
examples of some of the applications that are available.
- Multimedia:
Includes tools such as photo and video sharing, audio and music
sharing, and livecasting. Flickr, Photobucket, YouTube, Vimeo,
Ustream.tv, and Last.fm are all sites that allow you to create, upload,
share videos, photos, and music with anyone and everyone.
- Social
bookmarking: Includes sites such as Delicious, StumbleUpon, and
Kaboodle to help you find and bookmark sites and information of
interest. You can save and access your bookmarks anywhere online and
choose to share them with others.
- Reviews/opinions: Includes
sites like epinions and ask.com where you can learn what other
consumers think of products and services.
- Entertainment: Includes sites like Second Life, The Sims Online, and Miniclip for game sharing and entertainment platforms.
Tip:
For every tool, there is a cult following. Depending on your business,
it may focus more in one of these areas than in others. For example, I
find myself focusing at least 80% of my time on Communications through
WordPress, Facebook, LinkedIn and FriendFeed and supplement my
activities with other categories. I’d recommend one tool from each
category to keep your sanity. The key is to cross pollinate your Social
Media tools with each other. Any new product, service, or news you
share on these tools, will be amplified that much further.
What’s a Blog? Isn’t my website enough?
QuickFact:
By 2012, more than 145 million people, or 67 percent of Web users in
the U.S., are projected to read blogs on a monthly basis and the number
of blogs also will grow. There were 22.6 million bloggers in the U.S.
in 2007, and that number is projected to reach 34.7 million by 2012!
Blogging
is a way of bringing life to your static website. A traditional Web
presence is a passive broadcast of your work that often discourages
engagement with your customer. imagine that your website is like a
house where the door remains closed and locked. This prevents your
enthusiasts from seeing anything more than just your front yard. As a
result they often don’t stay around very long or absorb much about your
lifestyle as an artist. Now imagine that your blog as a garden around
your website house where you fertilize, plant, and harvest your new and
ongoing online relationships. Your blog is now the hub of your Web
presence. Cultivating your blog with your art and activities helps
nourish your artist’s soul. When you tap into a poignant moment and
express it in one of your blog entries, a personal connection happens
and a relationship begins to form. Your blog is a welcome mat for a new
member of your online family.
Blogging allows you to engage your
followers on a number of different levels. They can learn about your
style, get a sneak peak into new designs you’re creating, and gain a
better understanding of your philosophy as an artist. For instance,
when they discover you’re a fun-loving artist who has a penchant for
raspberries on chocolate ice cream in the middle of winter, they can
begin to connect with you. And this is just the beginning of building
your rapport with your clients.
Blogging strategy: It doesn’t
matter how long and involved your entries are, but that they vary to
nourish the inquisitive visitor. Describing the influence that, say,
the red raspberry has on your painting begins to foster a visual
experience. Then, including the recipe to a wonderful raspberry cobbler
to celebrate your finished painting deepens the intimacy. These are the
kinds of wonderful things you can share on your blog that are
impossible on a traditional website.
Tip: Frequency is key if
you want to continue to have visitors. To socially engage with your
devotees online, 3-5 posts per week is a good number to plan for.
Crafting a personal editorial calendar will also make it easier to
summon great ideas. Also, to make it easy on yourself, you could
dedicate a different topic to each post on separate days. These should
include things that are educating (what you do), entertaining (how you
do it), and enriching for your readers in order to and keep them coming
back for more. For example:
- Monday—Inspiration Found on Weekend Field Trip
- Wednesday—Behind the Scenes in my Studio
- Friday—Finished Art Project
Facebook
Facebook
is one of the best tools available to go and grow where your customers
are, and it’s growing everyday—more of the key art buying demographic
are spending their time and attention on this adaptable social
networking tool. As a result it only makes sense to seek out guerrilla
marketing opportunities in on Facebook to promote your business and
engage new fans and customers.
QuickFact: Facebook grew from 200 million to 250 million in just over 3 months
QuickFact: Among 14 key new media tools, Facebook leads by 24% in sharing.
Facebook
strategy: Create and keep a separate personal page and Fan Page. By
keeping the Fan Page strictly focused on the business, one doesn’t risk
tarnishing one’s own brand.
Tip: If you decide to use Facebook
as a hub of your Web presence, be sure to take advantage of the free
tools available. The Wall, Galleries, Discussions, Videos, Events,
Polls, Notes are just the beginning of creating an enriching experience
for your fan base.
Video
YouTube is becoming a new
marketing channel for many companies and more people are watching
videos to see product demonstrations to help with their purchasing
decisions. Videos are a great way to present to your consumer time and
again without feeling the pressure of performing live where a single
slip of the tongue or misspoken word can cost you a sale.
QuickFact:
YouTube was far and away the top online destination by video streams,
with more than 6 billion total streams during the month, and more than
95 million unique viewers on YouTube.com in June 2009.
Video
strategy: Peppering videos throughout your social media platforms will
also give your brand vitality and possibly create a viral buzz. People
love to be entertained, and video is a great channel for that.
Exploring features and benefits of a product, demonstrating a DIY
project, or vlogging on the daily life of an artist captures attention
more quickly than text.
Tip: Each time you upload content to a
specific site (i.e. video on YouTube) also pull the video into your
blog, website, Facebook Page, even Flickr to showoff your new idea.
Cross-pollination is key because not all of your enthusiasts visit all
of your venues.
Twitter
As a micro-blogging tool, Twitter (among others) is another vehicle to connect and manage your brand online.
QuickFact: Growth rate of Twitter from June 2008 through June 2009 was 1928%, reaching 21 million monthly users.
This
unique tool only allows 140 characters to make your point, so be sure
to use highly targeted phrases when you’re looking to connect with your
product or service’s online audience. Micro-blogging will definitely
make you a better, more concise writer.
Twitter strategy: Make
sure your messages (called “tweets”) work out of context and ask
yourself if your tweet has value. Use conversations already in progress
as content inspiration. It’s a good suggestion to compose an idea list
of topics that might be of interest to your followers that include:
- Your New Blog Entry (include link)
- New Art Posted in Your Store (include link)
- Photos of Your Work-in-Progress Art Project (include link)
Tip:
There are several automated tools to augment your social media
experience. Schedule your automated business-like tweets on a recurring
basis so that you don’t have to remember to do it yourself. Scheduling
automation allows you to continue to conduct your online relationship
on a personal level.
A few repeating topics include:
- Thanks for following me! You can find more info on what I do here (insert link to site)
- Top 3 Reasons to join my club (include link to site)
- Personalized messages to your followers at specific times (include link to promotions)
Flickr
A
photo sharing site, Flickr is another way to broaden the reach of your
art. Upload, edit, organize, share, geotag, and make products from your
photos all through this new-media tool.
QuickFact: As of June 2009, 3,600,000,000 photos are archived on Flickr.com
As
with many tools, Flickr is free to upload and host your photos. The
site also has an annual fee service that allows one to create more than
two categories. This can be advantageous for the creative entrepreneur.
Additionally, one can create password protected categories—great for
works-in-progress and client related material.
Friendfeed
As
a sharing service, Friendfeed also serves an aggregator for all of the
social media tools you have employed. It is a good idea to claim your
name on Friendfeed and then pull in all of your tools by adding them
within the feed. Due to the most recent purchase by Facebook,
Friendfeed will now become a more powerful and valuable search tool.
Social Marketing Strategy
These
days, one must use technology to remain agile and Social Media tools
can help you get ahead and stay in the game. Understanding your target
market will help you better understand what tools you will need to
successfully engage with your customer. When you know your goals, you
can build your strategy around them and prevent getting overwhelmed by
the very tools that are supposed to help you.
Design a strategy will enable you to:
- Measure visiting traffic
- Measure the effectiveness of your content long tail
- Hold you accountable for content
Sharing,
growing, and engaging through trial and error is part of being the
creative entrepreneur. Continuing to listen, engaging in dialog—not
monologue—and collaborating, is the reward of staying in business.
EC (LISA) STEWART
is an award-winning designer and illustrator with a degree in Graphic
Design and Fine Arts from Western Michigan University. She’s held a
variety of positions including display artist, interior designer,
accessory buyer, and print/Web designer before starting ECStewart
Design Studio in 1998. In addition to the agency, she has returned to
her fi rst love, illustration, and now her CalligraphyPets form the
foundation of the ECStewart Collections, an expanded line of pen and
ink illustrations. She finds inspiration in travelling, indulging in
her hobbies that include photography, painting, illustration and
relaxing at home with Andrew and their three cats. Visit
www.ecstewart.com.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:20:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Cameras for the greater good
Posted by Mary
Remember XO's "One Laptop per Child" campaign? The latest nonprofit organization reaching out to underprivileged children is 100Cameras.
According to their Website, the organization "identifies children living in unjust conditions and gives them cameras to document their lives."
The goal? They want to raise awareness. Hopefully, since seeing is believing, there will be a beneficial movement providing empowerment for these children.
This is just another example of how much a picture can say and how powerful that message is.
In other news, Mophie's USB wall chargers are on sale. Get 'em while they're hot!
Since a lot of gadgets are now charged via USB, this is a perfect companion for the traveler or the forgetful commuter. (I can't tell you how many times my phone dies from lack of charging.)
Anybody have any good pictures of this summer? Feel free to share in the comments section.
Thanks for reading,
Joie
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 4:45:36 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, June 21, 2010
Get Ready To Travel
Posted by Mary
Get yourself ready for summer vacation. While you're at it, get your camera ready, too! Here are some helpful hints for traveling with all of your gear:
-Be sure to have an appropriate bag for all of your gear. Your equipment should be secure, and the bag should be well padded to ensure protection. Also, bags with noticeable logos are more likely to be stolen. Never leave your bag unattended.
-Don't check a camera bag. Just don't do it.
-Have a lock on your bag, just in case.
-Bring Ziploc bags for your lenses and body, especially if heading to a sandy environment.
-Keep in mind security requirements for airlines. Remove any liquids (lens cleaner and such things) from your bag. Keep your electronics organized as they will be inspected.
-Make a list of everything you have and occasionally check to make sure nothing is missing.
Tip:
Water shots are great for vacations. There's something mysterious about oceans, lakes, ponds and rivers that adds interest to your shots.
-Joy
Monday, June 21, 2010 7:56:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, June 03, 2010
New Product Shot Idea: Mariano Pastor and Via U!
Posted by Mary
Necessity is said to be the mother of invention, and this tough economy has certainly brought about some new, creative photography business ideas. Check out photographer Mariano Pastor's Via U! product shot package. For $112 Via U! will provide customers with a high-quality product shot of any item under 18 inches, from wine glasses to laundry detergent. The client gets to choose the background and layout and receives unlimited rights for the resulting shot. My thanks to Springwise for the tip!
Has the recession pushed you to explore new business models or offer discount packages? Share your ideas here!
Best,
Mary
Thursday, June 03, 2010 9:47:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010
2011 PM Articles Preview
Posted by Mary
The articles for the 2011 edition of PM are trickling in, and editing has commenced. As you can see, we have a great lineup for this coming year (titles haven’t been finalized yet):
Finding Your Niche by Vik Orenstein
Interview with Robb Siverson
Interview with Genevieve Russell by Donna Poehner
Interview with Sue Bird by Donna Poehner
Taking Advantage of Local Publication Opportunities by Paul A. Grecian
Interview with Daniel Rowe by Jane Friedman
Stay tuned for sneak previews of the 2011 articles. I’ll also post some choice clips from the 2010 PM articles and interviews. I’d better get back to editing….
Mary
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 10:42:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, May 17, 2010
Upcoming Online Seminar: 10 FREE (or low cost) Ways to Promote Your Art
Posted by Mary
Whether you are a new artist just starting out, or a seasoned veteran
with years of shows to your credit, the new media landscape has created
an opportunity to promote your art in a variety of cost effective ways.
This webinar will show you 10 free or low cost ways to promote your art
including:
- Insider tips on how to get free media coverage
- How to connect with reporters who are looking for artists in your field
- Ways to get blogs to write about you and review your art work
- How to use social media to get the word out about your art
Everyone who registers receives free online access to the recording of
the session, The Complete Guide To Selling Your Art Online download (a
$10 value!), and a coupon for one free month with ArtSpan. Art Span
provides custom web sites for artists who want to sell their work
online.
Presenter: Karen Leland; Karen is the co-founder of Sterling
Marketing Group, which helps artists, authors and entrepreneurs use the
power of PR and marketing to promote their art, books and businesses.
Karen is the best-selling author of 6 books, and is a mixed media
artist.
Live Online Presentation: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 1:00 pm (EDT)
Length: 60 minutes
Registration Fee: $59.00 SAVE $10! Pay only $49 if you register by midnight, May 21st!
Register now!
Monday, May 17, 2010 1:23:56 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, May 14, 2010
Book Recommendation: The Photographer’s Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business
Posted by Mary
If you look forward to reading the business articles in Photographer’s Market year after year, check out the newly revised edition of The Photographer’s Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business by Vic Orenstein. This book is an all-in-one resource for successfully starting or maintaining your photography business. You’ll learn how to:
• Harness the power of digital photography
• Target your audience through online marketing
• Find your niche (or shift to a new one)
• Craft a solid business plan
• Network professionally with other photographers
• Showcase and price your work
• Get support from accountants and lawyers
• Create a strategic path for your business at every stage
• And more!
Have a great weekend!
Mary
Friday, May 14, 2010 3:50:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010
New Portrait Ideas: Noah Wolf
Posted by Mary
Finding new ways attract customers and make your portrait photography business stand out from the crowd can be a challenge. However, Minnesotan photographer Noah Wolf has found a way to do just that. At the start of 2010 Wolf launched his new Avatar: Social Media Portraits series. In exchange for a small fee, each customer receives a personalized photo session and a creative, flattering digital image for unlimited online use.
For $79 Wolf promises the following:
* A photographic experience that will both surprise you and put a smile on your face
* Creative consultation with me on the day of your session.
* A thrilling time in front of the camera :)
* Post-session portrait consultation to help choose your favorite image.
* One completely mastered, retouched and enhanced digital file that you leave with the same day! (Can you have more than one? Of course!)
* No limitations to how you can use your portrait online.
* Finally, you get to upload an image that makes you look and feel great.
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Keep shooting and finding new ways to market your work!
Mary
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 2:11:09 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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