Tips, Tricks & (photography) freebies from around the web!

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 http://www.clickinmoms.com/cm-2013-giveaway-and-digital-gift-pack/

Creative Motion Design

Are having a 90% off sale on their fantastic photography learning guides.

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Tips For Selling Your Photography

By: Mike Brown

You’ve got the camera, you’ve taken some classes, and you’re ready to turn your love of photography into a gold mine. Or, are you?

From the earliest beginnings of modern photography, photographers have been on a mission to turn the images they create into money. While many have been successful in doing so, many have struggled to survive in a market that is becoming more competitive everyday. The advent of the digital camera, in conjunction with the digital darkroom, now available on your home computer, has made it easier than ever to create and share images. You don’t even have to mix chemicals.

For many, creating for creation’s sake isn’t enough; the lure of selling your art is strong. Others do it; why can’t you?

You can! Here are some tips from someone who has traveled the rough road of the business end of photography.

- Presentation vs. Representation

We’ve all done it, we’re all guilty; at some point, we have shown our glitziest, most bedazzling photographs to lure potential clients. While there is nothing wrong with showcasing your abilities, you’ll be doing yourself, and your client, a favor by showing them a broad spectrum of your work. Don’t be afraid to show the range of what you’ll likely be offering to a client. Remember, all they will have to use in their decision-making process is your presentation, so make sure your presentation is a good representation of your work. If all they get to see is your best work, then you should be prepared to produce your best work for every job you get, because…

- Expect Expectations!

The best intentions can be ripped to shreds by a difference in the expectations of a client and what the photographer actually produces. It’s so important to openly and honestly communicate with your clients. Don’t leave anything to chance. They pay you, and entrust you, to provide a service for them, and they likely have a resulting vision in mind. Try and find out exactly what their vision of the finished product is. Be honest about what your capabilities are and the timelines in which you can deliver them. You’re better off losing a client to an honest presentation before a job than losing a client after a shoot because of miscommunications.

- Expect the Unexpected!

Being organized and prepared for anything will prepare you for the monkey-wrenches that will inevitably be thrown into your plan. Have back-up plans, back-up locations, if needed. Carry redundant equipment and memory cards. As advanced as some of today’s photographic technology has become, the unfortunate truth is failures in the system happen. Be ready to react and carry on.

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- Explore the Terrain!

How much do you charge? What is your time worth? There is no set-in-stone answer to these questions. However, somewhere between the extremes of “too much” and “not enough” is a median. You can pin-down what kind of investment you’ll be requiring of your clients by doing some homework. Look for other photographers, in your area, doing similar work for similar clientele. Do research on the internet, make phone calls, ask questions; most photographers, despite the possibility of new competition, will tell you about what they do and how they charge.

- Products & Production

Okay, so now the shoot is successfully shot, and safely backed-up. Files are archived and you’re ready to sell this baby, right? How? The end product you’ll offer is paramount in showcasing the images you put so much time and effort into. In the end, the products from the shoot are all your client is interested in. It’s not that they don’t appreciate the preparation, the time, the effort…the blood, sweat and tears…understandably, they just want their product. This brings us back to honest representation that would have taken place early on in the presentation. If you’ve delivered what has been expected, you’ll have been successful.

- The Legal Mumbo-Jumbo

No matter what type of job you’re taking on, the importance of a contract, a written agreement between both parties, can’t be overstated enough. It will serve as a written blue print of the the expected services you will deliver, and the compensation the client will deliver. And, in what manner these expectations will be fulfilled. You can find sample contracts for a variety of photo jobs online, or, if you’re really immersing yourself in the business, talk to a business attorney who can steer you in the right direction.

No matter what you’re photographing…weddings, portraits, sports, landscapes, interiors, architecture, products, pets…you can be successful if you present yourself honestly and conduct yourself around your clients in a professional manner. Long after the campaign to attract new clients through Search Engine Optimization, Facebook posts, Twitter blasts and word-of-mouth has happened, you’ll be remembered, and either hired or rehired, for the work you’ve done. My experiences have shown that my past clients remember either very good or very poor partnerships. What would you like to be remembered for after a paid shoot?


Tips on selling your photography (via Creative Motion Design, written by Mike Brown) for more of Mike's work see www.facebook.com/PhotographyByMikeBrown

Tips For Winning A Photography Contest

By: Jade Wills

Use Your Photography Passion to Win the Photo Contest

Photo contest announcements always say things like, “Show your passion for photography!” or “Share your dynamic talent for taking pictures”. The clue as to what the contest originators want to see in the photo submissions is found in the descriptions. Creating dynamic photos requires talent and creativity. However, winning a photo contest also requires a willingness to follow the rules and to follow your passion.
Follow the Rules…
Yes, it is true. Life is full of rules. You can submit the best photograph the world has seen and still not win the contest. When this happens, it is usually due to the photographer failing to follow the contest rules. So the first rule for winning a photo contest is to precisely follow the rules.

• Adhere to the contest theme – If the contest says to submit wedding photos, then you should not submit nature pictures. Oh, it seems so obvious but photos are rejected all the time because the photographer went off theme.

• Submit the correct number of images – If the rules say you may enter up to 3 images in one category, then do not enter 4 images in 2 categories. It seems so obvious, but people who are proud of their body of work sometimes have trouble narrowing their submissions.

• Follow the specific directions – Many photography contests provide instructions that specify file formats, image size and other details. It is critical to closely follow the instructions to prevent disqualification.

The truth is that photography judges will require strict adherence to the rules because it enables them to narrow the field of submissions. Any photographer that does not follow all the rules will be disqualified.
Follow Your Passion…
Entering photography competitions is important because it gives you a frame of reference for evaluating your photos. You may think all your photos are perfect, but it is amazing the level of creativity that exists in the world of photography. Contests also provide an opportunity to see diverse bodies of works.
The best place to get ideas on how to win a photo contest is by listening to the advice of past contest winners, professional photographers and contest judges. Following are some of the tips they have offered photographers with a passion for their work.

• Judges should look at the photo and say, “I wish I had taken that…”?
• Put your passion into the photo by showing you have a different way of looking at the topic
• Pay attention to technical details like lighting
• Make sure all the pictures elements come together in a beautiful composition
• Only submit high quality photographs
• Use innovative techniques
• Add a ‘wow’ factor to the photo
• Submit pictures that will evoke a viewer response or emotion
• If multiple photos are allowed, they should be linked in terms of theme and technique but without diminishing creativity

A photo should tell a story. However, the story must be interpretable by the contest judges. This means that whoever is looking at the photo should be able to identify the photo’s meaning or what it is meant to achieve.
There are many different types of photo contests held today. They may ask you to capture particular emotions or conceptualize an idea. Sometimes the theme is left open which gives you an opportunity to truly express your talent without limit. Whatever contest you decide to enter, always remember the two basic guidelines – follow the rules and follow your passion.

Via Creative Motion Design (https://www.facebook.com/cmdwebsites)

Tutorial Tuesday: DIY Doily Banner – Part 1{Best Prop Blog} 

This week we are making a ….

Doily Banner

Materials Needed:

4 – 8″ Doilies (Found HERE for $7.99/Dozen)

1 Package – Bias Tape Extra Wide Double Fold (Under $2 – Wal-Mart, JoAnns, Hobby Lobby, etc)

as well as ….

Straight Pins, Scissors, Thread, Sewing Machine

Step 1: Gather your supplies.
FYI: I used a cutting board, plastic measuring board and rotary blade to make the next step easier.

Step 2: Cut your Doilies into equal halves.
The straight edge ruler and rotary blade made this very quick and easy!

Step 5: Start pinning your doilies into your bias tape.
I found the middle of the bias tape and matched the middle of my first doily to the middle of the bias tape. This ensures that a doily will be in the center of your banner when hanging.

Step 6: Space additional doilies 3″ apart from the center doily and pin into place.
This was extra easy using the gridded cutting mat.

Step 7: I was able to get 7 of the 8″ doilies on the bias tape.

Step 8: Sew the bias tape and doilies together.
This is really easy … Just a straight line! To make the stitching a bit more interesting I used a zigzag stitch.

Step 9: I added a knot at the end of each side. This is completely optional of course.

Here is my DOILY BANNER in action …

I made TWO of the Doily Banners (7 Full Doilies Total & 2 Packages of Bias Tape) for the setup above.

Next week there will be a DIY Tutorial on how to Tea Stain your banners to give them a vintage look!

Via Confessions of a Prop Junkie.  http://confessionsofapropjunkie.com/?p=12226

23rd January 2013

I've just designed some free facebook timelines available for anyone who has Adobe Photoshop.  These were designed in CS5, and are a great way to showcase some of your images for clients or fun!  Click on link below to be directed to my dropbox location. I'd be so grateful if you could visit my facebook page and like me!!! thank you!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uz76oi7kedduuae/timelines.rar