Hi everyone!
In case you are following my blog and getting notified of new posts, I wanted to make you aware of the changes to my website.
I am focusing on making images and not websites. So I've decided to utilize WordPress and let those that are better at designing websites do their thing and focus my energy on making images.
There will be multiple changes to the look of my website as I haven't completely settled on a theme yet.
Feel free to take a look around and let me know what you think of the new site.
Thanks!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
(in)Decisions, (in)decisions...
It's been a long time since my last post. I've done a lot of soul searching in that time as to just what direction I want to take this thing. I'm torn between wanting to shoot what I love and feeling like I need to shoot what will sell.
I keep hearing that portraiture is where the money is. It's just not what inspires me.
So, I'm going to try something a little different. After attending a class on microstock photography by Pete Solutos it's really sounding appealing. So Kelly and I did a little brainstorming and came up with a good list of topics to shoot. I'm not really sure how applicable these will be for microstock but it will get us moving on the path of setting up shoots, getting the talent, the props, wardrobe and lighting set up, then scheduling the shoot.
I haven't followed up with Terry from SCORE yet as I'm still struggling with getting my bearings and settling down on a path to follow. Now that I've got that settled, I"m going to work on getting the Business Plan filled out.
In the mean time, it looks like I've got a line on some local talent but we'll have to see how that pans out.
On a different note, a good friend invited me to shoot a balloon launch where I got a couple good pics.
I keep hearing that portraiture is where the money is. It's just not what inspires me.
So, I'm going to try something a little different. After attending a class on microstock photography by Pete Solutos it's really sounding appealing. So Kelly and I did a little brainstorming and came up with a good list of topics to shoot. I'm not really sure how applicable these will be for microstock but it will get us moving on the path of setting up shoots, getting the talent, the props, wardrobe and lighting set up, then scheduling the shoot.
I haven't followed up with Terry from SCORE yet as I'm still struggling with getting my bearings and settling down on a path to follow. Now that I've got that settled, I"m going to work on getting the Business Plan filled out.
In the mean time, it looks like I've got a line on some local talent but we'll have to see how that pans out.
On a different note, a good friend invited me to shoot a balloon launch where I got a couple good pics.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
He shoots..... he S.C.O.R.E.S.!
Please excuse the bad pun in the title of this entry. I met with a counselor from SCORE (Service Corps Of Retired Executives) to get some advice on starting my business. It took a couple of weeks to meet up with a counselor but I finally did meet up with Terry.
He's a great guy that was very helpful in getting me headed in the right direction with regards to my focus on marketing and business structure. While I had some ideas on how to proceed it is really nice to be able to bounce those ideas off of someone who has "been there, done that" with regards to business.
One of the things that I need to overcome, is that my experience with business ownership is mostly growing up with my dad spending six to seven days a week at work trying to keep the doors open. Not good memories. I know that this doesn't have to be the way it works, but I struggle with that image when I hear that "it takes hard work" to start a business. With a wife and two kids that want to spend time with me, I have to be very careful to balance family time with job time and business time.
Terry, my SCORE counselor tells me that he hasn't spent more that 40 hours a week at any of his businesses after they have been established. Since I'm trying to build this business without any debt, I know that I'm going to come to a point where the business will require more time than my job and family will allow. When that happens I'll have to decide what things look like and see how we want to proceed.
In the mean time, I'm working on the business plan with Terry's help. The business plan is one of the tasks that I really dreaded. All the examples that I've seen look like someone is justifying their business to a banker in preparation for asking for a loan. Since this is not what I'm planning on, it just doesn't make sense to me. Terry had a good suggestion that the business plan should be what expresses me and my business.
I could go on, but I need to get back to writing the first draft of the plan.
He's a great guy that was very helpful in getting me headed in the right direction with regards to my focus on marketing and business structure. While I had some ideas on how to proceed it is really nice to be able to bounce those ideas off of someone who has "been there, done that" with regards to business.
One of the things that I need to overcome, is that my experience with business ownership is mostly growing up with my dad spending six to seven days a week at work trying to keep the doors open. Not good memories. I know that this doesn't have to be the way it works, but I struggle with that image when I hear that "it takes hard work" to start a business. With a wife and two kids that want to spend time with me, I have to be very careful to balance family time with job time and business time.
Terry, my SCORE counselor tells me that he hasn't spent more that 40 hours a week at any of his businesses after they have been established. Since I'm trying to build this business without any debt, I know that I'm going to come to a point where the business will require more time than my job and family will allow. When that happens I'll have to decide what things look like and see how we want to proceed.
In the mean time, I'm working on the business plan with Terry's help. The business plan is one of the tasks that I really dreaded. All the examples that I've seen look like someone is justifying their business to a banker in preparation for asking for a loan. Since this is not what I'm planning on, it just doesn't make sense to me. Terry had a good suggestion that the business plan should be what expresses me and my business.
I could go on, but I need to get back to writing the first draft of the plan.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
My first art show
Well, that was fun. No, really it was a lot of fun! The artists reception for the Color Explosion show at the Gresham Arts Committee was a real hoot. I got to meet a lot of really nice artists and their guests. About 12 of my friends and family showed up to support me. I am truly grateful for their support!
There were a number of wonderful works from local artists at this show. Gary Wilson had four outstanding photographs in this show. As well as a number of great images from students of the Focus On Youth program. I consider myself fortunate to be included in a show with such outstanding artists.
On a different note, I finally have an appointment with a S.C.O.R.E. advisor. That is set for Wednesday afternoon. I'll let everyone know how that goes. I'm hoping they can help me get going on my business plan and business organization.
Finally, the family and I went to the beach this weekend. We had a nice time and I think I got some good photos. We'll see how the post processing goes this week.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Bio - what?
Wow, who would have thought that writing a bio was that hard?!? It took me most of the day today to write up a small bio as I prepare for an artists reception at the Gresham Arts Committee tomorrow night. Yes, I know that this is something that I should have completed months ago. I just never got around to it. So, now I'm hustling to get the details done and ready for the reception. What actually got me through the Bio process was this page.
Now I'm getting ready to tackle the updates to the website. I've got new images to put up, logo updates that need to be done as well as a general update to show the new directions I'm getting ready to take.
Speaking of new directions... I'm considering doing some portrait work. I know that probably comes as a shock to anyone that has discussed photography with me. I've been working pretty hard to avoid portrait work up to this point. However I am beginning to realize that what I have been dreading is the bland, cheesy, classical "stand straight up, look into the camera and try to smile big" boring old portrait. What I've realized is that I don't have to do those boring old pictures. I can be as creative as my customers will allow me to be and by being creative, I'm appealing to a different customer. So look forward to seeing some portraits come up on my site in the near future.
For those of you that are interested, the impetus for this change began with a conversation with a potential customer. The family and I were checking out a local cake shop for a cake for my son's upcoming birthday. I noticed that the cakes on display in the shop where looking worlds better than what was on their website. I offered to do a few gratis shots for them to see if we wanted to do some business together. When we were done the owner asked, rather enthusiastically if I did any portraits. At that point I said that I did not, but her question got the gears in my head turning. I had to ask myself "why not?". The answer I came up with was in two parts. First, I hate (I mean detest with absolute disdain) the boring old portraits that come to my mind when I think of "portraits". The second part of the answer was that I'm just more comfortable by myself out in the woods taking my time composing the picture at my leisure, finding the emotion in the scene. When photographing people, the photographer needs to bring out the emotion from the subject/client.
So when I looked at it, I determined that my discomfort (or fear) wasn't going to stop me from meeting the needs of a client. Who knows, I may just end up enjoying working with subjects that are a little more interactive than a mountain scene.
By the way, if anyone is reading this and hasn't already received an invitation to the reception for the Color Explosion show, consider this your invitation. The reception is at the City Hall building in Gresham Oregon from 5:30pm to 7:00pm Tuesday Feb 16th. Hope to see you there!
Now I'm getting ready to tackle the updates to the website. I've got new images to put up, logo updates that need to be done as well as a general update to show the new directions I'm getting ready to take.
Speaking of new directions... I'm considering doing some portrait work. I know that probably comes as a shock to anyone that has discussed photography with me. I've been working pretty hard to avoid portrait work up to this point. However I am beginning to realize that what I have been dreading is the bland, cheesy, classical "stand straight up, look into the camera and try to smile big" boring old portrait. What I've realized is that I don't have to do those boring old pictures. I can be as creative as my customers will allow me to be and by being creative, I'm appealing to a different customer. So look forward to seeing some portraits come up on my site in the near future.
For those of you that are interested, the impetus for this change began with a conversation with a potential customer. The family and I were checking out a local cake shop for a cake for my son's upcoming birthday. I noticed that the cakes on display in the shop where looking worlds better than what was on their website. I offered to do a few gratis shots for them to see if we wanted to do some business together. When we were done the owner asked, rather enthusiastically if I did any portraits. At that point I said that I did not, but her question got the gears in my head turning. I had to ask myself "why not?". The answer I came up with was in two parts. First, I hate (I mean detest with absolute disdain) the boring old portraits that come to my mind when I think of "portraits". The second part of the answer was that I'm just more comfortable by myself out in the woods taking my time composing the picture at my leisure, finding the emotion in the scene. When photographing people, the photographer needs to bring out the emotion from the subject/client.
So when I looked at it, I determined that my discomfort (or fear) wasn't going to stop me from meeting the needs of a client. Who knows, I may just end up enjoying working with subjects that are a little more interactive than a mountain scene.
By the way, if anyone is reading this and hasn't already received an invitation to the reception for the Color Explosion show, consider this your invitation. The reception is at the City Hall building in Gresham Oregon from 5:30pm to 7:00pm Tuesday Feb 16th. Hope to see you there!
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