Incase you're going to be in NYC for PhotoPlusExpo next week, you might want to make the rounds of two of the evening parties - Thursday is PhotoShelter's, Friday is DigitalRailroad's. Since after each day's activities, your head just wants to explode with new information, ideas, and equipment you "just have to have", winding down is the best way to do it each night.
RSVP sooner rather than later!
We travel a lot, and carry a lot of equipment. Each case, before we go, is labeled with white gaffers tape with it's dimensions, and weight. This saves us a lot of time when, at check in, the gate agent assumes the equipment case is outside their maximum dimensions (it's not, it's designed to not be), or over 100 lbs (we never do do that either, kinda misses the point). Frequently, with excess baggage charges, it's been less expensive to bring along a second assistant and paid their airfare and get their baggage allowance to fill.
When we are packing, we weight each bag with our scale, ensuring that each are either 98 or 99 lbs. I have been known to put a superclamp or Hensel battery in my carryon bag (since they're not weighed) to hit the 98 lb max, to avoid hitting their 100 lb max, with that wiggle room for their scale being off.
We've set up freight accounts with several airlines, and that can be useful. However, what do you do when you're returning?
Other than remember the exact way everything was packed, I found this neat little inexpensive gadget - the Digital Scale, that's only $25, is compact, and weights in at just 8 oz. Check it out!
The mystery photo editor over a the A Photo Editor blog writes (Who is this Dan Winters Fellow?) about the challenges of superiors/colleagues being enamoured with Dan Winters work, "...he loves a photograph he once saw. Not, that he will love the photographs he’s about to get....Could a Photo Directors job get any easier then giving Dan an assignment? Right up to the point where you’re told to give him art direction."
Ah. This message is clear - just because you are a phenominal photographer, with a great style, doesn't mean clients will want to work with you. And, if you make it worse, you make it so that you can't take direction. This is a recipe for a lot of one-off clients, with little repeat business.
This past weekend, I was at the White House News Photographer's day-long multimedia program, and near the end of the day, on the panel discussion, several photographers were asking about getting the "important" stories told. Now, these were the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, young, eager, altruistic photographers. They believe that all they have to do is propose an amazing story, and if they do it right - if they talk to the right person, why, anyone would be a fool not to hearald the news from the tree-tops. The panel summarily crushed those thoughts.
The message essentially was, news is business. If your story doesn't sell more papers, more ads, more eyeballs on web pages, it's not going to get accepted by these outlets. Period. The "news is business" mentality isn't new, it's just more obvious these days. There are, essentially, three things you can do to get these vital stories out.
At Calvert Foundation, it is critical that we illustrate the impact our investors’ dollars have in the US and around the world. The best way to do this is through photographs and stories. We have the benefit of working with highly talented partners and photographers that help us bring to life the great work we support in underserved communities.Following that, a bio of Rose is listed below those sentiments.
Well, there appears to be some uproar over the latest issue of PDN that arrived in my mailbox today. Apparently, the US Postal Service has delivered others before mine finally arrived.
The fury stems from an ad with the tagline "Join the fight against overprices images!", which is purportedly akin to Modern Postcard's promotional campaign, which included the tagline "Skip the expensive photo shoot...", and which I wrote about back in August (Skip the expensive photo shoot..." - What the #%^@ !").
Their PR firm lists them as a "case study", where they tout getting Fotolia placed at #1 for the term "photographer commission", yet, a review of Google's own marketing research about searches actually performed, there would be ZERO clicks per day for this search term. Now that's a successful case study! Further, they write " Images that do not meet Fotolia's standards of professional quality are not rejected, but offered to be posted in the websites Free Section," nice. Free photos from the rejects pile. (More about the free section here.)
So, tommorrow 10/9 I'm off to Richmond, speaking to the ASMP Central Virginia Chapter.
From the ASMP program description:
Simply put, the business of photography is just plain time-consuming and often times daunting. Not only do photographers need to make great photographs, but they need to stay in business, too. John’s program will be packed with information on how do you operate a successful freelance photography business (even if you’re a staffer)? How do you determine your rates, handle supposedly “no-change” contracts, late-paying clients, and debates over rate increases. How can you negotiate better? How do the needs of editorial and commercial clients diverge and intersect? During this presentation, John will address these topics and more as you learn to handle your business better and more efficiently. We will discuss considerations when developing rates and resources, designing a business model that accounts for everything from taxes to business expenses, plus several techniques for negotiating with clients.Yep, that about covers it. So, come on by,
