Yesterday’s post gave you some background on how entering photo contests for self-growth can fuel both your creativity and your career. Here are specifics about finding and entering great photo contests. Kristi suggests starting with contests in your specialty, and even in your geographic area. “You have to hunt around,” she laughs, noting that lots of competitions aren’t widely advertised. “It takes some internet time.” In fact, if you find a contest easily, consider that a potential red flag – there are plenty of would-be contests out there that are nothing more than rights-grabbing companies hoping to score some awesome pics for their own marketing projects. Avoid those! “The contests that offer prizes are the ones I’m wary of,” Kristi says. She recommends sticking to
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Entering Competitions for Self-Growth: Part 1
If you knew there was a super-cheap, easy way to get professional feedback on your photography, would you do it? What if that opportunity not only included the ability to see how other photographers approached similar projects, but also happened many times a year? Yes, we’re talking about photo competitions, and yes, you should try entering them for self-growth. But Kristi Odom taught me a few new ways to use your entries to make your work better, starting today! A wedding and nature photographer based in northern Virginia, Kristi carries the kind of excitement about improving her shooting that brings me back to my early days just learning photography. “When you’re in school for photography you get so much valuable critique,” she says. “When you
What ONE THING Would You Change?
Now that 2012 has come to a close, hopefully you had some much needed reflection and R&R and are ready to dive headfirst into 2013. When you think about your successes and mistakes over the past year, are there things you wish you’d done differently? Probably. But that’s the beauty of a new year – it’s a fresh start! To get you started, we asked YOU to share ONE THING you’ll do differently in 2013. Every week, we’ll be spotlighting one photographer and the ONE THING that they’re doing differently this coming year. What will you change? Here’s what wedding photographer Katelyn James said: About Katelyn James Katelyn James is a Wedding Photographer & Blogger based out of Richmond, VA. She started her business as
6 Ways to Affect SEO: Part 2
Photo by Flickr User SuperBoreen Yesterday, we outlined the first steps in Affecting SEO. This is Part 2 of our series, 6 Ways to Affect SEO! Read on for more valuable tips and tricks: 4. Page content Google also looks at the content of your pages. On your homepage, it’s important to use your keywords. Obviously this needs to be very relevant and clear as it’s the first thing that viewers see when they come to your site. Your homepage is the most important page to your client because it sets the tone for the rest of your site. So, while you want to support good SEO, this is still going to be a new client’s first impression of you. Google loves fresh content, and
6 Ways to Affect SEO: Part 1
Photo by Flickr User SuperBoreen For many of us, getting viewers to our site from a search engine is one of the best ways of finding new clients. Here are six ways that you can affect the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of your site in order to get a little bit closer to that coveted first page on a Google search. But before we start, let me make a note about keywords. There is much talk about keywording, but in simple terms, this is all you need to know: what searches do you want to be at the top of? In other words, what will people be looking for when your site shows up at the top? For example, Amber and I want to be
Beyond Passion: Easy Steps Toward Success
Let’s talk about these two steps. Let’s take an honest look at what are the realities and problems we are facing. Then let’s look at what we can do to get around the current situation to survive and thrive. Our industry has changed! We must change too, or we won’t survive. Let’s look at some of the facts: Almost everyone has a cell phone with a camera or a smart phone that is a portable computer where they can use Instagram, SnapSeed or other programs to enhance their photos. Almost everyone has a Facebook account or Flickr, Smugmug, Photobucket or other online photo albums. These popular digital dumps have almost completely taken the place of wallet photos. Almost everyone wants files of their photographs so they
The Power of Passion
Never underestimate the power of passion. Passion moves us. It moves clients. It compels humankind as it incites connection, loyalty, and belief. Now more than ever, we want to know there are living, breathing people behind the things we buy. But if it’s passion that powers movement and connection, then the trick is making it visible. Too often, we bury it under the weight of marketing and excess. We hide it in favor of style and conformity. To bring passion to the world, it’s not enough that we feel it ourselves. It’s not enough that we show our excitement in post after post after post. It’s not even enough that we find our purpose and show our value. We must evidence the full force of
Learning How To Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick
Running a small business is hard. When you hear people talk about a “work life balance,” you probably laugh. As small business owners it seems there is a lot more work than life! Over 11 years in business, I have been there too. New Year’s resolutions are great but too often they are left behind to die. Learning how to make your New Year’s Resolutions stick is the real challenge. Have you ever been to a seminar and left with pages and pages of ideas just waiting to be implemented? You’re fired up, inspired, and then you get home. Back to life and back to work and your inspiration list dies. It’s okay to say “yes,” we have all been there. Here are a Few Goals that I’ve
Giving an Image the Time it Deserves
After we had photographed a four-day wedding in Guntur, India, the groom’s family invited us to their home to join them for lunch. Although we arrived rather exhausted, we were quite excited to talk with everyone (without our cameras) over some authentic home-cooked Indian food. The living room was painted with many bright colors, that seemingly shouldn’t work together, but somehow did. Random objects sat in glass shadow boxes mounted on the wall, each of which contained a story. Still glowing with pride from their son’s wedding, the parents pulled out old wedding albums. My first thought was, It’s been awhile since I sat with family or friends passing around photographs. I kinda miss those days. I didn’t even realize those days had passed until
What ONE THING would YOU change?
Well, whether we’re ready or not, 2012 is coming to a close. As the year winds down, it’s time for reflection and some R&R. When you think about your successes and mistakes over the past year, are there things you wish you’d done differently? Probably. But that’s the beauty of a new year – it’s a fresh start! To get you started, we asked YOU to share ONE THING you’ll do differently in 2013. Every week, we’ll be spotlighting one photographer and the ONE THING that they’re doing differently this coming year. What will you change? Here’s what photographer RJ Kern said: About RJ Kern A destination wedding photographer based in Minneapolis and Denver, RJ Kern loves to create as much as share. He’s