Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
You really are what you eat
Breakfast
Women who love cherries with their morning meal can be unrealistic about love relationships. But those who love banana nut bread crave physical contact and enjoy sexual fantasies. Men who enjoy cafe au lait in the mornings are traditionalists who lack ambition. Guys who breakfast on pink grapefruit are sexually aggressive and impulsively dive into love relationships.
Snacks
Both men and women popcorn eaters are usually quite successful in their careers but modest about their accomplishments. Potato chip addicts are also high-achievers, while pretzel lovers are trendy and full of fun. Women who eat nuts are easygoing. Men who enjoy snack crackers are deep thinkers.
Fruits and Veggies
Men who favor strawberries are week Willies who need to be dominated. People who love fresh apples and corn on the cob are hard working and determined to reach their dreams. Fruit lovers who avoid veggies are tough minded leaders, but vegetable eaters who dislike fruit are conscientious and thoughtful of others.
Ice Cream
Both sexes who prefer vanilla need the security of a devoted relationship. Mint chocolate chip eaters are so fearful love won't last that they often sabotage their relationships. Coffee ice cream lovers are adventurous people who live in the moment. Women who enjoy double chocolate will do anything to gain the spotlight, while folks who prefer strawberry are team players. They are loyal once they fall in love.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Get Smart
1. Game on
Turn on your PC. Modern games are great for making your mind work at amazing speeds. It gives your brain a chance to think strategically, and keeps it working.
2. Spin it
If you want to be a da Vinci or Edison, keep a sketch diary. Imagine seeing an object from every angle and sketch the views afterwards. Thinking in pictures is essential for complex reasoning.
3. Buy the paper
While browsing through the sports pages, take a peek at the crossword. It’s a perfect exercise for sharpening your mind. Puzzles with creative solutions exercise and extend your dendrites — the branch-like parts of nerve cells that carry information and promote processing.
4. Have a sniff
Certain fragrances help you think clearly and cut down on mistakes. Lemon scents stimulate your hippocampus, the brain region that controls your ability to concentrate; lavender helps you relax and think more clearly; jasmine has the ability to excite, resulting in quicker thinking.
5. Turn on
A recent study in the UK found that watching The Weakest Link for 30 minutes can raise your IQ by six points. A documentary produced a four-point rise; Friends a rise of one point.
6. Deep Breath
This is one of the easiest and most effective tip to improve the functioning of your brain immediately. More air in means more oxygen in the blood and therefore in the brain. Low oxygen levels in the blood have been shown to decrease it. Since most of us are in the habit of breathing too shallowly, this is a quick way to boost your IQ. One hint: if you breath through your nose, you are more likely to breath deeply.
7. Daydream
Letting your brain run free is the best way of truly expanding your brain power. Every day, consciously defocus for 10 minutes, and see where it takes you.
8. Detox
To make sure you’re thinking clearly, avoid caffeine — just one cup can cause a sharp rise in feelings of anxiety, US scientists have found. And like smoking, caffeine also prevents the absorption of key vitamins essential for optimum brain function. Replace coffee or tea with water and if you smoke, don’t.
9. Multi-task
Performing two tasks simultaneously provides you with invaluable brain tools. Put a TV next to a radio and try to take in information from both, then try to concentrate on each individually. You’ll find you can focus on any single problem much better.
10. Sit up straight, and close your mouth
Good posture affects our state of mind, and helps us to think more clearly. Wanna prove it to yourself? Try solving some math in your head while slouching, looking at the floor and letting your mouth hang open. Then do the mental math while sitting up straight, keeping your mouth closed and looking forward or slightly upwards. You’ll get the point.
11. Stretch yourself
Think of two unconnected objects… a frog and a moped, say… and try to think of as many links between them as you can. This breaks down the critical ability that interferes with the flow of ideas.
12. And… relax
Simply relaxing increases your ability to learn. In tests, systematically flexing every muscle for 30 minutes boosted subjects’ ability to solve puzzles by up to 25 percent.
13. Spell it out
Facing a problem? Write it down and draw lines radiating out to words and ideas linked to each one. Your mind will be able to visualize an answer far more easily.
14. Make connections
To grow longer dendrites, do something new. Try learning a new language or developing a skill such as drawing, and you’ll see instant changes in how you think.
15. Step it up
Aerobic fitness helps fluid intelligence (learning new things), frontal lobes (planning ahead) and your ability to make rapid-fire decisions. Go for at least three 30-minute cardio sessions a week.
16. Get dreaming
You knew this one, right? Uninterrupted sleep is key to information-processing. Avoid caffeine six hours before bed and relax with a hot bath and a milky drink (packed with sleep-inducing tryptophans).
17. Take a stroll
A recent study found that just 45 minutes of walking three times a week increased subjects’ ability to perform multiple tasks by up to 15 percent, improving bloodflow to the frontal lobes of the brain.
18. Watch the clock
Use your brain when it’s at its sharpest — early in the morning. Research shows that taking tests before midday boosts success rates by up to five percent.
19. Consume ginkgo biloba
Whether in capsules or tea or off a neighbors tree, ginkgo leaves have been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, helping memory and concentration. The effect is quick, and doesn’t seem to diminish with regular use.
20. Graze
To give your brain a steady supply of energy and minerals, eat little and often. Eating large meals shunts blood to your digestive tract, away from your brain.
21. Go classical
In a US study, listening to a Mozart piano sonata improved students’ 3-D problem solving abilities (as opposed to verbal or language skills) by 15 percent. Aim for 10 minutes of Classic FM a day.
22. Practice
IQ tests are just one form of measuring intelligence, so if you’re really trying to impress, the answer is simply to practice again and again and again.
23. Eat your meat
A meal that’s overloaded with carbohydrates can spell trouble for the brain. In a Harvard study, people who ate pure carbohydrates had up to twice the difficulty concentrating and performing mental tasks as those who’d eaten turkey, which is practically carb-free. This is due to the insulin that is dumped into your veins after the sugar is. Don’t eat white flour, sugar, potatoes, and other carbs before an important meeting.
24. Freshen up
Chewing gum improves memory and thinking, UK researchers have found. Chewing raises your heart rate, delivering more oxygen and glucose to the brain, while saliva triggers a surge of insulin, stimulating learning and memory receptors in the brain.
25. Make friends
Preferably ones with large amounts of frizzy grey hair. Recent research showed that hanging out with boffins can boost your IQ by up to 10 percent.
26. Go herbal
Plants naturally encourage your brain and body to work together. Rosemary increases bloodflow to the brain and sage improves concentration.
27. Head for the bees
To boost your brain power look for vitamin B, found in oats, tuna, chicken, wholewheat and bananas. Vitamin B6 aids memory, while 1, 2, 3 and 12 help manufacture and repair brain tissue.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
100 thing that I've learned about photography
1. Never do photography to become a rock-star.
2. Enjoy what you are shooting.
3. Prepare well for your shooting, realizing that your battery isn’t charge when you’re setting up for that sunrise shoot is too late!
4. Always take one warm garment more than you actually need with you
5. Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions while you are shooting
6. Set goals you can achieve
7. Write tips about photography, because writing is also learning
8. Never go shooting without a tripod
9. Be pleased with the little prosperities
10. Build relationships with potential photo buddies
11. Watch the place you want to shoot first with your heart then with the camera
12. Always stay calm
13. Know that you tend to overestimate yourself
14. Perspective is the killer
15. Dedicate yourself to photography, but never browbeat yourself too much
16. Take part in a photography community
Treeklein17. Keep your camera clean
18. Never compare yourself to others in a better or worse context
19. Find your own style of photography
20. Try to compose more and to hit the shutter less
21. Seek out and learn to accept critique on your images
22. Do something different to recover creativity
23. Get inspiration from the work of other photographers
24. Criticize honestly but respectfully
25. Get feedback from your lady
26. Don’t copy other photographer’s style
27. Be bold
28. Take care of the golden ratio
29. 10mm rocks!
30. Take selfportraits
31. Read books about photography
32. To give a landscapephotograph the extra boost, integrate a person (maybe yourself)
33. Every shooting situation is different than you expect
34. Pay attention to s-curves and lines
35. Always shoot in RAW
36. Keep your sensor clean, so you can save some work cleaning your image in post production
37. Discover the things you think are beautiful
Redgreenklein38. It takes time to become a good photographer
39. The best equipment is that what you have now
40. You can’t take photographs of everything
41. Break the rules of photography knowingly, but not your camera ;)
42. Pay attention to the different way that light falls on different parts of your scene
43. The eye moves to the point of contrast
44. Clouds increase the atmosphere of a landscape
45. Start a photoblog
46. Accept praise and say “thank you”
47. ‘Nice Shot’ is not a very useful comment to write
48. ‘Amazing!’ isn’t useful either. Try to describe specifically what you like or don’t like about an image.
49. You are not your camera
50. Ask a question at the end of your comment on a photo to get a ping-pong conversation with the photographer
51. Do a review of your archives on a regular basis, the longer you photograph - the more diamonds are hidden there
52. Always clarify what the eyecatcher (focal point) will be in your image
53. No image is better than a bad one
54. Everyone has to start little
55. Your opinion about photography is important!
56. Leave a funny but thoughtful comment
57. Speak about your experiences with your photo buddies
58. Limit your photograph to the substance
59. Participate in Photocontests
60. Post processing = Optimizing your image to the best result
61. Shoot exposure latitudes as often as possible
Wideklein62. Use photomatix as seldom as possible, HDR’s always have a synthetic flavor
63. Always remember what brought you to photography
64. Never shoot a person who doensn’t want to be photographed
65. Always turn arround, sometimes the better image is behind you
66. It’s who’s behind the camera, not the camera
67. Mistakes are allowed! The more mistakes you make, the more you learn!
68. If you have an idea and immediately you think : No, this is not going to work - Do it anyway. When in doubt - always shoot.
69. Understand and look to your histogramm while shooting. It delivers very important information about your image
70. Know your camera, because searching the menu button in the night is time you don’t want to waste
71. Shoot as often as possible
72. Believe in yourself
73. Don’t be afraid of getting dirty
74. Pay attention to qualitiy in your image
75. Your photographs are a personal map of your psyche
76. Re-check your ISO-Settings. It’s aweful to detect the wrong settings on your screen.
77. Be thankful for long and thoughtful comments on your images
78. Never trust your LCD. Normally it is brighter and sharper as the original image.
79. Provide for enough disc space, because it’s cheap and you will need it.
Autoklein80. Learn to enjoy beautful moments when you don’t have a camera with you.
81. Always arrive at least half an hour earlier before sunrise / sundown, composing in a hurry is a bad thing.
82. Try to amplify your mental and physical limits. Takes some extra shots when you think “it’s enough”
83. Pay attention to structures in the sky and wait until they fit into structures in the foreground
84. Visit the same place as often as possible. Light never shows the same mountain.
85. Print your images in big size. You will love it.
86. Calibrate your monitor. Working with a monitor that is not accurate is like being together with someone you can’t trust. It always ends badly.
87. Don’t think about what others may say about your image. If you like it, it’s worth publishing.
88. Never address reproaches to yourself. Learn from your mistakes and look forward, not backward.
89. Fight your laziness ! Creativitiy comes after discipline.
90. Ask yourself : What do you want to express in your images ?
91. Always try to think outside the box, collect new ideas about photographs you could do and ask yourself : Why not?
92. Search for a mentor.
93. Photography is never a waste of time.
Fogklein94. Every community has it’s downsides. Don’t leave it out of an emotional response.
95. There will always be people who will not like what you are doing.
96. Henri Cartier-Bresson was right when he said that “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”
97. A better camera doesn’t guarantee better images.
98. Always have printing in mind when you postprocess your images.
99. Photography is fair : You gain publicity with the quality of your images. Unless the images are stolen, there is no way of cheating yourself higher.
100. Write a 100 things list
Do you have learned something that I didn’t mention ? I would be glad if you let me know it as a comment, so I can learn from you !
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Zen Sarcasm
1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just leave me alone!
2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire.
3. It’s always darkest before dawn. So if you’re going to steal your neighbor’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.
4. Sex is like air. It’s not important unless you aren’t getting any.
5. Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.
6. Always remember you’re unique. Just like everyone else.
7. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
8. If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
9. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.
10. If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
11. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
12. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
13. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.
14. Some days you’re the bug; some days you’re the windshield.
15. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
16. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.
17. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
18. Duct tape is like ‘The Force’. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
19. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.
20. Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving.
21. Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.
22. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
23. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night
24. Shoveling coal for seven days makes one weak.
25. We are born naked, wet and hungry, and get slapped on our butt. Then things get worse.
26. There is a fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.”
27. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.
28. Life is sexually transmitted.
29. Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
30. For women … men have two emotional states: hungry and horny - if you see one without an erection, make him a sandwich.
31. Some people are like a Slinky: not really good for anything, but you still can’t help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Nerd Pride Day.
Basic rights and responsibilities of nerds
Rights:
1. The right to be even nerdier.
2. The right to not leave your house.
3. The right to not have a significant other and be a virgin.
4. The right to not like soccer or any other sport.
5. The right to associate with other nerds.
6. The right to have few friends (or none at all).
7. The right to have all the nerdy friends that you want.
8. The right to not be “in-style.”
9. The right to be overweight and have poor eyesight.
10. The right to show off your nerdiness.
11. The right to take over the world.
Responsibilities:
1. Be a nerd, no matter what.
2. Try and be nerdier than anyone else.
3. If there is a discussion about something nerdy, you must give your opinion.
4. Save any and all nerdy things you have.
5. Do everything you can to show off your nerdy stuff as though it were a “museum of nerdiness.”
6. Don’t be a generalized nerd. You must specialize in something.
7. Attend every nerdy movie on opening night and buy every nerdy book before anyone else.
8. Wait in line on every opening night. If you can go in costume or at least with a related t-shirt, all the better.
9. Don’t waste your time on anything not related to nerddom.
10. Try to take over the world!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Rock by a Muppet
Fat Ed’s Furry F*cking Guide To Metal!!!!
Here is a explanation of the music I listen to for those of you who don't understand.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Missed Connections on Craiglist
Every Thursday on Houstonist.com, they go to craiglist.com and find the missed connections page. A web page where people want to me up anonymously. Then Houstonist will post a response.
Did you order pizza Friday night? - m4w (Spring)
This is your delivery man... I was having a real shitty shift that night until I delivered your pizza. You asked me how I was doing (no one ever does that!) and I was so taken aback by your wonderful smile and gorgeous brown eyes that I had much trouble stuttering out my reply. I know this is a long shot but what have I got to lose?Here's a thought. Deliver a pizza to her house every day until she gets the idea or calls the police.the last 2 digits of your address are 06, you live on a very short street...
my best friend - m4w
in love with one of my best friends.In a word: HELL NO. Don't take our word for it. Read on.
She recently ended things with her cheating boyfriend.
how do i tell her my feelings without ruining our friendship?
Does she see me that way, or sees me like her brother?
i always told her she deserves better, can i make her truely happy?
the worst part...does she still have feelings for her ex, or has the anger killed the flame?
do i tell her?
do i tell her?
do i tell her?
do i risk it?
re: my best friend - m4w
bro, keep things as they are. dont do it unless you're willing to never see or talk to her again should things go south. i say this because i recently dated and split with mine. we ended on a good note but things are very difficult now for the both of us.No means no, and friend means friend. You're probably still thinking "Oh, she's my best friend. Things won't go south (tee hee); she's way too mature for that." Are you kidding? Have you seen Fatal Attraction? A bunny will end up in your pot. Not a stuffed bunny, but a real, flesh and blood bunny. Don't have one? She'll buy one. That's what happens when you date friends.
hot Hillary delegate - m4w - 27
You were the smoking hot girl in the Hillary gear at our convention tonight. I was the handsome, well-dressed Obama delegate who kept checking you out. You left in a hurry when the convention went south, and we never got a chance to resolve our tension. Come teach me the error of my ways.The Clinton rep must have been truly beautiful as there is no way you could consider her hot if she was dressed in Hilary gear. This clearly a very delegate situation.
HLB from CBS I want to spend more time with you. - 21 (Under your window)
I'll bring the mustard and wine. You can cook. I don't mind pepper and chocolate together.Pepper + chocolate + mustard + wine = hurl. Out of control cat? Sounds like someone is on the verge of becoming the crazy cat lady and has some taste issues.You can tell me about your car being dirty, and we can talk about what to do about the cat being out of control. I just want to be with you.
BTW That SM chick is hot.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The 10 Commadments of Photography
Say you’re out for a photographic stroll, taking pictures of that cool old power plant on the edge of town. Suddenly seventy security guards swarm you and demand you hand over your camera.
“What is this,” you ask yourself, “a Michael Moore movie?”
You’re sure you haven’t done anything wrong, but you don’t know whose side the law is on. Fret no more- we’ve got a list of things you can and can’t do, and it’s a lot more permissive than you might think.
Now grab your camera back from that Rent-A-Cop and let’s hit the books.
The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography*
*Charlton Heston not included
p.s. Thanks to everybody who entered our “Monday Stinks!” contest! Congratulations to Notorious D.A.V., Warren Photography, evaded, mommaozzy 84, biancaprime, berdandy, spade, AnasBananas, trenity00, andreskrey, determinedforce01, ladibug, killbyte, Nellofcourse and Mia!
Before we get started here, we have to point out that even though we’re smart and awesome and devastatingly attractive, we’re not lawyers. None of this should be construed as legal advice. If you have a legal issue, get in touch with a lawyer. Much of this information was gleaned from attorney Bert P. Krages‘ website, so we’ll go ahead and recommend him.
The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography
I. Anyone in a public place can take pictures of anything they want. Public places include parks, sidewalks, malls, etc. Malls? Yeah. Even though it’s technically private property, being open to the public makes it public space.
II. If you are on public property, you can take pictures of private property. If a building, for example, is visible from the sidewalk, it’s fair game.
III. If you are on private property and are asked not to take pictures, you are obligated to honor that request. This includes posted signs.
IV. Sensitive government buildings (military bases, nuclear facilities) can prohibit photography if it is deemed a threat to national security.
V. People can be photographed if they are in public (without their consent) unless they have secluded themselves and can expect a reasonable degree of privacy. Kids swimming in a fountain? Okay. Somebody entering their PIN at the ATM? Not okay.
VI. The following can almost always be photographed from public places, despite popular opinion:
- accident & fire scenes, criminal activities
- bridges & other infrastructure, transportation facilities (i.e. airports)
- industrial facilities, Superfund sites
- public utilities, residential & commercial buildings
- children, celebrities, law enforcement officers
- UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, Chuck Norris
VII. Although “security” is often given as the reason somebody doesn’t want you to take photos, it’s rarely valid. Taking a photo of a publicly visible subject does not constitute terrorism, nor does it infringe on a company’s trade secrets.
VIII. If you are challenged, you do not have to explain why you are taking pictures, nor to you have to disclose your identity (except in some cases when questioned by a law enforcement officer.)
IX. Private parties have very limited rights to detain you against your will, and can be subject to legal action if they harass you.
X. If someone tries to confiscate your camera and/or film, you don’t have to give it to them. If they take it by force or threaten you, they can be liable for things like theft and coercion. Even law enforcement officers need a court order.
What To Do If You’re Confronted
- Be respectful and polite. Use good judgement and don’t escalate the situation.
- If the person becomes combative or difficult, think about calling the police.
- Threats, detention, and taking your camera are all grounds for legal or civil actions on your part. Be sure to get the person’s name, employer, and what legal grounds they claim for their actions.
- If you don’t want to involve the authorities, go above the person’s head to their supervisor or their company’s public relations department.
- Call your local TV and radio stations and see if they want to do a story about your civil liberties.
- Put the story on the web yourself if need be.
- We’ve condensed these facts a great deal. We recommend downloading The Photographer’s Right and keeping a couple of copies in your camera bag if you’re shooting somewhere you might expect trouble.
- Andrew Kantor has written a good article and a PDF summary of your rights, including some of the ins-and-outs of publishing your pictures.
- The Legal Handbook for Photographers is a great resource covering all aspects of photography and the law.
- Live outside the United States? Try these links for photographer’s rights in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Why have a photo blog????
In this article Natalie Norton discusses how creating a personal photography weblog can help you hone your skills as a photographer.
The general idea of a blog gives me the giggles. If I think about it in a certain way, it seems borderline narcissistic. “I’m Soooo wonderful that I MUST self publish so the world can be a part of the glory that is me.” Kinda forces you to crack a smile and nod in agreement, eh? I recently saw a man wearing a shirt that said, “I’m SO blogging this.” I was watching television not long ago and after a big “to do” the main character said something to the effect of, “If I had a blog, this would be a big day for me.” I remember the first time (in the relatively recent past) someone suggested I check out their blog. I had absolutely NO concept of what on Earth they could be taking about. For all I knew it was a medical condition and I may want to keep my distance. So what is this blog mania that has swept the world, and what does it mean to you as a photographer?
10 Reasons to Set Up a Photoblog
Here are 10 reasons you may want to consider getting a photo blog of your own, particularly if you really are serious about becoming a notable photographer and/or making the jump to the status of professional.
1. It’ll Turn Up the Heat:
My blog has been a phenomenal motivational tool for me. I truly believe that ultimately, technical jargon aside, the best thing you can do to achieve steady improvement as a photographer is get out and shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. A blog will light the fire under you to get out and do just that. It does this by causing you to feel accountable in two arenas. First off, in order to keep readers, you feel accountable to post new images regularly, thus ensuring that you’re out there shooting. Second, you feel pressure to post your very best, thus you feel pressure to stay on top of your craft. For me, even lack of traffic in the early days of my blog didn’t let me off the hook. In the beginning I still felt that sense of accountability even though I’m almost certain that at that point there were only 4 people checking my blog on a regular basis, two of whom were my parents.
2. Track Your Progress:
Blogs are a fantastic way to track your progress. If you were to take a second to search through the archives of my personal blog, my growth as a photographer would be beyond merely evident. It’s so fun for me to look back and see how far I’ve come, particularly when I’m feeling discouraged by the prospect of how far I still have to go!
3. Feedback:
Photo blogs are excellent places to receive feedback. If you’re serious about becoming a better photographer, you may find it helpful to ask others what they think of your work. I know this is scary, but it can be invaluable. Post a picture and ask your readers to comment with their thoughts. NOTE: don’t be discouraged if not every comment is complimentary- positive comments may boost confidence, but sometimes it’s the negative ones that really lead us to great achievement.
4. Marketing:
Blogs are a great way to get your name out there. People will find you who NEVER would have otherwise. If you have a plan to make the push at some point to the status of professional, or if you’re a pro already, there’s no greater (or cheaper) way to get your name out there than a photo blog.
5. Publicity:
Publicity is more than marketing, more than just getting your name out there. Anyone can do that by simply paying for an advertisement in a magazine or newspaper. Publicity is actually EARNING people’s attention because of the quality of the work you’re pumping out. As you continue shooting and posting your work on your blog, you’ll soon find that people are recommending that their friends and family go visit your blog. Then they tell their friends. Then they tell THEIR friends. And so on and so forth. This is what you’re gong for. You’ll be amazed as this process truly spreads like wildfire. Along with this, remember that it’s one thing when you see an ad in a paper for a photographer, it’s another thing when someone tells you, “Oh my gosh! You’ve got to check out so and so’s photography blog. It’s fantastic!” Which publicity seems more credible? Clearly the second because it’s unsolicited. It’s genuine.
6. Relationship:
Blogs are a great way to create a more personal relationship with potential clients. They not only have an opportunity to see your work on a regular basis, but they also get to know you through the text you include. Then when they’re looking to hire a photographer, you’ll be first on their list, because though you don’t know much, if anything, about them, they on the other hand feel like you’re an old friend.
7. Announcements:
I commonly get people asking me how I built my portfolio so quickly. Well, here you go: I announced promotions (and hosted give aways) on my blog. When I noticed that I needed to do more head shots to plump up that aspect of my portfolio, for example, I did a post on my blog offering one lucky winner a free head shot sitting. Then I offered discounted sittings to 3 other readers ($30 for a half hour down from $100). I quickly had filled the discounted slots and booked a handful of other clients at full price. It was astonishing. It all happened within the space of a couple of HOURS. Lets say you’re not really prepared enough to be charging but are desperate for experience. In the VERY beginning, when I had JUST bought my first DSLR, I spread the word that I was looking to gain experience and would be happy to photograph families for their Christmas cards for free. I was RIDICULOUSLY BUSY for about a month before Christmas that year. It was a fantastic way to get some experience under my belt in a relatively short amount of time. I know it seems crazy to give away so much time for free, but I’ll tell you what, I was so passionate, so desperate to learn about photography, I probably would have paid THEM to LET me take their pictures. Actually getting out and SHOOTING is FAR more effective in my opinion than any class you could take. EVER.
8. Networking:
Blogs are a great way to build a network with other photographers, up and coming and pro alike. You can link back and forth, offer feedback, publicize each other’s events and promotions. The possibilities are endless. For more information on the importance of this tip, check out my recent DPS article on Networking.
9. Testimonials:
I’m currently in the process of designing my new blog and website. There will obviously be a section of testimonials. Thankfully, because of all the wonderful comments on my blog, all the testimonials will be completely unsolicited. It’s so wonderful to read through the comments people have made about my work, clearly because it boosts my confidence but it’s proving useful in another way too- AWESOME, GENUINE, UNSOLICITED TESTIMONIALS!
10. It’s Plain ol’ Fun:
Blogging is just so darn fun. It’s that simple. It’s just fun to go out and shoot, come out of it with something you’re proud of and immediately have an audience to showcase it for. It’s wonderfully wonderful in every way.
Little did I know 1 year ago when I first began my life as a blogger that it would literally change they way I saw my world, push me to greater heights as a photographer and literally put my career in hyper-drive.
THE BOTTOM LINE?
Blogs are powerful. It’s quite remarkable the reach of a well thought out blog. If you’d like to encourage yourself to keep on shooting, keep on improving and perhaps to get your name out there in the photography industry, I definitely suggest you create a photo blog. Be sure to check back in the next week for the follow up to this post entitled, Building Your Blog: 10 things to consider when building your own rockin’ photo blog.
Happy Blogging!