I’m doing a pro bono shoot for The Human Rights Institute at the University of Connecticut. I’ll tell you more about it, once I get the shots done. If anyone is interested in assisting me on the shoot, I’m trying to set it up for next Tuesday. Wanna do a little charity/volunteer work to help make the world a better place?!?
Are you employed?
I started flipping through the new issue of PDN while feeding the boys their lunch (I work from home most days, so I watch the three babies on the non-nanny days), and I noticed a little news note about unemployment. On page ten, in the bottom corner, they mention that unemployment for photographers has grown to six percent, bringing it more inline with national unemployment figures.
Of course, this doesn’t really take into account all the self-employed photogs that have taken a huge hit in business. I bet many of us freelancers are having trouble making enough to pay bills at the moment (I’ve lucky worked on turning this sinking ship around and am now on the financial upswing – keep your fingers crossed that it continues). When a couple publications close down or scale back their budgets, the freelancer losses probably aren’t tallied by the Bureau for Labor Statistics. They weren’t technically fired, since they were never an employee.
I bet the industry is hurting just a little more than those numbers can convey. All the lost business for the self-employed equals a lot more people with trouble paying mortgages and car payments.
A different kind of photo shoot…
So, this week’s issue of Quick features my cover photo of Jesse Jane. She is an adult movie actress, apparently a very well-known adult movie actress. It’s the first time I’ve ever photographed anyone like her before. The shoot was very wholesome and fully clothed, so don’t go thinking I did something naughty here. Anyway, it just goes to show that you can shoot some pretty interesting subjects from time to time…
Life…
I have a friend who is working at the new Life website. It’s based off the old Life magazine that generations of Americans were used to reading. Right now they have a great set of never-before-seen pictures from the day MLK was assassinated. You should check it out.
Great kid pics!!!
I ran across this article, originally from Professional Photographer Magazine, while I was cruising through the Mamiya blog:
There are some pretty nice portraits in there, well worth checking out… especially if you photograph children. Speaking of kid photos, I should have the re-launch of my family and wedding website done soon. Though I don’t plan to do portraits and weddings full-time (rock and roll is still number one!), I will be taking limited engagements. I have too many people ask me about it, so I thought an official website would be a good way to go. I’ll keep you posted.
Sharing some recent work…
I thought I’d give you a peek at a recent photo shoot I did. I’m starting to do a lot more corporate work. I’m still doing a ton of bands, but the corporate world gives me a chance to diversify a bit. In case it isn’t clear from the photos, he’s a lawyer (and a real nice guy). It’s strange, because I’ve photographed more lawyers this year than I probably have my entire career…
PDN, where are you?!?
It is a couple days into April, and I was starting to wonder if my current issue of PDN – the professional photographer’s trade magazine – was on its way. It normally arrives by the first of the month, and every extra day seems like an eternity.
This month is the Wedding and Portrait issue. It can be a nice read, and there’s always some good wedding images to look through. This year, they have a story on same-sex wedding ceremonies. I haven’t read it yet, but the tag line suggests that it is a growing market for photographers.
Blog publicity?!?
Is anyone familiar with different ways to get your blog noticed? I’ve been tipped off to a few different things, including something at http://technorati.com
I’m not really sure how it is supposed to increase blog awareness, but I’m trying it out. I suppose it can’t hurt, right?!?
Pay for your news…
OK, so most of you are not photojournalists, like me. So, this story may not be as important to your photography business. If you shoot weddings or fine art, you might not care too much about the newspaper industry. Well, I do, and this story is intriguing:
I feel fine paying for a printed copy of a newspaper, but I’m not so sure I’d pay for it online. And that comes from someone who gets the majority of his income from newspaper and magazine shoots. Also, this talk about a portable, electronic newspaper device sounds a little outdated to me.
I’m just wondering how many people will want to carry yet another device with them? I wish more options would exist for people to see my photos, but I’m just not feeling this one. I’m no billionaire businessman like Rupert Murdoch, so maybe I’m wrong on this. He seems to know a thing or two about success…
Professional help?
I’m not sure how helpful a company like this would be, but it sure is tempting to find out:
They claim to help you connect with agency creatives and art buyers worldwide. For a professional photographer looking to do more advertising, corporate and lifestyle shooting, this would be a big bonus. However, a lot of companies can “claim” to boost business. Often, they do deliver for a small percentage of their clients, but most are just throwing away their money.
But, in a down economy, it becomes even more vital to get your name in front of everyone you can. So, take the risk on throwing away your hard-earned money, or get ready for the art buyers to start knocking on your door?