Advertising - how do you know when it`s a scam?

Since setting up properly a constant issue has been when / how to advertise and how much to spend. Given that I am aiming at a semi-pro existence allowing time for other things and making the best of all the jobs I do for maximum customer satisfaction it`s not easy to pitch it!

I started off with the usual free Yell listing. Big mistake! Cue loads of advertisers aiming to get as much off me as they could - especially Yell who I was warned off by an unhappy Leeds based customer.  I tried a free 3 lead trial with another web based group - got my 3 leads. All highly suspicious would be brides seeking quotes with hotmail accounts and no telephone numbers for 2 and an incorrect one for the third. No replies to emails even when offering big discounts. Didn`t bother to buy any more leads.
Latest one is Facebook who until tomorrow are offering me 1000 new Facebook contacts / likes, a designed facebook webpage and social network plug built in to drive customers to me with a 6 month money back guarantee if I do not see any business. The most tempting but not convinced! What`s a man to do - anyone heard of this Facebook approach?
At a local level I have hooked up with North Leeds Life - an advertising magazine that goes to 30,000 homes in my area. They are using me for stock images / one off shoots in return for credits and web page listing - you can see my shots on page 6 and 14 of the July edition and hoping to get some of these in next months.

You might even see my old cat Joey or one of my dog portraits

in there in a pet feature if they like them.

"Hold it", "Time", "Get Rid of it"

Yes this weekend brought another soccer event shoot at Pudsey Football Tournament. 54 teams from under 6`s to under 12`s! Scorching sun, demanding  coaches and lots of willing little runners and some talented players around. Once again some coaches and parents felt it necessary to castigate their kids for "letting themselves down" and had the mistaken belief that bawling to a team of under 7`s to "keep wide" and " Throw it down the line" would transfer a ball chasing pack resembling a herd of wildebeests being chased by a lion into some kind of total football outfit. Got to laugh! That said there were other parents and coaches who just relished their kids having a good time and encouraged them all the way - surely the right way.

 

Shooting wise great learning again - developing my skills of organising group shots by being clearer instructions and demonstrating - somehow under 9s still find it hard to tell left knee from right or keep close together. Action shots even harder. With the pack chase isolating an individual with the b  all enough to get a saleable shot is hard! Good practice for getting ti right in camera with a jpeg first time and shooting with as wide an aperture as you can though. Great fun!

I liked this one - saleable or not

Why did I go legit!

Unlike many of you out there trying to make a quid or two with your photography I decided, in the light of being signed on as a contractor for a major construction company, that I would go legit and register as self employed. First mistake was that the first job was April 1st and pre-dated the new tax year. This initially led to HMRC (the taxman) deciding I would have to do a tax return for the whole of 2010/2011 and gave me a bill for class 2 contributions for 2 weeks within days! After protracted attempts to call them - does anyone ever answer! - and a detailed letter they finally accepted that as the only paying job in my new business in that year would not be paid until 2011/2012 I could do my first return for 2011-2012 and can claim back my insurance paid! 1st victory and probably the last.

Went on an HMRC free course for self employed today - the basics and nothing new to me really. Took the opportunity to discuss a couple of possible product shoots with other newly set up businesses looking for photography so might not have been a total loss.
Anyway I now know I`ll claim my mileage on a 45p per mile rate (up from 40), have more idea what format to keep my records in and know what I can claim for the office in my house. Next week is another one specifically dealing with capital allowances and claimable expenses. Remarkably more interesting than you think it would be when it means paying less tax if you get it right. I`ll be there with a few promotion leaflets and business cards eager to learn!

Just need a few more well paid jobs now. Facebook are calling me back Friday offering to sell me an all singing and dancing business page with 1000 friends all seeking a photographer in the area in the next 18 months - con or not?

Yorkshire Sculpture Park meets Morecambe and Wise!

Was lucky enough to win a couple of tickets to see Mel Brimfield`s "The Breakfast Sculpture" last Saturday night. Was not expecting a lot other than a lot of luvvies but pleasantly surprised.

 The Yorkshire champions Dinnington Colliery Band played in some brilliant late evening light between pieces and we were able to see Mel`s artwork on display and then have performance of piano playing Les Dawson style (Out of tune) by Paul Higgs and some comic dance from New Art Club which was the highlight of the night. Featured a re-enactment of the M&W breakfast routing to the Stripper being played by the band.
Lesson for me - don`t knock something until you have tried it!

Whilst there I had a quick look at the Jaume Plensa stuff too - absolutely superb and will be going back on my own to shoot it again when I have more time and a good light.

Loved this other bit I saw too - does this class as toiletries (toilet trees- you get it! )

I did a Triathlon for Father`s Day!

Well - I shot one anyway! More work for an events company using my trusty old D80 and getting it right in camera first time for sales on-site!
Held at an army college base west of Harrogate. Of course despite having logged name / car registration I could not get past security at first but in the driving rain finally persuaded them that I was a photographer  not a terrorist  bent on disrupting the Harrogate Mini Triathlon!

It did brighten up during the day but was great to see really supportive parents urging their kids on throughout the event and saw some gritty performances that put me to shame. Not that it was easy standing in the same spot for 5 hours with my drinks left in the boot of my car because they made me park in the far one without recorded security clearance!!!

Events Photography

Spent half a day shooting for an events company based in Wakefield. Not done this kind of thing for a while since shooting the Great Runs. It was a football tournament that involved dozens of teams from Middlesborough to Doncaster, under 8s to under 10s. A few keen learning points:

1. It`s hard going back to your old camera (D80 instead of my D700 to keep down the latter`s shutter count but benefit form the greater reach of the former`s cropped sensor). Images clearly not as sharp as the D80 to me but did the job.

2. Going back to shooting in jpegs - gotta nail that exposure in changing conditions without being able to edit the raw and get it back. Shot to the right at first to save the highlights but instant print jobs demanded to just go with the flow.

3. Expensive business event shooting if you do it right. The guy was telling me he had spent £70k setting up /fitting out a van in superb style with onboard office including 3 computers / screens/ 2 printers and storage for frames etc- not to mention the best aluminium gazebo I`ve ever seen that cost £700!

4. You can moan about guests shooting over your shoulder  at weddings but at least you`ve already been paid! Here parents / coaches were forever trying to shoot your set ups by you on mobiles and cameras and the aim was to sell them some prints so help was needed *"blocking"  views or just getting them away from family for the shots down the other end of the pitch!

5. Portrait / group shots were fine but getting action shots from kids that did not hold on to the ball for more than a nano second was hard! Coaches were demanding one touch football - shame was they all needed a touch to get control first. At times it looked like a pinball machine as the ball bounced from shin to knee to head to feet ....

Most of all I learned that some coaches and parents really need to let kids grow. Shouts of "You must be very disappointed with yourself", "that was shameful" were as plentiful as any encouragement. Come on they were under 10s for god`s sake. Give them praise and credit for being out of bed early on a Saturday morning and giving it all they had - whatever their ability!

Shooting at the moon

Tonight (15/06/2011) marks the first of two total lunar eclipses to take place this year - the 2nd one is on December 10th evidently.
The BBC reports that the shadow will start to fall at 5.24pm GMT, lifting at 11pm. 'Totality', when the moon is completely covered in shadow, lasts from 7.22pm to 9.02pm.
The 100-minute totality is the longest since July 2000.
UK observers will be able to start viewing the eclipse at 9pm BST (8pm GMT). However, the BBC reports that observers in the north of Britain will have easier viewing due to better weather conditions.


Read more: http://www.photoradar.com/news/story/total-lunar-eclipse-to-occur-tonight?#ixzz1PMu4cUFF

Might give it a go - but then the Apprentice is on. I`ll see if it stops raining and put up any results to facebook.

"This lens is soft when wide open"

http://laurencekim.com/2011/06/06/your-lens-is-plenty-sharp-wide-open/
Saw this article posted on cameracraniums site and reckon there is a fair bit of truth in it. I cannot afford 1.4 lenses just now but have noticed the same effect when using my 50mm and 85 mm lenses sometimes at 1.8. I`ll have to do some tests but sometimes that focus point is just not in the right place and with my eyesight manual focus would be even worse!

Too many wedding photographers about?

OK - so I have the right gear -  back up camera /lenses/flashes, got the public liability and indemnity insurance. Done some  training, won some competitions, been published in national/international magazines, made a bit of money from covering events for major companies, council organisations and done some hotel shoots. Then I shoot a few weddings and find I love them - great chance to be creative and really capture the joy of the day. I think why avoid them - they are hard work, long days but what the hell! I love them and I can do them! I don`t need a 2nd income so I target the lower / middle end of the market as I build aiming to give best quality at affordable prices to people who might be vulnerable to sharks / ne`er do wells. As I get ready to go on a publicity launch I read a few posts about there being " too many wedding photographers" around. The world and his dog have a camera and there is always a student, relative willing to shoot (or could that be ruin) the big day for someone. I see some brides on wedding sites talking about the great (expensive venue), the wedding planner, the make up artists, the expensive honeymoons and what brings them together is moaning about why they cannot get a photographer for under £350. Seems I am the wrong demographic too - male and over 50! Might as well give up now!
What do you think - is the market over-saturated for these times of recession? Is there no place for quality wedding photography in these days of dominance of "reportage style" using lightroom presets. Should I be leaving it to people willing to shoot for next to nothing, cutting corners and travelling light with no back up, no insurance and little thought for their customer?
Whatever might be said I am in the market and will remain eager to provide a quality service at an affordable price to anyone that wants to use me and will not be shooting for free /experience or portfolio building from now on. I`ll offer mates rates when relevant and work hard to tailor fit my services to  client`s needs and see what develops - wish me luck!

North Leeds Life

Having approached North Leeds Life initially re: advertising we have agreed a hopefully mutually beneficial deal in which I will provide stock images and specific shoots for front cover / inside stories in return for links/ credits within North Leeds Life magazines/website which go out monthly to 30,000 houses. I was asked to shoot the Headingley Trust Heart Centre`s Big Lunch on 5th June to this end. The Big Lunch is an attempt to pull communities together by sharing lunch in a friendly atmosphere and this one featured music as well as food and chat. Great idea and hope to see one of my images on the July edition`s front page, as well as maybe one of my Kirkstall Festival images from last year. I`ll let you know how I get on.
Hey !- they`ve got a band. Several actually which all added to the atmosphere.

Of course the Big Lunch would be no good without food.

Volunteers pulling together is always the order of the day in a community events

Nice to see a mix of age ranges

Reflections and sunshine!

I am ashamed to say that, proud Geordie as I am, I have rarely visited the Roman Wall other than the traditional school trips to Housesteads and the odd day trip. This visit enabled me to check out the National Trust`s Allen Gorge as well as shooting Sycamore Gap. Shame it now seems to be known as "Robin Hood`s Tree" as it was used as a location shoot for Kevin Costner`s "Robin Hood , Prince of Thieves" though Robin Hood had no connection , real or mythical with this area. Parking at Steel Rigg we walked up what seemed a much steeper hill than I remember as a boy and joined the throng of tourists asking the more seasoned walkers "Is it much further to Sycamore Gap?". We made it in the end but abandoned plans to get to Housesteads and get the bus back to the car as , unusually for Northumberland it was too hot!!!! 26 degrees celsius would you believe! We stayed at the Elk`s Head in Whitfield which was good value and featured some great food. Not impressed by the pictures on their website which do not do the hotel / area justice. Pondering whether to make another attempt at a cheeky trade for stay offer to shoot some images for them. It`s worked before at Kilham Hall and Beck Hall. Nothing ventured nothing gained eh! I`ll let you know how I get on.
I love reflections - this is in Allen Gorge shooting the river bank plants with reflections behind in the water on a glorious day.

Shooting into the sun in bright sunshine is always a challenge

 The Elk`s Head - they use a stag`s head on the sign as an Elk`s Head is not so photogenic evidently - all say "ahh" for the Elk!

Sometimes a mono landscape works just as well and I like the rich tones in this one

I like to get a few people in from time to time to get a sense of scale - those hills each side are every bit as steep as they seem!

Northumberland

Welcome to my blog. My first shots are of my visit to High House Farm Brewery,Matfen - a great venue that I had been lucky enough to attend as part of a  portfolio shoot. Great idea for venues, models, make up artists, florists, wedding dress suppliers and photographers to share services on a trade basis for images. A few examples:

I played around with gold and silver reflectors making the use of skylight rays of sunshine and am still amazed at the results a simple reflector can produce. Ably assisted here by Terry Nattress who I rendered out of focus in the interestes of viewers.(Only kidding Terry ;-)  )