Just before I start, there was a comment from Trouty about a lack of wedding pictures. Don’t worry, they are coming, but our official ‘tog hasn’t finished processing them yet. We’re bouncing around with anticipation here. Anyway… on to the blog…

Interior Shot

We creative people (yes, even us Leicestershire Photographers) sometimes have a creative low. All sorts of people get lows but a creative low isn’t nice. Especially when it’s what’s supposed to be paying for your roof, clothes and food. Of course, I knew it was coming – a couple of weeks preparing for a wedding, then actually going ahead and getting married, and then spending a couple of weeks away touring the Emerald Isle meant that I haven’t been able to take on new work for a while. I had, however, been working on my new commercial brochure which is about ready for launch.

I did a client test-shoot just before the wedding and it didn’t go so well. I did other stuff and it didn’t go so well. I put it down to a slightly higher-than-average stress level – time, money, wedding, Japanese GCSE etc.

Well, yesterday morning I got up with the larks (well, with H actually – she had to get into work early due to that silly unpronouncable volcano. The larks, unaffected by flight restrictions, were still snoring away in bed) and went for a walk. Coming home, I noticed that my most local Indian restaurant had changed their front-window display. There were my photos in the window! I haven’t linked to their website because that still has their old ‘atmostphere killed by flash-on-camera’ shots.

I fired up Lightroom to prepare some pictures for a sample wedding album and decided that my wedding shots really aren’t that bad. I went back to the test shots I’d done and they really weren’t that bad (excellent by Auntie Mabel standards). I looked at some of my recent portrait sessions (one pictured) and they really weren’t that bad. I have a stream of enquiries coming in, some of which are turning into work – apparantly one in five is a good rate of conversion.

Recent Portrait

In terms of quality, though, what I have realised is that the people I am hanging around with, and more importantly who are critiqueing my work, and whose work I am looking to match are bloody brilliant (pardon my French). They’ve been in the game for 20 years and then some. I’ve not even made 18 months yet. Every shoot I do is an improvement on the last and I’m going in the right direction.

I need to be just as harsh on myself, but less down about it – if that makes any sense. If I don’t judge my output harshly, I won’t improve. But I should be allowed to pat myself on the back about where I’ve come to. Yes, I should.

What’s more, I used to feel that taking photographs is not a creative endeavour. I now know that’s the case. However, we professionals don’t take photos, we make them (so said Ansel Adams). Once I got that distinction in my head, I do – at last – feel like ‘a creative’.

I’ve been looking into ’style’, and finding the right position I want to aim at with my photography. By researching a huge collection of brands, I can get a feel of how they put forward their message and reach their customers. I’ve been looking at handbags for example… it’s something that most ladies have, but some go to Bagzone, some to Radley and some to Dior. There is nothing wrong or right about any of them, as long as they have a consistent brand and live up to their expectations.

I was also looking into hotels, and today found out about “Crazy Bear”, which is the main reason for this blog. Opulence to the max! Really.

How about the dining room? White leather-upholstered walls with swarovski crystal buttons…

All rooms (£390+VAT approx per night) have copper baths which fill from the ceiling…

Need I go on? What a fantastic experience it must be to stay there! Expensive, but fantastic!

Erm… where was I?

Oh yes… so I think that might be a little over the top for my needs, and I’ll certainly not be aiming for that kind of clientelle, but I guess when you know where the reasonable limits lie, you have a better chance of finding your position on the spectrum.

My commercial services advert from a single read of the design book (October 2009)…

My commercial services advert (centre pages) from a second read of the design book (April 2010)…

I guess this is why it’s important to read, digest, try and then read again. So much more made sense this time round – and last time I visited the printers’ we spoke the same language (for the first time).

Who’d have thought—while I was at school feeling that I couldn’t do art or design—that I’d be where I am now?

Do I need to name the book again? The Non-Designer’s Design and Type Book

If, like me, you have any interest (or need of interest) in design and/or typesetting but no formal training, it’s well worth a read. And it seems there is currently ten quid off the price. Bargain!

Of course, it helps that I have more portfolio now, too. The previous lot were not all commercial jobs, and some were taken very early in my career.

I’ve decided to run a prize draw during April for people booking summer (and beyond) portrait sessions!

There’s a first Prize of a free 15×12″ framed print from the sitting. Second Prize is free 10×8″ framed print from the sitting. And last but not least, the third prize is the whole sitting fee refunded towards the cost of prints.

If you know anyone who’s thinking of having a portrait sitting done, now might be a good time to book!

Full information is available on the April Prize Draw page.

You see… now the problem is compounded.

Someone has re-ordered some card-mounted prints from me.

Because my card-mount supplier has messed up my re-order, I now have exactly the same issue on my client’s re-order.

Gah.

Oh well… there will be a solution – I’ll see if any suppliers have stocks of the old mount.

Cost cutting, I don’t mind too much if done carefully.
Prices going up? A bit of a pain, but everyone is trying to survive.
Reducing features on an established product – shaky ground here, especially if it isn’t made completely clear.

Prices going up, reducing features AND not making it clear that your “re-order” will be the “new” product. Very poor.

All that PLUS making out that it’s 100% the customer’s fault when they express their disappointment. Not good.

This is the sort of position where, I think, I would take a hit on the bottom line to keep the customer relationship. I’d say – “Look, I’m really sorry you were disappointed with your product, send it back and we’ll refund you”.

That would be preferable to offering a refund (but not for carriage paid – around £20 down the pan), and saying that they can produce the old product but there will be a setup charge (£25), minimum order of 200 units (that’s about a year’s worth) and 2-3 weeks lead time.

They could have just not changed it. Time for a new supplier, I think. Good job one of the biggest trade shows is coming up soon.

Gah! There’s this SEO company whose name I won’t mention because I don’t want them getting any advertising but if you fill in the missing words before those in the title you’ll be there… anyway, they phoned again today. I started off politely…

Them: Hello, this is A.Twunt from There’s No Kind of Atmosphere Ltd and I’m phoning you today to ask…
Me: Ah… sorry, you’re talking to the wrong person. Your company phones me about once a week, and I’m not interested thanks.
Them: Oh… erm, ok… do you know what we do? Have we explained our service to you?
Me: Yes, you have, and I’m really not interested. Thanks anyway, bye.
Them: But can I just ask you what…
Me: Um… it’s time to put the phone down now, ok?
Them: STUART… YOU ARE REALLY NOT…
*slam*

I would normally put the phone down gently, and I gave him several opportunities to say “Well, thanks for your time, goodbye.” But this time a *slam* was definitely called for.

I’ve asked to be put on their no-call list before, but they say they don’t have one. Silly billies.

First page of google? Yes I am. Or am I?

On [December 3rd], Google made the biggest change that has ever happened in search engines, and the world largely yawned. Maybe Google timed its announcement that it was personalizing everyone’s search results just right, so few would notice. Maybe no one really understood how significant the change was. Whatever the reason, it was a huge development and deserves much more attention than it has received so far.

full story here

It seems that I see my own site as the first entry because I click on it quite often. Other people don’t see it on the front page. How misleading! But what’s interesting is the number of queries coming in – that suggests that a lot of people are also seeing it on the front page (three weddings, two family portraits, one commercial and two fashion/headshot). But now we can’t be sure what anyone is seeing.

So I just have to keep up with taking good photographs, and providing a service people will come back for and hopefully recommend.

An interesting development for sure!

I had a hate-hate relationship with wearing ties for many years. In fact when I left my secondary school to go to a casually-dressed sixth form, I swore I would never wear a tie again.

Now I find myself wearing them regularly.

A quote from Joe McNally’s excellent book The Moment it Clicks:

A professor I had in college used to tell me that if someone won’t listen to what you have to say because you’re not wearing a tie, then put on a tie, ’cause what you have to say is more important than not wearing a tie. He was right.

I’m inclined to agree.

SEO is Search Engine Optimisation. I can recommend it.

I’ve been sinking long hours into fine-tuning my website to show up in Google for relevant searches. It seemed like a thankless task. However, this morning I came on and did my usual check. My site has made it to first place for some very relevant keywords, and elsewhere on the first page for others.

The payoff? Between 9am and 1pm today I’ve taken two wedding queries and a corporate query.

Worth it? You bet!

If you are a local competitor I recommend NOT doing any SEO. If not, then it’s absolutely marvellous and you should do it straight away!