Set Your Sights On A New Web Site in 2013

Does your site - your major presence on the web - need a make over? Do your images look as good as can be - on your web pages and in your galleries? Is it easy and fun to update your site? Does your site look original and creative? If you have a technical problem, is customer support there to help?

If you are looking for a new and improved web site for 2013, check out Squarespace. A free trail is only one-click away.

I moved my site to Squarespace back in November. Here's why:

1) Easy-to-use templates – for total creative control over your content.

2) Sites look great on any device – so your work is presented in the best possible way on desktops, laptops, iPads, iPhones, or any other device.

There is even a free iPad and iPhone app that lets you move your galleries from your desktop to your mobile device simply by downloading the app.

3) Drag and drop technology – great for hyper people, like me!

4) It's an all-in-one site – so your blog, galleries, events and so on are all in one easy-to-manage and updatable place. Checking stats is easy, too.

5) Customer support is 24/7 – so if you need help, it's away there.

6) Photos can be edited within Squarespace before you publish - giving you total control over how your images look on your site.

7) It's fun - which is a big benefit for hard working photographers.

Use one-click to get started with your own awesome Squarespace site. Now :-)

Explore the light,
Rick

Make 2013 Your Best Year Yet!

This is an updated post that ran on Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider blog last year at about this time. The idea is to set goals for the new year - and it make it your best year yet.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

1. Set goals
If you don’t set goals, you really don’t know where you are going – and how you are going to get there. Perhaps more important, once you set a goal, fine-tune that goal as you move toward it.

For example, say you want to become a better people photographer. That’s a good goal for sure. But setting the more specific goal of making better portraits or environmental portraits (showing the person in his or her environment) is a more specific goal.

If you want to make better studio portraits, study the work of well-known photo pros – and painters – to see how they create dramatic pictures and paintings. Study light – shadows and highlights. (I cover light in my latest Kelby Training class, Light - the Main Element in Every Photograph.)

To make my “Girl with a Pearl Earring” photograph, I studied the painting, “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” by the Dutch master, Johannes Vermeer.

If you'd like speedlite shooting, here's a post I did on my basic lighting gear.

Put some studio portrait dates on your calendar. Put what you learned to use. You need to take a lot of portraits to get better at it, and to get more comfortable working with your subjects, which is very important, too.

Evaluate your goal. Regularly. Be tough. Ask yourself if you are achieving your goal. Ask your family members and friends if they think you are improving.

2. Socialize
Use Google+, Facebook, Twitter etc. to get your name and your work “out there.” These free marketing tools are essential for the working pro and aspiring pro.

See how other photographers are using these tools to their advantage. Daily.

These marketing tools are also a great way to share a favorite picture and to make new friends.

Look at these tools as ways to build your customer base.

Once you start, you should post new photos on a regular basis.

My Social Media Marketing for Photographers apps can help you get started promoting you and your work.

3. Network
You should use social media to network, of course. But actual face time (as in showing up in person as opposed to FaceTime on the iPhone/iPad) is also a great way to network.

Photoshop World is a great place for face time and for networking. So is PhotoPlus Expo in New York City and the California Photo Fest in Los Osos, CA.

Joining local Meetup groups is also a great way to network. Meetup photo groups are like camera clubs. They offer great opportunities to go out and shoot with other  photographers. Some Meetup groups host monthly meetings as well. If there is not a Meetup group in your town, start one – and start networking.

4. Plan Ahead
Here is what I tell freelance photographers: Being a freelancer is like being on a roller coaster. The highs are high and the lows are low. However, that’s much more exciting than being on a merry-go-round.

To be a successful freelancer, you need to plan ahead. Way ahead. I started planning my 2013 workshops and seminars in January 2012. One reason: I know many of my friendly competitors are doing the same thing. And, the organizations that sponsor these events need time to promote event to their members.

Make a plan and stick to it. Remember: dates in your “review view mirror” are closer than they appear.

Check your e-calendar daily. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

Here is something else I tell freelancers: Never give up. Believe in yourself. Follow your heart and don’t listen to those, especially on social media, who want to put you down.

5. Think “Free”
Get this book: Free by Chris Anderson. In the book the author talks about the importance of giving away stuff for free… in the hope of making a connection with a potential customer and making money down the road.

It’s a good philosophy. Give a free lecture or photo seminar. After the lecture, promote your workshops, prints, etc. Also, post free videos on YouTube and give free webinars. Again, promote your paid work at the end of the video or webinar.

And while we are on the subject of books, read, The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuck. It’s a great reminder of the value of saying “Thank You.”

6. Embrace Technology
You can make a few bucks by embracing technology. For example, pick your best work and create an iBook. It's fast and easy, and you have total creative control over your project.

Also consider making an a app. As more and more iPads and iPhone are sold, more and more people are getting into app development.

Apps are more affordable than books. They are also available in every home around the world with an Internet connection – which means you have a tremendous customer base.

After writing 36 books, I have now moved mainly to apps. I gotta tell ya, they sell way better than books these days.

7. Be Healthy
If you are not in good health and good shape, you can’t make the best possible pictures and run the best possible business – and have the most fun possible. I know this because last year I hurt my knee, which slowed me down for a bit. A good New Year’s resolution would be to get in good shape and stay healthy throughout the year.

8. Create Your Own Reality
This may sound silly to some, but you can create your own reality, and you are responsible for your own reality to a great degree. If you want to become a better photographer, you have to move toward that goal and invest your time and energy in photography. You might have to start with small jobs or volunteer to help other photographers, but you will be gaining great experience along the way. Remember the old expression, “You have to pay your dues.”

Also, read, Real Magic by Dr. Wayne Dyer and you’ll see what I mean about creating your own reality.

Hey, it worked for me. For 10 years I worked in a NYC advertising agency wearing a suit and tie. I dreamed of becoming a travel photographer. I read Real Magic and put the ideas in the book to work in my life. It could work for you, too.

Here’s another quote that may help you create your own reality: “It’s never too late to be who you could have been.” I know it sounds funny, but in many cases it’s true. Try to create your own reality.

9. Update Your Blog or Site
If you want to keep your customer’s attention, and if you want to attract the attention of new customers, you must keep your site current. Post new pictures as often as humanly possible.

I post new stuff here on my blog almost daily. No matter how tired I am, I post. 

Posting every day has an added benefit: You need to make new pictures to post, and to find interesting stuff to write about. 

Speaking of sites, I recently moved my site to Squarespace, which I think is the coolest place to make and host a site. Use one-click to get started with your own awesome Squarespace site. Take advantage of the free trial.

10. Learn Something New
Learning is health, or at least that’s what the Buddhists say. Learn a new plug-in or software program. 

Learn HDR. Learn about travel or wedding photography. Learn, learn, learn. The photo field is filled with opportunities for learning; there are books, apps, DVDs, online training, workshops and seminars. Choose one - or more - and get started.

11. Practice
Read the book, Outliers by Malcolm Galdwell. In his book, the author talks about the importance of practice. Hey, I know you already know that, but this book really drives home the point. Strongly. Recent research, however, confirms the importance of natural talent and ability in the equation. Seems like combining practice with talent is the best formula for success.

12. Love What You Do
Here’s my final quote for this post: “If you love what you do, you never need to work a day in your life.”

I, like you, love photography! So the question is: “Why am I still working my butt off?”

Seriously, follow your passion. Even if you can’t do it full time, photography is still a creative outlet that simply can’t be beat.

Happy New Year fellow photographers! Hope you have a great year. Let me know how these tips work for you by leaving a comment here.

Explore the light,
Rick

This post sponsored by Westcott. Check 'em out for all your lighting needs.

6 Reasons to Check Out the Canon EOS 6D

Canon recently introduced the Canon EOS 6D. Man o man does this camera look awesome - as a main camera and as a back up camera for pro photographers who have top-of-the-line models.

The camera is loaded with cool features. Here are my personal top six:

1) Newly designed 20.2 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with DIGIC 5+ image processor for reduced noise reduction.

2) ISO up to 25,600 and up to ISO 102,400 when set to H2. That's more than kinda amazing!

3) New 11-point AF system for accurate focusing even in low light.

4) Built-in Wi-Fi and GPS so you can get your pictures out of your camera effortlessly, and mark where you took 'em.

5) Built-in HDR for easy HDR imaging.

6) 63-zone duel-layering metering system for accurate exposures even in tricky lighting conditions.

Readers of my blog and the photographers on my workshops know that my favorite lens is the Canon 24-105mm IS lens. Adorama has a special price on the camera and the lens and some other goodies. Info here.

I'm not trading in my Canon EOS 5D Mark III cameras, but the new 6D will soon be in my bag.

Speaking of HDR, the image above is a Canon 5D Mark III HDR image I made in Iceland. If you want to learn HDR, I teach it on all my workshops. If you can't make a workshop, my HDR app, iHDR, is loaded with HDR tips, tricks and techniques.

Explore the light,
Rick

Take Tiffen Dfx For A Test Drive

Readers of my blog, as well as the dedicated photographers who attend my workshops and seminars, know that I am big on using creative plug-ins. Not only are plug-ins fun to use, but they can help awaken the artist within. Plug-ins can also help us create our own photographic reality by altering the color,  tone, sharpness, brightness, contrast and perhaps most important, the mood of an image.

All the plug-ins I use are listed on my Save on Creative Plug-ins page. Check out that page to save a few bucks on plug-ins - especially on bundles.

In this post, I'll share a few examples of Tiffen Dfx filters that I applied to my favorite Cuba car photographs. If you have not used this cool plug-in, take it for a test drive during a 15-day trail version.

Above: Halo Effect/Light Filter

Above: Screen Grab.

Above: Original Image.

Above: Special Effects/Looks.

Above: Screen Grab.

Above: Original Image.

Above: Image/Color Correct. (Hey, I was not correcting color, just having fun!)

Above: Screen Grab.

Above: Original image.

Above: Special Effects/Day for Night.

Above: Screen Grab.

Above: Original image.

Again, check out my Plug-ins page to save on creative plug-ins.

I hope to see you on one of my workshops - where we can have fun playing with plug-ins, as well as striving for the best possible straight shot.

If you'll be at CES in Vegas next month, you can catch me at the Canon and Tiffen booths giving seminars.

Explore the light,
Rick

This site powered by (designed and hosted on) Squarespace. Use one-click to get started with your own awesome Squarespace site. These guys have a free trail period, too.

Seeing vs. Looking

Something happened here . . . perhaps a first kiss, or last. Or perhaps just old friends meeting.

Anyway, write a caption for this photograph, which I took in Amsterdam.

Keep this in mind for you own photographs: If you can't write a caption, maybe the photograph does not say anything  . . .

I teach seeing photographs vs. just looking around on all my workshops. I hope you can join one!

If you like stuff like this, you can subscribe to my blog here.

Explore the light,
Rick

This site powered by (designed and hosted on) Squarespace. Use one-click to get started with your own awesome Squarespace site.

What Does Your Web Site Say About You?

I know I might sound like your mother, but . . . "First impressions are important."

It's true, and in today's world of social media and mobile devices, it's especially important to make a good first impression - especially with your web site. If you don't make a good first impression, folks may click off your site in a matter of seconds, or less.

Your web is your home on the web, and in effect, when you set up a web site, you are inviting people into your virtual home - your galleries, your blog, and your store. You are also inviting people, from around the world, to read about you . .  what you like and don't like, what gear you use, and where you have been and where you are going. You are also telling friends, followers – and total strangers – about your accomplishments and goals.

So indeed, your web site says a lot about you.

Left: Old, cluttered web site. Right, new, cleaner Squarespace web site.

Above left: I used to have a cluttered web site, plastered, like many web sites, with ads on the right. It worked well, but it was just too busy and did not showcase the most important aspect of my work: my photography. I looked more like a photo store than a photographer.

Above right: Back in November, I switched to Squarespace because I wanted a clean web site on which I could showcase my photography. I chose Squarespace for several reasons: cool, totally customizable templates; all-in-one source for my blog, galleries, store, classes and more; ease of use; and 24/7 customer support. In addition, a Squarespace site looks great on desktops, laptops, iPhones and iPad - which is not the case with all web sites.

I still have ads, but they are placed at the bottoms of several posts a months, as well as on my sponsors page. I have found this placement to be much more effective than putting bright banner ads on the right. Studies have shown that regular readers become numb to these ads.

You can read more about Squarespace, and the awesome new Squarespace iPad and iPhone app, in this blog post.

Today, I think my site says: Rick Sammon loves photography - all aspects of it.

What does your site say about you? Leave a comment in the Comments here - along with a link to your site. Don't be shy. Show others your work. You may get some constructive criticism . . . and/or some great ideas. I'll take a look at each web site. Who knows? I might find some undiscovered talent, as I have done on my Tough Love portfolio reviews.

If you don't know what your web site says about you and your work, maybe it's time for a web site makeover.

If you are in the NYC area, I am giving a talk on social media and building a web site at Adorama on February 19th. Info here.

If you like stuff like this, you can subscribe to my blog here.

Explore the light,
Rick

This site powered by (designed and hosted on) Squarespace. Use one-click to get started with your own awesome Squarespace site.

Give The Gift of a Photography Workshop

On-line training is a great way to learn. I offer several courses on Kelby Training.

Attending seminars is also a good way to expand your photographic horizons. I have eight planned . . . so far in 2013!

But by far the best way to learn is to take a photography workshop. I have more than a dozen planned for 2013. They are all listed on my Workshops page.

This holiday season, why not give a loved one the gift of a photography workshop? It's a gift that will keep on giving, as your spouse continues to grow as a photographer.

On my workshops we make, rather than just take, pictures. We process our images and have group critiques. We make new friends and experience new locations.

Yes, we work, but we also have a ton of fun.

I can help you with:
- landscape photography
- people photography
- HDR photgraphy
- speedlite shooting
- Photoshop and Lightroom
- nature, wildlife and landscape photography
- composition and exposure
- plug-ins
- your social media marketing
- and more

So give the gift of a workshop - even if it's to yourself :-)

Of course, please email me with any questions.

Explore the light,
Rick