Archive for February, 2007
Friday I went to the National Wedding Show at Olympia, and came back with loads of ideas. Some of the photography just blew me away – and so did the prices. I found two photographers with top package prices of £8,500 – does anyone ever buy at that level?
Now whilst I have no interest in undertaking wedding photography myself, I do find it fascinating to see how other professionals approach promoting their services to the public. And frankly I don’t know how the bride & groom chose.
I guess most go with a recommendation, others make do with a family friend and either love or regret that decision and the rest must simply chose someone on the basis of the price/package and whether they actually like the person combo.
And yes I have chosen our wedding photographer – although I have to say creative ability was top of my list, and I also chose someone on my wavelength – photographically speaking.
February 28th, 2007
This article is taken from Sean’s newsletter.
It caught my eye, because I’ve been a Mac user for many years,
and have seen how the iPod has changed people’s perceptions of
the company.
Even Chris Moyles (BBC Radio One DJ) is now a Mac user! The latest
podcast of his breakfast show treated us to Rachel’s Song” something
he’d developed using Mac software. Anyway I digress - here’s the article:
Mini Article 1: How To Fight Business Battles You Can’t Lose
http://www.psychotactics.com/artbusinessbattles.htm
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Apple Computers lost the battle. They lost the war. But somehow
they stuck in there. And now all of a sudden they turned more that
$1 Billion profit…for the first time ever. Because for the
first time, they’ve begun to fight a battle they can’t lose.
So what am I talking about anyway? And how can Apple’s story help
you find your own big payday?
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Let’s look at Apple since 1984
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They were the big innovators. Everyone loved them. And yet,
competitors came in and pulled the carpet, repossessed most of
Apple’s intellectual capital(sneakily of course), and Apple
was left standing in the rain.
And somehow that rain never seemed to stop. They brought out
cooler Macs; even created operating systems that left competitors
in the dust and still no joy.
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Then along came a spider…
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A spider called iPod. Now notice something interesting. The first
time around, Apple was really interested in creating something
unique. Something different.
Something no one had seen before. This time around, they didn’t
even try to reinvent the wheel. Nope they didn’t. All they did was
take the existing mp3 player and make it really cool.
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Suddenly it wasn’t cool NOT to have an iPod
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And though Apple commands just 5% of the computer market, they
stride like an 800 pound gorilla in the mp3 player market (It’s
estimated the iPod has 75% of the mp3 player market). Suddenly,
after years of grief, Apple took home a cool billion to the
bank in profits.
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What does this teach you?
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That it’s unlikely that you’ve hit your iPod zone. That despite
having excellent products/services, you’re still plodding in the
areas you’re in right now.
And that if instead, you tweaked your strategy and started catering
for a niche market, you too can pick a battle you simply can’t
lose. That you too will have an iPod kind of payday.
Apple lost the battle. They lost the war. But they picked another
battlefield. And suddenly the ‘losers’ are winners.
Isn’t it time you did some winning yourself?
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February 20th, 2007
I’m currently working on my “core marketing message” for my soon to be repositioned portrait photography business – Blue Eyes Kids Photography. I’m working with a marketing consultant who has been asking me a range of questions. It’s really intense stuff, and I find myself looking at other people’s businesses and wondering if they have ever even thought about their core marketing message or who their ideal customer might be. Or did they just instinctively know how to make their customers fall in love with them?
I sure hope all the thinking is worth it! Part of the difficulty for me is the type of portrait photography I want to do, and how I communicate that to the world. I’m so not into the white background variety, or shooting with flash for the ‘rabbit in the headlight’ look. I’m aiming for a more candid form of portraiture that happens outside of the studio and offers clients a more relaxed and naturalistic style. For me natural light is king. Being out of doors is just more fun and that shows in the final collection of photographs.
February 16th, 2007
Now I love photographing landscapes, so for me lifestyle photography is an extension of that, but with people. Photographing someone in a natural environment using natural light enables me to capture them, as they are – relaxed & happy. It enables me to create something unique – as it’s never in the same place so the results are always different, and the client gets a unique piece of contemporary art that captures their moment in time. And is about them. Completely bespoke. Watch this space!
February 7th, 2007
I’m feeling all inspired at the moment. And it’s not just because snow is forecast for tomorrow.
Last week I spent a few days in the Lake District focusing on my business and where I wanted to take it. I nearly filled a notebook with ideas and things I need to get busy with. It started well – I travelled the day before so breakfast at my B&B on the day of the course introduced me to two other people also heading the same place as me, the Annabel Williams Studio in Staveley, Cumbria.
Interestingly we’d all embarked on photography as a second career after being made redundant from our employers – all very happy about that I might add. And all interested in Lifestyle Photography – not that the course was about that – this one focused more on marketing your business than technical skills with the camera.
Now everyone comments about the cost of these courses, and there is no escaping that, especially once you’ve thrown in petrol for a 600 mile round trip and three nights B&B, but I can honestly say I got value for money.
The course was packed with information, and unusually for me I asked a lot of questions. Mostly because I’d gone with a long list – at their suggestion. Better still everyone was really friendly, and happy to talk about their businesses & aspirations.
What a breath of fresh air that was.
February 5th, 2007
