You have to CLAIM IT!

You know we all have our days when we begin to doubt ourselves. I had one of those days this week. As alot of you may know I am looking to photograph Celebrities. Which can be very challenging. So before that doubt could set in I sought some wisdom from my very good friend and celebrity STYLIST Zoe Dupree. While speaking with him he gave me the challenge of making a daily faith confession over the desires of my heart. So now every day I state and claim " I AM A CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER" "I AM A WORLD RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER  I cannot stop saying this! Its fun. So my whole point of this blog, is "I AM"  is a secret language, that about 10% of the world  uses. Confessing  who you are, who you desire to be, what you desire to have, ITS ALL A BIG PART OF THE DREAM CHASING PROCESS....I challenge you to wake up EVERY MORNING AND BEGIN TO CONFESS  WHO YOU ARE, WHO YOU DESIRE TO BE.  Use the sacred language of "I AM"....


HAPPY CLAIMING! ^_^  <3

A FEW MARKETING IDEAS....

So I know I said I was going to make this a little more  personal... But I wanted to share this awesome list of  MARKETING IDEAS I am currently playing around with!  Credit goes to http://parttimephoto.com:

Classifieds – Craigslist or your local newspaper. Advertise online for free or in small local papers for a few dollars a week. It’s the least expensive newspaper advertising you can buy, and some of the best read. I have gotten many, many lucrative clients (especially for baby photos) through this venue.

Offer to pick up competitors’ excess work – This one might seem a long-shot, but every photographer at some time is unable to meet someone’s needs because of time or price. They are happy to refer work to a fellow photographer who can take on that client – it makes them look good, and it nets you business.

Free press – Talk with your local newspaper and get in a press release about your new business, get their business writer to do a feature on you, hold a grand opening event (like a half-day photo shoot at the park) to be featured in the paper’s event calendar, submit photos of local sports and events in exchange for bylines (including your name and web site). Try advertising in their classified section for a month first – often this will grease the wheels when you ask for some PR. Local radio and TV stations are also worth contacting for possible PR.

Co-op marketing – This is one that the big-boy boutique studios use. Find a business with the same customer base as you and do a contest, drawing, or event together. As an example, if you’re a baby photographer, visit your local children’s resale store and offer them three photo shoots with files on CD to give away to their best customers. You’ll do the shoots using wardrobe provided by the store, then give the store framed 20×30 prints to hang on their walls – alongside your business cards, of course.

Bulletin boards – Be sure your business card is tacked onto every bulletin board in your community. Ever see those “For Sale” sheets of paper with the phone numbers at the bottom, cut individually so people can tear a number right off? Make up your own for your photography services! Many businesses, including your local Visitor’s Bureau, are also happy to display your brochures and business cards.

Volunteer – Non-profits can always use more volunteers, and as a photographer, you have a unique gift to give. Work with local charities to photograph their events, membership, and marketing images. You will help a good cause and build an immediate fan base among members.

Shoot local sports and events – From Little League to Friday Night varsity football, pet parades to Fourth of July fireworks, communities love to see photos of their friends, neighbors, children, and themselves. Work with organizers to be able to display images from these events on your web site, and to promote your web site at the event. Offer to sell prints from the photos as a fundraiser for the event or organization (such as sports photos for the Athletic Booster Club) as a way to grease the wheels and gain access and permission. Your web site traffic will go up by leaps and bounds.

Networking – Being present and involved in the community is one of the best ways to build loyalty and recognition. Attend Chamber of Commerce mixers and business association meetings, high school Project Graduation meetings, Little League board meetings, Kiwanis Club car washes, Education Foundation gatherings, any kind of event where people will get together, share ideas, and work for a common cause. Participate as a member of the community and offer your own ideas. Bring your camera.

Models – Beginning photographers get along just fine with beginning models. Use sites likeOneModelPlace to set up a photography profile and meet models in your area. Do TFCD (Trade For CD) shoots with them to build your portfolio. They may not be paying customers (at first!), but they can help you practice and grow your art while building your portfolio. And as always, the better your portfolio, the more people will take notice.

The Modern Marketing Triumvirate: Your business cards, web site, and e-mail newsletter – These are three of the least expensive weapons in your marketing arsenal, and three of the most effective. Your business cards lead folks to your web site (the best brochure ever), your web site leads people to subscribe to your e-mail newsletter, and your e-mail newsletter gives you a free list of people who are actively interested in your services, along with the permission to market to them.                                   

HAPPY EXPERIMENTING!   

Oh here's a shot of something SLIGHT!!! 

DAYDREAM

             So the past few weeks, ok I wont lie;MONTH, I have been feeling slightly lost on what next move to make. I confess thats why I have not updated my blog, website, or facebook page or even posted pictures of my work as frequently as I should. I sat back watching alot of the people who have influenced my photography career propel forward, in their work, and academics. I didnt think that I could juggle anything more then work and school. "WHY" you ask: I believe it is because I started to become so focused on making money. I have never had a problem making money with my art. I do believe I became "MONEY HUNGRY" I wanted more. Sad right?! I know. I felt the people who I use to inspire and influence were looking at me shaking their heads in disgust at me.Almost like they knew I was failing and lost. I know this may sound slightly dramatic and extra, but its true. I felt sad and pathetic, I was shaking my head at my own self. Because of this feeling I began to allow other things and people to have the attention that should have been given to my craft and business; like they were going to tell me what next move to make or even hand me the money and success I craved. Now I know that we all make mistakes, we are human after all. But it comes a time where when those sad thoughts and feelings of being a failure, and lost have to be buried and put to rest right at the point when it enters your mind. I do believe if we dwell on a thought for a period of time it beings to consume us. So changing your thought process and mind set to one of a SUCCESSFUL, WELL PAID ENTREPRENEUR is a must. You become what you think about the most...
                  I was RE-reading one of my favorite books called "The Secret", one of my favorite quotes from this book is "When you see a wealthy(successful) person, you can tell what their predominate thoughts are." They are not thinking of thoughts of failure, or being lost, well lets reword that. They are not dwelling on those thoughts and feelings, they put those thoughts to rest upon them entering their minds. To gain and reach success we have to make the thoughts of SUCCESS, that HUNGER feeling for what we love to CONSUME US! We have to begin to think about what we want to become, and allow that to become our PREDOMINANT THOUGHT. Some times we just have to put aside the chaos, and  BEGIN TO DAYDREAM!
                I was just typing and had my own REVELATION! =)


HAPPY DAYDREAMING! =) ♥