Just spotted this article on MSNBC about boudoir photography being an awesome gift to give someone or to empower yourself, and it is so very, very true! I’ve had clients of all shapes, sizes, ages – married, single, engaged, just dating. Some do it for themselves. Others do it for their special someone in their life. Even when the purpose is a gift, they all leave talking about how good they feel about themselves.
The best was when I was told by one client that people always tell her she is pretty, but she doesn’t think she is so she just blows it off. (I think all women can relate to that in some form.) When she first saw her images, she told me that it was through them that she could finally see why people tell her that she is beautiful.
That was seriously an amazing moment for me. To know that I could do that for someone … so wonderful!
Boudoir Mon Cheri has opened a lot of doors that I never expected – many I never even thought about. It has been so wonderful. I now plan to use the same skills that I use for boudoir photography for maternity sessions as well, starting later this spring. I can’t wait! Want to be my model for the portfolio? Let me know!
The Grand Opening specials are in effect through the end of April, and they are not limited to the Houston area. I travel for very, very reasonable rates! Just in case you were wondering…
People have commented about not reading my blog because my Twitter updates showed up here, and there weren’t many regular posts. I can understand, especially if you follow me on Twitter already. But at the same time, I wanted an archive of my posts.
The compromise? They still show up here on BigPinkCookie.com, and you can access them by using the sidebar over there on the right, but they don’t display on the homepage any more. If I can figure out how to exclude the category in the XML file as well, I’ll do it. Probably not tonight.
Much bigger news? I’m taking over the ENTIRE building where my studio space has been located since last June. I’ve always had permission to use any of the space, but it wasn’t mine, decorated by me, my work hanging in the front room, my name over the door. Now? It will be! YEAH!!!!
I am waiting to get the BIG prints in that I’m hanging on the walls, but that doesn’t mean I should wait to celebrate, right? No way! So this Saturday, I’m flinging open the doors! Everyone is welcome to come by, check it out, see the building, hang out and talk, buy up the Fresh Photography art show stock (we are still considering doing more shows in the future, but want new work to show there – so the old stuff needs to go!) and really, just say HELLO!
Things happen at an amazingly fast pace these days. Something happens, someone makes a video, sticks it up on YouTube, before you know it a meme has been born, and it is remembered for a long time afterwards.
(If you don’t care about all this business stuff – watch the video. It is pretty awesome.)
As photographers, we’re putting photos out there in a digital form. Our clients then take the photos and use them, maybe in ways we didn’t intend originally. What should you do? Should you embrace it? Enable it? Or be angry?
How you choose to react can impact how people feel about your brand for the long run. More & more people think that if they have the files, it is ok to upload them all to Facebook, Flickr, or wherever else. Sharing them with their friends. From their perspective, they’ve done nothing wrong. Even though your license may not authorize them to post them online at all.
I plan to provide all of my 2009 clients with a web-ready DVD, along with instructions that those images can be posted anywhere and everywhere. I *want* them to post them all over the place. I use the Mogrify2 Plugin for Lightroom and put my logo on every file on the DVD. Whenever someone sees the images, they can easily look me up and hire me for their own great photos. My clients love the idea, and I love that I’m giving them a way to spread the love.
I’ve been thinking about all of this for a few weeks now. Peter Shankman, the man behind Help A Reporter Out – aka HARO, came to Houston recently to talk at an ISES meeting about things like Twitter, Facebook, and your business. You know I couldn’t pass that opportunity up!
At the end of his presentation, he closed by showing us the following video. First he told us the backstory. Basically, there was a mime. Everyone hates mimes, probably even more than clowns. So the mime came up with a routine to this song, Torn, by Natalie Imbruglia. Originally, when “the Man” got word that he was doing this performance to a song, they were not happy. Copyright issues, performing to a song without the proper license (you know, sort of like when people put your digital files on Facebook even though the license doesn’t cover that), and cease & desist letters were going to go out. But then the artist’s manager found out about it. It was already a hit on the internet. They stopped and realized that they could take the other route. They could tap into the buzz already generated, and use it to turn it into something so much more.
(I’m such a dork. I get goosebumps every time I watch this video!)
What are you embracing as technology moves at such a breakneck speed? What are you doing to make sure your clients have the best experience possible while working with you, and that makes them want to shout from the rooftops about your work?
(Posted over on PhotoLoveCat too, but I wanted to share it here as well!)
Oh my goodness, this month has again just flown by. Remember when we were little kids, and each month just seemed to drag on fooooorrrreeeeeeeever? Clearly, that is no longer the case.
There have been big changes in the world around us. The US has a new president. I didn’t like George W. Bush when he ran for Governor of Texas, so I was no fan of his when he ran for – and won – the office of President. I’m happy to see the administration change. I know I’m not alone.
But the bigger changes have been in my work life. I have an assistant now, Brittany. She helps keep everything running smoothly – it is pretty fabulous. I’m getting used to handing tasks over. She told me the other day that I “am a control freak, but it is manageable.” Heehee! It is true, but at least I’m aware of it. I did my first bridal show, which was actually a nice, small show – about 70 vendors total. One of my recent brides, Patricia, joined Elaine & I at the booth, and we had a BLAST. I had Tricia’s album on display, and she told everyone how much fun she had working with us – it was wonderful hearing how it all went from her perspective. I didn’t coach her on what to say at all, she was just honest and genuine. It was wonderful!
The biggest work news of all is that just a year after I spotted the building where I’ve been renting studio space since June, I’m going to take over the building. I’ve got plans for the front room and viewing parties there, and the boudoir sessions continue to be booking pretty steadily in the back of the space. It is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Now that I have Brittany to help me with the day-to-day operations of things, I’m actually planning on taking more maternity, newborn & senior sessions this year as well as weddings & boudoir.
Every aspect of my personal life seems to be wrapped up in photography somehow right now. Tara commented that all I ever post about on Twitter is photography related. I’m sort of completely in it, all the time. I don’t mind – but I feel like it leaves me with so little to talk about outside of it. Hmmm… I’m going to work on that. I need to knit more too. Knitting is good, and I didn’t get enough of it this month.
I did mostly kick the addiction to caffeine, thanks in part to my love for Mexican Coke (Coca-Cola, not *that* kind of Coke), which has real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup in it and is available here in Houston. One bottle a day at most. Tonight I made the mistake of drinking it in the evening. It may end up being a loooong night. Oops!
There is a video going around Facebook right now with a David Letterman Top 10 about Things We’ll Miss about Bush. Poking around YouTube looking for it, I realized that it is actually part of a White House Correspondent’s video. (It aired originally in front of Bush, making it even more awesome.)
Of course, seeing that video reminded me of one of my all time favorite videos. Oh, how we hope we see more of Former President Bill Clinton in the next four years.
