To Buy or Not to Buy

The million dollar question for any photographer is what gear do I buy? If you’re just starting out, you may be limited in the funds department, knowledge department, or both. The best step is to research and make sure you know exactly what you're buying. One of the great things about the gear in the world of photography, it is continually improving and offers amazing tools. It sometimes requires pros to spend hours, days or even weeks learning, and sends the beginners looking for their mommies. Your best bet is to take a photography course or work as an apprentice for a professional photographer. Otherwise, you may buy things you don't need, or you may over pay and end up with something totally inadequate. If you have the money and the knowledge, where do you go to purchase such items? Some great places to get gear are camera stores that sell new and used equipment, EBay, or Craigslist. Should you buy new or used? The best approach if you have limited funds is buy good used gear. Many professional photographers download gear every year or two. You may be able to land some great equipment. Most professionals are professionals because they don't abuse their gear. Test it out and make sure it's working and check to see if it's still under warranty. My Web page will be coming soon that will offer affordable courses, information; you may ask questions, share ideas, and even images.

Photography - Have Fun

Just a little piece of advice - Have Fun!!! Photography should be fun. When you get comfortable with you and what you do, your clients should have a fun journey with you. Remember, you are not a camera you are a unique individual. Let your personality shine and your work will shine. If you love photography, than you need to enjoy photography.
I have photographed many different Genres from Weddings to High School Seniors. Those relationships built on enjoyment of their memories become your memories. These relationships literally build your business. I’m excited about my upcoming WEB page. It will have all kinds of information to help the beginner, semi-pro, and even the professional. There will be a lot of free advice, a chance to really understand photography, communicate ideas, share thoughts, and most of all- Images.

Need Some Photography Help- A Guide-A Mentor

I will be starting a course for the Beginner Photographer. Are you someone who wants to either learn to become a stronger photographer or someone just starting out? Maybe you just want to take better pictures, or maybe you would like to make a little money on the side. Wouldn’t it be great to pursue this field with an experience and knowledgeable photographer to guide you? If college is out of the question, or online courses are too expensive and are too demanding of your time, and bookstores have too many books and no one to ask questions, maybe a course that is self paced would be a perfect fit. Wouldn’t it be great to have someone explain the language of photography in simple, understandable terms? Someone you can contact and ask questions. Every week you will receive information covering the basics of different areas of photography and their Genres. This will be a 12 month course and will be offered to a limited number of people. By the end of the course, you will have a better understanding of the world of photography. This photography course will be coming very soon, if you have any ideas please post them to this blog. Until then…

Flexicard Holder

Flexicard Holder

The Flexicard Holder is made of a durable flexible black material that easily fits into a pocket, hangs from a camera, tripod or, light stand. The Flexicard Holder can be worn on a belt or camera strap. No more searching for camera memory cards since the memory cards will all be in one location for easy to access and storage. The Flexicard Holder will accommodate SD memory cards, Compact memory cards, and even batteries. It is designed for the professional, semi-pro, and novice photographer. It is offered in two sizes and is available with either closes with a Velcro strip or a Snap.
Contact and Order info:
www.simplestideas.com
OR
simplestideas@gmail.com

Bridal Shows

We are now in Wedding, Bridal, Engagement season and it’s time to get everything in order. If you haven’t booked for a local Bridal Show, you will need to move quickly. If booths haven’t filled already, they will be very soon -the clock is ticking. With today’s economic climate you may want to vendor up. In other words, share a booth. A photographer can share a booth with a florist or a caterer- anyone besides their competition. This helps split the costs and is also a beneficial angle for networking. If you have missed the opportunity for the Spring and Summer Bridal/Wedding season, the local Bridal Shows fires back up in July and August for the winter Fall and Winter season. Before you start looking to share a booth with another vendor make sure to check with the Bridal Show to see if it’s allowed. If it’s not, they might want to add it on as an option considering the current economy. It might help them sell more booths. It can’t hurt to ask.

Scott Markewitz Gallery

Scott Markewitz is one of the best Ski Photographers in the business. And from February 4-7, he's teaching the inaugural Scott Markewitz Photography Workshop at Snowbird, Utah. It's a three-day instructional workshop for all levels of photographers who want to learn to take better action and scenic shots. Here is a gallery of Markewitz's work and more info on the workshop.
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related tags: Photos and Movies, Fondue Party, Scott Markewitz, Utah, Southern Rockies, Snowbird The Big Snow

“Whether you’ve just purchased an SLR camera or have years of experience behind the lens, this workshop will dramatically improve your ski photography skills,” Markewitz says. “Snowbird has been my home mountain for more than 30 years and is an ideal venue for epic ski photography thanks to its dramatic scenery, legendary snow and incredible terrain.”

The Scott Markewitz Photography Workshop includes three days of uninterrupted instruction both on the mountain and in the classroom as well as three nights at the Cliff Lodge, lift tickets, early Trams and breakfast. The workshop costs $1,250 and interested parties can register by calling Snowbird Central Reservations at (800) 453-3000.
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/fondue-party/photos-and-movies/2009/12/scott-markewitz-gallery?cmpid=enews010410

Breaking into Wedding Photography & What Do You Charge

If you’re just starting out in the Wedding Photography Business, one of the first questions people will ask you-what do you charge? Yikes! Pros know what to charge and are very familiar answering this question and they have an extensive portfolio to prove their worth. If you’re just starting out, you have neither. The main thing to remember is whether they’re family, friend, or foe- Breathe. Ask questions about their big day, what their needs are, and let them feel comfortable with you. If you’re just starting out and you don't have a lot of work, so you will need to be extremely reasonable. Ask what they were planning to spend on photography services and discuss whether they want photos, CD copyright release, Bride and Groom books, etc. Once you establish this information - under quote. Basically, give them more with no large profit margin. As time goes on you will be able to increase your prices, but know your market especially in this economic climate.