tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23044874739870398202024-02-06T22:52:10.233-06:00Photography Start-UpHow to start your own photography-based company the right way, right now.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-90155052496375735052009-07-01T22:49:00.000-05:002009-07-01T22:50:29.352-05:00A review of labs part 1: White House Custom ColorThis will be a multi-part review of different professional labs in the US. Every review will use my own personal experience with the lab; every lab is a lab I have used professionally. I will also be signing up for a few new labs for my professional usage to help provide better coverage for my product line, and my findings for these labs will also be posted.The first lab reviewed will be White Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-83374044060979677552009-06-21T16:04:00.003-05:002010-05-30T17:30:05.851-05:00A word on snobberyIt seems that the more I read forums, the more snobbery I see out there. There are many kinds of snobbery, from brand snobbery (Canon vs. Nikon, Elinchrome vs. Alien Bees), lighting snobbery (ambient vs. strobed), post-processing snobbery (heavy vs. light vs. none), or other assorted snobbery.My advise: Be professional. Even if you feel snobby, don't show it. And we all "look down our noses" Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-82599581116585208402009-06-09T22:36:00.005-05:002010-05-30T17:31:13.914-05:00CF Card Management SystemCompactFlash (CF) cards are both cheap and extremely expensive. Cheap to purchase originally, but expensive to replace when photographs have been recorded upon them, and that copy is the only copy of the photograph! As such, keeping your CF cards organized is extremely important to prevent accidental erasure, formatting, loss or even theft. I'm going to share with you my "one-person" card Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-10426032123695155002009-03-15T21:49:00.004-05:002009-04-22T00:43:02.311-05:00Starting Off Part 5: The ProductGetting ready to wrap up the Starting Off series, I'd like to next focus on exactly what it is that you're going to sell: your products. A quick side trip.First, get rid of the notion that your product is tangible; you're not selling a print, album, or file: what you're really selling is your time, talent, and artistic vision, that is only being represented in a print, album, or file. Your real Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-54139191267208141812009-03-07T21:22:00.004-06:002009-03-08T14:45:49.962-05:00Get a free bag from Think Tank Photo!Think Tank Photo is one of the top manufacturer's of photography carrying equipment, meaning bags, roller bags, belt and carry systems, backpacks, you name it. And now, Think Tank Photo is giving away a free bag with any purchase over $50. How, you ask? Easy, click right on the icon below:and then shop on their site. Your choices for the free bag include a Lens Changer 50, Lens Drop In, All Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-13083445768202941092009-03-05T20:40:00.002-06:002009-03-05T20:53:31.908-06:00Useful Links #2Another interruption of the Starting Off series before I start to wrap it up, and again, another Useful Links post. Here are some more links that I find very useful, and am sure you will, too.First, I have Steven Frischling's (aka Fish) Flying with Fish blog. This blog is great for the photographer who's going to travel with her gear, even occasionally. This blog is great for non-photographersJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-7810997851006151602009-02-26T23:30:00.006-06:002009-02-27T21:58:49.784-06:00Starting Off Part 4: The StuffNiche: check!Legal: check!Brand: check!You know what you're going to shoot, are legal to shoot, and know how you're going to brand your shooting. Now, you need to figure out what are you shooting with! I've noticed from all the myriad posts on the photography forums that many starting photographers have a hard time determining what gear they need to make great photos. I'll give my opinion on aJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-53747690022275977102009-02-23T23:52:00.003-06:002009-02-24T18:36:03.572-06:00Starting Off Part 3: Your BrandIn both Part 1 and Part 2, your company's name was mentioned. As stated, if you stick with using your name with a modifier, such as "Majel Barrett Photography" or "James Kirk Images," you'll have less paperwork than if you adopted a DBA like "Phaser Photography." Most solo photographers, such as wedding photographers, go this way, and it makes good sense for that.Naming and future growth.However,Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-65898123857818180922009-02-22T14:26:00.003-06:002009-02-22T14:48:34.402-06:00Useful LinksI'm going to interrupt my Starting Off series with a quick post with some links to two very useful blogs.John Harrington's excellent Photo Business News blog.One of the top blogs for running a successful photography business, geared more toward established pros than start-ups, but very applicableChase Jarvis' blog.Chase is the professional's professional. You will learn things from his blog, Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-42843979053072294412009-02-22T14:05:00.001-06:002009-02-22T14:49:49.735-06:00Starting Off Part 2: Being LegalYou've made the choice to start your own photography-based company. You've determined which niche to set up in (see Part 1), so now it's time to hang out your sign and go shoot, right?Wrong.There are some very important steps to be taken before you press the shutter for the first time professionally--some very important legal steps.Licenses, legalities, and other "L" words.Do you know what it Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-26885160553695653952009-02-21T17:22:00.007-06:002009-02-22T14:51:56.073-06:00Starting Off Part 1: Finding Your NicheMost photographers start their photography-based company shooting everything and anything they like to shoot. While admirable, they risk the chance to fall into the basic trap of starting off in an over-saturated market, which is almost guaranteed to fail unless they can unseat the established professionals already entrenched in the local market.Instead, I recommend finding your niche: that Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2304487473987039820.post-24608903795116942862009-02-21T16:50:00.000-06:002009-02-21T17:18:26.496-06:00IntroductionWelcome to Photography Start-Up!About the Blog.This blog is about you, and how to start up your own photography company. One point I want to stress right now, in the beginning, is that this blog will point out how to do things the right way, not necessarily the easy way. Sometimes, the right way will be the easy way, but more often than not, it won't. I will point out valuable resources, Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03184175930705555787noreply@blogger.com0