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Lots of Portfolio Reviews!!

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Next week, I will be part of the portfolio review teams of both The Palm Springs Photo Festival and the ASMP MSP Portfolio Reviews event. The PSPF reviews are Sept. 27-29 and the ASMP review day is Oct. 1st, 2021. Both events are being held virtually via Zoom.

You can register for any of the remaining review slots via accessing the above event links.

Note: for the PSPF reviews you need to sign up for 6 reviews. There are still reviewers available in all categories– but they’re going fast.

The ASMP’s event has a limit of three reviews/person and their registration is open until Sept. 27, 2021.

I always look forward to seeing some great work. I also love providing photographers with feedback that moves them forward in their careers, and, hopefully, sparking connections for them to my network of colleagues in either the commercial or fine art photography worlds.

See you next week?

Portfolio Reviews get a pandemic pivot

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There are two major portfolio review events happening this September.

ASMP Reviews and the PSPF Portfolio Reviews.

Both review events are great opportunities for photographers to connect face-to-face with those in the photo business that can help move your photography career forward.

Register for one or both events ASAP as slots are limited.

Both events are now going to happen virtually via ZOOM. (What isn’t happening via ZOOM these days?!?!?)

ASMP’s Portfolio Review event happens first on Sept. 3rd, 2020. Their registration deadline is Aug. 31. Registration link is HERE

The schedule of who is doing reviews at what time is on that link. Happy to report that I’m on the review team of both events.

The second event is the Palm Springs Photo Festival Portfolio Review (PSPF). Normally, the PSPF review events are held twice per year (in early May in Palm Springs, CA and again in mid-October in conjunction with PhotoPlusExpo).

This year PSPF’s reviews will also be happening virtually via ZOOM. Info on the PSPF Sept. 21-24 reviews is HERE

If you want to see when I’m reviewing at PSPF and the rest of the reviewers’ schedules go HERE.

You only get one chance to make a great first impression. Want some tips on how to make the most of your 20-minutes with a reviewer? I’ve got some tips HERE

Looking forward to meeting lots of new photographers and seeing some great work. And I’m really looking forward to the day–hopefully in the Spring in 2021–when we can all meet again in person and not just virtually!

 

October Photo Events

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LOTS going on this month!!

Starting with the webinar I’m doing tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 17th at 12:00pm EDT) with ASMP on “How to Create Presentations that Work” there are many photo business connection options for photographers this month.

I know many photographers who are headed to NYC next week for PhotoPlusExpo. Many will be attending seminars, but some will also be getting their portfolios reviewed. Those of us who do reviews at the Palm Springs Photo Fest at PhotoPlus Expo (open to all who register and pay) and at the ASMP booth (free for ASMP members with a $25 admin. fee) often lament that while most photographers are prepared for a face-to-face meetings, many are not. The webinar will hopefully help them be better prepared.

I’ll be at PhotoPlus the whole time it runs (Oct 25th-Oct 28th) and I will be doing reviews on Friday, Oct. 27th for both organizations. I am really looking forward to connecting with my consulting clients and old friends and colleagues. There’s nothing like hanging out in person with folks you don’t see but once a year.

I’ll also get to soak up some culture in one of my favorite cities. In addition to my annual visits to MOMA and the International Center of Photography, I’m going to check out a some fine art photography gallery exhibits.

Here are a couple I’ve bookmarked:

Julie Blackmon’s exhibition Fake Weather which opens Oct. 19th at at Robert Mann gallery  http://www.artnet.com/galleries/robert-mann-gallery/fake-weather/

and Steve McCurry’s The Importance of Elsewhere at Cavalier Gallery 3 W. 57th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10019, USA which runs from Wednesday, October 18, 2017–Sunday, November 12, 2017 http://www.artnet.com/galleries/cavalier-galleries/steve-mccurry-the-importance-of-elsewhere/

One of the best parts I love about NYC is actually just wandering around and taking in the sights, sounds, tastes, and visuals. The fashion, the food, the unique expressions of humanity–on every corner.

Shoot me an email if you’re also going to be there and would like to connect.

Photography marketing class Aug 25-27

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When you know how to effectively market your photography, you’re more than halfway to achieving success in your photo business. As you well know, it takes more than good imagery to create a viable career in the photo business these days.

I will be teaching a 3-day photo marketing workshop at the Maine Photo Workshop + College from August 25th through Aug. 27th. This experiential workshop will be taught to a group of committed and proactive photographers. Join us!

Participants in this hands-on workshop will learn the foundations of effective photography marketing.

A few of the essential photography marketing skills they’ll learn are:

They will learn how edit their portfolio for the best online presence. That is, learn how to showcase your best images–ones that you are proud but also those that meet magnetically meet the needs of your potential clients.

They’ll learn how to create and implement a strategic marketing plan.

They’ll learn how to powerfully connect with and follow-up with their potential clients both online and in person.

They’ll learn how to effectively market their photography to just the right buyers for their photography.

This workshop is appropriate for both commercial and fine art photographers. There are essential presentation, sales, and marketing skills and tools you need to know in any photography niche.

Come join me in Maine for three days where we will focus on building your business. Instead of you working alone with trial and error over months and months, in this concentrated workshop you can get the focused attention and support you need. I’ve helped hundreds of photographers improve their business. I’d love to help you also move forward in marketing and selling your photography.

Imagine having clear and focused direction on how to find and connect with the people who would be most receptive to your work. Imagine learning how to think like and act like your own best rep or gallery dealer. I will pull back the curtain and show you the secrets to business success that every successful sales and marketing professional knows.

Most photographers were never taught how to do this. Generic cookie-cutter marketing plans just don’t cut it. What you’ll learn during this weekend will be tailored to YOU. You are unique. Your strategy needs to be unique as well. You need a plan that is based on your skills, abilities, location, and resources–no one else’s!

Trust me on that. I’ve helped many of my clients turn around sagging careers after they bought into a one-size-fits-all marketing plan. Get focused personalize attention in a synergistic group setting.

Come get what you need to grow your business!

Registration info is here.

And there’s the Maine in August and the lobster…  🙂

10% early-bird consulting session discount ends Jan.7 for Jan.17 & 18 Atlanta sessions

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When I am in Atlanta to present Rebooting Your Business Brain on Jan. 17, 2017, to the ASMP Atlanta Southeast Chapter,  I will also be available for one-on-one private marketing strategy/portfolio editing sessions. Sessions will be the day of and day after my “Rebooting Your Business Brain” seminar. The photo marketing seminar is being held at SCAD for ASMP Atlanta SE and others on Jan. 17th, 2017. Event info & registration is here

I’m offering a discount to proactive photographers who book a private session with me in advance. People often want a session with me after hearing my talk, so if you think you might…. act now as I’ve only 4 appointments available on Wednesday 1/18/17.

This is a great opportunity for any photographer who’s interested in getting focused and personalized custom feedback on any aspect of their portfolio and their related marketing efforts. Get answers to questions about your plan to get business in this rapidly evolving photography marketplace. Sessions are appropriate for emerging proactive photographers as well as seasoned professionals.

NOTE: Tomorrow(Jan. 7, 2017)  is the last day to snag a 10% early-bird discount on an in-person photo marketing consulting session in Atlanta. Next week the discounted price drops to a 5% discount.

Contact me directly to book a session.

 

You’ve got to know what it cost to run your photo business.

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You’ve got to know what it cost to run your photo business if you want to be around more than a year or two. The economic reality of running any small business must be faced. You have to have a pricing structure based on what all of your business costs are– or sooner or later, you will be the one who puts yourself out of business. Not your “cheap clients.”

Photographers often are told their bids for a shoot are too high and they lose a bid to someone “cheaper.” You didn’t lose the bid because of your estimate. Your real failure was a failure of eduction. It’s likely that you failed to educate both yourself–and subsequently your clients– about what it really costs a pro photographer to keep the doors open. Yes, it hurts to be underbid. But that doesn’t have to happen as often. When you have built a relationship with your client and they have some sense of why you’re charging what you’re charging they’re not as likely to automatically go with the lowest bid.  In this case, ignorance is never bliss.

I read a great article today on PetaPixel. It’s one that I recommend to all emerging photographers (and some old pros as well!).  It was penned by photographer, Tom Meyer, who lives in Decatur, GA. It was originally published on his own blog. It’s worth reading.

Here’s an excerpt.

 There are hundreds of students graduating every day as “photographers” who can under bid me for a year… maybe two. But eventually these realities also become unavoidable to them, at which time they become real estate agents or go back to being baristas… or they start billing at that “job killer” rate of $100 per hour.

My Presidential decree: The Valentine’s Day big discount offer is valid through today!

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I was out of town on Valentine’s Day refilling my own creative well, so I’m making my annual 50% off  “I love my work!” discount offer a few days late. (BTW: It’s the only time this year I’ll be offering a half- off deal). 

You can get a 1 or 2 hr. portfolio review/web site analysis consulting session for half price– but only if you contact me by the end of today, Presidents Day, since I am a president–albeit the president of a small creative services corporation.

This year I’m making this offer available exclusively to followers of my Facebook Page.

Last year, it was my newsletter subscribers who got the offer. Maybe next year, I’ll offer it exclusively to my Google+ circles.

To be eligible for the discount just “Like” me on my Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/CarolynPottsCreativeConsultant

I love my work and I totally love working with the talented proactive photographers who love their work. I’d love to meet you.

Photography Marketing creative tip: Homework counts. Fearless, generous creators get an A+

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When all of your other marketing efforts start to pay off and you’re in a bid situation for a photo assignment, there’s one more thing that will help you land the job:

Do some research about what you’re being asked to photograph.

If you take the time to read up on the product, company, or event you’re being asked to shoot (you know you can Google ANYTHING) you appear to be someone who will be a partner in problem-solving. Demonstrating that you’ve actually taken your own time to learn about the client’s product can be a powerful way to show that you’re truly interested in their needs–everyone finds that attractive and very compelling.

Your willingness to do some research may provide a creative insight which can add value to the assignment and set you apart from your competitors. If you really are a creative problem-solver and don’t just call yourself one, then demonstrate that trait at this point of the project and share that side of yourself with your prospective client.

While some fear that “giving away the solution before getting the job” is professional suicide, others know that there are far more clients seeking to hire a creative team member for their project than there are clients who only are looking to steal someone’s ideas without compensation. If you’ve really got some awesome creative chops, you’ll always have them. If you continue to support your “muse” (spend some time with your muse so she doesn’t die from malnourishment), you can use that creative well-spring to nurture a prospective client relationship––not just on the shoot, but well before you’re hired.

Fearless, generous creators are pretty impressive individuals.

Are you one of them?

UPDATE on “Rebooting Your Business Brain” 2/9/10 in San Francisco

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Since this month the 3-day early bird discount falls on a weekend, I’m extending the discount offer through Monday 2/8/10. If you’re interested finding out if you may be unintentionally shooting yourself  with your portfolio or web presentation, please contact me directly. More info is available here

In addition to generous sponsors LiveBooks and Agency Access, I’d like to welcome my 3rd and latest event sponsor, PhotoShelter. PhotoShelter enables you to create a professional online presence using a set of tools which include high-res file delivery, secure image archiving, and website creation tools.

Avoiding your clients’ spam bucket

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This week, on three separate occasions, emails from photographers that I know and love, ended up in my spam bucket. Each person was already in my address book; we’d had many successful email exchanges-there had been no previous spam quarantines. Want to know what happened?

In each of those cases the photographer had failed to notice that their business email addresses had more than one email account User name or Reply-to name. If all your User names are consistent, the email you send from your desktop, laptop or iPhone will all safely go through; any inconsistency in your Sender address increases the risk of your message being quarantined. Read more