Business peace for the professional photographer - Latest Comments

Re: The War On Moms With Cameras

Nigel Merrick — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:16:09 -0000

Thanks, Michael, a great comment and I couldn't agree more with your encouragement for other photographers out there.

Re: The War On Moms With Cameras

Michael D. Davis — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:32:58 -0000

Right on! I remember years ago, when digital photography and personal computers were only a dream in the fertile imaginations of a few, that professional photographers began crying the blues when Canon introduced one of the first universally accepted Auto Exposure systems effectively leveling the playing field between the amateur and pro. I encourage you not to be overly concerned about the current class of new creative talent. Just stay focused on your ability to market to and make your client's very happy and satisfied recipients of high quality photographic services.

Re: Do Consumer Labs Cheapen Professional Photography?

Nigel Merrick — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 08:34:38 -0000

Thanks, Steve, for your comment, I appreciate you taking the time to read and participate in the discussion.

By the way, are you by chance from the UK? I noticed you used the British spelling of the word “colour”, which leads me to wonder if the high-street print shops in the UK are better than the ones we have here in the US. It’s been a while since I left England, so I’m not up to date on the state of the art over there.

Your reply gave me some food for thought and I was going to post the reply here, but it's starting to get a little long. Instead, I'm going to post a follow-up blog entry tomorrow.

In the meantime, thanks again, and it's nice to know that there are readers out there and that it produces some discussion.

Re: Do Consumer Labs Cheapen Professional Photography?

Steve — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 23:57:55 -0000

well... I have actually done a round of testing getting prints done by both professional labs as well as "consumer" print shops. Everything from my end was colour controlled right until I handed over a disc / uploaded discs.

My experience was that by applying a little bit of work on my end by creating a colour profile for the "consumer" print shop the results were pretty much on par and in some cases far better than what I got back from the Pro Lab.

So yes I am a professional... and yes I know the ins and outs of colour management. Something quite a number of pro labs don't seem to.

Re: SEO Tip – Chasing (Your Own) Long Tail

Nigel Merrick — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:31:16 -0000

Thanks for your comment and I've added a new article to published here on 10/26/10 with a little more in-depth treatment of the subject. Thanks for reading and your feedback, I appreciate it.

Re: Quit The Photography Business Now While You Can

Nigel Merrick — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 12:37:37 -0000

Thank you, Trevor, for your comment - one thing I've also noticed is that as we improve, as we get closer to our goals, things just get even harder. We need to keep strong and know that we can reach the summit if we just keep going. All the best to you in your business, too, and thanks for reading.

Re: Quit The Photography Business Now While You Can

Trevor Lee — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 11:21:04 -0000

I could not agree more with what you say. With digital cameras getting better and cheaper, we now really have to show our creative skills and professionalism more. Show all the hard work we have done is not wasted. We can survive and prove we are better. Trevor from Ireland

Re: SEO Tip – Chasing (Your Own) Long Tail

Cutcaster — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:51:31 -0000

pretty superficial look at seo like you said in your own article. what is one specific tip that helped you find a long tail keyword that generated revenue for you? i have found google webmaster search queries provide a very interesting look into your long tail keywords.

Re: Web Design – Subfolders or Subdomains?

Zach Prez — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:35:32 -0000

Tremendous post about something that is taken too lightly by most photographers, but has SEO implications as you mention. I agree with your conclusion that subdomains should be thought of as a unique site and is more applicable to larger corporations (not photographers). Stick to a well-named folder structure, which in WordPress is as easy as the permalink settings (hint: use a custom structure and not the meaningless default mm/dd path). Nigel, would love you as a gust blogger on my site at http://photographers-seo.com if you're interested.

Re: How To Keep Your Facebook “Likers” Happy

Nigel Merrick — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:01:44 -0000

Hi Amy - thanks for your comment, I appreciate it, and happy you enjoyed reading! Good luck with your fan page too.

Re: How To Keep Your Facebook “Likers” Happy

$26289639 — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:05:12 -0000

I'm with you on the "liker" thing. It is so much neater to say, "Become a fan" than, "Like me." Sounds kind of sad and lonely. :) And is it still a fan page?

Thanks for the tips. I have what I think is a decent page set up, but haven't come up with a good plan for using it. Food for thought!

Re: Change Your Business Perspective – Start With Why

Mike Routen — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:49:49 -0000

Wow! I watched that once and feel like I've seen the corner of something profound lifted up and I've gotten a glimpse of it. This will take watching a couple more times and a lot of consideration, but I get the feeling that it will be well worth it.

Re: Promoting Our Photography – Death Of A Business Card

Adrien Bisson — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:29:25 -0000

I guess it all depends upon what function you feel your business card serves. If your card is intended as a sales tool, or even advertising, I would at least partially, if not totally agree with you. But my business card is a reminder and a little insurance that when a potential client wants to reach a photographer, and specifically wants to reach me, that they have my contact information. Whether that is a traditional card, a postcard, or a bookmark is immaterial. That being said, there are different types of recipients; those who want, expect and need a card that is in a traditional format, and those who are much less traditional. I get much of my business from person to person networking and referrals. So handing out my card when I meet someone is essential and I hope that they will find it when they want to reach me.
Adrien

Re: Promoting Our Photography – Death Of A Business Card

amycham — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:41:19 -0000

I'm keeping business cards around, but switching to a postcard with several photos as my primary handout. Test drove some I printed up real quick at Ritz, and the response has been positive. Going to get some real ones printed up with some back messaging as well.