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T his may sound silly, but I think realtors are the best niche marketers. And I use the word ‘best’ loosely, but I believe they’ve struck a chord with consumers. Can you think of the last time you saw a realtor’s advertisement without her photo attached to it? Do you remember the last time you saw a For Sale sign on a lawn sans a smiling picture of John Smith—The Nation’s Premiere Sotheby’s Agent on it? Even the calendar magnets that arrive in the mail have an agent’s face emblazed across the top! Have you ever taken the time to consider why? When a homebuyer is making an $850,000 purchase, she’s not merely looking for recommendations and industry credibility, she’s looking for someone she can trust. And, strangely enough, physical appearance plays a vital role in American consumerism.
In the same vein, when a prospective client is looking to find the right wedding photographer, being able to see her makes an incredible difference. The first thing I do when I visit a photographer’s website is go straight to the BIO section…I want to know who’s work I’m looking at…I want to see her photos through her eyes. There’s nothing more disconcerting than going to a bio section and seeing a bouquet, rings, or some other inanimate object instead of a picture of the photographer. Have you ever been to a professional athlete’s site and NOT seen a picture of him? Have you ever been to a Fortune 500 company’s site and NOT seen a picture of the CEO/board members? Have you ever visited an actor’s website and NOT seen headshots? Never!
So my question is this: If you’re a professional photographer, why don’t you have a picture of yourself on your blog and/or website?
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I discuss this topic in more detail over at Pro Photo Resource, so be sure to stop by take a quick read. Please feel free to proffer feedback—affirmative or contrary—because I firmly believe the best piece of marketing material a businessperson can have is himself.
To read the article in its entirety, CLICK HERE for a full review.
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I’ve always loved random acts of kindness. I mean, really, who doesn’t?
Without divulging too much personal information, my best friend Brianna made the difficult decision to move from West Los Angeles to Tucson, Arizona to train for the Olympics. She attended U of Arizona during undergrad, but decided to return and train with her coach. In our heart of hearts, we know this was the best decision, but none of us wanted to say goodbye.
Starting over in a new city is extremely difficult, but a little surprise was in store for Brianna. A silent blog reader of mine happened to click on one of Bri’s comments and came across her website. Well, one thing led to another and Lyra decided to email Brianna and welcome her to Tucson. Lyra, an aspiring photographer, lives relatively close to Brianna, so she compiled a list of restaurants and things to do to fall in love with her new city. Okay, fall in love may be a stretch (especially considering oversized winter coats and Birkenstocks are standard attire), but the gesture was much appreciated! ;)
Shortly thereafter, Lyra took Brianna under her Tucsonian wing and provided a totally fun and cool social outlet. In fact, they watched the season finale of America’s Next Top Model together…I’m sure it didn’t compare to watching the show with me—complete with my running narratives of You OWN IT, Chantal! or Could someone please BRUSH JENNA’S HAIR?!—but it made me feel so good knowing my best friend wasn’t alone.
While Bri was at her afternoon practice, Lyra and I met up for lunch. We spoke about all things photography, as well as discovered what made her fall in love with it as an artform. Not only was this a great way to meet an aspiring photographer, it was my way of thanking her for treating my best friends as if they were her own. In addition to caring for Brianna, she photographed Jennie’s family for their Christmas card last week…all out of the kindness of her heart. No questions asked, no blinking of an eye. You gotta love someone like that!!
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During the holiday season, be sure to take time to perform a random act of kindness. Pay for someone’s dry cleaning…give up your perfect mall parking space…secretly leave groceries on the doorstep of a needy family. I’ve been a recipient of all of these aforementioned actions, and it’s made me a better person. Be reminded the true reason of the season and give until you can give no more! :)
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T oday I spent the day with my good friends, Jennie, her husband Casey, and Bri. Around mid-day, they went to workout (apparently Olympic athletes need to exercise...who knew?!) and I had the chance to chill at Jennie's beautiful home with her son, Ace.
With help from his fabulous nanny, Alice, I had the chance to photograph Ace playing around and enjoying his life. It's totally crazy to think of my friend in the context of motherhood, but Jennie has become such a phenomenal nurturer and protector! I'm amazed at how much a child can change one's life, but it's so awesome to see her family healthy and happy.
Because Ace hadn't napped, he wasn't really in the mood for my camera, but here are a few favs from our short photo session... |
| I love Ace's shadow in this picture... |
| Jennie and I decided to go running later in the afternoon and Bri drove along side us at the end and cheered us on! :) Of course I had to take a picture of us looking at our best...good grief, I'm going to have death threats after posting it, but I'm doing it for memory's sake! :) |
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The 6-2 Version of Friendship
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M y best friend Jennie was only 16-years-old when her dad handed over the keys to a gorgeous 1962 Impala. From that day forth, I’d—along with five other girlfriends—pile in her car and create memories that would later define who I was, who I wanted to become. Complete with fuzzy dice in the mirror, the 6-2 (that’s what we’d call the car), roared through our hometown, usually headed to the mall or beach. We were invincible.
Many years later, when our friends are together, I still feel the same way. Invincible. The 6-2 was sold many years ago after an accident, but we all look back with fond memories.
So much has changed since we got our licenses, but we still try to make memories together. A friendship, just like any relationship, requires hard work and I’m so proud to know my friends and I try to keep each other a top priority. Yes, it’s quite difficult—especially since we’re spread across a few states and have wildly chaotic schedules—but we try. And trying is more than half the battle.
Sometime last week I had a crazy urge to visit my friends Jennie and Brianna in Arizona, so I booked a flight. I totally did this on a whim, but I’m blessed to have a career that promotes working remotely and creative freedom. I’ll try to stay on top of my email, but I most likely won’t be responding until my return on Thursday. Thanks in advance for understanding and I’m excited to blog from a new state, so stay tuned! ;)
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W ow…I don’t even know how to begin this post. Where should I begin? I feel like I’m trying to write something prolific in my best friend’s high school yearbook…so much to say, yet finding the right words is nearly impossible.
2007 has been a year of memories. Some good, some bad, most absolutely fabulous. I think back to the person I was this time last year and I want cry. No, literally, I want to cry. Had I known what God had in store for me, perhaps I wouldn’t have been so worried, so consumed with learning everything and leaving no photography book unread. I’ve been so incredibly blessed and I owe everything to my amazing clients, for without whom my dream catching would be impossible.
If you’re a loyal blog reader, you’ll know that JD and I often photograph each other while we’re shooting. I’ve posted some pretty heinous pictures of myself gettin’ down and diiiirty for the shot…[not-so] thankfully, JD was there to catch me in action. I think we shot close to 400 images of us shooting this year, so instead of hiding them away (I seriously debated tossing the entire file for fear of being extradited to Loserville), I decided to put together a slideshow. Ya know, just to solidify the fact that I’m unbearably cool.
Eat your heart out, Tyra Banks… |
| ...Yes, I know I have the flash on my camera pointing upward...but I wasn't using it...during the reception, we ran outside for a few shots before we lost the sun. And I left my flash on. I wanted to address this before I got not-so-friendly comments! :) |
| You will see this pose as a reoccurring theme in the slideshow...don't ask me why...I just ALWAYS hold my two fingers up. It's like, dude, am I a tourist at a wedding or what?! |
To view the Behind The Scenes Slideshow CLICK HERE for a good laugh! :)
On a more serious note, I want to thank my family for their never ending support throughout this crazy year, my best friends for sacrificing so much of their time to accommodate my schedule, and, most importantly, JD for allowing me to spread my wings and pursue my passion. I love you all SOOOOO much!
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2013
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2012
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2011
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2010
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2009
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2008
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2007
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