1) Get the Gear.
Just what every photographer needs...more gear right? Well lady-photogs if you find your man-ish camera bag is cramping your style or if you hate the hassle of carrying a handbag AND a camera bag, your chariot awaits. In the form of THE most heavenly camera bag gone incognito, designed and sold by Epiphanie. These luxurious bags are the antithesis of your typical camera bag; Strong and sturdy with enough space to carry one or two camera bodies and a few lenses, plus lots of room for extras, yet so gorgeous they would fool anyone. Will bought me the Ginger (black) a while back and it goes with me everywhere. Now I don't need to decide if my hulk of a camera is coming with me for the day...it just does. Along with the rest of my life. A friend of mine recently called it my Mary Poppins bag...which is really not far from the truth. Oh and one of the best parts: the padded velcro inserts are hot pink! So long man-bag! Anyway, a great find and one you can write off come tax time!
2) Get Inspired.
Photographers will find loads of inspiration at Style Me Pretty, one of the hippest online wedding resources out there. I love the coming together of couples, stylists, designers and photographers whose hard work and boundless creativity never fails to inspire. Need an idea for a shoot? This is a great place to visit just to get those wheels churning. Looking for a way to share your visual inspirations with your clients? Check out the site's Inspiration Boards...create one of your own and get the ball rolling!
3) Get Noticed.
And get down with Tofurious. To-wha? you ask? That's right, Tofurious, the online-home of the legendary photography marketing guru Lawrence Chan. Subscribe to his marketing strategies, install one of his blog themes, or purchase his e-Book "Creative Pricing and Packaging for Photographers". If you're thinking of doing the latter and wonder if it's really worth shelling out forty-ish bucks for, my opinion is that it's well worth it. Unless you're a marketing guru yourself. But if you're looking for some clear-cut answers and strategies to help market your business, it's chock full of great tips. Hey, if it helps get prospective clients turning heads and purchasing your products, it's all worth it right?
4) Get Gorgeous.
I've been on the prowl for some drop-dead gorgeous Photoshop actions over the last while...actions that would give a photograph a bit of a classic vintage look. Nothing crazy, (and believe me there is a LOT of crazy out there) just something that evoked a luxurious, timeless feel. Most of what I was finding left skin tones so grossly altered that it was impossible to focus on the beauty of the subject without being terribly distracted by the garish greens and yellows that overwhelmed the image. And then I stumbled across Red Leaf Boutique, a Canadian company based in British Columbia whose gorgeous site, photos, and actions made me swoon. I snapped up a few action sets and am LOVING the Film Shift Signature Series (only available to a limited number of clients) and the Vintage Soft Tones. This is DEFINITELY my find of the week! While you're visiting the site, check out their blog for stunning portraiture.
5) Get Your Blog On.
We all know that setting up photo layouts and templates for blogs can be a tedious, time-consuming effort. Building eye-catching layouts in photoshop is nay quick, but an east coast company (also from Canada) has put together a fabulous piece of software that's sure to save you precious, precious time--not to mention make your images look goood. Head on over to Storyboard for a taste of what time well spent can look like! Happy Blogging!
Got a favourite find? Share yours below!
Have a great weekend folks!!!
