Making a Dent

I’m in the zone. As I start flying through the checklist of starting my own photography business, I generally feel a sense of accomplishment. It’s nice to see the pieces falling into place one by one, giving me the confidence that I really can make this happen. And even though I have been focusing most of my attention on things like tax forms and pricing equations, I am grateful for this community of women who remind me to be creative and practice my craft. I am inspired daily by the Shutter Sisters posts, and by the large community that supports them. Each day brings new ideas and challenges that push me and cause me to pick up my camera and practice. Sometimes I feel like I’m getting a free education from this group, so thank you all for that!

So, while it is important for me to focus on the business side of things, I need to keep in mind that none of that matters if I don’t push myself to be a better photographer. I could have the coolest website in town and the slickest business cards on the block, but if I don’t pick up my camera in between, it all means nothing.

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Down to Business

This week has been the week of TO DO. Last week I finished a 2 month freelance graphic design job so this week I have been home. I am trying to get things done related to the new photography business while I have the chance. I do feel like I am making some progress because I have been crossing things off the list but there are also a lot of things that seem to hinge on other things. Does that ever happen to you? Where you find out that in order to do one thing you need to do 7 other things first. For instance, I’d like to start shooting in RAW, or at least try it out. But to do that, I want to get Adobe Lightroom first. But to get Lightroom, I need to get more memory for my eMac. Do I really want to spend $150 on more memory for my 5 year old eMac? I’m still deciding.

I also spoke to a nice guy with the state about starting a small business here and what I need to do to get things going. He sent me all of the appropriate links and forms to fill out. But as I started reading through the tax info I got confused. So I moved on to another task that seemed simple - applying for a trade name. In order to legally do business with a name other than your own, you need to file paperwork for a trade name. A few months back when I was deciding on a name, I searched the state’s online database of names to see if Spark Photo was available and it looked like it was. So yesterday I e-mailed a woman to make sure it was open before I sent in my check and paperwork. She wrote back and said that it was NOT available!!!! There is a photographer in my state with the last name of Sparks and he uses it in the name of his business. I had completely missed it before because the ‘s’ on the end of Sparks sent the name to the next page of alphabetical listings. It was a total oversight on my part and I was devastated. I designed a logo! I loved the name! OMG! I was back to square one on a name. It took me a couple of hours to get over that one, but I don’t have time to waste. So I think I’ve decided to go with Paige B. Photography. I kind of like the sound of it and the way that it kind of rhymes. I do like my first name (thanks mom and dad!), so I figure that using it in my business name makes sense. What do you guys think?

Here are some other things on my to do list for the next month or so:
-Buy some actions. I really like these.
-Develop pricing
-Create the necessary forms (contract, model release)
-Design a new logo (wasn’t expecting that one!)
-Create some marketing materials (business cards, postcards)

Here are some things on my wish list:
-New lens (still looking into which one)
-Camera bag (maybe this one or this one)
-CS3 (Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator- I currently have CS)
-Adobe Lightroom
-Blu Domain Website
-New Mac (ha! a girl can dream)

So, to recap – I have a lot to do. And here’s what I’d love to hear from you.
-What do you think of Paige B. Photography? Any other ideas you like better?
-What is on your photography related To Do list lately?
-What is on your photography related Wish List?

SHOOT! :)

I went to Tampa a few weeks ago for the DWF Convention. Besides having a great time, and realizing that I don't want to shoot weddings, I learned a few things. One of them was at a seminar given by Greg Gibson. Maybe you've heard of him, maybe not. He's a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and his portfolio is astounding. He's covered everything from the Persian Gulf war, to Presidential campaigns, to the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

In his seminar, he said the biggest mistake that photographers make, is not taking enough pictures. It impressed me because I always felt like there was something "wrong" with that. Mostly because you never hear photographers talking about their out-takes. But he did, and it was refreshing.

So, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES PEOPLE! When you think you've exhausted your creativity or perspective, shoot a few more frames. Sometimes, my favorite shots of the whole session are the last ones that almost didn't happen. And if a Pulitzer Prize winner is saying that he takes a lot of photographs to capture that one, AIN'T NO SHAME IN YOUR GAME!

*Here is one of my favorite shots ever. And there were about 50 images deleted before this one. Do you have a diamond-in-the-rough example? If so, please share the love.

A Little Glitch on the Homefront

Apologies for our hiccup! We've remedied the issue and all things will be full steam ahead very soon. Exhale.