Day 18 -- PUBLICATION

Things are going pretty good for me right now. I have a permanent job that's some months part-time, some full-time and I like it. Everyone gets along with everyone and we love to eat and hang out so I got pretty lucky there.

I feel a little stuck with a photography name. And I don't feel like I can really move ahead like I want to without one. I have 4 rules when it comes to finding a name, but I won't go into that now. I have however been paying attention to things around me, things I read/sing, trying to find the one that clicks. It may be an insecurity thing or just a wish to be semi-anonymous, but I rather not have my name be my business! Okay, I just gave a rule away, I won't say more---

But things have been going good---I'm saving to get a new camera, I have a few shoots coming up within the next few weeks that I'm excited about. I raised my prices too, as you may have read in my last entry. It may annoy some people that I did, but this is what I went to school for--for 4 years, this is my career and future business. Outside of school expenses I've laid down at least $5,000 if not more on lighting, backgrounds, camera equipment, and props. Earning $40 a shoot is not going to put a dent in anything! Especially when one shoot takes me about 11 hours of editing and around hour 4 I wonder where's the incentive?

SOOOOO---to the really exciting part of this entry----Sometime in late April/early May I got an email from a guy saying he wanted to use one of my photos for the cover of this magazine. Well, that was super cool!! I had done a photo shoot--mostly for fun, of people making the L sign with their fingers, and then I added F-I-N-T in photoshop so that they spelled FLINT. I got this idea from the tv show Glee! They did it in some of their promotional photos, so I got two groups of friends to come at different times and I took their photos! (Follow photos on left side of page to my Flickr site to see more) Anyway, when I uploaded these photos, I tagged/added them to some of the groups I had joined on Flickr, one of which was the Broadside magazine. They saw the photo, discussed it, then emailed me for permission to use it on their next cover! It came out today and I went with my friend Mitch and picked up two bundles of the issue : )

Here's some photos!!

the original photo:

Okay, that's it for now!! Hope some of this made sense, I'm pretty much half asleep right now anyways!

((P.S.---Broadside is a local alternative magazine that's mostly circulated thru the colleges and small businesses around downtown Flint!))

NEWS! NEWS!!

So some pretty cool things lately!

1.) As seen in the entry 2 before this, I got new props! They're super cool and I lovvve them!

2.) Still no business name, but I raised my prices! You probably don't want to hear that, but a lot of people kept telling me to and I figured it was time. I didn't want to charge a lot until I was more comfortable with my lighting and my camera and gained a bit more self confidence!

3.) Gonna purchase some new things...

a.) I'm looking to get a new camera (the Nikon D700). This camera will do wonders! It captures a better range of colors and tones, has AMAZING low light capability, higher megapixels, and is a full frame camera!

b.) Still need a few more things for my studio! First, a wireless trigger so that I don't have to keep my camera plugged into my lights with a huge long cord, second a remote so that I can be away from my camera and still take photos. Third, I need an actual reflector. Alas, insulation hasn't been doing that swell of a job : (

4.) Once I find a name, I'll be throwing money forward to getting a professional logo and website design. Then business cards and maybe a business license thing. YEAH!

I'm on my wayyyyyy.

5.) When people buy CDs from me, now they're going to get them in super sweet custom CD cases! I'm excited about that.

BUT DANNGGG I NEEEDDD A NAMEEE!!!

Here's my price list, and I decided to make a quick products page!

Day 17 part 2!!

Got to shoot a cutie tonight--Maddie R!

Here she is, over a month old.

If you saw my previous post, the blankets used in these two photos are the new ones I got!! The top photo is with the furry rug, and the bottom is the blanket I got from Big Lots (WHICH, I love because on the right side of Maddie you can see all the texture in the blanket and it looks cool!)

Day 17---PROPS

Tuesday night I traveled down to Ikea and spent some money on photography props!! Here is a real quick photo of what I bought!

On the left you'll see a whicker basket, it's standing upright and is very shallow and egg shaped. Less than ten bucks. The pink chair was about 15 dollars, and then I got the two stools--one green, one white---that were about $9 each. The rug on the floor is from Ikea and cost 25 whopping bucks, but is totally worth it!!

The blanket on the couch I bought today at Big Lots for $15, it's hairy and has cool swirl patterns. I have a shoot tonight and am hoping to use all but the chairs!