Feb 04 2011

Better Blog Writing: Let Copyblogger Be Your Coach

Category: Business & Marketing — Ethan G. Salwen @ 4:01 am

AfterCapture Blog_110204_Copyblogger_1-1Blogging is a no where near as easy as taking great snap snots with a Canon S95.

The biggest blogging hurdle most photographers face is the four-letter word called “writing.” Most photographers find writing for publication difficult and scary. And blogging is publishing.

Don’t get me wrong. The technology of blogging is easy — just click “Publish.” And blogging just for fun — posting those vacation pics for folks back home — aint hard. But if you are photographer blogging in connection with professional efforts, you will likely face unexpected challenges, even if you’re mainly out to have fun.

No doubt you’ve heard that writing a blog post is as easy as writing an email. Hah! Good blogging requires approaching writing thoughtfully and, dang-it!, you don’t have a personal blog writing coach. What to do?

AfterCapture Blog_110204_Copyblogger_2Sign Up for a Daily Dose of Copyblogger

I always recommend that photographers jumping into (or stuck in) the blogosphere sign up for the daily email from Copyblogger. A premiere resource for crafting blog content, Copyblogger will dish you up fantastic writing tips, from how to manage writer’s block to how to write in an SEO-friendly manner.

Three Posts that Prove Copyblogger’s Is a Great Writing Coach:

11 Smart Tips for Brilliant Writing

Four Steps to Finding Your Ideal Writing Voice

7 Tips for an Authentic and Productive Writing Process.

Picking and Chosing from a Mixed Bag

Be warned: lots of the material published on Copyblogger is not geared for photographers trying to build a fan base. One content theme relates to making direct sales online, like 101 Ways to Make More Sales Online, and this likely won’t be of interest.

Some Copyblogger content will fascinate some photographers and bore others, like 50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics.

This is why I suggest signing up for the email. More often than not you will want to just hit “Delete” and get on with your day. But every week or three Copyblogger will dish you up a gem that will improve your blog posts, which will make your professional blogging more successful and enjoyable, if not easy. Your professional focus your blogging voice and effort and your understanding of how to better project your presence into the blogosphere.

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Dec 17 2010

New Media Blogging Inspiration from Chase Jarvis

Category: Business & Marketing, Photographers — Ethan G. Salwen @ 8:14 am

AfterCapture Blog_101217_Chase Jarvis Blog_1Chase Jarvis is an über popular commercial photographer, and his New Media-savvy blogging is a key ingredient to his marketing and self-promotion efforts — although “effort” is not the right word. Javis blogs for the pure love of it, and his love of blogging is critical to his success with blogging. Blogging is not a chore for Jarvis, nor something he does in a calculated manner to increase his hits. Jarvis’ number of hits keep increasing because he’s eager to speak to a popular audience, and because he has something that audience wants to hear.

If you are not familiar with Jarvis’ blog, definitely take a thoughtful tour — even if Jarvis’ photography (or personality) don’t float your boat.

New Media Blogging?

I know. “New Media blogging” seems repetitive. After all, blogging is about as New Media as you can get, right? Actually, blogging is just a tool — a simple way to post content to the Web — and most of us Dead Tree Bloggers do not fully embrace the New Media spirit. Two critical ways Jarvis does is to:

• Constantly link out to peer content. Jarvis does much more than add SEO-friendly links to his posts; he features content from other creative professionals. This is good for him. In the blogosphere, the more you link out, the more people link back in.

• Makes the blogging experience interactive. This is no easy task: to make people feel involved in your blogging. One way Jarvis does so is by enticing people to comment on his posts, and then rewarding them with follow-up responses.

Popular in Flesh, Popular in the Blogosphere

Don’t try to imitate the way Jarvis blogs. Jarvis is Jarvis. You are You. The key to Jarvis’ blogging is that it is honest.

In person, Jarvis is more charismatic than most photographers will ever be (or would want to be). Jarvis once told me Continue reading “New Media Blogging Inspiration from Chase Jarvis”

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Dec 15 2010

Which Jarvis is Better: With or Without Photo Surveys?

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative Process — Ethan G. Salwen @ 8:11 am

AfterCapture Blog_101215_Chase Jarvis Comments“Which Photo is Better: A or B?” The name of Chase Jarvis‘ latest blog post gives a good sense of its content. The 830 comments readers have posted in less than 24 hours speak to why photographers might want to get clients and fans involved in a Web 2.0 editing process.

Yes. 830 comments!

Jarvis tends to average between 15 to 75 comments per post, which is major, but not as super-massive as 80o+. Clearly, people like to share their two cents — especially when it comes to picking photo A or B.

But it’s not just that.

From experience, Jarvis’ readers know that their input will acctually influence the photographer. They also know that Jarvis will blog about his reader-influenced process — making them feel as involved as they truly are.

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Dec 13 2010

Should Little Fish Wear Name Tags?

Category: Business & Marketing, Multimedia & Video, The Industry — Ethan G. Salwen @ 4:48 pm

Scott Mc Kiernan, founder of ZUMA Press, once told me that photojournalists should consider publishing their email addresses and phone numbers prominently on their homepage. He explained that editors hate to dig for contact information, and noted that even one click on “Contact” or “About” might distance potential clients from photographers.

I wonder what Mc Kiernan would think of Patrick, whose last name — forget direct email — remain a mystery to me, even after 10 minutes of searching. And I really wanted to know. In fact, I wanted to promote his savy marketing with this blog post, having (almost) come to know him though this video:

Is Patrick’s Marketing Web 3.0?

What happened is that — thanks to the daily email from Vimeo that serves up video inspiration — I came across “the world’s largest aquarium.” Like the snowy video I posted last week, I thought it was a great sample to share with still photographers. Then, when I noticed that it was featured on a Vimeo channel with 205 videos, I thought, “Hey, what a great Web presence!” I planned to check out the creator’s work, and then share with you how photographers can use Vimeo to lure in potential clients and fans.

So much thinking up a blog post before researching it. You see. . .

The “largest aquarim” on Vimeo led to both the creator’s personal blog (stillmotion Patrick) as well as the main stillmotion Vimeo page (with the 205 videos). Patrick’s personal blog led to the stillmotion blog, and the stillmotion Vimeo page led to the stillmotion’s main Web site, and both led to each other. But even as I clicked with intention — encountering enticing content — I could not fined what I wanted: Patrick’s last name, and a clear understanding of Continue reading “Should Little Fish Wear Name Tags?”

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Oct 20 2010

Using Multimedia to Sell Yourself (Not Your Images)

Category: Business & Marketing, Multimedia & Video — Ethan G. Salwen @ 3:16 pm

“You need to tell them who you are,” Lauren M. Rabaino suggests in her post yesterday at 10,000 Words, in which she is highlighting the importance of applying multimedia skills in non-multimedia jobs. Here, she is specifically talking about the importance of entrepreneurs (read: all photographers) selling themselves to clients with multimedia storytelling.

Photographers are doing an amazing job at harnessing multimedia to highlight their work, but how many (and how creatively?) are photographers using multimedia to sell themselves — entrepreneurial style?

Here are four example of photographers using multimedia to help sell themselves to potential clients. What’s cool is that this self-promotion was either an after thought (#1) or not a thought at all (#2, #3 and #4), but all do the trick — meeting the 2.0 reality of potential clients wanting to identify a cool, like-minded image maker to work with, not just someone who makes cool images.

#1. This video features Ian Shive:

Amazing multimedia, wonderfully highlights his work, but also really shows you want this guy is about. Not surprisingly, he’s told me that he’s gotten amazing attention (and business) from this series.

#2. This video features Gail Mooney:

Amazing multimedia journalism, this is just a rough that Mooney quickly slapped together after her travels for “Opening Our Eyes.” Yes, it wonderfully teases us with the quality of her work (we want to see more!), but it also shows Mooney up close and personal — something you’d never see in a portfolio-only piece. Mooney has told me that every time she has shown this teaser she gets amazing interest in her project, and that her viewers are most interested in what she has to say on camera.

#3. This video features Peter Krogh:

OK, this is not amazing multimedia, nor does it seem to be a super sales device, but I actually think it is. In this world of 2.0 sharing, we get to see super photo nerdy Krogh in a less photo-nerdy moment, sharing a bit of his life, showing us who he is, helping us imagine him out camping in his van, letting us know that Zippy Lives!

#4. This video features Mary Lynn Price:

If you can make a fun, excellent, educational multimedia piece that features you, and starts off you with you mostly naked, well. . . I think you’re doing a great self promotion sales job, even if wasn’t your intention.

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Aug 11 2010

A Photojournalist (Published) in Argentina

Category: Business & Marketing — Ethan G. Salwen @ 1:04 pm

AC_Blog_100811_HRW_1Today an image of mine from yesterday’s Human Rights Watch press conference appeared in “Pagina 12,” Argentina’s biggest progressive newspaper. Images of mine from the press event also ran on a number of international news Web sites. Yes I’m pleased about this, but I’m also quite surprised.

When I arrived at the Human Rights Watch press conference (to unveil “Illusions of Care”), I had two goals. My primary goal was to meet contacts to help with my multimedia project for HRW. My second goal was to experiment with photographing still images while also capturing video and, gulp, recording audio as well.

I figured that the material likely would not make it into my multimedia project, and so I didn’t have to worry about the low quality of the video from my Canon G9, nor about the fact that I had no idea how to record audio with my brand new Zoom H4n, which looks like a spaceship and comes with an instruction manual that left me confused an anxious.

In other words, although I was messing around with a lot of equipment, I wasn’t nervous. No pressure. But then. . .

I noticed that there were no other photographers at the press conference and I thought, um, shouldn’t we be putting my work to use for HRW? At least, I thought, I should make sure I get one or two suitable images for press use, just in case.

I only really got my head on straight regarding press images after the conference, back at the hotel that HRW was using as their strategic center. There were giving lots of interviews and so I finally said, “Shouldn’t we be offering my images to the press?”

Indeed!, the team said. So I rushed back to my computer, set up a gallery of selects, and started responding to emails and calls that were coming in.

Marianne Mollmann speaks at Human Rights Watch press conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 10, 2010, to release report "Illusions of Care: Lack of Accountability for Reproductive Rights in Argentina"

Marianne Mollmann speaks at Human Rights Watch press conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, August 10, 2010, to release report "Illusions of Care: Lack of Accountability for Reproductive Rights in Argentina."

Thinking About the Client

I realize, of course, that daily news photographers think very clearly (and in advance) about how to get their images quickly into print. I’m not that kind of photographer, and so I don’t think that way. (That’s not an excuse; I’ll be more alert in the future.)

In terms of getting my images published I wasn’t thinking about how to make a few extra bucks on licencing a few tiny images. The important thing for me was to make myself part of the HRW team, help them with their press efforts and — no small matter — show them what I look like working in action.

Yes, I’ve already got the “go” for the multimedia project, but I am working with only one contact, who already has my confidence. Yesterday, two of her colleagues saw me go the extra mile for HRW, and I’m sure that, at some point in some way, this will serve me well.

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Aug 06 2010

Still Images Are Like Mt. Rushmore, Videos Are Like the Bubonic Plague

Category: Business & Marketing, The Industry, Viewpoint — Ethan G. Salwen @ 2:54 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100806_Viral Photos_aIn the world of new media, still images are like solid, immovable monuments, while videos are like fluid, unstoppable viruses. Given the fact that most of us want our images and ideas to “go viral,” understanding this concept is critical.

I have a lot to say on this topic, but for this first post directly speaking to the strange paradoxical way in which — in the world of the Internet — still images are like Mt. Rushmore and videos are like the bubonic plague, I will simply offer an illustration of the concept.

Let’s start with the little, uncredited thumbnail you see to your upper right. I stole this image from a photographers Web site, I give him/her no credit and I provide no hyperlink back to his/her site. This kind of screen-grab stealing and usage happens 3.4 million times a second, and it’s totally illegal.

Below you see a bigger version of the same image. Now I will tell you it was made by Ian Shive. You will note that I’ve added his copyright stamp, and if you click on the image you’ll see that I’ve created a hyperlink to his site. Further, I will tell you that Ian Shive is a wonderful photographer, a great guy and that you should definitely check out his site and use his services. The fact that I’ve done all this does not change the fact that I what I have done is totally illegal. I have stolen this image from Shive’s Web site, broken copyright law and abused Shive’s right to control his intellectual property. I just can do this with a still image without breaking the rules.

AfterCapture Blog_100806_Viral Photos_1

Now, I’m going to post the five-minute episode one of “Wild Exposure with Ian Shive”, a video hosted on Vimeo.com. This multimedia production by Shive and Russell Chadwick features stunning video by Chadwick, amazing still images by Shive, an original musical score the team had commissioned, and yes, you got it: the same photograph that I already stole twice in writing this post.

Not only am I legally allowed to share this video, I am encouraged to do so by Shive, who enabled the “Embed” button, allowing me to post this video directly into my post. And there is no stipulation that I have to say wonderful things about Shive, or provide a link back to his main Web site. In fact, I’m free to host this video on my “The World’s Shittiest Videos” Web site, and even if this really irritates Shive, there’s very little he can do about it.

While it’s impossible to move Mt. Rushmore, powerful viruses have a way of a way of moving with wonderful, unstoppable speed.

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Jul 23 2010

Photographers Embrace Social Networking — In Ways That Ring True

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative Process — Ethan G. Salwen @ 3:59 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100723_SocialMedia_1Chloé Browne, a London-based wedding photographer, only started using Twitter after three clients found her through tweets written by others: clients raving about her services. Now Browne tweets throughout the day, and weaves this focused social media marketing into the fabric also comprised of the threads that are her active blogging and Facebooking.

AfterCapture Blog_100723_SocialMedia_2Brown is one photographer featured in “Hello, world: Social Networking for photographers”, a great article by Diane Smyth, published in the “British Journal of Photography.” As Smyth explains of Browne:

“Browne’s Facebook and blog pages link back to each other, her Twitter account and her main website, and she updates her Facebook page and Tweets each time she publishes a new blog, which is at least once a week. It is a lot of admin, she admits, but in her case it’s had real results – she only advertises online, and wins most of her new business this way”

AfterCapture Blog_100723_SocialMedia_3In “Hello, world” Smyth reports on just a few of the different ways that photographers are finding business and (just as important) creative success with social media. One, clear message that Smyth conveys is that these photographers are finding quantifiable, positive value from social media because they are using social media in ways that are true to their personalities and business goals.

This is refreshing. It is different from the Continue reading “Photographers Embrace Social Networking — In Ways That Ring True”

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May 18 2010

YouTube Vs. Vimeo for Hosting Videos

Category: Multimedia & Video, Technology Insights — Ethan G. Salwen @ 2:53 pm

AfterCapture Blog_100518_YouTube_Vimeo_1In my last post, I made it clear that the YouTube community can be a toxic one. I also suggested that this might be a reason for preferring to host videos on Vimeo.com rather than YouTube.com. However, I want to make it clear that YouTube is really no better or worse for hosting videos than Vimeo. It’s all about how you use any given video-hosting service, considering the advantages of each service in relation to you video-publishing goals.

If you haven’t used either, I suggest starting with YouTube, then checking out Vimeo. You can get a feel for each quickly, and you can always take down videos as you gain focus.

For more technical specifics than I cover on the differences between YouTube and Vimeo, check out Dan Sung’s “Vimeo vs YouTube – which is the better video service?”

YouTube for Going Viral

Yesterday the BBC News reported that YouTube, as it turns five-years-old, is receiving two billion hits a day. “If you tag your videos really well, YouTube can bring you new viewers,” says Eric Cheng, the underwater photographer who mentioned to me the toxic nature of the YouTube community.

Continue reading “YouTube Vs. Vimeo for Hosting Videos”

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Apr 01 2010

Delightful Stop-Motion Engagement Photography Session

Category: Business & Marketing, Creative Process, Photographers, Technology Insights — Ethan G. Salwen @ 11:36 am

Last month I shared some time-lapse photography inspiration. Today I share a delightful example of how wedding photographer Sarah Yates has put stop-motion technology to work to create a wonderfully creative multimedia piece from one of her wedding engagement sessions.

For her her blog post of March 2, Yates explains:

i’d been wanting to make this video since before we did their photos,  but was totally overwhelmed with where to start (seriously, the stack of 500 4X6 prints were taunting me for MONTHS!).  yesterday, with the help of my awesome new assistant jack, we finally pulled it together. (thank you jack!)  i am so happy to finally be able to share it!  enjoy!  xoxo

Indeed, it is Yates’s creative use of prints in her time-lapse/stop-motion piece that gives it a truly unique feel. Like all great visual communications, the idea is simple, but it is executed with excellence that conceals the amount of effort that went into producing it. Continue reading “Delightful Stop-Motion Engagement Photography Session”

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