Photographers - Who is your audience?
Something I've seen a lot recently is photographers blogging seemingly for the attention of other photographers. Whilst this would be fine on a photography news site or a photographic training site, I'd say that really it's not ideal on a wedding or portrait website where non-photographer paying clients are looking.
An industry where debates are always had
Photography is no doubt an industry full of debates: Jpeg vs RAW, Full Frame vs ASPC, Canon vs Nikon and on and on the list goes. Because of this we all tend to choose sides and have opinions and that's great. If everyone thought the same thing it'd be a very dull world indeed.
However, I just question whether the websites we've painstakingly taken the time to put together for the benefit and purpose of obtaining clients are the best places to voice our opinion on all things photographic?
It sometimes feels a little bit like publically airing your dirty laundry to me.
There are plenty of photographers out there now who have successfully transitioned into making a living from almost exclusively (sometimes completely exclusively) from teaching photography. So, it sometimes does happen that a photography teacher will have a balance opposite to most of us whereby they make most of their income from teaching, but still occasionally shoot for a client, so you may see a site hosting content for everyone. But what works for those photographers in those situations may not be right for you.
Take it elsewhere
Personally, I set up a completely separate site to allow me to talk about photography. It allows me to talk about gear, write reviews, share personal work and my thoughts on photography. It allows me to write posts just like this one; that are designed to make you consider for a moment whether your blog, where your potential paying clients may be looking, is the right place to add your own proverbial fuel to a particular photography-fire.
You can of course write about what you like. This is, after all The Internet and your blog is of course your domain. I can't tell you what you should and should not be writing about. I'm purely trying to get you thinking about whether your blog is the right place for some of these discussions.
Not everyone will agree, but my advice is this: stick to private groups and communities or start a separate website for that sort of chat. In short: your clients don't need to see all of that. Put your best foot forward - that being your wonderful photographs, testimonials from previous clients and blog posts advising, helping and guiding your next clients. Show off what you can do for a client and do everything to get them to book you, not what you think about a particular camera or another photographer's work. More often than not your opinion on cameras, tech specs or another photographers work is not why your clients are going to book you.
What do you think?
What are you thoughts? Should we be keeping this side of the world of photography away from our clients, or, should our clients be made aware of what is happening in the photography industry? Post your comments here
Better Late Than Never - Our Labour Story
One of the best things about starting this website is that I can write about more than just weddings here. Over on my wedding photography website I felt very much compelled to only post & blog about wedding-related things rather than this...
Better Late Than Never
My wife and I are currently expecting our second child - a boy! We're over the moon because we've already got Zahra, our 2 year old daughter. Having one of each really is a blessing for us; it's what we have always wanted.
Our son (whose name I'll reveal once he's here with us) was actually due to be born back on December 23rd, 2013...but just like our daughter it seems as though he's going to take us all the way overdue. So tomorrow on January 4th we're booked in for our induction to wake our little man from his slumber so he can greet us and the world.
Our children definitely get their lateness from their mother!
Aishah (my wife) and I were talking about our previous labour with Zahra a few weeks back and it occurred to me that her recollection of the events were 'hazy' to say the least. Aishah wasn't sure how long we were in labour for, couldn't remember when the contractions started or how long they lasted for. When we tell our birth story to our friends it's very much a case of:
Me: "No, that isn't what happened"
Aishah: "Yes it was!"
Me: "No it wasn't, we were sent home first and then went back to hospital that evening"
Aishah: "Oh yeah!"
It can be funny at times to hear Aishah recalling her version, but in truth there was quite a lot about the event that she has forgotten. Perhaps Aishah had tried to put it out of her mind and forget about it, labour was quite stressful for Aishah (and I can see why!). She was utterly amazing the entire time. What Aishah went through to give us our daughter is something I thank her for every day.
I also thank her for the sore knuckle that she gave me when she hit me with the metal gas & air valve! (which she also can't remember doing - coincidentally)
But, this got me thinking - I need to document the labour this time around. I need to have a record of events to show what happened at every step.
Mr Rammell
Mrs Rammell
Live Pictures As It All Happens
I'm a member of a couple of professional photography associations and groups and I'd seen a few other members sharing and mentioning that they'd actually been hired to photograph births! It was something I'd never heard of myself. In fact the idea didn't sit well with me at all at first. However the more I thought about it the more I saw the value in the idea: having one of the most intense, intimate and special moments in your life photographed. Why not?
Why Not Indeed! Well, it is extremely intimate for starters and it is obviously something that you can't have done if you're embarrassed about being seen giving birth, but in our situation it's different because I just so happen to be a photographer. So that solves the problem of having someone else we don't know in the room photographing my wife in extreme pain and high on gas & air
I proposed the idea to Aishah and showed her a few of the more 'tame' photographs that I'd seen from other photographers and Aishah liked the idea. So we're going to do it.
The deal is that I won't photograph anything we don't want other people to see and I'll put the camera down when it all really starts to happen. In between contractions I'll make a photograph or two, but when I'm needed to be sworn at or to have my hand crushed: i'll be right beside her...
So How Will It Work?
When we arrive at hospital on January 4th at 10:00am I'll begin documenting everything both on my DSLR and my iPhone. All the details, the room, the contractions, the monitors: everything that will tell the story of our labour and delivery of our son.
I'll be posting the iPhone photographs to a private & secure gallery right here on the website and sharing the details with anyone who wants to keep up to date with the goings-on. Don't worry, you will not see anything 'full on' as per mine and Aishah's agreement. But you'll get a feel for how far along we are, how long we've been going and what state we're both in. It's a little better than frequent text messages to Mum's and family members!
If you want to follow the progress simply sign up below with your email address and I'll send you both the link and the password to the gallery so you can check back frequently throughout the day: