Reply To: Feel free to turn your critical eye my way

[OldClicks]

Flickr may be great for sharing your photos online, and if that works for you, go for it. But the advantage of Facebook as a marketing tool shouldn’t be overlooked. The images I put up there may not the best, but they’re still better than any of the tragic images I’ve seen on here. And when I posted them, they were shared and commented on, which allows me to reach my target audience.

Back on topic, I still welcome pointers from those of you that know what you’re talking about, and aren’t just blowing smoke. Cameraclicker nailed it with his “f8 and don’t be late” comment. I did event photography in SoCal where we contracted with the venue to provide photos of their clients, but the venue owner had very specific requirements. At the time, I was interested in paying off my photo gear (and home), so I did as instructed for about 600 events. That left me in a nice place financially, but not artistically. Medium format B&W was a nice creative outlet.

Demographics has played a huge role too. My former portrait clientele consisted of dual income families, usually with one or two children. Now I am surrounded by large, single income families, and they are not very sophisticated consumers. Even if they can be educated about what good photography is, the majority cannot afford it. At least I have a never-ending supply of subjects to practice on. It shouldn’t take me long to get back up to speed with my new gear, but I’m not going to kid myself into thinking this is a highly profitable venture. As I acknowledged in my into, I feel I am a bit rusty. But I have the means to purchase whatever gear I need, and the patience to continue learning, along with the humility to accept valid criticism.