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11 Must Read Photo Blogs for Top Photographer Dreamers

By on 06/01/2011 in Remy Gervais - Pro Photography Dream

Its been a busy few months for the women of 8 Women Dream.  Lots of changes, goals being met, successes, failures, setbacks and growth – and realizing that in a month we will be half way through 2011.  How are your dream goals shaping up this year?

In support of our Top Photographer Dreamers, I’ve put together a Top 11 Must Read Photo Blogs list- if you are a little stuck in your progress (like I have been the past few months), reading through some of these may give you a little push to keep working towards your dreams.

1.  Photopreneur.com

Photopreneur is aimed at anyone who owns a camera and wants to make a living creating and selling photographs. On this site you will find suggestions on ways to get your name out there, online photo classes and workshops, reviews on equipment and lists of resources for starting your photography business.

2.  Digital-Photography-School.com

This is a one-stop blog for photo tips, tutorials and equipment comparisons. Alot of their blog posts are for people just starting out in photography – easy to read, lots of information and very user friendly.  there is also a very cool online chat feature that links you to others visiting the site. Community building and sharing is really at the the heart of education.

3.  Photojojo.com

Another beginner-photographer focused blog.  What I really like about this blog is it’s casual look and feel. They keep things simple and fun.  They also have a great forum to post your own questions or respond to others as well.  Very collaborative.

4.  BeginnersPhotographyBlog.com

Photo tips and techniques from Ingrid Owens of CameraShy.  Her heart is in educating photographers and de-mystifying the photography industry. I love her simple and honest approach for photographers at any experience level to improve their skills and gain some self confidence.

5.  StuckInCustoms.com

Trey Ratcliff is a genius.  He is world renowned for his pioneering work in HDR, and one of the most popular travel bloggers on the internet.  He also appears to be one of the most gracious and humble men on the planet, who has a great sense of humor and loves to give his expertise away.  You will spend hours on his site just looking at his work, and will wish there was more when you are done.

6.  StyleMePretty.com

What a great find this blog was.  It focuses on wedding photography, with photo albums uploaded to inspire the reader for things like budget conscious weddings, casual, contemporary, themes – even a section about destination weddings.  There is also a “DIY” section to help photographers think of new and fun ways be inspired – by cake toppers, fashion accessories, food and so on.  The sample albums are beautiful and worth the trip on the internet to see them.

7.  Sports-Photography-blog.com

One of my favorites because of the kind of photography I’m becoming most passionate about.  Here you get tips on shooting all kinds of sports, suggestions on aperture settings and lens selection tips; a 101 photography guide download and lots of image galleries for inspiration.

8.  ProPhotoLife.com

For pros and amateurs and everyone in between – the posts are really informative and not too challenging to read, which is good if you are easily overwhelmed by heavily weighted technical articles like I am.  There are some great video links on lighting tips and studio work, which is my next big learning curve. This blog is definitely one to bookmark.

9.  MoosePeterson.com

He is by far one of the worlds best wildlife photographers.  His blog includes reviews of his workshops, hands on tutorials, and an image gallery that will totally knock your socks off.

10. JoeMcNally.com

I had to put Joe in here, as he has always been one of my “top photographer mentors”.  His website blog is only a few years old, and already is one of the industry’s most popular sites.  In fact, Joe was recently honored with one of Life Magazine’s Top Blog Awards. He talks about everything – his assignments, equipment, books, travel stories and hands on workshops – the man is a workhorse.  And he’s not afraid to demonstrate mistakes he learns from.  Even today, after years and years of experience, he still puts himself in learning mode.  I love that about him.

11. LearnFoodPhotography.com

This genre is quickly becoming a very popular, especially with online marketing and web presence campaigns.  This blog has everything you ever wanted to know about food photography, lighting and staging techniques, job opportunities and industry trends.

Seeing what others are doing can be a huge motivator on the path to our dreams, especially if we get stuck along the way.

Do you have a favorite Top Photography Blog?  Let us know.

Until next photo,

Rem

Remy’s dream is creating opportunities for photography showings and public displays of her work and to ultimately be recognized nationally as a photographer . . . then the world. She is CEO of CornerstoneCreative, a business consulting practice in Northern California. Remy’s post day is Wednesday.

Remy’s dream is creating opportunities for photography showings and public displays of her work and to ultimately be recognized nationally as a respected photographer . . . then the world. Remy is CEO of Cornerstone Creative, a business consulting practice in Northern California. Remy’s post day is Wednesday. +Remy Gervais

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  • Lucía

    Muy buen articulo. De verdad has incluido sugerencias muy útiles aqui. Sigue así

  • View Finder Photography

    I’ve noticed you’ve got great insights about photography and I stop by from time to time to see what you’ve been up to. This is a great list of photography blogs to visit. Where’s yours in the list?

  • http://www.jimwalkerphoto.net Jim Walker

    You missed the boat on some of the top 11 in the world.

    1. Digital Photography School http://www.digital-photography-school.com
    2. Strobist http://strobist.blogspot.com
    3. Chase Jarvis http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog
    4. Luminous Landscape http://www.luminous-landscape.com
    5. Pop Photo http://www.popphoto.com
    6. 1001 Noisy Cameras http://www.1001noisycameras.com
    7. Digital Camera Reviews & Photography Tips http://www.dphotojournal.com
    8. A Photo Editor http://www.aphotoeditor.com
    9. Beyond Megapixels http://www.beyondmegapixels.com
    10. Yanik’s Photo School http://yanikphotoschool.com
    11. Lighting Essentials For Photographers http://www.lighting-essentials.com

    Nice list tho.

  • I love photography!

    Heya – I just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know about David Ziser and his blog Digital Protalk http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com. He is an internationally renowned wedding photographer, who shares his knowledge with tens of thousands of photographers in five languages and in 14 countries worldwide. I enjoy his Business Day Thursdays where he gives tips for the business side of photography. His “Throw A Portrait Party” tip was one of the best ideas I have ever used to make real money with photography.

    “The basic idea works just like the Tupperware or Pampered Chef parties many of you may have experienced. Your hostess invites the attendees and the sales representative makes their best presentation to the captured audience.” (from his site)

    “We all have clients that love us and love our photography. Ask around and you should easily be able to find someone willing to throw a “Portrait Party” for you. Your best prospects could come from past wedding clients who are connected with like-minded friends.” (from his site)

    From his site–7 key points to consider for a successful Portrait Party:

    1- You will first need to offer a substantial incentive to the hostess for hosting the “Portrait Party”. These incentives would be based on a point system. For instance, each point is worth $1.00. For hosting the party, I would suggest 250 points. Depending on your price points, that could be up to one complimentary portrait session and/or one 16×20 wall portrait. That’s typically a value and a very nice incentive. Of course these price suggestions will vary with different parts of the country.

    2- You want the party to be a success for you, and you want it to be a success for your hostess, too. Success for you means getting many of your hostess’s friends to see, learn and purchase your cool portrait products and services.

    Success for your hostess would be the additional incentives she receives generating a good attendance. I would suggest an additional 10 points or $$ hostess incentive for each attending guest at the party. Just like a Tupperware party, 8-20 attendees would be just about right.

    3- Now let’s take another lesson from the Pampered Chef and Tupperware parties. We want the attendees to purchase that evening! Your Portrait Party should be the center of the universe for your best deals.

    You’ve got to consider what products and packages you want to offer? Put a little thought into your product offerings. Be sure to bundle items for better perceived value and offer plenty of choices. Offer purchasing incentives too, for instance, the higher the pre-purchase sale, the greater the discount offered.

    4- List your products and services on an easy to read and understandable order form and be sure your incentives/deals/offers are clearly spelled out. Next, have your presentation well rehearsed so you don’t stumble, fumble, or fall before the finish line. Also, put together a nice display before the guests arrive of want you want to feature and sell at the party.

    5- Remember, your Portrait Party is not just about getting people to show up. Its about those that show up making a purchase. You want your hostess to be inviting people that have a good chance of hearing your message and purchasing your product packages.

    That means one more hostess incentive. At the end of the party, audit the packages purchased and award your hostess accordingly. You can see that this portrait party could be quite a rewarding experience for your hostess.

    6- So, you may be asking, “Are the attendees offered any purchasing incentives?” My quick answer is, “Of course”. I suggest that anyone that wants to purchase any of your packages that evening receives a complimentary portrait session the value of which could range up to $200 or more.

    If they order nothing that evening, I would still keep the door open by presenting them with a $100 gift card which they can use in the future with you. This becomes an extremely motivating factor for your hostess.

    She is basically offering her friends who attend a complimentary portrait session from you. And if they decide to buy nothing, they still leave with a $100. Sounds like a deal to me, and I think it will sound like a great deal to your hostess’ friends and attendees too.

    7- Wait, there’s more. You want to continue the process don’t you? Just like at a Tupperware/Pampered Chef Party there are hostess packages available ONLY to the person hosting a party. Make these REALLY special. How about getting your hostess to work for you in setting up your next party. Yes, that means one more hostess incentive and a biggie at that. If your hostess arranges to have one of her friends host one of your portrait parties, she would receive an additional 100 points. By hosting their own Picture Party they become eligible for those special Hostess ONLY packages.

    You can see that the hostess points can add up quickly. She’s thrilled, you’re thrilled, and the attendees are thrilled. What a great way to throw a party, spread the word about you and your business, meet new perspective clients and have a little fun too!

    He’s awesome. You should subscribe to his site and read him like a bible. Very good stuff all photographers can use. I apologize for taking up so much of your time, but you seem like a photographer who can benefit from his experience and advice.

  • Pingback: Mid Year Results for Top Photographer Dreams | 8 Women Dream

  • Remy Gervais, Top Photographer

    i am planning out the rest of the year for SoCoPhoGro with Ray over the weekend. I have an opportunity to shoot some pro football in the fall if they ever get over the strike. i am meeting with a 3rd grade teacher on Wednesday to discuss a photo mentor program in her classroom for next year. My coffee table book is in draft form. I still have to find money to take my trip. Other than that things seem to be moving right along. R

  • http://www.aweekinthelifeofaredhead.com Catherine Hughes, Editor & Chief

    And I’ve only heard of one . . . lol. But I am the girl with her finger in the photo. How is your photography dream going? What’s next on your to-do list?

    Cath