I am not sure what to put into this blog. I think it will be about the shoots that I go on and the day to day of being a stock/freelance photographer, trying to eek out a living in a small US city. I will try to update it a couple of times a week.

Right now I have galleries on a bunch of sites, and am sort of at a mid range in my career as a stock photographer. My galleries have some standard shots and then some really creative stuff.... but honestly I am not making a living just off of stock. However, it doesn't seem like a insurmountable task to get to that point. It just takes time.

Creatively right now I am pulling away from the standard shots and heading toward the more creative. By standard shots I mean, the good old- man holding laptop, woman talking on cell...

So I am tried of taking pictures of me, my wife, and our son.

I said to myself, "How can I get models to pose for me for free?"

After which there was a long blank pause. Followed by another long blank pause......

Lucky I said it out loud with my wife in the room (she's the one in the curlers) and she said, "Put an ad on one of those free online ad lists saying you'll trade free headshots and family portraits for some modeling and signed releases. You'll have so many models you'll have to turn people away."

I of course didn't listen. So one night while I was playing video games, she did it for me. And as always she was right...... I got tons of emails from people wanting to either sign up or get more info. A lot of the people who answered the...

1. Volunteer free photo service for photo credit with contact info to a not for profit that does a large mailing- for example; local food bank or rescue mission. It's a win win, they can't afford to pay for photography, and you get to right it off as a donation plus some free publicity.

2. Your kids school or school disc.- Most schools are always doing great outreach into the community. Cover the event and remember to hand out your card, so people can contact you and go to your website and see the picture you took of them.

So I have to market myself to get anywhere. I think I sort of have the taking pictures part of the photo business down, but the business, i.e getting my name out there and getting hired, not so much.

I am sort of at a loss for what to do...... i got myself a myspace page and plan on getting a facebook page. I have also set up blogs at live journal and blogger, which I have to start adding to.

But does this really help? or are these just a giant waste of time?

Would I do better with more traditional marketing strategies? i.e bulk mailing, cold calling, local chamber?

What are your thoughts....... what is your experience?

edited by admin - moved image to the top left