Lifehacker and Freelancing

Lifehacker, one of my favorite blogs to read, has a well-thought-out and well-written post on freelancing without quitting your job here.

The entry covers everything from announcing to the world that your available for hire, getting contract-work, pricing, and even talks about taxes. Here's a clip I really liked about pricing (a question I receive a great deal):
When you're just starting out, the tendency is to underprice yourself because you really want to score the contract and you're optimistic about the number of hours it'll take to complete. However, you'll forget to take into account things like taxes and time for administrative tasks. As you get more experience, you'll adjust your prices, learn how to read different types of clients and what their budget range will be, and have enough confidence to walk away from contracts that aren't worth taking. I'm much more likely to do interesting work for lower prices, but I'll only take on tedious stuff that's well-paid. When it's time to ask for the upper range, I use an unscientific method: I quote the highest rate I can while still keeping a straight face. 

It's just food for thought if you're thinking of making a move and want to make it gradually. Thanks to Gina Trapani, the author of the article, for the great Lifehacker post. 

Episode 123: Post-Production Tip #2

Vacation Days

Hey all - just wanted to let everyone know that new content has ended for the year. No more podcasts or blog entries until January as I'm on vacation (just finished a 19-hour drive yesterday) and I only have my netbook on me - plus, it's good to just spend some time with family.

What to expect in the 2010: a bunch of new content. Lots of podcasts, blog entries, interviews, and even some stuff that's still 'in the lab', so to speak. No spoilers here, just be prepared for some good original programming coming your way.

Happy new year everyone.

Marketing Materials: Professional Photo Album

We've started a few threads titled 'delivery options', 'accounting options', and now we're introducting 'marketing materials'. This will be an ongoing topic dedicated to both tangible and intangible (online) means of marketing.

In today's day and age, our portfolio tends to live in the 'cloud' - online, that is. And guess what, it should be online for anyone, anywhere, to view it anytime. But guess what's also true? Showing your portfolio online during a face-to-face meeting is sort of clumsy. It could also be viewed as if you're underprepared, or even unprepared.

First up: the professional photo album. A custom-designed, top-of-the-line print-quality photo album is a signature in itself - it has 'professional' written all over it. With some labs, you can design each page in photoshop for your own customization, others will have you add photos to previously-created themes (which aren't half bad most of the time). 

One of the key factors when dealing with tangible marketing materials is to have your potential client leave with something in their hand - and if you're a photographer making a pitch, you'll want it to be more than just a business card. At first, it may seem like an expensive photo album would be the last thing you'd bring, seeing as the person/people you're talking to can't leave with it - but it's just the opposite. Leaving a professional photo album with a hopeful client allows you to arrange a follow-up meeting, setting you up for a second face-to-face visit when you come to pick it back up. Yes, it involves an element of trust - but if your album makes an impression, it might get passed around the office, making more impressions without you even being there. Give it try, see what happens.

Episode 122: Exterior, Lighting, Post-Production, and Business Tip #3

Web Design: The 'F-Shaped' Pattern

You've probably already noticed, but we don't read online content the same way we read books; we scan when it's on a screen, we read when it's on a page. More specifically, we read in an 'F-Shaped Pattern' (See the images below for examples).

What in the world does the mean for Real Estate Photographers? Is means you need to consider this concept while building your website. Listen, the most critical audience of your website will not be your clients (so long as it functions and is quick), it's other photographers and web designers. I kid you not - most clients aren't interested in your amazingly-beautiful self-playing Flash slideshow that they have to teach themselves to use. In fact they would probably prefer a straight-forward, easy-to-understand design that lets them see your photos, then lets them get on with their day. I'll save the 'to use Flash, or not to use Flash' argument for another day - I just want to delve into the notion that your clients shouldn't have to learn how to navigate their way around your page - you should consider working your site into the 'F-Shaped Pattern'.

Put my theory to the test. Visit a handful of photographer's websites, explore their sites and go where your eyes naturally go. I'm willing to bet that your eyes will gravitate to certain elements and not others, and that some important things will go unnoticed. Ask yourself, 'at what point did I begin to lose interest in the website' and 'why was that'? Chances are, you weren't the first person to lose interest - and that's the last thing you want to happen on your page. Was it too overwhelming? Too confusing? Could you scan the page quickly?

Make it easy for your clients: accommodate to the way they're used to seeing content on a screen - keep it simple and work with the 'F-Shape' they already (unconsciously) enjoy.  

Episode 121: Exterior Tip #2

USVI Update

Hi all - I just finished shooting for the day and headed for the computer (as most of us do when we finish work, right?) I realized that I hadn't posted anything detailed about this shoot, so I think the above image captures it quite nicely. Those infinity-edge pools are spectacular - too bad it costs more than my house to construct.

Back to the norm next week.

Episode 120: RAW Tip #1

On-Location

Hi everyone. I just wanted to let y'all know that I may be slow at getting back to emails for the next 10 days beginning tomorrow, 12/4, as I'll be in the US Virgin Islands on-assignment. I've pre-recorded a few podcasts, so I'll post them as long as my connection holds out.

Adios!