Marketing & Promotions (Week 7)

Since I have been at AIS that I have learned a lot about photography. However, it wasn't until my business class that I learned about making money and realizing when you are being "ripped off". I got my first real commercial job for this summer about four months ago and I don't think I have to express how much I was looking forward to it. I took it as a sign that things might actually work out for me in this crazy business. 

It wasn't until money came into the picture. For 10 hours of shooting and at least 8 hours of post work (photoshop work) my client wanted to pay me $85.00 --- YES, I'M SERIOUS. So with the help of my teacher, I politely told her that I would not take anything less than $250.00 (which isn't all THAT much). And she said she couldn't afford it and so I told her (politely of course) that if she wanted to get free photographs for her new line that she was going to have to find another photographer. So the business deal was over. 

I lost my first job. I would be lying to you if I told you that I wasn't disappointed. I really thought that this would be my first real commercial job and that through this I would get many more jobs. However, do I regret not just accepting the $85? No I do not. You see...business owners are like frugal coupon moms; they will do anything to get a lot for practically nothing. If I hadn't taken business at AIS I think I would have accepted the job for what it was and gotten COMPLETELY ripped off. 

So I suppose what I have learned through this is that technical skill means nothing unless you can also be a person of business. The decisions that you make with money and clients will define you and I chose not to let this job define my career. 

Marketing & Promotions (Week 6)

I never imagined designing a brand to be a difficult thing...but it really is. We have moved away from the first logo and we have now gone to this one below. I'm not quite sure what to think of it yet because I have only just seen it today. In all of this I have realized that I am not a designer and I don't think I'd ever want to be. It is all very difficult to try and put every skill, work, and passion into a single design. In saying this I have great respect for those excellent designers in the world. This is a work in progress and by every week it will continue to get closer to where it needs to be. 

Marketing & Promotions (Week 5)

This was a busy week for me...I've been photographing almost every day this week and I'm excited to share some of the new stuff. So this thesis that I have been working on took a bumpy start, however, I have been really pleased with some of the newer images. 

I was able to photograph a local printer named Ron Reeder and an umbrella maker here in downtown Seattle. Ron Reeder is an incredible printer who is now retired but still prints, teaches for fun, and photographs. The umbrella maker goes by Emmy and she is a recently graduated AIS student. 

One thing I am really getting out of these photos is that all of these people live very happy lives. They talk about their work with such pride that when I leave I am always feeling truly inspired. I think I am really getting a lot out of doing these portraits because I often hope that one day I can be one of those people who are retired but they are STILL doing their art because they still love it.