Tuesday September 26th, 2000

Your website
The easiest of the three is having your own website.  This is probably the least expensive way to let your clients know exactly what you do.  You can put your web address on your business card, on any ads that you might have running, on promotional items like pens, letting all your customers and future customers know where to go and see your work at any time of the day or night.  What is also great is that if you put something on your website and you decide to change it later, you can do it.  Where if you have had a thousand brochures made up with your prices on it and you change your mind now you have to throw them all away and print up new ones.  HOW MUCH DOES THAT COST?

The Internet is it just there to browse through or hold your website?
You photograph an event it might be a wedding, a family reunion or a convention that came into town.  How are you going to let everyone see your images and have a chance to buy photographs?  Do you give someone the proofs and hope that they send them around to everyone to look at and order? Why not use the internet you can post your images on the internet and let everyone know how they can see them by handing out cards at the event telling them exactly where those images can be seen.  You can have it set up so they can order online, or call in their orders to you.
IT DOES WORK.

Digital photography.
Have you thought of purchasing a digital camera yet?  If not, you better start thinking about it.  Probably the one excuse is that it is so expensive, well your partly right the cameras are not cheap, but the prices are dropping. Kodak's top of the line camera has come down about $10,000 dollars in just over a year.  Cannon is due out with a camera, which is very affordable this month. Have you figured out how much you spend on film and processing in a year, you won't have to buy any more film.  You keep on erasing the same old flash cards and use them again.  Oh! And what about storing negatives? That's right there all on CDs that cost maybe $2.00 each, which can hold 650megs. 

How do you compete with your fellow photographs, when you tell your client that I can have the photographs back to you in four days and they say I'm sorry but thank you, but this other photographer is going to have them all printed and handed out tonight.  I hope I have given you something to think about, because this is the way things are going and it's not a fad like color photography.

At this months Round Table Discussion let's take a look at the nuts and bolts of the profession that you'll need to thrive.  Let's make this next year a real  learning year.  I have a little test for you to take when you arrive at 5:30 for the Round Table Discussion that will set the tone for the remaining discussions till next summer.  The results of this test on September  26 will help you because it will point out your knowledgeable areas as well as you'll know what areas you're deficient in.  The best part of this test is it's one of the sample tests the Professional Photographers of America uses for the Certified Professional Photographer Exam.  It will also bring up topics we should be talking about over the few meetings. This is truly an opportunity to look at your knowledge level and to suggest which areas our association can quickly move you to another level in this picture perfect profession of ours.

The text the PPof A recommends is the book "Photography"   by John Upton and Barbara London.  All of the questions are taken from that book.  As such, by reading the sixth edition you have the necessary ingredients to help you pass the exam as well as become more and more professional.  The answers are also available to us through our association.  If you really want to learn, lets talk.

Call for Entries PCPPA Print Compitition will happen at the October meeting. All members are invited to submit up to four images. The rules for the print compitition have changed. You can find the rules here

 

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Call for Nominations

Elections for all officers on the board of directors of PCPPA are coming up. Nominations will be accepted for all positions.  The office of president will be vacated as David Lobban has served two years, the office of vice president has been, well, vacant already so there is no one obvious in succession. Without these two positions filed, this fine organization may not continue in existence. There is a need for people to get the speakers, to find the print judges, to meet with new members, to submit the forms for the liquor permits, take and type the minutes of the board meetings, write the checks.

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