Archive for the ‘the internet’ Category

Head In The Sand (1/60th at f2.8, 23mm at ISO 500)

I finally got my head out of the sand and joined Flickr.  I’m not sure why I waited this long to join, but it’s proven to be another wonderful outlet to connect with fellow photographers. I’m a big believer in looking at other people’s work for inspiration. Working in a cocoon has never worked for me and Flickr provides the perfect arena for exchanging ideas, techniques and feedback. It’s a place much like school, “you get as much out of it as you put into it.” It’s taken me a few weeks to get the hang of it, but I’m telling you it’s a no brainer for those of you looking to connect with photographers. Here are my suggestions: join Flickr (it’s free for 100mb each month), join some groups of interest (such as Black and White, or Travel Photography), upload your photos to these groups, make sure to comment on other people’s photos, if you enjoy someone’s work or comments then add them as a contact, interact with your contacts and groups. To check out my Flickr stream just click HERE (feel free to add me as a contact). If you become a Flickr addict I strongly suggest using a program like Flickroom to help manage your stream, contacts and uploading process. So join the party and let me know what you think.

Ludington (1/100 at f/3.5, 28mm, ISO 100)

Hi, Kajsa here with the first Saturday post of what will hopefully become a long list of them. Thursday’s post was on the magic hour and I couldn’t agree more.  I’ve included my own magic hour photo just to give emphasis to John’s point.

But today I’ll be talking about blogs, and my experience with getting my own up and running.  I never had a blog before because I kept asking myself “Who am I talking to?”  Also, I’m a cradle perfectionist and have trouble being satisfied with something so open-ended.  A huge part of blogging as a photographer though is social networking and projecting yourself into the scene, so this is the next best step for me, an aspiring photographer.

What I thought would just be a simple site where I wrote some words and showed some pictures is turning out to consist of a lot more key elements if I want anybody to visit.  I’ll share with you the steps that I have taken to get my own blog to be visitor friendly and to be one that encourages repeat visits.   To get my feet wet, I first used Wordpress.com for 2 reasons: John recommended it, and it was free.  Fast forward a month and I’ve tried out the program with help from Wordpress for Dummies and have decided to do this for real.  Mine is still under construction and not quite ready to be live, but you’ll be the first to know when it is.  Until then, these are the steps I’ve taken:

Step 1: Buy a unique domain name and the use of a hosting site from a service like godaddy.com.  I called them up, told them what I wanted, bought the name, and had things ready for activating in probably less than 30 minutes.  I have the version where Wordpress is built right in the mix, so I continue to use that program.  Buying the domain name and having the hosting site has given me a clear name that is easily searchable.  I am also now able to install plugins.

Step 2: Choose a theme for your blog.  I was told that it’s all about columns – and it is!  With the RSS feed icons and the tweet widgets and space for other folders, lists, and archives, the layout where I have two columns in addition to my post area seems to be the best option for me.  Also, there are programs like Artisteer for personalized themes if you want a unique one.

Step 3: Install some plugins.  You can find the plugins at www.wordpress.org in the extend tab.  I started by adding Scissors (for editing photos that I upload), and a widget for Twitter.  I also set up an account through Google’s Feedburner so that people can easily subscribe to my blog via RSS feeds or email.  Those are a few of the inner details that I wanted smoothed out before going live.  I’ll worry about  adding more later.

Step 4: Publish your first post!  I also created an About Page that includes the same introduction from this blog, so if you read it don’t expect to be blown away.

Now, if you’re still wanting to try out a blog before investing money, then you can set up an account through Wordpress.com and be blogging in minutes.  It’s a lot simpler because you’ll take out steps 1, most of 2, and 3 and be done.

I don’t know if I’ll ever come to terms with the fact that blogs are always a work in progress.  There will never be a time when I can say, “Yep.  I’m finished,”   dust my hands off and call it good.  But it does relieve some of the pressure since I know that one post is not the last post I’ll ever make.  It’s sort of like when I go to a restaurant with my family and after I’ll have sufficiently held up the rest of the table’s orders by being the most indecisive person on Earth, my Mom will say “Kajsa, it’s not your last meal.”  Well-said Mom, well-said.

Have a great Saturday!

You've got options

It’s time to do a little housekeeping as it relates to my blog.  I’ve made a few enhancements to the blog that I hope everyone will enjoy.  I’ve added two new features on the right-hand column:  first,  a text update feature that will allow me to send flash-updates to those of you who like information fast.  Now, don’t freak… I’m not in the business of selling your phone numbers to outside parties.  This is simply another tool for me to communicate directly with you.  I’ve been told I’m an over communicator, and it is probably true,  but if you’re like me sometimes SMS (text messaging) is one of the best ways to get news quick.  Not to mention, I think this might be a fun way to announce giveaways, contests, contest winners..etc.   Secondly,  I’ve added a poll feature. I plan on creating a new poll every couple of weeks, (give or take a few days) so please make sure  to cast your vote when you stop by the site.

In regards to my post, I’ve added two new features that allow you to print and/or email my post.  The current location of these two add-ons are at the top left-hand corner of my page (my plan is to move them to the bottom in the near future).  In order to share my post with your friends via email, simply click, “Email This Post,” fill out the form, and off it goes to your buddy.  Secondly, I’ve added a handy feature that allows you to print this post for those of you, like myself, that like hard copies.  Simply click, “Print This Post” and you’ll have a nice printer friendly version.

Lastly, remember you can always subscribe to my post by entering your email address on the right hand column and clicking subscribe.  Feedburner (Google owned and operated) then sends you a confirmation email that you MUST click on in order to activate the subscripiton.  If you grow sick of me, or change  your email address, you can simply click unsubscibe via a link that Feedburner provides at the end of everyone post update.  It’s truly a slick service and I think many of you will love it.  And, for you super RSS nerds like me, just click on “RSS Subscribe” and get updates via your favorite RSS reader as soon as they are posted.

As always, remember you can follow me on Twitter, Become a Fan of my Facebook page, and for those of you who would like to share Facebook albums with me I’ve created a new Facebook profile strictly for that purpose.  Here’s is that Facebook profile.  If you want to share some of your photos, simply add me as a friend (I will add anyone as long as they are currently a Fan of my Batdorff Photography Page).

I’m always willing to add new features to my blog, so if anyone has any suggestions or has seen something cool on another site, please let me know.  Remember, I’m here to serve…;)

Groovy Chick

I often get asked “what kind of photographer are you?”  I’m not sure I have the answer, as of yet, because my style is an evolving process.  I can tell you I enjoy shooting landscapes and people, but I like photos of animals and buildings too.   I’m not sure labels such as a “landscape photographer” or “studio photographer” due justice to who we are as people.  Often times I think labels pigeon hole us into a myopic understanding of who we really are or want to be as a photographer.  Don’t get me wrong – I totally understand the benefit of labels from a business perspective.  Clients need things distilled down into simple terms.  I mean you wouldn’t want to hire a “photographer” for a wedding to find out his or her specialty is “underwater photography”.   That is unless you’re a couple of crazy scuba folks getting married at your favorite coral reef 150 feet below sea level!   If so, then that’s exactly the person you’ll need.   I think many photographers, labeled or not, have the desire to try new things. I wouldn’t say my strong suit is studio photography but I must admit I enjoy shooting it from time to time.  It’s an area of weakness and when I get a shot I really like, it really feels good.  Now do I plan on becoming a studio photographer?  Probably not, but that won’t stop me from venturing out of my comfort corral on occasion to try something new.

p.s. As promised from yesterday’s blog:
Here are a few photographers that have very well defined styles. Steve McCurry is probably the best known travel photographer in the world. His style is very distinct, but I’m sure he didn’t get there overnight.  Another very talented photographer who I’ve grown to appreciate is Mitchell Kanashkevich.  His work is….well, incredible and simply speaks for itself.   Lastly, you do run across the rare talent such as Joey Lawrence who’s distinct style and vision is well beyond his ripe old age of 19.

The internet is the coolest thing ever (I know I sound like my eight-year-old daughter). I mean, when I was 12 the Commodore 64 was THE stuff. It was equipped with 64 kilobytes of memory and optional 1200 baud modem. I was the hit of the neighborhood – not to mention I rocked the BBS. Yep, I’ve been called a dork on occasion, but I’m cool with that because we’re in my wheelhouse now baby. That’s right, today’s internet has become ubiquitous and social networking has metastasized the internet into a giant calling card. Professional photographers have never had so many options to promote themselves and their work. The internet is an incredibly rich medium – perfect for aspiring artists. If you’re happy taking photos for your personal portfolio that’s fine, but if you’re looking to get noticed and possibly become a professional then listen closely. The five things you need to do right now to promote your skills: 1. Get a website (there are a ton of great sites and many are free) 2. Get business cards…I don’t know how many times I’ve had people ask me for a card when I’ve been shooting 3. Go viral. Yes, the internet is the one place where it’s ok to skip the protection. Get connected on Facebook , Twitter, MySpace, Linkedin and Plaxo just to name a few. It’s all about social networking. 4. Find a mentor. Pick someone that you respect to help guide you to becoming a more successful photographer 5. Create a plan and set some goals. I know it sounds simple, but if you’re driven like me than you need some expectations. Floating along just doesn’t cut it. 6. Lastly, do something. Get out and shoot, network, build your portfolio and meet new people. There’s nothing worse than paralysis of analysis. The more things you throw at the wall, the more likely something is going to stick. And in this business it can start a ripple effect. One good lead can bring many more in return. So be brave, jump in.