Resolutions for photographers
1. If you don't yet have a web site, get one. If you already have a web site, make sure it is working properly for you.
2. Update your web site regularly – and let others know.
3. Make use of other web sites and services to publicise and sell your work.
4. The labourer is worthy of his hire.
Below are some comments on these resolutions.
A New Web Site
Many photographers have now found that a web site is a vital tool for generating interest in their work and business. It can be an incredibly cost-effective way of getting publicity.
Do It Yourself?
It isn't actually hard to learn enough to write a reasonably effective web site. The key is to keep it simple. Software such as the relatively expensive Dreamweaver or the free NVU (‘en-view’) both let you design sites simply without having to become a geek.
Most image manipulation software and other programs will also produce web galleries from a directory of files at the touch of a button. The pages can be customised and linked to your simply written front pages.
Employ a Web Design Pro
If you don't have time to do it yourself, then pay someone to set it up for you. Look at some sites they have designed already, ask them some questions and make sure they understand what you want. Many sites online prove that photographers have wasted their money.
Make sure your site design allows:
* you to update it easily, both to change the front page and to add new sections.
* anyone to link directly to at least the main sections - for example each different gallery of images - in your site, so you can send out e-mailings about new work.
* anyone to find it easily typing your key search terms into a search engine
Whether a new or existing site, make sure:
* your front page looks good and displays at least one of your best images.
* your front page has clear links to all the different sections of your site
* you have no intros or fancy effects.
* your site is optimised for the search engines
* if you want sound, make sure there is a very clear link to turn it off
Spend time looking at web pages by similar photographers and make yours better. Inside the site there may be scope for designers to show off some of their skills with presentations or other content that can attract people, but make sure you keep the basic site simple.
Names and Titles
Names are important. Google currently gives 29 million hits for my name, almost all not me. That's bad news. Were I starting now I'd probably choose to be the only Peter Gwyn Marshall on the web rather than the plain common name I live by. (The good news is that this site comes in at number 5 & 6 in that 29 million, with two of my personal sites in the top twenty and others in the first hundred.) We can't all be born with great and memorable names, but we can think of good ones for our sites and domains and make sure we make use of them. About Photography isn't bad. Don't forget to make sure that every page on your web site has an appropriate title - and I always include your site name in that title and on your page so that people always know they are on your site.
Good Pictures
It should be obvious, but make sure your pictures look good. Choose your best work and process it carefully. Avoid tiny images (except for thumbnails), nasty watermarks, dust and scratch marks, over compression and over sharpening etc. Web standards have changed over the years as we've moved to broadband and higher resolution screens, and any main images should probably now be at least 500 pixels maximum dimension. Most on my own sites are at 600x400, occasionally larger. A big picture can help add impact. Remember to convert them to sRGB if you shoot or scan as Adobe RGB too.
Portfolio Services
There are online services that are set up to display the work of photographers with a monthly or annual fee. These vary from the excellent to the rip-off. Check you can control what is shown easily, that there are no hidden fees or large percentages on sales, and that the cost is reasonable compared to the likely results.
One vital check is to see how easy it is to find one of the photographers already on the site using a search engine.
Update and Publicise
When you have a web site:
* keep it up to date - put on new material regularly, at least monthly.
* check your Google rating (in the Google toolbar on your browser.) use your key search terms on Google to make sure your site is visible. A Google rating of 4 or better is the minimum you should aim for.
* let others know about your web site - and again when you make your regular updates. E-mail a brief news mailing to former and potential clients with a link direct to your new work.
* create a links page and add links to photography sites you admire or find useful
Linking to the sites of other photographers whose work you admire, both in your own fields and other types of work provides a useful service to those visiting your site and also associates you with other good photography.
E-mail photographers you have linked to and suggest they may like to look at your site and possibly link back. Never suggest that your link depends on them making a link or make an offer that you will link to them if they link to you.
Use the Community
Take part in news groups, forums, mailing lists and groups on online image sharing services such as Flikr, making sure that your signature etc contains your site details.
As well as getting your work known, groups such as this (and also actual in the flesh groups) provide you with ideas, inspiration and feedback on your work, all vital to creative growth.
Recognise your worth
Review your list of charges and decide if you are charging enough for the quality and service you are providing. Check the web sites and price lists of other photographers in your area and field of work, and make sure your prices are generally similar to theirs. If you belong to a professional body, they may have some advice on pricing. Unless your prices are way above those of other photographers, you will seldom lose an opportunity on price. Work on the cheap and your clients won't value your work.
Like many photographers' I'm appalled at the low value placed on photographs by some of those offering royalty-free images - sometimes as little as a dollar a picture. So far I've kept all of my work on a rights-managed basis, but I know photographers who are adding to their income by selling work through online RF agencies. Mainly these are pictures that otherwise would be thrown out or deleted, but if you look at the big online sites there are some good RF images there.
I've read it suggested that it might even be worth putting a few good generic images on one of the fast-growing royalty free stock sites to get a little publicity. I'm not convinced, but although sites like iStockphoto may be a truly raw deal for photographers, they may get your name up on the screens of many designers - and perhaps lead to more valuable sales.
This rather goes against my biblical 4th resolution, 'The labourer is worthy of his hire'. I'm resolved never again to work with the publishers and other commercial users who want to use my work for free - pointing out what great publicity it will be for me to be in their book, magazine, leaflet, web site etc, or promising that it will lead to further work from them and others.
Believe me, it never does. Let's resolve to keep our charity for those that deserve it.
