Just Do It!


lay9eggs

Member
May 1, 2010
103
0
16
Well, I have decided to DO it (commercial photography). Here is my website.

www.almondstudio.com

Let me know what you think of my site. Suggestions are welcome. I will humbly accept critiques too.

Also, looking for photographers and graphic designers to collaborate. If you are interested, send an email to js@almondstudio.com. I will seriously look at how we can compliment each other.

Thank you for reading my post. Have a blessed weekend!

JS
 

Design is good n simple, but lacks one thing all other has, a portfolio. Or must we login to see?
 

a quick look... and here is my respond...

"Look at my details and Join me" but what are you "selling"?

Regards,

Hart
 

Hi Zane80, if pictures are what you meant by portfolio, you will find links in the Photographs page.

Hi Hart, Apologies, but I do not understand this, "Look at my details and Join me" but what are you "selling"? Kindly explain further.

Thanks for both your responses.

JS
 

Didn't see the small words earlier on the left. The photos are technically right but probably lacks the wow factor or maybe I dunno how to appreciate architecture and landscape photos. I am looking forward to the portrait session though.
 

I believe what Hart is trying to say that your website does not point to a good direction of your service or target audience.

it will be good to be a little more detail on what you are specialize in at first glance, as when i first go in, i am not clear of your services, until i go thru all the tabs in your website, in which most consumer will not do that during a quick look.

Hope i interpreted correctly.


best regards,
Aaron
 

Thanks Zane80 for your feedback.

Aaron, It is good to know how others conceive it. Will think hard about it. Many Thanks!

JS
 

You're more fine art than commercial photographer. Like the rest, I have no clear clue who your clients are supposed to be. Which market tier do you want to serve?
 

Foxtwo, you are right. I am trained in the fine-arts. Needs a little time to build a portfolio for commercial works. Gotta start somewhere.

Thanks for your feedback.

JS
 

Foxtwo, let's take it in opposite direction. From the photographs u see, what market sectment and positioning do you think I should take. Thanks for your kind suggestion.

JS
 

Put it simply, I don't know what are you "selling" or what you hope to sell....

This is one principle I like to work with is call 3 sec rule.

That mean you have to grab the viewer's attention by telling them what you do and you also better make sure they like that picture. Otherwise, they won't be interested and move on to the next website.

Sad but true.

Regards,

Hart
 

Foxtwo, let's take it in opposite direction. From the photographs u see, what market sectment and positioning do you think I should take. Thanks for your kind suggestion.

JS

You can't based on what you are capable of doing and pitch for more jobs if that is not something that you want to do.

It is a very typical example of selling a service before it's ready...

Sorry that I sound harsh but in reality, it will be even harsher...

You don't jump on it and "just do it" in terms of website, but you can "just do it" for the stuff of things that you want to do and build a website to sell that service when you are ready.

Regards,

Hart
 

Foxtwo, let's take it in opposite direction. From the photographs u see, what market sectment and positioning do you think I should take. Thanks for your kind suggestion.

JS

Based on the little I see and if your portraiture is in the same style, stick to Fine Arts photography, and your target client are those who don't mind spending for personal works or prints. I guess you can pitch your skills to publications or galleries wanting a bit more artistic interpretations of buildings or people but how often does that kind of deal happen per month/year.

Basic commercial photographers don't shoot like this because their basic clients do not require such images. Commercial clients need images to be functional ready for advertisement, illustrating clear cut services and presenting products clearly. Good grasp of concepts & technical skills are required for commercial photography, if you have pride & want to be one of the better photographers out there.

Unless you happen to know some people who want their portraits taken, fine art style, there's no ready client base for you to reach into. Your architecture photos, while artistically appealing, commercially unusable.

It's totally possible to take commercial photography to fine art heights, but that's usually a destination for reputable/renowned photographers who have earned the absolute trust of their clients. Or clients go to them specially for their skill set. Where to find such patrons for newbie photographers? You need some serious connections, or maybe you already have, I wouldn't know.
 

Sorry for responding late. It's hard to get a connection on Sunday.

Appreciate your comments and I respect them for the practicality. I have actually considered your points before. But rather than seeing myself as a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, I see what I do as an advantage. I have no doubt that I can do what the others are doing in commercial photography. Whether commercial or fine-art, photography is an expressive medium. Like you mentioned about doing portraits in the fine-art style, I really am not too keen on the broad market of making smiley portraits for clients, although I wouldn't completely avoid that. I prefer to record people as who they really are. Demand may be small or even nonexistent, but let's see how it goes. I wouldn't underestimate the customers' ability to appreciate a good portrait in a different approach. So, I think I will surrender the vanity market to the others who are already doing a fine job at it.

I believe the key is to be flexible without compromising on one's artistic values. We really are not technicians; we are photographers. And really, to me, if I fail, I fail. That's quite all right. It wouldn't be the end of the world for me.

As for the website, and like all websites or as in photography, it is a work in progress, the portfolios featured will inevitability change over time with the adjustment of the work type one does. Like I said earlier, gotta start somewhere. After listening to you guys, I thought about why I started to have a website. It isn't meant to sell anything. It is a corporate website with general info. Honestly, I do not expect to have a flood of visitors to my website. Clients do not seek you when you are starting out. You go to them. That leads to the sales & marketing of one's business approaches and that is another aspect of the business that we wouldn't discuss in the thread.

Thanks for all your feedback.

JS
 

I prefer to record people as who they really are. Demand may be small or even nonexistent, but let's see how it goes. I wouldn't underestimate the customers' ability to appreciate a good portrait in a different approach.

Good on you and if this is something you want to do, don't limit your thinking and there will always be people wanting something different from the norm. The key here is you need to find your "Audience" that like your style.

When I first started, I was challenge by majority of studio shooting children in a studio environment, not natural light outside... but that is one form of difference that I make in my work. So be different is always a good thing and it is a matter of finding your market or "audience".

One thing I feel is that, if you take it loosely and having "If I fail, I fail and that's quite all right" mentality, I am not sure how far you will go.

No matter what we say and what our opinions may be, you need to find tune to suit your need.

Just need to be a little more flexible in your thought process.

In business, there is no simple straight line to get to one point, so you think to stay positive, change things that don't wok and make it work. If you have this type of mentality, you will do fine.

Remember there isn't only 1 solution to each challenge that you will face.

Last but not least, don't compare your journey with someone else journey.

Regards,

Hart
 

Hart, well said!

Have a blessed day!

JS