San Diego Beer Week has grown to be one of my favorite events to shoot. Last year I had the privilege of shooting this event, and this year proved to be even more fun. Beer, brats, bread, and burgers filled the day at Torrey Pines Lodge, San Diego. The capstone event featured all the best…
Yesterday I posted about the most common ways to get yourself de-friended or un-followed. I think I’ll probably risk that with this post today, but I’m confident that if you read what I have to say, you’ll not only agree with me – but have an in-depth understanding of your own decisions regarding involving your…
[...] a big presence of new photographers in the industry already offering workshops, and this leads to a lack of respect from their peers for trying to cash in on “talking the talk” without actually “walking the [...]January 6, 2012 – 2:50 pm
I actually do the opposite. Can I say this? That when a fellow church goer begins to do the wedding inquiry shimmy I shy away. Why? – Because their wedding will probably be LAME.
Sorry – I live in a very rural area in the Bible belt. Just saying.January 2, 2012 – 1:29 pm
Tim! Soooo interesting! I watched Jasmine star on CL, and kinda thought I heard you ask a question about how she dealt with “religion”… and I remember thinking that this would be so interesting to hear her talk about. But being that I’m in Australia and it was late, kinda fell asleep.
Fascinating. Fascinating. I once had clients book me out of the phone book without seeing any of my work. They were very happy with the results, and were going to book me again for a naming day, until afterwards, when they saw my blog – and said they were uncomfortable with my religious beliefs…
I still don’t know whether this is a good or a bad thing!
Anyway, completely interesting. Thanks for briging it up!December 27, 2011 – 7:28 pm
I am not a religious person (raised Jewish but haven’t followed in ages – there’s something I believe in, but not sure how to explain it) but I see SO MANY people who are photographers and post about their religion and it always struck me as surprising that there seemed to be so many religious ones. l figured it was a strange coincidence and now I wonder if you are right and it is sometimes done as a way to get more jobs. If so, that’s wack.December 27, 2011 – 10:20 am
I love that you harped on this topic. I like to play it safe and keep religion completely out of it, but I do always wonder if the more ‘religious’ talking photographers were being genuine or not…December 27, 2011 – 9:26 am
Well said, well handled. I totally agree.December 26, 2011 – 3:02 am
Hmm, never really thought about Jesus in terms of marketing. That is, until now! Interesting post, and although you make good points, it would be hard to judge who in the industry is being “faithful” in a genuine way. I myself am a devout Christian and don’t particularly choose to post status updates or tweets (I still don’t get twitter) in hopes of clients seeing them. I agree with you, it’s not something to just be put out there on the internet for all to see, it is truly something personal you should really think about and reflect upon. Thanks for the great write-up Tim, looking forward to reading more of your posts.December 26, 2011 – 12:46 am
I agree with this… which is why I chose to leave God off my about page. Am I a Christian? Yes. Do I want someone to hire me because of that? No. I want someone to hire me because of my work. There are some photographers who blog about God all the time or have their faith on their about page, and do it well. But it’s so them, you wouldn’t even think that they wouldn’t be talking about it. It’s part of the image they developed, but in most cases, I agree, it seems to be more of a selling point.December 25, 2011 – 8:10 pm
I have been thinking the same thing for a long time now!! Seriously! There are definitely some photographers that ‘exploit’ there faith and have shady habits. As in, not delivering albums, flaking on appointments, and just shady communication. Great post! Took the words right out of my mouth! Probably wrote it better than I would have though, loved the 50 cent analogy hahaDecember 25, 2011 – 5:50 pm
Preach on Tim!! The Tebow hahaDecember 25, 2011 – 1:23 pm
Nice Jesus pic at the end, Tim. Merry Christmas and I hope I get to see you while you’re in town!December 25, 2011 – 7:43 am
While it is a tough process to build that stack of followers to your blog, fan page, twitter, or even personal facebook page – I think there’s a lack of concentration on providing VALUE to that fan-base to reward them for taking the time to subscribe to you. Today I’m going to talk about the…
[...] Unprofessionalism online – If you’re doing any of the things listed in #1 on this post, I’m probably not going to refer you. But that’s just me. Others might be [...]March 19, 2013 – 3:33 pm
I forgot one when we were talking about it last night, but some of these comments reminded me of it: bad punctuation, spelling, or grammar. It’s unprofessional and makes you look uneducated. “Woe is I” and “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” are good books if you need a refresher.December 25, 2011 – 10:55 am
[...] 6 Quick ways to get yourself unfriended & unfollowed – and how you can avoid them! [...]December 25, 2011 – 5:28 am
Well said. You’re an expert photographer and social media strategist! :)
Cheers,
LeeDecember 24, 2011 – 8:51 pm
@Sarah – I’m so glad you made that comment! That’s exactly what I’m talking about!
@Tara – feat of strength challenge going towards Michael.
@Erin & Ashley – totally agree, I think 2-3 per week is optimum. Read a post the other day from a photographer saying her traffic doubled when she quit posting everyday and just twice or three times per week. I’ll also suggest that losing some followers may be due to both of your recent moves, and if not – consider it just the people that are never going to buy in the first place! I feel like those are the last kind of followers I should be paying attention to.
@Ashley, couldn’t agree more. I think it does a great job at aligning those with the same personalities as yourself. Maybe this week’s recent news might prove to be a direct result of that sort of thing? ;) But yeah, you might hate me for tomorrow’s post – just be forewarned!December 24, 2011 – 6:19 pm
I must say that there is a photographer whose work I think is great and before I knew too much about him and before I really followed him closely, I thought he was the coolest thing in the world….and then I saw all of his political, social and religious side and found myself losing interest just because he seems so extreme. I still think he is a great photographer and I definitely welcome someone who is different than me, but some of his views and outside voice thoughts really irk me to no end….December 24, 2011 – 4:06 pm
It’s Festivus for the rest of us! Feat of strength challenge it is! Some Festivus celebrations have adopted thumb wrestling as a suitable and safe feat of strength so pick an opponent and report back.December 24, 2011 – 2:55 pm
I thought I was for sure loosing folks too, but I’ve actually had a consistent followIng. But I’m so sick of myself. Feel like during the week is good if you’ve got a lot going on but a few times a week if you’re. It as busy. Don’t want to dilute content do its good to struck a balance that works best for you. And totally avoid those topics, yes, but Im going to talk about things that are supper important to me (like religion) to connect and repel! I’m not gonna preach, but I don’t want someone to feel uncomfortable arounde because of my religion or vice versa. And I just posted about gay marriage myself. POLITiCS!!!! I have clear opinions about it and don’t really care what other people think (all for it, duh) but didn’t need to get TOO political in my post because it wasn’t necessary. I just wanted to put it out there that I am excited for equality and to photograph the unions! But also don’t want Westboro church bangin down my door, so I avoided getting elaborate. It’s important to share your opinions and beliefs though, I think. There’s such a thing as TOO P.C.! People want to know what makes you tick!
Ps: I agree with Erin, your content is very well thought out and researched and you always push me. I appreciate that. I willlll say, you got on ME and wanted more “content”, but I think YOU should post a few posts that are personal. Show us Tim who isn’t all business! (it’s just in your blood, I know!!!). XoDecember 24, 2011 – 2:23 pm
This is a really interesting post. I’m positive I’ve been losing followers during this blog challenge (I don’t blame them, I’m kind of sick of myself), but I can tell I’m also strengthening my connection with my “core believers” in the process. I think that 2-3 days a week of quality content and a day or two of posts just for fun, is ideal. But consistency is key, regardless of what that number or schedule looks like. Just like anything else, people want to know what to expect from us. Our “fan” base is no different.
Happy holidays to you and your family!! I really appreciate all the time and thought you are putting into your posts. You are inspiring me to push harder and reach higher even though it can be, at times, a painful process. Thank you!!December 24, 2011 – 1:21 pm
When Maria first brought up the idea of the trip to Russia to me, I completely dismissed it. Russia? Me? Not anytime soon. (Or so I thought.) I’ve always had Russia on my bucketlist, but for some reason I’ve always considered it to be something I would do a few years down the line. I…
[...] recently did a blog post on how important it is to have a fellow photographer who you can trust with your clients and [...]January 7, 2012 – 7:58 am
Great post Tim. I’m loving that quote “Happy people never look at their watch” :) I’ll have to remember that one.December 30, 2011 – 10:19 am
Tim!
What an amazing post!
I was in Russia in 2007. And it was a shock for me too, but pleasant one. Everything was different comparing with Europe, but at the same time there are a lot of things in common.
I adore St. Petersburg and its bohemian, full of history places.
Moscow impressed with Red Square (I really loved!), Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Bolshoi Theater, Novodevichy Monastery… history was written in these places.
I would go one more time to Russia …only for food probably. It is really delicious and unique! And of course, bread bear! :)
It’s huge country and undoubtedly there are so many places to see and new things to experience.
Thanks a lot for sharing! Wish you new interesting trips!
:)December 27, 2011 – 1:06 am
Tim, be my BFF and let me in on your secrets of photography, posing and post-prod and I will be happy fo’eva. Awesome as always!December 23, 2011 – 2:49 pm
Nice photos as always Tim! Great post that obviously took a good amount of time to write. Awesome to read about that couchsurfer web developer. Sounds right up my alley!
Now I REALLY want to go to Russia.December 23, 2011 – 1:37 pm
Man I want to have a photo walk with you!! Come to Austin, Tx bro. Those menus were insane and that dude unibrow was CRAZY!!!!!! And Masha………….. nice photosDecember 23, 2011 – 1:02 pm
This past August, I decided to go on a trip to “the big red” with my friend & fellow photographer Masha Maltsava. While I was originally going to try to make one post showcasing the trip – there was no possible way to include everything I wanted to share. So with today’s post, I’d like…
[...] Photowalk: Russia [...]December 31, 2011 – 4:19 am
I can’t pick a favorite, they are all so beautiful. You images have a way of making you feel like you are right there. So awesome. Thanks for sharing.December 22, 2011 – 4:30 pm
that shot of the strands of beads…need it on my wall HUGE! I’m also a fan of Matryoshka dolls so it is cool to seem them from your perspective. I really love these world according to Tim posts…it’s hard not to get the travel bug when looking at your work!!!December 22, 2011 – 3:43 pm
This is what I’m talking about broham!!! Sweet skillsDecember 22, 2011 – 3:29 pm
@tracey – mostly my 17-35 and 50mm, both by canonDecember 22, 2011 – 2:19 pm
What lens did you use for these pics?December 22, 2011 – 2:02 pm
Great, great pictures, Tim… Looks like it was a great trip… :)December 22, 2011 – 1:32 pm
Love the horse picture Tim!December 22, 2011 – 12:33 pm
Rick - Your pics encapsulate everything that’s awesome with San Diego. Well done.January 13, 2012 – 8:23 am
Justin Douglas - The picture of the 3 guys throwing up the drink is EPICDecember 26, 2011 – 1:54 pm