Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

No one style on any product will satisfy everyone. Be true to your personal style, make it your own ninche. From that you should turn out a beautiful finished product. If you try to change your black and white style to meet a specific market, your comfort level may decrease and doubts may set in. In the process you may loose that edge that you feel strongly about. I love black and whites myself. Good luck to you.

As with any type of art, the first and foremost thing you must have in order to intelligently atempt a full-time status is EXPOSURE.

I am an artist myself. Many of my paintings have sold and my digital art for branding/merchandising, etc. has been met with great praise. I made a living out of my art by getting as much exposure as possible.

I could go on for hours about this but I will keep it brief. (feel free to email me for more discussion).

1. I would contact local libraries, hospitals, malls, galleries, and museums to inquire about setting up small exhibit(s) of your work. You can even try ritzy night clubs, jazz bars, restaurants, country clubs. Don't be to "good" for flea markets either. You never know who will like your art. Poor folks enjoy Picasso and Ansel Adams too!

2. Build a website with your portfolio for all to see. Join as many online groups as you can (myspace.com, google groups, etc.) and always link to your site.

3. Network with other photographers. Join online groups, local clubs, committees, etc. Get out there. Ask questions. Show your work to everyone. Leave sample prints everywhere (with contact info).

4. Get a booth at EVERY art festival in the 3-5 surrounding states. There are ALWAYS art shows and festivals going on - especially during the summer.

5. Launch an ebay campaign. You can get a fairly good idea about the how people value your photos from ebay. You have to keep it up and hang in there, but ebay is a great testing ground.

6. Never give up.

...and this is just the beginning. Once you establish yourself within the community, a lot of the "what ifs" will be answered. Then you can start fine-tuning your business plan, discovering and focusing on what sets you apart from the others, etc.

It can be done. You just have to want it bad enough. Don't let the know-it-all friend(s)/family in your life tell you what will happen. Don't let ANYONE except your demographics (potential and existing customers/clients) tell you what is "dated", "out", "not cool" or whatever. The only way to know is to try. There is no crystal ball.

I can advise you on everything mentioned and more if you wish to learn.

Good Luck and Good Times!

--Blaine Wilkerson
Jett Enterprises

Mal -
Something to think about, if you're really serious about this ... is that you do need to put a plan in place that will allow you to grow to do color/digital photography as well. Not necessarily right now, but I believe it will help you get to where you want to go.

One thing I've learned (sort of the hard way), being a partner in a small business, you always have to grow, grow, grow, learn, learn, learn as much as you can for as long as you can. And it does TOTALLY pay off. It is worth the effort. Black and white can be your specialty, your niche, but I believe you will be cutting yourself short if you do not expand to include color photography, and digital photography as well. Think of this ... there are many computers now a days, but people still buy typewriters (just not as many, of course, as computers). But how many people would open up a new typewriter store in this day and age and expect to make a living? Probably not many. By growing to allow for these other types of photography, you are giving yourself a greater chance to be more successful.

What are your goals? Do you want this to be your sole source of income or do you plan to do this as a hobby or to supplement your income?

If you want to make this a sole source someday, my advice would be to create your business plan, and pay special attention to your goals and objectives. By really taking the time to put your dreams into action steps (your goals and objectives — my favorite part of the business plan process), you can use your goals and objectives to build a marketing plan that will allow for you to do what you do best while you are continuing to learn and grow. ...

I do wish you well. It is always great to hear when someone is passionate about something, and has a chance to make a living doing their hobby. There are too many people in this world that feel like their job is just a job, and not their life. I'm a firm believer that my job is a huge part of my life, and will never be "just a job" ... I want to give myself every chance I can to be successful and to be just as happy in my work as I am in the rest of my life.

Best wishes, I hope you get there!!!

Jennifer
XPRT Creative