Getting organzied, staying productive and doing it all on time!

Yesterday morning I posted on Facebook my praises for the Evernote app. I just discovered this app and absolutely in love with it. You can literally remember everything imaginable and have it in a nice little index. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already.

On a related side note, I was reading Luke Copping's blog this morning and he posted a link to a great read from Freelance Switch. This link is chock full of ways to stay organized, increase productivity, and time management.

Some great things to check out today....

I am trying to get myself in the habit of posting and writing new things every day. Supposedly it takes 21 days to create a new habit. So I am working on writing or posting some kind of new content everyday for the next twenty days so that this becomes the norm for me.

Today is one of those days that I will just share some great things I came across today.

First up is this great link that I came across thanks to Jay B at Public School. It features some great work by Ted Sabarese.

Next is this gem featuring the work of Elias Wessel. This guy's portfolio is stunning. I am not sure if I should be inspired or shaking in my boots.

I stumbled across this great mix of music via Luke Copping's blog. The mix is put together by 99% and is available as a stream or a download via iTunes. If you keep late hours while working on projects, this is the perfect mix of music for you.

And one more link to end today's post. This one is from the guys over at Permission to Suck. I will warn you that it may seem a little depressing at first, but I choose to see it as a way to explore how I can start focusing on the multiple ways I can add extra value to my clients needs and wants. If you have a couple minutes (read this as 20 minutes of spare time), you should definitely read this post and watch the accompanying video.

Why does Photography cost so much?

I have been working on a post in regards to the of good photography cost and dealing with educating our clients about it for a couple days now. This morning while reading and catching up on blogs I follow, I stumbled across this gem written by Marianne Drenthe. Its a great read and written in the context of a portrait photographer, but the principles and concepts still apply no matter what aspect of the industry you are involved in. So, I have temporarily put my own post about this topic on the back burner and have presented what I found for you in its entirety (and with permission even)here.

Accidents do happen.......

like this one on my personal vehicle this morning.

So, today we will talk about insurance I guess.

Do not skip this important step. Insuring yourself, any one you bring in for a shoot and your equipment is a necessity. It covers your butt if an accident were to occur. There are many choices out there as far as carriers go. This link will help you compare rates from different carriers. The good news is that these types of policies are a lot cheaper than one would expect. Call your agent that handles your vehicles and your homeowners policies. Find out if a general business policy suits your needs or if you need to look at also carrying an inland/marine policy.

These links should also help answer some questions and point you in the right direction:
Camera and Equipment Insurance
Business Insurance Primer for Photographers
Protecting Your Business with Insurance


The biggest suggestion I can offer in regards to insurance is make sure deductible is one that you can afford to pay in the event an accident does occur. And always go with replacement cost for all equipment.

Make Your Personal Projects Write Checks for You

I am a huge advocate for personal projects. I have been working on one for the past 5 years now that I am still unsure as to when it will be "complete"...if ever. I have a very long list of ideas for more personal projects i want to....and must explore. But I don't want to take on too many at one time and end up watering down the images. I am a firm believer that one should not overwhelm themselves with too many projects at one time.

And at the sake of sounding a bit silly, why don't you make that personal project you are working on into a paying job? It isn't as far fetched as it may sound. Many of the guys (and ladies) we look up to and respect got their start in a very similar way. They dove into their personal work and honed their skills and the craft. They produced consistent and solid images....just like you are doing. So, why not turn that project into something more....something that you will be able to market and pitch to a variety of potential clients?

A former instructor of mine, Sean Perry, was the one who put this concept and idea in my head. (Before I go to far along, don't forget to vote for Sean while you have time.....he is one of the finalist this year for the Hasselblad Masters.) Sean and I were going over some of the images on one of my drives and he kept asking me about what this image was for, who i shot it for, etc. When I told him they were mostly from personal projects and one off ideas, he just smiled at me. And then over the next 12 weeks he pumped my brain full of ideas and concepts that had never crossed my mind before.

What follows after the jump, is a mixture of his pure advice and some of my own advice and experience.

How to Make 2010 Work for You

Now that the holidays are finally over and the new year is upon us, its time to get back to business as usual. Wait. Maybe it should be business as "un-usual". 2009 was by far a less than typical year. The economy struggled, many business closed doors…..but at the same time, many businesses thrived and even new ones took firm root in the unstable soil of our economy. Makes you wonder what it was that these people did that made things work so well for them, doesn’t it? It got me thinking about what can I do to re-define my work and my business.

More after the jump