Selling my photography via the internet

It's amazing all of the options out there for an artist to market him/herself over the internet.  I have been weighing many options and experimenting with all of the free trial periods on the do it yourself web design sites.  However, the one area they all fall short on is e-commerce, the ability to select a photo of mine that you like and purchase it via the internet.  I was looking into having a webpage created for me with the shopping cart option but the only drawback is that I would've been responsible for all of the print jobs and shipping.  I was hesitant on going with a site that used such services as snapfish and shutterfly for printing because they aren't considered professional quality print jobs.  CVS and Walgreen prints are great for the family to pass around at get togethers but to actually hang it in your house or frame it for the office is a different story. 

So after much research and some help from friends that are in the same situation I am ready to try Smug Mug for a year.  I know, why would they create that name because it's not very catchy and kind of rubs me the wrong way.  However, they have a great website for photographers who want to sell their work while staying out of the financial and printing end of things.  This allows me to focus on the artistic side of things rather than the business aspect of it all.  They have researched many printing companies and have selected one that creates a high quality image and more importantly they package the photos with care so they are received without any creases or bent corners. 

For those of you who are interested in this site for your own work or to just see what they are all about I am pasting a link to their site below.  I will create my webpage via their site once I get my new camera, the D7000 if you want to look it up.  I will be sure to let everyone know when I launch my page because you will be able to buy my artistic work or photos from past races that you participated in.  If you want to buy anything now just let me know because in the mean time I have a friend who works for a photography studio that produces amazing prints that I can have done within a few days for local pick up or shipping.  I appreciate all of the support whether it is just reading my blog or buying some of my work because it is all helping me reach my first goal of buying new gear and ultimately making a professional name for myself so thank you.
http://www.smugmug.com/

Walking with blinders on

In preparation for the transition into a more aggressive attempt to market myself I sold most of my entry level Nikon photography gear.  All of the photos you see me posting now were taken with a Nikon D60, this is considered an entry level low end DSLR camera.  It is true that the camera doesn't make the person but unfortunately in the world of photography in order to make money you need to sell yourself.  Just as you would do for any other job you want to look your best but in this case you want to shoot the best.  Cameras have come a long ways and I am currently waiting for Nikon to release the latest in technology in mid October.  The model I am waiting for is the D7000, it is 1 step above the entry level professional grade camera but packs a big punch since it will be incorporating all new technology that surpasses past higher grade gear.

This brings me back to the title, walking with blinders on.  I caught myself numerous times this weekend wishing I had a camera to capture something that caught my eye.  It's going to be a long month without a camera, it would be like taking a paint brush from a painter, the pic from a guitarist or music from a dancer, all tools we use to create art for others to enjoy.

I will be posting photos over the next month though, all of which are from an extensive archive of photos.  Just to give you an idea of how much I love taking photos I will share the shutter count on the camera I just sold, 25,000.  This is how many photos I took in just over a year, luckily the new camera I am looking at has a guaranteed shutter life of 150,000 clicks.  Below I am going to share one of the first photos I took with my first DSLR, confirmation that I was on the road to something amazing.  Thank you for allowing me to share something I truly love, may my photography create feelings within you as well.

Getting over my fears as a Photographer

It's amazing how internal fear can keep one from achieving true success.  I never would've thought I would be the only one standing in the way of my own success as an artist because inside of me I know I am an artist.  One would think hearing that from all of their peers would be evidence enough but until you finally step back and give yourself a gut check one can never escape their own virtual prison.

So today my words express the rebirth of an artist, the artist that once knew he was different from all of the other kids in school through the use of his hands.  It's amazing what hands can create though, not just art but they can create everything from peace to war.  However, my hands were meant to create art and tonight that journey that was once envisioned by a young child without limits is being set into motion once and for all for the world to enjoy but most importantly for me to experience the joy it brings me.

The attached photo I think best expresses this rebirth, please join me on my adventure to living out the dream I started as child but suppressed as an adult who once lived in fear of being an artist.