If we use the Top Travel Photo Ops destinations in Part I as examples of typical travel destinations, you can learn some specifics about what travel photos will sell. The first step, starting weeks or more in advance, is to do research. What are the best seasons to visit for weather and events? Possible to connect with any one there to help find a good guide or translator/driver if the situation requires? If you want your images to stand out, you are going to have to forgo shooting the backs of heads. The most desired images have released people, both tourists and residents, engaged with the camera. Refer back to this earlier blog for some good references.
A local person can help you the most to smooth those initial conversations to convince someone to let you take your pictures and get the releases signed. Use your connections. Sometimes there are even fewer than six degrees of separation from us all even when trying to find a contact on another continent. Tell everyone in your blogs or other networking sites where you are planning to travel. Ask everyone from your grandmother to the barista that fixes your morning java shot who they know in that place. You’d be surprised at the connections you might make.
Not only are trends in travel spots indicators, so are other social developments. Travel is all about green this year; consider how environmental sensitivity might impact destination photography in other ways. TripAdvisor’s annual travel survey was reported in the Travel Industry Wire: ‘Twenty-six percent of respondents said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions in the coming year. The green trend may be evident in their choice of transportation -- 22 percent said they'll go biking while on vacation this year, compared to 13 percent, last year. Forty-seven percent of travelers plan to go hiking this year, up from 43 percent, last year’. Include bikes and hikes in your shooting plans, for certain. (No more hikers/bikers shot from behind unless they are headed toward a great scenic.)
Using a Nicaraguan popular destination as an example: you’ll want to drive through sweeping rainforests and visit its famous surfer beaches. If you shoot from the beach, use a long lens or max zoom. A tiny surfer in the image isn’t going to say, “surfer” nor will it compete with stronger close-in images. When boards are in the shot, ensure that the trademarks and copyrighted art on the board are not visible or remove in post. Step up closer and if the lens can’t zoom in enough to capture the action and the emotion focus on something else.
Take shots as you pass through agricultural areas. Nicaragua’s main agricultural crops are coffee, cotton, sugar, and bananas. These type of images are useful in textbooks and for non-tourist related uses.
In Guatemala a ‘must photograph’ region is the Lake Atitlan area. Author Aldous Huxley famously described this lake as ‘the most beautiful lake in the world’. In the blue image of the lake here, we have the best of scenic destination images: a famous location, great mood and terrific composition with the isolated fisherman off center. On the shores of the lake is the Nature Reserve of San Buenaventura. The Reserve is committed to encouraging and preserving the vast biodiversity found there. There are butterfly and bird refuges on the site. With luck and planning you will get images of tourists in an important ecological tourism location and also document them observing colorful animals.
Now that globalization has imposed identical styles of clothing and kinds of food, across the world, handicrafts and indigenous art are gaining in popularity. Not only are displays of handmade goods icons of a culture, they often present colorful graphic displays. Visit the best markets for native handicrafts and steer clear of the real tourist traps. You will usually be able to determine which is which by asking around. Engage the people around you in conversation. Ask the waiter, the bus driver, the guy who rents bikes where they go to shop for fresh food. It may be a supermarket but you may instead discover an open air market off the beaten track. I always look for hardware stores. In fact the people in hardware stores seem to know where to find almost anything in my experience.
End of Part II. Next: why you should know how to shoot snow in Dubai and those promised travel photography references.
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tips. Show all posts
Friday, January 4, 2008
Photographing mosques in Cairo
I never realised how photogenic mosques are until I visited Cairo. In fact, I started my holiday thinking the pyramids would blow me away, while I was only fairly excited about visiting the mosques. My idea of photographing a mosque was snapping a minaret silhouetted against a deep orange sunset. As it turned out, the pyramids didn’t disappoint but the mosques far exceeded my wildest expectations.
I always lumped mosques in with churches from a photographic point-of-view – decent architectural subjects, which don’t particularly inspire from an aesthetic point of view unless there is an unusual cloud formation or a storm-darkened sky. From the moment I arrived at Ibn Tulun Mosque in Islamic Cairo, my opinion changed.
The most impressive aspect of this particular mosque (and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Cairo) is the spiral minaret. This is apparently a rare feature and was inspired by the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq. The mud-brick quality of many of the minarets in Cairo lends the architecture a timeless and authentic quality. The Ibn Tulun minaret reminded me of illustrations I’ve seen of the Tower of Babel, the way it winds upwards like a snail’s shell.
Climbing it was an adventure in itself, especially when I got to the highest viewpoint and found myself balancing on two short, wobbly planks. But I was so captivated by the sprawling views on every side that I didn’t care.
The courtyard of Ibn Tulun is also of photographic interest. It features arches, crenellations that represent soldiers and a massive dome or fountain in the centre. The interior features a lectern from where the calls to prayer are made and the sombre atmosphere of the mosque provides a refreshing contrast with the noise and chaos of the streets outside.
It’s no surprise this mosque is one of the largest and most important in Egypt.
Next I visited the famous Mohammed Ali Mosque in the Citadel complex of Cairo. Externally, this is a visual treat, and has, more than any other mosque, come to symbolise modern Cairo. It can be seen from many different viewpoints in the city (including Ibn Tulun’s minaret) and is usually one of the first sights many visitors see.
Locals call it the ‘alabaster mosque’ because of its beautiful silver domes, which gleam in the sun – when the city is not shrouded in smog. It is a fairly recent addition, though, having been built only in the 19th century.
Despite the number of schoolchildren milling around outside the mosque when I visited, it is a relatively peaceful place from which to watch the sun go down over the Sultan Hassan Mosque, which is situated outside the Citadel walls, and which I unfortunately did not get to visit.
Close up, Mohammed Ali Mosque is indeed impressive – I would not have been able to photograph it without a wide-angle lens (10-22mm). The interior is equally impressive but the ambience is altogether more tourist-orientated than Ibn Tulun, which marred the experience slightly.
Just before I left Cairo, my taxi driver suggested I visit the Mosque of Amr ibn al-Aas near Coptic (or Christian) Cairo. This is particularly special to Muslims because it was the first place of Islamic worship in Egypt and therefore the first mosque in Africa. Actually, the original mosque is no longer standing; the current one was rebuilt on the same site.
I visited early in the morning when the smog was thick in the air. I didn’t get my best photos here but the ‘religious atmosphere’ (if there is such a thing) was far stronger than in the previous two mosques. The Koran sits on many of the benches inside and there are other holy books in piles, emphasising the mosque’s importance as a place of learning.
I was pleased I got to visit all three mosques as they were each unique and provided a rounded overall view. And I did get that shot of a minaret silhouetted against the setting sun but it simply doesn’t tell the whole story of these mighty, magical edifices.
I always lumped mosques in with churches from a photographic point-of-view – decent architectural subjects, which don’t particularly inspire from an aesthetic point of view unless there is an unusual cloud formation or a storm-darkened sky. From the moment I arrived at Ibn Tulun Mosque in Islamic Cairo, my opinion changed.
The most impressive aspect of this particular mosque (and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Cairo) is the spiral minaret. This is apparently a rare feature and was inspired by the Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq. The mud-brick quality of many of the minarets in Cairo lends the architecture a timeless and authentic quality. The Ibn Tulun minaret reminded me of illustrations I’ve seen of the Tower of Babel, the way it winds upwards like a snail’s shell.
Climbing it was an adventure in itself, especially when I got to the highest viewpoint and found myself balancing on two short, wobbly planks. But I was so captivated by the sprawling views on every side that I didn’t care.
The courtyard of Ibn Tulun is also of photographic interest. It features arches, crenellations that represent soldiers and a massive dome or fountain in the centre. The interior features a lectern from where the calls to prayer are made and the sombre atmosphere of the mosque provides a refreshing contrast with the noise and chaos of the streets outside.
It’s no surprise this mosque is one of the largest and most important in Egypt.
Next I visited the famous Mohammed Ali Mosque in the Citadel complex of Cairo. Externally, this is a visual treat, and has, more than any other mosque, come to symbolise modern Cairo. It can be seen from many different viewpoints in the city (including Ibn Tulun’s minaret) and is usually one of the first sights many visitors see.
Locals call it the ‘alabaster mosque’ because of its beautiful silver domes, which gleam in the sun – when the city is not shrouded in smog. It is a fairly recent addition, though, having been built only in the 19th century.
Despite the number of schoolchildren milling around outside the mosque when I visited, it is a relatively peaceful place from which to watch the sun go down over the Sultan Hassan Mosque, which is situated outside the Citadel walls, and which I unfortunately did not get to visit.
Close up, Mohammed Ali Mosque is indeed impressive – I would not have been able to photograph it without a wide-angle lens (10-22mm). The interior is equally impressive but the ambience is altogether more tourist-orientated than Ibn Tulun, which marred the experience slightly.
Just before I left Cairo, my taxi driver suggested I visit the Mosque of Amr ibn al-Aas near Coptic (or Christian) Cairo. This is particularly special to Muslims because it was the first place of Islamic worship in Egypt and therefore the first mosque in Africa. Actually, the original mosque is no longer standing; the current one was rebuilt on the same site.
I visited early in the morning when the smog was thick in the air. I didn’t get my best photos here but the ‘religious atmosphere’ (if there is such a thing) was far stronger than in the previous two mosques. The Koran sits on many of the benches inside and there are other holy books in piles, emphasising the mosque’s importance as a place of learning.
I was pleased I got to visit all three mosques as they were each unique and provided a rounded overall view. And I did get that shot of a minaret silhouetted against the setting sun but it simply doesn’t tell the whole story of these mighty, magical edifices.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sell Photographs Online & Marketing Photographs
Selling your photographs is no different from selling anything else... it takes time and a lot of work. If you expect to become rich by selling your photographs, don't leave your first job just yet! Like any other type of selling, you are selling yourself as well as selling your photographs. And with the Internet, the selling of yourself becomes a little more difficult as you are not face to face with a potential buyer of your photographs. So, what do you do to level the playing field using the Internet?
The first thing you must do is to be able to create a Internet page including a photograph of yourself along with some text so the visitor can a least have some kind of knowledge who you are when email might be communicated back and forth. Your text should give a little background about yourself, who you are, how you think, what type of photography that you do and any other information that will help you become established in the mind of the visitor. The more a person knows about you, the better chance you will have to sell your photographs. A potential buyer has to establish a relationship with a photographer and if a buyer doesn't know what the photographer looks like or what really motivates the photographer, something is lost. The photographer is selling himself/herself as well as the photograph.
Always look good and be professional in the design of Your Gallery and the types of photographs that you are offering. Always think quality over quantity.
Try to include as much information as possible describing your photographs. Google and other search engines use the description to index your photographs even further in the searches. If a person searches for a specific photograph, yours might appear in the search.
What is your market? Who do you want to sell to? Are people living in the USA interested in photographs of the UK? If a visitor has not visited the UK, yet (and if many of your photographs are photographs of specific areas in the UK), the visitor might not be interested in purchasing any of your photographs. A visitor might purchase photographs from other photographers if they have been to a specific place or the photograph reminds them of a specific place. In other words, if the photograph is of a forest or a beach, it might look like a place a visitor has visited. If you are trying to sell to a broad market, you have to think about what the other market wants. If you only want to specialize in the UK, concentrate on just UK photographs. Then promote yourself within that market.
If you are talented, write some articles to promote your photography. If you are from the UK, write a few articles about photographing in the UK, hiking in the UK, what to see in the UK, tips about the UK. If a person is interested in reading about the UK, they certainly would be interested in seeing photography from the UK. And when they visit the UK, they might be interested in purchasing one of your photographs. Your article will be searched by the search engines and read by thousands of people.
The first thing you must do is to be able to create a Internet page including a photograph of yourself along with some text so the visitor can a least have some kind of knowledge who you are when email might be communicated back and forth. Your text should give a little background about yourself, who you are, how you think, what type of photography that you do and any other information that will help you become established in the mind of the visitor. The more a person knows about you, the better chance you will have to sell your photographs. A potential buyer has to establish a relationship with a photographer and if a buyer doesn't know what the photographer looks like or what really motivates the photographer, something is lost. The photographer is selling himself/herself as well as the photograph.Always look good and be professional in the design of Your Gallery and the types of photographs that you are offering. Always think quality over quantity.
Try to include as much information as possible describing your photographs. Google and other search engines use the description to index your photographs even further in the searches. If a person searches for a specific photograph, yours might appear in the search.
What is your market? Who do you want to sell to? Are people living in the USA interested in photographs of the UK? If a visitor has not visited the UK, yet (and if many of your photographs are photographs of specific areas in the UK), the visitor might not be interested in purchasing any of your photographs. A visitor might purchase photographs from other photographers if they have been to a specific place or the photograph reminds them of a specific place. In other words, if the photograph is of a forest or a beach, it might look like a place a visitor has visited. If you are trying to sell to a broad market, you have to think about what the other market wants. If you only want to specialize in the UK, concentrate on just UK photographs. Then promote yourself within that market.
If you are talented, write some articles to promote your photography. If you are from the UK, write a few articles about photographing in the UK, hiking in the UK, what to see in the UK, tips about the UK. If a person is interested in reading about the UK, they certainly would be interested in seeing photography from the UK. And when they visit the UK, they might be interested in purchasing one of your photographs. Your article will be searched by the search engines and read by thousands of people. Sell Your Photographs - Think Out Of The Box
Your town library is a good place to start showing your photographs. The library will give you great exposure, does not take a percentage of any of the photographs sold, is a non pressure environment and a good starting point for you.
The library will also promote the exhibit in the newspaper. I also approached our town nature center. They mailed an announcement of the exhibition to all their members. In return, I donated 25% of the sales of the photographs to the nature center. This gave potential buyers another reason to purchase a photograph. The nature center also promoted the exhibit on our local public TV.
Everyone at times, (including myself) has excuses why not to try different ideas and the underlying theme is usually failure. Once you decide that "Failure is not an option" and any failure that comes along is one step closer to success, you are on your way. If you are happy with photography as a hobby, then keep it that way... enjoy it for what it is and don't try to sell your photographs. No one needs any additional pressure on something that you enjoy. But there is one feeling that you will never experience and that is "Knowing that someone bought one of your photographs, took the time to frame it and hung it on their wall." And somewhere out there your photographs are being seen each day.
"If you don't try, you will never know... and when you do know, you will understand that feeling." You can't sit back and expect to be known without being creative and getting the word out about yourself.
After I had the photographs framed (cost about $220.00 including photographs and hangers), the investment was made. Any benefit that could be achieved after the investment was spent was a bonus and at the same time created a cost/benefit advantage over time.
Here is a plan for you:
1. Drive by the libraries and outdoor retail stores in your area to see if there is an area in the library/store that could display an exhibition of yours. Even if the place has never done something like this, they will appreciate a suggestion from you. My second exhibition was fortunately being displayed in the optics department in a outdoor retail store.
2. Frame your photographs with the same gallery frames. Do not mix frames. My photographs are 8"x10" and the frames are 16"x20".
3. Create a title for your exhibit (seen in the center of the photograph) along a bio with pricing. If you can, laminate the title and bio. The bio also includes the Outdoor Eyes website URL. I also created a little pocket made from cellophane that I placed my business cards in.
4. If you have other photographs to offer, create a little book of other photographs that customers can look through to purchase. I have a binder machine that creates a book, but you can go to Staples, Office Depot or any print shop and they will create a book for you with your pages for about $2.00. I printed all my additional photographs available on photo paper with 9 photos on a single page.
5. Do not sell the framed photographs off the wall. These are only to take orders from. The retailer will process the orders and also take a negotiated percentage of the sale. Usually the exhibit will run for a month. A library will only display your photographs. They will not sell your photographs.
6. If the retailer sells your photographs, then you can talk to the retailer about an additional length of time for your photographs to be displayed.
7. Search the Internet for all the newspapers and magazines in your area. Go to the calendar section and send a press release to the magazines and newspapers. This must be done at least 2-3 weeks prior to your exhibition.
8. Once you have one month booked for your exhibition, then you should look for your next month's exhibition.
9. The framed photographs are already paid for, so your out-of-pocket expense in only your time spent and a little gasoline. My last exhibition took a total of 2 hours to hang and drive to. You can continuously use the same photography book and the same framed photographs over and over again.
10. Take photographs of the exhibition so that you can show potential places what your exhibition will look like.
Good luck with your exhibitions.
The library will also promote the exhibit in the newspaper. I also approached our town nature center. They mailed an announcement of the exhibition to all their members. In return, I donated 25% of the sales of the photographs to the nature center. This gave potential buyers another reason to purchase a photograph. The nature center also promoted the exhibit on our local public TV.
Everyone at times, (including myself) has excuses why not to try different ideas and the underlying theme is usually failure. Once you decide that "Failure is not an option" and any failure that comes along is one step closer to success, you are on your way. If you are happy with photography as a hobby, then keep it that way... enjoy it for what it is and don't try to sell your photographs. No one needs any additional pressure on something that you enjoy. But there is one feeling that you will never experience and that is "Knowing that someone bought one of your photographs, took the time to frame it and hung it on their wall." And somewhere out there your photographs are being seen each day.
"If you don't try, you will never know... and when you do know, you will understand that feeling." You can't sit back and expect to be known without being creative and getting the word out about yourself.
After I had the photographs framed (cost about $220.00 including photographs and hangers), the investment was made. Any benefit that could be achieved after the investment was spent was a bonus and at the same time created a cost/benefit advantage over time.
Here is a plan for you:
1. Drive by the libraries and outdoor retail stores in your area to see if there is an area in the library/store that could display an exhibition of yours. Even if the place has never done something like this, they will appreciate a suggestion from you. My second exhibition was fortunately being displayed in the optics department in a outdoor retail store.
2. Frame your photographs with the same gallery frames. Do not mix frames. My photographs are 8"x10" and the frames are 16"x20".
3. Create a title for your exhibit (seen in the center of the photograph) along a bio with pricing. If you can, laminate the title and bio. The bio also includes the Outdoor Eyes website URL. I also created a little pocket made from cellophane that I placed my business cards in.
4. If you have other photographs to offer, create a little book of other photographs that customers can look through to purchase. I have a binder machine that creates a book, but you can go to Staples, Office Depot or any print shop and they will create a book for you with your pages for about $2.00. I printed all my additional photographs available on photo paper with 9 photos on a single page.
5. Do not sell the framed photographs off the wall. These are only to take orders from. The retailer will process the orders and also take a negotiated percentage of the sale. Usually the exhibit will run for a month. A library will only display your photographs. They will not sell your photographs.
6. If the retailer sells your photographs, then you can talk to the retailer about an additional length of time for your photographs to be displayed.
7. Search the Internet for all the newspapers and magazines in your area. Go to the calendar section and send a press release to the magazines and newspapers. This must be done at least 2-3 weeks prior to your exhibition.
8. Once you have one month booked for your exhibition, then you should look for your next month's exhibition.
9. The framed photographs are already paid for, so your out-of-pocket expense in only your time spent and a little gasoline. My last exhibition took a total of 2 hours to hang and drive to. You can continuously use the same photography book and the same framed photographs over and over again.
10. Take photographs of the exhibition so that you can show potential places what your exhibition will look like.
Good luck with your exhibitions.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
How To Get Stock-Quality Shots
If you look at the sort of shots that get printed in travel magazines and expensive coffee-table books, they tend to share similar attributes. Look for pictures that you admire and try to analyze why you like them. These are some of the features I like:
Include People
Magazines in particular always like people in the shot. It gives the viewer a human connection, a sense of being there, and a sense of scale. Photographs evoke emotion and empathy comes with someone's face. Avoid crowds and simplify the shot down to one person. The young and old are preferred subjects, with their innocent expressions and weather-worn faces respectively. People make your shots warm, friendly, and personable. Just like you are.
Simple, Clear Layout
A good shot focuses your attention on the subject by using a sparse background and a simple but interesting composition. Always remove clutter for the picture - this is a real skill. Like a musician, it's always difficult to make things look easy. Zoom in, get close, get to eye level, find a simple backdrop, look for balance.
Bold, Solid Colors
'Stock-quality' images make great use of color. Look for solid primary colors: bright 'sports-car' red, emerald green, lightning yellow, and ocean blue. Use a polarizer to bring out the colors. Avoid patterns - keep it simple. Bright afternoon sunlight will add warmth. Alternatively, look for 'color harmony' - scenes restricted to similar tones and colors, or even a single color. This presents a calm, restful image where the eye plays with the differing shades and intensities. Look for pastels, cream, or delicate shades.
Depth
Always include some pointer about depth. A photograph is two-dimensional but we want it to appear three-dimensional. If you're shooting a background (mountains) include a strong foreground (people). If you're shooting people (foreground), add an out-of-focus blur behind them (by using a wide aperture - small f-number).
Use a wide-angle lens for exaggerated depth. With a 20mm to 28mm lens, get just a few feet from your subject and, with a small aperture (large f-number), include an in-focus deep background too. This exaggerated hyperfocal perspective is used in a lot of magazine shots. What impact!
Alternatively you can remove all depth by using a long, telephoto lens. This compresses or compacts the image, making your 3-D subject appear flat.
Dramatic Lighting
Photographs that win competitions are often ones that make interesting use of light. Look out for beams of light shining through clouds, trees or windows, long shadows, and the effect of side- and backlighting. Shoot in the warm golden "magic hours" of early morning and late afternoon.
Preparation
"Chance favors the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur.
A great shot takes time. Scout out the area, make mental notes of important features, unusual and interesting angles, and changing crowd levels. Take time to prepare the shot. Get there before the best time of day, clean your lenses, set up a tripod or mini-tripod, add a cable release, try out different filters, wait for a good foreground, and talk with people who may be in the shot so that they're comfortable and will pose well.
Include People
Magazines in particular always like people in the shot. It gives the viewer a human connection, a sense of being there, and a sense of scale. Photographs evoke emotion and empathy comes with someone's face. Avoid crowds and simplify the shot down to one person. The young and old are preferred subjects, with their innocent expressions and weather-worn faces respectively. People make your shots warm, friendly, and personable. Just like you are.
Simple, Clear Layout
A good shot focuses your attention on the subject by using a sparse background and a simple but interesting composition. Always remove clutter for the picture - this is a real skill. Like a musician, it's always difficult to make things look easy. Zoom in, get close, get to eye level, find a simple backdrop, look for balance.
Bold, Solid Colors
'Stock-quality' images make great use of color. Look for solid primary colors: bright 'sports-car' red, emerald green, lightning yellow, and ocean blue. Use a polarizer to bring out the colors. Avoid patterns - keep it simple. Bright afternoon sunlight will add warmth. Alternatively, look for 'color harmony' - scenes restricted to similar tones and colors, or even a single color. This presents a calm, restful image where the eye plays with the differing shades and intensities. Look for pastels, cream, or delicate shades.
Depth
Always include some pointer about depth. A photograph is two-dimensional but we want it to appear three-dimensional. If you're shooting a background (mountains) include a strong foreground (people). If you're shooting people (foreground), add an out-of-focus blur behind them (by using a wide aperture - small f-number).
Use a wide-angle lens for exaggerated depth. With a 20mm to 28mm lens, get just a few feet from your subject and, with a small aperture (large f-number), include an in-focus deep background too. This exaggerated hyperfocal perspective is used in a lot of magazine shots. What impact!
Alternatively you can remove all depth by using a long, telephoto lens. This compresses or compacts the image, making your 3-D subject appear flat.
Dramatic Lighting
Photographs that win competitions are often ones that make interesting use of light. Look out for beams of light shining through clouds, trees or windows, long shadows, and the effect of side- and backlighting. Shoot in the warm golden "magic hours" of early morning and late afternoon.
Preparation
"Chance favors the prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur.
A great shot takes time. Scout out the area, make mental notes of important features, unusual and interesting angles, and changing crowd levels. Take time to prepare the shot. Get there before the best time of day, clean your lenses, set up a tripod or mini-tripod, add a cable release, try out different filters, wait for a good foreground, and talk with people who may be in the shot so that they're comfortable and will pose well.
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