Help needed

[Scooby Drew]

So I am bored with my job and need something else to do.

:idea: I trained as a pro photographer so lets go and be a photographer :!:

As I live in the countryside I have been having horse riding lessons in an effort to assimilate myself into the local community :wink: Which has proved to be fun and have started going to show jumping and eventing etc. and as a matter of course take pics. I have seen a niche market as the standard of the official photographers is prety crap and uninspirational and feel that I can do better 8)

So the question is, what do I call my website? Cronos came up with 'Bigt*ts' (which I just ignored :lol: ) and 'DrewsViews' :thumbsup: which is the winner so far. Northwind said change your name either to Richard so you can have 'RichardsPitchars' or Yvonne for 'YvonnesYvents' :roll: Well I guess I did ask... :lol:

Worthwhile contributions on a postcard - everything else here...

[Ed]

Picture perfection

[Jabba]

Cronos came up with 'Bigt*ts' (which I just ignored :lol: )

Smallt*ts? :lol:

How about ScoobySnaps?

[Stingo]

Lammermuir lens?

Lauder lens?

Scooby through a lens?

focusscotland.com?


Hope this helps! :D

[keithd]

equineapsects.co.uk

[Scooby Drew]

How about ScoobySnaps?

Mertian came up with exactly the same suggestion, I just shy away from the word 'Snaps' for professional reasons :wink:

I thought that DrewsViews was ideal as it is short and memorable cos it rhymes: it will stick in peoples minds easier than something that, although more eloquent, would need more than just passing attention to remember.

I do like LauderLens though...

Keep em coming!

[Scooby Drew]

equineapsects.co.uk

Now I like that one...

[Blue Flame]

How about.....

Scoobys Scoops

or

Andy's Dandy Horse I-Candy

:lol:

[timwilky]

ponyporn
pornypony

Interesting, a friends brother trained as a photographer, work available to him was crap and he ended up doing a masters at St Andrews. Ended up teaching at some dodgy American University until his wife sprogged. He was last heard of trying to do "distance" teaching for them over t'net

We now have a theory that all photographers are in it for the sake of art and not the money. Especially "glamour"

[Scooby Drew]

Interesting, a friends brother trained as a photographer, work available to him was crap and he ended up doing a masters at St Andrews.

I ended up working for a bank :? I think this would just be a sideline to while away the hours until such time as it proves to be profitable/a pain in the ass :lol:

[Jester666]

Looking at your avatar I suggest

Mad Mutts Inc.

[northwind]

Andy's Dandy Horse I-Candy


You still on the painkillers? You will be soon if you don't watch it :)

[Lissa]

Horse Play

Dark Horse

Horses For Courses

[rpwoodman]

Err, what's your real name?

[northwind]

Drew, you monkey :)

[Cronos]

Cronos came up with 'Bigt*ts' (which I just ignored :lol: )

To be fair you did say it had to be memorable! :lol:

[Blue Flame]

Andy's Dandy Horse I-Candy


You still on the painkillers? You will be soon if you don't watch it :)

What's wrong with that. !! :oops: And yeah i'm still on the painkillers :wink:

[Beenz]

I guess you might want to think about a name a tad more generic. Certainly as you've trained for this and I guess that you can take cracking photo's of other things.

I'd suggest putting together a website and carry a portfolio with you at the different equine meetings. Hand out leaflets as well to the target purchasers. That should help as a starter. Remember the first few shots for the folio should be cheap and thats it. Make you prices clear.

Ultimately you shoot with a high end digital SLR, you may need a small gazeebo type thing (to keep your kit dry with a photo dye sub printer (water proof prints) and a good laptop to drive it. You'd probably want to borrow/hire/purchase a small gernerator as well) By this time you'll need an assistant. If you can deliver the prints by the end of the event you will sell some prints. It takes time to recover the costs though.

Tip: Word of mouth is a fantastic way to keep busy.

Another tip; Don't get too close to your possible clients, they will expect discounts, but be polite etc.

That's my bit!

Oh and good glamour is very difficult, sleeze is easy but there is little money in it. Leave that to the spotty ones.

[rpwoodman]

Drew, you monkey :)

Well, that's a fair comment, but I didn't know if that was a christian name or surname and so was looking for the other half, in case it rhymed with "Horse" or "Photography"... :-)

[Ed]

Tip: Word of mouth is a fantastic way to keep busy.

Wot he says. After a year of being self employed, most of my work comes through client recommendations or repeat business.

[Cronos]

Another tip; Don't get too close to your possible clients, they will expect discounts, but be polite etc.

You're having a laugh! He's only doing this so he can get up close with young ladies in tight jodhpurs and leather crops! :lol:

[Scooby Drew]

Another tip; Don't get too close to your possible clients, they will expect discounts, but be polite etc.

You're having a laugh! He's only doing this so he can get up close with young ladies in tight jodhpurs and leather crops! :lol:

Quite! Baggy jodhpurs are just not attractive :lol:

Seriously though, I am just getting into this going gradually. Get a website up with some pics and get my face known, give out some cards, get a t-shirt etc. Have just spent on getting a digital SLR as, although I prefer film and the quality of it, I cannot get the coverage I want with it due to the cost.

The laptop/printer option will have to come along later as I cannot finance it at the moment. In the new year when the season starts seems to be a good time to revisit that option. Over the winter I am going to busy myself with the pheasant shooting/deer hunting brigade as they normally have rich clients coming over from the States/Europe. A picture of them looking very manly with a bird or two would just make their experience of Scotland complete :wink: It will do wonders for tourism :lol:

The reason I like 'DrewsViews' is that it is generic cos I do pics of anything really (no 'picture *****' comments please :lol: ) and don't want to limit myself to one area. My main focus at the mo will be Eventing in Scotland as I see it as an area that can be exploited.

[Filipe M.]

Oi Drew, your website is so basic it won't even load! :lol:

[Scooby Drew]

erm, it wont load in South Africa either :oops:
I think it is taking time to update the DNS internationally.
U can access it here...

[Scooby Drew]

Been looking at templates, like this one (http://www.mytemplates.us/demo/06-02-2006/8856/With%20Flash/html/) and this one (http://www.mytemplates.us/demo/08-05-2006/9476/With%20flash/HTML/). With my own pics obviously.

[Filipe M.]

erm, it wont load in South Africa either :oops:
I think it is taking time to update the DNS internationally.
U can access it here...

It's now working here too :D Nice pics! :D