Day 9

OK this was a day off.

I had a friend visiting from abroad and so I spent the day with him. Before he landed I did manage to get a photo ready and posted on the FB page and it was worth it as it had a huge following. Quite a generic image too rather that a travel story (Pembrokeshire Rocks).

So we really need to hot things up now and get this exhibition rolling. Need to have a print this week.

Reasons why it is important.

• Jersey job needs details of exhibitions
• I need to visit galleries to see how it is done
• All photographers should have exhibitions under their belt
• I need the experience so I can expand
• I need the experience for the workshops
• I need to do this to get more customers for landscapes, portraiture and workshops

Which reminds me of something else. I also need flyers for my other items AND I need to build a business model for each!

• Creative Portraiture
• Landscape shop
• Workshops

Best get cracking, seriously.

I also have a proposal for work in Africa and must follow it up. A workshops plan has started on Keep.

Day 8

OK so these aren't my books but I spotted them in a nearby
shop and they do look rather fantastic!

And from the tidy up the big sales started!
I set up a process to sell all the stuff on ebay. If it doesn't sell there then it goes to the charity shops, gumtree or the bin.

On this day I also added pop and tidied up some of the landscape photos. In this week I shall also print some of them ready for sale.
I need to realise that the print costs will be in excess of £40 and so sale price should really be above £100.

I need to maybe think about some smaller prints and postcards to go with them.

Day 7

This day was a big clear-up day.
Looking at the walls and stuff all around me, my working and creative environment, it was a mess, chaos and no space to move, think and imagine. So the big clear-out has begun, and it could take a few days. (Excuse the lack of posts, needs some focus as otherwise photography takes over again).

Crappy quality but that's not what documenting this 30DC is about. It has to be quick and dirty!

Day 6.1 update!

A quick update.
I wrote the last blog post in the cafe just as the meeting had happened.
After leaving I visited a nearby art shop and was entered into their up coming art contest to display my work.
Going to be busy printing next!

Day 6

The Wall, suitable for at least 3 big landscapes
or maybe a cluster

Today I visited a new Cafe. It is a new bright space and would be ideal to display photography.

I spoke with the owner that likes my work and would happily dedicate a whole wall to my work. They would also be happy to open up for an exhibition evening and also for workshops.

What is exciting is that the owner is also working with others in the area to make it the art district and seeking to promote this more so that the council will also go along with this. I've talked about the areas of Toronto that are similar and will come back to show photos of this. (I think I have some on facebook but need to get them together first).

Actions to move this along.
- Print (and frame) at least 3 images ready to sell
- work out a price to seel them at
- provide business cards to the site, plus a intro poster for the Facebook page.
- put Toronto photos in one folder
- Meet with Sarah (cafe owner) and show all of above

Day 5

A fun image entered to a quickdraw HONY competition
 from yesterday!

Today has been a hectic one. Spent more than the first half of the day out photographing dogs.
Challenging since it was low light, in dark woodland and some fast moving dogs!

Back to the plan here though...

1. Write to new lab and ask to do a sample print of my photo. 

The Lab replied but not very useful answers. I will give them a quick call to see what can be done.
I have now found out I can print my products at sample prices to show my customers what is available. This could be very very useful for exhibitions.

I need to prepare my large print ready and so am currently looking up more on how to produce a clean print to make sure I have covered everything. Print prices can be £100 and that is without a frame.

For today that is all as I need sleep but at least I'm back on this and still keeping up. :)

Day 4

One of the images that don't make the official site.
A couple more green lines and it could be worth millions! ;)

Good news, I got the subscription button working!

At the same time I realised I need a new website! Something to look into a little later, this one works for now. I will think of it as cosmetics, though must realise that is the most important element of my trade too!

So, how are we doing with the plan.
First, I have realised there are more steps to add, but the good news is I have started on them.

1. Write to new lab and ask to do a sample print of my photo. 
2. If step one is good prepare and print a large photo for home and exhibition use. Select a size that is most suitable for sales and also for exhibition (ie Large but affordable and profit margin effective).
   Then continue with plan as previous...
3. Start a basic TheImageFile trial
4. Set it up, use it, 
5. Change website theme to something better, consider full screen or galleries. Look at what other photographers have.
6. Buy a print myself from my own website to check the whole process works (adjust profit margin just for the few seconds I place the order!)
7. BIG LAUNCH!
   
   So we have completed step one of this plan and are waiting to hear back. During this time we can prepare the first large print image.
   
   Also for consideration: Halloween exhibition event?
   If so then plan and send invites NOW!

Day 3

Right.

Nothing to see here, glad we have satellite TV: WTF?!

I just spent hours trying to get an email subscription button into Wordpress and its bloody hard work. For a blog I would have though it was standard but appears a plugin is needed and some coding, plus a RSS feed account.

I did sort my Google Feedburner account up though so that should help a bit. It might be easier to just get a different theme or go straight for a TheImageFile account.

So what have I done? Well I looked into the code of other photo sites to see what they are using. I wasn't surprised to find they are also Wordpress sites and have been made using Photocrati, a theme designed for photographers. I have looked into this in the past. It is $89 and includes a built in webstore, BUT; it means organising all the prints myself. I prefer to let Loxely do that, I think.

So here is the plan I have devised based on the research today.

1. Start a basic TheImageFile trial
2. Set it up, use it, 
3. Change website theme to something better, consider full screen or galleries. Look at what other photographers have.
4. Buy a print myself, check that it can be sent to my address before the customers so I can check it.
5. Launch it.
   
   That will be it sorted so best get on with it!
   
   Feels like I'm not getting anywhere today but I must remember that these things take a while. Just got to keep on pushing and then it suddenly all works.

Day 2

Notice the big time gap between the posts?

Just need to find the key to reach the dream!
A river drain onto Broad Haven beach,
Pembrokeshire, Wales.

Well I've decided that is permissible if I am on the road and doing my job. I've been away capturing the beautiful scenery of Pembrokeshire Wales.

While on the road I do still do the 30DC in my head. Perhaps what is needed here is just a little structure. A plan. Nothing too restrictive though, need to keep it both creative and productive.

30DC plan:

1. Create aims and goal
2. Generate ideas around it
3. Incubate the best ideas
4. Work out the tasks to put the idea into practice.
5. Do the tasks
6. Achieve the goal!

Piece of cake!

Aims and goals:
These are done. See the link on the menu bar at the top.

Generate and incubate ideas:

So this is where we are right now with two different paths to consider and build on, on-line gallery and an Exhibition.

Exhibition Ideas

• Visit local galleries
• See what they exhibit
• Ask how their rates
• Ask how to go about presenting images to them
• Consider printing images to take or presenting on a tablet
• Create my own exhibition
• consider an afternoon/evening exhibition at a venue I have booked
• a local venue such as a library for a longer term exhibition
• In my own home: Make the whole house an exhibition and invite people around for the whole day and make the evening a wine function.

That last one, an "Exhibition in my own home" seems like a great way to get started and to trial the whole experience. I can also still visit the galleries for ideas before hand and prepare to display at them.

On-line Gallery/Shop

A study has been ongoing to explore the possibilities here. I feel it is not necessary to share those results as I already have whittled the possibilities down to one choice. This can possibly move into the task stage so I am going to list them.

Tasks

• Check the pricing and offering from The Image File
• Get discount code from Society
• Do some test prints through Loxley or other vendors from The Image file. These test prints can be used for the exhibition.
• Start a trial with The Image File and put images up. LAUNCH at this point; part of that trial is the buying process.

Seems we have enough to be getting on with for today.
I also just downloaded the Blogger app so if I can work on this from the road then I will add a post :)

Day 1

Day 1 1st September.

Purpose
The purpose of a 30 day challenge is to achieve a set goal in 30 days and do something towards it on each of the 30 days, even if just 10 minutes. A post will be made for each of the 30 days on the project.

It is likely that I will be travelling during this period, out capturing more scenery. Due to the nature of my work I may be taking short breaks during this 30 days where I cannot add to this project. Hopefully I will be able to plan around the breaks but I need to stay focused on other goals too!


The Goal
Create a photography exhibition.
This can be two different things, or both, but it must be at least one of them

• An on-line store that customers can purchase images from
• A physical exhibition in which people will visit

So this is day one. Today I set up this blog and will add a separate page on the website to show the purpose and goal.

Thank you for following along. Now its time to get on with it.