i find it interesting that since celebrating my one year anniversary of getting my D70, i’ve barely taken any photos.
i’ve complained about this before, both to the internet and live people, but i’m feeling really blocked creatively. i don’t feel like i’m seeing things in a unique or interesting way and i certainly don’t feel like i’m capable of conveying anything i might see with my camera. i look through the photos on flickr and i see all this stuff which is so amazing & beautiful & technical and i think a combination of “well, i can’t do that” and “it’s already been done, so why try to imitate”.
there’s an amazing opportunity coming up for me to share a table at a christmas craft fair at my dad’s social club. i could start testing the water to see if my photocards have any marketability. jeremy’s expressed keen interest in a series of holiday themed cards, but i don’t have any holiday themed photos to make them out of. while down in america, jen and mel suggested i go into the stores with holiday displays and photograph them for my cards. i totally balked. at all of it.
if i really want to try to make this, if not profitable, a cost-matching endeavour i really have to stop being so afraid of failure. if i don’t even try i can’t possibly succeed.
i can’t be shy about telling you all that i have a store at which you can order prints, cards, calendars with my photos on them. that i’ll put up any photo you like in whatever form you want from whichever site i have, you just have to tell me what you want.
selling myself is not my strong suit. maybe i need a shill.
Plan further out on seasonal items. During the holidays this year take tons of photos, and sit on them until about June. Then sort through them and start planning your holiday line. Between now and June, take other seasonal photos and schedule them.
And don’t be your own critic, except at the most basic level. Tell yourself that you are going to offer ten winter-themed items, and then just pick the ten best, even if you think they are all bad. Pick them anyway and let the public decide. Maybe they will only like one. Fine, for next year take more like that one. But get a broad selection on-line, and change it frequently.
The only certainty is that nothing will happen unless you start it.