Maintaining the accuracy of your data when claiming expenses for your photography business is very important if you don’t want to get snagged into something unpleasant with the authorities.  You’ll find yourself in hot water if you claim the wrong expenses because of your bad record keeping.  To avoid this, you need to have a solid system for storing and reporting the money you spent on your equipments, supplies, and other expenses.

To keep your finances and its records in order, you need to have a tax resale number and a system for saving and recording all of your expenses.  For the latter, you should have a 12-column account pad or you can use a special software to do and keep your records.  Aside from these, there are also other things that you may want to consider doing to ensure that the expenses you claimed for your photography business are correct:

What of your business-related expenses can qualify for tax breaks?  There are certain business-related expenses that can qualify for tax breaks so you need to be aware of them.  Usually for photography businesses, the list would include cameras, studio lighting systems, lenses, paper sweeps and other kinds of backdrops, light meters, dark room equipments, films, props, backup systems, and batteries.  Find out also the other expenses that can give you a write-off.  You just need to have all the pertinent receipts ready for the tax bureau.

Keep tabs on your business-related expenses.  You would need to establish a system of recording all your business-related expenses for you to be able to keep tabs on them effectively.  You can choose using the traditional 12-column accounting pad or you can use a special software to do the capturing, factoring and tallying of your list of expenses.  Your option would depend largely on what you are comfortable in using.  More and more photography businesses are using software like Quicken or QuickBooks nowadays to make things easier.  Using MS Excel can also help.

Not everything is deductible as far as the tax bureau is concerned.  Thinking that everything in line with your photo business is deductible can make you make some errors when claiming expenses.  One good example here is travel where you would need to prove that the travel expenses you accrued are legitimate.  If your client requires you to travel to certain location and you happened to need to buy film or rent a car or eat lunch on location, keep all the receipts to verify every cent you spent.  To simplify things when verifying claimed purchases and other expenses, bundle your travel receipts with your client’s invoice.

What about retainers for pre-booked jobs?  For pre-booked photo shoots, most photography businesses ask for a retainer from clients.  This is quite a common practice and there are certain questions that usually arise about when to claim the said retainer regarding a photography business’ tax account.  For instance,  it is not unusual for a photographer to receive a check, for example, in December as a down payment for a photo shoot that is scheduled for next summer.  Just include it in your accounts of  income in that year.  When you claim the deposit, claim it in the year it was given.

Trust tax professionals for photography equipment depreciation matters.  When computing for your photography equipments’ depreciation, more often than not, it is better to let a professional handle this task.  When computing the depreciation of certain photography equipment used in photography businesses like strobes, cameras, meters, and other sophisticated equipment, you would need to calculate it with the use of complex depreciation tables.  The law or the regulations here are constantly changing but tax professionals are well aware of these changes and they can do the job a lot more accurately.  If you do it yourself and you are using old depreciation tables, there is a big possibility that your tax write-off will be less than what you are entitled to receive.

Keeping track of your business mileage.  Tracking correctly your business mileage can be quite tricky so it is very important to keep a detailed and accurate mileage log.  Before you start calculating your driving expenses, visit first your tax bureau website or visit their nearest office to get the current rate.  If you have a vehicle used exclusively for your photography business, the expenses that you incur for its maintenance, upkeep, and depreciation can usually be written off on your business return.

More often than not, photographers who take the per mile reduction instead of writing off oil, gas, and the rest fare better.  A photographer who travels at an average of 15000 miles a year and uses the per mile calculation gets a bigger tax break than business owners who itemizes car upkeep costs.

Accounting for reimbursed expenses.  If you don’t want to be caught inflating your write-offs, always account for your reimbursed expenses.  Many photographers and photography businesses usually receive reimbursements for lodging, mileage, food, and travel expenses that they incur while on a photography job.  To help you separate these from the fees that you received from your client, bill it out in a separate invoice.  If you have already billed your client and have already been paid for travel, you can not reclaim it as your expense because you can not ask for reimbursement for the same expenses twice. There’s a little more on this in basic format in my eBook about how to start a photography business.

Take into consideration state and local taxation.  With due consideration with the state and local taxation laws, you can clearly know where your photography business fits.  You should also know whether your state or locality requires you to collect sales tax on a full contract amount or if only expenses outside the actual photo shoots should be considered for such.  Your kind or line of photography also matters when doing your taxes.  If you are doing  wedding photography, for example, find out whether the purchase and resale of the albums, where photos and proofs are part of the wedding package, are subject to state taxes or not.  You should be vigilant and track such expenses accurately.

Keeping tabs on the various money and tax matters of your photography business requires patience and attention to details.  To be able to keep an accurate and updated record of your business expenses, be sure to note every expenses as soon as they are incurred and keep all the receipts.  Organize your files so that you can easily find what you are looking for when you need them.  If you can not do it, find someone who can do it for you.  By keeping a detailed record of all the money matters in your photography business, not only will you find it easier to do your taxes, you will also have a clear idea of the financial status of your business.

Like anything related to tax, things change so always clarify these points with your accountant.

..hope that will be of some help to you,

Roy Barker

With the advent of the internet age, cyberspace became an important realm that many kinds of businesses play in.  More and more people are getting online every day.  Consequently, more and more businesses are putting up their company websites not only to create awareness for their business and to advertise but also do business.  These businesses want to tap the opportunities that internet technology is making available to them.

In the field of photography business, having your very own business photography website is one great way of promoting your photography business to billions of Netizens all over the world.  A business photography website is also a must if you want to be known and to be able to allow your clients and potential clients to see your portfolio readily.

Customers looking for a photographer to hire for their special occasions would usually compare the work or portfolio of different photographers before making a decision.  Many photographers are now posting a portfolio of their work online as there are many sites that allow them to do this.  Having your portfolio online and ready for browsing for anybody sure beats going around and showing prospective clients your portfolio.

If you want to bring your photography business to a wider audience and would want to keep up with the challenges of the times, it is high time you have your business’ photography website.  Having your own business photography website will allow you to reach out the biggest number of people online as possible.  It can also help you build your brand and your business while creating widespread awareness about it  at the same time.

Creating a website is not that easy especially for newbies.  However, with basic knowledge and a little creativity, the task may not be that daunting after all.  For those who want to create their own business photography website, here is your step-by-step guide in creating your business photography website:

Step One: Have A Domain Name.  You would need to choose and register for a domain name for your photography business website.  You can use your own name or your business name as your website’s domain name.  Your domain name is your website’s address that is needed to be typed into the web browser for people to reach your website.

You need to register your chosen domain name with a domain registrar.  You would need to prepare as little as $1 annual fee to over $14 a year for this.

Step Two: Get Web Hosting.  You would need to purchase hosting for your website.  A web host is an owner of multiple web servers used to maintain the content of your website and your website’s traffic.  There are some free web hosting services available but they have a lot of limitations.  Paid web hosting services, on the other hand, can cost you around $3 to more than $100 monthly.

You may want to sign up for a cheaper web hosting service at first while you are just testing the waters.  After all, you can always upgrade your account if you want more space for your web content.

Step Three: Upload Your Online Portfolio.  Post your portfolio online.  Bring together your best photographs and upload them to your website.  If you are not sure what to include in your online portfolio, ask your family and friends to help you out.  You can also ask for advice from other photography professionals you trust about this matter.

Remember to keep your portfolio versatile.  Your chosen photographs must appeal to a wide range of audience and to people of different lifestyles.  Your prospective clients will be, more often than not, coming from all walks of life and they usually want to see images that they can relate to.

Step Four:  Write Your Web Content.  What is a website without content?  The search for information is what drives people to cyberspace.  How will people know what you do and what your website is for without web content?

Content is very important not only in giving information about your business but also if you want search engines to find your website.  You would also need high quality content if you want to be ranked by search engines.  The higher your page rank, the higher the possibility of your potential clients finding you.

Some important web content you should not omit are your welcome message and relevant information about your photography business.  Your content will give your potential clients an idea about who you are, your craft, and your photography services so make sure to do it well.  Have somebody proofread your content before uploading it to your website.  It is very important that your content is free from spelling and grammatical errors.

Step Five: Use Website Templates.  There are web templates especially for photographers and photography websites.  These templates are very handy to have and easy to use especially for photographers who are greenhorns in this undertaking.  These specifically-designed templates can be used when you upload your content and photos.

The sites that offer specially-designed templates for photographers offer such for a monthly fee.  If you would want to have your photography business website custom made and you can’t do it yourself, you can hire a professional for this project.  There are many sites now on the internet where you can have freelancers bid on your project with due consideration for your prepared budget.

Step Six:  Advertise Your Photography Business Website.  Now that your photography business website is ready, make it known to the world.  You can maximize the potentials given by social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and others for such kind of ventures.

You can also advertise your website and your photography business by mentioning them in forums and other such opportunities.  Choose to post in forums in websites that are related to photography and those where your target market usually frequent.

For example, if you are into pet photography, you can try advertising your business in pet photography websites and other pet-related websites.

Step Seven:  Update Your Web Content Regularly.  You would need to update the contents of your website regularly to keep your visitors visiting your site again and again for new information.  You can post updates of your business activities or your business’ promos or new photographs.
Keeping your web content fresh and regularly updated is important so that search engines will love your website.  Maintaining high quality content is also a must not only for search engine results purposes but also to help build your brand favorably in the eyes of your prospective clients.

In this world where the internet and cyberspace are becoming a permanent fixture in the lives of many people, the only way to keep up with the changing demands of time is to maximize every opportunity that comes your way.  Creating a photography business website is a big leap, be it for a veteran or a newbie photographer.  There are certain responsibilities that come with having a website but a photographer often cannot afford to lose the chance of using cyberspace and all the opportunities that it offers for business.

…hope this is of some help,

Roy Barker

Though a relatively new concept, more and more photography enthusiasts are discovering the beauty of microstock photography.  These people do what they like to do, which is photography, and it can earn you some extra cash on the side.  This bonus income could help not only pay bills but also for other photography related matters like buying a new camera or other photography equipment.

Since the knowledge or awareness of microstock photography is not that common yet, here are some of the things you need to know:

Understanding The Concept Of Microstock Photography.  Microstock photography is an offshoot of the traditional stock photography.  The term also means micropayment photography.  While traditional stock photos with limited use usually cost hundreds of dollars, microstock photos cost much less.  Photo buyers who buy photos for personal and small business use, more often than not, would choose microstock photos because they are way more affordable.

With microstock photography, serious photographers and hobbyists alike can enter the stock photography market.  Anybody with quality materials and who is willing to sell images for less can upload them to various websites that accept microstock photography.  Microstock sites usually do not charge a fee to anybody who will post photos but all submitted photos are not automatically accepted.  These sites usually have a team that checks all the pictures submitted for technical quality and if they have commercial and artistic merit.

Getting Started With Microstock Photography.  It is not that difficult to start with microstock photography.  All you need are your basic photography equipment and some editing software.  Your digital SLR would be suitable for many kinds of microstock photos and you can use an editing program that can be had for free.

If you already have the basic gear, the next thing to do would be to take photographs that you would need for your initial application process to the microstock site.  It would be great if your subjects are marketable like those related to business, lifestyle, and other popular themes.  Put yourself in the shoes of photo buyers to determine that kind of photographs that they would be looking for and those that your intended market would need.  Just make sure that your photos do not contain trademarked or copyrighted subjects or objects.  If you use a model, make sure that your model signs a release before you post the photographs.

It would definitely be a good idea to visit the microstock sites you intend to post pictures in to have an insight of the kind of photographs they will buy from you.  You would then need to submit your photos for review and make sure that it follows the guidelines of the microstock site.

Earning Through Microstock Photography.  Though microstock photos are available at lower prices compared to traditional stock photos, you can still earn more if you upload more photographs to microstock sites.  The more you upload, the more you earn.  The earning potential here is limitless.  It all depends on how much time you are willing to spend on shooting and the number of photographs you upload.

If you are just starting out, start small then test the waters.  See what works best for you, given your present commitments and schedule.  Consider the amount of time that you can apportion to this endeavor.  Choose the option you are most comfortable with.

..hope that helps someone,

Roy Barker

One factor essential to success in a photography business is having the competitive edge.  One way to have this edge is by branding your photography business.  With a little creativity and lots of innovativeness (I think that’s a word), you can build your business in a way that is unique and distinct from the businesses usually found in the mainstream.

Branding your business is important if you want to set it apart from other similar businesses.  This is what you should accomplish after building your skills, complete your business filing, and identifying your target market.  Put yourself in the shoes of the target market and start brainstorming.

One unique way of branding your photography business is branding it with emotions.  Here are some ideas you may want to consider in branding your business this way:

• Building Your Photography Business On Emotions.  Emotions are a fact of life.  Everybody goes through different emotions as they undergo different life experiences.  You can use this very basic aspect of human existence, emotions, to relate to your clients and in branding your business.

Keep in mind, for example, your experience in having your photographs taken when you were young.  You should then remember that many young people your age (then) don’t like their pictures because they believe that they don’t look good enough or that they are not photogenic.  See the emotions that go along with this and you’ll find self-acceptance, rejection, and desire for personal beauty included in the gamut of emotions that characterize the these circumstances.  You can then create a marketing idea for portraits of young people around these emotions and concepts.

Find the emotions of your target market.  Work on it and around it. Most importantly, relate them to your marketing strategy.

• Developing Emotional Connection With Your Target Market.  Emotions are common not only in the personal level but also in relationship between and among people.  You can use this emotional connections and ties in your marketing plan to draw your target market to your photography business.

Emotions can be a great bridge to connect your business to your market base.  Choose the right emotion to use to connect to your audience and this is largely determined by your audience themselves.  If you are into portraits, like in the previous example, encouraging young people to embrace their individuality and break free from the pressure of stereotypes could be a good idea.  Once you determine the emotional connection you want with your market, brand around it and craft your business accordingly.

• The Importance Of Relational Experiences.  One potent tool in marketing is the word of mouth.  If you exude genuine concern and care, you can build strong emotional ties with your client and they would, consequently, will want to have the same experience for their family or friends.

In whatever line of business, many companies create their brand from an experience.  Whatever your professional fees may be, it is imperative to treat your clients as if they are more important than any other considerations.  Not only will you be part of something emotionally rewarding, you will also be building your business at the same time.

Their good experience with you will make them go back to you time and again.  They could even recommend your photography business to other people.  Believe me – that’s what you want the most! If you create and brand your service through an exceptional emotional experience, you will surely enjoy brisk, rapid business growth.

I hope this of some use,

Roy Barker

For a photography business, some say that it’s who you know and not what you know that matters more.  Then again, there are also those who say that it’s who knows you that is most important in bringing in more business.  Whatever the case, the bottom line of these two maxims is all about networking.  As a professional photographer, you would need to know more people while getting other people to know you.

In this digital age, indirect marketing strategies like using business cards, placing ads, distributing flyers, doing specials or promos, and the like are not enough.  These should be paired with direct marketing strategies that personally engage the clients.  As more and more people are getting online and with the accessible digital tools and resources readily available to virtually anybody nowadays, tapping the online marketing potential for networking and promoting your photography business is the way to go.

Here are some of the things you can do online to promote your photography business:

Sign up for social networking sites.  Millions of people around the world to go various social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter everyday.  Create an account for your photography business in one or several of these social networking sites.  You can post your sample portfolio and promotional video here.

These social networking sites usually have various applications that you can maximize for your photography business.  In Facebook, for example, you can create a fan page where you can invite your clients to join you and become your “fans”.  Invite as many would-be “fans” as possible as this will look good especially for prospective clients.  You can also receive reviews from clients and you can post promos and updates in your Facebook fan page.

As in Facebook, you can activate your mobile account in Twitter so that you can keep your clients updated.  You can keep your clients’ awareness for your photography business even without direct face-to-face contact with them.

Create a promotional video.  There are a number of websites like YouTube that allow anybody to post videos for free.  As a professional photographer, it would not hurt to use the audio-visual aspects of a video to market your photography business.  You can explain to prospective client who you are as a professional and an artist, your philosophy, and your style, among others in a promotional video that you can post for free.

Your promotional video need not be fancy or anything like that.  You can keep it clean and simple.  Just remember to talk about engaging topics and to use good lighting and background.  You can even do this video yourself and just make use of software like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker for editing and producing your output for web pages.

Maintain a website, webpage or blog.  Depending on your knowledge and expertise, you can increasingly make your presence felt in the Web through a website, web page or blog.  It would take more resources and upkeep to maintain a website.  If you are not yet ready for it, you can avail for yourself a web page or a blog that you can get for free.  Whatever of these you decide to have, just make sure to update it regularly and keep its content fresh.

Create back links.  Of the aforementioned strategies, it would also be good to create back links to them in order to increase the chances of prospective clients stumbling into your Web accounts.  As majority of the people who surf the internet do so for information, you can submit photography articles rich in photography-related keywords to various article directories and create back links in them to lead the readers to the sites where you posted information about your photography business.

The photography business is not easy one.  It could make you or break you.  There was the Sanders study positing that the industry has a turnover rate of 85% or with only 15 % of commercial photographers making it to their third year in business.  Aside from having the talent, skills, and the right equipment, a budding commercial photographer also needs to have the right marketing strategies to succeed in the business.

Commercial photography is not only about the art of photography but also about sound business principles and stratagems.  So before embarking into business photography, there are certain things that a photographer needs to do ask himself:

Do I have the passion for it?  Without passion, you will find it very difficult to create breathtaking photographs.  Without passion, a photographer can only produce mediocre photos.  If you can only produce this kind of photographs, you may not be able to sustain the demands of the industry and of your clients.

A photographer’s passion for his art and craft can be mirrored in the photographs he created, on whatever subject they may be.  Your portfolio of photographs can speak for you.

Passion and talent are necessary ingredients in putting together a portfolio and in making it in the photography business.  An impressive portfolio, in turn, can make an impact on prospective clients and this is good for business.

Have I done my research?  In any business undertaking, research is very important.  The research must be comprehensive and must include a feasibility study.  You have to know your target market in and out.  Know what makes them tick.

You need to know the available business and the competition. Do you need to have a studio and do you have the right location and the resources to realize it?  See whether you have got what it takes to carve your own niche in the market.  You can maximize the resources available online in conducting your research.

Do I have a business plan?  A business plan is a must for any business.  Determine whether to what extent of your resources you are willing to put in into your commercial photography business and devise your business plan within these parameters.  Know what you need to do, when to do it, and how to do it right.

There are many things that must be included in your business plan.  Most importantly, you must have a clear and precise plan on how to establish your business and how to make it grow.  You must also have a plan how to build your client base, maintain it, and increase it.  Also, some advertising campaigns might also help for people to be aware of your photography business and to help bring in business.

Do I have what I need?  This depends mostly on the kind of commercial photography business that you are planning to go into.  You need to have the right equipments and gears for the kind of photography you are going to provide your clients.  In a nutshell, what kinds of photos do you want to take and do you have the right apparatus for it?

You would need various photography equipments like camera, lenses, lighting equipments, tripod, and the like, that are of good quality and make.  You also need to have a dependable software for photo editing like Corel Paint Shop or Adobe Photoshop.

Expect birth pains when starting out with your photography business.  It’s not easy nor is it simple.  You need to be patient, attend to important details of your business, and practice utmost professionalism.  More often than not, taking small but sure steps is the best way to do it.

Building a portfolio can be a daunting task and it requires a combination of patience, hard work, and dedication.  Here are some helpful tips budding photographers can try in building their portfolio:

Free Shoots.  If you are just beginning to build your portfolio, you need to shoot a wide variety of subjects.  Since you are just starting out, you do not yet have a client base yet that will pay you to take pictures of them and you also may not have the budget to hire models to shoot.   When building your portfolio some scratch, you can have close family and friends as your subjects and they would really love it if you take photographs of them for free.  You can autograph the complimentary copies for them.  Who knows, it will get so valuable when you become famous.

Determining How Much To Charge.  Once people get a whiff of your newfound trade and the free shoots you have been conducting, some of them could get interested to try your services.   This is when you should start charging a minimal fee.  Given the fact that you are a newbie, exorbitant fees could put off prospective clients and this is not good especially when you are just starting out in the business.

Many photographers who are really into the art of photography would sometimes feel uncomfortable about accepting professional fees for their services.  Most of them eventually come to terms with the fact that it’s part of the business and that it is something that is completely unavoidable if one has to survive in it.

The Importance Of Editing.  Every photographer I know would want to create fabulous photographs.  One important key to this is using various editing techniques to enhance a photograph and correct its flaws.  This is now very easy to do with the advent of digital cameras and with the various editing software available now.

A photographer’s portfolio is something that can showcase a photographer’s talent and technical skills.  It is very important that all the images in this portfolio are of excellent quality to be able to impress prospective clients.  this, in turn, would mean business.

Organizing Your Files.  Chances are, you have lots of good photographs just lying around and their whereabouts are already forgotten by you.  Some of these photographs could be great additions to your portfolio and you simply can’t find them.  You might not even remember that they existed in the first place.

One good way of organizing your files is to keep a copy of the files you consider to be good enough to be included in your portfolio in a separate file folder.  It would also be a good idea to make back up copies of them and to store them in an external hard drive.  Categorizing and labeling your files correctly would also do wonders and would greatly help you in locating the files you need fast.

There are many lessons that can be learned in the task of building an impressive portfolio.  People will have differing opinions on your photographs but it is you who will ultimately define your craft and your art.  Though opinions of experts and professional photographers are worth listening to, at the end of the day, it is what you think of yourself and your work that matters most.

In a previous article, I have discussed some of the things that one would need to keep in mind if you want to market your photography business through Facebook.  There are also other matters that you should take into consideration if you want to have your presence felt in Facebook:

Facebook Advertisements.  Yes, you can create advertisements for your photography business on Facebook.  The advertisements in Facebook have been used by many businesses for marketing purposes and the results are great.  You, too, can make use of this avenue to advertise your photography business and to widen your reach.  If you create ads on Facebook, you can have the site place your advertisements alongside people’s profiles and pages with interest in photography.

Having these kind of advertisements do not necessarily have to gnaw much on your budget.  You can set a limit on the budget that you are willing to spend for a particular ad campaign.  Facebook will automatically cease to have your ads shown in the event that your specified budget has been reached.  It is highly recommended that you take one advertising campaign at a time and to go slowly especially when you are just testing the waters.

Avoid Spamming.  It would be nice to send messages to the fans of your Facebook page once in a while.  You can send them informative articles or newsletters that would be helpful for them.  Sending messages to your fans in Facebook is also a good way to update them of the services and promos that your photography business is offering at a particular time or a particular season.

Just remember not to overdo it.  Fans who receive tons of messages from you every month would find it tiresome and annoying.  Aside from not wanting your fans to hit the “unlike” button on your page, you also would not want them to consider your messages as spam and to have your page banned.

Regular Updating Of Content.  The key here is to keep the content of your Facebook page fresh by regularly updating it.  Your Facebook fans would not want to read and view the same things over and over again.  You also need to keep it relevant by taking into consideration the seasons and holidays and incorporating these into the content of you fan page.

You can also add photographs from your latest photo shoots in your page.  Choose the best ones that you would showcase.  Before doing this, seek the permission of your client first.  You can then post a personalized message on your fan page wall for your clients.

If you want maximum exposure of your photography business’ Facebook account, set your account’s privacy settings to enable everyone to see your profile and your page.  You can also invite other Facebook users to be your fans and to “like” your page.  Connecting with clients and prospective clients can be easily done with just a few clicks.

Through Facebook, you can show the variety and the quality of photographs and photography services that are you are capable of providing to your clients.  Taking full advantage of the potentials that Facebook and other social networking sites can bring your photography business is a sound marketing strategy that is worth trying.  Besides, maintaining a Facebook account is totally free.

Aside from the need to get connected, Facebook has also been increasingly used as a marketing tool by a wide variety of businesses.  It has proven to be an effective tool for marketing purposes that more and more businesses are following suit.

If you are in the photography business, you can market your business through Facebook.  You can connect with clients and prospective clients through this social networking site.  You can post your portfolio for them to see and you can share various information about your business and a lot more.

Being on Facebook can be a competitive advantage for you when you are into business photography.  To tap the potentials that this can bring you, here are some few tips that you may want to bear in mind:

Info Tab.  You should really take seriously what you include in your Facebook account’s info tab.  This is because search engines pick up all the information that you include here.  So it is way much better for you to include the complete information about and your business and not to hold back important details.

It would certainly be nice if it looks and sound professional but humorous and fun at the same time.  If you have your own website, blog, and accounts in other similar networking sites like Flickr and Twitter, don’t forget to include them in your info tab.

Fan Page.  Go ahead and create yourself a fan page.  You can tap your family, friends, existing client base, and prospective clients to be your fans.  Spruce it up with a fantastic fan page picture.  Your fan page picture will speak volumes about you as a photographer and about the kind of work that you are capable of doing.

Add your nicest picture.  As you are a photographer, a picture of you with a camera would be a good choice.  You can have your business logo, if any, embedded in your picture to make it more professional looking.  Tell the world that you are professional photographer who knows your stuff well.

Photo Albums.  You’re in the photography business so you need to show off your pictures.  Your photo albums in your Facebook account are very important if you want to showcase your skills as a photographer.  You can display your sample portfolio here for clients and prospective clients to browse and appreciate.

You can even have people vote on their favorite photographs.  Their positive comments and testimonials would also be a good promotion for your photography business.  There are also various applications available in Facebook like FanAppz and Involver that you can maximize.

Videos.  If you have fantastic videos of your photo sessions, you can post them on Facebook.  This will enable your fans to see how you work during actual photo shoots.  They can get an idea of what happens behind the scenes so that they would know what to expect if they do decide to hire your services.

You can also make informative videos and make them entertaining while being educational at the same time.  Try to make it as relaxing and as humorous as possible.  You can have your videos posted not only in your Facebook but also in other sites like YouTube.  This would enable you to reach an even wider market for your photography business.

Whether it is a picture of your child’s first steps or of a very rare annular eclipse that got blurred, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for that rare moment or chance to come again.  Blurring in pictures is brought about by shaking or swaying of the hands that holds the camera.

For those who want to want to embark on the endeavor of professional photography, getting blurred pictures is a big no-no.  For budding photographers, professional or not, getting blurred photographs is a challenge that needs to be overcome.

With the advent of digital cameras equipped with automatic settings, many people think that basic lessons in digital photography are not needed anymore.  This is a misconception as the chance of getting blurred pictures is compounded by the fact that many digital cameras are very light and there is a big probability that it could be easily shaken or swayed when you take a shot.

Digital cameras make improved flexibility possible but there are also downsides like the increased likelihood of getting blurred pictures.  So here are some tips to avoid blurring of your digital pictures.

Your Stance Is Important.  When shooting pictures, there are a lot of positions depending on your subject.  You can stand, sit, kneel, or lay down to get a better focus and to get the best shot of your subject.

Whatever the position, your stance is very important.  It should be steady and stable so as to avoid any shaking or wobbling that could cause blurring in your pictures.  If you are standing, make sure that you are on level ground and that your feet are shoulder width apart.  You can also seek support by leaning to a tree or a wall, if available.

As much as possible, do not hold your camera at arm’s length as this could cause shaking or swaying of your camera.  If you are using a digital camera with an LCD screen, your camera should be at most 12 inches from your face to enable you to see your shot clearly while maintaining stability.  Try to maintain your elbows to be close to your sides.

Hold Your Camera Correctly.  The way you should hold your camera depends largely on the kind of camera that you have and what your dominant hand is.  Your grip must also be firm yet comfortable.

As a general rule, it is best if you hold your digital camera with your right forefinger on the top edge.  Your thumb must then be placed on the back of the camera firmly and the rest of your fingers should then be around the front.  Also make sure that none of your fingers will obstruct the lens.

Your left hand must be placed around the lens and must support the weight of your camera.  This is especially helpful if your gear is a DSLR digital camera.  You can also support your camera firmly if your left hand is along the camera’s bottom edge.  This also allows you to have a more stable grip when taking pictures.

Use A Tripod.  If you still keep on getting blurred digital photos despite the first two tips, maybe you should try using a tripod.  This would provide the stability that your hands can’t give but your camera needs.  There are many tripods out there in the market that comes at various styles and prices.  There are also portable types that you could easily bring to any location.

If you’re seeking more advanced techniques, Amy can lead you along the right path with photographic technique and application. You’ll learn more at her site.

stay focussed,

Roy Barker