So not exactly the new year, but still fairly close. Time to take a look at what I’ve been doing and what’s coming up.
Long Exposure Workshops
From the Facebook page, The Photographer’s Mentor, there have been requests from people wanting to know when I will be doing more. I always knew I would take the summer off, it is a horrible time for long exposure photographer, and trying to get clouds can be almost impossible.
I have now put up a heap of new dates, starting in March. Though, I might have to juggle a couple of them around. If you want to see what I have planned go the Long Exposure Workshops page.
Teaching Editing
The group has been set up and I’m nearly all ready to go live with it. At the moment I’m doing a heap of videos on some basic things you can do in Photoshop and other software. I want people to start it with things there already. Then each week new videos will be added on how to use certain types of software for editing. I am hoping to be using 5 or 6 different ones.
There will be live question times for people to ask me questions and to help them. I want the group to be interactive, so they will be able to learn a lot from it. If I don’t know how to do something, then I will find out, I know how to do that.
It is going to be a subscription based group and people will have to pay $30 a month to have access to everything. Though, they can leave at any time, hopefully once they no longer need the videos or help.
We should be opening our doors in the next week or so. It will be announced when it happens.
The Photographer’s Mentor
It is still growing well and I love how active the people who follow it are. It has been so good for my self esteem. I caught up with a friend before Christmas and she said that I was a lot more positive. I feel it.
The recently announced changes to Facebook are going to be interesting, but I can only hope that they will help me. As I try to do everything on that page to teach people photography and help them, surely that fits under the bit about posting what people want to see. I guess time will tell.
It seems incredible, the page only started a little over 3 months ago and already there are nearly 6000 people liking the page. It took me years to get that many with the other one.
I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy it.
I decided that I might also start showing my face. Figured I would do something nice for my skin. I used to use Clarins all the time, so ordered some stuff online. OMG, what a waste of time and money. They offered a discount, but you don’t find out you can’t get it until after you have paid. Then the stuff they sent is not what I wanted. Damn, I hate Clarins now. I will never spend any money on them again.
Monochrome Madness
For the time being, MM is going to stay here. If numbers drop below 10 entries, then I will stop doing it. I just think with so few the whole thing starts to look pathetic like people really aren’t that interested. However, because I want to do this with the group, the day is going to go back to Wedesday, as of next week.
Monochrome Madness will return to Wednesday.
So you will need to start sending your images to me by Monday. Though, many of you use the current one to remind you to send them for the following week. I start accepting images as soon as one is posted.
Writing
I’ve been approached by some other places to write for them, but the pay isn’t that good, so I am going to turn them down. I can’t help thinking that I could write the articles for you. I won’t get paid, but who knows what it might lead to. I would also like to do some things that would help the people on The Photographers Mentor as well. I can’t really write articles on there, but could do them here and share them.
So I am going to start making this blog and everything I do on FB priorities from now on.
From here
The new year has started well and I’m excited about some of the things that I have planned. I’m hoping to grow more and learn more, as well as share what I learn. It is quite exciting and I hope some of you, at least, will follow along with me.
Leanne .. the editing sounds great! You are off to a flying start. well done with the Photograhpers Mentor on Facebook, it’s not easy getting numbers that quickly. Go girl 😃
Thank you Julie, I’m busy trying to get it all organised now and ready to go. I have about 7 videos up so far, just need to get some for week 1 now.
This all sounds very exciting and you sound excited about it. Embrace the adventure! I look forward to your posts.
I’m glad you can tell how excited I am Elen, I really am, can’t wait to get started. Thank you, I will do that.
Love the photo. http://thestreetphotographersguide.blog
Thank you James.
It seems you are finding your niche … good for you. I’d say being a working photographer (that is, making a living) is much more difficult in the digital age.
One photographer I follow on a regular basis, he started in the film era and was making decent living with large prints and gallery work. But once, the digital conversion began, he began doing workshops with a photographer friend of his to supplement the drop off in his large print and gallery work. The one I’m friends with, her and her husband do a lot of portrait and wedding work. Her husband still continues in his regular day job in high tech. But, they have transitioned back to film in both their professional and personal photowork. Their clients have loved the look of film versus digital. When they go out with their photo group to do street photography, it’s all film – from Polaroid to 35 mm.
I really hope so David, I really like the direction I’m going in. I’ve been working on this idea for a couple of years, so it is good that it is almost happening.
I couldn’t imagine going back to film, I absolutely hated it and it turned me off photography. I like how we have so many options now. I also don’t like the effect of film photography on the environment, all those chemicals. I like how digital has a better footprint, so I’m sticking with it. Thank you David.
I wish you all the best in your endeavors!!
Thank you so much Nora, I love seeing you on my FB page.
Thanx!! That’s sweet!!
You’re welcome.
Sounds like a busy and fun year to come – Good Luck!
I really hope so Leya, I think it is about time, so I’m going for it. Thank you so much.
Sounds like quite a few plans, and good to hear things are going well for you – well, apart from your experience with Clarins and hope you find a skincare brand that works for you. We are halfway through summer, and not long now before you can do more long exposure photography. It is hard to get paid at a reasonable rate these days unless you are relatively well-known. As a writer and having been paid and not paid for some of my works, a lot of the time exposure is fleeting with each piece you write. Often I think working on your own and with your own resources, you have more to show for it and you know what you are doing in the long run.
It has been great following you for so many years, Leanne. Looking forward to seeing what you get up to this year. Best of luck 🙂
Thank you Mabel, I’m really excited about the year ahead and I’m hoping that everything works out well.I can’t wait for summer to be gone, these hot days are horrible. Well, I’m working on the well known bit now and FB is helping a lot.that is very true, I like working from home, and I would like to continue that. Thinking of videos I can do is great too, opens me up to a whole new world as well.
Thank you so much, it has been nice hearing from you from time to time. We might run into one another one day int he city. Take care and all the best for the year ahead as well.
I never thought you’d ever do videos, but here you are doing them. Do hope they will be well-received. What I like about your work and you is that you are very honest with what works for you and what doesn’t (e.g. camera gear, the photography world in general). Sure some might think it’s opinionated but it’s refreshing to see honesty and just telling it like it is really 🙂
I’ve always done videos from my screen, but I thought I might branch out a lot more.Thank you for that Mabel, I was never sure if people liked the honesty or not. I always wanted to be fairly transparent, as far as the photography went.
I love that you are sounding so positive Leanne. Yes, it’s a great way to start off the year.
Thank you Anne, so glad you can see it in the words, I feel really good about the year ahead, it will be what it will be.
sounds like an exciting year and looking forward to learning
That is wonderful to hear Ross, I hope I can help. Thank you.
Wow I think you are going to be super busy Leanne, sounds like an interesting year ahead. Good luck with everything, I look forward to following you on your journey.
I hope so Vicki, but in all that I have to find time to go and take photos as well. Thank you Vicki, I hope, I’m really looking forward to it all.