More Orange Roads From Monica

Tips from Monica continued from Wednesday:

~ Charge for your time (at least something) because your family is missing you while you are doing this photog thing and the equipment can be REALLY expensive!

~ Be UNIQUE. Come up with your own ideas, locations, and point of view. Don’t copy others work but use it as inspiration to push yourself and new ideas!

~ Find a place to host your website (I LOVE www.smugmug.com) so you can post photos and have a place for your family and friends to view and purchase your work.

~Use social Media like Facebook, twitter, or blogging to help increase your exposure.

So there you have it! You can do this and if it's what you love, it's exactly what you need to be doing!

Monica Toohey~Krause
www.StudioKYK.com

Note from Kathy: I love this picture of Monica because it exemplifies her free spirit and sense of fun!

Meet Photographer Monica Toohey-Krause - Studio KYK Photography

Hello my name is Monica. I'm a wife, mommy, photographer, and a good friend. I’m not a writer, but I will do my best here for Kathy and her Intentional Winning blog because I love her and photography.


If you are thinking that you want to be a photographer then I'm sure you are a lot like me, loving photography while growing up and now thinking I can’t put the camera down! I LOVE it so much I want to do more. Right?

Here are a few tips on how I have made it work for me:

~MOST importantly, make sure you enjoy it while you are doing it - If you are smiling then the world is smiling back at you!

~ When you can afford to make the investment, get a DSLR camera (I like Canon). You can start with the Rebel (it’s okay) and the upgrade lens and bodies as you can budget to add them.

~Take LOTS of photos and then take more…. (For a few reasons )
1. The more you take the better you get
2. You can and will capture REAL life expressions
3. Because you can! It’s digital and you don’t want to miss anything


~Find a Photog support group like (Sac Smug http://sacsmug.smugmug.com/ ) that you can go to bounce ideas off of others and play with people that share the love you have for photography.


So now go grab a camera and take some photos, with your smile on!
Monica Toohey~Krause
www.StudioKYK.com
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I Want to be a Photographer - Orange Road #2

Here's another tip from long time professional photographer Al Wright at Raintree Studios in Alameda, CA:

Here's an idea to get a new photog started that will not only help them, but will help and honor others as well. There are several sites online that honor men and women in the military and their families for their contribution to and sacrifice for our country. Some of these organizations look for local photographers who are willing to provide a simple portrait session and a desk size print or a small collection of 4x6 proof-quality prints at no charge to a family that has a member serving in the military. Some of these organizations request that the individual is a professional photographer as evidenced by sample portraits that they would submit to them, and by their web site. Why would someone do this? First, they would do this because they want to honor and thank the men and women in the military for their service. After that, it will give them experience in photographing children and families, and if they give the family one 5x7 print, they will probably want to purchase more for grandma and grand dad.

A new photog may need to improve their photography skills before some of these organizations will agree to recommend them to their military families, but they can certainly do this on their own as well. This past Easter, I offered military families with a loved one currently serving overseas a complimentary mini portrait session and one 5x7 print. I intend to make the same offer for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Christmas. I advertised my offer on my Facebook page and asked my friends to share my offer on their pages as well. I also have joined a parents' group on Yahoo for parents in my city.

An aspiring photog can do the same thing for families of cancer survivors, families that are part of the "Make A Wish" foundation, or families that are part of "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" (families that have a new born infant that tragically will not survive more than a couple of days). Good luck!

Al Wright - Raintree Studios

Al Wright has been a professional photographer since 1970. He credits his father, an avid home movie maker and photography buff, with kindling his first interest in photography. His idols are the still photographers that created all the wonderful publicity stills of the stars during the Golden Age of movies- the Twenties, Thirties, and Forties.

Al feels his strength lies in communicating with his clients, to discover what they want, and then helping them plan their portrait so it is truly a reflection of them. He likes the challenge of working with children, and especially likes the parents' reactions to the completed portraits, when they tell him "No one has ever been able to capture my child like this!"

Al is dedicated to giving something back to the community that has been so good to him- you'll find him working with business, service, and school groups around town, and donating his time and talent to various fundraisers for worthwhile organizations.

His Tip to aspiring Photographers (Orange Road #1):

"I occasionally teach an Introduction to Photography course to high school students as an after-school career exploration program. During the last session when we are talking about a career in photography I ask them (and now I will ask you as well) "What are you passionate about? Are you passionate about children? Or cars? Or food, or nature, or breast cancer awareness, or soccer?" Whatever it is that you are passionate about (in addition to photography, I hope), I will bet you that there is a magazine, a newsletter, a documentary-in-the-making, a website, or a nonprofit organization that needs good photos, and there are at least a million people that are also interested in that same subject, and want to see images of it. Some of them are so crazy about the same thing you are passionate about that they will purchase your photos. You can search in online for images of your passion, and you will find page after page of images, and when you click on an image, generally it will show you the web page or advertisement or the context in which the photo was used. This search will show you what kind of photos are being used, how they are used, and who might be interested in using your photos."

This is where to start. Al has offered another great idea that I am going to share later in the month, but for now, think about what you love and are passionate about. Start searching for how images are being used and where you might submit your photographs for sale.

Al has a studio in downtown Alameda, CA. You can reach him and his photos on Facebook.

Where To Start?

I'm happy to share with you that implementing your dream of becoming a photographer may be easier than you think. With digital cameras and photo software, there is so much you can do with what you already have in terms of your camera. There is something to be said for higher quality equipment, but I will tell you from experience that you can make money with a basic digital camera. I know, I've done it.

I'm going to introduce you to several of my photog friends (that's what I call them, photogs) who will share their ideas for the many Orange Roads that are waiting for you to travel them. These friends of mine are from all levels of photography experience, from Debbie who is a hobbyist (I know she wants more, this is going to inspire her to get back to work!) to Al "The Picture Man" who has been a professional photographer for more years than he will want me to share with you.

As you meet my friends this month, be sure to visit each of their web sites (if they have one) and find them on facebook and twitter. They all have photos that are worthy of your time to appreciate. Get ready, this is going to be a fun month!

I Want to be a Photographer

I have been interested in photography as long as I can remember. I've always wanted to be on both sides of the camera and have extensive training. I even worked as a model and actress. Though I've never made my living, or even collected a paycheck taking pictures, I can say that I know what my photography style is and where I excel.

This month we are going to explore the Orange Roads to incorporating the idea of building a photography business into your life -- today. I have a number of photographers lined up to guest post and share their ideas about how you might make this dream come true for you. This is going to be fun and if you are a photographer, please e-mail me your ideas and a little about you, I would love to include you! Kdpartak@yahoo.com

April Fools Are Everywhere!

I wanted to post something really creative, an Intentional Winning April Fool, but hard as I tried, I wasn't fooling anybody! With that said, April will be about Intentional Winning in Photography. I know many people who love the art of photography, including me. It's one thing to enjoy taking family pictures and it's another thing entirely to do it for a living. With the digital medium, the field has opened up to many more skill levels and start-up budgets. This month will be fun and I will see if I can get some of my Photog friends (yes, real making-a-living professionals!) to share their thoughts on some Orange Roads you can take to make your photography dreams come true. As always, join in and share your thoughts and ideas, there is no better compliment to pay a blogger than comments on our blogs!