Oh gawd please stop with the bathroom mirror pics!

[LynnT]

Originally Posted by PhotoFantasies

And secondly...Lynn... you don't HAVE a showcase, so how does one know what you look like?.. because all I can tell from your avatar is that you have nice skin. LOL It's a nice avatar, but I like to see a showcase in deciding who I see... professional shots or cell phone.. gimme SOMETHING to look at! hahaha

I used to have a showcase, but its too much info and I also have a website that is UTR. I do have limited info in the net for my own reasons. If you check my mini link here in my signature it gives info on how to "see" me.
Eccie is not the be all for marketing and advertising. I dont get much biz here really.. More social and info for me.

[Colonel Jim]

Originally Posted by HoustonWhiteKnight

What I can't stand is a "professional" photographer with a free wordpress site. If you can't afford a $12 domain name and $40 a year for hosting, WTF. And whats up with people that do pay for a real domain name like dumbshitphotoguy.com and then they use some generic email from yahoo or gmail. if you have a domain, get a real email address like douchebag@dumbshitphotoguy.com

Seeing as I am the only photographer responding to this thread with a wordpress site, I have to assume this was directed at me.

I used the word "professional" to indicate my attitude and product quality, not where the rent is paid from. I rent studio space, buy my own equipment (several thousands of dollars worth), have taken workshops and done years of independent study and practice, and produce - IMHO - as good a product as many of the photographers in my market who shoot for a living. But I don't shoot for a living; I have a full-time day job. I shoot because I enjoy it. If I can get enough paying clients to maintain my equipment and cover my minimal overhead (studio rental, gas/car use) I'm satisfied. I advertise on boards that my market frequents and by word of mouth. I've considered a pay web site, but in my market, the wordpress site meets my needs. (I'm doing well if I get a paying shoot a week.) Don't compare the Houston market to northern Alabamastan, they're not even close to being the same.

The point (back on topic for a moment) is that what I do in my spare time is not the same as a lady who is trying to make a living at it. If she wants to use a cell-phone picture because her clients are telling her they like it (I don't see how), and has the traffic she wants while getting the lower local market rate, so be it. If she wants to make enough to live on and be able to buy a new car, then she will have to go more upscale. Better pictures are part of that marketing plan, something most of the providers in my area have never heard of.

As far as lenses go, I have three. One is the 28-50mm kit lens that came with the body. I have two others with lower f-stops that I use in lower available light and when I need to reduce depth of field. Each was purchased to meet a particular need. I have no need to purchase a $3000 lens for the escort photography that I do. When I am shooting 700 x 1050 photos, the resolution of the kit lens is quite sufficient. My clients are not having 24x48 wall portraits done. Other than lens snobbery, it is an unnecessary expense. With the money available, I prefer to upgrade my lighting equipment which has a much greater impact on the quality of my photos. All of this requires thought and cost-benefit analysis.

"The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don't know what to do with it." - Edward Weston

[LynnT]

Originally Posted by Colonel Jim

With the money available, I prefer to upgrade my lighting equipment which has a much greater impact on the quality of my photos.

Photography is all about using the light so I understand your reasoning. Some photographers think its all gear when really it has nothing to do with it so to speak, know your gear; how to use it, and knowing how to use the light are key.

Being a professional is being professional hobby shooting or a full time job doing it. Its all in how you act and treat your clients. You dont need all fancy gear to be professional, big misconception in this biz. IMO. Some have all the fancy gear in the world and their work is crap, they dont know how to use it.


Just FYI there are some Very affordable pro sites you can get for your photography even know its more of a hobby for you. I build them for people on the side.. PM me if you have questions.

I also think WN is speaking in general as well, "proclaimed" photographers/business come here all the time with half ass sites, info etc..

[HoustonWhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by LynnT

I also think WN is speaking in general as well, "proclaimed" photographers/business come here all the time with half ass sites, info etc..

Exactly what I was saying. I see guys building a website on wordpress, drupal, joomla or whatever place in like 30 minutes and then all the sudden "Hey I'm a Pro this or that".

You can actually buy a domain through wordpress for under $15 a year and just make your site seem more professional than a xxxxxxxxx.wordpress.com site.

Just saying...

Just like I hate the fricken escort sites. jasminhumpsyourleg.escort.com. . just get a real site.

Hell worst case scenario, vistaprint (the business card site) has site that match your business cards. I don't use them, but not bad for a guy just starting off.

[armydude]

Originally Posted by LynnT

You can photoshop a cell picture..

There is a huge difference between professional photos that show you and photo shopped to death photos.

You want to see the real lady get pro photos that are not photo shopped to death.. it will show every detail.. specially a photographer with superb lenses and on point lighting.

Im anti cell images on a professional website.(some can be cool, there are always exceptions) Men are not going to question it if you are professional. Boo hoo on the ones that whine about wanting a cell picture..they look better.. BS or ones that question you..BS. The whiner clients can go elsewhere. You are a professional not a BP girl. Not saying cell images wont work for your business, clients wont like them etc.. JMO.


I also think when you come here to advertise a service you should post a link to your work/service. If you dont want people to know the real you in the open as this is a hooker board so I get it. Create a cover link you can share to conceal your identity. Or post a few images in this thread. If you want to be taken seriously. Again JMO.

Don't you advertise on Backpage too? I thought you said you did. Nothing wrong with with where anyone advertises as long as you are professional. So it's not the place, it's the how they go about business. I've met some wonderful ladies on there. Anyway, I'm glad to see atleast one girl who is very protective of the info that she advertises. I think not having a showcase here is a smart move. Some women are mothers and I don't understand why they are showing their faces in their pics. So much risk! I prefer the cell phone pics as long as they are clear. The glossy ones are nice, but fake, fake, fake.

[LynnT]

Originally Posted by armydude

Don't you advertise on Backpage too? I thought you said you did. Nothing wrong with with where anyone advertises as long as you are professional. So it's not the place, it's the how they go about business. I've met some wonderful ladies on there. Anyway, I'm glad to see atleast one girl who is very protective of the info that she advertises. I think not having a showcase here is a smart move. Some women are mothers and I don't understand why they are showing their faces in their pics. So much risk! I prefer the cell phone pics as long as they are clear. The glossy ones are nice, but fake, fake, fake.

Yes, I do run ads there. Works for my area, the average John Googles Syracuse escorts and bam, BP is first in the ranks in the SE. There is BP advertising and then there are BP girls. I wasnt mocking ladies that run ads there. Its all in the marketing no matter where you place the ads. Just as many good guys still browse BP as the bad ones. Im at the higher end of rate scale and get great men from BP.

The face pictures well some ladies dont care, their friends and family knows so its cool, or hey this is a solid career for some women. They just have to stick to screening face image or not.

Many of us do this UTR and some dont so they can show more.

I have very little pictures and info to lower the risk for sure. I want discretion.

Part of my reason is when I want to leave I only have so much info to delete and disappear so to speak. Hell i'll pay to have a worm made to erase as mush as it can get when the time comes. I google my email and info once a week so I can find crap, sites steal your info and place ads for you... lame.


A pro image post produced properly(not photoshopped to death) will look amazing and as real as shes standing in front of you.. If you were to see my avatar larger you can see all my skin texture and imperfections.

[armydude]

Originally Posted by LynnT

Yes, I do run ads there. Works for my area, the average John Googles Syracuse escorts and bam, BP is first in the ranks in the SE. There is BP advertising and then there are BP girls. Its all in the marketing no matter where you place the ads. Just as many good guys still browse BP as the bad ones. Im at the higher end of rate scale and get great men from BP.

The face pictures well some ladies dont care, their friends and family knows so its cool, or hey this is a solid career for some women. They just have to stick to screening face image or not.

Many of us do this UTR and some dont so they can show more.

I have very little pictures and info to lower the risk for sure. I want discretion.

Part of my reason is when I want to leave I only have so much info to delete and disappear so to speak. Hell i'll pay to have a worm made to erase as mush as it can get when the time comes. I google my email and info once a week so I can find crap, sites steal your info and place ads for you... lame.


A pro image post produced properly(not photoshopped to death) will look amazing and as real as shes standing in front of you..

Lynn, I absolutely agree. There is a difference between BP girls and BP advertisers. Everyone knocks BP but I've met a few great girls there. And then there are the scammers. There are some scammers here too, I read it in the alerts section from time to time. So it's how you carry yourself, not where you advertise. Anyway, I think you are handling your pics and information in a very smart way.

[HoustonWhiteKnight]

NOT TO MENTION LYNN HAS GOT A SMOKING HOT BODY.. OMG

[Colonel Jim]

Thanks for your kind words, Lynn. I'll contact you.

The lady who used to own the agency I was the "house photographer" for was very kind to me and got me my start. Working with her, I learned to produce a quality product with sometimes unprofessional subjects, and in a hurry. She now is designing web pages and has offered to help me. I'm in my 50s and am HTML-impaired, so until I can get some help in that area, I have to use the ready-made skins in wordpress, etc.

For those who have been replying here that pro photos are Photoshopped to death, take a look at the photo below. The only PS in it is my copyright stamp. I have to think it beats a phonecam shot to hell and back. ( If I had PS'd it, I'd have got rid of that leaf above her left thigh...)(If you can tell the photo was PS'd, then the retoucher screwed up.)

And while I'm OT anyway, any thoughts on a Facebook fan page?

[Chica Chaser]

Originally Posted by LynnT

I used to have a showcase, but its too much info and I also have a website that is UTR. I do have limited info in the net for my own reasons. If you check my mini link here in my signature it gives info on how to "see" me.
Eccie is not the be all for marketing and advertising. I dont get much biz here really.. More social and info for me.

I'm not sure where you are coming from Lynn. YOU and only you control the content of your showcase. You may put as much or as little info there as you are comfortable with, there is no requirement to fill in every blank and YOU write your own biographical info. If you don't want to have a showcase, that's fine, some ladies don't. But please don't use the excuse that it is too much information (the unsaid word being "required") that is simply not so.

I will say that lack of a showcase will certainly contribute somewhat to your lack of Eccie clients. I promise you that is the first place men here will go to begin our screening process. Unlike other sites, it is completely free for you to advertise, to display your showcase fulltime, to post in discussion boards here, so I'm at a loss why a lady would not take full advantage of all the features this site offers when they are all free to you. I never claimed to be a marketing guru, so I'm certain I'm overlooking something.

[LynnT]

Originally Posted by Colonel Jim

Thanks for your kind words, Lynn. I'll contact you.



And while I'm OT anyway, any thoughts on a Facebook fan page?

You're welcome.

Facebook is the poo for business, I highly suggest you start one. I spread like wild fire for my day business. I get Tons off FB!

Originally Posted by Chica Chaser

I'm not sure where you are coming from Lynn. YOU and only you control the content of your showcase. You may put as much or as little info there as you are comfortable with, there is no requirement to fill in every blank and YOU write your own biographical info. If you don't want to have a showcase, that's fine, some ladies don't. But please don't use the excuse that it is too much information (the unsaid word being "required") that is simply not so.

I will say that lack of a showcase will certainly contribute somewhat to your lack of Eccie clients. I promise you that is the first place men here will go to begin our screening process. Unlike other sites, it is completely free for you to advertise, to display your showcase fulltime, to post in discussion boards here, so I'm at a loss why a lady would not take full advantage of all the features this site offers when they are all free to you. I never claimed to be a marketing guru, so I'm certain I'm overlooking something.

I know i control what info I put, its just too much info for me period, my site is UTR as well. Its LE and discretion reasons. It works for me, it actually seems to attract clients to me as Im secretive, I intrigue them more. I get comments about it often. This is not a full fledged career for me is a UTR job and so is some of my info.

My lack of showcase does not hinder my business here, this board only works so well for upstate NY is really a Rochester hub not my town.. BP is where its at for my area. and frankly when I do travel and use this board my reviews sell me, my ads I run,(get comments about my fun ads) and the link to my site when they ask for it. I very rarely get questions about a showcase. I had one and since eliminating it I have more business..

[Colonel Jim]

Originally Posted by HoustonWhiteKnight

Exactly what I was saying. I see guys building a website on wordpress, drupal, joomla or whatever place in like 30 minutes and then all the sudden "Hey I'm a Pro this or that".

Thirty minutes? Oh, God, that's rich!! Even with a ready-made skin, I spent hours and three emails to tech services just to get what I have going. And I still can't figure out how to embed a video (not a bad one, if I do say so myself) or a link to Paypal to pay a sitting deposit. I don't like deposits, but if the client has to pay a non-refundable deposit, I think it would cut down on No Call/No Shows.

[HoustonWhiteKnight]

I can take word press and have a full functioning site with a video embeded in it, paypal in it, photo gallery, userlogin features in under an hour.

concrete5 - same thing in under 30 minutes.

html - 45 min tops.

[xxxHolly]

I disagree. Guys want to know what they are really getting, right? Professional pictures are so touched up and air brushed. If we just take them ourself, you get the real us, not the fake us. I've never had anyone complain. I did have professional pictures taken when I first started, but I found that the guys wanted something not studio.

[HoustonWhiteKnight]

Why does every girl that doesn't have Professional photos always say "they are so touched up and airbrushed". Have you ever heard of speaking up and saying:

"Hey Mr. Photo guy, can you take some really high quality photos of me in some nice outfits and nice locations, with nice backgrounds. Oh but don't photoshop them at all! I want all my bruises, zits, freckles and scars to be visible so the guys know exactly what kind a hooker is gonna show up"

Pro means good photos, Pro doesn't mean photoshop.