Marketing Options for Artists and their Small Businesses

Advertising and Marketing Strategies

Business and marketing is a fundamental part of life. Being a visual artist, teacher, photographer, writer and art therapist working on my own small business I rely on the possibilities of advertising and marketing. Networking is essential for small business owner who need incoming revenue to support their services or products. Researching all of your target potential for each possible option and developing a strategy is not something that should be taken lightly. There are many resources out there, and some are more cost effective than others all depending on your business.

Printable Coupons to Charity Work

Explore and discover such as I did while starting my own business that there are many effective, annoying and inspiring ways to attract customers. There are fund-raising contribution that can prove to be very time consuming. There are even printable coupons that you can offer to people to get your services out there. Looking for the most reachable with the lowest cost is the ideal objective. There are various online strategies that can be time consuming and take a lot of knowledge. The effective methods are also constantly changing. This is not a simple strategy solution for the DIY small business. The digital media outcomes are constantly changing and you need to be up to date on all aspects or it will not be a successful choice. Google is constantly in a state of change and it's difficult to become on the first page. Do charity project work and help promote yourself as well. I tried helping out in a project called Paint for Bangladesh which is a great cause and also improves my online presence.

Digital Media and Radio Advertising

Your business strategy doesn't necessarily have to be innovative and new. There is also radio advertising as a possible solution. Print advertising is another choice and some consider it to be old school. These options should both be considered because they may be cost effective depending on your target. Have a good media strategy. It is imperative to a successful small business. There are many things to consider and a plan is necessary. I have decided with my small business and knowledge that I will take the online route. I want my services to be searched for on line. I realize that strong links are important and I decided to pay a digital media agency a small fee to do this for me. I appreciate the option of online marketing and what I can contribute to it as well. Think about what your mandate is and what you want your brand to be. Help out others along the way. My advice to other small business owners whether it's part time or full time, think rationally and consider all of your options. As Artists we should explore the right side of the brain, but don't forget the left side thinking process as well.

Four New Photo Challenges With Lenzr April 1 - June 1 2011

It's Time for the Best Cottage Moments, Weather The Storm, Shiny Metal Surfaces, What's In The Fridge

That's right, photographers need to constantly challenge themselves and that's what Lenzr is promoting.  Spring is here and it's time to dig through old photos or start taking some new ones.  Set some goals, give yourself realistic deadlines, and make a plan and implement it.  The new Lenzr contest objectives have been set and the prizes are still incredible considering it's free to enter your pics.  

My favourite photo contest is Best Cottage Moments because it reminds me a summer memories with family and friends in the great outdoors.   It's usually a time to relax and spend time doing things that you want to do, not things that are necessary.  Many people have family cottages and cabins passed down through generations and have the pleasure to unwind in a home away from home.  I think of the loons on the lake that have been there every summer.   Their dream like calls transform me to place of nostalgia.  It's almost as if I can here them say that you are not alone, none of us are.  We are all connected.  Well, that's what I like to think the Lake Loon is calling out.  The Sony Cyber-shot H70 prize is given to the winner with the best photo thanks to a connection with a Muskoka Cottage.  It's a perfect place to take quality photos.   

The next photo contest of my list of favs is the What's In Your Fridge contest.  I am a bit of foodie at times and catch myself throughout the day wondering what I've got to work with in my fridge at home.  It sounds lame but the fridge can be a work of art.  I have heard of a photographers going around the world to take photos of food consumption in different countries.  I heard the comparison was profound.  Well, this contest doesn't have to be that profound but imagination is required.  Look for objects in your fridge that would be great compositions.  Try different lighting techniques. Is your light switch acting strange like mine.  Good opportunity to explore this potential for a great photo.  The person with the best photo according to the judges will win 500 dollars worth of groceries thanks to the sponsors who specializes in printable coupons in Canada.  They even make it possible to share coupons on your mobile phone or on one of your favourite social networking sites. 
  

The next contest in line with Lenzr is Shiny Metal Surfaces.  This is a good challenge and I am already impressed with the photos that have been submitted.  It's such a great chance to use your photography skills to illuminate the ordinary objects.  You do have to search out the metal surfaces that catch your eye.  Try different macro lenses and lighting techniques.  Show us that metal is cool.  Think of things such as knobs, key rings, nails, hammers and metal railings that provide support.  The contest winner will get a Sony Cyber-shot digital camera that has a 10 x optical zoom lens and HD movie mode along with other great features.  Thanks to people who are experts in metal panels this prize is available to the best photo owner.  

The last but not least Lenzr photo challenge is the Weather the Storm contest.  It's great for those who love to chase tornadoes down.  Just kidding, well partially.  You don't have to chase down the tornadoes but capture natures elements in the throws of a storm.  This can be a very expressive form of photography.  It's not easy to capture but I have confidence there will be some amazing rain storms, thunder storms, hail experiences and gusty winds to see.   The best stormy weather photo will be the recipient of a Sony digital camera with a 16.1 megapixel, and sweep panorama mode and an optical steady shot image feature.  Thanks to a commercial roofing company who helps support us from natures elements.   


The four photo contest have started as of  April 1st. The online voting begins process begins    May 15th 2011 and will be finished  May 25th 2011.  The top ten photos of each contest will be moved to the judging process where a winner will be decided upon.  
Photo lovers get our your cameras, set a objective, a plan a implement it.  Upload your photos on the Lenzr site and promote yourself with some brief story telling for the public.  Check out other photos for inspiration and encouragement.  Best of luck.    

Anxiety Relief in a Variety of Creative Forms

Technology and Life 

While you talk with the co-worker or friend you may realize how everyone seems so busy.  It's easy to notice that the average person may tell how they constantly feel rushed.  Our schedules become more and more full with deadlines and long to do lists.  It's a constant race against the clock and makes our heart rate speed when thinking about it.  With the increase of technology the rate of anxiety among the average person has risen even higher.  More children and adults are being diagnosed with panic attacks and anxiety disorders.  However, we all suffer from anxiety to some level.   We all deal with stress and it's literally impossible to avoid.  It's easy to notice and you can see the effects on people in the grocery stores, parking lots, roads and even on the public transportation system.  I've witnessed some horrible interactions among strangers, that I can only excuse to stress and anxiety.  We try to take comfort in our own homes.  However, some people even write about the rise of the gated communities.  Unfortunately, it is obvious that we even feel anxiety in our homes as well.
 

Individual Coping Mechanisms
So, we all deal with stress and anxiety differently.  I think we would all agree we all just want to live peaceful, happy and meaningful lives.  However, this all depends on how we handle the stressful situations in our lives.  We all can not walk away from stress and anxiety when it occurs.   It's almost impossible to avoid it and some have developed good coping mechanism for the most part.   

Probably the most common of anxiety causing areas of our lives, is with our work.  Many of us find our work to be very stressful.  For many, unfortunately our careers have become merely a pay cheque and a means to survive financially.   However, in the corporate world expressing your true feelings can be a road to disaster.  So, we learn to play the survival game and bottle things up inside.  In job interviews the most common question is "how do you handle stress?" 
 

Anxiety Releasing Activities
More people are looking for ways to find anxiety releasing activities in their daily lives.  Meditation and yoga are becoming more common among our culture.   Sports and other forms of recreation are proven to be socially acceptable and beneficial to our physical nature to handle stress and emotional bonding.  The rise of endorphins helps us deal with our high stress levels.  A lot of people simply find themselves switching careers and looking for work more emotionally satisfying with less stress involved.   And of course many people turn to alternative ways of healing.  There are many different forms of therapy today other than the psychotherapy.  Simply talking to a trained therapeutic professional may be helpful in finding coping mechanism to deal with anxiety.

The Creative Process

Studies have shown that expressive arts are an excellent tool for dealing with stress and anxiety.  Journal writing is very common and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.  Music, visual arts, photography, movement and dance are also excellent resources for calming and helping people cope with everyday life issues.  These expressive arts are considered therapeutic and helpful.  However, a trained guided therapist such as an art therapist is often recommended.  Without this self disciplined professional training, the arts will not have the same effect for those who suffer from a higher level of anxiety and issues.   Finding the right therapist is also something to seriously consider as well.  Trust takes time in the therapeutic relationship but if you find you are not expressing yourself well enough and not being heard it may not be a good fit.   In extreme cases with anxiety, it may be biological and medication may be necessary.   This all depends on the individual and the situation.
 

Social Circles Beware
Anxiety takes on many forms and is different for each individual.  It can be difficult to understand another level of anxiety and can trigger our own anxiety hearing about our friends problems.  Being social can help alleviate anxiety but it may also worsen your situation if you do not have the proper supports in your social circle of friends and family.  I have noticed this with conversations among friends when it comes to finances.  One person discusses their stress and anxiety to the second party and they soon become more agitated and show signs of rising anxiety too.  For the mild cases of anxiety ridden people, sometimes a "time out" is helpful.  Find a place you like to go, or explore your neighbourhoods until you find a place that you enjoy.  I take pleasure in history, arts and architecture.   So  I discovered the historic Distillery District which also has many artist studios, galleries and theatres which i find inspirational and gives me hope. My anxiety level decreases when I feel these other emotions and learn to let go.  This is the true challenge with anxiety and stress.   Learning to let go to that which we can not control.  Life is short and to be stress free can simply mean to learn to be present in the moment, and hopeful for our future.

 

Toronto Art Girl: Fellow Photographers, Here is a Photo Safari

Toronto Art Girl: Fellow Photographers, Here is a Photo Safari: "Fresh February Photo Safari Once again Lenzr photo contests are the perfect canvas artists of all levels to get creative on a boring Sat..."

Fellow Photographers, Here is a Photo Safari

Fresh February Photo Safari

Once again Lenzr photo contests are the perfect canvas artists of all levels to get creative on a boring Saturday afternoon in the middle of winter. With a smart phone or digital camera.  This website is a ready made adventure.  It can become a powerful photo scavenger hunt. Photography lovers with cameras need a mandate and this website is willing to help program the mind with a mission to take photos.



There are nine challenges on the photo contest website this month and the competitions end on march 25th when the top ten user ranked images are judged, and the best photo in each contest is selected as the winner.

Each Contest is a Unique Photography Opportunity

The contests have a lot to teach both amateur and professional photographers.

The Lenzr photo contest Reflections in Pools is all about positioning. The camera person must be aware of the reflection from the water and how to capture the best image as its reflected from the source. The Prize in this challenge is an  Olympus STYLUS TOUGH-8800 which is an underwater camera that any person would love to have and use in the swimming pool at home or school.  Think about how the reflection can change our perception of the subject.

The physics of soap bubbles is amazing. Here is an excuse to get close. Can you capture the softness in lather in the moment - soap bubbles don't last very long.

The Soapy Foam and Bubbles photo contest yields a Sony laptop the the best photo courtesy of SilveRboard rigid foam insulation at which if you look close you can see is filled with millions of tiny bubbles wrapped in aluminum foil.

Long Lenses, Wide Angle Lenses

Long lenses are designed for portraits, sports and nature photography.  The first leg of the photo safari demonstrated how to make pictures more impressive by perfect positioning and getting close - those lessons were learned in shooting reflections and soap bubbles.  Now you can distance yourself from the subject and still try and contain the same amount of details.



Put a a wide lens on your camera (below 50mm) and this will actually force you to get into the action. Your pictures will gain depth, details and emotions. Don't hesitate to approach your main subject by less than 1.5m (5 feet). Sometimes the best pictures are up close and personal and full of lots of little details in the background.

Take some time and read up a very famous picture of war photographer James Nachtwey.  He would take pictures of soldiers with wide angle lenses while lying in their midst as they fought battles.

Can you get wide angle shots of Beautiful Factories full of dynamic details? Show off the intricate ionnovations of modern industrial centers, meat processing plants, chemical refineries, warehouses, shipping and receiving centers and even data storage terminals.  The prize is an Apple ipad courtesy of this manufacturing software maker in Richmond Hill Ontario.

The Best Patio in Canada photo contest is also best accomplished with a wide angle lens preferably outside in the sun. Here, there's an emphasis on collecting an interesting horizon of some unique scenery or cityscape and patio furniture outdoor entertainment and people of course.  Try to put lots of interesting characters in your pictures because people love to see faces and gestures for emotions.  We all seek the necessary clues to form opinions and build their own  emotional response.

The Making Green Power photo contest is a third and final candidate for wide angle photo scavengers. Once again its necessary to show how the green power is being made and this is best accomplished by showing a lot of the setting - wind farms should be accompanied by long grass and trees branches blowing in the breeze - solar power is best highlighted against a sun baked horizon and of course algae ponds and wood pellet plants would be wide angles of the processing plants

The prize is an The Escape 150 solar power kit that will collect and store 150W / hr courtesy of a solar power installation company and their dedication the Ontario microFIT program and the green benefits of sun money passive income streams.

Let Your Picture Tell a Story

A good picture tells a story on its own, if you add all the elements of the story to your picture's composition.  A good story will usually need some background information, therefore chose your spot (just like back when you were trying to capture that reflection) in a way, that important elements appear either next to the person or clearly visible in the background.

Sebastiao Salgado is a masterful storytelling photographer. Observe his art work. Every single shot tells a story. You need no text, no caption, to understand the essence of the picture.

Taking pictures of people dancing is a terrific exercise for capturing human emotion. The  People Dancing photo contest on Lenzr asks that you try and capture some sort of structured dance.  This should be easy to find.   It could be polka or waltz or swing or hip hop or jungle or even classical ballet. The prize in this contest is two pairs of professional dancing shoes from Marla Silva and her dancing classes in west Toronto.

The On Stage at Home photo contest concentrates on storytelling skills as it asks photographers to take pictures of performances in kitchens, livingrooms, diningrooms, and garages - indoor photography for framing people performing in front of audiences.   The photo contest rewards the best image with a large animal skin rug - it looks like a zebra but you can get cow or elk or buffalo of whatever you most desire to decorate the floors of your home.  This contest is sponsored by a veteran home stager and an expert in the Toronto marketplace. Brian Stirling is one of the Lenzr Judges in this month's photo contests.

Research Your Subject

Great portraits distinguish themselves by the fact that they distill down into one photograph the essence of the subject's personality. It's the responsibility of the photographer to bring the whole personality in the face and the body of the subject. One way to do it, is to chat. Talk with the person while preparing a shot. Ask questions about his life, his preferences, his job etc. Act natural and go on discussing while you arrange the light, and finally while you take the shots.

Show your genuine interest in the person you are taking a picture through carefully listening.


The reality of the Up Against The Wall photo contest is that you have to concentrate your storytelling power on the subject in the foreground.   The background will be a neutral element, a wall made of stone or bricks or concrete.  With lighting you can add dimension to wall systems.  Try to show some character with the cracks in the concrete or the paint peeling off the wood panels.

Think Outside the Box

When you have good skills as a photographer and are comfortable it is easier to actualize good ideas. One of the best ways to tell stories in pictures is to contrast ideas.

Here's a challenging photo contest with Lenzr.  They are asking for matches that nicely illustrate the principles of juxtaposition.  An Unlikely Marriage requires photographers to think about the elements of their images. Can you put two polar opposites together and make people pause and question their union? The prize is an Apple iPad courtesy of a wise marriage counselor that dispenses relationship advice and couples therapy from a cozy location on Queen St West in Toronto.

All nine Lenzr contests open on Feb 1st and voting begins March 15th 2011. The contests close on March 25th 2011 after ten days of voting to determine a top ten ranking in each category.  The new Panel of Judges will determine the best picture in each category, and the winners are to be announced on April 1st 2011.  Contests open to all Canadian age 13 yrs and older, so get your cameras out and go a Lenzr photo scavenger hunt for self improvement today.

The Distillery District

Photography

After meeting Andre a few times during one of my walks through the Distillery District, my new office mate and myself, were lucky to have a scheduled appointment. Finally we had the chance to discuss with Andre and Saul, the business owners about what services they offer to the community. The goal was to find out what is so special about Pikto and this unique business. Once again I was amazed walking in and seeing this thriving business in a building which keeps its historical integrity. I admire the brick walls and seeing international photography hung in their gallery entrance. Pikto Inc. has been located in the Distillery District since 2003 and these two business owners came together out of their common interest and love for photography. They have a gallery space and change the photo exhibits approximately every six weeks. International professional photographers enter and display their art work at the Pikto Inc. gallery. Andre and Saul make it worth while for these talented photographers and have well established judges for their Pikto Top Pick contests and great prizes.

Contact Festival

Saul Lederman was proud to tell us that Pikto is one of the proud business participants for the Contact Festival 2011, sponsored by Scotiabank. Apparently this festival consists of four photography exhibitions. One is held in May and is located in the lovely outdoor cobblestone Distillery District courtyard in May. Another show is held inside the actual Pikto business located at 55 Mill Street, Bldg 59. The Boiler House and Archeo Restaurant are the other two exhibition locations. The theme for Contact 2011 is figure and ground. Pikto will feature mega-city landscapes. I am looking forward to viewing this examination of a rapidly changing society.

Photobooks

During my visit, I was really impressed with the rows of beautifully made books on display at Pikto. I was even more intrigued to find out that the 'Photobooks' are one of Pikto's top sellers. As an artist I realized the potential of turning my painting portfolio into an exquisite hard copy. Saul told me that these photobooks prices start at $25 and up. It depends on the type of book and quality you want to design and publish. The photo studio, gallery and services available for professional and amateur photographers are remarkable. I might even consider taking a workshop or two to further develop my photography skills. I definitely am going to attend the opening reception, Thousand, featuring the work of Rafal Gerszak at the Pikto Gallery on Feb 4th, 2011 6pm-10pm. The show date is Feb 3rd - Mar 6th, 2011 for those that can not attend.

//

Test Test Testing Toronto

Are you out there Toronto. Keep on creating........