Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Hey Peeps,


You have no doubt heard this villanelle, it is considered to be among the finest works by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas.


I've always loved his writing and I find it is appropriate for this post.


It's expressive idea is the desire and even need to fight with all of one's life against the spectre of death.


That no matter what walk of life we come from, that shadow is always present and close at hand.


That it is a bond we all share as human beings and from which we should struggle against it regardless of the futility.


There is another shadow that lurks in the hearts of creatives.  A fear, a doubt, a frustrated apathy that makes one feel like a sham, a fake and an untalented poser.


If you have every tried to be creative, especially for a living, you have felt this.


I have felt this.  BIG TIME.


I am not naive enough to believe that this feeling will ever pass permanently.  It is a major element towards keeping the truly determined creatives in the game while pushing the less ambitious to other venues.


It is a scary, daunting, lonely and hopeless feeling in it's full form.


It can cripple a creatives mind completely. 


It has no conscious.  It has no morality.  It is an act of nature with no more malice for you than it does remorse for what it does to you.


But I can promise you one thing.


If you stay in the game, if you keep learning, keep practicing, keep working at your craft.


I promise you will be evolving creatively.


I can't promise that you will be rich or famous or recognized by your peers.  I can't promise that you will be greeted on the streets by friends and fans for your outstanding work or offered multi-international deals from the biggest conglomerates to work with the brightest stars.


I will promise that you will be doing what you love. 


I will promise that you will get better and better at it. 


I will promise you that when that doubt slips into your mind, it's okay to take some time off. 


Go lie down, watch some tv, whatever, because you are putting your time in when it counts.


But always get back to it, it whatever form or scale you can.


Keep doing this and I promise that you will be the creative you want to be within if not without.


You are working it out.  You are learning your craft.  You are making it your own.


Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 


Cheers,


Michael Carty

 








Michael Carty Website
Michael Carty Email

Are You Touching All Of Your Touchpoints? Unrated Version

Hey Peeps,

I'm sure you have all heard the term touchpoints, and if you haven't - well get to it already!

The simplest definition for a touchpoint: where your clients and business connect, and having a business means you have them:  lots of them.

Here are just a few:

  

• email
• phone number
• website
• business card
• face-to-face
• pricing
• workflow
• studio
• office
• blog

Each of them should be well thought out in design, congruent with each others design and highly effective towards inviting and welcoming potential clients into your business.

And yes, things like pricing and face-to-face are touchpoints to your business.  They are just two of the many contacts that your clients have with you and your business. 

You have to understand that every one of your touchpoints is a message to your clients about who you are, what you do and where you fit in to their needs.  Not only that, but the message also tells your clients where they fit in with your business.

If you think this list is a lot to go over, you're right.  Yet this is a relatively small list and is only a summary of what you will actually cover.  

Let me show you.

You build a website.  Check.  You have a welcome page, some of your work, contact info, maybe some fun music playing and a slideshow of your favorite work.  

Great!  You're done with that touchpoint right?  WRONG.

How did you design it to create the message you are trying to convey?  You must go over things like colors used, branding, presentation, navigation, product placement, welcome and a minutiae of other information that is crucial - but worth it.

My website has bothered me in the past.  Something was always missing until I sat down and actually started asking myself the right questions about this important touchpoint(Sidenote:  All touchpoints are important).

First I corrected the color scheme.  My branding colors are white, black and vibrant green.  I knew that I liked the green because it was vibrant but I didn't want the site to come off too "green & grey" feeling, so I decided right away that other colors would eventually be used and those other accented colors would have to be as vibrant as the green to keep the style and feel the same.

That's when I looked at my slideshow.  The website has a built-in slideshow at the top.  Normally I would put in some of my best work, but after watching the images slide by I realized that there was subject matter there that I was no longer looking to shoot - and therefore irrelevant to the slideshow.

I decided to remove all of the slideshow images and do something different.

Realizing that my slideshow was a touchpoint within a touchpoint (confused yet?), I decided that I wanted to use it to show my clients specific products in an attractive way without directing them to a sales pitch.  Luckily, I know Photoshop quite well and within a few minutes I had 3 different images for my slideshow (so far) that show work from each of my relevant genres and display them within multiple products on consistently vibrant colored backgrounds.

Check them out:

For portraits

For lifestyle/commercial

For weddings

How did I feel after these subtle - yet crucial changes?

FAN-DAN-TASTIC!

It's true!  I haven't felt this good about the stability and focus of my website in a long time.  Of course it isn't perfect, but it is getting there and I can actually feel the change of moving forward as I go through these steps.  

One great thing is that when my site needs an update, I won't be floundering on which direction to go with it because I know which questions to ask myself.

Oh, and there was another advantage to this - it made me more creatively inventive.

Right after the update, I began to think of an image that I had shot earlier in the year.  It had always reminded me of the story of Dorian Gray.  

So I took that image and created a movie poster out of it - fun and creative!  Exactly why I got into this business!!

Model: Spencer Robertson.  Also click for a larger view and see who stars in the production.

So check out your touchpoints.  Methodically.  Patiently.  Let them wax over your mind for a while until you can use them best to your advantage and then execute.

What are some touchpoints that are bigger struggles to overcome?  Do you have some unique touchpoints?  Tell me about them and let's try to figure out how to make them work!

Later, 

Michael Carty

Michael Carty Website

Michael Carty Email

NO I DON'T: Getting Things Done By Not Doing What Doesn't

Hey Peeps,

I hate wasting time.  You do too.  

I won't even ask - it's pretty much a given.

If you're going to say,"Hey Mike, I love wasting time."  Well you're an idiot and we should devour your lifeforce to distribute amongst the rest of us.

Moving away from the darkside now.

I know you find that when working on something important, work, play, crosswords, nuclear reactor in your basement, etc, other things tend to come up.

Distractions and interruptions.

Your spouse, kids, favorite TV show, best friend, mother, in-laws, siblings, boss, employees - I could do this all day.

But what about the least obvious and yet most insidious things of all?

The thing you are trying to work on.

I'm as serious as a heart attack here, but let me state that this is mostly found during work.

We all try to get as much going on as we can being business owners - and if you are an independently, starving photographer, well you are a business owner believe it or not.

This overwhelms and most times burns us out.

Which sucks.

If we are done in, we can't work.  Which is what this is all about right?

So what should you not do?

Let's answer that with a story:

I had a call from my mother yesterday to donate something in a silent auction for a community group she is a part of.

She wanted a few photos, but what does that get me?  Nothing.  No new clients, no income, nada.

Someone would bid and win the images and put them somewhere on a wall or in a basement or give them as gifts to someone else who would put them on a wall or in a basement, etc, etc, etc

So I decided to give away a portrait sitting instead.

This gives the winning bidder incentive to come into my studio, meet me, discus photo options, print sales, CD/DVD purchases, creating a walking, talking billboard telling their friends about my business while still making me money.

Good idea right?

When I started to explain some of the in's-and-out's of connecting and product ordering with her, she found some things restrictive to more elderly and/or less web educated clients,"You have to cater to everybody right?"

My flat out response,"No, I don't."

That's the thing, I don't want to cater to everyone.

I don't want to treat every person like they are my ideal client.

I want to treat my ideal client as my ideal client.

I don't - and you don't - need to make everyone on the planet a paying client.  That would be insane.  But if you focus on your ideal client, and what they are about, you can make all of your clients your ideal client.

So no, I will not have a million ways of contacting me(email, phone, carrier pigeon, locomotive, etc), instead I have the ones that serve me and my ideal clients.  

Just like I will not have a million different products to sell my clients - how could you keep them all in your head and still come across with the confidence of knowing what you are talking about?

I find my ideal client, I learn what they are about - everything.  I cater to that.  Everything else that I do is for  my own creative expression.  

And everything after that is garbage.

I won't do it.

It is a waste of time, energy and happiness that could better be used on things that matter.

What do you do "for" your business that is actually taking away from your forward motion?

Tell me and I will let my favorite story-teller guest post on this blog!

Cheers!

Michael Carty

Michael Carty Photography Website

Michael Carty Email

You Peaked In High School

Hey Peeps,

You've probably heard this phrase before.  On TV, in the movies or maybe in real live either being said(hopefully not to you) or saying it yourself to someone else.

The thing is a lot of people "peak" in high school, or college or in their first few years in the working world.  The problem is that they tend to sink into this depressing and utterly black void of mediocrity and complacency from which they usually never return.

They complain about their current situations; the boss on their back; the screaming kids; the complaining spouse; the home that has a million things that need getting done but there's never any time - you know, life.

I'm not going to tell you how to time manage your household chores.

Or how to better kiss your bosses ass.

Or how to muzzle your children.

Or even how to appease your spouse(you SHOULD know how to do most of these things).

I'm going to tell you that like most things in life there are peaks and troughs.  Unbeknownst to most, the power to control this wave ride is mostly up to you.  The key is to try and strive to peak at least once a day.

Let me tell you, I have had my share of troughs - years of them.  

There was a good chance I wouldn't have came back from them either.

But through a slow and steady progression I fight my way back(yes I am still fighting) to my "peak-i-ness"(trademarked), in work, at home and within myself.

No matter what shit happens in your day, you always have the ability to peak again and again.  I peak in my work after a great shoot with the fantastic images I capture.  I peak with my son when I take a break to play outside on our lawn.  I peak in my marriage when I drop the little guy off with grandma and take my wife on a shopping trip.

Sure these don't sound like the peaks that I had in high school.

But I'm not in high school anymore.  Are you?

The difference is that my peaks are higher than I ever could have imagined and they will last me a lifetime of memories.

So fuck peaking in high school - that's for losers, posers, haters and assholes.

PEAK EVERY DAY.

Put that in your mantra and say it.

What do you do to peak?  Have you peaked today?  What are your future peaks?

Cheers,

Michael Carty

Webpage

Email Me

Affiliates Edition 1: Students

Hey Peeps,

I've written about affiliates before and how crucial I believe they are to today's business - whatever that may be.  But I want to go more in depth to specific groups that photographers can work with, how to work with them and what benefits arise for both parties because of such a relationship.

There are a few schools in my area and the other week I decided to select the one I graduated from(am I biased? meh, it was closest) and I had about an hour or so to speak with students working in a multimedia class of sorts, and we discussed the industry as a whole, from music to video and still imagery.

It was interesting to see how involved certain students were to their own personal crafts, the passion was almost tangible and it gave me a little jolt of excitement towards my love of photography.  We discussed the lack of a photography or multimedia club in the school, of which the idea got a resounding,"That would be awesome..."

I stated that there is nothing to stop any of those students from starting a multimedia club if they wanted to, which received a long moment of silence - I assume they had either never thought of that or they were a little apprehensive about starting a club on their own.

So now I am in talks to help with the starting of a multimedia club - now this may sound like an unattractive action to a lot of you,"Aren't you busy Mike?  Don't you have a business to run?  A wife and son at home?  When can you find the time?  Don't you have to make money?"

Answer to all: YES.

I AM busy.

I DO have a business to run.

I DO have a wife and son at home.

I DON'T know when I will find the time(I will cover this in a second).

I DO have to make money.

Let's remember, this is an affiliate relationship right?  So both sides get something out of it.

Let me elaborate on my answers from above.

I AM busy, with paperwork, edits, shoots, family, accounting, blogs, "me" time, etc - but I CAN schedule certain times of certain days to touch base with the club - remember, I am NOT the leader, founder or president.

Those positions are for the students.

My position is more that of a mentor, associate or councillor.  I have no set hours of work set in stone with this group, but I AM available as a resource.

I think that covered all the questions except for the money one and the resource part answers that.

I can offer advice, experience and knowledge.  All of which is practically free for these students.  I also offer rental of my studio for academic and personal projects for a fee. 

This creates an income stream that didn't exist before and increases visibility to my studio/business,

I'm going to be looking for some interns for some projects this year and this gives me a chance to get to know prospective students that could fit the bill, giving them hands on experience and co-op hours, decreasing my own workload and helping to increase my revenues.

Can you say WIN-WIN-WIN?

An affiliate relationship, no matter with students, businesses, other "competitors" or whatever, need to be treated as a symbiotic relationship.  Give and take.

Most of the time it costs you little or no time or money to make and keep them, but it grows your potential, your resources, your abilities, your support and your revenues by leaps and bounds.

So while things are building up at this first school, I'm starting to look at the next one.  Why not right?

Let me know what you think of education affiliations, does my approach make sense?  Are there other opportunities to utilize these relationships that you can think of?

I want to hear YOUR THOUGHTS!!  So send them!

And let me know which affiliate you want to learn about next!!

Laters,

Michael Carty
Michael Carty Photography
Michael Carty Email

Nose To The Grindstone vs. Leaving It The F@#$ Alone

Hey Peeps,

I have a feeling that this may be a little controversial to discuss, but I have experienced it firsthand and find it incredibly fascinating, and first needs to be illustrated by a story from my past.

Years ago, in my misspent early 20's, I actually tried to grow a houseplant.  Buy a pot, soil, some Miracle-Gro, simple right?

NOPE.

I planted six different seeds, kept it watered and by the window, but the soil stayed as barren as a models bikini line.

So being a guy, I instantly forgot about the pot and soil - therefore, I left it sitting by the windowsill to collect dust.

Sometime, in the next few weeks, a few friends and I decided that it was the perfect night for tequila shots with salt/lemon slices(when isn't it?).  The rest of the evening resides in obscured memory and blackmailing photos that will be automatically released to the media at the time of my death.

That's a joke.

Or is it?  You'll see when I croak.

Anywho, a few days later, something the color of vibrant green caught my eye from the windowsill.  

It was a plant sprouting from my pot!!  Finally!  I was growing a houseplant!

But wait, what's that at the base of the sapling? 

Two halves of a lemon seed shell.

...

Do you get it?

One of our tequila lemon seeds was spit serendipitously(did I just create this word?) into the potted soil.  Left alone, it sprouted by itself.

NO tending.  NO watering.  NO ME.

:(  I am Michael's popped bubble of self-gratification.

That's where the lesson began - but let me be clear:

I truly believe that effort is needed to get things done. 

At least a little.

But there comes a time to back the "f" up and let the situation work itself out - there is only so much you can do before you start to bring harm to your project.

So with the plant growing, I suck.

I know the logistics:  soil, water, sun - but that's where I should stop.  

Me personally.  

Other people can go further than I.  I think they're called farmers, gardeners, botanists, etc.

I am not one of them.

The same works in everything you do.  

Work yourself to death at your passions, but in the end you will find yourself spinning your wheels and then - the horror of it! - starting to wonder why you loved your passion in the first place!  OR - the humanity!! - start to hate your passion!!

*Shiver!* 

Step back.  Know when to stop, for you, personally.

I've had those moments myself.

Late nights, editing image after image until they all start to blend together in my coffee-fueled, sleep-deprived stupor.

I don't want to die that way.

I don't want to hate my passion, my work, my life.

I step back.

I still have to remind myself of this.  The traditional order of things is that the effort put in equals the effort coming out, but that is irrelevant now in our world - actually I believe it was never relevant in the first place.  

It's not the amount of effort - but the quality of effort.

Work smarter - not harder.

I sometimes sit day after day in front of my laptop, corresponding to clients, writing blog posts, brainstorming projects, talking to affiliates, cataloging data from my mileage to my HST.  

I FEEL like I'm wasting time, and in a way I am(plans are in work to change this).

I WORRY that I won't get work, clients don't just drop out of the sky right?

But if I leave my laptop for an afternoon, for some reason when I return to it I have at least one message from a lead, past client or product order.  

Maybe it's the perspective, maybe being plugged in skews the incoming traffic because it isn't constant, but whatever it is, it feels better when I step back.  When I spend time away from the grindstone and LIVE for a few hours.  When I come back with rested eyes and settled mind.

So that's my message to you:  Work hard at your passions - until it starts to feel like your working hard.  Then back off for a bit.

If your passion feels like work, you're doing too much.

Am I full of shit?  Tell me where I've gone wrong BRAINIAC!!

Laters,

Michael Carty

Michael Carty Photography Website

Michael Carty Photography Email

Sometimes The Best Advice Is Your Own

Hey Peeps,

Ever have that friend who wants to start a business or make things easier in their current business and for some reason you have this great insight into what they need in order to succeed?

For example, I have a buddy that is working on starting up a brewing company this year.  He knows what he wants to do but he doesn't know what he wants to do.

I have been there - most times I live there.

One night he was explaining some of the things he needed to get nailed down regarding design, marketing, business structure, etc, etc.

For some reason or another, I started spouting the most interesting ideas to help his business and make work easier for him.  I don't know where it came from, creativity + challenge?  

I know nothing of the beer industry except that I can get the stuff in can, bottle or glass and even though I have certain preferences, I don't usually turn down a brand offered me if it is all there is.

After some back-and-forth, my buddy told me the ideas that I was suggesting were great, but he found it funny that they were also pretty common sense and that he just couldn't think them up himself.

I understood.  

I told him that for most people, it is easier to give advise then to take it.  That's probably why it is so hard for people to come up with "common sense" when it comes to their own work.  Maybe it's because it's personal to them.  Maybe it is hard to be objective when dealing with a passion or a dream.

I know for a fact that I normally couldn't come up with as many great ideas for my own business - a business that I've learned a great deal about over the years - as I did with his brewing business.

So whenever I write or message or blog or speak with someone about their work, I make sure that I take notes of my own advice.  The businesses may be different - whole worlds different - but I find that you can translate almost anything that works for one bizz into another.

The idea here is translate - not copy.  There is a HUGE difference between the two.

Let me explain.

Copying an idea or business aspect doesn't always work, and if it does, it won't work as well as translating.  Like using a puzzle piece for a different puzzle that looks like the piece you need; it may do the job - but not very well.

Translating an idea or business aspect works best for your business because it is the right piece for your puzzle.  It fits perfectly, being custom made for your work.

So when you find yourself helping a friend with a work issue - jot that gold down son!  

Look it over later and see what you can do to translate it for your own. Throw out what you don't want or can't use or are already implementing and go from there. 

Don't let your creative business mind(creativity + challenge, remember?) go to waste or work for free for someone else when it could work for you because... well, Sometimes The Best Advice Is Your Own.(Yeah, cheesy - whatever, get to the task below in red!!)

What's your best business advice?  Did someone take it?  Did YOU?

If I were to ask you what marketing advice you would have for a business, what would it be?  

Now tell me how you would translate it to yours!!

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Laters,

Michael Carty

Michael Carty Photography Website

Michael Carty Photography Email