Thoughts of Spring

The weather has been especially cold in Tennessee this Winter. That is probably why I'm having thoughts of Spring! I'm digging into my archive of photographs and updating some floral images and putting them together as sets for easy wall displays. This week I was working on the color purple - but especially Lavender. Here is what I came up with! These photos can be purchased in my Etsy Shop: www.JustLifePhotography.Etsy.com They are available separately or as a group. Thanks for looking! Cheers! ~Lora

Flashback Friday

Ok, this is posting on Saturday morning, but because I meant to do it yesterday, I'm still calling it Flashback Friday. For Flashback Friday I want to share some of my barn photographs. I have been shooting barns forever. They are one of my favorite subjects and someday I hope to have my own barn :-) Barns aren't just for animals anymore! Barn photographs make lovely art for your rustic home. The laid back country appeal of barns make them a decorating favorite for many designers. As far as weddings go, rustic barn weddings are the thing to do right now. Anyway, I don't need to convince you of their pleasing aesthetics, I'll let the photos speak for themselves. Happy Flashback Friday (or early Saturday morning) Cheers ~Lora

Being Prepared

There is a discipline needed to be a good (or great) photographer. Practice, practice, practice. Of course it also helps to have God given talent and shooting the subjects that you enjoy. I, myself, don't really care to do portrait photography. Portraits feel too controlled and posed for me. I love candid portrait photography but I most enjoy nature and animals. When thinking about making fine art photography a business, you look at every opportunity as a potential photo shoot. When planning your day, make sure to pack your camera (either in a proper bag, or in your purse (which is what I do). You just never know when you will come upon something that literally speaks to your heart, and has the potential to speak to your wallet :-) My mom and I were "junk" shopping on Sunday when we drove past this grove of evergreen trees. I was intrigued. Not only because they were plenty tall and beautiful, but because they were grown in dozens of straight lines. The results were this impressive maze of perfectly ordered tress in the ordinary chaos of nature. I immediately pulled over my car and captured the following image:

I love how it turned out. This has become one of my favorite shots. You just never know what you will come across. It pays to be prepared. Cheers ~Lora

Getting Your Picture Made

I have only been living in the south for 4 1/2 years. The first time I heard someone talking about "getting their picture made" I had no idea what they meant. Obviously (now it's obvious :-)) they were talking about getting their picture taken. But as a photographer I think "getting your picture made" is right on. To be a successful fine art photographer, you have to understand a couple of things: Number 1 - You can be an awesome photographer and sell very little of your work Number 2 - People want to purchase photographs of their themselves and their children Number 3 - To sell fine art photographs for home decor you have to offer items that "speak" to your customers So let's consider that for a moment. Have any of you ever bought photographs from a photographer that didn't include yourself or your family? Did you ever purchase fine art for display in your home? Having a shop on Etsy opens the door to a large customer base that you wouldn't normally have if you were selling from a brick and mortar shop. So you have the audience how what? You want to offer items in your shop that will be appealing to the general public. That means "making pictures" specifically for home decor. For the most part I really consider if the photo that I'm taking would be something that someone would purchase for display in their home. You can take whimsical dreamy photos of a Ferris Wheel (most photographers have this photo) but who would buy it for display in their home? The answer is probably a parent buying for a nursery that has a carnival theme. That is a very limited audience. It doesn't mean that your photo isn't good, but the audience is limited and the business is saturated with Ferris Wheel photos. Here's mine: It's pretty good. Have I ever sold this photo? No. Will I ever? It's possible but unlikely since the market is saturated with photos just like this. To make my photo a little more marketable, I grouped together several carnival photos, show what they will look like matted and framed and then offer a discount for the group. We'll see. On the other hand, landscapes and are something that can be displayed in any room in your home. Your's just has to be more beautiful and more unique to stand out in a very large crowd. The point to this post is to remember who your customer is. Take photos that will appeal to the masses. Hone your craft to make sure that your quality and composition is just above what the "masses" are offering. You want to have a unique and fresh perspective. I'll leave you with one more photo that will demonstrate what I'm saying. This photo is rustic and shabby chic. It will appeal to people for the beauty and composition but also because of what it symbolizes. It can be hung in any room of the home or office which widens your customer base. Thanks for looking. Cheers! ~Lora

My First Sale!

I was born to create - I have creative energy and a busy mind :-) I'm really working on try focus on a few creative outlets and not everything I see. So for the new year, I decided to refocus my energy on photography. It's something what I love to do and I'm hoping that in a couple of years I can work part-time. I want that part-time job to be something that I love. I decided to reopen my photography shop on Etsy but it has a new name and a new look. I want the items in my shop to reflect my personal taste (things that I would love to display in my home). So, you will see a lot of nature, animals and anything vintage. Here is a photograph of the item from my first sale! (Just Life Photography):

Please go to my Etsy store and become a follower there too! www.JustLifePhotograpy.Etsy.com ~ Cheers Lora