Use social media channels to achieve a goal.

We've all been hearing and reading about how this wonderful new concept/reality called "social media" is changing the world.

Well, I'm going to take it upon myself to challenge myself to use social media to do one simple task.

I'm going to spend some time researching the various techniques that a handful of social brainiacs recommend and then I will set up a plan. A plan designed to bring about one successful sale of a print or digital file of my own creation. 

That's my goal. Sell an image I create using social media. To give it a bit more meaning, I'm going to set a price of this image at $225 for a 11x17 print, and if I sell the digital rights to an image I'll set that at a starting fee of $400 (depending on usage).

I will keep a running blog describing my status and my techniques. Should be interesting to see how this works. Watch for future posts right here, on Twitter, Facebook, Google + and LinkedIn. If I can find more media outlets, I'll use those too. Wish me luck.

It's official. One of my pieces has been accepted for the juried exhibit as part of SPARK photography festival. (not the one above) The show will go up in April at the old YMCA building on George street, in Peterborough.

At this point I don't know which image has been selected. At the Exhibit Opening Reception there will be a Best of Show and other prizes awarded, so I think I should be there for that.  I probably will be volunteering to attend the exhibit as part of my volunteering initiative for SPARK. What days that will be remains to be determined.
Overall, I am glad to be part of Spark. I've never done anything like this before, so I seem to be stepping outside of my comfort zone a bit, and I'm good with it.  At the end of the day, I'm happy how things are going so far this year photography wise.

It's not often that I enter photo competitions, but this is one that I wanted to be part of.
The Spark Photo Festival is very similar to the CONTACT photography festival in Toronto. Both go on for an entire month. CONTACT in May and Spark in April.

I think it is a terrific idea to have such an event, celebrating the beauty that is photography in Peterborough.  SPACE[s] is a Juried Exhibit, and is part of Spark.  
I was intrigued to be part of the festival in any capacity that thought I could be, so the juried exhibit was the perfect fit for me; at least until next year.
If I had a decent body of work, and access to printing facilities in Peterborough where I could control the printing, and display processes I would certainly have entered the Spark gallery display component.

Starting off my involvement in the festival by entering the juried exhibit is the perfect first move.
Today was the last day to enter. Uncharacteristically, I waited until the last day to enter.  That was fine, as it gave me a little bit of pressure to make sure I got the images just so.

I'm still a bit weary about handing over a disk with digital files, as it leaves me no longer in control.  If in fact one or more of my submissions are chosen to be printed and put on display, it will be out of my hands, out of my control.  Maybe that's the control freak in me. I don't think I'm alone in how I feel. 

I made each image to be exactly what they are. Handing them off to a stranger to be printed just feels wrong; and it leaves me feeling uneasy. I don't know what the printer is thinking when they look over the image. I don't know if they will make any adjustments, and if so in what way. 

Printing is an art in itself. Yes, I wish every day that I had a professional quality printer hooked up to my computer. I do not.  My major purchase this year perhaps.  I feel a fund raising campaign coming on.
Wish me luck in the competition, and please come out to see the Spark exhibits in April.

I'm IN!
Yaaaay, now I have to come up with a couple kick ass images.   I've been given the go-ahead by two local store owners to do their portraits within their stores.

One is Mike Taveroff, owner of the oldest record store in the country... Moondance Music on George street, Peterborough. The other is Scott Delaney, owner of Victory Art Supply on Rubidge Stret, Peterborough.

I have worked out a plan of attack for the image of Scott, but I need to look over my original proposal for the image of Mike.  I seem to have forgotten what I had planned to do.  It was right about that time that I came down with the cold from hell.  I still feel it a bit today, in my lungs.  Since I've been bombarding my body with vitamin C, I've noticed that this cold has almost but vanished much more quickly that any past cold. Note to self: 4000 mg of C per day is a GOOD thing when a cold has got me by the throat.

As soon as I'm confident I wont comprimise the portrait shoot, I'll go and get the image of Scott done. Mr Taveroff is on vacation until the 16th July, so I'll be in touch the day after he returns to work.  The final images must be submitted no later than 16th August. Lots of time.

Should be a fun experience.