Top Friends? Myspace, Facebook, etc…
November 5, 2008
I’ve often talked about therapeutic photography, or photographic therapy, the power of photography to help build or rebuild self-esteem, but here recently, I’ve also noticed another power, the social networking power.
While that topic can encompass many areas, especially with Myspace, Youtube, Facebook and other powerful social network communities, one thing they have in common, is the ability to “tag” (comment) each member in your friends network. It’s not only addictive, but those members with marketing savvy use these peripheral options along with their blogs, bulletins, announcement, photos, tagging of photos, pets, walls, groups, etc. and more as great marketing tools within the network.
This marketing of oneself is not only the selling of one’s products and talents, but of themselves and often for their own ego and self-esteem. Often a popularity contest, I have more friends, comments and tags than you! In the Myspace “pets” application, the goal isn’t to be the owner of pets, but to increase your net worth, though this is often perceived as a popularity contest more than disposable income. Many members of these sites are not only concerned about how many friends they have, but if they are on, and in what order, their friends, “Top Friends” lists.
Workshops that Don’t Pay Models–BLAH!
September 19, 2008
| Will we’re getting ready to for our main event, "Back to the Ranch" (BTTR) next week, featuring some top, top photographers as guest instructors, so I’m running like a chicken with my head cutoff right now! Whew! As we line everything up for what promises to be the best event of the year, 30 photographers, 15 models, 5 VIP photographer instructors, 5 mentor/assistants, 4 make-up artists and an outstanding location, we’re actually updating the website for the ranch event, though it’s basically sold-out! It sold-out before we could even finish the website and it was just announced after the 4th of July holiday! Imagine that?
That’s what happens when you get some great models, though only a few were mentioned. Why are we able to get some great models for all our events? The answer is not hard and I took an excerpt from the BTTR website and put it here for you to see below. Often I see other workshops "poking" fun at my "releases," implying that we suprises our photography workshop attendees–not so, it’s on every photography workshop web page, and the release are always voluntary, though encouraged. Besides, other workshops provide, very questionable promotional releases. |