Ok- not really, but I need to explain myself, and since I am a blogger, that means another blog post. The cliff notes version of this lengthy disclaimer is that I am going to start using affiliate marketing links in my posts. I am also going to go back and retrofit them into past posts. There, my naughty little secret is out of the way. But before I explain in detail, I will say this: I am not sponsored by anyone (note- if anyone does want to sponsor me, drop me a line, I am totally ok with getting sponsored... hint hint- Nikon, Think Tank, Kata, anyone......) Anything I review will be something I have used. If I like it, I will tell you why. If I don't, I will tell you why I didn't. Reviews will be honest, and come from my own experience and opinions. But it would be nice to make a little bit if something I write makes you decide to get something for yourself, and it doesn't cost me anything to so, so I am going to give it a shot. Now for the why.
Why? Because I want to make a little money, that's why. So far I haven't been able to crack the nut of making photography pay, the book has been pretty much dead on arrival so far, and I have only made a whopping $13 off stock photos. Right now I have the luxury of a full time job to support my photography habit, but this will not always be the case. When I am done with the Navy, I will have a decent retirement check, so I won't starve if my images don't sell, but I want to be able to take care of my family and do more than survive. So, while it is nice to have a cushion that lets me focus on trying to shoot what I want to shoot, it would really be nice to get something back. So I have been trying to build foundation out of small steps.
Step one- never stop getting better behind the camera. I am consistently getting decent images. I am occasionally getting good or even great images. But I am definitely not yet a master of the craft, I have a long way to go and a lot to learn. This will be a lifelong process and goal. But I want to put art out into the world, not crap. I may need to phrase that a little differently before I incorporate it into my mission statement, but there you have it.
Step two- figure out how to market myself and my images better. I'd love to say that all the marketing savvy in the world won't let you sell a bad picture, but when I look at what's out there and who is actually making money, it's easy to tell that's not true. There are a lot of people apparently making money off of mediocre snapshots and calling it photography. The opposite is also true, there are some people out there making amazing images that probably aren't earning a living at it. The key must be marketing. I am not good at it yet. I think the book also would have done better if I had any idea how to market it. This step may take a while as well.
Step three- Figure out little ways to make income. Slow and steady is the key here. I have time, I need to take advantage of it. So, starting to try and build up the little things. It reminds me of one of my favorite Demotivational Posters, "A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction." Except in this case, I hope a few small channels can build up over time into at least a small snowball of steady income. So, I keep adding photos to the stock portfolio, and looking for other ways to add revenue streams while staying true to what I want to do.
Step three is where I obviously hope the affiliate program will come in. If there is one thing photographers are known for, it's going gear crazy. Although I try to control myself, the need is sometimes strong, and sometimes even legitimate. So I will continue to acquire new gear. I will continue to use the hell out of it. Things I like, I will talk about here. If I can get a little money because people want to take my recommendations and use the stuff I like to use, everybody wins, so I don't think it really is selling out after all. But I did think it was something I needed to put out before I went back and swapped all the links, and started posting some more gear reviews that I am working on right now.
Finally- Step 4. Keep trudging along. Look for opportunities to get my name out there. Try new things, see what works and what doesn't. Say YES to opportunities even if I am not sure if I am ready for them. Put in the time and the effort and just keep going.
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