website

So during my winter break I have been doing a lot of work to my website, none of which has been uploaded to my server, because instead of doing it piece by piece and doing it that way, I want the big update to be one huge, well super-huge update. I have changed my layout 5 times this break, only to go back to the original 3 days later. My goal is to have a super simple and elegant website. Although I do find web designing to be quite fun, I run into a lot of issues along the way. My biggest issue being forgetting how to do something, and realizing that I forgot my dreamweaver book up at school, so I watch tutorials on how to do it, which is great, but it takes absolutely forever! A great place to watch some tutorials for dreamweaver can be found here : http://www.adobe.com/support/dreamweaver/tutorial_index.html . The best one that I have watched so far has been the one about planning out your website, which can be found here : http://www.adobe.com/support/dreamweaver/layout/site_planning/ .

Throughout my past four years in school (I'm graduating this coming May of 2010), I have learned a lot, obviously, about photography. I think the best thing that I have been taught outside of the technical side of photography is how to market myself. From learning how to market myself as a business I have learned the importance of websites in this digital based world. The great thing about having a website as a photographer is all the "free" advertisement it truly is. And by free, I don't mean a free space on the internet, like with flickr, but its a free way to tell other photographers, editors, magazines, companies etc. about what you are as a photographer and a glimpse at your personality. It also show how i see the world through a camera.. But, at the same, with just how important to have a website it is, it is just as important to have a "in hand" portfolio, a real, professional portfolio because seeing a photograph in person is 100% better than seeing a photograph on the internet. Besides the website and the portfolio, you also need promo (promotional) cards. Promo cards are probably the most fun things to make, once you chose a layout (choosing the layout for my promo cards literally took a week). They are mailable little cards to be sent to whoever you would send your portfolio to, they also make for wonderful Christmas cards! Then of course, you also need normal business cards, and lastly a resume. With all of these tools, along with my photographic skills and knowledge from my schooling at RIT, I am truly ready for the real world out there, wherever I end up, and I'm excited. But, for right now, it's time to head back to school for my last quarter and a half of college.

Also, Happy New Years Eve! My resolution for this year is too shoot more photography for myself more often!