| Sign in: |
| Members log in here with your user name and password to access the your admin page and other special features. |
|
|
|
|
|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Sport, News and Your Blog
Kevin Johnston, Photographer
 |
Oden | MI | USA | Posted: 10:19 AM on 08.12.09 |
->> Sorry if this has been done before but...
I have started a sports and news blog that I plan to use as an outlet for self generated work. Nothing personal, flowery or cute, just coverage of news and sports.
http://upnorthnewsandsports.blogspot.com/
Does anyone else have any experince doing this kind of blog and if so has it helped to generate any business or interest in your work? |
|
Matthew Ginn, Photographer
|
Portland | OR | USA | Posted: 1:05 PM on 08.12.09 |
| ->> I don't know if my blog (http://cartasalhogar.blogspot.com, a mix of personal and work-related stuff) has generated any interest from publishers or corporate clients, but it regularly generates reprint sales, especially for high school sports. The key is having the photos captioned with the names of the subject(s) and event in the metadata. Most of the hits I get are from web searches for "Mike Smith wrestling photos" or "2009 2A volleyball championships," etc. |
|
Curtis Clegg, Photographer
|
Sycamore | IL | USA | Posted: 5:44 AM on 08.13.09 |
| ->> Kevin I'm just curious... how do you identify yourself at these events? When you tell people that the photos will be used on your blog (as opposed to a newspaper for publication), how do they react? I have always been hesitant to show up at events, take photos, and gather cutline information unless I was on assignment. I like your blog. |
|
Kevin Johnston, Photographer
|
Oden | MI | USA | Posted: 8:36 AM on 08.13.09 |
->> At this point the blog is a secondary use to our photo service ( http://pa.photoshelter.com/user/eaglef&i ). I'm experimenting with it to see what kind of public readership I can stir up and if helps generate more interest in my images from editors.
I was wondering if anyone else was using a blog in a similar manner and if they have had any success at it or had any pointers on promoting it. |
|
Kevin Johnston, Photographer
|
Oden | MI | USA | Posted: 10:06 AM on 08.15.09 |
->> Ok, let me rephrase the question.
I see a lot of "how to" blogs, "this is what I shot today" blogs, wedding blogs, show off blogs and all sorts of other blogs from photographers here but I haven't seen any specifically news or sports blogs.
I would have thought that someone here was using a blog (or website) to generate sports or news content. Is anyone doing that?
I know the staffers at our local paper toyed with the idea of blogging on the papers website but never did. Any staffers out there blogged on their papers website? If so what kind of content seems to generate the most interest from readers? |
|
Chuck Steenburgh, Photographer
|
Lexington | VA | USA | Posted: 11:23 PM on 08.17.09 |
->> Kevin,
You see "all sorts of other blogs" on here because, to some extent, they work.
What you seem to be describing your blog as - "sports or news content" - sounds a lot like a newspaper web site. You have massive competition here, for very few advertising dollars.
In terms of blogging to generate interest in some other product (print sales, assignments)...well, in our profession we really don't need to do that. Our work speaks for itself. If that's your objective, there's not much point in blogging about it if you ask me.
Unless you can find a niche - like trying to offer more in-depth coverage of prep sports than the local media - I don't see this as a good business model. And developing a good niche news and sports site sounds like a lot of work.
Chuck |
|
Kevin Johnston, Photographer
|
Oden | MI | USA | Posted: 5:45 PM on 08.19.09 |
->> The purpose of the blog is not to compete with newspaper websites per say and I have no illusions about being able to generate any serious volume of advertising dollars with it as a stand alone item.
I do think that its a great way to help generate assignments though.
It might point out a story or feature piece that's of interest to an editor in another market. Stories about the area I live in appear in other parts of Michigan quite often. They won't have to wonder what kind of art they can get because they can see it. If I can improve my english skills I might even be able to pick up a writing job or two.
I would hope that it will help photo editors I haven't worked with yet feel more comfortable about hiring me. I can send them books, cd's full of carefully arranged images or links to tightly edited web portfolios but what I think an editor really wants to know before they assign you the first time is "What kind of images is this guy in the habit of submitting from an assignment?".
By publishing my self assigned work on the blog the editor will hopefully be more confident that I will turn in a good, solid selection of images. Adding the link to the associated Photoshelter gallery lets them see the entire take not just the ones I like. This is important because my guess success rate of which images will get run is about 4%.
The only thing better than getting your foot in the door is the sigh of relief you hear when the photo department sees that they haven't gotten a bunch of hard to work with images.
I know most photo editors are incredibly busy and get sick of being bugged but if there are any who agree or disagree with my line of thinking I'd appreciate yout two cents on the subject. |
|
Return to --> Message Board Main Index
|