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The Minneapolis SMUG learns about social media marketing!

June 7, 2012 1 comment

The Minneapolis SMUG had at their meeting at the Ridgedale Library, with about 50 members to welcome our speaker, Sarah Evans. Sarah gave an interesting discourse on Social Media Marketing. Sara is a college student, a photographer at Sears Photo Studio, and a Photo Assistant.

Sarah shared with us the eight goals of Social Media and Branding:

Build a sense of membership.
Encourage brand awareness.
Encourage the audience to generate conversation.
Define and maintain a competitive advantage.
Inform the vision of you brand and build a positive association.
Reach more consumers.
Create a difference for ourselves.
Encourage interaction through Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

She claims that Twitter is the most contemporary use of media at the moment. Its primary purpose is for information, but it requires constant attention and messages are fleeting. You can also reach a wide array clients as more people are joining Twitter daily. Linkedin also highlights recommendations from clients. It is very professional, and you are capable of connecting with other photographers and businesses.

Sarah even gave us some very valuable tips for our own social media exposure:

Secure a consistent user name. Two of the sites she recommended for this are namechk and knowem.
Use bait, such as coupons, to get business.
Integrate your social media, such as what you put on Twitter, to link in Facebook and SmugMug.
Connect with other businesses that can benefit us and we can, in turn, benefit as well. Get strategic partners.
If you start anything on social media, you must follow through.
Separate your personal from your business media.

When Sarah was through with her presentation, a lively interaction with the audience took place. We shared ideas, sites, and other information.

Submitted by the Minneapolis SMUG Scribe: Michele Abel

Michele is a photographer and SmugMug user. Her local SMUG has been invaluable, helping her learn about photography and the business.

Categories: SMUGs Tags: Landscape Photography, Minneapolis phot, Minneapolis photo groups, Minneapolis photographers, Minneapolis SMUG, Photo groups, Photographer's Networking, Photography, Photography User Groups, Portrait Photography, SMUG, SmugMug, SmugMug User Groups, smugs, Wedding Photography

The Minneapolis SMUG welcomes Jeffrey Wilson!

March 15, 2012 Leave a comment

Our meeting was held at Ridgedale Library with about 25 attendees. Local photographer, Jeffrey Wilson, was our speaker, and his wife, Christy, was there to assist.

Our topic this month was studio lighting. Jeffrey discussed all the different studio lighting and demonstrated everything with the help of his adorable model, Sara Adams. He was tethered to Lightroom, so we were able to see what he was shooting and how different lighting techniques affected the portraits as he shot them.

What we learned:

The different types of studio lighting: When it comes to studio lights, what you see is what you get. The light output is not as great as strobes, but you can see what the light is doing before shooting.

The other type of lighting is strobes. They are controlled by transmitters that go on the lights and the camera. The lights go off as flashes when the camera is triggered. The camera settings are best set using a light meter.

Light Modifiers: Jeffrey explained that the lights are usually not without modifiers in order to soften and direct the lights. These include umbrellas, which can be used as reflectors or as shoot-throughs, where the light is directed at the subject through a fairly translucent umbrella material.

Soft boxes are another way of modifying light. These can be quite big and provide a large, soft light. Soft boxes can also have grids on the front of them to control the direction of light and light spill.

The Studio Set-Up: Three lights were set up at the meeting, and the function of each one was discussed.

The Key Light is the main light. The normal set up for this light is 45 degrees from the subject and 45 degrees up. The fill light is 45 degrees to the other side of the subject. And the Hair Light or Kicker is 45 degrees to the back.

One of the best ways he described how to remember the quality of light was to think of the sun. The sun at its highest peak makes the lighting harsh. The closer a light is to the subject, the softer the light will be.

Wilson was very knowledgeable about lighting, and explained and demonstrated it so well. It seemed that all of us really enjoyed the night, and we peppered Jeffrey with questions at the end. We all left energized and so much more confident to go out and use lighting.

Submitted by the Minneapolis SMUG Scribe Michele Abel:

Michele has been coming to the SmugMug group at the Ridgedale Library for over a year and has gained so much knowledge from this group. She uses a Canon 5D Mark ii and shoot mostly with natural light. However, she is now anxious to add off-camera lighting to her repertoire. You can also find her on Facebook.