As a photographer, public liability can help you take care of the financial side of your business by making sure that you don’t lose all of your money because of an accident that involves the public. If you were to accidentally damage someone else’s property or injure him or her whilst working, public liability coverage would help you pay for any expenses related to the incident, including legal and medical fees. This is a tremendous help to most small and medium-sized business owners since even having to pay a lawyer in such an incident would deplete them financially.

However, many photographers have yet to understand the case to be made for getting this important kind of insurance because they are often put off by the idea of having to pay a premium. With finances already stretched tight, they may see public liability as just another bill to pay. The key concept that these photographers are not keeping in mind is that the little financial resources they have now will quickly disappear if they are found liable for public damage and don’t have sufficient coverage.

Public liability can also give you peace of mind whilst you’re working so that you only have to focus on the quality of your photography. The job may require you to haul around heavy and expensive equipment, such as tripods, backdrops and large frames, which can also become liabilities when it comes to the safety of those around you. You’re a cautious photographer, but that doesn’t mean that you will be able to prevent all accidents. With public liability insurance, you can be assured that your business will be financially covered even if you suffer a mishap whilst you’re working.

Another job aspect to keep in mind when considering public liability coverage is whether your job as a photographer takes you to potentially riskier places than the average worker. Some photographers go to new heights – and depths – to get the perfect angle, and if you’re one of them, you’ll want to secure a little more coverage when you’re working out your public liability policy to reflect the increased risk that you take on whilst working.

To get started on a public liability policy, you should first do a little research via the Internet to figure out what the most important points of the policy will be for your particular work situation. With a little further investigation, you can also find helpful hints about what questions to ask and get business insurance quotes. However, once you’re ready to commit to a policy, remember to contact a professional insurance agent.

For a while now, I have watched emerging and established photographers tentatively dip their toes into the world of social media. Do I need a blog, a Facebook page or should I really have a twitter account? The list of connections and networks really can be quite daunting and of course, potentially unmanageable. Then there are the statistics, the number of likes, friends, tweets, comments…well you get the picture.

I have spent the last few months on a mission, reading and finding resources about the use of social media, very specifically keeping in mind its use for photographers. I have also been watching how existing photographers use the mediums and tools that are currently available to see what works and what doesn’t for me. As soon as I write this article, the popular opinion on this is likely to shift and a new social media site will likely launch, such is the speed that things are changing and evolving in this space at the moment, but like any business, I believe that as a photographer  it pays to know your market and in a tough but honest way, know where your competition is and what they are doing.

In this article I am going to discuss the ‘Big 3’ social media tools and the potential that I see for them making a difference to photographers.

Social media kit bag

Blogs

I personally discovered blogging over seven years ago now, when my brother first introduced me to the RSS feeds. I have been an avid fan ever since. I have used blogs in my personal and work life, used them to document an 18 month working holiday and currently to document and connect on my own photographic  journey. Blogs let the world have a sense of who we are as photographers, but also as a person which comes out often in our words and writing style. If not a writer, they can still provide an opportunity to feature images, discuss images and very importantly to link to and learn from our influences and inspirations, as discussed in my previous post.

The kicker with blogs is always infrequent posting. I recently read a blog with had been consistently updated up until August ’11. Why..what happened then?  The reader has to be able to stay engaged and want to come back for more, and therefore content has to be kept fresh and recent and relevant when blogging. The use of images to engaged readers and receive comments and feedback is a powerful tool in my opinion.

I blog, therefore I am…every photographer should have one in their social media kit bag.

Facebook

We all use or know about it, but can it actually help our photography business. I would suggest that if you have resisted Facebook on a personal level, don’t necessarily rule it out as a great business tool. The key to Facebook is what you post. As a photographer, and as a business you have access to a phenomenal network, that you just need to tap into the right part of. Consider creating a page to talk about your events, workshops, interests, specialities, and even locations. If I can’t find a photographer on Facebook nowadays, I tend to wonder why not.  The new Facebook subscriptions feature is an excellent way to follow public posts without having to form imaginary, long lost friends and it is therefore a great feature with lots of potential for photographers.

Posting photographs on Facebook does need some thought. Who owns them, do you risk them being ripped off and will they actually be de-valued in amongst all the photos of parties, holidays and profile pics. My suggestion is to always link to a website or a blog rather then direct photograph posting. This creates seamless links between your social media kit streams and keeps the photographs under your control. Once again, frequency is the key here, even more so than blogs. The beauty is that a quick link or interesting article or location update can suffice to keep the readers happy. So, given this one a try and put it in the kit bag.

Twitter

Of the ‘Big 3’, this tool took me the longest time to warm to, but it really is the simplest to set-up and manage. Use links, re-tweet and keep it short, sharp and shiny. Connect Twitter to your blog and Facebook page and half of your job is already done with regular updates. The beauty of Twitter is it has been designed for audience targeting so this is inbuilt to a degree. People will follow you based on who you follow and your interests and posts. It is often referred to as ‘micro blogging’ which is quick and simple.  Photographers cannot really be promoted by Twitter alone, but it makes a quick and simple internet presence and so it really does have to go into the kit bag, even if you just use the basics.

As someone who has recently worked in the corporate communications world, I believe that there is still much to learn about the effectiveness of social media channels and it will be exciting to see how they evolve. I believe the key to all social media is to keep it focussed and have a clear idea in mind of what message, brand/connection you want to create. Keep this in mind throughout all your chosen social media kit items and keep them consistent and frequent.

So, go ahead, blog, tweet, like and network away and as a photographer, let the internet work for you instead of it being a fearful unknown.

**As part of my blog Photo web connect, I am happy to research, review and critique social media sites for photographers If you have any comments or thoughts on this article, feel free to let me know.

Link

http://photowebconnect.wordpress.com/

As a developing photographer, my key priority at the moment is taking better pictures. However, to get there, technically, emotionally and physically, these needs all tussle with each other on a daily basis. My journey doesn’t involve guns and overhead Black Hawk helicopters, but it does get impacted by the weather, bureaucracy and money. It is fundamentally underpinned by that one source of driving inspiration and that end goal that keeps us all moving forward, whatever it may be for us.

The journeys of other photographers fascinate me. I attended three short lectures the other day at a camera event in London and while all in a similar photographic genre, the paths taken and the inspirations for each photographer couldn’t have been more different. I overheard some people discussing one of the lectures in the café afterwards…’But he didn’t tell us how he took the shot, what aperture and shutter speed he used’. I felt like looking up and saying ‘Lady you have missed the point…’ but I didn’t…

Each of these photographers was sharing a part of their lives, and their past experiences. Their journey had something for everyone to learn from that wasn’t necessarily what you thought it would be.

I have my own story of course. Aussie born and bred, threw it all in for an initial 18 months working holiday in the UK much later in life and rediscovered a love of travel and particularly photography. 3 ½ years later, currently hooked, moving to the locations of choice to learn and practice photography and living on the edge financially to try and develop a decent portfolio of work. But to me, my journey isn’t nearly as interesting as those of others that I have met and will meet along the way.

Social media, and blogs particularly are effective tools to find out about journeys of others and either become a part of them through the internet, or just actively read, learn and be inspired by them. It is true, there is always someone that we can learn from, someone who has a similar or even polar opposite set of experiences to help us be informed, inspired and motivated. Just today, I have discovered two more journeys that I will be following. Two more twitter accounts and a Facebook page!

So, as I sit here watching the rain pour down, and waiting for the Met office to decide whether it will be possible to take out the cameral today, I can’t help but think…what will be the next part of my journey.

What will be the next part of your journey and who will you meet and be inspired by along the way?

The 1967 Shelby Mustang is a legendary muscle car built by Ford between 1965 and 1970 and the GT500 was the pick of the class. The name Shelby comes from Carroll Shelby who was famous for taking Ford cars and upgrading them into something powerful and exotic.

Tim Wallace has always produced exceptional car imagery and these pictures continue the style that has made Tim such a sought-after car photographer. If you are a fan of American muscle cars and the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 then these prints will look great on your walls as either canvas print, acrylic print or poster print. Click on an image to see a larger picture and see our purchase options.

Classic Muscle

Mustang Muscle

Shelby Mustang

Shelby GT500

If your camera has video shooting abilities this can be very useful but it is a huge drain on battery life. Shooting the video and viewing it back is one of the quickest ways to empty your battery. The LCD screen also takes up lots of power. It is possible to turn this feature off unless you really feel the need for it and using the camera’s viewfinder will help conserve power. Another big power drain is the flash. Whenever you can, use natural lighting to take your photos and turn off the flash. This will help save your battery for times when you absolutely need the flash. A third drain on your battery is constantly using your zoom. It takes more power zooming in and out than it does keeping your zoom in one place. Try to find a setting you like and sticking with it as much as possible or use the manual focussing option.

Here are some more tips to make your camera battery last longer:

• Make sure Power Saving mode is on, or simply switch off your camera when you’re not using it.
• In cold weather, keep your camera and batteries warm in your jacket or camera bag until you are ready to use them. Cold temperatures drain batteries very quickly.
• Store batteries in a cool, dry location away from sunlight and other heat sources.
• Avoid unnecessary playback of your already taken images. Try to decide when you take the picture if it is a “keeper” or needs deleting and then refrain from reviewing until the pictures are downloaded to your computer.
• Use the AC adapter. Most digital cameras have an adapter that allows you to plug directly into a power point. If you don’t plan on moving around a lot and are near an outlet, the AC adapter will increase the life of your batteries.
• If you are not going to be using your camera for a long period of time, remove the batteries as they will drain if left in.

Most pro photographers will carry several batteries with them in case of failure or battery drain so always take at least on backup with you. The other benefit of this is that you can use the second battery whilst the other one is being charged. Another tips is if your camera uses standard AA batteries it makes more sense to buy some rechargeable ones. This will save money and help the environment.

Recharging your battery is something you won’t be able to avoid completely, but with a few precautions you can make your batteries last much longer. If you have any further tips for our readers please drop us a comment at the end of this article.

We are looking for guest bloggers to write photography related articles on this site. Contact us if this is something you are interested in. We’re not going to pay you but it will give you some added promotion for your photography business or event. All photography press releases will be considered as long as they are well written and on topic.

So what exactly are we looking for? Product reviews, tutorials for taking photographs, techniques and software/retouching, workshops, photography holidays, best of lists etc.

So if you have some interesting words that would suit our photo blog then let us know. We can’t guarantee your article will be published but if we feel it is good enough for our readers then we’ll add it. If it is just cut and pasted from elsewhere it will be rejected. Only original content will be accepted.

You article must be a minimum of 500 words and include an image for our ‘Featured’ section which needs to be 580W x 258D pixels.

Contact us >

We are going to be updating the photo blog much more from now on so stay tuned for a lot more juicy photography related articles and useful tips. Drop us a comment and let us know if you have anything you would like featured on the blog in the future.

If you are looking for black and white canvas prints for your walls then take a look at Fotoviva Art Prints. We have a large range of photographic images for sale and a black and white canvas prints collection. This section offers stunning photographic images from our team of professional photographers who bring you artistic imagery with a black and white touch.

Black and white images have a timeless appeal which can suit interior designs with strong colour themes. The simplicity of the black and white can enhance the features of the image, drawing the eye to see more details than if it was a colour print. Black & White Photography has its own place in the world of art and many of the greatest photographers specialise in this field. It does more to evoke an emotion and freeze a moment in time than any other medium and has helped elevate it to a fine-art form.

Once you remove the colour from a photograph it’s like stripping a scene down to the bare bones, removing the layers and leaving the perfect form. They work perfectly as large canvas prints.

Black and white canvas prints come in all shapes and sizes to suit your wall space. We can even print the canvases at other sizes to ensure you or your client receives their print in the perfect size. Canvas prints take around 7 working days to arrive but if you need a canvas printing quicker just contact us and we’ll see what we can do to help. And if you are a photographer and have your own image you would like printed as a black and white canvas then we can do this too.

ePhotozine
http://www.ephotozine.com/forums
This is a very active photography forum with a large amount of members (their record stats for members online at one time is 4074!). Together with the photography forum there are lots of camera equipment reviews, photo techniques, photography news and even an online store. The forum software isn’t the best though and we’d like to see it updated to make it more user-friendly.

PhotoSig
http://www.photosig.com/go/forums
PhotoSig is another great photo forum with lots of members from around the world that helps create a diverse yet ultimately helpful community. You can also get your own gallery space and ask for critiques on your photography to help you take better pictures. Unfortunately this forum software is lacking too which makes it difficult to navigate.

DcResource
http://www.dcresource.com/forums/
The Digital Camera Resource site was founded way back in November 1997. The DCRP is designed to be an unofficial resource for current and future owners of digital cameras. It is aimed more towards the consumer end, rather than the high end of photography. The forums are nice and clean with plenty of active members that help to make a vibrant community.

Talk Photography
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk
This photography forum is one of the most active we have seen, with nearly 3 million posts! Whatever day you visit, there are tons of active members and discussions going on. You can upload your own gallery images and ask for critiques to help you learn better techniques. The forum software is simple and easy to use, whilst the basic template design doesn’t detract from the main thing – discussion! We like the general lack of advertising that sometimes ruins other forums.

Forums are a great way to interact with other photographers. You can even find photographers that are local to you and organise meeting up for a shoot. Try joining one today, they are all free and full of people just like you that are looking to improve their photographic skills!

Do you know any other photography forums that are worth a mention? Do you run a forum for photographers? Write a comment to let us know…

Ten of the pioneering photos of snowflake crystals that American farmer Wilson Bentley began taking more than a century ago are to be sold in New York.

Wilson A Bentley (1865-1931) is thought to be the first photographer to capture images of single snowflakes on camera. He made thousands of the jewel-like prints, and came to the conclusion that no two snowflakes were the same. This concept caught the public imagination and he published other articles in magazines, including National Geographic, Nature (Journal), Popular Science and the Scientific American. His photographs have been requested by academic institutions worldwide. Bentley poetically described snowflakes as “tiny miracles of beauty” and snow crystals as “ice flowers.”

His photomicrography technique involved a microscope and a bellows camera. Snowflake expert Kenneth Libbrecht said the photos did not meet modern standards because of the “crude equipment” Bentley used.

“But he did it so well that hardly anybody bothered to photograph snowflakes for almost 100 years,” Mr Libbrecht added. He perfected a process of catching flakes on black velvet in such a way that their images could be captured before they melted.

Ironically, Bentley caught pneumonia in a blizzard and died just weeks after the publication of his book Snow Crystals.

Chicago art gallery owner Carl Hammer is selling them along with 16 of Bentley’s winter scenes at an antiques show at New York’s American Folk Art Museum.

“They’re remarkably beautiful,” said Mr Hammer.

“There are imperfections on the outer edges of the image itself and on the paper, but the images themselves are quite spectacular.”

Bentley, who was known as The Snowflake Man, wrote in 1925: “Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others.

“Every crystal was a masterpiece of design, and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost.”

Bentley also photographed all forms of ice and natural water formations including clouds and fog. He was the first American to record raindrop sizes and was one of the first cloud physicists.