Need That Photo YESTERDAY! Be prepared.
October 26, 2010
After 30 years of exhibition trials and tribulations as an artist and maker, I continue to be reminded of a few recurring actions to be ready for special opportunities!
Take photos as soon as you finish the work. I mean IMMEDIATELY! The two main reasons are that your work will never look more "fresh" than immediately after you finish it, and you can start promoting your new work with the images.
Your images should be shot in RAW format to create the largest file possible, then clean up the image or modify as necessary in Photoshop. Save the final image as your "master" TIF.
As soon as I get my TIF images from the photographer, I create images for my website and social networking links like Facebook, Flickr, and Crafthaus.
You will also be prepared for an opportunity at a moment's notice. You never know, but it happens often enough. Magazines, shows, exhibition sponsors, writers, and fellow artists often want images YESTERDAY. When such an opportunity occurs, the artist who delivers an image always wins out over those who are not ready.
It happened to me twice last week. One person needed images for their lecture in two days. The other person wanted images for publicity yesterday. The magazine cover image for The Crafts Report (from a couple of years ago) was just another example of being prepared when a last-minute opportunity presents itself. They needed an image, and I was ready.
Was it worth being ready? Are you kidding? In minutes I can email images with a complete description and Photo Credit.
Black and Gold Identity Necklace
Recycled tin cans, Plexiglas, electrical
cord, brass, 10k gold.
© 2006 Harriete Estel Berman
Photo Credit: Philip Cohen
While it would be ideal if every opportunity presented itself with six months of advance planning, this is not always the case. Be prepared by taking your photos immediately without procrastination. You need to do the photos anyway, so consider it the final step in finishing your work.
Next Tuesday, Ask Harriete will include recommendations for the size of your photographic images. Be ready for your images to travel at the speed of light.
Click on my name to view the entire collection of Bead Bracelets and Bead Necklaces
If you need extra guidance with your images, use the Professional Guidelines topics:
GUIDE TO Professional Quality Images
Working with Digital Images Effectively
This post was updated on January 22, 2022.
Single AOL Bead functions as a magnetic catch by Harriete Estel Berman.