This Blog post is only available in french, Sorry.

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Voici les liens des annonces mentionné dans le blog:

Travelers Insurance -- Watering Hole

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPkqVD9C9Jc

Fruit of the Loom -- The Fruit Guys

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1pnu5yuLgI

Article sur Google vs Apple:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/09/apple-google-mobile-advertising

Article sur Twitter & Facebook

http://www.briansolis.com/2010/06/e-commerce-report-facebook-and-twitter-users-make-it-rain/

]]> http://stylesmedia.ca/lang/en-us/blog/vlog-francais-google-apple-creativite-mauvais-branding-engins-de-recherche-eau-potable/feed 0 http://stylesmedia.ca/lang/en-us/blog/old-spice-campaign-effectiveness-roi-whats-the-deal http://stylesmedia.ca/lang/en-us/blog/old-spice-campaign-effectiveness-roi-whats-the-deal#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:31:58 +0000 Styles http://stylesmedia.ca/?p=245

The Old Spice Advertising campaign, featuring “The Old Spice Guy”, as been the Buzz for the past month or so, first for it’s originality and second for it’s failure to generate sales. What went wrong? or did anything go wrong after all?

Find the old Spice ads bellow

So before we get into the nitty gritty, I think we should give the few who haven’t seen the campaign the chance to know what we are talking about. The first ad of this unique campaign was showcased during Superbowl on February 7th 2010.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

A second ad was launched on Tv Screens that had less impact but did well none the less

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpUrz9RvuPk

Although these are well conceived and original ads, they are not what set the Old Spice ads to be on everyones lips. What really set this campaign apart was it’s fresh look at how to use Social Medias (twitter, facebook, youtube, etc.) and how the reinvented “Realtime” Ad broadcasting.

]]> http://stylesmedia.ca/lang/en-us/blog/old-spice-campaign-effectiveness-roi-whats-the-deal/feed 0 http://stylesmedia.ca/lang/en-us/blog/blog-ato-vlog http://stylesmedia.ca/lang/en-us/blog/blog-ato-vlog#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:22:39 +0000 Styles http://stylesmedia.ca/?p=3527 So here we are… Ihave a million Blogs to write and about 10 mins to write them in english and in french. The solution? Vlog! Yep, Video Blogs that I will transcript later. This is the first, and if all goes well…

Please Comment S.V.P. Laissez moi vos commentaires

I think that one of the main dilemmas in photography is if or how to define yourself & your work/art. There is the obvious “Pro or Not” debate, which is the easiest to resolve. Pro = earns his living through photography. Not = doesn’t (plus a few acceptable variants). Then we get into what can be called categories, genres, fields or types of photography.

It may seem restraining to have to define yourself or your work within these parameters, but it is very important to do so, because this will help you on your quest to master your art, and it will also help you to target the appropriate audience.

There are categories and subcategories and invented categories you can choose from but I suggest that you stick to the basics. Here are lists of commonly used Photography categories:

General:
Portrait – Lifestyle – Sports – Nature – Landscape – Architectural – Still-life – Animal – Nudes – Glamour – Fantasy.

Commercial:
Family – Sports – Architectural – Industrial – Events – Wedding – Editorial – Stock – Commercial – Fashion – Advertising – assignment – Furniture.

If you can’t decide what category best describes you, it could be that you are still growing and that you haven’t found your true path yet. It may also be that you are not concentrating on mastering specific disciplines (and you should). In general, photographers pick between 1 and 3 main categories to define their  personal work. On a professional side, try never to define yourself by more then 2 categories, this will help your clients find you among your competitors. You can still have 16 portfolios of all kinds of photography.

So to finish this post; It is Good to “label” your photography. Choose not only what you think your best at, but also what you want to do in the futur.

Good Luck

This may sound obvious but when you get down to it, it’s always about the client, not the photographer. Most Photographers will tell you that you should learn to “read” your clients before shooting for them. And rightfully so! If your client isn’t satisfied, not only will he not hire you again, but he wont refer you either! Referrals & Word of Mouth is a photographer’s bread and butter.

The advantage we have today is that we can learn from others’ mistakes thanks to photographers with experience that share their knowledge. Over the years I’ve done many types of shoots, and weddings are the most demanding when it comes to client’s tastes, even more then Fashion or Commercial Shoots. Many of us take on weddings to roundup our year and because… they make people happy, force us to exercise our imagination , our creativity and our ability to “read” what our client is expecting of us.

Too often, when you take a look at a photographer’s wedding portfolio, you will find that all the photos are magazine covers with great looking brides and handsome Pitt like grooms. That is fine if your pitching to get a contract from wedding magazines, but for the average consumer it’s a bit overwhelming and often deters them from hiring you. Why? Because the first thing on their mind will be “This photographer is out of my league” … yes, many do think that. So make sure you have a wedding portfolio that reflects not only “perfection” but also “reality”.

Along the same lines, the type of shots that are taken during these weddings are also a factor. When I mention in this blog’s title “Know thy client!” I mean that what may seem like a boring ordinary photo to you, may be your client’s favorite! And what may seem like a Prize Winning Cover Shot to the trained eye, may not even make it into you client’s top 50 picks. When clients looks at your portfolio, they usually look at the execution and talent rather then at the images themselves. They want your talent to portray THEIR wedding fantasy.

Here a few points that I’ve learned to remember over the years:

A) Listen to your client’s requests and write them down.

B) Test your client by showing both “creative” and “Contemporary” shots.

C) 25% of your shots should be “Creative” + 25% should be Reportage.

D) The other 50% should be a mix of Contemporary and Souvenir shots.

E) 100% of your photos should show some % of originality

F) HAVE FUN!!! It will show in your work and in your client’s happiness.

This is all up for debate but it has served me well.

Good Luck

I can already hear the ” Oh yes it is! ” and the ” Oh no it’s not! ” but there is no wrong answer to this question, it’s about perspective.

First, let’s take care of a few myths

a) It’s amazing to count the amount of people & students that say they want to become pro photographers and live among models and celebrities and count the cash they’ve made simply by pressing a little button and adding a few after effects. After all, like many think, it’s real easy in this digital age! I don’t mean to blow anyone’s bubble but;

1. If it’s that easy, why aren’t you rich yet?
2. If it’s that easy where are all your celebrity friends? and NO twitter doesn’t count LOL
3. If it’s that easy then your a dime a dozen and no one will want to pay for your services.

b) Then there are the “I’ll do weddings! 1 a week at 1200$ and I make 60k a year!!”

1. Yes, you will. now go on and book 52 weddings.
2. Subtract all appropriate equipment: 2 camera bodies and a bunch of lenses
3. 400+ photos to go through, a few hundred to retouch and balance
4. insurance
5. assistant (highly recommended)
6. and all other expenses including taxes

Ok, so maybe it’s not that easy?!

In my experience being a photographer is, first and foremost, about self expression and art. Like a painting, hence the name: photo=light, Graphy=painting/drawing. Being a Professional Photographer adds an edge… express your client’s vision through your art and style. What will make you successful is how well you do this,  how much you love doing it.

So what about the money? well, Yes you need and Must be able to pull in some good numbers. Not to live like a king because you wont! You need the money to sustain your way of life! Photography is an expensive career and passion. One that asks you to continually invest.

Once this is done, keep the rest to feed yourself and your family! So yes, in a way, It’s also about the Money.

Here we go! So I am launching the new version of StylesMedia.ca. I think we are now at version 12 or something. And, going with the times, I’ve integrated a new blog and links to “some” of my Social Profiles(a few are missing).

I’ve written Blogs in the past going as far as 10 years ago if not more. They didn’t really have to do with my photography and work, but now it finally will! Including some of my views on different subjects outside of photography.

What should you expect in the future of this blog? Well, For one I will help those who are in the same field by writing about experiences I’ve had in this business. I’ll also give my opinions on how to run a successful photography studio.  and I will also write about specific subject that are related to the advertising field and the web.

All in all, expect nothing and everything from this blog

N.B.: Please note that, as of today, I haven’t yet updated the galleries and will gradually do so

See you next Post

Styles