Intothedarkroom is excited to announce the second template set in the designer collection, Wicked Cicily.  The Wicked Cicely website and blog templates are for the bold brand and the hot blooded. We wanted to bring an edgy feel to this new template set, so we incorporated leather texture and dark tones as the default setting.  However, you can add your logo and tint the background leather texture with a color to make it more personal.  As always, our websites are search engine optimized and our template blogs are built on WordPress.  Buy just one or buy both to have the complete package.  And with our new quick install feature, you can purchase and install any of these products right now! For the next 3 days, we will be offering these templates at 50% off if you use the discount code below.  


For a limited time and quantity, use the discount code below to purchase these templates at 50% off.  
DISCOUNT CODE:   "WICKED50"


LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WEBSITE
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A link from another website to yours is good for search engine optimization (SEO), but a link with the right anchor text is great.  If you don't already know this, anchor text is what a link actually says.  So, for example: go here for photography websites.  The anchor text for that link is "photography websites".

Anchor text is important because it helps search engines determine what the linked website is about.  In the example above, I am telling search engines that our domain, www.intothedarkroom.com is a place for photography websites.  Because of this, the search engines will now rank www.intothedarkroom.com higher for this term.

What is the right anchor text for you?

As a photographer you will first need to brainstorm a few specifics about the type of clientele you want.  For example, what city and/or state do you want your clients to reside?   What type of photography will you shoot for your client (children, weddings, portraits, etc)?  

After you figure out these specifics go to Google Keywords, where you will be able to determine your optimal anchor text.  Type in a few keywords/phrases that you figured out from the questions you answered above and click "Get Keyword Ideas".  In the example picture below we entered:

Phoenix photographer
Phoenix wedding photographer
Arizona photography


As you can see Google automatically suggests other related keywords/phrases as well as the ones you entered.  It combines this with three other columns.  First is "Advertiser Competition", which displays the amount of competition there is for that term on Google Adwords.  This column means very little to you unless you use Adwords so you can just ignore it.  The second column, "Local Search Volume", is the amount of monthly searches there are for that term in your country.  This is the most important data you will need when determining anchor text.  The third column is "Global Search Volume", which is the world-wide search volume rather than just your home country.  This will apply to you if you plan on working with clients from other countries.

Which keyword/phrase should you choose for your anchor text?

Now that you have the important data in front of you, it is essentially a judgment call.  Try to find the keyword/phrase that best describes you as well as a one that gets a lot of monthly searches.  Generally the more searches per month, the harder it will be to rank well for that phrase, so don't just pick based on the phrase that gets the most searches. 

Now that you know your desired anchor text, how do you get your links to have that anchor text?

Unfortunately, this is the hardest part. 

For future links you acquire to your website, ask whoever links to you to include this anchor text.  So if another blogger interviews you or you are featured on another website ask them if they can create a link to your website with your anchor text. 

You can also try to go back and get some old links to your website to switch over to your new anchor text.  A polite email to the website owner usually does the trick.  If you don't remember who has linked to your website, you can find all of your links by going to Yahoo.com and doing two different searches.  First, search "linkdomain:yourdomain.com" (without the quotes).  You will see all of the links to the "non-www" version of your website.  Second, search "linkdomain:www.yourdomain.com" (without the quotes).  This will show all of the links to the "www" version of your website.  The explanation for this is an entirely different blog article so just roll with it for now.

Lastly, use this anchor text on your own website or blog.  Go back to previous posts or pages and scan for places you can include this anchor text while linking to your home page.

Hope this helps!  If you have any questions or comments you can put them in the comments area below. 

INTERVIEWEE: Doug Boutwell
WEBSITE: www.gettotallyrad.com

Where do you come up with your ideas for all of these actions?
Most of them come from photos I see that I like the look of.  When we're working on a new set of tools, I'll usually collect photos that I see for months beforehand - things that have a great aesthetic - and stick them in a folder on my computer as visual reference.  Many of our products start as more general ideas about post-production, either as somewhat abstract ideas about how to push pixels around, or as an attempt to recreate something that you could do in-camera.  I also think about what people could use in a more practical sense, which is where we get things like Yin / Yang and A Better Web Sharpen (which is probably MY most used action :)

How many actions hit the cutting room floor and never see the light of day?
A few here and there - usually the ones that I create early in the process.  Often the idea behind something forks off into a few actions, which get refined and revised, and one or two of the original ideas just kinda go nowhere.  Surprisingly few, though - almost everything starts with a good, viable idea, and then evolves into a polished, unique tool of its own.  On a similar note, sometimes things get conceptually grouped together AFTER they're created - at the naming stage.  I'll look at everything at various points though the process, and where there are similarities, things will get tweaked with the intent that a handful of actions will be related to one another.  Lux hard/ soft from TRA2 is a good example - those started off as completely separate actions, but once I realized that they were kinda similar, they both got tweaked a little and renamed to be two flavors of the same thing.  It helps to simplify.  Smack My Pix Up, from the presets, was similar.

What is your favorite action to date?
I still think that Boutwell Magic Glasses was a little ahead of its time, since I posted a version of that action to the DWF back in like 2005, and I think it was the best looking way to create that effect for a long time (you can get largely the same thing in most raw converters nowadays with the "clarity" slider).  It was pretty smart, if I do say so myself, to mask the edges off from the edge enhancement effects, to prevent halos.  A Better Web Sharpen is based on the same concept, and I really like it as well.  A lot of the others I'm proud of either for how they look, or because of the innovative ideas that went into them, but they aren't my favorites, per se.  I do think that Old Skool and Pro Retouch both helped put us on the map, because they were so unlike anything else available.

Who names the actions? How do they name them? Is there a method?
Well, about 1/3 of them end up keeping the names I give them when I make them.  Sometimes things will start out with a boring name like B&W #1 or whatever, and we (Chenin and I) basically have to drink and BS until we've looked at everything and come up with names that entertain us enough :)  There's always an emphasis on making them both memorable and appropriate for their use.  We could name something "Fairy Puke", but it wouldn't mean anything.  We want the names to make sense, in an intuitive way, for what the action is doing.

All of our clients are buzzing about the Lightroom presets. Tell us more.
People have been asking for Totally Rad Lightroom Presets for years, but I just wasn't sure whether it was a good platform for making 3rd party tools.  In fact, I'm still convinced that it's not, but after wrestling with it for months, I think we created something that is worthy of being called Totally Rad.  Not only did we manage to bring a lot of the innovation in imaging aesthetics that marks our products to the Lightroom platform, but we also preserved a lot of the flexibility of the tools.  My big concern with Lightroom was always the single-state nature of everything you did.  A preset could only set a slider to a specific value, and it makes layering things together to create a new, unique look tough.  Our presets get around that by creating strong, medium, and light versions of nearly everything, which isn't something anyone else has done, to my knowledge.  I've had a ton of great feedback on the product, and I think it sets a new standard for presets, at least until the day Adobe gives us some additional programmability.  It gets photographers who want a simplified workflow that much closer to being able to ditch Photoshop for 99% of their needs.

You went to the WPPI this year...What was your favorite part?
Going home :)  In all seriousness - I like seeing people and catching up, but I was preoccupied with all the cool things I wanted to do with the next 2-4 years that all I could think about was getting back to the office and getting to work.  The honest truth is that the things we've been able to do with Totally Rad have been severely limited because I wanted to keep it small.  I threw that concept out the window earlier this year, and stopped sitting on the fence about the future of the company.  We'll be putting even more time and work into some of the pie-in-the-sky plans I've had for years, and if things work out, photographers will be doing things a little bit differently in 5 years.  Today's tools will look laughably limited in comparison.  That's all I can say for now, though.

Intothedarkroom's Pimp My Vanilla template hit the market less than a month ago, and already people are storming through the crowds to get their hands on it. Intothedarkroom decided to bring their template on the Wordpress platform which allows for photographers and others to just simply:
 
Buy. Install. Play.
 
The Wordpress Vanilla template brings to us what the past template gave us plus more features: rounded curves, drop shadows, gradient and textured backgrounds, controllable size, header gallery, and more.
 
The best thing about the above features is.......It's all changed through the backend, and can be controllable on the spot by you. I'm not quite the photographer. There's no reason for me to brag about my 10 megapixels Sony camera that I got on Black Friday, but I can give you some tips and tricks on how to jump start your Vanilla template to be different from the rest.
 

 
Why a Template?
For those that do not have the budget or timing for a custom blog, the template is the next best thing. It's literally a toy that you can sit down with on your free time and play with the settings after you installed it onto your server. It takes a couple minutes to setup the blog and unwrap it, but after that, it's all fun and play. However, most people are concerned about the word "template".
 
"It's a template, everyone who gets it will be all the same, and that doesn't make me unique."
 
That person is right...to a point. Templates are designed to be quickly installed because it gives the photographer a quick way to get a blog or site up without having to deal with a lot of budgeting and time managing. If you want to quickly post your stuff online and blog about your experiences right away, then a template is the way to go. Once you feel confident in your brand and your business, then it's time to go for a custom design, otherwise a template is ideal.
 
What makes Intothedarkroom's template different from the rest? Its' flexibility and ability to change the colors and design is what makes it more than a template. It's your blog.
 

 
5 Tips and Tricks to Make Your Template Unique
When you first get your template, you're left with a simple white on white theme.
 
Now, not to say it's a bad thing, but white on white is basically the bread and butter. It ALWAYS looks good. Because of that, a lot of photographers like to go that route because their brand fits it. There's nothing wrong with staying clean and going white on white, but here's a few tips where you can take it up a notch.
 

 
Pimp Your Vanilla with some Colors and Schemes
Pimp My Vanilla Template offers numerous color changes making it very easy to make some great color schemes for your blog. You may ask yourself, "Well, I'm not a designer or good with colors, how can I figure out something that fits me and at the same time looks good?"
 
That's okay, because here's a great resource to do just that.
 
Color Scheme Designer is a really great resource to figure out color schemes based around a primary color. Remember back in grade school where you learned about complimentary colors and such? Well, this site does it for you, and you can output the results in different ways that can help. My favorite would be using the page examples they have because they use the color scheme on a sample web page.
 
Once you have a scheme that matches your brand, you can export the color scheme as an HTML+CSS page where it shows all the color hex codes that you can use for the backend of your Vanilla Wordpress Template. I'll elaborate more on how to implement them in future posts so make sure you keep an eye on the blog.
 

 
Pimp Your Vanilla with Crazy Backgrounds and Decorative Textures
Textures and background pictures go a long way in setting your template apart from others. With a simple texture you can go from being a super clean photographer to a punk rock photographer. What you use as a background gives your viewers a big insight of who you are and what you do. CGTextures is a great place to check out some interesting textures and backgrounds for your blog. With a little touchup in Photoshop, you can create something unique for your blog template design.
 

 
Formatting Your Blog Template Structure with the ITDR Admin
If you haven't touched the admin panel yet, shame on you. There are tons of options that can change the whole outlook of your wordpress blog. You can change your shadows, round your edges, and change your blog width. Don't forget to keep your client in mind and don't make your blog too big, or too small. Don't be afraid to change a certain setting to see how it looks because you can always change it back. And if things get too out of control there is a handy "Revert to Default" button that brings the settings back to the original white on white from when you first bought it.
 

 
Give Your Main Logo Some Extra Padding
Many times, photographers get too hasty with their new template and immediately jump in and put a logo on the blog. This results in the logo being left-aligned to the top of the navigation bar. Designing wise, this looks really bad. So take the time import your logo to a graphic editing program and give it some room to breathe on the canvas. The logo will look better aligned correctly on your blog.
 

 
The Final and Best Tip to Create an Awesome Blog Template
And finally the 5th final tip that I will give to you today is to....create good content for your blog. One of the key components that make a blog appealing is not just the design and the beauty of it, but the information that you're giving and the content that you are writing. If your blog has great content, you'll always bring people in.
 

 
Putting It All Together - Your Pimped Out Blog Template
What do you get after putting all the above tips together? You got yourself a blog.
 

Andras is a great photographer and a great guy.  We had the pleasure of working with him on a custom blog and meeting him at WPPI 2010.  Below is an interview about himself, his blog, and his world renowned workshops.  

PHOTOGRAPHER: Andras Schram
CUSTOM BLOG: http://andrasschramblog.com/

How long have you been a professional photographer?
I have been shooting since I was 15 years old but I consider myself a pro since 2002 - that's when I got recognized by FujiFilm in Canada as the #1 portrait photographer of the year and then the #1 Wedding photographer in 2004 & 2005

How would you describe your photography? What are you passionate about?
My style is upscale European fashion photography with lots of love elements and craziness; I am very spiritual and like to connect with my couples and clients on that level!  It's only 10% photography.  The rest is love, passion, understanding, gratitude and karma.

What made you get a custom blog from Intothedarkroom?
I have had many blogs before but they were all limited.  I wanted something tailored to my needs - something that I call mine, my baby...where I can express my work in the outfit and way I want! When I first saw the blogs by Intothedarkroom they all felt very personal and instantly reflected the photographer behind it.

How was your experience?
My experience? I still talk about this today to my students, fellow photographers, and people I meet. Let's just say it was out of this world. My first consultation was over the phone for 1.5 hours.  You guys listened, asked questions...I felt I was part of your team. This is unheard off nowadays!!! The first mock up I received blew me away.  That was it - nothing needed to be changed. Trust me, I am a picky guy.  I don't even like what I shot yesterday anymore. Your design was PERFECT, showing my true personality!

How are you going to use the blog to enhance your business?
It has so many possibilities I can not even list them all here...it is the greatest marketing tool, expression of thoughts and work, and way better than your own website. Your website is your online business card. Your blog is the cherry on top.  Anything current, anything you want to share, you do it on the blog.  Honestly, you do not even need a website anymore!

Your workshops have been attended by photographers worldwide. Tell us more about the workshops.
I started the workshops here in Calgary 2 years ago. No one has ever offered a private workshop for local photographers in the wedding industry before. I felt I had a passion to teach and help. It has been a huge success.  So much in fact that people email me everyday about the next workshop. Over 180 people from 3 continents (Canada, Europe, the Caribbean) so far and so much more to come. A fantastic workshop in New York is coming up with a good friend and amazing photographer from Calgary in November. What people do not understand is that it's not all about the photography....it is much, much deeper. I call it soul photography, once you reach the level of this perfection your view of the world, people, and wedding photography will change forever. This is what I teach, people love it. So if anyone out there is looking for a much deeper meaning to wedding photography, try my workshops. You will be blown away!