IntoTheDarkroom Blog

Therapy for Photographers

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:16:50 -0800

We follow a lot of photographers on Twitter and often see tweets that are an obvious attempt to vent due to a problem client. This inspired us to create an article where you can vent to the photography world or read others' struggles and hopefully realize you're not alone.

Here was our tweet to you: "I hate it when my client....."

thinks they are my only client. :-p - SusanDoddPhoto
i hate it when my client sends tons of emails, has me do all sorts of extra work and then places a really small order. - kellydecoteau
I hate it when my client grrrrrrrs like a tiger and then asks " should I do Blue Steel or the Magnum" - coryweberphoto
hires another photographer to shoot a wedding with me and doesn't understand why "we need to talk" - austinjwalker
i hate it when my client comes to my site and can't scroll the bar to the right. it's frustrating. - seloti
my client:makes me wake up at 6am for a conference call and then have him say he didn't get a chance to review the changes. - minonina
I hate it when my client asks me to shoot at high noon on a FL beach. Sure sure bc squinty eyes & sweat is in this year. - alisonwaring
I hate it when my client doesn't warn me about how awesome their event is gonna be & then we get there & it's magic - jenaew
let's their mother make all the decisions for their wedding!! - chrisward86
I hate it when my client.....doesn't read emails and I have to repeat myself :) - theKaraSchultz
isn't happy. - memycameraandU
wants to see EVERY image I shot of them. - jesset23
when clients get their prints from Walmart (instead through @pictage) and show those off to their friends ;) - CorinnaHoffman
calls me at 11pm thinking it's cool to chat about there wedding.. - Jason_McGrew
keeps asking for something free repeatedly...like "oh well this other photography was doing..." that's OK for them not me - ericavelascowed
shows up for a family session for 4 with 20 relatives and says, we want group shots and individuals, at the same price. Ugh - kolodczak
I hate it when my client.. Is unhappy. - christinearnold
I hate it when my client not happy with my work.. i need to get better and better.. :) - melvinnyacindy
when a client shows up in k-mart like wht chunky tennis shoes. You know the kind that a 60yr old man would wear! - getnickeled
doesnt let go and have fun! - ameliakatephoto
....reprimands and/or bribes their child(ren) during a shoot. doesn't happen very often, thankfully ;). - urbanbaby
make ridiculous request to remove things from photos to please their own asinine attitudes about class - scoooooooooooty
...bugs me to get their design done when I am busy riding my bike and goofing off. - itinerantstudio
...wants to form a large heart shape for their family photos in hopes it will look cool when shot from above. ick. :) - katienealphoto
asks for a discount- stacybroganable
Would love to win, but I have clients that follow me on twitter! So maybe: "I hate it when my clients don't follow me" lol - freshsugar
.....calls with "just one more thing..." - WeddingsByRyan
I hate it when my client.....asks if they can get a discount for ordering "so much". - Audreywoulard
...I hate it when my client... doesn't communicate! - josefnorris
naaah, we love our clients, as much we'll love that horizontal template... cheers team! - mcorrea
I hate it when my client...haggles on the price:( - sarahstepan
when my client feels the need 2 ask my advice on every single detail of her wedding advice regarding her underware is 2 far - ELITEVENTS
I hate it when my client...serves roast beef at the wedding...highly overrated :) - sharileephoto
I hate when my client thinks they look pale & wants the photos 'warmer' to the point that everything looks orange! - NicoleDavis
doesn't trust me! - BrookelynP
...forgets my birthday. - ericalovesry
says they have a hard time navigating my blog;) - thewhywelove1
says photgraphy is so important to them, books The Ritz, books our basic package and then go to Fiji on the honeymoon. - RBothwell
Thinks I am a virtual plastic surgeon. - mikebrice
designs her own album in microsoft publisher an shows me so i know what she is looking for. - radphotographer
says "I can't afford "x photographer" but I love her work. Can you shoot just like her? Lol - LHensleyPhoto
decides they'd prefer to see their landscaped color photos in portrait black and white, contradicting their consultation! - snapshotartist
I hate it when my client... ...gushes about the gallery and then only buys desk prints. Ugh. - mzihlman
...brings their friend to a consult. and the friend hates everything. - gregghart
doesn't like the vision i have....but waits until after to inform me. - austinjwalker
I hate it when my client wants to talk photo gear to passive aggressively let you know how to shoot! - thelongcut

We are giving one of our new horizontal blog templates away to one random person who responded to this question. We will announce the winner on our Twitter account on Monday, July 26th. If you missed the tweet and would still like to enter to win you can leave a comment below that finishes this sentence: "I hate it when my client.....".

The winner of the horizontal blog is @seloti!!! Thank you to everyone for participating. As a thank you we would like to offer you all this 50% discount code for the horizontal blog template, Perilla: PERILLA5.

10 Amazing WordPress Plugins

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:31:08 -0800

1.   Akismet

This fantastic WordPress plugin eliminates those annoying spam comments that are otherwise unavoidable. The setup is a little more work than most plugins but it is well worth the effort in the long run. We think this plugin is so important, in fact, that we created a step-by-step guide to setting it up on your blog.

2.   Google XML Sitemaps

Google XML Sitemaps automatically generates a sitemap that is crawlable by all of the major search engines. This ensures that the search engines don't miss a page when crawling your website.

3.   All in One SEO Pack

The All in One SEO Pack is an incredibly comprehensive SEO tool, possibly even too comprehensive. Most of its users will only use about 5 percent of its functionality but right out of the box it provides the ability to change the all important Title, Description, and Keywords for each post, an otherwise missing element in WordPress.

4.   SEO Smart Links

This is another great SEO tool. It automatically links phrases in your text to other relevant posts. This interlinking of posts is important to your rankings and SEO Smart Links does all the work for you. This is especially useful if you already have a bunch of posts on your WordPress blog that aren't interlinked.

5.   WP Super Cache

Want your blog pages to load faster? This nifty little plugin is your answer. WP Super Cache speeds up load time by caching your pages on your server. This is a very handy plugin for photographers who put a lot of images in their posts.

6.   WordPress.com Stats

We recommend using Google Analytics to acquire your web statistics but if you don't want to go that route then this plugin is the next best thing. It is hands down best stats plugin for WordPress, but does require a little more work to set up.

7.   LinkWithin

LinkWithin adds a "related posts" section with pictures to the bottom of your posts, which is great for keeping your readers on your website. You won't find this plugin in the marketplace so don't waste your time searching for it. You have to get it on their official website.

8.   WP-DBManager

WP-DBManager may be the best plugin you will ever use. It allows you to schedule automatic backups of your database, which will be a life saver if something tragic ever happens to your database.

9.   SexyBookmarks

SexyBookmarks is the ultimate social media WordPress plugin. It embeds social media icons on the bottom of your posts, allowing your readers to share your blog with the world. The best part: it allows you to choose from an astounding 90 social media sites.

10.   Flaunt

Our photography slideshow, Flaunt, isn't a WordPress plugin but it can be embedded in your posts to give your blog an edge. Each Flaunt album has an embed code that you simply copy and paste into a post and viola, Flaunt is in your blog. Why is this useful? Well, for starters Flaunt looks awesome, duh! And using Flaunt will improve your blog's load time dramatically because it eliminates the long, almost endless, trail of images down your blog.

New Designer Collection Template: Naked Clove

Wed, 26 May 2010 20:57:31 -0800

The Naked Clove blog and website template set is the latest to hit the intothedarkroom line up. Why is it called Naked Clove? We stripped down the design to a perfect white background, images, a drop shadow...basically naked. Not simple enough? Ditch the drop shadow and make this design even more minimal than it currently is. But don't be fooled. This design is ready to be dressed up with your custom uploaded background, logo, colors, videos, and photos. As always, this flash site is white hat search engine optimized, works on many mobile devices, and the blog template is built on WordPress. Wanna get Naked?

For a limited time and quantity, use the discount code below to purchase these templates at 50% off.
Discount Code : "Naked50"

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WEBSITE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLOG
BUY NOW

The Best Photography Equipment

Wed, 26 May 2010 18:10:05 -0800

We recently sent out a message on our twitter account asking for your favorite piece of photography equipment and we received quite the array of responses that we thought we would share with all of you. You can read them below.

a nice comfy desk chair for those long editing sessions. :) - @AsgPhoto
the lastolite ezybox :-) - @douglevy
canon 35mm 1.4L, can shoot everything with it! Its the swiss army knife of lenses - @william_kim
hands down, 50 mm 1.2. Close second: my husband/ second shooter. - @lisahessel
sense of humor. - @jennyjimenez
the 85L that I just ordered. - @StudioPhenom
My favorite piece of equipment is my eyeball. It sees what I need to shoot. - @KeithCzechanski
my video light for first dances... :) - @r_madrid
50mm 1.2L Canon lens... perfection. - @marywyar
does my awesome blog count as my favorite piece of equipment? - @karenard
Tie between my Nikon 50mm f/1.4G or my Sigma 14mm f/2.8 - @joshuawhite
27" 16gig i7 iMac...mmmmm hmmmm - @marywyar
my heart. - @jcogliandro
laughter... - @clints
my expodisc - @jennyboxmorphy
that would have to be my 70-200 vr - @photosbynick
the 85mm f/1.2L. "I love it more than taffy, and I'm a man that loves his taffy." - Mayor West - @dbickley
the 45mm T/S lense - @JNPStudios
My eyes. - @zoeica
my canon 70-200 f/2.8 amazing images!! - @sergioaruiz
My Nikkor 17-55mm 2.8 lens :) - @allisonbess
my mind is my favorite piece of equipment. Then my 24-70 lens :) - @iamparris
my eye... Does that count as equipment?!? :) - @soulmatesphoto

Do you have something you would like to add to this list? If so, please leave it in the comments area below.

Are Flash Websites Dead?

Wed, 19 May 2010 19:59:13 -0800

There is a lot of buzz and debate going on right now about Flash, open standards, and things like "iPhone ready" sites. With the recent debacle of Apple vs. Adobe, and the cross-talk about standards, it can be very confusing to know what to think - especially since the majority of photography websites are being developed primarily with Flash and with the release and success of the new iPad.

Here at intothedarkroom, it just doesn't make any sense. If you understand browser technologies, and build a website on a solid platform, there is no debate -- only the right way to do things. You're probably left wondering "Is my site iPad/iPhone ready?". The question that you should be asking yourself is "Is my site progressively enhanced?".

Progressive Enhancement is a fancy web developer term for delivering the best possible experience based on the technologies available. In the case of the new intothedarkroom templates, it means if all your device can render is text, you get text. If your computer or device can render a styled HTML site, you get a styled HTML site. If you have Flash, you get the full interactive experience. And it does this all while delivering your site in a branded, cohesive package. This process of progressive enhancement allows for the broadest range of devices and users to view your website without singling out just Flash-enabled users, or just iPhones/iPads.

If you start with the question "Is my website iPad/iPhone ready?", you are already headed in the wrong direction. The iPhone, while a very popular and robust (not to mention cool) smartphone, is not the only fish in the sea. With Blackberry and Android devices picking up market share here in the States and the Nokia s70 platform being the gold standard in Asia, the iPhone is not the end-all, be-all. Sadly, many companies are creating band-aid "iPhone versions" of their sites that either look like an iPhone settings panel, or worse yet -- just plain ugly or generic-looking. Is that the branding you really want to convey to your users?

We don't think so.

We think that no matter what mobile device you are using, you should get a branded, consistent, page-for-page experience -- whether that is the Droid, the Palm Pre, the iPad, or the iPhone. We think your website should show up on a 10 year old Nokia text-only handset. We think Linux users (that usually don't bother with Flash) should get the same consistent experience that desktop users with Flash get -- even if it's a little more basic, and maybe it's not as interactive. In this environment, do you really want all the bells and whistles anyway? Chances are, if you are browsing around on your phone, you want the experience to be quick and easy, and crash free.

So, go ahead and ask yourself: "Is my site mobile ready?", "Is my site consistent to all users?", and "What happens if they don't have Flash?".

The answer to all these question is the same: develop your site with the right foundation, and the rest will fall into place. That's the beauty of standards, and how plugins like Flash should work. We don't think you should have multiple admin panels to manage different versions of your site. Those kinds of band-aid approaches have no longevity. We don't think user agent "sniffing" has any place on the web including delivering custom iPhone sites.

We've been developing progressively enhanced sites the right way for over 6 years, and we believe it's the only way to do it. Steve Jobs thinks Flash has no place on his devices, and we couldn't care less. Adobe thinks it can deliver to mobile web, and we say more power to them. We'll just keep on doing our thing.

So? Is your site just "iPhone ready"? Or is it progressive. You decide.

Want to see an example of progressive enhancement? Click the first link below to see the HTML version of our Pimp My Vanilla template. After viewing it, close the browser and click the "Turn Flash back on" to see the flash version. Both versions have the same content and use one backend tool.

See "Pimp My Vanilla" with Flash Off

Turn Flash back on

Leave a comment for a chance to win up to 60% off any of our new "Buy - Install - Play" products and templates. Winners will be announced on Twitter.

Find Inspiration as a Photographer

Fri, 14 May 2010 15:08:01 -0800

Being a photographer, there's always a period of time where you simply don't know what to do with your photography or you don't know who or what to shoot. We call that writer's block or simply lack of inspiration. Where do photographers go and get inspiration? Some daydream, some start taking pictures of their family or what's around them, others read a book, or they are doing what you're doing right now and read a photography blog.

Here's a list of websites that have a great amount of photography that may provide some inspiration for those of you that are looking for some ideas for your next shoot.

Photography Served

Photography Served is part of the "Served Network" which takes creative and professional work from the portfolios found in specific categories on the Behance Network. You can get a lot of creative ideas from this website and perhaps try out a different aspect of photography. Why just do weddings or children? Try out landscapes or other different types of objects. As they say, the more you explore and practice, the better you'll be.

Fashion Served

Fashion Served is just like Photography Served but tailored for fashion design. Even though it's more fashion related, you can still get some good inspiration on how photographers captured people and their motions as well as playing with lighting and perspectives.

One Eyeland

One Eyeland is a nicely designed site that showcases a variety of different photography styles. It's definitely different from the occasional weddings and engagement sessions.

Focal Pop

Focal Pop is a very interesting site concept. It brings two people together: people who want a photo (client) and the people who take the photo (photographer). Basically, people request for a certain picture, and then you go out and try to capture what they want. But don't be too confident because other photographers are doing the same. At the end, the person that requested the photo picks the winner and the winner gets paid.
So how is that exactly an inspiration? It gives you something to do rather than sitting on the couch and thinking of what to do.

Conclusion
What are you waiting for? Get inspired and get some ideas. Then, go out and shoot! (with a camera, please)

New Designer Collection Template: Neue Thyme!

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:21:50 -0800

We can't tell you how many times we have heard our photographers say, "I just want a clean, simple, modern design". This is why we designed the Neue Thyme website/blog template set with a modern flare. Instead of including a background image, we decided to keep it clean with an integrated vignette (shadow) that can be turned on or off. This vignette creates a soft spotlight affect to any color you add to the background. Our simple to use backend tool will also allow you to upload your logo, change colors, manage your pages, and upload a background of your own. As you might have expected, our flash website template is search engine optimized and works on mobile devices like the iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and many more.. The matching WordPress blog will ensure that you have the complete branded experience. For the next few 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 : "thyme50"

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WEBSITE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLOG
BUY NOW

What are Trackbacks?

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:40:12 -0800

This is one of the most common questions we receive from our blog clients. In simple terms, a trackback is a way for one blog to notify another that it was referenced in a blog post. This reference is normally in the form of a link. Depending on your blog's settings the trackback is usually sent automatically when you link to another person's blog post.

Here is an example:
- Blog A writes a post and links to a post on Blog B.
- Blog B receives a trackback from Blog A.

What does a trackback look like?
Each blogging platform handles trackbacks a little differently but in WordPress, the most popular blogging platform, they are treated very similar to comments and will even show in the comments tab in the backend.

Here is an example of what it looks like when you receive a trackback in WordPress:

Here is an example of what it looks like on your blog after you approve the trackback:

Why are trackbacks helpful?
Because trackbacks are similar to comments, they are usually displayed in the comments area of a post or in a separate section near the comments. The idea is that this will help your readers find blog articles related to yours when they read through the comments of your post. It's like a person left a comment on your blog post that said "If you want to read more about this topic go here: [link to their blog post]".

On the opposite side of things, if you send a trackback, which most likely occurs automatically when you link to someone else's blog post, you have the possibility to gain readership through their blog post.

Why trackbacks are dead.
While trackbacks are a great idea in theory, spam has all but rendered trackbacks extinct. The majority of trackbacks that you will receive are going to be spam posts and you shouldn't approve them. Because of this the majority of bloggers disable trackbacks completely.

We don't want to discourage you if you want to give trackbacks a try. They are a great concept and if used properly they can add value to your blog posts. Just beware of the spam!

New Designer Collection Template: Warm Fennel!

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:00:19 -0800

We have many clients that have asked for a more "earthy/natural" esthetic from our template portfolio. Therefore, we present to you, Warm fennel. The Warm Fennel template set is the latest design collection on our website. These designs evoke an inviting tone with its' papery textures and artistic background. Both the website and blog template have a designer background included in the installation that can be tinted with color to create a more branded experience. In addition, you can add your logo, colors, manage your content, and upload your own background graphic. As always, our products are compatible on mobile devices including the iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, and many more. For the next few 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: "Fennel50"

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WEBSITE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLOG
BUY NOW

New Designer Collection Template: Hard Liquorice!

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:52:35 -0800

Yes. We are rolling these templates out like mad! Hard Liquorice is the third template set in our designer collection. The Hard Liquorice website has a unique browsing experience that was built to impress your clients. The objective was to create a grid of photos that allows for an organic exploration of your portfolio. Clients will hover over the image and click to bring up the slideshow functionality. You can add your logo/background/colors, and as always this template is search engine optimized. The matching WordPress blog was built with a flash grid that displays your photos in one glance. This grid of images is completely managed by you to ensure that it holds the best of your work. In addition, you can add your logo, background, and colors to this already clean and bold template design. 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: "HARD50"

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WEBSITE
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLOG
BUY NOW!

New Designer Collection Template: Wicked Cicely!

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:38:21 -0800

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
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLOG
BUY NOW

SEO: Are You Wasting Your Links?

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:22:30 -0800

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.

Interview with Doug Boutwell / Totally Rad Actions

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:06:37 -0800

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.

How to Pimp Your Vanilla in 5 Steps

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:07:57 -0800

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.

Interview With Andras Schram

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:59:53 -0800

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!

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