A Good Example Of Bad Public Relations
Today I received an unwanted press release from a Toronto public relations company. It was a good example of what not to do especially if you’re claiming to be a professional communications company.
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Window or Mirror?
The purpose of a selfie with a celebrity is the brief(?) illusion that you and the celebrity are connected. You can bask in the reflected glory of the celebrity and the selfie is a trophy you can show others.
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Happiness And Photography
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, I occasionally crossed paths with a certain other newspaper photographer when I photographed dress rehearsals for ballet and opera. After shooting a suitable number of pictures of a rehearsal, I would leave the theatre. But this other photographer always stayed behind. He put his cameras on the floor and watched the remaining rehearsal. I thought he was being lazy, just sitting there and not taking pictures.
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Yellow Brick Road Photography
Most photography web sites are about equipment. I’m referring to photography web sites not photographer web sites. Such photography sites write about gear because it’s quick and easy.
There are some web sites that offer photography advice and instruction. But these “nuts and bolts” sites are superficial and intended for beginners. Quick bites of junk food. Tastes good for the few minutes you’re consuming it.
Low Expectations
From the past two weeks:
• A Toronto professional photographer does family portraits for $500 according to his web site. The price includes a 45-minute session and 50 “fully retouched” pictures.
Fifty images in 45 minutes? Fully retouched? Ten dollars per photo?
At that price, who should have low expectations, the customer or the photographer?
Photo Gear Purchases 2020
The ongoing pandemic has meant that there’s been little work and few purchases. The items listed below were bought before the pandemic shut everything down.
Sirui K-40X Ball Head
My old Manfrotto ball head wasn’t as smooth as I wanted and it struggled with heavy lenses. Also, my new L-bracket (below) requires an Arca-Swiss head and there’s no easy way to convert a Manfrotto clamp to Arca-Swiss.
The Sirui K-40X was reasonably priced ($240) compared to similar ball heads. It’s smooth, solid and a joy to use.
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