revjim.net

Jess and I are both trying out "Etsy":http://etsy.com/, the marketplace for handmade goods. I've got "a few photographs":http://danieljames.etsy.com/ in mine as well as a large, affordable poster, and Jess has packages of "handmade paper":http://sivatonight.etsy.com/ for sale in hers…

Last night Jess and I stopped by "Art Six":http://www.myspace.com/artsixcoffee for a cup of coffee. This place has everything that I look for in a coffee house. First and foremost, it makes good coffee. It also has nice cozy places to sit, lots of tables, lots of corners to hide in with a book, and lots [...]

100,000+ views on Flickr

Sometime last night my "Flickr Account":http://flickr.com/photos/revjim/ topped 100,000 views. With almost 600 photographs and over 300 contacts, Flickr, despite is quirks and difficulties, has been instrumental in increasing my exposure, building my network, fine tuning my skills, and finding new friends.

In case you were wondering, the point behind "go figure: consider ME":http://revjim.net/2006/06/20/go-figure-consider-me/ is not about telling my friends to pay me more or even to pay me at all. I mean, sure, I'd be happy and grateful if they did, but that's not the real purpose.

I've given this a lot of thought. Trust me when I say that this seemingly trivial bit of information and the small seemingly insignificant question that follows are, in fact, very important to my success as an artist. Please read this carefully and give your opinion honestly.

I decided to do a little business math. In the end I determined that in a lowest cost scenario I need to make $84.04 per photo session just to break even.

Consider that.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about photography, art, my business, and my happiness lately. As a result of this thought, there are a few business changes I'm considering and a few more that have already been made.

To my *real* friends, my "patrons":http://flickr.com/photos/revjim/tags/forsale/, my supportive fans, my "good models":http://flickr.com/photos/revjim/tags/girl/, and my "Five-A-Week":http://revjim.net/five-a-week subscribers: you are important to me. Your thoughts and ideas and suggestions matter because you've proven that you put your time, effort, loyalty, support, and money where your mouth is. To the rest of you: well… I hope you enjoy my work. If not there are lots of other photographers on the internet. I'm sure you'll find something somewhere else to your liking.

My art is mine. I do it for me. I'll share with you if you share with me. I'll consider you if you consider me in return. It is, after all, my art, my life, and my peace of mind. I'm taking me back.

You can now support your favorite internet websites, authors, and artists by easily contributing 1 penny every time you visit their website with no effort required on your part. What's more, if you act now you'll be given $1 to give away. That's 100 free donations to websites that you enjoy and visit on a regular basis.

Do it for me? Pretty please? With a cherry on top? I'll be your best friend?

My eyes filled with tears yesterday in the middle of my before bed email check. It wasn't because there was another book order sitting in my Inbox, though it was greatly appreciated. It was, instead, because of this note that came along with that book order, which I offer to you now in it's entirety.