Is Pinterest just a desktop-accessible rip off of Instragram? 

News is circling the internet and buzz everywhere is popping up about this amazing and inspiring new website/mobile app called Pinterest. Mashable writes:

"Pinterest is social media’s rising star — and now has the traffic stats to prove it.
The darling network of brides-to-be, fashionistas and budding bakers now beats YouTube, Reddit, Google+, LinkedIn and MySpace for percentage of total referral traffic in January, according to a Shareaholic study."

I could maybe see some reasons why the desktop website is so popular and useful (although truthfully it seems like a more slick version of Tumblr), but as for the mobile app - on iOS at least - I just don't get the hype! Maybe the boom comes from the blackberry, android and other mobile users who are unaware of Instragram and therefore find this website to be groundbreaking? Share your thoughts below.

For what it's worth: www.pinterest.com/mattvardy
Instagram: @mattvardy

If there's one thing we as artists, specifically photographers, struggle with more than asking for money... I don't know what it is. 

Seems like every artist in the beginning stages of their career comes across the daunting task and begins the inner battle of deciding what they're worth and what to charge for their creative services. 

It's true, vision and creativity is a difficult thing to place a price tag on. How does one even begin to place a dollar figure on something that doesn't even exist yet, with little to no experience behind you to prove you can create it? How can you perform with the weight of money and expected performance on your shoulders? How do you charge friends for something they think should be free? How do you ask money from another starving artist?

It's easy. You just do it. And it doesn't have to be as scary, or as difficult as you think it will be. It also doesn't have to ruin any relationships you've already spent time and effort building. 

Why you need to charge money for your photography services.
Ninety percent of small businesses fail within the first two years. With few exceptions, working for free is the fastest way for freelance photographers to become part of this 90 percent. Photographers like any other business owners need income to survive, and the industry itself as a whole relies on it's own community to stay alive. If all photographers stopped charging money, the community and support system we rely on to find work would collapse. Its a (sad) fact of life that money makes the world go round and the business of photography is no exception.

Charging a fee for your photography establishes value and respect. These are extremely important characteristics of any successful business venture. You can't get caught up worrying about other people's financial situations. Helping out a 'starving artist' for free because you want to be nice isn't accomplishing anything, because guess what? Technically as an amateur photographer you are too! Let's shed some light on this topic in another way. Let's pretend said starving artist waves down a cab and askes the cab to drive him home - 20 blocks away. The guy sits in the car and says Hey driver, listen times are tight and I really need to get home in a hurry. Except I have no money to offer you. What do you think the cabbie is gunna say? Guess what pal, can't help you. Times are tight for everyone - take a hike.

(See 12 Excuses For Shooting for FREE - And Why They're Bogus)

More importantly, imagine 5 years from now when a client you shot free pictures for actually has a budget, let's say $2,500 for a large project requiring two days of shooting - who are they gunna call up? The photographer they used back in the day that gave up his time and talent for free? Or are they going to ask around or go online in search of new professional photographers to work with that cost roughly $2,500? 9 times out of 10, it's the latter. Who would you rather be? The guy who gets the call for free shoots ("networking opportunities") at the local rock club on 90's playback night, or the guy that gets a call once a month from a marketing agency when they can afford you and your rate - let's say, a rate of hundreds or thousands of dollars? I think I know the answer.

Truth is, we've all been there. The excuses for shooting free work are endless. The most common being that its to build a better or more diverse portfolio. But in your initial stages as a photographer you can shoot nature, the city you live in, small concerts, friends and family for free as much as you want to build your portfolio. It's important you understand that when a stranger comes knocking at your door for photography - that is your cue to start building a name and brand for yourself in the industry beyond your comfort zone by charging a fee. It's not your cue to initiate the same freebie/portfolio conversation you've been having with friends and family.

How (much?) to charge for your photography services.
When I was just 16 years old I got to say I was a professional photographer. Why? I shot my first wedding and charged the bride and groom $300. Such a low price that most pros would laugh, but it was something at least. Some people would ask, though, how could I charge anything when I was still so young? The answer is: I had spent countless months building my skill set shooting nature, architecture and portraits for close friends and a family, plus I shot a family wedding and all things considered I was feeling good and prepared to charge for my work. I was confident in my talent and ready to take on something new and outside of my bubble, and I wasn't about to do it for free. 

The question then became, what do I charge? I did some research on other, much more experienced photographers in my area and found that they were charging roughly $1,500 and up for weddings. Great! I knew that if I was significantly below $1,000 any bride and groom would be silly not to sign on the dotted line. Plus, I had nothing to prove - they had already inquired with me for the work - which means they like my website of nature and portraits and believe in my ability to translate that same vision into wedding photography. I didn't need to sell them on me, I needed to sell them on the price. This would become the single most important business skill I ever learned. How to price myself.

There is no one-price-fits-all formula in photography, because pricing almost always depends on the client and requirements of each shoot. But here's some advice to get you started and help you get it right.

1. Get pricing from other photographers in your area. Ask friends of friends who work in the industry for their rates or pricing advice. If you are brand new to the scene, place your price safely below what the veterans are charging. The safe number is probably somewhere around 30% less. Yah, that might still sound like a lot. Guess what? Photography is a specialized, often expensive service that people pay for every day. Get used to it and stop feeling guilty about it.
2. Ask the client what their budget is. This is the best thing you can do actually and is my favorite way to go about setting a price. You will avoid charging too much and scaring someone away, you'll also avoid charging too little and selling yourself short. Everyone is happy. If their budget is too low for you, you can try to coach the client into a happy medium between what you had in mind and what they can afford - usually people can afford a bit more than they initially admit, you just have to explain exactly what your service includes to make it worth their while.
   
3. Aim to at least cover your expenses. If you can go shoot some pictures and just have enough money to cover your time, travel and a meal that's not so bad when you're just emerging as a photographer. That is ideal and should be your goal. $50 is probably enough gas or train ticket money to get you pretty much anywhere in Ontario and maybe get some McD's along the way. That's a Win/Win scenario: you didn't lose money doing the job, the client who couldn't afford much ended up getting an awesome deal on great photos and you just started a great working relationship. 
   

Being a photographer is definitely no walk in the park. It takes a lot of hard work, time and effort to get anything remotely like a consistent income flowing your way. It also takes a lot of time, many years in fact, to learn every facet of the business and get comfortable in your own skin - especially when it comes to charging people for your time and creativity. Even if you're the most talented photographer it's possible you'll struggle to make a living - especially at the start. But one thing is for certain - shooting for free won't help you change that fact. Start charging people, even if it's only enough to cover your gas or train ticket, clients don't need to know the why behind your price. Just charge them something so that if nothing else you can start to compensate for your expenses, and one day you'll see yourself staying in the black. What's more is you've helped keep all the photographers around you in business as well, by helping maintain the idea that photography is a service worth paying for and just because every grandma and their fat cat owns a camera doesn't mean everyone can take a good photo.

Ultimately one day making a wonderful living doing what you love will be the fruits of these labors. Just hang in there. And believe in yourself.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

Hi real estate agents! I wanted to take a moment and highlight the amazing real estate photography and graphic design services that I can offer you. Did you know? I've worked for some of the most notable names in the business locally and internationally, and continue to accept work on a freelance basis for a number of brokerages around Ontario. 

The skills and knowledge I’ve learned over the past 5 years working within this industry can be invaluable additions to your marketing plan regardless of whether you are in the luxury home, condo, loft or suburban bungalow home markets – the same recipe for successful sales applies to all.

It starts with great visuals. Let me break it down into simpler terms:

THE ARTWORK? Cutting edge, aw-inspiring, custom-made just for you!
THE ARTIST? Fun, personable and works FAST to meet your goals!
THE PRICE? Low and affordable!

Nothing helps a listing sell faster than proper visuals that inspire and engage your target market.

Contact me today and let's get started!

View more photos / flip through brochure examples / see client list

Hey everyone! A lot of people come across my blog by searching "band wallpapers" apparently, so I thought I'd do something a little special for you wallpaper-hungry folk. 

Below are a series of iPhone (4, 4s, 3gs, 3g) wallpapers featuring the ever-talented artist LIGHTS during the recording process of her latest record Siberia (available now worldwide). 

How to install.
1. Click on the hyperlinks beside the thumbnails below to go to the full image download page. 
2. a. From iPhone: Hold finger on top of screen/image and select "Save Image". Go to photo albums, select desired photo. Hit options button to choose "Use as Wallpaper".
2. b. From Computer: Save image to computer. Email photo to yourself (email address associated with your phone) or transfer photo to iPhone via USB connection. Go to photo albums, select desired photo. Hit options button to choose "Use as Wallpaper".

Click here to download:
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2821/img0346w.jpg

Click here to download:
http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/3446/img0361oo.jpg

Click here to download:
http://img607.imageshack.us/img607/9370/img0393t.jpg

Click here to download:
http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/7907/img0420bm.jpg

Click here to download:
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/6171/img0572mv.jpg

Click here to download:
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/4431/img1421ep.jpg

Click here to download:
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/962/img1532r.jpg

Click here to download:
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/3073/img1477xj.jpg

There's one thing I really enjoy doing, almost as much as photography, and that is tackle a problem and solve it visually... in other words, graphic design.

I'm fortunate to have a steady stream of design jobs on top of my photography to keep me busy. One of the more common things I do month-in-month-out is design posters for events around the city. Most frequently these posters are for my own LiveMusicTO events, but I also get called upon from random clubs and concert venues around the GTA to create engaging visuals that will advertise their event and attract customers.

Step One in the process (pictured above) is always to get in the right mood. Today's design project was for a club in Oshawa, ON and so I started playing electronic dance music to get myself in the right frame of mind for the job.

Below are the design instructions that were sent to me over text messaging.

Now begins the fun part. My wheels start to turn and brainstorm about the words "white out".

Couple obvious things come to mind: The fluid eraser used to make corrections and blizzard conditions in snowy weather. My favorite of the two thoughts was the fluid eraser - what does a fluid eraser do? Well, you spread it over top of words. This lead me to think of how I could reveal, rather than erase, the words on the poster using a brush-like tool in Photoshop. In keeping with the snow/precipitation theme I thought I'd incorporate soft blue hues.

I'm feeling happy at this point with these out-of-the-box ideas. However, as I started to build the rest of the page I began to realise that perhaps this is a little too "indie" for a general dance party event. A little too Nuite Blanche if you will and not enough Party.

Below you can see the gradual evolution of the ideas into the final product. You'll notice I eventually gave up the brush-like effect for something more legible and basic; although I enjoy the simplicity of the first couple designs more, they weren't suitable for this east-of-the-city demographic. I also started toying with the idea of mountains and snow more heavily, to emphasize the winter theme (time of year) as well as adhere to the client's initial request.

Hey friends! I've recently hopped on the Google+ gravy train, that is to say I created a new brand page to share with you in more ways online. You can find me here: https://plus.google.com/117618549992340817111/

Follow the links to login and click "Add to Circles"!

Don't have a Google+ Account? Click here to signup.

Wondering how to create your own brand page on Google+?  Go here to see how and learn more about G+ pages.

Is photography over? Of course not. But a provocative title none the less, appropriated from SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), suggesting we think more deeply about what photography was, what it now is, and where it’s going. Given the nature of contemporary art practice, the condition of visual culture, the advent of new technologies, and many other factors, what is at stake today in seeing something as a photograph? What is the value of continuing to speak of photography as a specific practice or discipline?

In April 2010, SFMOMA convened a range of major thinkers and practitioners to write brief responses to this question and to convene for a two-day summit on the state of medium. 

Interesting, insightful and evocative in my opinion. Feel free to leave your comments below.

This month (January 2011) I've had the great pleasure and honour of working with an amazing artist and friend named LIGHTS on behalf of Warner Bros. Records.

For those of you who are unfamiliar (have you been living under a rock?) LIGHTS,  is a Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter. She's known for composing and performing sythnpop music such as the songs "Drive My Soul", "Ice", "Saviour", "Second Go" and "February Air" and has performed internationally.

Right now she is in the process of recording a brand new album, collaborating with some exciting Canadian artists in a remote setting near Fort Erie, Ontario with an acclaimed producer named Tawgs. She'll also be traveling south of the border to Nashville to work on some of the songs as well. 

It's almost impossible to put into words the feeling I had being in the same room with her as she worked on new songs - one of which I got to hear start from scratch. We had a good laugh that day as they perfected the "dirty hi hats" and "phunki bass" and synths - it was incredible watching it all come together. The talent in this small recording studio was staggering. My ears couldn't believe what they were hearing. She has matured beyond my wildest imagination as a musician and songwriter and the new music is going to take the world by storm, I can promise you that.

This photo (+video) project I'm working on with her during the recording process isn't entirely finished yet, which is why I can't share everything with you at this time. I will only share what her management makes public, so for now enjoy this little sneak peek below and there will be more content coming soon to my blog and hers this fall!

www.iamlights.com
www.facebook.com/lights
www.twitter.com/lights

So... corporate portraits can be fun?? Yes they can! Not all corporate portraits need to be on a white background and totally boring. Check out a few of the photos I recently took recently for the team at C4 Church in Ajax, ON. We had some good laughs, and I think the personality of each volunteer/employee really shines through.

Of course for the sake of argument, yes most organisations also have a need for more structured studio portraits so I took a bunch of those as well. But I have no doubt that these more candid shots in the natural work setting better reflect both the individuals and the roles they play within their environment, plus they evoke a more welcoming mood - very fitting for a hip, fun team such as this.

For the longest time I've wanted to showcase my wedding and engagement photography in a more stylish way since it has a tendency to get lost amongst my commercial and personal work here on this website. So at last, it has a new home and a new name. "From This Day Forward" is just another branch of Matt Vardy Photography, still 100% owned and operated by me. From now on you'll be directed to this new site to view my wedding portfolio.

Expect special wedding-related blog posts to still appear here, though, and I look forward to meeting and working with new couples in the near future! It's been a great year for weddings so far and I can't wait to see how this new brand grows. Thanks for checking it out, and be sure to stop my Facebook page HERE and click "Like"!