HM Artist Network

As discussed earlier in part 1 of promoting your photography site – photography directories are certainly the best way to start promoting your images and business. The second and another great way to get visitors to your site is by using photography forums.

Photography forums are an online chat centre where you can discuss all types of photography, get tips from other photographers and create good quality links to your site.

Photography forums are pretty simple to use – first you must register, then you are free to ask and give advice, discuss all the latest camera equipment and much more – the choice of topic is yours – all while promoting your own website. Some forums will allow you to show your images to promote your site even further.

For anyone interested in using forums as a promotional means, and to make sure you get the very most out of them, sign every comment you make with a link to your site. It is truly that simple. You get inbound links to your site while discussing your hobby or giving advice about your work.

When creating a comment do not write rubbish or give bad advice, people will be reading your comment and may take it serious. The goal behind using photography forums is that you get visitors while creating links to your site.

Forums and directories are not the only means of promoting your images online. Photography competitions are also a great means to earn some extra cash and receive award-winning status. It is also a great source of free advertisement if you win or come in the top five.

It would be nice to be able to write in bold after your name on the top of your Website: AWARD WINNING PHOTOGRAPHER.

There are thousands of competitions held online every year. Some are just for amateur photographers while most are open to all. Most competitions will have certain guidelines, and you would be well advised to read them very carefully.

Some firms hold competitions to gain access to free images – so read the guidelines before enter. It may be great to win a competition, but you do not want a company using your images for free without receiving any payment.

Most photography related sites that hold competitions will not be looking for free images – they hold competitions as a promotional means for photographers.

If you are looking to find a list of local competitions in your area you should contact someone in your local photography club. Photography clubs are usually notified of all competitions that are held within their area. Some of the main photography directories should have a list of the online competitions.

Prizes do vary from cash to camera gear and equipment; some online companies offer free advertisement on their site, which may result in your business making thousands through sales. Regardless of the prizes you should add your image and Website to as many competitions as possible especially when most of them are free to enter.

By: TJ Tierney

About the Author:

Website content

The days of tattoo art done in dirty studios in dark alleys are gone. Tattoo art has reached a level of mainstream popularity that has thrust it, not only into the limelight, but also into the heart of the American consumer. Now, white-collar people are willing to spend their hard-earned money on tattoos. The high quality of the tattoo art that is being produced has played a large role in this shift. People from all lifestyles appreciate good art and most want to participate in some way. Tattooing provides a medium to do so.

All of these opportunities were born out of the fact that people began to realize that not only was tattooing an art, but that these artists were very skilled. With a multitude of tattooing milieus available for study, tattoo art has continually gotten better. Tattoo artists commonly choose one form, whether it be Japanese, portrait, freelance, or any number of others, and then focus specifically on developing their skill and expertise in that style. This results in happier customers, a more defined customer base for the artist, and better art for the artistic community.

Advancements in technology are the key to growth and success in any business. The business of tattoo art is no different. Tattoo machines are of a much higher quality than they were even a few years ago and they have expanded the scope and range of work that an artist can do. Though there are some ancient methods of tattooing that produce intricate detail, they are very time consuming and as a result, very costly.

As technology continues to bring the world closer together, tattoo art has seen the integration of different styles and cultures of tattoos. In the past, tattoos could be easily classified by type and culture. Now, people are able to take the best of the ideas from each genre and create a hybrid form of tattoo art.. New designs and styles, inter woven with classic ideas, are popping up in tattoo flash pages all over the internet.

Through a continued expansion in vision, tattoo design, and technology, the market for high quality tattoo art will continue to grow at a steady rate. Not to long ago, the sub-culture of tattoos held themselves at bay from the mainstream culture. Once taboo, tattoo art is becoming socially acceptable, popular, and in demand. Tattooing is becoming a highly lucrative business.

By: Syed Raheem

About the Author:

Kansieo.com

A great morale booster is to win or even place in a highly regarded competition. Many professional photographers today have competitions to thank for getting them started on the road to a successful career.

Entering and winning photographic competitions can be a highly lucrative business if you take it seriously. Every year photography magazines alone give away many thousands of pounds/dollars worth of prizes. If you add that to the prizes offered by other magazines and organizations the figure is well into six figures, and someone has to win.

Secrets to success:

* Read the rules! There is no point putting lots of effort into shooting an entry if it doesn’t fit the brief.

* Come up with something original, so it stands out, and only enter your best work.

* You may ignore your first ideas, though, because they’re probably too obvious, and wait until you feel you have something really original.

* Only enter competitions that appeal to you, so you have a passion for the subject.

* Shoot pictures specifically for a competition and start working on ideas as far in advance as possible.

* Use impact. Here are a few simple forms of impact that work well at catching the eye – colour, shape, expression and humour.

* Your images should be well exposed, composed and in focus.

With some of the photography magazines you can enter competitions that are spread over several months, so if you flop in one category you have the chance to catch up in subsequent months and still clinch the overall prize.

You may stand a better chance of victory if you enter photo competitions run by non-photographic magazines, simply because the standard of entry tends to be lower. So always keep an eye out for them.

Rules to watch out for!

Most competitions are honourable. That is they seek to improve the standard of photography by giving prizes and/or recognition to photographers. For that reason, rules often contain a clause regarding the use of the winning photographs, such as displaying the winning pictures without further payment to the photographer. Please note the part that says winning pictures. Winning photographers are usually awarded a material prize as payment-in-kind for the use of the picture in a limited fashion. This should not affect