Recently Completed - La Costa Grill

Here are a few images from the recently completed project for La Costa Grill Restaurant in Carlsbad, CA.  Hospitality is one of my favorite avenues for photography and we had a great time on this project.     www.darrenedwards.com

New Year, New Attitude.

With the first month of the new year behind us, it's always nice to look back and see if the resolutions you decided on, ways you change you life, are actually working.   Are you sticking to yours?

My goals were to get my book in front of as many new people as possible this year and look for new ways to freshen up my work.  

I'm happy to announce that my first month saw several meetings, one of which landed a new client!  

Marketing is a funny thing for creative types.  Most of us want to spend our time out making something new, not on the phone or on the internet doing research.  It's a rare breed of photographer that is extremely good at their craft, an exceptional business person and a great marketer.   I've found I'm definitely not a great marketer, but can also see why it's so important.   

Marketing, I've found, is really not that hard, simply time consuming and somewhat tedious.   In today's economy however, more and more photographers are chosen not by their work, but by the personal relationships that are established.    Amazing photographers who are not fun to work with are just not getting the jobs anymore.   Creating a personal connection with the people you are working with, or would you like to work with, will take your career farther than was ever dreamed of before.   Create great work on top of that, (and hire a good accountant) and there's almost no way you won't be successful in this business.   Marketing is simply getting outside your comfort zone, taking your licks and putting yourself out there.  A mentor of mine said, "it's those uncomfortable times and tasks that move you forward in your career, and allow you to grow as an individual!"

With a goal of 10 new client calls each week, and as many meetings as I can get, it will be interesting to see where we sit a year from now.  

I am also working a non-traditional way of shooting digital that could really give my work some new punch.   I will post new photos as I have them.  

2010 is looking up already and I can't wait for what this year brings!

Check out my site for some of the latest and greatest!   www.darrenedwards.com