Thought I would drop a short post in and ask the question, how much is enough? The new flavor of the day in photography at the moment seems to be the photo sharing sight 500px and in social networking Google+ is talked about constantly.
I have not become a user/member/participant in either one of these new sites yet, don’t know for sure if I will anytime soon. Not that I think they are bad I have rather liked what I’ve seen of both so far. My question is, how much more time do I want to spend setting here in front of the computer keeping more things up to date. I’m a firm believer that if your going to participate in something or have an online presence for others to visit and view you need to have new material on a regular basis. Sure these may not take time like say, maintaining a blog but it’s still time that needs to be devoted so people will want to pay attention. So I ponder the question, do I want to add a new online presence to what is already a blog, facebook, twitter, flickr (which I neglect terribly), gallery site. This along with emails, software updates, image processing, image management, reading blogs, keeping up to date on trends and opportunities, etc…
Seems like there are days when I can spend hours on the computer and walk away feeling like I have accomplished nothing. Would this add to that? Priorities must be followed but at times that is easier said than done. So here I am setting on the fence again, wondering.
© Brad Mangas
If I had a photography business, weather it was nature, weddings, advertising, sports – I would take advantage of every opportunity available that could lead to potential sales. Especially since the only investment is your time. After a while, you’ll see where the sales are coming from and concentrate on that. it’s the nature of owner-operated business, the successful ones are the ones where the owner worked hard. Then, one day, you’ll have a staff (even if it’s one person)to deal with the computer stuff while you’re out shooting. Ask yourself if the time spent on the computer (and away from photographing) has a negative impact on your earnings. That’s the point where you need help.
It’s a line that has to be walked that’s for sure Ken and finding that balance and were to justify the time is always a question that must be looked at possibly everyday. Thanks for your comment.
Love this image, the red-winged blackbird is one of my favorite birds. We had a couple of them nesting near our lake. I found them to be quite aggressive, to the point of grabbing my hair as I walked anywhere near the nest.
Having a blog is enough for me, at least for the past 7-8 years. I’ve had to backed off from spending time on this computer. I find it can suck me in, stealing time from me, and I don’t like that. I’ve reduced the blogs I read to about 25, nor do I always leave a comment. I want my presence on the internet to be enjoyable. I hope to learn and be inspired from others while at the same time sharing my images, the good and bad ones. If photography business is the goal then it is a totally different issue. I have never heard of these two sites and will snoop around. Good luck on your decisions.
I agree with the getting sucked in and stealing of time if one is not careful, it can happen before you even know it. I’m not much of an avian photographer but when ever there is a red wing around I always pay attention, they are wonderful birds to watch and listen too. Thanks for the comment Monte.
Brad,
I came across this post right after I made my last post regarding 500px. I don’t know that I have enough time. Actually, I seriously doubt I have enough time to keep up with 500px. Too much information, too many images, too many things to keep track off. Give me a camera and an open prairie to that any day!
I seem to be in the same boat Derrald, I need to be careful in adding more time that doesn’t involve the actual building of the craft, I too would much rather have the camera in my hand than the mouse. Thanks for you comment.