I've done a lot of photographic study in the last week, as well as evaluating aspects of my business model. Who knew Customer Service would be one point I skipped over? Alas, I'm starting implementation now, but will write out some SOPs later on as I get a better idea on the level of customer interactions I have.
I've also looked into professional design of my website. I adore SmugMug, however their defaults are quite cluttered and hacks and such aside (I've used many of them so far), have left me with a workable website, but nothing outstanding.
And you know? I'd LIKE to have outstanding. While also an investment into the company, any investment requires due process and serious thought. My current perspective is that I need to see an increase in sales before jumping through such a step -- except I DO know what events I have booked for the year and an improved website will only make sales that much easier and come in faster. Chicken. Egg.
The use of the camera in the last week has meant that some lenses have been thoroughly explored and every aspect utilized … while others have languished untouched. Those untouched ones (including my once beloved 10-20mm Sigma) are due next for a review. There is redundancy in the FX and DX lenses, but it will be very rare to have the same focal length on the same bodies at the same time. I'm more likely to have a telephoto on one and a fixed prime on another, or at least two different fixed primes (20mm & 85mm).
* The 80-400mm is a nice lens but the speed is a factor, although the slowness is focusing is the biggest problem. This is not a speed event (horse show) lens, nor is it a wildlife lens. In fact, I'm not sure what good it is for at all, but that one I will be selling no doubt. I got nearly nothing decent out of it this last week and I suspect that wasn't just my ineptitude. The 70-200mm with a 1.4 TC on a bright sunny day will give me *almost* 300mm (280mm) and I'm more than find enough cropping horse jumping photos for the shots that I need.
* The extra 77mm Circular Polarizer can go as well. I can hand off the extra step-up ring as well if I'm feeling nice.
* I need to play with the 10-20mm again. When I used this, I used it at either 10 or 20. Rarely in between. I've the 20mm fixed now, which is awesome. And the 8mm fisheye. A non-distorted 10-14mm range is needed for architectural photos, but I'm NOT currently into those. And the 10-20mm is DX, which is really the death bell on it. I dislike selling knowing I only have to turn around and place that $$ elsewhere, but I'll see how that goes. *checks* and nothing seems to actually exist that isn't DX. I think my 20mm is going to be strong enough, especially on a FX body.
* So having said that, I have the older Sigma macro telephoto that should go. I haven't touched it in over year.
* I can't see using more than 2 bodies at any event, so the need for the 18-200 DX Nikkor is rather useless even as useful as it was as a lens. Fine. GONE.
* then there's the two DX lenses I picked up in error. I'll review details on both and see if either serves a purpose that my current bunch does not.
**** I *would* love the 14-24mm FX Nikkor but I still think the 20mm takes the market on that one. I did well with that choice. I can *want* it, but I don't *need* it. With the 24-70mm, I don't need anything else in there.
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6 comments:
ok so you already seem to know how to use the hacks. My website is completely smugmug except the blog. I feel it looks very professional and not toooo smugmuggy lol. Make some nice title bars and logos, try to get rid of the distracting background (plus the fact that it's a repeating image. If you use it, make it more faint. (If you need help with the logo design, I'd be willing to see what I could come up with. No promises though, lol. Also, the navbar is off center while the rest of the page is centered. It took me hours and hours and hours to get the alignment somewhat acceptable. I just had to play with CSS settings until I taught myself how to use it. Anyways, just a few things that will drastically improve the professionalism of your site. Hope I didn't overstep my boundary, just like what you have to offer and since you said in the post you wanted to work on the site, figured I'd offer some pointers.
Marc :)
btw, I like the current logo with the spiral and paw, but a few small adjustments could make it pop more.
Thanks for the feedback :) I haven't posted yet in dgrin or EPNet or anywhere else for feedback --- I suppose I should, but on some level I think I need to see what else can be done and if it's worth the $$ for a 'professional' smugmug customizer to help me out here. I can fight hacks pretty well and get most of them to work (minus the blog integration...grrr), however there's still limits within the SM system, that's certain.
perhaps. I know I was able to everything I personally wanted with hacks alone. To implement my blog I bought a second domain name.
www.marcpaynephoto.com (smugmug)
www.marcpaynephotoblog.com (blog)
I then just pointed the smugmug navbar to the blog and made the blog look the same as the rest of smugmug (except the lack of faint background design.) This way it looks like it's all in one, but it's really 2 seperate sites.
sorry that was the wrong account I posted under, but I think you figured out it was me lol.
That idea is so logical it hurts. Why hasn't anyone suggested that before???! :D
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