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Surprisingly, This Method Is Still the Best Way to Market To Your Photography Audience

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There are many books and countless online articles about marketing your photography business, each with their own thoughts and opinions.  Over recent years, the main the push has been towards social media and the wide audience it brings to the photographic entrepreneur.  However, with sites like Facebook basically giving page managers the finger unless they pay to have their page promoted, I fear that it won’t be long before others follow suit and the viability of social networking as a means of marketing for small business will be a thing of the past.  So, what do we do?

In a recent article over at Fstoppers, Craig Beckta shares how to effectively grow your marketing reach while others are losing theirs.  “Don’t make the mistake of countless other photographers by building your business on someone else’s platform,” he cautions, which is exactly what marketing through social media is.  But, Craig offers a different approach.

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Get Hauntingly-Beautiful Images with This Homemade Camera Lens

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It’s been my experience that I enjoy working with things more when I create them myself.  And, for the sake of argument, we’ll say you feel the same way, too.  Which is why I can only imaging that you would enjoy photography that much more if you crafted your own gear.

Instructables user bertwert has been looking for an excuse to break out the duct tape and incorporate it into photography in a manner that didn’t result in the Mounties being called.  Using a toilet paper roll, some old glass, and a little measuring, he was able to construct a usable homemade camera lens that yielded some hauntingly beautiful results.

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How To Get the ‘Terry Richardson Look’ and Shoot Like a Fashion Pro with Minimal Gear

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Terry Richardson is the most recognized and probably the most controversial photographer in the art world.  From stripping down naked while shooting risqué fashion work to publishing books filled with pictures of him receiving fellatio and having sex to collections of images of his feces, he’s a bit of a hotly-debated topic.  And that’s not even mentioning the numerous first-hand accounts of Richardson allegedly sexually preying on models with whom he’s worked.  But, if there’s one thing he’s got going for him, it’s his easily-recognized photographic style.  With images that have graced the pages of almost every major fashion publication, from covers to editorials to ads, he knows how to get around.

His signature style is very simple and almost jarring, often shot as high key with the model posed against a white wall, using a bare flash for harsh, direct lighting.  For those looking to replicate the “Terry Richardson Style” into your own work, the kind folks over at StyleMyPic show us how to do it with the most basic of gear.

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Easily Add DIY Rainbow-Colored Flames to Your Next Shoot with Simple Household Products

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I’ve been a not-so-closet pyromanic for most of my life.  I burned everything I could get my hands on (without crossing the line to juvenile arsonist), crafted homemade napalm, and frequently blessed out neighbors with explosions in the backyard.  As an adult, I’m become a little more skittish…especially after burning two acres of our property in Easter Sunday a few years back.

But, photographers in general seem to like pyrotechnics, whether it’s blowing stuff up or throwing sparks all over creation.  So, what’s yet another way to brighten your life?  The Backyard Scientist gives us a few ideas in a recent video.

By dissolving various household chemicals in methanol, he was able to produce rainbow-colored flames, producing a great visual result.  But, of course, that wasn’t enough.  Crafting a DIY flamethrower from PVC pipe and a bicycle pump, he shows us how to build a rainbow flame canon…which would be perfect for anything from infant photography to engagement sessions.

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Easily Remove People From Your Images With This Simple Trick

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It has been my experience that most people are cordial when they see you trying to capture a photo.  They may pause until you are done or ask if you are taking a shot at the moment or apologize if they feel they accidentally walked into frame.  Then again, I live in a place where we wave at strangers while driving just to be polite, so my sampling may be skewed.

But, what happens when you’re taking photos on a tripod outside a nuclear facility and the security personnel keep getting in the way of your pristine shot?  (Buggers!)  Well, you remove them.  (EDITOR’S NOTE:  “Remove” is not to be confused with “eliminate.”  We are forbidden to advocate such actions.)  In Photoshop.  Greg Benz show us the rather straight-forward process which involves shooting multiple frames of your subject (whilst keeping the camera still, i.e. mounted to a tripod) as people are moving about within the frame.

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Turn Your Smartphone Into an Awesome Macro Camera With This Simple Hack

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Smartphones are great, whether you’re grabbing quick snapshots of the kids smearing icing on themselves, making a low-budget film (they’re surprisingly good, actually), or immortalizing your visage in a selfie.  But, without interchangeable lenses, one area where they lack is in focal control.  Having this power over your technology is important for things like macro photography.  While there are a variety of hacks for using your smartphone to capture tiny details, some can get rather complicated.

Instructables user Znaffi (we’ll call him Mr. X) shows us how to use a simple water droplet to turn your mobile device into a macro powerhouse.  We touched on this a while back, but Mr. X gives us a full breakdown of this simple and basically-free technique.

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How To Build a Programmable Time Lapse Motion Control Platform For $150

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Time lapse videos are incredible beasts, especially when coupled with dynamic angles and camera movement.  However, purchasing a motion control rig for creating time lapse movies is not always in everyone’s budget.  But creating one typically is!  In this detailed and uber-awesome tutorial, the geniuses at Make show us how to build a self-contained, motorized platform for panning your camera throughout a long time lapse sequence…for $150!

While the tutorial relies heavily on some technical know-how, the finished product is absolutely beautiful and functions flawlessly.

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How To Easily Get a Cinematic Look From Your dSLR Video

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Achieving a “film look” is something that most aspiring filmmakers strive to accomplish.  We always want our work to appear as masterpieces, but sometimes we aren’t sure how to capture those little nuances that could help push it over the edge.  The advent of dSLR video helped bring video production capabilities to the masses, but getting that classic look of film continues to be a steady pursuit of many.

But, don’t be feint of heart!  With some simple tricks, from adjusting camera settings to tweaking in post-production, you can be well on your way to getting the result you want!

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Mount Your Camera Anywhere with This DIY Flexible Camera Mount

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Tripods are great, but not always convenient to carry with you.  GorillaPods and other articulated camera mounts are wonderful, but they can get kind of costly.  What if there was a device you could make yourself that replaced your traditional tripod, your GorillaPod, and your selfie stick (if you’re into that)?

DIY-er Megan Yeomans crafted an ingenious little contraption that can function as a tripod, attach your camera to almost anything, and even allow you to get those tacky selfies you’ve been dying to capture…all for as little as $8.

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How To Make the World’s Best Lighting Modifier for $5

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Lighting modifiers can have a huge impact on specialized shots.  With the right ones, light becomes putty in your hand, easily molded by the skill of the potter.  (Yeah, I jumble up my euphemisms frequently.)

YouTuber Theoria Apophasis believes in the the power of light modifiers, but he believes even more in ingenuity.  The “Angry Photographer” shared one of his favorite homemade mods to get creative lighting that adds drama to his images.  This is one of the best lighting mods and can be easily created with craft store supplies for $5.

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Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

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