As you can obviously see, it's been quite awhile since I've posted anything at all on here.  I've used a few other blogsites over the past few years as I travel but really haven't been consistant.  There's been so much going on that it's been very difficult to do.

I've been to Scotland, Russia and Africa in the past 2 years and have thousands of photographs to sift through for a book I want to publish with a possible journey to China in the offing.  The website is currently being revamped so I can better service my clients and display my work to potential clients.  Unfortunately, I'm a techno-idiot so it's been slow going for me.  I can take photographs with the best of them, work miracles with photoshop at times, but put code in front of me and I turn into a drooling, babbling moron.  Couple that with trying to balance ease of use and navigation for clients, and features such as metadata searches for stockphotography, and it's a real challenge.  And then add the cost of what you want vs what you can afford, well it's a long process.  I want it to be right, and the cost has been not having it right..now.

I'm also working on my pricing, portfolios and packaging.  The economy has hit hard everywhere.  Even in the Lockard household.  Those of you that know me know that when I'm not taking photographs, I'm a Commercial Construction Manager.  I've got tons of experience and I'm very good at what I do, yet even I've not worked since November and it doesn't look to get much better anytime soon.  It's a balance between taking a job for the sake of taking a job, vs taking a job that will actually pay me to take.  As a result, I can't open the studio like I want to because I can't afford to.  So what to do??

Well, the obvious solution is to not open the studio.  At least not yet.  Instead, I'll do location shoots and scaled down shoots until the time is right.  This can actually be a benefit to my clients because I'll come to them, on their timetable (when possible), and on their budget.  I can put together custom packages I can put together custom shots.  I actually like to do this anyway because it allows me to spend more time with my clients to find out exactly what it is they want vs what I envision.  Photographs, portraits especially, should be about the personality of the subject.  Not about the photographers vision.  Sure it's a terrific marraige when the two are combined, but at the end of the day, my clients pay the tab.  NOT my vision.

I've got lots more to say, so stay tuned!  Have work to do for now though!

Shoot me an email at JLockard1@msn.com if you have any questions, comments, or insight!

TTFN!
Jamie