Ten Ideas for a Sunday Afternoon, and Changes to In The Frame Are In the Works.

I want to get more organized, and you want to as well. I know you do. Yep.

Santa Fe, NM. Photo by the author.

This has been a wild week for me. Unexpected challenges, a fun idea trove I found while exploring, a captivating book, and a deep dive into a new business idea.

Yeah, one of those weeks.

I thought I would share a few things that caught my eye, and then explain the changes to In The Frame that will help keep me much more organized and that is good for you, too.

1. There is simply no way to ignore the tremendous reach of X (Twitter) these days. We photographers keep glomming on to Instagram, and that platform has told us straight to our faces that they are no longer interested in still images.
   
   More and more people are showing up on X sharing images, videos, ideas, and the stuff we do. With the filters in place, you can ditch the crazies and just fill your day with some curated inspiration. I know I used to not be a fan, but I am going all in on developing a network there. We’ll see if that works.

2. Platforms continue to disappoint. We were sold a pile of crap when they told us all we needed was a Facebook, Instagram, or some sort of LinkedIn strategy to keep and grow a business. And we gave up our blogs, journals, and, in many cases, our websites for the promise of the walled garden module.
   
   And now the walls that were designed to allow members to become a community are now walls designed to prevent the members of that community from leaving.
   
   Substack posts are difficult to get linked from Linkedin and X. Facebook will lower your reach significantly when you post a YouTube, or Substack article. They want you to keep everyone there - and their platform - and they are becoming more and more ruthless with their techniques.
   
   Easy fix. Build a website, add a blog, and get back to work on your own platform. Use social media pirates for leads. Even if you do not know how to write a single line of code, this is possible. I will be showing you how in the next Free Module in the Creative Class. Coming this Wednesday.

3. Niche more time for yourself. This week was a reminder to me about how important taking a breather every now and then really is. I have been so consumed by the Creative Class, that I haven’t done much other than that.
   
   I need to get on my motorcycle. I need to sit at the drums and piano more. I need to sit quietly and read for fun.
   
   I am sure you may need some of those things too… Whatever you do, do not normalize chaotic scheduling.

4. Listen to music… deliberately and without distraction. Listen to your favorite music—the kind that snakes its way into your veins and dances with your very DNA. It's a universal love affair. I can change my day with a little Miles Davis or Trane. I can focus better after sitting and listening to something by Bartok or Barber. If I want to groove, on goes Pat Benatar, Heart, or Steely Dan.
   
   I don’t mean while I am working, I mean I take the time to go over to the turntable and drop the needle on Kate Bush, Sinatra, or Cannonball. I am sure you probably have different names, but you know the ones that get into your psyche and prepare you for what’s coming next. It is difficult for me to have music with words going, so for background music, I listen mostly to classical.

5. I wrote a fairly dark piece on Friday. If you missed it, check out this also rather dark piece by Ted Gioia on the recent purchase of a small record label in Iceland, and ask yourself if that is possibly happening to us. Then prepare to do battle.

6. One of my mentees watched a roundtable event with several NYC magazine Art Directors and Photo Editors and brought this to the group; they (the ADs) are no longer interested in seeing a single image. They want to see stories. Stories. Images that give a deeper glimpse into the subject matter. And while I have been saying this repeatedly, it is nice to hear my student bring it back to the other mentees. Whether you are shooting food, people, travel, or advertising, you must do it in series form, and tell a story. One cool shot of most anything ain’t gonna cut it.

7. Legacy Lighting Essentials Post; Deconstructing Portraits.
   I spent some time looking at portraits of my Project 52 students.

8. Jennifer Arce has a new website. Jennifer is a marvelous photographer in Miami, Florida. She has recently added motion graphics and video to her still photography and is taking off like crazy. Jennifer has been a P52 member and mentee for a few years now and it is super cool to see her grow. Jennifer Arce Photography.

9. The One-Person Business model is becoming more and more of a necessity for any of us past 50 years old. Case in point: My local grocery store (national brand) was just picked up by another national brand, and the employees there have been told that the store might close with little to no warning. Some of the people there are friends to my wife and me, having been there since the store opened. Work diligently, and do everything right… but know that the corporate lawnmower will not hesitate to take you down. Becoming a one-person business can alleviate that possibility.

10. The Creator Economy keeps growing. And growing fast. I believe it is the best way forward for those who want to keep abreast of change and make sure they are future-proofed. This is an eye-opening piece by ConvertKit and it gives you some good insight into what is happening out there.

Let me know what you think of any of the things on the list. I would love to hear from you.

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And if you do, join me next August for a ride through the Rockies! We start in Cody, then over Beartooth, then through Yellowstone. After spending the night in a little Montana town, we will end up back in Cody. C’mon, it’ll be a blast!

In The Frame is going to do a little revamping and get a schedule that makes sense.

I have been doing this newsletter for quite a while, and moving to Substack was one of the greatest moves I have made in how I deliver it. Mailchimp was good, but Substack is better. I am not selling products, nor do I need all of the bells and whistles that Mailchimp is providing.

But I need a schedule to stick to.

My promise to the paying members is two posts per week, most weeks. If I am on the road, it may be a little irregular for a week or so, but I plan to maintain that schedule.

I have been doing the newsletter as In The Frame on Sundays for 12 years, so it will remain as is. I will, however, roll the Premium content into the Sunday dispatch and eliminate the Monday post. Fridays will move to Thursdays.

That means that In The Frame will post on Sunday and Thursday with both free and Premium content. Any other posts that may be inserted will be something I really want let you know about (like the discount for the Creative Class Creator version: $100 off. Use this code: 31AC02F059).

Premium Members; Starting on Thursday, I will be uploading one chapter per week of my Business Book, “Dare to Succeed”. The link will be provided for a PDF. Please note, you will have one week to download it, so please take note of that.

I want the premium stuff to be valuable to you, so any premium members - let me know what you would like to see more of, and I will get on it.

Hey, yeah, free members can weigh in on that as well.

When you are ready, here is how I can help you succeed.

Group Mentorship: a small group of photographers who meet to show images, work on their portfolio, and build their businesses with help from a wonderful group. Lifetime membership for one fee.

One-on-one Mentorship: You and me - working together in an intense 6 month push to get you on the way to over $30k in revenue if you are getting less, over $60K if you are already making $30K.

The Creative Class: Expand your toolset and become a one-person visual agency capable of pulling in steady and repeated income.