After a particularly long, cold winter, I think it’s safe to say that spring finally has a foothold in the door.
The snowdrops are on their last legs and the crocuses are out in force. My early-blooming daffodils are on the verge of opening and tulip foliage is coming on strong.
Photography has kept me connected with these developments. And in the process, my little hobby has bloomed into something bigger.
It turns out that while my book is percolating in the hands of others right now, my photographs are being called upon to step up to the plate.
I’ve been invited to exhibit my garden photography at an event celebrating Vienna, Virginia’s 125th anniversary on Sunday, May 31, at the historic Freeman Store and Museum from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, 131 Church St. NE, Vienna, VA.
If you’re in the area (Vienna is about 30 minutes west of Washington, D.C.), please come visit me on May 31! I’ll be set up in the salon on the second floor with prints and note cards for sale.
The Freeman Store was founded in 1859 and is on the Virginia Landmarks register. Between the fascinating general store museum and the wide array of handcrafted items for sale in the shop — including old-fashioned penny candy for the kids — there’s something for everyone.
I’ve also been encouraged to have a vendor table at a garden show in Vienna on June 13th. If I can pull together the application by April 15 (which requires a photograph of your set-up — still only a figment of my imagination as of April 3rd), I hope to be there too. Stay tuned!
So along with setting up the company for my book imprint, developing a marketing strategy (including a complete redesign of my website, now in the works, that will support product sales), and ticking items off of my book production checklist, I have new and very close deadlines for photography marketing.
And then there’s that little detail of never having done any of this before.
How do I choose which photographs to feature? What will my theme be? What sizes should I offer? How many should I frame or simply mat? What are the most cost effective supply sources? How do I best display the work? And which shots should I use for the note cards I plan to offer as well?
The most terrifying prospect is wrestling my horrendous penmanship into an appealing signature on the prints.
Friends and family acquainted with my awkward hand writing understand my paranoia about the photo signature. But another friend put it in perspective for me when she said, “So, you do all these other things that are hard for a lot people but what you’re most worried about is signing your work?” Deep breaths, Martha.
The coolest part is that synchronicity is at play all around me, with help falling out of the sky at every turn.
My friend Doris in Singapore offered out of the blue to help me with any creative work I might need. She’s designed the most amazing logo that I can’t wait for you to see when the new website opens.
My blogging friend Bill over at The Other 999 Rooms sparked the logo brainstorming process when he wrote to suggest (well, sort of order me) to put a logo on my photographs that would drive people to my website. Next step (per Bill and others) is making Instagram and Pinterest a regular habit to promote my work. I’m barely keeping my nose above water with time demands right now, but I’m committed to figuring that out soon.
My Google+ photographer friend Rick also offered, completely unbidden, to help me navigate the uncharted waters of organizing a photo exhibit. He spent an hour on the phone with me earlier this week explaining how to crop photos for matting (to leave room for that all important signature–ugh!), how to order and assemble frames, and giving me the critical information that supplies can take a couple of weeks to get here so I’d better figure all of this out ASAP.
Finally, putting my writer hat back on, I am thrilled to announce that Headspace.com (Andy Puddicombe’s meditation website and app, which I recommend to anyone who will listen) is publishing a shortened version of my half-marathon blog post on April 8th.
Oh yeah…I almost forgot. Just when my productivity needs to be in the highest gear possible, our new golden retriever puppy comes home next Monday (three short days from now). More new energy to stir into the brew!
Bring it on!!
How about you? Has spring arrived in your neck of the woods? Is new energy bubbling up that’s begging for your attention? Are you listening? Are you acting on it? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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