KSG Photography
17th of February 2010 (Wed), 06:40
A wee story to, hopefully, encourage you to carry a camera with you everywhere.
A couple of years ago my wife asked me to drive her and a couple of work colleagues to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne for a business meeting. As this involves approx 3 1/2 hours each way I didn't want her driving that distance, so I agreed. As always, I took along a bag with some camera kit with the intention of getting a couple of shots as I killed some time.
As we left the car, one of the guys asked what was in the bag? When I told him it was just in case I saw something I wanted to shoot he laughed and said "Yeah, whatever"
A little later, as I wandered round the shopping centre I spotted a large queue outside a well-known book shop, so, being the nosey sod that I am, I asked the security guys what it was for? "Oh, Ross Kemp is launching his new book here this afternoon with a book signing session" When I enquired if anyone was taking photos for the store I was taken straight to the manageress, who, it turns out, had been trying to find someone with a digital camera all morning as she needed some PR shots for her company's head office. :D
Long-story short, we agreed that I would supply her with copies of all the shots I took of the event and I got to hand out business cards to the public in the hope of selling a few prints - result!
Well, you can imagine the look on my wife's colleagues face when they called after their meeting and I asked them to come to the store and they arrived to find I was still shooting and making money? By the time they arrived, the queue was still running out the door of the shop and the vast majority of people were asking for shots to be taken with Ross. I actually ran out of business cards and the store manageress got one of her staff to write my contact details on post-its for the customers (after this, I invested in a hi-vis vest with the details on the back to allow people to write them down if I am busy shooting - this really works well when I shoot mountain bike races as people often take a photo of the vest with their camera phone - and it doesn't take much room in the bag)
That wee afternoon made me approx. £350 from print sales!!! (not to mention the missus claiming my fuels costs back :cool: )
Since then, I have made it a point to never leave home without a camera, even if it's just my G9 (and, funnily enough, my wife has never complained since about taking a camera bag with us wherever we go).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/_MG_9538.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/_MG_9507.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/_MG_9566.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/_MG_9623.jpg
and, of course, I had to get a wee cheeky one taken with Ross at the end of the day:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/IMG_3061mail.jpg
A couple of years ago my wife asked me to drive her and a couple of work colleagues to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne for a business meeting. As this involves approx 3 1/2 hours each way I didn't want her driving that distance, so I agreed. As always, I took along a bag with some camera kit with the intention of getting a couple of shots as I killed some time.
As we left the car, one of the guys asked what was in the bag? When I told him it was just in case I saw something I wanted to shoot he laughed and said "Yeah, whatever"
A little later, as I wandered round the shopping centre I spotted a large queue outside a well-known book shop, so, being the nosey sod that I am, I asked the security guys what it was for? "Oh, Ross Kemp is launching his new book here this afternoon with a book signing session" When I enquired if anyone was taking photos for the store I was taken straight to the manageress, who, it turns out, had been trying to find someone with a digital camera all morning as she needed some PR shots for her company's head office. :D
Long-story short, we agreed that I would supply her with copies of all the shots I took of the event and I got to hand out business cards to the public in the hope of selling a few prints - result!
Well, you can imagine the look on my wife's colleagues face when they called after their meeting and I asked them to come to the store and they arrived to find I was still shooting and making money? By the time they arrived, the queue was still running out the door of the shop and the vast majority of people were asking for shots to be taken with Ross. I actually ran out of business cards and the store manageress got one of her staff to write my contact details on post-its for the customers (after this, I invested in a hi-vis vest with the details on the back to allow people to write them down if I am busy shooting - this really works well when I shoot mountain bike races as people often take a photo of the vest with their camera phone - and it doesn't take much room in the bag)
That wee afternoon made me approx. £350 from print sales!!! (not to mention the missus claiming my fuels costs back :cool: )
Since then, I have made it a point to never leave home without a camera, even if it's just my G9 (and, funnily enough, my wife has never complained since about taking a camera bag with us wherever we go).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/_MG_9538.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/_MG_9507.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/_MG_9566.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/_MG_9623.jpg
and, of course, I had to get a wee cheeky one taken with Ross at the end of the day:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/mistwalker/Ross%20Kemp/IMG_3061mail.jpg