Learning how to be cool

My husband is a photographer from way back in the 70's.  He used to take wonderful black and white shots and develop them himself.  Back then it was quite expensive to have anything developed professionally, as film was time consuming, and fully manual.  Now we have a digital camera and photo setup and have the photo available online within seconds.

The photos he has taken for our website are just as good as any photo I have seen on long-standing company websites.  Take a look at this:

Len does all the technical taking of the shot, while I do the photoshopping to size and re-colour the background.  Getting a white background is actually very difficult, even with a light tent etc. the shots come out with a greyish background.  Thank god for google and Youtube!  As well as the generosity of many people who post online.  I found out about the quick select tool, and how to use the bucket tool in photoshop, and be the end of the day this:

Turned into this:

Not bad hey?

I was not really into nor did I understand the power of Youtube until my lovely nephew started doing movies (ie acting in them) and I found out he has his own Youtube channel.  Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialKarlBeattie/videos?view=0

He will be famous one day.

I leave with this quote, its kind of how I feel right now.

“Kids on the Youtube, learning how to be cool.”
― Toby Keith

Hospitalpacks.com.au is getting closer

Hospital Packs progresses well, the website only needs photos now.  Sounds so easy doesn't it?

Not so easy in real life. It took me a day to put together the photos for just one page of categories, even though the photos did not have to be taken, just downloaded.  A note here about a good website with millions of photos - istock.com.   These are photos taken by professional photographers who put them up on the site for use by anyone who buys them.  I have seen them used in lots of websites, and now mine.  This is how the first cut  (well, actually the third cut!) looked:

 

 

I think the bobby pins need some work, but am happy with the other shots.  My website is quite colourful, which suits the 50+ demographic that I am aiming for - I hope!  But I do think visuals are important.

 

 

An update on the light tent - check out the boys setting it up below

 

My husband will start taking the product shots for real today.  Can't wait to see how they turn out.  Meanwhile, I am tidying up the site and the descritptions of products.

I still have "happy packs" in the back of my mind, but of course, you have to learn first before launching site number 2!



A little weirdness goes a long way.

So happy for a friend of mine, who is going online, she has just set up a website for her celebrant business at : http://gailmcguckin.com.au/

Here is a sneak preview of her website:

Go Gail!

My favourite quote about marriage is

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." -Robert Fulghum

Now I'm a writer too?

So my new business, Hospital Packs, is  one step closer.  The room downstairs has been turned into an office, new computer etc. and I have done a stocktake.  Feb is a very busy month, as there are 3 supplier fairs that I need to attend, at one of them, which I was not really intending to go to, there is a company that has lovely baby clothes and wraps.  Have to look them up and talk to them about starting an account.

Ive been through the Reed Gift Fair book, and made a list of the 50 or so companies I need to see.  I'm waiting on some money to come through from my superannuation to pay off the mortgage and fund the business a bit more for some stock and advertising.  Meantime, I am trying to learn how to do a PR campaign.  I found this site which has been most helpful : http://www.getthewordout.com.au/articles/mediareleasetemplate.htm
and google have templates: https://drive.google.com/templates?q=press+release&start=1&sort=hottest&view=public

This was a good example http://www.lunareclipse.net/press-release-example-new-business.htm


I think my husband will be able to assist - after all he has 20 plus years in a news room!

Wish me luck!

Oh, and its different for social media - of course!