beware

Yelp Advertising Failed Me as a Small Business Photographer

My name is Jessica Rosa, and I've been a professional photographer for more than 20 years. I feel cheated by Yelp's advertising services, and I want to help other photographers not make the same mistake I did. This is about my experience in purchasing Yelp "full-service" advertising, and you need to know this before you enter a contract with them.

Photographers, Beware Gameface Media

When it comes to race event photography, Gameface Media has quickly become a name a lot of photographers and event organizers recognize, whether it be for better or worse.

Your Photos Could Be Illegally for Sale on Amazon

The Internet has become the wild wild west of copyright infringement, and the fact that so many photos are illegally republished around without permission and/or attribution makes enforcement tough for the photographers behind them. If you've ever shared your images on the Web, there's one big-name place they could show up for sale without your permission: Amazon.com.

Don’t Go into Debt For Your Photography

I remember when I was sitting in my cubicle at work, dreaming and lusting after a digital Leica M9. I imagined that after buying it, all of my life’s problems would be solved.

PSA: Never Pack Spare Lithium Batteries in Checked Baggage When Flying

The FAA has published a new warning about the danger of storing spare lithium batteries in checked bags. The batteries, which are widely used in the photography industry to power things like cameras and lighting equipment, "present a risk of both igniting and fueling fires in aircraft cargo/baggage compartments," the FAA says.

PSA: The DxO ONE Requires Two Hands at All Times

The new DxO ONE has generated a good deal of hype thanks to its promises of turning iPhones into 20MP "DSLR-quality" cameras. The first reviews of the camera are trickling out, and there's one design issue with the camera that you should know about: to prevent having your phone fall and shatter, you should keep two hands on the camera system at all times.

7 Tips to Save You From Wasting Time and Money on the WRONG Photo Workshop

Note: I don’t name names in this article, but if you’ve been in the wedding industry for while, you will know who I am referring to. If not, you really do need to read this.

A photography industry workshop can be a fantastic way to learn and help your business grow. Industry leaders can share information that they have gathered over the years, distilling it that knowledge into a valuable seminar or workshop.

Great education can save time on the learning curve, and save you from making big mistakes. Unfortunately, for every great educator out there, there are 10 people who have absolutely no business teaching.

I Was a Victim of the Fake Negative Review Scam That Targets Photographers

There is currently a scam targeting photographers nationwide. It begins with a threat of false negative reviews if a business owner doesn't pay a "reputation management fee". Whether the business responds or not, the scammers will post many negative reviews then offer to have them removed or pushed down the search results... For a fee, of course.

Please Reply #yes to Give Us Unlimited Rights to Your Photo

Yesterday we shared how one photographer was surprised when a casual request to "share" her Facebook photo turned out to be a request to use it in a national TV ad. Unfortunately for photographers, it seems more and more companies are requesting photos in similarly subtle ways.

Be Careful When a Big Brand Asks for Your Photo

If you're ever asked for permission to use a photo, be sure you know the scope of what you're agreeing to before saying yes. Photographer Nikki MayDay Guardascione tells us that she got quite a surprise yesterday when a seemingly-simple photo request from Miller Lite turned out to be for much more usage than she originally thought.

How Arranging a Sparkler Exit Almost Cost Me My Career As A Wedding Photographer

Warning: This post contains graphic photos and descriptions of a serious injury.

As a wedding photographer, there are so many different parts of the day we temporarily pause in being a photographer and magically transform into a seamstress, a planner, a mediator, a therapist and any number of other jobs. We are the only vendor outside of videographers who are with our clients all day.

It’s one of the parts of my career that I love -- no wedding day is ever the same and I get “re-charged” from the people families I meet. Because of this, I've always (in the past) considered myself more then a “photographer,” but rather someone who's there to help in any way I can (while still doing my jobs) should the need arise.

Watch Out: There’s a ‘Bad Reviews’ Scam Targeting Photographers

Scams targeting photographers are nothing new. There’s one that we’ve seen for a few years in which the “client” asks if they can send you a check for more than they owe you so you can pay some other vendor for them (they then bounce the check and you end up having paid the vendor scammer your money). Another one out there tries to sell you an interesting or desirable domain name. There are other more local ones (fake Craigslist ads or eBay sales for instance).

Beware the Internet When It Comes to Your Personal Photos

In December of 2008, as I was getting ready for a vacation trip to Brussels, I posted the above self-portrait of myself sporting my new winter coat to my Flickr account. I didn’t think much of it after posting it and I’d pretty much forgotten about it over the years.

Today, as I was reading some discussions about people having their photos used to create fake online identities I decided to use Google Image Search to see if any of my self portraits could be found anywhere on the vast Internet.

Why Using Groupon May be a Stupid Idea for Photographers

Deal of the day website Groupon is the fastest growing companies in web history and a popular way for local businesses to generate some buzz in their areas, but some independent photographers are finding out the hard way that offering special deals through Groupon might be the worst marketing decision they ever made.