Welcome
How's everyone doing this week?
For me it's the first week of Model Rep meetings! Woo hoo! Like every year, I'm a bit nervous heading into the week but optimistic all the work I've already put in should start to pay dividends. Knock on wood!
I've got 42 meetings scheduled over the next 3 weeks where I'll be giving the same little talk over and over and doing short 10 minute shoots with each of the applicants. Wish me luck!
I'll have more to report on that in the coming weeks, but for now let's jump right into this week's issue. Lots going on out there!
Magazine Update
100 Photographers I'd Like to Follow - Update
Our PILF contest deadline is January 29th, still a little more than two weeks away. No need to panic yet, but if you want to scratch this one off your todo list go here to submit your images.
In the meantime there was an Interesting conversation in the SeniorInspire Facebook group over the weekend discussing the pros and cons of photo contests.
Lots of valid points from both sides, but one of my favorite comment came from Shawna Campbell who said "I enter, not because I am competing against anyone else, but to see how far I have come from one year to the next.'
Exactly!
To grow you need to put yourself out there and occasionally make yourself a little uncomfortable. And while your images may not always be selected, they might be!
And facing that possibility of being rejected and moving on with a commitment to work at your craft is how you GROW!
So find some time this week and go through your work from this past year. Find your very best and put yourself out there! You'll never know if you have what it takes to be a PILF unless you try.
We'll be taking submissions here through January 29th. Make this your year!
Instagram and Social Media
Remember Facebook Business Pages?
Gather round youngsters... There was a time, not that long ago when having a Facebook business page was the bomb!
Do people still say 'the bomb'?
Back in the day you were able to consistently generate a ton of interaction on your images. Even better, you could easily see and communicate with people who liked your page without having to pay to advertise!
Amazing, right? It was truly Guerilla Marketing 101.
But these days if you're like me, your Facebook business page has likely become a wasteland, littered with the occasional post that only your mother likes and maybe a few others even ever see.
Now Facebook is making a big whoop to do about once again making changes to business pages. Something they hope will improve them, but has there ever been a FB change that's made business pages better?
Maybe this time it will be different, said Charlie Brown.
Personally I don't hold a lot of hope, but you be the judge.
Did you check them out? Was I right? Let me know if there's something there that excites you, otherwise I'll hold my breath waiting for the next set of changes.
8 Trends Shaping the Future of Instagram Marketing
Did my last Facebook post get you down?
Let's move back to the comfort of Instagram and check out these 8 trends shaping the future of Instagram marketing!
Lots of old favorites and interesting new ideas in this post, but buried in all of it is something I've never heard of... Instagram Guides?!?!
Doing a quick search I found this good tutorial with step by step instructions to creating guides. It appears guides are "a great tool for brands or businesses looking to add extra context or commentary to their shoppable products on Instagram."
I want that! How did I not even know these existed?
Are you using them? Let me know.
Either way I'm definitely adding these to my 'things to study up on' list. Stay tuned!
Meet the Photographer
Susan Geitka reveals all
For this week's interview we met up with Susan Geitka of Susan Grace Photography. Susan is a truly inspiring senior photographer who also loves to work with dancers. She's been a fan favorite of the SeniorInspire crowd for years.
We caught up with her last week to talk boss babes mafia and more...
SeniorInspire In a previous issue with Kara Zollos she told us about the gang of Boss Babes you run with. Which of the Boss Babes is least able to hold her liquor?
Susan Geitka Actually I would be the least able to hold my liquor! Hard alcohol does not agree with me. I missed my 50th birthday party after one mudslide (I had to escape upstairs while all the guests enjoyed a lively music jam).
SI Any funny Boss Babe stories involving alochol?
SG We really don't have much time to drink a bunch when we travel. However there was one night, after all of our planned photo shoots on our 2 day destination trip marathon were completed, we went out to dinner. We may or may not have had drinks with dinner. ;) When we got home we were in a silly mood and we created a fun sock puppet video in our mid century mod rental property in Palm Springs. We were literally rolling on the floor laughing during the whole process. I love these women and I am lucky to be included in their tribe. I cannot wait for this pandemic to be over so we can travel again!
editor's note: Susan was nice enough to share the boss babe's sock puppet show for us! Don't miss THIS!
SI I know you were a dancer when you were younger and I think you once told me you danced for our current President at one of his hotels. First, am I remembering that right or was I completely inebriated?
SG Haha, maybe we were both inebriated. Wait didn't I just say I can't hold my liquor?
SI LOL, you're not fooling me. What was that experience like?
SG I spent 9 years of my life dancing in production shows in Atlantic City, NJ. In 1989 I got a job dancing in a stage and ice show, GLITTER at Trump Castle. When I auditioned for the show, I was asked if I can ice skate and of course I said, Sure! What I should have said was, I only put on skates a few times in my life. lol.
The costumes were very tacky. One costume was a floor length silver sequin gown with a train and two double cones on my head that were about 3 feet high with a chiffon train that attached from the top of the double cone heads to the bottom of the train on the gown. Did I mention I was on skates with 24 other dancers/skaters on a piece of ice as big (small) as my living room? I fell on the ice in that costume once and a stage hand had to help me up during the show! Embarrassing but very funny.
I have lots of fond memories from GLITTER. It is also where I met my husband. He was a sound man in the show and in the last act I had to run out into the showroom audience and climb up onto the banquet and do the cha cha in a costume with a giant fan feather tail and a 3 foot palm tree made out of feathers on my head. The banquet I had to dance on was directly in front of the sound booth. 30 years later, we are still together.
SI You switched to Sony around the same time I did. What do you miss most about your old camera?
SG Absolutely nothing!
SI What's the most expensive thing you ever bought photography related that you never or rarely used?
SG Oh boy, I guess it would be the lights I bought after attending a lighting workshop. Calumet Travelites. I bought two of them. I took them out with me one time. They were so heavy and clunky. I switched to Alien Bees and used them until I invested in the Flashpoint/Godox System.
SI You're in a burning building. In one room there's a random dog, in one room there's a random cat and in the third room there's your Sony camera. You can only save one of them. Which one?
SG Well, I can always purchase a new camera. I don't think I could only save one animal? I would probably die trying to save both.
SI Sorry to inform you. Because of your indecision, none of you made it out.
You're from Jersey. Do you live anywhere near the butcher shop where the Soprano's hang out?
SG NO, but I do live within 5 miles of the Pine Barrens where the bodies were dumped.
SI My theory is that Adriana is STILL alive, so if you happen to see her hitchhiking out of the Pine Barrens one day you should probably stop for her (but be watching over your shoulder for sure).
Is there a photographer or other artist you follow on Instagram who no one knows about?
SG That's a hard one. My daily Instagram scroll is full of inspiration. I am inspired by many in the SeniorInspire community. However I often go in search of non senior photographers. My newest crush is Oveck.
SI Stopping to check out Oveck now. Thanks for the convo! Have a great 2021!!
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And Finally
That's it for this week! I'm going to leave you with this little tune that had me smiling this week. I wish the streets in my town were like this...
See you again soon!