I Lost My Files Again!

I lost my files again!!!

My WD (Western Digital) Passport external portable hard drive fell on the ground on Friday and on Saturday I realized my computer was not reading the external hard drive! I panicked.
I called one computer store and they told me they would not be able to retrieve the data after they crack open the case of the hard drive.
I thought that the representative was talking nonsense so I took the hard drive to another computer store. I had to show the guy how to remove the hard drive from the casing. I got this knowledge thanks to YouTube.

I called the technician today and he said there was a technical problem with the hard drive and my data can not be restored!!! What????
  
I know you can get the source information of a web page online by clicking on the view  option on the menu bar and selecting the source option.  The problem with that I was seeing ALL code for my Support and Includes.  This is not what I really wanted.  

When I got home I posted a question on SBI forum about how I can retrieve the files I uploaded to SBI server and within five minutes I got a response. I was able to download each file that I uploaded and save the missing ones and recently revised one to my computer.

I am so relieved.  On good thing though, I did a back up my files (no my computer) on October 5, 2011.  I promptly did a back up on an old Lexar jump drive.

 

Marketing With Photo Videos

Another great marketing tip that I learned is to create photo videos and upload the videos to YouTube!  Actually I knew about this tip but not really as a forum to market my photos and websites.

My son taught me to use Windows Movie Maker for this project.  Now I have a new laptop but Windows Movie Maker was not installed.  So of course I Googled Windows Movie Maker and on the first page, there it was!  I was able to download the software.  It took about twenty minutes to download.

I then started creating my photo video.  I created a title for the movie and added the related photos for that video.  I inserted a link to my photography website at the end of each photo and at the end, I inserted a title with name and website link.
I added some music (this is optional) but I had a little problem locating some music that I downloaded to my ITunes folder.  Hopefully by my next video, I would figure that out.

A great feature that Windows Movie Maker has is the special effects, I just clicked on one of the special effects button and I got a nice effect that I was happy with.

Here is the video that I just created

Photo Greeting Cards

As we approach the Christmas holidays, I am thinking of making photo greetings to send to my family and friends.  Low and behold, I read about this marketing tip from an SBI photography website that giving friends and family photo greetings cards is a great way to market yourself as a photographer.  The following is the article from the site:

"Greeting cards can be produced with your inkjet printer by printing on greeting card stock paper sold at office supply stores. You can create a box of ten or twelve cards that include your best photography work and send it to clients or potential clients as a gift. Christmas is an especially good time to do this, but any holiday could be used as a good excuse to send this gift/portfolio. For example, there is no reason why you can’t promote yourself this way in celebration of the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving.

You could do this on a monthly basis as an aggressive campaign; there are many holidays to use.

Greeting cards are a very cost-effective and under used photography marketing tool. Like stamps, coins and baseball cards, a lot of people collect/keep greeting cards – especially the most visually appealing cards. Of course, they also send them to family and friends. But, many are collected. With your contact info on the back, you are a part of their collection – and database!

With careful and deliberate planning, your photography portfolio will result in establishing your reputation. Your portfolio will speak whether you are in the room with it, or not. Make sure that it shouts out your name and skills. Only include your best in your portfolio. And always strive to make your best even better. "

Source of information:  Marketing for Photographers and Photography