UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!

Congratulations Marco (@mpkqstudios ) for winning our Think Tank Backpack giveaway! Thanks to everyone who participated in our Think Tank giveaway…stay tuned to our Giveaways section as we will be consistently giving out more prizes.

We’d like to thank one of our favorite brands, Think Tank, for sponsoring our current giveaway! They’ve generously giving one of their Think Tank Streetwalker HardDrive Camera Backpacks to one of our lucky readers. If you missed our review of the Think Tank Streetwalker camera backpack, be sure to check it out. This is their top of the line backpack in their Streetwalker series of camera backpacks.

Giveaway Details

Fotodeck is giving away one Think Tank Streetwalker HardDrive Backpack to one of our lucky readers…this is a $179 retail value! To enter for a chance to win, you must:

• Send a tweet out saying something awesome about Think Tank bags, with mention @thinktankphoto and @fotodeck. (sample tweet: “i can’t live without my Think Tank bag…my equipment loves them too! thanks @fotodeck and @thinktankphoto !”)

That’s all you have to do! Even if you’ve entered a previous contest, you can still enter this one. This giveaway begins right now and ends Friday, April 15 (12pm pst). The winner will be selected at random and announced the following day right here on this blog.

* by entering this contest. you agree to the official contest rules and disclaimers

Simplified Panels

The old panel layouts were just a tad too cluttered. We wanted to slim it down a bit so that there are less distractions and your photos shine through. In case you haven’t noticed, we love simplicity in our designs and we’re committed to always keep the user experience simple and clean.

We also heard your feedback about not showing your average project budget range so prominently, so we changed the design to hide your average budget information. These new panels should give potential buyers a good glimpse into your work very quickly!

Photographer Profile Page

The other most major change in our new release appears in the detailed photographer profile page. We know how important portfolio presentation is, so we will continually redesign and refine this page to make you and your work look fantastic!

On the old design, we mainly just showed large versions of your photos along with your bio information. Although that showed the details of the images well, that layout didn’t help tell the entire story of your body of work well. In this new design, potential hirers can get a complete look at your work in one glance. They can then choose to drill down into more detail with each image they are interested in.

Also, the old design had 2 pages for each photographer profile, and with the new design, we put all the information on 1 page. Once again, we’re just trying to make it even simpler for potential clients to view everything on a single page.

We can’t say enough great things about Think Tank bags for professional photographers. Their thoughtful design, attention to detail, and quality craftsmanship definitely makes them one of the top brands I frequently recommend.

Recently, we got our hands on their Think Tank Streetwalker HardDrive Backpack, and we were quite impressed with the quality of this product. This particular model is basically the mother of the Streetwalker line, being the biggest of the three Streetwalker sizes.

Don’t let the description “backpack” fool you, this bag is large. We almost thought it was a rolling airplane carry-on bag at first glance. But once we took it out of the box and started handling it, the lightweight feel and the relatively thin profile definitely showed that this bag was made for portability. One of the more striking features we liked is the amount of padding that comes on this bag. You can tell right away that this bag was designed with abundant padding to protect your gear inside and also plenty of padding to provide comfort for the photographer while carrying it around.

On the inside, the main compartment can easily hold a professional camera body with lens attached, plus 5 more lenses, several flashes, and still have room for more things like extra bodies and flash triggers. On the front flap, you have room for all your miscellaneous accessories, batteries, etc, and they even provide a flash card wallet to organize all your flash cards. Behind the main compartment accessible externally from the side is a slot to hold a 15inch laptop (although it seems it might even squeeze in a 17inch mac, but we didn’t test this). The Streetwalker HardDrive also comes with a removable rain cover.

As I mentioned above, the backpack feature is super comfortable as there is padding everywhere. From the contoured backpack shoulder straps…to the air channelled backside designed for maximum airflow…to the heavily padded lumbar support…this bag does it’s job well the keep photographers comfortable while lugging around lots of gear.

This bag is so feature packed, we didn’t even know how the external tripod mount worked until we stumbled onto this video below. Too bad we’re giving this bag away in an upcoming Fotodeck giveaway…otherwise we’d probably discover even more goodies this bag has to offer if we had a chance to use it longer!

This Think Tank Streetwalker HardDrive Backpack retails for $179.

Video Demo of Tripod Holder

Gallery

UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!

Congratulations Saundra (@ Saundra_McBride ) for winning our LumiQuest SoftBox giveaway! Everyone else, stay tuned to our Giveaways section as we will be consistently giving out more prizes.

Few weeks ago, we reviewed the LumiQuest SoftBox. If you missed it, be sure to give it a read. LumiQuest is generously giving away one of those LumiQuest SoftBoxes and one of their Ultrastraps to one lucky reader!

Thanks so much LumiQuest! If you’d like to get in on this giveaway, read on for more details…

Giveaway Details

LumiQuest is giving away one LumiQuest SoftBox and one Ultrastrap to one of our lucky readers…this is a $50 retail value! To enter for a chance to win, you must:

• Send a tweet out saying something awesome about LumiQuest SoftBox, with mention @lumiquest and @fotodeck. (sample tweet: “the @lumiquest softbox is a must-have tool in my bag. Thanks @fotodeck!”)

That’s all you have to do! Even if you’ve entered a previous contest, you can still enter this one. This giveaway begins right now and ends Wednesday, March 9 (12pm pst). The winner will be selected at random and announced the following day right here on this blog.

* by entering this  contest. you agree to the official contest rules and disclaimers

There are different bags designed for every situation…backpacks, roller bags, waist packs, etc. In this post, we’re highlighting bags designed to keep lenses within arms reach. In these picks, we’ve chosen messenger and sling style camera bags.

Here’s a rundown of our top 6 picks for professional DSLR lens bags:

Think Tank – Retrospective 10

Think Tank has always brought us the most thoughtfully designed bags for photographers. “The Retrospective series is comprised of three shoulder bags and two lens changer bags.  This series is designed for the professional photographer that wants to blend in with the crowd and remain inconspicuous in any situation.” Though this bag looks simple and inconspicuous, it still has all the great features and quality we come to expect from Think Tank.

Crumpler – 5 Million Dollar Home

We love Crumpler…with their unique sense of character, design, and craftsmanship. It’s hard to say it better than them, so here’s the product description in their words:

“Polished professional. Aspiring Amateur. Happy snappy chappy or chapette. It makes no difference. If you want to haul a basic set of camera or video equipment, and protect it from the elements and things that go bump in the night or day, give the Five Million Dollar Home a shot.”

Lowepro – Passport Sling

The Lowepro Passport Sling is one of the newer bags in the Lowepro Sling line. Although this bag looks to be aimed at a prosumer level, we love how this bag gives easy top loading access to one large compartment without the hassle of typical messenger style flaps. There are times when you just want one big container go hold all your gear, and this bag provides just that. The main compartment is even expandable to increase the maximum cargo capacity. As for ergonomics, this is a very comfortable bag in the way it wraps around the body.

Domke – F-3x RuggedWear

Domke was a pioneer in making discreet photographer bags that don’t scream “steal me!”. We especially like their RuggedWear line, featuring a waxed canvas fabric that gives off a “worn” look and get’s better with age. With all the abuse our bags go through, it’s nice to have a bag that claims to look better the more use it gets. For those looking for something a little inconspicuous, you’ll definitely want to check out this bag and other models in their “RuggedWear” line.

Boda – V3 Lens Bag

The Boda bag is the brainchild of top wedding photographer Jim Garner. For this V3 version, Boda claims to have taken the feedback of 150 photographers from previous versions to create this latest version. So can this be the ultimate lens bag? Well, we have to admit the specs of this bag is very impressive. It’s made out of very heavy duty ballistic cordura, offering good impact and weather protection. It has slots for 3-5 lenses and compartments for all your necessities like storage cards, water bottle, business cards, phone, and even a built-in retractable lens cloth…nice touch. It can be used as both a messenger style or with the optional waist belt for even more ergonomics. We haven’t actually tried one of these bags…but gotta say we’re pretty curious and would love to get our hands on one.

Shootsac – Lens Bag

One thing we’ve noticed about bags is that sometimes, it’s all about personal choice. You can have all the right compartments, the best shock protection, the toughest waterproof material, and the most comfortable strap…but does it match the photographer’s style? Enter the Shootsac. This bag, designed by photographer Jessica Claire, balances form and function. The Shootsac is a simple bag designed to do two things well…hold your lenses and to do it in style. The Shootsac is made of a neoprene material, has several main compartments for lenses, and offers an array of design covers that are interchangeable on the bag.

WPPI 2011 wrapped up today in Las Vegas, and we just returned to our Fotodeck headquarters after spending several wonderful days surrounded by inspirational speakers and thousands of photographers passionate about their craft.

If you’ve never been to WPPI before, or even if you’ve been there 15 years in a row, we highly encourage you photographers in the wedding and portrait industry to reserve some time in your calendars next year for WPPI in 2012! This is a great resource that shouldn’t be missed.

Everyday, we were consistently impressed at the quality level of what the 2011 WPPI conference delivered. From having classes that consistently inspired photographers to refine their craft, build their business, and to stay connected with the industry…to seeing, meeting, and learning from our heroes in the industry…to album competitions that offered constructive criticism of both artist and observer…this event was focused on pushing wedding and portrait photographers to achieve higher levels of excellence in their work and craft.

We definitely plan on being there next year to cover the event in more details and to connect with more photographers on Fotodeck!

CreativeLIVE recently announced a new workshop: “HDDSLR: Moving From Still To Video With Vincent Laforet“. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from one of the foremost thought-leaders in the industry. For photographer’s looking to add motion to their repertoire of services, you won’t want to miss this one. Motion is more popular than ever, and many of us already have the tools to get started.

This event is a 3-day online workshop, Mar 3 – 5, 2011. As always, it’s free if you watch it live on www.creativelive.com, and costs $99 if you want to watch it anytime after (pre-order price).

Here are the workshop details:

Make the move from photographer to filmmaker with Vincent Laforet in this LIVE ONLINE workshop. Last year Vincent kicked off the creativeLIVE movement with his Introduction to HDDSLR Cinema. In this all-new workshop, he’ll be working hands-on with the latest gear, cameras, and production techniques.

UPDATE: WE HAVE A WINNER!

Congratulations Eva (@evaphotostudio) for winning our BlackRapid double strap giveaway! Everyone else, stay tuned to our Giveaways section as we will be consistently giving out more prizes.

To kick-off our new Fotodeck Giveaways, BlackRapid is generously giving away one of those BlackRapid DR-2 Double Straps to one of our lucky readers! (If you missed our review of the BlackRapid RS DR-2 Slim Double Strap…be sure to give it a read).

Thanks so much BlackRapid! If you’d like to get in on this giveaway, read on for more details…

Giveaway Details

Fotodeck is giving away one BlackRapid RS DR-2 Slim Double Strap to one of our lucky readers…this is a $130 retail value! To enter for a chance to win, you must:

• Twitter follow @blackrapid and @fotodeck
• Send out a tweet saying why you’d want a BlackRapid RS DR-2 Slim Double Strap, with mention @blackrapid and @fotodeck

That’s all you have to do! The contest begins right now and ends Friday, Feb 25 (12pm pst). The winner will be selected at random and announced the following day right here on this blog.

* by entering this  contest. you agree to the official contest rules and disclaimers

Although I wouldn’t go so far as to use the buzzword “location-based marketing” and  praise its effectiveness for photographer marketing…it’s no doubt that professional photographers should pay some attention to incorporating location into their personal branding and how to use location to get on the radar of potential clients.

Here are a few tips we have…feel free to share yours in the comments!

1. Be Specific

I see hundreds of photographers’ websites a week, and too often I come across photographers who don’t state where they are located at all. Many times, potential clients are forced to decipher it from the area code in the phone number. Also, too often, I see the phrase “available worldwide”, or something of that nature. We get it…you’re a photographer who likes to travel. We don’t deny that might be your goal, but still we’d recommend you to at least state a location where you’re based out of most of the year.

2. City, Metro, or Beyond

After you’ve committed to a location…what’s the best target location? Perhaps you’re in the suburbs and would like to brand yourself as a photographer in a nearby large metro area. Or the reverse, where the metro you’re located is over-saturated with photographers and you’d like to expand your services to surrounding suburbs. Decide on a brand strategy for your services and make sure it’s clear how your location(s) are reflected in your brand.A quick look of the Google Keyword Tool might provide valuable insight for your particular location.

3. Website Best Practices

Make sure your website reflects your target location immediately. Lot of times, potential clients will scan quickly through a website to see if the photographer is based in the right location. Don’t make it hard for them to find. Put your location right on your home page, perhaps in the footer or the header. Put it in your contact section, even if you don’t include your full mailing address. You can also put it in the about/bio section when talking about yourself.

4. SEO

Localized search is a big topic today. Make sure you’re doing all you can to improve your location-based SEO. For your website, make sure your targeted location can be found somewhere on your homepage. Include the location in the html title tag and meta keyword and description tags on the website. To build relevant incoming links for SEO, make sure to join any relevant photography directories or vendor lists that are location specific.

5. Will Travel For Work

So are you willing to travel? If that’s part of your brand, then specify clearly where you’re equipped to travel. What separates you from the potential client hiring a native of that location? Perhaps it’s your familiarity with a particular part of the world, or a culture, or a language. By being specific on the various locations you can work…you can increase your chances of getting hired on those other locations. A good example of this is we often see commercial photographers have representation in 2 (sometimes 3) major cities like London and New York. Although they are not based in one location, the brand message of their multiple locations can still be strong.

Here are the workshop details:

An intimate three day workshop focusing on posing and lighting techniques with a focus on wedding, boudoir, and portrait photography.

Visit the creativeLIVE workshop page for more details!