"Business" cards for amateur

[glanglois]

As my sig shows, I'm strictly an amateur.

On the other hand, I've found myself being asked about the availability of photos I'm shooting, e.g., aircraft, or I've found a reason I'd like to pass some shots on to their subjects.

It would seem easiest to print some cards to identify myself and to steer people to my/their photos. The cards would contain my Flickr account and personal email address.

I expect they would be helpful when asking permission to shoot an event of some sort or another. Does that make sense?

I'm not comfortable with titling myself as a photographer (for reasons that would be clear if you saw my work). Perhaps that's just unnecessary modesty?

Just including name/address /cell number seems incomplete. I'm thinking of including a photo of myself with a camera, creating an implication without a necessary expectation of professional quality.

Has anyone else out there faced this question? What did you try or which suggestions do you all have here?

Thanks, all.

[Damn Brit]

If you use a camera, you're a photographer.
If you put a picture of you with a camera on it, you're a photographer.

If you put a list of specialties on it, you're a serious photographer who does it as a job.

So call yourself a photographer. Otherwise they won't remember what the business card is for and throw it away.

[navcom]

Originally Posted by glanglois

As my sig shows, I'm strictly an amateur.

On the other hand, I've found myself being asked about the availability of photos I'm shooting, e.g., aircraft, or I've found a reason I'd like to pass some shots on to their subjects.

It would seem easiest to print some cards to identify myself and to steer people to my/their photos. The cards would contain my Flickr account and personal email address.

I expect they would be helpful when asking permission to shoot an event of some sort or another. Does that make sense?

I'm not comfortable with titling myself as a photographer (for reasons that would be clear if you saw my work). Perhaps that's just unnecessary modesty?

Just including name/address /cell number seems incomplete. I'm thinking of including a photo of myself with a camera, creating an implication without a necessary expectation of professional quality.

Has anyone else out there faced this question? What did you try or which suggestions do you all have here?

Thanks, all.

Make a business card, put your contact info on there, and put your title as photographer or say "photography services". When you hand it to someone, explain yourself at that point. Honesty is always the best policy. Tell them you do not do this for a living but you enjoy it and enough people have asked you for a card that you had some made up...or something to that effect.

[ftpaddict]

Make it simple. Simple is more professional. No fancy backgrounds or jazzy text.

[heliphoto]

Originally Posted by ftpaddict

Make it simple. Simple is more professional. No fancy backgrounds or jazzy text.

Ah, irony

[ftpaddict]

Originally Posted by heliphoto

Ah, irony

Oh ye of little faith. That's a logo, and it's my very own handwriting. It's an almost continuous black line. It's not flashy and definitely not childish.

[heliphoto]

Originally Posted by ftpaddict

Oh ye of little faith. That's a logo, and it's my very own handwriting. It's an almost continuous black line. It's not flashy and definitely not childish.

No offense meant, I figured it was your own handwriting, and I didn't think it childish, but jazzy is a pretty wide open term, and I saw a bit of humor there.

Now, if you saw my handwriting, you would think it childish. (My typing's not too bad though. (unless you count spilling punctuation, capitaliztion, and nested parenthetical statements (like this).))

[glanglois]

I think we're agreeing.

I have a few designs (via PrintShop) and all have one photo and no more than name, phone, email, and my Flickr site URL.

One photo is of an aerobatic team, the usual red airplanes trailing smoke flying into the card from the upper left, and the other photos are of me looking photographer-ish. A Tilley hat and a PJ vest seem to say a lot for some reason.

Thanks for the tip about verbally qualifying "photographer" or something similar. As I don't intend to cast them upon the water, it's easy enough to explain position at the time with words like that.

I've had some other advice about a photo of myself, however dull, versus a photo that's much more attractive. I might do some of each. I think one with my own mug will be more helpful if I'm asking to photograph some sensitive subject, like kids. It might inspire, if not trust, at least the notion that they'll have something to show the police.

Thanks for the tips. This forum certainly attracts helpful and thoughtful people.

[maxwell1295]

I had some cards printed by Vista Print, the Spam Masters of the universe. It was a rush job that turned out okay, but I plan on doing something simple the next time around.

[Warped]

I also went with Vista print.

I've got my main site that explains I'm not a pro, what I like shooting and more info about me.

The business card just has a small logo and "Warped-Photography" with my mobile phone number and site details.

Having "Photography" in the title makes it obvious who/what the card is for and more info if they are interested is on the site. Easy stuff!

[MRRiley]

It's far easier to just buy a box of laser or inkjet business cards and do em yourself. Avery makes them among others...

Clean Edge Business Cards.

They are not as durable and it's more expensive (per card) than buying 1000 custom cards, but they give you far greater flexibility. If you change your e-mail address after giving out 100 cards out of a thousand then you have a chioice. Order new cards or write your new address on the remaining out of date cards. That looks really cheesy and cheap.

Printing them yourself is also better if you have multiple "specialties" or target markets. I have 3 cards, one for my work with models, one for motorsports and one general purpose/fine arts/landscapes/nature/etc... I simply print a handful of the appropriate card whenever I go to shoot a given genre.

[navcom]

Originally Posted by MRRiley

Printing them yourself is also better if you have multiple "specialties" or target markets. I have 3 cards, one for my work with models, one for motorsports and one general purpose/fine arts/landscapes/nature/etc... I simply print a handful of the appropriate card whenever I go to shoot a given genre.

Good advice Mike.

Question....do you ever have issues with printing perforated business cards where the printer doesn't line them up perfectly and you end up having cards "step" on each other?

I used to order cards all the time and for some time I've just been doing them myself for your exact reasons. I've had tons of issues with the above problem and have resorted to cards with a white background. If I use an image or color that runs right to the edge of the card and the printer is just a bit off, you end up having problems.

Any thoughts man?

[MRRiley]

Avery actually makes just the card you are looking for...

Print-to-the-Edge Business Cards.

There are only 8 cards on each sheet of these but they are separated and there is appox 1/2 inch between cards. This lets you oversize your image just a tad to make sure it goes edge to edge.

I plan on switching to these so that I can put photos on one side and the text and logo on the other.

One of my cards... Excuse the jaggedness, the program I use prints nice but doesnt scale for display well...

[navcom]

Originally Posted by MRRiley

Avery actually makes just the card you are looking for...

Print-to-the-Edge Business Cards.
Attachment 20439

Cool! Just what the doctor ordered! Thanks man!

[glanglois]

Thanks, Mike. I did get the Avery non-perf that "breaks" cleanly and it's slick. Literally. More like a photo print than the standard business card stock.

I, too, did three versions including one with a photo of myself with the camera. I'll see if that allays the normal suspicion of strangers with cameras ...