Marketing is Hard, Rewarding Work

Last weekend I was thrilled to participate in a very popular event here in Chattanooga, the Spring Festival and Plant Sale at Crabtree Farms, just a short drive from home. While it was very hard work, and there is no way in hell I could have pulled it off without support from Hannah, it was an awesome experience and I came away with quite a few print sales. Better, a few people even signed up for my newsletter where I’ll announce photography workshops in the coming weeks.

Of course, I write this one week after I’ve had time to recharge and feel good about things. There were certainly times before and during the event that made me question my decision, as well as my sanity, and I have a newfound respect for makers who do markets on a routine basis. One particularly nasty rainstorm comes to mind, as well as some technical issues I faced getting prints ready. However, I’m sure preparation and setup get easier with experience. So, maybe if I do another outdoor market the low-volume cursing will subside.

I don’t actually own display screens, but as a member of the Association for Visual Arts I can sign up to borrow them any time. They didn’t come with any hooks, though, so I fashioned my own using a couple of unused clothing hangers. They weren’t ideal because my frames didn’t hang particularly flat against the grid screens, but they got the job done.

In addition to doing a lot of heaving lifting and strategizing, Hannah also made me this amazing flyer for the event.

Please go check out her graphic design work!

https://thehcreative.com/

On Instagram @thehcreative

There is not a lot more to say other than I am grateful for the opportunity to do something cool with my work, at a place that is intimately connected with the land and community where I live. It doesn’t get much better than that for a photographer like me. Be sure to sign up for my upcoming workshop at Crabtree on May 17 by following this link: Landscape Photography Basics and Photo Walk.