SmugMug LA User Group - had a great group shoot last nigh at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn. The Theme was 50's style pinup. It was a great turnout, I believe there were around 50 Photographers. Only 3 models which looked like a challenge but after all everyone was very civilized and people had the chance to take their turn. The whole event was going on for about 3 hours, there were 3 different lighting setups, people pitched in with food and snacks, the models brought a few outfits and were extremely patient with everyone, so you could not ask for more. The Photographers were from all levels of Photography and a lot of them brought interesting new gadgets, so the room was quite busy and full of interaction. I have seen people showing equipment, skills and techniques to others that just turned the whole atmosphere into a warm welcoming environment.
The SmugMug La User Group host monthly events ( more about it at : - meetup.com/LASmugMug or on facebook - http://www.facebook.com/group_104717833249). The group is leader is Chris Schmitt ( and Tom Galassi as Assistant Organizer )who just recently took over this group and really shook things up in a good way. He brought a whole new level of interaction and learning experiences to the group - so if you live in LA and you are a Photographer, specially if you use SmugMug this is the right place to start socializing and learning. Below you will find some of the shots I have grabbed at the event. A faithful and regular sponsor of these events is the Photo Learning Center - who also provided I believe all the equipment to the Pinup shoot mentioned above. Which means hands on training for new photographers and given the fact that its a free group to join this is just an amazing value for the beginners. So go check out SmugMug:)
and here is a timelapse of the event - enjoy!
Friday, May 27, 2011
New Project 6
PINUP SHOOT, originally uploaded by Csabastyle - Csaba Fikker Photography.
Picture from The SmugMugLA group shoot - 50's Pinup Style - quick video of my stills in motion :)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
New Promo Video!
I just did a quick Promotional video for my site www.csabafikker.com - I figured people like to watch videos this might be another avenue to grab potential clients eyesight.
I will be including these type of video marketing pieces in my future advertising campaigns. Any thoughts? am I way out there with this type of promo pieces?
I will be including these type of video marketing pieces in my future advertising campaigns. Any thoughts? am I way out there with this type of promo pieces?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
10 Things to do 4 a Photographer's Marketing Campaign Success
Three days ago I have launched my new Photography website www.csabafikker.com and i have launched a large scale advertising campaign simultaneously. The results in the past 72 hours were amazing. I have quadrupled my Twitter followers and I went from 23 fans on my Csaba Fikker Photography Facebook page to close to 500 Fans, my site had 18,000 hits in 72 hours and I booked my first job this morning as a result of this campaign.
I'm still learning the whole process but I'm loving the results and here are some of the things that I did and I can share with you.
-1) Designed a kick ass website, took me over a month:)
-2) I created a Facebook Fan Page
-3) Redesigned my Twitter Account
-4) Created a Tumblr Account
-5) Flickr Account
-6) SmugMug Pro Account - this is where I load all my clients photos
-7)Linked all the accounts together - exmpl. anytime I post something on Flickr it will be grabbed by Tumblr and posted as a Twitter and create a note of it on My Facebook Page. Right there you have an automated system where you create pages and links instantly as soon as you post images.
8) TWIENDS.COM Account - this seems to be important but not sure of the long term value yet. Twiends.com so far brought me the most traffic, most twitter followers and Facebook Fans.
9) Created an event on Facebook for the Launch of my website where I have invited all my 650 Friends
10) I created a Promotional Giveaway Photo Shoot Package that can be won as long as you like my Facebook Fan page.
Looking at the results in 72 hours this is looking like a winner. I have a 400% larger following base that I can start marketing to in the following days. Also by keeping all my fans interacting it also helps spreading the word, higher rankings, more page and portfolio views etc.
I'm planing on Phase two of this campaign in about 10 days and I will sure write about it here on Freelance-Lifestyle
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Win an $800 Valued Photography Package!!!
After a month of hard work I have finally Launched my new site www.csabafikker.com
. I would like to invite you all to go see some of my work, the services I offer and just to let me know how bad ass the site looks:)
WIN a $800 PHOTO SHOOT PACKAGE!!!
One lucky person will be randomly selected for a 3 hour outdoor photo shoot in the Los Angeles area. The Package Includes:
- a 3 hour outdoor photo session
- Professional Hair and Makeup
- 2 Professionally Retouched Photos
- 1X 13"x19" Large Print
- Online Photo Gallery
to Enter this contest all you have to do is visit my FB Fan Page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Csaba-Fikker-Photography/361000681225
click on "LIKE" and leave a comment.
*If You Already LIKE'd my page just leave a comment and you will be entered as well.
On June 1st 2011 one random Winner will be selected and announced on my Fan Page.
. I would like to invite you all to go see some of my work, the services I offer and just to let me know how bad ass the site looks:)
WIN a $800 PHOTO SHOOT PACKAGE!!!
One lucky person will be randomly selected for a 3 hour outdoor photo shoot in the Los Angeles area. The Package Includes:
- a 3 hour outdoor photo session
- Professional Hair and Makeup
- 2 Professionally Retouched Photos
- 1X 13"x19" Large Print
- Online Photo Gallery
to Enter this contest all you have to do is visit my FB Fan Page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Csaba-Fikker-Photography/361000681225
click on "LIKE" and leave a comment.
*If You Already LIKE'd my page just leave a comment and you will be entered as well.
On June 1st 2011 one random Winner will be selected and announced on my Fan Page.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Steel Pulse-254.jpg
Saturday night I went out to shoot and I ended up at a Great Steel Pulse Concert at Canyon Club, Ca - more Pictures from the concert can be found at http://www.igotsnapped.com/Event-Photos-by-Csaba-Fikker/PublicEvents/Steel-Pulse-Concert
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Strange Days Concert
If you ever wanted to relive The Doors, and see Jim Morrison the closest thing to that might be Strange Days a Doors Tribute Band from California. The Guitar Player Robert Carston has actually played with the Doors - and the Singe Jason Tosta sound just Like Jim Morrison, They throw down a hell of a show and they sound so close to the original thing that you do not need a drink or two to believe its the real thing.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Lauren Elaine FW2011
Amazing Fashion Show Tonight, Lauren Elaine presented the FW2011 with the title of "Unmasked".
The runway show was opened by a ballerina, the setting was amazing ...
More to come!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Got to Love MagCloud
I have just finished a Photo shoot for a dear friend. He brought over his White German Shepherd Puppy named Cutty. This guy was just adorable, but since I have never shot puppies before I had no idea how hard it is to light and keep this guy in place. At any rate an hour later we finally ended up with some 100 great shots. And this is where
MagCloud.com comes in place - downloaded the images to lightroom - uploaded 58 of them to Flickr and Voila! - Open MagCloud and 10 minutes later Publish the cute Cutty in his own magazine. Its priceless to think that in a couple of days from now I can hand a 58 page nicely printed publication to my client. Technology in our age just rocks!!!
here is a link to the publication so you can see what can be done in 10 minutes for less than $20
MagCloud.com comes in place - downloaded the images to lightroom - uploaded 58 of them to Flickr and Voila! - Open MagCloud and 10 minutes later Publish the cute Cutty in his own magazine. Its priceless to think that in a couple of days from now I can hand a 58 page nicely printed publication to my client. Technology in our age just rocks!!!
here is a link to the publication so you can see what can be done in 10 minutes for less than $20
CUTTY Issue 1:
By csaba fikker in Pets
Photo Session with Cutty the ohhh... so cute and adorable White German Puppy
Monday, January 31, 2011
B&W Photographs Published
I have finally compiled a series of Black and White Photos I have shot during a trip last Year in Death Valley to put into a publication. I have just published the 40 page 8x10 Photo Book ( Magazine ) trough MagCloud.
The process is easy and the results are beyond fantastic. I have received the proof today and the paper quality and print are both just simply amazing.
You can view or buy the publication here:
The whole idea about this publication/compilation is that I would like to show it around a couple of galleries and see if someone would be interested in picking 20 or less pieces out of the 40 to do a show. I have figured that it is a lot cheaper for me to do a publication and do the shopping this way instead of printing 20 large canvases and carry those around. The other option of course would be to do a large portfolio of like 13x19 prints and carry that around. I'm not much of a "Hit the Pavement" kind of a guy, I guess the personal rejections would probably discourage me to go into the next gallery and so on ,also when I look at the economics of this publication it just makes more sense to have these 8x10 booklets printed and mailed to the appropriate galleries instead of me going to shop from gallery to gallery. I guess I will find out the results as soon as I start mailing these out. And as Soon as I know about the Results so will You so You can go ahead and do the same.
In the mean time go ahead and check out MAGCLOUD.COM - publishing is easy and its affordable to anyone - you can also import your flicker Galleries and have a publication ready in minutes. I think this might be just the next best thing for any photographer. I'm already thinking of making a 40- 80 page publication of every vacation I have ever done with a camera as well as all my portfolios separated in different publications, such as Fashion Portfolio, Abstract, Portrait etc. Etc.
Sky is the limit with this tool and did I mention its truly affordable to anyone.
The process is easy and the results are beyond fantastic. I have received the proof today and the paper quality and print are both just simply amazing.
You can view or buy the publication here:
Death Valley 2010 Issue 1: Death Valley 2010
A personal Black and White Experience of Death Valley - Photographed in 2010
The whole idea about this publication/compilation is that I would like to show it around a couple of galleries and see if someone would be interested in picking 20 or less pieces out of the 40 to do a show. I have figured that it is a lot cheaper for me to do a publication and do the shopping this way instead of printing 20 large canvases and carry those around. The other option of course would be to do a large portfolio of like 13x19 prints and carry that around. I'm not much of a "Hit the Pavement" kind of a guy, I guess the personal rejections would probably discourage me to go into the next gallery and so on ,also when I look at the economics of this publication it just makes more sense to have these 8x10 booklets printed and mailed to the appropriate galleries instead of me going to shop from gallery to gallery. I guess I will find out the results as soon as I start mailing these out. And as Soon as I know about the Results so will You so You can go ahead and do the same.
In the mean time go ahead and check out MAGCLOUD.COM - publishing is easy and its affordable to anyone - you can also import your flicker Galleries and have a publication ready in minutes. I think this might be just the next best thing for any photographer. I'm already thinking of making a 40- 80 page publication of every vacation I have ever done with a camera as well as all my portfolios separated in different publications, such as Fashion Portfolio, Abstract, Portrait etc. Etc.
Sky is the limit with this tool and did I mention its truly affordable to anyone.
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