Hello again! I know, I know, it's been quiet around here, but that always just means I've been busy. I got back from an awesome 12 day photo-jaunt to Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Onomichi, Kurashiki, Nara and Kyoto last week and have been buried up to my eyeballs in catch-ups, backups and meta-overhauls of all things (and a little cherry-blossom madness, too).

I'm in the process of eliminating all unnecessary things from my wardrobe, my house, my computer and my lifestyle. Running and doing yoga on alternate days and have actually - foolishly? - signed up for the TELL annual charity marathon in May, where I plan to run 5 kms (need to get pledges so friends, be warned, I'll be hitting you up for pledge support). I can hear my parents laughing uproariously all the way from heaven - I come from a long line of hedonists for whom the concept of scheduled exercise was ridiculed over an endless supply of rum and cokes and cigarettes....

I've also entered the "college of home-study" in the area of "Starting up a photography business from scratch". It's utterly terrifying not having a wage anymore. It's also deliriously exciting. (Don't panic, I have a weekly cash income from my private students so I am able to pay the rent and bills - but I foresee no more travel or dinners out for some time....)

I keep getting asked "But what exactly are you doing?"... well, here it is:

I'm spending my time overhauling my organisational file structures and backup systems, tagging everything and overhauling metadata stuff. Once all that is done, I'll start work on the final edit of a portfolio (and make a couple of portfolio books as well as an online portfolio gallery). I want to seriously tweak martinecotton.com and get my photoshelter stock stuff sorted out and then start putting my name out there in the ring. First impressions count and I want to be totally ready before I step fully into the commercial fray. Eventually, I plan to have an online store that features not only stock photography but also cards, postcards, calendars and *oh, so exciting!* photobooks.

My main target here in Tokyo for basic bread-and-butter cash flow will be portraits, events, weddings and family shoots. But I mostly want to develop a great creative portfolio to get in to magazine work and since I already have some photos featured in a 2 page spread in a glossy mag here (coming out this month, based on this shoot) I'm off to a good start there.

There's been some buzz around the intarwebs lately about the 1000 true fans theory. If you haven't read the article already, and are an artist/photographer/musician/writer or developing some new project, you should go and read it. NOW! (and make sure you read the comments too). It makes a lot of sense. Here's the basic gist:

One solution is to find 1,000 True Fans. While some artists have discovered this path without calling it that, I think it is worth trying to formalize. The gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:

A creator, such as an artist, musician, photographer, craftsperson, performer, animator, designer, videomaker, or author - in other words, anyone producing works of art - needs to acquire only 1,000 True Fans to make a living.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans.

One thousand is a feasible number. You could count to 1,000. If you added one fan a day, it would take only three years. True Fanship is doable. Pleasing a True Fan is pleasurable, and invigorating. It rewards the artist to remain true, to focus on the unique aspects of their work, the qualities that True Fans appreciate.

The key challenge is that you have to maintain direct contact with your 1,000 True Fans. They are giving you their support directly. Maybe they come to your house concerts, or they are buying your DVDs from your website, or they order your prints from Pictopia. As much as possible you retain the full amount of their support. You also benefit from the direct feedback and love.

I've been receiving some unexpected and lovely gifts from you awesome readers (thanks so much -you know who you are!), and it made me realise that, after doing this blog for over 5 years, I already have my own supportive community - maybe not yet numbering 1000, but at least - well - certainly at least 4 (and I have the gifted books to prove it)! If you want to (and are able to) help me in any way, (in the spirit of the 1000 true fans concept), please drop by my amazon wishlist and buy any one of the books listed there. Most of these books are text books or the kinds of books you would expect to find in a photography course and include topics like legal guides, photo history, technical stuff, software guides and so on.

Alternatively, if you don't much care for books and would rather see me buying new gear like strobes, filters, studio equipment, etc - you could try donating money through paypal (all donations will be used for the express purpose of photography related expenses):

In return, you will be added to a private mailing list which will receive monthly updates on what's going on in my photo world, and also receive special offers such as postcards, calendars and ...eventually.. reduced rates on the photo books I plan to start producing (at the repeated behests of my family and friends). You will need to email me directly (martinecotton@gmail.com) if you go through Amazon as the gift system there doesn't include email addresses, just postal addresses.

It's an interesting experiment and I have always enjoyed going down the road less travelled.

Photos from the wedding and my trip should start surfacing soon...