Since I couldn’t help design the website, I sent some advice instead, and realized this may be useful for other photographers who need some web help, so here it is:

I think that there are many good photographer’s portfolio website solutions out there that are low cost or free.
i.e. You don’t need to hire a web designer and create it from scratch…
These sites excel at showing photos in a large format, and they make it easy to upload, categorize and manage photos.

Here are some photographer portfolio solutions I found out there – I haven’t “test driven” them, but at least took the time to list the pricing:

Wix, Free for basic features
http://www.wix.com

Zenfolio, $25/yr
http://www.zenfolio.com/

Big Black Bag, $8.99/mo for basic features
http://www.bigblackbag.com

Photoshelter, $9.99/mo
http://www.photoshelter.com

Clickbooq, $24/mo, iPad compatible
http://www.clickbooq.com

Social Network Suggestions:

You may be doing this already, but I recently read an article about how Facebook can generate great leads for your photography business:
http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/11/how-a-photographer-generated-over-100000-through-facebook/

Here are the 10 good tips for photographers on Facebook:
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/facebook-for-photogs-10-ways-to-generate-business

“Social” photo websites
http://lightbox.com

Tumblr.com (free photo/blog site for creatives) is probably also excellent to have, just to generate buzz and traffic to your main site.
You can use Tumblr also as a “Photo Blog” and upload daily photos.

Flickr is awesome as a fun, inspirational tool to network with other photographers, but not a good business prospecting tool…

Hope this helps…

It was just perfect — price was right, and the experience was beyond our expectation… as close to a ryokan experience or even better, more like getting a glimpse of Old Japan without the pricetag associated with it.

The Japanese courtyard garden is beautiful and the details are authentic. There was a nice bamboo faucet where you can wash your hands. Everything there — the futons, dining tables, tansu (cabinets), even clocks were either antiques or traditional. However, we didn’t feel uptight having a kid running around, as these objects were more home-y and well-used than “priceless antiques”. The proprietors were young (i.e. our age, in their 30′s?) so we didn’t feel like we had to be formal all the time.

Flickr set showing the beauty of the place:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ovalle/sets/72157624223308700/

We regrettably had to cancel dinner, as we were late and broke, but we still signed up for breakfast — which included grilled flounder, yuba (skimmed soy milk skins), pickles, miso soup made with local specialty miso, and rice from the proprietor’s family farm. The fish was grilled right in front of us on a quaint, old hibachi made from a large tree stump.

Location might be a little hard to find for a foreigner (see Google Map directions), but it’s  really great if you are visiting the famous temple and shrines in Kami-gyo-ku, such as Kinkaku-ji and Ryoan-ji which are all within a short bus ride away. Kyoto City Bus offers a one-day all-you-can-ride pass for 500 yen (buy it on the bus), which we used to get to all the temples, as well as to get around town, including our trip back to and from Kyoto JR Train Station.

We didn’t use their shared bath (and bathrooms are also shared with other guests), but instead went to the recommended Funaoka Onsen, a traditional bathhouse which is also a nationally designated landmark.

There was a grocery store near the bus stop, and a laundromat nearby, so backpackers like us could subsist on ramen noodles and minimal clothing. They had one laptop where you can access the internet for free. We would have rented their bikes, if we didn’t have a six-year-old traveling with us, and if the Kyoto streets weren’t so darn narrow with cars squeezing through. If you insist on visiting Kyoto in the middle of winter or summer, just be prepared for extreme weather conditions – the Machiya houses in general have no insulation or air conditioning.

The proprietors spoke some English, and they had guide maps and instruction sheets in English. I had a conversation with one of them and he said he quit his “regular job” in Tokyo,  came back home to Kyoto, and learned his ropes in the ryokan business for a while, before he and his partner found this machiya. They decided to move forward, and opened it as a guesthouse in April, 2010. I commend them for their entrepreneurship.

I recommend Kingyo-ya highly as the best place to stay in Kyoto to get an authentic experience for 1/3 the price of ryokans, and for awesome, home-grilled cooking.

My Kyoto Google Map: Includes the bus stop to get to Kingyo-ya, and the nearby Funaoka Onsen (bathhouse) and other points of interest for martial arts and yoga practitioners. Highly recommend looking at Streetview from the bus stop to the street near Kingyo-ya, just so you know where to turn.
http://bit.ly/9HoqmI

General Info:
Guesthouse KINGYOYA
602-8492 243 Kankicho 3Chome Omiya-Teranouchi(Agaru-Nishiiru)
Kamigyo-ku Kyoto city Kyoto, Japan
Reservation Form
Tel：+81 75-411-1128 (10:00-21:00)
e-mail: ookini@kingyoya-kyoto.com
check in: 16：00～21：00　check out: 8：00～11：00

Their map and directions (does not display well in my browser, but bus lines and directions were useful.)
http://www.kingyoya-kyoto.com/english/image/map/mapE.html

Update March 12, 2011:
In light of what just occurred in Japan yesterday, I am re-posting the blog about my great grandfather, Akitsune Imamura, seismologist. But before I repost, here are some announcements:

1) In conjunction with NY de Volunteer, a non-profit organization in New York, we’ve started a “Send Message of Hope to Japan” page on Facebook. Please upload messages of hope in words, photos,  video, music, etc. etc.
“Like” this group first before photo upload.

NY Times Article about Japan’s preparedness:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12codes.html

============================================================
This part was written back in April 16, 2010 in honor of my great grandfather.
============================================================

There have been so many earthquakes lately. (Scientists say it is “normal” to have this many earthquakes, they just happen to be in densely populated areas one after another.)

I have been thinking about my great grandfather and seismologist, Akitsune Imamura.
My grandfather, Jiro Kawase was his student, and also a seismologist…

I am not a seismologist, but I grew up listening to the legendary story of my great grandfather.

Long story short:
Akitsune Imamura was a professor of seismology at the Imperial University (now Tokyo University). Back in 1905, he predicted a major earthquake in Tokyo, and warned about the devastation it can cause in an urban area. Back then, no one took it seriously, and he was berated for causing unnecessary fear in the minds of the public.

In 1923, his prediction unfortunately became true, and the devastation was massive — more than 140,000 lives were lost in a magnitude 7.9 quake in Tokyo. For the rest of his life, he dedicated his time and resources to the prediction of earthquakes (building observatories out of his own pocket), and the prevention of secondary effect from fires and tsunamis. He was apparently one of the first scientists to suggest tsunamis were caused by the movement of the ocean’s floor due to earthquakes. Family anecdote says that he built “The First Earthquake-Proof House in Japan”. He also made sure that school children were educated about post-earthquake tsunamis by having a story about it in the their textbooks.

Reading his biography, I am inspired by his wholehearted dedication to seismology.
I hope that I can somehow carry on his legacy by making a difference in people’s lives.

Here’s the gist of his message, in layperson’s terms:
1) Turn off the stove when you feel an earthquake – Fire after an earthquake should be preventable.
2) Run to higher ground after an earthquake if you are by the coast. Don’t rebuild your village in the same spot. (Emphasis added March 31, 2011)
3) Prevention, prevention, prevention – build earthquake-proof buildings, governments should set up observatories, implement drills, be prepared, etc. etc.
4) They tend to happen in cycles – Don’t assume just because you haven’t had it in years, that you never will.

Reference:

Link to his Wikipedia page in Japanese
(thinking about translating this completely to English…the English Wiki entry does not do him justice…)

Link to his Wikipedia page in English

His tombstone

US Geological Survey Earthquake Site

Donate to various Earthquake relief charities:
AAR Japan:
http://www.aarjapan.gr.jp/english/

New Zealand Government:
http://www.christchurchearthquakeappeal.govt.nz/

List from Guidestar.org:
Non profits working in Haiti
Non profits working in Chile

List from Network for Good:
Non profits working in China
Non-profits working in Haiti
Non-profits working in Chile

After spending a very nomadic summer, I have settled in Astoria, Queens.

Through some serendipitous dealings and generosity of many, I was able to move into an old apartment – affordable but in need of TLC. The kitchen had a quarter inch think solid grease coating everywhere. The walls were cracking, mice holes and leaks here and there, and there were reports of bed bugs.

A team of handy guys was assembled to fix up the place. After much peeling, painting, cleaning, debugging, and degreasing, I have come to realize that the kitchen of the apartment has the original enamel stove, refrigerator, and cabinets that were never replaced, and still functioning, since 1920′s when the building was built. The kicthen here has the entire set in tact, including the stove, cabinets, drawers, sink, and the refrigerator.

Under-the-counter refrigerator was rumbling noisily and had to be unplugged for the fear that it guzzles up enormous amounts of electricity. We now use it to store cleaning supplies and cooking oils. One totally “modern” feature of the refrigerator, is that it does not have any handles, and only opens when you push a silver button next to it.

The landlord lives elsewhere, but he lived in the building for a long time. He and his wife moved into the building after he came back from the war (WWII), and they ran a hardware store that used to be downstairs.

Here’s the link to an entire “Before & After Cleaning” Flickr Set.

This unusual combination (nowadays, they don’t make it in all in one piece anymore) has the sink and the stove/oven, as well as the refrigerator under one piece of enamel coated steel. Some details almost look like a well made motorcycle.

the knobs, the handles, cabinets doors, and drawers feel heavier and much, much more sturdy. This kind of tangibility, I think, got lost somewhere in the mid-20th century in the name of efficiency and profit.

A little Googling of the company name on the stove “Murphy-Cabranette” reveals nothing more than a few auction pages and a web Q and A site asking for more information.

Here’s what I found from WebAnswers.com:

“I was given a Murphy Cabranette and I cannot find anything about it on the internet or anywhere. It is a model G 39, manufactured by Dwyer Products Corporation in Michigan City, Indiana. It is enamel white, with two burner stove, sink and fridge. I have contacted both the Murphy Bed Company and Dwyer Products Company and no one seems to have anything on this item. I know that the Murphy Bed Company began manufacturing them in the early 1920′s and stopped either during WWII or directly after WWII because of rationing. Any help on this item would be appreciated.”

Some questions I’d like to ask are:
Who is collecting them?
How many people out there still use them?
Who designed it, and what happened to Dwyer or Murphy division that made it?

Any advice is appreciated!!!

Update January 2010: I managed to clean the oven up to the point where the broiler works now. And the food that comes out of that broiler is so amazing, I can’t believe I could live without it before. I also got an oven thermometer, and preheated it enough that it could be used to bake lasagna. Still working on figuring out how to unblock the tube that leads to the oven gas…

July 4th in NJ – Saw fireworks directly across from Manhattan, at Port Imperial.

Visited the High Line. Highly recommended for residents and tourists alike. It’s tricky to get up there – Best bet is to go to Gansevoort – that way, you get to start from the beginning.

Six Flags – spent most of the day at the water playground – probably the best choice for a 5 year old kid with sensitivities to sound and sights. He was a bit freaked out about roller coasters.


Manhattan Henge – Stone-henge like sunset at home.

Michael Jackson Marquee at the Apollo

And last but not least, a successful launch of the Harlem Market Hub on July 11.

Samplings from the Vendors

mirror, mirror

more mirrors

walking past a magical bird

Jump!

Kai and I went to Governor’s Island last weekend.

More PHOTOS HERE.

We went on a whim, after the Walk Now for Autism event because the ferry to Governor’s Island was nearby and I knew it was free. So we just walked over there exactly at noon, just to miss it. We waited for the 12:30 which was not so bad because we had time to find out more about what’s happening over there, and they started boarding early. The ferry is every half an hour, and it’s free, but they do leave exactly on time and will batten down the hatches a little earlier.

CHECK FERRY SCHEDULE AND LOGISTICS  HERE

It just so happens that there was an art festival called FIGMENT going on over there.

We had a great time from the get go, drawing on the sidewalk, interacting with art, walking around the perimeter of the island, listening to various performances from opera to gamelan to experimental, and seeing lots of creativity everywhere.

We got there past 1PM and realized we didn’t bring any food. And the lines at the hotdog stand (one of the few there) were very long. So we went to the ice cream stand instead, where there was no line.

WHAT TO BRING TO GOVERNOR’S ISLAND (next time):

- Food
- More Water (no sinks! Have enough to wash hands, etc.)
- Wipes and Hand Sanitizer (only porta potties there)
- Sunscreen
- Plastic Tarp for sitting on damp grass

- Dress-Up Clothes for Fun
- Kite or Bubbles or Balls

Other optional stuff to take:
- Camping Gear (some people were camping out there.)
- Folding bicycle and Strollers (Bikes and strollers can go right onto the ferries.)

This kaleidoscope was installed into one of the structures called “Temple of Truth”, where people could write messages on its blackboard walls. Kai and I spent half an hour there, doodling.

All in all, we had a great time, and we’d recommended to families with kids too, especially when there are events happening, and they seem to have events going on all the time there.

Along with his school, I’m participating in the Walk Now for Autism event in New York City, on June 14th. My goal is to raise $1M for the cause. (LOL< but one of my favorite concepts mentioned in the book, “Four Hour Work Week” says it’s “easier” to raise $1M than a few thousand…The gist of it is that, there is less competition when you set the goal higher and aim high, than if you try to compete within mediocrity.)

Below is a copy & paste from their fundraising site.

Please join me in my fight to make a difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism today.

I am participating in Walk Now for Autism to help find a cure for autism. Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 150 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.

Walk Now for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join me in my fight as I raise money to help fund essential research. You can donate to Walk Now for Autism and/or join my team online using the links at the bottom of this page. Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on my page or send me a check made out to Autism Speaks.

Thank you for taking an important step in the fight against autism.

Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Autism Speaks 501 (C)(3) Tax Id #: 20-2329938

Matching gift program: Many companies provide their employees with matching gifts. Please consult your employer on its matching gift guidelines and attach matching gift forms accordingly.

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Autism Speaks

If the above link does not work, copy and paste the following into your browser:

http://www.walknowforautism.org/nyc/kamitera?faf=1&e=2457663882

So I went next door and found Lush, a hand-made cosmetics (bath balls, soaps, creams, etc.) franchise, which is now in over 43 countries.

What I find most remarkable about their product (besides the overwhelming aroma), is that they put a sticker on the tub of creams they make, so you know who made it and what they look like. It’s circular and has a posterized photo of their face and first name.

I think this is an AWESOME practice for any business.

It allows me to mentally thank the person who made it.

My hand cream was made by “Czarina”, whom I’ve never met and will probably never meet, but it’s nice to know that she dedicated her precious time to mixing this cream, and I can thank her while I am slathering the cream on my hands.

In a mass produced world, it’s hard to find who made your stuff.

I think that’s why the photo of the Chinese girl in a factory making an iPhone was circulated so widely.

In the movie “Life and Debt”, they show factory workers in Jamaica, barely making few cents an hour, making clothing for the American labels. Would we buy it if it had a label with their face on it and the picture of the shacks they live in?

I think it’s time we started finding out who made what for everything we buy.

Addendum: Went to Greener Gadgets conference back in February 2010, and was introduced to a fascinating site called Sourcemap being developed at the MIT Media Lab. Quote from site:
“Simply put: We believe that people have the right to know where things come from and what they are made of.
Sourcemap is a platform for researching, optimizing and sharing supply chains.”

Of course Michelle would be thrilled — Being on Sesame Street means you are a Superstar. That is by far the best measure of fame in the USA. Here’s the list of guest stars on Sesame Street.

Being exposed to a heavy rotation of Elmo every day as an occupational hazard of being a mom, I’ve come to really appreciate Elmo as a new (…at least to my generation) addition to the Sesame Street Family.

When I was younger, I used to NOT appreciate Elmo or Barney, as they occured to me as very annoying. But lately, I’m starting to acquire a taste for them…I’m really amazed (after 100th time watching it) that Barney actually had a really nicely built set, and a lot of consideration went into their props. I also noticed that Selena Gomez, who is in other teeny boppy movies as a teenager (and I know this only because of all the movie previews in the DVD’s – another occupational hazard), was in Barney as Gianna. I had to go to IMDB to check it to see if I was right. Yes, I was right…http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1411125/

Oops, I digressed…

Here’s an excerpt of the “Michelle visits Elmo” article

In New York, First Lady Meets Diplomats and Elmo

By Rachel L. Swarns

First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to New York on Tuesday where she praised American diplomats for linking “the world to America and American ideals.”

…
The visit to the American mission was Mrs. Obama’s second stop in New York on Tuesday. She also taped a public service announcement about the importance of nutrition and healthy eating with Elmo and other characters from Sesame Street.

“I never thought I’d be on Sesame Street with Elmo and Big Bird and I was thrilled,” said Mrs. Obama, laughing. “I’m still thrilled. I’m on a high. I think it’s probably the best thing I’ve done so far in the White House.”
…

Yes Michelle, it is indeed.

Read More at:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/in-new-york-first-lady-meets-diplomats-and-elmo/

Cohen Bros. Businesscard Makeover

I just re-ordered a second round of 1000 cards for one of my clients, for whom I did a business card makeover. He is the owner of Cohen Bros. Jewelry in the middle of the Diamond District on 47th street. He has not really updated his business card since the store was established back in 1964. His father and uncle ran the store back then.

Here’s his testimonial:
“My wife flipped out when she saw my new cards.  She was so impressed, saying she always hated my old cards.  She may have emailed you to thank you herself. Thank you again for helping to kick me into the 21st century. Every old customer who has seen them has complimented me on them.”

Basically, when I first saw his cards, I saw that it needed more bling, or the “wow” factor.

I am a firm believer that a business card must “wow” people. It’s something people remember you by. It’s your brand’s first impression.

I’ve seen many (too many) business cards with clip art or default cookie cutter design, but it’s not going to have “uniqueness” that people remember you by. The 2D diamond illustration may suffice for the world to know that you sell diamonds, but it may not be enough to remember you as The Diamond Store on 47th street, when there are so many other diamond stores on 47th.

So the idea was to keep the concept from the original card — the diamond in the center – but really, really add depth and beauty to the card. As one of the taglines, “The Ring is the Thing” is a concept I wanted to convey on the back of the card.

I have a testimonial for his store too.

Gary Cohen is a wonderful guy – very friendly and is always there to help.  He can find whatever you are looking for –  the right ring for the right person, pearl necklace, earrings, bracelet or even a rare diamond in unusual colors or shape. If the jewelry you want does not yet exist out there, he can have it custom made. No order is ever too big or too small – I’ve had a ring stretched at his store before. If you are ever nearby, it’s worth stopping by just to meet him.

So next time you hear of someone getting engaged, please remember Cohen Bros., “The Ring is the Thing.”

Cohen Bros. Jewelry Inc.
45 W. 47th Street
New York, NY 10036
212-719-2010