New Black & White Macro Gallery

I’ve always wanted to convert some of my images to black and white, but never had a printer that would produce good B& Ws. Last summer I bought an Epson 7880 and the B&Ws are awesome out of this printer.  Not sure how well any of them will sell, but never know till you try.  To check out the new images go to my website and click the Black & White Link.  www.tinylandscapes.com

NEW! Macro & More, Eastern Sierras, California

MACRO…and  More
Macro and More® Photography Workshops present  2009 FALL in the   EASTERN SIERRA PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

Mike Moats and Jack Graham

OCTOBER 8-11 2009
COST: $725.00 (travel, meals, etc. not included)
Limited to 16 persons

Maybe one of the most majestic locations for fall photography is located within the Eastern Sierra Region of California. Wedged between the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park and the Great Basin of Nevada, Is one of the most diverse areas in the lower 48 states. This is the setting for our FALL MACRO and MORE

EASTERN SIERRA PHOTO WORKSHOP OCTOBER 2009
This is a combination landscape / macro workshop. We select locations that offer the best of landscape photography as well as some amazing macro photography as well.  Daytime will be spent in the field. Personalized instruction will occur in the field. Choice locations have been determined by many years of shooting in this area under varied conditions Evenings will consist of informal sessions to discuss information on photographing in the area, critique sessions, and general photography information. Reviewing the days work is an integral part of the workshop experience.

You will come away with lots of great images and information and tips that will make your landscape and macro work stand above the rest.
Join award winning macro photographer Mike Moats and Jack Graham this October for what we know to be a very different photography workshop as well as a few highly informative and fun days of shooting here in the Eastern Sierra of California.

With the success of our first “Macro & More” workshop in Oregon Columbia River Gorge last year, Jack and I are repeating it again this year and also adding the coast. we have almost filled the workshop for this year so decided we needed to add more. Eastern Sierra “Macro & More” for the fall 2009.

Tiny Landscapes Book Review

Lance Warley the editor at Birdphotographers.net (It Ain’t Just Birds) posted a book review on my how-to macro book “Tiny Landscapes”   Thanks Lance. 

 Tiny Landscapes, When-Where-How
Purchase at, www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
or
www.Amazon.com  due a search for Tiny Landscapes

 Check out my new “Online Macro Photography Course”

Go to www.MikeMoatsBooks.com  for more info

                                                                            Website, www.tinylandscapes.com

Tiny Powerful Flashlight For Macro Photography

Many times I’m shooting in deep wooded areas that get pretty dark.  It can be really tough focusing through the viewfinder in these conditions.  I will carry a small flashlight to throw some light on the subject which allows me to see the fine details for better focusing.  I lost my last flashlight recently and ask for another one for Christmas.  My son who likes to backpack had found this tiny incredibly powerful flashlight for its size and weight for backpacking.  He gave me a Streamlight Microstream flashlight for Christmas and I was shock at the light that came out of this tiny thing.  It measures about a half an inch in diameter and is only about 3.5 inches long.

To check it out go here, http://www.streamlight-flashlights.com/microstream.html?gclid=CIyO-6bB85cCFRykagodIC8pDA

 

Check out my new how-to macro book, Tiny Landscapes, When-Where-How
Purchase at, www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
or
www.Amazon.com  due a search for Tiny Landscapes

 

Check out my new “Online Macro Photography Course”

 

 

Go to www.MikeMoatsBooks.com  for more info

 

Website, www.tinylandscapes.com

Making The Tiny Landscapes Book

Back in October when I posted the info about my new how-to macro book, “Tiny Landscapes” I had a comment from Jack Johnson wondering about the process I went through to publish this book. 

Before I started this process I talked to a few people that had books published through publishers and I didn’t like what I heard about loss of control and very little money made after it was all said and done.  Those I talked to said if you can afford to publish yourself you’re better off.

Publishing a book is an expensive endeavor and you better know that you have a place to sell these books once you start the ball rolling.  The internet has opened a huge market place for a self published book.  You can sell through your website, and a host of online book stores such as Amazon exist for the little guy.  In my case I knew my books would sell well through my art shows, workshops, and online through the many that visit my website and blog. 

At this time I’ve opted out of trying to sell through the book stores like Barnes & Noble, Borders.  The profit after 50% to the store, 5% to the distributor, and about 10% percent in shipping the books to the distributor leaves you with very little unless you bought a huge volume of books at a very low cost.  I could sell to some camera stores or small independent book store which would only order a couple each to start, but the marketing cost, time and labor and shipping tends to make it not worth the trouble, when I can save the books I have to sell at full retail price at my art shows, workshops, and on my website.  I do sell my book at Amazon to give people the option to purchase online from a site that they know and trust.  Some aren’t comfortable buying from some unknown guy’s website. 

Let’s face it this is not the type of book that is going to sell millions, even a major book store only has a couple small shelves dedicated to how-to photography, and I’ve seen the how-to photography books in my local book store sit on the self for months and months. 

Through my art shows I’ve accumulated over a thousand names on my mailing list in just two years for my macro workshops.  It shows there is an interest in learning about macro photography, but trying to get the word out there is where the problem comes in.  Marketing through photo magazines or other outlets is very expensive and eats into the profits to much.  With the art shows I’m there mainly to sell my prints, and it doesn’t cost a dime for me to advertise my workshops, or the new book in my booth.  I have a built in audience that see my images and say, hey I’d like to learn how to do this, and this guys got a workshop I can take, or a book I can study at home.  Its a easy sell this way, and as I said doesn’t cost me anything because I’m all ready there selling my prints. 

Without having the sources I just mentioned to sell my books I would never have attempted this.   Anyone out there thinking of going the self published route better have a foolproof outlet to sell these books or you’re gonna have a lot of boxes in the basement.  

If you are a photographer (Which most that come to this blog are) and thinking about publishing a nice coffee table book with your images,a huge good luck. Go to your local Barnes and Noble, Borders book store and see all the coffee table photo books on the $5.00 sale shelves.  Tons of them, it’s a hard sell.   Not that you can’t sell a few, but the demand just isn’t high enough to invest the kind of money and risk in selling this type of book.

Before I started the process of putting the book together I went to a local printer I’ve known for years.  I asked if he could print a soft cover how to book and he said he knew a company that could do it.  He gave me the cost of the minimum 1000 books.  I was of course in shock when I heard the price and asked how I could bring the cost down.   By ordering a second thousand books it would cost just slightly more than the first thousand, and would drop my cost per book by almost half.  With each thousand after that I would keep lowering the cost per book.  I don’t want to get crazy here, so I stop at two thousand books which I can make a good profit and not get into as much risk with my money.

Once I decided to go ahead I got to work on the computer laying out the book using Microsoft Word 2007. Its a good easy to use program for laying out the pages.  I also had to buy a ISBN number and barcode for the book to be sold in any book stores or on Amazon.

When the book was finished I took the files on a CD  to my local printer and he did some fine tuning of the images on the resolution before sending it out.  In about two weeks I got to look at what they call the proofs.  The proofs are printed pages that will give a good idea of how the finished book pages will look as far as the colors in the images.  In my case the printer nailed the colors perfect on all the images.  Once you approve the proofs the printer goes to work. 

About a week and a half later my local printer called and said come pick up your books, and don’t forget to bring your check book.  

I am please to say in the first two months the book has  had excellent sales online and through my workshops.   I’m looking forward to the art shows which will start in the spring.

Tiny Landscapes can be ordered at;

www.MikeMoatsBooks.com
or
www.Amazon.com due a search for TinyLandscapes

Website, www.tinylandscapes.com

Have A Great 2009 Shooting

Happy New Year to all you macro photogs out there.  Hope all your days affield in 2009 are filled with opportunities for great images. 

Now that winter has set in up here in the north my art shows are done, the workshops have slowed down, and shooting is limited to a few days here and there.

My new years resolution is to come up with a macro how to DVD and do more postings on my blog.

Check out my new macro how-to book, Tiny Landscapes,When-Where-How

purchase at www.MikeMoatsBooks.com

or

www.Amazon.com  Due a search for Tiny Landscapes

Check out my new Online Macro Nature Photography Course

www.MikeMoatsBooks.com

Website, www.tinylandscapes.com