Here in Houston, summer means high temperatures, high humidity, and hurricane season. It is also the quiet season for photographers who specialize in outdoor natural light photography. Honestly, I like to stay fresh and cool in the air conditioning and after four years know that summer is going to be a slow time of year. I know some lucky southern photographers take the summer off but that wouldn't work for me (waving at you though).
So I thought about something I could do to make money this summer to fill in the time I usually reserve for portrait sessions. Then the perfect opportunity came across my path. I'm now the part time Internet Specialist for Bernardo Footwear. And the best part is that because it is part time I can keep doing it after this summer too.
It may seem like a strange choice for a photographer but it actually plays off my background really well. Before I had kids I was a web developer and project manager. Over the last 4 years I've been building my knowledge of blogging, search engine optimization, running online ads, and social media. So guess what I'll be doing?
- Helping them get their new ecommerce website up and running.
- Setting up the blog and creating blog posts.
- Setting up and managing their twitter stream and facebook.
- Managing online advertising campaigns.
- PHOTOGRAPHING THE FALL LINE!!!!
I am beyond excited about this. I actually have more ideas than hours in the day for ways I can help build this brand online. I'm working part-time out of their headquarters and warehouse in Houston so I get to also document some of the behind the scenes. The photos above show some of the boxes of shoes pulled to be shipped from online orders, and the second picture shows some samples of the Fall 2010 line which has some great clogs, boots, and ballet shoes. I cannot wait to get my own pair of those clogs!
Bernardo Footwear has been around since 1947 and specializes in leather footwear. Their sandals and flip flops are a favorite of celebrities dating back to Jackie O and current celebs such as Reese Witherspoon and Marcia Cross are frequently photographed in their sandals. They are super comfortable and well made so they are actually a good investment. I'm thrilled to be involved with such a high quality product!
What does this mean for my photography? Nothing! I'm doing this job part time (three days a week) which gives me plenty of time to work on my photography and training the other days of the week. And photography is actually part of my job with them too!
Now, I would not be a good blogger if I didn't ask for a discount for my readers and they said okay. So if you need a new pair of summer sandals or beach flip flops, use the code "heygirl10" in the customer code field during checkout for 10% off your purchase until June 30th, 2010 and there is free shipping on orders over $59. My personal favs are the Milly and Miami (our best selling item) leather flat sandals, and the Delray jelly flip flops in the beach category.
I'm curious, what do you do during your off seasons? Down here where it is supposed to be 96 degrees tomorrow we are "off" for the summer. I know in NY in the winter when it is below 0 I assume it is a quiet. Do you look for extra work, offer promotions, or just enjoy a little down time?
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