Here’s an example. We’ve always loved being retailers but we’ve never had an online store before where photography plays such an important role in conveying the charm and usefulness of the products we sell. When we were first planning our Live What You Love store (http://shop.livewhatyoulove.com/), we wanted the site to have both the right product mix and a lively, colorful feel to it with lots of great images. Originally, we thought we could scan photos sent to us by the artisans or companies we buy from.
Well, it turned out that most of those photos were just awful but we quickly discovered that professional photographers were way out of our price range. Bob had given me a good quality digital camera a few years ago but frankly, neither of us took the time to figure out how to use it. Faced with the challenge of our new online store, Bob took the camera out of the closet and started snapping pictures like crazy. At this point, he’s studied the manual and gone to dozens of websites to learn about apertures, exposure and depth of field. And guess what? He’s having a blast!
In a matter of two months, he’s gone from having absolutely no interest in photography to having a new passion so strong that he bounds out of bed every morning to check the natural light situation for the day. Too bright and sunny? Too overcast? Just right? He loads his pictures into the computer at the end of each shot and asks me to take a look. Do you like this one… or that one, he asks. How about this angle? Maybe a tighter shot? Maybe a little darker? A little lighter?
To save time, some of the photos on our site still come from manufacturers or artisans, but Bob is adding more of his own work every day. Our lack of money ended up making this business more fun for both of us than we could ever have predicted. And as a result, our lives are so much richer.
4 Comments
I run my own business (nothing fancy, just paint houses) and I’ve got work but with gas costs and medical bills I’m so broke right now. I was looking around on the Washington Post site and saw the article about your book. This is a great site and this entry hit home for me. It’s really an interesting and totally new perspective for me to think that a lack of money could be a good thing! I can see what you mean though. Maybe it’s time to start looking around for things I could do that would save me money and potentially give me a creative outlet… I could use one but haven’t known where to start. Maybe I’ll try designing my next ad instead of paying someone to do it. I took some design courses in college but haven’t spent any time on it since I started my business.
Anyhow, thanks! I’ll let ya’ll know how it goes.
Very cool! Checked out the photos in the store and I really think I can tell which ones are Bob’s and which ones aren’t. Go Bob!
Wonder if there’s some opportunity to find a new passion in the things I need to get done in my day to day life… thanks for getting me thinking about it!
Designing your own ad is a great idea! Painting houses lends itself to lots of possibilities for cool artwork. Could be fun! Let us know what you come up with.
Though I may not be making money from my new passion , it’s just as rewarding. I decided to plant my very own vegetable garden this summer and I’ve learned a lot. I am a first time gardener and killer of house plants…so I did some research on-line and had a chat with few old time Vermonters to plot my new adventure.
I thought that living in a downtown area I was immune to the nibblings of the deer…not so. They ate my beets this weekend! Those huge rodents!!
This garden has given me a great outlet after work, something to nurture and a new skill…I am no longer the killer of plants!!!