An Ode To Creatives

December 21, 2023
by Kevin Robinson

As another year ends and 2023 comes to a close, I think of all that has transpired this past year. Goals that were met or missed, what has been done well, what could be improved and what the future holds.

For me, as an artist, photography is my medium of expression and I am fueled by creativity and driven by passion. Each day I am driven to create, it is what wakes me in the morning and gives me purpose for each and every day.

In the midst of all that, comes the requirements of running a photography business. It’s finding a balance between work and play. Work is the day to day dealings of running and growing a photography business and play is being on a photoshoot, behind the camera, working with all the individuals involved in the photoshoot process.

The past few years we have all had many challenges, individually and collectively. The world seems to be in chaos, again. But that is nothing new, it is the reality of this life and the law of entropy. Even in the darkest of times, creatives have been driven to create and we can see that in the many works that have survived through history over time, through chaos and destruction.

We are surrounded by natural beauty anywhere in the world. Some places more, some places less. But it’s there. The majesty of snow capped mountains, the detail and elegance of a butterfly’s wings, the sublime movement of a bird in flight, the sound of the ocean or wind through the trees, the splendor of new life, or how it feels to love and be loved. Let it all inspire you!

Humans as a whole are driven to create, whether in the most simplest form in being a method of survival to our most elaborate forms such as architecture, technology and transportation, just to name a few.

In between all that is a vast array of artists and creatives. Think about it for a moment and look at your daily life to see how you benefit, from the many creatives that were involved to enhance your life. From the clothes you wear for any occasion, to the furnishings in your home and the car you drive. The music you listen to and feel, that moves, motivates, heals or restores you. The design of packaging with artwork on the products you buy. The books you read or the films you watch. Paintings or photos, that draw you in and in some cases are hanging on your walls. The memories and historical value of personal to commercial photography. It’s all there, around us each and every day.

Take it in, embrace it, be thankful for it and most of all enjoy it! For the world we know today would be empty without it.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a happy, wonderful and creative New Year!

It’s Time For A Blog

November 10, 2023
by Kevin Robinson

Well it’s kind of a blog, yet more like tasty thoughts served up fresh, without all the clutter! You know, like ads and all that.

As you know, most blogs have commenting, search, subscribe, tags, etc. Maybe we’d have all that if this was a blog website. Instead, the focus on this website is running a photography business and this “blog” is a way to share thoughts and insights with our clients, followers and visitors.

Most of the time, posts will be short with a single photo. When there is a need for longer posts and additional photos, we’ll provide the traditional Read More link.

Be sure to check back in for new posts.
We’ll be adding a subscription option and a mailing list to the website at a later date.

Best regards, K

The Quest Is Complete!

November 7, 2023
by Kevin Robinson

Finding the perfect web building & hosting platform for a photography business may prove more difficult than you can imagine. Sure you can go with the big names that are constantly promoted online. Some of these platforms are solid, yet tend to be for far more than just photography businesses. They come with a lot of horsepower if you need it, tend to have a steep learning curve and are also time consuming with their multi-layered site build navigation. Many of the other platforms that are truly dedicated to photographers, tend to be designed for family and wedding photographers.

Black Dress Photography® is primarily a commercial photography business catering to businesses & brands, along with some retail options for individuals. Our platform build & host requirements must be solid & stable, with straightforward navigation on the admin side and flexible design options.

In September the switch was made and the winning platform for building & hosting the Black Dress Photography® website is now 22Slides! Finally, the quest is complete!!!

The 22Slides platform is so impressive and truly simple, solid, powerful and elegant. The design flexibility gets you out of the box, up & running and back to photography.

Finding the perfect build & host platform has been a multi-year quest and I now finally have a system that enhances my photography business in so many ways. Give it a try, I’m sure you’ll be impressed!

Screenshot is of the 22Slides admin view.

Our services include:
Fashion Photography, Beauty Photography, Fine Art Photography, Monochrome Black & White Photography, Portrait Photography, Intimate and Urban Portrait Photography.