Going to try something new for Monday's – will give you all a weekly wrap up from the previous week, just in case you have missed reading a post or watching a tutorial or video interview.

Love The Products & Services Posted On Tiffinbox? talked about how some of the reviews of products and services mentioned on Tiffinbox have actually been very useful to you and your photography business.

Robert Norman wrote a guest blog post on How To Use CardMunch To Manage Business Cards, an application for your iPhone that will scan and save your data. Pretty cool!

Leon Sandoval from Colorati came back to Tiffinbox for another guest blog post about < a href="https://tiffinbox.org/how-do-you-keyword-your-digital-images/">keyboarding digital files. He had two short tutorials on using Lightroom or Bridge, whichever works best for your workflow.

Blair Phillips has a handle on using video to attract high school senior clients to his studio. In his guest blog, “Video Speaks Louder Than Words,” he tells us just how he goes about it.

Lastly, I had an opportunity to speak and interview David Hobby, the photographer/teacher behind Strobist, a veritable repository for off-camera flash users. David also spoke about his new project “HOCO360,” photographing the people and events in Howard County, Maryland. Check it out!

P.S. This weekly wrap idea was highly influenced by the awesome Copyblogger blog. You ought to check it out too.

Going to a trade show and conference like WPPI, in Las Vegas, is no gamble. Take my word for it. I have been and it's truly an awesome experience. It's a great opportunity to meet friends whom you have only “met” online, or vendors whose new products you want to check out first-hand. But, yes, it can get expensive, and that's where Tiffinbox is hoping to help you.

Thanks to Fundy SOS, two lucky readers of Tiffinbox will receive passes to go to WPPI 2011. The mega conference for photographers runs from February 17 – 24, 2011.

Will that be YOU? How badly do you want to go?

Here is how you could win one of two passes:

1) Tell us in the comments WHY you would want to win? What do you expect to get out of this awesome gathering of wedding and portrait photographer?

2) Tweet this: “I just posted a comment on Tiffinbox.org, for a chance to win a trip to @RFWPPI 2011. Thanks to @FundySOS + @PicSeshu! Please RT”

3) Tag @Fundy SOS in Facebook when you post a little blurb about this contest on your own wall

That's IT.

Now, the rules:

If you win, you should be able to go. Obvious, right? So, if you can't go, please let us know right away.

What you are going to win is a full registration pass ($199-259 value). The only stipulations are that MASTER Classes are NOT included and that you have to stay at the MGM Grand Hotel. Read this description of what is included in your WPPI registration pass.

Airfare, gambling chips, food and other entertainment expenses are NOT included. All that is on you. Cool?

Now, let's play. Get those comments coming. Andrew Funderburg of Fundy SOS will pick a winner among those who have left a comment and Tweeted the message on February 1.

Tiffinbox, at its core, is about providing solutions and resources for photographers, by building a community of “go-givers.”

Will you join me in making this happen?

For 2011 and beyond I am looking to grow Tiffinbox into something much bigger. As the diversity of guest blogs have shown in 2010, I know that a group effort is much more interesting for all.

7 Things You Can Expect From Tiffinbox In 2011?

1) Video Interviews with photographers

2) Tips on how you can use social media to grow your photography business

3) Portfolios from emerging photographers that will inspire you

4) Reviews of the following:
– popular Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets
– photography equipment
– workshop DVDs, seminars and conventions
– online solutions to streamline your studio workflow

5) More fun contests and giveaways of products you will actually use

6) Opinion-editorials on a variety of topics (some even controversial because we still need to discuss them!)

7) A brand new design that will make it easier to find and share information and connect with other photographers

Seeking Your Support

So, if you are just starting out, or, you've been in the photography industry, for a while, I would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, suggestions, tips or heck, even strong opinions about one topic or another, please feel free to email me at – seshu at tiffinbox dot org.

I might be able to answer your question(s) or someone who has guest blogged here might jump in. Or, even better, someone who hasn't written for Tiffinbox before might offer an answer in the form of a quick article.

a) Guest Blogging For Tiffinbox

My heartfelt thank you's to ALL the 2010 guest bloggers here on Tiffinbox.

If you are interested or even ready to guest blog for Tiffinbox, feel free to submit your ideas now. I am scheduling guest posts for 2011 and will publish them in the order they are received. The sooner you send me your pitch, the sooner your post will show up on the site.

If you have been following my Twitter stream @PicSeshu, you'll know that I am pretty good about promoting the articles you see here on Tiffinbox.

The benefits of guest blogging can be summarized by these three points:

1) Helps you take the first steps in establishing yourself as a credible authority
2) Link back to your site from mine (happens to be a PR5 site)
3) Gain a loyal following of your own if you publish regularly here

b) Tiffinbox began as a labor of love. It will remain so for the most part, but I do have expenses to deal with. If you find the content here valuable, please consider the following 7 ways to support this site:

1) Express yourself. Write a guest blog post.

2) Make a small monthly donation of $1 or more (my PayPal address is – fei8ht at gmail dot com)

3) Buy the e-books you see on the right hand side of this site. I wouldn't recommend anything if I didn't think it was of value. Yes, I make a small commission off of each sale.

4) Buy all your camera equipment from Adorama using this affiliate link: http://www.adorama.com/?kbid=66174. Their prices are competitive and their customer service is awesome!

5) If you are into blogging yourself, consider using WordPress and the Thesis Theme (great for SEO) and Hostgator for your hosting needs. Go on click on those affiliate links and sign up.

6) Help Me Spread the word! Tell your friends, blog about Tiffinbox, Tweet or use Facebook to mention a specific blog post.

7) Sponsor a series of posts in a particular month. Contact me for details on ways that I can help publicize your company in exchange as well.

The end goal at Tiffinbox is to create a community of passionate photographers who are looking to openly learn from each other, elevate their craft and thrive in their businesses together.

Thoughts, reactions, responses, suggestions or opinions? Sound off below in the comments. I would love to hear from you, especially if it is constructive. [grin]

Happy New Year To You All!

For the last few weeks, I have had the honor of hosting a slew of wonderful guest bloggers – all of whom have some connection to the photography world.

Recent Guest Blog Posts

The Wedding Photography Industry: A Rebuttal
Holi, The Festival of Colors, In Utah
Photography Concentrate: Why We Teach?
Make Your Photos Sing (Part 1)
Make Your Photos Sing (Part 2)
Confessions Of An Emerging Professional Photographer
How To Grow Your Photography Business Without Pushing Customers Away?
When Did Teaching & Learning Photography Become Such A Controversy?
Dramatic Portrait Lighting For Photographers
Ethics & Etiquette For A Second Photographer
Concurrences: The Newly Global and the Eternal in South Asia

Why Would You Want To Guest Blog?

Very simply, Google loves it that you are present in spaces other than your own website. Links pointing back to your site from external sources is a GOOD thing, for you and me. You want to rank higher for keywords that are near and dear to you? Well, write a blog post using those keywords (as long as it has to do with photography I'll give it a fair shake), and the links back to your site will do its magic. This isn't some nefarious scheme to fool Google. It's an accepted practice where we can all win. So, do it!

Criteria Of Guest Blogger

Let me be frank – I am not looking for the next Hemingway. I just want to see writing and images that suggest you are serious about your craft and are committed to this journey with me. It's an exciting trip and I want you to come along.

I am always looking for photographers who can write, share their passion for photography in words and images. Are you one of them?

I have quite a few already writing their posts now and I am excited about revealing who they are what they have written. I am sure you will be just as thrilled when you read them here on Tiffinbox.

Basic Standards

Here are some basic standards that you must meet:

1) Be a photographer (I need to see an online portfolio)
2) Already have a blog (again a link is necessary)
3) Should link back to your own blog post on Tiffinbox
4) Be able to write simply (minimum 500 words, that's about a page)
5) Submit 6-10 images that have a width of 500 px
6) Submit a 300×300 px portrait of yourself
7) Deliver the text file as a .txt file not .doc file
8) Be open to have your blog post critiqued
9) Respond to blog comments in a civil manner (see no-no's below)

Blogging No-no's

– No posts/comments belittling other photographers – their work, their business models, their services or products

– No religion or political speak (don't want to have any flame wars on my site)

– No, you can't post anonymously

Topics To Write About

You may write about business, marketing, SEO, camera equipment … whatever that pushes your buttons or gets you really jazzed about photography.

Future Plans For This Site

In the next few weeks, I'll be setting up this site so that you can simply sign in and enter your post and upload your images. All I'll have to do is to hit “Publish.” Here's hoping it IS that simple!

Don't Wanna Blog, Then Comment Your Thoughts

Meanwhile, if you don't feel ready to blog here, but have been thinking about topics that are pertinent to your own business, mention it in the comments section below. It might just inspire someone who is reading this post to take it up and respond to YOU. How cool would that be to receive a customized blog post meant just for you?

I look forward to hearing from you all. Thank you!