Take a Picture; It’ll Last Longer!

Take a Picture; It’ll Last Longer!
By Jeff Stone

So there I was minding my own business in my 9th grade English class when suddenly in walks a vision of beauty, or as much of a vision of beauty as can be comprehended by a 13 year old… This thing of beauty had a name… Dana (I’ll leave out the last name in case she happens to have grown up to become a magician and a Stone Cold Magic Magazine subscriber).

Then suddenly I heard those words that will make any 13 year old boy flush with embarrassment… “Take a Picture! It’ll Last Longer.” Yes; I was staring, and she caught me. How embarrassing for me. Were I as witty then as I think I am now, I might have responded with something like, “A picture’s worth a thousand words, yet no words can describe the site I witness before me.”

Wow! I didn’t know I was so poetic and romantic all at once as a ninth-grader even. Ok… Ok… on with this month’s issue of No Stone Left Unturned.

Let me start by saying that I’m about to give you advice that it would appear I’m not following. I’ve taken some time off from performing. I’ve been focusing on my DVD projects and some web projects (not the least of which is this very site), so I’ve let my website go stagnate. I’m not actively looking for gigs right now. I still get a few phone calls here and there from repeats or referrals, but mostly I’m taking a break until the mid to late fall-ish.

With that as a point of reference, Take a Picture; It’ll Last Longer. A picture’s worth a thousand words! If you’re going to promote yourself and get gigs, take pictures. Bring a camera to every gig. If possible bring a friend who can snap a few pics of you in action. These days digital cameras are relatively inexpensive and take very good quality photos.

You should have photos of yourself on your website (yes, you should have a website) and any other advertising material. Get pictures of a happy audience, of you in the middle of an effect, of you posing with a member of the audience or the party planner, the bride and groom, etc…

So why? Why pictures? Well because they last longer and they’re worth a thousand words. Haven’t I already told you that? To the left you see an old worn out picture of me with the CEO of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. You’ll notice that I’ve cut his tie in half, and you may not notice that he’s also handcuffed.

That’s funny stuff folks. Oh yeah, and most importantly, you’ll notice that he’s actually smiling… The CEO of a major corporation is handcuffed, and some dufus just cut his tie in half and he’s smiling!

What does that tell a potential client? Well it tells them that their audience will have fun… that I’m a likable guy, and that the show will be memorable. What more does a potential client need to know. Back in the day when I had a functional website, I had a photos page that had several images of me “caught in the act” during my show.

The photo and a clever caption goes a long way. A photograph can capture the magic moment and eternalize it. It’s a simple way to show other clients what you do. A photo can be printed out for a portfolio. It can emailed, faxed, scanned, loaded onto a website or a blog, etc.

It’s just a solid way to show off your brand…You. I know this article is mostly a no-brainer, but the reason I wanted to bring it up is because often magicians think that they need to go get professional photos taken and spend a lot of money, etc…

I just wanted to go on record saying that there is no excuse for not having photos of yourself performing. Every single person reading this has access to a computer, seeing as how this is a website and all…

Every single person reading this either has a digital camera or knows somebody who does. Borrow one if you don’t have one. Next time you perform… even if it’s just a casual performance. Since you have access to a computer, upload the photos to your blog, or facebook, etc.

I’ll end this with one last thought. My good buddy Diamond Jim is a great example. He has a ton of great pictures of himself on his site. When a potential client goes to his site, they get a clear sense of who he his. So take a minute to check out his site.

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