Welcome to our new site.  Back in the days of film, photographers spent most of their time making pictures.  Today, with the internet, it seems to be a constant battle to not only "keep up with the Jones (other photographers)", but pass them as well.  The majority of my work this year will be generated by people who find my websites, and like what they see enough to purchase some prints, or hire me for a job.  Sure, I have a customer base without the internet, but the internet makes it so easy.  At least, that's what you hope for.

Yesterday, I spent most of the day loading aerial images of a flight over the Cape Ann, Massachusetts area, to my maineaerials.com website.  After they loaded, I started adding captions.  And then I started adding the most important items: keywords.  Keywords help the search engines (Google, Yahoo, etc.) find your site, or your images.  One hundred and sixty-five  hi resolution aerial images.  Four hours to upload.  Another four hours to caption, keyword, arrange, and make galleries.  Eight hours just to have images available for purchase.  But ONLY if somebody finds my website.  So how do I get potential customers to my websites?  By using Search Engine Optimization, or SEO.  SEO is the process of designing your websites so that the search engines can find it easily.  This is the "constant battle" I mentioned earlier.  I spend a couple of hours a day "tweaking" my websites in hopes that they show up on searches near or at the top of the search list.  My internet guru, Matt Morris, is always on the prowl for better ways to present and promote my websites.  This new site is the latest edition in a long progression of Maine Imaging websites, each a little better than the last.

There is one driving factor for website design.  Income.  At least, it is for my websites.  If you can produce an interesting site, that's easy to find, and easy to navigate, your bottom line will increase.  My goals for my photography are to produce stunning images.  But, I also need people to see them.  If they can't see them, they can't buy them.  Art shows during the warmer months are great for getting my name out there, but the internet is the most consistent way.  It's on 24/7.  It's a gallery for my images that never closes.  It's the potential for a 24 hour a day income.  If people can find it.  And that's why I spend the time I do keeping up the website.  That's why when Matt talked about the newest, latest, and greatest in websites, I jumped at it.  For me, it's like a new car with lots of features to discover.  The more I discover, the better it gets for the viewer.  So I hope you like it!