AGF Builders Calendar--major findraiser JR?

[Bruce Sexauer]

It seems there is some confusion on the part of some participants in the thread about the difference between "marketing" photography and "community sharing" photography. While both snapshots and studio photography CAN be used for either purpose (kudos to Mark Hatcher for his professional looking "snapshots"), many of us simply do not have the time nor the inclination to do more than it takes to communicate process to the forum community.

Were this calendar proposal to bear fruit, perhaps the photo shooting could be outsourced easily enough by those who lacked the skill or confidence to do it themselves. Photography is after all a profession in itself.

[s2y]

....what if the calendar paper had some runout??

[justonwo]

Will there be a swimsuit issue?

[nacluth]

Originally Posted by justonwo

Will there be a swimsuit issue?

Yeah ever since I read about this calendar of luthiers, I've wondered who it would appeal to. Not my thing, but I can understand the appeal of hunky firefighters. Having met most of the forum luthiers, seeing us posing topless with just our tools and sawdust - maybe a delicately placed work apron - seems to me to have a limited draw. But, if the other guys are in, I guess I'm willing to go along with it for some shameless self-promotion... and to help the AGF too of course.

[CoolerKing]

sorry I hit the wrong button meant to quote Mau!

This is harsh but absolutely true. What percentage of guitars on AGF have I actually played? Maybe 10% liberally. That said, some of the ones I've discovered have been absolutely stellar.

[RP]

I think that it's a really neat idea in theory but in practice it could be a very time-consuming, expensive project with a relatively short shelf life and a small market. Sorry, don't mean to be overly negative; but I've still got scars from my first self-publishing effort and that was a long time ago. One thing I learned was that production was the relatively easy part. Marketing and sales will make or break a project like this. I also think that breaking even would be a more realistic goal than actually making a profit...

[fazool]

I would definitely pay good money to have a calendar showcasing AGF builders.

Maybe a poll (no published results so everyone gets to see who is on which month).

And if there are more than 12, then extras could be small pictures scattered throughout the years to fill space in the days pages

[justonwo]

My honest opinion is that it probably wouldn't generate a net profit, though it's a fun idea. The swimsuit calendar of luthiers would definitely generate a profit.

[printer2]

Originally Posted by justonwo

My honest opinion is that it probably wouldn't generate a net profit, though it's a fun idea. The swimsuit calendar of luthiers would definitely generate a profit.

Bikinis or one piece?

[justonwo]

Originally Posted by printer2

Bikinis or one piece?

That is an artistic choice that I think the luthiers themselves would be best equipped to answer.

[BrunoBlack]

Count me in. I think it would be a great idea and I'd buy one.

[JJI]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Photography is after all a profession in itself.

It certainly is

[mikealpine]

First, I want to complement the thought of doing this, simply from a generosity point of view. It's very nice to think about giving back for the hours of viewing and learning pleasure. However, speaking as a potential prospect of the calendar, I can tell you I would not buy one. I don't have a wall/desk calendar anywhere, I use my computer and my phone calendars. So from my perspective, I don't think the number of consumers/calendars sold would generate the necessary profits to make the efforts worthwhile. I pay an annual membership fee here, and would increase that fee, perhaps with gifts when you hit certain dollar levels, like a guitar oriented tee shirt, nice guitar picks or something. And I would increase it for no reason if I felt the forum needed it to remain in operation. Again, just my take as a member of what I believe is the target audience. All opinions respected...

[JamesO]

I understand where Mau is coming from, but I view it on a looser spectrum.

Resolution has come a long way. Basic point and shoots produce some amazingly high quality images now days. That, coupled with a little thought towards composition can go a long ways. You don't need to spend 10 minutes on each image in Lightroom anymore. But even if you do want to spend time in Lightroom as opposed to your basic app, presets can go the extra mile for you in seconds.

At the same time, spending time on 500px quickly shows us that the bar for fine art images has gotten really high, and I haven't seen any like them in our little niche. Average images are A-OK.

[JoeCharter]

I can see two possibilities with this project.

The first option would be for selected AGF sponsors to submit a photo and for someone to quickly assemble them into a calendar using a readily available template. Then the calendars could be printed at one of the many automated print shops.

IMHO the quality of the product would be average at best but this quick and dirty approach could yield some modest revenue. Perhaps enough for J.R. to buy a new set of strings for each of his guitars.

Alternately, luthiers could outsource this job to a pro. The results would be more interesting for sure -- but considering travelling time and professional fees, my guess is this project would be significantly in the red.

*****

I moved away from the original topic (my apologies) by talking about marketing material in general (which is essentially what this calendar project would be).

The majority of builders who get most often mentioned as "dream guitars" in the Custom Shop have an impressive portfolio of their work. Some builders took the photos themselves, others asked for help.

I'm not suggesting that builders should come up with fine art or become Photoshop experts -- but having a portfolio like Jason Kostal, Kim Walker, John Slobod or Jim Olson is accessible to almost everyone with a keen eye and good taste.

Expensive equipment is not required. Most households already own all the required gear.

If you want to do something and ask people who don't know how to do it, you will only hear about obstacles. But if you ask people with a bit of experience, you will perhaps find some solutions.

I see so many talented builders working tirelessly to come up with beautiful guitars -- only to share them with the rest of the world using botched photos and recordings. I think it's a shame and a waste. YMMV.