Photographing your beads

Hi Lori -

Hi Kandice.

I think I might not have explained some things well enough because I
wasn't
advocating for helping or not helping, either way.

While your reaction might be to being frazzled and not having time to help
as you once might have, my reaction was to the fact that someone out their
right now, or many people, are feeling bashed or shamed because the
original
post says there is something wrong with asking competitors (fellow
artists)
for tips or help. That doing that is wrong...for the fact that it's rude
and bad form. That is what I am disagreeing with.

I can understand this. I think it does depend on how I am asked, and
it also depends on what kind of mood I am in that day. Some people are nice
about it and some are.....well....presumptuous.

So, I wasn't really answering the question of when does it stop. I fully
understand what you're saying in that regard. I don't get that many emails
but sometimes it's still too much and I leave them for a later to answer.
Sometimes I get to them a month later, sometimes they just get filed away
never to be answered. Maybe that is rude, but it's a time thing, like
with
you, and it happens.

Oh, yes, me too.

I've never had anyone get rude with me because I
didn't answer though, or they didn't get a step by step how to. If one
does
not want to disclose their secrets for a technique and also don't want to
say no outright, there are also ways to do that tactfully.

I've had people be rude when I haven't answered enough or when I haven't
answered at all. It doesn't happen all that often, but it does happen.

The answer to when do you put a stop to it is whenever you want! How do
you
personally put a stop to it might be another question. But the question
remains...is it wrong for people to ask? That's not directed at you,
Kandice, that is just the question.

Hm (I know you didn't direct the question at me, but I will offer my opinion
anyway). That all depends. My personal opinion is that I would hope people
would do some research before asking. Some people really don't! I had one
person email me to ask how to get into lampworking for money (plus a number
of other questions) and they wrote back after I had responded, telling me
they had no idea it was so complicated. That kind of boggled me.

I'll say it again....I don't think it's wrong because people always have
the
right to say 'no' or direct someone somewhere else for the answer. I
don't
think there's anything wrong with saying, I don't have time right now but
if
I can get back to you I will when I can. It's not a lie. It's honest and
I
think people would understand that. Yes, that takes a few seconds to type
too. If that is too much, you don't have to respond at all.

That's is very true.

As for the pictures, they do make you stand out. Your pictures are great
and I have to tell you, you were the one that helped me when I started
taking my pictures. I hope you don't regret it and think that you're
getting less bids for helping someone like me.

No, no not at all! You had done some research and I was completely willing
to help. I can't remember all the specifics, but I do remember feeling
totally fine about helping you.

I think my beads stand out
on their own...and not because I personally think they're good, but
because
they're just different.

Your beads rock - especially with the new shapes and your color combos. I
love looking every single time you post an ad. And your pictures are really
wonderful. We make totally different beads, so your sales really don't have
an effect on mine - at least not to the point where I would be worried about
it or even think about it at all.

I also think, and I thought it was obvious to
anyone who has perfected digital images, that just because you tell
someone
what set up, settings, lighting, etc, that that does not mean they'll get
great pictures. There are a lot of variables.

Hmmm - I am not so sure about that.

I wrote:
I can't stop. It's interesting to me how people will say how helpful
and
tight the beading/beadmaking community is and then get upset when
someone
asks for help.

You wrote:
Well, I still help a lot of people. Look at my website and all the tips
and
tricks posted there. I post in forums to help out as well - all the
time.
Maybe I should stop?


When I said "I can't stop" I meant that I can't stop typing and my post
was
getting too long! Not that I couldn't stop helping. Your site is one
of the most helpful, especially hosting the links list. I also didn't
mean
you personally about getting upset about others asking for help. Do you
get
upset because people ask you, or just that you don't have time? There's a
big difference, and don't feel obligated to answer.

Oh, I know you weren't directing everything at me - believe me, I know
this.
As far as the question - hmmmm. A little of both sometimes. I am human,
and sometimes I feel.....taken advantage of. Only sometimes, though, and I
know it's partly my own doing, and certainly my own problem. There are
times when I just get tired and don't have the time to devote to posting or
answering emails. I get somewhere around 300 emails per day. Lots of those
are spam, some are questions, some are customers, etc. I'm not putting any
blame on anyone and certainly I don't wish to bash anyone or make anyone
feel bad about emailing and asking for help. I guess what the deal is with
me is sometimes I wish people would think about my needs as much as I think
about theirs. Of course, that could all be hormonal girl stuff, so feel
free to disregard all the sappy crap.


--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

Tink,

This is just my observation...but the social worker in you shows big time
when you talk about helping folks. It's part of you and why you tick the
way you do. I wish more folks were like that, including myself.

s

--
Starlia Klopman
www.klopmanstudios.com


"Tinkster" wrote in message
...
I wasn't going to jump in on this thread, but I have run out of things
to do to avoid the torch tonight. :-)

Whenever you're good at something, people are going to ask you for
help, information and instruction. Heck, you don't even have to be
GOOD at something for that to happen! LOL!

As one of the first, if not THE first, teddy bear artist online, and
one who wrote a regular column about "Cybearspace" in a niche
magazine, I can attest to the fact that many, many people will quickly
email someone when they would never think of calling or writing a
letter. It's the immediacy thing. I got my share of letters and calls
over the years, too. MORE than my share, I think. But with the advent
of email, all the rules seemed to change.

So I had to decide: Would I help, or wouldn't I? I decided I would.

I not only gave step-by-step instructions to my competitors, I sent
them samples of stuff in the mail, took the 3AM my time calls from
Japan, even had little bears shipped to me for critiques. I did
eventually write a book, which I think has helped a lot more people
than I could have ever helped one-on-one :-)

I never found that helping my competitors had any negative impact on
my sales, nor on the propensity of my work to stand out.

Now I find the same thing happening in the glass world. I'm fortunate
to have prior experience on which to draw. So the question is: Knowing
what I know, do I help people who email me or don't I?

I do.

Yes, it takes time from other stuff I need/want to do. However, there
are several reasons that FOR ME it's the RIGHT thing to do:

* I feel good when I help people.

* Helping others in the industry, competitors or not, helps improve
the quality of work in the industry and, therefore, the industry
itself.

* Thinking things through in order to explain them to others often
teaches us things we didn't know before.

* From a self-serving standpoint, perhaps the person I help today will
be in a position to help me another time.

* When people think of me (and my work), what will matter mo The
fact that I'm helpful, or the fact that I got one additional bead done
today?

Yes, I'm a businessperson. And a pretty darn good one, too, if I do
say so myself. The ONLY thing that has ever worked for me is to stay
away from things that make me uncomfortable: Custom orders, shows,
mondo wholesale... All things that many folks make integral to their
business. I just know what works for me, personally. For me, assisting
others is, indeed, integral to the way *I* do business.

If someone feels very strongly about not answering questions via
email, it might be a good idea to put a statement to that effect on
their website, or make it a part of their sig line. I realize Sooz and
others are saying that people shouldn't ask in the first place, but I
don't agree: I feel they are as free to ask as we are to refuse them.

Tink
www.blackswampglassworks.com

On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 21:30:09 -0500, "starlia"
wrote:

Tink,

This is just my observation...but the social worker in you shows big time
when you talk about helping folks. It's part of you and why you tick the
way you do. I wish more folks were like that, including myself.

Thanks, Starlia :-) That's the part of me that got so ticked off last
week, too. I guess it's a mixed blessing. LOL!

Tink

I'll take some of those vibes!

Kathy K
"Kathy N-V" wrote in message I'm glad that so
many of us have found great partners - Shirley and
Jerri pop to mind instantly. (I don't have a lot of complaints,
either) I'll send happiness and matching up vibes to those who
haven't yet found the right partner.

Kathy N-V

* From a self-serving standpoint, perhaps the person I help today will
be in a position to help me another time.

EXACTLY! I loved your post....every single word of it!

Caren

I don't understand how artists can be competitors. It's not like every
lampwork artist is making the exact same thing. Were Chagall and Miro
competitors? I sure don't think so.
Seems to me that lampwork varies greatly. The best pictures in the world
aren't going to sell me on lampwork beads that I don't like. I do care about
the type of person I'm buying from and after reading some of these posts, I'll
be thinking twice before purchasing from those who feel that helping someone
less experienced is a nuisance. Perhaps if you don't want to be bothered with
questions you shouldn't post your ads here or sell on the interent. If the ad
links to the auctions/websites with the great pictures can't be seen then maybe
there won't be anyone to bother you with questions about those pictures.

Caren

Wow. Okay. Well, I'm not sure what to say about this. I think I should
probably just lie low for awhile.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I don't understand how artists can be competitors. It's not like every
lampwork artist is making the exact same thing. Were Chagall and Miro
competitors? I sure don't think so.
Seems to me that lampwork varies greatly. The best pictures in the world
aren't going to sell me on lampwork beads that I don't like. I do care
about
the type of person I'm buying from and after reading some of these posts,
I'll
be thinking twice before purchasing from those who feel that helping
someone
less experienced is a nuisance. Perhaps if you don't want to be bothered
with
questions you shouldn't post your ads here or sell on the interent. If
the ad
links to the auctions/websites with the great pictures can't be seen then
maybe
there won't be anyone to bother you with questions about those pictures.

Caren

I kinda felt the same way. Tucking tail and scooting Trinkett over in the
doggy tent.

--
Starlia Klopman
www.klopmanstudios.com


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
Wow. Okay. Well, I'm not sure what to say about this. I think I should
probably just lie low for awhile.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I don't understand how artists can be competitors. It's not like every
lampwork artist is making the exact same thing. Were Chagall and Miro
competitors? I sure don't think so.
Seems to me that lampwork varies greatly. The best pictures in the
world
aren't going to sell me on lampwork beads that I don't like. I do care
about
the type of person I'm buying from and after reading some of these
posts,
I'll
be thinking twice before purchasing from those who feel that helping
someone
less experienced is a nuisance. Perhaps if you don't want to be
bothered
with
questions you shouldn't post your ads here or sell on the interent. If
the ad
links to the auctions/websites with the great pictures can't be seen
then
maybe
there won't be anyone to bother you with questions about those pictures.

Caren

I would be sorely disapointed if either of you, or anyone else I consider my
friend, stopped posting because of of what one person said. And I mean
disapointed on more than one level.

I kinda felt the same way. Tucking tail and scooting Trinkett over in the
doggy tent.

--
Starlia Klopman
www.klopmanstudios.com


"Kandice Seeber" wrote in message
...
Wow. Okay. Well, I'm not sure what to say about this. I think I should
probably just lie low for awhile.

--
Kandice Seeber
Air & Earth Designs
http://www.lampwork.net

I don't understand how artists can be competitors. It's not like every
lampwork artist is making the exact same thing. Were Chagall and Miro
competitors? I sure don't think so.
Seems to me that lampwork varies greatly. The best pictures in the
world
aren't going to sell me on lampwork beads that I don't like. I do care
about
the type of person I'm buying from and after reading some of these
posts,
I'll
be thinking twice before purchasing from those who feel that helping
someone
less experienced is a nuisance. Perhaps if you don't want to be
bothered
with
questions you shouldn't post your ads here or sell on the interent. If
the ad
links to the auctions/websites with the great pictures can't be seen
then
maybe
there won't be anyone to bother you with questions about those pictures.

Caren












~Candace~
Orphan Beads Low cost and bartering for the financially challenged beader
http://snipurl.com/6s4t

Caren, your post was a knee-jerk reaction. Please do not judge until you've
done this yourself -- answered all the emails with help for a long time. Had
customers ask for things over and over, so they can go to eBay and get sales
that might've gone to YOU. Have people essentially taking a class from you
(onhow to photograph), and never paying you. For many, many months, over and
over.
~~
Sooz


Sooz -
I founded and I'm president of my local bead society. I spend hours upon hours
working to make it enjoyable for everyone. There is no compensation for this,
and it's not an easy task.
I also teach beadwork and sell supplies, kits and finished work. I get A LOT
of questions on all different subjects. If I'm asked a question that I'd
rather not answer I'll find a polite way to avoid the question. If other
artrists are asking me questions then I assume that my work speaks for itself.
Therefore, I have no reason to fear helping other people. I've been helped
along the way by some very well known beadwork artists and I feel it's only
fair for me to help others in the same manner.
By the way.....how could you possibly know if a sale made by someone on eBay
should have gone to you?

Caren