Meet Betty, Photographer and Mentor

Betty is a retro pin up and modern boudoir photographer based in the Tampa, FL area since 2009. She is the owner of Bodacious Betty Pin Up Photography, which specializes in glamor portrait photography from the 1940-50s era. Betty believes any woman can be made to both look and feel gorgeous. Her mission is to bring out the pin up starlet in every gal!

Publication credits include the cover of Pin Up America magazine, Retro Lovely Kat Club Holiday edition 2014, Latina Pinups, Delicious Dolls, Surreal Beauty magazine, Cat's Pajama magazine, and the 2014 and 2015 calendar for Strickland Vintage Watches.

Recently, Betty had the pleasure of being interviewed by Marie Grace Berg for Today's Leading Women, as well as P.K. Spearman for Living Large.

1. How did you first become interested in pursuing photography as a career?

I became interested in pursuing photography as a career after I had my own pin-up photos done. I was felt so empowered and confident that I wanted other women to experience the same feelings.

2. What inspired you to specialize in retro pin-up work?

I've always loved the look of women in the 1940s and 50s. They were so feminine and seemed so glamorous and polished.

Also, the pin ups of that time period were sexy, without being salacious. There was a playfulness in them.

3. What are some of the things that you do to create a unique and comfortable experience for a woman who hires you to shoot a series of pin-up photos?

I like to consult with my clients before the session, either in-person or over the phone, to get an idea of what they envision for themselves. We talk about themes, wardrobe ideas, and what she may be insecure about body-wise.

When she comes in for her session, she is able to relax while getting hair and make-up done and then I am able to guide her into poses that are the most flattering to her.

4. Would you tell us a little bit more about your coaching program for photographers?

Over the years, I've developed friendships with quite a few other photographers, and many of them either struggle to make a living, or have a day job to pay the bills because they don't how to adapt to an industry that has been radically changed by the introduction of the affordable DSLR camera.

I developed a comprehensive plan to help struggling photographers work less for more money, and help them educate their clients about photography. All photographers know that good photography requires more than just a good camera, but they don't know how to attract clients that understand that as well.

I do offer a free consultation in addition to a free report with ideas to give photographers a jump-start on making changes that will start bringing in more income without adding to their workload. It can be found here: http://www.bodaciousbettyfl.com/makemoremoney.

5. I think that it's always a challenge to pursue a career in the arts in our society! What is some of your advice for other artists who want to develop a career that reflects their artistic interests and abilities?

This probably applies to anyone looking to start their own business, but I'd say, above all, be persistent. If something isn't working, brainstorm and try other methods.

And second, make a list of the skills you are good at and think of ways you can utilize your talents and skills to bring in money in multiple ways. For example, a photographer is not just a photographer, but also a photo editor. A photographer looking to bring in additional income during downtime can edit photos as a service to other photographers looking to outsource that part of their job.

Thanks, Betty!

Introducing CreativInn, a Site to Share Creativity

I was glad to happen upon the CreativInn website. The idea behind the site is to help creative people share their work and be noticed. Creatives can sign up for the site and showcase their projects, link to their websites, share videos, promote events, and more. Also, if you are someone who represents artists, you can use the site to set up pages for the people you represent.

The best way to get an idea of CreativInn is to check out their directory. There are some interesting profiles to explore, with more added all the time.

In browsing the site myself, I found some cool photography work from several different artists. One listing that really stood out to me was the page for Le Village des arts de Dakar in Senegal. The village has exhibitions year round and supports Senegalese artists who work in many different media. The photo below is from the profile for Village des arts de Dakar, and I have to say that it makes me want to see more!

The site also has a blog which offers creative tips and tools. And you can follow CreativInn on Facebook and Twitter to learn about updates to the site.

In short, CreativInn is a new platform for artists, and I think it is going to grow quite a lot this year as more and more artists--and art enthusiasts--discover the site and what it has to offer. One of my favorite things about the site is that it has an international scope, so you can learn about artists and projects from all over the world. And isn't this one of the best things about the internet, that it allows us to share in the creativity of other people without geographic distance being a barrier?

Introducing the Worldwide Groove Corporation Blog

As readers of this website know, I always love a good concept for a blog, and in my opinion, Worldwide Groove Corporation has a great one at http://www.worldwidegroovecorp.com/blog/. The blog is in the middle of celebrating the "Year of the Groove" where the musicians behind the site are putting out one new music release every month for a year and blogging about the new releases.

Kurt Goebel and Ellen Tift are Worldwide Groove Corporation, an electronic music duo based in Nashville. They create original compositions as well as downtempo remakes of jazz classics. You might recognize their music from a TV commercial for Grey's Anatomy, airplay on the syndicated "Chillin' with Chris Botti" show and other radio shows/networks, or placements in many indie films. Their music reminds me a little of Morcheeba, but give it a listen for yourself and see what you think.

The Year of the Groove project started last July, and their January 2015 post is (as of Jan 15) not up quite yet but will be appearing very soon. Each blog post includes an embedded SoundCloud player so that you can listen to the music while you read about the music. I like learning about how artists create their work, and the blog posts share lots of interesting details about the processes of writing lyrics, composing melodies, and more.

You also get behind the scenes details about how a song sometimes takes off in ways that the creators never imagined. For example, one of WGC's songs ended up becoming part of an campaign against genetically modified foods, a surprising yet welcome event for the musicians.

This is a great blog for hearing new music and learning about the experiences of two creative artists as they make and share their music with the world. In addition to the monthly Year of the Groove posts, there are other posts about a variety of topics relevant to readers with an interest in arts and culture. Check it out!