eh. In the day and age of cell phones, and how portable numbers are, this may not be the best test. Considering my phone number is my cell that I have had for 10 years and have moved twice out of state since then.
It works 99% of the time. I need to know for hiring locally but tons of photographers not living in NYC or LA will not put their location so they will be considered for those jobs. Not sure if it works or not.
Being a Canuck, I only feature my 800 number lest our US friends take a pass on calling me because of my location. However, I’ve had Canadians tell me that they thought I must be in the US because I didn’t feature a local number. Can’t win either way!
Yeah, except I’m living in Savannah, Georgia with a Savannah, Georgia driver’s license and my area code for my only phone number is 413, from Amherst, Massachusetts.
This has been the case for the past 3 and a half years, since I just kept my old cell phone contract. I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t use a land line anymore.
As a photo editor, it drives me around the bend when photographers don’t list their location on their web site! I hire photographers for assignments all over the country. Don’t make your location a mystery.
I get plenty of promo cards from photographers who have NY phone numbers on their cards but the postage cancellation is from somewhere else. That cancellation stamp is also a good clue for figuring out where photographers are located.
If you want to be a NY photographer move to NY don’t just get a cell phone with NY area code.
I also have assignment work all over the country. With tight editorial budgets and timelines (not to mention the hell of air travel), I am always thinking local/driving distance for shoots whenever possible. If a promo comes from somewhere other than NYC, that’s one more thing that factors into my keep/trash equation…
I have an east coast prefix but I live on the west coast now. I’ve had the east coast number for so long it would be a giant hassle to change it. My solution was to get a Grand Central account and have a number with a local prefix redirect to my east coast one.
If you’re really fast, you can do it while they’re calling :)
With mobile phones and VOIP services like Grand Central, I think its tough to call. I kept my 805 area code even after I moved to OR … but I also have a Grand Central account with a 541 number that forwards to my cell.
I was just getting ready to send out third direct mail piece and while the backside of my promo has my return address, it doesn’t let someone know that I’m just outside of a major city in Georgia. My website doesn’t even have my location information.
At the time of my re-branding, I bought into the suggestion from a well known consultant that if you’re going to market images nationally, it didn’t matter if your location was listed. It made sense at the time. Still, a red flag went up when I heard this, but went along with it anyway. No more. Whose ever heard of Powder Springs, GA.?
Unless you’re big time, AD’s and PE need to know where you’re parking it.
This has been an ongoing thought experiment for me. I choose to live in Maine. I love it here, I’m from here, this is home and this is the life I want to live. But trying to convince someone in New York City, or Chicago, or anywhere other than next door that I’m right for the job, has not worked for me at all. Going to NYC and meeting people at agencies and magazines, I’m asked where I live when I tell them Portland, they assume Oregon, when I say Maine, they say “Oh” and resign. My work is strong, getting it out of Maine is a struggle. I have not adopted a mystery location, it’s on my website, but I don’t put it on my promos for these above reasons. I figure the area code will give it away. Location location location. Maine is beautiful and has everything but palm trees, even lower day rates, how many national jobs happen in Maine?
My current and last VoIP phone provider offers ANY area code I want. In fact – I have a friend (in business) with a NYC number and I myself have a 516 area code but I live in 315 (downstate VS upstate) .. even more drastic my associate who had a 516 area code ported her number to her California new apartment.. so you would be what ??? 3000 miles off??
16 Comments
google search ### area code works too
eh. In the day and age of cell phones, and how portable numbers are, this may not be the best test. Considering my phone number is my cell that I have had for 10 years and have moved twice out of state since then.
Just curious – why is this important? Do you find that photogs are reluctant to reveal where they live?
@2 I second that; kept my number through 4 different cities because it was a local prefix for my parents.
It works 99% of the time. I need to know for hiring locally but tons of photographers not living in NYC or LA will not put their location so they will be considered for those jobs. Not sure if it works or not.
Being a Canuck, I only feature my 800 number lest our US friends take a pass on calling me because of my location. However, I’ve had Canadians tell me that they thought I must be in the US because I didn’t feature a local number. Can’t win either way!
Yeah, except I’m living in Savannah, Georgia with a Savannah, Georgia driver’s license and my area code for my only phone number is 413, from Amherst, Massachusetts.
This has been the case for the past 3 and a half years, since I just kept my old cell phone contract. I’m sure I’m not the only one who doesn’t use a land line anymore.
As a photo editor, it drives me around the bend when photographers don’t list their location on their web site! I hire photographers for assignments all over the country. Don’t make your location a mystery.
@APE & @8
I get plenty of promo cards from photographers who have NY phone numbers on their cards but the postage cancellation is from somewhere else. That cancellation stamp is also a good clue for figuring out where photographers are located.
If you want to be a NY photographer move to NY don’t just get a cell phone with NY area code.
I also have assignment work all over the country. With tight editorial budgets and timelines (not to mention the hell of air travel), I am always thinking local/driving distance for shoots whenever possible. If a promo comes from somewhere other than NYC, that’s one more thing that factors into my keep/trash equation…
I have an east coast prefix but I live on the west coast now. I’ve had the east coast number for so long it would be a giant hassle to change it. My solution was to get a Grand Central account and have a number with a local prefix redirect to my east coast one.
Yeah, I just Google “area code XYZ”
If you’re really fast, you can do it while they’re calling :)
With mobile phones and VOIP services like Grand Central, I think its tough to call. I kept my 805 area code even after I moved to OR … but I also have a Grand Central account with a 541 number that forwards to my cell.
I have a VOIP phone, with a Los Angeles area code for everyone that calls me from the states, and I answer it right here in my living room in Paris.
It’s fine to have a number different then where you live as long as you put your location next to it. Then there’s no reason to investigate.
I was just getting ready to send out third direct mail piece and while the backside of my promo has my return address, it doesn’t let someone know that I’m just outside of a major city in Georgia. My website doesn’t even have my location information.
At the time of my re-branding, I bought into the suggestion from a well known consultant that if you’re going to market images nationally, it didn’t matter if your location was listed. It made sense at the time. Still, a red flag went up when I heard this, but went along with it anyway. No more. Whose ever heard of Powder Springs, GA.?
Unless you’re big time, AD’s and PE need to know where you’re parking it.
Best…Stan
This has been an ongoing thought experiment for me. I choose to live in Maine. I love it here, I’m from here, this is home and this is the life I want to live. But trying to convince someone in New York City, or Chicago, or anywhere other than next door that I’m right for the job, has not worked for me at all. Going to NYC and meeting people at agencies and magazines, I’m asked where I live when I tell them Portland, they assume Oregon, when I say Maine, they say “Oh” and resign. My work is strong, getting it out of Maine is a struggle. I have not adopted a mystery location, it’s on my website, but I don’t put it on my promos for these above reasons. I figure the area code will give it away. Location location location. Maine is beautiful and has everything but palm trees, even lower day rates, how many national jobs happen in Maine?
Thanks for this.
Nathan.
My current and last VoIP phone provider offers ANY area code I want. In fact – I have a friend (in business) with a NYC number and I myself have a 516 area code but I live in 315 (downstate VS upstate) .. even more drastic my associate who had a 516 area code ported her number to her California new apartment.. so you would be what ??? 3000 miles off??
Thanks Anyway !!
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