Now that all is said and done, Baltimore's art community is finally weighing in on the Baker Artist Awards selection process. In some ways, the Baker Awards really revolutionized the art competition as we know it, and we should all be thankful for the breath of fresh air. However, I hope to see some important refinements in next year's contest.

The Baker Awards' biggest issue is in the end, winning comes down to clever marketing and basic organizing skills. Many people had this figured out immediately: the key to winning is to spam friends and family with “vote for me” emails, follow up, and make sure they stay active on the site so they can earn the privilege of voting for you several times. The possibilities for promotion are endless: your Facebook account, blog, website, and office are all up for grabs. All this is fine, but at a certain point it detracts from the spirit of the contest.

Practical people will tell me that's just the way it is. At least those visitors were exposed to some other art, whether they like it or not. But I've never like d popularity contests. I combed through the site looking for artists I thought should win the top prize. In a way, we all had the opportunity to jury and curate our own show. My voting board represented the work I wanted to be seen, period. I never voted for friends just because they were in the running.

At the same time, I can definitely deal with a popularity contest. The world is full of them. My biggest criticism is that the secret jury apparently pulled from the top vote-getters, or at least took vote counts into serious consideration. That, and none of us know our own vote counts.

While the Baltimore's Choice winners were by and large very worthy recipients of the award, it's conceivable they just had the biggest email contact list (though I would hope not). With that in mind, didn't the jury judge more on popularity than merit of the work? Might some excellent portfolios never have even been seen by the jury?

If I send my images to a traditional competition, at least I can be relatively sure they receive a couple seconds in front of the jury. Given the public forum of the Baker Awards, maybe it was incumbent upon me to use the system to my best advantage. However, we don't even know who the jury was. Were they ever interested in evaluating the artistic merit of all nominations, or were they happy to pick favorites from the cream of the vote-getting crop?

Without these answers, it's very difficult for me to comprehend a large difference between the Baltimore's Choice and Mary Sawyers Baker awardees. Isn't this problematic, given the fact that the award jumps from $1,000 to $25,000?

All in all, I commend the organizations involved for putting the Baker Awards together and I'm excited to see the process again next year. However, it's becoming clear Baltimore's artists are aware that an online, public forum does not always beget a transparent process (remember this with your federal government, too, folks). There is absolutely no reason why all nominated artists should not be able to see vote counts and names of jurors. How else will we know if we ever stood a chance, or how we can improve our chances and our exposure next year?

Lately I've considered opening a shop on Etsy, the online marketplace for every imaginable handmade item. Not only to I believe in the business model, Etsy seems like a lot of fun and has the potential to get more of my images out into the world.

Since many photographers (myself included) would not immediately think of selling photos on what is essentially an indie craft site, I spent some time digging up success stories to share.

Alicia Bock's photos have made cameo appearances on Grey's Anatomy and the set of the Sex and the City movie. An entirely self-taught photographer, Alicia operates a shop on Etsy, where she has sold over 3,000 pieces.

I caught up with Alicia recently to ask her a few questions, and here's what she had to say:

W+I: When did you first start making photographs?

AB: I can't remember not having a camera with me. Even early in elementary school I was always taking too many pictures of my friends. But I started selling my photographs 5 years ago.

W+I: Your prints are beautiful.  Would you mind telling us a little bit your process for making the photos and final prints?

AB: There is no good answer for this. I am a wanderer, and easily bored, so I have to work quick before my next idea takes me away. I like to use as many different cameras as I can get my hands on. I use photoshop for my processing. I rarely ever have a plan of how I want a photograph to turn out. ... usually there is a bit of chaos around me, as I also stay home with my 2 children and they are always running through my studio. My kids help me limit my time at the computer and keep the camera in my hands. For my finished product, I either make prints myself on my Epson Pro printers. Or, I have them professionally printed by a pro lab. It depends on the picture/subject. I test each photo on several papers to see how I like it best. I don't think there is one best paper for all photographs. (Or if there is, I haven't found it yet.)

W+I: You've gotten a lot of good exposure for your work: Grey's Anatomy, Sex and the City, a few well-known magazines.  How did you go about making these connections and what advice would you give to other self-taught photographers looking to get their work out there?

AB: I have been really lucky and in all cases the set directors and/or writers have all approached me or just bought from my website. I think the most important thing is to keep yourself visible and your websites updated with new material. You never know who is browsing your sites or reading your blog.

W+I: Along those lines, what's the biggest mistake you feel you've made (and hence learned from)?

AB: I bought a lot of expensive equipment right away that I really don't use much. (Especially my art show set up). I quickly learned that shows are really hard on my little family. I've cut back a lot, and we are much happier. But I still feel awful when I see my display sitting here. I am now a big fan of renting and borrowing before I buy anything for my business.

W+I: What inspired you to open an Etsy shop for your photos?

AB: I always think "why not?" I am up for trying pretty much anything, and believe in selling in as many different venues as I can maintain. So, I never questioned setting up the shop. It was inexpensive and easy. And, I am happy how it has grown over the years.

W+I: What have you learned during the time you've had your shop, and what advice do you have for folks who are thinking of starting to sell prints on Etsy?

AB: Etsy has changed a lot since I started 3 years ago. There were very few photographers back then. Now it is much more competitive in all areas. So, I think it is very important to spend as much time promoting your shop as you do creating. I work harder now than I ever did at my 9-5 office jobs, but I love every minute of it.

For more about Alicia, visit her Etsy shop, website, or blog.

All images in this post copyright Alicia Bock.

Today I prepared a little something about thinking and writing about my work on a regular basis, and how that process is essential to having materials at ready for exhibition opportunities. Then I came home from work and discovered my free mini-card samples in the mailbox.

I recently took advantage of the 10 free cards Moo offers to new Flickr Pro users. Moo interfaces with your Flickr account, making it super easy to order business cards, mini cards (half-size, trendy business cards), stickers, postcards, and more.

Tempted though I was to order a full 100 cards right away, I wanted to take advantage of the free sample offer in case I got them and they were low-res, flimsy, or had some other shortcoming I'd regret spending $20 to discover.

What arrived in the mail today proved to me the massive value in giving away free samples. Just like the man at the farmer's market who enticed me into his tent with spicy ginger tea, these cards gave me a little taste and left me feeling like I could not go another day without buying more. They are printed on sturdy card stock with a depth and quality of color that really does the images justice. The proportions are a little odd, so giving someone a card is like giving them a little free sample of your work – hopefully they are intrigued enough to want more.

The back of the card is a blank slate, completely flexible. In addition to my vital contact information, I chose a Creative Commons license and the exposure time of the photo shown on the front of the card (automatically pulled from the image data on Flickr with no added effort anywhere on my part).

I will definitely be ordering a set of 100 of these cards this week. Self-promotion is so important, and at this level it needs to be done in a way that I find fun and comfortable. My husband remarked that these cards are “too pretty to give away.” Hopefully they make that much of an impression on everyone, because I've been searching for the business cards that are “just right” for my personal taste and style and these just may be it.