One of the biggest challenges in creating a personal site like Editing Luke is that it takes a long time to build a solid foundation and figure out exactly what you want it to be.
I began this project as a film student in 2007 and used the site (and rather successfully I might add) to promote my work in film festivals. This lead to Editing Luke becoming a decent platform for me to discuss my transition into professional video production. Eventually, this evolution lead me to showcase more of my work, share my entrepreneurial ambitions, create regular content, and finally launch my own business.
These are 8 facts about Editing Luke that may give you a better idea of who I am, what I do, and why this website is such an important component of my professional life. Or, maybe it's just 8 random things you didn't know about Editing Luke.
1. This is my full-time job.
Since the beginning of 2014 I've been producing video content and photography under the banner of Editing Luke as a full-time independent business. Before this, I was producing media content for another company as a day job and using my website to gain contract projects on the side. This leap to go solo has allowed me to be more selective about the work I take on and explore opportunities that only a couple of years ago seemed out of reach.
For those that I've worked with, this point will be obvious. However, every now and then I still meet people who think I do all of this as a hobby or that someone else must be supporting me to be creating content as regularly as I do. Neither of which is the case. I've simply found a way to make a living doing something I enjoy.
2. My content has reached over 30,000,000 people since 2011.
It's been a long road to get to this point, but in 2011 (after regularly posting to this site for over 4 years) I actually started thinking about a content strategy. I began doing targeted posts, focusing on consistency, and paying attention to where my content was being shared. The combination of my blog, video, and image impressions over the next 4 years that followed resulted in a massive online reach that extended far beyond my own website.
3. Editing Luke is ad free and the content isn't sponsored.
I treat this website and blog as my storefront. The content I share is a way to showcase my business and skill as a photographer and videographer.
In many cases I work to spec when creating content, meaning that I'll capture a location or event knowing that there's a demand for those images. I'll then make a pitch to sell them after the fact. This might be for tourism, for prints, for a related business, etc. However, I only do spec shoots on my own terms - not as freebies.
Even if images for a certain post never sell, if the content is strong than at the very least it works as marketing by attracting visitors to Editing Luke.
On the reverse end, if I'm hired by a client, as an added bonus I'll sometimes share the images or video I produced on my website if it fits my criteria of being a showcase of my skill set. The posts themselves are never sponsored though and from the beginning Editing Luke has always been ad free. It's my opinion that this keeps the content at the forefront.
4. Editing Luke's tagline is Exploration, Culture & Lifestyle.
In building a media business I've worked hard to distinguish myself as someone focused on a very specific type of photography and video production. For example, I don't shoot family portraits, I don't do wedding videos, and in general I don't think of myself as merely a media "service".
My goal has always been to create engaging content - from travel, tourism and experience based photography to narrative promotional videos, documentaries, and web shorts. I've always approached my work with the audience in mind, realizing that even if I'm promoting something the story has to come first. The rules I've established aren't hard and fast, but in general they do set my brand apart. Have a look at what I mean by exploration, culture & lifestyle by exploring a few of my projects here.
5. My viewership is younger than you might expect.
A lot of my content focuses on history, art, culture, architecture, location, and the general aspects of producing video and photography. It's not exactly the easiest site to summarize and as a result the appeal is quite varied. However, while you may think some of these topics would skew towards a slightly older audience, actually 59% of the following on my Editing Luke facebook page is between 18 to 34, and 77% is under the age of 40.
6. Instagram is my most engaged with social media platform.
This might seem like a no-brainer for a photographer/videographer, but I was actually late in joining Instagram. Once I started I quickly made up for lost time. With a modest 5,000+ followers (@editingluke) my images have amassed over 175,000 likes so far.
7. My background is in video production.
I attended the University of Regina majoring in Film and Media Production. As a student I took part in a number of international film festivals from the UK to South Korea, and I even won a few awards. After university I became an editor for a small production company and went on to build the in-house studio for an online retailer where I shot web videos and photography for their magazine and website.
Photography came second nature to me after focusing so much on video early on. Not only was photography fun, it seemed easier because audio and motion were removed. Today my work is split fairly evenly between both video and photography.
8. Editing Luke is based in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Depending on where you found my website or the post that initially lead you here, you may be surprised that I'm actually based out of the small city of Medicine Hat in southern Alberta, Canada. In the last few years, after doing a lot to establish myself locally with my Around the Hat photo series, I began expanding my content to attract new visitors and potential business. This means that despite being in Medicine Hat, I actually travel frequently for work. My following has grown dramatically all over Alberta, with new pockets forming on the coast after my Pacific Northwest and Roadside California projects took off in the last year.
CONTACT ME
Did you have any other questions? I'm always game to discuss project ideas, collaborations, and read your messages. Get in touch with me here.
My friend Mike and I got ourselves an upgraded room at Paris Las Vegas. We ended up on the 25th floor of the hotel with the Eiffel Tower, Bellagio Fountains, and the Las Vegas Strip directly in front of us. The views of Las Vegas don't get much more iconic than this. Explore PART 2 here.
I pulled up to a turn off and immediately noticed a sign about PG&E. I followed the road a bit further and almost thought I'd gone the wrong way. There's not much left in Hinkley today. Not surprisingly, it seems like most people left after the settlement from PG&E. I stopped to grab a picture of the Hinkley sign above what I thought was an abandoned store, and was then greeted by Bill, a man wearing a makeshift button stating that he was the mayor. 
