I am an Experienced Photographer thanks to the ‘Quarter of Learning’
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Sorry for making you sing Christmas carols in your head in February (or whenever you’re reading this) but we LOVE the beginning of the year. It’s the most popular time for amazing, awesome photography conferences. And every year we try to identify at least 3 conferences or workshops that will help us deliver better service and products for you! My place as trusted, experienced photographer means that I must invest in learning. Meeting and working with other talented professionals fuels our creativity and allows us to build our skills where we need to improve. We can’t wait to share what we’re going to learn over the next few months. And I apologize in advance for making my husband a bachelor during these events. He does an amazing job of keeping our puppies happy while I’m away!
PhotoPro Expo
This weekend starts it off with the only local conference, PhotoPro Expo at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. This was the very first conference I ever went to and it still holds a special place for me. It’s long drives from the home studio but I love to connect with other local pros and the classes are usually more intimate and you get more time with the trainers. I’m excited to learn more about Senior lighting from Dan McClanahan. And Amy Kroff’s session about making your images move has me really excited! I’m always looking for ways to relax our clients and get them natural looking images. As an experienced photographer, I know that movement is a great way to do that. And then there’s the trade show. Queue the cash register sound LOL! I’m getting better at controlling myself but there are always one or two things that tempt me every year. Last year I bought an amazing photo printer. This year I’m going to look for some equipment to help me include more videography in my work. There’s also a shoot out on Saturday night where we get to work directly with some amazing photographers. I’ll be sure to share a few images from that.
Ben Shirk Creatography Workshop
Next month I’m driving all the way to Iowa to work with one of the best photographers in the world when it comes to creating composites, Ben Shirk. He’s won countless national imaging awards and is considered one of the masters of composites. You’ve seen some of his backgrounds used in my photos and I’m going to be spending 3 days with him learning how he shoots, how he works with his clients, and finally how he creates amazing art in Photoshop. I believe this is an area where our studio can stand out and give all of our clients images that they have never seen before! Check out his work here: Ben Shirk. And here are some samples of work that we’ve done using his backgrounds:
Shutterfest
If I had to choose a favorite child (or conference), this would be it! I’m counting the days until the last week of April this year. The 5.5 hour drive to St. Louis flies by because this is an absolutely unique experience. This is my 5th year at this conference which is held in an old train station, turned hotel. There are amazing nooks and crannies around every corner. And did I mention that this is a shooting conference? That means that there are 2000 photographers all over this hotel working with models and creating amazing images. It is absolute sensory overload. FOMO anyone!? I don’t go to bed before 2 am and even then you can still see flashes firing as people work through the night to take advantage of the time. The talent and giving nature of everyone that attends makes this the best learning experience of the year for me. I believe my credibility as an experienced photographer belongs to this conference. I’ve mastered lighting because of this conference. I perfected my headshots because of this conference. Many of the posing and direction queues I give at each session came from this conference. Some of my best photography friends and mentors come from this conference. It fuels my creative soul and I always come home inspired and ready to create! Here are some of my favorite images from past years:
Getting Better, For You
These conferences and workshops are an investment for me. Some are more expensive than others. But I believe you deserve an experienced photographer that is committed to learning and growing. Yes, there is fun and fellowship but at the end of the day, each of these experiences gives me new tools and knowledge to create images that you will treasure forever. Something tells me that May might be a great time to schedule a session with us! Fresh off of these amazing experiences and ready to put our new talents to work!
