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February 15, 2009

WPPI - Vegas

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So the reason I am back in glitzy, ditzy Vegas is to attend the Wedding and Portrait Photographer's International Convention and Trade Show. Unfortunately, I could only afford the one day Business Institute Workshop, which I am so glad I attended yesterday with my good friend Hilary Helton.

I've been in the business for 6 months since moving to Portland. It feels as if this has been a trial period for me wherein I was allowed to make a few mistakes, meet lots of clients, figure out how I want to shape this one-gal studio. With the slow Winter season nearing its end, I am ready (and a bit scared) to, as the cliche goes, take this to the next level. We learned so so so so so so many good things about how to market, sell, treat your clients/peers. Oh my, information overload! We met sweet photographers and had a delicious lunch catered by the MGM staff. Hilary and I both concluded photographers Laura Novak and Tony Hewitt were our fave speakers of the workshop. I'd like to share two images that made me gasp out loud.

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Laura Novak was totally awesome, she has an art education background as me, and in such a short time (she's 30) has established a successful portrait and wedding studio in Wilmington, Delaware. One of her studio photographers, Becca, is in charge of the High School Senior sessions, and they are AMAZING. Laura shared with us a little tip: with every session that is booked with her studio she mails the client a yummy-looking camera-shaped cookie. Come on. How awesome is that. Her lecture was geared towards establishing and maintaining relationships with your clients, peers, vendors, the such. Please visit her website, her personality (and those of her staff) are very apparent in the work.


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Hailing from Australia, with an accent a bit tough to decipher to my ears, Tony Hewitt concluded the workshop with an inspiring non-photo related lecture. A good move, for his words reminded us that what we heard, learned, digested that day is worthless if we break the human connection, to be anything other than real. The image above captivated me. Tony Hewitt is a man after my sheep-loving heart. Though sadly, the image I saw at the lecture was in color and, of course, about 10 feet tall. Lovely. Visit his website to view more of his illustrative landscapes of wonderful Australia.

I can't wait to go home Thursday and turn the way I do business downside up, without ever losing track of what I love to do and who I am.

Yay!

Posted by starmagn at February 15, 2009 09:33 PM

Comments

Thanks for sharing your takeaways- definitely agree that the relationship is important. I read a blog post once to aspiring photographers that mentioned the importance of remembering that people photography is about people and that great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection...

Posted by: Erin at February 25, 2009 08:02 PM

wow. that photo of the sheep is incredible.

Posted by: tifanie at February 26, 2009 10:31 AM

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