We have two fun prizes this time, first is The Photo Book. If you are new to photography or self-taught, you would be amazed to learn just how much you DON’T know about the history of photography. This book is full of amazing photos from incredible photographers from the mid-19th century to today. It’s a really neat book, so if you don’t have it already go shoot some toys so you can get it!

The second super awesome prize we have is a set of actions from the talented Ashley McNamara. If you’re not following her blog . . . well, I can’t even imagine that. That’s just crazy talk. Of course you are following her blog. How else would you get the best Photoshop tutorials around and see some amazing photography? Since you’re already following her, you must be really wishing you had her action set by now. She was generous enough to give away a set to a challenge winner here on Two Photogs, so wish no more!

To finish up this post, I’m including my attempt at toy photography from this past weekend. It was lots more fun, yet a bit harder than I expected. I think I’m kind of addicted though, because it was my daughter’s birthday on Saturday and I was eyeing up all her new toys, lol! Next attempt I will try to set up more elaborate scenes with more storytelling.

When we found this blog a couple of months ago, we were immediately engaged. What a cool idea, to take pictures of TOYS!
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/40-brilliant-creative-examples-of-toy-figure-photography/

As moms, we have plenty of toys around the house just waiting to play subject in a creative portrait. Toys are small enough to be shot indoors or out, and it’s a lot easier to create complex sets for them with the simplest of items.

If you want more inspiration, take a look through Flickr – it’s chock full of amazing toy photography.
Here’s just a few groups we found that sparked our interest:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/danbo-love/pool/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/travellingtoys/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/secretlifeoftoys/

We’ll be announcing the prizes for this challenge next week, and the winners will be announced on April 20th. Contest closes at 5pm ET April 19th. Blog your photos and then come back here and post the link in the comments section.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with – enjoy this challenge and get creative!

I’ve been using Moo for some cool uses of my own for the past year. Because my business name is not my actual name, I need to find ways for people to associate my own name with Fresh Sugar Photography. One of the ways I do it is with a Moo sticker on the bag of each print. I signed my name using my Wacom and made it into a cute little sticker. This way I am letting my clients know that they have purchased one-of-a-kind artwork, and I am also keeping my own name in their minds, as well as my business name.

I use the Moo MiniCards as a way to incorporate new faces into my portfolio. I made “you’ve been spotted” cards to give out anytime I see a child or family that I would love to photograph. They are cute and fun, and a less-creepy way of saying “Are you a model?”.

I also ordered sets of cards for myself and Danna before WPPI. At $19.99 for 100 cute little cards, it was the perfect solution for small run needs. The cards are seriously yummy, so thick and sturdy – you won’t believe them until you see them. Plus, you can have 100 different images on 100 different cards. So cool!

So if all of this hasn’t convinced you to give Moo a try, then how about a discount on your first order? Moo is generously giving our readers 15% off their first Moo order. Use code 2RB2CK at checkout, and anxiously await your order! You’ll love their packaging too, totally cute!

We’re breaking it down into what to do at the convention, who to see, where to go – and then we’ve got a whole lot of other stuff to do in Vegas while you are down there!

I will admit that I am not really a class-goer when it comes to WPPI. I love Vegas and I get distracted really easily. I’ve actually only ever seen a handful of speakers and what I’ve seen has been hit and miss, to be honest. I’ve seen some speakers that were really inspiring, and some that didn’t seem to share anything that wasn’t common sense. I’ve also tended to be attracted to seeing the “rockstars” of photography, going for the name instead of the topic of the presentation.

This year is going to be really different. For the first time ever, I went through the classes and made myself a schedule. BUT, guess what I did? I covered up the name and photo of the speaker and ONLY looked at the class description. I chose the classes that sounded like something I could use, or that sounded interesting. I’m really excited to see these speakers because I know that I’m going to get a lot out of what I’m hearing instead of just being impressed by the fame of the photographer. And remember that EVERY photographer speaking is a rockstar in their own right or they wouldn’t be asked to speak at WPPI!

Unfortunately, some of the classes are scheduled at the same time. (and at 8am. OUCH!) So I’m going to discuss with some friends and see if maybe we can hit different classes and compare notes after. If any readers are interested too, please let me know!

SATURDAY

I get into town on Friday night, because I am dying to watch the print competition judging. Whether you’ve entered anything or not, I’ve always heard that this is the place where you will absolutely learn the most, hands down. I’ve always brought my husband down for the weekend before WPPI in the past and had fun with him before the convention started. This year though I really want to see the judging, so no husband for me, but still plenty of fun!

SUNDAY

Print competition again and then I’m hoping to see:

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. / RM# 313-316
Doug Gordon — Posing is Back and It’s this Year’s Black

Come with Doug Gordon as he brings you on a complete journey toward taking your photography and business to the next level, in his straight-forward, straight from the heart, inspirational style.
You will be motivated, educated, challenged and entertained in a program that will completely transform the way you shoot. If you love speakers who are motivational and very funny, come to this class. Come because people learn best when they are laughing; because they need a motivational message; and because they need to have fun while they learn. Learn how to take immediate action and create momentum toward becoming the photographer you want to be. What better environment is there to learn than while on the fly working outside-the-box. See unconventional, unique, edgy, glamorous poses right before your eyes.

There’s a natural magic you need to learn to capture and shoot like two photographers, a main and second shooter.

MONDAY

Ok, so I made a little exception in my rockstar philosophy because I just love Jasmine Star. But I also really want to learn more about Lightroom, so I am torn. There’s another Lightroom class on Tuesday, so I might make it work.

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. / RM# 318
Bruce Dorn — The Moving Portrait: HD Video for Still Photographers
The newest hybrid VDSLR cameras offer an unprecedented opportunity. Portrait photographers can now capture both still photographs and HD video in a single session all while using a familiar camera system. This virgin territory is largely unexplored as many still shooters are in the intimidated by the unfamiliar workflow. Join Canon Explorer of Light Bruce Dorn as he shares tips, tools and techniques for exploring this emerging trend. Bruce is a member of the Directors Guild of America and brings 25 years of Hollywood experience to the table. Creative capture techniques will be heavily emphasized in this platform session.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. / RM# 306-307
Blake Discher — Smart Web SEO Means More Bookings
Do you know what good search engine results mean for your business? How do you direct clients to your site? Is your website getting buyers to stop and take notice? Blake Discher combines his Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expertise with his successful photo business savvy in this head-spinning session. Do not miss this chance to learn how to market your business with both on-page and off-page SEO techniques. Blake talks candidly about what your website needs to make it work for you.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. / RM# 319-320
Jasmine Star — Ghetto Fabulous Marketing
Wait, what?! You don’t have $20,000 set aside to market your business this year? Well, then, this class may be of assistance and encourage exponential growth using basic marketing practices. Come learn ways to maximize exposure and market your brand effectively and purposefully with very little money (can you say ghetto fabulous?!) by leveraging your most valuable asset: YOU.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. / RM# 301-302
Art Suwansang — Lightroom 2: Development Module Creative Fast Track
The Lightroom Development Module is at the core of our image-processing engine. This program will build on the fundamentals stating with the basic-adjustments palettes and scale up to the creative use of the various adjustments. Come learn how to create magic within Lightroom and be inspired by how much and how fast you can transform your images from ordinary to extraordinary. Using learned knowledge of effective presets, change an image into a stunning black-and-white, quickly enhance an image in 10 seconds, perform sky enrichment, use the localize editing as a eye enhancer, soften skin, retouch basic blemishes retouching and many more. This is definitely a session not to be missed.

TUESDAY

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. / RM# 318
Jim Divitale — The Perfect Exposure: Mastering The Composite Image
In this fast-paced two-hour program, Jim will share his creative compositing techniques on merging images to create the perfect exposure. Topics include the start- -to-finish formula in creating the fine art composite montage, bracketing exposures for Merge to HDR, exposing and stitching the perfect panoramic, and creating multi-image extended depth of field.

2:30pm – 6:30pm
Victor Sizemore Mentor Session - http://vcsmentorsession.eventbrite.com/
A fabulously styled mentor shoot with wedding photographer Victor Sizemore in a dry lake bed. I’m not a wedding photographer, nor do I have any plans to be one. But I love learning new things, and I love love love taking photographs of beautiful people in fabulous places. I can’t wait for this. Which now means that I cannot attend:

3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. / RM# 313-316
Julieanne Kost — Adobe Photoshop Lightroom
Discover the power of Adobe’s latest incarnation of Adobe Lightroom as Julieanne Kost reveals the robust new features of the next generation of image management and editing software. This action-packed session will give you the deluxe tour through new tools, powerful updated features, and product enhancements enabling you to quickly get up to speed to take advantage of the most current technology. From the novice to the seasoned expert, everyone has something to learn from this class!

3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. / RM# 310
Dane Sanders — Anatomy of a Creative
If you’re serious about professional photography, it’s critical to understand what characteristics all successful creatives share in their pursuit of making their art translate into remarkable business ventures. It turns out it’s simpler and more imitable than most think. Don’t miss this must-see workshop from Fast Track Photographer author Dane Sanders.

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. / RM# 310
Kay Eskridge — And for Dessert. . . A Little Eye Candy
Kay Eskridge is taking advantage of slower economic times and reconnecting with an untapped market—boudoir photography. Creating a separate division of her studio, CelebrateSexy, is providing her a financially rewarding revenue stream and an experience her clients can’t stop talking about. How’d she do it? This program will take you through the process, show you how to market it, how to sell it and how to create a place where sexy is not defined by age, shape or size. If you’re interested in bringing a little ‘sexy’ back into your studio this program is perfect for you.

WEDNESDAY

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. / RM# 301-302
Blair Phillips — Break the Mold: Eclectic Elegance
“Eclectic elegance” has been used to describe Blair Phillips’ style. Unusual settings, found in typical places, set Blair’s images apart while mixing eclectic lighting and poses equals trademarked success. Allow him to share effective lighting techniques for blood-pumping results and learn how he creates atypical portraits in less than perfect situations—while still maintaining consistent, salable images that set you apart and re-define the word “different.” Blair has a young team that strives for fresh ideas—be inspired to break the mold for a more fashionable tomorrow.

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. / RM# 312 + 317
Arthur Rainville & Jennifer Hudson — A Handmade, Heartfelt Life
AFFAIRS OF THE HEART: Join resident “heartist,” Arthur Levi Rainville, for a tender look into a world of heart stories. Arthur will share how he can translate the love into genuine income in these challenging times. Believing that in this high tech world we all still crave high touch, Arthur will lead us on a natural journey of sensitive portrayals perfect for brides and grooms, families and all women of affection. These two new-age artisans will offer insights into a world craving unique offerings in a never-ending challenge to retain our craftsmanship. Come be inspired and re-energized by these two creative visionaries.

A HANDMADE LIFE: Jennifer Hudson, WPPI’s first-ever International Photographer of the Year, will share her magical creative process—her inspirations, secrets to the successes of her emotional fine art portraits, and the Photoshop techniques that enhance them. She will offer glimpses into her whimsical life, liveliness for your creative soul, and innovative ideas she has invented in a quest to offer her clients artistic, personal handmade products; all a charming, informative, and inspiring culmination of the handmade life.

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. / RM# 304-305
Susan Beard, Leah MacDonald, Julia Lehman-McTigue – PARTNERS IN CRIME
Creating great relationships is the key to a successful business. Building upon this business model has allowed us to expand our primary business, Susan Beard Design Photography, in many unusual directions using other companies products and services.

Look at your business… are you creating new and exciting products for your clients each year? Are you expanding your creativity to affect the bottom line? We will show you how to create many companies under one umbrella.

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. / RM# 319-320
Matt Mendelsohn and Greg Gibson — Now It’s Personal: Taking Time Away From Weddings To Pursue Meaningful Projects
Join former USA Today photographer and photo editor Matt Mendelsohn and two-time Pulitzer-prize winner Greg Gibson as they describe the personal work that has given them new perspective on their careers as photojournalists and wedding photographers. For Mendelsohn, it was an offhand remark from a makeup artist at a wedding that led to a yearlong project that has reinvigorated his photographic passion. From Gibson, learn how his exotic travels deep into Brazil have recharged his batteries. You won’t look at wedding photography the same after this platform.

THURSDAY

I’m going to say it. While there is an amazing list of speakers for this, and I love the concept of Ignite – I’m really disappointed that I don’t see many photographers who are not big, huge names in wedding/portrait photography right now. There was an open call for proposals so I will assume that these photogs put in the best ideas (I didn’t submit anything in case you think I’m just being a Bitter Betty) but I was way more excited about this when I thought there was going to be a collection of regular, just-like-me photogs.

9:00am-11:00am
Photographers Ignite - http://photographersignite.com/
What can you learn in just 5 minutes? Photographers Ignite is the closing program of WPPI 2010. Be there Thursday, March 11, 2010 from 9am – 11am and check out the 20 HOT presentations. Come join the fun whether you’re a speaker or just coming to take it all in!
What is Photographers Ignite? I’m glad you asked!
From Wikipedia: Ignite is a style of presentation where participants are given five minutes to speak on a subject accompanied by 20 slides. Each slide is displayed for 15 seconds, and slides are automatically advanced. The first Ignite was held in 2006 in Seattle, Washington, and was sponsored by O’Reilly Media and MAKE magazine.
Photographers Ignite is all about Photography!

So that’s what I’ve scheduled so far, not to mention all the awesome tradeshow speakers that I can see while walking the tradeshow floor. I am SUPER excited for this year’s WPPI and hope to learn a lot – and learn things that will be beneficial to both my business and myself as a photographer. If you decide to check out any of the above classes, please come sit with me, I’d love to meet you!

We’re breaking it down into what to do at the convention, who to see, where to go – and then we’ve got a whole lot of other stuff to do in Vegas while you are down there!

While I am taking a shorter trip to Vegas this year I still plan to sit in on a couple of classes. Really, you learn so much if you pick the right speakers. Take time to consider what you want to learn, where you would like to improve most and then take care to choose classes that are going to focus on those things. 2 years ago I sat in on some classes that were really great and I walked away with a fresh new perspective and lots of inspiration, and some other…well not so much…lol. It’s not that they were bad classes they were just not what I needed.

Sunday

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Doug Gordon — Posing is Back and It’s this Year’s Black

Come with Doug Gordon as he brings you on a complete journey toward taking your photography and business to the next level, in his straight-forward, straight from the heart, inspirational style.

You will be motivated, educated, challenged and entertained in a program that will completely transform the way you shoot. If you love speakers who are motivational and very funny, come to this class. Come because people learn best when they are laughing; because they need a motivational message; and because they need to have fun while they learn. Learn how to take immediate action and create momentum toward becoming the photographer you want to be. What better environment is there to learn than while on the fly working outside-the-box. See unconventional, unique, edgy, glamorous poses right before your eyes.

Develop a distinctive wedding style allowing you to direct a client yet capture the emotion and feel of photojournalism.

There’s a natural magic you need to learn to capture and shoot like two photographers, a main and second shooter. Learn from this legendary imagemaker.

Monday:

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Eric Meola — Seeing in Color
This lecture is meant to be inspirational as opposed to technical, personal rather than theoretical. “My focus is on my use of color, how I visualize it, how I think in color and why I use it to tell my story,” says Eric. The talk lasts approximately an hour and a half to two hours, and includes more than 200 images covering many aspects of Eric’s career from advertising through several book projects; as well shows a cross section of personal images made on trips throughout the world, including images made with both digital cameras and film.

3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. / RM# 311
Rocco Ancora — Bring Your Vision to Life
Capturing stunning images in-camera is an art in itself but how do you interpret  an image and complete  your vision in the final print? Image capture has always been half of the equation. Bringing the negative to life in the hands of a master printer is the other. The digital age has allowed us to be in full control of the process. Understanding the digital concepts that allow you to bring an image to life is an essential skill for redefining the image creating process. Join three-time Australian wedding photographer of the year Rocco Ancora as he takes you through a process of digital enhancement to give your images a unique and distinct signature look.

OR

3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sondra Ayers & Jerry Deck — Great Studio Success Stories
Fast-paced and full of take-home information, this program will showcase a number of studio owners who have started living the Life Of Their Design. Hear and see how each of the featured studios used marketing and branding elements to build their own unique success stories. From the basics of branding to the latest tips on social and Internet marketing, this interactive program will help all who attend find their own unique marketing voice. The audience will be inspired by the photographers featured who are in the trenches just like they are! This class will captivate both beginners and seasoned pros!

Unfortunately I have to leave Tuesday afternoon, but if I were staying I would LOVE to check out these classes as well. So if any of you out there attend any of these feel free to email me with your notes…I would be very grateful :-)

Tuesday

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Jay Maisel — Light, Gesture, Color, Perception & New Works
Jay Maisel’s name has become synonymous with light, gesture and color. He started his professional career in 1954 and since then his images have been used for advertising, editorial and corporate communications worldwide. He has exhibited widely and his prints are in private, corporate and museum collections. Among his awards are the ASMP Life Time Achievement award, ASMP Photographer of the Year, International Center of Photography’s Infinity Award and the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame. A graduate of Abraham Lincoln High School, Cooper Union and Yale University, Jay conducts workshops, seminars and lectures around the world.  His most recent books are Jay Maisel’s New York and an homage to the World Trade Center, A Tribute.

Wednesday

2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Matt Mendelsohn and Greg Gibson — Now It’s Personal: Taking Time Away From Weddings To Pursue Meaningful Projects
Join former USA Today photographer and photo editor Matt Mendelsohn and two-time Pulitzer-prize winner Greg Gibson as they describe the personal work that has given them new perspective on their careers as photojournalists and wedding photographers. For Mendelsohn, it was an offhand remark from a makeup artist at a wedding that led to a yearlong project that has reinvigorated his photographic passion. From Gibson, learn how his exotic travels deep into Brazil have recharged his batteries. You won’t look at wedding photography the same after this platform.

** I don’t shoot weddings but one goal for me this year is to do more personal projects. I have a book full of ideas and never make the time for them. I love learning about other photographers personal projects and what they have done for them.

It’s been a great lesson to me, and maybe can be to you as well. Honesty rules. You all responded the way you did because my article was honest, and it made me realize that the less pretension the better! I’m pretty much WYSIWYG both online and with my clients, but I have sometimes held back a bit in the past.

In all of this excitement over the blog post, (seriously, we have quadrupled our readership this week) one common theme kept popping up. A bunch of people told me that I was in for some great karma. Then I heard it again yesterday. And as with karma, you kind of think of it as some far away time, maybe even another life when you reap the reward. But imagine my surprise when I learned this morning that I was in for a huge karmic payback!

I’ve been listed as one of the Top 20 in Rangefinder/WPPI’s Fresh Faces contest. My image of my daughter Emma’s first day of school is #14. It just goes to show you what a lucky shot and some good karma can get you! I’d appreciate any votes that anyone wants to throw my way. I don’t care how dorky it sounds – heck yes, I want to WIN! The prize is a spread in Rangefinder and a possible cover. Seriously, who wouldn’t want that? So vote for me if you like the image, or vote for someone else’s if you like it better. Just go vote for someone, because it will probably mean the world to whomever wins!

One final note about the emails I received. They were so heartfelt and sincere that they really inspired me. I’ve recently discovered Jasmine Star (I know, where have I been hiding?) and when I thought about how much the emails that I got meant to me, I figured that no matter how “famous” a photographer got, who doesn’t like hearing that they had a positive effect on another human being? So I wrote her a dorky little note telling her how much I admired her honesty and positive attitude. Class act that she is, she wrote me back the very next day and told me that my email made HER day!

So I’m asking all of you to take a moment to think about who inspires you and to drop them a note. I guarantee that it will mean the world to them. And what goes around, comes around.

Congrats!! I know you will both love this photoshop script.

Thanks again to Malin of Moirai Tools for her generous donation for your amazing readers. IF you did not win, and you have not purchased this awesome script yet head over to the Moirai site and get your own copy now. There are a few other really great things to check out over there like workflow actions and textures too.

First prize: A Fuji Instax Mini
Second prize: A $25 dollar gift card to Photojojo, the store that we are madly, insanely in love with.
Third prize: A $10 iTunes gift card, so you can download some awesome new photography apps for your iPhone.

Yes, it’s true. We are officially awesome. So please, get shooting. You are running out of time to win something fabulous. We will chose the winner based on creativity and all-around awesomeness.
Now go have fun!

Next week we will be announcing the details of our online mentoring program that will start in January. We have decided that seeing as its the season of giving that we are going to give away one of the spots available for our first mentoring session. There are only 5 spots open for our first session!

Some details on the mentoring (full details will be released next Wednesday)

Our January mentoring session will start January 25th. There will only be 5 spots available (4 after this one is given away). The following topics will be covered:

Style
Creativity
Lighting

Pricing
Marketing
Branding

Maternity & Newborns
Babies
Boudoir

Fusion Slideshows
Social Networking
Products and Sales
Workflow

Who is the mentoring for?

Anyone who wants to take their business to the next level by creating their own style and brand. Natural light photographers who want to learn studio lighting, studio photographers who want to learn more about natural light, those photographers who struggle with  or want to grow their business in the direction of newborn, maternity or baby photography.

Who isn’t it for?
Anyone within 200km of Calgary. Unfortunately with the no-holds-barred approach we are taking with the mentoring, we cannot offer it to our local competition. We truly want our local friends to succeed, but what we will be teaching will be things that are specific to our businesses that have made them successful and we just can’t share anything that would be detrimental to our income. That being said, due to the incredible interest from the local photographic community we have some local get-togethers in the works, as well as a one day workshop/pow-wow to be held in Danna’s studio. (Watch for that info in the New Year!)

What will the price be?

The regular price is $1250 USD, but we will be offering an amazing introductory price when the full details are announced.

What do you get?

Our mentoring sessions will run 3 weeks long. During that time with us nothing is off limits. We will have weekly topics, some assignments as well as individual portfolio assessment. We will have the professionally filmed videos for you to view as well. We have an amazing program in the works so we can communicate privately with each of our 5 participants. We are limiting the participants to 5 so we can offer you a lot of support and individualized attention.

Much more info will be posted next week!

OK…so, if you want to win one of the 5 spots available here is what you need to do….

Take a self portrait that incorporates your favorite guilty pleasure. Then post it to your blog and link it here in the comment section before midnight on Tuesday December 15th so we can see what you have done. We will be choosing the winner next Wednesday (December 16th, 2009) when we announce the full details of the mentoring sessions. This will NOT be a random draw, the winner will be chosen by us based on their creativity and effort.

Just for fun we did our own guilty pleasure self portraits. We just did ours quickly, we do expect more effort put into yours…lol

Danna – Crave Cupcakes

Brandy – Bejeweled

It may seem strange that I would be recommending a web designing blog to photographers, but I have two reasons:
#1-We all have websites, or at least we should. It’s not the worst idea in the world to be knowledgeable about something that is important to your business.
#2-You never know how you will be inspired. I love looking at non-photography sites, we as photographers tend to all like the same things (can we say Bludomain, lol?) and it’s really interesting to see other designs and fonts and colors and . . . you get the idea. If you want to be infused with inspiration, it’s great to look beyond the photography world – there are a lot of other really creative fields out there.

The blog has lots of good advice, and some really neat articles like The Most Controversial Magazine Covers of All Time and 100 Creative Business Card Ideas.
Take a look around and I promise you will find at least one thing on the blog that’s interesting to you. Come back and let us know what you liked/learned!

(Also, if you’ve got or know of a great blog we should feature, send me an email: brandy@twophotogs.com