Like pretty much with everything I do, I am going to be honest with everyone. Mentoring was a lot of work. A lot more work than I was prepared for.

I really liked meeting new photographers, helping them grow their business and watching them become more successful. But the root of everything I do is photography – my business, my love for all of this. So if I were to be one of those photographers that stopped shooting because I was too busy teaching, I would be denying myself the one thing that keeps me passionate about this industry: taking photographs. We couldn’t maintain the pace of 4 new photographers every month, because we had our own clients and businesses to run.

So that’s one reason why this blog died down. The other is that it’s hard to work with one of your best friends. Danna and I are such close friends, we think so much alike. But we also are women that run our own businesses and are not exactly used to working with a partner with equal input. It was difficult for both of us to work with someone else, and we did have a lot of different ideas. What I like best about us though, is that we actually sat down and figured out together that this particular way of doing things wasn’t going to work. We both agreed that our friendship was too important to risk.

So that brings us to now. We’re teaching together locally, just some basic camera classes for moms. We still enjoy mentoring, and you can contact us separately if you’re interested in learning more about private mentoring with either of us. We are also still just as close friends as we were before (whew!). I’d still like to have this blog around – mostly because we STILL get comments and emails about the 25 Biggest Mistakes post. And I still love talking photography. I still love sharing ideas about new products, websites, etc. So I’d like to still post here. I’d like Danna to still post here because she has a zillion great ideas and oftentimes we get a great yin/yang thing going. But we just can’t do the mentoring at the pace we were doing, the way we were doing it.

Feel free to pop us an email if you want to chat about photography, have questions or ideas, or anything really.
Email Brandy
Email Danna

and you can always visit our blogs:
www.freshsugarblog.com
www.bowesphotography.ca/blog

Make sure you take a look to see all the awesome things you can do with her actions, and see some gorgeous photography to boot.
www.ashleymcnamara.com

Shawna Toth from Small Wonder gives us some great tips:

Slideshows, montages, photo DVDs. Taking still images and turning them into a dynamic presentation. It is a great way to present edited photos to clients. There are a few things to consider before getting creative with your slideshow. The most important thing to keep in mind? Don’t get carried away with the graphics and transitions. The purpose of the photo slideshow is to showcase your images, not the capabilities of your editing software.

The Basics:

Make each image 5-8 seconds long.

Use 1-2 second dissolves almost all of the time.

Transitions: Just because they exist does not mean you should use them. The clock, blinds, the sawtooth…video editors refer to these as “cheesy wipes” for a reason. There can be a time and place for them, but generally, they take away from the images they are between.

Graphics: Again, not necessary, and probably do more harm than good. Unless there is information that must be conveyed to the client within the slideshow, stay away from words and graphic images on the screen.

Adding interest to your slideshow:

Add slight motion to the photos. A small amount in one direction will add to the slideshow without becoming distracting. If every image is panning and zooming, it can be too much. Movement on 2 out of 3 photos is more than enough.

Put 2 images side by side. This can work especially well for comparison purposes, if you have 2 portrait oriented photos that are similar but obviously different. ie: one is black and white, or the same pose but different facial expression.

Background colour can add to a slideshow. Go with black or white, and keep it simple. Texture, moving backgrounds and bright colours will make people look at the background, not the images.

Add a simple, sleek, small frame to each photo. Again, don’t go overboard with a thick, wood-grained frame. A thin white line over a black background will make the image stand out.

The purpose of your slideshow is to have your clients get a sense of the beautiful images you have created for them. Use the video format to enhance those images by keeping things simple, consistent and smooth.

So, when can you use those “cheesy” transitions and graphics? Next time someone asks you, as a favour, to take photos of their friend’s stagette, or make a montage of old photos for college graduation, go crazy! Or just send them to me…

Shawna Toth (Video Editor)

www.Small Wonder.ca

The winners were chosen completely subjectively – basically they were ones that I really liked the creative ideas that were behind them.

The first winner did an amazing job of capturing the feeling of being left out of a group. I love love love this photo.
Jamie from Ever After Photography wins a set of actions from Ashley McNamara! Jamie, please send me your email address!

And the other winner just tickled me with all of her fun ideas for the Scooby gang.
Congratulations Kayla Bate!, you win The Photo Book! Please send me your mailing address!

We have a surprise giveaway tomorrow, so check back to see how to win!

I’m absolutely in love with them, they are adorable! She is so great to work with, and came up with something I loved right away.
She has a special on these – they are $40 until May, when the price goes up to $75. Her blog says that they are only available to past logo clients, but she will do them for new clients as well. You can check mine out on my blog.

She’s also generously offering a 10% discount on her design work for Two Photog readers. Her prices are already very reasonable, so this is really a great deal. Use code 2P10 at checkout to redeem. If you get some custom blog buttons, make sure you come back and show them to us!

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!

We have a ton of blog posts coming up in the next couple of weeks, tackling things like competition and jealousy, cool ways to use Moo.com and an Inspiration Challenge that I am so personally excited about that I can’t stop thinking about it!

We’re also working on another side project (I know, like we aren’t busy enough), mentoring some amazing women (with more to come next week!), and gearing up for a very busy spring season in our portrait businesses.

Another thing we wanted to let everyone know is that the next round of mentoring is now sold out. We might be doing another in May, so if you are interested, please let us know by emailing me at brandy@twophotogs.com and asking to be put on the waiting list.
Our waiting list gets first dibs on the mentoring spots, which is why they sell out so quickly.

So look forward to the next couple of weeks where we will have a new project announced, a new Inspiration Challenge, new posts about cool things, and even some new partnerships with some awesome companies and blogs!

Our next session is scheduled to start on April 5th! The most exciting news about our new session is that we’ve decided to open it up to local photographers. We had always felt a bit weird about not including everyone in this mentoring, but felt it was just something we should do to protect our businesses. After much consideration, we have decided that it’s important to us to be as open as possible to anyone who wants our help.

Registration is now full. Please visit the contact page to send us an email to get on the waiting list.

Once you have registered and submitted payment, your account will be set up and it will be activated on April 4th.

Here’s what our past mentorees have been saying about our program:

“I am SO impressed with the mentoring program so far! In just one week I have been given enormous amounts of insight into what I need to do to get my business headed in the right direction. I am already feeling more confident in my ablilities as a photographer and I am extremely grateful to both Danna and Brandy for being so open and willing to share their knowledge with me. This program has been worth every penny, and I can’t wait to see what I learn in the second half!”

“The mentoring program has been fantastic. Both Brandy and Danna have been very open about their businesses and techniques and was works for them. The information they have given regarding products, equipment, and techniques has been excellent. The program is well designed to make you re-examine how you are doing things and where you should be going. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to take their photography or business to the next level.”

“I have been very impressed by the structure of the mentor program with Brandy and Danna. They immediately led me on my rebranding journey, that I so desperately needed and with a detailed portfolio/website review, I was well on my way. They are more than generous with their time and information for what they think will work for my business as well as the choices they have made within their own. With one more week left, I know I will walk away from this very special opportunity with new vision, confidence and validation not only as a professional photographer, but also as a successful business owner.”

“I have learned a lot of specific things about the technical side, and love seeing how other photographers work and see the workflow, just to confirm that I’m on the right track and to make sure my clients are getting the best product out of me”

And here is more information about our program:

Who is it for?

Anyone who is wanting to take their business to the next level and develop a style and brand that will get you there. You could be struggling with the business side of things, getting the clients you want and the sales you deserve. Maybe you are a natural light photographer wanting to learn studio lighting or a studio photog wanting to learn natural light. You might be tired of being intimated by light, or you want to do on-location sessions but don’t know what to do once you are in your client’s home. Or maybe you are just a fan of Danna and/or Brandy’s work and want to know “how they do it”. It’s like a tailor-made workshop specifically for YOU!

Topics we will cover:
Style
Creativity
Lighting
Pricing
Marketing
Branding
Maternity & Newborns
Boudoir
Fusion Slideshows
Social Networking
Products and Sales
Workflow

Who isn’t it for?
This is NOT a workshop to learn how to use your camera. You must have working knowledge of your DSLR and basic photography skills.

What is the price?
The price is $1250 USD.

What do you get?
You get 3 weeks worth of knowledge and help, from two photographers with over 15 years of combined business experience. Nothing is off limits to ask. You will receive weekly topics, questions and guidance and a personal portfolio/website review. Also included are 6 professional videos that you can view online to see us in action in a maternity, newborn and baby session as well as photoshop videos to see our post-processing.
Plus amazing vendor discounts, a pricing calculator, posing guides, lighting diagrams and more!

This isn’t a workshop or a class. While we will have PLENTY to teach you and assignments for you to complete, our focus is coaching you and your business and making our help as specific to you as possible. We will do everything in our power to help you succeed. Think of us as your personal cheering section – we want only the best for you and when you are done with your mentoring you will be ready to soar! Before starting your mentoring, think about the areas of your business that you would like to work on, and some specific questions/problems you want to discuss. The mentoring can only be successful if you are willing to commit the time to work on your business and your photography. We will be checking in daily with you (except on weekends which is when we hold our client sessions) throughout the program and expect you to try to do the same.

How many spots are there?
There are only 5 spots for each 3 week session. We want to give personalized and specific mentoring to each person.

How will it work?
We have something very new and very cool to use for our online mentoring. It’s a way to communicate privately with each person and give feedback daily. We can’t wait to show you all! We have also developed a small forum where you can chat with others and keep chatting after your 3 weeks mentoring is over.

Why online? Why no workshops?
We are super-busy running successful photography businesses. We get a LOT of emails asking questions about mentoring and workshops, and this was the only way we could fit it into our schedules at this time. It also saves you the hassle of finding childcare, and paying the added expenses of flight and hotel. We’re also going to talk *with* you, not at you.

-Brandy & Danna

http://www.twophotogs.com

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!

MEETUP!

We would love to meet any and all of you that read the blog and are coming down to WPPI.
We’ll be having a low-key get-together on Sunday night at at 7:00pm at Rouge in the MGM.
We’ll be hanging out for a couple of drinks before the Canon party and we’d love for you to come by and say hi!
It’s a chance to meet some new friends before the week starts, or catch up with some old ones to make plans!

Hope you can make it!

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!