and they lived happily ever after…

Since last winter I have been intending to blog this sweet boy’s first photo session when Will was 3 months old!  Today is now his first birthday!  He arrived in our home just before Christmas last year and though he is bigger now (MUCH bigger!), he is even more beautiful, regal and majestic in a way that only a collie can be!  Will is a blue merle color and draws much attention and admiration wherever he goes for a walk.  His favorite toy is his bone.  Will likes to play fetch and leaps like a deer with grand bounds!  Will greets everyone he meets with an extended prancing paw much like a small pony.  He was named Will because his particular litter mates were all given country music star names by their breeder to tell the brothers and sisters apart when they were tiny. Can you guess who he is named after?  Willie Nelson!  There was a Loretta, Reba, and a few other sweeties in the mix who joined their own families.  Our life would not be the same without Will.  Our other beloved dog is an 8 year old rescue girl who is a collie shepherd golden mix–a beautiful red color… see a picture of Princess HERE.  We adopted Will as a companion for our son after years of research about collies (and at least a few times of reading Lad by Albert Payson Terhune and watching several Lassie movies together).  It was an honor to be given the privilege to adopt Will.  Adoptable collie pups from exceptionally health conscious breeders are a rare find and we were so happy to hear that he was available!   We never expected to find one with his striking unique coloring though!  His tail is like a feathery plume with a white tip!  We love you Will!  Happy 1st Birthday!  I will share an updated 1 year photo session soon…

About 2 weeks ago I saw brief mention of the 31 Gamechangers for Photographers Workshop on a photographers’ forum.  I researched the event and discovered a blog post by a recent attendee who was very pleased with the workshop.  My own journey as a photographer has included several wonderful training opportunities over the past few years and I was ready to be challenged to grow further in my skills, especially in areas of workflow efficiency and refining my business plan.  The price was affordable, the small group setting sounded ideal and the location was convenient.  I expected to be able to ask questions and receive helpful answers–but I had no idea of the wealth of knowledge that was in store for us.

We arrived to a warm welcome by the workshop host–Beth Daane of Daane Studios–who assured that we had delicious refreshments throughout the weekend and anything we could possibly need to be comfortable!  Trevor impressed from the first moment with his technical knowledge, friendliness and patient teaching style.  He was real–happy to share his professional photography experiences with us–challenges, mistakes, favorite tips and best shooting/editing techniques.

I doubt I am alone in realizing that as the newest cameras are released, there are many menu layers we don’t delve into, settings we haven’t tried, new functions we haven’t experimented with, and alternative ways that we might try to stretch out of our comfort zone as photographers.   Trevor’s coaching style is encouraging and supportive.  His mentoring includes candid practical advice.  While I felt increasingly confident and encouraged by what I was learning, I was also being challenged to explore new possibilities for capturing high quality images for my clients that their families will cherish for generations.

Trevor covered many value driven topics to include: time management, honing your style/philosophy of photography and business model, business management and marketing, as well as techniques for shooting and making clients feel comfortable to capture even richer true to life images.  Trevor shared his best tips for most efficient workflow, software shortcuts and resources, equipment setting options, and detailed suggestions for capturing the very best photos in any light or situation.  He offered his favorite location options and lens recommendations.  The information was cutting edge and relevant including social media and the latest software and equipment.  I must add here how impressed I was at Trevor’s budget-minded wisdom.  He had well thought out tips for the most worthwhile and economically sensible sources for marketing and equipment.  He didn’t simply conform to what was popular, but encouraged us to try what was most effective and would help us manage our business and family life balance wisely.

Trevor came early and stayed later than planned to accommodate our many questions.  He shared openly and freely what he had spent thousands of hours of experience to gain.  There was a very beneficial time of working with two models in a mock engagement session.  This was a highlight in the way he demonstrated relationship-building with new clients, lighting and so much more.   The group had ample time between trying new equipment and techniques to chat among ourselves and benefit from each other’s strengths, varied styles and perspectives.  The camaraderie gained was priceless.  I feel that I made 7 new friends in the process of sharing and encouraging one another.  Did I mention that we had FUN?  Oh how we laughed!  There were even a few surprise giveaways!  Trevor has the personality to entertain, teach, motivate, coach, inspire, and touch your heart with the incredible gift we as photographers are given to create memories for our clients.

In a competitive industry like photography where it might be expected that a successful professional would keep personal favorite techniques for achieving signature looks to himself, he completely removes any sense of pretense and instead shares all he can to help his workshop attendees be as successful as possible!  This is truly priceless!   To summarize best it filled the gaps. A variety of questions had crossed my mind in the past few years.  Sometimes I wondered if there was a more effective way to process photos or achieve the results I wanted for my clients.  Every question I had was patiently answered.  How unique as well that Trevor’s teaching style and down-to-earth presentation would suit a wide range of photographers both beginning and those with many years of experience, from newborn to family to senior to commercial to wedding photographers.

This workshop will be a turning point in my business and a lifelong memory.  The sweet fellowship and kindness of 9 photographers learning and sharing for each other’s mutual benefit was such a positive experience.  Trevor’s beautiful relationship with his wife and family brings such a richness to his role of photographer.  His sincere concern for his clients’ joy on their wedding day and satisfaction with their photos is touching.

I will always be grateful for the opportunity I had to attend this workshop, to be mentored by other photographers, to grow in my skills, to be challenged to push past my comfort zone, and to gain strategies for efficiency and effectiveness as a photographer that will help me bless my clients in the future.  It is a tough decision for photographers to allocate portions of their business funds for workshops and continuing education.  We wonder if the cost wouldn’t be better spent on a new lens or software upgrade.  I am happy that I took the risk to invest a bit in this weekend’s workshop.  It exceeded my expectations and I have dozens of ideas to implement in coming months!

Thank you Trevor for traveling so far to give above and beyond what we could have expected for the price! Thank you for the invaluable tools you equipped us with to succeed.  All photographers will find his website a source of inspiration!  Like his Facebook page to keep informed about future Gamechangers workshops!

My dear friend announced the coming arrival of her 5th child not many months ago (see maternity session photos HERE)… so many of their family and friends have been counting the days until we would meet the new little one!  His name was announced and we have been praying for him by name as well.  Closer and closer the date came and surprisingly he was the first of his siblings to be born ON his due date!  We had hoped I could be present for his birth to take photos of his first moments, but I was flying high above the clouds in an airplane returning from a convention when he was born.  I was never so thankful for a WiFi hotspot!  I was able to pray for my precious friend as she went through labor and see photos of him moments after birth.  Before he was 24 hours old I was honored to be able to hug my friend and welcome her new baby boy to their family!  The light was low in the hospital room and I was so thankful for my 5D mk iii’s amazing low light capability so no flash was needed even there.  Most of these photos were taken at between 2,000 and 10,000 ISO.  I am so proud of the strength and courage of my friend as she naturally delivered a 10 pound plus baby boy!  He couldn’t be more beautiful!!  His red hair is so similar to one of his big sister’s and yet he has sweet features of each of the other sisters and brother as well!  He is truly perfect in every way!  I was thrilled to be there when they brought him home to meet his siblings!  The smiles on their faces and expressions of awe were unforgettable!

Congratulations to all of the family!  Enjoy these first photos of your new son, brother, grandson, nephew and cousin!

Next time a photo session is planned during weather that is less than optimal, remember that it is the precious relationships you want to capture in your pictures and remember forever!  These are just as wonderful in a small space indoors as out!  Creativity and happy faces matter most!  I really enjoy shallow depth of field and incorporating monotone images with warm hazes or pastel tones to limit background distraction and bring attention to sparkly eyes and bright smiles!  Study the duplicates and compare the impression of the images in color versus monotone and see how the beauty of everyday moments outshine the background!