This year's faculty is an amazing group of artists and educators. Plus, the content of the entire program has been designed to help you THRIVE, not just survive! It all starts with Marketing Boot Camp and includes hands-on time with some of the finest shooters in the industry. Plus, every attendee gets a $200 credit at Venice Album towards a future album order. All the information is on the SCU site - just click the program description tab after any of the photographer profiles.
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Joe is our Monday night platform speaker and we can promise you a terrific program. Seriously, after so many of the incredible things he's done in photography, it's almost impossible to talk about his career in just a couple of paragraphs. So, let's just say National Geographic for 23 years, Time Magazine, Fortune, Newsweek, New York, Entertainment Weekly, Sunday New York Times, Life, Sports Illustrated and the list goes on and on... Images copyright Joe McNally. All rights reserved. After talking with Joe, we decided to call the program, "Inside the Mind of Joe McNally" and there's no telling what aspect of his life long quest he's going to focus on first. As he said in an email: I could talk about being relentless, tenacious and continuing to re-invent yourself. I could talk about the marathon aspects of this career, and how you have to build for the long haul. I could talk about telling stories, which is a skill that is getting lost in the quick hit, single pic atmosphere of the internet." Yeah, that will do it! Join us on Monday night for what promises to be a remarkable program and a look at how Joe sees the world! I've grown to know so many sides of Adam over the last few years since first meeting during an interview at a show in New York. He's a videographer, a photographer, a writer and he's passionate about every aspect of imaging, especially technology. I chose this video to share, not because I'm in it, but because he's also a storyteller. With so many changes in technology, the lines between still photography and video are becoming very "blurry". However, the one thing that never changes is the need to be a great storyteller and that's just what he did when he produced this video. Adam's got a multifaceted role at Summer Session this year...he'll be helping photographers build a stronger marketing plan during the marketing boot camp program on Sunday, August 11. As one of the editors for Resource Magazine he's got good solid contemporary experience in running a business, but long before Resource, he ran his own business. He'll be around for the entire program, helping photographers with whatever challenges come up. He's a great shooter and knows the skills you need to build your brand, grow and succeed. Then, he'll help wrap up the conference with me during a closing program to help you stay focused, utilize your resources and keep building your network! Summer Session is unlike any program you've ever been to and we can promise that your support won't end just because you head home when it's over! Zach and Jody will be kicking off this year's SCU program as our first platform program on Sunday night. We're going to jump right into a little marketing, because...what good is working to create the finest images of your life if you can't sell them? Over and over again, in program after program, Zach and Jody have helped thousands of photographers raise the bar on their skillset - not just as photographers, but as business owners and managers. And they never do anything half way! In fact, when we posted their original faculty page for SCU their advice to photographers had so much helpful information that we made it into a blog post. The title of the post says it all, "You Are NOT a Second Class Photographer!" In Zach and Jody's platform program on Sunday, August 11 they'll be sharing ideas to walk you through their process of selling that feels more like a beautiful exchange than it does peddling your products. They'll help you raise the bar on the quality of your salesmanship. Then, join them for a half day program on Monday morning as they focus on the different key aspects of running a business. This is all about raising your bottom line so that you don't just survive, but THRIVE! In just the past two years Dixie has been written up in virtually every professional magazine in photography. The look and feel of so many of her images is like looking at Avedon or Scavullo's work and she's captured the hearts of so many people in the photographic and fashion worlds. At SCU in August she's doing a short half day program, but it's not really a workshop, but a live fashion shoot. She'll take you through the challenges she deals with on a real shoot and share ideas to help you bring a stronger fashion look to your images. She's also an amazing promoter and her short videos give you a behind the scenes look at what makes her work so special! This is about building trust with the client just as much as the model. Three years ago we shared what's become known as the finest "about" video in wedding photography. It was Justin and Mary Marantz, just being who they are, Justin and Mary. While it sounds outrageously simplistic, it says so much about their style of shooting as well as teaching. With every client they set a standard for honesty, by simply being themselves. Even if you've seen the video before, it's worth another watch... Okay, so that's who they are as photographers, but they're no different as instructors. They recognize the importance of simplicity and in their teaching style, it becomes very personal. They pay attention to the basics, but also work hard to customize their presentation to what each student needs to succeed. Understanding exposure, lighting, posing and your gear are the first part of the challenge in becoming a great wedding photographer, but the second part is just as important. You've got to become a great storyteller. Your work has to meet the mindset of the bride and groom. At the same time you need to create images that set you apart from your competitors. This is about making yourself habit-forming to your clients and nobody does it better! Boudoir photography has become one of the fastest growing portrait specialties in our industry, but it's also one of the most sensitive in working with the client. Jen Rozenbaum has developed a style that sets the standard for building trust and capturing stunning images with every subject. Boudoir photography is about creativity and capturing a mood utilizing the personality of the client, composition, exposure and lighting. Jen doesn't do anything halfway, so imagine how she teaches! Spending a day with Jen in a small group with hands-on shooting will help you elevate your skill set to a level necessary to build a stronger brand. But there's more to this side of photography than just understanding the basic principles. Jen has become one of the best artists in professional photography because of her confidence, attitude and communication skills. So, imagine her skills as an instructor. Lots of photographers can capture/create great images, but only a handful can help other photographers develop the necessary skills! I've followed Ryan's career since he was a kid, coming to WPPI with his Dad. Over the years his skill set became better and better, winning award after award in competition both in the U.S. and Australia. Just for starters, he's a five time WPPI Grand Award winner and 2012 AIPP Australian Wedding Photographer of the year. His style of shooting is almost Zen-like, paying attention to the overall scene, while never losing focus on the subject. And, that's the same way he teaches! Many of you may have seen this video before, it was the hype piece prior to his WPPI program. "Strength, Passion and Honesty" - those three words are so appropriate in describing Ryan's outlook on building a successful wedding business. However, they're even more appropriate to the way he teaches. This video was for a two hour program - now imagine what it will be like working with him in a small group for an entire day! Before becoming a professional photographer, Roberto was a teacher and classical guitarist. We're not just talking about guitarist at a hobby level, but playing with an orchestra. Roberto does nothing half way and his focus as both a professional teacher and musician developed his ability to understand the importance of constant practice and the discipline to work to create/capture the ultimate image. Every year attendees comment about how much they learn in Roberto's program. They actually see things differently after his workshops, finding themselves capable of dissecting a scene and looking at details they might before have completely missed. Plus, Roberto loves to take the mystery out of the need to practice, helping photographers use ordinary scenes and household items to practice with. You don't need to have models at a workshop to fine tune your skill set when you get home. There's a reason we chose the video above to share with you! Building a strong wedding business is about consistency and exceeds client expectations. Spending a day with Roberto will change the way you work with your clients, capture images and build albums with the potential to be award-winning. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what is a video like this worth? Suzette Allen has been shooting and teaching for a whole lot of years, but what she's teaching this year is so spot on in terms of helping photographers build a stronger business. This is more than just developing your skill set - this is about creating a whole new product stream for revenue. Seriously, is there any client who wouldn't love a short video holiday card like this one? And in terms of your own skill set, how many other types of applications could you find for your ability to create new Hybrid e-products like this? Suzette is teaching two classes this year - pick whichever day works and then get yourself ready for some incredible marketing opportunities when you start to implement this new skill set with your clients. |
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