The Secret Workshop

I have a new friend...

...and it's this Orange County Photographer.  That's right folks.  It's Southern California family photographer extraordinaire, Tara Whitney, who guest spoke at The Secret Workshop this past weekend in Seattle.  :::faints:::  I am totally addicted to her blog....aren't you?  Doesn't get much better than that, does it??  No, I didn't think so.

When I asked her to guest speak at our Seattle workshop, I thought surely she would say no.  Little did I know that all of the planets aligned...or the groundhog saw his shadow...or I threw some salt over my shoulder...or whatever the heck means that TARA WHITNEY IS COMING TO SEATTLE!!!!  She said yes.  So, after I crapped my pants, I jumped up and down and shrieked loudly in my living room.  Once I calmed the baby, who had just been awakened from a deep sleep by her hysterical mother, I screamed "GUESS WHAT KENNEDY?!?!?  TARA WHITNEY IS GOING TO COME TO THE SECRET WORKSHOP IN SEATTLE AAAAAAND TAKE OUR FAMILY PICTURES!  HOW EXCITING IS THIS?!?!?!?"  Well, let me just tell you.  That Kennedy does not impress easily and even she proceeded to celebrate Tara's "yes" by giggling uncontrollably and shoving a corn chip in her mouth.  And the rest.....is history.  Tara came to Seattle.  Tara rocked Seattle.  Tara shot my family's pictures in the rain in Seattle.  Tara is my new friend.  Tara for president.

Oh, how I miss blogging.  I am going to start blogging again.  But this time, I am thinking of combining my work blog with my workshop blog.  Would that be okay with you guys?

Wanna see some pictures?  Here are a couple of mine from the workshop.  This sweet beauty.  Oh how I loved her.

 

And this glowing new mama brought her 11-day-old baby for us to shoot live in front of the group.  What a treat he was.  I almost accidentally tucked him in my pocket to bring him home with me.

And this little dude was 5 weeks old.  Amazingly enough, he slept for us...but check out his baby blues in this awake shot.

And here I am with Tara...she is as beautiful as she is kind.  And as humble as she is talented.      

A look back at the Natural, Clean & Honest Photography of Nicole Zumaeta

Your name: Nicole Zumaeta
City and State: Naples, FL
Website: www.nicolezphotography.com
Blog: www.nicolez.typepad.com

What was the most important thing you learned at the workshop? It is hard to narrow down one thing that is the most important thing that I learned from the Secret Workshop.  I certainly walked away with a refreshed attitude towards my business and a heightened drive to succeed in my photography business.  I guess if I had to pick one thing that was the most important...it would have to be that I must "preserve my joy".  That one statement that Cheryl uttered over and over again, really stuck with me.  I went into the workshop frustrated and unsure of exactly what direction I was going to take my business, but Cheryl's amazing motivation and her undeniable  love for her family first and photography second, gave me a newfound respect for 'family' and how important it is to always put my family first!

Did you make any changes in your business as a result of attending the workshop?  Yes.  Actually the Secret was at the very beginning stages of my business so I was able to mold my business and business philosophy around what I learned at the workshop.  For example, marketing, style, procedures, policies, etc.

 
If you could give one tip to a new photographer, what would it be?  Take it slow.  There is no need to rush things where your business is concerned.  Take your time, perfect your craft, and learn all you can about the business before rushing into it!!  Set your policies, goals and have a target market in mind before you start your business.

Do you have any new goals you would like to share?  Well, I have just started my Spring 2008 marketing campaign, so my goals are short term at the moment.  I hope to go full force with my business this spring and summer.  It will be a true test for me and my business!

Now, let's look at some before & afters.

Here are the befores:

And now, the afters:

Thanks, Nicole!!! You ROCK!!

Taking a look at the elegant, powerful and compelling photography of MELANIE BATARSEH!!

Your name: Melanie Batarseh

City and State: Baltimore, Maryland (OK it's really Eldersburg, Maryland, but who knows where that is??)

Website: www.melaniebphotography.com

What was the most important thing you learned at the workshop?  Pricing and marketing.  Without really raising my prices, I restructured my price list to follow Cheryl's example, and my sales jumped way up!  Before the workshop, my goal was to get every customer to spend $200, but I wasn't really doing anything to achieve that goal, and it wasn't happening on it's own (big surprise).  Now my goal is to get every customer to spend at least $500, and most are spending $1000!  And this is without actually raising my prices at all!  Imagine what will happen when I decide I'm ready to raise them!  Before the workshop, I was HOPING that someday photography would be a career for me and would actually give me a real income (but I feared that it wouldn't).  After the workshop, I KNEW it could work!  What an incredible feeling!  I can do what I love and make enough money to support myself and my family!  Wow!

Did you make any changes in your business as a result of attending the workshop? Prices, like I said above, and I changed my editing a lot.  I learned about correct skin tone and how to give images pop and life...richness....that's what it feels like to me.  My images are rich now; and they were flat and lifeless before.  I've also added new products to my price list that I didn't know anything about before.

If you could give one tip to a new photographer, what would it be?  There's so much you can learn from the internet.  I had no idea all the resources out there before the workshop.  Now I'm constantly reading forums and articles and blogs and learning so much great information all the time!  Read Read Read!

Do you have any new goals you would like to share? So so many...wanna see my list?  There's so much more I want to learn about photography itself (different lighting, trying out different lenses, perfecting exposure,....), there are still new products I want to look at and maybe sell, I want to expand the type of work I do (right now I'm just newborns and babies)....I could go on and on.

Now let's look at her (incredible!!) befores & afters:

Newborn before:

Newborn after:

Here is another before/after set showing the "curl" in a newborn image.

And just to show how much she learned in photoshop stuff, here is the same image processed both before and after the workshop.  Wow! Such a big difference!

Thanks for sharing with us, Melanie!

Let's check out the Pure, Spontaneous photography of Andrea Brogle!

Your name: Andrea Brogle

City and State: Chicago area, IL

Website: http://www.andreabroglephotography.com

Blog: http://www.andreabrogle.com (being re-designed right now)

What was the most important thing you learned at the workshop? To believe in myself.  Cheryl got me so motivated I could not wait to get back home and set-up shop.  I thought I would be in business in a bout a year, not in one month!

Did you make any changes in your business as a result of attending the workshop?  I started one!  Attending the workshop taught me everything I needed to know to start and run my photography business -  from how to get the "look" to using Photoshop to marketing/pricing.  I would not have a business right now if it weren't for Cheryl and the Secret Team.

If you could give one tip to a new photographer, what would it be?  Practice and practice and then practice some more! It will make you a better photographer, build your portfolio and give you confidence.

Do you have any new goals you would like to share?  I would love to have some displays up around the Chicago suburbs before summer!

Here are some of Andrea's "before" shots:

And now, her "After" shots:

 

 

A little reflection with the fun, simple, fresh photography of Bree Hester

City and State: Sacramento, CA
The Website: www.breehesterphotography.com
The Blog:  www.breehester.typepad.com
The secret workshop you attended: NC, July 2007
Before
Q.How did you hear about the workshop?  I heard about the workshop on ILP.
Q.When you attended the workshop, how long had you been taking photographs? I have been taking pictures for as long as I can remember, but about 6 months professionally.
Q.What was the most memorable part of the weekend?  I loved meeting all of the other photographers and sharing so much great information. The whole weekend was memorable, it is hard to pick one moment.
Q.What was the most important thing you learned at the workshop?The most important thing that I learned at the workshop was that I can do it.  I did not believe before that weekend that my work was good enough for other people to want to buy it.  I can home a new woman with a new attitude.  I also learned to LOVE working in the studio.
(below, one of Bree's before photos)


After:
Q.When you returned home,what was the first thing you did? I raised my prices and updated my policies.
Q. What is a lesson you learned along the way as you were getting your business started?  Don't undercut yourself.  You will work really, really hard, for very little.
Q.How do you feel the workshop impacted your photography/business? It gave me the confidence I needed to know that I could succeed and run a business. 
Q.What product/size print do you sell the most of? Lately, digital files.
Q.How do you keep your blog fun and fresh? I try to update it a lot (sometimes I am better at it than others) I include a lot of personal images and my clients like to see what I do for my own children.  I get a lot of requests for locations and ideas that way.
If you could give one tip to a new photographer what would it be? Shoot a lot and have fun!  I am taking 2 photography classes this semester at the local community college and I love getting new ideas and techniques.  It helps keep it fresh and creative.
(below some of Bree's recent favorites)

Where is She Now? A look at the bright, colorful, and fun photography of Shawna Allen

The Facts
City and State:  Charlotte, NC
Your Website:www.BellaTristanoPhotography.com
Your Blog: www.bellatristano.typepad.com
The secret workshop you attended: Greensboro, NC in July 2007
Before the workshop:
Q.When you attended the workshop, how long had you been taking photographs? 
Like most photographers I'd been taking pics for fun pretty much forever but getting paid to do it for about 2 years.
Q.What was the most memorable part of the weekend?
All of it!  I can't possibly pick one thing!  I didn't want it to end.
Q.What was the most important thing you learned at the workshop 
That I'm worth it!  I learned sooooo many things that I now use all the time, but most important was realizing that I don't have to settle.  I always used to second guess my skills and this workshop made me realize that I don't have to.
(Below are some of Shawna's favorite photos before the workshop)


After the workshop:
Q.When you returned home,  what was the first thing you did? 
Raised my prices!
Q. What is a lesson you learned along the way as you were getting your business started? 
That its better to work smart, not hard ;)
Q.How do you feel the workshop impacted your photography/business?
It made it so much better!  From editing to pricing to style, it has changed everything.
Q.What product/size print do you sell the most of? 
Storyboards.  People always ask about them.
Q.If you could give one tip to a new photographer what would it be?
Relax.  It makes everything so much easier.
Q.where do you see your business in five years?
Hopefully bigger and better so I can quit my day job!
(below, check out shawna's awesome recent favorites!)

A look back with the fresh, spirited and playful photography of Heather Crowder

Happy Friday! What a fun weekend this will be as we meet a few of the "original" secret workshop attendees and see where they are now, just a little over 6 months later!
First up, is the fabulous Heather Crowder. Heather attended the workshop only to learn to take better pictures of her sweet baby girl, and came home, transformed and ready to start a business. As soon as she launched her website, she was flooded with emails and sessions. Hearing awesome stories like that make me all warm and fuzzy inside. But enough about me..
.
The Website:  www.heathercrowder.com
The Blog: www.heathercrowder.com/blog
The Facts:

City and State:  Annapolis, MD
Married? Happily.
Kids: sweet Caroline, 20 months & Buster the wonder dog - 10 y.o. Jack Russell Terrier

The secret workshop you attended: (location and month and year)  NC summer 2007
A pre workshop photo below. (Heather could barely send it. The color cast was driving her crazy)

Then:
Q.How did you hear about the workshop? what made you decide to attend?  I stumbled across Cheryl's website, and I wanted to learn more about how to make my pictures look LIKE THAT!
Q.What was the most important thing you learned at the workshop? That it was possible that my photos could look LIKE THAT, and with some time and practice, they are getting there.
Q. How did you feel when you left the workshop?   I was afraid I would get a speeding ticket on the way home, eager and excited to practice all that I had learned.
(photo below taken at the workshop)

The Middle:
Q.When you returned home, what was the first thing you did? (i.e. upgrade cameras, practice photoshop, raise prices, etc) Ha.  Spent a fortune on all of the above. The B & H truck pulled up out front about a couple of days later and unloaded.
Q. What is the best photography purchase you made since the workshop: 5D with a big fat lens & a website.
Q. What is a lesson you learned along the way as you were getting your business started? Treat it like a business, and price accordingly.  While it still seems like a dream that people pay me to do this thing I love, I know what my time is worth.
(below, a favorite recent image)

Now:
Q.You've got such great branding. How did you decide to brand yourself?  I thought really hard about what would represent me as a person, and as a photographer, something professional yet playful.  The starfish symbol is a carry-over from my "old life" and the blue and green colors have always been my signature.   My wedding invitations, favorite outfit, bathroom paint, you name it, I can't get enough of those colors :-)  I worked closely with a logo designer and we were instantly on the same page.  My logo and branding feels like "me"
Q.How do you feel the workshop impacted your photography/business?  It is the reason I have one.
Q.What product/size print do you sell the most of? This fall I sold a ton of 11 x 14's, but working hard to sell more big stuff!  There is nothing like the impact of a large wall portrait in someone's home when their referrals, I mean friends, visit :-)
Q.What is your favorite age to shoot? 1 - 3  I love the challenge of the chase.
Q.If you could give one tip to a new photographer what would it be? Practice, Practice, Practice.  (Is that one, or three?)  One more, for someone wanting to start a photography business, remember that it is ALL about the images.  It's important to have a nice logo, tri-fold brochure, marketing materials, to represent yourself well, etc. but ultimately you have to deliver a product that clients want.  They are not going to hang your business card (fabulous as it may be) on their wall.  Oh, and buy a NAPP membership - what you save in shipping from B & H is worth the fee.
Q.What was the most memorable part of the weekend?  My gosh - too many to mention, but most importantly, sitting with Cheryl and hearing her say 
You. Can. Do. This. :-)  I really should have tape recorded that.

Kristie Serra Shares...

Well friends, we are nearing the end of or reflection on Orlando. It is bittersweet, I have loved reading about the great time (and seeing the awesome photos). But we have so much great stuff to share coming up, that I can't wait. I have one more post after this one to share with you regarding Orlando (unless there's any stragglers out there who still want to send me stories and photos) and then we are on to some great new stuff AND we will continue to meet the great California ladies!
Here Kristie Serra shares her story
Your Name: Kristie Serra
Your website: Just a blog for now, http://greencrocstudios.blogspot.com/
What you learned: EVERYTHING!! It's like Cheryl, Amy and Jodie opened up their bag of tricks and secrets and poured it out to share!!! The Photoshop techniques have cut my workflow time in half! The marketing and sales strategies, tips for pricing, amazing lighting and shooting techniques are going to make SUCH a difference in my business!!
How you felt coming home from the experience: So inspired, totally energized and confident in my abilities!
Something you will be adding/changing/or modifying to your business: Oh, I'm throwing most of my ideas going into the workshop right out of the window! I'm so excited to be starting off strong with all that I learned at the workshop!!
Was it what you expected?: I expected an amazing weekend, and I got WAY more than that!!!
The most valuable part of the workshop was...: Meeting Cheryl! The experience was priceless! I don't think I ever felt so inspired or laughed as hard as I did that weekend!
I am a changed photographer/businesswoman/person because...: d) All of the above! Seriously, it was an experience of a lifetime for me! It goes well beyond the information I received or the techniques I learned, it was the amazing women I met, the friends I made and the love and generosity of Cheryl, Amy and Jodie!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! XOXO

p.s. The only thing I wish we could have added to the weekend was SNOW (lol)... my twins think that when you go on "vacation" that you're going somewhere that it snows! I knew I was in trouble when I was getting ready to leave for Orlando and they asked me to make them a snowman for them while I was there! They were so excited to see when I got back home, but so disappointed about the snowman!! Ha-Ha!!