Hi all. I hope your Thursday is going well. Sorry for the lack of blog post(s) in the past two days. I am actually trying to catch up from being away and out of state all day this past Tuesday. It's crazy how one day away can wreak havoc on your everyday routine, isn't it? Anyway, I've been meaning to share this session with each of you for a while now. Isn't this little princess such a doll? She really worked the camera and gave out the smiles on cue without much prompting. She was a natural - definitely!
These shots were taken before they began mowing down all of the queen Anne's lace in the fields around Indy. Now all of the fields are just...well fields. Ha ha! Mowed down, plain ol' fields. Boring. In these shots though, the area was gorgeous and the little girl couldn't have gone any more perfectly in regard to her attire. This is a shoot that I did with Leah so she helped pick the child's clothing for the session. So fun!
Then, she got into a new set of digs and rolled with some pig tails for a bit. Even more cuteness...
And this shot below....Oh how I love it. It makes me laugh anytime I look at it. She looks as though she is standing there giving a speech of some sort. Cracks me up...
And her eyes...they are just stunning...
Don't you just love her lace in her hair (below)? Yeap...help from Leah with that added "punch" too. Soooooo adorable!
This was such a fun session. Children like this little girl really trick you into thinking children's portraiture is nothing short of a breeze. If only every session went off without a hitch like this one... :)
From left to right we have Audrey Woulard (Chicago), Tamara Lackey(North Carolina), Laura Novak (Delaware), and Lena Hyde (Palm Beach, Florida). These four fabulous women are like Rock stars in the photography field. If you are into photography but didn't know of these four women until now, then you had to have been hiding under a rock for the last 6-8 years. For myself and the other 59 photographers who got to spend all last week with these women, it was truly the experience of a life time. Literally! Unfortunately, they are no longer doing LEARNFEST so I got in on the very last LEARNFEST to ever be offered. To think that I almost missed out on that opportunity makes me physically ill. I'm so glad that I was able to go and that the stars and the moon aligned for me in order to make it happen. It was tough to be away in the middle of the week like that but in the end, I decided it was worth the juggling and worth the chaos of planning to be away for that long. And boy am I thankful that I did it. WHEW! I'm still reeling from the excitement and can barely contain myself. I spent all weekend with my nose in my laptop - working with my graphics girl, Crystal, to design and order new marketing tools - new business cards - changing up my website details and so forth. I've sat down and strategically planned on how I intend to hit not only the Indiana market but the Southwest, Florida market as well. Beings that we are at the Florida house at least once a month, there is no reason why I shouldn't be tapping into that market as well.
I snapped this shot as one of our models was jumping in mid air. I believe the Mom to this little girl emailed me here on the blog yesterday - inquiring about the images all of us photographers took at Learnfest. If that was you, feel free to email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com if you are interested in the image. When we did the model shoots, I eventually quit shooting and just decided to sit back and take in all that the instructors were doing. Normally I am so eager to get a shot that I jump right in and go to town with the shutter. However, I quickly realized that this time...I was in the company of some extreme talent and didn't want to miss a beat in regard to how they shoot, why they shoot what they shoot, their personality interaction with kids, parents, etc. I became a sponge and monitored their every move...just trying to incorporate that vibe then somehow bottle it and take it home with me. Ha ha! In the end, the biggest thing that I learned is that people are paying you for "you." Not for your images, not for your prices, etc. They are paying for "you." Sure they can go down the street and find some prices that are cheaper. But in the end, they want "you." Therefore, gaining the confidence to carry that "you" trait is a work in progress for me. The hardest thing about photography is one...finally calling yourself a photographer and meaning it. Secondly, it is being confident enough in yourself to step out there, and jump - allowing your wings to catch your fall. So many times as a photographer, you second guess your abilities. So from here on out, I'm working hard to not second guess my skill level and I'm just jumping. Just like my painting says...jump and you shall find out how to unfold your wings as you fall. Love that!
Above, these are just some of the awesome photographers that were in my RED group at Learnfest. As I mentioned on Friday, there were 60 photographers at the event. They then took those 60 and broke us down into four separate groups. These ladies were just a snippet of my group. Did I mention that the RED group rocked??? Ha ha! These wonderful women have now become some very dear friends and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I'll be able to lean on them as we all embark on this journey together. It is so awesome to share the same passion. We all just sat and talked for hours on end during our stay at the Chateau Elan while at Learnfest. Not only was the hotel amazing but it had grounds that went on and on forever. There was so much to the location that you couldn't do it all in one trip. The grounds were stunning. Just stunning. And the inside of the property made for a great local when it came to long chats about photography with my new peeps. Did I mention how good the food was there too? Yes, we got to eat with our instructor and our groups each morning as well as for lunch. They had an amazing breakfast buffet especially. I'm not normally a breakfast girl but they whipped me up some "mean" egg white omelette's while I was there each morning. :)
Above is Tamara Lackey. This woman's energy is like nothing else I've ever seen. She actually got herself and one of her groups booted out of one of the banquet hallways for being so loud during a model shoot. Ha ha! Love it! I also loved her thinking that she passed on to us. She said..."If you as a photographer, aren't getting kicked out of places, then you are doing something wrong." HA! So funny! We all know how I have been kicked off properties and such by now. Guess that isn't such a bad thing after all. Check out the energy and the vibe between Tamara and this little boy below. This is talent people...talent! And yes, they are inside the hotel water fountain. Hysterical! Remember what she said about "getting kicked out of places..."
According to the Learnfest website, Tamara's work has appeared in a variety of publications such as Vogue, O Magazine, Elle, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Living, Parenting Magazine, The Knot Weddings, Food & Wine and Inside Weddings. She regularly shoots the cover images for Adoptive Families Magazine, Premier Baby & Child, Endurance Magazine, and Carolina Parent. Her photography has also been showcased on The Martha Stewart Show. Tamara is also an author. She has a new book out regarding children's portraiture. You should grab a copy. I promise it won't disappoint!
Tamara is a vibrant spirit with an amazing heart. She talked to us about all of the ways she did her photography business wrong in the early years. Then she told us how she did it right, sharing each of her reasons to her success as of today. I loved her vibe, her energy, how she interacted with the clients, and her passion in general for the industry. She is also the instructor that discussed how important it is to get your images out there and share them with the world (i.e., via a blog). It is thru her blog that images of President Obama were viewed after she went to a press event. Following the viewing of those images, she was ultimately hired to come work on his campaign trail. She shared an image with us that she also took of Maya Angelou and Mrs. Obama together. It was beautiful!
I also liked Tamara because she wasn't afraid to get down and dirty for her shots. I can't tell you how many times I come home looking like I've rolled in pig slop following a shoot. As photographers, if you aren't ending up in some funky positions on the ground while shooting, then you aren't going out of the box to capture some really cool angles. Get down, get dirty, get crazy. The client will love you for it - especially their child. The kids think it is a hoot. Following Tamara's hard earned posed below, she got up with some mud on her feet but she was still rockin' it out. The grass was so wet and muddy from the rain that day that she her hands and feet were squishing and sinking in that stuff. Too fun!
Now let me introduce you to Mrs. Audrey Woulard...
Audrey is going to kill me for posting these pictures on my blog of her with the rain bag on her head. She even said..."I better not see these on any blogs." Ha ha! However, I just had to post them because it just reconfirms what a rock star she is. It was pouring down raining that afternoon and she grabbed a bag from the hotel bellman, wrapped her camera in it as well as her hair and went to town. Now that is taking charge of a shoot! Not stressing about the rain, the lighting, etc. She just worked it! Many of you are familiar with Audrey. She has pretty much taken over Chicago when it comes to children's portraiture. Her talent is a force to be reckoned with. For those of us in the photography realm, we love her style, her edge, her attitude...we just love it all! According to the learnfest website, along with Audrey's portrait work, she is also commissioned for high profile kids commercial work for clients such as Pottery Barn Kids, Toys R Us, Advocate Hospitals, and The Disney Store. In the shot below, this is one of the moms of our model holding the umbrella for Audrey as she worked the shoot.
These shots above and below are more images of my gals from the RED group during our model shoot under the instruction of Audrey. Love my RED group girls. Did I tell you that the RED group ROCKS? :) If I didn't, let me just say that....the RED group ROCKS!!!
Here is Audrey working her magic with one of our little models. Again, this is talent people - talent. You either have the personality to carry a photography session or you don't. This is clearly someone who exudes talent...
And this one below is of Audrey too. I can't remember what she was doing here but we were all on the hotel floor out in the middle of the atrium laughing about something. There were a lot of laughs during the week. Sooooooooo much fun!
And here we have the fab "four again." I was sad that I wasn't able to get any other shots of Lena or Laura. Unfortunately, they did the "business and marketing" part of the conference and therefore didn't have a model shoot at all. Tamara and Audrey were the only two instructors who shot for the week. Laura is 2nd from the right. According to the learnfest website, along with gracing the mantles of families nationwide, Laura's photos can be found on the pages of many publications including Brides Magazine, People, The Knot, Modern Bride, My Day Magazine, Philadelphia Elegant Bride, Professional Photographer Magazine, Rangefinder and the Wedding Photographers Handbook. In 2007, Laura was named one of two photographers nation-wide as Kodak's Photographers, recognizing her ability to capture spontaneous, intimate and emotional moments like few others in her field.
Lena Hyde is on the end, on the right. According to the learnfest site,
Lena's international clients come to her year after year for an experience they know they cannot find elsewhere. Her studio revenue has multiplied by over 1500 percent in the last four years and Lena is more than happy to share her career experiences and lessons learned with her students. Before shooting people, Lena was an art educator in San Francisco and wrote an art column for the SF Chronicle. Her experimental photography has been internationally exhibited in galleries and museums, including Southeast Museum of Photography, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Gallery, American Embassy, Harare Zimbabwe; and Casa Fotografia Fuji, Brazil. Lena also has eight years experience teaching art and photography. Did I mention that Lena also shoots clients like Tiger Woods and other athlete's families? Very cool!
Above, some of the gals from my RED group again - having fun. This one is out of focus but I had to share it anyway.
And lastly, above...the entire red group all together. Don't mind the bad "ghost" job at the top left. It was a horrific shot of me so I politely removed myself - quickly - from the image. Hey...at least I was there in "spirit," eh? Ha ha! I know I'm going to catch h-e-double hockey sticks for this one. :)
Hello everyone. Yes, I am still alive. I'm so very sorry for the delay in posting this week. My family and I just got back into town last night after having been in Atlanta, Georgia for the past week. Well, actually we were in Braselton, GA which is about 40 minutes outside of Atlanta. I didn't mention my leaving ahead of time just for security reasons for my family. I apologize. I have gotten too numerous to count emails from those of you worried about my family & I while I was away. I never meant to make anyone worry. Thank you for your sincere concern though. It means the world to me. I did try to blog at one point - just a general blog - but the internet access was so bad there due to the remote area we were in that I just couldn't get decent service. I was actually in Georgia for the photography workshop called LEARNFEST. I've been looking forward to the LEARNFEST event for months. It was a huge deal for me and I couldn't be more pleased with all of the info I walked away with. I got the opportunity to spend 4 days with 4 of the most ROCKSTAR photographers in the industry. I'm still reeling from the excitement. I had breakfast and lunch most mornings and afternoons while rubbing elbows, side by side, with photographers (these 4 women), who are celebrities to me in the photography realm. I follow their work and admire everything about each of them and their successes. I respect every word they say because they've been doing this for 6-8 years now and have reached a level of success with photography that most of us can only dream of. I'll have more on each of the ladies come Monday when I post my actual Learnfest update here on the blog. However, these are photographers who shoot for President Obama on the campaign trail, who shoot Maya Angelou and Mrs. Obama, who shoot for pottery barn kids, Vogue, O Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, People magazine, Toys R' Us, the Disney Store. They also shoot and are sought after/in high demand for celebrity families such as Tiger Woods and his family. To say that myself and my fellow classmates were star struck would be an understatement. I even watched one gal ask one of the photographers for her autograph. Yes, that is how big of a deal this event was. Not only was the event exciting as all get out, but we also stayed at a fabulous chateau/winery in Georgia called the Chateau Elan. There are no words for how amazing this place was. It was in a remote area of town - out in the middle of no where really. Very gorgeous.
In fact, our rooms were so gorgeous that I almost stole - yes...stole...the bed out of our room. I loved it. It was incredible. I could have made good use of it in my own home back here in Indy. Ha ha! It was a very art deco style bed done up in a stunning blue leather. Beautimous! Just beautimous! So were the window treatments...
Overall, I spent the week with 59 other budding photographers who were just as impressed and overcome with excitement as I was when it came to the leaders of the workshop, their talents, and the local of where this event was held. I personally got to "hang" with 18 other women who were in my group for the duration of the week. They broke the total group of 60 photographers down into four smaller groups. Of course the RED group was the best group of them all. Yes, the RED group ROCKS! Just ask anyone who was in that group with me. Even the four instructors commented on how the RED group was the best group of the four. No joke! We loved every minute of it too. We knew our group was FAB but it was great to hear our celebrity photography instructors confirm that as well. Hee hee! :)
I learned so much from these women that I can barely contain my excitement. Although I've been to shooting workshops, this workshop was more business related. We did have model shoots but I mainly sat back and watched during those times. I watched the instructors work their magic on children they had never met and then soaked it all up. I truly believe that photography is 20% photography, and then 40% your personality and how you interact with your clients and then the last 40% is all business. I've heard over and over again from instructors how photography is so business driven and that those who make it in this field - make it because they are just as business driven as they are creative. All 4 of these photographers echoed the same sentiments. They told us for every 10 photographers that start out in this field, only 1 will make it successfully. They said there are tons of photographers saturating the market today but that only 1 out of 10 are making any money at this business - any money worth recognizing anyhow. I wrote down every word and tip that they uttered from their mouths. I began changing things on my website before I ever even left the conference. I then came home and got ahold of my graphics gal (web designer) and had her go to work on new marketing literature that I plan to saturate my town/city with immediately. Things are heading to the printer as we speak and I plan to tackle this passion of mine with a vengeance. I'm so psyched and so ready to follow my dream. One of our celebrity rock star photographers at the conference passed on a quote to us that read..."It's never too late to become who you might have been!" (~George Elliot) I loved that. You all know how much I love quotes anyway...let alone when they read like that one does. So...I'm moving mach 25 with my hair on fire right now - throwing myself completely into my photography business. I have so much to tell all of you, so many exciting new things, new plans, new changes for the better. However...all of that will be shared in due time.
In the meantime, I'm thanking my lucky stars that I had the opportunity to attend the very last learnfest they will ever offer. I'm thanking God for 64 new photography friends that I didn't have before last week. I'm thanking him for the new challenges, the excitement, the motivation, the goals, the dreams, and so forth. Also, I'm thanking him for my wonderful Mom who came to learnfest with us so that she could help out with Kenidi. Thank you Mom - even though you scared the bellman to death with your joking. Ha ha! I love you!
I'll post a few photos on Monday surrounding learnfest as well as some shots of those rock star photographers I mentioned. I can't wait to share them with you. The four of them are a force to be reckoned with. They are truly beautiful - inside and out - with incredible talents. Thank you Audrey, Tamara, Lena, and Laura. We all truly appreciate the time and energy you put into Learnfest and the true desire you have for all of us to succeed. We loved every second with you. Thanks for the knowledge as well as the laughs! Thanks for those awesome swag bags too. We loved every bit of the photography items/goodies that they were stuffed with. xoxo, Angie
Don't mind me...I'm just digging out from all of the emails and facebook messages from those interested in the photography course online. I love that so many of you are interested. Details and registration open tomorrow. I'll post the where's and how to's on this blog as well as my photography blog tomorrow. There will only be 20 spaces available in the class so be sure to jump on it once you see the registration open up tomorrow. The online class/course will begin on July 1st and will run for four weeks. All of us are really looking forward to the class in general and all that will come from it - including the friendships. Remember, this is a beginner class for those looking to learn more about their cameras and photography as a whole. You can have a point and shoot or a DSLR and still be eligible for the class. We'll be covering a lot in that 4 weeks and each of you will be able to take away a ton from the course no matter what type of camera you have or what brand it is. Sound good?
For now, we are off to go take an airboat ride in the Everglades with the fam. If I don't come back tonight, you'll know a gator got me. Ha ha!
Thanks again to all of you awesome readers who are going to participate in this photography class. We are going to have a blast! xoxo, Angie
