At our monthly WPS meeting in Raleigh last week, we had our first “open house” type of meeting. Just one item in a HUGE amount of great feedback (another post is coming on this) we received was everyone wanted more information on the speaking topics for the 2011 WPS Convention. So, here you go!
Keynote Speakers
Amber Holritz – Lifestyle baby photography: real life is beautiful
As a wife, mom and photographer, Amber understands real life is beautiful. The smiling babies,. the adoring parents, the learning, the epxloring, the laughing, the crying, the diapers, the tantrums, the clutter, the fear. Even the sleepless nights. All of it. She believes if you embrace this simple premise, the beautiful images you capture will resonate with clients allowing your images and your clients to build your business for you.
Neil Van Niekerk – Flash on the Run
Working on location, whether a wedding or other photo session, the pace is usually fast. We need to be comfortable in shooting in various situations and using a variety of lighting styles. Looking specifically at flash photography, we’ll go over techniques for weddings and portraits – getting the best from your flash, whether on-camera or off-camera.
Starting with an overview of the basics, we will cover a range of flash-photography related topics, including:
- the crucial differences between TTL and manual flash;
- dragging the shutter;
- high-speed flash sync;
- how to overpower the sun with flash.
We’ll also look at techniques to get the best results from your on-camera flash, approaching studio-quality lighting with just an on-camera flash.
For off-camera flash we’ll look at the essentials, and basic set-ups that will allow us to get wonderful results on-location with the minimum fuss.
John Michael Cooper – Eat Art
In today’s environment it takes more then just a regular diet to survive. With over a quarter of century of hard earned lessons i’ll not only show you how hunt, trap and cook art but also show you that by consuming art you can not only survive but thrive. Be hungry and ready to consume art!
Platform Speakers:
Missy McLamb – The high end client
Missy has had great success in defining her own unique style and going after a very specific market of high end photography clients. Missy will be sharing some techniques, pitfalls and “must knows” on how to better serve the high end client market. (More information coming soon).
James Walters – Don’t be a poser
For those working to perfect a fresh and modern photographic style, posting is kind of a dirty word. but have you ever looked at an image and thought to yourself “Something’s not right.”? For those who are new to directing proper body language for their subjects, the future is full of nicely composed, beautifully lit yet somewhat awkward images. James will help you fix that! He will cover the old school basics of posing in about 5 minutes. The other hour and twenty five minutes will be devoted to an in-depth look at understanding how you can make your clients look better in front of the camera.
Tim Sayer – Rocking Portraits
Tim’s discussion will cover fashion inspired wedding and portrait photography with impact. How to create stylish images that are timeless and set you apart from your competition in the ever more competitive photography market. That Tim Say – he’s so hot right now!
Christobal Perez – Mama said
Since the beginning of time, your mama has said to you “look both ways before you cross the street”, “if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s a duck”. What do these phrases really mean? Christobal has translated these lessons into the photography world and will chat with you about how these “Mama said” lessons will help your photography business grow stronger. Each point will help steer your business away from the photography pitfalls and onto the amazing winning road to success. You really should listen to your mama… she is always right!
Scott Lewis – Finding your vision
At first photography became a way to get exposed to the world. Then it became a means to say something about that world. Anyone can show you what a scene or a person looks like, but it takes being connected, to yourself and your subject, to go beyond the surface, say something meaningful and have insight that brings images of connectedness. All the technology that’s made the process of being creative so easy can not erase the need for the unique insight of the individual. The power of a unique human point of view in undeniable. The more we engage ourselves in our work the deeper we connect with viewers. What’s going to separate you from the rest of the pack? Or are you ready, and frankly are you able, to go deeper, take a risk and be unique. The risks are no joke but the reward is priceless.
Andrea Halsey – Portrait designing
Creating a truly custom experience by creating designer photo shoots with the finished product in mind. Andrea will walk you thru the process of this process, from inception to execution.
Martha Manning – The art of balance
Despite the competitive nature of of the wedding photography industry, Martha is convinced that wedding photographers must bring their hearts to their work. There is a sacred trust that is given to photographers by their clients to capture the most important events in their lives. In her own words, “What we do is important and lasts for generations. Without heart, our work won’t have integrity nor do justice to the beauty and authenticity of life.”.
Stacy Borelli – Photo roller coaster
Stacy’s seminar will dish the emotional dirt of being a photography business owner and how that parlays into marketing strategies. She will be sharing her personal struggles that she has faced in a saturated and depressed market and how to triumph where it matters most… the belief in yourself, your passion and the skill sets you posses. Learn how to hone in on your unique creative skills with your marketing material.
Brian Mullins – Lighting 101 & Lighting 201
This class will cover lighting basics for both portrait and wedding photographers. We will both discuss and demonstrate the technical and uses of on and off camera flash, discuss what TTL is and how it works, lighting modifiers, color temperature, concepts of blending light, off-camera lighting triggers, the Nikon CLS system, in-camera metering and overall control of flash (both speedlights and manual strobes). Make sure to bring your notepad, iPad or laptop as there is a ton of information that we have little time to cover.
This class is designed for newer photographers who are just starting to explore the world of flash, either on camera, off camera or both.
LIGHTING 201 – Building on the basics from the Lighting 101 course, we move into more advanced and “real world” techniques of the when’s, where’s and how’s. We’ll discuss direct flash, bonce flash, reflected light, overpowering bright light sources (like the sun), reception hall lighting techniques, gobos, lighting methodologies (background/foreground), dealing with mixed lighting conditions and how to find good light “naturally” (this doesn’t necessarily mean daylight).
This class is designed for anyone who is familiar with the basic lighting concepts in the 101
Matt McGraw – Live Shoot
Matt is widely regarded as a master of making something from nothing. During this live shoot, he will show you how to rock light with an assistant for portraits or a bride & groom after the ceremony, when time is of the essence. He will walk you through this techniques of how to make something amazing out of any situation!
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