Jill, Kevin and Brendan

I got some great shots of Jill, Kevin and Brendan when I got back from the WPPI conference. Such a cute baby boy! We are going to do portraits of Brendan at 3 mos., 6 mos., 9 mos. and 1 year, so stay posted and watch Brendan grow! "Baby's First Year" portrait sessions have become popular in the photography industry and some studios are also doing "Bellies to Bundles" programs that include maternity portraits as well. 

On a side note, there was a falcon living on the condo construction project next door to Jill's mom's home...I also had fun photographing the bird with my 70-200mm lens.

WPPI Road Trip Pictures

Here are just a few of the pictures I captured on the road to the WPPI convention and in Vegas. 

The first one is of some wheels I found in Calico (an old mining "ghost town" just off the 15 freeway). I liked the color and texture of the old metal and the contrast adds weight to the photo. 

             

Next is a close up of the "bottle house", also in Calico. I played with depth of field and abstraction and liked this one best. Right below it

it is the gate to the Calico cemetery at sunset.

Finally, we have a butterfly (or moth, I guess) at the Bellagio gardens in Las Vegas. They had many varieties and we had fun photographing them, even though it was through glass.

These were just a few of the fun photos from that trip. The "real" work can be found at http://www.sparkpix.com. Hope you enjoyed this entry!

Ignite the fire!

Lori

WPPI 2008!

Wow! Just got back on Thursday night from the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) convention and trade show. What a great experience. I am still recovering from the total exhaustion that follows 8 days packed with education, networking and fun. Here are a few highlights:

btw...click on the white links to learn more about these people!

1) I spent 2 days studying with one of the best wedding photographers in the world, Yervant. We focused on lighting, posing with movement, how to see and plan unique shots that will set you apart from the competition, and some post-production magic. Additionally, we got a sneak preview of his new workspace in Melbourne. He is an amazing photographer with such a giving personality--how fun is that?

2) I attended the Business Institute. I can't believe how much business advice and support they packed into a one-day seminar. We heard from talents like Jerry Ghionis, Mitche Graf, and Kevin Kubota who filled us in on how to make our businesses the best they can be.

3) I did tons of networking and met some really wonderful people. Bruce Mayhill, Albert Lewis and Terry Michael were all in Yervant's class with me. Sean Capshaw, Lori Brueseke and Tom Phillips were my San Diego crew who made it a very adventurous road trip!

4) Beyond that, there were a HUGE number of vendors in the trade show and several more days of platfom speakers and master classes...I could go on and on.

Needless to say, my head is still spinning and it will take me a while to process it all, but it is all a huge part of giving my clients the best photographic experience I can. Never stop growing, and always strive to be the best! In my next post I will share some photos from the trip and also a few from the shoot I did when I returned home...

Ignite the fire!

Lori