A Lovely Workshop 2012

If you love film, or beautiful, whimsical images, you’ve likely heard of Elizabeth Messina or her super sweet blog, Kiss the Groom. Her work is ethereal, adorned with lovely light and has a truly distinctive, feminine flair. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing her speak at WPPI, and her personality, kindness and down-to-earth nature match her work to a “t”.

Elizabeth just recently announced that registration for her “A Lovely Workshop” is open – and it’s coming to the East Coast, right in our backyard actually! The 800-acre farm is just outside of Philadelphia, where “we will explore the country side & the many acres of the beautiful farm, home to 100’s of horses.” The three-day event is being held on July 10-12th, with a welcome gathering on the 9th, and includes a long list of impressive collaborators, including Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty, Leah MacDonald of Waxworks (who you may remember from our meeting in 2011!), Shira Savada of Martha Stewart Weddings, Claire Pettibone of Twigs & Honey, Adrienne Page of Velvet Raptor and Wiley Valentine.

Shoots are scheduled each day where Elizabeth will educate and inspire attendees on light, branding, marketing and getting published, connecting with your clients, booking destination weddings, expanding your business and much more. There’s also tons of goodies, including a signed copy of her new book, The Luminous Portrait.

Check out the website for details, investment and specifics. And if you’re interested, don’t wait! Registration is limited to 20 students!

Conferences, Tradeshows, Conventions, Oh My!

Unless you’re shooting in some deliciously warm and perpetually sunny locale, chances are the late autumn and winter months are when you rest, recharge and revamp. It’s also a perfect time to invest in a conference to get inspired, learn some new tricks and techniques, see what kinds of cool products and gadgets are out there, and meet other wonderful photogs like yourself! Here’s our abbreviated list of conferences coming up; some are geared towards wedding and portrait photographers, but we also threw in a few others for those who want to explore outside their comfort zone.

2011

PDN & WPPI PhotoPlus

October 27-29, 2011 | NY, NY
“Get ready for the hottest industry event for photographers and image-makers, PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo, brought to you by PDN. It’s the only place where you have infinite access to emerging technology, trends and talent while test driving new imaging tools, discovering creative solutions and expanding your network. And this year PDN and WPPI are joining forces in New York City to roll out WPPI NYC, an entire expo dedicated to wedding and portrait photography, making PhotoPlus Expo even better. Choose from over 115 educational seminars and hands-on labs to expand your expertise. Come be informed and entertained, leave inspired.” (c/o website)

Her Photography Conference

November 1-3, 2011 | Grand Rapids, MI

“Be a part of the ONLY boutique women’s photography conference! With a limited number of attendees, HER PHOTOGRAPHY CONFERENCE provides a boutique atmosphere that facilitates empowering relationships for female photographers as well as the opportunity to spend time with the photography industry’s elite professionals. If you are a woman, a photographer, and you have a strong desire to grow your business and build empowering relationships with other female business owners then this is the conference for you! Our hope is that you walk away from this conference inspired, motivated and ready to take your business to the next level!” (c/o website)

The Foundation Conference

November 7-8, 2011 | New Orleans, LA
“Foundation Conference 2009 was an incredible opportunity to connect with old friends, make new friends, and hear from some of the world’s best documentary style photographers in one place! Egos were left aside, as teaching and learning flowed from speaker to audience and back to the speaker. It was a wonderful environment to push the boundaries of creativity, to critique and be mentored, and to be introduced to new ways of seeing. It is safe to say that there is no other photography conference like FC, and I can’t wait to go to the next one!” – Kate (c/o website)

2012

Digital Wedding Forum

January 15-18, 2012 | New Orleans, LA

“It’s Friday afternoon and I’m still sitting at the hotel bar reminiscing about the weeks events. I had the best week at DWF to date! Not only were the speakers fabulous… but everyone really opened up and shared a bit about themselves and their passions…. usually at the bar at 2:30am. Looking forward to seeing you all in New Orleans! – buttermedia” (c/o website)

Imaging USA

January 15-17, 2012 | New Orleans, LA
“At Imaging USA, you’ll find just what you need to breathe life into your photographic dreams—no matter where you are in your business! Art and business education, inspiration and great trade show deals await both established professionals and newcomers to the professional photo industry. It’s the convention and expo that was created with your needs in mind, so what are you waiting for? Register Today.” (c/o website)

Senior Photographers International

January 24-27, 2012 | Buena Vista, FL
“Senior Photographers International Inc., is an organization of professional photographers specializing in High School Senior Portraits. We are dedicated to bringing the best in photography and business practices to our members. The organization was founded on the principle of photographers sharing information with one another. We remain committed to that philosophy. All newsletter articles and convention programs pertain specifically to the subject of senior photography.” (c/o website)

PhotoPro Network

February 2-5, 2012 | Covington, KY
“4 Full Days! 10 World Class Speakers! 1 Fantastic Opportunity! PhotoPro Expo 2012 is shaping up to be one of the top 2012 photography conventions nationwide! The anticipated speaker line up will blow you away!” (c/o website)

WPPI

February 16-23, 2012 | Las Vegas, NV

“Last year, WPPI attracted over 16,000 attendees. This year, we are expecting WPPI to be the biggest and best event in our history. With an all-star speaker lineup and a diverse and unparalleled menu of special events, WPPI 2012 is primed for another banner year. Winning programs like WPPI Plus, Photographers Ignite and the Awards Night extravaganza, as well as helpful features like Pre-Board, will make WPPI 2012 our best show ever. And don’t forget about the amazing WPPI Trade Show, where you’ll find the best deals anywhere. We’ll see you in February!” (c/o website)

Society for Photographic Education

March 22-25, 2012 | San Francisco, CA
Intimacy and Voyeurism: The Public / Private Divide in Photography
“Photography’s relationship with intimacy and voyeurism is as old as the medium itself. From its inception photographs have been used to sustain, affirm, or remember loved ones, expressing intimate and profound connections between people. At the same time photography has offered voyeuristic pleasure, allowing the viewer to see without being seen, to take visual pleasure without risk to oneself. Rarely can photographs themselves be clearly divided into one or the other of these categories. Images become voyeuristic or intimate based on context, societal expectations and interpretations.” (c/o website)

Photoshop World

March 24-26, 2012 | Washington DC

“Most photography conferences consist mainly of one huge photography Expo with some peripheral classes on the side that require pre-registration. Photoshop World is almost the opposite. Here’s you’ll find an enormous line-up of Photoshop and photography classes on subjects ranging from portrait to outdoor photography and more that require no pre-registration (you can come and go in between classes as you please) in addition to a huge expo floor with even more bonus classes. If there’s one thing Photoshop World can guarantee, it’s that you will come away reeling with knowledge and inspiration after three short days.” (c/o website)

Travel Writers & Photographers Conference

August 9-12, 2012 | Corte Madera, CA
“The Premier Conference in the World for Travel Writers and Photographers!

The Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference has an extraordinary, international reputation among publishers, editors, and writers. This four-day Conference offers an array of writing and photography workshops in the morning, a full afternoon of panels and discussions, and evening faculty presentations. There are optional, working field trips to explore the resources of the Bay Area. The faculty includes publishers, magazine editors, photographers, travel essayists, food writers, restauranteurs, guidebook writers, and more. There are hours of informal interaction between faculty and students during lunch and in discussions that often last late into the evening.” (c/o website)

Tips on Tuesday: Preparing for your destination wedding!

So you’ve booked a destination wedding – and you’re totally pumped. You’re thinking about all the amazing and inspirational new spots you’re going to see once you arrive at the wedding resort and your mind is racing with ideas! The one thing you’re probably not thinking about? The boring logistics on how to prepare yourself AND your business for a smooth and successful trip worth every single awesome photo you’re bound to take home with you. I know, because when I booked mine, I certainly wasn’t.  So here are some helpful hints that I learned firsthand (some of them, the hard way) that will hopefully arm you with all the wisdom necessary to make your next destination wedding a smooth sail.

If you are traveling to a destination by air, this ups the ante significantly. When you are hitting a destination wedding by car, you have that wonderful, roomy trunk to fill with back-ups and emergency kits and step ladders and props and, well, just about anything else that you fancy to aid you in pulling off the perfect wedding. You also get to avoid pesky airline regulations that are bound to pose a problem no matter what you do. With luggage restrictions and the need to simplify your packing list, your planning needs to start well ahead of take-off. The following is a checklist you should review in advance of your trip – and is tailored to the international traveler – but still most tactics apply no matter where your fabulous destination happens to be!

• Call your airline in advance to make sure there are no weight restrictions on your carry-on luggage – well-packed camera bags are heavier than you think – and you don’t ever want to be separated from your gear.
• Make sure you have a sturdy, international airline approved rolling bag to transport your gear that will keep everything well protected in the overhead compartment and in the event of severe of shifting or turbulence (I used my ThinkTank Airport Airstream – FABULOUS).
• If you are traveling for an international gig, you must document your gear (anything that has a serial number i.e. camera bodies, lenses etc.) with the customs department nearest to you (Note: you can do this at the airport customs office on your day of departure, but make sure you allow for extra time before your flight to accomplish this) otherwise, you risk paying a hefty tariff when it comes time to re-enter the states.
• Bring additional folded bags incase you have to redistribute weigh or bulk for your carry on bags at check-in- this happened to me – now I know why all collapsible vendor bags at WPPI are so valuable!
• If you can, travel with a partner – it lowers the stress level by leaps and bounds!
• Triple check that you have as many back-up batteries, CF cards, and rechargeables that you can fit in your bag – depending on where you are going it may be impossible to find replacements.
• Do the proper research and find out what voltage you’ll be dealing with at your destination – and make sure you have converters for your battery chargers, laptop etc. if necessary.
• Back it up, Back it up. back it up, back it up. Don’t leave that wedding on your CF cards and then travel with them. If possible, upload your files to an FTP for back up, use your laptop for temporary storage and if possible, travel with a portable external hard drive.
• If you are shooting in a tropical location – where the temperature and humidity will differ significantly between inside and out – bring gallon sized ziplock bags to keep humidity out of your lenses and bodies as you travel between the two environments – allow for 15-20 minutes when you first embark outdoors into the heat and humidity to give time for your lenses to defog.
• Pack one change of clothes (in addition to the outfit you plan to shoot in) in your carry on luggage.
• Check to make sure that you insurance policy covers you outside of your domestic domain – and purchase travel insurance as an additional safety measure.
• Finally – remember that you are going to be shooting in a totally different environment – one that may present unusual challenges – whether it be uncommon weather patterns, different sunrise/sunset times, language and/or cultural barriers or a infinite number of things. Expect the unexpected and do as much research ahead of time as possible!

Finally – enjoy the amazing experience of being able to travel as a photographer! It’s exhilarating and an incredible way to infuse new inspiration into your work and portfolio!

PDN & WPPI Team Up

Fall’s just around the corner, and that means the PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo will be here in no time! This year we’re in for something completely new: PDN and WPPI are joining forces with an entire expo dedicated to wedding and portrait photography, with over 100 educational seminars and hands-on labs to expand your expertise.

WPPI NYC will take place at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, and registered WPPI NYC attendees will also have full access to attend the PhotoPlus Expo tradeshow (and vice versa). Pre-registration to attend all WPPI NYC classes, the WPPI NYC tradeshow and PhotoPlus Expo tradeshow is $99. On-site registration will be $150.

Check out the long list of exhibitors and the seminar schedule to see what’s in store. And if you’re interested in classes, sign up soon as they full quickly.

Scatter Joy! One Photographer’s Journey of Giving Back and Discovering True Happiness

By: Amber Shader

“Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of
achievement, in the thrill of creative effort” – Franklin D Roosevelt

I held my first “real” camera in the eighth grade. It was a Nikon F2 that I used while taking a summer photography class with a grade school friend at a local community center. Photography quickly became my new passion. Every weekend I looked forward to going to the community center to learn new things. Our teacher was super cool too. He rode a motorcycle, played guitar and looked just like Jerry Garcia. Every weekend, he taught us new things like how to shoot manually, how to develop film and how to do cool things with negative transfers using anything we could find like lace, bows, and big 80‘s hooped earrings.

Once the class was over at the end of summer, my parents got me my very own camera, but it was the type you had to put flash cubes on top of. I couldn’t change lenses, I couldn’t shoot manually or develop my own film anymore, so needless to say, photography didn’t stay a strong passion for me with my little flashcube Kodak camera. I didn’t start shooting again until my freshman year in college. I saved up and bought the cheapest Pentax film SLR I could find and took as many photography electives I could squeeze in while getting my degree in Business Administration and Human Resource Management.

Getting back into photography during college was fun, but I never thought I could make a living as an artist. I think the character Charlotte from the movie Lost in Translation summed up the extent of my college photography experience when she said, “I tried taking pictures, but they were so mediocre. I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses…taking dumb pictures of your feet.” Before I knew it, I was working full time, dating my soon-to-be husband and completing my MBA in Organizational Leadership on nights and weekends. I stopped shooting completely and spent 13 years working in Corporate America, climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder. I was a Vice President of Human Resources for a Fortune 100 company, I had a great husband, a great home and plenty of disposable income to buy all the clothes, handbags and jewelry I wanted, but what I did not know at the time was that I didn’t have true happiness and was merely surrounding myself with material things things that did not matter.

It wasn’t until 2010 when a sudden car accident of one of my colleagues at work put everything into perspective. She literally drove across the street from our building to grab a coffee and another vehicle ran a red light and broadsided her. She died instantly. It wasn’t her actual death that was the lightbulb moment for me. My lightbulb moment was during her actual eulogy when people said how much she gave to the company. It was truly then that I realized I wanted to reinvent myself so I could do something I loved with my life vs. being a corporate title on an org chart.

After the funeral, I started to slow down and enjoy the little things in life more like spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading etc vs. working 60 hour work weeks. I also stumbled across an Emerson quote to “Scatter Joy!” and it became my new mantra. To me it meant and still means keeping it simple, traveling the world, finding beauty in all things, caring deeply about people and leaving the world a better place. Around the same time I stumbled across the quote, my wonderful husband encouraged me to start shooting again and he bought me a new Nikon D40 for my birthday that year. I started to get the passion back and I knew photography was what I wanted to do with my life.

I started shooting as a part time photographer on weekends and I slowly built up a client base. I also created my business model around my mantra “Scatter Joy!” and included a minimum of 12 silent auctions or charitable events a year. I started to discover the true power of photography, not just through the images I was creating but through the fact that I could give my time, talent and heart to make the world a little better. I know it sounds cliché but through giving back to the local community I discovered my true happiness. Charitable giving as a photographer also has another upside and if you have ever had the opportunity to listen to Sarah Petty or read her Joy of Marketing blog, then you know that charitable giving is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to grow your business by creating buzz. I am living proof of that too because I was able to make the leap from part time weekend photographer to full time professional photographer largely because of my mantra to Scatter Joy!

So how can this mantra work for you and your business? Here is some advice (in no particular order) that worked for me:

• Decide what you can afford to give in terms of your time, resources, services, products etc. and build that into your business plan. Giving away your time and talent is still an important business decision to consider in terms of cost vs. benefit. I personally landed on a minimum of 12 events/auctions a year, but that may not work for everyone.

• Decide your philanthropic priorities. Are you passionate about charities for animals, the arts, children, the environment? My personal decision was to focus on philanthropic efforts for children and animals since I am passionate about both and love shooting both in my sessions.

• Decide if you want to work with designated national portrait charities supported by PPA or WPPI like Operation Smile, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, Tiny Sparrow Foundation, etc. or create your own events and work with local groups. You can also do a hybrid of both. I personally decided to work with existing groups including The Moyer Foundation and The Real Charitable Housewives of Delaware.

• Maximize social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook and blogs to highlight your charitable giving. Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself and the good works you are doing. I actually had The Moyer Foundation find me via my tweets about another charitable giving event I worked on for the American Red Cross. If you don’t post it, write about it or share your beautiful images, you are not maximizing the great PR opportunity.

• I’m not promising you will be able to quit your full-time day job as soon as you start taking my advice and adding charitable events to your business model. However, what I can promise you is that you will feel more fulfilled and happy and your business will grow.

One of my most recent events was the Real Charitable Housewives of Delaware’s “Help Japan Bloom Again” event, benefiting the American Red Cross and The Moyer Foundation’s “Evening at the Ballpark” (which in turn, benefits Camp Erin and The Moyer Foundation).

We were able to raise almost $4,000 for the American Red Cross and $100,000 for Camp Erin/The Moyer Foundation! I was so proud and happy to have Amber Shader Photography contribute and be part of both of these special events.

Longer term, even though I don’t ride a motorcycle, play guitar or look like Jerry Garcia, I would love to start teaching photography classes to kids at the same local community center where my love for photography started. Hopefully I can help Scatter Joy! and share my passion for photography with the next generation of future photographers!

2011 WPPI Road Trip

If you weren’t able to attend WPPI in Las Vegas this year – fear not! The WPPI Road Trip is almost here – and tickets went on sale yesterday! Registration is $159 for the all-day event, and you can bring a guest for just $89. You’ll also receive FREE 2012 WPPI registration (which is a pretty amazing bonus!), lunch and access to the mini tradeshow.

They’ll be hitting 8 cities across the USA including our home base – Philly! Here’s the full list:

• Long Beach, CA – August 8
• San Jose, CA – August 10
• Columbus, OH – August 15
• Chicago, IL – August 17
• Philadelphia, PA – August 22
• Boston, MA – August 25
• Austin, TX – September 19
• New Orleans, LA – September 22

Right now the full list of events and classes hasn’t been posted, but we do know that it will be “jam-packed with informative and inspiring topics covering the ins and outs of photography, especially tailored for professional wedding and portrait photographers.”

Attendees will have access to a full day of educational classes featuring marketing, lighting, posing, shooting and postproduction. It’ll also be a great place for networking… Sponsors include Adobe, WHCC, Zenfolio, Adorama, Pictage, Black River Imaging, GraphiStudio, Simply Canvas, Animoto and more!

Take a break this summer and get inspired!

“I Love Being a Photographer and I’m Keeping It That Way!”

By Tara Jones

I went to WPPI this year for the first time and was completely blown away! What a game changer that event can be for your business; although, for me it was a game changer in a way that I did not expect…

I was sitting in one of the workshops geared toward pushing print sales for boutique studios, and I thought to myself, “What am I doing with my business, my career? I did not get my degree in photography to sell prints.” As I sat there, I began furiously writing down all the things I wanted to shoot; all the things that I knew would make me a happy photographer. And when I finished writing out my list, I picked up my things and quietly snuck out the back door. And let me just say this: I have NEVER walked out on a class before, because I know there is always a key piece of info in every workshop for everyone. But that day I knew it was time for me to make some changes or else I was headed for burnout and misery!

When I came home I had so much clarity about why I love being a photographer and what I needed to do to keep it that way. And God as my witness, as soon as I made the decision to go after the things that make me happy as a photographer, the kind of work I wanted started knocking on my door!

I know. I know. It sounds like a totally Cinderella fairy tale, but I swear it’s the honest truth!

Here’s the list of things I changed about my business since my light bulb moment at WPPI:

• I raised my prices and started treating them as goals. The higher prices push me to produce work I feel is worthy of that dollar amount.
• I became extremely selective about the new boutique-type clients I take on.
• I limited myself to one wedding client per month, which allows me the time to produce quality work for my brides and more time for me to pursue the work that makes me happy.
• I began shooting personal projects that fulfill me as a photographer.
• I allowed myself more time to teach and mentor.

Now, it’s only been about a month since I made these changes, but so far so good! And at the end of the day all I know is this: life is far too short to do work that makes you miserable. I never want to be a ho-hum photographer! I want to wake up every day excited to get to work! Something I tell my mentoring clients is to do what you love and the right kind of work will follow. And I believe it will for me, too.

Get Control: Balancing Work and Personal Life

Owning your own business is no simple task, we all know that. I remember fondly the days when I worked for someone else and had an assistant, no overhead costs, healthcare, a 401K, a boss to bounce ideas off of and colleagues to brainstorm with. As a sole business owner, we fill all of those roles ourselves and with limited resources – for the pursuit of one real perk: doing exactly what we love and getting paid to do it. The price we often pay comes in the form of spousal/relationship neglect, struggling to juggle our time spent nurturing our business and nurturing our families, friends and, let’s face it, OURSELVES. As a new mom, I can especially relate to this and when I arrived at WPPI I hoped for some inspiration and strategy from photogs like myself who had cracked the code on striking that balance. And I’m happy to say that this year delivered.

Tamara Lackey

Tamara Lackey: Portrait Photographer

“Is the life you’re living worth the price you’re paying to live it?”

– Tony Schwarz

This was the quote that literally hooked me during Lackey’s presentation. I mean, what a simple yet profound question! It was almost as if she has been listening in on conversations between my husband and I as we lamented about never having the time to enjoy the things in life we work so hard to be able to afford. Not surprisingly, each bit of information and advice that proceeded that quote in Lackey’s lecture was equally as eye opening, simplistic and life-changing. With a thriving studio in Chapel Hill, 3 young children at home and a staff of photographers to manage, Lackey has mastered the art of work/life balance and wasn’t afraid to share her stumbles and roadblocks she overcame along the way.

Simple tips to eliminate remedial tasks in your life, learning to delegate and prioritizing your time – were examples of Lackey’s advice that helped truly put things in perspective. Lackey admitted that long before she could afford one, she hired an assistant knowing full well that her talent and time was not best served focusing on time-consuming admin, but that it was imperative to be marketing her business, networking and perfecting her own craft. Wise advice, if you can take it. The main point is, time is money. And you can’t make more time – it’s a finite resource. We as women have the tendency to feel responsible for taking everything on ourselves and we must, absolutely MUST, break the habit.

A few quick tips from Tamara to get time back on your side:

• Hire help – whether at home or in the office. No one can do everything. Think you can’t afford that babysitter? Think again. You can’t afford NOT to hire that babysitter.
• Prioritize what truly needs your attention and talent. Entrust the rest to someone else.
• Cut your time spent online by using streamlining apps and websites like Google Reader, Priceprotectr.com and  Hipmunk
• Buy your groceries online and have them delivered
• Use apps to help manage your time, such as Time Management Rescue Kit
• Conduct weekly meetings with your family and/or staff to set clear expectations and eliminate the need for reminders

There’s a lot more to Lackey’s message. But you should hear it straight from her – she’s the one that’s mastered it. I certainly have a long road ahead of me to get there! To get more information on her strategies, check out her workshops and photog tools!

The 1st Annual Women in Contemporary Photography Panel

On Tuesday night in the MGM Grand Ballroom, some of the biggest names in photography today – and all women – participated in an open forum where they discussed issues they face day-to-day and across the industry in today’s marketplace.

Among the many topics discussed were ones addressing the question of how to balance work and personal life. With several of the women on the panel as moms, wives, even an expectant mother – they had lots to contribute on the subject. Here are some sound bytes from Lindsay Adler, Jules Bianchi & Joy Bianchi Brown, Jessica Claire , Kay Eskridge, Catherine Hall, Sarah Petty, Dawn Shields, and Jasmine Star on how they manage their juggling act and keep things sane between home and office:

• Limit email and social media to a certain time each day – and keep them closed the rest of the day to help stay productive (*Remember that 7 am and 12 pm EST are the busiest time for social media.)
• Keeps your goals in sight and try not to be overcome with any obstacles – stay the course!
• You must set boundaries to make time with kids – and when you do set aside time, always remember to be present with your family – kids and spouses alike!
• Take the time necessary to find your niche
• Outsource everything you can to put your most valuable time toward the business

Snappy Hour – Vegas!

What could be cooler than Snappy Hour itself? How about Snappy Hour in Las Vegas, surrounded by slot machines, photogs, martinis and an electrified anticipation for the week ahead, that might just move the gauge on a Geiger Counter? Well, that’s exactly how the scene went at this year’s WPPI, held at the MGM Grand.

Snappy Hour at Rouge!

Betties new and old met up for drinks and excited chatter (as well as a few Barneys!) at Rouge, a sexy, retro lounge that served up cocktail specials for WPPI-goers and was packed to the gills with photogs networking, catching up with old friends and sharing schedules for the lectures to come. We met with Betty fans who have been following us on Twitter, Facebook and the website, had the chance to finally meet face-to-face some enthusiastic contributors with whom we’ve been anxious to make acquaintances. We met new Betties from Philly, good friends from NYC and new faces from as far as Hawaii and Australia!

The mood was high, fiery and saucy among the crowd and it was the kind of get-together that got us all even more anxious for the week of learning to begin.

An extra special thanks to Susannah & Greg for doing some fabulous PR during their Plus classes – bringing their own posse of photogs along as well to meet everyone!

Tech Tuesday: The Boda Bag. In Plum.

It may seem to some of you as though we spend a fair amount of time talking about camera bags on the Photo Betties website. But let’s be honest with ourselves: we’re women! Of course we want to talk about bags! And while camera bags as a fashion statement totally interests us, it’s even more phenomenal when we come across something that is easy on the eye AND functional in the field. Which brings me to the Boda lens bag. In Plum.

Heather and I pounded the WPPI tradeshow pavement looking for all the great new products that would make life easier in the field. And there were plenty. But behold, the Boda bag sucked us both in almost instantly. We were intrigued intrigued by its smart design, and the ability to access what you need quickly without having to take your eyes away from what’s happening. It may sound über techy, but every second counts, right?

At the show they had two versions: The Boda V3, and the Boda V3 JR. While we appreciated the compactness of the JR (with capacity for 2 lenses – or three if you invest in the Boda Booster), we totally fell in love with the Boda V3, which fits 3 lenses. Both have sleek compartments for your flash, memory cards, batteries and all the necessary pocket-sized trinkets on the job. It’s a winner. It provides quick and easy access to your lenses while you’re shooting as well as keeps your gear safe and secure. Add to that the fact that it offers a comfortable, ergonomic waist band that cinches to your hips leaving your aching shoulders free to hang your camera harness, shootsac or any other preferred item in your bag.

Here are some of the features:

• Locking hinge points
• Molded high strength Ballistics Cordura
• Sealed weather-proof, fray resistant zippers
• Ergonomic zipper pulls
• Ergonomically advanced shoulder-strap
• Retractable lens cleaning cloth
• Expanded media wallet
• Expanded battery compartment
• Multi-Purpose O-rings for customization
• Multi-function storage spaces/organizer
• Wallet style organizer
• Improved lens separators
• Sleek aerodynamic design
• Ergonomically designed pivot points
• Superior comfort padding

And did I mention, in addition to standard black it also now comes in a gorgeous, plum lined version? Totally sexy.

Boda Lens Bag in Plum & The Boda Booster

It would be insane to not mention that Boda is owned by Jim Garner who gave an amazing platform lecture at WPPI. If you aren’t familiar with his work, you should try to carve out some time to peruse both his website and the many products and workshops he offers. Based on his presence at WPPI, it would be well worth the time to check it out.