MCP Actions Blog It Boards Giveaway!

What a great giveaway! Awhile back Scarlett Lillian was interviewed on the MCP Actions blog. Jodi of MCP Actions decided to do a giveaway for Scarlett's readers (which, I'm a HUGE Scarlett follower). So head over to Scarlett's blog for more info on how to win yourself the Magic Blog It Board actions! And while you're there, be sure to check out Scarlett's work, if you're not familiar with her she is an AMAZING photographer!!

Scarlett Lillian Photo Journal // Jacksonville, FL Wedding & Fashion Photographer: Contest contest contest! Win free MCP Photoshop Actions!

Copyright Protection - Please sign this letter!

This pertains to any photographer, designers, painter, or other artist reading. Please follow this link http://www.copyrightalliance.org/letter/ and sign the letter. The Copyright Alliance will be gathering signatures and delivering it to President Obama to help protect artists' rights!

Unleashed Workshop

I just got back from the Unleashed | Fine Art Pet Photography Workshop and it was SO much fun! I met a ton of great photographers and learned a lot about pet photography. If you have the chance to attend the Dallas (April 2010) or the D.C./Virginia (September 2010) workshops I highly suggest it! Bev, Barbara and Teresa have a wealth of information to share and love sharing it with the attendees. They send you off with tons of information to help you get the pet side of your photography business up and running. Not only did we have time to learn about how they each run their businesses (all very differently) but we also had the chance to work both in-studio and on-location with adorable, furry, four-legged models!

Definitely check out the Unleashed website to learn more about taking your business to the next level with custom pet photography! And for those of you who are PPA members - Bev, Barabara and Teresa are featured in the current issue of the magazine!

16 Hours of FREE Education for Photographers

Yep - I said FREE. I love that word! On September 28-29, Sarah Petty's Joy of Marketing is offering a two day free telesummit! Be sure to register soon as September 28th is right around the corner. If you are like me and have a day job or sessions schedule for those two days, for $99 you can download recordings of the events and PDF notes to follow. But if you have the time open, you can listen to it all for FREE!!!

There will be SO much going on - you can see the entire list of presenters on the website but a few include. Rod Evans - Facebook Marketing Not Just for Seniors, Kevin Kubota - The Year of the Relationship, Jen Hillenga - Essential Elements of Design, Dane Sanders - The big Picture of marketing Your Photography Business, and much, much more! Be sure to register for this FREE event soon! And even if you can't participate in all of it, some is better than nothing.

Full Disclosure: Commission earned on Joy of Marketing sales via my link.

Images for a Cure

Have you heard about Images for a Cure? If not - you must check them out!

As artisans and creators, we may labor under the ideal that our work can effect change in our world - that what we do personally and creatively contributes to the betterment of humankind. But what if it were more than an ideal or seemingly elusive goal? What if you were given an opportunity to positively effect change through partnering with an organization that is already pursuing that goal? And all it would take was a click of the shutter..

This fall, countless photographers and creators are coming together for one purpose: a cure. On October 11, 2009 – a collection of photographers are donating their time and session fees to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. BCRF is actively searching for a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime - and your creativity and willingness to help is going to contribute to the cause.

You don't have to labor under the ideal anymore - you can make a difference. You can effect change in our world by doing what you do best - by utilizing your creativity, building relationships, and creating images...Images for a Cure.

Check Out the NEW Jamie Schultz Designs

I always love looking at other designers' work. Its fun to see the variety of templates and designs that are offered to photographers. From simple to modern to antique, I think there are designs available for every type of photographer and their clients. While I do check out others' work, I typically don't buy from other designers since I have such a strong graphic design background and my own style to offer my clients. But for those of you who aren't designers or just don't have the time, be sure to check out all the resources out there from other designers, and there sure are plenty!!

Back in January, when I closed my template store, I posted this short list of designers I would recommend to others. And Jamie of course, made that list. I've always been a fan of Jamie's work. She has such clean, fun designs. For those of you not familiar with Jamie, she's not only a designer but also a photographer. Jamie's site jamieschultzdesigns.com got a makeover from Kim over at kimtowndesign.com. If you're looking for some new album, card or marketing templates, head over to check out Jamie's work.

Mpix Pro Custom CD Cases!

I have to admit - I use WHCC for almost everything - prints, gallery wraps, cards, you name it. My prints are ALWAYS spot on! I've tried other vendors, some have been good, others have been blah with horrible colors from most.

I calibrate my monitor with the x-rite eye-one. Rarely do I have color issues with WHCC when I've properly calibrated before editing my images.

When I saw that Mpix Pro was offering custom CD cases, I decided to try them out. I'm going to be honest, I had ordered sample prints from Miller's in the past (Mpix's parent company) and I was not happy with the colors in both my corrected and uncorrected images I sent in. So I was very surprised when my test prints from Mpix Pro came back spot on. I decided to try out the custom CD cases for my digital collections. I just got in a CD case for a recent client order and I LOVE it! The best part is that you can design a custom cover for ever client order. Once I placed my order, I had my snazzy new case in about two days ... I love the quick turnaround too! To the left is a horrible photo I took with my Blackberry, but it gives you an idea of what the finished product looks like.

I'm trying out some new products from additional vendors right now. When those come in I'll let you know what I think!

How Good Is Your Insurance Coverage? Are You Really Protected?

I read an article from Art of the Image. A photographer had ALL of his equipment stolen after a wedding. That's $20,000 of equipment So do you have insurance coverage for your equipment? I do, there's no way I could buy all new equipment and not go into debt. Take a look at the article and if in doubt, give a call to your insurance company and make sure you really are covered!

The Savvy Photographer

I just found The Savvy Photographer this morning. What a great site!! It offers a ton of inspiration for those of us that work with kids. I've seen some great images, fab ideas for displays and even weekly giveaways!

Be sure to check them out if you're needing a little inspiration!!

Unleashed Follow-Up

I just wanted to follow-up on the Unleashed workshop I talked about the other week. They are sold-out for the Chicago workshop that I am attending!

If you missed out on getting in on the Chicago workshop, be sure to check out their website about the workshop in Dallas April 18-20, 2010! There is also a third workshop planned for the DC area in 2010, but no dates have been posted yet.