New book

Photo Nuts and Post is the third installation in the Photo Nuts series and it just launched!
Written by professional photographer, Neil Creek, it gives you the tools you need to make processing work for you. Even if you have experience in editing, you can always learn new tricks.
To celebrate, they are offering 33% off if you buy today -Click here to read more!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Friday Photog Finds

I wanted to pick a winner for the Shutter Buddies Giveaway. It's



Breanne







Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize!








I'm not posting Friday Photog Finds this week, but stay tuned next week for a special surprise on Friday!








Have a great weekend!












Monday, August 22, 2011

My Idol

When I first started out blogging, I did a family blog. I worked hard on that blog and I had fun with it as well. I never thought about writing about photography at the time. I had a blog that I used to read every day named dooce. I'm sure you know of this blogger (Heather Armstrong) and maybe you even read it.



Anyway, I think I liked her because she was doing what I wanted to do (be a blogger) and well known for it. She was my inspiration to work hard at blogging and I loved to hear about her life. After awhile, I decided to focus more on photography, which made me not have so much time for blogging about family issues.



When I decided to move to blogging about photography, I stumbled across a wedding photographer named, Jasmine Star. I began to read her blog every day and soon, Dooce was replaced with Jasmine. She is such a fun person and has such fun with her career. She incorporates humor in her posts and is very willing to share her wisdom with other photographers.



She helps me (by reading about her journey from being a shy person to a famous wedding photographer) to achieve my dreams photography related. When I'm feeling down about something, she usually has some similar experience so I find out that I'm not alone. It's always fun to live vicariously through another, hoping that some day you could achieve the same-or close to.



If you never heard of her (Jasmine Star), go over to her blog and check her out-even if you don't shoot weddings!





Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday Photog Finds

Is it Friday already?


Well, I'm very excited about my Friday Find this week and I hope you entered our Shutter Buddies giveaway that ends next week!


While photographers tend to concentrate on improving their craft, they may let marketing go to the wayside. I admit that I put marketing off as much as I can, though I promised myself that these next two months will be dedicated to building my business.


Photography Web Marketing Guide.
I found out about The Photography Web Marketing Guide when I read an interview about Zach Prez on another photography site.



Photography Web Marketing Guide. is 35 pages of business building recommendations to help photographers grow their online presence through search engines, social media, and email newsletters.


Some key points:


•How to get more website visitors to call you
•Ways to find search-friendly keywords and get popular sites to link to yours
•How to optimize your homepage and blog posts for Google
•How to take advantage of your email list, plus connect it to Facebook and Twitter
•Ideas to grow your social media following


Who couldn't use that kind of help?


He also has an ebook titled Photography Blog Success for those wanting to turn blog visitors to clients.

Key points:

How to make your blog an integral part of a successful photography business
•How to use your personality to attract ideal clients
•Ideas for posts that lead to new business
•Ways to bring in more traffic and turn visitors into leads
•Suggestions from top bloggers in photography with examples and screenshots


I have to tell you, there are alot of neat ebooks and other products for photographers that I wouldn't mind getting, but these products are so crazy priced, I don't have the budget to invest hundreds of dollars FOR AN EBOOK. So, when somebody wants to get a product out there to help photographers and not take advantage of them, I like to recommend them. That's how Zach must see it as well, because his ebooks are reasonably priced at $29 a piece, or bundled for $49.


You can even learn for free if you have the time to read his blog. Personally, I don't! So, stop on by his site and check him out. I'm going to bug him for an interview, so keep checking back to see if he gives in!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Featured Vendor: Shutter Buddies-Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed!

Winner is:


Breanne


Our Featured Vendor today is Leora from





She makes awesome lens accessories to help make kids smile while taking their photo. She is also giving away a Shutter Buddies (the Sun Buddy) to one lucky reader! Details after interview.












Tell us about yourself!


My name is Leora. I am proud Army wife and we have three kids. Two girls, one boy. We're pretty lucky since we were told at one point we probably wouldn't be able to have any. I enjoy making my products to keep me busy since the Army keeps my husband pretty busy. I also love reading, eating good food, college football and The Office. :) www.etsy.com/shop/shutterbuddies








What type of product do you offer to photographers?


I offer Shutter Buddies and photo props. My Shutter Buddies are the most popular of all the items in my shop. They are all handmade and all include a squeaker as an extra attention getter. Kids just think they are fascinating and then once they squeak, the kids think the Buddies are hilarious. They are fantastic to get kids to look at the camera and smile.







What made you want to start this kind of business?







I am very interested in photography, but honestly and truly don't have "the eye" for it. Nor do I have the talent like most photographers do. I wish I did. So, since I love business and I like to create, I came up with the Shutter Buddies. If I can't take good photographs, why not help those who can? :) Not only that, but nothing pleases me more than hearing from my customers how much they love my Buddies.








Are you a photographer as well, or at least a photo-taking junkie?

Like I said before, I don't have "the eye" for photography. But, I do consider myself a photo-taking junkie so my husband can see pictures of our kids while the Army takes him away from us.


Do you have a favorite photographer that you drool over their photos?

Oh man, I love so many. I love browsing all photography blogs and Facebook pages just to see people's work.






What do you do like to do when you aren't running your business?






Play with my kids, read, spend time with husband, cook, shop at Ross, mow my lawn (seriously) and just be with my little family.

Any advice to someone wanting to start a business?

Make sure it makes you happy. Working while you're unhappy isn't worth it.






Win it.






Required entries:






Like Shutter Buddies http://www.facebook.com/shutterbuddiespage and Pro-tography on Facebook.






Leave a comment on here letting me know your favorite Shutter Buddy.






Extra entries:






Follow Pro-tography on Google Friends






Twitter about contest.






(leave separate comment for each extra entry)






Contest ends:






Aug 22nd

Friday, August 12, 2011

Friday Photog Finds

Weekends for me usually are hectic, but this weekend will be fun. School starts on Monday, so I wanted to spend Saturday with my daughter, picking out some outfits for school and just chit chat. She's only six, but we have some very interesting convos! My teenage son, on the other hand, is at that stage where he doesn't want anything to do with mom. I still love him though. lol

Another event this weekend that I'm looking forward to is my granddaughter's first birthday!


We did a cake eating photo shoot yesterday.



She dug right in with no coaxing whatsoever. She was so tidy and neat about it, she barely moved as she concentrated on eating it. We were laughing so hard that I almost couldn't get any photos!


We finally had to stand her up to get some different poses. She's my little princess!


Anyway, I'm back to doing Friday Photog Finds and wanted the theme to be about children's photography.


Are you a children's photographer? I don't consider myself one, but I usually end up shooting children now and then and of course, I take my kid's photos. I know how it can be challenging taking photos of children.



My Friday Picks:



Workshop on DVD: Inside Contemporary Children's Photography with Tamara Lackey

Tamara Lackey is a talented photographer who has done more than 1000 children's sessions. She is very good at teaching as well, offering workshops around the world and also offers a workshop on a dvd! Great for those that can't afford to go to her workshops, or travel that distance to get to one.


This 90-minute DVD is simply one of the best investments you could make if children’s portraiture interests you.


Her book “The Art of Children’s Portrait Photography” is highly-rated as well and a great companion to this instructional DVD.

The DVD covers:


The basics of setting up the studio


Shooting


Selling


and more!


Watch as Tamara demonstrates positive interactions with her clients and subjects.this is an important talent to have if you are going to be a photographer. I love behind-the-scenes approach and if you do too, you will learn alot from her!


Workshop on DVD: Inside Contemporary Children's Photography with Tamara Lackey

-----------


Sandy Puc Creative Edge Kids tour


Sandy Puc is doing a 41 city tour on different ideas to use for studios, marketing, and prop ideas.


There's a workshop near me and I like the price- $69. I'm thinking about trying it out since I do newborn sessions.


--------


Shutter Buddies

Have you heard of these?


They are awesome!


These are design by an even more awesome lady, Leora.
They were made to hold little one's attention while taking their photo. I think they are simply adorable.


I have a surprise for you on Monday that just might involve these cute little Shutter Buddies, so please stop by and check it out!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

A new addition

I keep telling myself that I need to get back to blogging, but it seems like there's always some photos to be edited, a dish to be washed, a kid to be fed. I used to be so good at keeping up with all my blogs and work at same time, but I've either gotten lazy, or just not focused.




With the kids going back to school next week, I hope that the load will lighten a bit and I can get back to business because I love this community that I built and don't want to lose you awesome readers.




With that, I have to show you what we "accidentally" got last weekend.
This is Sammy.

He is an early, early, early birthday present for my six year old, Emily. We saw him and couldn't resist.

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that this kitten was a dog in an early life. He waits by the front door. He begs for food (worse than the dogs do). And, he loves kids and lays next to your feet like a dog would. I've never seen a cat act like this before. I expected him to be bouncing off the walls and tearing up the curtains like kittens do. He does have his moments of chasing a fuzz ball across the floor, but he's very gentle. My husband is not a cat lover, so I was worried about them getting along, but the kitten has become attached to him and ended up winning him over.





The dogs don't like him very well, but they know that they are dead meat if they hurt him. We only had one episode when we came home and found all my papers that were on my computer tower scattered across the floor. Bella, our border collie looked guilty and cowered when we looked at her, so I think she must have tried to use the kitten as a chew toy. Nothing happened since then, so I'm hoping they at least tolerate each other.




So, not that I needed another thing to keep me busy, we now have a new member to the family!




Monday, August 1, 2011

Winner!

I'm a bit late in announcing the winner of Speckled Frog Crochet Giveaway.

It's ...




Congrats!