Morning Pages

Years ago, I did a study called The Artist’s Way. The book, by Julia Cameron, is marketed as a spiritual journey to unblock your creativity. I was feeling particularly blocked at the time, and even though I kind of raised an eyebrow at the introduction to the book (where she’s talking about how you define God) it struck me as something that might be helpful to me as a visual artist. I was supposed to be working with a group of photographers, but the group itself never really got off the ground, so I decided to move on and take that journey by myself.

One of the best things I got out of this study was doing morning pages: three pages of stream of consciousness, don’tthinkaboutwhatyou’rewritingorworryaboutgrammarspellingpunctuation writing, every morning. It’s kind of a “brain dump,” and for me it is part prayer, part meditation, part creative exercise… all in all, a form of therapy.

Then later, as all of my writing obligations (the blogs, marketing, email, school, etc) started adding to the burn out, I stopped doing my morning pages. I wish I had kept it up. Until I started them again this week, I didn’t know how much I missed them. Or how much I needed them.

So now that my life has hit another season of renewal, with a new house, a new baby on the way, an evolving style, and a fresh look for the business, I feel like it’s time to take another trip with The Artist’s Way. I have one other photographer who is interested in a group study, and we’re looking for a maximum of six more people (whether you’re a photographer, some other kind of artist, or just someone who dreams of being more creative) to go along with us. I’d like to get started next week — as you can see, I’ve already started my morning pages again — so please let me know ASAP if you’d like to join us for a virtual group. Email me at info at shelbylane dot net or find me on facebook, and we’ll talk details.

Professional Photographers of Oklahoma!

Be sure to come and say hi at the PPOK State Convention in Tulsa next weekend!  I’ll be speaking on Baby Plans on Saturday afternoon and I’d love to meet some of my “Imaginary Internet Friends” in person!  If you’re in the area, this is going to be a great convention.  Don’t miss the chance to hear some great speakers and network with other photographers in your area — if you haven’t been to a state photographer’s convention before, you should know that you will learn as much from chatting with other photographers as you will from the programs.

Good Vs Bad Students

Just in time for the new school year, there is a great article today on the PhotoshopInsider blog, by Scott Kelby.  Most of you will know Scott as “the Photoshop guy.”  But in this article, he talks about how to get the most out of a workshop and how to be a good workshop student.  I have had notes to write about this for awhile, but Scott came up with some issues that I wasn’t even considering, so go check it out.

Focus on the Forums

There are a ton of photography forums out there. Some are amazing. Some are just getting started. Some, I could live without. Each has it’s own little culture and mix of people and styles, so some are a better fit for me than others. Online forums can be a great place for learning and networking with other photographers, as well as keeping up with the latest trends and techniques. I am involved with two that are focused on professional portrait photography, and they have been great educational tools for me. Then there are a few places I drop in on because I’ve made friends with some of the other photographers, or there is a certain emphasis on other types of photography that I just enjoy looking at. You can find most of them in the blogroll links to the right.

For today, we’ll stay in The Republic. For Texans and the surrounding states, TexasPhotoForum is a great place to network with other photographers in our region. You’ll find people at all levels of experience, from brand new hobbiests to full-time professionals who have been in the business for many years. They have some really amazing nature photographers over there, so it’s fun to go and see what the regulars are posting from their excursions. It is a free board (with the option to become a premium member) so it is easy to go check out. But as with any board, the value is in posting and getting to know people — you will always get more out of a forum membership if you post than if you just lurk. We’re all busy, but the little bit of time you spend getting to know people will pay off. They’re having a membership drive right now so if you go and look around, tell them I sent you.

It will be another busy week in the studio but I hope to be able to post a few entries this week. Another big thank you to Jennifer Nace for being our featured photographer this month. You’re a hit, Jen!

Stuck in Customs

I’m about to head out for another looooooong day at the studio, and I feel like I need some inspiration. I’ve been busy shooting portrait after portrait for the past few weeks and sometimes, I just need a change. So this morning, I snuck a peek at the new posts on Stuck in Customs. I love Trey Ratcliff’s travel/landscape photoblog. As some of you know, I don’t like the Lucis filter much. When I see it used on portraits, it is so often run with a heavy hand and it tends to make angelic baby faces look dirty and harsh. But I love it on this type of work. The richness of the color, the intensity of the skies, and the sharp detail make for some amazing images. Be sure to check out Trey’s HDR tutorial if you have some free time today.

Building Your Brand

Hey everybody! It has been a busy few weeks at the studio but I am still here. Instead of posting something of my own today, I’m sending you to another site. I have another long post about “setting yourself apart fromall the millions of other photographers out there” brewing but I just haven’t found the time to type it out yet.

I have talked with many of you lately who feel like you don’t have a strong enough brand to really set you apart in your clients minds. This is a slower time of year for photographers, and all of us portrait folks are gearing up for the super busy holiday season, so this is a great time to take a good, hard look at your business and see what is working and what is not. Not Just Pretty is a good place to start. Professional designer Erin Ferree has written some fantastic articles about branding, marketing, design, and search engine optimization tips, and I think that all of us can find something useful on her blog.

Ooooooklahoma!

It’s official — I will be speaking at the Professional Photographers of Oklahoma State Convention this September in Tulsa.  If you’re in the area, come on out!  I’d love to meet you, and it’s a great opportunity to network with other photographers from your own area, see all the new stuff the vendors bring to the trade show, and learn some new techniques and business ideas.

Bookshelf: The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

Hi, I’m Shelby and I am a compulsive reader. If you’ve ever spent time with me in person, you’ll know that I almost always have a book in the car, and in my purse, and in my suitcase. So, for the workshops, I’m making a list of “must reads” for photographers. The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding: How to Build a Product or Service into a World-Class Brand, by Al and Laura Ries, is at the top of that list. If you’re just getting started in this business or are working to restructure your image, this book needs to be on your list, too. It explains the basics of branding, and looks at case studies from well-known corporations that highlight their mistakes as well as their successes.

Is it the complete branding gospel? No. There are a few things that I don’t completely agree with in practice, for us as photographers. But I do think that it’s a wonderful place to start. You can pick it up at your local bookstore or library, or online at Amazon.com.

Lighting Videos

Ah, the beauty of YouTube! You can find all sorts of… well… junk. And then you can also find some really good information.

These short videos from ProPhotoLife.com are a good resource for someone who is just venturing into the studio lighting world. They offer a good, simple explanation of basic lighting as well as good visuals. I prefer to use a softbox in the studio for portraits, and many of these are shot with an umbrella, but the information is still pretty good.

Thank you to Jeffrey on TexasPhotoForum.com for sharing the link!

Looking for a few good photographers…

Welcome to the new blog! Let me tell you something: WordPress is NOT like anything I’ve ever used before. But I think that ultimately the move from outside hosting will be good for the blog and the site in general.

I am in search of a few good photographers for two different projects:

First, I’d like to expand my blogroll, so if you’re interested in exchanging links (or if you’ve already got me on your list of friends) let me know so I can link back. I’d be happy to link to photographers outside of New Braunfels.

And second, if you’ve been to one of my workshops, I am looking for some non-local photographers to feature on the blog. We’ve featured former student Charity Plasse in the past, and I’d like to feature someone new about once a week. So if you’d like to be featured, please shoot me an email at workshops@shelbylane.net. I am not likely to be able to feature everyone, but I would love to share what y’all are up to these days.

I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday weekend! The studio is closed today but I will return all photographer calls and emails when I get in tomorrow.