Velocity Dance | Oakhurst PhotographyMarch 29th, 2011A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to do a few quick portrait sessions with some of the kids from the local dance company. They were putting on a wonderful fundraiser with an all you can eat dessert buffet (YUM). The kids and parents were so much fun to work with! And they are [...] |
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Tags: Dance, Oakhurst, Oakhurst Photography, Portraits, Velocity Dance, Yosemite Wedding Photography
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Posted in: Freelance, Photography |
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to do a few quick portrait sessions with some of the kids from the local dance company. They were putting on a wonderful fundraiser with an all you can eat dessert buffet (YUM). The kids and parents were so much fun to work with! And they are such a talented group of kids.
Changing My StoryMarch 11th, 2011Monday, February 21 I walked into the Grand Garden Arena at the MGM in Las Vegas excited to see a photographer who I admire and who I have been following since 2007: Jasmine Star. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the class but I was excited. If you haven’t heard about her I [...] |
Monday, February 21 I walked into the Grand Garden Arena at the MGM in Las Vegas excited to see a photographer who I admire and who I have been following since 2007: Jasmine Star. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the class but I was excited. If you haven’t heard about her I highly recommend checking out her blog & be sure to check out the J* Commercial that was used to introduce the class. After listening to what she had to say I was motivated – inspired – to take a deep look at myself and the direction I want to take my business.
Even before I attended this class I was trying to figure how I wanted to differentiate myself from other photographers in my area and how to become that photographer I want to be. I have so many ideas floating around in my head!
One thing J* asked is “Do you like the photographer you have become?” “Why?”
I have been sitting down examining this. And I am not going to lie – it is difficult being honest with yourself. Sitting and looking at my portfolio – which, is small but growing – and critiquing each photo is emotional.
But I am inspired. I will change my story. I will become the photographer I dream of becoming. I dare myself to succeed.
So thank you J*. Thank you for motivating me. Thank you for confirming that it is ok to change and become the photographer I want to be – not the photographer I think or others think I should be. Thank you for inspiring me to Change My Story.
Custom Wedding Books!!March 7th, 2011This year I have decided to start offering Custom Wedding Books. I had picked out a company at the end of last year that I wanted to work with – they had great quality & were absolutely beautiful. But as I have been reviewing my business and the direction I want to take it (read [...] |
This year I have decided to start offering Custom Wedding Books. I had picked out a company at the end of last year that I wanted to work with – they had great quality & were absolutely beautiful. But as I have been reviewing my business and the direction I want to take it (read more here) – I needed something that fit more into my personality and my business. A big goal for me was to find a book binding company that fit into the Eco-Friendly direction that I want to take my business and I was not disappointed.
I stumbled upon Couture Books at the Trade Show and immediately struck up a conversation with Jennifer. She was so informative and we had a great time discussing my wants and needs for Custom Books and I am confident that I have found a company that I will be working with for years on end! They provide an amazing amount of attention to detail – from the beautiful fabric to the hand book binding nothing is overlooked. And they have a strong commitment to the environment: all books are printed on a minimum of 50% recycled content and they are shipped in fully recyclable packaging. The Earth Collection is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled, acid-free archival paper; utilizes environmentally sensitive materials (for example Hemp) from conscious suppliers, and the entire process of creating the book is powered by Green-E certified Windpower. And if that was not enough – a portion of each book is used to go towards carbon offsets and planting trees. And they provide a lifetime warranty on their binding!
So I am now happy to offer 3 styles of Custom Books; 2 from the Earth Collection, and a 3rd from the French collection that utilizes 50% post-consumer recycled, acid-free archival paper & organic Cotton. I look forward to working with Couture Books and can’t wait to show off my studio samples!
If you are interested in our Custom Books and would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me: info@brittanygerth.com
And be sure to check out our Spring Album Special
Where I Want to Take My Business: Eco-EditionMarch 4th, 2011I just want to put this out there as a disclaimer: I understand there are many many many opinions on what is eco-friendly. I am just writing about what works for me and my business – I respect others opinions but I am not looking to start a debate. It’s no secret – I love [...] |
I just want to put this out there as a disclaimer: I understand there are many many many opinions on what is eco-friendly. I am just writing about what works for me and my business – I respect others opinions but I am not looking to start a debate.
It’s no secret – I love all things paper and stationary and I am determined to provide my clients with not only a beautiful experience but beautiful products. I want my business to be as “Eco-Friendly” or “Eco-Conscious” as possible but in a way that I can still offer the quality services & products I desire to offer.
How do I accomplish my goals of being Environmentally Conscious?
• We recycle everything possible from scraps of paper to shipping boxes to bottles, cans, and glass that comes through the office.
• All studio paper products (such as paper towels) contain recycled content
• We work to conserve electricity by using efficient light bulbs & switching power off at the power strip
• We look for vendors to work with who are Eco-Conscious
• The paper we use in the office is Begasse Paper; I encourage using scrap paper & printer paper does not get placed into the recycle bin to be shredded until it has been printed on both sides
• We are planning on purchasing a solid ink printer for the office by the end of 2011 to help minimize the need for ink jet cartridges
• We encourage our clients to recycle all paper products that we send them
Each year I will re-examine my environmental goals and practices to ensure that I am doing all that is possible to be as environmentally conscious as possible.
WPPI – A Week in ReviewMarch 2nd, 2011I am just going to put this out there – WPPI was amazing. It was also very overwhelming – especially for this first timer but definitely not an experience to be missed. This year I decided to do full registration but not register for the extra master or plus classes. Now that I have an [...] |
I am just going to put this out there – WPPI was amazing. It was also very overwhelming – especially for this first timer but definitely not an experience to be missed.
This year I decided to do full registration but not register for the extra master or plus classes. Now that I have an idea of what the convention is like I will definitely be spending the extra money on the PLUS and Master classes.
The Pre-Board system was awesome! Having the ability to pre-board for 5 classes was great and definitely a time saver which meant more time spent on the trade show floor! If they offer this next year I would definitely recommend taking advantage of this system.
And the trade show! Oh the trade show! Talk about overwhelming! I spent HOURS at the trade show each and every day. It was the first photography trade show I (and my husband) have ever been too & the booths were just amazing. There was such a variety – from the simple to the extravagant & everything in between. I loved WHCC booth – it was huge and had a second story. I am not sure if anyone but those working the WHCC booth was supposed to be up there but I decided to run up and snap a few quick pictures of the trade show floor on the last day (and these pictures are of only one of the buildings). They were taken on the last day so there aren’t as many people, normally it was shoulder to shoulder.
I loved Finao’s booth because it was surround by bead curtains (seen in the last photo) and was set up like a funky, fun living room with super comfy seats, coffee tables, and book shelves all displaying albums. Miller’s also had a great booth – it felt very “fancy” with demask patterns, chandeliers, black and white color scheme. WHCC had a very streamlined, modern booth with white, silver, and blue. They had the most comfy carpeted floor to stand on which was great when listening to speakers.
Another super exciting element that came out of the trade show is that I found an amazing company to work with to create beautiful, eco-friendly custom wedding books for my inspiring clients! I can’t wait to let you know all about it – be sure to check out my Spring Special.
Notes for next year: Be sure to register the DAY BEFORE I actually plan on attending the trade show or any classes. We arrive a couple days before the trade show and platform classes began so we could have some time to visit with family and friends. So I registered the same day I planned on attending classes and the trade show and it was just overwhelming – I think it would have been different if it also wasn’t the same day of the trade show. But as soon as we registered we went into the trade show which had just opened and it was a crazy sea of people. So next year I plan on registering a day before I plan on attending anything – that way I can have a moment to look through my registration material; get my bearings of the trade show floor; and plan out my platform class schedule & have all this done before I actually attend anything.
There were 2 main speakers that I wanted to make sure I saw: Jasmine Star and Lisa Lefkowitz. They did not disappoint! Jasmine Star was a great motivator with “Untold Stories.” She challenged photographers to “Change Your Story”, be yourself, and dare yourself to succeed. Lisa Lefkowitz was great as well! She is a hybrid shoot with film and digital and had great advice on how to prepare for a wedding day shoot, market yourself, and prepare for submissions. Both were very informative. I loved the other classes I went to – but these 2 were by far my favorite.
