Feb 6th

Frank and Frida | Inspired Design for Photographers

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We are excited to welcome Frank and Frida as our newest vendor. I am absolutely in love with all of their templates and am excited to have them here at Launch. And because they might just be the most awesome people on the planet they are giving away a $100 SHOPPING SPREE to one lucky winner!!

TO ENTER

-Like their Facebook page and leave a comment on their wall letting them know that Launch sent you

-Tweet “Enter to win $100 shopping spree at http://launch-workshop.com/blog/” (this will count as your second chance to win)

-Then come back here and leave a comment letting us know that you completed step 1 and 2 and what Frank and Frida product you like best.

And if that’s not generous enough, they are also offering 40% off on all of their products until midnight on February 9th!! use code BIG40

Feb 5th

One more week…..

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It’s hard to believe that we are only a week away from our next workshop! It’s not too late to sign up, we have two seats left and would love to have you!

Feb 4th

52 Fridays | Week Five

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As I am sure you noticed, I am very food focussed this week but in a good way. Nine days ago I embarked on a journey to cleanse my system. Lately, (really the past couple of years) I have been dealing with fatigue, migraines, constant stomach aches, a touch of anxiety (but who doesn’t get anxious) and an overall feeling of general fogginess. So when a friend of mine told me about the Arbonne 30 day cleanse I was intrigued. Because I am a mocha every morning and Coke every day kind of girl I knew it was going to be tough. No refined sugar, no dairy, no gluten and no processed anything. So what does that leave you ask… Lean meats, fruits and vegetables. I start my day with a protein shake (which I have grown to completely love) with frozen berries. Tons of veggies and low glycemic fruits. I can do this. Nothing could have prepared me for the first four days. To say that it was hard is a gross understatement. My body was screaming for sugar. SCREAMING! All I wanted to do was pop open an ice cold Coke and eat a gigantic slice of pizza. I had to force myself to drink the 90 plus ounces of water that I was required to drink and nothing really tasted good to me at all. I was eating the food that I was supposed to because I was supposed to and for no other reason. I hit an all time low on day three when my 16 year old son came home from school and made bacon. I FREAKED out. I was so angry. How could he do this to me? BACON? Could he have picked a worse food to cook? I couldn’t escape the amazing smell and it took everything I had not to say forget it, throw in the towel and eat that delicious thick sliced bacon. But instead I went to my room and cried. I knew if I gave in then, all my hard work would be for not so I pushed on. I can assure you that I was NOT HAPPY about it. And to make matters worse I was on day three of a THROBBING headache. Then on day five I woke up feeling better than I had in years. I went to yoga in the morning and walked 4 miles that night. I had so much energy, I didn’t crash at 2:30pm in fact I felt like I could run a marathon. And every day since then has been better than the day before. That is when I realized just how much I was abusing my body. I look better, my skin is glowing, my hair is softer and my stomach never hurts and I am actually enjoying and craving water. I haven’t had a headache all week, all my cravings are gone and the most amazing thing of all; the food that I was forcing myself to eat in the beginning tastes AMAZING! It is clear to me now that what started out as an attempt to flush the toxins out of my body and hopefully give up drinking Coke has completely changed my life. And now I know that I can never go back to my old ways.

Feb 2nd

Wordsmith Groundhog Sale!

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If you have not gotten your hands on any of Wordsmith’s many amazing products, you are missing out! Don’t her miss her one day only Groundhog Day sale! Use promotion code GROUNDHOG at checkout to receive 22% off now through 9am EST February 3rd.

Jan 30th

It doesn’t happen overnight

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When I was starting out, I spent hours scouring the internet pouring through Photography web sites. I was trying to build my business and while I thought I had a decent grasp on Photography, I was just not getting the look I wanted from my photos. Because I am a focused person and have little to no patience, I was frustrated. Why did my subjects not have that light, creamy skin? Why do I have to convert all of my photos to black and white after hours of trying to make them look presentable in color? How do I interact with my clients and get natural expressions when I all I can think about is the settings on my camera, where the best light is, the fact that the sun totally just came out from behind that cloud and now I have to start all over again….

No one just picks up a camera and “gets it”. Of course, it may take a little longer for some than others (I feel like I was on the “some” side) but the only way to perfect your craft is to get out from behind your computer and practice. This is the digital age so go out and find the light, experiment with exposure and aperture. You don’t need a subject to practice, at least not all of the time. Have fun and give yourself a break and remember if you really really want this than don’t give up! There is no substitute for hard work and dedication. I believe that you never truly “arrive”, that Photography is a journey that has no final destination. The moment you think you have arrived is the moment you stop learning.

I recently shared a photo with the Launch Alumni from the first year I was in business and their response made me think I need to share it here on the blog with you. And just in case you were wondering, YES I did make the lovely hat on that poor babies head and YES she is sitting in a planter that I bought at Target and YES I was proud of it at the time

THEN

NOW

Jan 29th

Workshop announcements

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As Launch 2 quickly approaches us, we are excited to meet all of the new attendees and so honored to once again see the women who attended a previous workshop. It is of course an honor with all of the options out there to be chosen as your workshop of choice but an especially huge honor when someone decides to come back and learn from me again. It is going to be an amazing weekend. There are still two seats left and we would to have you!

Due to such a high demand for a spring workshop, we have decided to move our original February workshop to April 22nd and 23rd. If you are interested in a payment plan, please contact me through the site so that we can discuss arrangements. Hope to see you soon!

Jan 27th

52 Fridays | Week four

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What a week. Our water heater decided to dump almost it’s entire contents into Cade’s room leaving him no choice but to bunk up in the bonus room. I learned this week that there are companies who specialize in this sort of catastrophe and to them I am grateful. Just when we we thought we were all dried out, we had a second mysterious flood that is still under investigation. So needless to say, I didn’t get half of things done this week that I hoped to accomplish. To make matters worse, the humming of the fans made me extra sleepy since I sleep with a fan right next my head every night. I am grateful that I was able to work around the shoots I had scheduled and that I can work from home when necessary. This kind of thing is much harder to manage with a 9 to 5 job so for that I am again grateful for this wonderful Profession. I wish I had taken more pictures this week but next week will be better. I can feel it. Enjoy your weekend and don’t forget to hug your water heater.

Jan 23rd

Meet and Greet | Seniorologie

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We are excited to have Seniorologie as one of our newest vendors! I had a chance to chat with Leslie via email over the last couple of weeks and am looking forward to meeting her in Vegas this year at WPPI! Thank you Leslie for such an awesome interview!

We LOVE Seniorologie, can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you offer?

Seniorologie is an inspirational blog that is dedicated to the study of senior portrait photography. We provide information, inspiration and education for photographers on all things senior portrait related. We also provide helpful tips and fashion inspiration for high school seniors as a way to help them prepare for their senior photo shoots. We also just started a directory where seniors can find their photographer by state!

What inspired you to start Seniorologie?

I have been a writer for several blogs such as The Savvy Photographer and The Lens Loves and I love interviewing photographers! I love meeting, interviewing and finding out all about them! I also have a love for senior portrait photography! It is such a fun age and I love taking photos of seniors! I combined both loves and Seniorologie was born! I am also always on a quest to learn more and share what I learn with other photographers and Seniorologie is a platform for that!

What do you have planned for 2012?

This year is going to be big for Seniorologie!! I am so excited about the things we have planned! The first thing is the new directory. It is the opportunity for photographers to apply to be listed in the directory so that seniors may find the perfect photographer for their photo shoots! In February, Seniorologie is going to WPPI and hosting a Shoot Out with the fabulous Vanessa Warren of Butterfly Sparks, who is styling the shoot! This will be a fantastic opportunity for photographers to actually get in some shooting time while at WPPI. The Shoot Out is on Monday, February 20 from 2-5 and there are a few spots left! So if you are interested in getting some awesome photos for your portfolio, then come to The Seniorologie Shoot Out! Click here to sign up! Then in April we have The Seniorologie Tour in Atlanta. This is a workshop in which attendees will have the opportunity to learn from four of the top senior portrait photographers, Holli True, Amanda Holloway, Lisa Carpenter and Courtney DeLaura. There will also be a day of shooting and we have some exciting sets that we can’t wait to put together for the attendees! The workshop is located at The Inn at Serenbe outside of Atlanta and is a gorgeous place for us to relax, learn and shoot! The Tour Registration is almost full! You can click here to find out more details or to register!

What would your advice be for someone just breaking into the senior market?

My advice would be to build your portfolio and find one senior that will sing your praises! Work with that senior to create a unique experience for them in which they will want to share with others. They will then become your marketing evangelist! I also think it is important to have special senior packages and little things that make the senior feel unique, such as products that they will like that show off their photos!

How did you get your start in Photography and what would you say your biggest mistake was when you were starting out?

I got my start like many other photographers out there…I had kids and wanted great photos of them! I actually wanted to study photography in college but heard the class was hard and I was more into the social scene than studying! Don’t tell my kids! :) But I constantly tried to pick it up on my own throughout the years. It didn’t really stick until I spent a week at my in-laws house and started studying online and practicing with my point and shoot camera! From there, I kept learning, practicing and building my portfolio. I think the biggest mistake I made (and still do sometimes) is comparing myself to others. I am the most critical of myself and I always want to be better! I have learned to accept my work and to continually practice, learn and push myself to be better.

Can you share where you find your inspiration?

Oh gosh…everywhere!! I love magazines, always have! I am so happy when I get a new magazine or catalog in the mail!! Anything from Jcrew to Boden to Vanity Fair and In Style! I also love Pinterest (who doesn’t?) and blogs such as The Savvy Photographer! I am also inspired by collaborating with others in the industry and I try to do that as often as possible!

Check out more of Leslie’s work and be sure to check out her site as well!

Jan 20th

52 Fridays | Week Three

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Wow, this week went fast! It’s crazy how quickly Friday snuck up on me! This week, I decided to share some pictures of my studio along with some locations I have been shooting this week. Enjoy and Happy Weekend!

Jan 19th

Share your experience | Lindsay

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You were the winner of the October workshop and we found out over the weekend that you tend to win a lot of things…. what’s your secret?

You know, I wish I knew that! This year I have been incredibly lucky in so many ways, not just winning things. I really think that I am being looked over, and God is providing me with things that He knows are going to benefit my business, as well as great opportunities to do so (maybe He throws in a few concert tickets in the mix too).

With so many options for workshops out there for workshops, why Launch?

There are a lot of workshops out there but not many of them start at the beginning teaching not only Photography but also the business side as well. I had just started my business when I heard about Launch and it was important to me to start with a strong foundation so Launch seemed to be perfect. I love Stacy’s work and style so I knew she would be the perfect person to learn from. I loved that she was willing to share anything and everything about her business.

Can you share with us what you took away from the Launch workshop?

Oh gosh, I don’t even know where to start. What an amazing weekend with an amazing group of women. It’s not only the learning material, being able to practice on models, taking a notebook full of notes, and images for your portfolio, it’s the connections that I made with other people who are at the same place in their businesses as me, and the support system where I can ask questions and bounce ideas off of. I feel honored to call these women my friends, and I know that we will keep in touch for many years to come.

How did you get interested in Photography and how long have you been in business?

Actually, I’ve always had a love for photography, but it never really occurred to me that I could do it as a career. I just enjoyed taking photos. Then a few of my friends bought DSLR cameras, and were taking these great pictures, and starting businesses. I was watching their journey and I started seeing the world differently. Everywhere I looked, I started seeing photographs in my mind. I wanted to be creative, my urge to take pictures went into overdrive. It took one time, a friend lent me her DSLR to take practice photos, and I fell in love. That is when I knew I needed my own camera, and everything just grew from there.
I made the decision to start a business two years ago. The first year was learning and building, so this past year I have been defining my business and my brand, and building clientele. November I moved into my very first studio space.

If you had to pick one subject to shoot what/who would it be and why?

I’m still really trying to feel out what I want to narrow my business down to, but I know I could not live without shooting weddings and couples. The moments between two people in love are absolutely amazing to capture, and I feel honored to get to spend an entire day with a couple on one of the most important days in their lives.

It seems only fitting with the New Year upon us, that we ask what your goals are for the new year.

Right now, I am working on launching a new blog, and redoing my website to make it more “me”. I’ll be filming a promo video in April to put on my website. Also, I really hope to keep learning, and growing my business as much as possible.

If you could have one wish granted, what would it be?

To have more wishes? Okay, really, I think it would have to be to be able to quit my full time job to pursue photography full time, and know that my husband and I can be secure and financially stable. There are so many things that I would like to do with my business, and I feel like trying to balance out time with a full time job is something that I am still learning to do. Maybe I’ll just add that under the goals section as well.

Thank you for sharing Lindsay, I am excited to see where this amazing journey takes!