Registration 8:30 am

Program 9:15 am to 5:30 pm

Dinner Banquet 6pm to 10 pm

Susan Cameron, M.Photog.Cr., API

www.susancameron.com

Success is in knowing the secrets!

“THE SECRET LIFE OF THE CHILD PHOTOGRAPHER”

Have you ever looked at a peaceful, calm portrait of a toddler and ask yourself, “How did they do that? I can’t get a kid to sit still like that! What’s the secret?”

Susan will dispel the common myths and rumors about little children in the camera room and share the “secrets” all photographers must know for a successful session. Susan will focus on the special problems of photographing children from infancy to three years and how to be in control and get what you want from these moving targets. The use of helpful posing aids, studio lighting for little but moving faces as well as suggestions for posing infant and toddler siblings will be demonstrated.

And

Jimmy and Liz Ferrara

"It's All About You"

  

Seems like an odd thing to say when you're running a service based business, and of course "the customer is always right"... but you need to take charge of your business and run it the way YOU want it run or risk losing the passion for photography that got you started in the first place. We'll talk about how, from the beginning, we have run our business the way we want, ignoring many of the things people told us we had to do, or things we had to offer. And you know what? Our clients book us for US- not for what everyone else does.

We'll talk about: The studio, HOODIE, Face Up, and destination weddings, and how in just 5 years we grew to be one of the top studios in our area, with great respect from our peers and other businesses. We can get as techie as you'd like- and we love the technology. It's what fuels photography as a field today. So come with your questions- we'll be telling you a bit about both portraits and weddings- what we use, what we couldn't live without, and what we've done away with.

The Studio: We'll talk about why we think presentation is everything- and that doesn't mean changing who you are to fit a mold. Design your studio how you want: Your studio is your second home- it should be an extension of who you are as a person, a photographer, and a business owner: from the background music, to the lighting, to what images and albums you display. These should all be things that you are proud of- and if they are, that will come across as the good kind of confidence.

HOODIE: Charity fundraisers can be a great way to help those in need, as well as your own business. Come up with a theme that you enjoy shooting and a charity you are comfortable with. It will make the shoot exciting and fun, and will not only generatesome extra business but will make you the talk of the town. This year we raised over $6000 in one day for a local charity.

Face Up: Make one thing your trademark: our portrait business was started by doing B&W close up photos of a person's face and the reflection of Jimi in the subject's eye we call "face up." The studio at the time was an 8x10 spare bedroom, but we made it work. To this day, if someone were to see one of these images or that reflection, immediately they know it's J.Ferrara Photography- a great way to solidify your brand without even mentioning the studio's name.

Destinations weddings: We'll talk about how booking one small wedding in St John, with not much profit, grew to 4 other island weddings with bigger and bigger budgets within one fiscal year.