Imaging USA 2011

I'm back!  And Imaging USA was fantastic!  I learned a great deal and evaluated lots of photography products.  I had a great time with my good friend and fellow photographer, Kim Kropka (Catchlight Photography).  Also on the docket:  some time to savor delicious Texas fare:  Mexican food and Whataburger.

I call this a great trip!

Now, onto the goods.  What is Imaging USA?  It's a HUGE photography conference.  Full of vendors displaying their printed goods, albums, equipment, and software.  Here's an example of the Miller's Professional Imaging booth:

I apologize for the quality of the photo there - I took the picture with my iphone!

Let's hit some highlights and lowlights of the trip to summarize quickly.

Highlights

• Focus - on what it really means to be a photographer.  That we're not there just "taking pictures" willy nilly.  We're there to capture real memories.  Real memories which will one day be snapshots in time for our relatives to cherish long after we're gone.
• The Luxe Lounge sponsored by Miller's Professional Imaging - awesome.  
• It was a small, intimate setting in which you could ask all sorts of questions to some of the best performing studios in the nation.  We saw a retouching in Photoshop workflow.  We sat in on a maximizing Facebook usage session.  We had Q&A sessions from 3 pretty successful studio owners in the industry.  REALLY cool.
• Found my printer of choice for my album options and narrowed it town to 2 amazing choices to offer my clients.  
• I can't wait to order samples.  The print quality is amazing, and the albums are seriously gorgeous!  Since I want to focus on offering outstanding albums for my clients - this was a HUGE deal for me.
• Played with my future camera.  Total weight with the lens is going to be over 5 lbs.  Thinking about how toned my arms will be once I get it.
• Focus.  The whole expo really made me focus on what is most important right now for my business and what I need to concentrate on to get started.
• Photoshop class - got some great tips.
• Last, but far from least:  Whataburger:

Lowlights

• The classes offered really lacked depth and detail.
• A handful were very good.  Most were pretty disappointing in content and pace.  Luckily, we had the Luxe Lounge to make up for it.
• Leaving my phone recharger in the hotel room and not realizing it until I was home. DOH. 

We had such a great time that we did not eat lunch most days!

The convention was inspiring on many levels:  as a business owner, as a photographer, as a person!

In the following weeks, you'll be seeing a variety of posts from photos from my up and coming photoshoots, to sources of inspiration, to mini French lessons, to difficulties of setting up shop as a business owner.  I hope you'll stay tuned to see the latest!

Bises,

La Lume

P.S.  I will be offering very very mini French lessons on my blog from time to time.  The first lesson is going to be why I signed my post "Bises."