We're three photographers who love what we do and want to share it with others. Come hang out with us and learn how we work, how we shoot, how we interact with clients. Come be stretched technically and inspired creatively. Change the way you think and look at your photography and leave with the knowledge you need to continue growing and some killer images to add to your portfolio.

Fred Egan: Portraits
Amy Coffey: Kids
Michael Norwood: Weddings


WHEN: April 20-23, 2008

We'll get together Sunday night to meet, eat and get to know each other. Monday morning everything begins with some classroom time covering marketing and the technical side of shooting. After lunch we'll head out for a live shoot and then to dinner. Tuesday we'll cover post-processing and the artistic side of shooting. After lunch we'll head out for another live shoot and then to dinner. Wednesday's schedule looks the same... classroom time, lunch and the workshop concludes with the last live shoot.

WHERE: Glen Rose, TX... a little town outside Dallas with a lot of charm and a million places to shoot. You'll stay at a charming lodge on the bank of the Brazos River.

COST: $1500

Tuition includes 3 days of in-depth training with Fred, Amy and Michael, lodging and all meals (heck yeah!), 3 live shoots, one on one portfolio critique.

We'll cover the technical and artistic aspects of shooting (camera settings, composition, seeing the light, being inspired, working with clients during the shoot), workflow (from raw files to finished product), post-processing, marketing, getting published.

Space is limited so reserve your spot soon! Email info@thelabworkshop.com

"I'm very important. And I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."

I thought it would be neat to share my little leather-bound journal with you guys...this is a very essential part of my ever evolving creative process...my leather-bound journal. I tear 'n tape and jittle 'n jot from the four corners of pop culture. Hints of movies, music and fashion make their way into this journal via ink and magazine tear outs. My little friend's obesity increases daily. This gem of a practice first introduced itself to me in Seattle while attending the Anti-Workshop. I rarely head into a shoot (sans weddings) without story boarding it first with paper, ink and tape. It's amazing what creativity is birthed when given parameters within which to exist.

Tip #20: Start a creative journal today...and carry it with you always in order to document the moments of inspiration that strike you on a whim.

Do you utilize a creative journal? If so, how have you found it aids in keeping your creative edge? Here's to many more leather-bound books and apartments that smell of rich mahogany. Cheers!

* * * * *

Why am I blogging so much lately? Nobody knows, maybe I have the itch to talk about questions I'm being asked lately that are questions I asked when I was in the very beginning stages of my career. I'm still at the beginning in the grand scheme of things but you get the picture.

Andrew Bryant asked in my Andy Davis post, "How did I manage to get a photo pass from Andy?" In all reality, the answer to this question is applicable across the board from "How did you manage to second shoot with So & So?" to "How did you manage to book THAT wedding client in Barbados?"










It's the Network.

MySpace and Facebook don't cut it...in fact, that's a horrible place to "build" a network worth anything. I'm talking about a network that you build with airline miles, nights spent in hotels and your rear end in the seat at a workshop next to 25 other people determined to go the same place you're headed. A network established by face to face contacts AND THEN nourished with iChat, MySpace, Facebook, online forums, etc. If you build your network the other way around, I believe it's going to less effective.

My most valuable contacts were always made in situations where I paid good money to be there. Often, that is what it will take. I've got a credit card bill that reads like a family tree. Network with people you could be friends with...get along with, have things in common with. Don't allow someone's status in the industry be the driving motive of why you want to make contact with them/get to know them.

Tip no. 19: You get from your network what you put into it.

I've been known to take to the friendly skies just to make a couple of key contacts...eventually, it pays off.

Here's a brief shake down of how I met all my wonderful friends (and it begins with Lauren Clark):

2006 April: I second shoot a wedding with Lauren Clark (I'd known Lauren since she was 14). She mentions a workshop in NYC being put on by Jessica Claire and Liana Lehman that following October. I quip, "Jessica who???" She laughs and just tells me to check out Jessica's work. Something called the Xtreme! seminar. Hmmm...New York City in the fall sounded nice.

2006 October: Xtreme! seminar (New York, NY). It is here that I meet:
Jessica Claire
Liana Lehman
[b]ecker
Davina Fear
Marisa Holmes
Charles Bordner
Millie Holloman
Amy DeYoung
Jason Groupp
Allan Zepeda among others

January 2007: Digital Wedding Forum University (San Antonio, TX). I meet Doug & Chenin Boutwell. She says she likes my work (she knows who I am AND likes my work??! I pee my pants.)

March 2007: Digital Wedding Forum Convention/WPPI (Las Vegas, NV). Here I meet:
Shyla
Jasmine Star
Shannon Sewell
Jesh de Rox
Cristy Cross
Kristen Bednarz
Kevin Swan
Nate Kaiser (The Image is Found)
Cheryl Walsh (who I distinctly remember because she greeted me with a kiss on the cheek)

May 2007: PartnerCon (Chicago, IL). Here I meet:
Sara France
Katie Thurmes

June 2007: The anti-Workshop (Seattle, WA). Here I meet:
Dustin Stellar
Heather Cole
Kelly Walker Chance
Kathy Carlisle
Mark Galligan

July 2007: I hire Nick Onken to photograph me (Malibu, CA). Arguably one of my most influential contacts.

October 2007: PhotoPlus Expo (New york, NY). Here I meet:
TJ Cameron
Jason Domingues

November 2007:
Kristy Behrs
MacGregor Mitchell

Each one of those trips/events only reinforced the relationships I had made previously. Second shoot opportunities, growth as a person/photographer and laughter were all direct results of these relationships.

So, to answer your question about the Andy Davis photo pass...my best friend Kyle photographed him for his label and they wanted LIVE shots that night. After the show we all crashed Cafe Brasil and "networked" over some crepes and chicken nachos until 2AM :)

It's time to revisit a section of my blog that has been neglected lately: Tips 'n Tricks. And it's not because I haven't had anything new to share or haven't been learning new information/techniques...it's because I've been really, really busy. But alas, you guys have been good to me, patient with me, dare I say it-"loyal." Over that last 12 months I've enjoyed all the new faces leaving encouraging comments, asking great questions and providing valuable input. And lastly, I want to officially welcome all of you who've meandered over from Chase Jarvis' blog.

Quick disclaimer: I am not posting an image with this post, contrary to what many of my photography com-padres do with a text post. I don't feel this post warrants an accompanying photo JUST BECAUSE this is essentially a photo blog. I WANT you to read this post and if I post a picture you'll just go straight to the photo and consume it in a nano second and move on. How do I know this? Cause I'm a photographer and I do the same thing ;)

I want to touch on the last shoot I did with Ashlee. I've received emails and comments with questions here and there about that shoot...and I'm more than happy to answer those here. I'm a completely open book...always remember that. And if I forget that, don't hesitate to remind me that I said that (if you see me in person or somewhere else). I want to start photographing kids. That is my motivation for this shoot. But not just any kid...beautiful ones, fun ones, classic, American ones. Ashlee is a model. Not a paying client. This is what is called a test shoot in the commercial world. The model shows up and is not responsible for anything except being a professional at what they do...and that sole responsibility is to be "incredibly good looking."

I styled this shoot personally, which, honestly is a good chunk of work. That means I arranged for the wardrobe, props and location. Hair and makeup were done by her mom. Assistance was provided by Shannon Sewell...she was a big reason this shoot happened. Being my local contact in the Portland area, she made arrangements for the model, the location and provided great correspondence between me and the model. By industry standards, this was done on the cheap...bare bones. But often that's all that is needed.

Tip no. 18: Shoot for yourself what you want to shoot for your clients. They will start coming to you for it eventually.

This was a shoot done for me. Because I wanted to. You need to shoot for you or else you will get burned out with what you once loved. However, it's no coincidence that much of the stuff I shoot for myself looks like the stuff I shoot for clients.