For those who don’t know WPPI is like the world’s biggest wedding & portrait photographers conference/convention held annually in Vegas. And they aren’t kidding with the world’s biggest thing, its HUGE! Much love to my friend Brittany Moncrief for giving me the free pass she won when she realized she wouldn’t be able to attend! You ROCK Britt!

The platform classes are great but for me it was all about the Tradeshow. I am really dedicated to offering *the best* products to my clients and also to partnering with the best companies so that I can give my clients an amazing experience from their initial point of contact with me to the delivery of their album– and everything in between! So needless to say, I had a lot of research to do! And luckily I think I did a great job of seeing what’s out there, and definitely have major changes coming soon!

Here are some new things happening at Ashleigh Taylor Photography:

-I now am a  user of Tave Studio Management services. Tave is great because their software provides me a way to manage all my clients & the workflow attached to the packages they book! No more post-its full of reminders strewn everywhere around my house! Now I have all my to do’s in one place! I also can manage my calender through Tave so double bookings and confusions will never be an issue (NOT THAT IT EVER WAS), but I say better to be safer now than sorry at some point! I can also track finances through Tave and export to Quickbooks (which is my main way of tracking finances). But the bestie thing about Tave is that it allows my clients to have their own online lounge where they can book me, electronically sign their contract, and view invoices! No more snail mailing of contracts, no more waiting around for copies to come through! We can get contracts done in a jiffy, and my clients can have a PDF of it saved to their computer and if they want they can print it for their records. I can do the same! Simple! And this paperless system is also GREEN! If you know anything about me, you know I’m an environment-loving, save planet Earth preaching, green/organic lifestyle nut! So being able to go green in this respect makes me very happy! Can’t wait to finish setting this up, and having things be easy peasy for my clients (and for me too)!

-Album Exposure! This is another biggie! Now my clients can easily view their album designs online. The viewer can be set to have a flip-through page-turning experience (like viewing a real album) or a slideshow experience! You can leave comments on each spread and this way I can see the exact changes you want me to make!  If you like the design you can also approve it! Super simple! And once its approved the system will send it right to the manufacturer to get the printing started ASAP! Isn’t that fab?! So far the client response has been great! And I can’t wait to share more designs with my clients soon!

-Speaking of Albums…WPPI was great because I realized I truly do offer *the best* quality albums to my clients! After seeing the rest, I can soundly say I really did choose the best vendors out there! Seriously. My album companies ROCK!

-Black Rapid Women’s Strap! Ok this isn’t out yet but when its released, honey, I am FIRST in line to buy it! This is a strap that holds your camera ina certain way for more comfort, less weight on your neck, better posture, and easier access. I loved this darned thing! When it comes out it will be a life-changer for me!

-Shootsac‘s new Shoot & Tote. This also isn’t available for purchase yet but I know I do want it! This isn’t a product so much for weddings, but more a personal bag to take out when I travel. It fixed the need for having a way to discreetly carry your camera, a lens, and all the other crap a lady needs when she is out and about for the day, all in one handy-dandy, easy to carry bag. I NEED this. I often don’t bring my pro-camera on trips or excursions because it can get soooo heavy, I am worried about theft and/or damage, and I have to also carry a purse and maybe a bag with a towel/sweater/water bottle/maps/travel guide etc. I hate feeling like a bag lady, and I hate being bogged down when I’m on the go, so to speak. Case in point- I only used my point-and-shoot at WPPI  because my DSLR was a huge inconvenience. So this product really solves the problem! And I LOVE that. I hope to get this before our DC trip so I can document the whole adventure!!!

Hrmmmm I think that somes up my WPPI tradeshow hilights! And some of the immediate affects I see it having on me, my business & therefore my clients!

On a personal note, I also had a BLASSSSSSSSST dancing all night at the KISS/Pictage/Shoot-Q party held at Studio 54! A night to go down in infamy for sure!

And lastly I’ll leave you with a photo of me & friends with J* at the Tradeshow, cause everyone loves a little Jasmine Star right?

I love this bag because its light and unobtrusive! I am a TINY human being. If you haven’t met me, you don’t realize I’m sure…but I’m only 4’11″ and weigh about 85lbs. So I hate bulky bags or bags made with heavy materials. Hey, my lenses are heavy enough thank you very much

Another cool thing about Shootsac is that its fashionable. Shootsac makes interchangeable covers so you can have your bag match your brand, your mood, your style.

When I saw this HOT pink cover at the Shootsac Holiday party I squealed, “OMG this is soooo me!” It just is. The colors, the pattern…so very me. So my taste and personality. Better yet its one of the limited covers, because it was a sample that never went into production, so not many people have it. One thing I hate is to be like everyone else. I really HATE when someone has my exact clothes or jewelry or purse or whatever. So this cover is awesome because I can feel unique when I rock it!

By the start of The Workshop Tuesday morning, I felt like old friends with everyone. Not intimidated at all but just ready to learn. We spent the morning talking about branding, which was so helpful as its a concept that I didn’t fully understand. I didn’t take any photos of Jasmine talking ’cause y’all I was taking notes! I don’t mess around with note taking. I wanted to get every word of what she had to say down on paper. But I did take a few pics of the pretty stationary Jasmine gave us…looksy…plus its branded

Jasmine reiterated a concept I already knew to be true. A hand written note goes a long way! I will be saving this one for sure

One thing that really struck me about Jasmine is how self aware and deliberate she is. Everything in her business is done with clear understanding and reason. Its like “I am doing this because of this…”And I think that being intentional is such a key part to running a consistent, successful, well defined business. This year I will be spending A LOT of time further developing my brand, and being intentional with what I do in my business. No more just doing because I feel I am supposed to do it that way or because peers seem to do it a certain way. No more haphazard actions or intentions. I will be intentional and aware from now on!

My other favorite part of the day was of course THE PHOTO SHOOT. Oh my gosh! First can we talk about the yummy prettiness going on here?! The models, married couple Jodi and Matt, were so good looking it hurts, and also sooo sweet together! The hair and make up was done by Vivian Tran’s All Made Up Team. The divine jewelry was provided by Noaki Jewelry. And Jodi’s breathtaking dress was designed by Joan Shum. I’m kinda in total awe of Joan’s work! Its just so unique and fashion forward– pure art, to say the least! Make sure to check out Joan’s etsy store!

I would always read on Jasmine’s blog how she uses “natural reflectors” to get stunning images even in the harshest of lighting conditions and I had NO CLUE what the heck she meant! Thankfully, Jasmine planned the day with this lesson in mind. Our photoshoot was in full day sun with harsh light, and J* showed us how to rock it out using natural reflectors. And it all clicked. J* you are a smart one, you really are. I will be using this technique all the time!!!

Jasmine wanted us to all walk away with a signature image from this shoot! The following image is most definitely mine!!

The florals were provided by Kristin of The Treasured Petal, someone who’s work I’ve been obsessed with for awhile now! She just comes up with the most stunning arrangements. And I loved the bouquet and boutonniere she designed for this shoot! Just lovely!

Jodi you are stunning! Really really stunning!

I’ll end this post with the group shot!! I’m the silly little blonde one in the lower right

Thank you again so much Jasmine & JD for being so open, honest and generous! This was such an amazing experience, and I know will make me a much better photographer and businesswoman! To Diandra, Kristy, Melissa, Ellie, Lara, Caitlin, Meng, Laurie, Sia, Suzanne, Anna, Anna Kim, Carrie, John, Angela, Janna, Molly, Brittany, Tracy, Jennifer and Cori — thank you all for being so awesome! I had so much fun getting to know you and hope we can all stay in touch! I am excited to see where 2010 takes you!!!

The last few days I have spent doing my “homework” from this workshop, like writing down my goals for 2010 and reviewing them, and creating my “ideal client profile”, and figuring out how to give my clients the BEST experience possible. And I have been brainstorming. And I have been talking my hubby’s poor ear off.  And I’ve been not only dreaming, but DOING.

That’s the key you know, and what the workshop was all about, being a DOER and how to not let the stress of “real life” get you away from that. It reminded me a bit of my quote under my picture in my high school senior yearbook, “Don’t dream it, be it!” Yes, that quote was from one the finest movies of all time. Yes, I’m talking about The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The workshop ended with us each writing a eulogy for ourselves, basically its us saying how we’d like to be remembered after we pass. We were told we could share and read it aloud, but I get REALLY nervous when I have to get up in front of “the class” so to speak, and read something I wrote. Like my heart pounds and my hands shake and my voice shakes too. Soooo I chickened out. But I really don’t mind sharing something so personal, as long as I don’t need to stand and read it to ya’! So here it is. My eulogy, or really a rough draft of it. It’s exactly what I wrote in the 10 minutes we were given in the workshop:

Ashleigh was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and auntie. She was kind to all animals, and was an advocate for their rights and well-being. She took care of the people who touched her life, and she touched the lives of many. She fought against the many injustices that people in the world faced. She lived passionately, enthusiastically and she had a laugh that would knock your socks off. And she laughed a lot– she never missed an opportunity to laugh or smile that big smile of hers. She accomplished her goals and wasn’t afraid to live the life she wanted, even if it was sometimes difficult. She always marched to the beat of her own drum. She did all she could to make the world a better place when she left than it was when she arrived. And she succeeded. The world has been made better because of Ashleigh.

So there it is. My basic eulogy. How I want to be remembered when it all goes down. I’m going to do everything I can to make it so I will be remembered that way. I am a hardcore doer starting NOW.

So photogs out there, I definitely think you should check out different workshops, and choose based on what you want to learn. Do you want to learn branding, or lighting, or post processing, or how to build a better business? I have chosen the three this month based on what I want to learn most and where I feel I need to improve! The thing about workshops though…is that they are kinda addicting! Sooo many good choices out there and so much to learn.  To prove my point, my friend Michelle Kane is doing a worskhop in Napa this year focusing on shooting & post-processing. Seriously, napa, photography, how fun does that sound?!!!

Check it out: