LEARNFEST RECAP

Meet the FAB four!

From left to right we have Audrey Woulard (Chicago), Tamara Lackey (North Carolina), Laura Novak (Delaware), and Lena Hyde (Palm Beach, Florida). These four fabulous women are like Rock stars in the photography field. If you are into photography but didn't know of these four women until now, then you had to have been hiding under a rock for the last 6-8 years. For myself and the other 59 photographers who got to spend all last week with these women, it was truly the experience of a life time. Literally! Unfortunately, they are no longer doing LEARNFEST so I got in on the very last LEARNFEST to ever be offered. To think that I almost missed out on that opportunity makes me physically ill. I'm so glad that I was able to go and that the stars and the moon aligned for me in order to make it happen. It was tough to be away in the middle of the week like that but in the end, I decided it was worth the juggling and worth the chaos of planning to be away for that long. And boy am I thankful that I did it. WHEW! I'm still reeling from the excitement and can barely contain myself. I spent all weekend with my nose in my laptop - working with my graphics girl, Crystal, to design and order new marketing tools - new business cards - changing up my website details and so forth. I've sat down and strategically planned on how I intend to hit not only the Indiana market but the Southwest, Florida market as well. Beings that we are at the Florida house at least once a month, there is no reason why I shouldn't be tapping into that market as well.

I snapped this shot as one of our models was jumping in mid air. I believe the Mom to this little girl emailed me here on the blog yesterday - inquiring about the images all of us photographers took at Learnfest. If that was you, feel free to email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com if you are interested in the image. When we did the model shoots, I eventually quit shooting and just decided to sit back and take in all that the instructors were doing. Normally I am so eager to get a shot that I jump right in and go to town with the shutter. However, I quickly realized that this time...I was in the company of some extreme talent and didn't want to miss a beat in regard to how they shoot, why they shoot what they shoot, their personality interaction with kids, parents, etc. I became a sponge and monitored their every move...just trying to incorporate that vibe then somehow bottle it and take it home with me. Ha ha! In the end, the biggest thing that I learned is that people are paying you for "you." Not for your images, not for your prices, etc. They are paying for "you." Sure they can go down the street and find some prices that are cheaper. But in the end, they want "you." Therefore, gaining the confidence to carry that "you" trait is a work in progress for me. The hardest thing about photography is one...finally calling yourself a photographer and meaning it. Secondly, it is being confident enough in yourself to step out there, and jump - allowing your wings to catch your fall. So many times as a photographer, you second guess your abilities. So from here on out, I'm working hard to not second guess my skill level and I'm just jumping. Just like my painting says...jump and you shall find out how to unfold your wings as you fall. Love that!

Above, these are just some of the awesome photographers that were in my RED group at Learnfest. As I mentioned on Friday, there were 60 photographers at the event. They then took those 60 and broke us down into four separate groups. These ladies were just a snippet of my group. Did I mention that the RED group rocked??? Ha ha! These wonderful women have now become some very dear friends and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I'll be able to lean on them as we all embark on this journey together. It is so awesome to share the same passion. We all just sat and talked for hours on end during our stay at the Chateau Elan while at Learnfest. Not only was the hotel amazing but it had grounds that went on and on forever. There was so much to the location that you couldn't do it all in one trip. The grounds were stunning. Just stunning. And the inside of the property made for a great local when it came to long chats about photography with my new peeps. Did I mention how good the food was there too? Yes, we got to eat with our instructor and our groups each morning as well as for lunch. They had an amazing breakfast buffet especially. I'm not normally a breakfast girl but they whipped me up some "mean" egg white omelette's while I was there each morning. :)

Above is Tamara Lackey. This woman's energy is like nothing else I've ever seen. She actually got herself and one of her groups booted out of one of the banquet hallways for being so loud during a model shoot. Ha ha! Love it! I also loved her thinking that she passed on to us. She said..."If you as a photographer, aren't getting kicked out of places, then you are doing something wrong." HA! So funny! We all know how I have been kicked off properties and such by now. Guess that isn't such a bad thing after all. Check out the energy and the vibe between Tamara and this little boy below. This is talent people...talent! And yes, they are inside the hotel water fountain. Hysterical! Remember what she said about "getting kicked out of places..."

According to the Learnfest website, Tamara's work has appeared in a variety of publications such as Vogue, O Magazine, Elle, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Living, Parenting Magazine, The Knot Weddings, Food & Wine and Inside Weddings. She regularly shoots the cover images for Adoptive Families Magazine, Premier Baby & Child, Endurance Magazine, and Carolina Parent. Her photography has also been showcased on The Martha Stewart Show. Tamara is also an author. She has a new book out regarding children's portraiture. You should grab a copy. I promise it won't disappoint!

Tamara is a vibrant spirit with an amazing heart. She talked to us about all of the ways she did her photography business wrong in the early years. Then she told us how she did it right, sharing each of her reasons to her success as of today. I loved her vibe, her energy, how she interacted with the clients, and her passion in general for the industry. She is also the instructor that discussed how important it is to get your images out there and share them with the world (i.e., via a blog). It is thru her blog that images of President Obama were viewed after she went to a press event. Following the viewing of those images, she was ultimately hired to come work on his campaign trail. She shared an image with us that she also took of Maya Angelou and Mrs. Obama together. It was beautiful!

I also liked Tamara because she wasn't afraid to get down and dirty for her shots. I can't tell you how many times I come home looking like I've rolled in pig slop following a shoot. As photographers, if you aren't ending up in some funky positions on the ground while shooting, then you aren't going out of the box to capture some really cool angles. Get down, get dirty, get crazy. The client will love you for it - especially their child. The kids think it is a hoot. Following Tamara's hard earned posed below, she got up with some mud on her feet but she was still rockin' it out. The grass was so wet and muddy from the rain that day that she her hands and feet were squishing and sinking in that stuff. Too fun!

Now let me introduce you to Mrs. Audrey Woulard...

Audrey is going to kill me for posting these pictures on my blog of her with the rain bag on her head. She even said..."I better not see these on any blogs." Ha ha! However, I just had to post them because it just reconfirms what a rock star she is. It was pouring down raining that afternoon and she grabbed a bag from the hotel bellman, wrapped her camera in it as well as her hair and went to town. Now that is taking charge of a shoot! Not stressing about the rain, the lighting, etc. She just worked it! Many of you are familiar with Audrey. She has pretty much taken over Chicago when it comes to children's portraiture. Her talent is a force to be reckoned with. For those of us in the photography realm, we love her style, her edge, her attitude...we just love it all! According to the learnfest website, along with Audrey's portrait work, she is also commissioned for high profile kids commercial work for clients such as Pottery Barn Kids, Toys R Us, Advocate Hospitals, and The Disney Store. In the shot below, this is one of the moms of our model holding the umbrella for Audrey as she worked the shoot.

These shots above and below are more images of my gals from the RED group during our model shoot under the instruction of Audrey. Love my RED group girls. Did I tell you that the RED group ROCKS? :) If I didn't, let me just say that....the RED group ROCKS!!!

Here is Audrey working her magic with one of our little models. Again, this is talent people - talent. You either have the personality to carry a photography session or you don't. This is clearly someone who exudes talent...

And this one below is of Audrey too. I can't remember what she was doing here but we were all on the hotel floor out in the middle of the atrium laughing about something. There were a lot of laughs during the week. Sooooooooo much fun!

And here we have the fab "four again." I was sad that I wasn't able to get any other shots of Lena or Laura. Unfortunately, they did the "business and marketing" part of the conference and therefore didn't have a model shoot at all. Tamara and Audrey were the only two instructors who shot for the week. Laura is 2nd from the right. According to the learnfest website, along with gracing the mantles of families nationwide, Laura's photos can be found on the pages of many publications including Brides Magazine, People, The Knot, Modern Bride, My Day Magazine, Philadelphia Elegant Bride, Professional Photographer Magazine, Rangefinder and the Wedding Photographers Handbook. In 2007, Laura was named one of two photographers nation-wide as Kodak's Photographers, recognizing her ability to capture spontaneous, intimate and emotional moments like few others in her field.

Lena Hyde is on the end, on the right. According to the learnfest site, Lena's international clients come to her year after year for an experience they know they cannot find elsewhere. Her studio revenue has multiplied by over 1500 percent in the last four years and Lena is more than happy to share her career experiences and lessons learned with her students. Before shooting people, Lena was an art educator in San Francisco and wrote an art column for the SF Chronicle. Her experimental photography has been internationally exhibited in galleries and museums, including Southeast Museum of Photography, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Gallery, American Embassy, Harare Zimbabwe; and Casa Fotografia Fuji, Brazil. Lena also has eight years experience teaching art and photography. Did I mention that Lena also shoots clients like Tiger Woods and other athlete's families? Very cool!

Above, some of the gals from my RED group again - having fun. This one is out of focus but I had to share it anyway.

And lastly, above...the entire red group all together. Don't mind the bad "ghost" job at the top left. It was a horrific shot of me so I politely removed myself - quickly - from the image. Hey...at least I was there in "spirit," eh? Ha ha! I know I'm going to catch h-e-double hockey sticks for this one. :)

xoxo, Angie