Today's guest post is by Marietta St. Onge, the VP of Programs & Publicity for the Connecticut Professional Photographers Association. She also runs a home based studio that specializes in laughter, hugs and lots of warmth. The CTPPA, to her is an extended family that she believes will bring a wealth of knowledge and support to the photographers searching for a home.

I am so grateful that Seshu has given me the opportunity to tell you all about a place that I consider home, a place that I have made friends for life, a place that I am able to speak openly and honestly about my business triumphs and my business failures with people who won't judge me. These people aren't afraid to share their wealth of knowledge, to offer to take you under their wing, as well as critique your work to make you a better photographer. It's been 18 years now that I've been a member of the CTPPA.

CTPPA is simply known as the Connecticut Professional Photographers Association. It began its humble existence 64 years ago and continues to move forward with the times and yet keep the tradition of professional photography alive to all its membership. CTPPA was started with a group of photographers as volunteers who wanted a place to learn, a place to gather and a place to discuss business with fellow peers. It became an affiliate of the national association, Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and continued the education of the merits of being the best professional photographer that you could be.

People always ask what benefit there is in belonging to the Connecticut Professional Photographers Association? Fifteen to 20 years ago, people wouldn't even think twice about joining this prestigious trade association for professional photographers, as there were no other groups in the state. Now we have many different types of groups that vie for our attention. What do we do? How do we choose what group or association to give our time and our money to?

Well, there's only one professional association in Connecticut that gives you programming throughout the year and a four day convention included in your dues. The topics range from business, marketing, all different markets of photography such as weddings, portraits, seniors etc, lighting, and hands-on demos. Just introduced this past year is our November Networking Nights Open House, which features a panel discussion on a topic in photography and is open to ALL photographers, students, and people interested in photography. We can't forget the all famous print competition which can earn you numerous awards that will help to market your business to old and new clients.

CTPPA will be celebrating its 63rd Annual Convention and Print Competition on March 8-12, 2012 at the Hartford/Windsor Marriott Airport.

Featured nationally known speakers are:

– Lawrence Chan
– Matthew Jordan Smith (Sponsored by Sony)
– Tim Walden and Bev Walden (Sponsored by WHCC)
– Larry Lourcey (Sponsored by WHCC)
– Bob Davis (Sponsored by Canon)
– Kevin Kubota (Sponsored by WHCC, Asuka Books, and KIT)

The whole community of CTPPA invites you to come to this convention and experience for yourself, the warm and open friendliness that a longtime association can offer to you.

Free Lighting Demonstration By Bob Davis

On Sunday, March 11, 2012 we extend our invitation to our FREE day which features lighting dynamo, Bob Davis. Join him on his live shoot throughout the hotel (bring your cameras) and then stay for our famous tradeshow and after the tradeshow join us for another dose of Bob Davis when he presents his seminar called “What the Flash” (WTF). All we ask is that you register in advance, if you plan on attending the Bob Davis programs.

Visit our website for more information and take advantage of a truly wonderful association that may be the right choice for you.

On Twitter, on Facebook and even on LinkedIn, I have been asked the same question: “Are you going to be at WPPI?”

The short answer is: no. The somewhat longish answer is: no, not this year, but hopefully the next.

It got me thinking, however, about my friends who have been to every single WPPI convention in Las Vegas for the last 20+ years. That's commitment. That's loyalty. That's staying power. That's knowledge. Those photographers are obviously much more advanced than I could be; knowing their craft, the business and the industry we are all members in.

Can you imagine going to every single WPPI convention? Are you that committed to your business or to the industry?

Is WPPI the must-go event of the year for wedding and portrait photographers? If you are going, what do you get out of conventions like WPPI? How do you pay for the entire experience? Do you set aside a special budget for it? If you are not going, why not?

Are there other conventions you attend on a regular basis? For me MysticSeminars and Inspire Photo Seminars provide great value. Why? Because I live in Connecticut and while MysticSeminars is in my back yard, I think of Inspire Photo Seminars as being in my front yard, in Massachusetts. The smaller, more intimate, nature of these events are also a bit factor in my decision to commit to them every year. I guess, then, it comes down to one's personality and goals.

So tell us a little bit about you and your goals. Would a big (and I do mean BIG convention like WPPI) be your cup of tea or would you prefer smaller, more regional gathering of wedding and portrait photographers.

Please comment below!

Matt and Enna Grazier, of Grazier Photography founded Inspire Photo Seminars with a group of like-minded studios three years ago, and are counting the days till Inspire 2012! Follow the Graziers on Twitter. Follow Inspire Photo on Twitter.

Thank you again Seshu for inviting us to share our ideas about how to get the most out of a conference! In Part 1 we described our philosophy about conferences and the wonderful benefits of smaller regional conferences. Large or small, attending a conference is a significant investment of time and money, and in this post (Part 2 of 2) I'm happy to share my strategy for getting the most out of a conference.

Winter is conference season! Several great events have already happened in January, and a few more are on the horizon (WPPI in just a couple weeks, and our Inspire conference later in March).

I tend to get a little ADD – if I may use that term lightly – when I attend a big conference. I’m likely to wander dazed through the tradeshow and collect every single piece of paper that is offered to me, and forget to take notes about products that I might want to buy or sell. I wander from one shiny object or person to the next, I bounce in and out of conference sessions, full of indecision about where to spend my time, or I play hooky from the classes entirely, opting instead to spend quality time with old and new friends over coffee or a long lunch, or even camped out in the hallway outside of the conference sessions.

Don't get me wrong – I LOVE participating in a conference in this fashion, and I'm sure I'll never change my ways, whether it's a cozy intimate conference like our own Inspire or Pictage‘s Partnercon series, or the mega-sized WPPI. What I’ve learned through trial and error is that it’s important to go into a conference with a “strategy”, a plan of action and goals, so that when I leave I can feel that my investment was well worth the time and money.

When attending a conference, our advice is to choose conference sessions and opportunities that will give you concrete help towards reaching new goals. If you're just getting started, this will help keep you from feeling too overwhelmed by all the new information. And if you’ve been in business for more than a few years, then the great thing about this strategy is that – if you’re completely honest with yourself – it should be easy for you to identify the areas where you need the most help or improvement.

1. Set Goals. What is your business in need of? Look over the course descriptions and find the ones that interest and will benefit you. Set a few goals for the conference based on your own needs and the unique opportunities offered by the conference. Don't shy away from the challenging topics.

2. Choose Classes. Prioritize your list of classes to attend. See how they fit in the schedule. This can be difficult as you are bound to have to sacrifice a class or two due to scheduling conflicts, but your goals should help you make these decisions.

3. Make a List. Make a list of people to meet, Exhibitors whose products or services you wish to learn about, and any other topics that you need to research at the conference.

4. Connect. Reach out to some of the other attendees and speakers before the conference. This will also make it easier to make connections with people at the conference. We're super excited about our online conference community which is designed to facilitate this exact sort of interaction and networking before, during, and after the conference! People who are attending our conference in March are already interacting and getting to know each other in our virtual conference community, preparing for their classes, learning about our sponsors.

5. Go. Go the conference. Have fun and learn to the point of exhaustion.

6. Take Action. Set a deadline to take action on all the new ideas and information that you take home! Don't just let those ideas ferment. Give yourself a deadline (we think 1 month is good) to take action on the most important things you took home from the conference. It may help to find someone you can be accountable to for these action steps – your business partner, or a fellow conference attendee are both good options!

Here’s My Sample Plan:

Our Studio Goals for 2012

a) Expand our studio to include a team of associate photographers
b) Refine our product selection for portrait clients
c) Network with more photographers in Seacoast NH, ME, and northeastern MA
d) Explore other sources of revenue (non-wedding and portrait related)
e) Polish our brand and portfolio

My Punchlist For The Inspire Conference

Look at and hold every Couture book available (and decide which to offer in our Boudoir and Portrait clients). Learn album sales strategies from Studio Nouveau’s session on Album Sales and Workflow.

a) Connect with at least two photographers who we might consider hiring on as Associates.
b) Get an intensive portfolio review with Allana Taranto (I need to choose a good set of images to share, so this review can feel comprehensive)
c) Take tons of notes in Carla Ten Eyck’s Managing a Team class (I admire Carla’s bustling studio so much, and I’ve wanted to learn some of her management techniques for years)
d) Learn about pricing and bidding on commercial shoots from Jane Shauck.
e) Attend Doug Levy‘s lighting demo where I can learn how he works with light.
f) Feed my heart with insights and ideas from Lauren Rutten on how to keep my business and work emotionally sustainable.

After The Conference

a) Set up a meeting with potential associates/employees at our Portsmouth NH studio.
b) Order new sample albums.
c) Identify some potential commercial clients/subjects in our new hometown and pursue them.
d) Get our revised portfolio selections onto our website asap!
e) Have a long meeting with Matt (my hubby and business partner) to discuss all our ideas and new knowledge that we want to implement or continue to develop. Preferably with wine and chocolate.

Like I said, I’m notorious for skipping or bouncing around in between conference sessions because I want to hang out with people, or just can’t decide which session to attend. Heading into the conference with this punchlist will help me stay on task, remember my goals, and ensure that I’ve maximized my time and financial investment in attending the conference. Of course at Inspire I'll be busy running around behind the scenes, but I do plan to work hard to address each item on my punchlist while at my own conference!

Be one of the first 5 to use this PROMO/DISCOUNT CODE: 2012TIFFIN and receive $50 off your registration.

Matt and Enna Grazier, of Grazier Photography founded Inspire Photo Seminars with a group of like-minded studios. Thank you Seshu for inviting us to share our ideas about the value of “regional conferencing” and to tell your readers just a little bit about what we are cooking up for Inspire 2012!

We love attending conferences! They give us the chance to see great products, listen to great presenters and to network with incredible colleagues! We are excited to be at the forefront of a new trend of conferencing, which is the smaller more intimate regional conference. Jim Collins, CEO of Pictage, sums up the value of the regional conference perfectly when he wrote about last year's Inspire conference: “the reason I love this conference so much is because it is so relevant to its own community.”

We all know conferences can be tricky … it's easy to leave a conference feeling like you've just glimpsed the glossy surface of the topics presented. The irony for conference presenters is that while it’s difficult to pack rich material into a lecture spot of just one hour (the ability to do this is surely one mark of a gifted teacher), it’s very easy to fill an hour perfectly with a lot of inspiring catchphrases and pretty pictures!

It’s also common for conference attendees to have the sense that the best part of the event was the “in-between” time spent sharing war stories, strategies, ideas, and commonalities with other photographers. Our favorite moments at conferences we’ve attended are the most serendipitous – a chance meeting with a comrade who we get to chat with over coffee – or, if we’re lucky enough, while sharing a fine meal. We can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone home feeling incredibly grateful for these relationships, yet incredibly sad that we can’t easily continue those conversations over coffee, wine, or shared photography jobs simply because we live so far away from each other. Much of our business success is due to these photographers who have shared their own ideas and expert knowledge in happenstance, in-between, serendipitous moments.

Another common disappointment at the large conferences is that the talented speakers and experts who are the biggest draw to attend large conferences are often inaccessible, either surrounded by an almost impenetrable group of fans, friends, and colleagues, or just dropping in for their portion of the schedule and not participating in the greater community for the rest of the conference. Even if they work hard to be accessible, the sheer volume of people at a large conference makes it almost impossible to interact closely with these experts.

Each of the things that frustrated us about large conferences motivated us to put together our own conference that would address these three shortcomings and fact our approach to these shortcomings forms the building blocks of our conference community. We wanted to create an event that has the diversity, breadth, and spontaneity of a conference, but the depth of information and personal connections that are more often associated with a retreat.

Depth. Our sessions are deep. Instructors are selected almost half a year prior to the conference, and we communicate with them throughout the months that they are preparing their lectures. We give them 1.5 hour time slots for their sessions, and we encourage them to focus on addressing the needs of the mid- to advanced-level studio owner. We want them to deliver meat! This approach ensures that their content will be relevant to the beginners as well as the more seasoned photographers. This shouldn’t intimidate the less experienced studio owner, it just helps us make sure that we’re meeting the needs of the larger professional community.

Community. We have built the schedule and physical layout of the conference around the concept that the peer-to-peer networking and mentoring opportunities are of equal value to the conference sessions. There is plenty of time for impromptu mentoring and networking, and we also have scheduled time for 1:1 and small round-table mentoring with our speakers and several of our sponsors (for example, Jared Bauman of ShootDotEdit will lead a small group to whip their pricing and packaging into shape during his allotted mentoring time). All meals are included in the conference fee (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and we eat together. We have built plenty of time in the schedule for attendees to gather and socialize and because of this structure wonderful things happen! Attendees get more than an idea, more than motivation, more than a plan to move forward; they build real relationships with those who want to help them succeed… relationships that continue beyond the conference and are easily sustainable because everyone is from the same region.

The image above shows one of our innovations this year: a private online community for our conference attendees, sponsors and speakers. Everyone is invited to join and interact during all of 2012, including the months before and after the conference. Conference-goers can manage their class schedule, chat with attendees, speakers, and sponsors, download class materials, and schedule private meetings with others. We are excited to see how our participants utilize this unique tool!

Connections. Our teachers are not always well-known – most of them aren’t on the lecture circuit, and they haven’t proposed their workshop sessions just to become known as “rock star” wedding photographers. They are busy, hard-working photographers who are committed to raising the standards of business and art of photography within their own region, because they recognize that by raising the barre across the region, every studio stands to benefit. We’ve chosen our instructors in part because they’ve expressed interest in learning and participating in this community, and we pay for their lodging and conference fees to enable them to participate fully in the conference community. We know that part of the reason that they are teaching is that they also wish to attend – and not just as an expert, but as a fellow studio owner who recognizes that we can all learn from each other.

Regionality. Oh yeah, did you notice this word that I’ve repeated throughout this post? Region. Inspire is a regional conference. The national conferences are definitely important, offering polished and inspiring speakers with dazzling success stories, diverse trade-shows, and incredible opportunities to mingle with photographers who we either know or admire from across long distances. However, we’ve found that within our region (and perhaps others), photographers are starved for structured networking opportunities, and for relationships with local colleagues. It’s important to cultivate relationships locally: this networking provides emergency backup and other skilled resources within easy reach, and gives opportunity to become more familiar with the local markets. And, with enough critical mass, we believe that a community can actually drive the market – in style, policy, practice, and culture.

We have heard many photographers say they don’t recognize all the names of our speakers. While that presents a small marketing challenge for us, the tradeoff is that every single person who attends inspire – paying ticket-holder, speaker, sponsor, exhibitor, and members of the planning team – will benefit greatly from genuine, deep relationship building with successful studios who are right in their neighborhood. Our speakers are true experts, and we want to facilitate their connection with other photographers within their region. These are relationships that can continue into the wedding season and beyond. We’ve seen photographers meet at Inspire and hire each other as associates, cover for each other in emergencies, and share incredibly helpful information to see each others’ studios grow. We’ve even heard from one person exclaim, “I’ve vacationed with people I met at Inspire!” This was the biggest compliment, because it shows just how well people in our conference community can connect with each other.

You may work alone, but you don’t need to build your business alone. Everyone who attends Inspire finds a welcoming community willing to help.

Be one of the first 5 to use this PROMO/DISCOUNT CODE: 2012TIFFIN and receive $50 off your registration.

In our next post, we will share our strategy for choosing your path in a conference agenda so that you may leave the conference fulfilled and ready to tackle your business!

Almost a year back, I posted 5 Reasons You Should Attend The Mystic Seminars. If you don't remember it or want to go read it, I'll be waiting here when you get back.

Good? Hope that made sense.

5 MORE REASONS TO GO

This time I wanted to give you 5 more reasons to attend the Mystic Seminars, which take place on January 5, 6, 7 and 8.

1) Though Jerry Ghionis‘ workshop is all sold out, Joe Buissink and the WedRockers still have a few remaining spots open. (I signed up for the WedRockers, by the way). Joe is a phenomenal presenter and teacher. I've always enjoyed his super quiet yet powerful approach to explaining why he does what he does. He always speaks from the heart and that my friends is a huge reason in itself to listen to a master photographer. The Wedrockers see things very very differently. Let me just stop there because to describe them in any other way would be nearly impossible. Go check out their work. I think you will get what I am saying. They are super nice guys (video of them coming up soon right here).

2) If you are a vegetarian like me, or have dietary restrictions, the diverse and ample helpings during lunch are not to be missed. Walter van Dusen, the event's founder and host, has promised me that it will be just as good as last year if not better. So, if you are a foodie like me, you won't regret your lunches. Check out this year's menu here. Yum!

3) If you live in a part of the world that hasn't and will never see snow, well, you will more than likely get your fill. Tell yourself that it's an opportunity to test your camera's white balance settings. [grin] On a more serious note, you will get to experience winter like most New Englanders and that just may be on your list of things to do in life. Don't forget to bundle up. Walter and his wife will always make sure there is enough coffee to keep you warm and water to keep you hydrated.

4) Andrew “Fundy” Funderburg is buying us beer. Who is Fundy? One of the sharpest minds in the business, who is always looking for ways to make our lives a little bit easier with his software programs. Check out Fundy SOS. Even if you don't drink beer, tap him for business advice or about his next amazing product for photographers. Have you seen the new Fundy Album Builder v4.0? It's slick! I am sure he'll demo it and you can ask him lots of questions (which you can't really right now, right?) about how to design and sell wedding albums.

5) The ultimate reason to go is to listen and watch some of the best in the industry. This year's speakers include the following: Joe Buissink, Jerry Ghionis, Ben Chrisman, Sergio, Susan Stripling, DQ Studios, Becker, Andrew “Fundy” Funderburg, Jeff Newsom, Michael Greenberg, WedRockers (Fer Juaristi, David Josue, Daniel Aguilar, Rafa Ibanez), Tony Corbell, Stephanie Zettl, Melissa Ghionis, Joseph Switzer, Ray Prevost, Jacklyn Greenberg and Walter van Dusen. Yes, these speakers may appear at other conferences but they won't be as accessible. That's a promise.

WALTER DISHES OUT ADVICE TO 2ND SHOOTERS & MORE

Walter just told me that he is closing all new registrations on Wednesday, December 14. So, if you want in you'll have to sign up by Tuesday, December 13.

DINNERS ON TIFFINBOX

Every person who has registered for either the seminars or the workshops AND mentions “Tiffinbox” (when registering) will be entered into a drawing. Dinner is on Tiffinbox!

Here is the ONE STEP you need to take to win your dinner (up to $60) for the first three nights, from me:

Comment below. Tell me if you are going to the event. Tell me what you think you will get out of going to this conference. To win, you have to attend the entire event. I need a name and a valid email address when you comment. If I don't hear back from you, the prize goes to the next person I will also randomly pick.

Increase your chances of winning when you take these two steps:

a) Tweet this: “I entered into a drawing to win dinners at @MysticSeminars thanks to @PicSeshu and www.tiffinbox.org – http://seshu.me/vkDcl1”

b) Fill in your Facebook status with these words: “I entered into a drawing to win dinner at @Mystic Seminars thanks to @Seshu Badrinath and www.tiffinbox.org – http://seshu.me/vkDcl1”

I am looking for ONE winner among 100 unique comments between now and Tuesday night. So, no multiple entries. I'll be double checking with Walter if you are indeed registered. You get to collect your prize (up to $60) in person. You have the option of joining me for dinner.

PLUS … woah!! Andrew “Fundy” Funderburg has offered to giveaway Blog Collage, to the winner. This $79 software program helps you create collages for your blog or for sharing across social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook. Check it out, snap it up!

Winner will be announced here on Tiffinbox on Tuesday at 11.59 pm EST! So come back and see if you won!

Disclosure Of Material Connection