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    NAPCP Retreat 2011: Vail Recap!

    August 18, 2011 | Posted by Alice Park

    “Shooting that evening in the Colorado field, I felt my perspective shift. … Slowing down. Being deliberate. Enjoying the moment. … It wasn’t until the next day, during an amazing talk by Leah Zawadzki and Deb Schwedhelm that I was able to process what exactly happened that evening. … As an artist, my style is always evolving. Forever growing. I just need to be brave enough to push through the mediocre, trust my instincts, venture outside of my comfortable bubble, and wrestle it out until the fireworks go off.” Jane Johnson, Jane Johnson Photography & Branding Design, NAPCP Retreat: Vail attendee.


    This year’s NAPCP retreat was simply amazing. If you missed this one, well, we wish you wouldn’t have. You were with us in spirit and we hope you could feel the love.

    Our Beaver Creek sanctuary was spectacular. And while we certainly enjoyed the Westin’s rejuvenating spa, the infinity hot tubs along the Eagle River, and the class IV rapids on the Colorado River, the real magic was found in the sessions of learning and sharing. Karen Carey’s powerful presentation on capturing competition-caliber images; Kelley Ryden and Tracy Raver’s fantastic newborn posing demonstration; the incredible business mind of Liana Lehman Hall; the soulful Deb Rouse Schwedhelm and Leah Zawadzki helping us all discover our own styles.

    From the Yukon, London and loads of places in between, a talented community of professional child photographers gathered to learn how to improve their craft and take their business to the next level. Judging by all the hugs and tears during the goodbyes, we’d say a lot of beautiful connections were made.

    I had the most amazing time in Vail at the NAPCP retreat. The perfect mix of fun, learning & relaxation with an awesome group of friends and fellow photographers. Already looking forward to the next one!

    This week was beyond what I expected and I am so excited to get home and start using everything I gained at the retreat. You guys and your team are amazing!!!

    Loving the retreat! Every photographer needs to hear what Liana Hall has to say about pricing and profit. So many lightbulb moments.

    Just wanted to say thank you NAPCP for such an awesome retreat! It was my first one and I will definitely be back. Came home with so many ideas both personally and professionally, and met some wonderful people as well!

    Watching the incredible Tracy Raver and Kelley Ryden during our newborn posing workshop! What an uplifting, once in a lifetime experience for me! So much inspiration and positivity in ALL of the speakers! Thank you NAPCP for allowing us to be so blessed in this organization! Once again I have fallen in love with NAPCP and what it stands for! Can’t WAIT for next year!

    I’m loving every minute at the NAPCP retreat in Vail. Learning more than I could have ever imagined while meeting new friends.

    Deb and Leah’s exercise on journaling brought me to tears of reality in what I am missing in my photography world! I was so moved in these 15 minutes and have had one of the biggest ‘Aha’ moments of my life! Thank you so much for that gift! I will use it well!

    One word: Awesome!!!

    And we couldn’t have pulled it off completely without our marvelous & supportive sponsors. Thanks so much to The Organic Bloom, Jane Johnson Branding Design, Give Studio, White House Custom Colour, GNP Frame and Album Crafters, as well as so many others who helped fill our swag bags with treats and goodness. We’re talking about you Adorama, Artsy Courture, Trendy Ties, Shootsac, Posh Prints and Design, Kelly Moore Bags, Simply Edits, Asuka/Kubota, The Shoppe, Lilyblue, Pictage and Photographer Cafe.

    Thank you so much to all who attended! See you next year :)

    Kristen the designerKristen the designer

    NAPCP Retreat 2011: Vail Highlights!

    August 15, 2011 | Posted by Kristen the designer

    We could not sum up the Retreat better than this.  Enjoy!

    Crystal JamesCrystal James

    The First Day of School Picture

    August 12, 2011 | Posted by Crystal James

    Becoming a mother was a life changing experience for me.  Not just the obvious things changed (like never getting to sleep in EVER again, wearing spit-up as an accessory, and learning how to be a short-order cook), but so many other things changed too.  Deeper things.  There is a quote by Elizabeth Stone that I believe sums it up: “Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”  Never has this been more apparent to me than this week while watching my daughter start Kindergarten and my son start preschool.   On Monday Kylie was so consumed by her excitement that she leapt out of the car without as much as a look back or wave goodbye.  Jake started his 2 year-old preschool class on Thursday.  As I left him in the capable hands of his teacher, fully expecting him to cry out in vain for his mommy, his little eyes twinkled and he blew me a kiss.  ”Bye-bye Mommy!”

    Really?  That’s it?  Can both of my kids really be that happy to grow up and venture out into the world – WITHOUT ME?

    And so begins a new chapter for me and both of my children.  A journey that will be just as challenging and fun (if not more so) than the first five years.  I’m so grateful that I have events like these documented.  Not only do I love pouring over my images of all these milestones, but I know my children will love doing the same thing when they are older.  Not to mention all the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends that want to share in the joy.  The first day of school is so amazing, and yet I know that in a few years it will be just a distant memory.  And in a few more years, I will be watching (and documenting) these two beautiful kids doing bigger and more amazing things…… like graduating COLLEGE…… or getting MARRIED!!!  *gasp*  Enough about that!  Get your camera out and take lots of pictures when your kids start school in the coming weeks.  You don’t have to be a professional photographer or have a fancy camera to capture the essence of your children – just as they are – today.  I still use my Canon S95 Point & Shoot camera all the time, as you can see below in the comparison shot of Kylie at 2 years old and 5 years old.  Sometimes that is all I can do to get a quick picture of my son who despises my camera.  I suggest taking lots of pictures and then just picking the top 5 or 10 that really speak to you.   Then don’t forget to print them for everyone to enjoy!

    Here’s my kids!  Kylie on her first day of Kindergarten and Jake on his first day of Preschool.  And there goes my heart…..

    Kristen the designerKristen the designer

    Lilyblue Actions Giveaway!

    August 10, 2011 | Posted by Kristen the designer

    Leah has been kind enough to not only be our featured member, but our vendor partner as well! As a special treat she will be giving away two sets of her very popular Lilyblue Actions!

    Want a chance to win a Lilyblue action set from Leah Zawadzki? Here’s how!

    Rules:

    (1) Must be a NAPCP member.

    (2) Must “Like” BOTH Lilyblue’s and NAPCP’s Facebook page

    (3) Write something nice on Lilyblue’s Facebook wall on behalf of NAPCP

    (4) Post a comment on the NAPCP Facebook page to let us know that you’ve completed all of these steps!

    Deadline: Friday, August 12th at 11:59 pm est

    Kristen the designerKristen the designer

    August Member Spotlight: Leah Zawadzki!

    August 10, 2011 | Posted by Kristen the designer

    In our spotlight this month, we’re honored to feature NAPCP Retreat speaker, the thoughtful and talented Leah Zawadzki. In addition to creating beautiful fine are portraits in southern California, Leah is amazingly skilled at helping to guide other photographers in the search for their own signature style. We were thrilled to spend a bit of time with her in Colorado and share her words (as well as a special promotion on her yummy action set) with you here!

    Who or what inspires you and your work? How?

    Love. Love for my kids. Love for my clients. Love and gratitude for this amazing
    world we live in. When I see it and appreciate it, I just want to pick up my camera
    and shoot. Shooting helps me see the little things I might miss otherwise.


    How do you maintain a work/life balance while juggling photography, teaching workshops, and motherhood?

    It’s really, really hard. Sometimes I’m not the best at it. There is constant self re-evaluation. How am I feeling? How are my kids? Have I made time for my creative side? Have I made time to just be? When I get overwhelmed I usually have to stand back, take a day off, rejuvenate—then make a list and get back at it the following day.

    One of the things I really love about this profession is that, if done correctly, we can do this job any way we want. As a mother first to my three kids, I can limit my sessions and workshops, to what works for my family and me. My goal is to give the very best of myself to my family, to my clients and to our workshop attendees. How do I achieve that? By saying no, creating limits and taking time for myself every once and a while.

    What is the best advice you have received regarding photography?

    When I first started out, I was active on flickr and shooting all the time. A fellow photographer would told me, “just keep shooting”. He didn’t just say this once; he told me it to me over and over again. Back then, I thought he was crazy, but I kept shooting (my family had to beg me to put the camera down).

    Now that I have been shooting for six-plus years, own a small business and have older, opinionated children, I actually have far less time to go out there and just shoot for me. And sadly, something terrible happens when I stop shooting for me — I lose sight of why I am even doing this photography thing. I lose my confidence; my direction and I get down right cranky. He was absolutely right— just keep shooting.




    What advice can you give to those starting out?

    Some of the same advice I was given: Shoot. Shoot a lot. Ask questions. And then be patient.

    In the beginning, shooting through trial and error is the best way to learn and hone your skills. Shooting often is the best way to discover who you are as a photographer. You’ll do some things right, you’ll do some things wrong and you’ll learn through the process. You are not going to find who you are by looking at other people’s work on the Internet all day (however fun that might be). By shooting freely and letting go, you will develop your own individual style.

    Also, ask lots of questions. But not just of other people, ask them to yourself. And then go and find the answers…look up EXIF data, read a good book on the subject, google it.

    And then be patient. Become comfortable with yourself and your shooting style. Understand what it takes to get good, consistent, meaningful photographs before perusing it for money. You will be so much happier that way. I promise.



    We love your Lilyblue action sets! What inspired you to create such a wonderful product for fellow photographers?

    Thank you!! I didn’t really start out developing actions and presets for fellow photographers. I originally just got bored of other people’s actions, so I started playing with my own processing. Deb encouraged me to share my processing with others and I did. I was overwhelmed with the positive response and support I received about my actions, from the photography community. Now I just keep playing and continue to share. I am glad that I can help others with their workflow and processing—and I am so grateful for all those who support my work!!



    Last month Deb told us a little about your collaborative project, the Wallflower Friends Retreats. What are your future goals and plans for Wallflower Friends?

    We love our Wallflower Friends. It has been such a joy to get together with other photographers and share ourselves—our inspirations, our journey. I love that we not only share ourselves, but also we gain so much from everyone through the process. There is definitely an air of collaboration, growing and sharing amongst all who attend our retreats. I am so grateful for the friendships that we have made along the way. We plan to have one US retreat a year and next year we are hopeful for a second retreat in Australia. We also are discussing the possibility of online workshops and smaller, more intimate gatherings (mini-retreats). We’re not exactly sure where next year will take us but we’re
    absolutely thrilled about the journey!


    We were absolutely thrilled to have you and Deb join us in Vail for the NAPCP Retreat! Your presentation was moving, inspiring, and a wonderful way for attendees t connect with one another. What were your hopes for the closing presentation and what would you like attendees to remember most?

    Thank you so much for the opportunity to present at the NAPCP Retreat in Vail. Both Deb and I really enjoyed the attendees and the other speakers–such an incredible group of people. I was so excited and grateful to be able to share at the Retreat. To have the opportunity to learn and grow right along side everyone else, made the experience that much more amazing. I am a firm believer that our learning and growing is never done!

    With our closing presentation, we really wanted to inspire the attendees!! We wanted to encourage each and every person to be true to themselves, explore what their work means to them and ultimately, find their style. I hope that everyone was able to return home with a better sense of what their photography means to them and an understanding of their unique voice. Thank you again for an awesome week!

    To see more from the lovely Leah Zawadzki, visit her site here, and her blog here!


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