New Facebook Page!

We have moved our group page to a new Facebook Community Page :)

so go ahead...

on Facebook and thanks for sharing!

More than Words [Jennifer]

It's been a whirl whind since returning from our trip in March and as we approach July I can not believe that the year is almost halfway over!!! Wow, time really does fly and I have to apologize for the lack of updates over the last several months.

There's tons of news, pictures and stories to share and to kick it off we are going to start with the lovely Jennifer Sosa :)

Jen shares some behind the scenes and fun recaps of our time together on and off the ship, oh how we miss everyone terribly...but 2012 will be here soon :)

Read Jen's full blog post here :)

We are Back!

Wow! What an unbelievably amazing week it was. Seven days have never went by faster than they did this past week. We will have tons and tons of recaps coming soon along with more information about the next Photog Retreat, until then here's a camera toss group picture by the ridiculously talented Shaun Austin- LOVE it!!!

And...we are out of here!

LOTS of excitement in store for the next 7 days!!!! We'll give you all the complete recap when we come back but for now...Bon Voyage!

Thirst Relief Raffle GRAND PRIZE Winner

And what everyone has been waiting for....

THE

GRAND

PRIZE

W I N N E R

OF

A

SPOT

OF

THEIR

VERY

OWN

ON

THE

2011

PHOTOG RETREAT

7 DAY CRUISE

IS.....

.....

.....


.....

(wait for it, wait for it)

.....

.....

.....

and the winner is ..............

congratulations to
Todd!!!

and THANK YOU again to all of our winners and all of our sponsors...and ALL of you who gave in support of Thirst Relief and Shared the information with everyone to help us save lives- You ALL R-O-C-K!!!!!

Thirst Relief Raffle Winner #5

Movin' right along is the 60 minute mentor session with Ginny Corbett!

and the winner is ..............

congratulations to
Jacilyn!!!

Thirst Relief Raffle Winner #4

Next on the list is the 60 minute mentor session with Kathryn Brown!

and the winner is ..............

congratulations to
Nancy!!!

Thirst Relief Raffle Winner #3

Next up, is the $100 gift certificate from Album Café!

and the winner is ..............

congratulations to
Jenna!!!

Thirst Relief Raffle Winner #2

Next is the winner for a $400 scholarship to Photog Retreat 2011 (special thanks to KISS) is ..............

congratulations to
Marci!!!

Thirst Relief Raffle Winner #1

Let the Giving Begin...
It is well known for good karma that it is better to give than to recieve, but in this case the givers will actually be getting some really, really awesome stuff for thier contributions to Thirst Relief!

First in our series of prizes for those who generously gave to Thirst Relief is the winner for a $600 scholarship to Photog Retreat 2011 (special thanks to ExpoImaging.com) is ..............

congratulations to
Chelsea!!!

2011 Speaking Topics

Your branding is more important than your Photography!
Presented by Kevin Swan

Wowing Your Clients
Presented by Shaun Austin

Lighting & Workflow
Presented by The Bui Brothers

The Power of Social Media
Presented by Stephen Knuth

Creating Walking, Talking Billboards
[Pricing, Utilizing Social Media & Making Your Website Stand Out]
Presented by Zach & Jody Gray

Choosing, Developing & Executing your style,
Shooting right the 1st time, Character(trust) Marketing,
[mini, bonus shoot-shop: epic reception lighting in 5 minutes]
Presented by Mike Larson

The Complete Wedding Day with The Youngrens
Presented by Jeff & Erin Youngren

Donate = Super Cool!

To raise funds and awareness, we have teamed up with Thirst Relief to do our best to make the most impact together!

Donate $25 or more [which will save 5 lives] and you could have a chance to WIN a spot on the Photog Retreat 2011 with us!!!

So go ahead, please donate now :)

Thank You!

Registration Closing Soon

We are up to 25 photographers in our group! With only a few spots left registration will be closing on January 30th, 2011 (or when we sell out- whichever comes first)

Register Here to grab one of the last remaining spots!

Rewind [Joyce]

Last year we all had the distinct privilege of having Joyce with us. She is so spunky, fun, silly and one heck of a dancer! So, we'll let Joyce take it from here and share some of what she loved about the Photog Retreat 2010!

What I learned most from last year's retreat...
I came away with a new found confidence in myself. I initially didn't want to attend, not because I didn't believe it would be fun, but because I lacked the confidence to stand next to other photographers and believe that I was a photographer as well. I generally regarded myself as a person with a nice camera who tried to take nice pictures of people and their lives. I was inspired by the people around me, and by their stories of their journeys to having successful businesses. I was the newbie on the block but everyone was really open and welcoming and never once did I feel judged for my lack of knowledge, which was something I may have been a wee bit paranoid about. :) Instead I found that people were excited to help out and impart their knowledge.

I absolutely loved the quality time spent getting to know one another. I've attended a lot of networking events but none have produced the lasting connections and friendships the way Photog Retreat has. You don't just show up for a couple hours to shoot together and go your own ways. You hang out together, go dancing together, eat together. There's lots of time to talk and really make friends. By the last day of last years retreat it felt like we were all a little family. I really enjoyed the Bui Brothers because those guys were a lot of fun to have dinner with on last year's Photog Retreat. I think we annoyed plenty of people while our table had fun making "music" with the wine glasses haha.

Overall, we asked Joyce for her top 3 things she enjoyed about the Photog Retreat...
1) Making lasting friendships.
2) Learning new skills as a photographer and business person.
3) The dance-off!

Welcome [Jennifer] to the Family!

This week, we thought that a double dose of incredible would be appropriate for the holidays. This week as we celebrate Christmas with our loved ones, we also celebrate another remarkably talented photographer we are proud to add to our family...
Meet Jennifer, owner of Jennifer Sosa Photography in New York! Jennifer is a native New Yorker specializing in Wedding/Portrait Photography. She was raised in Queens and loves the diversity and creativity that NYC offers her as an artist.

The Facts:
Camera: Canon 5D and 5D Mark II
Favorite Lenses: 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8
Experience: Graphic Design Major turned Professional Photographer

We also asked Jennifer to share a little bit of what she is looking forward to with the Photog Retreat and here are her answers...

What are you looking forward to most about the Photog Retreat?
Fun Photoshoot and meeting lots of other photographers while learning more about the business.

What challenges you most as a photographer?
Group photos! I find it difficult to position lots of people in an interesting way.

What challenges you most as a business owner?
I'm more of an artist than business person. I find making packages and pricing challenging.

And of course our favorite questions...
Tell us a little bit about yourself? (what makes you, YOU!)
People often compare me to Ugly Betty. (I take it as a compliment). She is strong, independent, optimistic, warm, quirky, colorful, full of life and has a personality all her own. She is confident in who she is and won't compromise her ideals. If you couldn't tell, I'm also a fan of her show! :)

After being a graphic design assistant for 2 years I got laid off. It was actually the best thing that ever happened to me. With all the free time I had, I rediscovered my love for Photography. I shot my first wedding in the summer of 2009 and I haven’t looked back since. It's been a roller coaster ride but I'm loving every minute of it!

Please join us in welcoming Jennifer to our wonderful family! Thank you Jennifer for adding your style and refreshing perspective to our upcoming retreat!

Welcome [Paola] to the Family!

The goodness continues as we get to know more about the photographers that make up the Photog Retreat 2011 family! In addition to our speakers and industry leaders the photographers that our taking this journey with us bring with them their uniqueness, creativity, fun and personality that sets the stage for a one of a kind experience!

Everyone has something to contribute and we will be the first to say (and continue to do so) that we have a pretty awesome and talented group, but don't take our word for it...read it for yourself :)







Meet Paola, owner and Director of Awesome of Spotted Photography in Salt Lake City! Paola specializes in Wedding/Portrait Photography. She is happily married and loves reading books, is passionate about photography and lives for traveling and new experiences.

The Facts:
Camera: Nikon D700
Favorite Lenses: 50mm 1.4, 24-70mm
Experience: Destination and International Wedding & Portrait Photographer

We also asked Paolo some more questions, here are her answers...

What are you looking forward to most about the Photog Retreat?
The shoots! I want to see myself putting what I will learn to good use.

What challenges you most as a photographer?
I often feel too comfortable with my work. I feel like I need to try different things more often.

What challenges you most as a business owner?
Deadlines and work flow- I am constantly overwhelmed.

And one of our favorite questions of all time...
Tell us a little bit about yourself? (what makes you, YOU!)
I am a happy, social person.
I have been living in the U.S for the past 3 years (I'm Brazilian- but I am often reminded that I look too pale to be one). I am constantly bombarded with inspiring thoughts, dreams, and ideas. I'll admit I kinda live in that world- yet I check back to reality often enough so it doesn't look suspicious (or at least that's what I think).

When it comes to photography, I do it because of the feeling it gives me. I love both the artistic and business side of it. I don't do it for the money, but I really really really don't mind that in the end of the month photography paid my bills.

Please join us in welcoming Paola to our wonderful family! Thank you Paola for adding your positive energy and creativity to our upcoming retreat!

What It's Really All About! [Part II]

After reading the origins and concept of The Photog Retreat, see the actual experience...

What It's Really All About!

By: Kathryn Brown

This week is all about putting a face to a concept. A concept that just three years ago was a little light bulb that went off and thank goodness it did! We have started this upcoming retreat off by introducing you to not only the speakers but also the photographers who are coming along with us. Why? Because that's a big part of what it's really all about...

Let me take you back to the beginning...I am a mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend and to that list I am happy and proud to say photographer. I started out like most others in that I had always had a passion for photography, capturing a moment. Even when I did not have a camera with me I watched things happen around me in a cinematic view, trying to freeze it in my mind so that I could remember every detail and every emotion that went along with it. It was so bad, that even in high school, my friends would comment (ok, tease) on how I always had my camera with me.

Fast forward ten years and I finally took the steps to become a professional photographer. I was lucky and had tremendous support of family and friends but I wrestled with doubt, feared failure and struggled to find a balance between work, family life and saving even a smidge of "me time". Thankfully, I am an overly positive person and have tremendous faith in taking the path that God has placed before me and did not let any ounce of worry hold me back.

I dug in, determined to succeed and continually improve and in that process found the most amazing group of friends, colleagues and mentors along the way. I attended meetings, workshops, shoots and even did some one-to-one consultations. Through it all I found that I learned the most from my true friends, those who really cared about me and the success of my business. They were not seeing me as competition or only speaking to me because I "paid" them to. Those who inspired me the most really cared and would be there for me to talk to, answer my silly questions and challenge me to push beyond the limits I placed on myself. All this was done over a cup of coffee, at a just for fun shoot, dinners, birthday parties and the like.

That's when that little light bulb went off and the original vision of the Photog Retreat began...The idea was simple: Create an environment where friendships flourish, Everyone was viewed as peers, Egos were no where around, Learning would be casual, relaxed and fun. Needless to say lots of prayer, planning and communication went into transforming this vision into a reality. And I am happy to say that it was successful. But not because of anything I did alone- The underlying foundation that really truly holds it all together is the strength of relationships- our connection as a group of photographers all striving for the same thing...SUCCESS!

Success through encouragement and support

Success through learning, simplifying and improving

Success in our goals both business and personal

Success through opportunities, challenges and new adventures

Success in finding our true self- as an individuals, artist and more!

What I personally got out of the Photog Retreat would fill pages and pages but the one thing that I cherish most is the lifelong friendships that I will forever have because of it. Knowing that following through with my one little idea that began the domino affect to meeting these wonderful people who have had such a profound affect on me both personally and professionally is what fuels my mission of paying it forward and continuing the same opportunity for others. It is my passion, my heart and I am forever thankful to those who have taken (and will take) this journey with me.

In closing, I thought that it was appropriate for this post to share the images below that are from the trip to Chicago with one of my best friends and fellow photographer (Ezra Marcos) that served as inspiration for the whole idea of the Photog Retreat to begin with.

Looking forward to what the future has for us all!
xoxo,
Kathryn

Welcome [Mindy] to the Family!

At the end of our last retreat there was one thing that had become abundantly clear: We came from all over the U.S. as individual photographers but we were leaving as one big happy family. Not only did we learn, plan and develop strategies for our own business, but we now had a team of cheerleaders, encouragers, peers and friends to not only hold us accountable to our goals but to also share the victories and challenges throughout the year.

In that same spirit we would like to welcome photographers who join us this coming year into our Photog Retreat Family. We look forward to meeting you, learning with (and from) you, and supporting you in the future as we all grow our businesses together!

This week as our first special feature, it is our pleasure to welcome Mindy and share with you a little about her...

Mindy, owner of Red Rock Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada specializes in Wedding/Portrait Photography. She is happily married and mother of two beautiful little girls. She studied photojournalism at NMSU, and fell in love with weddings by accident while in school. She discovered it was a much happier form of journalism :)

The Facts:
Camera: Canon 5D
Favorite Lenses: 50mm 1.2 and the 70-200mm 2.8
Experience: Over 8 years as a Professional Photographer

We also asked Mindy a few other fun questions, here are her answers...

What are you looking forward to most about the Photog Retreat?
Shooting in exotic locations and relaxing with my hubby

Who are you looking forward to meeting the most?
Everyone, I love people :)

What challenges you most as a photographer?
The business side, staying focused/organized, and delegating.

And one of our favorite questions of all time...
Tell us a little bit about yourself? (what makes you, YOU!)
I love adventure. I spent my childhood through college years hiking,
biking, kayaking, rock climbing, riding horses, and more! I play piano
(sort of). Once upon a time I competed in triathlons... a long time ago.

Please join us in welcoming Mindy to our wonderful family! Thank you Mindy for adding your sense of adventure and love for life to our upcoming retreat!

Dance Off [Get Totally Rad]

The Challenge has been issued for a little Photog Retreat Dance Off. Last year it lasted over a series of nights as everyone enjoyed heading out after dinner for some good clean fun!

It will definitely be an event not to miss and makes you wonder which one of our speakers may have a secret move that hasn't yet been revealed???

Oh and you better believe the classics will make an appearance at some time or another: the running man, mash potato, swing, and everyone's favorite...The Chicken (ha, ha, ha!!!!)

So, let's start this off right by seeing which speaker you think has what it takes to earn themselves the title... Leave a comment below or take the facebook poll telling us who you think will win and not only can you cheer them on, but also be entered fo a chance to win a pretty awesome set of Lightroom Presets from Totally Rad Actions!