2012 Pictage/ShootQ Users Group Planning Meeting

Folks,As we enter 2012, we would like to get some innovative ideas on where you guys would like this group to go. Any and all suggestions about the group and desired speakers and topics are welcome.

Due to the Super Bowl being on Sunday night before our regular Monday night meeting date, we will move to the following Monday February 13th.

Please join us and have a voice in the future of the Raleigh PUG/ShootQ Users Group.

When: Monday February 13th
Time: 7:00 – 9:00
Where: Flights Lounge

Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel
4100 Main at North Hills Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27609 USA

If you need more info just give Elizabeth or I a call at 919.389.7274

__________________
Frank Myers

Raleigh PUG and ShootQ Holiday Dinner – Dec. 4th

The Raleigh PUG and ShootQ Holiday Potluck Social  is Sunday, December 4th . Bring your favorite, side, salad, dessert or appetizer and help us celebrate another year and work on plans for next year!   We are providing the main course and beverages so come out and eat, drink and be merry!

Raleigh PUG/ShootQ meetings are open to all current professional and aspiring professional photographers.

When: Sunday December 4th
Time: 5:30 – 9:30
Where: Sweet Life Photo – 4902 Brookhaven Drive in Raleigh (Frank and Elizabeth’s)

If you need more info just give us a call at 919.389.7274

 

September PUG Meeting

September 12th – 6:30 pm
Cantina South
510 Glenwood Ave

Join the Raleigh PUG at Cantina South for food, drinks and conversation. No formal agenda, just an evening to share a meal with other area professionals. Great opportunity for new professionals who would like to find out more about Pictage and our group.

Note – Normally we meet on the first Monday, but due to labor day we are moving to the 12th.

RSVP at the Raleigh PUG page event

August Raleigh PUG shooting workshop

Welcome to the revamped Raleigh PUG. Elizabeth and I have decided to make radical changes to our PUG and see if we can revitalize this community. We know everyone is pressed for time and given the number of groups – ISES, NACE, PPANC and WPS, to name a few – that require our involvement, PUG is turning into just another obligation. Finding the time to attend meetings is more and more difficult for our members.

We have heard you loud and clear.

So for the rest of this year we are going to do a series of photo challenges on the Raleigh PUG facebook page. You can enter up to two images on the monthly challenge theme and the community will vote on their favorites. The photographer with the most votes by the last day of the month will win a $50 American Express Gift Certificate. Does this mean we are no longer meeting face-to-face? No, each month we will host a shooting workshop to support the photo challenge for that month. The photo workshops will be held on the first Monday of each month.

For August, the photo challenge will be to create images with 1 off-camera light. On August 1st we will have an Off-camera basics shooting workshop for any Raleigh Pug members who wish to attend and learn about or practice using off-camera lighting.

You do not have to attend the workshop to participate in the photo challenge or to be eligible for the prize.

The Popes are coming – June 13th PUG meeting

We are excited to announce a special Raleigh PUG meeting with Airika and Gerald Pope.

The Art of Booking: Personality Types & the Successful Client Meeting

The thinker. The feeler. The risk-taker. The impulse buyer. We all make decisions in a distinct, yet predictable, manner. Understanding the four main personality types — and learning how to successfully communicate with each type during the prospective client process — will greatly improve your client meeting success and your booking percentage.

The Popes have over ten years of experience working with people of all backgrounds and personality types. Drawing from Airika’s five years in the marketplace as a college recruiter, and their six years as joint owners of a boutique wedding photography business, Gerald & Airika will share tips for identifying different personality types and teach you how to tailor your communication and sales process to effectively reach each client type. Not only will you be better equipped to manage new client inquiries, but you will leave with knowledge you can immediately apply to increase your booking percentage.

Bio

The Popes are a husband and wife team based out of Seattle, WA. They are passionate about community and have been leading the Seattle PUG, a local wedding and portrait photography group, since 2008. When they are not traveling for weddings or personal enjoyment, you can find them sipping lattes at the local coffee shop, showering attention on their two cats, or cheering for the Seattle Sounders. You can connect with them through their website www.ThePopes.com or blog www.blog.thepopes.com, or simply email them at info@thepopes.com.

Meeting Info

When: June 13th, 6:30 – 9:00pm
Where: Draft Burgers and Beer
510 Glenwood Ave, Ste 10
Raleigh, NC 27603

RSVP: Go to the Raleigh PUG facebook page and RSVP to the June Meeting event.

Look forward to seeing all of you at this special meeting.

Mike Larson is coming to Raleigh April 12th and 13th

Mike Larson is coming to Raleigh next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mike will be speaking at the April PUG meeting on Tuesday the 12th and holding a two-part, one-day {style}shop on Wednesday the 13th. Please come out and join us for these special events!

The PUG meeting will be held at:

Foster’s American Grill
Cameron Village Shopping Center
Starting at 6:30pm

Address for driving directions
521 Daniels Street
Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 821-5969

Evening Talk: Defining your style.

What is your style? Choosing is hard. Your style is in part based on your live performance, and your images are based on who you truly are. In a sea of competition, its important that we do not compare ourselves to those that you do not admire, but rather compare yourself to people that you do admire our toughest competition, and then strive to be comparatively unique. Specialization is the key to profitability and survival. However, it is not as important for you to know your style as it is to be able to explain it to your clients.

About Mike:

Mike Larson is the only Estate & Vineyard wedding photographer and is based in California wine country. He’s been shooting for 13 years, and has a team of 4 associate photographers who collectively shoot 100 weddings a year. Mike has been married for 1971 days to his amazing wife Rachel. You can follow their chronicles of life on Facebook or check out his recent work on his blog www.mikelarson.com/blog

Mike is now an evangelist for specialization in the wedding & portrait photography community. He has been invited to speak in 12 countries over the last 4 years to photographers and small businesses. Mike is one of the few shooting speakers, who advocate specialization over generalization. He is passionate about having a business that serves him, but doesn’t own him. Once a victim of accidental success, Mike will share openly about his successes and trials over the years learning the truths for what it is to be “a business who happens to love photography”, vs a photographer who ties to get business.

The following day Mike will be hosting a 1 day (2 part) {style}shop. The two sections are: 1) the business of style & specialization and 2) Styling your clients + a Live shoot!

You can find out more information at this link: http://Raleighstyleshop.eventbrite.com/

March PUG Meeting

The Raleigh PUG March meeting is Thursday, March 31 (just in time!). We’ll be hearing from wedding planner Rachel Hamm of Bliss by Sam on how to help the DIY-bride plan a wedding day schedule that works and leaves plenty of time for photography. We’ll also have samples of Pictage’s new press-printed books for you to see and swoon over!

When: Thursday, March 31
Time: 6:30 for food and drinks; 7:15 for program
Where: 4902 Brookhaven Drive in Raleigh (Frank and Elizabeth’s)

Photographers and Videographers: Can’t We All Just Get Along?

Ever jockeyed for position at a wedding with a videographer? Working the same event can be a little tense, but it doesn’t have to be. Come hear from some of the area’s best videographers, including John Hayes of Southern Video Design and Mark Holland of Ron K. Smith, to learn more about their craft and hear their ideas on how we can work together on the Wedding Day to provide a great experience for our clients. We’re looking forward to a great discussion and hope to see all of you there!

Thursday, January 13, 2011 · 6:30pm – 9:30pm

4902 Brookhaven Drive, Raleigh NC

Click here to RSVP for this event

Contact us if you have any questions:

elizabeth@sweetlifephoto.com
919.389.7274

Jared Platt speaks at the Raleigh PUG on Nov. 2nd

We are excited to host Jared Platt’s PUG and workshop tour at the Raleigh PUG. Join us for a presentation by Jared at our PUG meeting on the 2nd.

Take your photography portfolio and your individual events from good to great and save time in the process. Come and learn how to tap into the power of perception through positive selection.

* Learn the power of positive selection to speed your workflow and improve your photography.
* Learn how to become a better photographer during post-production.
* Learn how to elevate your brand by controling public perception.
* Learn some tips and tricks for increasing productivity inside of Lightroom 3.0.
* Question and Answer Period – (bring your toughest post production dilemmas to discuss)
* Door Prizes

If you feel bogged down in post-production or just need to boost your photography to the next level but don’t know where to start, then you need this time with Jared Platt. And you will learn the latest and greatest in Adobe Lightroom 3.0 at the same time!

We will meet at 6:30pm at Foster’s America Grille located in Cameron Village (behind the Harris Teeter)

6:30 – 8:30pm
521 Daniels Street
Raleigh NC, 27605
restaurant phone number: 919.821.5969
Sweet Life phone number 919.389.7274

RSVP to this event here

Jared will also host a lightroom workflow workshop in Raleigh on Nov. 3rd.

The workshop is designed to teach the very best workflow practices for your photography studio from professional photographer and instructor Jared Platt. Cut your workflow in half, increase the quality of your work and raise your brand to a new level.

You will learn the best methods and techniques in Lightroom for organizing, selecting, adjusting, retouching and delivering your images on the web and in print. You will work with your own files and Jared will be right there to give you advice and teach you everything you need to know about an efficient and powerful Adobe Lightroom workflow. If you haven’t taken a class taught by Jared before, you will find that it is not only extremely informative, but also entertaining. Not a bad way to spend a day.

For More Information on Jared Platt Raleigh Workshop

September 16th PUG Real Couples Shooting Workshop

On Thursday evening September 16th, the Raleigh PUG is sponsoring a “Real Couples” shooting workshop. Join us at 6:30 when we gather underneath the acorn at Moore Square for the shoot. This workshop will give us all a chance to practice posing skills with real people, not models, who may not be completely comfortable in front of a camera. During the shoot we will get into groups of 4 photographers and spend an hour shooting a real couple. Each photographer will get 15 minutes to take charge, posing and directing the couple while everyone in the group shoots.

Everyone is invited to stick around afterwards for drinks and snacks at Tir Na Nog.

We have created a facebook event where you can RSVP. RSVP link

A solid count is important to make sure we have enough couples for everyone to be able to have a turn directing them. If you know any regular couples or families who would like to model for us have them contact us directly at 919.389.7274. In appreciation for their time and help we will provide them the two favorite digital files from each photographer in their group.

Come join in the fun and excitement of a live shoot!

Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments,

Elizabeth and Frank