Personal Archives

Jul

Fireworks from a Wedding Photographer

I spent the entire Fourth of July week on the river… well, not so much on the river, but beside the river and in my camper. I was desperately trying to get all caught up on Game of Thrones®. I made it through three complete seasons before it was time to come home. Even though I rarely ventured out of the camper, my vacation was nice. AND quiet, since neither of my girls were able to spend the entire week with me. Welcome to adulthood, ladies!

On the night of the Fourth, we were invited to Utopia to watch the fireworks display from a nice, privately-owned hilltop. A group of about 13 from our group of campers drove 15 miles down the winding, roller coaster-like pavement of FM1050 to join about another 40 or so campers who were staying on the Sabinal River. On the way, I really didn’t expect much. I mean, how nice of a display can a town of 241 residents produce? As soon as we reached the “city limits,” I knew I had anticipated very wrong. The streets were lined with cars, lawn chairs, ice chests, and plenty of red, white and blue. It ended up being a 45-minute really, really nice show! It certainly exceeded my expectations. I should have known better since I was going to town named where “everything is perfect.” It was a perfect Fourth of July.

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Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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I am a San Antonio-based wedding and senior photographer who started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. As one of the up-and-coming San Antonio wedding photographers, I am also available to shoot in Austin, Houston and Dallas and the surrounding areas. I am also available for destination weddings worldwide. Ata-Girl Photography Co. offers an amazing wedding photography service that you won’t soon forget. As a professional photographer, my sole purpose is to provide you the absolute best photography experience.

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I love hiking, cycling, reading, listening to Elvis and most importantly, I enjoy seeing my daughters happy!

The post, Fireworks from a San Antonio Wedding Photographer, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Jun

I’m Back!

Somehow three weeks have passed since I wrote my last blog post about my favorite image for April. Though I have been busy with some very important things, my absence is really only due to poor planning. I try to stay on top of my blog, but I let my baby’s high school graduation and a Mexican vacation with 25 other people get me sidetracked.

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My baby girl was so happy to finally finish high school. (However, not nearly as happy as I was!) She had been updating me with a daily countdown since the time she had about 75 days of school left. Every weekday morning for the last few months was the same. “Mom, I have 75 days of school left.”

“Mom, I have 74 days of school left.”

“Mom, I have 73 days of school left.”

“Mom, I have 72 days of school left.” Until finally, there were none!

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This group picture is missing a few people, but it’s the best one I have. This was an amazing trip! Besides camping in Paris when I was stationed in Germany, this is the only vacation I’ve ever taken outside of the U.S. The only two things that could have been any better were the food and my bed. However, everything else was so darn amazing, that it doesn’t even matter. In fact, I already forgot that one of the breakfast dishes was scrambled eggs with salmon. The icing on the cake is that both of my daughters got to enjoy the experience with me. 🙂

I’ll be in overdrive for the next few weeks trying to get Ata-Girl back on track! I’ve still got senior sessions and a wedding to blog about, consultations to schedule and shoots to set up! I’ll also be sending out my newsletter in the very near future. If you haven’t already subscribed, you might want to do that!

Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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The post, I’m Back!, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

May

11 Lessons for Graduates and You (from Jon Gordon)

Part of my official motto is to be positive! This is the precise reason why I read Jon‘s books, subscribe to his newsletter and share his articles any chance I get. Please enjoy Jon Gordon’s article for graduates as we near the graduation season!

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Graduation is a time when many contemplate their future and purpose. It can be both a time of great excitement and worry. I certainly remember the anxiousness I felt after graduation. So whether you are graduating high school or college, know a graduate or perhaps you are graduating to the next level of your life and career I wanted to share 11 lessons from The Seed that I hope will empower and inspire you on your journey.

You are here for a reason and the most important thing you can do in life is to find, live and share your purpose. It’s the one thing in life that truly matters and if you don’t pursue it, everything else is meaningless.
Follow your passion. It so often leads you to your purpose. You may not know what your passion is right now. That’s ok. The important thing is to make it your life mission to find it, live it and share it. To help find your passion, seek out jobs and experiences that allow you to use your strengths and gifts. Do what energizes you. [Tweet That]
Beware of hobbies. Just because you love spending time on Facebook doesn’t mean you would enjoy working for the company. And just because you love to cook doesn’t mean you would enjoy owning a restaurant. For example, I owned restaurants but I realized I didn’t love the food business. I loved the service and marketing aspect of the business.
Quit for the right reasons. Don’t quit because work is hard or you’re experiencing challenges. Quit because in your heart you know there is something else for you to do. Quit because you are not benefitting yourself or the organization you work for. Quit because you are absolutely certain you are no longer supposed to be there.
Learn from every job and experience. Every job, good or bad, prepares you for the work you were ultimately born to do.
Your current job may not be your ultimate purpose but it can serve as a vehicle to live and share your purpose.
Whatever job(s) you take after graduation simply decide to serve. When you serve in small ways you’ll get more opportunities to serve in bigger ways.
Your dream job is likely not the one you dreamed about. So often we end up in amazing careers that have nothing to do with our college degree or childhood dreams.
The quest for your purpose is not a straight line. It is filled with mystery, signs, obstacles, victories, dead ends, delays and detours. Your job is to stay optimistic and faithful on your quest. [Tweet That]
Don’t rush the future. There is a process that seeds must go through in order to become all they are destined to become, and you must go through this same process to become the person you are meant to be and do the work you are meant to do. You may want things to happen NOW but more than likely if you got what you wanted NOW you wouldn’t be ready for it. The purpose process prepares you, strengthens you, shapes you and grows you to be successful, not in your time, but in the right time.
Be the Seed. Seeds surrender themselves to the ground so they can be used for a greater purpose. Wherever you work, decide to plant yourself where you are and allow yourself to be used for a greater purpose. When you plant yourself and make a difference you grow into the person you were born to be and produce a harvest that will benefit others and change the world.

Stay Positive!
-Jon

Apr

Who Am I? (Part 3)

For the last few weeks, I’ve been revealing what the Gallup Strength Center determined were my top five talents or strengths. I took the test in back in March after it was suggested to me at the WPPI 2014. None of the test results surprised me. Each made perfect sense now that I’ve gotten to know myself pretty well over the last 45 years. I am a maximizer and I thrive on consistency. I am curious, constantly seeking knowledge. I have strong beliefs and strongly value fairness. What surprises me is my most dominant talent, because if you asked me, I’d say consistency is my strongest trait. I like things to be in the same place, react the same, taste the same, appear the same. I rarely order new things off the menu. Once I find something I like, that’s it. I never order anything else. However, Gallup thought my most dominant talent was… harmony.

Having harmony as my most dominant trait means that I do not enjoy conflict. I view it as being unproductive. I like compromise and I always look for a consensus and areas of agreement. I strive to bring people together and I am able to see what people have in common. I have a guiding value and I seek to help. I view harmony as a brilliant, natural practicality. To me, harmony is the same as emotional balance. I tend to build a network of differing opinions and draw on them when I need expertise. I am a good team member and I have a high tolerance for different opinions.

Although I can’t say I learned anything new about myself from taking this test, I can say that I agree with all the results with exception to the order. Reading the test results has helped me understand why some of my traits are dominant and how I can use them in my business life to help my clients. It’s fun to see how someone can figure out your personality just by taking a quick, ten-minute test.

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Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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The post, Who Am I? (Part 3), first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Apr

Four Simple Rules

Dear Gym Friends—especially the ladies,

After another almost three-week gymcation and a gain of six pounds, I finally got back to the gym this morning. After revving each other up in a group message last night, I suggested to my gym partners that we to go to the gym at least four days a week for the next four weeks with NO excuses. Karen countered with three days a week until June 2 (our vacation date). Tricia said she hated the gym on Mondays.

This morning, Trish, Karen and I endured 60 minutes of Body Fit—a great class. During all the side-stepping and adding arms, I started to wonder what makes it so difficult to get to the gym. With kids, work, funerals, meetings, family visits, dogs, TV shows and all the other LIFE stuff, sometimes it’s just easier to have an excuse. Sometimes it’s easier to not try and find or make the time for yourself. It’s less resistance that way.

Honestly, I love every single second I’m at the gym… well, maybe not during the final minutes of Sarah’s cycling pyramids, but seriously, I’ve never, NOT ONCE, regretted showing up to the gym. I’ve always been a physical competitor and enjoyed breaking a good sweat, but judging from my current physical state, it’s impossible to tell.

As the class progressed, I started to realize, I just can’t do this on my own. Over the years, I’ve had people encourage me and I’ve tried to do some motivating as well, but for whatever reason, I’ve always considered myself in this… alone. I’ve never truly considered anyone else as a partner in this. But, the truth is that I need people to expect seeing me at the gym. I need people to encourage me not to stop. I need to participate in group exercise. I need to know that I have many partners and together, we can be healthier. We are in this TOGETHER!!! And if you are doing an a KILLER knee lift repeater, I’m going to tell you, Simona!

I don’t need to weigh 125, but I do need to be fit. I need (and enjoy) an active lifestyle. I want to live a long, comfortable life. I want to burn 500+ calories over the course of an hour. I want to participate in the Ride to Remember and the MS150 bike rides for many years to come. I want to have athletically-inclined and health-conscious friends. I want to share this experience with friends who will be around for as long as I am. I want to be healthy!

And then, as I walked out of Cheryl’s class, I saw this. Lanessa had written a personal encouragement to me! Somehow she knew just what I needed to hear… or read. From now on, these are MY rules… and I won’t negotiate. Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed. (For the record, she also knew what Tricia needed to hear: Rule #3, and what Karen needed to hear: Rule #2.)

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I’d love to meet other ladies who are struggling to stay motivated and find the time to exercise. I’ll meet you at the gym and we can encourage each other. Also, if there are any cyclists in the area, I’d love to re-start a group of afternoon riders. A few years ago, there were about eight of us who rode together almost every afternoon and it was so much fun. We would ride 20-40 miles each day at about a 15-17 mph pace. If you’re interested in group road cycling, please join this Facebook Group.

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The post, Four Simple Rules, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Apr

Who am I? (Part 2)

Last week, I wrote about sitting in Sal Cincotta’s platform class at the 2014 WPPI as he challenged the audience to take a strength finder test. For $9.99, the Gallup Strength Center will administer an online exam to decipher your top five talents or strengths. By knowing and better understanding the natural tools I use in my everyday life, I can better service my clients, and in essence, fortify my business. I can use these strengths to become a better businesswoman, a better artist, a better person and an even better San Antonio wedding photographer.

The first two strengths I detailed were belief and input. Basically, these talents refer to my integrity and curiosity. I am honest, transparent and I always want what is best for my customer. I have a wide range of interests and that enables me to easily build connections with people.

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San Antonio Wedding Photographer

# 3: Consistency: Gallup Strengths Center indicates that I like to treat people fairly and impartially; I view everyone as equals and give them respect. I am a guardian of what is right and just and I like clear rules that apply to everyone. I am opposed to special favors and I enjoy a consistent environment. I like people to know what is expected, predictable and evenhanded. The talent of consistency is also strongly related to my talent of belief which involves integrity, respect and trustworthiness.

I absolutely agree with consistency though I’ve been using the term “OCDness” to describe this talent for years. It aggravates me when people don’t drive within the defined lanes of a parking lot and instead cross it willy-nilly. If my dish washing soap isn’t in the correct corner of the sink’s edge facing the precisely-right angle, it aggravates me. I’m a stickler for grammar and punctuation (though my proofreading stinks)! I think consistency is a sure way to strengthen my photography by causing me to always check the basics: composition, balance, lighting, content, etc. Over the years, I’ve developed a routine or set of rules. Now, it’s very hard to deviate from this because of my consistency. However, because of my maximizier talent (see below), I’m also always working to improve the routine to maximum benefit.

Although I didn’t know it was “consistency,” I’ve always said that if mankind had more patience and followed more of the rules, this world would be so much better. When I’m in public, this is what aggravates me the most—people who are in a hurry and don’t give proper respect to the rest of us and those who don’t follow the rules—oftentimes, they’re one in the same!

#2: Maximizer: Being a maximizer means that I can juggle lots of deadlines, but I make the most out of my time. I enjoy new technology to help me work smarter and increase my efficiency. I’m a hard worker. I like to learn from the best to develop my own pursuit of excellence. I bring ideas to life. I focus on quality and continue working toward mastery. I love discussing plans and projects with other people.

Being that I’m a maximizer is probably what guided me to the 2014 WPPPI in the first place—to learn skills from the best in the wedding photography industry. It also created an opportunity to meet new people to discuss plans and projects with. I enjoy studying success in order to have success in my own life. I make it a point to touch on photography in some way every. single. day. It can be reading, practicing, experimenting, buying, listening, comparing, networking, studying, absorbing, or observing—but every single day, I make a conscious and deliberate effort to improve my photography skill.

Stay tuned next week! I’ll detail my strongest talent and explore how it can make me an even better photographer! Be photographed.

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The post, Who am I? (Part 2), first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Apr

Who am I? (Part 1)

At the 2014 WPPI as I sat in Sal Cincotta‘s platform class, he urged each of us in the audience to take a strength finder test. He presented a slide with his and Taylor’s strengths and began describing what talents he looked for in employees and colleagues and how those talents complemented his own. He explained that by understanding your own strengths and talents, you could better understand how to effectively service your own clients and in essence, fortify your business. I’m here for the long haul and I’m ALL about fortifying my San Antonio wedding photography business!

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I accepted Sal’s challenge and took the strength finder test from Gallup Strength Center. While none of my top five strengths shocked me, I was a bit surprised about their order of dominance. By reading and understanding the very detailed presentation from Gallup, I can use my strengths to become a better businesswoman, a better artist, a better person and an even better San Antonio wedding photographer.

San Antonio Wedding Photographer

# 5: Belief: Gallupstrengthscenter.com defines this talent as, “People exceptionally talented in the belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their lives.” It goes on to say that I am honest, transparent and I always want what is best for my customer. I like to do things the right way and that success means more to me than money or prestige. I have integrity and I strive to be compliant with industry standards.

I agree with belief. My main objective with photography is to always create a product that the customer will love and that will succeed in preserving a very important time in their lives. I don’t believe in or practice high-pressure sales. I do like to do things the right way and most of the time, I believe my way IS the right way. Integrity is very important to me. I am probably way too transparent. There is little that is off-limits for discussion. You get what you see.

#4: Input: I’m inquisitive, crave information, and always want to know more. My input talent indicates that I love to travel and enjoy all kinds of topics. I have a wide range of interests and that enables me to easily build connections with people. I have tools that facilitate growth and performance. I desire to be knowledgeable and I love to accumulate new information. However, since input was not listed as one of my strongest talents, I am more selective about what types of information I seek out. I learn more by a hands-on approach as opposed to reading about something.

Input also accurately describes me. My likes are very eclectic. I usually enjoy visiting with all sorts of people and hearing their stories. I’m very curious. A former boss once told me, “You don’t need to know why, just do it!” And, I didn’t work for Nike®. My input talent is what fuels my curiosity about photography and drives me to make better images. Every single day, I’m inputting more information and getting closer to my long-term photography goals.

Stay tuned next week! I’ll detail my top three talents and explore how they can make me a better photographer! Be photographed.

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I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling, reading, and listening to Elvis!

The post, Who am I? (Part 1), first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Mar

My WPPI Experience

I just returned from Vegas after a six-day stay for the WPPI 2014 (Wedding & Portrait Professionals International) Convention. I can’t say that it was the best week of my entire life as the WPPI promised, but I can say that it was the best week of my photography life. I met some incredible photographers and heard some very inspirational stories, attended some amazing platform classes that were taught by the world’s very best wedding photographers, laid my eyes on some of the very latest technology, and developed a dire need to go back next year. I’m already trying to pick out the platform classes I want to pre-board next year but most likely, the schedule won’t be released for another ten months or so.

Here are a few of images of the speakers I had the opportunity to attend their platform classes:

On February 26, I listed my goals for the WPPI convention. Here’s the recap.

Learn. Experience. Grow. — Complete. I had an opportunity to learn, experience and grow and I did just that. It was an incredible experience.
Network without reservation, and without being shy. — Complete. I exchanged business cards with 17 other people I found interesting. I even initiated the conversation with some of these people—which, if you know me, you know that’s not something I usually do. I also plan to follow up with each of these 17 people and hopefully, I’ll get to visit with them at next year’s WPPI. Sidenote: I ran into Amy Karp of Dallas and I introduced myself. I’ve been following Amy’s work ever since I attended a breakout session with her at the I Heart Faces Photography Workshop in Dallas a few years ago. What a nice gal!
If I see Sue Bryce, do more than stare at the floor and say, “Hi. How are you?” — Incomplete. I didn’t see Sue, not even once.
Attend the 16X20 print competition and listen to the live critiquing. — Complete. I sat through six hours of live judging. It was a chance to hear a panel of five professional photographers critique a competition print. This was, by far, the most enlightening experience of the entire week. I watched and listened, as print after print, was critiqued and scored right in front of me. Seeing the critique in person gave me a chance to see many other photographers’ work and to hear what the respected pro’s thought about them.
Get mentally prepared to enter the 16×20 print competition next year. — Complete. I’m ready to enter at least one. The next step is deciding what to enter.
Take copious amounts of notes in the 12 workshops I am attending. That’s over 18 hours of continuing education/instruction from world-renowned wedding and portrait professionals. — Complete. I took lots of notes and many pictures of the slides when I couldn’t write as fast as they were being shown. As I sat with Robert O’Neill waiting for a class, he asked me if I would really review the notes. My answer is yes, I will review the notes.
If time permits, attend a shoot-out or two. — Incomplete. I didn’t attend any official shoot-outs, but I did take over 500 images during the week. On my last full day there, I completed a three-hour photowalk. That was nice. I became fixated on the water show at the Aria for about 30 minutes.
Spend time exploring the trade show and put my hands on a Nikon D4s. — Partially complete. I spent time at the expo all three days that it was open. I didn’t actually have the nerve to ask a Nikon representative to hold the D4s, but I did spend a good time just looking (and dreaming) at it through the glass case. I did discover some incredible technology that I will be including in my wedding collections. This is super exciting! I already have my sample, but I can’t even demo it yet, because it’s so new that the software hasn’t been released to the public. I met with my representative from the Italian wedding book company I use. Finally, I tried winning an iPad for three days in a row from my print lab to no avail. However, it was fun visiting with other photographers while we waited for the drawing.
Look at all the resources available to me and compare them to those I’m currently using. Personally meet some of my vendors! (I’m especially excited to meet Christine, my rep from Graphi Albums. — Complete. I casually visited the booths of other labs and album companies, but none of their products or presentations were impressionable enough to make me want to change. I think I’m using the best resources possible. I have no plans of changing anything.
Totally unlike me, but possibly attend one of the after parties! — Complete. I attended the Members Only Meet & Greet with a new friend, Florina, who was brave enough to attend the WPPI while she was five-months pregnant. Just wow. She was buzzing around the place even though both of her ankles were swollen beyond recognition. What perseverance!
And because Jason Groupp likes uneven numbered lists, give him a high-five! — Complete.

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(L) Tim with Sal Cincotta; (R) Introducing Sam Sciarrino

This is Tim. Tim shared an incredible and personal story with me about a brain injury he survived. His story gave me some comfort and reassurance about medical advances with regard to traumatic brain injuries since losing my own sister to a TMI in 1984. I’m glad we had the opportunity to exchange stories. Thank you, Tim.

Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling, reading, and listening to Elvis!

The post, My WPPI Experience, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Feb

I’m Attending WPPI 2014

(PREFACE: Yesterday, my site went down. However, I was able to recover my site earlier today, but in doing so, I lost a total of 27 blog posts… basically everything since December 17, 2013. Sometime in the future, I may recreate some of the blog posts, but being that my memory is not as reliable as it was in my younger days, some posts may never be recreated. If there is anything missing in particular that you would like to see, please email me, and I will do my best to replicate the content.)

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I have been anxiously waiting to attend the 2014 WPPI Convention (Wedding and Portrait Professionals International) since October 16, 2013 when I first registered. It has been an incredibly long wait, but in three short days, I fly out to Vegas to expand my knowledge and experience in the wedding industry. I’ve taken the time to create a list of goals I want to accomplish during what WPPI refers to as the best week of my life. I’ll be joining 20,000 other professional wedding and portrait photographers from all over the world to unite, learn and network. I hope it really comes close because I’m giving up one day of my baby daughter’s two-day softball tournament, and her district opener against our toughest district competitor!

Learn. Experience. Grow.
Network without reservation, and without being shy.
If I see Sue Bryce, do more than stare at the floor and say, “Hi. How are you?”
Attend the 16X20 print competition and listen to the live critiquing.
Get mentally prepared to enter the 16×20 print competition next year.
Take copious amounts of notes in the 12 workshops I am attending. That’s over 18 hours of continuing education/instruction from world-renowned wedding and portrait professionals.
If time permits, attend a shoot-out or two.
Spend time exploring the trade show and put my hands on a Nikon D4.
Look at all the resources available to me and compare them to those I’m currently using. Personally meet some of my vendors! (I’m especially excited to meet Christine, my rep from Graphi Albums.
Totally unlike me, but possibly attend one of the after parties!
And because Jason Groupp likes uneven numbered lists, give him a high-five!

So, there you have it! There is my list of to-dos for the “best week of my life.”

Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling, reading, and listening to Elvis!

The post, I’m Attending WPPI 2014, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Feb

A Master San Antonio Wedding Photographer

Every now and then, I love to get out and do some networking, visiting, listening, looking and learning from and with other San Antonio wedding photographers—as was the case last night. I ventured out to the Dominion Country Club for a Meet Up with the Photo SA group (hosted by Jim Landers) to listen to a master photographer speak. The guest speaker was Jim Binegar, a San Antonio wedding photographer, who’s been photographing wedding for over 40 years.

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Jim admitted he was only paid $50 for his first weddings working under the direction of a Maryland studio and having to travel a 100-mile round trip in a lot of cases. Jim became a master photographer by having, if I recall correctly, eight of his images make it to general collection and four of them advancing to the loan collection, ultimately accumulating 25 merits. The PPA degrees are a way to gauge an photographer’s expertise. In essence, the degree indicates the photographer has mastered some of the industry’s highest standards for professional photographers.

San Antonio Wedding Photographer

I enjoyed the night out and will make plans to attend the next meeting with Kate Roy of Snap Chic Photography from Boerne. Kate specializes in fine art photography and is going to show a video compilation of her latest piece and also Photoshop® it during the live presentation. I always like to see other artists and San Antonio wedding photographers work their magic… whether in Photoshop, a live shoot or during a public speaking event.

Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling, reading, and listening to Elvis!

The post, A Master San Antonio Wedding Photographer, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

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Hi, I’m Tammy.
I'm a San Antonio-based wedding photographer for outdoor-loving couples who value real moments.

I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!

Since 2010, I have excelled in helping each of my couples plan for one of the very best days of their lives! I’d love to share my very personalized wedding experience, my super-human organizational abilities, and my U. S. Army combat skills (when needed) with you too.

I want your wedding day to be as perfect as you do! I am all in with my whole heart!