Imaging USA is a conference for photographers from all over the world to come together and learn different aspects of photography. There are several classes being offered at once and you get to choose which class you go to. You can base it on which speakers you want to hear or what area you want to focus on (marketing, lighting, etc.). It is so neat to see all of the photographers and realize that everyone is so diverse! You will see men, women, young, old - all varieties of people! This was my second year attending. Both times have been in Nashville at the Opryland Hotel. The hotel itself is crazy big! It’s literally like a city within itself and you forget you are actually inside a hotel! We arrived on Saturday and got settled in – we went on the boat ride inside the hotel that gives you some of the history and it really brings back memories of my childhood and makes me miss Opryland!
Sunday was the first official day and my first class was “The Power of Simplicity: The Journey from Natural light photography into created light” by Audrey Woulard – she was a great speaker and made me want some new equipment! I loved hearing her story of how she evolved and changed and her reasoning behind it. The opening keynote was by Jim Kwik – it was VERY interesting! He taught us some ways to memorize things and taught us that a lot of time we get in our head that we CAN’T do something before we even try (kind of like the famous quote by Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right”). He also made us group up with people we didn’t know – which I’m typically not into, but my mom got to go with me and we teamed up with the two guys in front of us so it wasn’t so bad. After the keynote, the expo opened. There were so many neat things there, but it was a bit too crowded for me! If I have to bump shoulders with people to shop, I will move on. I did find a few new vendors to shop online with though, ha! After the expo (and lunch) I went to the “The Heart of the Matter: Getting Back to Your Why” presentation by Isaiah and Latasha Haynes. This one I think was my favorite class. They were so honest and real! They really made me realize and confirm that I need to stay in my own lane and worry about what I am doing in my photography (and life in general) – everyone is in their own place (and season) in life and what works for some doesn’t work for others. Just because I shoot on weekends as well as during the week or just because I don’t charge as much for my 8”x10” as someone else doesn’t mean I’m any less of a photographer, it is just what works for me (and my clients) right now in my business and life.
Monday morning I was debating between two classes, but one of my photography friends was going to a certain class I was debating between, so I chose that one to sit next to her - we went to “5 Keys to a Successful Headshot Business” by Gary Hughes. He gave us some good tips that applied to photography in general, not just headshots. I’ve still been trying to play catch up on my business and personal life both (and I just can not get focused, grr!), but my next photography conference is coming up SOON so I wanted to blog about this one before I forgot the details! I always hear speakers at conferences say it’s good to go and hear speakers and get motivated, but if you don’t put at least SOME of what you learn into practice, then what’s the point in going!? Be sure to subscribe if you haven't already and be watching for my next conference blog - SYNC!
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