Collages.net’s CEO Kevin Casey was in San Francisco last night, delivering his second west coast Finding Your Blue Ocean workshop!

Did you know?

-The Chinese Fortune Cookie was invented by Makato Hagiwara whose family operated the Japanese Tea Garden from 1895 to 1942.
-Denim jeans were invented in San Francisco for the Gold Rush miners who needed tough, comfortable clothing.
-Irish coffee was invented in San Francisco.

Last night, Kevin shared ideas about what profitable studios are doing to stay ahead during these tough economic times with a group of photographers who were eager to learn. He suggested ways that they could change their businesses to become more profitable and what studio finances really mean. The group also worked together to brainstorm ideas on how their studios can achieve even greater success.

To see what photographers have been saying about the workshops, click here. If you attended the workshop in San Francisco last night, please feel free to leave a comment with your feedback and reactions!

Facts taken from: http://www.sfheart.com/interesting_facts.html

Collages.net’s CEO Kevin Casey was in San Jose last night, delivering his first west coast Finding Your Blue Ocean workshop this year!

Did you know?

-San Jose was proclaimed the Third Most Fun City in America by Cranium Inc., makers of the popular board game.
-San Jose leads the nation in patent generation, and is home to more patent holders than San Diego and Los Angeles combined.
-Downtown San Jose’s Woz Way is named after San Jose native and Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak.

In this fun city, Kevin discussed ideas about what profitable studios are doing to stay ahead during these tough economic times. He also helped photographers learn what they can change about their businesses to become more profitable and what studio finances really mean. The group worked together to brainstorm ideas on how their studios can achieve even greater success.

To see what photographers have been saying about the workshops, click here. If you attended the workshop in San Jose last night, please feel free to leave a comment with your feedback and reactions!

Facts taken from: http://www.sanjoseca.gov/district10/trivia.asp

This week’s websites of the week come from CVI Photography & Co. and Joe Elario Photography.

Virgil Bunao of CVI Photography & Co. shot Callie and Brandon’s wedding in a small town called St. George, SC. Virgil recalls, “What made this wedding so special was that people from this small town pitched in and helped to throw the biggest party ever. The light was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the couple was just so awesome to work with.”

JP Elario of Joe Elario Photography shot Isabel and Joe’s engagement session in Albany, NY. JP recalls, “This shoot was a standard engagement session with a beautiful couple. Typically, I ask my clients to choose their engagement session locations and Isabel and Joe wanted the urban, gritty look, so we shot in downtown Albany. You’ll notice my token shots that I call the ‘bling shots.’ I take them at the end of all my engagement sessions, just as something fun.”

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To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

Last night, Collages.net’s CEO Kevin Casey delivered his final east coast Finding Your Blue Ocean workshops in Nashville!

Did you know?

-Nashville is home to the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Willie Nelson & Friends Showcase Museum.
-Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry is the longest continuously running live radio program in the world. It has broadcast every Friday and Saturday night since 1925.

Kevin discussed strategies for helping studios to stay ahead during these tough economic times in the heart of the south. Photographers learned what they can change about their businesses to become more profitable and what studio finances really mean. The group worked together to brainstorm ideas on how their studios can achieve even greater success.

To see what photographers have been saying about the workshops, click here. If you attended the workshop in Nashville last night, please feel free to leave a comment with your feedback and reactions!

Facts taken from: http://www.50states.com/facts/tenn.htm

Despite the weather, Collages.net’s CEO Kevin Casey delivered the second of his September Finding Your Blue Ocean workshops in Atlanta!

 Did you know?
 
-Coca-Cola was invented in May 1886 by Dr. John S. Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia.
-Civil rights leader Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia.

In this historic southern city, Kevin discussed ideas about what profitable studios are doing to stay ahead during these tough economic times. He also helped photographers learn what they can change about their businesses to become more profitable and what studio finances really mean. Everyone worked together to brainstorm ideas on how their studios can achieve even greater success.

To see what photographers have been saying about the workshops, click here. If you attended the workshop in Atlanta last night, please feel free to leave a comment with your feedback and reactions!

Facts taken from: http://www.50states.com/facts/georgia.htm and http://www.history.com/states.do?action=detail&state=GA&contentType=State_Fun_Facts&contentId=54411

Last night, Collages.net’s CEO Kevin Casey delivered the first of his September Finding Your Blue Ocean workshops to an enthusiastic group of professional photographers in Charlotte!

Did you know?

-Charlotte claims the highest building in the two Carolinas, the Bank of America building.
-Charlotte’s major industries are banking and motor sports.
-Charlotte is the biggest city between Washington, DC and Dallas, TX. It has been named the “Most Livable Community for the Visually Impaired” by The American Foundation for the Blind.

In this financially-driven city, Kevin discussed ideas about what profitable studios are doing to stay ahead during these tough economic times. He also helped photographers learn what they can change about their businesses to become more profitable and what studio finances really mean. Participants broke off into small groups and worked together to brainstorm ideas on how they can practically move their studios to the next level of success.

To see what photographers have been saying about the workshops, click here. If you attended the workshop in Charlotte last night, please feel free to leave a comment with your feedback and reactions!

Facts taken from: http://www.travelmuse.com/destinations/US/NC/119/charlotte/_guide/6

This week’s websites of the week come from Mimi Teller Photography and LifeAsArt Photography.

Mimi Rosicky of Mimi Teller Photography shot Consuelo and Bert’s wedding in Santa Barbara, CA. Mimi recalls, “I shot this wedding on a beautiful day in Santa Barbara for an exceptionally beautiful couple. Consuelo and Bert scheduled plenty of time for their formal photographs to be taken at the carousel and historic courthouse. A Spanish and old Hollywood-themed reception on the rooftop of the Canary Hotel was met with spectacular views and a magical sunset.”

Amber and Jeremy Minnerick of LifeAsArt Photography shot Justine’s bridal portraits at the historic Cotton Mill in McKinney, TX. They recall, “Justine is a self-described fashionista, so we wanted to shoot in the style of a Vogue magazine inside the empty warehouse. The light that poured in from the giant windows was a photographer’s dream and Justine was a fantastic bride to work with. She was up for anything we asked and never once complained about the Texas heat inside the stuffy warehouse with no air conditioning!”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.

Collages.net recently had the chance to speak with David Apuzzo of David Apuzzo, Photography in Hamden, Connecticut about his blog. The article is entitled “No Bounds,” because David places no limitations on his work or style. He always has something different and unique to show on his blog. He says he doesn’t know if he has any blog stalkers, but we know that he has a few just within Collages.net. Now, onto the interview.

David Apuzzo

How would you describe your studio style?
Wow! I don’t even know how to answer this. I think I just do my thing. I never really think about a specific style when working. I like to explore different views, colors, textures, and everything else that could possibly go into everything I produce. I consider myself to be ever-evolving as an artist and feel there should be no end to the possibilities of where my work can go.

What type of photography are you most passionate about?
Definitely portraiture. Not your typical studio-style portraiture that you can get anywhere, though. I like to take a subject and create them into a character with a story. I love coming up with different ideas and then putting them into action. The end result to me is much more of an “art piece” than just a snap of the shutter. It’s got an entire story to tell. If it is a basic portrait, how can I bring their personal character out? This is where I feel I can challenge myself.

Where did you find your inspiration for your blog’s design?
Mainly from my logo color scheme and design. I’ve just always used reds, blacks, whites, and grays. I just wanted everything to be consistent and recognizable for people. I want people to see a clean, concise image of my studio and be able to remember it.

What was important to you when looking for a blog vendor?
I really didn’t think about it. I knew a lot of people that used Blogger, so I jumped on the bandwagon. It was fairly easy to customize and update, so I just went with it. I never really gave it much thought.

Which entry has been your most popular entry this year?
Honestly, I couldn’t tell you because I don’t know. I’m not sure which had the most views because I don’t track that sort of thing, but I do know on the side of most commented on was the blog called “Off the street, into the studio.” It was a blog about a man who randomly came into my studio one day to share a photograph of his wife for which he hired me to restore. He also told me many stories about his family and heritage. I simply asked him if I could take a quick photo of him. He agreed, so I did, and posted it to share.

What do you write about on your blog?
I don’t write a whole lot of personal things, it’s just more of a way to post and share new work. I used to do semi-stories (maybe a few sentences) explaining a shoot, but recently I have gotten into the habit of just posting images and letting them speak for themselves.

How do you see the blog benefiting your studio?
My blog really helps because it’s a very quick and easy and provides a fully functional way to get up new work quickly and keep people up to date with my work, style, and on occasion, a random thought. Since my website takes much longer to update and organize, I use it more as a portfolio.

Do you have any blog stalkers?
I’m not really sure if I have any blog stalkers. I think a lot of people look at by blog, but do not necessarily say anything. But I do know that I have 900+ Twitter followers and I don’t know about 90% of them. I guess you might call them voyeurs though, because they just follow me and rarely reply to a Tweet! I’m not sure about calling them “stalkers” though.

Do you use social networking sites to promote your studio and blog?
Yes, I do the Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace thing.

What advice would you give to photographers who are looking to start a blog or revamp their blog?
Just think about how you want to be represented. Color scheme and organization are most important, I think. You don’t want to put something out there that won’t be representative of yourself. You want people to go to your blog or website and be able to recognize it immediately in your style and be able to remember and recognize it.

Collages.net would like to thank David for sharing this information about his blog and studio. If you would like to be considered for a blog or studio interview, contact customerservice@collages.net.

Work smarter by using free tools provided by Collages.net.

Collages.net event favorite folders and PictureChat make ordering albums simple. Each online event site you upload contains favorite folders, allowing clients to choose their favorite images from the site to be used in their album. Collages.net Premium Websites offer PictureChat, another communication tool that can be used for selecting and confirming album spread choices.

When clients use favorite folders, they can send an e-mail with their favorite files directly to you. You also have access to these folders through the Image Organizer in Site Builder. Once you receive your client’s favorite image choices, locate the high resolution copies on your computer. When you’re ready to place your album design order, send your client’s favorite images to Collages.net’s Album Designers, who will create the album spreads in the style of your choice. Remember, Collages.net’s Album Design now costs just $1 per image!

After the spreads are designed, Collages.net will post the spreads to a Collages.net Premium Website. Once we post the initial design, you and your client can communicate via PictureChat regarding the exact changes that you would like to see in the next revision of your album. Photographers are reporting incredible time savings and efficiency using this simple technique. Once you are completely satisfied with the design, you approve it, we then build it, and ship the album to you or directly to your client. Following your final approval, albums are shipped in two weeks or less. Ordering albums has never been easier or faster with Collages.net!

For more information or to get started with Collages.net Album Design, contact Collages.net Customer Service by e-mail customerservice@collages.net or collagesChat www.collages.net/chat.

This week’s websites of the week come Table4 Photography and The Shooting Gallery Photography.

Jason Huang of Table 4 Photography in Plano, TX shot Leah’s bridals at the Adolphus Hotel and Space off the Grid. Jason recalls, “Leah wanted something vintage, urban, and indoor for her bridal portraits, so we chose two separate locations. The Adolphus provided a vintage location, while Space off the Grid gave us a more urban look. Both locations complimented her appearance and her confidence perfectly, resulting in a more than perfect bridal session.”

Dionne Haglund of The Shooting Gallery Photography in Rochester Hills, MI shot Jennifer and Bob’s wedding in Detroit. Dionne remembers, “Jennifer and Bob’s wedding had a wonderful mix of both traditional and modern touches, which is reflected in their images. Fun loving and carefree, they were up for anything and when we stumbled upon a carnival in the heart of downtown Detroit, we couldn’t resist.”

To view the complete events, visit our websites of the week page.