Images by Dana and MyLife Photography.

Dana Rampolla of Images by Dana in Reistertown, MD spoke to us about one of her recent newborn sessions. She said, “Harper Leigh, named after her mom’s favorite classic To Kill a Mockingbird, was a true gem of a baby to photograph. Of course in portrait photographer terms, ‘gem’ means that she was a great sleeper! We were able to capture a lot of different images, even incorporating Dad’s Duke blanket. I look forward to photographing her again in her first year as part of her Baby Plan!”

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Catherine Ritchie Park of MyLife Photography in Atlanta, GA told us about a recent wedding she photographed. She said, “Betsy and Elliot’s wedding was an Orthodox Jewish Ceremony at Kimball Hall in Roswell, GA. The two of them have been together for 7 years and this day showed they were like new lovers. It was so sweet! The colors and décor were especially beautiful when combined with the perfect historic home.”

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Horn Photography and Design and Kate Madell Photography.

Brandon Horn of Horn Photography and Design in Dunedin, FL spoke to us about a recent engagement session he photographed. He said, “Ashley and Carlos are to be married in September of this year. For their engagement session we decided to head up to the Strawberry Festival in Plant city. The day was perfect and they were joined by their beautiful little girl! Ashley and Carlos were like kids again, having fun and exchanging romantic glances and kisses all day. Before we arrived, Ashley said to me, “I always see movies and photos of people winning huge stuffed animals at the fair, but we never win.” Well that did not hold true this time. They decided to start off with a water gun game and lo and behold, Carlos won! Ashley finally got her big stuffed animal. It was a great start to a wonderful session!”

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Kate Madell of Kate Madell Photography in Abington, PA told us about one of the weddings she photographed. She said, “Courtney and Allan had a gorgeous wedding at the North Woods Inn & Resort on Forth Lake in Old Forge, New York. The ceremony was beautiful and Courtney was absolutely stunning! Courtney is a close friend which made shooting their wedding extraordinary. I am so thankful to have been part of their special day!”

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Charles Le Photography and Jack Hecker Photography.

Charles Le of Charles Le Photography in Clovis, CA spoke to us about one of the recent engagement session he photographed. He said, “Nancy and Michael wanted to include their Shih Tzu, Rocky, in their engagement photos and I was happy to oblige. We drove over to Los Gatos and spent a couple of hours walking around and taking pictures. It was cute to see how much Nancy and Michael looked after Rocky. Rocky is their “baby” so I made sure to give him a prominent place in some of the pictures. They each had a few outfit changes and Nancy looked beautiful in her traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai. I had her do a couple of cute model spins to really bring out the personality and flow of the dress. We had quite an enjoyable time and I can’t wait to photograph their wedding in May!”

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Jack Hecker of Jack Hecker Photography in Petaluma, CA told us about a recent wedding he photographed. He said, “Kristin and Christopher were married on February 25th at Saint Vincent’s Church in Marinwood, CA. We had the good fortune of time and a great couple to take advantage of the wonderful early spring colors and beautiful sunset in the California hills. Kristin and Christopher were fantastic to work and we had a wonderful time capturing their special day!”

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Kellie Coughlin Photographer and The Shooting Gallery Photography.

Kellie Coughlin of Kellie Coughlin Photographer in Denver, CO spoke to us about a recent engagement session she shot. She said, “Mike and Mallory will be getting married this summer at the beautiful Stanley Hotel. On the day of their engagement shoot we met at my studio in the old industrial district of Denver and started in my backyard. Then we ventured out to a couple of old warehouses and had fun shooting with their dressy attire against the grungy background. These two are so in love. They finish each other’s sentences and laugh with each other. It’s so lovely to see a perfect match like M and M!”

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Dionne Haglund of The Shooting Gallery Photography in Rochester Hills, MI told us about a recent wedding she photographed. She said, “Resra and Scott had a beautiful two day ceremony including many Thai traditions. The Hyatt Regency was the perfect venue for this fun couple and the Tampa Bay Club made for an amazing reception overlooking Tampa Bay. It was a joy to be part of this wedding and capture all of the memories for Resra and Scott!”

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Moxie Studio and J.Nelson Photography.

Lisa Derfler of Moxie Studio in Las Vegas, NV told us about a recent engagement session she photographed. She said, “Nicole and Neal chose a dry lake bed in Nelson, NV for the setting of their engagement session. They wanted to convey to everyone that no matter how arid the conditions are and no matter how desolate times may be, they will still be together. We chose a setting that incorporates these elements as well as what they love: nature, the outdoors, and being together. Stylistically they wanted to go for a sweet, vintage, kissed by the sun feeling, which I think we accomplished. Everyone was relaxed and had a blast during the shoot, especially Nicole and Neil’s dog, Sumo!”

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Jenny Nelson of J.Nelson Photography in Boulder, CO spoke to us about a recent wedding she photographed. She said, “Katharine and Luke traveled from their home in California to get married on St. Simons Island, Georgia, where Katharine and her family have a summer home. The event was simply chic with a classically Southern feel. It was a joy to witness such a wonderful couple enjoy their special day with family and friends.”

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TANA Photography and Magic Moments.

Tana Urizar of TANA Photography in Meridian, ID told us about one her recent engagement sessions. She said, “Karissa and Krieg are an extremely busy couple! While they’re planning their summer wedding, Karissa is finishing college while Krieg is coaching lacrosse. We wanted a nice combination of rural and urban to reflect both of their personalities so we shot this session near the Boise River, as well as downtown. I also wanted to mix up locations and styles so they’d have a variety of images to use at their wedding. The day went really smooth. Karissa and Krieg were so easy-going, happy, and excited!”

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David Kouyoumjian of Magic Moments in Fairview, NJ spoke to us about one of the weddings he recently photographed. He said, “Our philosophy at Magic Moments is that we rely on strong communication from our clients and expedite a true artistic impression of the entire event. We take a calm and collective approach which allows the subjects to be relaxed and express romance and love. After all, isn’t that what it’s all about? Kele and Marcelo were a great couple and we captured some great images on their special day.”

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Kristen Weaver Photography and The Mill Photography Studio.

Kristen Weaver of Kristen Weaver Photography in Oviedo, FL spoke to us about a recent portrait session she shot. She said, “I occasionally host one-on-one photographer workshops, and had the honor of hosting a photographer from South Carolina one day in January. As part of the day, we did a session of a real couple and chose Dayari and Joel! Dayari actually asked me to shoot her wedding, but I was already booked. Luckily, her sister hired me for her own wedding a month later. Since we missed the opportunity to work together for Dayari’s wedding, we knew it would be a great experience to shoot together for the workshop!”

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Tyler Schmitt of The Mill Photography Studio in Austin, TX told us about one of his recent weddings. He said, “The University of Texas has been a huge part of Keri and Greg’s story so having the wedding and reception at the beautiful UT golf club was a natural fit! Greg was one of the handlers for UT’s Longhorn mascot, Bevo, at football games and on road trips so it only made sense for the longhorn to be a guest. Keri is a morning news anchor for the Austin FOX affiliate and it was fun to see so many faces from TV at the reception! Though the wedding day was cold and rainy, everyone still had a great time.”

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Jennifer Langdon Photography and Art & Soul Photography, Inc.

Jennifer Langdon of Jennifer Langdon Photography in Middletown, CT spoke to us about one of her recent portrait sessions. She said, “This family session was taken at my client’s home. Their mother wanted photos of them in their playroom with the idea that she would have some canvas prints made to hang in there. We dressed them like “The Princess & The Frog”, since she’s always had a love of frogs. I let the kids play and focused on capturing their unique personalities.”

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Lana Eklund of Art & Soul Photography, Inc. in Columbia, MO told us about a recent wedding reception she photographed. She said, “Matt and Janell were married in Hawaii but loved the idea of having a reception at The Berg in Kansas City when they returned. They are truly an amazing couple with a beautiful love story. We had a blast in downtown Kansas City for their pre-reception portraits and then hosted a lovely reception for their guests!”

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What was your motivation behind applying for Collages.net’s Images for a Cure Workshop sponsorship? Why were you so passionate to attend?

 
I’ve been a photographer for over two decades, but this industry keeps changing. I’ve found myself wanting to explore new avenues to keep my photography fresh and “alert”. When I found out about this particular workshop I was even more interested. Personally, my family has been inundated with cancer fears; both realized and unrealized. Breast cancer runs on both sides of our family and the knowledge that it could one day touch my two daughter’s lives makes it all the more scary. It is an honor to be able to utilize this workshop in a way that strengthens my kids financial future by making me a better photographer and contributing to breast cancer awareness and research.
 

 

What did you learn at the IFAC workshop that you will bring back and incorporate into your own photography business?

 
Probably the most impactful information I took away from the workshop was delivered by Becka and Nate, Orlando based wedding photographers, on how to market to the“millennial” genre. Even though I was a little depressed to learn I was too old to be a part of this cool, hip generation (you have to be born between 1979-2000), I did learn what makes this group tick and how my brand can work to appeal to their community. Becka and Nate shared incredible statistics like “45% of millennials would rather give up their sense of smell than their laptop or computer”. I had to stop and think about that for a minute or two, which again gives away the fact that I am NOT of that generation. So how can we appeal to this computer savvy, social media addicted generation? “Gimmicks fall flat. Integrity wins,” Becka said. Definitely something I’ll be pondering deeply in the days ahead.
 

Who was your favorite speaker? Why? What did he/she present on?

 
Although all of the speakers brought something definitive and important to the table, by far my favorite speaker was Joey Wright, an Orlando based photographer specializing in the fashion and commercial industry. Joey spoke about gear in a way I have never heard another professional speak before; with the authority of someone who’s learned the hard way. His desire to share his lessons with the rest of us to spare us the same agony and anxiety clearly made him my favorite. I am a visual person by nature and the mental pictures Joey shared (of forgetting his camera bag in a hotel or not using a sandbag on his light stand) along with his gear solutions to make our shoots easier were invaluable!
 

{Joey Wright explaining gear choices and options and showing how he personally uses his}

What was your absolute FAVORITE part about Images for a Cure?

 
After two days of non-stop learning, I would have to say my favorite part of the workshop was the networking with other photographers. In addition to many local Central Florida photographers, I was happy to meet and get to know photographers from New Jersey, Georgia, and Colorado. Many of these photographers have recently had breast cancer take a toll on their personal and family life. One photographer’s mother had just been diagnosed. Another photographer had just lost his mother to breast cancer. There were new photographers there, just getting started in their career as well as veteran photographers who freely shared their experiences during the break sessions. Regardless of where each person was in their career, the consensus was the same: it’s time to give something back.
 

Would you recommend the IFAC Workshop to your photographer colleagues? Please explain.

 
If you ever get the chance to attend an IFAC workshop, I HIGHLY recommend it! In my opinion, there’s always something to be learned no matter how “old” you are physically or figuratively. This industry has changed tremendously since I started 23 years ago. Back then there were no workshops because photographers were hesitant to share. Today we’re learning a valuable lesson in this industry – there’s strength in numbers. Thank you, Collages.net, for the opportunity to attend the Images for a Cure Workshop!

All photos (c) Darla Sharp Photography.

Meurer Image Photography and More Than an Image Photography.

Andrew Meurer of Meurer Image Photography in Carlsbad, CA spoke to us about one of his engagement sessions. He said, “Koree and Stephan are getting married this July and wanted to catch a few sunset photos that they could use for their wedding invitation. The couple are both in school and were hoping to capture a few special photos while home for winter break. We went to Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, CA and were treated with a glorious January sunset. Based on their rave reviews, I think we succeeded!”

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Lacy Dagareth of More Than an Image Photography in Houston, TX spoke to us about an exciting international wedding she photographed. She said, “Matt and Katherine are an incredible couple who were married in the same church that Katherine’s parents and grandparents were married – in Bath, England! The little church was actually across from her Grandmother’s house! The weather was oddly perfect. We spent the week in Bath shopping, going to brunch, dancing, and shared many laughs. The rehearsal dinner was in an old wine shop where they had walls of wine bottles and the hors d’oeuvres were served on wine barrels. After the ceremony, the couple set aside several hours for photos. We stopped at a few locations with absolutely perfect scenery. I even had them jump over a fence to get near the rolling hills and a cute little dog ran to join their session! We then went to the Royal Crescent and took beautiful sunset pictures. Matt and Katherine’s reception was held at the historic Bath Priory Hotel. The next day we went to Paris for their day after session and ended the amazing week with crepes at the Eiffel Tower. It was an incredible week and I gained some lifelong friends!

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