LA Party! fun fun fun!

Los Angeles BBQ and Headshot PUG!

This month's LA Pictage User Group marked the Second Annual BBQ/Headshot PUG. I pair photographers up to shoot headshots of each other, and everyone brings food to put on the grill. I try to pair photographers who don't know each other because the idea is to get a new headshot by another professional while getting to know someone new. its really fun, and this year's party was a big success!





THANK YOU to Laura from Beautiful Day Photography who took my headshot this year. I thought she made me look quite glamorous.

Michael & Anna - Raleigh, NC

This past Tuesday's PUG brought in Michael & Anna Costa! We had a great turn out due to a BIG email boost a couple of weeks before along with lots of reminders leading up to the meeting. Our group is growing and we had lots of new faces this week. This was also our first meeting at a member's studio. We have been meeting at a Sports Bar in a private room, a welcome change! I am hoping to meet at studio's more often, I think it lends to a more personal setting than the restaurant. We ordered pizza and drinks for dinner and just enjoyed chatting, people also seemed to enjoy seeing another studio.

I am looking into changing our meeting to another night because a lot of our members have church small groups on Tuesday and are not able to make it. Would anyone care to comment on what night they have found to reach or not reach higher attendance in their group? I am thinking Thursday nights would work well but I am totally open to suggestion!

So far it has been quite a challenge for me to grow the group. I live two hours from Raleigh, so I don't really know a lot of photographers in the area. I have just been focusing on growing relationships with people in the group and counting on them to help me invite, reach out, and tell me who I should call myself to invite... it seems to finally be working! I think we are off to a great start for building a really solid group here!







- Millie Holloman

Dallas/Ft. Worth PUG-August Test shoot

The DFW area PUG got together for a very laid back shoot for August. No models, no fuss! Although some of our members look like models! We agreed to bring equipment and ideas to test out on each other. We tested a variety of light sources from small bare strobes, using umbrellas, some genius electrical tape snooting, homemade ring flash (less than $1 go Jenna!), various flashlights, mirrors (for bouncing light), video light, and strip-like work light!


members in action:

Here we tested the idea of white balancing with our Fong Lightspheres (idea found on http://cutframetv.com/view_video.php?viewkey=68e1840a1324e839230d from Trevor Brucki)

auto:
fong white balanced:

Some off-camera strobe fun:

Some Home Depot work light strip fun:

July- Santa Barbara PUG

I have to appologize for not added anything to this in so long! Now that I'm almost 4 months pregnant, it's been hard enough staying awake to shoot weddings and have time to run my business :)

...LIFE COACHING PUG...

I asked my friends Sue and Tracy to come speak to our group. Sue and Tracy used to be clients of mine in my fitness Boot Camp a few months back. They are now certified life coaches, and I thought it would be great for the other photographers in our group to get assistance from them in creating more balance between work and everyday life.

It was great hands-on meeting and we all got to know each other a little better while sharing our hopes, dreams and even fears. I had such a great time with all of there fun exercises.

I've already gotten emails from the people that attended saying how this meeting really helped them find direction in their crazy lives...