So come April we will be heading to Atlanta, Georgia……together with a number of photographer’s looking to learn off-camera lighting from one of the best in the business…..Neil van Niekerk.  Neil is the author of a Book on Off-Camera Flash as well as an experienced Workshop Teacher (be sure to check out the workshop video on this site!), and well-known photographer/blogger/mentor to many.  It’s a real honor for us to have him teach with us for THREE days!   (Making sure that you totally “get it” before you go home!).   Off-camera lighting can bring a whole new look to your photographic work, whether you use it a LOT or just a little, on those days when it is dull/flat or you have to shoot in a dark location….it’s a great tool to have in your bag of knowledge and expertise.

As if learning from Neil wasn’t enough, Amanda Andrews is also joining us to teach on newborn photography….posing/lighting with natural light/marketing and working with smaller children/parents etc.  Amanda is an experienced photographer (see a range of her favourites here)  who is highly sort after and has been featured on Framed, as well as being published several times.   She is not only a great photographer, but an amazing warm personality who is open and genuine.   On top of that she is a Mom to 5 children…meaning she can share the ins and outs of running a business while meeting the needs of being a wife & mom.

So what is all this wonderful going to cost?  and what’s included?    Well the cost is unbelievable!  and included is……..well pretty much everything!!!    Training, Food, Accommodation and even Models for you to shoot/pose/light…..the laughter, fun, excitement and chance to be with like-minded individuals for a whole weekend is FREE!!!      Ready to find out more and Book?   Click on the ATLANTA 2012 tab above,  and come join us!  We’d love to meet you!!!

Need to contact us?   Info@BeyondJustImages.com

Smiles, Mands

counting from the top that makes it Carl Simpson from Line of Sight Photography  Congratulations Carl!  Please send me an Email with your email address so we can get which action set you’d like delivered!   thank you all who came and left comments!  Stay tuned for more great contests coming up next week on the beyond forum!  We’re going to be running a week long of contests with lots of prizes, the grand finale prize is worth over $700!!  We’re going to have one for new forum memebers as well as current so if you’re thinking about joining, now is the time!   

We will also have another set of Red Leaf actions to give away to forum members only…  or if you just can’t wait, go grab them at the boutique now!

cheers!
patti

I used the amazing  random number generator… I thought about the numbers in the hat, but this worked better!!

Congratulations to Carl!!

It is important to note that as Word-Press is always updating their version, you need to check with each plugin to see if it’s compatible with the version you are currently using.  IF you want to insall them on your blog just click on the plugins tab on the control panel.  Then you will see a search box and you can search out the plugin and then click install. Word-Press makes this so easy for users  who are using Word-Press 3.0 and higher

Ten Plugins you May not Know about!

1. WpTap – this plugin will allow you to redirect visitors to a more mobile friendly website or version of your blog.  This is particularly important for those who have a flash header, as visitors from phones will not see past the broken flash link for the header!

2. Akismet the best spam blocker there is.  You just install the plugin, input your API key (you can get this from Wordpress.org) and tehn never worry about spam again!

3. All in One SEO – This is a great plugin to add so that your able to add even more SEO and optimize the power of your blog even more.

4. Word Press Stats — I have only recently learned about this plugin. Many users say it’s much easier to use for stats to your blog then Google Analytics, and anything that makes life easier is something I love!  This plugin will require you to have an API key, which you should already have as hopefully you have installed Akismet the best spam blocker there is.  The Akismet plugin is also on our list of top plugins!

5. Google XML Sitemaps This is a great plugin for helping Google to track all the pages and features on your site. The plugin will automatically create site maps of your blog!

6. Contact Form 7 — This is a plugin that allows you to create contact forms on your blog. The plugin is very flexible and easy to install and use.  The fact that you can customize your contact for to suit your needs is what makes this plugin a must for my blogs.

7. NextGEN Gallery — This plugin allows you to add galleries right to your blog, which is a must for any photographer who wants to have a fully integrated blog-site experience for their users.

8. SEO Friendly Images – This plugin will update all images with the correct alt and title tags, which are very important for SEO.  To make the most of this and your images themselves, rename them to descriptive titles, like Family Photographs at XYJ Park.

ImageRights has a new recovery service, it  allows you to actually recover damages from those who use images without the correct permission.

ImageRights recovery service works with photographers, allowing them to recover settlement fees from websites that have published images without a license.  They have both a free service (you can get up ot 50% of any revenue they claim with the free service) and then a paid service (this has a recovery payment of up to 65%). ImageRights will also search the web monitoring for use of your images each month, and let you know when they find copies of them online.

They also will aide you in recovering future infringement violators by  registering your images with the US Copyright Office.  They do this for you, for a fee, but if you are too busy to do it for your self.  it’s a great service.  According to their website,  registration is the key to effectively recover settlements from violators. To find out more about their services and at  their website: www.imagerights.com.

Seriously…the videos of George shooting in the sun, and using flash off camera, were totally worth it to me!  …and then his actual live sales sessions, tips for increasing your profits, videos on HOW to upsell, etc have just been invaluable to my business.   There is also PLENTY of FREE information/videos on there too!!!!   Told you he was a great guy!!!

Like most photographer’s, I’m a visual person, so the videos have especially been a god-send for me.  I often feel like saying to people “don’t tell me, show me” and George does exactly that!   He GETS IT!!!   I’d rather watch an hour of video footage, even showing me how not to do things, and what it looks like when it is right…than read a manual for the same amount of time.   I also love that at the end of the shooting videos, George shows you the what the finished image looks like.  Brillant!

So if you’re looking to improve your shooting, increase your sales,  market more effectively, sell with a passion…….then check out My Photography Business …and really, who DOESN’T want to do at least one of the above!!!

..and posts are always better with pics!  Right???  Both Images by the fabulous Kyla Hornberger of Kyla Beth Studios a fantastically talented Beyond member

I am going to be doing some exciting things coming up. I have a review of the New Abie Straps, just love love mine and want to share why.  Some cool new tips and tricks for having your business run smoothly and of course somethings that are just plain fun!

So look for the first post on Monday morning!

Shannon

I know there are a lot of bags out there for Pro Photogs and hobbyists alike, but a lot of them are black….or black…or black (oh and let’s not forget camoflague!)…as a woman I actually want something that is :

• Fashionable
• Practical
• Well Made
• Has some “wow” factor and still makes me look business like!
• Padded!!!   My L lenses love a good secure home!
• Girly
• Variety of styles and colors to choose from
• Carries everything I need and does so comfortably

Kelly Moore’s bags are just the answer to this!   Not only are they stylish and cute, but they tick all the boxes on my list….I also love that she is bringing out new and different one’s on a regular basis…..and guys…she has some for you too!!

On a wedding day, a lot of thought goes into the details, finish, color and style….so turning up with a fun, stylish, colorful photography bag, that looks like a handbag, definitely says “I know how to capture your day and your details….because I love those things too”.

Go check them out! You might find just the color/style that you have always been looking for, but if you are looking for a different color, just drop Kelly a line!  I love that she is always open to ideas, feedback and comments from her customers….as many Beyond members can attest too.

While you’re over at “her place”, be sure to check out Kelly’s amazing work!   Just wow!

Christmas Eve today…so off to do the crazy Grocery thing!  Aarghhhhhh, I so wish I had gone at midnight last night!   Now I have to face the hoarding crowd, I’m hanging out for  a StarBucks Frappacino, I mean seriously….that would involved me driving to a Mall on the other side of the city….on Christmas Eve!  …and yet I’m still contemplating going!  What is about Starbucks that has us so in love?  and don’t say branding…I’m not going for the logo!  They really do have a great product, unique out here, worth driving for…and there in lies a lesson for all of us in 2010.   Do great work, do it well, and offer such a unique product/service that people will drive crazy distances on manic days to get it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!