27 Feb 12 \\ No comments

WordSmith’s “the {hello} guide” Review

I am a HUGE fan of anything that Joyce Smith, the owner of WordSmith for Photographers, is a part of. All of her products are well thought out and well put together. The {Hello} Guide is no exception. To quote Joyce this is:

“Perfect for sending to new inquiries or to pre-qualified or already-booked clients, depending on your preference, the {hello} guide covers the following areas and more: personalized welcome from you, a “star testimonial” page, a refined-over-the-years FAQ for clients that also covers the sticky “how much?” question gracefully and convincingly, session details for both full and mini sessions (with minis easily removed for those who do not offer them), newborn information, full product line display areas and descriptions, and complete pricing information and collections for both full and mini session offerings. All 28 pages are customizable and designed to create one cohesive piece that beautifully asserts: “Yes, it isworth it!”

As a WordSmith product, all wording is of course yours to use and is ready to go with just a few tweaks to suit your studio’s brand. Included with the 28 pages–which may be transformed into PDF documents suitable for e-mail communication or printed as a soft or hard cover book–is an extras folder of design elements, frame styles, as well as a bonus postcard ready for printing. Not a fan of circle openings for your photos on the cover, for instance? Easily swap them out with the design extras.”

I personally use this as a PDF that I send out once a client has booked a session with me. I think it makes a stunning impression! Take a peek!

joyce smith

Be sure and also check out any of the other guides offered at WordSmith for Photographers. You won’t be disappointed!

XOXO

Jolie

26 Feb 12 \\ 1 comment

Breaking the Mold WS with Deb Schwedhelm and Leah Zawadzki

The ever popular BREAKING THE MOLD workshop is back and this time Deb has the incredible Leah Zawadzki of Lilyblue Actions and Presets joining her to host this out of this world workshop!

some topics that will be discussed:
inspiration
creativity
thinking outside the box
finding your style
creating great images
shooting with a lensbaby
editing simplified
building a strong portfolio

participants will receive the following:
an honest and intimate look at both deb and leah’s photography styles
three assignments followed by feedback
an inspirational e-book
lensbaby and lilyblue actions discount codes
and a a few special giveaways

1. This workshop is for forum members only. Therefore, you must be a member of the forum to take the workshop. To become a member, head HERE to sign up. Our mini workshop sell out quickly so do not wait until the day registration opens to become a member.
2. The workshop will run from Monday, March 12th – Monday, March 26th.
3. 40 active seats will be available at $200.00 per seat.
4. 40 silent/read-a-long seats will be available at $150.00 per seat.
5. The private mini-workshop information will be available for one month after the workshop ends.
6. All student will receive access to the After The Workshop Ends private forum to continue discussing the workshop with their peers.
7. Registration will take place inside the forum (in the Mini Workshop Information section) on Monday, February 27th at 9:00 a.m. CST on a first come first serve basis.

To read a little more about this workshop and to check out some more amazing photos from Deb and Leah, just head to the mini workshop page!

If you have any questions please feel free to send us an email at everythingbloom@gmail.com.
Thanks all!
Bren and Kristy

23 Feb 12 \\ 5 comments

moirai Compositor Review

Image from moiraiWe like to test out some products here at Bloom and give a review for our readers and this week, I honestly can’t say enough about the Moirai Compositor and I know the rest of our moderators feel the same way. If you offer storyboards or albums of any kind, this is a MUST HAVE tool for you. With just a click of a mouse you instantly get amazing and creative storyboards just like that, saving you valuable time!

Here’s a little info about the Compositor:

Moirai Compositor allows you to combine multiple images into a single perfectly composed layout – ideal for assembling storyboards, creating book or magazine page layouts, or creating photographic collages.

Unlike other composition tools which rely on Photoshop® Actions, this tool is a Photoshop® Script (requires Adobe® Photoshop® version CS3 or higher), making it much more powerful.

Once the script is installed and run, you simply tell it the images you want to include and the final size of the composition, and it automatically calculates the best layout based on the actual aspect ratios of the individual images you’ve chosen to include. You can view a variety of layouts before picking the best one and can even choose exactly how many columns or rows should be used to lay the images out.

It can work with any size and any aspect ratio for the final image, and the number of individual elements you can add to the composition is virtually unlimited.

Another awesome feature with the compositor is you can choose the margin and the width of the spacing between your images, if you want a border and what color you would like it to be and also your background color…you can even choose an image for your background. You have complete control over the creative process of your layout!

You can see some great tutorials on how the Compositor works here. Just scroll down to the bottom and click on the tutorial links as well as see some other examples on what the Compositor can do for you. This tool receives 10 out of 10 stars from us….we know you all will love it as much as we do.

20 Feb 12 \\ 1 comment

Face 2 Face 2012!

Just a quick update for everyone! We have only 5….make that 4 spots left for F2F 2012! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn and network with other amazing photographers! Below is a repost of the announcement!

It’s going to be informational. It’s going to be revealing. It’s going to be beyond fun. It’s going to be….

F2F 2012 will be quite a bit smaller (quaint, if you will) than F2F 2011. We will only be taking 12 students this time around. Don’t worry, we’ll still have a handful of our amazing moderators show up!

Important details…

When: May 19th & 20th
Where: The talented Catherine Clay’s studio in the DFW Texas area
Investment: $1200. This does not include travel or accommodations. It does include lunch on both days.
What will be covered: Ask yourself what will not be covered! We’ll work with several models, shooting in natural indoor light, outdoor light, as well as studio lights–and weather permitting, we’ll even go out at sunset to capture some sweet flare! We’ll go over editing tips, chat over meals and let you pick our brains all weekend!
Who: You! And us, Brenda Acuncius and Kristy Lane.

Click here to pay your down payment of $400.00: $400 non-refundable deposit

Take a peek at Catherine’s studio. She has impeccable taste, her studio is gorgeous!

Here’s what a few of our past attendees had to say about Face 2 Face and their gorgeous images:

I can’t believe that it’s been almost a year since I attended F2F! I had such an awesome time and got to meet so many amazing photographers that I can now call my friends. Brenda, Kristy and the moderators did such a great job at finding the most gorgeous models and styled them all beautifully. There were models of all ages, from a baby all the way to seniors as well as a beautiful family, and we were able to take our time to photograph all of them. Brenda showed us how she works her magic in a studio and shared all her secrets and Kristy helped us review our portfolio and shared her photoshop tricks! They are both so sweet and down to earth! This was an awesome experience that I’m happy I was able to be a part of.
Val

Almost exactly one year ago today, I hopped on a plane to join some of the most inspiring photographers I knew. I was nervous yet thrilled to meet the women I had been learning and growing with for the last two years. The new photography skills I learned that weekend were invaluable! One of my goals for the workshop was to become more confident using indoor light. I had the opportunity to work with many models using indoor light, yet sweet Ms. K was my favorite model of the weekend. Her bright blue eyes and gorgeous face totally drew me in and I couldn’t wait for my turn to work with her. The friendships made that weekend were priceless! On a daily basis, I am in touch with my friends from the workshop. They have continued to help me grow my business and my skills. I’m already counting down the days until the next one!
Jules

I had the pleasure of attending Bloom’s Face to Face Workshop last year after I struggled with whether or not I should make the trip from WA state. I have always been a “forum stalker” but never gutsy enough to participate. After spending a couple of days with Brenda and Kristy I was so excited about sharing my images and receiving some awesome and valuable feedback. Being a bart of the Bloom Group has opened the door for some pretty sweet projects and I really have the Face to Face workshop to thank for making the introductions and encouraging me to participate and share!
Mary

If you have any question, just shoot us an email at everythingbloom@gmail.com!
Thanks all!
Bren and Kristy