September PUG Meeting–9/29/10

Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Time: 7-9:30pm

Location: JFK Studios, 1133 Lake Washington Blvd N, Suite 60, Renton, WA

RSVP: On our Facebook page

TOPIC: TBA

Questions? Contact your PUG leaders, The Popes, at info (at) thepopes.com.

August PUG Meeting: Social Media Boot Camp!

Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Time: 7-9:30pm

Location: JFK Studios, 1133 Lake Washington Blvd N, Suite 60, Renton, WA

RSVP: On our Facebook page

TOPIC: “Get Engaged” Making Social Media Your Business Partner.

This month’s PUG meeting is going to be unique, with plenty of surprises planned. Our meeting will be live streamed over the web and promises to be highly interactive with cutting edge discussion and to-dos for everyone! Learn how to build better relationships, improve your brand and move your business to the next level.

In order to make this program an interactive experience Lacey and Aaron would like to hear from you. YOU could be the lucky winner of a Flip Cam. Do you have a burning question about social media that needs to be answered? Simply ask your question before the August 19th meeting by posting a comment or sharing your question by video on their blog. The winner will be selected at random from the questions and videos submitted. And, you must attend the PUG meeting to be eligible to win.

You will learn the latest best practices for social networking, how to stay on the cutting edge of digital connections and most importantly build important relationships. You will receive up-to-date resources and knowledge that will have an immediate impact on your business marketing strategies. Knowing what matters most for your business can be a strong marketing and strategic advantage in today’s business environment. Join us for what will surely be a PUG meeting you won’t want to miss!

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Lacey Yantis is often found behind the camera capturing special wedding day moments. Aaron is the Vice President at Seattle’s leading independent public relations firm, The Fearey Group. He is a recognized strategist in media relations and social media programs. This month, the husband and wife team are bringing their combined knowledge of the wedding profession and photography and blending it with the importance of social media marketing. Their claim: Social media is simply a return to old-fashioned roots of real conversations rather than the high-tech race to keep up with the next big thing. You must “Listen, Learn, Engage and then Talk!”

Questions? Contact your PUG leaders, The Popes, at info (at) thepopes.com.

July PUG Meeting with Guest Speakers, The McLellans!

Date: Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Time: 7-9:30pm

Location: JFK Studios, 1133 Lake Washington Blvd N, Suite 60, Renton, WA

RSVP: On our Facebook page

TOPIC: Shooting with Purpose, Shooting with Style: Pushing the envelope and delivering amazing results, no matter what!

Sean and Mel decided several years back that there would be no excuses. No excuses for not being able to succeed, for not being able to get the clients they wanted, and for not being able to deliver above and beyond in every situation.

Together, they’ve developed a shooting style that has proven successful in beating all odds and an overall approach to their business that has taken them to the top of their market! Sean and Mel will share with you the techniques they have implemented in their studio, McLellan Style that have resulted in their success. They’ll share examples of amazing images captured in the most unlikely conditions, show you how they are able to capture a wide variety of imagery in a short period of time, and even cover a bit of their post-processing methods. Join us for what will surely be a PUG meeting you won’t want to miss!

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Sean and Melanie McLellan are the internationally acclaimed husband and wife photography team behind McLellan Style. As artists, they are highly sought after throughout the world for their vivid and emotionally impactful imagery. They pride themselves on their ability to capture the beauty of a person’s essence and the style within.

With multiple accolades to their credit, including DWF/FINAO Photographer of the Year and multiple first place print awards from Wedding and Portrait Photographers International, they continue every day to strive toward greater heights for their clients.

You can view the McLellan’s work at http://www.mclellanstyle.com/

Questions? Contact your PUG leaders, The Popes, at info (at) thepopes.com.

June PUG–PhotoWalk

We thought it would be fun to do a PhotoWalk for this month’s PUG! We usually meet on the third Wednesday of the month, but we goofed and thought that meant NEXT week. Since very few people can actually meet this week, we’re going to stick with next Wednesday, June 23rd, for this month’s PUG meeting.

One of our friend’s, Will Jacks (founder of the ReBirth workshops) is hosting a few galleries at Pictage’s PartnerCon in NOLA this year, and the main gallery will be centered around the theme “COLOR.” Anyone can submit images through the end of June. While not everyone’s photos will be selected for hanging, it’s still great to get and out and create and share personal work. And if you email us your favorite watermarked photo, we’ll find a way to share it with others!

We’ll be meeting at the Zoka Coffee in downtown Kirkland at 6:30pm. We hope you can joins us!

~Airika & Gerald

May Seattle-Tacoma PUG Meeting

Date: May 19th, 7pm

Location: JFK Studios: 1133 Lake Washington Blvd N, Suite 60, Renton, WA (Note about parking: there is some free parking, but the rest of the parking is paid. Carpooling is encouraged.)

Bring:  A snack or drink to share. Be creative with what you bring! 😉

Topic: Insourcing: When outsourcing is not the perfect answer. Take control of your art, business, and life.  Outsourcing can look like the ideal, but it may not have all the answers or work for everyone. Through insourcing, one can maintain complete artistic control and free up more time allowing you to concentrate on the important aspects of your business and your life. Peter & Whitney Carlson will describe how insourcing will work for both new and established studios.  They will explain how hiring a staff can increase revenue in a down economy. They will also share why employees can save you money while increasing your workflow.

Guest Speakers: Peter and Whitney Carlson are a husband and wife team based out of Nashville, Tennessee. They have steadily grown their business, Dove Wedding Photography, into one of Nashville’s most established and loved wedding photography studios.  In 2009 they were voted as one of Nashville’s top three wedding photographers. They are very active as leaders in numerous business and community groups including the Nashville PUG. Peter and Whitney see their passion for wedding photography and their outgoing, yet laid back, personalities as being their top selling points. They focus on making every couple see themselves as a work of art.

Questions? Contact your leaders, The Popes, at info (at) thepopes.com

April PUG Meeting

Date: April 21st, 7pm

Location: JFK Studios: 1133 Lake Washington Blvd N, Suite 60, Renton, WA (Note about parking: there is some free parking in the gravel lot across the street, but the rest of the parking is paid. Carpooling is encouraged.)

Bring:  A snack or drink to share. Be creative with what you bring–there may be a prize. 😉

Topic: Creative Discussion. Join us for an open conversation about creativity! Please come prepared to share from your experiences and learn from your peers. Some food for thought: From where do you glean inspiration? If you draw inspiration from other photographers, is there a line between inspiration and infringement? What do you do to keep your imagery fresh? How do you market yourself? What is the balance between commerce and art?

Questions? Contact Airika or Gerald Pope at info (at) thepopes.com

New meeting location & meeting time!

We are so excited to finally have a permanent meeting place & consistent meeting time!

Starting in April, the Seattle-Tacoma PUG will be meeting at 7pm on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at JFK Weddings’ Studio! We are so grateful to John & Jenna for their  hospitality and we look forward seeing our community continue to grow and flourish in that space.

Studio Address: 1133 Lake Washington Blvd N, Suite 60, Renton WA 98056

Directions:

From I-405 Southbound
Take exit 5 – Off the freeway take a right onto NE Park Drive – Stay on the far right as the road turns into Lake Washington Blvd N – Make a left at the stop sign and another left just before Gene Coulon Park.

From I-405 Northbound
Take exit 5 – Off the freeway take a left at the light onto NE Park Drive – Stay on the far right as the road turns into Lake Washington Blvd N – Make a left at the stop sign and another left just before Gene Coulon Park.

Studio Phone: 425.277.9714

Parking: There is ample paid parking ($5/space) for everyone. There is also some free 2 hour parking and there are a few spaces that are dedicated to the studio. Even if you have to pay to park, the PUG meetings are a screaming deal (FREE), so hopefully you won’t mind too much. 😉

Watch for details on our next meeting soon!

Airika & Gerald

March PUG Meeting with Jared Bauman

Meeting time: Wednesday, March 24th @7pm

Location:  22203 68th Pl W. Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043

Bring: Appetizer or Dessert to share

Speaker: Jared Bauman of Bauman Photographers

Topic Info: Some of you may remember Jared’s last talk at our PUG, and if you do, you know what an incredible speaker and businessman he is! He will be returning to our PUG this month to speak on the topic “So do you own your business…Or does your business own you?” Whether or not you’ve heard Jared before, this is a PUG meeting you don’t want to miss.

Workshop Info: The day after the PUG meeting (March 25th), Jared will be offering a full day workshop and he’s giving a discount to PUG members! For only $300 ($200 after the PUG discount) you’ll gain information that’s vital to the growth of your business and receive a pretty sweet package of discounts & giveaways! You can check out all the details here: www.prevailinbusiness.com & when you sign up, be sure to enter the discount code “PUG” to receive your $100 discount. Gerald and I hope to see you there! 🙂

February PUG Meeting

Meeting time: Monday, February 22nd, 7pm

NEW Location: 1411    113th Street South, Tacoma, Wa. 98444

Bring: Appetizer or Dessert to share

Guest Topic & Speaker: “Legal Considerations for Photography Businesses,” Paige Buurstra, Burstraa Law Firm

About Paige: Paige is a native Washintonian and has been married for 5 years and have one daughter. In 2001, she graduated summa cum laude from Wheaton College, and in 2008, she graduated magna cum laude from Seattle University School of Law. She started her private practice in the fall of 2008 after being admitted to the Washington State Bar. Her practice focuses on serving small, artistic businesses which generally includes business formation, contracts, and commercial leases.  Her practice also includes wills and estate planning. In serving clients, her goal is to help them set-up the protections they need to avoid liability exposure and litigation in the future.

January PUG meeting with Mike Larson

Join us for this month’s PUG on Monday, January 18th with Mike Larson!

Time: 6:30pm – 10:00pm

Location: 1017 N 27th Place, Renton WA 98056 (night shoot portion will be at a location nearby)

Bring: A snack or drink to share

RSVP: The night shoot portion of this evening may begin at a location other than the one listed above, so please be sure to RSVP here so that you receive all of the pertinent details.

Questions? Contact your PUG leaders, Airika & Gerald Pope, or visit the Tacoma PUG Facebook Page

Details: Live Night shoot Demo & Innovative talk: Excelling in client relationships, Trust, 100% referral biz, UN-commoditizing yourself, Mastering your art, Excellent times. We’ll do a LIVE Night (flash) shoot of a couple going over practical examples of how to relate to clients and get amazing images during a casual portrait shoot OR a wedding. Mike will share how he relates to clients to build trust, and confidence with your clients and yourself to separate YOU from other photographers. Its important to know where you stand in comparison from the rest of the industry Are you a commodity or a highly desired artist? How to become that unique artist you want to be. Then a final inspirational slideshow & stories with open Q&A

Mike will be meeting before hand in each city for breakfast or lunch to share his heart of where the industry is now, what trends are developing, what the future holds for successful photographers growing a business in todays economy. You are invited to come, hang out and participate in this dialogue and open conversation, as an intro the the Pictage sponsored evening!

Mike’s Bio: Developing his style from an editorial/catalogue photographer, and shooting surfing & lifestyle, Mike had the opportunity to work with multi million dollar ad campaigns which gave him a perspective on quality, mastering his craft, and real world marketing. Big clients such as Roxy, Bodyglove and Swell.com like these, don’t accept anything less than perfect. Shooting slides for immediate editorial demanded shooting right the 1st time. Traveling the Globe and getting things done required excellent management, and closing leads and maintaining excited clients became his number one job. in 2004 Mike jumped back into weddings with both feet and within 2 years had shot 80 weddings. His mindset to fast track and develop a big client base in 2 years paid off.

Now in the last 2 years Mike’s business has grown and so has his outlook on business & life. He has a team of 6 photographers who photograph 80+ weddings per year. Their volume has given them the freedom to grow and pursue exciting opportunities. His business has allowed him to travel the world. Using his business growth and buzz he built a brand new studio on the coast of California.

He maintains an amazingly blessed marriage with his sweet wife Rachel. Striving to always be learning, reading, sharing & encouraging others. He believes that one’s business should be a vehicle for a more abundant life. Have your business support your ideal lifestyle. Recently he has photographed weddings in Singapore, Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Hawaii & the West Indies as well as having a recent wedding published in InStyle Weddings and another upcoming feature on Style me Pretty.

“Business success & profits should be just scalable as your freedom in life”

For more info on Mike, visit www.mikelarson.com and make sure to follow him at twitter.com/mikelarsoninc.