I hate it when workshops are over!  There’s those moments of uncertainty; did people enjoy it? did they learn? did I have cheese stuck in my teeth?  But there’s also the great moments; the thank-yous, the new friends, the conversations.  Charla and I are totally blessed to have met such an open-minded group of fellow photographers from across the island…I hope we got the message across that it’s not about being THE best photographer, but about being the best YOU.

Figuring out who you are, what you want, what you have to offer, and how to attain your goals is such a huge part of being successful. So ask yourself: what does success mean to you? Is it money? Is it the number of clients you have? Is it being a household name? Is it the amount of free time you gain? Is it balance? Is it being able to pay the bills? Is it helping others? Is it working to live, not living to work?  I rarely measure success in monetary terms; yes I want to pay my bills, yes I want new equipment, yes I want a new car one day, yes I want a bigger house, yes I want to travel, but are those things truly important?

When you’re laying on your death bed will you say to yourself “boy I sure am glad I spent 12 hours a day on my computer obsessing about photoshop, lightroom, and other people’s blogs instead of living my own life and giving back to my community”?.  I didn’t think so.

I’m not the best at following an outline or agenda when it comes to public speaking, so whether or not I am an asset or liability in a workshop environment (I’ll have to ask Charla) remains to be seen, but I do know my heart is in the right place and I want to see everyone succeed.  I can see already that our returning attendees from exciteYOU have made huge strides…it’s only gets better from here folks!

I’d like to extend a huge, warm, squishy bear-hug to our fab fab fab models, Andrew and Kim, who stood for hours in a wet parking garage and dingy alley, all in the name of learning.  Plus, The Bridal Salon really came through for us at the last minute by providing Kim with a knock-out dress when the one she originally borrowed turned out to be too snug!  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Charla and I are both heading into an insane wedding season with no current plans for another workshop. We’re unsure of what the fall will bring, so if you are interested please watch our blogs and comment there, unfortunately I can’t get back to everyone who emails me privately (though I appreciate you all!).

And because every post is better with a few photos, here are some of mine from the shoot: