CHIC magazine...Issue 6 is available~

We are so excited for our friends at Chic Critique for the launch of Issue 6 of their magazine, CHIC.

Kelli France and her team have created a wonderful magazine for "women who love photography"...which is us! And did you know if you sign up to be a member of the Chic Critique Forum, you will get the digital magazine free in your inbox! 

I love reading this issue and seeing all the great articles from some of my favorite photographers (and fellow Savvy Sisters) like Laura Winslow, Kara May, Stephanie Piscitelli, Leslie Kerrigan, Jamie Schultz and Angie Warren. Love this issue...love this magazine...and love the generous and sharing hearts in the industry! 

The Welcome Banner Collection from Jamie Schultz

To celebrate the launch of the Welcome Banner Collection,  Jamie Schultz Designs is offering the set at 50% off TODAY ONLY! (Reg. price $50) This playful template set will allow your clients to share their favorite images with friends and family in style. Includes templates for flat and folded luxe birth announcements, hardcover cd's, cd labels, and 5x5 folded luxe cd cases. Click here to purchase. 

 

 

Savvy Workshop 2012 Mpixpro

Finding a lab you love is one of the most challenging parts of running a photography business. They produce what you create and if that product isn't high quality, then you fail your client in delivering a superb product. When I found Millers and Mpixpro, I knew I had discovered a great find. They have continued to amaze me with their great customer service and top of the line offerings. And when two of my favorite photographers and 2012 Savvy workshop speakers, Jamie Schultz and Laura Winslow,  are Mpixpro experts, I knew I wanted them as workshop sponsors. They kindly agreed...and went above and beyond! Not only did they sponsor Jamie and Laura, they also gave a Savvy reader a full scholarship to the Savvy workshop and another lucky reader a partial scholarship to attend! Their donation gave these girls a chance to attend and if was a life changing workshop for them!

They sent lots of goodies for the attendees to see and also sent tons of giveaways for the attendees! I want to send a big thank you to Mpixpro for the kindness and generosity!! 

If you haven't found your lab yet, give them a try!!

 To learn more about attending the next Savvy Sisterhood workshop, visit the workshop blog. We would love to meet you there!!

Savvy Workshop 2012 images

Jamie Schultz showing the workshop attendees how she works her magic with a client. We loved watching Jamie shoot and teach us how she interacts with little ones and engages them. Our models were great to work with! 

 The attendees and speakers during the beach shoot in Alys Beach. 

Each of the attendees had the chance to have head shots done while at the workshop. The picture below is one of our attendees being photographed by me with the help of Leslie Kerrigan.

The styled senior shoots were so much fun! Leslie Kerrigan from Seniorologie did an amazing job choosing models, styling them from head to toe and having a makeup artist do their hair and face...and she chose the perfect outfits from the clothing company Altar'd State. Here's a peek at some of the images from one of our attendees, Beth Glisson. Next week we will show all of the images and give you the details of all the shoots...stay tuned!

Meet Savvy Workshop speaker~ Jamie Schultz

It is my pleasure to welcome back Jamie Schultz to Savvy blog.
I am so excited that Jamie will be joining us at the 2012 Savvy workshop in Alys Beach.
Anyone that has met Jamie knows what a delightful person she is to be around and we are blessed to have her join us.

Now let's talk with Jamie~

Will you share with us how you started a career in photography and graphic design?  
Photography is something I've dabbled in since I was in high school.  Despite an obvious draw to photography as a hobby I never considered it as a career choice.  Instead I focused on my dream of becoming a teacher.  While working as a high school history teacher I continued to develop my photography skills and eventually made the decision to leave my teaching position in order to pursue a career in photography.  Early on in my business I discovered that my clients often wanted personalized, unique custom birth announcements, holiday cards, books, etc...  As I started designing custom pieces for my clients I found fellow photographers asking to purchase files from me to use with their own clients which is how Jamie Schultz Designs was born.  

Did you attend any workshops or seminars that made a big difference in your business?
I've attended several seminars over the years, but I've only attended one workshop and it was one that changed the course of my portrait work along with my business model.  It was a workshop put on by the one and only Cheryl Jacobs who challenged me to be more authentic with my clients and to provide them with an experience like none other.  Attending her workshop was easily the most influential to my business.  

What do you think makes your business stand out from the other photographers in your area? 
This is a tough question for me to answer because I make it a point not to look too closely at what other photographers in my area are doing. I've found that when I do that it takes focus away from what is most important to me which is making an authentic connection with my clients and delivering products specifically suited for them.  When I start looking at what other photographers are doing I tend to get flustered and feeling pressure to try things that aren't necessarily natural for me, nor is it something my clients want from me.  

The one thing I will say that I'm hearing directly from my clients is how much they appreciate the fact that I'm a full-service studio.  It seems more and more photographers are simply burning a disc of images and leaving the responsibility of printing to the client.  In the past several months I've heard from several clients who have worked with photographers who sold them a digital package and they have yet to do anything with the images on the disc.  I think it's refreshing that portrait clients are realizing the value of printed products and appreciate that there are still photography studios out there who offer professional printing services.  

Who or what inspires you as a photographer?
The thing that inspires me the most as a photographer is authenticity.  There is nothing better to me than capturing honest emotions...whether it's a pout, concentration, a belly laugh, or a genuine smile.  It's taken a lot of practice over the years finding ways to genuinely connect with people in a relatively short amount of time but it's the one thing that inspires me at the start of each and every session.  

What are your favorite subjects to photograph?
High school seniors are always a lot of fun for me to photograph!  As I mentioned above, I used to be a high school teacher and so I find that I have an easy time connecting with seniors.  

What are you favorite products that you offer your clients?
My entire business is based on word of mouth referrals which often come from clients who send out birth announcements, holiday cards, and/or graduation announcements so obviously I love selling those!  Albums and coffee table books are also one of my favorite products because I love knowing that my clients will enjoy looking back at their session images over the years and someday the book will be passed on to future generations. 

Do you shoot with Canon or Nikon?
I'm a Canon girl!

Favorite thing in your camera bag?
My new FOTOstrap!!  After what felt like an endless search for a comfortable strap I FINALLY found one that I love.  

What's your Savvy indulgence?
BOOKS!  

How do you balance running a successful photography business, the absolute best design shop for photographers (Jamie Schultz Designs) , a wildly popular food blog (This Lunch Rox) and being a great mom to two young boys?
This is a great question...and one I'm asked often.  I have to tell you that I really believe that it's the combination of my three brands that keep me balanced.  There was a time when I was operating Jamie Schultz Photography and Jamie Schultz Designs and my life was a bit of a mess.  My schedule was chaotic and I found it nearly impossible to be in the moment with my family. The stress of keeping up with the demands of my business was taking a toll on me both physically and mentally.  Because of that I allowed myself and my family to fall victim to convenience foods (i.e. anything but healthy).   I reached a point where I knew something needed to change and I decided to start with the way we were eating.  I did a lot of reading about how food impacts our bodies and was inspired to make major changes.  It took a lot of hard work to transition to healthier eating habits, but soon I was feeling much more focused and energized.  All of which made operating my businesses a lot easier to do than when I was surviving on a diet consisting mostly of caffeine and sugar!   

In an effort to get my kids to try new foods I starting cutting food into small bite-sized shapes...which eventually carried over to creating fun lunches for my boys to take to school which is how This Lunch Rox started.  Having said that the site has really become much more than just cute lunches for me.  As a working mother of two young boys I find I have very little time to do something I love.  Some moms find creative outlets in projects like scrapbooking, quilting, beading, etc...  Planning and preparing creative lunches for my boys is something I'm passionate about and provides me with an escape from the pressures of work.  In the book, "The Happiness Poject", author Grethen Rubin writes "...happiness research predicts that making time for a passion and treating it as a real priority instead of an "extra" to be fit in at a free moment (which many people practically never have) will bring a tremendous happiness boost."  I couldn't agree more!  Working on these lunches brings me joy and allows me (a person who rarely makes time for herself) a chance to do something I love which in turn helps me stay focused and feel more balanced in my daily life.  

Will you share with us the proudest moment of your career?
I'll never forget the moment when I delivered a coffee table book to a family whose son had just passed away from cancer.  The boy's father met me at the door and when he saw the book he immediately broke down crying and told me that never in his life could he ever receive a more meaningful gift.  That was easily the proudest moment in my career knowing that I was able to capture this boy and his family and the images are ones they will treasure for a lifetime.  

Again, thank you for joining us at the Savvy 2012 workshop...can you give us a summary of what you will be speaking about and teaching the girls?
I'm so excited to join all of you for the Savvy Workshop where I'll be sharing information on how I transformed my business model and achieved a level of success I never dreamed possible.  During the presentation I will discuss the importance of understanding expectations and the role this plays in creating a lasting experience for clients.  Specifically, I will detail strategies for gathering crucial client information that will help you create products to ultimately increase your profitability. 
  

(a sample of the beautiful designs you can find at Jamie Schultz Designs)

You can visit Jamie at Jamie Schultz Photography, Jamie Schultz Designs and This Lunch Rox.

Start planning your 2012 Holiday Card offerings now~

The 2012 Holiday Card Collection by Jamie Schultz Designs ensures your clients can send out their holiday greetings in a style perfectly suited for them.   This year each card collection includes a FREE set of coordinating address labels.  As always a bulk discount is available so the more you buy the more you save!!  To see the entire collection, visit Jamie Schultz Designs. 

We love that all come with matching address labels...for free!

savvy trend alert

Our dear friend, Jamie Schultz from Jamie Schultz Designs, sent over a fun trend alert for the Savvy blog. We love her designs! Thanks Jamie!

Interview with Jamie Schultz

check out the new blog for our meet {and greet} with Jamie Schultz.

http://thesavvyphotographerblog.com

Friday finds~

These make such a fun gift for those photographers with seniors for clients! Such a great idea from our wonderful friends at MpixPro and the talented Jamie Schultz. We just love her~ did you know she has a new design blog? Visit her site here.