Who Wants Free Tickets?
Who wants to go to WPPI’s On The Road show for FREE?!?!?! Use promo code SPSZG and sign up here: http://www.wppionline.com/on-the-road.shtml
Our own Amanda Reed, David and Whitney Scott, and Vanessa Joy and Rob Adams are all speaking!
Spaces are limited to the first 25 people to register for each city! So hurry! You don’t want to miss this!
Want to know who is speaking in which city? Here is the list of the speakers!
Fundy Album Builder 5 Webinar Replay
Miss out on the Fundy Album Builder 5 webinar last Friday teaching you how to build a flush mount wedding album? Never fear! The webinar has been posted to YouTube!
As a Thank You! for tuning in, Fundy has given us a promo code for 20% off! Use BlackRiverRules20 to save 20% off your purchase on Album Builder 5 or any bundle in the Fundy family! Hurry! Offer expires June 10, 2013!
LOFT Personalized Stationery Nominated For Best New Product
Our LOFT line of personalized stationery has been selected as a finalist for Best New Product in the Paper Love category at the National Stationery Show being held in New York this month. LOFT cards are made from a luxuriously textured 51 point stock and printed on digital offset presses optimized for personalized and short run projects.
We are exhibiting at the National Stationery Show for the first time this year in booth 2888. Our core business provides personalized and short run printing and fulfillment services for professional photographers, web retailers, and specialty stationery brands. The show is being held in the Javits Center in New York City May 19th to 22nd.
“Black River Imaging is known as a professional portrait lab”, explains David Williams, General Manager of the company. “But more and more web retailers and card companies have discovered that the printing, finishing and drop shipping services we provide to photographers are also perfect for personalized stationery fulfillment. Our presence at the National Stationery Show should make it easier for those types of companies to find us.”
Our ultra-thick LOFT cards are manufactured from Convertible Solution’s MultiLoft paper stock. The stock has been combined in 34, 51 and 68 point thicknesses to make flat greeting cards, specialty shaped cards and ornaments, business cards, coasters, placemats and fans for special events.
Black River Imaging helps photographers, designers and anyone who loves beautiful printing bring their creativity to life in hand made photo albums, professional photo printing, press printed greeting cards, gallery wraps, metal prints, and other beautifully crafted personalized products. You can learn more about our products and services at http://www.blackriverimaging.com.
Fundy Album Builder 5 Webinar
Do you dread album design? Don’t want to pay the price to a designer? Then you will not want to miss this up coming webinar! Learn how to design a 40-page BRI album in less than 10 minutes with Album Builder v5! Join us with Andrew “Fundy” Funderburg May 10, 2013 12 p.m. CDT for this free webinar on design & workflow.
Click here to join!
But HURRY! Space is limited!
Gallery Wrap Sale!
Our Biggest GALLERY WRAP SALE Ever!
50% off our Gallery Wrap Lines Thru June 4th
Now is a great time to turn your images into museum-quality displays with our canvas Gallery Wraps. Expect quality and longevity with our archival inks and heavyweight canvas.
With 21 square and rectangular sizes, Split Image Gallery Wraps and Gallery Wrap Clusters, we’re confident your clients will love them all. Click to see our full line of Gallery Wraps.
Details: These are available in our Black River Imaging – ROES software. No code is needed for this discount. The sale price appears in our software and your final total will be shown in your confirmation email. This sale runs through midnight, June 4th, 2013. Due to increased volume from this sale we cannot promise exact delivery times.
USB Folio Cases
They’ve Arrived! USB Folio Cases!
USB thumb drives have seen an increasing demand over the past year. Clients are opting to receive their image files, slideshows, videos, album spreads, etc. on a USB drive over previous types of storage media. In addition to engraved USB thumb drives, we now offer USB Folio Cases you can customize with a photo cover or choose a cover from our line of fabrics and faux leathers.
USB Folio Cases can be ordered in the Press Products catalog of our Black River Imaging – ROES software.
Ike & Tash Newest Addition To Featured Artists
We are so excited to have recently expanded our Featured Artists team to include Ike & Tash Haynes (and Miss Wisdom)! Watch their video, read their interview and help us in giving them an excited BRI welcome!
Ike & Tash Photography + Motion
How long have you been shooting pro?
We have been shooting professionally since 2010 but have always had an interest in photography. Latasha first picked up a camera in 2003 while studying abroad in Europe – she documented her adventure cross the country with a Minolta film camera. Isaiah always made videos with his friends, so there was a long history of interest in visual arts. In the fall of 2009, Latasha decided to learn to shoot manually and early the next year, Isaiah joined. What was a hobby quickly turned pro and a business was born that May.
Describe your education and training in photography.
We are students of YouTube University, CreativeLive online sessions, hundreds of dollars in photography books and a ton of trial and error. We are the result of hours upon hours of practicing until it hurts; fall on your face type – education and late not chats with people who are much more talented then we are and the wisdom of their mistakes.
What challenges did you face early in your career?
The most challenging thing in photography for us is not to compare ourselves to the work of others. You compare yourselves up and you feel like your less then, you compare yourself down and then you think your better than everyone – so its best to focus on being the best you can be and competing against yourself to be the best you can be. Its easy to feel discouraged because there’s so much talent in the industry AND NOT ONLY THAT, but its so subjective, so what we like or who likes us may not be what others like or what would cause another person to hire us. Knowing who you are and why you do what you do and who your clients are and staying focused on that.
What is your secret to balancing your photography business and your personal life?
We have yet to find that secret, yet, our photography business and our personal life kind of collide together. The reality is that real life is happening at our house every day, all the time. We have a small baby so diapers are being changed, laundry is being washed, phone calls and Skype sessions are all happening while wiping boogers and editing. Family and family time is important to us too and we value it, which is why we have chosen to include our daughter Wisdom in every part of our business, she comes to client meetings and sessions (where appropriate) and we invite people into our life. Our world is real and its full of teething toys and spilled milk, but in the midst of all of this, we are happy! We are most happy that we don’t clock into a job and that when important events come up we can go for it no question. We are doing what we love and we love the way we do it BUT our world does stops every Thursday night for ABC’s hit show “Scandal” – so that makes it perfect!
Define your photography style.
We love bold, clean and bright fashion forward portraiture that reflects urban environments with modern twists, so when shooting we look for locations and poses that reflect that.
What inspires your artistically (a person, place, movie, you name it!)? –
Isaiah: I am inspired by movies and magazine ads, my favorites are GQ, Gucci and I really enjoy cologne ads – things that tell a story in a single image.
Latasha: I am inspired by fashion. I love clothing and the way it looks and falls on a person – so often fashion ads and campaign inspire and draw my attention. I also really love eras of history. Anything out of the 60s and 70s and the retro modern movement really excites me.
When going into a session what motivates you?
Creating a session that is fun, high energy and reflects strong images that a client can come to love and cherish over time. Secondary to that is challenging ourselves to work harder creatively and technically to push ourselves to the next level.
When working with your clients, how do you evoke the perfect expression or pose?
Knowing our clients and why they came to us for pictures is a huge part of getting them to do what we need to get pictures. We pride ourselves on relationship and being relational with the people we serve. We want to provide an experience and make our clients feel that they are being taken care of. When clients are able to let their wall down and forget that they are at a portrait session, they feel like they are with their friends. When your with your friends you don’t have to evoke expression or pose – it just happens – the communication is there and you feel safe to enjoy your session. We work to create a experience that far outweighs the act of taking a picture – when that is accomplish, magic happens.
What business tips would you give the new photographer?
Be responsible in business. Value the work that others have put in before you and do the same for your own education. Don’t compare up or down, know that your work is yours and that what you do and create for your clients can only be accomplished through you. Learn to price yourself correctly and understand that time is far more important than any dollar you could ever make doing this work and, lastly, learn quick books and hire a great accountant who knows what they are doing so you have an accurate account of the effectiveness so of your business.
Pinterest Mosiac Contest Winner!
Thank you to everyone that participated in our Repin to Win Pinterest Contest! The contest was a huge success!
We had 101 entries! The winner was selected using a random number generator at random.org.
Without further ado our winner is!
Congratulations Biggs Photography! We will be contacting you soon!
P.S. Don’t forget! Mosaic Albums are 20% off until April 30, 2013! Order through the Cascade Software and enter the promo code MAW203!
Pinterest Contest! Win a Mosaic Flush Mount Album!
Yes! You read that correctly! We are giving away a 10×10 Mosaic Flush Mount Album with 20 sides, 2 leathers, 1 cameo, and a premier album box (a $315 value!)
3 easy steps to be entered in to the contest:
1). Snag the image below and repin to win on Pinterest!
2). Tag us @blackriverimaging
3). Use the hashtag #mosaicalbums
Want an extra entry?
1). Tweet it out! Mention @bripro in your tweet.
2). Use the hashtag #mosaicalbums
It’s just that easy! But don’t procrastinate! Contest ends Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 11:59 pm! Winner will be picked via random.org and announced on Thursday, April 18!
Vaness Joy & Rob Adams on creativeLIVE!
Mark you calenders as busy April 11-14! Vanessa Joy and Rob Adams are teaching 3 separate workshops on creativeLIVE for photographers and cinematographers over the course of the 4 days!
Details
Workshop #1: Final Cut Pro X
Dates: April 11-13th, 2013
Location: online at creativeLIVE
Cost: FREE
Description: Explore Final Cut Pro X in-depth with Rob Adams and Vanessa Joy! Rob will teach editing theory and practice, teach all the important aspects of FCP and help you master this complex program. Using examples from wedding films and corporate films, Rob will show how he uses the many tools in Final Cut most effectively. If you’re interested in editing your own work, this workshop is for you!
Link to Course Page: http://www.creativelive.com/courses/yoga-photographers-vanessa-joy
Workshop #2: Yoga for Photographers
Dates: April 11-14th, 2013
Location: online at creativeLIVE
Cost: FREE
Description: Are you a photographer with an achy back? Painful neck? Eye Strain? Tired easily on the job? Join Vanessa Joy for four morning yoga sessions that’s suitable for all levels. Whether you’re at the top of your physical game, or can’t even bend over and touch your toes, this course will be exactly what your photographer body needs.
Link to Course Page: http://www.creativelive.com/courses/yoga-photographers-vanessa-joy
Workshop #3: Beyond the Same Day Edit
Date: April 14th, 2013
Location: online at creativeLIVE
Cost: FREE
Description: Ready to start bringing in leads and wow-ing your wedding clients? Get all of your wedding work done the night of the wedding — and sleep in on Monday. Join Vanessa Joy for a one-day workshop that will take your business to a new level. Learn how to photograph a wedding with publications in mind, maximize Facebook social marketing and bring in new leads without spending money on expensive advertising.
Link to Course Page: http://www.creativelive.com/courses/beyond-same-day-edit-vanessa-joy
Important Information!
Vanessa and Rob will be giving away $100 BRI gift cards during their workshops on creativeLive! In order to possibly win one of these awesome gift cards, you need to be follow these people on twitter:
@bripro, @vanessaandrob, @creativeLIVE
Use the following hashtag in ALL of your tweets during Vanessa and Rob’s workshops:
#VanessaRobLIVE
Happy Learning!
