In this tough economy most photographers try and shoot whatever comes through the door.  Your business may have been focused exclusively on children’s photography, for example, but if a client loves your work and asks if you’d photography their daughter’s wedding are you going to say “Sorry, I don’t do weddings!”   Weddings aren’t for everybody, nor are children, pets, high school seniors etc. but there are two ways to diversity and help keep your business strong.

First, you don’t want to be a “one trick pony”.  You want to be as diverse as you can be, so that you can handle every request that comes your way.   Second, develop a relationship with another photographer whose skillset compliments yours.  This will give you the ability to refer business back and forth to each other.

Diversity is critical to your growth and survival and there’s no theme more appropriate for next summer in Las Vegas, August 8-11.  Topics covered will include weddings and album design,  portraiture: children’s, family, high school seniors and pets, social media, business/marketing and photojournalism.  A new addition for next year is the “Lighting Lab” with multiple hands-on programs each day taught by the magicians of light themselves,  Bobbi Lane and Tony Corbell.

The speaker line-up for next summer is pretty amazing…

Scott Bourne, Joe Buissink, Jonathon Canlas, Tony Corbell, Kay Eskridge, Kevin Kubota, Bobbi Lane, Cliff Mautner, Dane Sanders, Jasmine Star, Vicki Taufer, Kirk Voclain and Yervant.  A very special new addition to the Summer School faculty is Stacy Pearsall.

Stacy is the most decorated and award-winning female combat photographer in U.S. history.  She will share her remarkable stories and images of war and demonstrate how reinventing her photographic talents helped launch a new and successful studio business. Her extraordinary journey of beating the odds is sure to revitalize the optimist in all of you.

Other additions will include short business snipets each day from the Guru of Biz himself, Jerry Weiner.  He’s done some terrific guest blogs on business applications here at Skip’s Photo Network and we’re working on short easy to understand techniques you can implement as soon as you return home.

The MGM Grand Las Vegas, is home once again for Summer School.  They’ve guaranteed a terrific $79 rate using the code SSS005, which is now open.  They’ll also be providing a two for one dining card similar to last year’s program and a $25 per room per stay entertainment/dining credit.  Plus, we’ve ramped up the WiFi in the “classroom”, so that you can multi-task and stay in touch with home base and your business throughout the program.

We’re planning on registration going live mid to late February with an incredible early bird bonus.  So, while it might be hard right now to think about what you’re going to be doing next August, think about diversity, creativity, networking and what you need to expand your skill set.

Summer School was never this fun, this cool or for that matter this “hot” when you had to go as a kid!   More information will be available here and at the new MEI500.com blog within the next week.