I could be wrong, but I think I just witnessed an industry first…Scott Bourne presented a slide show of spectacular images all put to music that he wrote and performed live on his synthesizer.  Sure beats canned music, but how many of us have the skill set.   Scott is presenting right now and there’s a great quote up there leading into his point on visualization:   “You don’t take a photograph – you make it.” Ansel Adams

For all of you not here this year, make it a point to follow these great speakers!  Dane Sanders opened the conference last night with what I thought was one of his best motivational presentations yet and dead on on the incredible role we all play as part of the photo industry.  Get yourself into AskDane.com and keep up with Dane’s thought process and his ability to help you stay motivated and focused on more than just your subjects.

Education is an ongoing process – it’s important for you to attend as many programs as you can, listen to podcasts, watch webinars and read every blog that relates to what you’re doing.  So many of us hit a convention or two a couple of times a year and think it’s enough, but I keep thinking about a favorite quote from good buddy, Roberto Valenzuela.

“Practice doesn’t make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.”

So many people look at getting their “dose” of practice as their educational exposure at an annual convention.  It’s simply not enough. You need to know you’re practicing right and hitting the mark every time.  And it’s not just about your photographic skills, but marketing, promotion and business.

Being a professional photographer is an incredible responsibility and your main goal is to exceed your client’s expectations every time.  It’s about becoming habit-forming to your target audience and the only way that’s going to happen is to be an educational sponge and absorb everything you possible can to make you better at the craft!