As a Photographer and small business owner I believe it is extremely important to take advantage of opportunities for continued education, networking, and inspiration.  It can also be overwhelming when trying to choose which options are the right ones for you and your business.

So this year I set out a plan and tried to be deliberate about which workshops, classes and conferences I am attending for the year.  Laying out that plan helped me prioritize not only my travel time away from home and my three boys, but also the money I would be investing in my continued education.

Atlanta

One of the things I put on the top of my list was traveling to Atlanta for the NAPCP Marketing Summit.  The timing was also perfect to get there a day early and visit the trade show at PPA’s Imaging USA Conference.  I am happy to report that each were excellent choices!

Can you find me? (Hint – I am the one in the brightest color of everyone 😉

The Beautiful Park Studios

The NAPCP Summit was held in the Alice Park Studios in Atlanta.  First, can we talk about how gorgeous this space was?  Alice Park has done an amazing job creating a space open to creatives.  It was hard to take a seat and not grab my camera and just start shooting ~ the space just begs for something magical to be created in it!

My iPhone didn’t do this studio justice – it is absolutely gorgeous!

NAPCP Marketing Summit

And what a day NAPCP put together!! From NAPCP Photographer of the Year Tracy Sweeney to Author of Strong is the New Pretty, Kate T. Parker, and a host of amazing speakers in between – it was a jam packed day of networking, fun, and learning!!

Tracy Sweeney of Elan Studios Rhode Island | NAPCP Photographer of the Year
Tracy Sweeney of Elan Studios Rhode Island | NAPCP Photographer of the Year
Kate T Parker | Author of Strong is the New Pretty and Atlanta Children's Photographer
Kate T Parker | Atlanta Children’s Photographer and Author of Strong is the New Pretty and The Heart of a Boy
And even some amazing tips from Katie Rain – so simple – but yes! Can we just close the bathroom door and take a moment for ourselves Mamas?!?

One of the best parts of the day for me, was being there to see Tracy Sweeney receive the NAPCP Photographer of the Year Award in Person. Tracy is a photographer I have long admired and to watch her accept this award with such humility and joy was just an honor to witness. A few weeks after the conference Tracy was able to travel to New York to see her name and image on a Times Square Billboard. What an achievement!!

Imaging USA

And I have been hearing about the Trade Show at PPA‘s Imaging for years.  The Imaging Conference is several days of photography classes, shoot outs, and workshops and I have heard so many great things about the value and education to be gained there.  But the TradeShow is where all the biggest vendors, and many high end small vendors, in the Photography Industry host booths.  It was pretty amazing to spend four hours just walking from booth to booth in the Georgia World Congress Center, speaking to representatives, looking at samples, exploring options.

What do these vendors and products have to do with you?  As a Boutique Photographer it is my goal to provide the highest quality products for your home.  Metal Prints, Acrylic Blocks, Fine Art Albums and large format prints can vary drastically from vendor to vendor.  I want to make sure I am always providing my Charlotte clients with the highest quality products out there.  The products that you can’t find as a consumer, but that are only available to professional photographers.

A sample of a new product I have started offering in my studio. I had never even heard of this European Album Designer before visiting this Trade Show – So excited to add this Signature Acrylic Album to my Boutique Product List for you all!

I was thrilled to discover a few new vendors, to get samples of options from vendors I have known and loved, and even to discover products I didn’t know were out there.  It was absolutely a day well spent to make sure my favorite clients are always the most well taken care of clients in town!

The FRIENDS!

And of course one of the best parts of the whole adventure was the friends!!

WHCC Rainbow Photo Booth at the PPA Imaging USA Photography Conference
I loved traveling down to Atlanta with my dear friend Sharetha of Sharetha Monique Photography. She is a fantastic Real Estate and Family Photographer here in Charlotte!
Lorianne Probst, St. Louis Underwater Photographer
So much fun to meet up with my sweet friend Lorianne Probst, an Underwater Photographer from St. Louis, while I was in Atlanta!!
Sarah Petty, Photographer and Author of Worth Every Penny
I even ran into Sarah Petty, Photographer, Founder of the Joy of Marketing, and Author of Worth Every Penny – one of my favorite business books!

Atlanta Fun!

This was my first visit to Atlanta and so of course we had to do a little exploring.

Downtown Atlanta Ferris Wheel
Downtown Atlanta Ferris Wheel
Sweet Georgia’s did not disapoint! The food and the music were both just fantastic!
Indoor Pool at the Downtown Atlanta Westin Peachtree Plaza
And of course I found the gorgeous Indoor Pool at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Atlanta! A bit different from my pool, but for an indoor pool the light is amazing!!
Indoor Pool at the Downtown Atlanta Westin Peachtree Plaza
Indoor Pool at the Downtown Atlanta Westin Peachtree Plaza

Home Again

As usual…The sweetest part of traveling was coming home to find this sweet baby face asleep in his crib….

Home Again…
RENEE STENGEL Photography | Charlotte Underwater and Portrait Photographer |

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