It's Family Portrait Season!

It's family portrait season! With cooler days here and the holidays just around the corner, Fall is the perfect time of year to update your family portraits. Whether it be just the kids or the whole clan, TRR Photography is here for you to create your most cherished art for your home or office as well as gifts for your circle of family and friends.

And as if that were not reason enough to book a session, I will personally create a custom holiday card using your favorite image and give you a box of 25 cards as my gift to you. To receive this session bonus, you only need to book your session between now and November 15th.

There is no time like the present, so call me at 702-889-4011 to schedule your complimentary portrait consultation before Fall, like the wind, comes and goes.

Photoshop World Conference & Expo

Starting October 1st, you will find me at Mandalay Bay for three days of Photoshop, Photoshop and more Photoshop with the gods of the medium at Photoshop World. And with over 100 classes to choose from, it doesn't get any better than this!

Catering to professional photographers and graphic artists worldwide, this live learning experience is a must for anyone who uses Photoshop and wants to stay on the cutting-edge of the his/her craft. I only attended the expo last year, but vowed then not to make that same mistake twice. Don't get me wrong, there is something for every enthusiast at the tradeshow.

For those of you who are interested in attending the tradeshow, I'd be happy to get you a pass. Hobby photographers, in particular, will enjoy the show demos conducted on the floor each day of the conference.

With so many great classes offered, it may take me a couple days just to come up with a game plan for myself. Although, even for this task, the NAPP team has created a PDF to make the job easier--they think of everything. Now, if I could just find my "Gone Fishing" sign for the studio door...

It Starts - The CPP Process

Thinking that the portfolio review would be the easier of the two main components in the process for certification as a professional photographer, naturally, I started there. Boy, did I underestimate the hours that would go into preparing my 20 images for judging!

The image selections as I learned must reflect, in proportion, the types of photography the candidate shoots. So, first I had to figure out what it is that I do. My breakdown worked out as follows: 10% Advertising/Commercial, 20% Corporate/Industrial, and 70% Portrait. Crunching the numbers, however, was not the real challenge. It's what followed that had me pulling out my hair! The images to be submitted cannot include personal work which eliminated a boat load from being considered, including all my Kauai images. Further, the select images must be from 20 different job assignments and no two images may contain any of the same folks--even if they are repeat clients. And, here's the kicker: all work must have been completed within the last 24 months!

Thanks to the input of my PPA liaison, Master Photographer Sue Altenburg, I was able to take the next step and narrow down the remaining field of images. I also learned a few things along the way. Moreover, I was reminded of what makes a good image. This panel, after all, will not be judging my Photoshop skills, but what I can do with a camera and light.

Upon sizing the images as required and writing a Statement of Purpose for each, I finally was ready to upload the portfolio for review. The images are judged as a body of work. So, it's either sink or swim. I expect to learn how I fared by the end of next month. Now the hardest part of the image review phase begins--the waiting. If I'm smart, I'll make good use of the time and start studying for the 100 question written exam now!

And the Winners Are...

The results are IN! Enlisting the assistance of those present on Saturday afternoon at South Valley Animal Hospital , TRR Photography announced the winners of our drawing in celebration of the Dog Days of Summer, including the Grand Prize for a pet portrait session and 11x14 print as follows:

GRAND PRIZE
Meghan Minor
Winner of a $175 Gift Certificate

SECOND PRIZE
Chloe Wood
Winner of a $100 Gift Certificate

THIRD PRIZE
Casey Kamen
Winner of a $75 Gift Certificate

All three of our lucky winners also won a copy of the hardcover book: Dirty Bow Wow. Congratulations to all of you. We look forward to photographing your best friend. To book your session, or for more information on pet portraiture by TRR Photography, please call 889-4011.

Thank you everyone who entered the drawing. We appreciate and share your love of animals and hope to hear from you in the future.

WIN a Portrait of Your Pet by TRR Photography

To enter just stop by South Valley Animal Hospital and drop your business card (or one of our generic cards) into the bin. In addition to the Grand Prize Portrait Package, there will be two additional prizes awarded good toward products or services of TRR Photography. Plus, all three of our lucky winners will receive a copy of the hardcover coffee table book: Dirty Bow Wow.

South Valley Animal Hospital is located at 11940 Southern Highlands Parkway, Las Vegas NV 89141 - (702) 451-5111.

We hope to see you there for the drawing on Saturday, August 29th at 3:30 pm.

Pahrump Valley Winery - A Wonderful Sunday Drive

In anticipation of planting our own vineyard in the near future, my husband and I recently took a Sunday drive to Pahrump Valley Winery with our friends and my long-time clients, the St. Martins. While there, the four of us enjoyed an educational tour and, of course, wine tasting!

With the blessing of the winery's proprietors and winemakers, Bill and Gretchen Loken, and the indulgence of my friends, I also "tested" the grounds as backdrops in my photography. To my delight, I found the location full of surprises. Even outside in the middle of the day, the property offered several scenarios for romantic portraits as seen here. And while the location exceeds my usual 30-mile limit, for a bottle of the winery's award-winning Burgundy, I may want to make an exception for that special engagement session.

For more information on the Pahrump Valley Winery, visit http://www.pahrumpwinery.com/. Like us, I am sure you will find the Lokens to be gracious hosts and the hour trip from Vegas a wonderful Sunday drive.

What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas!

Question: What happens when you bring 21 top sales people and executives together in front of a camera while attending a trade convention in Las Vegas? Answer: You get some great blackmail material--I mean outtakes!

The team members of VNC Sales, a major beauty supply distributor representing all 50 states, were in town for their annual industry convention this week. "It's the only time of year when they are together in one place, noted Charisse Solomon, Director of Marketing. So, what better time to have executive portraits created, especially as the company's new website is under construction."

While our session did begin at 8 am, it did not take much (once the coffee kicked-in) for all involved to get into the spirit of things. For VNC Sales, it was like old home week. Playing on the good feelings and camaraderie that prevailed, my assistant and I could not have asked for a better gig. What's more, as seen here, they obviously enjoyed it too!