Napcp March Newsletter 2013

napcp

NEWSLETTER M A RC H 2 0 1 3

featuring

the wonderful Christine Pobke of Pobke Photography

Plus

The Latest News & Announcements, Workshops, Updates and much more!

Inside

a special look at one of our newest vendors, Think Tank Photo

Hello friends!

March provides us with many wonderful things: the first day of spring, warmer

temperatures and picturesque Southern sunsets. Believe us, we love all that spring greatness, but if we tell you anything this month, we have to tell you how excited/ ecstatic/overjoyed (all of the above) we are for the 2013 NAPCP RETREAT! The registration deadline closed March 18, but if you didn’t get a chance to register – please email us a nice email and we might be able to squeeze you in! This retreat offers a fusion of behind-the-camera learning, client-focused business best practices and some serious bonding with like-minded business owners as you find yourself nestled in Charleston.

The best part? You’ll get to hang with our fabulous speakers and retreat attendees… and you might even meet your future trusted mentor/ BFF/shoulder to cry on. We hope you’re just as excited as we are!

Having found her “when-I-grow up” passion by photographing the love shared

by couples, children and families, Christine Pobke is our member spotlight this month.

Christine considers herself tall for a Korean and somewhat quiet for an American, but she followed the love of her life to Australia. She’s all about love, actually, as well as the natural spontaneity captured during moments of genuine connections. A “social” butterfly in the online sense of the term, Christine loves to share her fun-loving world with others. It doesn’t take much to make her laugh, and she truly enjoys making her clients laugh so hard they’re clutching their stomachs!

Our judges are in full swing with the NAPCP January 2013 International Image

Competition. The results will be announced in April – so stay tuned!

We’re continuing to grow, be inspired and connect with more and more people.

We have so many exciting new things coming in 2013 – we can’t wait to share them all with you.

Sincerely

The NAPCP Team

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TA BLE O F CON TE N TS Pg. 3 ....................................NAPCP 2013 Retreat Pg. 4 ................................News & Announcements

Pg. 5 ........ Featured Photographer: Christine Pobke

Pg. 21.. ................................Camera Bag Essentials Pg. 21.. .......................................Behind the Scenes Pg. 23 ............ Featured Vendor: Think Tank Photo Pg. 25.....................................NAPCP 2013 Retreat Pg. 26 ................................. Apply For Membership NAPCP ad2013.indd 1 2/20/13 9:17 AM

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WORKSHOPS

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N E W S & ANN OU N CE ME N TS Facebook Community We hope that everyone will continue to partake in our NAPCP Facebook Community page! Join now and get involved with the latest discussions, trending topics, news and updates, and much more! Click here to request to join today!

Vendor Download Page Several of our amazing vendors have contributed FREE downloads exclusively for NAPCP members. These downloads include template designs, educational videos, and much more! We will be adding new downloads every month so make sure to check it out periodically! To view all of our fabulour downloads simply click on the "Resources" tab and select "Vendor Downloads."

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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER CHRISTINE POBKE

Images by Christine Pobke of Pobke Photography

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B

ased in Canberra, Australian photographer Chris-

tine Pobke of Pobke Photography moved half way around the world for love. She is well known for her successful use of social media platforms and is the go to photographer for inspiring ways to network with peers and clients! Christine describes herself as "all about love and spontaneity in the naturalist of moments." Read on to learn about how Christine got her start as well as a peak at the must haves in her camera bag!

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Tell us your story. How you started and how your photography, brand, and focus has changed over the years....?

I fell in love with photography four short years ago, while we were driving along the beautiful coastal Great Ocean Road. Specifically, I remember photographing The Twelve Apostles (limestone stacks that look like they’re floating in water) and wondering how anyone could be so lucky as to shoot for a living.

At the time I’d just been awarded a full scholarship to start my PhD in International Relations at Australia’s most prestigious school—never did I think I’d pursue a full time career in the arts! But life, of course, had its own path for me and 19 months later, I quit my career in academia and decided to go full time with my photography business. Since then, my business has grown leaps and bounds. I’ve had the honour of speaking at several national photography 09 | NAPCP

Newsletter March 2013

conferences (Queensland AIPP Hair of the Dog, Melbourne Professional Photography Seminar, ACT AIPP Social Media and Marketing Seminar); held 12 national sold out workshops (Winter Wonderland, Pobke Magic); received multiple national and international awards for my family and wedding portraits; and have been featured in both online and print media (Cosmo Bride, Mollie Makes, Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, Polka Dot Bride, A Cup of Jo, Green Wedding Shoes, Capture Magazine, Real Weddings, The Bride’s Diary).

Who or what inspires you and your work? How? I used to groan when I'd read interviews where photographers always responded to this type of question with an emphatic, "MY KIDS!" But since becoming a mom last May, I can't lie -- my daughter inspires me in so many NAPCP

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ways. She's nearly ten months old but she's somehow managed to own me with every ounce of her being. Some days I feel uninspired and the last thing I want to do is go out and shoot... But then she looks at me and wiggles her bum and shakes her head no and laughs like a maniacal hiena and I melt into a puddle and reach for my camera and try to capture all of her isms in one click. I've never felt such joy as when I document her just as she is.

What is one business lesson you wish you learned a long time ago?

Be strict with your time and stick to your schedule. We business people have a lot of things to juggle at once: we are our own managers, advertisers, bloggers, editors, designers, shooters, customer care departments, etc. And when we have too many responsibilities, it's easy to become overwhelmed with tasks and to do lists and deadlines. I've learned that managing my time in the strictest way possible is the only way I can manage running my business the smart way. I don't multi-task (that's the worst!), and only allow social media to seep into my schedule at certain times of the day. It's the only way I get anything done!

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What is the best advice you have received regarding photography?

Follow your heart, even if it feels 'wrong' at first. If an idea makes you squirm and uncomfortable, follow through and make it happen. The discomfort could just be fear masquerading as a 'bad' idea. Nine times out of ten, it's a good thing, so go out there and TRY. Your style is very unique, yet spontaneous and natural. Can you tell us how you approach your sessions and capture your subjects so beautifully?

I think the thing I love about my job is the interactiveness. I almost always leave a shoot feeling more hyped up and energized than when I showed up! I love getting to know the kids and zoning in 100% on them. In fact, sometimes 13 | NAPCP

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I have to remind myself to keep clicking as the camera is usually at my hip while I'm chatting away! :) Some of my favourite family shots have been captured "accidentally" -- clicked as we were deep in conversation. My aim for each shoot is to get to know each family member thoroughly and completely, and for my photographs to be evidence of our fun interactions and conversations.

How do you balance photography, your beautiful family, and your teaching?

It's hard work! :) I always thought being the working mother was a natural and easy thing to be... Until I became one! It's definitely a learning curve: when I was pregnant with Pippa, I had booked all these sessions and weddings and workshops three months after she was due. I figured in my pregnant state that, "It's NAPCP

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gonna be EASY to do that when she's three months! She'll be practically talking by then!" Um... I just had to make do with an incredibly busy period in my life but now I know a little bit better about how I work and value my time with my family, all while taking care of my business. I'm sure in six months I'll be looking back at this point in my life and laughing at my crazy schedule. Someday I hope to have the balance down pat!

What advice can you give to those starting out?

Be a gracious learner, and don't ever stop being a gracious learner. I'll be the first to admit that while I teach a lot of photography workshops and seminars, I also take a lot from participants as well. The constant thirst for knowledge and bettering my craft has helped me to constantly grow and stretch as an artist, and I find that I meet so many who are completely closed off and "done" learning. As cliche as it sounds, you have to work at being erudite when it comes to your business. I once read that creativity and learning is simply a muscle you have to keep exercising to maintain it and grow, and I'm a firm believer in that!

How has your busienss changed over the last year with the addition to Pippa?

Tell us your daily schedule and how you manage to make it all work!

My business used to be strictly Tuesday-Saturday, 10-5pm. Now it basically revolves around Pippa's naps Tuesday - Thursday (so work from 9:30-11am, 3-4:30pm) and 11am-5pm on Fridays (when Pippa is in daycare). Those 90 minutes while she naps are the most productive parts of my day! During her morning naps, I use my Super-Productive-Efficient-Workflow-Skills to upload cards from a shoot, edit and load the client gallery within that hour. The last 30 minutes before she wakes up is when I'm focused on responding to all the emails in my inbox!

During her afternoon naps, I design client albums, put through orders, and finish up emails. Oh and I usually squeeze in some breakkie/lunch and a quick shower in that time! :) Shoots still take place on Saturdays, and Sundays + Mondays are my days off. Occasionally I work at night for a few hours, but I'm trying to really stay away from doing that as I really value my time with my husband where we cook dinner, and lounge around and read books together. I don't always manage to keep on top of my work but some weeks are better than others, and like I mentioned above, it's all a big learning curve that I'm enjoying!

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Where do you see your life 5 years from now?

I see myself opening up a few shops. I'd love to have a stationery store, a photography studio, and a hip little cafe. Oh and a few more kids sprinkled in the mix. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle all of that, but it sure is fun to dream big! :) To see more of Christine’s work, please visit her site here!

Thank you so much Christine!

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TH

A ME R A B E C AG

ESSENTIALS TH

AG E C AME RA B

WITH CHRISTINE POBKE

A sneak peak inside Christine's gorgeous, limited edition, silver "Audrey Lu" camera bag by 3 Annies!

Included with her must haves: her Nikon D3S, plenty of memory cards, go-to lenses (24mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.4G, PC-E 45mm 2.8D), a tube of Lucas Papaw Ointment, diapers, baby wipes, and Ray-BanWayfarer sunglasses!

BEHIND

We asked Christine to give us a peak into her busy day to day life with a few of her favorite

SCENES

WITH CHRISTINE POBKE

Instagram captures. Enjoy a behind the scenes look at some of her favorite moments!

TIP OF THE MONTH 5 TIPS F OR S O CIAL MEDIA G OOD NESS

by Christine Pobke

1. Be yourself and let people get to know you. I know sometimes it seems like you're talking to yourself on Twitter and Instagram, but the more you do it, and communicate the "real" you, the more people will get to know you and want to connect.

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2. Pass on advice: if you've read a good book, used an awesome product, tried out a new restaurant - pass it on! Share and share alike.

3. It seems rather obvious, but engage with your "followers." If someone asks a question or comments on your post, take a moment to write back!

4. Don't over promote your business. That will come naturally. Don't use social media as a way to just promote your latest blog posts or products. You want to engage with people and make your business all about YOU, which means you should focus less on "stuff" and more on you. :) 5. Be consistent and regular: try to stay afloat with your different social media accounts. Don't get a twitter handle and go all crazy tweeting things and then leave it all alone for five months; stay consistent and keep it going, even if it means you post once every other day!

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Newsletter November

FEATURED VENDOR THINK TANK PHOTO Think Tank Photo is a group of designers and professional photographers focused on studying how photographers work, and developing inventive new carrying solutions to meet their needs. By focusing on “speed” and “accessibility,” we prepare photographers to Be Ready “Before The Moment,” allowing them to document those historic moments that reflect their personal visions and artistic talents. For some companies, it is only about the product. For us, it is more: It is about supporting photographers doing their job. If we can design products

that help photographers travel easier, take pictures faster, and organize their gear more efficiently, then we will have accomplished something beyond the bags themselves. Think Tank Photo was started in January 2005 by two designers, Doug Murdoch and Mike Sturm, and two photographers, Deanne Fitzmaurice and Kurt Rogers.

Think Tank is giving away one Sling-O-Matic 20s to one lucky reader! Check out the blog tomorrow for full details!

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WORK SH O PS Start Submitting Now! NAPCP’s July 2012 International Image Competition opened on Monday! The purpose of NAPCP’s Image Competitions is to recognize the accomplishments and creative excellence of our members, rewarding their talent with medallions, priority listing on our directory, vendor endorsements, member points, titles and professional recognition. Members each receive a total of 2 Competition Credits per Competition with their Membership. Details are online!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words … and yours may be featured in our next press release. For the past two International Image Competitions, the winners announcement highlighted the names of the competition winners and received great exposure – collecting thousands of views, postings to other websites, and search index hits. Wouldn’t you like to see your name and photo sent over the wire too?

Members, you can start submitting your best images here!

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Newsletter November

(c) Jane Johnson Photography

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