NAPCP May Newsletter!

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NEWSLETTER May 2012 The Latest News & Announcements,

Featuring

Workshops, Updates and much more!

Anne Kerr of Anja Photography, our Best New Emerging Child Photographer Winner!

INSIDE: NAPCP announes its Photographer of the Year: 2011!

Hello friends!

Excited. A bit unsure. Certainly overwhelmed. For many of us, it may have been a

while since we called ourselves (or were lovingly referred to as) a newcomer, a beginner, a novice … but we remember the feeling. In the photography world, growing pains are a necessity, a required right of passage to help mold us, strengthen us, and educate us in those first few years. Hard work, perseverance, and perhaps a little patience, can pay off tenfold as you emerge.

In the great-big-middle of it all now shines the wonderful Anne Kerr of Anja Pho-

tography, our May Spotlight and winner of our 2012 Best New Emerging Child Photographer Contest. Over 700 new photographers were nominated and the field was painstakingly narrowed down to an impressive final five by an esteemed panel of judges. Then we left it for you to decide. You voted, scores were tallied, and Anne was announced as victor.

Having been in business less then 2 years, Anne already shows inspiring promise through her work, as well as a strong sense of self awareness and poise. We are thrilled to give you a peek inside of her growing business this month.

And the accolades keep on coming with our announcement this past Wednesday

of NAPCP’s 2011 Photographer of the Year. We could not be more excited for our winner, Stephanie Buckman of Stephanie Robin Photography as we proudly displayed her awardwinning image, “Fresh Love” in Times Square to announce her title. You can find additional details, as well as a link to the official press release on pg. 19 of the newsletter.

Speaking of inspiring ladies, we would also like to take a moment to share with you

all some updates on the amazing Jen Thompson. Jen has always been a dear friend to NAPCP, as well as a strong presence in the photography community. As many of you know, Jen was diagnosed last fall with ovarian cancer. But Jen is fighter, and more importantly a survivor. She hopes to spread her story far and wide, sending messages of hope and encouragement to others battling alongside her. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to read Jen’s story, and if you are wondering how you can help, visit her blog and make a donation to assist with bills, groceries, travel, and a clinical trial with a five figure price tag.

Stay strong, be kind, and we look forward to seeing you on the forum.

Sincerely

The NAPCP Team 01 | NAPCP

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TA BLE O F CON TE N TS Pg. 3 .................................................... Workshops Pg. 4 ...............................News & Announcements

Pg. 5 ................ Featured Photographer: Anne Kerr

Pg. 17 ...................................... Tips of The Month Pg. 19 ..............................Photographer of the Year Pg. 21 .................................Apply For Membership

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WORK SHO PS Purebaby Workshops Instructor, Robin Long, author of “purebaby® - Newborn Photography Guide to Posing and Business” teaches newborn photography mentoring and workshops around the world. Her PPA Certified classes focus on posing newborns safely using natural window light, as well as basic business principles to start or apply to your newborn photography business. Robin has developed and created a unique poseto-pose™ technique to help new and seasoned photographers alike conquer the ease of transitioning the baby while capturing unique and artistic images for their clients.

Upcoming Locations: June 18 | Oahu, HI July 18-19 | Monticello, MN August 16-17 | Salem, OR Oct 11-12 | Wellington, KS

More Info Here!

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N E W S & ANN OU N CE ME N TS Image Competition The NAPCP January 2012 International Image Competition winners have been announced! If you haven’t stopped by the winning image gallery yet, you are missing out! See all of our fabulous winning images here! (photo: Megan Drane, “Winter’s Walk”)

Follow Us on Pinterest That’s right...NAPCP has just recently let our curiousty get the best of us as we took the plunge and joined Pinterest. We would love for you to take a quick spin around our boards as well as help us spread inspiring photography to the Pinterest community everywhere!

To follow us, please visit our profile page here! Happy Pinning!

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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER ANNE KERR - ANJA PHOTOGRAPHY

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Images by Anne Kerr of Anja Photography

A

fter being selected as a Top 5 finalist, Anne Kerr

of Anja Photography blazed through the voting round quickly becoming a fan favorite and eventually beating out her competition to be crowned our 2012 Best New Emerging Child Photographer! As a relative newcomer to the industry, Anne has an impressive portfolio and a style all her own, two traits that earned her praise during the contest.

Now sit back and enjoy getting to know this talented star on the rise.

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Tell us your story. How you started and how your photography, brand, and business transformed over the year...

My mom is the most creative, detail-oriented woman I know. She also possesses an amazing capacity for children and a penchant for the aesthetically pleasing. I believe my inheritance of these qualities is where my journey started. When I became a mother, I began taking a lot of pictures. I had an overwhelming feeling that I was finding something sublime, something I knew, or remembered, but couldn’t put my finger on. This is when photography wrapped me around it’s finger. I don’t think I’ve transformed as much over the year, but rather, evolved. I’m always true to myself, and because of that, the only thing that has actually changed has been my abilities.

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Who has been your your biggest inspiration in your work?

I want to draw from all the goodness I find and evolve into my own. I’m not looking to imitate what has already been done. Furthermore, if I want to develop my own recognizable style I think it’s important not to get too wrapped up in one artist in particular.

What has been the best piece of advice you’ve received starting out? Why? Being told that it’s “all about the light”. I learned to recognize the importance of it, not only in flattering my subjects, but the surrounding landscape as well. I’m glad I took the time to examine the effects of light in photography long before I took on any clients. I try to never compromise it because I understand it to be the most essential ingredient to my work.

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What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your first 2 years?

I would have to say finding balance. I’ve neglected a lot of things I love for photography. Even basic necessities like sleep. I need to sleep.

Tell us about your motto “It’s about time” - how do you translate this into your work? I decided on my motto because there is an interesting double meaning in it for me. A lot of photographers will talk about capturing a moment in time, and obviously, there is that element in what I do. For me though, it is also about creating the absence of time. When I feel I have captured my subjects soul, their personal mystery, as unique as it is, I capture them not just how they are today but how they always will be. My mission is create that moment, and that is where the importance time, or the lack thereof, comes into play.

Give us a sneak peak into your camera bag - what are your essential must haves? I keep it simple. I have my Nikon D700 camera body and 2 lenses. 50mm 1.4G and 135mmF2. Most of my work is with my 135mm lens, with the exception of my studio work, and other times that less space is required between my subject and myself.

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What are some of your best selling products? How do you market them & why do you think your clients gravitate towards them the most? Black River Imaging for their silk wrapped accordion mini-books, these are posh brag books for parents (even my husband carries one in his work vehicle) and also, built in advertising! Also, love Pixel2Canvas for their Legacy canvases. I don’t have to do much selling of these products because they are terrific show pieces and sell themselves. There are so many products out there for us to sell but for me, I never want to sell anything that will end up packed away in the closet so I’m selective and try and sell only products that will stand the test of time.

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How does it feel to be our very first Best New Emerging Child Photographer? I was humbled to even be chosen as part of the Top 5, with such an amazing group of talented photographers. And it was positively surreal to find out I won the competition. Having this sort of validation at the beginning of my journey is a tremendous gift for which I am extremely grateful.

Valuing your work and self confidence can be some of the biggest hurdles to overcome in this industry. Since winning this award, I am able to see my work with a fresh set of eyes and feel I am more able to trust what I see. Of course, there is that part of me that knows how much further I have to go and how much work lies ahead, but winning this award has been a huge honor that has truly made me more comfortable in my own skin. It also chalNAPCP

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lenges me, now to live up to the title. I’m thrilled about how that aspect of it will only make me grow in my work as an artist.

Where do you see yourself in 2 years, Anne? 10 years?

In the next 2 years I hope to design and build my own in-home studio. First, we’re going to have to buy a new house so it’s all a process and I’m doing my best to be patient. In 10 years? I hope my passion for this art, and this business, remains as fiery and bright as it is today..with the added bonus of a large client base and, of course, some paid travel!stretched is so important to balancing business with family. I now have a set number of sessions I’m willing to take each week and I really try to stick to that.

To see more of Anne’s work, please visit her site here, and her blog here!

Thank you so much Anne!

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TIPS OF THE MONTH

BY ANNE KERR

S E LE C T I N G YO UR BES T IM AG ES

Trust your instincts when picking your own best images. I struggled with this for awhile. Not trusting myself and always trying to figure out which ones would be crowd pleasers, or client favorites. Trust yourself and make your work what YOU want it to be. It’s all part of developing your own style.

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HOW TO BEST PROCESS YOUR IMAGES Match your processing with the mood of the image. Some images are soft and thoughtful. Some are bright and happy. Let the mood of the image guide your processing. Also, it’s all about the light. I’m often asked about my processing but I think it’s important to recognize that the goods have to be in-camera first.

If there is a processing style you are drawn too, examine the light that is being used first. This is what you need to learn to capture. Once you nail that, processing will be easy for you.

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P HOTO G RAP HE R OF THE YE AR

The National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) is thrilled to announce its 2011 Child Photographer of the Year, Stephanie Buckman of Stephanie Robin Photography! A winning image from Stephanie was featured on an electronic billboard in New York City’s famed Times Square.

Based in in Burlington, Ontario, Stephanie specializes in newborn and child photography, creating timeless portraits through her mastery of light, the lens and a true connection with her subjects. Known for her custom fine art portraiture, Stephanie has been offering newborn mentoring and group sessions since 2009. Stephanie is also a strong advocate for newborn safety and continues to promote knowledge and awareness to the child photography industry. You can read her featured article on the subject here! Congratulations to Stephanie on her fantastic accomplishment.

Read the Press Release here!

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(c) Jane Johnson Photography

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