November newsletter 2015

B Y NA P C P NOV 2015

Featuring Stephanie Neal of Stephanie Neal Photography

The

LATEST INSIDE Our latest Video Interview featuring Alicia Caine

Industry News & Announcements, Workshops, Updates and much more!

N AT I O N A L A S S O C I AT I O N O F P R O F E S S I O N A L C H I L D P H O T O G R A P H E R S

Hello friends!

‘Tis the season of gratitude, family gatherings, gobbles of festive fun and staying

busy! With Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas on the horizon, here are a few (stress-free) happenings you should pencil in for your future free-time!

Earlier this month, our organization ambassadors hosted the inaugural NAPCP

Gatherings event all across the globe! From the United States to Australia, community members came together to discuss the importance of work-life balance! For those interested in attending a future Gathering, be on the lookout for details on the meetup closest to you!

Jumping a couple months ahead to the New Year, NAPCP will launch its next

image competition in January! If you didn’t get a chance to participate this past July, this is your chance to put your lens to work and share your skills with our team. Details will be announced closer to date!

The arrival of 2016 also means we’re getting closer to our annual NAPCP Retreat!

Many of you have already signed up to join us at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, but for those who have not, we still have spots available! Don’t miss out on an opportunity for growth, engagement and rejuvenation with peers, as you prepare to reach new professional heights in the coming year!

Reaching these heights with each new day is this month’s featured photographer

Stephanie Neal! With her family as inspiration, she strives to bring clients creative imagery that they can cherish for years to come. Named “Best Family Photographer” by Salt Lake Magazine, Stephanie is taking Utah by storm one photo at a time.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue, and we wish each of you blessings of peace

this holiday season!

Sincerely

The NAPCP Team 01 | NAPCP

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TAB L E O F CON TE N TS Pg. 3 ...........NAPCP Store: Client Inquiry Notepad Pg. 4 .................................News & Announcements

Pg. 5..........Featured Photographer: Stephanie Neal

Pg. 19 .................................Camera Bag Essentials Pg. 23..............Video Interview Series: Alicia Caine Pg. 26................................. Apply For Membership NAPCP

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N EW

Client Inquiry

N OT E PA D S

p e r f e c t f o r k e e p i n g yo u r b u s y fa l l c l i e n t l i s t O r g a n i z e d ! t e m p l at e s a r e s i z e d f o r 5 . 5 " x 8 . 5 " n o t e pa d s .

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE NAPCP STORE

N E WS & A N N OU N CE ME NT S 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!

Napcp Store If you are in the market for fresh, new photography templates and creative client gifts, be sure to hop on over to the NAPCP store! We are constantly adding new products to help make the design side of your business a little less stressful! Don't see something you've been hunting for?

Drop us an email with new products you would like to see!

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FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER STEPHANIE NEAL

Images by Stephanie Neal of Stephanie Neal Photography

NAPCP

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I

nternationally recognized and one of the most highly

sought-after child photographers in Utah, this month’s featured photog is Stephanie Neal of Stephanie Neal Photography! With a passion for capturing family portraits, first smiles and little moments in between, she creates lifelong, artistic images that stand the test of time! Read on to see some of her stunning images‌

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AT A GLANC BEHIND 1. Started photographing when? I got my first camera in kindergarten, and photographed my class!

2. Officially opened business? I started doing paid jobs in college, but went fulltime and opened my studio in 2008.

3. Favorite camera? Canon 5D Mark III

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4. Lens of choice? 50mm 1.2 ( I like to be fairly close to my clients and interact a lot while shooting).

E WITH SCENES

STEPHANIE NEAL

5. Favorite subject to photograph? I love them all, but I think my maternity and senior work is the most creative, and family’s with small children are the most challenging yet exhilarating!

6. Favorite movie? National Lampoon’s Vacation, Office Space, Bridesmaids, Old School, Dazed and Confused, Horrible Bosses (anything with Jason Bateman in it), but also Chinatown, Clockwork Orange, 2001 Space Odyssey … pretty wide range in taste!

7. 3 things you can't live without? Family, friends, and the occasional dirty martini

Flip the page for our

E XC LUS I V E I N T E RV I E W W I T H ST E P H A N I E N E A L !

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Tell us your story. How you started and how your photography, brand, and business transformed over the last couple of years? I took my first photography class and got a “real� camera when I was 15. I started taking portraits of my friends, and I was hooked! I got a degree in photography from CalArts, and my first jobs were photographing bands in Los Angeles while I was in college. When my husband and I eventually settled in Utah and started a family of our own, I started documenting my own pregnancies and children, as well as all of our friends. I worked part time, on location, and occasionally in our garage for about 5 years while our boys were little. When they started school I went full time and opened my studio. My brand and business have been fairly consistent over the

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years. To me, it’s all about the work. Of course you need to know how to run a business, but I’ve always believed that if I deliver amazing images for every client, they’ll continue to come back and rave about me to their friends. Low volume and very high quality. That has been my business model since day one.

Your studio is amazing! How do you feel that having a studio has contributed to your success? I love my studio! It wasn’t something I took lightly…I looked around for about 2 years before deciding the time was right. It really was a turning point in my business. I had to be fully committed to success in order to pay my rent each month. There were definitely a few months where I was nervous, and

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barely scraping by. Gradually I built a stronger clientele, with more and more repeat clients spreading the word. The studio helped differentiate me from all of the other photographers in town, and clients took me more seriously. Having a little sanctuary with all of my equipment set up and ready to go has been a dream come true You have consistently had winning and merit images in our International Image Competition year after year. Can you share some tips for picking which images to submit? I can definitely feel it when I’m taking the images…there’s an excitement when you know you’re creating something really special. I’ve developed a pretty keen sense for what will make an impact and score well. I typically put

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a collection of about 10 images together, and then have my husband weigh in on his favorites. He has a very good eye and isn’t shy about giving feedback.

We always love seeing your smiling face at our Annual NAPCP Retreats! What keeps you coming back for more? There’s a real sense of community within this group. I’ve developed so many friendships that started at the first retreat that I went to, in Vail, and have grown stronger with each trip. The speakers are top notch, and the amazing locations and beautiful accommodations don’t hurt either! For me it’s a great way to connect with friends, learn from other photographers, and celebrate and unwind after the craziness of the busy season.

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November is such a busy time for photographers, how do you stay organized (and sane)? Well, I wouldn’t say I’m completely sane, but I am more organized and less stressed than ever before. I’ve definitely tested my limits in the past, and figured out what is too much to take on. I’ve been very fortunate to have amazing, loyal clients that value what I do, and come back year after year. This gives me a much better idea of what my averages will be from each session, and plan accordingly. This year was unusually busy in the late winter/early spring (my typical downtime), so I was able to not take quite as many sessions this fall. I prioritize taking care of my existing clients, and when I’ve reached capacity, I stop taking new clients.

To see more of Stephanie's work, please visit her site here!

Thank you so much Stephanie!

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Three Tips F O R C H O O S I NG I M A G E S F O R C O M P E T I T I O N | BY S T E P H A N I E N E A L

#1-Ask yourself these questions about each image. Does it stand out from the crowd?

Does it move the viewer in some way? Is It technically perfect (no blown highlights, distracting elements in the background, awkward framing or posing, etc.)? #2- Show your submissions around to several people and get their honest feedback. Just because the image has sentimental value to you, doesn’t mean it’s going to translate to other viewers. #3- Make sure the images represent the style of the group that you’re submitting them to. Go through the past winning galleries and get a feel for the types of images that typically win. If your work doesn’t match up, you could try and submit anyway realizing you may not score as high, or enter in another group that fits your style better.

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CAMERA BAG ESSENTIALS WITH stephanie neal

bags

body: Canon 5D Mark III/5D Mark II, Canon lenses: 24-70mm 2.8 L II, 70-200mm 2.8,

, Canon 85mm 1.2 L II, Canon 50mm 1.2, Photovision Pocket Calibration Target

BEHIND

We asked Stephanie to give us a peek into her busy day to day life with a few of her favorite

SCENES

WITH STEPHANIE NEAL

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

JANUARY 12-15 | RITZ CARLTON | REYNOLDS PLANTATION, GA

LINEUP

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Since 2010, the NAPCP Retreat has built a reputation as the most intimate gathering of creative and successful child photographers. You will not want to miss the NAPCP Retreat 2016 when it comes to the acclaimed Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation near Atlanta, Georgia. This year, the four-day Retreat agenda features a NAPCP Member-Focused Track and a High School Senior-Focused Track, with valuable sessions focused on those key areas.

(C) SUZANNE TAYLOR - TRACT SWEENEY PHOTOGRAPHY

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