VPPA Blue Ridge Newsletter July 2013
In This Issue From the Governor
From the Governor
From the Lt. Governor Upcoming Events Quick Links
Blue Ridge Board
Governor Sharon Davidson, CPP
Hello Blue Ridge! We had a fantastic meeting at Lisa Carter's studio on June 9th. Ellis Williamson gave a terrific program on using fill flash outdoors. If you missed it, I encourage you to attend one of his programs if you get the chance. Thank you to Lisa for being such a gracious host and to Michael Corbin for pulling together a great cookout and program! It is election time again! Please make an effort to attend our August meeting. We will be having our district elections and it is important that you are there to cast your vote and step up to fill one of our district offices. If you are interested in being an officer, please let me know. It is a great learning experience and a good way to give back to the organization. Plus, you get service credits towards your Virginia degrees! I came across a photography version of an old joke the other day.
Email Sharon
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb?
Fifty! One to change the bulb and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that!"
Lt. Governor, Michael Corbin
And yes you can do that, especially if you have someone show you how! The Summer Seminar is an excellent way to learn from other photographers that are willing to give their knowledge and help you in your business. I hope you are planning on being in Portsmouth on September 14-16th. We have a fantastic group of speakers covering everything from seniors and weddings to business and marketing. You won't want to miss our Extra Day for Extra Pay ($39) with North Carolina's Photographer of the Year, Jonathan Burton, and his wife, Bonnie. Visit the VPPA website to register and go ahead and make your hotel reservation today! The special room rate expires on August 14th and you must be registered for the seminar by August 31st.
Secretary, Lisa Akers Email Lisa
Treasurer, Brian Muncy Email Brian
Quick Links VPPA PPA
I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting! Best, Sharon
From the Lt. Governor Lisa Carter hosted our June 9th meeting at her home/studio in Sutherlin, at which a dozen Blue Ridge members and a number of prospective members shared a cookout and the presentation by Ellis Williamson of Durham. Thank you so much Lisa and Ellis, as well as Lisa’s husband and Ellis’s wife. Without the love and support of such folks, where would any of us be? We need to be inviting to our meetings those young people we all see from time to time just getting into the photography business. You’ve seen them around town, and so have I. Please, next time you see one of them, invite them to our next meeting. We owe it to our clients,
prospective clients, and to the next generation to pass on the hard-won wisdom we’ve accumulated in the School of Hard Knocks. On Monday, July 8th, before everyone launches into the week’s work in the aftermath of the holiday weekend, members and guests of the Blue Ridge VPPA will meet at Kevin Hurley’s studio at 1360 Maple Avenue, in Roanoke at 6:30 PM for our monthly meeting. By popular demand I will be reiterating my presentation on copyrights, why they are important to your business, and how to go about securing yours -- and most importantly the stream of income they can generate. I gave an early version of this presentation at the April meeting in Lynchburg, and have since heard a chorus of Blue Ridge members who were unable to attend, so this being a hugely important issue for us all, we’ll cover it again. YOU need to be there. And especially also do new folks to the photography business. I’ve added some new material, and will talk about the realities of how copyright law affects what we do, some of the widely held myths about it, and explain exactly why and how you go about doing what you must do to protect your most valuable property, your images. Two of the biggest myths rampant online and in the photography community are that registration is un-necessary as well as timeconsuming and expensive. I will show you exactly how to register every photo you take for less than 10 minutes work and only $35. If you have insurance on your cameras, which are, after all, replaceable, you need and can afford insurance on your photographs. Today it is easier and more common than it has ever been before for people to steal photographs, and even make big money off of them while giving the artist who created them nothing. If you’ve been in the photo biz for more than a month and haven’t seen your work ripped off, it is only because you haven’t been paying attention. And in fact, both the public at large and the guys whose business model depends on stealing from you think nothing of it BECAUSE so few of us bother to take the simple steps needed to protect our work from theft. If you want to turn your photography into actual cash money you can spend, you need to attend this meeting. Coming up on August 5th will be Charles Lawson from Richmond. Mark the date now, as this is the FIRST Monday, not the second. Michael
If you have any suggestions or if you have an article you would like to be published in the newsletter, please email Lisa Akers (lisacakers@yahoo.com).