Oh my goodness – I’m so excited for the next two weeks of my life! That’s because I’m going to spend almost each day learning & getting Great-Dane-sized doses of inspiration from some of the world’s best photographers – at not one, but two professional photography conferences!

That’s right – conferences, for photographers like me! Because as it turns out, running a photography business doesn’t mean that all I do is just take pictures all day! Haha! No, it’s much more than that (unfortunately & fortunately, depending on the day). As my fellow entrepreneurs know, owning a business means wearing many hats: I do accounting, marketing, product design, client communication, advertising and networking every day – not to mention maintain a commercial studio space. Oh, and sometimes I get to take photos, too! :)  So these conferences are all about education & inspiration for the business and photography sides of the photography business!

The first conference is called United. It’s a relatively small gathering (just several hundred of us) taking place in Santa Barbara, CA, and I’ve never attended it before – so I’m definitely excited to meet a bunch of new people & see what United is all about! I hear they’ll keep us really busy – as in, shoots starting at sunrise, fun classes & seminars all day, and impromptu shoots & talks going until as late as 10 pm! Whew! I think 3 days of that schedule is about all I can handle, haha – thank goodness it’s not any longer or else I’d run the danger of being “that kid” caught sleeping in class! :)

The second conference I’m attending is called Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), and it’s happening in Las Vegas, baby! :)  I went to WPPI last year too, and well, to call it “mind-blowing” is an understatement. I learned sooooo many ways to run smoother business operations & serve my clients better! And at this conference, in addition to lots of great classes, is the world’s largest photography trade show. The expo is epic; a madhouse taking up the space of several football fields with booths from literally hundreds of companies like labs, software makers, and equipment suppliers (like Canon, for example) will be there to answer my questions! So. darn. awesome. And – really the best part about this conference – my hubby gets to join me this year!! Since San Diego is a quick drive from Vegas, Mr. Shamrell is hopping in the car with me so we can take it all in together! He’s not my employee per se, but I consider him my business partner and don’t make any big decisions without consulting his input first, so having him there with me will be simply fantastic. (I may or may not already have a color-coded schedule, divvying-up the classes we’ll attend together and the one’s I’m deploying him to so he can take notes for me. Just saying.)

Here are a few iPhone photos of last year’s expo:

As a pet photographer, I’ll definitely be in the minority at both conferences. (Like… by a lot.) There just aren’t nearly as many pet photographers as there are wedding, family, baby & senior high school photographers. Even boudoir & maternity photographers, too. And that’s okay! I’m part of a quickly-growing industry and I’m thrilled to be at the forefront of that growth. So as it turns out, none of the classes I’m attending are actually geared towards pet photography, but that’s okay – there’s so much to learn from other industries. I’ve learned tips from practically every other genre of photography; just because there’s not a dog in front of someone’s camera doesn’t mean they have nothing to teach me. All the photographers I’ll be learning from run their own studios in addition to taking time out to educate other photographers; they’re such an inspiration & I can’t wait for everything to start! (Haha can you tell I’m beyond excited?!)

Here’s a quick list of classes I already know I’ll be attending:

~ Perfect Studio Design: Designing a Creatively Inspired Home Studio or Gallery Space You and Your Clients Will Love

~ Explode Your Business by Spoiling Your Clients

~ Create Community Instead of Customers

~ #marketingswagger

~ The Business of Being You

Oh man. Even just typing those class titles makes me a little bit giddy.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that literally every part of my business improves when I attend a conference, as I have for each of the past 3 years. And this year I’m so lucky to be able to attend two conferences! They’re not cheap – in fact, they’re a significant part of my yearly budget – but they’re an investment I don’t question. I know great things are in Allison Shamrell Photography, Inc.‘s future!

Check out the Facebook page and my Instagram account for updates from the road! Like & follow them both to catch all the action! I’ll post photos, thoughts, maybe some notes from classes – and I might even let you know my luck at the blackjack tables.  :)

And if you know the best places/attractions to visit in Vegas, please leave a comment & let me know! We’re open to any/all suggestions. (Especially if they’re regarding buffets…)

Cheers – to two straight weeks of education, development & fun! Thanks for joining me here on the blog!

I’m so excited to (finally) show you my San Diego pet photography studio! It’s an awesome little space for my business, and after making several improvements & changes since moving in in June, it really feels like a place where I can be creative & productive. The studio is a place to meet with new clients, photograph sessions, do all my editing & post-processing, and show my clients their photos in an engaging, theater-style presentation! It’s pretty much perfect! :)

So anyways! Let’s get started! Come on in to the lobby…

Here’s the entryway! I put up one big, fun canvas on the right and a few of my favorite black & white prints on the left. The big stripes you see were a challenge to paint, but now they make an awesome accent wall!

I think it’s fun to welcome every guest that comes in!

There’s Bailey’s leash off to the left; we actually live really close by, so we get to walk to the studio every day!

I have this quote above the entry to the rest of the studio. I love it.

From the entryway area, you can see my branding words – natural, playful & soulful – along with three canvas gallery wraps that exemplify each of those words! (Don’t worry, you’ll see the whole wall a few photos down…)

And here’s the rest of the studio! (And Bailey!)

Here’s one from her point of view. :)  As you can see, my desk area is separated from my consultation/meeting space, and then the shooting area is against the back wall. There’s also a water bowl for my canine clients – and Bailey’s bed is underneath my desk. (It’s hard to be the studio dog.)

Here’s my desk. It’s a bit messy but that’s okay.

When I try, I can be organized.

I have all sorts of papers & documents at easy reach – these are copyright releases (technically, “Limited Use Licenses”) for when my clients purchase a USB with all the digital photos from their session, and fun postcards that I send my clients before their session!

A few of the books on my shelf… (By the way, if you haven’t read Inside of A Dog, and you have a dog, I highly recommend it!)

To the left of my desk is this collage of canvas gallery wraps! Huntley the chocolate lab puppy is the adorable face you see. I just love all the bright colors on this wall!

Here’s the view from my chair; over my computer you can see the studio canvases with my 3 branding words.

Here’s part of my consultation area… and yes, that’s a lens mug! :)

I work with The Art of Framing down the street on Adams Ave, and they’ve provided me with this beautiful line of custom frames! So I always have these frame corners on display & ready to show my clients.

I love these cute frames, and I painted them the same blue as the other wall to match… and I even included a nod to my hometown, Portland, Oregon. (Fans of the show Portlandia will know what I’m talking about!) Can you find it? :)

And here’s the shooting area, all set up for a grand reveal (which is when clients see their photos for the first time)! I use a projector to display their photos on my backdrop, and we get to sit back & take them all in!

I sit off to the side while my clients enjoy the best seats in the house to see all their photos. Here’s a fisheye view of what it’s like.

Flanking us are two wall galleries – one of canvas gallery wraps, featuring Monty the golden retriever…

… and one of metal prints, featuring Molly the beagle.

My clients get to see & touch all my sample books & albums, too, so they can easily pick their favorites!

Sample swatches for fabric on coffee table books…

And my always-popular accordion books!

Here it is with the lights off & projector running! (These are the dogs of Dogs Abound, and actually, you’ll be able to see this image as a biiiiiiiig canvas gallery wrap in their lobby very soon!)

Here’s a fisheye view from sitting in one of the chairs. And – get this – see the room on the projector screen? That’s a photo that one of my clients took of their living room! I have an incredible studio software that shows how my clients’ photos will end up looking on their walls at home, scaled to size! It’s so much fun to play with – I can upload a quick snapshot of my clients’ living room (or anywhere else they’re thinking about hanging their photos up) and the software lets us make sure we select the right size portraits for the wall! I brought up an arrangement with Molly the poodle‘s photos as an example here. Maybe I’m a nerd to get excited about software like this… but my clients love it too, and it’s so much fun to see how different photos look when put together!

Okay, lights back on! Here are the backdrops my clients choose between, if they opt for an in-studio session.

 (I hung the backdrop supports & pulley system myself. The process involved bolts, steel brackets, a power drill and lots of swear words. True story).

And what pet photography studio would be complete without a toy & treat basket??

Here’s the studio, all ready for a photo session!

And to wrap up, this sign probably only makes sense if you know the Notre Dame mantra, “Play Like A Champion Today” – and as an alumna, I was beyond thrilled when Mr. Shamrell made this for me as a surprise a couple of years ago! It’s located over the door leaving the studio, just like the sign in the locker room tunnel in Notre Dame stadium that the players hit before every game. (Well… maybe not just like that. But close.)

One you head back out the front door, look up – there’s my sign! (Don’t you love the fun shape?)

 And just in case you’re curious to see a video of the studio (narrated by yours truly), here’s a 90-second tour!

In addition to the inside of my studio, the surrounding neighborhood is an excellent place to be. Without leaving my building, you can buy a house, get your computer fixed, and get your certification in dental assisting. If you walk less than a block away, you can take a yoga class, get your car repaired, drop off mail at the post office, grab a cup of coffee, learn how to play the piano, get a manicure, buy another house, get your watch fixed, and even get your couch reupholstered. Up for a 2-block stroll? You can buy fabrics from a store in a renovated theater (!), eat gourmet pizza, have a cup of coffee at either Starbucks or LeStat’s, get your portraits custom-framed, peruse a records store, take art classes with your children, eat an exotic popsicle, buy a bottle of wine, eat some Vietnamese food, wash your car, drink a beer, get a haircut, buy a skateboard, eat some Mexican food, eat more Mexican food, get your teeth cleaned, drop off the dry cleaning… the list goes on. I haven’t even covered everything yet! Can I tell you how much I love working in such a vibrant, active community?

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! It’s a long one – but there’s just so much to my studio that I wanted to show you! Thanks for joining me. :)