Shawna Noel Photo Blog

March 23, 2010

Last snowball of the season

By Jace (hockey player and maybe baseball player?)

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March 22, 2010

Filed in: Families

Hello, Monday! It's flooding in the Red River Valley again, as it seems to do each year, but it's not so bad in Grand Forks. A few bridges are closed and the river will crest tomorrow. And then it's full SPRING ahead. I'm really excited for green grass :)

Here's a quick shot from a sister session we had last week ::

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March 19, 2010

Filed in: Families

Friday funny (The perfect family photo)

We had a session with the Blessum/Mason clan last weekend and captured this perfect family photo (ha!). We always laugh a lot with this family (they are funny!). I was laughing so hard when I took this photo, I accidentally cut Ann's head out of the frame. I told Ann, the woman with the lovely smile and arm but no head, that no one will notice her head is missing. Right?

Ann is a middle child and says middle children always get left out. Hahaa. I guess this photo proves it :)

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March 17, 2010

Filed in: Personal

WPPI 2010

"Each day, we try to suck less"
- A quote from one of my favorite photographers at WPPI 2010

It was another epic year in Las Vegas at the annual wedding and portrait photography conference, WPPI. This year our schedule was crazy full. I *almost* didn't have time to go shopping. But I did. The last day :) Oh, happy.

We attended a workshop with the fine folks at The Image is Found right before the convention started. It was a great kick-off to WPPI for us! Plus Nate and Jaclyn are really laid-back and fun to hang with, so it was a great environment to learn in :)

We saw a lot of old friends (Hi Emily, Katie, Lindsey, Fran, Sam, Carey, and Jen+Steve Bebb) and met great new friends (Hi Zida, Laura, Reddoor Creative, Jasmine, Matt and Katie, Ben + Laura, Eliesa, and JVS!). I love to put a face with a name, so we also met with folks at ShootQ, PickPic, Photo Mechanic, Album Exposure, all vendors we use, at the trade show.

We love WPPI for many reasons -- the networking! the parties! the stuff at the trade show! Over the course of six days, we heard some really great photographers say some really great (and funny!) things. Here's a snippet of what we heard at WPPI ::

When posing clients ::
"This will be awkward, but just work with it."

Photoshop class ::
"We WILL be working on double chins today."

Videographer who happens to be an idiot ::
"Vidiot."

In a lighting class ::
"Use TTL. It's awesome. It's all you need when using flash"
In another lighting class ::
"NEVER use TTL. It's horrible. If you are using TTL, you shouldn't even call yourself a photographer."

About your website ::
"Everyone will go to your about me section to make sure you are not a 400 pound pervert."

Random quote I found in Kory's notes ::
"There is no heaven."

On getting inspired ::
"Don't read dumb-ass girl blogs."

A nice Midwestern girl when people cut in line at Airhorns and Lasers ::
"That is NOT OK."

And that is WPPI in a nutshell :)

On to the photos! First up, photos from the Image is Found's workshop ::

Sturdy shoes are important in Vegas. Boots were the shoe-of-choice for most girls there :)

Got dust? Call 385-DUST.

Crab-walkin' is cool.

My orthodontist would be happy to know that I am wearing my rubber bands (this is mostly because I'm afraid my jaw will fall off if I don't wear the rubber bands).

My name is Koreeeeeeee!

Yep. We are in a drainage ditch.

There is no camera tilt here. Kory really does walk like this ::

How adorable are Jaclyn's red pants and purple shoes? Love.

Do you wonder how The Image is Found creates those amazing photos? Here's their technique. Nate says it works every time, guaranteed.

Fashion in Vegas is awesome (especially when Bon Jovi is in town).

Lasers!

Katie Lewis dances like this ::

We are so obviously from the Midwest.

Kory looking suave.

New dance move (how to dance with both hands AND drink!).

Doing the Dave Arntson (with Angelica Glass' arm).

Photo by Steve Bebb.

Our own Baby Brecken made the cover of his own book! Sample Seldex album at the Finao booth!

I think Emily likes guacamole.

My all-time favorite activity is shoe shopping! Poor Kory had to sit through it with me.

Last year at WPPI, it was always too cold/windy for the Bellagio Fountains. This year we finally got to see it (and it was choreographed to Celine Dion, woo-hoo!).

Kory told me I brought too many shoes. Maybe that's why my suitcase was 73 pounds!

The only day the sun was shining: The day we left!

And the reason why this post is a day late: I was waiting for these Photobooth photos from the Airhorns and Lasers party!

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March 16, 2010

Filed in: News

We are back to work

We got back from Vegas last Thursday and got right back to work -- did you see us at the UND hockey games over the weekend? We took a day off yesterday (Monday) to unpack, do laundry, and get healthy (I got a cold in Vegas, and Kory's in the middle of getting a cold right now. Ugh). I'm working on a Vegas-WPPI blog post right now, so stay tuned for that tomorrow!

Also, our Fresh Start (beginner) workshop is officially SOLD OUT! We have four spots open in our Fresh Style (advanced) workshop. For more information on our workshops, click here. We hope to host another Fresh Start workshop later this summer.

Here's a newborn cutie that I photographed yesterday :)