WPPI Recap

I'm awful & never wrote about my first time at WPPI!!! Shame on ME! Okay well better late than never, right? Right!For those who don't know WPPI is like the world's biggest wedding & portrait photographers conference/convention held annually in Vegas. And they aren't kidding with the world's biggest thing, its HUGE! Much love to my friend Brittany Moncrief for giving me the free pass she won when she realized she wouldn't be able to attend! You ROCK Britt!The platform classes are great but for me it was all about the Tradeshow. I am really dedicated to offering *the best* products to my clients and also to partnering with the best companies so that I can give my clients an amazing experience from their initial point of contact with me to the delivery of their album-- and everything in between! So needless to say, I had a lot of research to do! And luckily I think I did a great job of seeing what's out there, and definitely have major changes coming soon!Here are some new things happening at Ashleigh Taylor Photography:-I now am a  user of Tave Studio Management services. Tave is great because their software provides me a way to manage all my clients & the workflow attached to the packages they book! No more post-its full of reminders strewn everywhere around my house! Now I have all my to do's in one place! I also can manage my calender through Tave so double bookings and confusions will never be an issue (NOT THAT IT EVER WAS), but I say better to be safer now than sorry at some point! I can also track finances through Tave and export to Quickbooks (which is my main way of tracking finances). But the bestie thing about Tave is that it allows my clients to have their own online lounge where they can book me, electronically sign their contract, and view invoices! No more snail mailing of contracts, no more waiting around for copies to come through! We can get contracts done in a jiffy, and my clients can have a PDF of it saved to their computer and if they want they can print it for their records. I can do the same! Simple! And this paperless system is also GREEN! If you know anything about me, you know I'm an environment-loving, save planet Earth preaching, green/organic lifestyle nut! So being able to go green in this respect makes me very happy! Can't wait to finish setting this up, and having things be easy peasy for my clients (and for me too)!-Album Exposure! This is another biggie! Now my clients can easily view their album designs online. The viewer can be set to have a flip-through page-turning experience (like viewing a real album) or a slideshow experience! You can leave comments on each spread and this way I can see the exact changes you want me to make!  If you like the design you can also approve it! Super simple! And once its approved the system will send it right to the manufacturer to get the printing started ASAP! Isn't that fab?! So far the client response has been great! And I can't wait to share more designs with my clients soon!-Speaking of Albums...WPPI was great because I realized I truly do offer *the best* quality albums to my clients! After seeing the rest, I can soundly say I really did choose the best vendors out there! Seriously. My album companies ROCK!-Black Rapid Women's Strap! Ok this isn't out yet but when its released, honey, I am FIRST in line to buy it! This is a strap that holds your camera ina certain way for more comfort, less weight on your neck, better posture, and easier access. I loved this darned thing! When it comes out it will be a life-changer for me!-Shootsac's new Shoot & Tote. This also isn't available for purchase yet but I know I do want it! This isn't a product so much for weddings, but more a personal bag to take out when I travel. It fixed the need for having a way to discreetly carry your camera, a lens, and all the other crap a lady needs when she is out and about for the day, all in one handy-dandy, easy to carry bag. I NEED this. I often don't bring my pro-camera on trips or excursions because it can get soooo heavy, I am worried about theft and/or damage, and I have to also carry a purse and maybe a bag with a towel/sweater/water bottle/maps/travel guide etc. I hate feeling like a bag lady, and I hate being bogged down when I'm on the go, so to speak. Case in point- I only used my point-and-shoot at WPPI  because my DSLR was a huge inconvenience. So this product really solves the problem! And I LOVE that. I hope to get this before our DC trip so I can document the whole adventure!!! ;)Hrmmmm I think that somes up my WPPI tradeshow hilights! And some of the immediate affects I see it having on me, my business & therefore my clients!On a personal note, I also had a BLASSSSSSSSST dancing all night at the KISS/Pictage/Shoot-Q party held at Studio 54! A night to go down in infamy for sure!And lastly I'll leave you with a photo of me & friends with J* at the Tradeshow, cause everyone loves a little Jasmine Star right?