Wednesday, December 1 meeting: Boudoir Photography

Tiffany Walker from Adeline and Grace Intimates, a successful boudoir studio located in wine country, will be coming to talk about Boudoir photography.  Tiffany and her business partner Erica originally joined forces to create the bicoastal wedding studio Adeline and Grace photography, which photographs weddings in both Northern California and Rhode Island as well as destination weddings all over the world.  Once established in the Sonoma wedding market Tiffany went on to create her own sub-business, Adeline and Grace Intimates, which gave her the opportunity to reach a wider audience of clients and create a greater variety of work.   Tiffany has a lot of insight on branding and marketing specific to boudoir, finding and wowing clients, shooting and processing the images, and ideas for unique post-session products.

This meeting will be a combination of presentation by Tiffany and discussion by the rest of the group, as many of us have varying levels of boudoir experience.  We encourage anyone who has ever thought about doing boudoir photography, as well as those looking for ways to add alternative income streams to their established businesses, to attend.  Everyone who has done boudoir photography is encouraged to bring samples of their work, their own boudoir-specific products, and branding paraphrenalia so we can talk about what has (and hasn’t) worked for all of us.

Adeline and Grace Intimates website

Date: Wednesday, December 1 2010

Time: 730PM

Location: 145 Mansell St. San Francisco CA 94134

September PUG, 9/29 at 740PM

Be sure to mark your calenders for the SF PUG to be held on Sept. 29 at 7:30. Meeting at 145 Mansell St. SF Ca 94134 415-828-2403 Christina Shook, a local lifestyle photographer is coming to our PUG to tell you the inside down and dirty scoop about what its like to publish that book you’ve always dreamed of. After 10 years of photographing and writing about women motorcyclists she published Chicks On Bikes this past fall. See her website www.ChicksOnBikes.US She’ll be talking about the experience of book publishing and what is means to market it. And be sure and bring $25 to bring home your own signed copy that night!

August meeting Wednesday 8/18 730PM (corrected date)

Hello to all-

I hope you have had a good summer, filled with fun and work. It seemed to go by so quickly, considering here in SF, we really never saw the sun. So, time got away from us, but we are going to have a PUG this Wednesday. I know it is last minute, but we want to have it.

First and foremost, we really want to build a community of photographers through these PUG’s. I really want to work on addressing issues we are all facing, and work through them together. So, for this month’s PUG, we would love you to bring a problem you are facing in your business and we can all help brainstorm to help each other through it. My problem right now is pricing. I have the same pricing as when I started, there are so many factors, when to raise them, how much in this economy, do I wait and do it in the new year????? So that is my problem,what is yours? Bring it to the PUG and we will see what we can do to help.

Also, we have Pictage Samples. Come and see what the books and canvases feel and look like up close and in person.

For our Sept. PUG we will have Christina Shook, a very talented local photographer who had a book published this year “Chicks on Bikes” She is going to talk to us about getting published, her experiences with her book tour etc. If you have not met her, she is awesome and inspirational, you don’t want to miss her! Ironically enough, she introduced me to Pictage years ago, and said she loved the PUG’s that they put on and it kept her loyal to Pictage. Who knew it would lead to me being a PUG leader!

Heads up, WPPI roadshow is going to be in Sacramento on Aug. 25. It is a mini WPPI event. It looks to be good. The focus is on marketing. Here is the link:

https://www4.wppionline.com/roadtrip/rt10/index.php?f=info&c=SAC

See you then!

Keri and Lauren

August meeting: Wednesday 8/18, Keri’s house

Time: 730PM

Location: 146 Mansell St, SF CA

San Fran/East Bay UberPUG – July 21st with Joe Buissink

You’re invited to join us for our first East Bay UberPUG, a very special PUG event featuring Joe Buissink and CEO Jim Collins.

What is an UberPUG? It’s an event focused on inspiring and educating professional photographers. It’s an evening that celebrates the community you’ve created. Come connect at our welcome mixer then get inspired and motivated by two all-new presentations.

Food will be provided as well as an open bar!

San Francisco
Wednesday, July 21^st, 2010
6-6:30 Welcome Mixer
6:30 – 8:30
Ft. Mason Firehouse room:

http://fortmason.org/aboutus/visitor-information/directions
Parking is $4-6

This event is open to all photographers so feel free to bring a friend. Just make sure to RSVP so we know how many to expect.

Joe’s Topic -
Keeping it real in an increasingly challenging world.  These last couple of years have been tough – even for me.  The economy has had an impact on the whole space, including the high end.  In this all new presentation, using images shot over the course of the last 18 months, including some from just a few weeks ago, we’ll talk about the adjustments I’m making to reinvigorate my business, keep my passion and keep making money making pictures.  I love this business with all my soul and I want to give folks a shot in the arm or a kick in the butt to improve their skills, make some needed changes and get moving again.

Jim’s Topic -
He’s the photographer.  I’m a business man.  In this short, four slide presentation I’m going to walk you through some top tens.  Top 10 Bad Things Photographers do in Marketing.  Top 10 Marketing Tips for Photographers.  Top 10 bad business habits.  Top 10 ways to improve.  I’ve built these based on conversations with quite literally, thousands, of photographers.  They’re designed to give you some practical things you can do right away to improve your business.

Tonight’s meeting (May 26 PUG) MOVED to next week!

Hi guys, we’re really sorry to do this at the last minute but we’ve had to move the PUG meeting to June 2nd at 730PM.  A lot of people wanted to see the new Pictage samples and, although we were told they would be here by this week (they were shipped out Monday), as of Wednesday afternoon they have not arrived yet.  So we are moving the meeting to next week, to ensure we have the samples by then.  We value your time; we don’t want you to make the trip out there for something specific, and then not be able to deliver that thing.

We are sending an email out too, but if you know other photographers who were planning on going, please email them and pass the word on.

SO, next meeting will be June 2 (Wednesday) at 730PM.  Same bat time, same bat channel.  Please see the below for topic and location information.

Thanks!

NEXT MEETING NEW DATE; WEDNESDAY JUNE 2 730PM

This meeting we will be going over some of the features of the new Photographer’s Portal and learning how to use it together. There have been a lot of changes in the layout of the site, and we know members have varying levels of familiarity with it–this meeting will give all of us the opportunity to share knowledge and help each other get comfortable with the new Portal, to take advantage of it’s many features in order to work faster and more efficiently.  We will also be talking about the reporting/informational features which the new Portal makes available to us that we didn’t have before; things such as Event Statistics, which images are most popular, which events generate the most sales, etc…and how you can use this information to make your business more profitable.

Also, we have a whole truckload of new Pictage product samples scheduled to arrive in time for this PUG meeting, so attendees can take an up close look at the current batch of Pictage products and talk about our favorite options for clients’ albums, prints, event cards, press books, DVD covers, and all the other tangible photo items we sell through our businesses.  If you have a vendor or product you are really excited about (whether it’s a Pictage product or not) please feel free to bring it to the meeting.

Day and Time: Wednesday June 2, 730PM

Place:

Keri Vaca’s home

145 Mansell St.
San Francisco, 94134
415-828-2403

May PUG meeting: Photographer’s Portal Powow and New Products, May 26 2010 730PM

This meeting we will be going over some of the features of the new Photographer’s Portal and learning how to use it together. There have been a lot of changes in the layout of the site, and we know members have varying levels of familiarity with it–this meeting will give all of us the opportunity to share knowledge and help each other get comfortable with the new Portal, to take advantage of it’s many features in order to work faster and more efficiently.  We will also be talking about the reporting/informational features which the new Portal makes available to us that we didn’t have before; things such as Event Statistics, which images are most popular, which events generate the most sales, etc…and how you can use this information to make your business more profitable.

Also, we have a whole truckload of new Pictage product samples scheduled to arrive in time for this PUG meeting, so attendees can take an up close look at the current batch of Pictage products and talk about our favorite options for clients’ albums, prints, event cards, press books, DVD covers, and all the other tangible photo items we sell through our businesses.  If you have a vendor or product you are really excited about (whether it’s a Pictage product or not) please feel free to bring it to the meeting.

Day and Time: Wednesday May 26, 730PM

Place:

Keri Vaca’s home

145 Mansell St.
San Francisco, 94134
415-828-2403

Free Photography Bootcamp Thursday April 22

Photographers Bootcamp

This is a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor with Siri from Two Bright Lights wedding marketing.

You will learn how to:

Share your copyrighted images so vendors can self serve

Submit to 34 editorial partners within minutes

Create slideshows and inspiration boards

Send and track referrals

When: Thurs April 22

Where: 2325 3rd St #206, second floor, San Francisco CA (hosted by Lisa of Elle Jae Photography, former PUG host)

Agenda:

600PM: meet and greet

630PM: Two Bright Lights demo by co founder Siri Eklund

715PM: hands-on help and QA

800PM: networking

You will need to bring your laptop and 100 images from ONE WEDDING so you can share images, create marketing materials, and submit to editorial partners.  Details to follow by email once you RSVP.

RSVP TO siri@twobrightlights.com

Meeting Wednesday March 31 2010 730PM

Hello Everyone!

One of the best parts of going to WPPI, or PartnerCon, or any type of
photography event like these, is always the tradeshow.  Tradeshows
give you a chance to see, touch, and handle products from all the
different album, print, and gear vendors available out there, which
can be vital in determining which products you want to use in your
business.  Some products that look great online or in a catalog might
not be so spectacular in person, while others might be much better
than their marketing materials portray; and in either case you’re
still getting the company’s information about their own product, which
may not reflect the experience of actually doing business with them.
But there’s not much to be done about that– other than going to WPPI,
the only way you can usually see a company’s products in person is to
buy a sample of them yourself…until now.

In honor of this being WPPI month, we’ve decided to do a Tradeshow
Show-n-Tell for this month’s meeting.  This will be a rare opportunity
to see and touch a variety of albums and other pro photo products
without attending a conference or buying your own samples.  This is a
great opportunity for people who may not be going to WPPI this year to
check out some of your colleagues favorite products in person.

Each person attending the meeting should bring in their own favorite
vendor products–whether it be a Finao album, satin business cards,
Asukabook coffee table book, WHCC proof box, Cypress album, Pictage
Willowbook, or any other photography product that is marketed directly
to pros for resale to our clients.  These could be products you use
regularly and are pretty familiar with, or products you just started
using.   Each person will have a chance to talk about their sample
item, who makes it and what it costs, how they use it, and what they
like and don’t like about the product and the company who makes
it…then everyone at the meeting will have a chance to take a close
look at the product.   Between all of us, we should have a large
enough variety of products so that every person will be able to
discover something new to incorporate into their own business.

Everyone coming to the meeting should bring at least ONE sample item,
but feel free to bring more.  Please only bring products that are
available to any professional–don’t bring your own handbound albums
you make in your basement, etc (unless you are about to start selling
them to other photographers).

For example, you might bring your Leather Craftsmen sample album, your
Pictage event cards, your WHCC press printed greeting cards, your letterpress business cards, etc…

Please let us know what product(s) you plan on bringing when you RSVP,
so we can make sure to have a variety of things.  If you’re not sure
what to bring, you can email us with a list of the stuff you’re
thinking of bringing and we’ll help you narrow it down.  Let us know
if you have any other questions as well.

Hope to see you there at 146 Mansell St, SF CA!

Thanks!

Keri Vaca

and

Lauren Cohn-FrankelMeeting Wedn

Meeting tonight! Tuesday Feb 23 2010

Hello-

Just a reminder that our PUG will be tonight, Tuesday at 7:30.

Leslie Tagorda from Flair Designs -http ://www.flair-designs.com , will be speaking to us. She is open to answers questions as well.

We’ll discus
Latest web trends
Technology Q&A (ie: What is a CMS, What is a blog, what’s a fan page, etc)
How to hire a designer, how much should it cost
Website review

Hope to see you all there!

Lauren and Keri

Open forum meeting Jan 27 2010

Hello to all-

It was great seeing such a big turnout for Mike Larson. I hope he inspired you to do something new in your business for the New Year. To stay true to yourself and find your niche. We have had a lot of  great guest speakers this past few months , so I thought it might be nice to have have this month’s PUG set aside for catching up with each other and getting some time to mingle and share what is working and what is not working in our business.

I ask everyone to come with one major thorn in their side that they would like to address, and we can all try to give our best information to help each other remove the thorn! Do you need to hire an assistant or maybe share one with another studio? How are you dealing with the economic slowdown? What slideshow software do you like? Do you need a new web design or branding? Let’s chat and see if we can help each other out! Do you need some feedback on your new branding or blog?

Hope to see you there!

Keri Vaca
145 Mansell St.
San Francisco, 94134
415-828-2403