Would you like to see your favorite photography vendor support CIPPA?

CIPPA is currently starting its annual fundraising to support our Annual Gala and Scholarship Funds. We hope to raise enough money this year so we can lower the gala ticket price so that EVERY member can attend the awards ceremony in January!

E-mail me your favorite vendors (labs, stores, software etc) and contact person and I will get an official letter out to them ASAP!

If you are interested in helping out on the fundraising committee, please contact Karen Hoyle or myself!

CIPPA Rocks,
Leanne Reis 2009 President

www.photographybyleanne.com
www.mystiquestudio.com

Here’s a page of tips for clients and the things to avoid wearing at a portrait session (especially outdoors).

(link)

Yeah it’s here! Another quarterly print comp. Man the quarters sure do fly like they were dollars these days. Speaking of dollars, don’t forget the changes to print comp this time around. You can enter up to four prints, for $6 each. That’s right, more value for your money!

Wait, how can fewer prints be a greater value? That’s easy…you won’t get so exhausted and tired after five hours of viewing other people’s prints, that you run screaming from the room before your print comes up. After all it’s a waste of money if you never get to hear the judges eviscerate your print in front of your colleagues.

What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger. And we’re going to feel like Incredible Hulks (but with a little more magenta) after Monday. Woot woot! Bring it!

Bring your prints too. See you there.

-Matt

Voted “Best Photographer of Ventura County”
Latest Ventura County Reporter’s “Best Of” Reader’s Poll

Voted “Best Photographer – First Place” (west county)
Ventura County Star “Readers Choice” Awards

Voted a “Favorite Photographer” (east county)
Ventura County Star “Readers Choice” Awards

Director: Channel Islands Professional Photographers Association

I hope everyone is planning on attending our first ever summer BBQ on June 7th. This is a family BBQ, so bring your children, parents, and pets. It will be held in Ojai at Linda Jordan’s home from 2pm to 7pm with dinner being served around 5pm. There will be a potluck sign up sheet at the next meeting May 11th. More news to follow, so stay tuned.

The board members met in early April to discuss several topics of importance. Those included membership categories, specifically aspiring artist, upcoming programs for the members, how to make print competition run smoothly and not so late, and discussions about how to use the Annual as a money maker and a promo piece for CIPPA at the PPC convention next year. Some of the ideas that came from this board meeting will be presented at our brief general meeting held just before print competition Monday May 11th.

Mark Brandes asked me to pass this along:

“Brandes Portraiture is having a moving sale this coming Friday April 17th from 4-6pm at their Westlake Village studio.  Mark is moving to a new location in Calabasas, and needs to sell backgrounds and props that he no longer uses.  There will be numerous backgrounds, and background systems for sale as well as a Photogenic Lighting Rail System.  Props and cameras will also be for sale at the same time.  Please do not call the studio with inquiries about items for sale…just show up early!

The Brandes studio is located at 2649 Townsgate Rd., Suite 600, Westlake Village.  Map link is here.

See ya there!”

(posted by Matt)

See what I mean? If you don’t contribute, I’m going to get all the attention.

As lucky timing would have it, I was asked to do a guest blog post over at DIYphotography.net. It was just published, and might be of interest to CIPPA members. It’s on the subject of the lowly light modifier known as the ‘V-card’, and what you can do with them. Here’s the link!

Everyone, and everything, needs a blog. If you’re in business, you’re blogging. If you have a hobby, you blog about it. If you have a couple of thoughts rattling around in your head, why not blog them? Your dog has a blog. Heck, even fictional TV characters have a blog!

So it stands to reason that Channel Islands Professional Photographers Association should have a blog too. We’re an association of business people [check!]. Some of us do this as a hobby [check!]. I have a dog [check!]. And there are a couple of members who never show up to meetings, and might in fact be fictional characters [check!]. So we meet all the requirements.

But this blog isn’t—or had better not be!—a one way street. It’s not just for me and/or the officers to hand out CIPPA news. We’ve got fancy email services, and even our own forum now for that. No, this is a place for members to put down their thoughts for the rest of the PPA and the world to enjoy, in a more long-form manner. You already know how a blog works…the key here is that I said “members!” This blog needs YOU.

Oh and by the way, this is a nice way to not only keep your fellow photographers informed about how cool you are, but it’s a great way to improve traffic to your site, get your name showing up more often in searches, and all that other silly internet stuff we have to be concerned with these days.

And since you still won’t volunteer, I’m going to start picking on people to blog. What, you thought this was going to be all sweetness and light? I can’t make you read the blog, but I can arm-twist you into writing for it. ‘M just sayin’.

Yeah so anyway, here’s how the blatant self-promotion thing works:

Check out my new blog entry! Clowns, balloons and magic tricks.

-M

Matt Haines Photography

links:
MattHainesPhotography.com – VenturaModels.com – the blog

“Best Photographer in Ventura County” – VC Reporter’s Readers Poll
“Best Photographer – First Place (west county)” – Ventura County Star Poll
“Favorite Photographer (east county)” – Ventura County Star Poll

Director: Channel Islands Professional Photographers Association