Brian and I are excited to announce that we are headed back to WPPI this February!  WPPI is the largest Wedding and Portrait trade show.  Start talking to your spouse and mark your calendar for February 17-24th.  If you don’t have the money to afford a photographer’s workshop (often $1000 plus), this is the show to attend.  All the wedding and portrait leaders will be there to teach, inspire, equip and empower.  In one day, you can learn about lighting, posing, marketing, post process, album design, inspiration, and the list goes on and on.  And the best part is that every talk is given by a leader in the industry while you are surrounded by people who carry a photography dream–just like you.  Seriously, if you are thinking about starting a wedding or portrait business, you need to come to WPPI.

I’ll be doing a special Platform Session on Wednesday, February 24th at…wait for it…8am!  Yes, eight in the morning!  🙂

All kidding aside, even though my talk is at 8am, I’m already preparing for it.  Why will you want to start the day with me?  The details are coming tomorrow!  For now, let’s talk about one of the BEST parts of WPPI: the Thirst Relief Photographer Auction.

Thirst Relief is all about providing clean water and saving lives.

Every year, Thirst Relief and ShootQ team up to coordinate an amazing Photographer Mentor Auction.  That auction starts tonight and last 48 hours. You will see a line up of several industry leaders who are donating 90 minutes of their time to mentor you.  All money raised will go to providing clean water, bio filters (like the ones pictured below with these sweet girls), digging wells, etc. to those in need. And we know a lot of you wonder what are water purifiers? well for this, the pureosmosis.org site has provided all the answers.

It’s hard to believe that $5 can give one person clean water for the rest of her life.  Just $5.  I love this Auction b/c tens of thousands of dollars are raised every year which means that many more lives are changed in the process.

It is a honor to once again volunteer to be one of the photographers on auction.

Brian and I would like to give the winner a few more things.  Well, five to be exact!

1. Private 90 minute Mentoring Session over Lunch at WPPI or in Seattle (I’m buying, of course.  🙂  And we can talk about whatever you’d like.) (value $500)

2. A Reserved Seat in one of our upcoming CONFIDENCE Workshops ($800-$1000 value).

3. One of the first copies of my new book, Your Baby in Pictures! Hitting the bookstores in March!  Forty Photo-Recipes are in this book for you to try with your own baby or baby clients! ($20 value)

4. Our Complete DVD Set, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box ($60 value)

5. Two 101 Kits of YOUR Choice!  Five to choose from!  ($200 value)

Bid high friends!  Thirst Relief is an amazing cause!  And in it all, the winner gets over $1500 in gifts from us!  The auction is just in time to infuse your New Year with VISION, INSPIRATION and CONFIDENCE!

CLICK HERE to bid tonight!  (auction starts at 6:30pm PST / 9:30pm EST)

xoxo,

m

p.s. If you live in the Seattle area and want to do our private 90 minute mentor session in town, I’m totally open to that too, or we can even do it over the phone!  In fact, that’s happened the last couple of times!  So don’t feel like you have to attend WPPI to bid and thus, support Thirst Relief. Although, I do hope I see you there!

p.s.s. For more information about Thirst Relief, CLICK HERE!