IN THIS ISSUE PDIA $100 Value for DAZ Class It's About Time!!! Art Leather-Looking Good Nikon Gear for Sale Programs Available

WOW! We just got back from WPPI and what a great show. Attendance was at a record high with nearly 7000 attendees. This show is the best collection of Speakers and Trade Show available anywhere for the professional wedding and portrait photographer. A MUST ATTEND!!! every year.

PDIA $100 Value for DAZ Class

I have been involved with the Professional Digital Imaging Association almost since it's inception. At WPPI last week I had the opportunity to meet Gene Lambert, the Executive Director of the Association. We had a great visit with both he and Ashley Wood, the Membership Director. Here is where the good news kicks in. It's Thursday, one day after the close of WPPI. I'm planning to take a few extra days off in the city when Gene calls and says, "David how about we give a complimentary PDIA membership to each of your class participants. Wow! What an offer, so of course I said yes.

So, for everyone signed up for the class and for anyone still wishing to fill the last few seats, this is one more great benefit for attending. You will receive a complimentary 1-year membership in PDIA. This association is a tremendous resource to anyone involved in "digital" these days. Their focus is getting the best output possible for the digital photographer. They offer their extremely informative magazine, a great e-newsletter, membership discounts on various items, and a bunch of other great benefits.

Please give Susan a call as soon as possible to reserve one of the few seats left. We look forward to seeing you there! For more information on PDIA, see the Quick Links below.

David's Master Class info

	It's About Time!!!
I presented this brand new program, "It's About Time" at WPPI last week. Many attendees were calling it the best program of the convention. Here are a few of the points I raised. Many people are concerned with the sorry state of wedding photography these days. I talked with 2 of the top labs in the country at the WPPI show and they both said that the quality of the wedding images coming through their doors is declining rapidly over the last few years. Folks, the big question is why. It's all starting to look pretty much the same these days - PJ this and PJ that, flat lighting, sloppy posing, not much imagination - candids and more candids and not much else. The fact of the matter is that much of the wedding photography these days is looking pretty much like Uncle Harry's. The higher end amateur and prosumer digital cameras are making Uncle Harry's photography look a lot like many of the professional wedding shooters these days. The combination of wedding PJ and the sophistication of the digital cameras have substantially leveled the playing field between the advanced amateur and the pro wedding shooter. Decent lighting and sensible posing are becoming a thing of the past in wedding photography. The seriousness of the situation is apparent everywhere. There is an almost unanimous refrain among the wedding segment that business is off substantially nationwide. We need to, once again, work at differentiating our selves from the amateurs shooters. IT'S ABOUT TIME --- to bring some artistry and craftsmanship back into our profession, educate our clients as to the differences, and reclaim our position in the market as offering something different from all the Uncle Harry's and "look-a-like" photographers out there. I'll be presenting this program at the PPANJ convention this coming weekend in Atlantic City, and again in Denver and Salt Lake City April 24th and 25th. If you're in the area, I hope to see you there.

	Art Leather-Looking Good
The show was so busy; it was hard to take time to see it all. But, with 20 minutes to go on the last day, I was breezing by the Art Leather booth when my buddy Mark Roberts, the President of the company pulls me in to show me some great new products. Boy, they should have given Mark the "Salesman of the Year" award. It was my understanding, that Mark manned the booth the whole show because of these exciting new products. The one that "rang my chimes" the loudest were the new iMount series of albums. These books where gorgeous and priced just right. These books give me a great price point for my mid priced wedding coverages for both brides and grooms and family albums. These would make great portrait and baby albums too. I particularly liked the Élan Leather. These are the absolute best "self mount" books I have seen. Check them out with your Art Leather reps at all the upcoming conventions. I'll formalize some marketing ideas for these books in the next issue of the newsletter. Check out the new albums here. »

	Nikon Gear for Sale
I'm updating my camera gear and thought I would give all my newsletter readers first crack at some good deals on what I have left. The inventory is as follows: 2 - Nikon D1x's with batteries and chargers @ $1250/ea. Sigma 15-30mm wide angle zoom @ $350, 18-35mm Nikon zoom @ $225, and 50mm F1.8 @ $100. All items are in like new condition and are priced very reasonably. If interested, please give Susan a call at 859-341-5900 for more details.

	Programs Available
Many of you have been contacting me about convention, day long, and week long Masters Classes in your locale. These programs can be planned in conjunction with your state, regional, and/or local associations or independently. We are happy to talk with you about planning such a program. Please contact LaDawn by e-mail at ladawn@ziser.com for further details.

Quick Links...

David's Spring Master Class Updated Resource Kit and DVD's Spring 2004 Master Class Images

Previous Newsletters Our Sponsors PDIA Info

Powered by