Applying Blush is a Maine photography blog that showcases the award-winning style of the Blush Imagery photo studio. Our studio offers classic weddings and stylish portraits from our beautiful space in downtown Portland, Maine in the historic Old Port. Our photographers offer creative, custom Maine wedding work with a full suite of wedding services for engagement, creative bridal, and wedding day work. We share our work and news daily.
Our sweet baby, Maggie, now not so much a baby at 6, attends St. Brigid’s School in Portland, Maine. We love the school for so many reasons.
When your child attends a private school, you are expected to do a lot of volunteer work to help the teachers and staff with concerts, fundraisers, class activities , etc. Luckily, Brian and I are able to use our technical skills as photographers to help the school. Brian does some pro-bono commercial work for them and I do, frankly, whatever they need. And luckily for us, too, we are not the only photography couple in the school. Our pals Tige & Bethany Cunningham of Cunningham Photography have older kids who attend. Beth and Tige take on WAY more of the class and photo load than us newbies. :)
Anyhow, this is the cutest thing — ever. I shot this picture as a class project for the school. We created a final canvas as a donation into St. B’s Spring Auction.
How it was done: We took the two classes of Kindergarteners (like 40 kids), a 9-foot white seamless back drop, pro lights, a ladder, camera gear, me and, oh yeah, the awesome organization of K-teachers Mrs. C and Ms. G. to get this accomplished in just over two hours. Kids came in to the classroom where I set up, whipped their tiny tennis shoes off and I slid them around on the background (to their total delight) until we go each letter shaped right. By the end, I was a sweaty mess! But what fun!
I worked up a simple design using one of the hundreds of our wedding album templates that I use here at the studio and woohlah— cutest poster ever. Congrats to Caden’s family, who won the final custom canvas at the auction. It sold well and raised a good amount for the school. Brian and I had a wonderful time at the Spring Auction event and to boot— this may be the cutest image I have ever made. I was delighted by the whole thing!
FYI, my Maggie is the yellow sprite in the “M” and the “Z.” Cute kids rock!
Ok, this is the last 2013 Inspire Photo Retreat post, I think. Shortly after I wrapped up speaking at the conference to photographers, the staff supplied me some feed back from the students in class. I got some great notes. My criticism were minor; mostly about the room being cold or running a bit too long. But… the “what was most valuable part of the course comments really made me happy. The class took away so many of the points and really connected. It doesn’t get better than that! It was a great class and I’m happy with what they took away from it and so many photographers went away from Inspire with a way to improve their life and career. Awesome!
(This was for my “Competing in a Competitive Market” course)
Beth’s Speaker Feedback: The most valuable part of this course was….
importance of branding, consumer personalities, how to respond to leads
the exercises
Beth’s experience
specific tips and tricks
Beth’s straightforward attitude and realistic approach.
I can’t pick one there were so many details to build on that I’m excited to work on/toward.
I appreciated how realistic and applicable all of the tips were. Very straightforward and actionable. The 3 questions we answered where the 3 words should match was a great exercise and I have action points from it.
Beth was frank and honest.
website ideas
Lots of tips of what I can do.
Understanding consumers better and how to appeal to them.
“Ask shitty questions, get shitty answers” section was hysterical.
Related to the speaker, she was awesome :) OMG, you are hilarious!
All of the info was fantastic.
Define your value and message.
The exercises b/c they gave me a chance to reflect on my biz and how to apply Beth’s suggestions.
Takes a hard no nonsense look–loved it!
Exercises
The process/thoughts behind the work.
Lots of specifics for website, packaging, and knowing your clients.
Beth’s honesty and sense of humor.
Self awareness in relation to how I’m handling my business.
It’s just nice to get a kick in the ass. Also, I appreciate that she created a pdf of her slides.
4 personalities of consumers.
Perspective on: Do your website, ideal client, and photo style match. I just thought this was eye opening.
Consumer personality profiles and other tips for website. Time management.
knowing I can trust myself
advice on how to set up a structure+outline
OMG, This made my year guys. When you give, you get so so much back. Thanks INSPIRE!
And a special thank you to Maureen Cotton who I met there for sending me this great postcard! It was rerouted so I just got it and it meant so so much to me! Thanks for everything you gave at the conference. Hope to see you next year! HOW SWEET!
In mid-February, I went to teach a class at the Inspire Photo Seminar held annually in New England. I knew that I was giving this class for months. At first, I was totally pumped to teach, but after taking a breathe from the long 2012 year, frankly I found myself exhausted. I didn’t want to go, to learn to teach or even be around people. Rare for me— a hyper social person. I was just tired.
After one night at Inspire though among friends, I felt revived. Maybe it was the a killer keynote speaker (Amy Deputy… LOVE!), or the relaxed nature of the staff there. This seminar has a no-rock-stars-no-drama-no-egos kind of vibe that I love. Or better yet, the younger photographers so eager to learn, meet the speakers and have a great time— but it just worked for me. I was reminded why you MUST go to seminars, workshops and keep learning in your off-season as a wedding professional… IT GETS YOU OUT OF YOUR POST-SEASON FUNK!
I had been to Inspire I and it was awesome. This year was Inspire IV and it was awesome to see how this event has grown without loosing it’s intimate, down-to-earth way. I learned so much! FYI, most of these Inspire pictures taken by Andrew Henderson Weddings.
Speaker Poster for Inspire 2013:
I had a cool seminar room with kind of amphitheater style seating. It was a great room to lecture in. I have to say, it was amazing. My class was Competing In Competitive Market.
Speaking! Sure, I have man hands, should have curled my hair and put on more makeup, but whatevs, I got to wear a Brittany Spears mic and that thing on my hip (see that cord below)… and I was in heaven! Love teaching and public speaking!
My class was great. I like when the class becomes a discussion group and it did. Photogs always like that I cuss a lot. It’s a cheap trick, but I love it too.
Thanks for all the kind words and feedback about the class on the Inspire FB wall. THANKS!
I started with one, one-on-one mentee, my Michelle Girard (left). This young women is amazing. We partied like rockstars all weekend. But I ended up with another mentee Jessica Pegg (or JPEG for short, an awesome photographer and karaoke singer, here at right). I met and critiqued more than 15 people’s work during the weekend. Let me tell you, the future of photography looks good. These guys are better, faster, stronger than I could have imagined.
Love to new friends Tara, Nicki, Tani, Mary Beth, Laura, Kayleena, Chris, David, Catie, Lana, Amy, Maureen, Jaimie, Kate, Meri, … gosh and too many more new Inspirites to list who shared their work or good times with me this year! Thanks for sharing the pug pics Joleen!
FYI, stellar photographer Eric Laurits was my original mentor at my first Inspire Retreat and it was so good to see him again this year… still rocking it, of course!Me working with JPEG. (Jessica Pegg)
At night, it’s about buying each other drinks, dancing, kareoke without judgement … people are truly free to have fun. That me, super nerd, singing Usher’s YEAH! with the help of new friends Mary Beth and Laura!
There is a wrap up party where generous sponsors give away a ton of photography-related gear and prizes. I won two (crazy!) and gave the gifts right over to my mentees, Jessica and Michelle! Yes, I am a suck up!Thanks staff of Inspire… Fantastic, fun, productive event! Great job! Speakers 2013 picture:
WE want to say congratulations to Blush couple Ying and Chieu! Their Maine destination wedding story was featured in Maine Magazine‘s wedding edition for 2013 among a handful of great wedding stories from all over Maine. This affectionate couple married in late 2011 The Camden Harbour Inn. It was a gorgeous day! When I called to tell Ying that the magazine wanted to feature her wedding, she informed me that the couple was expecting their first child. Awesome! We wish them all the best!
Maine Magazine did a wonderful job highlighting some of their modern Chinese event held at The Camden Harbour Inn in a 3-page feature of our photography!
It always amazes me how much work we do in just one year. I love doing our year in review blog. It is a great way to look back and remember all the weddings, couples, moments and faces that fly right by during a busy wedding season. And man, 2012 flew by! We started all the way back in January for this season this season with Mike and Jessica and went right through to the very end of October with Meghan and Chris. We worked in extreme cold and extreme heat. We shot in rain, snow, Fall foliage and on the hot sand. We wore scarfs and then sunscreen and back top gloves.
And at the end of the day, we helped another 22+ couples start their lives together… adding to my total weddings shot to over 400+ something now over the past 14 some years. Crazy.
I want to thank our second shooting team this year. Audra, Charlie, Kevin and most of all Mr. Kyle … who did an amazing job under some crazy conditions for me this year. Kyle, I could not have done this season without you. You are an amazing photographer and you were an amazing support this year through it all…. the heat, the tough schedule, the double headers and for carrying me through when my beloved pug, Frodo, died the night before a wedding. I can’t thank you enough for all your work, for bringing the comedy mixes for the car and for making eating an adventure! I am so lucky to have you back next season with me.
Here are just a handful of my favorite images we made this year … (I’m not crazy about the quality of pics on video but keep it small. Hey, it’s just more fun to watch this way.) CLICK TO PLAY.
.jpg)
I had a cool seminar room with kind of amphitheater style seating. It was a great room to lecture in. I have to say, it was amazing. My class was Competing In Competitive Market. 
.jpg)
.jpg)