Christine Tremoulet - Houston Texas Wedding Photographer - Boudoir Photography » Workshops

Fast Track Group Anniversary PARTY and Fast Track Roadshow v2.0!

Christine — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 04:20:29 +0000

I had the MOST amazing year last year. Thanks to the Fast Track Photographer movement, I got to witness professional photographers coming together and being for each other time and time again. In Houston, Las Vegas, Austin, and online. I think it is so critical when you are self-employed to find like minded people who can support you and be there for you when you need it. Fast Track provided all of us with that opportunity.

Back in May 2009, I hosted the very first Fast Track Photographer Roadshow at my studio. At the end of the two days, as we were talking about commitments and things we were going to do, I said that I wanted to see a group of photographers come together once a month. A meetup where we talked about business tips and other photography related topics, new & old photographers alike. Dane asked me what that would look like. Then he asked me when I was having the first meeting, and being true to who he is he forced me to pick a date right then and there for the first one. (Really, that is how Dane rolls. I’m glad he is that way because it forces me to act.) I said that we were going to do them on the First Thursday of the month at 7pm. Every month. We met up in June, and then skipped July because of the 4th. The first BIG meetup, open to everyone, was August 2009.

Tomorrow night, we are throwing a BIG PARTY!!! 12 months later, we have met every month. People have met each other. We’ve openly shared what we know. The motto is that we are For Each Other, and the people exemplify it every month. I am SO proud of the people that have been participating over the past year, whether they came once or have been there monthly. I’ve witnessed, first hand, so many amazing things. I know that I would not be where I am without all of you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the photographers that have participated this past year!

If you’re a professional photographer in Houston and you want to join us, we would love to see you there! First Thursday, every month, doors open at 7pm and our presentation starts at 7:30pm. If I’m ever not there, someone else will be, so don’t worry about that. Just come out and join us! The only thing we ask is that you come prepared to be supportive of one another!

I’m also SO EXCITED to announce that Dane will be returning to Houston in March 2011 for Fast Track Roadshow 2.0. I can’t wait! The first Roadshow 2.0 just took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota a week ago, and there are several others coming up before it makes its way to Houston – so look to see if there is one near you! I could keep gushing about how awesome it is, but I’ll let you go read the site yourself.

I love this video that the Fast Track Calgary group created for the Fast Track Minneapolis workshop attendees. So very, very awesome!

Lean In from Brad Van Gyzen on Vimeo.

Not in Houston? Find your Fast Track Group here!

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Join Us! First Thursday Photography Meetup – Houston, Texas

Christine — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:44:09 +0000

Hey, photographers! Keep reading to the end, because this post involves YOU!

It is hard to believe it was just a week ago that I headed out to Austin for the Fast Track Photographer Roadshow Workshop. It seems like so long ago! But last Wednesday the workshop kicked off with an amazing PUG event put on by Suzi Q and hosted at Studio 563. That place is *amazing!* What a gorgeous studio Andy, Eric & the team have put together. It was also super cool to see Scott from San Antonio who attended the Houston workshop, and Ben, Caroline, Matt, Francis and Errol who were in New Orleans with me just a few weeks ago. I got to meet Nana and Voto too! What a fabulous time!

The above photo was taken by Chip of Studio 563 who drove in with Craig from Houston. There is a lot of others on his blog; I haven’t downloaded my photos yet. Eep! I was too busy hanging out with everyone at the workshop and being in the *now*.

I had warned Andy when I first talked with him about using the space that we had had nearly 50 people at the Houston “Standing Out in the Crowd” presentation, so it was probably going to be packed – but I think he was a little surprised to see 60-75 people there packed into the studio!

The workshop was nothing short of amazing. Having been an attendee myself just a few months ago, it was interesting viewing everything that was happening from a different angle. People were asking me about what was coming up, and I refused to tell them – I wanted them to experience the magic of it all. I know that all sounds so hokey in writing, but there is no other words for it.

Photo by Danielle’s mom, taken with Dane Sanders’s iPhone and processed using the Shake-It app. GoGoGumby joined us for the shot.

At the end of the workshop, we talked about where we were going from there, and I shared with everyone that I plan to continue the First Thursday Photographer Meetups (FTP Meetups – just like Fast Track Photographer!) — and some of them even joined in considering doing something similar in their area! I’m so excited. Really though – ANYONE can do this. Come on out and join us! It is incredible what we – individual photographers – can achieve when we band together and support one another!

I need you guys to help me out though. I can’t do this alone. I need you! If you’re in Houston, I want you to come out and be a part of what we’re starting here. And if you’re not in Houston – that is ok! Start something up in your area. Don’t try to work in a vacuum.

So now for the BIG NEWS!!! The next Houston First Thursday Photographer Meetup is at my studio, 1024 Studewood, in the Heights tomorrow night. (September 2, 2009) Doors open at 6:30 for meet & mingle time, and we’ll be meeting from 7-9pm. Or later. I’ve never been one to kick people out, but I understand if people need to leave at 9. It is opening to anyone in the photography business, or aspiring to get into the photography business. We plan to discuss pricing, and it is a round-table style discussion where everyone can join in!

What: First Thursday Photographer Meetup
Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009
Time: Doors open at 6:30, Meeting from 7:00 – 9:00pm
Where: 1024 Studewood (Across from Hello Lucky and 10 1/2 St; next door to Davis Hardware)
Parking: On the sides of the building or across Studewood

And to answer the question I’ve received a few times – as much as I would *love* to see you over on the Fast Track Forums, or see you take the workshop, or even read the book … you don’t have to do any of these things to attend. No membership in anything is required. You just need to be a photographer and be open to supporting others in the community.

Leave a comment if you plan to join us and you haven’t already told me some other way – I want to make sure we have enough seats!

While I’m talking about big news … did you know that the Tofurious SEO Workshop tour has just opened up its other dates? The OC Workshop sold out crazy fast – get in on this while you can! He’ll be in Houston in October!

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New Orleans, Las Vegas & Austin – Travel Update!

Christine — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:15:28 +0000

August is normally the quiet month for us. There aren’t a lot of weddings – it is just too hot in Houston this time of year. If you had asked me back in July, the only thing on my calendar for August was a trip to New Orleans for a photographer’s meet-up that I was helping to coordinate for a group on Flickr. It was otherwise going to be a fairly quiet month. Or so I thought…

Then the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for Skip’s Summer School came up. It was just too good to pass up, and so even though it followed right on the heels of my trip to New Orleans (I was home for 36 hours inbetween the two), I am SO glad I went! I met the most AMAZING people this summer, and it has been a HUGE inspiration! Thank you to everyone that made that happen!

The trip to New Orleans was the perfect kick-off to the trip to Las Vegas. I joked that it was like I was in training. In Vegas, the Fast Track Photographer community was on fire! We kicked it all off with a fantastic meetup that my friend Lain from Lubbock put together. You can see a bit of it in the video below that Ray Pryor of Emotia in Chicago created. Can’t you just feel the buzz? It was so awesome! From there it was two solid days of school, where I got to learn from some of the best leaders this industry has to offer. As a bonus, there were only 360 or so people there – so everyone was so accessible!

The best part for me was all the people I met, by far – and the fact that Dane Sanders helped in his own magical way to bring so many of us together. You can just feel the energy in that video – and that was within hours of arriving in Vegas. Just imagine how it was after we had two days to bond! It was so moving to help out with the table after Dane Sanders spoke and getting to hear from so many people such awesome feedback! Dane is the MAN! If you get a chance to attend one of his workshops, I can’t recommend it enough! (You can check out the upcoming dates and sign up here – and use the code Christine_Workshop_New to get $75 off of the price!)

I’ve been home for a few days now, and Elaine & I went down to Galveston on Saturday for Melissa & Brandon’s wedding reception — not only was it fantastic seeing their family that were in Belize in July, but to meet the rest of their family & friends *and* get to see Elizabeth & Michael, one of our May wedding couples! It was a happy coincidence that we discovered a few weeks beforehand that Elizabeth & Michael are friends with Melissa & Brandon – we had no idea about the connection, and they didn’t even realize until after the fact that we were working with both of them on their weddings!

I’m hitting the road one last time now in my crazy, crazy August – it is off to Austin, where I’m going to help out with Dane’s workshop! There are still seats available, and it doesn’t start until tomorrow, so get in while you can if you’re interested! If you’re in the Austin area (or willing to make the drive over) and you can’t do the workshop itself, join us *tonight* for Dane’s presentation on Standing Out in the Crowd – FREE! (RSVP here.) Hope to see you there!

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More from Mexico!

Christine — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:42:06 +0000

I returned home from Mexico last Friday evening, and yet I’m still swirling with thoughts about the trip. Amazing doesn’t seem to sum it up. I was truly blessed to have had the opportunity to spend time with some truly, truly amazing photographers.

On the second day of the workshop we went to a different Hacienda in a nearby town for a shoot. We spent part of the time with Cameron Ingalls and one set of models, Valeria & Martin, and the rest of the time with Jose Villa and the models that we had worked with the day before, Miiriam & Daniel. It was great seeing how Jose & Cameron work, and learning tips from both of them!

All of the photos in this post were created while at the Jose Villa’s Workshop. The top photo was take while Valeria was waiting inbetween shots with Cameron. The rests were all created during my time working with them. The language barrier was interesting at times — in one of the photos, I asked Daniel to kiss Miiriam’s forehead – and instead she kissed his! But I loved so many – it was hard to narrow it down to just a few!

I’ll write more about the workshop – along with photos of everyone – once I can get it all together.

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Greetings from Mexico!

Christine — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:12:17 +0000

I’m in Mexico through Friday for Jose Villa’s Workshop and it is AMAZING!!! I can’t say that enough. I’ll post more when I get a better internet connection with photos of Hacienda El Carmen and all the things we’ve seen around the surrounding town. The light here is just beautiful. The spa is serene. (I had a massage and pedicure on Monday!) But the best part? The photographers here. I’m so inspired, I can’t even put it into words!

At the end of day one of the workshop, we had models come in for an engagement session type of shoot. After Jose and Cameron gave us tips on how they shoot, they gave us THREE minutes with the models. Three minutes to take them somewhere, take photos, take them somewhere else if we wanted — and a lot of pressure with about 15 people watching you shoot! These were two of my favorites from the shoot; I selected them for our critique session tomorrow morning.

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Engage!08 in Celebration, Florida

Christine — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:50:03 +0000

I’ll be out of the office and have only limited access to the phone and email for the next 48 hours or so. I’m in Celebration, Florida for the Engage!08 Wedding Business Symposium. Such an awesome concept, I’m really excited to be a part of it! As Rebecca Grinnals pointed out in an email to me a few months ago when I contacted her about it, wedding photographers are great about networking … with other wedding photographers. The same goes for many of the other vendors in the wedding industry. The goal of Engage!08 is to bring vendors from all different areas together so that we can work together, helping one another grow, exchanging ideas, and making weddings as a whole fabulous! Personally, I’m especially excited about having the chance to meet Liene of Blue Orchid Designs, a luxury wedding and event planning firm based in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, in person at last! I’ve been reading her blog for some time now, and it is always full of great tips and information!

As industry leader Preston Bailey pointed out, “I believe it is the first of its kind, a business to business consulting for the wedding industry on a global scale. They say it best so I am going to steal their quote: “Quite simply – no one understands the “ins and outs” of this lucrative but constantly changing and super competitive market better than we do.” Which is absolutely the truth; just take a look at who the founder is! Rebecca Grinnals! That woman is a genius!”

From their own email a few weeks ago (I was already signed up by then!):

This is the final opportunity to sign up for engage!08: the wedding industry’s most exclusive and intimate networking, educational and inspirational event. Join some of the most respected names in the luxury wedding business for a jam-packed day on June 3rd, 2008 at the Celebration Hotel in Celebration Florida!

Speakers include Preston Bailey, Marcy Blum, Susan Moynihan, Simon T. Bailey, Harmony Walton, Christine Boulton, Liene Stevens and host Rebecca Grinnals of Engaging Concepts!

Connect with over 60 attendees coming from 8 countries and 13 states including:

Five-star Resorts and Hotels in Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, Antigua and throughout Florida.

High-end wedding planners and designers from New York, LA, Chicago, Grand Cayman, St Kitts, Seattle, Arizona, Savannah, Tennessee, Virginia, the Bahamas and throughout Florida.

Award-winning Video and Photojournalists from Texas, Maine, Savannah and throughout Florida.
(That is me! I’m the one from Texas! *grin*)

Expert wedding PR, Marketing, Advertising and Travel executives and more! See all the information on the website and the blog!

It all kicks off with a mix & mingle happy hour in the lobby in about 2 hours, and then a jam-packed full day tomorrow. On Wednesday, I’ll be getting together with some of my local photographer friends, including Robyn of Buttons and Bows Photography, and Jen of Soltren Photography. It is going to be an action packed week – and I’m so excited about it all!

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Getting on Track

Christine — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:27:47 +0000

WPPI was AWESOME!!! I spent last Friday evening & all day Saturday at the Business Institute, where I learned a TON of new things. It was just incredible – I filled up about 1/3rd of my moleskin with notes from all of the Business Institute panels. This could have been a problem, as I only brought one notebook! But it worked out ok in the end. I think I most enjoyed hearing Robert T. Williams speak, which was ironic because I was so tired I almost didn’t return after dinner for his panel. Instead, at least initially, I think I got the most out of it. Interesting how that happens. Added bonus, he is an Aggie! So I made sure to get a photo so that we can send a press release to A&M about us.

On Friday night, I met up with Gustavo, who I knew already through the Fast Track Photographer forums (more on that below), and Danielle from Flickr. After the Friday panel with Jerry Ghionis (fascinating!), I went to introduce myself to the other people sitting on the other side of Gustavo — only to discover that Rachel & Jamie are the Girls With Pearls from right down the road here in Houston! I also met Nicole, who is such a beautiful woman. We went to the lounge afterwards for the special treat of the piano singer and her wee short dress. Good times with new friends! Elaine finally made it to Vegas well after 1am, instead of her scheduled flight time. We stayed up so late on Friday, I decided to stay in on Saturday after the Business Institute ended.

I spent Sunday at Dane Sander’s workshop for Fast Track Photographer. We talked about a lot of really great things, and then we did our pDNA – a personality test to help you learn about what type of person you are, how it ties into what sort of photographer you are, and how to make the most of your talents. It was a wonderful, intimate day with 20 or so other photographers, and I am so grateful for how everyone opened their hearts and minds and shared so much. So very, very moving.

Sunday night I got to meet up with Elizabeth Sullivan, another Houston photographer, and her now fiance, Gary! He proposed while in Vegas at the top of the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel & Casino later in the week. We had fun chatting and catching up – it seems we’ve been too busy to get together back here in Houston, so we took advantage of talking there! Jennifer Wilson came and joined us for a bit. Eventually, we all went our separate ways, and as I was about to head up for the end of the Young Guns panel, I ran into the Tri-Coast guys and finally got to meet Suzy!

I eventually made my way up to the Young Guns session and met up with Regina, and had a whirlwind meet & great with a bunch of people while there. What a rush! Gene Higa was one of the featured Young Guns, and Ann Hamilton was there at the stage when I went to say hello. Regina, Corey Cagle & I headed out and went to the Pixel2Canvas Risque party and then over to the Sara France party. It was so great to catch up with people I already knew, and meet some brand new people – Jesse of Photographik.org, Steve DePino, Rachel & Andrew Niesen, [b]ecker, Tomas Flint, TimCo, Matthew, Anne Ruthmann … I’m sure I’m leaving people off the list, but I can’t think of everyone!

That is a good place to stop for now … more of an update to come!

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The McWorkshop Begins!

Christine — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 06:37:16 +0000

With a fabulous party to begin things right, the Rockstar Wedding Photography: Your Backstage Pass to all Things Weddingy workshop (whew!) has officially begun! Hosted by Corey McNabb, and therefore earning a nickname of McWorkshop, we spent the evening at his fabulous studio in Asheville, NC. The decor is beautiful and reinforces his branding all over the place, down the the bright green appletinis that they were serving! (None for me, as I don’t get along with vodka at all.) Corey’s wife surprised him with the fantastic ice sculpture pictured above. Amber Holritz, being the hottie hottie that she is, demonstrated for me just what it takes to be a Rockstar, with her Rockstar Juiced in hand. Of course the cameras made it out as the evening went on, and Corey is in the photo below taking in the events.

I had a great photo of Amber looking completely confused about the weird black thing that I was holding and pointing at her, but I promised I wouldn’t share it online. Trust me though, it was awesome.

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Tri-Coast and Travel

Christine — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:52:22 +0000

This past weekend, I attended a workshop with the amazing talent behind Tri-Coast Photography and learned things about my own equipment that I didn’t even think was possible. Getting together with other photographers is always such and AMAZING experience, especially nice when it is a number of photographers that live right in the greater Houston area so we can get together again and again.

I am a big believer in learning all that I can so that I have even more “tools” in my mental toolkit to use when confronted with different photography situations – especially when it comes to lighting. You never know when a venue might be less than ideal to lending itself to the shot you want to get. Knowledge is power, because it gives you options and therefore control.

I left Houston just 12 hours after I got home from the workshop to head up here to New York City. I love New York! I have a newborn shoot today, and then I’ll spend the rest of the day out and about exploring the city. I’ll only be here for 48 hours total, so I’m trying to make the most of it!

I’ll return to Houston on Wednesday, only to leave 20 hours later to assist with shooting a wedding in Asheville, North Carolina with Regina Holder and then attending a workshop hosted by Corey McNabb. The next two weeks are going to a be a whirlwind!

I am receiving phone calls and answering emails via my BlackBerry, so feel free to contact me! For now I have internet access, but I’m trying to keep my online time down because there is too much to see and do out there!

Both of these photos are from the workshop; it was truly a good time!

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