A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending Photo Field Trip.  WOW!!!  How do I even begin to explain how incredible this weekend was?  In the heart of the El Capitan Canyon in California, I bunked up in a cabin with four amazing girls, had the opportunity to learn from some of the best photographers in the business, and made so many sweet new friends.  Along with sharing some of my favorite photos from the trip, I thought I would list a few favorite tips I learned from the wonderful people willing to share so much of their hearts and their businesses. 🙂

Dallas Clayton– This man is incredible!  He gave such an inspiring talk about dreams.  He asked, “How do we maintain a child like sense of wonder”.   Then he rapped the Awesome Book before leaving us with “dreams are meant to come true”.

Panel: Mistakes, Failures, and Lessons Learned-  One of the biggest keys to success is keeping your head down..because there is too much noise. You will start to blend in instead of standing out. Don’t be afraid to break the rules.  It is the unexpected that makes a portrait more interesting.

Guillaume Wolf– As a photographer, you are a communicator. You need to create emotion and action.  A good communicator plays with culture.  Look at what was made in the past.  Stretch yourself.

Dan O’Day– All killer, no filler.  Make sure you are only showing your best work.

Ben Sasso–  I edit in Lightroom in a specific order.  Contrast, Temperature, Exposure, then Split Toning.

Samm Blake–  Only keep images that make you feel something. Only put up photos that you want to shoot.  The best photos are the ones that take risks.  That being said, shoot like a bride. Consider, if I were the one getting married today, what would I want captured?

Jill Thomas– I FEEL my couples. What you put into a session, you get back.  How do we really capture who people are?  We build people up.

Thank you so much to all of you for sharing so much of your hearts!  YOU ARE AWESOME!  And now…all the pretty photos!

Our cabin was nestled in the center of an open meadow.  Not only was this weekend filled with learning, it was overflowing with peace and relaxation in the great outdoors.

Cassi picked me up from LA and we drove together along the coast to Santa Barbara.  Thanks Cassi for the photo on the right!

Our cabin!

In Jessica Peterson‘s class on how to enhance natural light, we had the opportunity to photograph each other using reflectors.

Thank you Ashley Caroline for this fun photo of our hike in the hills!

I LOVED Jill Thomas’ class on artistic vision.  It was fun getting to learn from others as they interacted with a real couple.

At night we would all gather together under a large tent and share a meal.  It was so interesting to hear what everyone had learned throughout the day!

One night after dinner Bethany and I got to learn some Acro Yoga!  It was AWESOME!

The famous Lazers and Blazers party was on the last night of the trip!  Thank you Colin Lyons for the group photo!

Before leaving California, Cassi, Cameron, and I headed to the beach to photograph each other!  Thank you Cassi for the beautiful photos!

Some of the best discussions took place with friends by the fire pits…especially at night when there were s’mores!

To all of the incredible people who made Field Trip possible…THANK YOU!  I hope to be back next year!