Ho boy. It's been a long month of travel...

Jeff and I are back in the house after a month of Indiana, Oregon, Philly, and PartnerCon in San Diego. So the worst part about this mind-fog is that I felt guilty. Being gone for that long means that I have a mountain of work waiting in the office and shouldn't I be at the computer powering through it? Why am I being such a baby about a bit of lame mind-fog?

So I clicked off the vaccuum and trudged upstairs towards the office, my cold sock feet dragging along the dirty floors, running into Jeff as he headed out the door for an errand. He was working through HIS to-do list like a madman. I could feel my guilt multiplying.

Before I could pass into the office, he grabbed me into a sudden bear hug. "You know, if I came home and you were taking a bath, I wouldn't be pissed." He smiled.

"You sure? I have so much to do. You'll think I'm lazy..." I mumbled, burying my foggy forehead into his shoulder trying to hide from the monster of to-dos creeping from my desk, not able to meet his productive and efficient eyes.

"I've never thought that about you ever, and I'm not about to start."

I haven't taken a bath in like a year. We have an enormous bathtub too - one of those deep, wide bathtubs separate from the walk-in shower. The second I first saw that beast in our master bath, I was sold on our house like a cow at auction. It's the only bathtub that is actually big enough for my long legged self and doesn't make me feel like a giantess in a kiddie pool. Going once, going twice, SOLD to the lady with the spider legs.

So after a full year of lying dormant, I dusted off my collection of bubble baths, revved up the bathtub, cranked up a Fresh Air podcast, and gave in to the fog in my mind. I think Jeff knew there was no point in fighting it - which is why I love him so much. He always seems to know what I don't think I need.

There's so much coming to the bloggy-blog this week and next - and I wanted to share a few favorites from PartnerCon in San Diego last week, taken by our friend and local San Diego wedding photographer, Kent West. The first is Jeff on his panel, "Creating a Client-Focused Business", and me during my shared presentation with Elizabeth Villa, Katie Humphreys, and Rachel LaCour, "Become a Content Marketing Machine". And yes, I was paying attention. I was just Instagramming. I may have an unhealthy addiction to Instagram...

Hugs,

Erin

So true right? The lovely Jan Cleveland, a photographer friend of ours from Milwaukee reminded me of this on Monday after Jeff and I just finished speaking at Pictage's PartnerCon at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, a conference for wedding and portrait photographers. Since we were getting to speak in our hometown - a rare treat for us since we're usually speaking while we're on the road - Jeff invited his mom to come watch us.

She was DELIGHTED to come be a part of her two 'kiddos' lives. And so were we.

At the beginning of the presentation, Jeff proudly introduced his mom to the crowd of photographers in the audience, and no sooner did he point her out, than she stood up with a fistful of our business cards, proudly waved them in the air and shouted, "I have their business cards here!!!"

Through the roars of laughter and applause at this shameless plug for her dear children, I have never loved my mother-in-law more than in this moment.

Not everyone gets to have a mom that is their biggest fan, and Mr. Jeff Youngren has only become his amazing, caring, confident, emotional, sensitive, successful self because of this bold love of his mother. I have her to thank for giving me the world in my husband.

(Jeff's mom took this photo on her little point and shoot camera during our presentation. I love that in a room full of professional photographers, she grabbed such a great photo.)

The next day, I gave another presentation called "Become a Content Marketing Machine" with Elizabeth Villa Ippolito, Katie Humphreys, and Rachel LaCour Niessen - the girls who run Pictage's blog called The Photo Life, to which I'm a regular contributor. Since he wasn't able to make it the day before, Jeff's dad came to watch my presentation, and he and Jeff sat in the front left corner of the room sending my nervous, voiceless self huge smiles and nods of encouragement.

Side Note: I lost my voice at Mike and Sarah's wedding in Philadelphia last Saturday, so for both presentations this week I had this hoarse, gravelly voice which stressed me out like crazy before both talks. If you ask Jeff, however, it was a sexy, husky, bedroom thang going on, so he didn't mind at all that I sounded like a broken foghorn most of the time and said that it made me look completely adorable up on stage.

Adorable in a dying cat kind of way maybe...

Anyhoo...

It was so special to have Jeff's dad rooting for me - literally - in my corner during that standing room only presentation that packed the room out. I don't know what I'd do without the unconditional support of my husband and my family.

Other highlights of the week at PartnerCon:

• Watching my hubby speak on a panel with four other amazing top photographers in front of the entire conference on how to run a client-focused business. And then having one of the photographers say into the microphone that Jeff is the nicest guy they have ever met. *Proud wifey*
• Getting dressed up in Lizzy's J.Crew wedding dress and Ipp's slick grey suit to model for Joe Bussink's shooting workshop, a Beverly Hills photographer that is one of the most talented wedding photographers in the country. Yep, Jeff wore a bow-tie and yep, it was awesome.

More to come...

Hugs,

Erin

Most Wednesdays are typical workdays for us (i.e. pure madness), but once a month Wednesdays mean something different. For the past four years, Jeff and I have been privileged to lead the San Diego Pictage Users Group, otherwise known as the PUG. You’ve probably seen us mention it a bunch on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wonder why in the world we keep talking about dogs and showing pictures of people giving presentations – weird – but the PUG is actually a monthly get together of wedding and portrait photographers in the San Diego area. It’s a place for us photo peeps to learn about business, hone our craft, ask questions, build relationships, find support, and seek growth within a group of other professionals.

The PUG has been vital to the growth and success of our business because of the relationships we’ve been able to build with other photographers in our area. We’ve not only found business colleagues that we can learn from and lean on, but life friends that share in the same creative passion as us.

So every third Wednesday of the month, Jeff and I stop work around 2:00pm to gather and prep for the PUG, then we head down to Little Italy to meet up with our speaker for the night. We have been so lucky to have photographers and business people of a super-high caliber come to San Diego from all over the country every month for the past four years to speak to our group (Joe Bussink, Jasmine Star, Justin and Mary Marantz, Zach and Jody Gray, Kevin Swan, Dane Sanders, Rachel LaCour Niesen, Jason Aten, Jared Platt, Sara France, Jared Bauman, and Mike Larson just to name a few). Their invaluable expertise on everything from branding, marketing, shooting, SEO, pricing, web development, accounting, client experience, and everything in between has helped our group grow into a close-knit, thriving, forward-thinking community of businessmen and women.

We meet in a GORGEOUS studio in Little Italy and the night begins at 6:30pm with mingling, snacks, and wine (if Jeff and Erin Youngren are in charge, there’s always wine), our speaker talks until 8:30 or 9ish, and then we all head out for drinks and late night tacos after.

We’ve been known to stay out at the local bars until 1 or 2am.

Probably not your typical networking event. We’re a pretty awesome crowd.

If you’re a photographer in San Diego, join us at the PUG every third Wednesday of the month. You don’t need to be a Pictage member and all levels of business and experience are welcome. Here’s the details.

For photographers outside of San Diego, you can always be a part of the San Diego PUG virtually because we stream every meeting live over the interwebs - watch here.

Or join your local PUG. PUGs occur in over 60 cities all across the U.S., so find your closest group here and get connected with your photography community.

Hugs,
Erin

Well, it wasn't so much teaching as it was running after crazy happy kids that were wielding cameras and had insatiable shutter fingers...

A couple of times a year, Pictage teams up with Boys and Girls Clubs to put on Lens and Learns - one day programs where professional photographers teach kids about the joys of photography. I've taken part in these Lens and Learns before, so I was so excited when they invited me and a handful of other photographers to join them at the Boys and Girls Club of Las Vegas and hang out with some kids for the day.

In the morning we held a classroom session to chat with the kids about the joys of living a creative life, but the fun really began in the afternoon when the kids actually got to use big DSLR cameras. While Pictage provides a bunch of cameras for the kids to use, I let a few kids in my group snap some photos throughout the day with one of my own cameras.

I'd like to say that I let them use it because I'm all big hearted and such, but honestly, I really just wanted to see what kinds of images the kids would produce. I mean, what does the world look like to a ten year old?

Well, it turns out the world looks mostly blurry and is filled with our butts and other kids smiling faces. But along with the wealth of trigger happy snapshots, there was a handful of images that made me totally proud. We had a list of exercises to help the kids learn different techniques and think outside the box with the cameras, and some of the kids just may well have a bit of natural talent with this whole photography thing.

This image in particular makes me super proud. There was a really shy girl in my group that hadn't touched a camera after about twenty minutes of shooting time, so I handed her my camera and told her to take a picture of something red. The red object couldn't be totally obvious though (the room had a red wall, for example). She had to think of something that was totally different and unique. She also had to frame the picture creatively, meaning the red thing shouldn't be in the dead center of the photograph. She frowned and walked away totally puzzled. Then about ten minutes later came back with this.

I absolutely love this photograph. Out of any of the kids, this girl produced some stunning stuff for a ten year old. Hmmm... a shy photographer? Where have I seen one of those before??

This image was supposed to be a picture of two colors. It took a few tries and a good amount of patient coaching, but the kids finally produced the images below.

Love, love, and love.

I mean seriously? These photographs are just supposed to represent color. How awesome are these kids??

Ha! Not sure what this one is, but doesn't it remind you of being a kid? I found all sorts of images from below the jungle gym.

I also joined the kids beneath the jungle gym. I mean, why not look out for my camera AND play around in the dirt?

Fun times! We laughed A LOT.

The kids also loved taking pictures of us, the instructors.

One of my favorites. I realize that most of these good photographs are totally by accident, but how can you not appreciate the creative perspectives these kids came up with?

Havin' fun! It's so funny to see YOURSELF from the point of view of a ten year old!

Heather lookin' stylin!

We also got to play around with some studio lights. We all got our model on!

LOL! At the end of the evening we took a big group photo and our friend and fellow photographer, Jared, set up the timer on his camera and had to run back to the crowd in less than ten seconds. I love that the kids capture such hilarious moments!

And they also caught me laughing at Jared!

I learned two things from my day with the kids - the Boys and Girls Club is totally DA BOMB and I make kissy faces WAY TOO MUCH.

How can you not love these faces??

Big thanks to Pictage for putting this together and an even bigger thanks to the Boys and Girls Club for making such an incredible impact on these kids' lives! What we did in on one Saturday doesn't even compare to the love and hard work you put into these kids every single day. THANK YOU!

Hugs,

Erin

It meant the world to us.

It meant the world that you came ready to learn and that you asked the kinds of questions that weren't easy to ask. It meant the world that you accepted our challenges and chose to stretch your knowledge. And it meant the world that you would go home and do things differently and better, in both big and small ways. You are the reason that we love to teach so much, and when we get a crowd that is as eager and self-challenging as you guys were, it just feeds our teaching fires even more.

An enormous THANK YOU goes out to David and Tammy Molnar out of Nashville for modeling for us during our shooting workshop. It's the second year in a row that Nashville has represented in a fabulous way to our workshop - last year the fantastic Zach and Jody Gray stepped up to our modeling challenge, so we're keeping our eyes out for next year's Nashville talent! In the meantime, I wanna show off some of our favorite images from the shoot...

(If anyone else from the shoot has some images they would like to blog or share, just link back to this post and we'll give you a big 'ol shout out!)

How stinkin' cute are these guys? We had so much fun!

A little behind the lens action.

Beautiful!

Love this one! We had quite a few Nikon shooters represent.

My favorite! Just look at those eyes...

Yes, I did have a point that I was making. I promise.

I never use this word, but these two are totally fierce.

HA! I love it!

A little fun at the end...

And then bring it on in! Love you guys!

It's almost like that. Except that instead of flipping my glossy hair, I'm rubbing my shaky, sweaty hands in anxiety as I try to piece together yet another article that will be worthy to sit next to the articles of my fellow writers. Somehow I feel out of place among these greats. But somehow, I also feel like all of us probably snickered at some AP Lit corner table at one time or another. So a big thanks goes out to Pictage for bringing all of us closet writers out of our holes and giving us a chance - giving me a chance - to be heard. I promise I'll do my best!

Pictage has just launched a GOR-geous NEW BLOG, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you need to get over there quick. I'll be regularly contributing to the blog along with fifteen other writers from throughout the industry, so this place is overflowing with valuable information!

Now it's your turn: if you have a topic you would like us to address in an FAQ Friday here on The Youngrens Blog, or in an article on the Pictage Blog, submit your question or vote on a topic here. We'll be answering a lot of these questions over the next few months, so keep the votes coming!

Hugs,

Erin

Jeff and I are headed down to NOLA for Pictage’s annual photography conference, PartnerCon, so we’ll be out of the office for the week. If you’re going to PartnerCon, I’ll be the one sweating and smiling while dragging my enormous suitcase out of the airport, so please just ignore me until Jeff gets us to the hotel. If you’ve signed up for our shooting workshop, I can’t wait to see you on Thursday! It’s going to be an absolute blast!

For everyone else, we’ve got a killer lineup on the blog this week. It’s been absolute torture waiting for Shannon and Jeff to get back from their honeymoon, but I finally get to show off my best friend’s Virginia country wedding this week. And since she’s definitely in the best friend column of my life, she totally gets a three-part feature. Plus, she buttered me up with some pretty sweet talkin’ about me being the best bridesmaid or somethin’ like that….

Hugs,

Erin

For all of you wedding and portrait photographers out there, don't spend your money on any other industry conference this year besides Pictage's PartnerCon this November in New Orleans. Period.

You've probably heard us say it before, but you need to be very careful with how you spend your money in your business. Don't go into debt if you don't have to, and invest in the right places - especially when it comes to your growth and education as a business owner. Jeff and I have always been extremely picky when it comes to photography workshops and conferences, and we don't recommend very many. But I can say with more truth and confidence than you probably realize that our business wouldn't be where it is if we didn't attend PartnerCon every year. I believe that statement with my whole being. And I can tell you that if you are ready to work hard and take your business to the next level, PartnerCon will help you get there.

Why do we believe so strongly in PartnerCon? What's makes it different enough to justify the effort to attend? Out of the long list of reasons, here's our top five:

1. The Size

PartnerCon is limited to 500 attendees, so it's much smaller than most photography conferences, especially WPPI. This means that the speaking sessions are much smaller, you're guaranteed a seat at any talk you'd like to attend, you have face to face access with the speakers (who are learning right alongside you), and you can meet a lot of new people without feeling overwhelmed. It's the perfect environment for those who may not know a lot of other people in the industry and would like to build relationships with some pretty cool people. Which brings me to my next point.

2. The Quality

I don't know what it is about Pictage and PartnerCon, but I've always found that it attracts the kind of attendees that are serious and intelligent with their businesses. I'm always blown away at the caliber of people that I meet there, and to be able to interact with 500 other creative, authentic, and talented business owners is worth every penny that we pay. Also, Pictage takes enormous care in picking the line-up of speakers and topics that will be presented every year because their number one priority is providing a high-quality educational experience that exceeds the industry standard. And let me tell you, they have always delivered and exceeded on that promise! We learn a TON at every PartnerCon we attend because it's chock full of high-quality speakers in an intimate setting.

3. The Relationships

So what do those first two points equal? Well, it equals the potential to build high-quality and intimate relationships with other smart, active, and creative business owners from around the country. This is why I feel so strongly about PartnerCon. The relationships we've been able to form and nourish every year have not only been vital to the growth and success of our business, but to our personal growth as photographers as well. Some of our best friends have come out of past PartnerCons, and we feel so blessed to make new relationships every year. And for all of you San Diego PUG peeps that attended last year, you remember the fun we had... oh yeah...

4. The Authenticity

Jeff and I are all about being authentic and real, and we've found that PartnerCon totally keeps it real too. Everyone leaves their egos at the door, they're open about their knowledge, and they truly care about you and your business. I think that's the biggest comment I receive from first-time attendees - they can't believe how real everybody is. But it's a two-way street - if you're willing to be authentic and open, so will everyone else.

5. The Inspiration.

This is the second year that PartnerCon has been held in New Orleans, and I couldn't believe how amazing that city was last year! To be able to grow and learn in an intimate setting is awesome, but to be able to do it in the heart of such a creative and inspirational city just puts the icing on the cake. The conference is held at the Astor Crowne Plaza on the corner of Canal and Bourbon street, so if you're looking to be inspired artistically and emotionally, look no further than right outside the hotel door. You'll get to reconnect with your art in the shooting workshops, as well as connect with friends in the restaurants and jazz clubs. New Orleans breathes creativity, so take it in and be a part of it.

Knowing all of these amazing things about PartnerCon, Jeff and I feel so HONORED to be leading one of the shooting workshops on Thursday, November 11th. Seriously, it's pretty stinkin' humbling to see our names next to so many amazing people in our industry! We were beside ourselves with how much fun we had with our shooting workshop last year, so we're already coming up with some new ideas and locations to explore for this year. So if you're fun, chill, and ready to learn, we'd love to see you in our workshop with us!

For all of the details, check out the website here, and send us a comment if you've registered for the conference! And make sure to sign up for the shooting workshops as soon as registration opens, because the filled up FAST last year! We'll see you there!

And just for funsies, let's revisit our Bedjump 2009 from PartnerCon last year. Good times.

Hugs,

Erin

What: We'll be speaking tonight at the Connecticut PUG, and we're so excited! We'll be doing a talk titled "Keepin' it Real in a Rockstar World" which is the same talk that we gave at Pictage's Partner Conference earlier this year in New Orleans, but with some fun changes. We can't wait

Time: 7:30 PM (EST) on Wednesday, December 16th.

The video stream should be available above, but if it isn't here's the link to the video stream. Please note that we're not completely sure that the venue will have sufficient bandwidth to broadcast, so the stream may not work (but we're crossing our fingers!)

If you have any questions during our talk, just twitter with @JeffYoungren in the tweet and we'll see your question and do our best to answer it.

If you're in the Connecticut area, we'd LOVE to have you in person - all the juicy details are here.

And last but not least, here's a brief description of our talk:

More than ever, the urge to become admired and well-known within the wedding photography industry has created a Hollywood-like effect, transforming successful photographers into celebrity-style icons, while the world’s brides crave authenticity and transformative leadership. Jeff and Erin will discuss the impacts that this has had on the wedding photography industry – both good and bad – and show you how honesty, generosity, and authentic leadership can transform your rising business into a successful brand.

We'll be providing lots of food as well as the cocktails (thanks, Pictage!) so bring your favorite holiday appetizer or dessert. Please indicate what you'll be bringing in your RSVP so others can have an idea of what they should bring to have some culinary variety!

EVERYONE is welcome to come - if you're a photographer that loves hanging out with other photographers, you're welcome to come. You don't have to be a Pictage user and you don't even have to be a regular attender to the PUG. Seriously, you're welcome to come

The party will be Saturday, December 12th beginning at 7pm. All the details are on the evite. PLEASE RSVP as soon as you have the chance - so here's the direct link to the evite. Be sure to indicate how many people are coming, and what you'd like to bring along.

And because posts without images aren't nearly as fun, here's a great shot of Bronson Pate dressed in his Christmas best