PASS Premier Tour

Its Monday afternoon and my phone rings.  Its my dear friend, and fellow photographer Marta (of VonGrey Photography) on the line. She has been dealing with a lot of personal trauma lately within her family, so I immediately thought the reason she was calling was bad news.  But instead she says:

Marta: Hey have you heard about this new PASS thing at all?
Me: Yeah.  I saw a bit about it on Gray Photography's Facebook page.
Marta: So they're doing this tour thing for it...
Me: The one that's in Seattle tomorrow?  The one Promise is gonna be at?!!!
Marta: Yup!  And guess what?  I kind of have tickets for half-price.  Would you go with me?  

ARE YOU KIDDING?!!  Um, yeah... I totally went with her!  ;)

There is just something magical that happens in a room full of photographers, and this time in Seattle was no exception.  You feel a connection, an understanding and this excitement pulsing through the room.  We were all so eager to hear from the chosen speakers for the tour and learn about PASS.

At this point you might be wondering, ok sounds great, but what is PASS anyway?  Great question!  And to be honest, before going to the PASS Premier Tour I didn't really have an idea either...but let me tell you.  If you can go (future tour stops and dates HERE) GO!!  In its most basic form, PASS = NO MORE DVD's.  This revolutionary software product is changing how photographers and their clients interact with the final images.  Its about super easy user-friendly storage 'in-the-cloud', sharing between photographers and their clients and then between clients and all their friends and family.  Where before we would spend time creating and shipping a DVD of final images to a client, who would then spend their time trying just to look at, never mind share the images on the DVD, now everything is digital: storing, viewing and sharing.

Super cool, eh?  And super easy.

Just learning about and viewing this new program at work would of been enough.  But no!  The tour is about way more than that.  Its about growing, developing and learning to be even better photographers.

An important part of that is what Promise Tangeman was there to share.  She pretty much has my dream job. She is a graphic designer who specializes in logo/branding creation and SHOWIT website designs.  I have been a fan of hers for awhile and a follower of her blog.  She shared so much wisdom on the subject of branding YOU.  Its so true (especially for people like me just starting out) that sometimes we try to develop our brand or logo even without first truly knowing who we are.  She said that its like creating a cover for a book before we've even written the book.  Her presentation detailed 3 steps: focus (know yourself and your target market), style (embrace your personal style as the "visual" for your business) and confidence (go out there and share what makes you different).

Then she unveiled her brand new e-course all about this topic.  You can read what she wrote about it HERE in her blog post.  Its currently only available to people at the PASS Premier Tour.  And yeah.  I so got one!  I think it will help me for not only my own business, but also for when I'm creating new blog designs for my own customers.  So excited about this!!  And so excited to get to meet her and talk a bit about design and life and necklaces from 31 Bits.  :)

Next up was Zach and Jody, the husband and wife team behind Gray Photography.  Marta introduced me to them a few months ago, and I have learned a ton from them in such a short time.  Their blog is truly a asset for photographers everywhere.  You have to peek at their website just for photographers HERE.  And every Tuesday on their blog they do tips and tricks.  I learn something new every time!

They are all about creating connections and relationships with our clients.  Turing the whole client transaction process into a lasting friendship.  They shared their philosophy which centers around 3 C's: Connect, Court and Continue.  My favorite quote they shared is from Howard Schultz of Starbucks.  He said "We are not in the coffee business serving people, but in the people business serving coffee."  And that's what photography is all about too.  Yeah, pictures might be an integral part of it...but the people are the most important.  So many  words of wisdom from this cute couple.

Thank you so much David Jay!!  You're an inspiration and as asset to the photography community! I enjoyed this experience and know that when I'm ready to take the next step in my business, your company and your services are exactly what I need.

Here is a video that just encapsulates the mood and everything that is the PASS Premier Tour.  Seriously, go if you can!  You won't regret it.

Pass Premier Tour from Showit on Vimeo.

Thank you so much Marta for inviting me to come along with you.  I had a blast!  And I may or may not have eaten a whole plate of olives.  (but that will be our little secret, right?!)