Blog

I'm a proud older brother! My sister, Katie, and her fiance Mike were married on Saturday in St. Louis. For the first time in recent memory, Rachel and I were on the other side of the camera! It was a surreal and fun experience. I actually got to be a "bridesman" and stand on Katie's side of the aisle with Rachel and our youngest sister Sudie. Mark and Erin did a fantastic job photographing the wedding and shared a sneak peak with us this morning.

Congratulations Katie and Mike! We love you both and are excited for you to continue your life together as partners and best friends.

We had a great whirlwind trip to New York for PPE. Check out these photos from Leica and Livebooks. Thanks everyone for stopping by and catching up with us. I don't have much time to write, because we're off to St. Louis for my sister's wedding!

The LaCour team will be in New York City this week attending the Photo Plus Expo. Here's the schedule, including where we're speaking. Come by and see us!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18th

• Leica Booth, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. : Andrew will be at the Leica booth. Come see some of his recent photos that he's made with his Leica M8.

• LiveBooks Booth, 10:30 a.m. : Mark will give a presentation entitled Accelerating Buzz

• Photoshelter Party, 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. : Join at Lotus Studio for the party! Click Here to Register.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19th

• Panel Discussion, 3:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., How to Get Started in Multimedia : Mark will join a panel of multimedia experts who will explore the basics of multimedia storytelling and production and how to apply storytelling skills as photojournalists or wedding photographers to the mediums of audio and video.

Additional Fun:
Ron Dawson of Cinematic Studios interviewed Erin and Mark last month and just posted the podcast on his new site: F-Stop Beyond : A Journey Into the Heart of the Visual Artist. Ron has interviewed some great photographers on his new site, so be sure to check it out. Look for Andrew and Rachel's interview soon.

*Click Here for Mark & Erin's interview.

I returned late Thursday night from attending the 1st ever Bebbinar. I've been in awe of Jennifer and Stephen Bebb's amazing photography for quite a while and when I saw them on Dane's Photo Minute, I knew that I wanted to meet them. And sure enough, they completely blew away my expectations.



Genuine Inspiration: I am completely inspired and energized after meeting Jennifer and Stephen Bebb. They exude such a rare passion for life and you can see it in everything they do. they're not just two of the best photographers in the world, they're two of the best people in the world. Both of them have a magnetic personality and a true desire to help others. Their seminar is about "defining your own style, building and living your unique brand, and providing your clients with an amazing and consistent experience from start to finish." They're living proof of how this works and they'll show you how to do it. Get on their waiting list for their next seminar.

Strategy Avenue: I met Laura Novak at the Salt Lake City airport waiting for our flight to Vancouver. We ended up sitting next to each other on the flight up to the Bebbinar and we talked the entire time - a lot about business, but also about our dogs. Look at Laura's cutie-pie, Art! Laura was a featured guest speaker at the Bebbinar and she guided the class through a day-long presentation on how to optimize your photography business. Laura really challenged me to think hard about my own goals and helped me figure out some solutions to help me achieve the goals that I want. If you're struggling with how to grow your business, or what direction you need to go, or how to take your business to the next level, call Laura right now! She offers resources for photographers ranging from workshops to DVDs. So check out Laura's Strategy Avenue.

My Mom grinned at me yesterday when I told her my current favorite book is WIKINOMICS. She knows that I used to avoid business books like the plague. I majored in Art History and my bookshelves are crammed full of artist's monographs and art theory books. So, it's funny to see my business books and my art books sharing shelves side-by-side these days!

Here is the newest quote on my wall, posted alongside the art and business books:

Business art is the step that comes after Art. I started as a commercial artist, and I want to finish as a business artist. Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. During the hippie era people put down the idea of business - they'd say 'Money is bad,' and 'Working is bad,' but making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.