Congratulations to LaCour's Mark Adams for winning first place in the ceremony category in the 2007 contest of the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association. Mark's challenging photo of Lizzie and Charlie's moonlight beach ceremony in Laguna Beach, CA, was recognized for its unique lighting and artistic impact. Here's what the judges said:

What a great use of a remote light! The beautiful beach scene gives me a glimpse into an intimate piece of this family's life, and the light only accentuates the scene.

ShootQ is inviting a limited number of users to join a community of Founding Members. This opportunity is available to the first 100 studios who reserve their ShootQ Founding Memberships. For an up-front investment of $595, Founding Members will use ShootQ without ever paying anything else. It pays for itself in less than a year!

Just like all ShootQ members, Founding Members must receive training, currently available through our Setup Party Tour. Video training will be available with the release of ShootQ 2.0 this fall. To learn more, visit the Founding Membership portion of the ShootQ website.

If you can't invest in a Founding Membership, ShootQ will still be offered on a monthly subscription basis.

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Meet Mr. Q: Man of Mystery

ShootQ has hired a full-time software Development Manager! Due to his current role as Development Team Leader at a prominent software company, Mr. Q’'s identity must remain a secret.

Mr. Q is a clever devil who brings over ten years of development experience to ShootQ. With a self-proclaimed passion for dynamic languages and open-source technology, Mr. Q wears his geek hat proudly.

An accomplished programmer who has created applications that run many of the country’'s hospitals, Mr. Q understands the unique challenges inherent in managing sensitive client data. This wealth of knowledge will allow him to create cutting edge web-based software and build features to develop our community at ShootQ.

Beyond his technical qualifications, Mr. Q is that rare breed of computer dude who is actually a people person. Which means he loves to interface with clients and collaborate on new features that users will, well, use. And love to use. So share your next great idea for ShootQ and he’ll try to oblige!

When not attached to his Mac, Mr. Q likes to spend time with his lovely wife and two canine kids. On fall Saturdays, Mr. Q can be seen sporting white and gold as he cheers his alma mater, the Rambling Wreck of Georgia Tech, to victory.

Mr. Q will officially join the ShootQ team and tour in August, so many of you will meet him in person! Stay tuned to LaCour's blog at http://www.lacourphoto.net/ where Mr. Q’'s identity will be revealed soon. We’'re honored to have him!

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Westward Bound: New Cities!

We've received your emails, letters and singing voicemails. Due to popular demand, we're extending the ShootQ setup tour, adding seven new stops! In addition to current stops in Atlanta, Phoenix, Asheville, Chattanooga, Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and St. Louis, ShootQ is announcing the following additions:

9/6: Orange County
9/11: Los Angeles
10/1: Seattle
10/2: Salt Lake City
10/4: San Francisco
(date rescheduled)
10/9: Austin
10/10: Dallas

Seating is limited: to reserve your seats, visit THE SETUP PARTY TOUR WEBSITE!

I have had a long-standing obsession with carnivals and state fairs, the grittier the better. I love the colorful, flashy lights on rides and vendors' booths, attended by grumpy, cigarette-smoking carnies. I love the dichotomy of pretty and ugly, sparkly and worn, innocent and seasoned (a la Mary Ellen Mark's Indian circus portraits).

So when Mark and I heard that a large portion of Coney Island's amusement park was going to close after this summer, we knew we had to go. We spent a week in New York, and went to Coney Island on July Fourth, with the purpose of taking pictures all day. We rode some rides, attended the Sideshow by the Sea (supposedly the last remaining "freak show" in the United States), and ate a bunch of really unhealthy food.

The day started off with the Nathan's Hot-Dog Eating Contest, the olympics of competitive eating. Mark and I arrived too late to get a good viewing spot, so we just listened and took in the crowd. The contestants were described in such ways as "burrito specialist," "birthday-cake-eating champion of the world" and "a vegetarian who only eats meat for contests" (my personal favorite).

Here are some of our photos from the day.

I have been grappling with this issue lately. Can you be a successful entrepreneur and a dedicated artist at the same time?
Can you equally emphasize the quality of your art and the growth of your business?

One of our best friends is a highly successful entrepreneur in the Washington D.C. area. He also happens to be an art history buff who loves businesses that successfully balance a commitment to art & design with a commitment to profitability & growth. Since we were in D.C. this weekend for a wedding, we had a chance to visit him and share some fun conversations.

We talked about Abraham Louis Breguet the famed Parisian watchmaker whose exquisite sense of style created modern watch design. He revolutionized an entire industry through his commitment to uncompromising aesthetic standards and smart business growth. Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI wore Breguet's watches and he was recently memorialized at Versailles by Swatch Chairman Nicolas G. Hayek.

Here's what Hayek said about Breguet:

I consider a real entrepreneur an artist, a creator. An entrepreneur for me is Picasso, Henry Ford, Beethoven, Breguet. A good entrepreneur is an artist who is always creating something new. They keep innovating with absolutely high standards and high quality — and don't forget beauty, beauty, beauty! An entrepreneur must continually create new products, create jobs and find new markets. He must be continually on the move and prepared to take responsibility for his actions. An entrepreneur has always been and always will be an artist, a creator, and an innovator, who motivates all people around him and creates new wealth and workplaces."

The legacy of Breguet the artist and Breguet the entrepreneur reminds me that art and business are not mutually exclusive. It is indeed possible to excel at both. In fact, the best entrepreneurs are often artists. They view business itself as an art!

Asheville is fantastic! We're here for the ShootQ Set-Up Party, hosted by our friend Corey McNabb.
Corey's studio is filled with vibrant imagery that reflects his vision and his clients' style! We also had a chance to enjoy a great Indian meal at Parker and Missy's favorite spot! It was fun to hang out with Corey, Jill, Parker and Missy for dinner and drinks. Thanks guys for being such wonderful hosts for ShootQ! Photos from our visit in Asheville, courtesy of Corey's blog.