The Cottage at the JJP Workshop

I wanted to write this next blog post about my experience at a workshop I recently attended with Julie Paisley Photography. Julie hosts workshops for photographers looking to get into wedding photography. Wedding photography, while an AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE,  is an incredibly challenging, competitive, scary, and stressful industry! New photographers tend to jump into wedding photography and quickly run in the other direction, because they find out how truly challenging it can be. This is not an industry that many can survive in without a little help from those who have been there, and survived it. Julie not only survived it, she revolutionized the wedding photography industry by creating an unforgettable EXPERIENCE for her clients. In just 4 short years, Julie has been able to make a name for herself in this incredibly competitive industry and is published on a regular basis in some of the industry’s top wedding magazines and blogs. Her clients not only love her work, but they LOVE her. Julie is usually a bride’s first call after getting engaged, and brides tend to book their big day around her schedule. Julie is not only talented, capturing breathtaking images, but she knows how to keep her business growing and profitable by providing an unforgettable experience. If you were Julie, would you share your most valuable secrets to your success in this crazy, completive industry? Well, Julie does! She WANTS to share her secrets to survival, and she WANTS you to succeed too!

I first found Julie when she was featured on Rock The Shot, a great resource for new and seasoned photographers alike. I fell in love with her work and the way she talked about her relationships with her clients. She is not one of those photographers who shows up, gets paid, leaves, and never speaks to her clients again. Julie sees the value in building a relationship with her clients BEFORE her sessions. You can see it in her images.  Her clients are relaxed and share a true connection with not only the other people in the image, but also with her. This connection allows her to capture TRUE emotions and TURE moments. I knew that I had to find out how she did that!

I had been following her for about a year and finally decided after seeing rave reviews, that I had to attend one of her workshops. I saw her post one day about her online Lightroom Webinar, that taught how to use Lightroom AND every step she takes when editing her images. I signed up for the webinar and I was HOOKED!  After months and months of trying to achieve it on my own, finally my images were EXACTLY what I wanted them to look like! Julie was able to teach me how in just a short, two hour webinar. I thought, OK THATS IT, I HAVE TO MEET HER!

I quickly signed up for her Cottage Workshop at her home in Nashville, TN. It was just a 6 hour drive from St. Louis, MO and she let us stay in her cottage!  I traveled with a local photographer–Amanda from Manda Renee Photography; who coincidently, I met while attending Julie’s online Lightroom Webinar! Turned out, she lived right down the road from me, small world!

We arrived at the cottage and Julie greeted us with snacks, sweet tea and a happy warm southern welcome! It felt like we were in a Better Homes & Gardens Magazine when we walked into the cottage! IT WAS GORGEOUS! There were fresh flowers everywhere we looked and it was covered in lace, vintage cameras, gorgeous prints, girly furnishings— doused in peach, white, and mint green! It’s true to her brand and her personality! I LOVED IT!

The next morning we woke up to a FULL day of learning! We had breakfast, grabbed a cup of coffee, and curled up on the beautiful white couches! (which I can never have with two toddlers! lol) Julie made us feel right at home, offering us each a quilt to wrap up in. After getting cozy, Julie began to teach us everything we needed to know about weddings. Including branding, staying organized, tips for shooting, what gear you need, what products to offer, which vendors to use, how to stand out, how to stay confident, AND SO MUCH MORE. The most exciting part of our day was when we went for our shoot! Julie brought in the cutest couple and styled the session herself. She even showed us how easy it is to make a flower crown and bouquet! We were able to shoot along side Julie as she gave tips on how to get the best shots. She even showed us how easy it is to connect with a new client at the beginning of the shoot. My images from the shoot were the best I’d ever taken! The entire day, Julie gave us her undivided attention. After our workshop was complete, Julie was finally free of all of our questions! BUT, instead of going home and getting her much needed rest (that girl never stops!), she stayed up half the night with us just talking about life! I can truly say that Julie is a new friend!

After coming home from the workshop I thought about all that I had learned during my stay. There were two things that we learned, that were probably the most important—how to make a connection with your clients and to BELIEVE in yourself! Julie spoke many times about these two topics throughout the day. She helped me to realize that with hard work, I CAN do this! This experience at Julie’s workshop was like no other. I was able to, not only learn from the AMAZING JULIE PAISLEY, but I was able to connect with other women who have a strong passion for photography–just like me! Julie provides us an opportunity to get together and become life long friends with other people who share the same passion, the same goals, and the same dream. I cannot wait to attend another one of Julie’s workshops!

Please enjoy some of the images I captured during the workshop! Be sure to check out my next post with the images from out shoot!