I know I know- you’re all bummed because you read Mystic and thought “yes!  This will be the photography convention where the attendees break out their elf ears and carry on in a manner that is half way between renfest and comicon!” but no.  Mystic is an amazing little convention that takes place in Mystic, Connecticut where very normal and charming (not that renfest and comicon attendees aren’t charming) people from around the globe gather to learn and share.

For this coming year, Sean and I are honored to have been asked to speak and seeing the incredible lineup of speakers, it’s clear that we have really got to bring our A-game!  We’ve been working hard to put together a talk that is jam-packed with things that you can use right away to start improving the overall body of work you provide for your clients.  We’ve tried it out on a few Pictage User Groups around the country and received great reviews and now it has been tweaked, updated, and jam-packed some more to get ready for all of you at Mystic!

McLellan Style Seminar Description:

Shooting with Purpose, Shooting with Style

Sean and Mel decided several years back that there would be no excuses. No excuses for not being able to succeed, for not being able to get the clients they wanted, and for not being able to deliver above and beyond in every situation.

Failure is not an option.  It may just be one day of less-than-exceptional photos for you but those photos will be with your client for the rest of their lives. We all know what it’s like to not be feeling your best, to be handed a schedule with no time for photography, or to find yourself in less than desirable locations; but not being on top of your game for a couple’s wedding day just doesn’t cut it.  Please join us for real content, practical tips, and advice that will prove applicable no matter where you find your business!

We hope you’ll join us for what is sure to be an incredible few days!  For more details and to sign up, please visit the Mystic Seminars webpage.  See you there!

Sean and I will be leading a shooting workshop for Pictage’s PartnerCon next week and we hope to see you there!  If you haven’t already signed up for PartnerCon, we would encourage you to take a look. The conference is open to both members and non-members and they’ve got a great line-up of amazing speakers ready and eager to share!  We are honored to be a part of what should be a phenomenal week!  Thank you to the Pictage staff who have been working tirelessly to put this thing together!  You guys are great and we appreciate you. :0)

We were in China when registration opened for the shooting workshops and we were blown away when we returned to the states to find that the workshop had sold out in 5 minutes!  THANKS YOU GUYS!!  Wow.  For those who are curious about what exactly we’re up to, we’re excited to be teaming up with our friends and fellow photographers, Whitney and Peter Carlson to do The Ultimate Night Shoot! – Two Studios, Two Ways

As I said, the workshop is currently sold out, but there is a wait list on our workshop page that you can add yourself to and if any openings become available, the Pictage staff will let you know.  There are also lots of other great shooting workshops so be sure ot check out the Shooting Workshops page for more details and to see which ones are still available.  Our workshop details are as follows:

About the workshop: As the days get shorter, you will probably find that more and more of your weddings have the couple portrait time scheduled after dark.  For some this will be an exhilarating change, while others will cringe at the thought.  Sean and Mel McLellan (McLellan Style) and Peter and Whitney Carlson (Dove Wedding Photography) have learned to find the light, in even the darkest environment, and when they can’t find it, they create it through various simple, portable, and efficient means.  Whitney and Peter find speed lights to be their greatest asset while Sean and Mel create using primarily video lights.  They’ve teamed up to show you the best of both worlds in the ultimate night shooting workshop in beautiful New Orleans!  Whether you love to shoot at night, or find the whole process terrifying, there will be something in it for you!

Topics covered will be:

How to use speed lights in a night shooting environment

Utilizing video lighting

Inexpensive lighting options

Finding the ambient light at night

Proper lighting techniques for portraiture

Working quickly with lighting on a wedding day

Creative, portable lighting setups for the photographer who doesn’t want to carry everything!

and more…

Supplying a pocket wizard is encouraged, but not required, for participation in the strobe portion of the shoot.

Following the shoot, get the full experience of Nashville’s awesome community by joining both studios for food and drink over mini mentoring sessions and discussions on community building, mentoring, and how to facilitate both in your community.

We hope to see you in New Orleans next week!  Please come say hi! :0)

Looking forward to seeing you soon…

– Mel and Sean

It’s that time of year again – already!  I can’t believe it!  As the Holidays approach, many of you will want prints, canvas, or albums for Christmas, as well as holiday cards to send out to friends and family.  To ensure your order arrives in time, please make note of the following cutoff dates*:

*Final design approval must be given by the cutoff date in order for your order to be placed.

We can’t wait to deliver your beautiful work! :0) Thanks so much!!

– Mel and Sean