Chris and Katie Humphreys

Update on the first Denver SMUG!

As we recently posted, we're so excited to be two of the leaders of the new Denver SMUG!  If you're a photographer, hopefully you've already signed up for the SMUG mailing list so you heard about the date change, but just in case we wanted to update everyone!

The first meeting date has been changed to Wednesday, November 18th at 7:00 pm at Blake Street Tavern.  We're so excited to have Jeff Jochum on the agenda for the first meeting, who will be sharing some great info with everyone.  We're also just so excited to have a great time getting together with photographers in the area and seeing lots of new faces!

Here's the agenda!

New SMUG leaders Chris & Katie Humphreys and Sara Frances & Karl Arndt welcome:
 
SmugMug's chief marketing dude...Jeff Jochum!

 

Fusion... WTF (what's the fuss)?

Jeff will reprise his Igniting Fusion presentation at this month's meeting. Featuring incredible videos videos by Bob Davis, Robert Evans, JVS, Chris MacAskill, The Bebbs and The Bui Brothers, as well as the NEWEST video from Vincent Laforet's SmugMug project in Hawaii - Igniting Fusion was a big hit at this year's Collision Conference, hosted by the LA Film School, a few weeks ago.
 
If you are wondering "WTH is Fusion (and why should I care)?" - this is the meeting for you.
 
Learn how it's done (good, bad and ugly) and how to GET STARTED in this next generation market opportunity.  Old Skool is still cool, but the success of the Canon 5D MkII (and excitement around the new 7D), coupled with the exploding consumer demand for vid-media (thanks to Animoto.com and the Apple iPhones and iPods) is driving Fusion photography as the next BIG step up in the world of digital photography. Become a Fusion leader (or find one) at this month's SMUG.

Denver SMUG
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18, 2009 | 7:00-9:30PM
Blake Street Tavern (map)
2401 Blake Street (@ 24th)
Denver, CO
 
SMUGs are free and open to everyone who loves photography.
No RSVP is needed, but SPACE is LIMITED, so get there early for the best seats.
 

Spend a Day with The Humphreys!

We’ve talked about it for about two years.
We’ve tossed around ideas, tossed them out, and started back from scratch.
And finally, we created a new vision.

That’s why we’re so excited to be announcing our first-ever workshop for photographers! 

Chris and I both absolutely love teaching and speaking, and we’ve wanted to develop a workshop for quite a while now.   One of the things we knew from the beginning was that we wanted to create a workshop that was a totally individualized experience where we could really focus on some of the seemingly small details that are involved in running a successful business.  Things that aren’t always talked about, but that really make a difference.

The vision for our workshop came from an excerpt we found in Michael Gerber’s book – The E-Myth Revisited – one of our favorite business books of all time.
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“Great business people know that a business doesn’t miss the mark by failing to achieve greatness in some lofty principled way, but in the stuff that goes on in every nook and cranny of the business.  And so the great ones I have known seem to possess an intuitive understanding that the only way to reach something higher is to focus their attention on the multitude of seemingly insignificant, unimportant, and boring things that make up every business.”

Because we know that the small details in execution matter, we wanted to create a one-on-workshop where we could really delve into an individual photographers’ business with them and at the end of the day, leave them with practical, actionable things that they could do.  Whether it’s working on your pricing, figuring out how to systematize your workflow so your clients all get a consistent experience, or working on particular shooting issues,, we want to address these weaker areas you’re struggling with.

You can check out our brand new workshop site here!

These last two months of 2009 are a great opportunity to get together with us to tighten up any areas of your business before the new year starts, so email us today about getting  your date set for these last two months of 2009!

For the complete info, please visit our new website for Spend a Day with The Humphreys!

Blogs that Challenge.

Last night, Chris and I were commenting on the crazy number of blogs that each of us follow (especially me, Katie!) and remarking that it's funny because many of those blogs are ones that we don't actually read for the most part!  But though we may skim the majority of them, when push comes to shove, there's only a handful that get our undivided attention when it comes time to read.

Chris and I have often said that a huge reason we've seen our business grow since it's inception in 2004 is because of the things we've read and the ideas we've exposed ourselves to.  Believe it or not, blogs are a big part of that and we really love that there's a few blogs that we can always count on to challenge us.  I wanted to share three of my favorite Blogs that Challenge.  I'll do a couple more in this series, but this post will have three of my favorite blogs that are specifically geared toward small businesses.

1. Seth Godin - he is hands down probably my favorite blogger on small business because his ideas are simple, yet extremely powerful.  If I could read only one blog and own books by only one author, it would probably be him!

2. Sean Low - The Business of Being Creative.  An incredibly well written blog that caters a little more towards the wedding industry, but is thought provoking for any small business owner.  This blog challenges me - my only complaint is that I wish he would post a little more often!

3. Think Splendid - This is a new find and a blog that I've only been following for a couple of months.  Liene Stevens who writes this blog is a consultant for other business owners, and her blog has a lot of interesting commentary on social media that I really enjoy. She's challenging and says things like they are. Though I haven't followed this blog for that long, I ALWAYS make time to read this one.

What are some of YOUR favorite Blogs that Challenge?

A SMUG is coming to Denver!

Chris and I have been long-time believers in the importance of community.  From the time we started our business, we've been constantly amazed at how being in a community of photographers has not only impacted our business, but also enriched our life outside of business.  Our friendships with other photographers have challenged us, helped us discover ways to improve our business, and we've made friends who have supported us in ways that we never expected.  We are convinced to our core that being involved in a community is one of the most important things photographers can do, not only for the success of our business, but for our life.

That's why Chris and I are so excited to be two of the leaders for the new SMUG  (SmugMug User Group) that is starting up in Denver.  Smug Mug is a company that knows community is vital to the success of photographers, and because of that, they've launched the SMUG!  Along with fellow photographer, Sara Frances, we're excited to help start what we know will be an incredible community in Denver!  SmugMug CMO, Jeff Jochum, has been a friend of ours for years and we are so thrilled that he is spearheading the introduction of the SMUG in Denver and we're also so excited for our fellow Denver photographers to meet Jeff if they haven't already!  SMUGS are open to any and all photographers, so even if you aren't a SmugMug user, we really hope that you'll join us!  No matter what stage you're at in your business, we would love for you to be involved! 

So...without further ado, here's the details for our very first meeting so you can mark it on your calendar!

Date: November 17th, 2009

Time: 7:00PM

Location: Blake Street Tavern - 2401 Blake St Denver, CO 80205

Most importantly though, be sure to sign up for the SMUG email list  so that you can be notified of meeting times, changes, etc. Click here  to add your name to mailing list to be the first to know about upcoming events!

We can't wait to see you there!

Taking a little time to Breathe.

"I love a broad margin in my life.  Sometimes, in a summer morning, having taken my accustomed bath, I sat in my sunny doorway from sunrise till noon, rapt in a revery." ~Henry David Thoreau

This past year, Chris and I have been making a conscious effort to take time to really reflect on the bigger picture for our life  - we're lucky enough to have a lifestyle that allows us to work for ourselves, travel, and have a flexible schedule, and we want to make the most of it!  We want to create a lifestyle where there is always space for Life to take place and we don't want our days to become so busy that we lose sight of all the possible life experiences that are available to us.  When we get stuck behind our computers and constantly remain working, it's easy to forget that we need to take time to just breathe and be present.  Our life needs to be about more than just cramming our days full of work, going to bed exhausted, and waking up to repeat this order!  In line with this idea, I've also been reading a great book (thanks to DJ!) called Minute of Margin  that is all about creating margin in our life, whether it's in our time, our finances, or our relationships.  I have been so reminded that our life is not about how busy we can stay, but about how full our life is because of the relationships and adventures that we allow ourselves to take part in. 

So as Chris and I have been reflecting on ways to create margin in our life, we decided this past Saturday that instead of staying home on a non-wedding weekend to "catch up" (there's always more "catching up") we would drive up to Vail and go for a hike together for the day.  We wanted to share these pictures we took of the places that continue to exist around us, even when we are caught up in work or feel stressed out by our to-do list.  These beautiful places are always around us - it's just up to us to take time to enjoy them.  Hopefully you might be reminded, as we were, that we should always make time to "sit in our sunny doorway from sunrise till noon, rapt in a revery." :)

Alaskan Adventure :)

Well, for the first time that we can remember, Chris and I actually took a SUMMER vacation, just the two of us!  I can't believe that we made it happen in the middle of wedding season, but it was absolutely fantastic and refreshing to have to give up my email and phone for the week and just focus on being present where we were.  Chris and I booked a last minute cruise up to Alaska where we started off in Whittier, sailed through Glacier Bay and down the coast and ended up in Vancouver.  The first two days of the cruise, we stayed on the ship as we sailed  through Glacier Bay which was truly spectacular beyond words.  We have just never seen anything like it and caught some amazing scenic views!

It was a little windy, but we lucked out with wonderful weather and sunny skies! We loved getting to sit out in the sun all day and look at the incredible views!

We saw another ship as we were sailing and it sure put into perspective how big the mountains are, even compared to the big cruise ships!

After dinner each night it was always such a treat to go up to the deck and watch the sunset (even though it was usually around 11:00 or so at night!)

Our first stop off the boat was in Skagway where we had quite an adventure planned.  As our main excursion for the trip, we decided to take a trip up to a glacier via helicopter (an adventure in itself!) where we would land at a camp where about 250 sled dogs were staying for the summer. We'd get to walk around on the glacier, spend time with all the dogs, and then go for a sled ride with the dogs pulling us! The picture below was the view from our helicopter window as we were coming into camp!

When we got off, we were absolutely overwhelmed with all the sweet dogs and how excited they were to see us!  Our musher introduced us to all the dogs who we'd be riding with and all twelve of them were friendlier than we ever imagined! Here we are before taking off for our ride!

Here's a picture Chris grabbed of me in the two person sled right before we left.  It was absolutely incredible how excited all the dogs would get when they knew they were going to get to run - they were all barking with excitement!!  We found out that some of the dogs who were pulling us had done the Iditarod 6 or 7 times!

Here's Chris holding onto the sled right before we left!

We stopped once or twice during our ride to get off the sled and walk around the glacier - we couldn't resist grabbing a picture with the pups!  They don't look very interested in the camera because they were wondering why we had stopped - they were ready to keep running!

Enjoying the view!!

At the end of our visit, we got to go over to the puppies (about 6 weeks old) and spend some time playing with them.  I about died when this little guy was placed in my arms!!  I think these were probably the sweetest puppies we had ever seen and I was tempted to try to take one back on the helicopter with us!  I don't know how he would have felt about being on a cruise ship when he's used to playing in the snow!

Though we were sad to leave the puppies, we weren't disappointed when we got back on the boat and had even more incredible views to admire!!

In Juneau, we took a tram up to a nature center which was pretty beautiful.  Up there was a Bald Eagle Rehabilitation group where they would help heal Bald Eagles who were injured in the wild so that they could be released again.  This bird below had been really injured by a poacher and wasn't able to be released back to the wild due to problems with her eyes, so they'd built a large sanctuary for her where she would sit and relax all day!  It was pretty amazing to be so close to such a magnificent bird!

After that, we went to Mendenhall Glacier while we were in Juneau and while we weren't there for long, we loved getting to see the glacier and beautiful park!

Chris unfortunately got a little too close to the wildlife.....

And I had a run-in myself with one of the birds... :)

On our last night when we were along British Columbia, we caught this picture of another boat near us and I just loved how peaceful this scene was.

We are so thankful to have been able to take such a wonderful trip and get a chance to relax and get refreshed in the midst of our busy season.  We are of course happy to be back home and with our kitties but will certainly miss the incredible quiet of being at sea!  Up next, we'll be catching up and blogging Jenn and Matt's beautiful wedding from Jamaica last month! :)

Our interview on F-Stop Beyond!

Last summer, Chris and I were fortunate enough to work with Ron Dawson to capture a Behind the Scenes video (well, actually two videos!) of the two of us working together.  (If you haven’t seen them already, you can check them out here and here! )

We really enjoyed making these videos earlier in 2008, and when Ron later asked us this winter if we would do an interview with him for F-Stop Beyond, we were honored!

F-Stop Beyond is a great show that features podcasts of interviews with photographers that go beyond business and shooting, and really delve into who these photographers are as people.  Chris and I were really honored to share about what it’s like to work together, how we “accidentally” wound up in photography, and what goes on behind the scenes when working at home :)

Many, many thanks to Ron Dawson for including us in this wonderful series!

You can listen to the interview here:

F-Stop Beyond

Reflections on Power....

I’ll start off this post apologizing for the seemingly randomness of the topic.  It’s honestly just something that’s been on my mind the last few days.   :)

One week ago today, Katie and I took the time to watch Barack Obama take the oath of office (during the first of two times!) to become President of the United States.  One thing that has really struck me this past week is the idea of just how powerful the President is.  

In one 35 word oath, Barack Obama went from private citizen to the most powerful man on the planet.  Four Star generals will take their orders from him, the leaders of other countries answer the phone when he calls, the stock market rises or falls on the words that he chooses.

And yet that got me thinking about how powerful we each are as our own individuals.  We have the power over our minds.  We have the power over our thoughts.  We have power over the words we speak from our mouths.  We have power over the things we do each day and the way in which we do them.  We have the power to affect ourselves and other human beings.  

While we may not (individually) have the power to destroy the world, or have people rise to their feet when we enter a room, the power we do have is actually much more practical.  We may not be the commander in chief of the world’s most powerful military, but we are each the “president” of our own actions and the way we go about those actions.   

Sure, it may not be as outwardly cool as having your own bullet proof, custom designed limo, helicopter, and plane, but it is a power that we don’t acknowledge or think about nearly often enough.  I think if we’re really honest with ourselves, we don’t want to admit that we’re powerful.  We don’t want to think about how much power we actually have since it’s easier to think about the few “cool” powers someone like the President has.  Ignoring the power that we have is a clever (albeit poor) excuse for not making changes in our lives that we know we need to make.  It’s much easier to pass ourselves off as powerless to change a situation in your life, in your community, or in your world, than to rise to the challenge and harness the power you do have to make a difference.  

So if you’re up for the challenge, go ahead and revel in the power that you as an individual actually has.  Feel free to even get caught up in a power trip if it’ll help you.  Just use that power to positively effect the world around you and while marching bands won’t break into “hail to the chief” when you enter a room, people will enjoy your presence just the same.  :)

As a side note: here's a super cool collection of Inauguration Day photos that I found on Gary's Blog. 

Also if you wanted to see a crazy 1474 megapixel image from the inauguration click here!  

Aimee and Scott featured in Elegant Bride!

Last July, we had a fun opportunity to shoot a surprise engagement party that our friend and wedding coordinator, Lyndsey Hamilton was helping Scott plan for his soon-to-be fiance, Aimee.  You can see our original post from the fabulous party here!

We were really excited when we found out that Elegant Bride wanted to feature Aimee and Scott's engagement party in their winter issue that hit stands this month!  It was such fun to see the photos featured from their wonderful night- many thanks to everyone involved!

The Longest Day: Episodes 1 and 2!

You might remember our post a little while back about a fun Reality TV Show that we were asked to be a part of for WPPI.  You can read all about it in our previous post, but we were excited to hear from Ron that the first episodes are now edited and ready for everyone to view! :)

These episodes go behind the scenes of both teams (Chris and I were put on opposite teams!) and it's a fun look into the making of each team's final movie.  Check out episode 1!

See episode 2 here!

Hope you enjoy!!