This November I attended my first ever photography conference. I’ve attended workshops, retreats, and put together my own styled shoots but I’d never been to a conference before.
Truth be told, I didn’t know there were such things for the photography industry. Those were things that business executives and people with “real jobs” attended…not something for us creative types.
Well, I can’t begin to tell you how wrong I was because there are a handful of conferences for us photographers. And the creme of the crop is the Showit United conference. So naturally, once I decided I wanted to start attending conferences, I told myself I had to be at this one! I booked my ticket (a whole year in advance) and patiently waited for November 2019.
So, what makes Showit United so unique? That’s a complicated answer but I’ll try to sum it up.
- It’s an annual event: The conference has been going on for about 8 years so they know how to put on a god event.
- It focuses on business: how to better your business, how to think about business differently, how to enhance your creative skills to produce better work, etc.
- It’s not just about business: business is important but the real focus is on fostering community. And building relationships we did! I met photographers whom I now call some of my most amazing and treasured friends.
- It’s like camp but for photographers: we get to attend keynote speaker sessions with creatives at the top of their game but we also get to attend breakout sessions, styled photo shoots, and a gala…a freaking gala y’all! Oh, and if you want it, you can have pool time…pool time in November friends. That’s just what the doctor ordered for this Minnesota girl.
If there was an overarching theme for this year’s conference it would be fostering relationships and grace.
Relationships are SO important in the service industry and photography is no different. We talked a lot about how we build and maintain relationships with our various communities (our family, friends, clients, virtual community) as well as maintaining the most important relationship of all: the relationship we have with ourselves.
So yeah, Showit United it pretty friggin sweet. So sweet in fact that I’ve already secured my spot for Showit United 2020. I have a feeling this will be an annual “must do” for Lauren Baker Photography from here on out. 😉
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How do we even start to say thank you for all the work and effort you put into our wedding day?
- Josie and Scott
Lauren played such a meaningful role in our wedding, capturing the day in photos that we'll look back on for the rest of our lives. She kept Scott and me calm and sane - Lauren is a miracle worker! She put in 100% effort and gave us her very best, and that means so much to me. Seeing our photographs makes me so excited and so happy that Lauren was with us on this journey.
Lauren made the process so easy and made us feel so comfortable!
- Amy and Luke
We just wanted to say thank you again so much for your amazing work. You were seriously incredible to work with and we loved the locations you suggested for both our engagement shoot and the spots in Stillwater. We were very worried about getting professional photos done since we had never done it before, but you made the process so easy and made us feel so comfortable. Thank you!
Working with Lauren was easy breezy and FUN! She gave us our most treasured photos ever!
- GRACE AND NICK
There was a chunk of time in our wedding planning when we thought we'd go without a professional photographer to save on cost (terrible idea!) but once we met with Lauren, we knew we'd be in good hands. She checked in often and asked questions that got us thinking about other parts of the wedding that we probably would've missed. Lauren captured exactly who we are as a couple!
Lauren's enthusiasm and passion make the photo-taking process so fun – she made me feel like a star!
- Alisa AND Adam
Lauren and her team are so much fun to work with! She made us feel so comfortable on the day of our wedding, providing both silly and helpful cues to help us relax and be ourselves in our photos. Lauren’s background in dance is super helpful in recognizing simple posture changes that make a big difference, too. Oh, and the photos we got are just stunning!
Lauren was pivotal in making our wedding day perfect!
- Emma AND Erik
My husband and I looked FOR MONTHS to find the perfect photographer and after meeting Lauren we knew was the best fit for us. She made our day so much fun and easy. She found little opportunities to make the perfect photo all with a calm ease that comes from someone who has an artistic eye along with experience in understanding the flow of a wedding.
Not only is Lauren an amazing human being, but she is an awesome photographer!
- Haley AND Erick
I've been in several weddings and have worked with a multitude of photographers and I never felt as confident as I did with Lauren. I love how professional she is. She helped with the timeline way in advance and we stuck to that timeline the day of. She was also able to professionally and firmly keep unruly family members settled and focused and navigated family drama beautifully!
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