Now that 2012 has come to a close, hopefully you had some much needed  reflection and R&R and are ready to dive headfirst into 2013. When you think about your successes and mistakes over the past year, are there things you wish you’d done differently? Probably. But that’s the beauty of a new year – it’s a fresh start! To get you started, we asked YOU to share ONE THING you’ll do differently in 2013. Every week, we’ll be spotlighting one photographer and the ONE THING that they’re doing differently this coming year. What will you change? Here’s what photographer  Kristi Odom said:   About Kristi Odom Kristi Odom has a background in travel and nature photography that she brings into destination wedding photography. She has photographed

A few days ago, Kristi Odom shared her wisdom about entering photo contests for self-growth. The benefits to your photo business are clear, but there’s still another benefit. It’s a hand-me-down tip from renowned wedding photographer David Beckstead, but its second-hand nature doesn’t diminish its value one iota! Here it is: many contests – and you should ask about this for any contest you enter – allow entrants to sit in on the judging process. So, if you entered WPPI’s print competiton this year, you should sit in on the judging process. It can be brutal, but it’s the kind of critique that can change your business forever.   “I use it as a teaching lesson,” Kristi Odom says, “seeing hundreds of images submitted by people

Yesterday’s post gave you some background on how entering photo contests for self-growth can fuel both your creativity and your career. Here are specifics about finding and entering great photo contests. Kristi suggests starting with contests in your specialty, and even in your geographic area. “You have to hunt around,” she laughs, noting that lots of competitions aren’t widely advertised. “It takes some internet time.” In fact, if you find a contest easily, consider that a potential red flag – there are plenty of would-be contests out there that are nothing more than rights-grabbing companies hoping to score some awesome pics for their own marketing projects. Avoid those! “The contests that offer prizes are the ones I’m wary of,” Kristi says. She recommends sticking to

If you knew there was a super-cheap, easy way to get professional feedback on your photography, would you do it? What if that opportunity not only included the ability to see how other photographers approached similar projects, but also happened many times a year? Yes, we’re talking about photo competitions, and yes, you should try entering them for self-growth. But Kristi Odom taught me a few new ways to use your entries to make your work better, starting today! A wedding and nature photographer based in northern Virginia, Kristi carries the kind of excitement about improving her shooting that brings me back to my early days just learning photography. “When you’re in school for photography you get so much valuable critique,” she says. “When you

After we had photographed a four-day wedding in Guntur, India, the groom’s family invited us to their home to join them for lunch. Although we arrived rather exhausted, we were quite excited to talk with everyone (without our cameras) over some authentic home-cooked Indian food. The living room was painted with many bright colors, that seemingly shouldn’t work together, but somehow did. Random objects sat in glass shadow boxes mounted on the wall, each of which contained a story. Still glowing with pride from their son’s wedding, the parents pulled out old wedding albums. My first thought was, It’s been awhile since I sat with family or friends passing around photographs. I kinda miss those days. I didn’t even realize those days had passed until