Welcome
Did you ever have one of those weeks?
One of those weeks where it seems like everything is happening all at once?
That's this week for me... Among other things I have the coming deadline for our PILF contest this Friday with entries starting to roll in at a much quicker pace. THANK YOU ALL!
I'm also in the middle of my model rep interview phase where I meet with countless Juniors, telling the same jokes over and over with varying degrees of success.
Worse, my car lease is coming due and my daughter also needs help shopping for a new car, both in the same week! And there is no bigger time suck on this planet than car shopping!
And now it's midnight on a Monday and I'm looking out the window as an anticipated 9 inches of snow begins to fall.
Yikes!
So what do I do when everything hits at once and my stress levels are off the charts?
I take a deep breath, of course! I smoke some CBD, do a little extra exercise, meditate and relax.
...
YEAH RIGHT! In reality I run around like a chicken with my head chopped off and get as many things done as I can before collapsing in bed!
That's just how we do!
LOL! Now that you know where I'm coming from, let's get on with this week's issue!!!
Magazine Update
JUST 3 DAYS LEFT TO ENTER
If you're reading this on Tuesday (and my math is right), you have just 3 days left to enter SeniorInspire's Annual 100 Photographers I'd Like to Follow Contest!
Yes, that's PILF for short...
The deadline is this Friday, the 29th at midnight!
What are you waiting for?
Follow this link to enter!
Seriously, GO!
SeniorInspire Testimonials
Wendy Ewing Talks Contests
Thinking about entering the SeniorInspire PILF contest, but feeling like you're not good enough? Listen to what New Mexico photographer Wendy Ewing had to say recently about entering contests and how they helped her grow...
It took me years to start entering magazine contests. I didn’t get selected or featured for a long, long time. I was sad and felt I wasn’t good enough.
Then I started pushing myself and putting in even more time experimenting with more lighting styles. I also mentored with photographers I looked up to and who had styles I wanted to learn.
Finally, in the past 2 years I have had images featured in different magazines. I have been amazed actually! I have been a photographer for almost 30 years and am finally at this point in my career.
This year if I want to enter images, I know I better bring it even more!! There are fierce photographers in our field!! I am constantly amazed by so much of what I see in my feed and love when I come across a photographer I haven’t heard about.
Cheers to everyone for putting themselves out there! Cheers to those who are taking home the awards! And cheers to those who decide not to enter. Just don’t NOT enter because you don’t think you're good enough!
Be Like Wendy! If you've been thinking about entering a contest but have been afraid to put yourself out there, make 2021 YOUR YEAR!
Marketing and Branding
Friends Sale at Annie Marie & Co
If you're in the market for some new marketing templates - and who isn't this time of year - be sure to check out Annie Marie & Co.
She's got some killer guidebook templates in her store that will definitely help take your marketing materials to the next level!
And right now she's running a Friends sale that's good through Valentine's Day! Jut use the discount code FRIEND20 until February 14th to save 20% on your order!
And tell her SeniorInspire sent you... 😉
Meet the Photographer
Conversing with Carissa
Last week we gassed up the SeniorInspire mini van and pointed it south to Wichita Falls, Texas where we caught up with Carissa Davis of Imagery by Carissa.
SeniorInspire Let's start off with an easy one... Which would you rather have? A higher average or peace on earth?
Carissa Davis Without a doubt Peace on Earth. I always joke that I am a hippie at heart. I want everyone to love one another and to always listen to the other person's point of view.
SI Your photography style is very clean, bright and fun! Do you ever get jealous of more edgy photographers?
CD Abso-freaking-lutley! I can't help but drool at others more edgy work and I feel like the industry is leaning that direction. BUT I feel like because I am known for the bright and clean style it would be hard to transition to a more contrasty/edgy look. I plan on continuing my education this year and try to find a way to blend some of that look while still keeping true to myself and what my clients expect from me. And I think BLENDING is the key. Just like creating a recipe, you don't abandon what you have created to copy someone else's recipe but find ways to use new tools into what you already have.
SI What's with you and flamingos?
CD Hahaha! This question makes me laugh so hard. I have become the "Flamingo lady" in our town and not on purpose. I think people just assume I REALLY DIG flamingos but that isn't really the case.
When I first transitioned into soley shooting Seniors I knew I needed to create a brand that represented me. My name is kind of hard to remember so I wanted something that was assimilated to me. Kinda like you associate the golden arches to McDonalds.
My brand already had the color pink and I wanted something that was unique. I stumbled across the saying "Be a Flamingo in a Flock of Pigeons" and that really resonated with me. So I adopted the Flamingo as a part of my brand. I soon then created my rep team and referred to them as my flamingos or flock.
Little did I know flamingos were going to take over the world! I get sent pics constantly from people I don't even know who say "saw this flamingo and thought of you!" So I guess you could say my branding is working!
SI If you were starting a band, what would its name be?
CD This one is HARD!!!!! I have never thought about having a band! It took me far too long to think about this one! I guess I would have to say "Caffeinated Cardigans". For obvious reasons. I am always cold and always drinking coffee.
SI What 3 songs from the playlist of your life would the Caffeinated Cardigans record for their first album?
CD Don't You ( forget about me) by Simple Minds. I don't want to blend in and it's one of my fav hype songs.
Party In the USA by Miley Cyrus. I mean this song makes me happy for many reasons, but one being a very different reason. I have a daughter with special needs and this is her GO TO all time fav karaoke song and you can't help but see the joy that is spread through the room when she sings it. So this would be a tribute to her.
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. I love how they broke ALL the rules when creating this song. And I can relate to this deep in my soul (even though I am a rule follower through and through). I often refer to myself as a rebel in the Senior industry because I don't play by the rules that have been pounded into our minds. For example, I don't do IPS, but I don't make any less than when I was ( I actually make more)! So just like QUEEN who became a huge success by breaking the rules, I do the same.
And if I get one more as an encore it would be American Girl by Tom Petty. Tom is my homeboy. My absolute fav and I belt out at the top of my lungs this song every time it comes on. It just makes me happy!
SI I would totally buy that album if only to hear you change the lyrics on Bohemian Rhapsody to, 'Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the FLAMINGO.'
If you weren't a photographer, what do you think you'd be doing?
CD Teaching! My original college major was education. I LOVE teaching all ages. If this career didn't work out for me, you would find me in a kindergarten classroom as happy as I could be!
SI What's the least expensive thing in your camera bag that you could not get by without.
CD My handy dandy emergency bag full of bobby pins, gloss, tiny earrings, teasing comb, hairspray, clips, etc.
SI Who's a photographer you follow on Instagram that few people may know about?
CD Psalms96Pics, this girl has CRAZY PS talent! She is local to where I live and is my personal HYPE girl. She is kind, big hearted and wants success for everyone. Something I can personally relate to.
SI Alright, that's all I have. Thanks for sitting down with us! Good luck with the band!
And Finally
Did I mention this Friday is the deadline to enter our PILF contest?