This past weekend, I attended BlogHer as a speaker for the first Viewfinder Day. I was looking forward to sharing with the attendees and learning a few things myself. The day started with Secretary Kathleen Sebelius addressing us at the pre-conference breakfast before attendees broke up into three different tracks.
Kicking off Viewfinder Day, keynote speakers Diane Cu and Todd Porter of White on Rice Couple speak again and they brought it with an emotion evoking presentation about using pictures and video to tell better stories. Diane and Todd struck a cord when they shared some of their amazing photography and the stories behind them. Their videos were deeply moving and helped me see you can tell an amazing story with video and not say a single word.
Here are a few of my favorite takeaways from their talk:
- Keep shooting and keep learning.
- Never forget the story in everything you do.
- Your voice is what sets you apart. No one can tell your story but you.
- Tell a story with video. You don’t have to have a lot of equipment or a large crew.
- Don’t be so wrapped up in the details.
- Use the tools you have on you. It is not about having the best equipment. Capture the moment.
After listening to Todd and Diane, my panel took the stage to address the attendees about Finding Your Photographic Voice. Christine Tremoulet started by sharing messages of being enough and embracing the beauty of oneself. I then shared ideas for shooting awesome self-portraits, shooting men and women and practical tips for improving their photography over the conference weekend. Jenika McDavitt broke down the psychological side of telling a better story. She shared tips about adding more details to our writing so the reader connects better with your story.
Video bloggers followed us and finally, the day ended with a post processing workshop. Tomorrow, I will share a few pictures from an impromptu photo session I had with a few amazing women.
