NAPCP Retreat 2010: Register by Monday!

NAPCP's December Membership Drive

Starting a new association has been a challenging and rewarding endeavor. After a launch in 2009, we have been steadily building our membership base and gaining recognition in the industry, but the "if you build it, they will come" philosophy will only get you so far. There are thousands of talented professional child photographers in the world, and we'd like to let them know that an association has been created to serve them. So, like many other organizations, we chose to do an all out membership blitz this month. And, to be sure, we're happy the end is in sight, as putting those reminders together daily is no small task!

Although the 25 Reasons campaign may seem overwhelming, we've been thrilled with the results, and are still meeting new faces daily. We've brought in loads of talented and qualified professional child photographers, seen our own members help out by retweeting and referring new folks, received strong feedback from vendor partners who will continue to provide our members with discounts, and have been sent words of encouragement by well-known talents in the photography industry at large who now regard NAPCP as an established and respected association. All of this is of great benefit to every NAPCP member.

We don't grant membership to just anyone who applies. We take a look at every applicant. Some folks are in the early stages of their business, others are more established, but all are professionals and all have something to offer or gain from the community that we are building.

Starting in January you will see a lot less of a membership push, and more of the meat & potatoes of NAPCP. The premier image competition will be launched in just a few weeks and information on this year's retreat will soon follow. And there is much more evolving behind the scenes. Ongoing are the invaluable conversations on the forum. And in all honestly, what I love the most is that your fellow members are truly sharing quality insight on everything from vendor materials to pricing to marketing.

To all of the portrait photographers out there, I encourage you to take part in this budding community. Join NAPCP today and forever be known as one of NAPCP's original - a charter member.

Today is the last day of our December Membership Drive. This is it! Apply for membership today: http://napcp.com

25 Reasons to Join NAPCP

We are JUST about to kick off NAPCP's December Membership Drive. Photographers: If you've been itching to join, this is the perfect time to! Join now & receive $25 off your membership fee.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletters for opportunities to win SWEET swag from our vendor partners (design aglow credit, strategy avenue business discs, shootsac, hipslip, free websites & more!) AS well as a chance to win a free lifetime membership into this incredible organization. If anything, signup for the newsletter to receive our pretty mailings. We put our heart & soul into the design of them. You won't be sorry!

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NAPCP Parents is LIVE

I promise I have an excuse for my lack of posting this week!

Kyu and I have been working incredibly hard on a new feature for NAPCP that will hopefully offer simple solutions for connecting discerning parents with the most talented child photographers. It's still a work-in progress, but we have been getting some wonderful feedback on everything so far. Design and overall "feel" of the site was extremely important to me. Annoyingly important, according to my husband & our programmers. Hey, when you work in an industry of visual artists, I would like to think it should be at the top of our priority list!

Check it out if you have a chance! http://napcp.com

NAPCP Membership comes with a Pretty Seal

For the past week or so, I've been working with the my friend (aka talented designer/photographer extraordinaire) Dan Almasy on a new seal that NAPCP members would use to affiliate themselves with our association. I wanted something simple, like the Real Simple feel conveyed on our site, whimsical and natural. Something that was pleasing to the eye, yet professional and finished. What he delivered was more than I could have ever dreamed! It's so pretty, I want to add frosting to it and eat it up.

I'm delighted of NAPCP's official seal:

Love the child ladybug following the mommy (or daddy) ladybug with the dotted trail of their flight. Whimsical, childlike, yet representative of our membership community growing in their photographic journeys. It's perfect.

Dan is a photoshop guru, so if any of you photographers have questions or need an amazing new logo or design, email him at danalmasy (at) gmail.com!

NAPCP is LIVE!

We had a slow start this morning :) Did not make the 8 am launch time, but just as excited to show NAPCP.com to the world a couple of hours later. If you haven't already, check it out - http://napcp.com/

Attention All Child Photographers!

Coming soon to a web browser near you:

After years of working as a child photographer – going to trade shows, participating in online forums and working in the industry – I noticed a lack of resources truly focused on our craft. I noted what we lacked, what could be extremely beneficial to those starting out, and what seasoned photographers needed to enhance their portfolios. My husband Kyu and I began brainstorming ideas, and the concept of an association – a group of fun people collectively learning, networking, and growing – seemed like the perfect way to fill the void.

NAPCP is a web-based association designed to provide the most comprehensive resources for its members, bringing together a community of passionate artists committed to growth in their skills, their craft, and their businesses. To accomplish this, we're providing these features for our members:

Membership Directory – Organized geographically to assist parents looking for a professional child photographer in their area
Forum – Ideal place to exchange ideas, monitored and administered for maximum member benefit
Image Competition – Exclusively for child photographers, standards will be high and judged by the industry's best photographers.
Workshops – Comprehensive listing of workshops and training opportunities
Vendors – Listing of the industry's top vendors
News – Blog-like format designed to keep members up to date and notified of our ever-changing industry

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What: The National Association of Professional Child Photographers
When: Official launch Monday, March 23, 2009 at 10:00 am EST.
Where: www.napcp.com

Kyu and I are EXTREMELY excited about what NAPCP can bring to a community of like-minded, passionate artists. Be sure to join us for our official launch this Monday!!