Get to know your 2022 AIM In-Person Speaker Team*

How We Might Evoke Empathy with Animal Portraiture

Tim  will be discussing his body of work, as well as how animals can be depicted in a way that can connect us with them, and evoke empathy,  potentially leading to conservation

initiatives.

++ PLUS ++

Visual Theories and Iconic Imagery

Tim  has always been fascinated by how and why certain images have become iconic, and what they have in common. He is going to explore perceptual  theories around luminance and colour, left gaze bias, and composition.

Relationship Storytelling:  Pets and Their People
If you’re like Terran, you got into pet photography to photograph pets,  not people. But something truly beautiful happened when she realized  that photographing pets with their people opened a whole new dimension  to her art, the dogs’ expressions, and the joy her clients felt when  they viewed their photos. From more posed portraits to creating  magazine-worthy lifestyle images full of emotion that are sure to wow  any client, this course is designed to crack open some creativity with simple, actionable techniques to help ease you into working with pets  and their people so you can truly tell the stories of the relationships  they share. Terran will also discuss adapting in challenging situations  with limited resources so you’ll be prepared to create memorable images no matter what life throws at you.

High Ticket, Low Volume: Enjoy the benefits of the high-end customer experience

Join  Kim and Bud in this animated talk as they describe their business model  and sales process. They will share how they leveraged their low-volume  business to get their lives back and created a luxe customer-centric  brand in the process. Learn how they adopted ‘service equals selling’  and how this partner pair averages $5,000 per sale year round. They will  share their complete client experience and process, right down to the  china patterns, and how they learned that creating great images is just  the starting point for their successful business. They will give you  solid actions that you can incorporate into your business to get more  time back to enjoy life while reaping the benefits of higher sales  averages and higher customer satisfaction.

Working with Horses: Posing and Safety for the Photographer

Join  equine photographer extraordinaire Terri Cage as she walks you through  how to work safely and efficiently around horses. She will go into  detail as to how she introduces off-camera lighting to horses and will  explain posing a horse and their owner together for a fast and safe  session. You can also expect to learn what angles look best for a horse  and what equipment you should be using while photographing. Terri will  demonstrate items that work well in getting a horse’s expression, will  show you ways to get creative with your posing, and what images sell.

Lightroom for Photoshop Users - Getting the Most From Adobe's Photography Ecosystem
Most professional animal photographers rely on Photoshop to fine-tune  special images. But a workflow that depends solely on Photoshop misses  opportunities for enhanced efficiency and flexibility.  The goal of this  program is to expose experienced and novice Photoshop users to a  powerful workflow that helps them get the most of their editing workflow  while taking advantage of the power of the modern Lightroom/Photoshop  ecosystem. 

Wildlife Photography

This  internationally recognized photographer explores the world through his  nature, travel, and wildlife images. Jones’s award-winning photography  is widely published in magazines, posters, calendars, books, and in  national advertising campaigns for clients such as Canon, Ford, Eddie  Bauer, Miller Beer and Honda.  Adam is recognized world wide as an  outstanding stock photographer with his images represented by Getty  Images, Photo Researchers, and Danita Delimont Stock Photography. His  work has sold for editorial and commercial uses in over 30 countries. 

Sponsored by Canon

The Power of Self Belief
Do you ever hear that voice in the back of your head whispering ‘you can’t do this’? I am

a firm believer in shaping your mindset to propel you to success.  The effects of self-belief are profound when it comes to improving your work, growing your business and making doing what you love most pay.  If you have ever doubted that you measure up then you are not alone!  Too many talented photographers struggle to make it work financially and squander their chance to grow because they are missing one key element - faith in themselves. You will be please to hear that this is within your power to develop.  Join me to learn how and why you should shake up your mindset and discover how transcendently powerful simple self belief is.

Photoshop Compositing Tamed
Sometimes animals are in scenes that are not photogenic or perhaps you want to create a whole new story in a world that exists solely in your imagination. Photoshop compositing

doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. In this class we’ll break compositing with

Photoshop down into a simple, easy to follow, 5 step system. We’ll cover everything you

need to know to create composites with animals. Whether you’re a beginner or a more

advanced Photoshop user you’ll get something out of this class.

 Sponsored by McKenna

Becoming a Cat Whisperer

Do you often hear people say "You won't be able to get any good images  of my cat. He just won't cooperate." Do you feel like you are spending  all your time herding cats when you do a cat session? Many people think  of the cat as independent, aloof, mischievous and clever. In truth, like  the dog, every cat's personality is unique. Some are shy and timid,  some are bold and curious and everything in-between. This session will  explore how to get their attention, handling scaredy cats, how to read  cat body language, cats versus kittens and more. 

How Photographers Can Advance the National Movement to Save

America’s Homeless Pets

You’re no stranger to helping homeless pets, but how can you expand your work beyond adoption photos for rescues? And where could you make a truly meaningful impact in places with the biggest lifesaving gaps?  In this workshop Trish Tolbert, senior development strategist for the national shelter embed team of Best Friends Animal Society will help you answer those questions individually and collectively.  She’ll bring the power of national and local data to the table, as well as input from rescue and spay/neuter groups, and municipal and nonprofit shelters to help you translate your answer(s) into on-the-ground support. You’ll learn how to access up-to-date information about where the greatest lifesaving gaps are in your state and community and collaborate with fellow participants to begin brainstorming opportunities to make a difference. Leave inspired by the lifesaving progress that has been made since the U.S. was killing over 17M homeless pets annually and determined to help close this nation’s lifesaving gap by 2025.  (Bring your laptop for hands-on, interactive brainstorming opportunities!)

 Sponsored by Best Friends Animal Society 

Make More Money Now!

Learn what the top studios are doing to take their business to the next level thru a well

planned business identity and marketing style. You’ll learn how to:

+ Refine your business concept

+ Identify your target market

+ Clarify your marketing message

+ Create strategies to exploit:

     * Opportunity marketing

     * Client acquisition

     * Client education

     * Relationship marketing

     * Year round marketing campaigns

Sponsored by Marathon Press

Editing the Dreamy/Dramatic Portrait
Bring your work to the next level with Monica vander Maden’s editing techniques for her dramatic portraits. Using the images photographed in  her pre-conference workshop, Monica will show us how she goes from raw  to "awe"!  Master a style like you've never seen before, and bring your  images to a new place for your clients. 

 Hands-On Studio Lighting

Have  you wanted to make the leap into studio lighting? Have you wanted to  train your eye to “see” light? Then this is the class for you! This  program is a full-day of hands-on lighting and experience.  Intended for  beginners and those who want to fill in gaps from self-learning, this  class will help you learn to confidently use studio lighting.  Bud  Thorpe and Kim Buccheri will be sharing their decades of teaching  experience.  Learn how to set up, meter and use the light to create your  vision. The morning will include a brief talk on “Why Studio  Lighting?”. We move on to building our studio where you will break into  small groups and learn to light a 3-light portrait set up – one light at  a time.  After lunch, we kick it into high gear with analyzing lighting  and recreating it. By applying what you learn in the morning, you will  get a much better understanding of the principles. Our models will be  stuffed animals, so you can take all the time you need to get your  lighting just right.  Bring your camera and lens along with a  comfortable pair of shoes. Additional information will be sent to  participants in advance. 

Professional Zoo Photography

This program demonstrates how Canon Explorer of Light Adam Jones makes professional quality animal/nature images in the wild, and how the same tips and techniques can be used to capture great images of zoo animals. He'll demo the best camera set up to have the camera work the way you want, then discuss lens selection, composition, lighting focus concerns and eliminating distractions at the zoo. A short discussion of basic workflow and handling of higher ISO images that are completely noise free will follow. This workshop will include classroom  time in the morning and photography at the Minnesota Zoo in the afternoon.

The Dreamy/Dramatic Location Portrait
Spend  the morning or afternoon with Monica vander Maden to learn her techniques for  creating dramatic animal portraits on location. Discuss how to plan your  session including choosing the location, time of the day, and what  equipment works best for your desired look. Use those skills working  side-by-side with her on location to photograph a dog.

*Monica will lead two identical workshops - one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

Branding
Spend the morning with Cat Race discussing the best ways to BRAND your business. 

Branding is a way of identifying your business.  It is how your customers recognise and experience your business. A  strong brand is more than just a logo — it's reflected in everything  from your customer service style, staff uniforms, business cards and  premises to your marketing materials and advertising. 

Photo to Masterpiece via Pastels
Combine the traditional art world with the art of photography through  the use of pastels on a printed image.  This hands-on class will teach  students how to apply pastels(chalks) to an image that is giclee printed  on watercolor paper.  This method gives the photographer another  product line that will extend their present offerings to customers and  creates a piece of art for customers to have a one of a kind  masterpiece. Samples and supplies to color on and to take home will be  supplied.  Learn more here!