Normally my weekend starts on Friday night, and ends on Sunday. My immediate past weekend started on Sunday, and ended just this morning at 2am.

Okay, I wouldn’t call going to a professional photography convention (Image Quest 2010, the photography convention organized by Professional Photographers Association of British Columbia 20 – 22 March, 2010.) a vacation exactly.  Everyday for hours my mind was bombarded with new information. The thought “Oh, no, I am doing it completely wrong…” crossed my mind at the speed of 1x/20 minutes. But then hanging out with talented photographers from across the province is such a real treat! It was wonderful to spend some time with friends, and make some new ones! I love new friends!

I always ask myself and my clients what’s the definition of professionalism. I firmly believe in the importance in constant self-improvement. Going to conventions where the cream of the cream in the industry share their secrets to success is like a ginseng boost to your daily work routine. Not only do you learn from the industry’s top, but the convention is also a great opportunity to step back and reevaluate your practice. Oh, not to mention the partying…did I say partying?

Thank you to the convention team for finding such stellar speakers. I was blown away and captivated by Jasmine Star. I think I spotted another Type A young photographer…I have already inplemented some tips from Miranda and Reilley Lievers’ social media presentation. Mitche Graf also reminded me of what I haven’t done since his last presentation in Oct 2009…

3 days and dozens of new friends later, I feel energized and can’t wait to work on my photography business.

Whatever industry you’re in, when was the last time you attended training? If you are not constantly improving yourself, you don’t have a career, you have a job.