Shutterfest, Best of Boudoir and More!
Shutterfest!!!
Another year of Shutterfest under my belt. Shutterfest is THE PLACE for photographers to be when it comes to yearly conferences. Thousands of photographers show up from all over the country to learn and have a good time. It's where I cut my teeth on commercial photography, and I will forever be grateful for what I learned there.
Before Shutterfest, created by Sal Cincotta (pictured below), I was using strobes in my studio space, and I didn't even know how to make my speed lights fire off camera. And today? Today, I wouldn't have the business or portfolio I do without Sal and his incredible conference.
Back in 2016, when I attended my first Shutterfest conference, I never dreamed I'd be living in Las Vegas, working as a full-time boudoir and erotic art photographer with men, women, and couples and speaking at workshops and conferences in 2022 and 2023. I mean, it's really a dream come true.
I'm not going to lie; because of my divorce, the last couple of years have been hella ROUGH. I couldn't have made it through without the support of friends I've made through this conference. It’s been both the best and worst two years of my life!
It's such a blessing to be part of this community. I found my niche with boudoir in 2017. I'm so incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity to get started as an educator with Shutterfest where I share what I've learned about working with men and couples in boudoir and erotica. And I owe it all to the education and connections I make at Shutterfest.
The tagline #shootlearnparty truly encapsulates the spirit of Shutterfest, and I'm proud to be a part of this amazing community (please pass the Kool-aid).
Shutterfest offers so many helpful workshops and lectures, and models.
Models! Models! Models!
There are models everywhere. Shutterfest brings in incredible models of all ages, genders, and body types Shutterfest also offers:
Rent-a-human (remember the models)
Hands-on classes
Shooting bays (I was invited to do an hour demo on Intimacy with Couples at the Intuition Background's booth)
After hours shoots - This is where you schedule sessions with models or other photographers after conference hours in order to continue honing your skills.
My Kinda People
Don't forget to mingle. There's no shortage of people to network with, so come early and stay late! We hang out, we shoot, we learn, and we party. Year after year, I leave with amazing connections made with photographers from all over the United States (Canada, too!). It's always so much fun, but don't be fooled, Shutterfest is exhausting, and my bounce back isn't what it once was. It sucks getting older. What doesn't suck is being surrounded by creative people, continuing to learn, and teaching others.
Always Pivoting!
This year, things got changed up a bit! Classes went from 90 minutes to 2 hours long. They added an entire day to the conference, and the add-on more advanced day, SFx became SF+ with a change in format there, too, with two classes to select from during each time slot. Oh, there was also a morning mimosa and Bloody Mary bar and an afternoon happy hour open bar with complimentary charcuterie! I mean, Sal and his crew sure know how to put together a stellar conference!
Jokes Were Made
Peter Hurley has the headshot crew. Well, I announced to my erotica class that we would be the OTHER headshot crew. We all thought it was hilarious, but I'm not so sure Peter's on board! Anyone who is part of the Shutterfam will for sure be in on year of jokes from “don’t be a dick” to “don’t be a Chester”, as well as free parking for goats! You just never know when some new joke is going to stick around and then all the newbies get confused but quickly start playing along!
My Classes
My classes were all well received. I got lots of great feedback. Being told I'm inspiring someone, well, that gives me goosebumps. It feels so good to know your work is helping others.
No matter what, I always get recharged at Shutterfest. If you're wondering, the classes I taught are below along with a few other images from SF22 and SF23 (including one someone took and posted in the Shutterfest Facebook group which will be an ongoing joke I’m sure….sorry Peter Hurley!)
No matter your skill set, if you're brand spanking new or have been shooting for years, there's something at Shutterfest for you! If you want to surround yourself with other creatives and be challenged, I want to see you in April 2024! This one is going to be EPIC as Sal and the team will be bringing who knows what kind of excitement for the 10th anniversary of Shutterfest. I’m sure it’s going to be the best Shutterfest yet!
You can register for Shutterfest 2024 now. It's held in St. Louis, Missouri April 2-4, 2024.
The boudoir summit
The Boudoir Summit was another fabulously sexy event I attended. The event was hosted by The Boudoir Album and I was an invited educator. This Summit was part of a larger conference in Las Vegas called WPPI. The event covers topics on posing, including specialty sets, improving the client experience, new social media trends, and so much more. There was plenty of new information to sharpen your skills and give you hot new ideas.
I was thrilled to teach 2 classes on male boudoir (an underserved niche as far as I'm concerned) and 2 others on couples boudoir. I was also a keynote speaker on boundaries, an essential topic for photographers and clients in the sexual arts business.
In March, I also did a Vegas workshop, Photographing Men, and led some content creation classes for kink and erotica with After Dark Artists, who I am a brand ambassador for.
BEST OF BOUDOIR
Earlier in the year, the Association of International Boudoir Photographers awarded one of my images the Best of Boudoir 2022 and that is absolutely fucking amazing!!!
EDUCATION AND NETWORKING ARE IMPORTANT
Every year, I attend conferences, workshops, and from time to time work one-on-one with a mentor. I believe in investing in quality education to continue growing. What I’ve found along the way is that there are a lot of great educators out there and then, sadly, there are some that aren’t so great. These experiences have definitely been an influence on me as I’ve been given the opportunity to dip my toe into the education space over the last two years.
Another conference I attended was Imaging USA. This conference is huge! It’s put on by Professional Photographer of America and it was my first time to attend. The keynote speaker, Simon T. Bailey was worth the trip! He was incredibly insightful and a master at telling a great story with meaning and purpose. I was moved and inspired. Of course, it’s always great to get into conference season and see friends I met through Shutterfest. You can kind of spot a Shutterfester at these other conference once you know how to Shutterfest!
On a side note, in April 2023, Peerspace ranked me one of the best boudoir photographers in Las Vegas (for the 2nd year in a row-hell yeah!), stating I have "pixel-perfect polish on every shot to the fresh new takes she's constantly producing."
Sponsorship
I set out to make 2023 a killer year for Pam Fields Photography, and so far, I'm nailing it y'all. Not only have I made solid connections and been asked to teach classes in my niche as an expert in my field, but now I have sponsors. SPONSORS. Here are a few–
UAF Photo Lab
UAF Photo Lab provides a wide range of premium products such as albums, heirloom boxes, wall art, press printing, and studio supplies. The materials they have to choose from are just as plentiful as they are gorgeous.
Lead Savage
Lead Savage is a red-hot marketing platform offering beautiful marketing funnels to help turn your target audience into clients. Their program includes a lead magnet dashboard, powerful automations, a communications hub, and online appointment booking.
Fundy
Fundy is the premiere go-to design software for wedding and portrait photographers that is built for photographers who want to deliver sophisticated designs with professionalism and ease.
And MORE coming soon…..
Now, for some final info….not to leave you on a sour note, but some people want to know.
Divorce - Still not Done!
I left the workforce in 2006 and gave up my career for my husband and kids. My husband's jobs had us continuously moving all across the country, and I homeschooled our children. When the kids were older and needed me more for guidance than for teaching, I decided to take my life back and picked up my camera. That led me to where I am today-career-wise.
I'm still trying to regain my life from a bad marriage, but it's taking forever. Once it's finalized (please, dear god, let it happen soon), it'll be more than a 2-year process after 27 years of marriage.
These past 2 years have been the most difficult years of my life but, at the same time, the most rewarding. I've taken everything I've learned, every bit of grit, and started over. I've built a business that is growing-both in clientele and prestige-and actually support myself with it.
That's pretty damn amazing after all these years of being dependent on someone else.
So fingers crossed, he will stop being, well, him, and we can wrap this up pretty soon.
There’s WAY more to this story and I can’t share it all here but I can tell you that my word for 2023 is authenticity and that’s what I’m doing. I continue to grow and learn more every day about who I am becoming as a person. That marriage wrecked my self worth and what I valued about myself. It was more difficult that I knew at the time. I think that’s how it is when you are steeped in toxicity.
What Else Is in Store?
I don't know what else is coming. What I do know is that I keep working to make myself and Pam Fields Photography better each day. It's not always easy; sometimes, I just want to stay in bed all day and avoid everyone. But I have a mission. And that's to go from being one of the best boudoir photographers in Las Vegas to being the best damn erotica photographer in the Southwest…fuck that, the freaking nation! Oh, and I actually do have some BIG news to share but it’s got to wait! There’s an announcement coming soon!!!