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As an added benefit to your Pictage membership, Pictage has partnered with The Wedding Report – a market research tool for wedding professionals – to offer a FREE 90-day subscription to The Wedding Report to further enhance your business success. In addition to 90 Days of FREE access, we've made it possible for you to get an annual Wedding Report subscription for only $25 – that's about 75% off the non-member price of $98.

The Wedding Report is a great asset to any wedding photographer looking to increase profits, accurately price wedding portrait packages, and stay on top of current wedding industry trends. The Report is also a valuable resource for wedding photographers because it solves the problem of blindly searching for wedding market statistics on forums, blogs, and websites, by keeping them conveniently stored on one site.

At this month's PUG you will learn how The Wedding Report can help you:

Read the Press Release

‘Order by Text' option Have you ever used the “order by text” option for ordering your prints? Find out how it can simplify your workflow.

Last January, the Santa Barbara PUG leaders, Michael and Anna Costa, rounded up a panel of speakers for a discussion on blogging. On the Panel were Tim Halberg from the Santa Barbara PUG, Amelia Lyon from the Orange County PUG, and Sara France from the San Diego PUG. The panelists spoke about their distinct blogging styles. The PUG 's well-balanced mix of long-time bloggers and those who've never had one, created a compelling discussion.

Particular areas addressed include:

	Blogging Software: Panelists talked about which software is the easiest to update, format, view, and archive. They also discussed which form of blogging is the easiest to access: your personal website blog or a blog hosting service.
	Personality vs. Professionalism: There was a debate of whether to make your blog completely personal, so that clients can get to know you better, or if you should keep your blog strictly professional. (E.g. “Check out these amazing shots I took last night” vs. “This is the bar I went to last night.”) Panelists agreed you should always have personality in your blog. It makes a difference when your client chooses you because of your life vs. your work only.
	Quality of Work: Panelists discussed the quality of work you post on a blog: Should you post only your best work or point & shoot fun? The panelists were divided.

The consensus from the discussion was that blogging in general is especially good for photographers who don't have their name out there or are unable to update their website often. Blogs are also a fun way to market yourself and showcase your personality. All of the panelists agreed that blogging has definitely helped their business grow.

Check out the blogs of the panelists:
Tim Halberg
Sara France
Amelia Lyon

The Focus: The Santa Barbara PUG panel of speakers, which consisted of three Pictage members from PUGs across Southern California, is a great way to gain different perspectives and encourage those who don't enjoy speaking solo to express their point of view. For your next PUG meeting, create your own panel of photographers in your PUG group – or even surrounding area – to discuss your next local topic.

From booths to events, Pictage has 2007 WPPI covered

Help contribute to the new Pictage Community website by sending a video of your:

		Testimonials: Share how Pictage has helped your business or what your favorite photography equipment is and why.
		Tutorials: Give your peers your take on how to get the best wedding shots, how to please a bride, and any other tips that could be useful to the PUG community.
		PUG Meeting: Show the Pictage community what goes on at your local meeting by making a video.
		Self: Show your PUG pals your motion picture skills by taping yourself in action. Send a short video clip of how you stay focused on the job.