Rosaura Sandoval Photography

Hello all my awesome friends & family!  It has been way too long since I blogged and reached out to you guys so before January is over, I thought I’d post something.

This past year has been an incredible journey.  I’ve meet and photographed so many amazing brides & grooms, families and individuals  and have been so grateful for each one of those experiences.  And with each time I go out and shoot I learn something about my subject, myself and human nature.  Photography is incredible that way!  I’ve learned a lot and have learned I have so much more to learn – I’m excited of what more is to come!

I feel so grateful for it all:  the hard work, the stress, the joy when my clients see their photos, the little sleep, the new friends I’ve made… everything.  And this new year, just one month in, has already started off rocking my world.

The first thing I want to share with you all is my time in Los Angeles with the incredible Jerry Ghionis.

Not only did I learn so much about photography, business and marketing but I made some incredible life-long friends from that week.  There is just so much to say about my experience there it really deserves a whole post for itself, well, more like 10.  But for now I’ll say that if anyone is at all looking to make photography into a business you NEED to go see Jerry Ghionis.  Not only is he incredible on all levels but all the money raised at his workshops goes toward building an orphanage in Cambodia under his Soul Society non-profit.  This guy is the real deal with a real big open heart!  Cannot say enough great things about Jerry, Melissa (his amazing wonderful awesome gorgeous talented partner and new wife) and all the amazing new friends.  Love you guys!

So here’s my first big news.  I’ll be changing the name of my business very soon.  Inspired by Jerry and many conversations, I’ll be changing my business name to something that is more user-friendly and easy to spell and say.  Ironically, when people say it with the new spelling they end up saying my real name the correct way.  Any guesses? So you might start seeing new spelling for my name soon.  I’m also working with a designer to do my re-branding.  So excited!

Next big news!  I have the incredible honor to have been chosen to speak at WPPI’s Photographers Ignite.  WPPI is the biggest wedding and portrait photography convention held annual in Las Vegas.  Last year over 12,000 photographer attended. Gulp!

Yes, I’ll be speaking in front a mountain full of my peers and mentors.  Excited, nervous, humbled and a little freaking out.  LOL!  Riding high from Jerry’s workshop, I decided on a whim to submit a proposal.  I actually didn’t think I’d get it, yes, I hoped for it but that is something different.  Amongst all the proposals they picked 15 people and I am one of them!  Each of us will speak for 5 minutes.  Exactly 5 minutes.  20 slides, 15 seconds a slide, automatically changing.  So it will be a huge challenge for me and I’ll need to practice, practice, practice,but I’m looking forward to it.  My topic “How to sing like Jerry Ghionis” (yes!  he’s a fabulous singer as well) – Wish me luck!

Another awesome bit of good news is that I was recently informed that I won Wedding Wire‘s Bride’s Choice Awards for 2011.  That means that my studio is ranked in the top 5% of wedding photographers in the nation.  Wow!  I’m excited and honored.  Thank you to my awesome couples for allowing me to capture your awesome memories on your special day.  So grateful!  Gracias!

And if 2011 wasn’t already awesome enough, I’m just about to embark on a whole new amazing journey with the badass photojournalists of Foundation Workshop the people who run Fearless Photographers.  I literally have been waiting for this workshop the entire year.  It sells out every year and I signed up right away when registration opened.  Now I can’t believe it is time to go!  Starting 2 days from now, I’ll be spending a week with pulitzer prize winning photojournalists whose goal is to make wedding photographers better story tellers.  How awesome is that? It will be an intense week of learning, critiques, shooting, no-sleeping, more critiques and growing.  I expect to be broken down and rebuilt stronger, wiser and more creative.  After recovering, I’m excited to use all my new -found knowledge with my clients this year.  Yeah! Can’t wait!

Thank you all for your keeping tabs on me, leaving comments, and following my photography happenings.  I really love and need the support.  Looking forward to a super incredible (bet you thought I was gonna say ‘awesome’) 2011.  Love, Light and many Blessings to you all!

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