:: LaCour ::

Get back to Storytelling at the Roots Workshop!

2009-06-04T13:54:00.002-04:00

Roots is a week long photojournalism retreat in beautiful Cape Cod where the number of staff nearly exceeds the number of students. Under the same roof of a rambling farmhouse on the water, staff and students alike learn to be better visual storytellers through group exercises and editorial assignments.

Join LaCour's Rachel LaCour Niesen and Mark Adams and the rest of the Roots Workshop mentors in Cape Cod!

CLICK HERE to learn more!

Tell us why you think you should get $500 off the Roots Workshop and a 6 months of ShootQ Studio for free! Write on the wall of the Roots Workshop Facebook Fan Page by Friday, June 12. If you receive the most "thumbs-up" on your wall comment, you win!

Special Pricing if you're a member of the ShootQ community: Reinvent your business by investing in your craft, and diversify yourself from your competition! Members of the ShootQ community can become better storytellers by taking advantage of a special offer: 4 easy payments of $800 now through December.

2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships in Alaska

2009-05-28T18:50:00.005-04:00

Alas, I didn't place in this year's World Beard and Moustache Championship, but I did have a fantastic adventure. Going back to Alaska felt like going home. Of course I'm itching to go back up there already. One of my goals is to eventually build a cabin in Alaska.

*Click Here for a slideshow of images of beards, bears and glaciers.

Prepping for the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Alaska

2009-05-22T12:45:00.003-04:00

I flew up to Anchorage, Alaska this week where the World Beard and Moustache Championships will take place tomorrow. Over three hundred fellows from around the world have arrived and will be vying for top honors. There's a parade today through town, which should be pretty awesome. I went hiking in the Chugach mountains yesterday, which are absolutely gorgeous. I lived here in 1997 & 1998 and feel a strong urge to come back up here. Alaska is an amazing and special place.

Conversation with the Pros

2009-05-13T10:57:00.007-04:00

This month's Rangefinder features LaCour in "Conversation with the Pros," Martha Blanchfield's outstanding article. Get honest, insightful feedback from 5 Top Photographers. Learn how they're surviving & thriving in today's market.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

This We Believe : Philadelphia Mural Project by Phillip Adams

2009-05-04T13:41:00.002-04:00

In celebration of twenty-five years of art education, mural-making and working in communities, the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program has launched their first city-wide mural project. My brother, Phillip Adams, is one of the artists working on the project. It's actually two teams of artists who have made two different designs and the public is able to vote on which design actually gets painted.

The above image is Phillip's team's design. You can check out the two designs and vote by visiting the Philadelphia City-Wide Mural Project website.

Since I'm biased, I won't tell you which design to vote for, but I voted for Phillip's design!

Motorcycle Trip through Peru's Sacred Valley

2009-04-18T11:26:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since we've updated this blog. Sorry 'bout that. We've all been traveling a ton this year. I'm going start doing some posts to catch up on all the adventures we've been having. Figured I'd start with something that I whipped together real quick after my trip to Peru in December. A few buddies and I rented motorcycles for a few days and cruised all around Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Here's a short little video clip:

Peru 2008 Motorcycle Trip from Mark Adams on Vimeo.

Coming up in my next post, a slideshow of my 7-day trek through the Andes of Peru.

Professional Photographers, Watch Out!

2009-02-24T09:48:00.002-05:00

For all you photographers, if you're worried about Uncle Bob's taking your business, now you have another competitor to worry about! Felines are now getting into the biz! I wonder how much traffic, Cooper the Cat's blog gets? Cooper the Cat has his own fine art gallery exhibit, too!

Guess we all need to step it up a notch!

Passage to India

2009-02-22T03:30:00.011-05:00

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Mark Twain

Last night, as I excitedly watched Slumdog Millionaire win Best Picture at the Oscars, my heart danced back to India. In January, our family traveled to India to visit Andrew's youngest sister, who is living there for a year.

My first impression of India was the smell. Strong scents embrace you; India assails and inspires your senses. The feeling is visceral, internal and is very hard to articulate. The only thing I can say is: you MUST go!

Hopefully, this slideshow will give you a glimpse of Incredible India!

WPPI Survival Tips

2009-02-11T13:16:00.011-05:00

When the Livebooks team asked me if I was interested in contributing to their new blog RESOLVE, I was thrilled!

At LaCour and ShootQ, our mission is to empower photographers to create profitable and purposeful businesses by providing them with the tools they need to succeed.

RESOLVE's mission is consistent with our mission. Together, we connect photographers to each other and to valuable resources that will help them grow their businesses.

Check out RESOLVE to read my first contributed article, WPPI Survival Tips: A Photographer's Perspective.

Grow your business while saving lives!

2009-02-01T12:45:00.014-05:00

LaCour is giving two mentor sessions at WPPI through ThirstRelief's auction.

ThirstRelief is a non-profit organization that provides humanitarian and disaster relief to those in need worldwide through the provision of safe, clean drinking water.

You can meet with LaCour's Mark Adams for workflow advice, or with LaCour's Andrew and Rachel Niesen for marketing advice for your business.

Also, you can get technical or software advice from ShootQ's development team.

As a bonus, anyone who wins a LaCour auction (or ShootQ development team) will get a ShootQ Studio account for free for 3 months!

Thirst Relief International has partnered with ShootQ to provide clean drinking water to communities around the world.
Did you know that every 15 seconds someone dies of a waterborne illness? That's 5760 people every day! Photographers can help in a unique way. Check out Thirst Relief's Mentor Auction RIGHT AWAY and bid on a mentoring session with one of us.

Bidding ENDS between 10PM and 11 PM EST (7PM and 8 PM PST) on Thirst Relief Mentor Auctions!
By tapping into the talent and generosity of the wedding industry, Thirst Relief raises funds and expand their impact around the world.

Me Ra Koh's Women's Workshop

2009-01-18T17:56:00.011-05:00

We've enjoyed hosting Me Ra Koh and her husband Brian this weekend at our studio. Me Ra and Brian are soulful, gifted teachers who have a passion for empowering women. As I listened to the workshop attendees share about their lives, I was amazed by Me Ra's ability to elicit the passionate storyteller in every woman. Instilling confidence and curiosity were two important goals of the workshop. Each woman had a chance to share her artistic journey with the group, as well as reveal her fears in an encouraging environment. Of course, we also had the chance to practice shooting adorable children and their mothers! Enjoy these photos from the weekend and be sure to check out Me Ra and Brian's story HERE.

2008 Holiday Party

2008-12-19T12:10:00.006-05:00

On Thursday night we hosted a holiday party for all of our full-time employees. This year has been a busy adventure with a lot of unexpected hurdles as well as numerous blessings. Our team is AMAZING! We feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such caring, passionate, fun and energizing people. Thank you to all y'all! We're looking forward to a fabulous 2009!

Tasty Treats that Rachel LaCour Niesen and Melissa Roth concocted

Jeremy and Melissa Roth, LaCour's studio and production manager | Rachel LaCour Niesen and Jessica Hill

Toasting the Team

ShootQ Code Poet Laureate Jonathan LaCour weaves a story

ShootQ Code Poet,Ryan Petrello and his wife, Brittany.

Jonathan, Ryan and Will Godfrey DJ up some geek-inspired holiday music. Serve up some 8-bit Jesus for your next holiday party. It's Christmas songs made entirely from classic Nintendo game tunes!

ShootQ Genius, Travis Schreer and ShootQ's newest team member, Adam Linke, Director of Sales.

Adam Linke and Jonathan LaCour

Andrew Niesen and the ladies of LaCour and The Decisive Moment

Travis Schreer and his partner, Jessica Hill

Adam Linke scaring the kids

Melissa Roth and Jenn Linke

Too much wine and Mark Adams and Adam Linke turn the beautiful evening into fight night.

Making Your Mark

2008-12-04T16:34:00.046-05:00

Humans love to create.

We have an uncanny, universal desire to make our mark.

It's why we photograph and paint. It's why we build towers and businesses.

One of my favorite shows, MadMen, dedicated a recent scene to the concept of human creativity. The scene lingered in my memory for weeks.

Two characters are discussing a Kodak marketing campaign about memory and legacy. Harry says to Don:

"I've always been fascinated by the cave paintings at Lascaux. The bison get all the attention, but there are also these handprints, tiny by today's standards...It's like someone is reaching through the stone right to us, saying "I WAS HERE."

These cave paintings are among the earliest known works of art. They were discovered in 1940 near the village of Montignac in central France when four boys stumbled into a cave. Inside, they found paintings that were nearly 17,000 years old.

Secluded cave walls bear real imprints of humans who created the most beautiful Stone Age art. Something about these ancient human handprints is magical.

I remember when I first saw them. My Art History professor turned off the lights and projected an image of tiny handprints onto the classroom wall. The class was hushed, as if we were hearing a sacred secret.

Why does something so simple impact us so deeply?

I think it's because we are witnessing a tangible legacy left by fellow humans who responded to their desire to create. They made their mark. They reached through stone to tell us WE WERE HERE.

How will you make your mark?

Congratulations Andy and Julie

2008-11-18T04:11:00.012-05:00

It's been a long time since I wore a little black dress to a wedding.

This weekend, Andrew and I enjoyed the rare honor of being guests at a wedding. Our dear friend, Andy Silk, married his beautiful bride, Julie, in California.

Andy was a groomsman in our wedding and has been a constant source of encouragement and laughter since our college years at The Missouri School of Journalism. Working late on deadline at the newspaper or in the darkroom will always be some of our favorite memories. But no memory of Andy will be as fond as the image of him waiting at the front of the aisle to marry the woman he chose as his life partner.

Andy and Julie, we are so proud of you! Enjoy these photos from your day. Thanks for letting us shoot while enjoying California wines!

Official Photographer Joe Photo workin' hard!

Amazing photojournalist and college friend, Jason Redmond

ShootQ Grant Winner in Congo

2008-11-13T10:13:00.005-05:00

Please keep ShootQ Grant winner Sherrlyn Borkgren in your thoughts and prayers as she tells the stories of women and girls whose lives have been scarred by warfare. I spoke to Sherrlyn before she departed for Africa, and she was hopeful about her opportunity to shed light on individual stories in the midst of a dark period of civil unrest.

The tension in Congo has increased and news reports share stories of innocent civilians fleeing refugee camps in search of safer havens. Sherrlyn's unflappable optimism and spirit of service inspire us! She never underestimates the power of compassion and hope.

We are confident that her journey will inspire you to get involved and serve the global community. Thank you for supporting documentary photography and ShootQ's vision to empower photographers.

You can follow Sherrlyn's journey through her BLOG

This post is syndicated from the ShootQ Blog. CLICK HERE to comment.

LaCour Fine Art Gallery

2008-11-06T16:57:00.002-05:00

We want to share more of our photographic journey with you and give you the opportunity to experience more of our vision. We selected some of our favorite images from our personal archives and are offering fine art, archival prints for purchase for a limited time. These images are mostly from our travels, which have taken us throughout the world. We plan to offer even more images in the future.

** Click to View the Gallery

Does LaCour still photograph weddings?

2008-11-04T15:27:00.031-05:00

We're coming up for air, taking refreshing gulps. Many of you have asked, "Where have you guys been? and "Do you still photograph weddings?" We've been traveling so much lately; catching our breath seems like a luxury. After a wedding season that took us from British Columbia to Great Britain, we are taking a deep breath and sharing highlights from LaCour's adventures. Enjoy!

WPPI MasterClass Filling Up Fast!

2008-10-13T12:16:00.008-04:00

Last year, we had a wonderful time teaching a MasterClass at WPPI. So, we were honored when they asked if we would teach again in 2009!

Come hang out with us on Wednesday, February 18th!

MasterClasses are a great chance to learn in a small group setting. The best part of our class last year was all of your wonderful questions! The intimate setting means that we can give everyone the attention they need and answer questions from the group.

SIGN UP HERE

The MasterClasses fill up quickly, so check it out now!

"And they saw hope pass by... in a train"

2008-10-09T14:42:00.003-04:00

As the country races towards election day and all the politicians are busy stirring up a frenzy, take a moment and check out Paul Fusco's powerful photo essay The Fallen.

Fusco, a photographer for Look Magazine, was a passenger aboard the train that on June 8, 1968, carried Robert F. Kennedy's coffin between New York City and Washington.

This multimedia essay produced by the New York Times features Fusco's photographs and an audio track of Fusco recounting his experience photographing this journey.

**Click Here for the multimedia essay.

View Paul Fusco's website, which has more photos from the RFK Train: www.paulfuscophoto.com

January Workshop Announced : Branding and Marketing

2008-10-08T15:10:00.002-04:00

LaCour is excited to announce The Business of Storytelling : Branding & Marketing. Come join us for an intensive two-day workshop, January 20-21, 2009, focused entirely on branding and marketing.

Limited to an intimate group of 10 photographers, this workshop will empower you to craft an unforgettable brand and convey a singular marketing message.

Our goal for this workshop is to give photographers highly useful and actionable ideas in a small group setting. We want you to walk away with new brand and marketing strategies that will launch your business to the next level.

What this workshop is not: There will be no shooting demos, no lighting demos, no workflow or post-production demos. We will not be shooting or editing or talking about how to do any of that better. We're going to be talking non-stop about branding and marketing!

For more information and to sign up, visit LaCourPhoto.net/workshops/

Save $200 if you signup before November 1st. Hurry as there there is only room for 10 attendees!

WedComp Contest

2008-10-01T14:25:00.005-04:00

I'm excited to be one of the judges for WedComp. Check out the site for information about how to enter. Reviewing your work and hearing valuable feedback is a great way to learn and grow! The best part? WedComp is dedicating a significant portion of the proceeds to Thirst Relief International. The amount raised for Thirst Relief will be announced along with the winning images.

Exploring Bavaria and Tirol, Alpine Landscape at dusk.

2008-09-22T18:40:00.000-04:00

We arrived late today into Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. We checked into our hotel, which closely resembles a 1970's ski chalet and is owned by the craziest lady in Bavaria – there's a shrine to Elvis in the stairwell and a clown hanging from a swing over our bed. Our first order of business was driving into the Alpine playground to watch fog settle in around crags and cows. It was a peaceful evening; the only noise was jangling cow bells.

Austin is Awesome

2008-09-18T17:50:00.002-04:00

Last night I had the pleasure to meet, hang out and share with all the great photographers at the Austin PUG. They also got a demo of ShootQ V2. After the meeting, Suzi Q, her husband and Jefferson Todd took me to what has got to be the coolest bar in town, the http://www.themeaneyedcat.com. Why is it the coolest bar? Because the whole place is a tribute to Johnny Cash!

I'm in Dallas right now, getting ready to visit the Dallas PUG. Hope to see some of y'all there!

ShootQ Sponsors the ONE Workshop

2008-09-16T01:02:00.002-04:00

When we heard that Jeff and Julia Woods were hosting a workshop geared toward couples who work together, we knew it would be a fantastic opportunity! ShootQ is proudly sponsoring the ONE Workshop.

Jeff and Julia welcome couples to the workshop, which takes place in their beautiful historic studio in Washington, Illinois.

Our friend Zack Arias opened the workshop with his compelling personal story.

Jeff and Julia know how to host and they value every detail! These candy stations were designed to give couples a chance to make candy boxes for each other. Ron Dawson, left, and his wife, Tazra, get started!

The decor in Jeff and Julia's studio is beautiful and modern!

This post originally appeared on the ShootQ blog on September 16, 2008.

To leave a comment, please CLICK HERE and comment on the original post.

ShootQ at Pictage PartnerCon!

2008-09-11T17:55:00.003-04:00

We had a great time connecting with so many ShootQ community members and new friends at Pictage PartnerCon in Los Angeles last week! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello and check out a sneak peek of ShootQ version2!

It was fun to be next to our friends at ShootDotEdit as you can see below!

The 1000-watt glowing "Q-Ball" brightened the entire tradeshow floor!

Who is that masked man? It's Garrett Delph. Oh, and there's DotMan too...

Katie Humphreys (and her husband Chris) gave a great presentation about getting organized in your biz.

ShootQ Genius Will Godfrey shares the first public screencasts of ShootQ version 2.

TimCo is wowed by version 2. Can't you tell?

Andrew and Rachel really just want to BE DotMan.

ShootQ shares the love with DotMan.

This post originally appeared on the ShootQ blog on September 11, 2008.
To leave a comment, please CLICK HERE and comment on the original post.