Hello Everyone! I'm back at work after attending the 2012 Professional Photographers of NC annual convention at the Sheraton Imperial Center. For pro photographers this is better than a trip to Disney World.

Not only do you get to exchange ideas with hundreds of other pros, you attend workshops presented by national experts in their field. I sat in on presentations on off camera flash and lighting theory, social networking and how it is changing the photography industry and other techno-geeky topics.

The trade show attracted vendors from around the country with the latest equipment for us to use to create exciting new products for our clients. Tons of new ideas for products the average person can not get anywhere but from a professional photographer.

A very important part of this annual convention is the print judging by a panel of certified experts. A photographer can gain invaluable insight to what makes an excellent image by listening to the judges analyze hundreds of images.

I also had the opportunity to sit down with a Master Photographer to review a selection of my images in a private critique session. I received some very generous advice as how I can improve my lighting and post production cropping to make my portraits more powerful. My next portrait session is going to be epic!