We started out our first full day of the workshop with a drive through the ranch and we were so thrilled to pull up and introduce them to our brand new workshop space, The Lodge.

Originally used as the Girl Scouts Lodge in the tiny town of Newgulf, Texas, Cat's parents purchased and moved it onto the ranch many years ago. We are so thankful to have it as a space that we can use for a 'new version' of it's original purpose: learning and community.

First up was the individual headshots of all of the attendees, but afterwards, we all settled in with coffee in our cups and minds primed and ready for learning. 

Luke and I spent the morning talking about all things shooting, from the gear we use (and the gear we don't) to exactly how we shoot and expose. We then got to wow the attendees (I saw lots of shocked faces) when we told them we don't use any off-camera flash. We showed them many of our "looks like OCF" images and exactly how we're able to produce those well-lit reception images that fit right in with our natural light images.

After a wonderful home-cooked lunch by our 'Chef de Cuisine' (Luke's mom!) we got back to work - this time teaching about building a brand, the differences between a brand and branding, communicating with clients, and publication. 

We finished up with one of my favorite parts of the workshop - websites, blogging, and social media. We went page by page through our website and explained the buyer behavior that led us to design and present our portfolio and pricing on our website as we do.

As golden hour approached, we headed out to our favorite picture spot (gorgeous sun and mossy trees!) for a real engagement session. While today's shoot focuses on shooting details like you would a normal wedding, yesterday's engagement session really focused on how we interact with our couples to create an experience they won't soon forget (and one that leaves them bragging about us to all of their friends!) during their photos. 

After the shoot, we came back to The Lodge for dinner while Luke showed off his culling, editing, and workflow tips and tricks that allow him to edit a wedding in 2 hours flat.

On the agenda today is lots of pricing talk, a lesson in styling by Wendy from Birds of a Feather Events, and finally, our wedding editorial. 

If you'd like more information about our next workshop (scheduled for April 9-11, 2018 and just announced) visit this link. Read the day 1 recap here!

Learning & Community,

Luke & Cat

Last night was the first night of our Life and Craft Workshop, and since we hadn't hosted a workshop in over a year, we had plenty of time to design and create and entirely new welcome experience for our attendees!

In years past, our workshop has always kicked off with a gorgeous welcome dinner. We pull out all the stops, work with some of Houston's absolute finest creatives and chefs, and create over the top fancy dinners that are served alfresco under the twinkle of bistro lights in our yard. The fancy table gives our attendees beautiful things to photograph right out of the gate, but sometimes, it felt like the welcome dinner was a hectic start for our attendees (arriving and immediately starting to shoot and then, sitting down for a multi course meal at the fanciest table most of us have ever sat at) instead of the more relaxed 'hanging out and getting to know each other' vibe we wanted to create.

While these dinners have been a huge hit and certainly a major wow factor to start off the workshop, we decided to retire the fancy welcome dinners and create a completely new workshop welcome experience! Anyone can have a fancy dinner and set a beautiful table, but since we live on a ranch, we knew we could create something special that no other workshop could offer them! 

So our new welcome experience, The Life & Craft Ranch Social was born! Yesterday evening, we picked up our attendees at the headquarters hotel and took the 15 minute drive to the ranch. Once we arrived, we loaded onto the back of a trailer, grabbed an ice cold Shiner Bock out of the cooler, and went for a golden hour tour of the cattle ranch that we live on. Since our family's favorite thing to do is ride around the ranch in the evenings, we loved showing the attendees a little glimpse of what life is like for us most days. 

There were lots of cows, cows and calves, and cows soon to have calves to see. We proudly showed off some of the giant live oak trees that pepper the landscape of our little corner of the Texas Gulf Coast. Since we take all of our engagement and bridal portraits on the ranch, too, we got to point out a few of our favorite picture taking spots. 

We finished up with a special date with a dapper gentlemen, Mr. V8 274/7, who's name is George. He is the friendliest Brahman bull ever, and he loved getting pet and loved on by the attendees. Eventually, George laid down for his favorite activity, belly rubs and posing for photos. 

Championship barbecue cookers S&P Barbecue brought their food truck and served us all some of (Cat's favorite!) the best Texas barbecue around. Ribs that fell off the bone and juicy beef brisket - all sliced fresh to order.

If Day 1 was any indicator of what's to expect for the next couple of days, I know this workshop is going to be something very special.

Stay tuned for the next recap where we will get to unveil our brand new workshop space!

We just announced our next workshop dates - April 9 - 11, 2018. If you'd like more info on our workshops or would like to reserve your seat, visit our website! 

Learning & Communication,

Luke & Cat

Once again we partnered with Two Be Wed for the editorial for our Life & Craft Workshop. "Romanticism Revisited" celebrates simplicity and unpretentious beauty. It embraces the natural elements and has a slight pastoral mood. The delicate fabrics highlight the breeze, the florals capture the rugged side of the land, and the overall mood of the shoot harkens back to the distinct moody romanticism of its namesake. Soft neutrals allow the rich and varied textures to be the star of the show rather than the color palette, making it the perfect inspiration for any wedding season. 

We're gearing up for our next Life & Craft Workshop at the ranch in late fall 2017. Sign up here to join our workshop wait list and have the first chance at one of our limited seats.

Love & Collaboration, (Thanks to this incredible Houston creative team!)

Luke & Cat