Welcome to Michelle's Albums Chat!

Welcome to the AI 360 blog section! Here at Albums Inc., we've always prided ourselves on our relationships: the relationships that we have with our vendors in the industry; the relationships between our employee owners; and, most importantly, the relationships that we have with you, our valued clients. I've grown up in this industry and I'm proud to be one of the many second-generation employees of the AI family. So, the AI blogs are a modern, technology-induced means of keeping those relationships strong. Especially today, when change is all around us, it's good to share, discuss and stay current with what's new and now!

In the last several years, we've all seen a tremendous amount of change in our industry: some good; some maybe not so good; and some we're not quite sure whether it's good or bad just yet. We have also seen astounding innovation in technology, which has been both part of the evolution and revolution shaping photography today.

I have the distinct pleasure of meeting and having wonderful relationships with many of our industry's best and brightest talents. From industry legends, like Hanson Fong, who I just met, to Kavan Lee, an emerging talent, I get to meet some amazing and inspiring artists. My job here at AI takes me to many events across the country. National events, such as Imaging USA (yes, I got stuck, too) and state events, like TPPA/Southwestern Convention in Arlington, Texas. Even across the pond to the mother of all shows, Photokina. Through all of my travels, I'm always struck by all of the wonderful people I meet and the amazing relationships that have come as a result.

One of our latest adventures at Albums Inc. is the 2007 WOW tour. Our very own west coast "sunshine" ambassador, Brenda Harper, came to me with the idea of doing an educational tour. Okay, so I must admit, I was a bit hesitant at first, but after listening to her and recognizing that photographers are hungry for information on how to navigate the changing tides of "digital photography"...well, I thought, what the heck, let's see what we can do to help. So, after hopping a plane to Los Angeles, I met with a group of local California photographers and had a round table discussion. The goal was to bring real, practical knowledge on everything from marketing and branding... and Photoshop (the kind that does not involve spending 20 hours designing!!)... to running a studio from a-z and, at the end of the day, still be PROFITABLE!! We tried to bring together new talents, like San Diego photographer and Lensbabiologist, Lisa Smith, to Master Photographer and internationally renowned legend, Hanson Fong. The WOW tour began on February 26, 2007 in North Hollywood, California at Calumet's state of the art center. WPPI 2006 Grand Photography Award recipient Curt Littlecott gave a daylong class on everything from album design to marketing a successful studio. The second day Oscar Afsahi taught his mastery of Corel Painter to a group of photographers. What impressed me about both Oscar and Curt was how everything they taught came down to the very practical idea of making it work for your business. Or in other words, how to meld the art and craft of photography into a profitable business model in today's rapidly changing landscape.

WOW is starting out in California and runs through September of 2007. Along each stop, we'll be sharing part of our adventure with you through photos and fun stories (like having cocktails after Curt's seminar became a sighting of Al Pacino!!). And if all goes well, we might take WOW across the country in 2008!! My travel companions, Brenda, Nicole (my assistant and sister), and Patrick Bates, our co-sponsor from Bay Photo Lab, and I sure had a blast! We met some awesome photographers! It was fantastic to see people excited and engaged, talking and sharing what it is they love about what they do. I gotta tell you, it was great to be a part of that!

So, with that, my friends, I'll sign off. My next adventure takes me to Las Vegas for WPPI, Atlanta, Georgia for SEPPA, and then to San Francisco for the second session of the WOW tour. I hope to see some of you along the way!

Ciao,
Miche Cardello