Lauren Wakefield

I’m the first to admit that I don’t like change.  But I’m also the type of person who dives right in when I believe in something.  If I find something that makes sense…and makes my life easier…I tend to become one step short of obsessed.  Don’t even get my started on my new obsession with Keurigs.  Back when I started using PASS, that is exactly what happened.  All the sudden my life became easier and I was hooked.  I found a way to quickly and efficiently ..and beautifully…deliver my photos to my clients and it is safe to say that I will never go back.

The truth of the matter in owning a business is that you have to be able to change right along with it.  You have to be able to adapt to the changes in technology and business practices.  I honestly believe if you don’t…you’ll get left behind.  The reality in my business right now is that DVDs are becoming obsolete.  Even Apple has stopped including CD/DVD drives in their newest laptops.  DVDs no longer make sense… and they aren’t the safest and most efficient way to deliver photos.  So I needed a new answer.

PASS was it.  From the first time I PASSed my first event I was completely hooked.  Not only is it so simple for me to upload and deliver…it is even simpler for my clients.  Their photos are safe in the cloud and I don’t have to worry about packaging up a DVD, making it to the post office…and hoping it gets to them unscathed.  I simply send an email and bam…their photos are at their fingertips.  And PASS just keeps getting better and better.  I just got a little sneak at the new update and it is UNBELIEVABLE.  I am completely stoked to be able to give my clients and EVEN better way to see their photos.

For those of you who haven’t hopped on the PASS train yet…I thought I would show you just how incredibly fast and simple it is to use.

When you open PASS, it asks you what you would like to do.  To upload a new event you just click upload.

Once all your photos are done uploading, it will take you to the manage tab.  You can put the photos into collections (very helpful for weddings) and organize them there.

Next you can PASS your event.  You can chose your VIPs which allows them special access to this event.  Meaning they can download all the images from the PASS app and other options you can set up.  PASS integrates with Facebook to make this super easy.

After you have selected your VIPs you can send them an email letting them know their photos are ready for viewing.  And it looks incredibly streamlined and professional…which I love.

From there they can view their photos on their plus site (another post for another day) or it can take them directly to the PASS app.  Both great platforms for viewing their photos.

When you add collections to your event in the ‘manage’ step, they appear like this on a plus site.  This way it is easy for guests and family to get to the photos they are looking for without flipping through hundreds of images.   You can also post the photos directly to Facebook right from this screen.  You just click the f and it posts it on their wall…linking photo credit back to you.  With a DVD, your client may put photos up on Facebook but no one would ever know who took them or where they came from.  This way you are always credited for your work.  Clients and guests can also star their favorite images.  This is a great feature for album design and once someone stars their favorites, they can also post that entire group directly into a Facebook album.  SO fast and SO easy.  I love it!

The best part, in my opinion  about PASS is the mobile sharing.  PASS works on all mobile devices and allows your clients to literally take their wedding photos with them everywhere.  Word of mouth is huge in our industry so this is an amazing way to keep your clients talking about you!  And the new update makes this part of PASS even more incredible.  I can’t wait!

Hopefully this made a little bit of sense.  If you have any questions about PASS or any other topic please feel free to ask!  I’m always happy to help.  I know there are a million ways to share photos, this is just the way I have found that works best for my business.  It’s not the right way…it’s just the way I like best.  Happy Friday!

I think in this business it’s so important to have mentors.  People you can model yourself after and aspire to be like.  But at the same time…people who constantly remind you to be your true self…and push you towards bigger and better things.  Justin & Mary are those people to me.  I have learned SO much from them over the years.  So much about photography and my business…and most importantly about myself.   They have believed in me since day one and I am forever grateful to have them in my life.  And to call them friends.

They are about to embark on their own adventure as they drive across country on their What’s Next Tour.  I have no doubt that it is going to be unbelievable.  Mary has this incredible way of pulling things out of you you didn’t even know you had.  Her and Justin are two of the most genuine people I have ever met and I am so incredibly proud of them.  I am also SO excited because Mary has given me a free full day seat to give away today!!!  Which means one of you get to go to the What’s Next tour and take your big next by storm.  And then come back and tell me all about since I’ll be out of the country and can’t go.  I’m still so bummed…  🙁

Anyways…leave a comment below and tell me one thing you’ve been too afraid to go after in your life or business and I’ll announce the winner Thursday on my blog!  For everyone else, you can get $50 off your seat by using the code WAKEFIELD.  A huge thanks to Justin & Mary for putting themselves out there and let’s all go after everything we’ve ever wanted!!  Deal??!?

You always hear people say…”what a difference a year makes.”  But it wasn’t until today that I really understood the magnitude of what that sentence can mean.

A year ago today…I sat in front of my doctor and heard him mutter the words…”we found some cancer.”  I remember getting really hot.  And becoming very aware of how often I was blinking.  He went on to talk for at least 20 more minutes but I didn’t hear anything he said.  I just sat there…thinking about how this was going to break my whole world.  I was thinking about how I was going to tell Gary.  How I could possibly get the words out of my mouth that were going to change our lives forever.  My hands were shaking and I was holding them really tightly in my lap…I was doing everything I could to show the doctor just how fine I was.

I remember the drive home so vividly.  I had promised Gary I would call him right after my appointment but I knew I had to just get home.  My hands were shaking even worse than before and breathing become rather tricky.  I’m pretty sure that is what a panic attack feels like.  I remember walking up to the door with shaking keys in my hand and stopping.  I knew the second I walked through that door nothing would ever be the same.  I knew that was my last chance to just keep life as it was…even for just one moment.  I opened the door…still not knowing what I was going to say…and Gary turned and looked straight at me.  All I could get out was…’It’s not good.”  Very profound, I know.  But he knew exactly what I meant.

That day was the bottom.  I’ve never been more scared, unsure, defeated…and just plain mad in my life.  I had just found out I had cancer and I had no clue what to do.  It seemed like from that point forward it was just more bad news after bad news.  And as doctors were throwing words at me like chemo and surgery and radiation…all I could think about was my business.  What was this going to do to my business?   How could I shoot weddings with cancer?  It didn’t take long to figure out that we are built to handle a lot more than we think.  That the things I thought I couldn’t do…were exactly what I was meant to be doing.

One year ago today I hit bottom.  I was ready to throw in the towel and let my fear win.  But I didn’t.  I promised myself I would take that day and turn it into something powerful.  Something that would move me forward so much faster than I ever could.  And as I sit here today…I can honestly say I have had the best year of my life.  Sure…there were some unfortunate parts.  But those are the things that got me to where I am today and I am so thankful for that.  Cancer gave me perspective   And most importantly perspective on fear.  All the things I was so afraid to do before, don’t seem as scary anymore…and I’m doing them!

I am living proof of what a year can do.  A real story of ‘what a difference a year can make.‘  I know how many of you are staring something so scary in the face and  can’t bring yourself to take that first step.  I know what’s it like to feel paralyzed…to let fear win.  But I also know what you can accomplish if you realize the scariest things in life…really aren’t so scary after all.

Today I am doing one of the scariest things I’ve ever done.  I’m announcing my first workshop.  This is something that has been stewing up in my head for several months now and I thought today was the perfect day to let it out to the world.  Yes…I’m terrified.  But I also know so whole-heartedly that I can take the things I’ve learned this last year and help people.  Really help people.  So here it is…the grand unveiling of my shiny new workshop entitled…A Year to Change Your Life.  I could babble on about it for a few more paragraphs but thanks to my very good friend, Joe, you can watch the video below for a lot more info.

I am limiting this workshop to ten people since it will be a very intimate environment.  We’re going to be getting personal…so get ready.  

For THIS WEEKEND ONLY tickets are $100 off!  Don’t miss out.  First come first serve so scoop them up now!  You can click here for more info and details.