We are so excited to have our Vogue Vendor spotlighted today for Uyen Tran creator/owner of Little Hatchlings.  

Uyen describe your business: 
Fine Handcrafted Hair Accessories designed especially for Girly Girls and their moms.

What makes your product unique?
I LOVE what I do and I love anything modern with a vintage twist. By using designer cotton fabrics, luxurious dupioni silks and satins, and beautiful embellishments, I strive to deliver items that are crafted superior to the mass-produced items in the market. Not only is it important for me to provide exceptional craftsmanship but it’s also important that my clients have a unique and beautiful accessory that they will treasure throughout their childhood.

Tell us how your business/product came about:
I am a former biologist and I worked in the medical field up until I had my first daughter. Born out of the love for all things girly girl, I started handcrafting headbands after my second little girl was born.

What is your most popular product/service?
My most popular product would have to be any headband that has the yellow and gray color scheme. However, around twice a year, there will be a mad rush for any headbands that are white or cream. This is usually during the Baptisms and Christening seasons.

We would love for you to discover Uyen’s work for yourself:

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Wanna win a Lifetime Membership to Chic Critique Forum (valued at $195)?

It’s really simple. All you have to do is:

• Create a 30-60 second video testimonial (can be longer if you want) telling us in detail what you love about our Forum (not just the brand/blog but the actual forum itself)
• Upload your video testimonial to Youtube with the title “Chic Critique Forum testimonial by [INSERT YOUR NAME]“
•  Use the (frog icon) link below to submit the link to your YouTube video. It will also ask you to include an image with the video. You may use any image you want, even a profile image of yourself

DEADLINE: Wed. May 1st 2013

5-10 winners will be selected! If chosen, we will contact you on May 7th.

We’ll also feature your video on our blog on May 8th and use clips of your video in a promo video for Chic Critique.

SUGGESTIONS: 

• You can make the Youtube video with your computer, phone, iPad, camera, or whatevs
• Use a clean and simple background (clutter could disqualify you)
• Be specific! We want to know the juicy details on why you have a crush on our forum
• You will get bonus points if you showcase Chic Magazine in your video ;0)

ENTER YOUR VIDEO HERE

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By Nicole Klingler and Chantri Keele of True Atelier, Teaching Tuesday Contributors

Did you know that aside from the editing software you use for  photos and video, all you will ever need to run your business effectively can be found in the compact AMAZINGNESS of an iPad? Tack your cell phone on to that, and you have a complete office on the go! Since we have added the iPad to our ‘must have’ equipment list, we have been so happy with how it has allowed us to balance our lives as wives and mothers with our responsibilities as business owners. If you are considering ditching your stack of notebooks, calendars and a bulky laptop for the convenience of an iPad, we are here to tell you that the choice has really streamlined how we run our business.

Here is a list of our favorite apps that will help you run and organize your business, all available from the APPLE APP STORE or through the app store on your device.

1.) Planner Plus: is a free productivity app that allows you to sync google calendars and other shared calendars within a “planner” style interface complete with different views (day, week, and month.) It also provides task windows that allow you to remind yourself of tasks and to-do lists, and even share and delegate responsibilities. This app has been invaluable for our business since we are a partnership. We are able to use the calendars within the planner for personal and family scheduling, but also view our shared True Atelier calendar that is constantly syncing and updating, keeping us abreast of what is going on for the week/ month.

2.) Paper by Fifty Three: is a gorgeous and creative app that allows you to create notebooks, take notes, doodle, design, paint, and so much more. The sky is the limit with this app if you need an artistic outlet to get your thoughts and ideas out on “paper.” We use it quickly jot down blog ideas, business notes, design and logo ideas, within different delegated (and beautiful looking) notebooks. We have separate notebooks for home/ family, studio/ business, blog, and journaling. Also, instantly share notebook pages via email and social media with a click of a button. Send clients or business partners your list of ideas the moment they hit the paper!

3.) Receipts HD: is a free productivity app that helps you organize and track your personal and business expenses (including mileage) with charts, graphs, and printable reports that can be sent to your accountant with the click of a button. Scan in your receipts for organization and track bank accounts, spending and budget.

4.) Dropbox: is a free digital mailbox where you can share images online between all your devices and invite others to view and download your folders. This is essential for our business! Not only do we put session images into folders to share with commercial clients and collaborative vendors, but we have folders for blog posts and instagram so we can access our edited images from our desktop computers on our iPad’s and phones. This makes it possible to send links, instagram, and create blog posts on the go, while at meetings, running errands, or hanging out at our son’s baseball game.

5.) PicCollage: is a free photo/video app that allows you to make collages and inspiration boards from the images in your iPad’s library.  Simply save images from the web/ pinterest/ recent shoots/dropbox/or screen shots, to create multi-purpose boards. It’s super fast and it’s super easy!!!!! We use ours to create wardrobe boards for commercial sessions, inspiration boards for clients and styled shoots with other vendors,  and branding and idea boards to organize our personal and professional ideas. Share these boards with clients and vendors via text, email or face book message, to get everyone on the same page for a shoot.

Give these apps a try to help you streamline your business and make more time for your families and yourselves.

Happy Tuesday Friends!

~Nicole & Chantri

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Nicole Klingler and Chantri Keele are Idaho based, national wedding and portrait photographers with an affinity for all things styled and editorial. Their work has been featured on popular photography resources like SENIOROLOGIE and LEMONADE & LENSES, as well as in print in CHIC MAGAZINE, the IDAHO WEDDING GUIDE, and IDAHO WEDDINGS magazine. Nicole and Chantri love sharing what they have learned with other photographers in the industry through blogging and classes. Check them out at www.blog.trueatelier.com , through their other social media platforms like instagram or facebook, or visit them at their studio in the historic downtown of Idaho Falls.

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We are so excited to have Caralee Case of Caralee Case Photography.  Caralee will be giving a photo critique as one of our Celebrity Photographers for the month of May.

Caralee Case is a professional photographer based out of Idaho Falls, ID, specializing in fine art newborn and children’s portraiture. She has always enjoyed incorporating unique and unexpected elements into her imagery, and the patience and love she has for her subjects is evident in every photograph. Caralee is easily recognized for her use of vibrant, rich color, her attention to detail, and her ability to capture the essence and purity of new life. Her clients often refer to her as the baby whisperer and are in awe at her ability to soothe, calm, and pose little ones to perfection. Caralee also enjoys teaching, and sharing her photography knowledge with others.

What’s in your camera bag?
Nikon D3s. Nikon D800. 50mm f/1.8. 85mm f/1.8. 24-70mm f/2.8. 70-200mm f/2.8

Why do you think honest critique on your images is important?
A fresh pair of eyes and honest critique can really help you to improve and grow as an artist, and see things in a new and different light.

What 3 words would you use to describe your style?
vibrant, contemporary, timeless

Where do you pull your inspiration from? 

I am inspired by everyday things in life; the innocence and beauty of my children, the flecks of color and sparkle in their eyes, the bold, bright colors of a sunset, patterns and trends I see in home decor, colors and textures from modern fashion, I could go on and on! Simply put, I see inspiration in everything!

What is one specific way that you balance work and family?
My inspiration for starting on this photography adventure has always been my children.  To ensure that they stay my focus, I take a limited number of sessions each week/month, and dedicate certain times of day to editing so that I can still be a productive, successful and happy wife and mother. It is sometimes difficult to stick to the limits I have set for my business (especially when it comes to newborns, they are my weakness), but I have learned that a balance between work and family helps me enjoy life more fully.

Best biz/photo advice?
To construct and maintain a successful photography business you need a solid foundation of business principles. Evaluate where you are, where you want to be, and create an action plan to get there!

What have you learned the hard way?
I am a self taught photographer. All of what I know came from thousands of hours of hands-on work, trial and error, and practice. I read lots of on-line tutorials too! I wish I would have had a place like the Chic Critique Forum to ask questions, get honest feedback, learn from the pros, and feel support from my fellow photographers. I think my educational journey could have progressed much faster had I utilized resources that I didn’t know were available to me. I want to see photographers succeed, and I am honored to be a part this fun, new, interactive community of artists.

How does your business deal with the rise in photographers. What have you done to standout and compete?

I have worked persistently to develop a style that is unique and different, to help me stand out in my market. I have heard people say that they can recognize my images without even seeing the watermark. That makes me smile! I also strive to offer a seamless, comfortable, and personalized experience for each of my clients. I truly love what I do, and I hope that it shows in every image that I take.

Where have most of your clients come from (besides WOM)?
Google, website, blog, and facebook. But of course, nothing beats word of mouth referrals from clients who have enjoyed their experience with me, and tell their friends, family, neighbors and co-workers all about what I do and the lasting memories that I have captured for their family.

What is your most popular product?
Digital files. My clients also love birth announcements and mini accordion Plus, They are a fun, unique, and beautiful way to showcase all your favorite images from the session in one place, and introduce your new baby to the world.

What learning opportunities do you offer?
Besides the 4-week critiques here at the Chic Critique Forum, I teach the Creative Captures Photography Workshop, a two-day learning experience focused on creating custom, colorful newborn and child images. https://www.facebook.com/creativephotographyworkshop

Caralee’s Photo Critique Class has ONLY 1 SPOT LEFT…Hurry and get it  HERE!

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Meet our Chic of the Week Chantal Bergeron of Whimsy & Style

Tell us about yourself:

Glasses-clad student-ly type by week, colorful and creative photographer by weekend, and wife and mother first and always!

Freedom seeker, love see-er, memory recorder, magic creator, imagination stimulator, emotion-watcher, perfection seeker, reality lover (yes, those last two really do go together )…that’s who I am…that’s what I do.

I tell stories that become a legacy for lifetimes to come.

Favorite Image:

Image Stats:

This image was the result of a last-minute cancellation I debated what to do with my time–open it up for a last minute booking, get some editing done, do tax stuff (Ewww!)…not being one to ever pass up awesome sunset light I ruled out the latter two. But rather than trying to squeeze in yet another booking I decided to take some time out to try out a few things I’ve had mulling around in my head instead. Thankfully this gorgeous little girly was willing to come out and play with me

The deets–
Time of day: Right at sunset
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/2.0
ISO: 400
Shutter speed: 1/320
F-stop: 2.5
Edited: Initially in Lightroom, pulled into Photoshop for final tweaks and retouching.

What critique from Chic Critique Forum did you find helpful after sharing this image?

The ladies were super helpful, encouraging, and affirming…both in terms of the image, as well as the use of my time!

Go ahead–take a minute and go out and shoot something just for yourself today! You won’t regret seeing what comes from letting go and just creating!

Congratulations Chantal! You’ve been awarded a gift certificate from one of our vendors for being selected as Chic of the Week!

Are you interested in being the Chic of the Week?  Just become a member of the forum, submit an image for peer critique and each week someone will be chosen and featured on the blog!

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Do you post on your blog only to hear crickets? Do you sometimes feel like you are talking to yourself (and maybe your Mom) on your blog? Do you need some LOVE?

Chic Critique is here for you, girl. In 2013, we are doing a weekly feature on our blog every Saturday called “BLOG LOVE” where you can showcase your  blog posts on Chic Critique for lots of love.

SWEET BENEFITS:

• Use this as motivation to blog at least once a week
• Boost your SEO: your thumbnail will link back to your own blog for lots of publicity and SEO lovin’!
• Get blog comments from our fans
• Show off your work
• Get published! One of your images might be featured in an upcoming issue of Chic Magazine

It’s so easy! HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

You must be a member of Chic Critique forum to participate 

1. Post some pics on your own blog with a link back to Chic Critique
2. Every weekend, submit your permalink (not your main blog address) from your own blog post to the frog icon (see sample below) to our weekly Saturday “Blog Love” blog post
3. Your image will then show up as a thumbnail on OUR blog and allow our readers to click on your image to check out YOUR blog.

Need a reminder? We’ll help remind you in our weekly newsletter and on Facebook so be sure to become a fan and subscribe to our newsletter.

ENTER YOUR BLOG POST IMAGES FOR THIS WEEK BY CLICKING ON THE FROG BELOW:
Don’t forget to leave a comment on the other entries because that is half the fun! Also, submit your photo early since those seem to be the ones who receive the most comments.

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