Women in Analytics' annual conference, DataConnect, brings together a global community of industry leaders, technical experts, entrepreneurs, and academia while providing a platform for women to lead the conversations around the latests advancements and methodologies in data, analytics, and AI.

While the conference is organized and led by women, it is attended by all. While women can find an incredible amount of inspiration in each other's work, it's just as important for men to see women leading the way.

Even as a person with no connection with the industry, this is my favorite conference to shoot each year. The speakers are phenomenal (traveling from around the globe) and the content is fascinating - even for someone outside of the industry.

My relationship with leadership cements my work even further. I'm grateful to be given space to share my professional feedback (specifically regarding lighting, wardrobe, layout, and logistics) in support of improving this event year after year.

Imagine Blue Apron or Hello Fresh arriving at your home with already cooked food, and all you had to do was heat it up. That's what Luxe & Lemons does here in Central Ohio! In an online account, you place your order each week, get your delivery, heat the meals, and enjoy!

I've worked with Luxe & Lemons owner, Kat Rumley, for several years now. Each shoot is in a different location, with models enjoying the food, and all of us sharing lots of laughs. :)

Our most recent shoot, however, was just for the products themselves - the gorgeous meals available to order on the website! (I was super grateful when she sent me home with a large bag full of food! Have I ever said how much I love my job?)

Julie Ohlemacher is passionate about body image and intuitive eating coaching because of her own history of struggling in her body. As Julie embarked on her own healing journey, it became apparent that her struggle was not unique, that so many other women had the exact same experience. 

As a coach, blogger, podcaster, and business owner (wearing all the hats!), Julie has always been keenly aware of the importance of constantly creating new content for her website and social media platforms. So many different types of images are needed to help a brand tell a story - in Julie's case, those images include more than just working at a desk - they show her personal life, her support of intuitive eating, her friends, her body (that she loves!), and of course her Insta-famous dog, Maple. 

Julie is a pro at getting the most out of every shoot. Because of her prep work, we're usually able to get double the normal amount of photos in a one-hour shoot. Here's how she does it.

Ulmer is a law firm representing companies of all sizes across a wide spectrum of industries. As they welcome new attorneys, paralegals, and administrative professionals to their Columbus team, they have a long onboarding checklist to follow. One of the items on the list: get new headshots!

We've done this for several years: 

• Client sends name and email of new hire
• New hire gets email with location info (inside their office!) and a link to my calendar to schedule a time that works best for them
• Shoot takes 5-10 minutes of their time
• Images and email invoice sent within 24 hours (and even better, autopay is available!)

Let's recap. Checking off this onboarding task took 30 seconds. That's it. I did everything else so that my client could get back to way more important work.

I say it all the time...I consider myself to be more of a business owner than an artist. I love the additional value my streamlined processes bring to my work - because being a commercial photographer is about more than providing nice photos. It's about the entire experience.

Brandi Lust is the author of Myths of Being Human: Four Paths to Connect with What Matters. Through her work nationally as a speaker and consultant, she helps organizations lower stress, build resilience, and create more connection for employees through tools like mindfulness and social- emotional learning.

Brandi's book was published in the spring of 2018, and to celebrate, Brandi planned a launch event at LIT Life + Yoga. She invited family, friends, clients, and colleagues to come enjoy food, drink, and a talk with host Debbie Penzone (owner of the yoga studio). Brandi also provided some meaningful mindfulness work to guests, which included journaling, a custom essential oil created by Under Aurora, and topics inspiring connection with others.

When visiting Zest Juice Co., my photography can be found on their digital menu boards. Working with an excellent food stylist ensured the client's needs and expectations would be met.

The first three images are their smoothies "deconstructed" to feature ingredients. The following four images are various groupings/stylings of different items - basically custom stock photography created for the company's graphic designer to use on the website, print materials, social media, and menu boards. The final three images show Zest Juice Co. has more than just smoothies and juices!

When visiting Zest Juice Co., my photography can be found on their digital menu boards. Working with an excellent food stylist ensured the client's needs and expectations would be met.

The first three images are their smoothies "deconstructed" to feature ingredients. The following four images are various groupings/stylings of different items - basically custom stock photography created for the company's graphic designer to use on the website, print materials, social media, and menu boards. The final three images show Zest Juice Co. has more than just smoothies and juices!

I decided to change that by starting Processed, a new blog sharing some of my previously unseen work.

The first post will be coming mid-January, so stay tuned!