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Photographer

Photography: Hudetz Photography, Fort Collins, CO
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Do you want to become a photographer?

Are you able to anticipate and capture that special moment that makes for a memorable photo? Do you have exceptional people skills and the ability to put people at ease? Are you willing and able to leap tall buildings (well, maybe just kneel, climb and run!) to get the perfect photo? Then, maybe it is time for you to get “focused” on a career in photography. Let John Hudetz, owner of Hudetz Photography, share with you his insights and experience on how to become a photographer on a VocationVacations® career mentorship with him in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado.

“I started taking photos of my friends when my grandmother gave me a camera when I was seven years old,” remembers John. “I was fascinated you could point a camera, click and create a picture.”

Even though his early interest in photography continued as he grew up, he did not initially pursue photography as a full-time career. From 1979 – 2000, he worked in marketing and sales in the printing business, while doing professional photography part-time. In 2000, he opened his own in-home studio, Hudetz Photography, and became a full-time photographer specializing in wedding and portrait photography.

“I liked doing sports and action photography early on but soon realized how short-lived those photos were,” explains John. “I decided I wanted to create lifetime images for people to look back on and remember.” To create these memories, John melds photojournalism with artistry, focusing on documenting what naturally happens. “I don’t tell couples what to do. I encourage them to relax, talk, laugh, focus on each other and not me,” explains John. These techniques have obviously been successful as he has ranked as high as third among thousands of wedding photographers in competitions sponsored by the Artistic Guild of Wedding Photojournalists Association.

To create the high quality photographs he believes his clients deserve, John works with
both MAC and PC platforms and uses top quality Canon and Nikon cameras. He continually strives to stay on top of what is happening in his industry….recently the merging of video and still photography. “Some photographers are freaking out about this. I am experimenting with it and easing into the fusion of these two techniques,” says John.

John believes a true passion for and acceptance of people are a photographer’s most important assets. “No matter what the venue or who the bride is, I try to make the bride feel like she is the most beautiful bride ever. I truly don’t feel like I have ever worked with a ‘bridezilla’,” laughs John.

However, to be successful, John stresses the importance of balancing art and commerce. “You have to pay attention to business and allocate your resources wisely,” cautions John. “I’ve seen a lot of dollars wasted on ineffective advertising and marketing.” John offers another important observation about succeeding as a photographer. “You need to be physically fit. You have to do whatever it takes to get the right angle and direction for a photo, whether you need to stand, lie down, climb a ladder or run to get the perfect photo.”

In addition to John’s expertise with wedding and portrait photography, he also does some personal photography projects to keep his creative juices flowing. Recently, John worked with the Crow Indian Tribe in Montana to document their trip to Washington D.C. and capture their parade appearance at President Obama’s inauguration. He has also traveled to Cuba and was credentialed by the Cuban government to take photos of Fidel Castro and his brothers. Some of his fine art photography has been displayed at the Denver International Airport.

While on your Photographer VocationVacations® career mentorship with John Hudetz, Hudetz Photography, activities will include some or all of the following:
  • Hands-on review of either Vocationer’s or Mentor’s camera /lighting equipment. Review usage of various equipment settings and implement test shootings at different settings.
  • Hands-on post-production image processing in Electronic Darkroom applications including adobe Photoshop and Lightroom on either PC or Mac platform.
  • Packing and cleaning of equipment for a photo shoot. What to include, not include, testing of equipment along with designing a vision plan for shoot.
  • Assist in a portrait shoot or wedding as an intern, assistant or 2nd shooter, depending on expertise level of Vocationer.
  • Download images from a shoot, sort and edit, initiate post-processing and convert from RAW format to JPEG.
  • Role-play different scenarios dealing with potential clients in initial phone conversations, sales presentations, contract negotiations as well as client relations the day of a shoot.
  • Use worksheet approach in doing basic business planning in regards to equipment needs, marketing strategies, sales projections and profitability analysis.
  • Submit portfolio for critic review and/or review photos taken during workshop.
  • Discuss online marketing strategies including personal website, blog, social networking, along with Search Engine Optimization approaches.
  • Discuss pricing strategies for different types of work.
The Photographer VocationVacations® career mentorship with John Hudetz, Hudetz Photography, includes:
  • Two days of one-on-one mentorship in your dream job as a Photographer
  • The opportunity to participate in a total of one hour of pre- and post- VocationVacations career coaching from an accredited, affiliated VocationVacations career coach
  • A pocket-size VocationVacations journal so you can document your dream job coming to reality
  • Light lunches with your mentor

Available: Based on mentor's availability

Price: $999 Per Person

Book This Career Mentorship



Suggested Accommodations

Hampton Inn     

Courtyard by Marriott

(Not included in the price of the VocationVacations® holiday)

Other activities and tourist destinations while on your VocationVacations® adventure:

Reservation, Cancellation and Rescheduling Rules and Conditions:

Full payment of the VocationVacations dream job holiday is required to make a reservation. A $100 non-refundable fee is assessed if a VocationVacations experience is cancelled or rescheduled prior to 14-days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday, based on the approved availability of the mentor to reschedule. A VocationVacations adventure cannot be rescheduled and is non-refundable if cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday. Written notification of cancellation or rescheduling is required in all cases. In the US, Grounded Nomads, LLC and VocationVacations holidays encourage all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling. In the UK, Grounded Nomads, Ltd and VocationVacations holidays must require all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling and provide verification of such travel insurance to Grounded Nomads, Ltd.