Have you ever gone to a conference and come back with a notebook full of ideas, and actions you want to implement?

In my previous life as a management consultant, I would facilitate leadership and management development programs for large organisations. My participants would go back to work armed with a heap of thoughts to inspire, a big list of things to do. The big danger of course is that sometimes, nothing happens, nothing changes, a busy life and work swallow up any sense of new and the opportunity to change and progress is quickly lost.

On the weekend, I attended the annual AIPP Hair of the Dog Conference. It’s a 3 day conference for professional photographers. You get to meet and network with other photographers, and listen to speakers in a range of fields, some marketing, some personal development, some photography techniques, some inspirational. There are also heaps of photographic toys from photography retailers to entice. The 2013 HOTD was simply awesome. I found there were so many faces new to the industry attending taking in every word. The speakers were inspiring, challenging and refreshingly honest.

A common theme that came through for me was that as photographers, we can and do make a difference in people’s lives. The images we can create are more than just a record of what we look like and the place we are in. Our images share the soul of our muse and move those who see our images.

Thanks to all on the AIPP Qld committee responsible for putting on this event. Thanks too to to all the speakers and especially those I got to see and be inspired by. (Jesh de Rox, Nick Melidonis, David Watson, Johannes Van Khan and Jo Grams, Ian Wilkinson, Adam Finch, Heide Smith and Richard Muldoon. Trevor Foon I wish I got to see your workshops too, maybe next time).

Today, my iPad is groaning with notes and ideas. Clearly, one can’t do everything at once. When faced with a big to do list, make sure you write down some goals. Then every day, take a step towards your goal. After a year, you’ll be miles down the road to achieving it!