Biography

“Dogs and humans are meant to be together. We’ve evolved together over the past millennia and, in my opinion, are never as good apart as we can be together. When I adopted my first dog in 2001 (“Jersey” – a retired racing greyhound), I became aware of the needs of shelter dogs. I never knew so many greyhounds never made it past their last race on the track. Or so many great pets were stuck in shelters. I realized that every dollar raised helps find a pet a home and every pet that finds a family helps to change the world. If you know me, you know I’m a bit of a “do-er”. So I did what I always do: I got involved. I volunteered at meet and greets, educated everyone I met about the gentle greyhound and the large number of pets of all breeds needing good homes. I started donating my time taking portraits of adoptable dogs to help them find forever homes. I joined with several rescues to fundraise through pet calendars. I was creating pet portraits but also being a “Jack-of-All-Trades” Photographer: seniors, families, weddings, pets, engagements. I did it all and had a good time! I’ve taken photos of everything from a Christmas ham to publicity shots for politicians. It wasn’t until I moved to Minnesota in 2011, however, that I decided to focus my energy on pet portraits. There’s something about starting over in every aspect of my life that I think gave me the freedom to take a risk and specialize with pets. Pet photography had previously been a small part of my business but took off at this point and became my niche market.”

Lisa has won numerous awards for her work including five Kodak Gallery awards, Fuji Masterpiece, Lexjet, PPA District First Place, IPC GIA First Place and GIA Second Place, two-time Diamond Photographer of the Year, and more. Receiving PPA “Photographer of the Year” status the last 10 years straight, Lisa has been named one of PPA‘s “Elite Plus” members. She enjoys volunteering her time with several pet rescues photographing their adoptable animals, fostering and assisting in their fundraisers and food drives. Her love of animals has grown into wildlife (and landscape) photography as well. She is a past president of the Twin Cities Professional Photography Association, Founder and Director of the Animal Image Makers Conference, and a PPA Councilor.

Her favorite products from ACI include Large Photo Prints, Memory Books, and Riveli Albums.

What type of classes does Lisa teach?

Some of her recent workshop topics include:

“How to Talk Dog”
There’s more than just squeaky toys when it comes to creating portraits of our 4-legged family members.  Lisa Asp, owner of Tangerine House of Design in Minneapolis, MN, has been photographing pets since 2001 and has learned a thing or two along the way.  Join us as she shares the inside scoop on training her (human) clients, lighting their dogs, getting expressions that sell, and what products are her best sellers.  As part of this seminar, Lisa will also discuss safety in working with pets, posing, lighting and lens selection.  If time allows, we will do a live demo and edit images in Asp’s signature painterly style.

“Creating a Win-Win Fundraiser Through Pet Portraiture”
If you’re not photographing pets, you’re missing an entire market! Lisa Asp, owner of Tangerine House of Design in Minneapolis, MN will share with you how to cash in on pet portraits with proven marketing techniques she has used to expand this now very profitable area of her business. The seminar will cover the details of Lisa’s successful “Pin-Up Pets” Fundraiser and the marketing techniques used to make this (and any portrait charity event)a successful one.  She has been doing this particular fundraiser for 15 years – first in CT for 7 years and now in MN for the last 8 years.  In these 8 years, she has raised approximately $75,000 for area rescues while bringing in business revenue in the slow months of the year.  As part of this seminar, Lisa will discuss safety in working with pets, posing, lighting, getting expression and finally products that her clients love.  She is also able to do a live shooting demo and editing if there is time.

“Taking Ownership of The Numbers”
Most photographers struggle with crunching their numbers, knowing their overhead, and setting their prices for long-term sustainability.  As creatives, photographer’s faces tend to glaze over when it comes to the numbers, especially those newer to the industry.  Lisa has created a way to dumb this process down to a simple “fill-in-the-blank” worksheet that has helped numerous photographers understand their time, their overhead, and what their average orders need to be to see profitability.  Many don’t think about their own time as a cost, or their equipment as an ongoing expense.  These two factors alone can make a MAJOR difference in one’s final numbers.  Lisa will lead your members in a discussion demonstrating the numbers and the ease in finding this information, which is a different equation for every single person.  By the end of the discussion, the light bulb will be burning brightly and attendees will have more knowledge and confidence in their businesses and what they each need to be charging.  Note:  This 60-minute program can be added as a filler or onto another program depending upon the scheduled program time.

“Combining your Passions: Travel and Wildlife Photography”
We tend to take the landscapes around us for granted, but sometimes those places we overlook can offer some of the best opportunities for photography. Yet, other times traveling elsewhere gives us the renewed energy and motivation we need in order to find the hidden gems in our own backyard. Come be inspired though beautiful imagery, learn how to look differently at your subject and push yourself beyond the rule of thirds.  Learn how to create more impact in your landscape and wildlife images. Lisa will discuss her individual viewpoint on post processing, will talk about locations near and far, and give you pointers for how to plan for a photography adventure of your own.

“From Raw to AWE!”
Photography is an art form, yet so many people approach it from a “journalistic” or “natural/organic” approach. Of course, getting it right in camera is an important step, but taking it to the next level using smart and artistic post-processing techniques will take your work to the next level and set you apart from the crowd, and more importantly, allow you to offer work most consumers cannot do. In this age of “everyone’s a photographer”, this is an important concept to keep the clients coming in. Join Master Artist Lisa Asp and she walks you through some of the techniques she uses in her everyday work and her competition images.