May 2025 Monthly Meeting

Andiamo! Welcome to the world of Destination Portraits! Live your dreams!

This program covers how Denise started traveling the world creating dream portraits for dream clients. How to start booking destination sessions. How to prepare.....what to know before you go! What to bring and how to bring it. Permits, legalities, tickets. How to prepare to photograph in a place you've never been to! All of the hidden expenses you need to plan for and charge for. And so much more!

Denise Watrous is based in Waukesha, WI. She started working in the photography industry in 1988, while still in high school, and has never not had a job in some aspect of the photography world. From working in the dark room, high volume studios, small boutique studios, wedding photographer and studio owner, she's pretty much done it all. Denise has owned her own studio since 2001. After almost 20 years photographing weddings, she gave that up in 2008 to focus on seniors, families, pageant head shots, and to spend weekends with her family.

As a former film photographer and business owner before the advent of social media and files, she's had a successful client system down for decades, that only needed a little revamping as the years and technology have passed. She teaches how the sale starts at the very first interaction, continues through the session, in person sales appointment, through delivery and then some!

Denise is a Certified Professional Photographer and is the 2024 Wisconsin Senior Portrait Photographer of the Year and Top Ten Photographer of the Year.