Archive for September, 2009

I’m so excited to show you Suehyun and Mike’s wedding photography slideshow! These two have been all over the world for their honeymoon, and I didn’t want the slideshow to go live until they had Internet access.

Their deep connection with each other goes beyond words. It’s an honor to show you the glimpses Brian and I captured through photography.

As you already know, this image is one of my favorite wedding images for 2009.

Suehyun and Mike: Me Ra Koh Photography, Wedding in Maui

Here is another favorite.

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

Can’t stop!

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

And we can’t forget about the traditional Korean shoes for the Pae Baek ceremony.

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

Every movement and gesture that the bride and groom make during this ceremony carries symbolism. The traditions and displays of honor behind Pae Baek are always moving to witness.

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

But one of the things I love about Suehyun…she is so fun to laugh with. In fact, Suehyun and I were laughing because of all the “Korean influence” surrounding her wedding. From the bridesmaid dress designer

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

to the photographer. :) If nothing else, she knows the wedding can only be a success with Koreans surrounding it. :)

But Kristina Harpe (who is NOT Korean) is the beautiful Wedding Manager at the The Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua in Maui. She was AWESOME! Not only did she help make the reception mood romantic with an elegant design–

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

she also helped me surprise the bride. Suehyun had once told me that Mike played the ukulele, so Kristina helped me find one on the day of the wedding so Mike could serenade her. Isn’t that awesome!

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

You can see how Brian captured Suehyun’s response in their Wedding Slideshow. It’s the BEST!

And even though they practiced their first dance on the beach with me and Brian,

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

none of us were prepared for the LIFT! Wow, talk about a first dance.

Suehyun and Mike's Wedding: Me Ra Koh Photography Inc, Wedding Photography in Maui

Want to see more?! Check out their wedding photography slideshow by clicking: SUEHYUN AND MIKE’S WEDDING. And feel free to leave a few words of congrats. Brides can’t ever get enough congrats!

And for those of you who love the music as much as I do; the song title is The Ooh Wee Song by Jonny Blu. We licensed it just for Suehyun’s wedding from Triple Scoop Music!

Dear Suehyun and Mike,

It was wonderful to finally be with you both and capture your wedding day. There were so many amazing elements that I will never forget. Brian will forever be jealous of Mike’s hair. :) And I have loved laughing with you. Thank you for the honor of shooting your wedding. If Mike needs any support for marrying into a Korean family, Brian wants him to know that he is always here. Although, Mike blew us both away with that speech. I think giving the speech in Korean took the cake my friend. :)

Love you both,
Me Ra and Brian

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Do you live on the West Coast? We are kicking off 2010 with a CONFIDENCE workshop in Seattle! The November Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is already sold out, but we have spots for the January Workshop! CLICK HERE to get your spot!!

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series are now AWARD WINNING! Read the press release HERE ! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and , and our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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I love the Running on Empty contests. I love hearing all your stories. The strength so many of you carry with so much weight on your shoulders…it is dumbfounding and breathtaking all at once. Brian and I wish we could take all the nominees over the years, gather them all, put them on a plane, and fly them away to a weekend of pampering and restoration. Maybe someday. In the meantime, thank you for trusting us with your stories. Thank you for trusting us with your pain. Thank you for nominating those you love. Thank you for taking courage to nominate yourself.

As we prepare to head to the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE Workshop, I’d like to invite one more woman to join us. Her name is Jenifer Matthews, nominated by her friend Jacque Frank. When I got the votes in last night for Jenifer, I spent some time looking at Jenifer’s blog. I was in tears. This woman has a way with words after my own heart. She has gone through so much in her life. Jenifer…Brian (my Brian :) ) and I would like to invite you to take a weekend where you can exhale. Our arms are open, and for two days you don’t have to be strong. You just get to receive. And we get the incredible honor of pouring our hearts, our creativity and prayers into you. What a honor that is for us.

If Jacque or Jenifer could confirm her attendance by tonight, it would be much appreciated. Since we are days away, if for some reason the timing doesn’t work, we have a couple beautiful nominees who are runner ups. Just email Genie at genie@merakoh.com.

For those of you who didn’t read Jenifer’s nomination by Jacque, here it is. And if you can, check out Jenifer’s blog. It’s incredibly moving, painful, poetic and healing. The top post “Mommy, maybe I’ll start smoking” left me speechless.

My Name is Jacque Frank. My e-mail address is beingfrankphotography@gmail.com

I have been waiting for this contest since you announced you are coming to Minneapolis. I would love to nominate my friend Jenifer Matthews. Jenifer is a mom of 4 children. Jenifer’s oldest son has cerebral palsy. He is a true delight. He has shaped and formed their family in so many ways…they wouldn’t be the same without him. But a child with disabilities does bring so much more responsibility. This alone warrants a spot in your running on empty contest.

This past year has been particularly hard. Jenifer and her husband we pregnant with their fourth child. They found out at 20 weeks that they were going to have a boy. They named him Luke. Luke wasn’t growing very fast. Luke struggled to grow. In December Luke was born early and only lived 80 mins here on earth. He then went to live with his heavenly Father. Most of us cannot fathom the pain that Jenifer and her family have gone through. I would love it if Jenifer were to be the winner of the running on empty contest. Jenifer’s blog is http://3here1there.wordpress.com/ You can read her story there.

Jacque, words cannot express how awesome a friend is when they do what you have done for Jenifer. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to introduce us all to Jenifer. We are all better for it. May you be blessed even more.

Much love, Me Ra

Please help me welcome Jenifer!

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Do you live on the West Coast? We are kicking off 2010 with a CONFIDENCE workshop in Seattle! The November Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is already sold out, but we have spots for the January Workshop! CLICK HERE to get your spot!!

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series are now AWARD WINNING! Read the press release HERE ! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and , and our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

read more

The weekend was a mix of resting, laughing and crying. My business coach has warned me several times about the aftermath I feel when a workshop has ended. I can’t help it. I’m a super emotional being, and when Brian and I spend the weekend pouring all our emotion and energy into the lovely, amazing women who attend our workshops–I usually have an emotional crash when it’s all said and done. I think touring the Smithsonian delayed this crash because boy, did it ever come.

But the toughest part is not the emotional crash. The toughest part is what I choose to believe in the moment. For instance, this weekend I did a handful of things to soak up “being home”. I rode my bike to the grocery store (and bought a bouquet of flowers for my basket just because). I took a nap in the middle of the day on Saturday. (I rarely nap.) I got the new homeschool curriculum organized. I was feeling good, even great at times. And then on Sunday later afternoon the tears came without warning. I slid down the fridge and just cried on the kitchen floor. No real reason. Just needed to cry. (anyone feel me out there?). I struggled with judging myself in that moment. ‘What a horrible mom I was being? How selfish? How this, How that. All things that don’t involve grace for myself. When in fact, tears are often a good sign for me, cleansing. But for some reason, I felt disappointment with myself.

I think I felt disappointment because I feel vulnerable these days–a little more vulnerable than I’m used to feeling. If you’ve read this blog for more than a week, you know that I’m pretty self disclosing. Heck, if you’re reading today’s blog you know that. But there are shifts in the air. Shifts in the weather, shifts in our family routine, shifts in our business-some bigger than I have had experience with. And the question that lurks behind all the shifts are “Will these shifts fail on us? Will we fail the shift? Will we come out on the other side fulfilled and glad we took the risks or feel the exact opposite?”

Aside from the shifts in the weather, I feel very invested in all the shifting around me. Brian and I put our heart into a creative family makeup where homeschooling, family life and traveling somehow work together (some days being better than others). We also put our heart into our dreams and our business. I have a dream ladies–a big dream. I want my own TV show. I want a show that reaches out to women and mixes photography and inspiration. I’ve even spent the last several weeks writing a 40 page TV Treatment proposal. It’s amazing how you find pockets of time on the airplane, or late at night when everyone is in bed, hammering the words out, hammering your dreams out–and how it all somehow energizes you.

I’m submitting the Treatment, putting the feelers out. And all this makes me feel naked in an open field. When you put your heart into anything, it seems the fear of failure only grows by the second. So what do you do? Where do you go when your aware of the fear more than the excitement? How do you escape the judge that sits on your shoulder, while you cry on the kitchen floor, telling you that your in no shape to ever have your own TV show?

I have a stack of books on my writing desk. They are a collection of my favorite authors over the years. Last night, I found myself going back to their words and their wisdom. I stumbled upon an excerpt that I thought you’d enjoy too. The book is called Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’engle (author of A Wrinkle in Time). I had the privilege of taking a workshop from her. She has since passed away, and she will never know how much her honesty has impacted my life over the years. In this excerpt she writes about having her book The Lost Innocent rejected again;

“This (the rejection) seemed an obvious sign from heaven. I should stop trying to write. All during the decade of my thirties I went through spasms of guilt because I spent so much time writing, because I wasn’t like a good New England housewife and mother. When I scrubbed the kitchen floor, the family cheered. I couldn’t make a decent pie crust. I always managed to get something red in with the white laundry in the washing machine, so that everybody wore streaky pink underwear. And with all the hours I spent writing. I was still not pulling my own weight financially.

So the rejection on the my fortieth birthday seemed an unmistakable command: Stop this foolishness and learn to make cherry pie.

I covered the typewriter in a great gesture of renunciation. Then I walked around and around the room, bawling my head off. I was totally, unutterable miserable.

Suddenly I stopped, because I realized what my subconscious mind was doing while I was sobbing: my subconscious mind was busy working out a novel about failure.

I uncovered the typewriter. In my journal I recorded this moment of decision, for that’s what it was. I had to write. I had no choice in the matter. It was not up to me to say I would stop, because I could not. It didn’t matter how small or inadequate my talent. If I never had another book published, and it was very clear to me that this was a real possibility, I still had to go on writing.

I’m glad I made this decision in the moment of failure. It’s easy to say you’re a writer when things are going well. When the decision is made in the abyss, then it is quite clear that it is not one’s own decision at all.”

Madeleine L’engle knew she had to write. I know I am meant to dream big. Ever since I was little, despite the many pains of my childhood, I knew I was meant to shoot for what others might say is impossible. The tears on the kitchen floor don’t get to weigh in as evidence of this being true or not. The decision was made long ago in my own abyss. I just needed a tearful, cleansing reminder of it.

Thanks for reading today friends. Today I feel selfish because I feel like I’m using your listening ear to process this next step. Today I feel grateful for you listening. Does this resonate with any of you and the season of life that you are in?

xix, Me Ra

p.s. To all my Minneapolis women…counting the days! xix

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Tomorrow we will announce the beautiful Running on Empty Winner for the upcoming Minneapolis Workshop. Thank you so much for all your submissions.

Do you live on the West Coast? We are kicking off 2010 with a CONFIDENCE workshop in Seattle! The November Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is already sold out, but we have spots for the January Workshop! CLICK HERE to get your spot!!

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series are now AWARD WINNING! Read the press release HERE ! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and , and our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

read more

Our family had an amazing time in Washington DC this last seven days. You know the kids are loving it when they want to stay for another week, AND they have been in museums every day. I am blown away by how great of a job the Smithsonian has done for parents and kids. Not to mention, Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian. We visited everything from T-Rex to Amelia Earhart to Lincoln-stein. :)

Because of that movie, the kids knew EXACTLY where they wanted to go and what they wanted to see. It was awesome. We will definitely be coming back to DC again! Brian and I wanted to give all of you a quick thank you for the support you gave us in DC from tour suggestions to places to eat to places to take the kids to where to stay. All of you local DC people were amazing, and it made our trip that much richer. Thank you!

Our upcoming Minneapolis CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop is AROUND THE CORNER! The weekend is October 3rd and 4th (not this weekend but the NEXT!). Aside from the Running on Empty spot, we have a few spots left and then we will be full. We are so excited! In fact, the women have already started emailing the group their stories, why they are coming, what they hope to get out of the weekend, their fears, insecurities and enthusiasm. Brian and I are moved every time we hold these workshops. Whether these women live in Washington DC, Chicago, San Diego, Seattle or Minneapolis, they are excited and ready to take their creativity and photography skills to the next level. (Yes, they are nervous before the workshop, but they never let that nervousness stand in their way. And their courage brings beautiful results.)

Do you know a mom who needs this kind of group and weekend getaway? Do you know a mom Running on Empty? If so, nominate her today. Let’s turn her day around and let her know we are routing for her!

If you know a MOM who is;

A. Running on Empty

B. Lives near Minneapolis, or has mileage to spend, or lives by the seat of her pants and would book a plane ticket last minute

C. Can arrange for a sitter and get the weekend free, starting Friday (October 2nd for a possible shindig) night all the way through Sunday night (October 4th)

D. Most importantly, has a PASSION for photography

Nominate her TODAY! Since the workshop is around the corner, we must close nominations Sunday night (this Sunday night at 6pm PST).

We will announce the winner by Tuesday next week so she has a little time to get things ready for the workshop. So make sure your nominations are all in by Sunday at 6pm PST. If you are not familiar with this contest, read below and see what it’s all about! Moms are one of the most beautiful parts of creation. This contest is all about acknowledging their beauty, even when they are Running on Empty.

Here’s how it works!

In honor of how wonderful moms are and all that they do and give, Brian and I keep one spot reserved in every workshop for a special mom like YOU! That’s right, you (or she) will get a free pass to the upcoming CONFIDENCE Workshop in Minneapolis! (Please note, we don’t provide room/board and travel.)

To nominate a mom, you must post a comment telling us about the mom who you think deserves a big break in life! If you are a mom, you’re probably laughing because we ALL deserve a serious break. But the moms we’re looking for are the ones who have had a ridiculous amount of stress in their life whether from trauma or things just not going her way this year. She is a mom in your life that needs a serious blessing to come her way. She needs a serious surprise that gives her empty tank some fuel. If she is a woman that has miscarried, she is still a mom in my mind b/c I know her heart became a mother’s heart the moment she found out she was pregnant. Don’t hesitate to nominate her too.

I’m proud to say that our previous winners stepped out on a limb and nominated themselves. Take courage in them and feel free to nominate yourself if you know you need a serious break. Who knows, you may have your house remodeled by Oprah!

We’ll collect all the nominees, have a committee of wonderful moms vote, and then announce the winner next week!

Nominate her today and turn her day around! Oh, wait! Don’t forget to let her know you’ve nominated her too! If I was a mom nominated I’d love to know my friends were thinking of me whether I won or not! Deadline for ALL nominations is Sunday, September 27th at 6pm PST. Nominations must be posted as a comment on this blog post. Either your email or the nominees email MUST be included to qualify. Nominations emailed or posted on other blog posts may be overlooked. Please post all nominees here. Thanks!

For more details about the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE WORKSHOP, CLICK HERE!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you live on the West Coast? We are kicking off 2010 with a CONFIDENCE workshop in Seattle! The November Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is already sold out, but we have spots for the January Workshop! CLICK HERE to get your spot!!

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series are now AWARD WINNING! Read the press release HERE ! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and , and our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

read more

Here we go friends! Part 2 from the CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop in Washington DC!

On the first day of our workshop, we bring in beautiful babies and mamas for a live-hands on Baby Photo Shoot. The purpose of the photo shoot is not only to get great baby photos but even more so, to practice specific framing techniques with specific camera settings and to stretch our wings when shooting indoors with imperfect lighting. We start with me doing a mini portrait shoot, walking through my thought process from “where is the best lighting to take these photos?” to “what kind of composition am I looking for?” I will take a few shots, talk about my settings, explain why I’m shooting the way I am, and then show the ladies what I’ve captured.

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

This part of the workshop is always one of my favorites. I get my baby fix every time. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. :)

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

This little one was so precious. I had mom get right up next to the window because the best source of light was coming from that specific window. We set baby Jane on a random ottoman that was found in the room. You can barely see me leaning over the couch to talk with mom.

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

The green curtain behind mom is what caught my eye. Often I see a “shimmer” of an idea. I don’t necessarily know what I want as the final result, but I see something that catches my eye and find myself playing with it. The shimmer for this set up was the green curtain. How could we use that fantastic color with this precious baby? This is what the final result ended up being.

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

This sweet thing traded places (again, next to the window for the best source of natural light), and look at how sweet she is! I love those eyes and her white bow. And mama…she is glowing. With the low f-stop, you would never guess we were in a hotel meeting room. That is what I LOVE about the low f-stops (buttery, blurry backgrounds!).

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

This little guy had the best eyes too! And the single dimple made all the ladies swoon! Again, same window with the same great light.

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

This guy was drooling up a storm. Mama kept wiping it away, but at one point we let it go. I LOVE the little drool, spit bubble! :)

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

And this sweet thing is a miracle baby. He was a preemie-preemie. His mama told us he weighed a little over 1lb. when he was born. Isn’t that amazing. He’s doing so good now. And he especially loves his mama’s kisses.

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

After I’m done modeling my style and approach, we break the women into groups to work with the babies on their own.

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

As soon as the ladies send me their top favorites, I’ll be sure to post them here so you can see what magic came out of the first day! Brian and I had a chance to look over their shoulders and see what they were capturing. Wow, these women did an amazing job! I can’t wait for you to see for yourself!

Photography Workshop for Women: CONFIDENCE Washington DC w/Me Ra Koh

Tomorrow we are going to start the Running on Empty Contest for the Minneapolis Workshop that is coming up in two weeks! If you know a mom Running on Empty, consider nominating her tomorrow for the special spot we’ve saved with her name on it. More details to come tomorrow!

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We have only THREE spots left in the MINNEAPOLIS CONFIDENCE Workshop! The Minneapolis seats are the only spots left for a 2009 CONFIDENCE Workshop. To grab one, CLICK HERE !

Join us in SEATTLE for the upcoming CONFIDENCE Workshop! This is the first workshop of 2010! For details, CLICK HERE!

Want to learn more about Framing, Composition, Blurry Backgrounds and Lighting? Check out our Award Winning DVDs, Refuse to Say Cheese and (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), or discover our popular 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

read more

We had our Washington DC CONFIDENCE Photography Wkshp this last weekend. It was awesome! All twenty women showed up with a hunger to improve their photography skills, and it was a honor to work with them. Before the workshop even started these women were encouraging each other via emails. I can’t wait to see what comes out of them because of the supportive circle they have already formed.

Brian and I are still in DC with the kids for one more day visiting the Smithsonian. But we wanted to post some quick Behind the Scenes images from the CONFIDENCE Wkshp!

Blaze and Pascaline jumped in on prepping for the workshop. The night before the workshop started, they set up all the tots for the women. They completely took charge of stuffing the tots with goodies. I was super proud of them. I love that we homeschool them so they can experience being a part of all this. (To the DC women, thank you so much for the card you gave Pascaline and Blaze! They were totally surprised and loved it! It was so thoughtful of all of you.)

Photography CONFIDENCE Wkshp w/Me Ra Koh in Washington DC

(and because I know the DC women want to know…the Photo Recipe is…an ISO at 3200, Aperture 2.8 and Shutter Speed was 1/30th (or 30) of a second.)

The Meet and Greet on Friday night was at the Firefly restaurant that is connected to the Hotel Madera. I think 98% of the group showed up! It was amazing! Some of the women jumped right in, and we started teaching on different ways to capture night shots.

Photography CONFIDENCE Wkshp w/Me Ra Koh in Washington DC

(Photo Recipe: ISO 3200, Aperture 2.8 and Shutter Speed was down to 1/4 of a second. Love the Image Stabilizer inside the Sony Camera Bodies!)

There are MORE Behind the Scenes shots to come tomorrow! But for now, we are headed back to the Smithsonian!

A BIG THANK YOU to all the ladies who attended!

Photography CONFIDENCE Wkshp w/Me Ra Koh in Washington DC

(Photo Recipe: ISO 400, Aperture 4.5 and Shutter Speed 1/60th (or 60) of a second.)

Brian and I are so proud of the many shifts that happened in your photography, your outlook on life, your creativity and especially your CONFIDENCE. When the workshop ended Sunday night, Brian and I went and had a two hour dinner, processing the weekend together. Words cannot express how honored we feel to be a part of your lives. Just remember 3 1/2 seconds is all you need to ensure ultimate success! :)

Love you all! Me Ra and Brian

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We have only THREE spots left in the MINNEAPOLIS CONFIDENCE Workshop! The Minneapolis seats are the only spots left for a 2009 CONFIDENCE Workshop. To grab one, CLICK HERE !

Join us in SEATTLE for the upcoming CONFIDENCE Workshop! This is the first workshop of 2010! For details, CLICK HERE!

Want to learn more about Framing, Composition, Blurry Backgrounds and Lighting? Check out our Award Winning DVDs, Refuse to Say Cheese and (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), or discover our popular 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

read more

Wow ladies! Are you ready to kick off the FIRST CONFIDENCE workshop for 2010?! Brian and I are excited to open the Early Bird Registration for the Seattle CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop for Women, coming to you on January 16th and 17th! If you know your ready to sign up, CLICK HERE to register!

Seattle CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop for Women w/ Me Ra Koh

Commit to a New Year’s Resolution today! Why not?! If you are in need of a weekend with women, full of laughs, and creative inspiration with your camera, the Seattle CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop is for you! It’s just in time to give you CONFIDENCE with your camera and prepped for a new year of photographing your family for the holidays, vacations, playing in the snow, inside on those horrible, rainy days with all the low lighting, (if your from the Pacific Northwest, you KNOW what I mean!). And don’t forget about those pets! We’re going to cover it all!

Ladies, we are going to be READY for an awesome 2010 of photography! All levels are welcome! Topic details are below! But first, to give you a window into what our workshops look like, check out the trailer here by clicking the PLAY arrow button!

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION STARTS TODAY and last TWO WEEKS!

FAQ: (if we don’t answer your specific question here, email Genie direct at genie@merakoh.com )

Question: What is the Early Bird Registration?

Answer: If you register between today and October 1st (that’s two weeks), you get to pay the Early Bird fee of $799 instead of $999! Pretty great savings for all of you who jump on board fast! After October 1st, the registration goes back up to the normal price of $999. But we must warn you to not wait until October 1st. The last CONFIDENCE Workshop was sold out by the end of the first day for Early Bird! To take advantage of the Early Bird Registration, REGISTER HERE!!!

WHEN? January 16th and 17th 2010, All Day Saturday and Sunday

TIME? An optional Continental Breakfast is served at 9:15am, and then we jump into the workshop by 9:30am. Each day will finish around 6pm. (But we have been known to get excited and not stop on time. So see if you can stay late if that happens again. :) )

WHERE? The BEAUTIFUL Gallery space at Hotel Murano . We are going to use this incredible gallery as our creative space to learn, grow, be inspired, and create!

MEALS:

FRIDAY MEET AND GREET: One of the things I LOVE most about doing the Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is that we get to host the Meet and Greet at our home. Brian and I would like to invite you and your spouse into the privacy of our home for our special Meet and Greet. We’re going to have wine and appetizers, and a lot of laughs. The Meet and Greet will be from 7-9pm. Our purpose is to give you a chance to connect with other women attendees and begin to feel welcome, safe and inspired. We have our work all over the walls, so it will be fun to share with you some of our personal photography.

BREAKFAST: A continental breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt and pastries will be served both mornings at the Gallery. So feel free to show up at 9am to grab a plate of yummies before we start the day. We’ll also have coffee and tea waiting for you.

LUNCHES: Both lunches on Saturday and Sunday will also be catered for us. If you are a vegetarian or have any food allergies, be sure to email us so we can accommodate you. No problems, we are happy too! No one can be more work than our Gluten-Free, Dairy Free diets. Brother!

SATURDAY DINNER: This dinner is optional for our attendees, but we would love to have you join us! You are invited to a group dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Details to follow upon registration.

WHERE TO STAY: The Hotel Murano has been highlighted and raved about in Fortune, Conde Nast, Sunset and USA Today. Every floor features a glass sculpturist and their work. There is beautiful glass art at every turn. You can’t help but be inspired by the environment. And, the greatest thing is they are WONDERFUL to work with. Our contact there, told us to have our attendees email her direct for a discounted room rate (around $149). Once you’ve registered, Genie will email you all the contact details to get your room set up. FYI, you are also within walking distance to several restaurants, art galleries and the famous Chihuly Museum of Glass. Plus, the Hotel Murano has a pillow menu! You can choose from six different types of pillows. Can you beat that? :)

DAY ONE TOPICS:

True to this workshop, time tested (and approved :) ), we are excited to start the day with understanding the mechanics of your camera and learning about indoor lighting so you can capture shots of your loved ones in difficult lighting. The second half of the day will be hands on CONFIDENCE building as we process a FULL morning.

DAY TWO TOPICS:

Day Two will pick up where we left off. We’re going to continue to demystify tough lighting and camera settings. We’ll also walk you through our Post Process steps as we demonstrate lightroom, turning images to black and white, editing, what’s the difference between a JPG and RAW image, etc. Depending on the groups interest, we’ll talk about the in’s and out’s of starting your own side business too. (But this depends on the needs of the group.) We’re also going to cover the question of what to do with your images? Are stock photography options available to you, what is the bottom line of blogging, and where should you have your work printed and why?

The BEST part that everyone always loves the most is the models! We’ll also have models join us (both adults and kids), so you can practice EVERY THING we’ve been teaching you. And true to our workshops, we’ll sprinkle our time with creative exercises and inspiration that make our weekend so special.

By the end of our weekend, you will be filled with CONFIDENCE, refreshed, inspired, and possibly shooting in Manuel like it’s nobody’s business. (I promise, shooting in Manuel is way easier than people make it sound, but one step at a time.)

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

1. You can pay the whole balance at once. If you are taking advantage of the Early Bird Registration, you must pay the whole $799 at once before 10/1/09.

2. You can make a retainer (non-refundable fee) of $650 to reserve your seat. The remaining balance of $350 (total is $999) must be paid in full 14 days before the workshop date. You can pay by check or credit card at our e-store (the fastest way to ensure a reserved seat for yourself!). If you’d like to pay the Retainer of $650 to reserve your seat, you’ll need to use the word RESERVE as your coupon code when registering. Call us if you have any questions at 253-468-8913.

NEED HELP CONVINCING THE HUBBY?

If you need help coming up with ways to convince your hubby, check out Brian and Jeramy’s Top 12 Reasons for a Husband to Send His Wife to a CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop. You and your husband will crack up, and comments from other husbands are even FUNNIER! CLICK HERE!

REFUNDS & CANCELLATION POLICY:

Our policy is to not accept refunds. Due to the costs of holding a workshop, we must pay many of our workshop expenses months ahead of time. If you must cancel due to unforeseen problems, depending on your reason for canceling, your tuition may be considered as a credit for a future workshop. Thank you for understanding!

WHAT DO PAST ATTENDEES SAY ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP? To read what the last Seattle Workshop Attendees said, CLICK HERE!

Jen from Seattle, WA wrote; I know how these workshops can change your life…it did mine! MeRa and Brian were my inspiration…Thank you … you all are doing such greatness in this world!

Jeramy (husband of a wife who attended twice) from CA wrote; if you are reading this post and are on the fence about going to this workshop…or wondering if it’s really worth it….let me just tell you about my experience. my beautiful bride went to the Sonoma workshop last year with me ra and brian…and it changed her life. like so many women, she struggles with self-doubt and insecurities…coupled with strong passions and desire to create things of great worth. the magic of this workshop will help you see that YOU ARE special and can do anything it is that you want to do, if you just set your mind to it. there is limitless potential in you all…and if you have ever wondered how to get it out….sign up for this workshop and you’ll see. you will never be the same again.

Marianne from Seattle, WA wrote;
This was the BEST day I’ve had in a long time…it was so nice to wade through and be challenged, laugh along the way, conquer a fear, and leave wanting more. What a day! I can’t thank you enough!

Kari from Seattle wrote; Me Ra takes the camera apart and puts it back together in a way that actually makes sense! Prepare to laugh, learn, and walk away inspired!

Julie from Seattle, WA wrote; As a past workshop attendee…It WILL change your life and how you see yourself.

Allison from Virginia wrote; I can tell you with total honesty that this will be a life changing time for you all. Just soak it all in and throw yourselves in wholeheartedly and you will come away with SO MUCH!!

WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR?

This workshop is for women only. It is a workshop that is meant to inspire women, and at the same time help them understand their cameras. Coming from a Masters degree in teaching, Me Ra and Brian bring a number of teaching strategies to the workshop so every woman walks away with CONFIDENCE in using her camera. But this workshop is more than a photography workshop. True to their reputation and the testimonies you’ve read, Brian and Me Ra have a heart to bring inspiration, encouragement and vision to women. They will make you laugh so hard your side will be aching. And then be prepared because their stories may bring tears too. Me Ra and Brian have a goal to refresh women, build their CONFIDENCE and help them capture the photos they want. But not only help women shoot better photos, but also, having the understanding behind HOW they got their favorite photos so they can replicate the lighting again and again.

OUR PROMISE:

We promise to have lots and lots of stories, laughs and possibly a few tears at this workshop-all signature elements to a Me Ra Koh Workshop!

Can’t wait to see you all for another awesome CONFIDENCE workshop!

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to email Genie ( genie@merakoh.com) for any and all questions. Genie keeps me up to date on all questions as we travel for wedding season. She is truly my “little Genie”! If you need help with booking your hotel, understanding the area, flights, payment options, shoot her an email!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? CLICK HERE to register today and make her Christmas and New Year AMAZING!!

BIO for Me Ra Koh Photography, Inc.:

Me Ra and Brian are a husband/wife photography team. Their business is diversified into several powerful ways. They travel worldwide shooting high end weddings together. They teach photography workshops for women across the country. Their workshops often sell out, and attendees describe them as “inspiring, life changing” weekends. In 2008, Me Ra and Brian scripted and produced a DVD series called, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box. This homegrown DVD series has caught the eye of large corporations, and in March 2009, the series won the prestigious NAPPA GOLD award for the Best New DVD for Parents! Their DVDS are accompanied by other award winning photography products to help budding businesses get off the ground (see www.refusetosaycheese.com). In 2008, Me Ra was asked to represent women photographers in the iconic role for Sony as an Artisan of Imagery. This accepted invitation is a huge honor. The high end magazine, Wedding Style by Grace Ormonde, has called Me Ra and Brian a Master of Their Craft. Their work has been published in several nationwide magazines. They have also been spotlighted on VH1, Martha Stewart and Oprah! Me Ra, having a published writing background, dedicates two hours a day to writing her daily blog so women can find photography tips, inspiration and confidence. To follow her blog, along with thousands of other readers, visit www.merakohblog.com.

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Want to learn more about REFUSE TO SAY CHEESE? Check out our Award Winning DVD set, Refuse to Say Cheese and ,or discover our popular 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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Good lord! I promised myself that I wasn’t going to blog this morning until later because our last twenty four hours have been insane. Get home with Brian Tuesday night, repack and add all the kids clothes yesterday (opted to stay in PJ’s all day–no other way to dress when you have one day at home in two weeks), grab the kids-say goodbye to the dog and cat-and catch a 7am flight to Washington DC this morning. (I’m dying to meet all the Washington DC Workshop ladies!!! Can’t wait!!)

So I told myself, get your stuff together and then blog. You know…stuff like packing the kids clothes, the workshop materials, the camera gear, the shampoo, the snacks, the homeschool books, the…the…oh yeah, the name tags for the workshop, the products, the handmade folders, the snacks–did I pack the snacks?, the…the…..just that kind of stuff. :) But in the midst of it all, I got on line to see how the #SonyMom conversation is going on Twitter, and I just cracked up laughing! The #SonyMom conversations were going CRAZY! I had to share with you. You are going to LOVE these links. Grab a cup of morning coffee and enjoy!

Mommy Pie did the most hilarious captions on her photos of the SonyMom event. I could not stop laughing! (Girl, you are brilliant!) I took this from her blog because this was one of my favorite moments. When we were doing the Sony Lot tour, this guy told us where we could find Cameron Diaz and Seth Rogan, but he said we never heard it from him. :)

SonyMom Blog Post

And if you have a chance, check out her AMAZING homegrown, organic dream to help moms find clothes for their kids for FREE! It’s called SwapMamas, and moms can log on and see if anyone has clothes that are the right size for their kids and then swamp with another mom. I’m serious ladies, you have to check out this brilliant service that Mommy Pie has created. It’s pretty much free, except for the shipping cost of swapping clothes. Brilliant, isn’t it!

The amazing producer and mommy blogger, The GoToMom, has already posted two videos. ALREADY! Kim even got Mr. T’s to say a few words, and it’s not “I pity the fool!”. :) I mean just look at her website header photo below. Does this woman not have the best sense of humor or what?! I love that they dressed up like Wally and Beaver for a photo shoot! So funny!

Sony posted on their blog, check it out HERE.

But ladies, do you want to join the SonyMom conversations on Twitter? The tweets are fun! If you do, log on to Twitter and do a search for #SonyMom. When you post your own tweets, if you put #SonyMom somewhere in your tweet message, your message will be added to the conversation. And you will be sharing your tweets and chatting with us all! It’s called a “Hash Twitter”. Did you know about Hash Twitters? One of the many things I learned from these awesome Mommy Bloggers. So come join us! We’d love to have you! These women are so approachable, I’m telling you, you’ll love them. AND FYI for Jeramy, you don’t have to be a mom to join. ;) ( We got your back friend.)

Okay, now to catch our FLIGHT! See you in DC!

The NEW January Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop goes live at 6am tomorrow! See you here bright and early!!

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Want to learn more about REFUSE TO SAY CHEESE? Check out our Award Winning DVD set, Refuse to Say Cheese and ,or discover our popular 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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SonyMom Blogging Event!

Breaking News Ladies! The Seattle CONFIDENCE Wkshp is going to release THIS FRIDAY for Early Bird Registration! The official dates are January 16th and 17th (Saturday and Sunday). ALL other details will be posted this Friday when registration goes live at 6am, including the winners of Brian and Jeramy’s post. It’s going to be a party Friday! Mark your calendars ladies for 6am this FRIDAY to make sure you get your spot. And can I just say “Yeah! January is going to work!” Brian and I still talk about the intense emails that some of you sent when you didn’t get a spot in the November CONFIDENCE Workshop. I’m so glad we’re going to be able to make it happen in January for all of you. It will be so fun starting the new year together!

So what was I doing last week in LA? Time to spill the beans! A driver to pick me up at the airport, a room at the W Hotel that was bigger than our first apartment when we first got married, and nine amazing women bloggers for company…it could only be another awesome Sony gig! As I watched this special event unfold, I kept thinking, ‘Sony definitely puts the style into SonyStyle!’ Sounds corny, but it’s TRUE! Every minute was detailed with Sony class.

Sony Mom Blogging Event 09

Here is what happened. Nine of the top mommy bloggers were flown in from all over the country to see the new line up of Sony imaging products (DSLR cameras, Cybershots, camcorders, etc).

They were introduced to these products in an adventurous way. Sony Animation joined forces for this event, and these women were given back stage passes to interview the directors and talent of the new Sony animated movie Cloudy with a Chance or Meatballs. They got to get in on the red carpet premier of the movie, plus they were given a private tour of the Sony movie lot. Read one of the mommy bloggers, The Mommy Blog, share her experience. Mindy’s fun recap is HERE!

I was given the privilege of welcoming them and kicking the three days off with sharing my passion for photographing our kids. I walked them through the new Sony Alpha 330 (the camera I can’t say enough about!) and also taught on my philosophy of…(you know it! :) Yep, that’s right!) Refuse to Say Cheese.

Text arrives.

Are you free to do this upcoming event with 9 top mommy bloggers?

‘Hmmmmm….Spend the day with wonderful mommy bloggers at the Sony Lot, share the new Sony Alpha with them, and talk about taking better photos of your kids…hmmmm…okay, you twisted my arm.’ :)

Speaking at Sony Mom Blogging Event

Can you tell how much I LOVE these kinds of speaking engagements? :) Images like the one below could be embarrassing. (but it’s not, I can’t help it!)

Sony Mom Blogging Event

After my session, we were given a fun tour of the Sony Lot and the chance to practice the photography techniques I’d talked about. Most of these women had never met until that morning, but we ended up having the best time together. We laughed a lot,

Sony Mom Blogging Event 09

(remember this moment ladies :) )

Sony Mom Blogging Event 09

Sony Mom Blogging Event

tried new techniques with the cameras.

Sony Mom Blogging Event 09

The gal below in the dark sunglasses is Linda, one of Sony’s PR Managers. I can’t say enough about what an AMAZING job she did with putting this event together. Plus, she is one of the sweetest people ever. Linda, you ROCKED this event!

Sony Mom Blogging Event 09

This was a group of women that you could totally goof around with and have a blast being silly (one of the things I loved most about these ladies–no ego from any of them!–which is probably why their blogs are so loved)

Sony Mom Blogging Event 09

Sony Mom Blogging Event 09

I offered to take head shots of the women during dinner. It was wonderful to spend a couple of minutes with each of them alone. It gave me a window into some of their specific passions and voices. And then how blessed am I? Since I’m a “mommy blogger” too, I got to pick their brains at dinner on ways to improve my blog. Their input was gold! (thank you ladies)

You must check out all their blogs. You’ll see what I mean!

• Monica Villa…………www.TheOnlineMom.com
• Amy Clark…………. .www.MomAdvice.com
• Beth Blecherman…..www.TechMamas.com
• Darcy Cruwys……….www.MommyPie.wordpress.com
• Kimberley Blaine……www.TheGoToMom.TV
• Kristina Sauerwein…www.MOMformation.com (on BabyCenter.com)
• Karent Bodkin………www.KarenSugarpants.com
• Alli Worthington…….www.MrsFussypants.com
• Mindy Roberts……www.TheMommyBlog.net

Look out world. These mommy bloggers have a lot to say, and if Sony does the research and decides their worth spending the money to fly them out for three days…they may just be worth listening too!

Sony Mom Blogging Event 09

To join their fun and insightful conversations around the SonyMom event, follow their hash group on Twitter by searching for #SonyMom!

To the nine beautiful mommy bloggers,

It was a complete honor to spend the day with you. I will never forget our meals and how honest some of you were in the struggles and challenges you face as women, as bloggers, as moms. And yet, you continue to push forward never giving up on your dreams and passions. Don’t ever stop expressing your voice. Don’t ever let the fears keep you from what you believe and dream. The world has so much to gain from each of you. Your inner voice, your strength, your crafted talents, but most of all your ability to risk while being completely feminine, strong and determined. Power Houses is what you are.

SonyMom Blogging Event 09

Much love, Me Ra

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Want to learn more about REFUSE TO SAY CHEESE? Check out our Award Winning DVD set, Refuse to Say Cheese and ,or discover our popular 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

The NEW January Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop Early Bird Registration goes live FRIDAY AT 6AM PST!!!

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Running Away

When I got back from LA on Friday night, Brian whisked me away to a favorite island. Our wedding anniversary was in July, but we had our hands full with projects. So we ran away this weekend. We’ve been wanting to do this, but I was nervous it would fall through with how crazy our September is. Needless to say, Brian has scored some serious points! I’m usually the one who plans all the details of a getaway, and he took it all this time from making dinner reservations, buying show tickets to scheduling massages to Afternoon Tea. I am so blessed.

This is a sitting area in our room. That chaise is my favorite place of all.

B&B

We met a fellow guest who has been a professional dancer for fifty years. We had the most fascinating, inspiring conversations about dance which transformed into how to hold a camera, how to feel more connected to your body and mind when shooting, and so much more. Brian and I found ourselves having lunch, dinner and wine into the early hours of morning with him. Unexpected new friendships are definitely one of the most inspiring elements of life.

I wanted to thank all 24 people who responded to Friday’s blog post about holding a January Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop. Your input was incredibly helpful. We are looking into the logistics and hope to have an answer for you in the next couple days! Stay tuned!

Tomorrow I get to spill the beans and show you what last week in LA was all about!

Happy Monday to you all!

xoxoxo, Me Ra

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We have only THREE spots left in the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE Workshop! The Minneapolis seats are the only spots left for a 2009 CONFIDENCE Workshop. To grab one, CLICK HERE !

Want to learn more about Framing, Composition, Blurry Backgrounds and Lighting? Check out our Award Winning DVDs, Refuse to Say Cheese and (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), or discover our popular 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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