September « 2010 « Me Ra Koh Photography Blog

Archive for September, 2010

September 30th, 2010

Ten (More!) Bio Photo Tips from 10 Women Embracing Their Beauty!

Meet ten beautiful women who LOVE their Bio Photo. Yesterday’s Photo-Recipe inspired an unexpected response! And I must share! I think it’s hard for women to admit loving a picture of ourselves. It can feel vain. But you know what? That’s B.S., voices we can’t listen too–we must ignore. We are all beautiful women with incredible hearts. And if we can learn to walk in that truth, think of the impact it will have on our kids! Post a comment and tell these women they are AWESOME for sharing their bio photo–that they are NOT vain–and their tips are the icing on the cake!

Meet Jen from WA, a Seattle workshop graduate!

I love what Jen shared about her photo and the experience of having it done; I think I love this picture b/c so often, we easily dismiss a photo of ourselves b/c we see something we don’t like …for me, it’s my nose and I have a lazy left eye when I smile. However, I still see those things in this photo…but I see them with a different set of eyes. I see the ME that I am, full of smiles, eyes that are bright, and beauty that radiates from within. The picture is not perfect either, it’s not perfectly aligned frame and I remember when it was taken, Heather’s camera was just close and she commented on my crinkle. I exaggerated it and then fell into a natural laughter…feeling happy and beautiful and ignoring my ‘dislikes’ about myself. Heather Pearce took the shot!

Meet Terri from Florida, a fellow blog reader!

Terri is always getting clients to jump and have fun. Her clients think this photo is perfect for her!

Meet Michelle from California (again–yeah!). She was a featured AMAZING mom!

Michelle’s tip! Do it in a group with your girlfriends after you have had a few days or hours of some “me” time. Some of the only photos I have ever liked of myself were taken by my favorite Sonoma CONFIDENCE Workshop gals…Wendy, Dori, Amanda & Sharon. After having some much needed bonding and shop talk time, we ventured out to play. Having a group of friends can loosen you up and bring out the best in you. They saw and captured a side of me that is not always so visable to me and others. While I am not sure I will ever love a photo of myself, I am much happier with one that shows what my wonderful friends see.

Meet Delanae from Washington, she’s coming to the Seattle workshop in January!

Her background represents her beautiful heart–you can just feel it! I love this photo of me. Taken at Skagit Valley Tulip Festival this past April. It may not be the most professional, but I put the camera on the tripod and plunked my bottom down at the edge of the tulip field and smiled. And… I loved it. I use it for everything.

Meet Lynda from California, a wkshp graduate!

Where do you think Lynda took this bio shot at? Here’s her answer and more!

Lets just say, being on the other side of the camera is not too easy (especially as you get older!). But my friend taking this was really making me laugh, so that helped tremendously and the photo shoot was fun. This was taken in my garage! The garage door was open with the light coming in and makes great light! You can do the same thing through a front door … just about perfect light!

Meet Christina from New Jersey!

Christina is so crazy awesome! She flew all the way to Seattle for our CONFIDENCE Workshop last winter, and she is rocking it! Just listen to this story, and you’ll see why I adore this woman!

“I read your blog and wanted to give the headshot a try but wont be able to until this weekend. (husband gets home too late so ill have to wait) SO for fun i thought i would have my 4yr old daughter, Gia, give a try. AND let her use my camera!! am i crazy!?!?!! LOL gosh i must be!!!
Well we both got dressed up and put makeup on which i NEVER wear!! LOL (Yes! this was to bribe her to take pictures =) and so we began!!! Since Gia is short (lol) i had her stand on a chair and i sat on the floor, this way she was above me. I used a blanket as my background. It was my grandmothers and love the flowers on it.. I tried to think , if i was standing what would my body be doing if I was leaning on that one leg you spoke of on the Nate Berkus show? so i leaned a little forward on one side. First shot she took my head was in the corner.. i explained how to try to get my head in the center.. second shot was much better but i was still in the corner.. by the 5th shot she got it! I CANNOT believe she did it!!! SOOO im submitting this photo to you cause im soo proud of Gia!!!!” Gia, you are a STAR! We’re all so proud of you! Your mama’s photo is BEAUTIFUL!

Meet Rose from California, a fellow blog sister!

Rose’s story is another inspiring example of someone fighting past their inner critic!

I hate pictures of myself, I am my own worst critic; but last summer, the light coming into our west-facing windows that day was so nice that I had to try for some shots. I was in the middle of a blog series called “Sunday Self” so I got out my new gorilla tripod, wrapped it around the back of a chair, grabbed my remote shutter release and started clicking. This is a gem that came forth from that June 09 day. I’ve used it for my website and other headshot needs since – and I love it.

Meet Cathy from California, a workshop graduate from the last LA/OC one!

I love that Cathy incorporates a heart print within the photo, making her business name that much stronger!

I saw your request for headshots we love. Well, I wrestled a bit with this one because at the risk of sounding prideful, I do really like these pics of myself. I was taking a portrait class earlier this year and one of our assignments was a self-portrait. This was one of those assignments that was put off until the last minute because frankly, I was dreading it. Literally a few hours before class was to start, I found the best light in my house which happened to be in my son’s bedroom. I set up my tripod facing a blank grey wall next to a window with plenty of natural light spilling in. I used the black eyes on the teddy bear in picture 2 to focus, set my timer, then quickly moved myself into position to get the shot. It took several shots to get it right but in the end, I liked the result. I’m using this photo as my profile bio pic on one of the links from my website!

Meet Jodi from Washington! Check out her blog for GREAT Senior HS session ideas!

Jodi’s got two fun tips! One, choose the time of day that the sun is most flattering. Also, try cropping your face down and make it more interesting!

Meet Cindy from Washington! She’s coming to our workshop in January! So excited to meet you too Cindy!

I love what she shares about her bio photo.

I love that it makes me look thinner (always a plus) and the great hair light from the sun. When I look at this particular picture of me, it boosts my confidence a little. Even if it’s only temporary. Actually, this particular angle is definitely a great thing I learned, especially with brides. It’s always so flattering. Being on the short side, I always have my handy dandy ladder with me.

I think Cindy is right. A great photo boosts our confidence. Imagine…you are giving your clients confidence when you capture their beauty in the photos you shoot. Isn’t that awesome?! I have a series of photos hanging next to my desk. I’m doing something different in each one; working on a book in Thailand, rock climbing, writing a blog post under a mosquito net…I have them hanging next to where I write b/c they give me that little boost of confidence every day. And they remind me of how deep my passion runs for empowering women. It may sound crazy, but what if you did a series of self portraits and had one or a few next to your desk. You have the power within to be your own inspiration. It’s true. You are that beautiful and amazing.

Enjoy these ladies’ blog and websites. I hyper linked all their names. (Ladies, you are beautiful! Thank you for letting us share in how bright you shine!)

And mark Tuesday, 10/5, on your calendar! Some crazy news is coming again!

xoxo,

Me Ra

27 Comments »

September 29th, 2010

Photo-Recipe for a Headshot that is YOU!

Okay ladies, Fall not only means the change of seasons. It also means Family Holiday Photos is approaching! October is a big month for people to schedule their holiday shoot. If you are wanting to get your feet wet, there is no better time than now. But how do you promote yourself? The key to promotion is showing us who you are!

This may sound crazy, but clients aren’t looking at your photo quality as much as they are looking at how approachable you look. People are terrified of being in front of the camera. They think the camera is going to show all their worst qualities. If you can show yourself as someone who is safe, excited, approachable, and fun…they will book YOU over the photographer who is award winning with no bio photo. So how do you get a headshot that represents you?

Photo-Recipe for a Headshot that Represents YOU!

With two photography books coming out in 2011, I thought it would be fun to work with Brian on a new headshot. Was it fun? Well, anytime you work with your husband on getting a great photo of yourself…fun…is not necessarily the word. But we did have some laughs in the midst of arguing.

Follow these simple photo-recipe steps to create your own bio photo! (if you enlist your husband to take the photo…God be with you both. )

Step One: Find a background that represents the look you want to give.

I wanted a background that was bright but also soft. Something that felt warm and light. I had no idea where I’d find this background until I saw this tile wall in Las Vegas!

Start thinking about the feelings you want to convey, and you’ll be surprised at how different backgrounds start to jump out at you in the most unlikely places!

Step Two: Angle, Engage and Get Some Height!

One of my segments on the Nate Berkus Show was called “How to Look Thinner in Photos”. If you missed it, you can follow the link below! They apply to Step Two! You want to angle yourself to the camera, put your weight on your front foot so you are leaning into the camera, and have the shooter be higher than you. For me to make this happen, I had to get wet! Yep, my tile wall was the back wall of a swimming pool! So down the steps I went! Ha!

Step Three: Butter Up the Background!

Switch your camera to Aperture Priority mode and go as low as you can in your f-stop. The lower you go, the more buttery, blurry the background becomes. See what happens to the tile behind me when Brian used a low f-stop of f/2.8! All those soft, pearl colors became a light, warm background.

Step 4: Zoom Baby ZOOM!

To avoid distorted head shapes, have your shooter use a zoom lens. If your shooter stands back and zooms in, your head will look proportional with your body.

Step 5: Patience, Playfulness and Practice!

Okay, let’s be honest. If you are going to have your spouse do this for you, I don’t care how good he/she is, you are asking for trouble. As the model, try to be patient, stay playful and give the shooter room to practice. It will make a huge difference!

To see all the tips on “How to Look Thinner in Photos” from the Nate Berkus Show, CLICK HERE!

You must send me your results for this Photo-Recipe! Email them to info@merakoh.com, or post your headshot in the SOARORITY forum! Send me these four answers too, and your headshot and story may get featured on my blog!

1. What do you love most about your headshot?

2. Any tips you can offer that you learned?

3. What state do you live in?

4. What is your website/blog so I can link you up!

Look forward to seeing what you send!

xoxo,

Me Ra

8 Comments »

September 28th, 2010

San Francisco’s Running on Empty Contest STARTS!

Before we start today’s contest, I have to spread the word! My beautiful sister-in-law, Brian’s sister, is one of the four dancers performing for the intro of Dancing with the Stars tonight! She is AMAZING and has been a big part of Cirque du Soleil forever! I’m so FREAKING proud of this beautiful lady! She means so much to me. Watch her sparkle tonight! (Brian and I love you Carms!)

________________________________________

Brian and I are SO looking forward to meeting our San Francisco ladies in two weeks! The countdown is on! So let’s start one of my favorite parts to these workshops, our Running On Empty Contest!

Please note, the San Francisco Photography Workshop is SOLD OUT! The only way to get a spot is by entering this contest. The weekend is October 9th and 10th. Everyone has started emailing, saying why they are coming, what they hope to get out of the weekend, sharing their fears, insecurities and enthusiasm. Brian and I love reading their stories. We can’t wait to meet them all! But there is one mystery woman we have yet to meet! She is our future Running On Empty winner. If you fit the profile below, APPLY TODAY! The deadline is this Thursday at 6pm, PST!

If you know a MOM who is;

A. Running on Empty

B. Lives near San Francisco or has mileage to spend

C. Can arrange for a sitter and get the weekend free, starting Friday, October 8th for Meet & Greet night all the way through Sunday night, October 10th.

D. Most importantly, has a PASSION for photography

Nominate her TODAY! Nominations must be in by Thursday night, 9/30 at 6pm PST.

We will announce the winner in time for her to jump in and make all the arrangements. So make sure your nominations are all in by Thursday 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, especially when they are Running on Empty.

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 the San Francisco area! (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 within days of Thursday’s deadline!

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 Thursday, September 30th at 6pm PST. Nominations MUST be posted as a comment on this blog post. Either your email or the nominees email MUST be included on the blog post to qualify (you have to write it in). Nominations emailed or posted on other blog posts may be overlooked. Please post all nominees here. Thanks!

_________________________________________________________________________________________

*All 2010 CONFIDENCE Workshops are SOLD OUT! It’s so exciting for me to see the enthusiasm among women and photography only GROW! Why not make CONFIDENCE your goal for 2011! Join us for any of the upcoming workshops!!

Seattle Details, CLICK HERE!

LA/Orange County Details, CLICK HERE!

Scottsdale, AZ Details, CLICK HERE!

Brian and I can’t wait to meet you!

**p.s.s.

Anyone need help with creating a Bio/Headshot that represents you? I’m thinking of doing a Photo-Recipe on that topic for tomorrow.

xoxo,

48 Comments »

September 27th, 2010

Are You Overgiving?…not the Best Business Practice

September’s Business Coaching exercise for the SOAR! Scholarship was POWERFUL! In case you missed it, I wanted to share Karen’s wisdom with you this morning. A week from today, she’ll be posting October’s Business Coaching exercise! Time flies, but you can’t miss this one! Women struggle with overgiving on so many different levels. How can we still be givers but not at the expense of our own peace of mind? Read along and be inspired this morning!

xoxo,

Me Ra

___________________________________________________________

Overgiving: Not Exactly a Good Business Practice, by Karen Buckley

An ancient oak tree outside my office window seems to be home to a hummingbird couple. The male, with his flashy red throat, and the beautiful brown female sip at pink fuschia all day long. Today as I watched them I felt exhausted and ready for my own sip of nectar! There was nothing left in me to give and I still had a lot to complete on the Next Octave program materials.

Do you ever wonder – why doesn’t the flower look parched when it gives and gives? It hit me. The flower doesn’t give too much. It doesn’t squeeze out every last drop just because the hummingbird is still thirsty!

Clearly I am not as smart as a flower. I help, give, and extend myself to others and leave no time for my own personal or business priorities. Can anyone relate? Last week I brought a meal to a sick neighbor, took care of a friend after surgery, walked the dog on his favorite trail, and fixed my son a yummy breakfast. I gave extra time to a client in crisis and edited another client’s proposal. I’m a generous soul! It feels good to give and I dearly love every one of them. But if I tell the truth, I ended up parched. I deprived myself to give to others. I felt stressed, crabby, and tired and my business suffered.

What’s the secret? Balancing inflow and outflow are essential for business success and personal joy over the long haul. It seems obvious, I know. You spend more money than comes in and you are in trouble financially. But, personally it’s somehow easier to cheat.

To give all that outflow I sacrificed my inflow – missed yoga twice, and missed sleep as I completed a client job at 5am, cleaned the house until midnight. I fell behind on my important but less urgent business priorities and worked in the wee hours Saturday and Sunday to catch up. And what did I do for my own pleasure and fun last week? Nothing much. Is this sounding familiar?

Every day I talk to women in coaching sessions who place themselves and building their business foundation as a low priority. Then… they beat themselves up for the slow growth of their business!

Take a look at your week. Is it all about others? One small business owner discovered that her calendar was full of urgent client requests and kid, friend, and extended family appointments! None of her foundation building time – the editing, scrapbook making, marketing, financial planning or office work – were in her time plan. And her business suffered because of it.

What would you create in your life if you put your time and attention behind what matters the most to you? (BTW Me Ra – thank you for choosing to put your attention to writing and blogging and speaking – we all love it so much!}

Two business coaching questions for today:

1. What are your less urgent but important business priorities? What is essential to build your foundation? (Do you have these written down and posted above your desk?) (Are they realistic, specific, small enough to get them done and exciting enough to motivate you?)

2. When will you give these some time? (Set blocks of time in your calendar – even if you miss one you will have a chance to catch up with several times scheduled.) (It works really well to make it the same time each week and set your timer!)

Without a strong foundation a building tilts. As businesswomen, it’s important that we balance our inflow and outflow. This will ultimately nurture everyone! And build successful businesses as well.

Know who you are and walk proud in yourself. As women we come from generations of nurturing life – we don’t need to prove it by over giving to be worthwhile.

Now I’m going to take a nice warm bath and put my feet up with a cup of tea!

Warmest regards to you all,

Karen Buckley

Fay and Karen, Business Coaches for SOAR! Scholarship

____________________________________________________________________

A basket full of “p.s.’s” today!

Running on Empty for San Francisco CONFIDENCE Wkshp, begins TOMORROW!

Momentum: Success in Business Teleseminar Coaching Group Are you ready to strengthen the foundation of your business so that you have everything in place for some real success? 4 Thursdays Starting October 14th. Sign up today as 1 of the 6 women in this program.

Passion and Purpose FREE Telecall October 19th at 4pm PT. Let’s learn from each other – what are you passionate about? Do you give yourself permission to turn it into reality? Sign up today to get the call-in number.

Igniting the Flame Workshop November 5, 6, 7 Come and join us for some Big Fun and Wise Feminine Power.

4 Comments »

September 23rd, 2010

Video on Shooting Silhouettes!

I gave our SOAR! Scholarship recipients another challenge–a BIG one. Starting this month, they would rotate with one another on who was going to make their weekly blog post a video. Video!! You could hear them groan on the other side of the phone. But alas, these ladies have taken on every challenge and are becoming AMAZING photographers and strong, confident business women with each passing month.

The September SOAR! Photography Assignment is all about Shooting Silhouettes. Linda Baylis was up to bat for making her video. I know a lot of you saw this on the SOAR! blog and already commented how much you loved it, but in case you missed it…YOU CAN’T! It’s so awesome! (Linda, you rocked it! I’m super, super proud of YOU! And I laugh every time I watch this!)

Wasn’t that video awesome! If you enjoyed it, let Linda know in today’s comments!

Why make these gals do videos?

Being a successful photographer isn’t just about understanding your camera, it’s being able to let people into your world so they can connect with you. People are most often afraid of the camera, let alone someone pointing the camera at them. They want to feel safe and connected to their photographer. One of the best ways to do this is to let them see you in action. The best way to become a successful photographer is to let people see who you are; your smile, your passion for shooting, your passion for life, the safe feeling you give. It’s tough to be in front of the camera, but well worth it!

The Silhouette examples don’t stop with Linda. Check out Lindsay’s post and Jennifer’s post. All three of these ladies did an awesome job! And yes, get ready to see more great videos from these gals as they approach their last quarter of the SOAR! Scholarship year. In fact, watch Lindsay’s Business Coaching video. That one is HILARIOUS and powerful!

What’s the SOAR! Scholarship?

It’s an annual scholarship that I started last year–a mission that is close to my heart and has amazing partners involved. CLICK HERE to watch my video. Who knows…maybe you will be one of three soaring women for this upcoming year! Scholarship will reopen for new submissions soon! Stay tuned! (Yep, we are doing the scholarship again ladies! Woo-hoo!!)

Enjoy friends!

xoxo,

18 Comments »

September 22nd, 2010

Behind the Scenes of DC Photography Workshop!

Brian and I had an AMAZING time at our DC Workshop this last weekend. The ladies were incredible. They came with open hearts and a readiness to take risks and grow! And GROW, they did! Lots of laughter, tears and applauding each other. Transformation was everywhere, and it was stunning to watch. Their photos transformed overnight, not to mention their creative spirits!

On Sunday, the ladies gave me one of the funniest surprises ever! I had stepped out of the workshop to talk to the models that were arriving. And when I came back in, Brian had a headband in his hair! I almost fell over, he looked HILARIOUS! But all of a sudden I turned around, and EVERY SINGLE WOMAN in the workshop had a headband on! Knowing how much I love my headbands, they GOT ME GOOD! Oh my goodness, I almost peed my pants. It was the BEST and FUNNIEST surprise ever!

To all the beautiful DC ladies,

I found a card in my bag while I was on the plane, and when I opened it up and saw that all of you had signed it…I couldn’t help but cry. Thank you so much for all your kind words and thoughtfulness. My life is so much richer having spent the weekend with all of you.

xoxo,

CLICK HERE for Winter Workshop Details*

10 Comments »

September 21st, 2010

13 Women Show You How They Got Their Photos Off the Computer!

Whether you are on a budget and use yarn and clothespins or buy a set of big canvases, these women have done an incredible job of getting their photos of the computer and on their walls! Get ready to be inspired by ALL their creative ideas! You’ll find an idea that fits every budget! And not only that, but a lot of these women are photographers who have attended our workshops or watched our DVDs! I hyper linked all the names I could so you could continue to be inspired by checking out their work!

_________________________________

Shelley from California transformed an empty space under her stairwell with her montage!

Look at what Jeanelle from Mississippi did with molding!

Laura from Florida created a montage with the beach being her theme. I love how their are candid moments as well as the surfboard and sailboat!

Jillian from California put a framed chalkboard right in between all of her photos. I just loved it! For tips on how to create your own custom chalkboard, check out Nate Berkus’s recent blog post!

Melissa from Indiana created a wall montage that mixed her favorite photos with a favorite painting!

Christina from New Jersey sent her wall montage idea with this wonderful, inspiring note; with money being tight i haven’t gone out to get frames but wanted to hang the pictures i’ve taken of my girls. so i used yarn to string across the wall.. then clips to hang the pictures on.

Kelli from Illinos got creative with IKEA’s magnetic frames. “I bought the frames at IKEA (love) and they are magnetic in that the fronts slide right off..pop the photo in and there you have it! I have this in my kitchen and we love it! I can keep adding as I get photos and if I want to change out the photos all I have to do is pull off the front panel and slip another photo in..easy easy!!

Cathy Mores from Kansas, gives a beautiful, classic idea of having one canvas be dedicated to the whole family, one for the kids all together, and one of each individual child.

Kelly Nelson from Virginia does a similar arrangement with her canvases, except she has one with the kids and just mom and another with the kids and just dad. Love it!

Katie Schoepflin from CA, shows off her beautiful photography by making a wall montage with various frames for a local boutique desert shop!

Kim from Georgia suspends all her frames with bows. I love sweet and simple this idea is.

Tonya Todd from Washington mix matched frames too but also added the word “family” on top!

Catina from Virgina bought her frames from a local craft store. I love how cozy this space looks with the piano!

A big SHOUT OUT to these wonderful ladies and FB followers! Thanks for be so excited to share your home and creative ideas with us!

Feel free to post up any questions for these ladies regarding their wall montage. I have a feeling they may be available to respond in the today’s comments!

xoxo,

p.s. If you HAVE TO have a canvas after seeing all these beautiful wall groupings, take advantage of the Nate Berkus Show special that Rox is doing at CanvasRox!

19 Comments »

September 20th, 2010

Five Tips to Grouping and Hanging Photos!

It’s ridiculous. Brian and I are professional photographers, and we haven’t had updated photos on our walls for the last few years. Isn’t that insane?! And yet, I know that we are not the only ones! Well, we decided to get this issue resolved this summer! Here are some great tips from a local designer on how to group and hang your photos! (Let’s get them off the camera and computer friends!)

Knowing I need help with this type of thing, I enlisted a local interior designer named Dawn Bloemers. I asked her to help me group the photos and hang them the right way with the space we had.

We must start with the “Before” shot.

It’s not terrible, but there are problems. Dawn helped me see that the small, framed prints are just to small because you have to lean in to the couch to see them. The gallery look of black frames and white mats doesn’t help add color or life to this wall. And the sticks…what’s up with the sticks…

Funny story about those sticks on the wall. They came down during a bad storm a few years back. I wasn’t sure what to do with them, so I made Brian store them for me for over a year. I finally put them on the wall and hung votives from them. Fun idea at the time, but photos are all outdated and sticks are collecting dust.

Dawn’s #1 Tip: GO BIG! Pick one or two images to be BIG. Put the big one(s) in the middle. Make smaller groupings around them.

This is a BIG wall, so I wanted to use it in a cool way. Brian and I decided to highlight our trips with the kids to Thailand and Cambodia. We sorted through thousands of photos, and narrowed them down to FIFTY! From there, we narrowed them down to thirty. (yes, it was painful) And then I called up my go-to canvas woman, Roxanne of Canvasrox. She concurred with Dawn to go BIG.

So big we went! Two 4ft x 6ft Panels!

Tip 2: Color Schemes. Lay out all the photos and group them by colors that compliment each other.

I love how Dawn grouped similar tones of blue and pinks together with the set you see.

Tip 3: Mix it Up! Don’t be afraid to group horizontal images with vertical ones.

How close do you put the photos next to each other? Great question!

Tip 4: Think Inchworm. Measure an inch separation between all sides of your photos.

Tip 5: Mix Match Mediums! (from Roxanne of Canvasrox!) Don’t be afraid to mix up your mediums. Rox encouraged me to get different sized canvases with different depths. And we also did some of these prints on METAL! I never would have thought I’d like Metal prints, but oh my stars, they are EVERY ONE’S favorite! And printing on metal cost less than canvas! I even hung a metal print outside by the patio furniture because metal can handle weather conditions!

The After shot! What do you think? We did a grouping of eleven here and put others throughout the house. Have to come for dinner to see those!

Can I just say that as a family, we LOVE being in this room more than ever! I especially love it at night when the fire is going, and the candles are lit, casting a soft glow to all the images. It wasn’t until we were finished hanging them that I realized there wasn’t a single shot of the kids looking at the camera. In every photo, they are in the midst of a story, and together, this wall represents the larger story of our family adventures.

If you are in the Seattle or the surrounding area, and want Dawn to come help you do groupings for your wall, here is her contact info!

Dawn Bloemers, of Bloom Interiors
Phone 253-219-7207
bloominteriors@netzero.net
residential and commercial interior designer for 20 years

Be sure to check out Rox’s website, www.canvasrox.com. She’s doing a crazy special right now to celebrate her canvas being on the Nate Berkus Show with me! Yes, that was a Canvasrox that Nate gave to Heidi and her family!

I put a “call out” to people on FB for photo samples of how you have grouped your wall photos, and I got a ton of awesome responses! Thanks for sharing! I’m going to show some of your photos off tomorrow on the blog! Be sure to join our Facebook page, so you get the next call out! And you may see your photo featured on the blog!!

CLICK HERE to join!

Happy Monday!

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s. A BIG thank you to two AMAZING women, Dawn and Roxanne! Your expertise is super appreciated!

23 Comments »

September 17th, 2010

Watch it Here! Segment 1 of 2 with The Nate Berkus Show!

Thank you all so much for your incredible support of our premier on the Nate Berkus Show! Yesterday was surreal, just SURREAL! It was unforgettable for all of us! We had a fun private, premier party last night. My dad was even able to make it, and made a sweet toast. And wow, so many friends and family showed up–some driving a couple hours to come! Brian and I feel so loved and surrounded by all of your support and faith in us! Words can’t express our thankfulness for you.

If you missed the Nate Berkus Show yesterday, here is one of the two segments they aired! As soon as I get the second segment, I’ll post it up! If you liked it yesterday, would you CLICK HERE and hit the “like it” button on Nate’s website? That would mean the world!

I also wanted to give a special shout out to the Gig Harbor mom featured in this segment. Her name is Heidi, and she got wrapped into all this from being a blog reader! (Little do you know what perks are in store when you follow our blog! I may just show up at your door with a camera crew! )

Heidi is shooting some AMAZING photos! I’m so proud of her! Brian and I are going to bring her to the San Antonio Workshop so she can get a full weekend of sinking into CONFIDENCE. Love you Heidi, and squeeze those beautiful girls for me!

More, so much more, to come!!!

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s. Since yesterday’s show things have been even crazier! Our DVDs have been selling non-stop and workshop seats are going. For details on Winter Workshop Registration for San Antonio, TX, LA, Seattle and Scottsdale, AZ…

CLICK HERE to grab your spot in our CONFIDENCE Photography Workshops for Women!

18 Comments »

September 16th, 2010

Walking Through the Curtain. Today is the Day!

the warning you all know…it’s a long one!

There are single moments in life when we find ourselves standing at the threshold. Across the way is what we have been preparing for since our first breath. And yet, we have never come face to face with this place, this dream…with such intensity. The adrenaline races through our veins, and in that single moment before it’s time to stand up, to give it our best shot, we are flooded with doubt. We doubt every dream we’ve ever had, every wish we’ve ever made at every birthday…were we silly to dream this big…selfish to want this much…or did God in heaven really believe we were worthy of tasting the Promise Land. The fear coincides with all the doubt and rushes through our veins, pooling acid in our belly. Maybe the fear is there because that slight possibility that this turning moment will prove our dreams are wrong, not meant for us…simply out of reach. Or maybe not.

I’m standing behind a curtain on set at the Nate Berkus Show. One of the sound guys is checking my microphone. He thinks we need to get rid of my necklace. I smile and say, “Think of my necklace as a tie. Would you really take away the main color in a man’s suit?” He shrugs, half smiles, and keeps fidgeting with my necklace pendant, finally deciding to tape it down because somehow I have won him over. I needed to win him over. I needed that extra bit of confidence that I could win the audience on the other side of the curtain.

I hear the audience go into a roaring applause. A simple veil separates us. I picture Nate Berkus smiling, waving, thanking them, and I feel the countdown in my heart begin. The applause will have to stop, and that will be his signal to introduce me. I look over at Brian. He is standing under the Exit sign. Tears burn in my eyes when I see him. The very place he is standing gives me freedom. I know that if I went to him now, and asked him if we could run from the opportunity, he would open the Exit door and never push me to try again. I know that. I know that he is in love with me, not because of what I can do or say, but just me. And eighteen months ago, when we shared our secret dreams to really go for TV, to go big, he promised we could stop at any time if it didn’t feel right…I know he really meant it. Even if it meant now. Only moments before, he whispered his last bit of encouragement. “The audience out there is just like your old 7^th grade classroom. Be the teacher Me Ra, and love your students as you’ve always have. You know this.”

He is only forty, fifty feet away from me, but I feel like he is oceans away. I know that I’m the only one who can walk out on this stage. He can’t hold my hand and walk out there with me, but I know that no matter what happens in the next thirty minutes, he will be here to hold my hand when I am done.

The sound guy messes with my necklace one last time. The makeup lady enhances the eye shadow and reapplies the lip gloss that I’ve managed to eat away in the last two minutes. I have never felt so scared and excited in my life. I hear my name. Nate Berkus is introducing me. He is talking about a woman who inspires and empowers people. He is preparing viewers to meet their “new best friend”. Their documentary video of my story plays. I hear my kids laughing in the video, and I’m comforted.

The cream colored curtain standing in front of me begins to shine brighter and brighter as the spotlights look to my place of entrance. All the energy is on the other side of this curtain, only a few feet away, and yet I feel like I’m going to burst with energy before I even get my cue. And then it comes, and somehow I find myself on stage, waving at the audience, smiling, waving at viewers and feeling like I’ve come home.

The night before the show, when I couldn’t sleep from all the butterflies, Brian kept saying “Enjoy the fact that this is the last time it will ever be your first time. Ride the adrenaline Me Ra. It will never be this new again. Just enjoy!”

I’ve been enjoying ever since! The whole family has! Our segments air today on NBC! I still haven’t seen the edited versions, so I’m super excited and nervous to watch with all of you! Click here to see what channel and time it’s playing in your hometown!

And when you see me walk out from behind the curtain for the first time, you must know that I took all your love and support with me on to that stage. And all of it combined gave me the courage to GO FOR IT!

See you on the other side of today’s show, on the other side of the curtain!

Here we go!

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s. Winter Workshop Registration for San Antonio, TX, LA, Seattle and Scottsdale, AZ are now LIVE!

CLICK HERE to grab your spot in our CONFIDENCE Photography Workshops for Women!

46 Comments »