Archive for December, 2010

December 28th, 2010

One item before the year ends! Running on Empty contest for LA-Orange County

Me Ra is taking time off as you all know, and we have one important piece of business to take care of as the year ends. We have a Running on Empty spot to fill for our upcoming LA-Orange County Confidence Workshop! This workshop has only one other seat left! So only two more women will be in the first Confidence Workshop of 2011.  The weekend is January 15-16, 2011! Yep, the NEW YEAR is here!!

It’s Genie (Me Ra’s ‘little genie’ as she likes to call me :) )  The ladies have started emailing, saying why they are coming, what they hope to get out of the weekend, sharing their fears, insecurities and enthusiasm. Wonderful group!  I know Me Ra and Brian can’t wait to meet them all! One lucky woman is yet to join the gang!  She is our future Running On Empty winner.  If you fit the profile below, APPLY TODAY!  The deadline is this Thursday, December 30th at 6pm, PST!

If you know a MOM who is;

A. Running on Empty

B. Lives near Orange County or has mileage to spend

C. Can arrange for a sitter and get the weekend free, starting Friday, January 14th for Meet & Greet night all the way through Sunday night, January 16th.

D. Most importantly, has a PASSION for photography

Nominate her TODAY! Nominations must be in by Thursday night, 12/30 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 – from Me Ra!

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 LA-Orange County 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, December 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!

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*All 2010 CONFIDENCE Workshops were SOLD OUT!  Having attended the San Francisco Workshop I can you can’t help but gain confidence and have a BLAST! Why not make CONFIDENCE your goal for 2011!  Join us for any of the upcoming workshops!! Do you have some Christmas money to spend?

Seattle Details, SOLD OUT!

LA/Orange County Details, CLICK HERE! ONLY ONE SPOT LEFT! Who’s going to snap it up?

Scottsdale, AZ Details, CLICK HERE! TWO SPOTS LEFT!

Send those nominations in! And, Happy New Year!

~ Genie

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December 23rd, 2010

Do You Ever Feel Like the Most Unlikely Character?

With Christmas a couple days away, it’s time for me to sign off for 2010.  I’ve debated taking a few days off from the blog, or taking all of next week off too.  What should I do?  I take a moment to be still and listen to my heart.  The answer is clear. Ladies, I’m going to take all of next week off too and meet you on the other side of the New Year.  Some call it going dark, I’m calling it rest.  :)   Therefore, I hope you don’t mind that this post is a little longer than normal since it’s my last of the year.

Pascaline’s had the stomach flu this week.  When she was throwing up yesterday, she said that this was the first time she’s thrown up since we had Dengue Fever in Thailand.  Dengue Fever, ugh.  There’s no question, 2010 has given us extreme highs and extreme lows.  Somehow we have made it this far, and even more amazing, our family is closer–stronger–than it’s ever been (my dad and I especially–amazing).

And then there was and is The Nate Berkus Show–definitely one of the BIGGEST gifts this year–but the challenge of having ALL my insecurities challenged at MAXIMUM equals scary, thrilling, hard, rewarding work all wrapped in one.  Just remembering that feeling of walking through the curtain the first time–it will always be unforgettable and so special–such a turning point in much more to come.

Just yesterday, Brian described our life as completely thrilling and terrifying at the same time.  I wouldn’t want it any other way, but terrifying often has a capital T if you know what I mean?  I could do with that lowercase t any time now.

In it all ladies, I wonder if you connect with this.  I think that all the challenges of 2010 have shown me that I’m much stronger than I realize.  And even though many tears were shed, I know in my heart that I’m a strong woman–I know it on a much deeper level than I’ve ever been able to embrace before.

The truth is I often feel like the most “unlikely” character of my own story.  Does anyone relate?  I think that’s why I love Christmas so much.  If you are feeling unsure, alone, or afraid, this is the most comforting holiday of all.  In some ways, it can feel the opposite because of all the holiday hype surrounding us.  But even counselors say this is their busiest time of year.  I’m deeply thankful that under the holiday hype is a story that changed the world.

Whether Jesus’ life is your belief, a prophet or incredible story, His story offers inspiration to us all.  The fact that a baby, born in a stable, would grow into a legacy that we would recall two thousand years later is simply amazing.  Talk about unlikely beginnings.  Do you ever feel like your future dreams are impossible because of your unlikely beginnings?  For example, isn’t a great photographer born with a passion for photography, rather than a mom who discovers a camera in the midst of motherhood?  Oh sisters, we could talk all day about unlikely beginnings.

But that is why I love the Bible–if I might add.  It’s a big collection of unlikely characters whose stories come to hold greater meaning than they could ever imagine.  Whether it’s St. Peter’s hot temper in his early days to later become a model of perseverance and patience admist overwhelming trials.  The transformation of his life alone gives me hope.  He is the very man who would cry “I believe.  Help my unbelief.”  Or Doubting Thomas who was the only one brave enough to say something to the affect of, I need to touch the scars in your hands and feet to really believe you have risen from the dead.  And the ever so gentle and loving response Jesus gave him.  Doubting Thomas’ honesty and Jesus’ gentle response will always remind me that God is not disappointed with my constant need to see proof of His love for me–and even better–this need is not the end of my story.  And Mary, how often I’ve thought of Mary this month.

Mary is the woman who would ride a donkey for days on end in her last hours of pregnancy.  I wonder if she ever hit a place of such exhaustion that her desire to no longer be pregnant overshadowed anything that tomorrow held.  How often I have been pregnant with visions and dreams that seem to keep me in what feels like an “overdue” state of pregnancy, wondering if the time for their birth will ever come.  And then to go even lower in my faith–to go to a place of losing passion for the dream because all I really want is to be done being pregnant.

When the angel came and told Mary she would give birth to Jesus, her first reaction was unbelief.  Thank you Lord.  Thank you for showing me that it’s okay to have unbelief first.  But then to hear the angel comfort her and say “Nothing is impossible with God.”  Thank you Lord.  Thank you for the impossible being possible whether I am full of belief or suffocating with fear.

If you ever felt like an unlikely character in your own story, may you be comforted this Christmas by a history of unlikely characters.  A collection of misfits.  It seems that over and over again, every character became known for their incredible strength–but it is their humble beginnings of great weakness that give me hope. What is your biggest weakness?  Can you imagine being known someday for that weakness being your biggest strength?  A strength that your loved ones could stand on?  May this holiday cast a vision of your impossibles being possible.  After all, nothing is impossible with God.  (I believe, help my unbelief.)

May you and your family have the most wonderful holidays.  May your next ten days bring you pockets of sweet rest.  May unexpected moments of joy refresh your spirit.  May you feel beautiful and know you are worthy of love–so much love.  May your heart reveal what you have gained among the losses you endured this year, and may these truths be a strength that guides you into 2011.

I will see you there!

xoxo,

m

p.s.  SOAR! Amazon GC Winners!  Miranda Queener is a QUEEN!  She earned the most points for all the many ways she spread the word about SOAR!  Thank you so much Miranda!  A $50 GC to Amazon is being emailed to YOU!  And the winner of the drawing for $100 GC to Amazon is Laurie Phan!  Laurie, we appreciate your help so much.  I want extend a big thank you to every one for supporting the SOAR! Scholarship launch this year.  In 2011, all the seeds you’ve sewn will bloom–and wow, what a sight it’s going to be!

When the holiday bustle gets too crazy, grab a cup of tea and sit down with your sisters, the 2010 SOAR! Entries, these ladies will lift your heart in unexpected ways.

All my love.

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December 21st, 2010

What You’ve Done!

The last 24 hrs of SOAR! are always the most thrilling!  As the clock gets closer to midnight, we can no longer keep up with approving videos because so many are being uploaded at once.  Prayers are being sent, technical issues come up from every direction, and yet, all the while there is a feeling of camaraderie that is well deserved.

SOAR! 2010 contestant, Delanae said it beautifully in a comment she left yesterday.  I took the liberty of making BOLD my favorite part;

“It was SOoooOOOooo exciting to see my personal video up… mixed with a good helping of “What have I done!!!” Then when I sat back and listened to the heart of all these amazing women in their videos, it became clear to me what I had done, I had joined an amazing group of amazing women who have a heart and desire for what I do. It’s really rare in this highly competitive world to have a friendly competition where you are pulling for others as much as yourself. It’s really kinda beautiful and blows me away…”

Ladies, SOAR! 2010 Contestants, do you realize what you’ve done?!  Do you realize how AMAZING you really are?!

You have stepped out of the darkness and identified yourself as a believer of your dreams, a believer of the impossible, a believer of courage and risk still holding power today.

You have stepped beyond the voices of doubt and fear–just long enough–to make a change in your actions.  Instead of acting in fear, you acted in fearlessness!  And the best part is that now the game has changed!!  You changed all the rules and limitations of your tomorrows when you acted in fearlessness and applied to SOAR!

Whether you are one of the three recipients or not, I know that this brave step will come back to you a thousand fold.  I believe that if we can sew the smallest seed of hope, it will indeed come back a thousand fold.  I’m so excited to see 2011 unfold for all of us ladies!!  It’s going to be a powerful year!!

I want to thank SmugMug and our SOAR! Support Team (Fastline Media, Jennifer, Lindsay and Linda, Genie and our new SOAR! Coordinator –who you will meet very soon!).  With the help of this amazing team, Brian and I were able to step away and spend most of yesterday cleaning my parent’s home for them.  (Thank YOU ALL so much!  Little did you know, you were not only helping SOAR! but allowing me to help my mom and dad as they continue my dad’s road to recovery.)

There are dozens and dozens and dozens of new SOAR! Video Entries to watch.  We are in the process of approving many.  We may need until next week to approve all of them.  In the meantime, to follow along, you can continue to meet our 2010 SOAR! Contestants by CLICKING HERE!

I leave you today with a big CONGRATS!  You did it ladies!  Buy yourself a bunch of tulips, pat yourself on the back, take a 15 minute walk and breathe in the fresh air of this new life you’ve stepped into.  You are amazing–AWE-MAZING!

As Julia Cameron so wisely says;

I have learned, as a rule of thumb, never to ask whether you can do something. Say, instead, that you are doing it. Then fasten your seat belt. The most remarkable things follow.
Take heart, enjoy the holidays and expect remarkable things to follow!
xoxo,
m
p.s.  Only ONE spot left in Arizona CONFIDENCE Workshop and only TWO spots left in LA/Orange County, CA Workshop.

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December 20th, 2010

SOAR! Deadline is MIDNIGHT! And, Meet 50 New Friends!!

Happy Monday Ladies!!  It’s a BIG Monday!

We’ve got a day full of inspiration!  Today we want to introduce you to more than 50 New Friends, and be Encouraged by 30 More!!

But first…The Deadline for SOAR! Applications and Video Entries is TONIGHT at MIDNIGHT PST!

Amazing, beautiful women have been uploading their applications and video entries ALL weekend!  You have to meet these women!!  More than 50 ladies whose stories and courage will inspire you.  And if you have a second, leave them a comment of good cheer!

One more housekeeping item:

If you have or plan to apply, keep in mind two things that judges have noticed.

1.  Your video entry must show your name during the video (preferably the beginning).

2.  Your video entry must not be any longer than two minutes (preferably 90 seconds at most).

These are two of the four Video Requirements on the SOAR! FAQ page.  All four requirements must be met or your video and application will be inellegible.

I was going to show you an incredible video today from an applicant last year, but I’m going to wait.  You have to CLICK HERE and see the latest 2010 SOAR! Entries!

They are just wonderful, every single one!

After you watch these videos, scroll down to the comments in Friday’s blog post “We Can’t Let Our Fear have the Last Word”. Over 30 women left comments full of strength, courage and wisdom.  These women are from all walks of life.   Dawn Davis, a dear friend, is one of them.  She and her husband own a photography studio in Chicago that have photographed more celebrities than I can count.  On Friday Dawn wrote;

I say we kick fear in the ass! I think of fear as a gift from God that keeps us close to Him. What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger and I truly believe that. Bob and I used to have a saying “One step forward, ten steps back” and “If was easy, it wasn’t meant for us”. After reading a couple of really inspiring books that were a Dear Dawn to me, we decided to focus on putting only positive thoughts in our minds. Our entire lives changed that day. It’s not easy, and nothing good comes easy but I do have to say that all the negative thoughts we tell ourselves are TRUE!…

Ariane Hunter, a SOAR! Applicant from last year, shared her heart for women to take courage and apply to SOAR!;

Photo Credit: Hoyu Yiu

Words CANNOT express how much applying for SOAR last year has truly changed me. It showed me a strength I never knew I had. It let the impossible become possible. No, I did not win the scholarship last year but I am so very grateful for having even participated. I am the type of person who never thinks that I could actually win let alone do what it takes to prove that I should be selected. Those voices of doubt and fear always got the best of me. But for some reason, I applied for SOAR and although I did not win I was made a better person in so many ways. And to me, that is winning.

In case you’re interested, here was my SOAR video from last year (http://www.merakoh.com/soarblog/?cat=11) #251. If I can do it, I know with all my heart, that you can too. Best of luck to all of the applicants this year :) !

Marcia Stuhler was another SOAR! Applicant last year who left a powerful comment of what’s happened since she turned in her SOAR! video and application 12 months ago;

Ladies…what happened last year after not winning the SOAR scholarship FAR EXCEED my wildest dreams. I knew when I submitted my video that I didn’t have a shot at winning. I was pregnant, I had a full-time job, I was trying to figure out this thing called a “business” and here I have a woman challenging me. Challenging me to look inside myself and figure out what I wanted from not just my business but from what life brings you. I mumbled and fumbled though my video because I was nervous and scared. I was scared of saying my hopes and dreams out loud. However, after reading the blog and watching a few videos I knew that if I was going to ever make it (in anything really) I needed to push myself…just a bit more.

I am so glad that I did! Once the winners were announced various groups started forming of other “sisters” that entered. They finally had someone they could connect too that wouldn’t judge them and a solid support network. To this day, these same women that didn’t win have become some of my best friends. I look to them for guidance and they will tell me I am crazy or will give me a virtual high-five when I am doing great.

So SOAR is so much more than a 2 minute video where you are trying to wow the judges about why you should be a recipient of the scholarship. It is a membership to one of the coolest sororities out there. There isn’t a cost to join, there isn’t a pretentious vibe and you can finally be yourself for once.

So apply…because I can’t even begin to count how many women I have met in the last year have profoundly changed my life…

And there are THIRTY MORE inspiring stories from Friday’s blog post!  Just CLICK HERE to read all of them!

I pray that you feel surrounded by women who believe in you and your dreams.  I pray their words and experiences fill your heart and maybe even give you that extra dose of encouragement to get your video and application turned in by midnight tonight!

Be Filled Up this Morning and Take Hold of Courage!

xoxo,

m

p.s.  If you run into any issues uploading your SOAR! video, email help@smugmug.com.  If they aren’t able to trouble shoot the issue, email us at soar@merakoh.com.

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December 17th, 2010

We Can’t Let Our Fears have the Last Word!

I read this excerpt from Julia Cameron, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to leave you on this last Friday before your SOAR! applications are due on Monday (by midnight).

“Finding it hard to begin a project does not mean you will not be able to do it.  It means you will need help–from your higher power, from supportive friends, and from yourself.  First of all, you must give yourself permission to begin small and go in baby steps.  These steps must be rewarded.  Setting impossible goals creates enormous fear, which creates procrastination, which we wrongly call laziness.  Do not call procrastination laziness. Call it fear.  Fear is what blocks an artist.  The fear of not being good enough.  The fear of not finishing.  The fear of failure and of success.  The fear of beginning it all.  There is only one cure for fear.  That cure is love.  Use love for your artist to cure its fear.  Stop yelling at yourself.  Be nice.  Call fear by its right name.”

“The fear of failure and of success.”  Stuck in between the two is just that–stuck.

Fear has been a life long battle for me.  It especially shouts insults at my dreams.  Fear is so masterfully good at showing me the long list of everything that won’t or can’t work if my dreams were to come true.  Before I even take a baby step toward my dreams, fear let’s me know how silly and impossible I’m being.  Anyone relate?

I know for a fact that a lot of you are struggling with fear as you try to push past procrastination and get your video submissions done.  How do I know?  We’ve got a few hundred applications turned in but under twenty video entries.  The SOAR! application isn’t complete without the video entry.

So why a video?!  My purpose for SOAR’s video application is to give you a voice.  You have several voices that talk to you all day–the voices of fear, doubt, shame and regret.  But what about the voice of Courage that also lives inside?  That voice wants to be heard.  In past years, your voice has tried to express itself and sadly, it has probably experienced being ignored.  But that doesn’t have to be the end of your story.

Ladies, there are only three spots for three recipients.  But the heart of this scholarship isn’t for just three women.  It’s for all women who have a photography dream–to give them a place to voice their dream, experience being heard by your SOAR! Sisters (who are awaiting to connect with you online!), and feel surrounded by strength and friendship to go forward–whether you are one of the three or not…whether you fear not being good enough or not finishing.

But what if you lose?  What can be gained from losing?

EVERY THING.

In fact, on Monday, I’m going to show you a special video that one woman made last year after she found out she wasn’t chosen for the SOAR! Scholarship.  You will watch this video and be inspired at how powerful losing can be. Sound weird?  Come back Monday morning with Kleenex.  :)

If you are one of the many women who did NOT win last year but have a powerful story of how the application process and year changed you, will you share part of your story in our comment’s today?  I know hundreds of women could use the encouragement as they push forward to complete their applications and videos this weekend.

For now ladies, you’ve got today, the weekend and until midnight on Monday.  Don’t let fear of tomorrow and fears of failing determine today’s possibilities.  The future isn’t clear.  It does feel blurry when we try to predict what may or may not happen.  But blur isn’t always a bad thing.

When we step forward in faith, the journey often becomes more beautiful and magical than we could have ever imagined.

Start by loving you.  Be the first to hear your voice.  And then share it with all of us.

We are ready to listen.

xoxo,

m

CLICK HERE to Apply for SOAR!

p.s.  One of the video companies that has created promo videos for Jasmine Star and David Jay’s websites may be offering our three recipients their own custom promo videos when their SOAR! year is almost complete!  Just one more reason to let us hear your voice.  :)

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December 16th, 2010

2010 Camera Buying Guide for 2011 Adventures!

Remember those great books when we were kids, the Choose Your Own Adventure books?  This year’s Holiday Camera Wish List is set up a little like that!  (in theory :) )

With all the different types of cameras out there, how do you know which one is best for you?  I’ve tested and trialed several Sony cameras from the Point-and-Shoot model to their top of the line DSLR.  Each camera serves it’s purpose depending on what you are shooting.  So let’s start by asking you a simple but telling question “What do you like taking pictures of?”  Your answers will make all the difference in what you want to buy or not buy.

What do you love taking pictures of?  Choose Your Answer, and You Choose Your Next Adventure!

A.  Family and Kids!  Choose Adventure Cameras A or C!

B.  Flowers and other Close Up Still Life Photography!  Choose the Adventure Camera B!

C.  Travel Photography or All Around on-the-go Photos (but want more then a Point-and-Shoot)!  Choose Adventure Camera C!

D.  Sports/Kids/Fast Action!  Go Back to Adventure Camera A!

E.  I’m charging money, thinking of switching camera brands for better color results, speed and more megapixels!  Strap On Your Parachute and Choose Adventure Camera D!

Saddle Up for New Adventures!

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Adventure Camera A:  The a55 Sony DSLR!

Price: $749,  CLICK HERE for More Details!

This is the fastest shooter in town!  It has this crazy, ground breaking technology called Translucent Mirror Technology.  This technology will give you 10 frames (pictures) per second!!!

The a55 is also the Official SOAR! DSLR for this year’s upcoming Recipients!  And it’s also the DSLR that I shoot with when I’m on set with the Nate Berkus Show!

Adventure Camera B:  The Cyber-shot TX9!

Price: $399,  CLICK HERE for More Details!

I love shooting with this little lady!!  She may be small in size, but don’t be fooled!  She is stronger than you think!  She shoots 3D Panorama and HD video!  The LCD screen is 3.5″!  And this sweet thing is capturing images that are 12.2 Megapixel.  I don’t recommend a point-and-shoot if your subjects are on the go.  But if your subjects are holding still, here are a few things to consider.

When buying a point-and-shoot type camera, no matter what brand, you want to make sure it has more than 9 plus megapixels for a great, quality 8 x 10 print.  Since you can’t change lenses with a point-and-shoot, you want to make sure your camera has the ability to zoom in for good close ups of those flowers, and vice versa, go wide too.  Optical Zoom is key.  Digital zoom will lead to lower quality images.  (This little bit of info is inspired from all the goodies coming in my new book that releases in March 2011!)  Note to men: it comes in guy colors too.  :)

Adventure Camera C:  The NEX 5 w/ 16mm lens !

Price: $649.99,  CLICK HERE for More Details!

This is the World’s Smallest and Lightest DSLR in the WORLD!  This DSLR is the size of your point-and-shoot, BUT you can change lenses and capture DSLR quality images, plus shoot HD video!  And the NEX 5 and 16mm lens fits in your coat pocket!  Isn’t that INSANE!  When Sony first sent us a sample to trial shoot before it hit the market, I took it out of the box and was shocked!  Could a DSLR be this small and still capture GREAT photos with the Sony color that I value so much?  This is what my trial run captured…

My answer is YES!  That’s why the NEX 5 with 16mm lens is by far the BEST DSLR for those of you who love taking pictures of your travels!  Can you believe it?  You can travel with a robust DSLR, a few lenses to swap out depending on what you are shooting, and it all fits in your jacket pocket?!  Insane, right!

Adventure Camera D:  The Queen of all Cameras: Flagship Sony a900 DSLR!

Price: $2499.99,  CLICK HERE for More Details!  (This price does NOT include a lens.  :) )

The flagship Sony a900 DSLR has a full frame sensor, shoots 24.6 megapixels (insane!), and with this much meat still moves fast at 5 frames per second with ultra-low noise.  The list goes on and on, but I’ll let you check it out by clicking the CLICK HERE under the camera images.

This is by far my favorite camera when shooting high end weddings or portrait shoots.

The color quality is unbelievable.  What you see is truly what you get.  Gone are the days of shooting something and then spending hours in post process to get the color corrected.  Nope, doesn’t happen with this Queen of a Camera!

One of my favorite photos taken with the a900 is “Monkey Watch” from our house in the Thailand jungles.

This is a “camera” list, but if you’ve been to my CONFIDENCE Workshops, you know I’ve got a lot to say about buying the right lens.  And if you are just curious to know what’s in our camera bag when we go abroad, I’ve got that post too.  Plus, I’ve got a What’s in Our Camera Bag for Beginners!  Take your pick below!

What Type of Lenses Do You Need?

What’s In Our Camera Bag (when we go abroad, before the NEX was available)

What is in a Camera Bag for the Beginner! (A never before shared post (on this blog!)

Buying a camera is an adventure that leads to countless more rewarding adventures.  It is an exciting purchase that is an investment of your hard earned dollars.  I hope this buying guide helps you navigate through all the noise out there!  Happy holiday shopping and 2011 adventure planning!

xoxo,

m

*5 Days Left to Take the SOAR! Leap!

Spread the word about SOAR! this week, and you’ll be entered to win $100 GC to Amazon for last minute holiday shopping! And the one who completes the most activities gets an extra $50 GC for being SUPER supportive of SOAR!  The deadline has been extended till this Friday!  For details of how to play, CLICK HERE!

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December 15th, 2010

See the Latest #SOAR! Video!

The countdown for submitting your SOAR! Application is happening BIG time!  SIX DAYS LEFT to the DEADLINE to APPLY!!  We know there have been uploading bugs, but all those bugs are squished now!

Upload away ladies!!  Watch one of the latest videos now!

There are also MORE NEW video submissions to see! Just CLICK HERE!
You can also leave a comment to these ladies! They are so courageous to be taking this first leap! And we, as a community, are super proud of them!

Spread the word about SOAR! this week, and you’ll be entered to win $100 GC to Amazon for last minute holiday shopping! And the one who completes the most activities gets an extra $50 GC for being SUPER supportive of SOAR!  The deadline has been extended till this Friday!  For details of how to play, CLICK HERE!

I SUPPORT SOAR! What about YOU! Woo-hoo! :)

xoxo,
m

*6 Days Left to Take the Leap!

p.s.  Camera Wish List Coming Tomorrow!!  All my FAVORITE Cameras and Why!  Just in time if you are still thinking of surprising her BIG time this Christmas!

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December 14th, 2010

MamaBloo Photo Tale: Falling or Letting Go?

This is Kari from MamaBloo chiming in today for Me Ra!

A few days ago a friend and neighbor posted something on Facebook that got my attention. He had been out raking the yard and also listening to Carrie Newcomber’s song where the question is posed:  Do leaves fall or do they just let go?  Since I am caught in that crazy space of only listening to the Backyardigans soundtrack or Taylor Swift, I am pretty much out of any music that might appeal to an adult.  So, admittedly I hadn’t heard this song before.  But the notion of the question of whether or not leaves fall or let go has  stuck with me.

I am viscerally drawn to this idea that the leaves might actually have some control over their own fate.  Not the practical aspect of it, of course.  I mean they are going to wind up on the ground.  That is inevitable, right?  But the control comes in how they perceive their journey.  If they FALL, then well, the changing season takes its toll on the leaf — sending it on its way, making it depart from tree.  It speaks more of what the leaf has lost.  Plus, falling is just plain scary!  When we are kids “Falling Down” is cause for skinned knees, and band-aids, and running to mom while holding back the tears until we are safely wrapped in her arms.

But “letting go” is fun.  Letting go is about holding onto the monkey bars and letting go to feel the wind in our hair, to breathe deeply, to feel our hearts beat a bit faster, to reach out and grab the next bar and, if we miss, to revel in how our bodies absorb the shock of the landing with more ease than we predicted.  I love the idea that the leaves are letting go. That although they “know” they are destined for the ground, that their journey to the soil is supposed to happen, that it MUST happen for life to go on…that even though they know this, they take part in the journey.  They release their hold on what has always sustained them and float to the ground in a swirl of yellow, red, and brown.  Then the leaf waits for the kindergartner that will come by and pick it up, running to his mom, exclaiming, “This is the coolest leaf in the world!”


May we feel freedom to release our holds,

Kari

For more stories from MamaBloo, click here.

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December 13th, 2010

Step of Courage, Open Sea

My heart and mind this Monday morning…

Nobel Prize winner, Andre Gide, wrote, “One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”

I thought about that single sentence all weekend.

I let it sink in to the places of my heart that needed it most.

How safe life would feel or seem if we’d never taken any risks–if we’d stayed on land, and only admired the view from the beach.  How stable life would feel with solid ground underneath our feet.  How comforting a life of familiarity would become.  And yet, we stepped on the boat.  We took a step of courage to discover new lands.  And in my heart, I knew we would lose sight of the shore.  I knew this fact would be unavoidable.  But it’s the ending of Gide’s sentence that I was not prepared for–the “very long time”.

With every step, I feel the waves rock the ship making me queasy and unsteady.  With every storm, I want to believe the waves in front of me can’t possibly get any bigger.  But when we take a step of courage and leave the shore behind, we consent to lose sight of safety, familiarity and sometimes even assurance.

Julia Cameron writes, “We may wish for faith to make us fearless and invulnerable, whereas in reality faith may render us fearful yet willing and very vulnerable…faith opens a dialogue and it takes faith to continue it.”

I have an aching in my heart the last number of days.  I think it comes from a mix of places; a weariness of fighting to believe the impossible is possible while seeing loved ones suffer so deeply.  I think it comes from a place of discouragement and weakened faith as the economy’s state is no longer a surprise but a disheartening reality, affecting dear friends who struggle to enjoy Christmas with their kids while knowing their foreclosed house will be up for auction soon.  I see the brokenness in myself; my own painful past and the fears and insecurities that diligently wait by my bedside–ready to greet me every morning.

If only my hopes were as loyal as my fears–what mountains I would move.

But even in the midst of all the frightening waves and fearful unknowns, I taste the salt air on my tongue.  I have a view of the sunrise that few see.  And I am learning new skills that living in the unknown requires of me–skills that living on land would have never asked for. And do you know that I see you here with me?  Yet, some of you are still under the deck trying to convince yourself that you are not meant to live on the sea.  Trying to tell yourself that dreams, all your hidden dreams, are meant to stay hidden.  But the truth is that we left the shore a while ago.  Whether you realize it or not, you have set sail for a new land full of discovery.  Won’t you come and see?

xoxo,

m

The SOAR! Scholarship is a ship that is meant to carry you to a new place.  I cannot promise comfort, safety or familiarity, but I promise a view of the open sea, the taste of salt on your lips, a couple bouts of terrible sea sickness and your mind and heart being opened as the wide sea of possibility opens to you.

The deadline is a week from today. Don’t miss the last call to board.

*The $100 GC to Amazon Giveaway is helping SOAR! reach thousands of women.  So we’ve decided to expand and widen its boundaries today.  Instead of having until today, you have until this Friday at 10am PST.  Instead of one winner, there will be TWO winners.  One will win the $100 GC because there name is drawn.  We’ve added a second type of winner, a $50 GC, to the one who earns the most entries whether we draw their name or not.  For details on how to play and support SOAR! at the same time CLICK HERE.

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December 9th, 2010

Part 2: Twenty Photos to Inspire You in Photography!

Riding on the inspiration of yesterday’s baby shoot and all the creativity that came out of our San Antonio women…

brings us to Day 2 of the CONFIDENCE Workshop!  For a couple hours, we bring in family models and do some hands on practice of all that we’ve been learning.  I’m super proud of these women, like every CONFIDENCE workshop, because the Family Shoot is not the easiest task for them.

I’m challenging the ladies to meter, shoot in Manual (many have always been an Auto mode before the workshop), incorporate some of the creative composition and story telling we’ve talked about–there are basically a zillion things running through their head–and get GREAT shots at the same time with the family standing in front of them!  I WANT them to hit glass ceilings, run into problems, get stuck, get frustrated and all the above, so we can work together on helping them breakthrough to the next level.  I’ve even been known to make the set up more difficult if I feel like things are moving along too easy!  :)   My philosophy for live shoots at workshops “Make it tough because if all the lighting, models and setting are perfect, what will you learn?  But if you have to work through difficulties and challenges, you will be so much stronger when you leave the workshop.”

The conversations and experience is invaluable.  The families come to volunteer their time (and get GREAT photos from it, as you’re about to see).  Since the families are not paying for the shoot, these women get to work with their group, me and Brian at trying new ideas, experimenting, playing and practicing all that they’ve been learning.  It’s pretty awesome to see what comes from it!

Why don’t I show you!  :)   (We even had a pregnant mama show up to model!)

Look at these AMAZING blue eyes!  Four siblings, and Katie Vaughn decided to shoot down on them.  I LOVE the angle and how piled together they all are!  Great job Katie!  Getting four kids to look this good is a lot!

We had the sweetest toddlers come.  Holly Graning captured this moment of daddy carrying his little guy on his shoulder.  There are a handful of things that I LOVE about this image.  Since he’s not sitting straight up and down on his dad’s shoulder, it leads me to see how busy and energetic this little guy is.  I also love how buttery, blurry the background is around them.  Wonderful Holly!

And how can you NOT fall in love with his face!  Here’s a wonderful family portrait that Staci Rosen caught.  Notice how she got in tight and framed out all the unnecessary background so our attention is brought right to the little guy’s facial expression.  Great job Staci!  He was definitely on the go!

A few of the ladies played with his energy and ramped it up even more by having mom and dad swing him.  I love how Anna Kuhn composed this image.  We see just enough of mom’s joy, a little bit of dad’s smile, but it all accentuates how loved this little guy feels.  Beautiful Anna.

Kelly Duhaney‘s group used the same principle with this little one.  Different family, same strategy.  The image above is vertical and works so well, and Kelly’s shot being horizontal is powerful too…just in a different way.  I’m always blown away at how the simplest choices in composition, choosing a vertical or horizontal frame, can make such a big difference.  I LOVE mom’s smile in this photo Kelly!  I love that we don’t even see all of dad, but we see enough to know he is super happy too.  Great job!

When all the swinging is done, there may be a moment of stillness.  To be ready for it, know it’s bound to come after all that energy got exhausted, to have your camera settings in place…all stars align and you capture magical moments like Dana Kelly did in this black and white photo.  Don’t you love how mom and dad are blurred in the background!!  Dana, incredible!

This next photo struck my heart.  It is so simple, and I think that’s why it grabbed me. Susie captured these two pairs of feet, and I love how much innocence I feel when I look at it.  I love that they are standing on stone steps, and you have this sense that these little feet are going to run away at any moment.  But for this moment, Susie captured them and because of her eye, we will always remember how small they were.

Daddy’s girls.  Anne-Marie did such a beautiful job of capturing that loving portrait that dad will cherish forever.  Isn’t this the type of photo that every dad wants on his desk?  Anne-Marie, very proud of you.

Dad and his boys!  Look at how sweet this shot is!  Melissa Droegemueller captured this, and I love how unexpected it feels.  The only one who notices the camera is the little guy in the bottom right hand corner!  I love how the other two are caught up in what is happening.  And just like the dad image above, I think this is another type of photo that could be framed for dad’s desk!  Melissa, great eye!

Joy Neville must have used that post process action she talked about in the comments for yesterday’s blog when she post processed this one.  (Am I right Joy? :) )  I love the moment, the simplicity, how washed out it is…just precious.

And then there was Elizabeth Knox and her sweet hubby!  Elizabeth came to our CONFIDENCE Workshop two years ago (was it two or three Elizabeth?) in Atlanta, GA.

She is within weeks of having her first baby and came to our San Antonio Workshop to be a beautiful model.  There are so many endless things that inspire me about Elizabeth.  She has no idea how much I think of her and her strength.  She is a strong soul who has an AMAZING story, and I think we may save it for an Amazing Mom’s feature.  For now, I just want to celebrate how beautiful this pregnant mama is and how our ladies captured this in a powerful way!

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried, but photographing a pregnant woman is not easy.  You have to be thoughtful of the angles you choose so they actually look pregnant and not just chubby, but then you don’t want them to look huge.  We played a lot with these two, and I’m so excited about the results.

Ailynne Abarado captured this beautiful moment.  I love the position of Elizabeth’s hands and her husband’s hands.  The hands are very intentional because if you don’t have the hands highlight the tummy, we may not know she’s pregnant.  Ailynne, I also love the expressions you captured.  Wonderful job.

Te shot below is from the same moment, but I was standing off to the side of them.  Just an example of how many different viewpoints there are to capture without moving the couple.

Lauren Salinas took this next photo.  I jumped up and down when I saw it because not only did she capture a beautiful, beautiful moment but she did some serious metering magic with her camera!  Lauren, this is so amazing.  I love how you metered the light to capture the different lighting on both their faces.

Anna Kuhn captured this next shot.  I love how sweet it is, as if they had no idea the camera was even there.  And yet they totally did which makes a captured shot like this that much harder.  Anna, you rocked it!  Great job!

Before the weekend was over, I had the ladies do a special Head Shot photo exercise of each other.  They had to interview each other with specific questions and then capture a Head Shot/Bio Shot based on their answers!  Want to see a couple?  :)

Danette Adelson captured this GORGEOUS photo!

And I’m not sure who caught this of Joy, but it’s such a “powerful” and beautiful looking stance that I had to share it.

Ladies, can you tell us what your answers were to the interview questions so we can see how those answers guided the Bio Shots of you both?

There you have it!  The courageous and creative women of the San Antonio 2010 CONFIDENCE Workshop!  I’m so proud of each one of them, and wished I could bring ALL these CONFIDENCE ladies together once a year!  Wouldn’t that be so fun!

Love you San Antonio ladies!  Hope you are having the most wonderful holiday season with your cameras and confidence!  MWAH!

For all our blog readers, if you have 90 seconds to spare, post a comment and tell these ladies how GREAT they did.  It’s so scary to share your beginning works, and yet, they did amazing.  And be sure to click on their names because they’ve got even MORE photo results to share on their blogs and websites!

xoxo,

m

ONLY ELEVEN DAYS LEFT TO APPLY FOR SOAR! (I have a feeling you are all going to swamp us the last three days with applications like last year…You are, aren’t you?!  :) )

2011 CONFIDENCE Workshops Updates:

Seattle’s Workshop is SOLD OUT! (And the women are already emailing each other and introducing themselves!  I LOVE it!)

Only TWO spots left in the LA/Orange County Workshop!

Few more left in the Scottsdale, AZ Workshop!

Early Bird Price of $799 Ends Monday, December 20th (the SOAR! Scholarship Deadline)!  Regular Price is $999.  To hear what past attendees say, see comments by clicking here!

If the CONFIDENCE Workshop is out of your budget right now, but you have a passion and hidden dream for photography, consider applying for the SOAR! Scholarship! Details here! (a reserved seat in the workshop is one of many things we are going to equip you with!)

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