Archive for May, 2011

May 31st, 2011

Memories of Great Grandma – May’s Tribute to Mamas

This is our last May “Tribute to Mamas” post from our beautiful SOAR! Scholarship Recipients. I hope you’ve enjoyed these reflective posts on the power of motherhood. I know I have! If you are a mama, I pray that you continue to feel celebrated, honored and appreciated.

Thank you Charisse, for this thoughtful, beautiful photographic essay. Great grandmas are special ladies. We are honored that you shared your family’s great grandma with all of us.

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Memories of Great Grandma by Charisse Rhodes

Often I find myself trying to see the world as she has seen it. Ninety-four years worth of change. Seven kids, eleven grand children, and eight great grand children later…she has seen it all. All of this while living in the same town which she was born in. It just plays with my mind. I remember being at my home where she flew 3000 miles across country for the first time ever to be with me after my first was born. And again with my second. As I was pulling out all of my “new fangeled remedies” as she often called them, she couldn’t understand us “modern” mothers. I mean, back in the day, they made a fulfilled life with so much less. So much less distraction, conveniences and amenities, yet we had all the love we could muster. The love of a community that watched out for all of us as though we were their own.

I see the joy of life in her eyes when she sees the youngest ones in our family. Often a little pep reappears in her step as while being assisted now by the extra 4 legs that support her. Both things giving her something to hold on to, each so necessary in their own way. Ensuring that I have these moments for myself, as well as my children, was one of the reasons photography pulls so heavily on my heart strings. It’s so powerful how they immortalize the proof of human life lived and loved.

The love of a mother, or someone who has loved you like a mother, is irreplaceable. I’ll venture to say that it is also indescribeable. But once you have had it, you will know it. And you will have been blessed. Often times we find ourselves needing to nurture some little urchins of our own. It is the multiplication of love now being passed through you to another innocent by your choice without their input. They are perfect for each of us. It is a feeling that, no matter how painful, tiring and nerve wrecking it can be, women around the world rise up to the challenge day after day after day.

The undeniable need to nurture something is derived from something deeper thank we know. It takes on the form of mothering our own, adopting another, caring for an elderly parent or a pet. It runs deep.

It’s wonderful to know that there is a national day where we have chosen to recognize the women who continuously keep our society moving forward through childbirth, nurturing, guiding and often providing. However, we need to be sure that gratitude and honor for these wonderful women are not left for one special day, but provided in some small way everyday they bless our lives.

But ladies, let’s not wait for the accolades of our loved ones. I implore you to take time and love on yourselves every day. Demonstrating our love for others without doing it for ourselves is the fastest way to feel overlooked and under appreciated. If you are not already doing it. Treat yourself today. I doesn’t need to be big. It may be a quiet cup o’joe, tucked off in the corner of your bedroom somewhere. Just do it. You will appreciate yourself more and so will your loved ones. It will make walking through the journeys of your life that much more pleasurable.

Also, if you can rally the crew, go snap a generational picture of your family this year. My family and I try to do it every few years. As my Nana gets older I find myself looking at this picture more and more often. The last few don’t include my nana because she hasn’t been able to make the trip in many years. It makes this image that much more special.

Oops….that reminds me…this one is nine years old. Clearly we are long overdue. This time we will go to her.

*Charisse

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Charisse, will you share the photo you capture of her? We would be so honored to see it. And I have to say that your hair was rocking it nine years ago!

To all of you reading, tell us one thing you love about your mom or motherhood. Thanks for a wonderful month of May on the blog! Here we come SUMMER!

xoxo,

5 Comments »

May 27th, 2011

Minis Coming to T-Town! Tacoma, WA on Saturday, June 11th!

Right now, we are in Chicago getting ready to start five Mini Photo Sessions today! I’m so excited! I’ve got three former workshop ladies who have booked Minis for their families! One lady booked a Mini as a gift to herself (brilliant idea!). She does yoga, so I’ve sent her some reflective questions to prepare both our hearts for her yoga portraits. Can’t wait to see what we create together! What a gift it is to tell your stories! And what a double blessing to have spent a workshop weekend with you, and now two years later, meet your family and photograph them. I can’t think of a better way to start our time in Chicago!

In the last three months, I’ve had the honor of shooting minis and capturing the beauty of families in Denver, Colorado,

NYC (can’t share NYC photos yet b/c they are a special surprise for a few awesome dads this Father’s Day!) and now Chicago. I think it’s time to bring it to my hometown–Tacoma, Washington! Can I hear a “T-TOWN! Woop! Woop!”

On Saturday, June 11th, in Tacoma, WA, I’m going to hold five minis at a secret, FUN location! All the times slots are near sunset, early evening light. And our special place has a little bit of wheat field magic and funky accents. That’s all I’ll say. hee! hee!

See the time slots below. Email Genie at genie@merakoh.com to book yours. Once you reserve your time slot is set, Genie will send you more juicy details!

Saturday, January 11th Time Slots!

~~1. 4:15pm-4:45pm~~ SOLD OUT!
~~2. 5pm-5:30pm~~ SOLD OUT!
~~3. 5:45pm-6:15pm~~ SOLD OUT!
4. 6:30pm-7pm (who is taking the LAST one! )
~~5. 7:15pm-7:45pm~~ SOLD OUT!

Can’t wait to see you in June! If you are interested in me doing Minis in Seattle this summer, email Genie and let us know!

xo, m

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What is a Mini Session? Keep reading!

If a Photo Shoot is something that tickles your fancy with Father’s Day around the corner, here are the details!

Cost is $550. Mini Photo Session MUST be prepaid to confirm your time. You must be on time, preferably 10 minutes early, since sessions are booked back to back.

Benefits of a Mini Photo Session with Me Ra

1. Done in 30 minutes! Have you ever experienced a photo shoot where you find yourself standing around, wondering what to do for the photographer. Not going to happen with me! One of the BEST time frames for a photo shoot with kids is about 30 minutes long. And I maximize that 30 minutes like you would not believe. We are moving, trying different ideas, laughing, playing and DONE before the kids are frustrated and tired. (Some of you may be thinking, THIRTY minutes? What can you shoot in thirty minutes? Answer: a whole heck of A LOT–see below) BUT, this mini doesn’t have to be for you and the kids. It can just be for YOU–an expression of marking this current season you find yourself in!

2. 30 Final Images Narrowed Down for YOU! Are you one of those parents who has thousands, I mean THOUSANDS, of images on your computer? Do you feel lost in knowing how to choose certain ones to print? I hear your pain. This is why I narrow down our time to the top 30 moments of the shoot. And I mix them up with both Color and BW toning.

3. High Res Files FOREVER! The 30 Final Images are YOURS! (yep, you get to keep the images and print them wherever you’d like)

4. Show the Sweetness Off! 16×20 Metal Print of Your Favorite Image. Our team is more than happy to help you pick the one photo for this Metal. Moms have gone CRAZY over these Metal Prints since we spotlighted them on the Nate Berkus Show. Nate LOVES these Metal prints–I LOVE these Metal Prints! Watch the episode by clicking “Turn Your Portraits into Art.”

I have these metals all around our house, and I even have them hanging on my outside deck because they can handle rain and snow and add this wonderful design and color to our backyard. Once you get yours, you’ll join the fan club of Metal Prints! Meet our latest fan from Kansas! His mom posted this on Facebook on the day it arrived! (love this little guy and his pal, Bear!)

Did I mention his mom is ALSO an awesome photographer?! She loved the metals so much that she’s going to start offering them to her clients!

The BIG question…What can I shoot in 30 minutes? Well, this is what I shot in 10 minutes at a recent CONFIDENCE Workshop in Seattle.

Mom had these amazing, long legs, so I walked the group through my thought process on how to set up a shot that tells this story along with the story of two generations.

Love all that JOY!!

(Within this 10 minutes, 20 plus women were watching me as I walked them through my camera settings and creative process–while trying to keep the kids entertained–mind you. )

When we do your family shoot, we won’t have an audience. And, I’m going to pull out the individual personalities of your kids so that you feel like the story of “who they are” is found in your photos.

When I’m doing a live shoot on The Nate Berkus Show, I get less than 7 minutes and ONE click for each photo–one shot, and it has to work because 2 million viewers see it.

Bottom line, a thirty minute Mini Session with your family feels like total LUXURY on my end!! We can do ENDLESS things in thirty minutes! Only two time slots left below! Can’t wait to see you at our secret T-Town location!

Email Genie (genie@merakoh.com) to pick your time slot and pre-pay! Once you are signed up, Genie (my right hand woman) will email you with details, like what to wear, what to bring, how to prepare, etc. Questions? Don’t hesitate to email us at info@merakoh.com.

Want more than 30 minutes?

My Portrait Packages start at $3K. I come to your home and spend up to two hours with your family, documenting the many expressions of your family being in the place you love. If this is something you’re interested in, let’s see what we can do! email info@merakoh.com.

I can’t wait to see all of your beautiful families in T-Town!!

Much love!

p.s. Please keep in mind that you MUST be on time for your Mini Session. If you are late, your time and payment will be forfeited. Thanks for understanding and arriving early!

p.s.s. Spring Workshops SOLD OUT! On to Fall Planning! Announcing THREE FALL CITIES soon! Stay tuned!

4 Comments »

May 26th, 2011

Build a Barbie-Sized Studio to Understand Lighting! SOAR! Photography Exercise!

I used to always be afraid of studio lighting. The big stands, umbrellas, boxes and endless plugs turned me off. But the more I got into photography, the more I realized how important it was to have an awareness of your light source and the direction of light. Whether you are shooting in studio or working with the big old sun, lighting is every thing!

The summer can feel like a relief from the gloomy, dark winter days. But what do you do with harsh shadows at a summer picnic? Or what about the bright sun that makes your subjects squint? Too much light can be as problematic as not enough light. This month, I gave the SOAR! Recipients a second photography exercise to prepare them for summer shooting. I asked them to each build their own Barbie-Sized Studio to familiarize themselves more with the direction of light. You may be wondering what a Barbie Studio has to do with the summer sun. The answer is EVERY THING. By creating our own studio set up, we can experiment with where the light is coming from, identifying ALL the light sources (is it bouncing off the white board underneath our feet or being sucked up by the dark, green grass?). What if we experimented with shifting our Barbie (in small increments) for different lighting results on her face, hair and background?

This photography exercise was inspired by Pascaline. She got a new Barbie for Christmas this year, and she loved all the “studio” looking shots of her Barbie on the packaging. I told her that she could do a photo shoot of her own Barbies and get the same look. It’s just a matter of setting up the right type of lighting. And before you knew it, Brian was looking for a cardboard box, black construction paper, and desk lamps. I started punching holes in the black construction paper with Pascaline. And the rest is history!

We have a couple $10 aluminum canned lights from Home Depot. Brian put one of the lights behind the cardboard box, so that they would shine through the holes in the black paper. You could create the same effect by having one of the kids hold a big flashlight behind the paper.

Nothing fancy. Keep it simple with whatever cardboard boxes and tape you can find to hold up the construction paper.

Once you have your Barbie Studio set up, find a way to prop up your doll and then find different lights to shine on her. This is where things start to get super fun, and at the same time your awareness of directional lighting expands!

For example, shine one desk lamp on her and notice how the lighting looks. Now turn a second desk lamp on and point it at the side of your doll’s face. How does that change the way she’s being lit? If you find that you like a little bit of extra side lighting, bring a helper to your next summer shoot and have someone hold a reflector off to the side of your subject.

I also grabbed a headlamp and played around with different angles. I pointed it at the back of Barbie’s hair to show Pascaline how rim light (that golden outline, glow on hair) is achieved. To capture rim light with the sun, make sure the sun is behind your subject like your headlamp was and meter on the subject’s face.

Here are a couple of Pascaline’s favorites! Isn’t Barbie looking posh!

Love the lighting on this next one! Especially love the low f-stop that creates the blurry white background spotlights.

This is a wonderful photo exercise to try with your kids. Instead of being your subjects, they get to be the photographer as you adjust their lighting. I watched Pascaline’s mind explode with wonder and adventure as she played around with her studio lights! But be prepared for your mind and creativity to be inspired too!

Before you lift up your camera this summer, first take a moment to pause and answer all that you can about the light surrounding you and your subject. Recall this exercise. Identify where the main light source is. Think about how you can shift your subject to capture rim light, light their hair so it’s golden looking from the sun, or simply ensure that no one is squinting.

If you do this exercise, email me photos of your homemade studio and the results you captured! I’d love to share them with our readers! Next week on the SOAR! blog, you’ll get to see the homemade studios our SOAR! gals made! Stay tuned!

xoxo,

12 Comments »

May 24th, 2011

7 Lessons OPRAH Taught Me that Changed My Business and Confidence!

A few months ago, my dad called me to tell me about a show he’d discovered. After losing his leg in June, to a tragic accident of being hit by a teenager who was texting, he spends his days in either rehabilitation or down time. His down time has given him a chance to see a few shows he’s never watched before. “Mee-da!” (insert his Korean accent) “I’m watching this show right now, her name Opah–ORPAH?–not sure, but she AMAZING. Remind me lot of you. You should check her out!” Thus, the BIGGEST compliment my dad could ever give. Little does he know, Oprah’s been my hero for years. Today and tomorrow are her last two days of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for a woman who has impacted millions and millions of lives.

Oprah has taught me countless lessons over the years. But here are the Top Seven Lessons that have transformed not only my CONFIDENCE but my business and dream building!

1. To Just Begin.

It’s so easy to not follow your dreams until all your ducks are in a row. But the problem is that all our ducks are never going to get lined up perfect. So why not just begin. Our dreams are waiting with expectation, ready to meet us.

2. Transformation (i.e. change) is a Beautiful Thing.

When I think of change, I have the instant awareness of feeling awkward. Does anyone relate? If so, it’s shouldn’t be a surprise that we would avoid change at all costs. So if the C word is a nasty word, flip your take on it and find the T word looking back at you–Transformation. I have loved flipping through this month’s O magazine and looking at 25 years of Oprah’s changing, transforming journey. Everything from her hairstyles, to her outfits, to the show’s sets, and most importantly, to the guests she’s interviewed–all of it is in this beautiful ebb and flow of constant transformation and change. All the photos over the years are living proof that transformation in the beginning stages, middle and end are BEAUTIFUL.

3. Asking the Hard Questions is Cleansing.

We’ve watched her interview countless guests. The guests who allowed her to ask the hard questions, the courage it took in her to ask those hard questions, I am eternally grateful for. Their stories of inspiration and resilience continue to give to me. It’s so easy to avoid the things that may cause us pain, but as Oprah has shown us again and again, attention to the painful questions can be powerfully cleansing.

4. You are the BEST Gift You Can Give. (the marketing strategy we took for our photography)

When Brian and I first decided to advertise our wedding photography, we went to Barnes and Noble and looked through every wedding magazine for ideas on what kind of ad to run. Every wedding photographer’s ad was amazing! ALL of their wedding photography was beautiful. When every one’s work is amazing, how do you stand out? I turned around and saw an end cap with Oprah’s O magazine. She was on the cover of every issue.

And that’s when it clicked. I was the BEST gift I could give to our clients. My photography wasn’t the best gift I had to offer, it was ME. I asked Brian, “what if we did an ad with a photo of just me, and not a single example of our wedding photography? What if we risked stepping out in boldness with this ad, and making the statement that the photography we’d shoot would be so good that we don’t need to show you examples in an ad because the bigger issue is you feeling safe and comfortable with your photographer?!” What if I showed you a picture of me having fun, even laughing–expressing all the joy I feel when I hold my camera.

Would this translate to our clients? It was a big risk. We dove head first. Yes, the rumor is true. We took a second out on our home and paid $15K for that single piece of paper (that is the pink ad you see above you) to run in Seattle Bride magazine and Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style magazine. What was the reaction? We got some angry emails from photographers who thought I was nuts and completely full of myself. But I knew what Oprah was trying to say with her photo on every issue. I was the BEST gift I could give my photography clients. Within two weeks of the ad running, a bride found our Grace Ormonde ad and said “Your picture, YOU, remind me of my best friend! I love your laugh! (amazing comment b/c she imagined the sound of my laughter from the photo of me) I’ve got have you be my wedding photographer!” She booked our first $10K wedding, then another one booked a second $10K package a week later, and then a $15K package booked two weeks after. Our business forever changed by that one risk, and for that, I’m forever grateful to Oprah for leading the way.

5. Critics will Always Be There–So Get On with Your Dream Building!

How many times have I been in line at the grocery store and seen another nasty tabloid attacking Oprah? Too many to count! And yet, this woman has pioneered forward again and again. It’s easy to think that Oprah has some special gift for not being affected by all the criticism–and thus, ‘I don’t so I can’t go forward because of the criticism I’m facing’. It’s funny how we look for any excuse possible to get out of dream building. But Oprah doesn’t give us freedom to let those excuses have the last word, she gives the opposite. When Oprah started to cry in her interview with Barbara Walters this year, when asked about the rumors regarding her friendship with Gayle King, we were reminded of how human she was. Her heart is HUGE, and how can she not be hurt by the criticism. Every time a certain episode speaks to me, I’m always so excited to go online and post a comment–and I’m blown away by all the negativity that is already there. So in this beginning stage that I find myself in dealing with criticism, I’ve been watching Oprah closely, trying to gleam from her. Despite all the critics, she’s kept pushing forward. Oprah’s taught me that the critics will always be there. Now that I know that, I don’t need to let those critics weigh in on my decision making. I am free to go ahead and get on with my dream building! And so are YOU!

6. “Fill Your Space”

I wish I could remember which guest said this to her because I’ve never forgotten the phrase. “Fill Your Space.” It’s the last thought I have before I get up and speak. Every time, in that single moment, before I face my audience, whether it’s a conference or Nate Berkus Show taping, I remind myself of this quote “Fill Your Space!” The tendency is to feel instantly self conscious, and shrink back. So I say it out loud, “Fill Your Space Me Ra! Don’t shrink back. Don’t hide your gifts, your enthusiasm, your passion. FILL YOUR SPACE! Breathe in deep and FILL IT ALL–every corner of who you are physically, emotionally, and spiritually–FILL IT WITH CONFIDENCE.”

7. One person, one woman, can do a WHOLE LOT OF GOOD!

Regardless of what pain we’ve endured, what lies we’ve been told, what shame we’ve carried, we are worthy of being loved, heard and living our life to the fullest. And we can, no matter how insignificant we feel at the moment, bring powerful change to the world. If anyone has shown us that one person, one woman, can do the impossible (over and over again), it’s Oprah.

Thank you to the AMAZING staff at The Oprah Winfrey Show who has worked the longest of days, year after year, to bring us the magic of Oprah. When I see the around-the-clock intensity and commitment of the team at the Nate Berkus Show, I can’t believe that some of you have been at it for twenty plus years! You are all simply AMAZING! Thank you, thank you, thank you! And Andrea, I DEFINITELY think you should wear that pink dress when you speak at the EVO Conference this summer!!! You ROCKED that dress and photo!

And to Oprah, with all my heart, I want to thank you for the incredible courage you’ve had and continue to carry. Your example has made a way for all of us. You have been an inspiration to me countless times. You have given more than words can contain. One of my wildest dreams is to one day meet you and give you the BIGGEST hug EVER and then listen to you share all your wisdom!! So look out!!!

Tune in today and tomorrow for the LAST TWO SHOWS of The Oprah Winfrey Show!

xoxo,

p.s. What are lessons that you’ve learned from Oprah?! Post em up in today and tomorrow’s comments! We’d LOVE to hear!

23 Comments »

May 23rd, 2011

This I Know Is True (From One Mama to Another)

If you haven’t guessed it yet, you may notice that I’m all about moms on this website/blog. Since I believe that Mother’s Day should be Mother’s MONTH, we are giving a little extra honor and celebration to all the moms out there throughout the month of May. I asked our three SOAR! Scholarship Recipients to write a reflective piece on motherhood. If you missed Ali’s post, A Mother’s Sole, you gotta read it. Today, with honor, I share Rachel’s post. To see more of Rachel’s awesome SOAR! journey, CLICK HERE!

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THIS I KNOW IS TRUE, Rachel Abelson

There are many things in life that I am uncertain of. There are many questions I do not have answers for. Though I wish I knew everything there was to know about motherhood, that is not possible. I have many curiosities, many uncertainties and even more questions. But here is what I know for sure:

The first time I held my babies, the world was perfect.
In the months leading up to the births of my children, I had the same thoughts all women (and most men) have. Will my baby be healthy? Will I be a good mother? How am I going to do this parenting thing? Am I really ready to be a parent? How can I make his/her life the best? All the doubt, worry, and concern was erased the moment I heard them cry. In that moment, there was no worry, no concern. There was nothing more special or more amazing than that little person who had just came into my life. At that moment, the world was perfect.

Love doesn’t divide with more children, it multiplies.
(Thanks, Alison-you were right.)
When Pete and I married, I thought there was no way I would love someone as much as him. During my first pregnancy, I had the fleeting thought run through my head: I know I am going to love this little girl more than anything, but can that be when I love my husband so much? Then I held her. I had just as much love for her as I did him, but in a totally different capacity. Then came my second pregnancy. That fleeting thought was back: Will I really be able to love him as much as I love her? The answer: absolutely, positively, YES. I first thought that my love would be split between the two, then my dear friend Alison explained it perfectly: Love doesn’t divide with more children, it multiplies.

I may not be the perfect mom, but I am perfect for my children.
No one is perfect. No one has all the answers. We all make mistakes, I can name a few off hand. But I do know this-No one can love my children more than I do. And that makes me the perfect mother for my children.

Nothing my children do could ever make me love them less.
Yes, they’ll make mistakes. Yes, they’ll do things I don’t agree with. Yes, I’ll try to advise them and they’ll throw it out the window. Yes, they’ll frustrate me (sometimes they already do!). And Yes, they’ll say hurtful things when they don’t get their way. Through all that, no matter what, I will love them. Because there is nothing my children do that could make me love them less.

We have a gut for a reason. Trust that instinct.
We’ve all heard it-the little voice in your head that tells you to do something, to check on someone. Maybe it was more of a recurring thought telling you to do something. You try to get it out of your head, but you can’t. And you shouldn’t. That voice, that thought is there for a reason. To keep you safe, to keep your children safe. It may tell you to check your child’s temperature because she feels cool (turns out it was 95.9 degrees). It may tell you to peek in the crib (turns out the blanket was on his face). It may tell you to call the doctor (turns out we had to go to the emergency room). Whatever that voice tells you, whatever that recurring thought is-make sure you listen to it. We have a gut for a reason-always trust your instinct.

Most of all,

Mothers, Grandmothers, Mothers-to-be, and Future Mothers, remember this: You are amazing. You are beautiful. You are loved.

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I love all the TRUTHS that you describe Rachel–a couple of them had me going down memory lane. Thank you so much for sharing your heart, and your beautiful images!

To all the mothers out there, what else do you know to be true about motherhood? We’d love to hear!

xoxo,

6 Comments »

May 19th, 2011

Letter to My Pascaline: Turning Ten Years Old with a Sway in Your Hip

To my dearest Pascaline,

I’ve been writing this in my head since we were in Thailand, trying to figure out how to articulate all that I’m feeling. When your dad first asked me to think about going back to Thailand, he shared how there was something special waiting for us there. I assumed it was making new memories after the Dengue fever from last year. But it was the second night of our trip when I realized why we’d come. Do you remember that night?

We were walking back from dinner, and you and dad miscommunicated over something. You walked ahead, feeling hurt and misunderstood. Dad and I talked, and he went after you. I watched the two of you sort it out. Your words were full of passion and emotion as you expressed your side of the story. Your poor dad, he stood there a bit speechless. Did he ever expect his little girl to be so articulate? I could tell he was in love with you and overwhelmed by you at the same moment. And I tried to imagine being ten and having such real conversations with my dad. I was ten when the abuse started with my dad. It would be another twenty years before me and Papa would have heart to heart conversations that would heal us. But here you are…full of confidence and passion. With no where to rush too, we all stood in the middle of the night’s trail with fireflies dancing around us and worked it out as a family. I knew why we’d come to Thailand. We’d come for the uninterrupted time to listen to you as you go through this incredible transition of girlhood to womanhood. To let you know we not only want to be here but we also want to hear…you.

Something has happened in the last six months. And it brings tears to my eyes as my fingers race at trying to type it all–process it all. Our baby girl is stepping into womanhood. Turning ten years old is proving to be a big change for all of us. As you remind me, you are not only ten but a decade. You’ve got so many feelings and shifts happening inside of you, and I can tell that sometimes you feel lost and a bit alone. Your venturing into a new world, with the world of being a little girl behind you.

Sometimes I watch you straddle both worlds, unsure of where you fit most; one foot in adolescence and the other foot in innocence. And I understand the angst in your dad’s belly when he tries to hold on to you.

I felt the angst in my own tummy when I first tried to photograph you in Thailand this year. I approached you with the camera the way I always do. But I couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t a skip in your step. Instead, there was a sway in your hip. Whether you are walking on the beach with a turtle named Shway

or walking back to our jungle home

your very movements have transformed.

Sometimes you look at me with such honest intensity. I can feel your heart churning, trying to sort thing outs.

You like to remind me of all the ways we are different. I love to paint my toes pink, but you love black or blue finger nail polish. I love to wear sparkly headbands and romantic, flowy blouses. You love your camouflaged yoga tank top. Do you know how much I love the way you express yourself, whether you are wearing camouflage, enticing us with another story or sharing your strong opinions.

You are braver than I ever was at ten years old. You have more passion than I know how to respond too. You listen to me talk with your dad about empowering women to go after their impossibles, and I shouldn’t be surprised that you’ve been taking notes. I just wasn’t prepared for how nervous I’d feel when you started climbing your impossibles.

Up until this year, I’ve always been able to keep up with you (somewhat). Whether we were rock climbing, hiking, or swimming. But this year, you looked at the old tree in the middle of the jungle lake, and you dove right in. This year, I knew it wasn’t about keeping company with you, it was about cheering you on.

You are a gift Pascaline. You are stunning. As I watch this new season of your life begin to unfold, I am overwhelmed with how beautiful, mysterious and passionate you are. I love that you still need your mama, in some ways more than ever. I love to turn around from my morning yoga and find you behind me.

When I was in my twenties, I believed a lie. I thought I was too broken to ever raise a daughter. I remember the day I closed the door on that lie. It was the ultrasound appointment when we’d find out whether we were having a boy or a girl. Grammie, Papa, Gigia Ma, Gigi Pa, Dad–we were all there together when the doctor said “It’s a girl!” When the doctor said we were having a girl, I cried. I knew in that moment that despite my fears, insecurities, brokenness, God had a plan for you…and me. And God believed that I was the best mama for you. I prayed that God would show me how to be worthy of such a responsibility. I wanted you to have everything I didn’t know until much later. I wanted you to know you were loved unconditionally, beautiful, smart, and able to do whatever you desired. I envisioned myself someday standing up tall to the responsibility of being your mom. In my vision, I pick you up and put you on my shoulders. And you can see farther than I will ever see. I smile as I hear you tell me all about your vision.

You have given me the opportunity to be a mama–to venture into an unknown land that I didn’t feel worthy of–bringing with me all kinds of fears and insecurities. Little by little, year after year, I’ve learned more and more about how to love you and listen to you. I LOVE being your mama and can’t imagine life any other way. Pascaline, you bring me more joy than I can ever express through words. When you reached for my hand on the subway in Bangkok, you took me by surprise and held my hand tight, oh, how I relished that moment with you. I know that you don’t need me holding your hand all the time. I know you’ve got a lot to figure out for yourself. You’ve got to make your own discoveries and walk your own path. But any time you need a hand to hold to, I’m here. If you ever wonder if anyone is cheering you on, I hope you hear me and dad.

Oh, I wasn’t prepared to see you climb so high already. A wise woman once said that motherhood is a constant journey of grieving and celebrating the transformations our children go through. I know you feel me and dad grieving a bit when we try to hang on to you too much. But I hope you also hear us celebrating too. Celebrating you.

My sweet, strong Pascaline, I love you.

love always,

mama

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May 18th, 2011

Meet Jane Ammon-An AMAZING Mom!

Meet Jane Ammon-a fabulous photographer and AMAZING Mom!

I can’t wait for us all to have two hours with Jane Ammon on during the Soarority Forum Ask and Learn Session on Thursday evening . She is building her photography business… the right way ladies… and I know that she will share all of her successes and failures with you on the forum. She is making sure she knows herself, inside and out, which in turn will allow her to be an amazing photographer who is out to capture relationships between people. Way to go Jane!!
Q: When did you start your business and what was the turning point of taking it from a hobby to a business of charging people?
I did a soft launch of my business in January 2010, fully launching into the business by June of 2010. I have been taking pictures all of my life, but it wasn’t until my husband, Erik, bought me my first DSLR in December of 2006 that I realized that my life was about to change. However, we were in the process of adopting our daughter Madeline and I spent 2 1/2 years focusing in on our adoption while slowly learning about my camera. Soon after we came home with Madeline from China, I realized that I needed to make my dream come true and I started taking online courses, joining forums and building my portfolio. After applying for SOAR in 2009 I made the decision to take my hobby to the next level and launch my own business. Recently, I have started working with Jeff Jochum as my business coach to take my business to the level I desire it to go to and I am currently in the process of defining who I am and where I want my business to go.

Q: What inspires your photography?My photography is inspired by relationships. I am a relationship photographer. I am inspired family relationships, child to mother, child to father, grandparent to grandchild, child to pet, etc. Q: What inspires you as a person, artist?
I am inspired by my family. I am married to an amazing man, Erik, who was my first photography teacher and is also a second grade teacher. My children Connor and Madeline inspire me daily because they are both so full of life and their relationship is nothing short of amazing. My children are best friends and that friendship fills my heart. My extended family is a huge part of my life and they are my daily inspiration.

Q: What is one or two pieces marketing/self-promotion ideas that you can give our newbies?
**Tune in Thursday on the SOARORITY Forum from 5-7pm PST, where I will answer this one!**
Q: What is the best and toughest part about doing photography while being a mom and wife at the same time?
The best part about photography for me is the pride in my children’s voices when they tell people ‘My Mom is really good at taking pictures!’ or as I walk out the door for a session ‘Bye Mom! Take great pictures and have fun!’ It is also the joy I get from handing people their images and hearing them exclaim in delight when they open their package. For me, the toughest part has been time management. Currently, I am working full time as a Speech Language Pathologist and building my business with Jeff Jochum. In June (less than a month!) I am going from full time to part time because my husband and I have decided that our family and my photography business are the two most important things to us. I have found that finding time to fit it all in is so difficult and I am so excited for this big change in my life that is about to occur! I think that with this huge change my business will get the time, attention and love it deserves. It’s liberating and overwhelming to know that my dreams are coming true.

Q: Is there one more piece of advice you’d give to newbies?
**Oh, I have so many…Tune in Thursday on the SOARORITY Forum from 5-7pm PST, where I will answer this one!**

Q: What are the classes/workshops/DVDs/books or websites that you’ve watched or read to teach yourself photography? Were they helpful?
My best teacher has been my husband! However, I love the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson . It really helped me when I was just starting out. I also took an amazing online class with Christi Nelson of Rawsii Photography , where I learned the basics that help me have those ‘AHA!’ moments and finally understood my camera. I love several forums and my time on forums and the type of forums I have visited has evolved as my photography has evolved. Of course, one of my favorite teachers has been Mera.

Q: Can you tell us a fun back story behind this GREAT photo?

I love this shot for so many reasons! This sweet little two year old was the queen of the word NOOOO! for the first half hour of our extended family session. Her Mom, Dad, Grandparents and Uncle were starting to worry that the session was headed to “doomsville” when I asked them if I could take her away from them for awhile. They agreed and I spent time with her, running, jumping, laughing and just being the crazy person I am. After that, she began to relax and I was able to capture this image as she was examining a stick we had found. The bond I have created with this family is very deep and I have two more sessions booked with them in the next two months, which I am very excited about. In fact, the Mom has told me that this sweetie keeps asking her when she gets to see me again…which makes me love this image even more because I can’t wait to see her again too!

Q: What type of camera equipment did you have when you first started shooting portraits? And what have you added to your camera bag since then?
I started out with a Canon Digital Rebel, it was the first camera my husband bought me. I upgraded to Canon 30D about a year later, however my husband was a Sony shooter! Soon after applying to SOAR (and not being a recipient) Erik and I made the decision to switch to one camera system to save money and share lenses. I spent about three days shooting with his Sony a700 and I was instantly SOLD on Sony cameras because I had finally found a camera that fit well into my hands (I have long fingers!) and lenses that gave me the color I desired. I now have a Sony a700, Sony a900, a 24-70 2.8, an 85 1.4 and a 70-300.

Q: How did you find Me Ra and the SOAR! community?
I found Mera through Shutter Sisters and instantly fell in love with her and her message. I have been following her and the SOAR community since just as the first SOAR scholarship was introduced.

**PS…You can ask Jane any questions you would like on the Soarority Forum, tomorrow night, Thursday, May 19th, from 5-7pm PST. See you there!

Have a great day!

Wendy

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May 17th, 2011

EVO 2011: The Evolution of Women in Social Media!

What are you doing in July? How about meeting me, plus two amazing Oprah Producers (Jon Sinclair and Andrea Wishom), a few dozen powerful blogging/social media speakers and experts, plus 300 awesome women attendees! The EVO Conference, a POWERFUL Conference that is all about The Evolution of Women in Social Media, is happening in Park City, Utah! And I’m crazy excited to be doing one of the three keynotes!

Instead of this being a HUGE blogging conference with thousands of attendees, the EVO Conference takes a different approach. Last year was EVO’s first year, and Jon Sinclair and Andrea Wishom did the Keynote. They were so inspiring and awesome that they are back by popular demand, and the authenticity of all the speakers and attendees created an unforgettable conference that was life changing for so many! Part of the magic behind EVO is that they limit registration to a few hundred (versus thousands) to help nurture some serious sisterhood, networking and CRAZY FUN together! Seriously, I’m counting the days! But not just me, our whole family!

Brian and I are going to bring the kids because the masterminds behind EVO (Today’s Mama and Mom it Forward) have thought of EVERY THING that a mom would want for a summer conference which includes the COOLEST DAY CAMP ever for kids! So while the kids party, dad is going to go explore, hike (pretty much play!) and mom is going to be rocking it with 300 awesome women!

Register Here Today!!

This is the Keynote Speaker line up. (Yes, I’m elated and incredibly honored!)

Keynote Speakers

Me Ra Koh

Me Ra Koh loves cameras, kids, and empowering women: she spends her life bringing them together. She is the regular photo expert contributor for The Nate Berkus Show on NBC, and her work and photo-recipes have also been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Lifetime Television, and VH1. She is the author of the bestselling book, Your Baby in Pictures; The New Parents’ Guide to Photographing Your Baby’s First Year (Amphoto, 2011). Her CONFIDENCE Workshops for women have sold out nationwide for the last four years, empowering women to take their creative passion and fly. Me Ra is proud to be one of the SONY Artisans of Imagery, as well as host her annual SOAR! Scholarship Program for aspiring women photographers. She often shares with her audiences how she did not find photography, but photography found her. And then it healed her. She brings her inspiring story to EVO this year.

Twitter: twitter.com/merakoh

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/MeRa-Koh/209564791813

Jon Sinclair

As vice president of development and creative services at Harpo Studios, Jonathon Sinclair works to create and promote new shows, series and specials that continue Harpo’s legacy as the most successful production company in daytime talk and expand its content across other platforms. In his role, Sinclair has served as part of the team that developed syndication’s newest hit talk show, “The Dr. Oz Show,” and is also working to launch the upcoming “Nate Berkus Show” this fall. Based at Harpo Studios headquarters in Chicago, he is also responsible for the creative services team that produces episodic promotions and marketing materials for both “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “The Dr. Oz Show.”

Prior to joining Harpo, Sinclair was a writer and producer of special projects at WDTN-TV in Dayton, OH where he was awarded a Regional Emmy and Iris Award. He is also the recipient of multiple Telly Awards.

Twitter: twitter.com/jonnysinc

Andrea Wishom

Andrea Wishom is a Senior Supervising Producer and 17 year veteran of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the number one daytime talk show for the past 24 seasons. She’s produced some of the shows most high profile interviews and highly rated large scale productions (Wildest Dreams Come True, Welcome Home Olympic Athletes, Oprah’s After Oscar Party) In that time she’s also worked on Primetime Specials – “Oprah’s Legends Ball” “Oprah’s Primetime Oscar Special 2010? and “Christmas at The White House.” Aside from producing memorable and top quality programs for Season 25 (the farewell season of The Oprah Winfrey Show), she also oversees high profile bookings, including headliners, newsmakers, celebrities, best-selling authors and top selling artists. On Sunday nights you might catch a glimpse of her on OWN in the docu-series “Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes.” She considers herself a fan of blogs and is always looking for new ways to combine her love of social media with her television experience. Prior to joining Harpo, she attended The University of California at Berkeley and spent a summer at the famed Radcliffe Publishing Course in Cambridge Massachusetts. Andrea lives with her husband and three children in the Kenwood/Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. She too has a dog, a cocker spaniel named Webster.

Twitter: twitter.com/hydeparkmom

Blog: oprah.com

To read about all the other amazing speakers, CLICK HERE!

So are we going to party in Park City this July?!

xoxo,

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May 16th, 2011

Is “Passion Pursuing” Worth the Risk When Jelly Fish Lurk?

In a recent interview, I was asked to talk about what inspires me. For one of the first times, I didn’t say my kids. In fact, I didn’t even hesitate with my answer. I said “Moms inspire me!” At the Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop this weekend, I was reminded of why this is so deeply true.

Twenty five women come together for a weekend of pursuing their passion. They are nervous, a little scared, unsure of what to expect, but they bring their whole heart and soul. And as the weekend unfolds, I watch them discover how deep their joy of photography really goes. They are risking, allowing themselves to be stretched, feeling awkward, but LOOK–joy is also everywhere!

I watch them step out on a limb, not once but several times, pushing their limitations.

I watch a soon-to-be grandma, who had no understanding of Aperture, fall in love with buttery, blurry backgrounds.

As the weekend unfolds, they produce photos that are raw, full of emotion, and beautiful!! Even though every photo isn’t perfect, EVERY photo is full of passionate effort. What does this have to do with jelly fish?

There is no proof of safety and security when you pursue your passion. There is only possibility…and the reality that jelly fish lurk.

I watched Blaze stand on the beach, waves rolling up to meet his toes. He was weighing the pros and cons. The day before, he had been stung by a jelly fish. The pink jelly fish in Thailand can be as big as my arms, circled in the shape of a letter “O”, floating silently along the water’s surface. The motors of the long tail boats chop the jelly fish up, so that random tentacles are left to float (never losing their sting). One of those tentacles wrapped around Blaze’s leg–twice–and oh, did it sting.

The locals taught us to grab a dozen green, heart shaped leaves, white vinegar and the mortar and pestle.

Mash the leaves up with the vinegar until you get a thick, green paste.

Pack it on the sting and wait for 30 minutes. The vinegar helps bring relief to the sting, and the leaves help prevent scarring.

Blaze swears he is done swimming in the ocean for the rest of our trip. After all, this is the second time he’s been stung. He’s now one sting ahead of me and Pascaline, and two ahead of dad (of course). But the next morning, I watch him from a distance. As the waves roll in, I can see his mind mulling over the idea of risking it again. Whether he likes it or not, swimming is his passion. Does he risk it again? Or does he give up swimming for the rest of the trip?

He whips around and comes running to me. He just lost his front tooth a few days ago, his smile is wide and toothless. There is a red line that still shows on his leg, wrapping twice above the knee. “Can I go swimming this morning?!” he asks. I smile. He’s decided. I know he is nervous, fully aware of the risk he’s taking, but he is still willing to risk again. I’m so proud of him. I’m inspired by him. His passion for swimming is more powerful than the risk of being stung again.

There is no warning of a jellyfish coming your way. Like unexpected criticism or momentary failures, they can surprise you when you least expect it–when you are swimming–laughing from a place that’s deep withing your belly. The stings can happen at high tide or low tide. They can happen whether you know how to swim in deep waters or shallow waters. And it doesn’t have to be the whole jelly…often the small, unexpected jelly pieces hurt the most. But, to swim in Thailand, you’ve got to step into the ocean. You’ve go to risk being stung. And once it happens to you, you are acutely aware of the fact that it can happen again. But that’s not all you are aware of…you are also aware of the fact that you will survive another sting just fine–

and possibly love the thrill of swimming that much more.

It’s late Sunday night. Brian is on his way to pick up the kids from Grammie and Papa’s house. I change into my pj’s, and I can’t escape the smile I feel inside of me. Yes, I’m tired after a full workshop weekend. But I’m also deeply thankful. I can’t believe that ten times a year, I get to spend the weekend with courageous women who inspire me more than they will ever know. They are fully aware of the jelly fish lurking, and they still decide to jump in with both feet. What a sight! What an amazing sound of joy! What an inspiration you ALL are to me.

Thank you for this last weekend and all the other weekends we have spent together! Chicago, I can’t wait to see you end of this month!

xoxo,

14 Comments »

May 13th, 2011

Three Women Share Their Examples of Capturing the Setting! Video and All!

This week’s SOAR! photography exercise is all about going wide and capturing the Setting of your story. I’m so crazy PROUD of our SOAR! Recipients! Ali put her photo assignment into a VIDEO (the outtakes videos is especially fun!)! Click Here to WATCH! Rachel’s wonderful Setting examples are HERE! And below is Charisse’s honest post about her journey with shooting the Setting. I love this sentence she writes; “life gets in the way and the big picture takes a back seat to the smaller things that are directly pulling on me at that moment.” If you have a second, leave these SOARING ladies a comment or two. We are almost to the half way mark of our SOAR! year, and they are plugging away with such dedicated, hard work!

Great, FANTASTIC job ladies!!!

xoxo,

___________________________________________________________________________

More Than a Pretty Face, Charisse Rhodes (2010 SOAR! Scholarship Recipient)

This week as we go wide with our images to capture a bigger part of the story, I noticed that my inclination for detail and my tendency to focus on the face also reflected how I often see life. While I am definitely aware of the much bigger picture of life around me, sometimes it’s easy to focus on the microcosm of the small bubble of happenings that directly affect me. I don’t know if this happens to you, but basically, life gets in the way and the big picture takes a back seat to the smaller things that are directly pulling on me at that moment. While I love focusing on the beauty in people, the things that surround me and sometimes the mundane things that happen in daily life, not taking the time to capture the bigger picture that encapsulates that moment creates only a partial time capsule.

This week life for me was a bit challenging. Nothing I would not get through, but enough of a challenge that I found it harder than usual to quiet the little voices challenging me as to what I am doing here? What am I trying to accomplish? What makes me think I can to this “photography thing”? Honestly, I hit a small wall. I found it even affected my approach to this exercise. Funny thing was, last week I even had a conversation questioning how frequently I was using the images of my girl for some of these exercises even though as a model, she is cute, convenient and fairly low overhead. How does the universe work when we put ourselves out there? It answers us! This weeks photo exercise asked us to use the same to subjects from our details assigment. Well, that would again be my little girl. So I acquiesed and captured a few of her favorite settings.

She prayed for, did a report about and waited patiently for a little dog she could love. Well she got her wish and this little dog has turned our lives upside down! But she is loved. Still being trained, she is confined to the kitchen when not being watched rigorously. Even though there are gates, she manages to escape on occasion.

Dirt is her thing. The dirtier the better. I often wonder how she cleans up so well. White is not an option. So for the last two years we have gone with the trend and put that skill to work gardening. I love how she wears my gloves which are way to big for her. She would much rather use her hands, but since we are working in compost, I can’t handle it so she wears them to pacify me. If I don’t keep an eye out, she would dig up our crops and plant them over and over again.

I also went to the mall in our city’s “Race for the Cure” breast cancer awareness day and had a great time capturing some details that I saw there which caught my eye. I even got daring…had to challenge myself outside of my little “wall” moment and took some pictures of strangers with their permission. It was a blast. To hear more about that, head on over to the SOARORITY forum. But while you are there, please share your images of the settings you’ve captured. We love hearing from you all. The ride is more fun with a party!

*Charisse

Remember, when you hit a wall…knock it down so you can live your best life!

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