October « 2011 « Me Ra Koh Photography Blog

Archive for October, 2011

October 31st, 2011

Nominate a Mom for Running on Empty in Dallas!

Our Dallas Confidence! Workshop is just around the corner the weekend of November 12-13. It’s Me Ra and Brian’s first time in Dallas for a workshop and everyone is completely EXCITED, including them! It brings Me Ra great joy to offer one spot to a deserving mom for this confidence building weekend.

Do you know a mom who needs this kind of group and weekend getaway? Her own ‘play group’? A woman Running on Empty? Nominate her today. Let’s turn life around and put a BIG SMILE on her face and lift her spirit!

If you know a MOM who is;

A. Running on Empty

B. Lives near the Dallas area or has mileage to spend

C. Can arrange for a sitter and get the weekend free, starting Friday, November 11th 7-9pm, for Meet & Greet through Sunday evening, November 13th, about 7pm.

D. Most importantly, has a PASSION for photography

Nominate her TODAY! Nominations must be in by Wednesday night, November 2nd 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 Wednesday at 6pm PST. If you are not familiar with this contest, read Me Ra’s description below and see what it’s all about! Moms are one of the most beautiful parts of creation. This contest is all about acknowledging their beauty, even when they are Running on Empty and they sometimes know it least of all.

“Here’s how it works!

In honor of how wonderful moms are and all that they do and give, Brian and I keep one spot reserved in (almost) 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 Dallas 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 some of 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!”

xoxo Me Ra

****

We’ll collect all the nominees, have a committee of wonderful moms vote, and then announce the winner in the next week! Being as wonderful as they are, it’s not an easy job. As one said recently, “After reading each story I’d say, ‘I’m voting for HER’.” Each one of you is so deserving.

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 Wednesday, November 2nd at 6pm PST. Nominations MUST be posted as a comment on this blog post. Nominations emailed or posted on other blog posts may be overlooked. Please post all nominees here . Thanks! (A tip: write in Word or other program first, then cut and paste over – just in case.:))

What do past attendees say about the CONFIDENCE Workshops? Take a look at Me Ra’s birthday post where over 100 women shared what a difference this workshop has made in their life. CLICK HERE to read their comments!

Get those nominations in and have a wonderful Halloween with the kiddos!

Genie

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Dallas, November 12-13 CLICK HERE! Only Two spots left! Who’s coming?

Dallas Minis are SOLD OUT!

Seattle, Tampa/Clearwater and LA/Orange County are early 2012! Click here to get your Christmas present set up!

6 Comments »

October 28th, 2011

Never Been Done, Some are Saying I’m Crazy! What do you say?

At 11:30am today on the tradeshow floor at the SONY booth, I’m going to demonstrate a photo shoot of a TODDLER!!! It’s NEVER been done before by anyone! I have no idea how this will go down. Some people are telling me I’m crazy. But you know what, it’s going to be REAL! And we are ALL going to learn a ton from it! I can’t WAIT!

Yesterday, I had a mom and baby. And people thought that was nuts! But, I say we up the challenge and bring the two year old in. Photo Plus Expo is all about learning, being inspired, being challenged, walking away empowered! What better vehicle than a two year old for all of us!

(but seriously, wish me luck!)

Here are some fun photos from yesterday at the SONY booth! I’ll be demonstrating three times today and five or six times tomorrow with more babies and families!

and another fun one!

Special Book Signing for “Your Baby in Pictures” at the Chelsea Museum tonight from 6:30-8pm! Hope to see you there!

So…do you think I’m crazy?

xo,

Friday, October 28th, 6:30-8pm, Special Book Signing at Chelsea Museum with other SONY Artisans, Brian Smith and Andy Katz!! See their books below! Buy an autographed copy or bring the one you own!

Chelsea Art Museum | Home of the Miotte Foundation
556 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011
Phone: +1.212.255.0719 x116 | Fax: +1.212.255.2368

18 Comments »

October 25th, 2011

Three Dallas Minis Open! But first a Sneak Peak at Carrie’s Mini Session!

I’m opening up THREE Dallas Mini Sessions for Friday, November 10th! But before we get in to those juicy details, I have to show you a few favorites from a recent Seattle Mini with Carrie, a CONFIDENCE grad! Her daughter is DARLING!

But mama is just lovely!

On the couch, off the couch, on the couch, off the couch.

and one more favorite!

(Carrie, thank you for the wonderful honor of photographing your family. Your little one is simply precious!! Love you dear.)

So grab your kids out of school an hour early and CLICK on your IDEAL time!

Dallas, Friday, 11/11 at the following times!

1. 3pm-3:30pm

2. 3:45pm-4:15pm

3. 4:30-5pm

What is a Mini Session? Keep reading!

A Mini Session is a family shoot that lasts 30 minutes. You tell me what your most important photos are (a family shot for the holiday card, individuals of the kids, etc.), and we knock em out in thirty minutes! It’s long enough to get all the shots we need, and it’s short enough for your kids’ attention span.

Mini 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.

Testimonial: I received the most beautiful testimonial from a Chicago Mini Session, and with her permission I’m honored to share it with you. My heart’s desire is that our 30 minutes together will be much richer than a picture taking session. I can’t tell you how much Alisa’s feedback meant.

Dear Me Ra,
Words simply cannot express how much I loooove these images. Ah-mazing! Truly.  You have no idea how much it means to me to have spent some time with you and to have you take some awesome shots of me and my family! It was so, so much fun and I tried to soak in every moment. And now I have these amazing images to remind me of our time with you, of our first family vacation as a new family of five and some great images of Allen and me just loving on each other and our kiddos. My heart just smiles thinking about it.
It was an inspiring weekend all around. I know this is going to sound corny, but our shoot together really set the tone for our entire weekend as a family together. You lifted my spirits, you filled my heart and you gave me a sense of confidence – all of which I soooooo needed – and that carried over into my entire outlook on life. You inspire, you care and you love…naturally. There is a just a freshness about you that is contagious. I love you for that!
     Ok. Tears are coming to my eyes and I feel like I’m sounding a little mushy-gushy…but I mean it. Thank you so much. You are awesome. Wish I could be around you more often….I read your blog every day to get my daily dose!
    Wishing you much continued success and lots-a-lots-a love!

-Alisa, Chicago Mini Shoot

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)

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! Since the holidays are around the corner, you can either choose 25 Holiday Greeting Cards with the photo of choice on the front and a holiday greeting of your choice on the inside, OR you can choose the awesome 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!

The BIG question…

What can I shoot in 30 minutes? Well, this is what I shot in 10 minutes at one of our CONFIDENCE Workshops 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!

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. email info@merakoh.com.

I can’t wait to see all of your beautiful families in Seattle, Sacramento and Washington DC!!

Much love!

p.s. Only TWO Spots left for Dallas CONFIDENCE Workshop the weekend of the Minis! CLICK HERE to GRAB ONE!

p.s.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!

*Holiday Greeting Card Details and Specs

First, I LOVE these cards! I make them all the time with my own photos, so I’m SUPER excited for your family to have them for the holidays! The Mini Shoot package comes with 25 cards/envelopes, but you can always chat with us if you’d like to order more!

Here are the card details/specs;

Final Size / Dimension:: 4.13″ x 5.82″; 105mm x 148mm

Paper Stock:
This is a thick 16pt, FSC credited paper stock. With a light satin coating on the outside, the inside is left uncoated, making it easier for you to write your own message. Each card is individually scored, ensuring a clean fold. (they are gorgeous! I’m telling you, and I’m seriously picky about cards and photo printing quality–as you can imagine! )

See you in Dallas!!

xo,

4 Comments »

October 24th, 2011

When My Cup Feels Emtpy (it’s a long one today :)

Her words of wisdom give me comfort as I sit in my office in aisle 11, seat D.

Fay had been with us for 48 hours to observe all the different places that energy unnecessary leaked in our home, our family culture. After Brian and I put the kids to be we talked late into the night. She had made several observations over the last two days, but one of them rocked my world as a parent. She said something to the effect of “I notice…you seem to spend a lot of energy throughout the day on trying to fill your kids’ cup with love, as much love as you can, but I also notice from your behavior that after they are in bed you seem to think the cup is now empty and you have to refill it all over again the next morning. Me Ra, there are no holes in the bottom of your cup! That cup you fill with love never, EVER empties. And the truth is that your children will draw from that cup at unexpected times, as you will too, throughout their whole life. But as you live each day, loving your children, you fill the cup more and more and more.”

I was speechless. “Me Ra, there are no holes in the bottom of your cup.”

How often have I reacted to my parenting as if the opposite was true? When a trip is coming up, and I’m not going to see the kids for a few days, I can easily get frantic inside that my love won’t be able to reach the kids because I’m not there to fill their cup of love. When I stand in the airport and look at the myriad of parenting magazines, everything seems to focus on what we can “do” with our kids rather than who we can “be” for our kids.

Fay wasn’t finished. With tears in her eyes, she spoke of her two sons who are both men now. She said, “From one parent who has gone before you, can I tell you that the greatest gift you can give your children is a love for themselves. If they love who they are, treasure who they are, it will impact every decision they make for the rest of their days. And when you aren’t looking, they will draw from the cup of love that you have filled over the years–that holds all the truth about how much you love them through and through.”

This was in early June. We only had one trip for work over the summer. Fay encouraged me to fill the cup throughout the summer, but from a place that believes there aren’t holes in the bottom–from a place that believes the cup only becomes more and more full. This was our plan because October loomed ahead, the month I would only be home for six days. It would be important for me to know during the craziness of this month that the kids had a cup to draw from, a cup of wonderful, simple memories from the summer of long walks, lazy bbq dinners, working in the garden together, camping, giggling over hula lessons for homeschool

and just being…drawing on their experiences of being loved on by mom.

When The Nate Berkus Show called and asked if I could come to NY a couple days early for a project tomorrow…I knew it would mean I would only have four days home this month. I pictured that cup of love in my heart, full and potent from the summer and our recent week in DC, and it gave me strength.

When I kissed the kids goodbye, I didn’t have guilt in my eyes. And I could tell that this gave them that much more freedom to enjoy going to grammie’s house. They are so smart, if they see me acting stressed or worried about an upcoming trip…they automatically start to worry. But if I can believe the cup I hold for them, with all my love, is accessible to them night and day–whether we are together or not–I can freely hug, kiss and tickle them goodbye. And in turn, they are set free to head to grammie’s house with freedom and anticipation in their steps.

I still cry when the house is empty, and I realize we haven’t carved pumpkins yet. I still cry when I think about how hard it might be for mom to be gone so much this month. I still feel my heart break a little as I type these words. But carving pumpkins isn’t what gives them assurance. The activities are fun and wonderful memories, but they are not the sustenance of what gives my kids confidence in my love for them. To know they have my cup of love, and it never empties, sustains me for the next ten days. And I have a feeling it sustains my babies too.

As I was growing up my dad traveled oversees every month. Sometimes he’d be gone for several weeks at a time, and I vowed that I wouldn’t travel as a parent someday. But isn’t it funny how God plants a dream in your heart, knowing full well that you will not only build a dream but work out your own pain and brokenness along the way. That if you follow this business of dream building, you will encounter everything you said you’d never do and have to reassess why you made those vows and were they based in truth or fear? That your dream, if it is true, will bring you to your knees. The constant realization of how fear sneaks into my life is overwhelming at times and causes me to wonder if my dream is really about living without fear–more than any business plan I’ve ever written.

Do you know what I mean? Have you also assumed there were holes in the bottom of your cup? There is rest in knowing those holes don’t exist.

xo,

Would LOVE to meet you, catch up with you, HUG you in NY this week. Come see me at the following places;

Wed. October 26th, 1:15pm-3:15pm, 2 hour talk on how to build your business with Social Media (so excited about this talk–sharing lots of stories and lessons of what has worked and not worked for us–and excited to answer in full a number of the questions our CONFIDENCE ladies often email) (Jacob Javits Convention Center)

Thursday-Saturday: Speaking at SONY booth all throughout the day, doing live shooting demos, showing how I post process my images and talking about how to get a book published (Jacob Javits Convention Center)

Friday, October 28th, 6:30-8pm, Special Book Signing at Chelsea Museum with other SONY Artisans, Brian Smith and Andy Katz!! See their books below! Buy an autographed copy or bring the one you own!

Chelsea Art Museum | Home of the Miotte Foundation
556 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011
Phone: +1.212.255.0719 x116 | Fax: +1.212.255.2368

Celebrities from film, music, television, and theatre sit for portraits with Pulitzer Prize-winning Photographer Brian Smith and work with The Creative Coalition to share personal stories about the impact of art on their lives and on society. Brian Smith’s celebrity portraits have appeared on the covers and within the pages of countless entertainment and news publications. The Creative Coalition’s arts advocacy programs, led by Robin Bronk, are well-known and respected in Hollywood and Washington circles. Their shared commitment to the arts led to their collaboration on a uniquely powerful campaign to raise awareness of the role of the arts in America, and culminates in the upcoming release of ART &SOUL: Stars Unite to Celebrate and Support the Arts.

Sonoma is the place famed photographer Andy Katz calls home. His work shows us the life and colors of the seasons, from the barren, icy stillness of winter, to the tender push of the young vines in the spring. Katz takes us places few outsiders know exist and captures their beauty, allowing us to pause and contemplate the intricacies of vineyards panted amidst stunning natural surroundings.

And yours truly!

12 Comments »

October 20th, 2011

Calling for Your Help with Amit Gupta!

Amit Gupta is an AWESOME GUY,

and he needs our help. We’ve got FORTY Days to spread the word and sign up as many donors as possible.

For those of you who love Photojojo’s creative DIY photo projects, well, Amit is the founder. That’s one example of how great he is. When our instructional DVD series first came out, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box, Amit was so encouraging to me on the phone–cheering me to go for it. In fact, I met Amit in person for the first time at Photo Plus Expo. I think that was five years ago…crazy how fast time goes. Amit’s an awesome guy with a big heart and has had such a wonderful impact on the photography industry.

Now he needs our help.

He recently found out he has Acute Luekemia. He has FORTY days to find a bone marrow donor from Southeast Asian decent. There is only 1 in 20,000 donors who are Southeast Asian. I know the idea of being a bone marrow donor can be scary, but it can also save Amit’s life. Becoming a donor is soooo easy, just a swab of the mouth and fill out the form.

I’ve got mine in. November 30th is the deadline to get yours in for Amit. Will you help?

Amit, my deepest prayers are with you. We are pulling for you and believing the impossible still happens. Your joy and empowering spirit have touched so many, and we are going to stay on our knees for the next forty days.

All my love and support Amit,

Me Ra

p.s.

How can you not love someone who is facing such trials and uses this photo, for his campaign to find donors, to bring a smile to our face.

p.s.s. Ask & Learn TONIGHT on SOARORITY forum with Gretchen! Starts at 5pm PST!

10 Comments »

October 19th, 2011

Meet Gretchen McFarland…A Boudoir Photographer and AMAZING MOM!

Meet Gretchen McFarland…a wonderful boudoir photographer and an AMAZING MOM!

I was so excited to interview Gretchen McFarland, a Boudoir Photographer from North Carolina. She attended a CONFIDENCE Workshop last November and look where her business is now! She took the leap and never looked back. Yay Gretchen! We will be ”talking” with Gretchen in the SOARority forum tomorrow night, Thursday, Oct. 19th from 5-7pm PST. If you were ever wondering how to get into the area of Boudoir photography, this is one you won’t want to miss. Obviously, she is also very focused and knows how to line up her Business Agenda and stick to it!

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?

If you had told me a few years ago that I would be photographing women in their knickers every day, I would have told you that you were bananas. I never intended to start a photography business. It just happened. Boudoir photography developed naturally for me. The business aspect unfolded and I needed to grab it by the reins.

Q. What inspires your photography? What made you fall in love with photography?

I have a strong ballet background. It surprises me how much this reflects in my work. Ballet trained my eye to want to create soft lines and shadows. Intrinsically, women know how to move their bodies with grace. I truly believe

this. Being behind the camera simply gave me the opportunity to capture what I see.

On a light and fluffy note, I’m also a girly girl so boudoir photography gives me an open door to redecorate whenever I am staging a shot! I can’t redecorate my house regularly, but I can redecorate a wall to make an outfit look fabulous! I’ve even been known to buy set accessories to match a client’s outfit.

Q. What inspires you as a person, artist?

Well, that is a loaded question! Tune in Thursday on the SOARORITY Forum from 5-7pm PST, where I will answer this one.

Q. What is one or two pieces marketing/self-promotion ideas that you can give our newbies?

One thing I have always done is photograph other established photographers… gratis (no stones please!) I’m flattered when another photographer asks me to take her boudoir photos. It gives us a genuine opportunity to get to know one another. I would also say that about 40% of my referrals come from those same photographers. I have never regretted doing this. Word of mouth is a boudoir photographer’s best friend.

Q. If you are not behind the camera photographing fantastic people, what might we find you doing?

Oh my goodness, do I have a character limit for this? We live a pretty chaotic lifestyle that is full of travel, homeschooling, horses, theater, music, dance, and craziness, in general. The McFarland’s have never been a family to shy away from an adventure. We can be a noisy bunch too! We love our lives this way. I can’t remember the last time we were bored.

Q. What is one of the best things you have done for the success of your business?

One of the smartest things I did early in this venture was realize that boudoir has its appropriate time and place. For example, I make a strict business practice of never combining boudoir images with those of children through links, posts etc. (This is why you don’t see images of my girls here!) Also, recognizing that this market is entirely different than wedding and family photography markets. Branding, marketing and pricing are 100% unique. The clientele demographic narrows and you need to know how to reach them. Join us Thursday in the forum and I will talk more about this.

Q. What are the classes/workshops/DVDs/books or websites that you’ve watched or read to teach yourself photography? Were they helpful?

I love the CreativeLive series. I’m a huge fan of Bambi Cantrell and she contributes greatly to this network. Skip’s Summer School (Skip Cohen) was also great for tackling real world marketing strategies. Oh, and Zach Arias! I love his no fluff approach to lighting. His OneLight workshop is the next on my list. Hopefully, I’ll be attending his next Atlanta series!

May I take a moment here to give a shout out to my CONFIDENCE Workshop NYC5 Girls? Honestly, these women have become my heart. They aren’t afraid to tell me when I could have done something better and I love them for this. They are my “go to” girls when I need advice, constructive criticism or need to vent. We have all been spreading our wings and have been trying to find our little place in the world since our workshop together. The talent that is surfacing from these women is astounding…sniff sniff…

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?

My first DSLR was a Rebel xsi. I never intended to start a photography business with this camera. I only wanted to figure out what to do with all of those little buttons! Early on, I was asked to second shoot a magazine layout based on some prior work. Sheepishly, I arrived with my Rebel. The first shooter eyeballed it and I nervously created a lame excuse about my “real camera” being loaned to a friend. I knew I would have to bump up my gear if I wanted to play with the Big Dogs… quickly. So, I did! Now, my 5D MarkII and I are in a committed relationship. I call my 24-70 2.8L my Work Lens and my 70-200 2.8L is my Kid Chaser, as that is what I primarily use while shooting for my family and myself. I also have a studio, so I’m adding lighting equipment as well.

Thank you so much Gretchen! Again, Join us tomorrow night for Boudoir “talk” in the SOARority forum Ask and Learn Session from 5-7pm PST.

Have a great day!
Wendy (Your SOAR! Coordinator)

p.s.

Winter CONFIDENCE Workshops are happening on East and West Coast! Early Bird Registration and our Payment Plan is going on now! (Christmas is looking REAL GOOD for some special ladies!) CLICK HERE to find the city nearest you and get ALL the juicy details!

19 Comments »

October 18th, 2011

Using Social Media Strategically for Your Biz! @pdnonline

It’s that time of year again! Photo Plus Expo’s crazy, intense, inspiring energy is escalating! Next week is starts. I swear, I think I rest up for this week all year! With three talks a day at the SONY booth and a two hour presentation on Social Media “working for you”, dinner mtgs, an exciting new exhibit of latest work from me and the SONY Artisans at Chelsea Museum, and amazing party by SONY and American Photo to kick off the exhibit, and most of all, the awesome catch up with old and new friends…it’s the week to be in New York City if you are a photog lover! What is Photo Plus? Watch this VIDEO!

It’s not to late to still register and get your booty there!

This is what I’m talking about for two hours in NY next week “Using Social Media Strategically for YOUR Business”…subtitle…instead of finding yourself in a black hole and having wasted a WHOLE LOT of time! Anyone hear me? Mark your calendars and come see me! The date and time of my presentation is Wed, 10/26, from 1:15pm-3:15pm at the Javits Convention Center in NYC.

Be prepared for a candid, super honest conversation, in strategies that have failed horribly (and most importantly–why) and strategies that grow our business from quarter to quarter. There will be a TON of other fantastic speakers all week! If you are in need of inspiration, empowerment, a brush up on the skills around your photography or growing your business, you want to come to the Big Apple next week for Photo Plus Expos and WPPI East!

Below is my talk description. Much of my content is based on weekly emails I get from all of you about Social Media, what to do and not do. Very excited to see you there!! Am I going to see you there?!

Title: Using Social Media Strategically for YOUR Business

What type of Social Media benefits a photographer’s business the most? Do you need a static website if you have a blog? Do you spend your time on Facebook and forget about a blog? How important is Twitter anyways, or a Shopping Cart for that matter? Or, do you already take advantage of all five of these platforms and still not get the traffic you are looking for? The question isn’t whether you need one platform over the other, but what is the purpose of each and will it help you meet YOUR specific business goals. Me Ra Koh is going to share how she uses all of these platforms for different parts of her business. At the end of the day, time is what we value most. As a busy mom, business owner and photography expert for The Nate Berkus Show, Social Media needs to not only grow Me Ra’s business but save her time by multiplying the work she’s already done. If Social Media isn’t saving her time and making her money, it’s not worth doing. Come hear Me Ra share what she’s found that makes sense for photographers in the Social Media world, and what is just noise. Whether you are just launching a new business and trying to book clients or your an established pro wanting to expand your brand, Me Ra is going to leave you excited and empowered with a whole new juicy set of Social Media tools to grow your business, make you money and most of all, save you TIME!

Am I going to see you there?!

A few of the other “AWESOME” SONY Artisans are giving two hour presentations that you want to see! Here they are!!

Thu, Oct 27, 2011 – 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM

Secrets of Great Portrait Photography

Speakers:
Brian Smith, Photographer (you all remember Brian’s AWESOME Ask & Learn, come meet the legend in person!)

Fri, Oct 28, 2011 – 3:45 PM to 5:45 PM

Travel Photography Do’s and Don’ts

Speakers:
Andy Katz, Photographer (INCREDIBLE travel photography, you will LOVE Andy!)

And remember that contest, where you told me what confidence and photography meant to you in a comment below? That’s still going! The winner gets free passes to the show! Post your thoughts below! All comments, from today’s post and the other, will be considered! I’m even going to see if I can get the winner two VIP, invite only, tickets to the big SONY bash Thursday night! So post your comments on what confidence and photography meant to you!

xo,

p.s. Tomorrow’s post is another Amazing Mom interview with a Boudoir Photographer!

6 Comments »

October 17th, 2011

“10 Things Every Creative Must Learn” by Chase Jarvis

If you haven’t heard of Chase Jarvis, you want to check out his site and ALL the awesome education he offers at creativeLIVE! Last week, he did a great blog post called “10 Things Every Creative Person (that’s YOU) Must Learn!” I can’t think of a better way to start the week than to start with this list! Number 2 and Number 7 are two of my FAVORITES that we often discuss in our CONFIDENCE Workshops. I’m sure past attendees will recognize a few more on this list. Be encouraged to go for it this week!

Happy Monday!

xo,

By Chase on October 11, 2011

Here is a list of 10 things I’ve learned the hard way that every photographer, designer, creative–hell, every creative person–should know.

1. Experts aren’t the answer.
The blogs, the teachers, the mentors, the seminars aren’t the answer. They’re not there to tell you exactly what you need to know. If they’re good, then they are there to give you some ideas, some guidelines, or some rules to learn and subsequently break. This isn’t about the expert, it’s about you. In creative pursuits especially…what’s going on inside you is where the answers can be found. Hear what experts say, but don’t always listen to them.

2. Clients cannot tell you what they need.
Clients hire you because they have a problem. They need a great visual representation of something, a solution. They think they know the best way to photograph something, but they don’t really. That’s why they hire you. Take their suggestions to heart, because they definitely know their brand, product, their vision–perhaps even shoot a few versions of the images they THINK they want to see first–but then go nuts with own vision. Add value. Show them something they didn’t expect. Don’t be a monkey with a finger. Remember why you got hired…that YOU are the badass image maker. If you are good enough to get selected for the job, you should be good enough to drive the photographic vision.

3. Don’t aim for ‘better’, aim for ‘different’.
It’s funny how related “better” and “different” are. If you aim for ‘better’ that usually means you’re walking in the footsteps of someone else. There will often be someone better than you, someone making those footsteps you’re following… But if you target being different–thinking in new ways, creating new things–then you are blazing your own trail. And in blazing your own trail, making your own footprints, you are far more likely to find yourself being ‘better’ without even trying. Better becomes easy because it’s really just different. You can’t stand out from the crowd by just being better. You have to be different.

4. Big challenges create the best work.
If you get assignments that are pushing your vision, your skills, then awesome. Kudos to you, keep getting those assignments. If you’re not getting those assignments, then you need to be self-assigning that challenging work. Give yourself tough deadlines and tougher creative challenges. You do your best work where there is a challenge that is clearly present and 10 feet taller than you think you can handle.

Click Chase’s Blog to read the other six!

p.s.

Winter CONFIDENCE Workshops are happening on East and West Coast! Early Bird Registration and our Payment Plan is going on now! (Christmas is looking REAL GOOD for some special ladies! ) CLICK HERE to find the city nearest you and get ALL the juicy details!

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October 14th, 2011

Part 2: Twenty Photo Ideas for Family Portraits! Day Two of Seattle!

Meet the Seattle Fall CONFIDENCE Workshop, a beautiful group of women who flew in from all over the country! On Day Two, we start the morning with unpacking metering so that we can be shooting in Manual Mode by the time the Family Shoot happens that same afternoon. Women are always a bit nervous, especially the beginners, that they will not be able to make it happen. But you are about to see twenty photos that prove they not only made it happen, but they knocked it out of the park!

Some of these ladies have blogs and website, we’ve hyperlinked their names if they do! Be sure to check out more of their work. And if you have a few moments, leave a comment of celebration or encouragement b/c they all worked so hard and really pushed their limitations for two days. Super proud of these ladies!

We start the family shoot with me “thinking outloud” as I walk through setting up my camera and the family for a holiday photo, and then what other poses/set ups, tricks to help them relax, after we’ve got the holiday photo done.

Here is the holiday family photo “set up” that I walked the group through (and maybe the ladies will remember ALL the subtle adjustments we made until it felt right). Photography is a collection of subtle shifts–little shift here, little shift there, another little shift for the best rim light, another shift to have mom’s face lit even, and on you go until VOILA! You see it! Now you are ready to lift the camera up and grab the photo! Challenge for YOU: Before you snap your photo, check to make sure there aren’t any other subtle shifts you could make that would draw the emotion and light out that much more.

(this family is our neighbors, and i LOVE them so much! just had to say that! )

What a fun image of this little guy, taken by Amaris Michelle Espinosa. The slight vignette that she put on this image draws us right into his happy face! For those of you who have my book “Your Baby in Pictures”, this is the SAME little boy who was the crying baby for the photo recipe “Tiny Cries”! How do they grow THIS FAST!

Amy Swank caught Amanda and her husband without their little ones running around them, or they might have been and we don’t even know it. I love to take at least a couple images of the parents together during a family session. They always sell because they probably haven’t had any professional images done of them since their wedding:) Amanda…you look marvelous! (Amanda came to our CONFIDENCE Workshop four years ago! One of my favorite parts of the shoots is seeing ladies from past workshops and how their families have grown!)

I always try to position (pose) a family in a great spot with awesome light. Then I will tell them to just talk to each other for a second while I get ready (I’m really ready and actually snapping shots already). This is a great way to relax a family, especially a family with more than 2 kiddos (and you get the most “candid” images), like Carrie caught. Very nice!

Christy Cowan also captured an awesome, relaxed portrait of this family. Remember, not all need to be looking at the camera. Trying to engage them with eachother will most likely yield genuine emotion. Awesome job Christy!

Oh my goodness, I just love the Mom and Dad in this image. We had a fun time setting this shot up with the couple’s help and the group working together. Knowing little tricks to help people relax in front of the camera make ALL the difference. Don’t they look completely in love? And the sweet little girls are watching them from the back. Mmmmm, goodness. Way to go Gargi! This gorgeous mom is Tonya Todd, a wonderful photographer in our area!

Genny Kothari really caught the emotion of this mother and daughter’s bond. The coloring is magnificent!

Another shot that I just love. You can almost tell what their faces look like by looking at the movement of their feet. Innocent happiness. Great view Jacki!

Jill Ulander knew what she was composing when she took this image. I really like the natural lines that the railing fence and stairs make. Really nice and crisp with a buttery background.

Julie Wray…another image of an amazing family, relaxing and just having fun! Look at the smile on Dad’s face. It doesn’t get more “real” than that.

Karyn surely shot this is at a low aperture. The tree leaves are glistening almost like holiday lights! Keeping your aperture low while shooting portraits, really makes your subjects “stand out”. Fantastic!

I can totally feel how safe this little girl feels in Daddy’s arms. Katie, such a tender moment you captured.

I love this pose that Krista caught. Putting the children up front and the parents blurred out in the back (with big smiles) is always a winner. For this shot, since the two girls are not exactly on the same plane, I would have shot this between 2.8 and 4.0, depending on which lens is used. And the emotion on the older girls face is an added bonus here.

It’s okay to cut heads off sometimes. It really works in the “Rule of Thirds” composition that Kristy choose to go with here. Kristy, this is adorable! Awesome job!

Look at his face! Maria, you really caught him in his element! Absolutely darling!

Danielle Kindelberger captured this tender moment between mom and her boys. I love the simple black and white tone that you applied here. Just perfect.

This looks like a magazine image. Wow… Michaela Hundahl! It is hard to shoot with such a strong backlight and girl, you took your meter and knocked it out of the park!

Neyssa Lee worked her magic with this little girl. The slight camera tilt adds a little more texture by bringing in the door frame. Precious Neyssa, your little guy is going to have the BEST photos as he grows up!

Robyn…I hope they put this image on their wall! What a super family portrait!

Every one of these women took their camera, creative spirit, courage and WENT FOR IT! Not only did they capture awesome photos, but we had a BLAST in the process!

Thank you so much ladies for a wonderful, WONDERFUL weekend! One of my favorite moments was when Danielle introduced herself and said she didn’t know who I was but was just surfing for a weekend getaway and figured Hotel Murano was a great place to spend it! LOL! Brian and I still laugh about that moment! We hope Danielle, and all the rest of you, got that weekend away that filled you up and nourished your creative spirits to move forward with confidence! You have all that it takes to go for it!

Is Danielle glad she came? Was the weekend the break she needed?

THANK YOU so much to all the families for being our models! What would we do with out YOU!! We appreciate you so much!! And I know you are going to LOVE all the photos these ladies captured!

xoxo,
m

p.s. We have a Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop in January! More Winter CONFIDENCE Workshops are happening on East and West Coast! Early Bird Registration and our Payment Plan is going on now! (Christmas is looking REAL GOOD for some special ladies! ) CLICK HERE to find the city nearest you and get ALL the juicy details!

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October 12th, 2011

Part 1: Twenty-Two Baby Photo Ideas from Seattle CONFIDENCE!

We leave DC today after a wonderful week of adventure with the kids and powerful workshop with the DC CONFIDENCE ladies. Every time Brian and I walk in to the workshop room the morning of Day One, to meet all these beautiful women for the first time, I wonder what magic will happen. What stories will unfold? What glass ceilings will be shattered? And what will transformation look like for each of them on the other side of the weekend. Each workshop unfolds in its own way. I can’t help but think this is too amazing to happen again. But it does happen, and I know it’s because of the fact that powerful transformation comes when women come together wanting more for themselves. Yes, they are all nervous the beginning of Day One. Whether she is a beginner-beginner with her camera or charging money to beginning clients, each woman is nervous because she has chosen to do something very courageous. She has chosen to say “I want more. I know there is more to learn. I know there is more for me. And I want it not only for myself but every woman here.” Vulnerability mixed with courage equals transformation that is inescapable.

We walk through many exercises together. As many of you know, on Day One we bring in baby models and work with indoor lighting as we push ourselves to get out of our own creative box and try set ups we may have never thought of.

To celebrate the courage our Seattle women have, to acknowledge the confidence they gained and the many shifts that happened for them over our weekend, I want to show you some of their beautiful photo results. But these wonderful photos are only the tip of the iceberg for what happened internally. I wish I could share ALL their stories with you. For now, you will probably see their stories reflected in the magical photos they captured. (And I say magical because these were all shot in the hotel lobby and restaurant…but you’d NEVER guess it!)

Robyn…this is pure parenthood bliss that you captured! I LOVE mom’s expression! Simply beautiful!

When you find great light and your exposure is spot-on, you can get really crisp images like this one that Neyssa Lee caught! I love the catch light in his eyes.

The next two images are fantastic “tiny toes” shots with so much more! Take a look at how different the eyes of Michaela Hundahl and Maria were on this shot. Compositionally, oh so different, but both so lovely.

Kristy H. was able to capture this little guy feeling safe and secure in his father’s arms. Sometimes we can get caught into thinking we always need to say everyone’s faces, but having the hint of their presence can often make dad or mom’s presence that much more powerful.

I love the composition on this image. Mom is looking gorgeous in this very tight shot with the light just pouring in on to baby’s face. What a great moment Krista!

Katie, your image is very similar to Krista’s. I am digging how sharp this little baby’s face is with mom slightly blurred out in the background…all up against a very simple colored wall. That type of simple background really makes us focus on the little boy!

Babies over the mom’s shoulders are just a great way to start a baby shoot! The mom is probably feeling a little self-conscious, so turning her away from the camera, putting her at ease, while getting the amazing shoulder line always works. Great shot Karyn!

What wonderful composition this image has to it! Great job Julie Wray! Mom looks beautiful in this shot! Baby isn’t in focus, as it should be because the story is so powerfully about mom’s joy.

Wow, Jill Ulander, you found some really even, perfect light by this big window. I also love that we can see mom totally smiling in the background.

This is the same set up but a different perspective! Amaris, GORGEOUS!

Jacki, I am so impressed that you turned the baby’s face toward the light. That is awesome! The plain wall really makes us feel the love mom has for her little girl. Very nice!

The warmth of this image really draws me in. The warm tone and the warmth of the emotion from both parents as they play with their little guy. Again, just pure joy is displayed on their faces. What a wonderful moment Genny Kothari caught.

What a sweet portrait of this little girl! I love how Gargi placed herself a perfect distance away, yet still keeping that nice, even light on the little gals face. That, my friend, is “Finding the Light”! I’m thinking your weekly photo sessions with your own baby are a different story now.

You can’t go wrong with fingers and toes. Christy Cowan, your focal point of the finger grabbing the toes is spot-on! I just want to eat those toes up!!!

I’m really proud of this photo because an orange couch with brown wall can be tricky with white balance. But the group unpacked this set up and look! Just priceless! Look at the fabulous catch lights that Carrie caught in her eyes! Yeah Carrie!

Danielle Kindelberger, this is such an amazing shot of sleeping baby. I love how sharp the tiny fingers are! Just precious! You would NEVER guess what the setting was of this shot–the hotel lobby!! It looks like you did this in a studio, love those prepared “black backgrounds”.

The tenderness and security exudes from this image that Amy Swank captured. It is so peaceful. Love!

Here are some more of my favorite Behind-the-Scene moments from Day One!

And I LOVE this shot because Brian is a walking manual for EVERY camera out there, regardless of what brand the camera is! Every time I turn around he is trouble shooting technical glitches on some of the cameras, and the relief on women’s faces when that glitch is finally gone is PURE ECSTATIC JOY!!! That’s what I need to take a photo of next!

To all the Seattle CONFIDENCE Ladies from September…I LOVED our weekend together! I still find myself laughing when I remember Gargi’s introduction! Thank you for bringing all of yourselves to the workshop, for pushing your limitations and going after confidence with everything inside you. It was an amazing weekend, and I can’t wait to show everyone what Day Two looked like. So proud of all of you!

And a VERY BIG THANK YOU to all the mama’s and their gorgeous babies! We appreciate you so much!! I can’t wait for you to see the dozens and dozens of amazing photos these ladies captured of your babies!!!

xoxo,

p.s. Winter CONFIDENCE Workshops have started the Early Bird Registration and are filling! Christmas is looking REAL GOOD for some special ladies! CLICK HERE to find the city nearest you!

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