I go to do a photo shoot for a special family. We met this family when they put their house on the market almost three years ago. We fell in love with their house, bought it, and they moved into the beautiful house right behind us. Isn’t that fun!

Meet the two sweetest neighbors in the world: Henry and Will.

This is little Will. Can you believe those eyes! Isn’t he a little Gerber baby!

And this is big brother, Henry. This is one of my favorite “little boy” shots ever. I love the stone he’s sitting on, and the ground cover with little blue flowers and the dark background almost makes it seem surreal. It’s as if he’s sitting inside a magical world. His expression could mean a 101 things.

We grabbed one of their chairs from inside and put it in the backyard. Kind of fun!

And oh my goodness, look at how dynamic all three are in this shot. Dad is totally laughing, Henry is giggling so hard it’s making his tummy hurt, and Will is definitely giving me a command of some kind.

And here are two more to encourage all of you aspiring photographers.

We went live with our new site yesterday, www.refusetosaycheese.com. (And yeah, the pages are all working and looking good! :))

One of the hot sellers for our first day was the much anticipated Portrait 101 Kit: The Essentials to Starting Your Own Side Business. If your new to the business of portrait photography, check it out. And remember, that every photographer wades through moments like this…

and this…

because they know this is around the corner, often minutes later.

What is one of the keys to a becoming a great Portrait Photographer?

Confidence.

Confidence that is gentle and strong when the parents are nervous that the session was a waste of time. Confidence that is quiet and kind when there is a temporary meltdown because you know kids go through these, and you also know the meltdown will pass. Confidence in your artistic eye. You really do see the moments of life and connection, it’s okay if you have to take a little longer to capture the shot–try to go easy on yourself if the waiting starts to feel to long. You’re okay, and your images will give more life than you could ever imagine.

How do you gain this type of confidence?

Build trust with yourself through experience. Shoot and shoot some more. You will learn to trust your creative spirit, and that’s when you realize your flying.

Thanks Henry and Will for letting me share my time with you.

Love, Me Ra

p.s. Brian is sleeping in this morning. Thanks for making him smile so wide all day yesterday! We celebrated the new site at took the kids to pizza last night. I couldn’t believe Brian was still awake, but he made it. Love YOU Brian!

Lots happening this week with the live talk show airing tomorrow and a speaking engagement on Thursday, AND Beyond the Green Box, DVD 2, being shipped to us this week!!!! Details below, but first…

Meet this little guy: Baby Jayden. He just turned one!

Do you remember when your little ones were one?

All the “dressing up” that goes on whether you like it or not.

The focus and steady balance it takes to walk on your own.

The safety in his arms, and the joy in his great laugh.

Knowing mom is always behind you no matter where your curiosity takes you.

The stolen kisses they thought you never noticed.

And the naps, ohhhhhhhh, those wonderful naps.

It’s all about being one.

Happy Birthday Sweet Jayden. May your life be filled with awe and wonder, and may you witness the impossible happen countless times. Love, Me Ra

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Details on this week’s events coming in a second post later today sometime around 1:10pm.

This is baby Ruby. She has stolen the heart of Colorado.

The day after Auntie Brittany and Uncle Greer’s beautiful wedding, Brian and I were given the honor of going to Ruby’s house and spending a few quiet hours documenting the utter beauty of her strong, little spirit.

I couldn’t take enough shots of how Ruby naturally tucked herself into dad. Made me want to cry.

And I still can’t believe that last July, I was taking photos of Rob and Shannon that looked like this.

Now they look like this. Don’t they glow with parenthood?

I especially love these two next to each other.

Wedding Day Kiss

Baby Kiss

And just when you think a woman cannot be any more beautiful than she is on her wedding day…

You see her as a mom, and I can’t help but cry at the transformation of beauty. The softness, the nurturer, the tenderness, the mother’s heart, it all pours out of Shannon effortlessly. Shannon you were created for this. You leave me speechless.

Two more to share. It’s so hard to pick the last two blog photos from a 100 plus, but here we go…

Can’t forget the toes.

And we especially can’t forget Grandpa.

These two little guys would steal anyone’s heart. I don’t know how their mom, Jessica, does it! There’s definitely something about little boys and how sweet they can be. To see their slideshow ***CLICK HERE***.

I loved these next two images. They were both being such good little boys, and then they cut loose.

But this last one is my favorite portrait of a mom and her little one. I love how peaceful Teddy is (isn’t Teddy a great name!) in his momma’s arms, and how absolutely beautiful and soft she is holding him. His face just says, ‘I could stay here forever’.

And for those of you who delete your blurred shots before you even see them on your computer–STOP!!! Sometimes the magic of a relationship or the wonder of a moment is accentuated in the blurriness of the image. When taking photos of your loved ones or clients, remember, you’re not going for the technically perfect image. You’re going for the picture that moves us b/c it conveys an emotion that makes us want to see more.

A warm thanks to the Corddry Family for sharing their family and wine with me.

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To learn more about me visit About Me Ra.

For information on Me Ra’s popular photography workshops visit “Documenting a Child’s Life.” To be put on the Waiting List for 2008 workshops, email us at mera@merakoh.com.

To see our day job, visit our website.

First the Upcoming News!

The last few days have been a blast since our Big Fat Fabulous Wedding has started airing on VH1! Thanks so much for all the wonderful emails, calls and posts! We’ve had great response from the show! If you missed it, you have another chance to catch it today at 1pm PT.

Mom Nominees for the Workshop Announced!

I’m going to announce the winner of the “Running On Empty” contest a week from today. The nominations have been inspiring, as so many have already expressed. Picking one mom is way out of my league, so I’ve asked a few moms in the photography industry to be the ones to decide who wins. But we’ve also got some other fun things in store for the ones who don’t win. Tune in this Monday!

Beginner SOLD OUT!! and Only THREE Upcoming Workshop Seats Left!

There are only 3 spots left in the Two Day Advanced Workshop! We are so pumped! Both Beginner Photography Workshops for Women are SOLD OUT!!! YEAH!!! We get to start sending out emails now and getting these workshops rolling! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it! Be on the look out for an email with all kinds of details and an exercise to do “before” the workshops start!

Now for Pre Teens!

When I announced the August Portrait Special, one of my original clients from “way back when” signed up right away. When we did their first shoot her little boy had just turned three. Here he is today! Can’t you see this guy in the latest upcoming band!

It’s so fun to document a family’s growth and the changes that their children go through. I loved spending a couple hours in their home and shooting them in their element.

Here is big sister’s room!

When I photograph the younger kids I try to catch the shots of them Refusing to Say Cheese. And this goal takes on a whole new face when pre teens sink into it!

And even though pre teens are strikingly strong and confident on the outside, I love finding moments when their guard is down and dad and mom are still their safety.

Scott and Felicia, you are two incredible people! I have such respect for your marriage, your personhood, your parenting, your kindness. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to document your family again. All the joy and silliness I get to experience with you and the kids totally starts with how real this dynamic is between the two of you.

Much Love,

Me Ra

Three, Two, One–More Photos of the Bastien’s!

This little guy thinks his dad is the funniest guy ever! I just loved shooting them!

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And we can’t forget about the one who has dad wrapped around her finger!

Two kids later, a thriving business, and even more beautiful than ever!

Congrats to the Bastien Family! Wait till you two see the rest!!!

I don’t spend enough time showing off our associates work. They are simply amazing, capturing beautiful images in every shoot! This winter, I’m going to be putting up a handful of posts so you can see some of the great work they are shooting. You’ve got to see why Brian and I feel so lucky to have them on our team.

Gina Sook is our Lifestyle/Family/Senior Portrait photographer. She has this amazing eye and captures the most creative shots and angles. If you haven’t seen her Senior Portrait gallery, you’ve got to check it out on Me Ra Koh Photography.

But Gina’s not only great at working with high school seniors, she’s also great at capturing the innocence in little ones. Check out these images Gina shot on a recent photo shoot.

If you’ve ever tried to shoot an 18 month old, you know how hard it is to capture them when they aren’t moving a million miles a second! I love the images Gina captured of this little busy body. Congrats to the Hempstead family! Your daughter is beautiful! And Gina, you’re eye for photos is amazing!