February 18th, 2010

Five NEW Inspiring Photo Contest Finalists! Check Em Out!

Are you ready for a NEW round of Five Inspiring Finalists?  Here we go friends!  We had two Photo Contests run simultaneously.  Both Photo Contests had a theme of COMFORT.  One Photo Contest challenged you to focus on using BLUR/Low F-stops = buttery, blurry backgrounds.  The other Photo Contest challenged you to use the theme of COMFORT combined with a BACKGROUND that has PURPOSE.  This second focus is what our Five Finalists have accomplished at INSPIRING levels!   Coming to you from a remote island in Thailand, where I only have electricity from 6pm to 6am, here are your FIVE beautiful, inspiring Finalists!  :)

but wait!  There is a second chance to win a CAMERA for voting??!!

Yes, you heard me right!  It’s the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220/P 12.1 MP Digital Camera!!! And it’s PINK!  Can you get another color?  I guess, but why would you!  :)

We almost did it last week, and so here’s the deal for this week!   If we get 600 plus votes, yes 600 by this Monday (at midnight PST), we get to give one of the Random Voters a hip, new, Sony Cyber-shot!  Not to bad for taking the time to cast a vote, huh!

Can you believe that?!  I’m so pumped!  But that means you’ve got to tell ALL your friends, family, even wake up Granny, and get them to post their vote in TODAY’s comments! I know this contest is going to get crazy real fast with the voting, so we are going to close the voting this Monday night, February 22nd, at midnight PST.  That means you have from now until midnight on Monday to vote!

Q:  How do you vote?  What do you win? See the FAQ below! (It’s super easy.)

Q:  What does the winning Finalist get?  Ooooh, that’s good and juicy!  See below for those details!

Q:  What are we voting for?  Check it out…

Without further delay, I’d like to introduce you to the TOP FIVE FINALISTS for the COMFORT and Background Photo Contest! Notice how they specifically used the background to enhance the overall story of their images.  You were also asked to put our Depth of Field conversation into practice with an overall feeling of COMFORT in your theme.  And wow!  Your images are amazing!

1. Turning Three! by Keilah Engstrom in Washington state.

The background action around this little birthday girl is CLASSIC!  Every kid wants a chance at blowing out those candles, and it’s all over the little guy’s face behind her. And then I love the framing of this image.  I’m assuming Keilah got down to eye level with her birthday girl because of the adults we see in the background. It’s such a classic image that deserves to be celebrated for the timing, the framing, and more!  Thank you for inspiring us Keilah with this image!  Click on Keilah’s name to see more of her work!

2.  Everyday Beautiful by Ashley Julian in Washington state.

And then I got to Ashley’s image.  Her baby in the highchair, and the word Beautiful written above him…it made my heart go “ahhhhh”.   She said in her email that the word beautiful just happened to be there, and she saw the shot.  Everyday beauty brings her comfort, and this is her everyday beauty. I’m inspired by this image to see the Beautiful in the every day around us.  Ashley wasn’t tight framed on this shot, but everything in the image enhances the story of this lovely little one and this, particular moment.  Thank you Ashley for this image.  We loved it!  Click on Ashley’s name to see more of her work!

3.  The Sweetness of Girls by Summer Davis in Great Falls, Montana.

The power of this image is in the background.  It’s those two heart cut outs right above the girls’ heads.  I just love how those hearts make this moment so sweet.  It sends me back to memories of childhood when summer afternoons were spent with my girlfriend, our dolls, and talks on the daybed.  Framing this image so that the hearts were above the girls is genius!  I also love that Summer made this image black and white because it adds a timeless feel to this moment so we can all remember our childhood memories.  Thank you Summer for this image.  The sweetness just oozes out!  Click on  Summer’s name to see more of her work!

4. Grandbaby by Amy Schuff in Sacramento, CA.

At first glance, I’m caught up by the new grandma’s joy at seeing her grandbaby.  But the story keeps going when I see the background.  The background enhances the story of this image with such power.  Talk about incredible timing!  The proud dad smiling, about to be embraced and patted on the back.  You can almost hear the joy in this image.  Amy, timing is everything on this type of image, and you nailed it!  Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful moment with all of us.  It is truly inspiring!  Click on Amy’s name to see more of her work!

5.  Sleeping with His Two Buds by Sara Kelly in Seattle, WA.

This is another image that drew me in to surprising depths.  At first I see this sweet little toe head asleep, and I’m caught up in all that beautiful hair he has!  And then I see dad’s feet blurred in the background.  And THEN I see the dog’s pointed ears in the background, and I’m thinking “Oh my goodness!  There is so much to this story that it keeps going and going!”  This is the type of background we strive for in our images.  Background that doesn’t distract but enhances the story to surprising depths.  And wow, Sara, you did an AMAZING job!  Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

There it is!  Your new Fabulous Five Finalists! Didn’t I tell you they were AMAZING!  Click on their names to see more of their work!  But vote before you go b/c whoever gets the most votes will WIN!!

And all of you, plus the winners, have the opportunity to win a Sony Cyber-shot Camera! All you have to do is post a comment and vote for your favorite finalist. Leave a few words about why they were your favorite, and you are entered into the Sony Cyber-shot Camera drawing!

Let’s go!  We got over 600 last week!  We only need 600 this week!   HERE WE GO!

PHOTO CONTEST FAQ:

FAQ #1: How do you vote?

Answer: Just click on the pink word “Comments” at the end of this blog post. Put the # of photo your voting for first (it makes counting the votes way faster), and then add a few words about why you like their image the most. Remember, your comments and feedback give to the Five Finalists more than any prize from us. Please be kind, encouraging, and share all that you can with these wonderful Five Finalists! Your feedback on their images is priceless! That’s why we do the Random Voter Awards, because we appreciate your voting and feedback so much. So spread the word to family and friends! And ask them to vote! We need 750 VOTES to give this camera away!

(Please vote one time for one image. Thanks!)

FAQ #2: Is there a new Photo Contest happening right now? And when is the Deadline?

Answer: Not yet!  After we finish the voting for these two contests, we’ll announce the next Photo Contest Theme.  It’s one my favorite Photo Contest Themes so far!

FAQ #3: What are the prizes for the Random Voters and the Finalist?

Answer: Scroll on down!!

Prizes for the Winning Finalist and the Random Voter Winners!

In the last couple of contests, we’ve broken our record for votes received!  You all spread the word, and the votes came rolling in! If we clear 600 votes on this contest, we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #600, but a RANDOM Voter) to win the Sony Cyber-shot camera!!!

And then we’ll keep going and pick one more Random Voters to win a $25 customized, cool looking Starbucks card! So that’s one Random Winner of a new, slick Sony Cyber-shot camera, and one MORE random winner of $25 customized Starbucks cards, if we clear 600!

Deadline for all voting is this Monday night, 4 days from now, 2/22, at midnight PST!! That means we have to clear 600 votes by that time for two Random Voters to be picked and win a pink (or different color:)) Sony Cybershot Camera!

Prize for being the Winner of the Five Finalists!!!

Now what about the finalist’s prize! What will they get?  Well first, each finalist should vote too so they get a fair shot of winning the Sony Cyber-shot camera!  And then the Winning Finalists gets THREE SPECIAL PRIZES!!!

1. Get Girded Up with Award Winning Resources! Their choice of one of our popular 101 Kits: The Essentials to Starting a Photography Business OR the Downloadable version of our Award Winning Refuse to Say Cheese/Beyond the Green Box DVD series.

2.  Continue Your Creativity After the Shooting! Their own copy of Adobe’s Lightroom 2.0 Software!!!!  (thank you Adobe!)

3.  Don’t Hide Your Winning Photo!  Show It Off!!! And the newest addition to our Winning Finalist prizes, their winning photo will be printed on a beautiful canvas!  Our SOAR! Partner, Pixel2Canvas, has joined the Photo Contests as of this year!   And we are so excited b/c now your winning image will be on a BIG, Beautiful Canvas for the wall!

So get all your friends and family to jump on here and vote before this Monday at midnight!

VOTE AWAY!!!

581 Comments »

February 17th, 2010

Breakfast with Brian

We have left the island of Koh Tao.  But before parting, I had to share this image.  Every morning we had breakfast at this table overlooking the bay.  Brian was feeling so stuffed up, but doesn’t the scene itself look serene.  The kids would climb the rocks, and we would sit and read over a pot of Green Tea.  Hard to leave this place, but it’s good to be exploring a bit this time.  And off we go to Koh Phi Phi.

For all of my Photo Recipe lovers, here we go!

I lowered my ISO to 100 for the best color saturation.  It was pretty bright out so I could get away with the 100 ISO.  My f-stop was 4.5 because Blaze was all over the place.  So I wanted to make sure I caught some good detail on him.  And my Shutter Speed was 1/80th of a second.

xoxo,

Me Ra

17 Comments »

February 16th, 2010

Photo Contest Winner!

I want to congratulate Chelsea Hudson for winning the Photo Contest!  The votes have been tallied a few times over, and Chelsea, YOU ARE THE WINNER!!!  A big congrats to you!  Thank you so much for submitting your gorgeous image!

Chelsea, you get to email our magical Genie (genie@merakoh.com) to claim ALL your prizes!  Congrats girl!  We are so happy for you!  Your image is beautiful on so many levels.  Your work is BEAUTIFUL!  If you haven’t seen Chelsea’s website, go check it out today!  She’s got a beautiful blog too!  And a big thank you to the other Fabulous Four Finalists!  You are all stars!

We got a little over 600 votes for the Photo Contest.  So close to 750!  So close!  Brian and I decided that if we can beat our number of votes from this contest in the next voting contest, we’ll totally give that pink Sony Cybershot away!   New Five Finalists for the COMFORT contest are coming soon!

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s.  Remember that weekend the SOAR! Recipients had in San Francisco a few weeks ago?  Hear them share what they learned this week on the SOAR! Blog!

9 Comments »

February 15th, 2010

Little Snapshots of Our First Week!

Hello to all our friends and family!  We can’t believe that a whole week has almost passed since we arrived in Thailand!

We made it through 27 hours of travel, finding every airport playground in the world!

We had noodles for breakfast at 4am  in Taiwan.

And then we finally go to Thailand and…

The first week has been different than what we all expected.  I think we expected a few days of catching up on jet lag and then playing on the beach.  But Pascaline has had a horrible cough which only got worse as the week went on.  Brian ended up getting something similar, and Blaze and I are trying our best not to catch whatever they’ve got.

So  needless to say, instead of playing on the beach, we’ve been at the local clinic a couple times.  I know–super exciting!  The beauty of Thailand right inside these sterile “air conditioned” walls.  :)

But all considering, everyone is in good spirits, especially Pascaline.  Considering the fact that the doctor said no swimming this week.  And seriously, it is so freaking hot here that not being able to swim and keeping a good attitude is an amazing accomplishment!  These kids are so great and taking the jungle on despite the colds and “no swimming orders”.

Last year we stayed in the same house all six weeks.  This year, we decided to mix it up a little more because our house isn’t available until early March.  We decided to start our trip on the other side of Thailand on a small island called Koh Tao.  (Koh means island, so you may see that word a lot.  :) )  Koh Tao is a sweet little island with bright colored bungalows.

It is well known for scuba diving sites, and today, I left the ill family behind and decided to go diving.  It was amazing—just what I needed!  The coral, the schools of fish, the blue spotted sting rays and moray eels.  The whole experience felt like my own baptism to being back in Thailand.

Internet access hasn’t been great on this little island.  And in a couple days we move to an even more remote place for our second week—part of the adventure is always finding internet to keep the blog updated and connected with all of you!

We’ll be going to the other side of Thailand to a group of islands called Koh Phi Phi (pronounced “pee-pee” yes, your kids should get a good laugh out of the name.  It never gets old with our kids.  :) )

Goodness, I’m so sorry if this entry is scattered. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to get online and blog that I’m not sure where to start!  More to come!

Happy Monday friends!  It’s 10:39pm on Monday night here, and I can tell you that it was a wonderful Monday filled with unexpected moments!  May yours be the same!

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s.  It’s a BIG day for the SOAR! Blog! Monday is always a special day over there!  There are TWO great posts to check out!  One is the SOAR! Hall of Fame Nominees for “Most Creative”!  You don’t want to miss these!  We were hoping to have them up Friday, but we had some technical issues with getting all the videos in the blog post.  But now we’ve got it figured out and this coming Friday, the panel of judges (made up of wonderful SOAR! Sisters who are volunteering their time to watch ALL the videos) are going to post the seven “Most Creative”.  Check it out!

AND, our own SOAR! Recipient, Lindsay, was super sick last week.  So she didn’t get to post her Details Photo blog, but it’s up today.  And you are going to love it!  See the first half on the blog, and the second half at SOARORITY! Have you registered for the SOARORITY forum yet?  If your a woman and wanting a support network with other women who have a passion for their camera, get over there and register!

6 Comments »

February 11th, 2010

MamaBloo Photo Tale: Turning The “Story” on its Ear

I feel like if you give me a laptop, a cup-o-coffee, and some time alone, I can tell a pretty good story.  Better yet, put me among friends, feed me, and give me the floor and I can PERFORM a good story.

 

But I am still working on telling the story with my camera.

I am probably being hard on myself.  Ugh, I say.  Do I have to “tell the story” or can I just line the kids up, put the camera settings on the dreaded green box, and yell “SAY CHEESE” and snap the picture.

I know, I know… I can just hear Me Ra’s gasp, can’t you???

What’s a mom to do?

Outsourcing.

So, I handed my $900 camera to my 4 year old son, Ty. “YOU take the pictures today,”  I say.  He beams.  I give him a quick lesson on the basics  –  viewfinder, thingy on back to look at the picture he just took, camera strap (a must!).  Then I set the camera on aperature priority and I turned on all the lights in our house and opened the curtains wide.  And I let him tell HIS OWN STORY.

Then I got out of his way.

How he sees the world made me stop.   One time a while back my then-8-year-old, Izzy said, “Adults get wrapped up in the craziest things sometimes.”  And that quote came to mind when I looked at Ty’s shots.

What he saw was not what I would have photographed.  But it was worth my time.  A fleeting moment of Daddy re-filling the ketchup bottle.

 

 

Mommy’s Desk.

 

Mommy, working on her blog and not looking her best.  But he tells me that I am the “prettiest mommy in the whole world.”  Het tells me I am “wonderful pretty.”

 

 

Part of a toy.

 

 

As Me Ra and Brian head back to Thailand, I think back to a post she wrote on how the people in Thailand really SEE kids and that Blaze noticed this.  He said he “felt invisible” in America. 

Then I thought, THIS is what my son sees.  This is his world.  This is the story he chose to tell with the camera. Although I have a need to photograph him from top to bottom AND in such a way that my love for him somehow translates into digital pixels, that is purely MY need.  HIS need is for ME to see his world the way he sees it.  And, today I did because I handed him my camera.  Today, photography taught me to slow down and really think about my child, my baby boy, and how he must see the world from only a few feet off the ground. 

He turned my paradigm of “Telling the Story” on its ear.  And I am so glad he did.  Because I think I’ll go a bit easier on myself next time I pick up my camera.  It’s not just about me afterall…

Click here to read Me Ra’s post mentioned above about Blaze feeling invisible.

Come visit me at MamaBloo and check in with my other tales!

12 Comments »
Tags: , , ,

February 10th, 2010

Who wants to play?

Hey it’s Genie here!  Shhhh, don’t tell Me Ra or Brian but I took over while they’re flying through the air to Thailand.  It’s only fair, don’t cha think? :D

A quick question for you who want to do a CONFIDENCE! Workshop: where would you like Me Ra and Brian to come this year? We have Orange County (CA) and the New York area covered, and of course Seattle.  Where else? A number of you have sent in votes in the past (which I’ve been collecting) but I want to check again – so give me a shout with a comment below even if you told us once before.

I love the ladies who have done our past workshops!

You have all been the BEST to work with. And to see you shine is totally inspiring and heartwarming. Right on. So if you’d like the Fab Duo, Wonder Woman and Mr. Wonder, (or plug in your pet name for two of my fave people on this planet. The fact that Me Ra’s reading this has NO bearing on my saying this…really. ;) ) to light up a spot near you, it’s a good time to chime in. Don’t you love that you get to vote?

And now that I have a camera I’m going to come to a workshop too. Any thought on which camera I have? It’s SO PRETTY!

So, where to?

46 Comments »

February 9th, 2010

A Birthday in the Clouds as I Make My Way Home

I was finishing up stuff for work a few days ago, so much was running through my mind.  We still needed to pack, tie up loose ends with bills for the next two months…I was also in the midst of conversation with Brian, as all this craziness swirled through my head.  We were sitting at the dining table, when this picture came to my mind.  It felt like I was transported out of the here and now, and I was in this unexpected picture.

The picture was of a familiar beach front in Thailand.  I was on a long tail boat headed to shore.  There was a woman standing on the beach.  She waved out to me.  Her smile was big and free.  I jumped to my feet when I saw her.  It had been so long since I’d had time with her.  I held on to the side of the long tail and waved back.  And then as I sat back down, I felt a sense of shame come over me.  I wanted to suddenly shrink within.  I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make eye contact when I stood in front of the woman.  I felt like I had failed her.

And then the picture took me to her.  I was standing in front of her.  Her hair was hanging in loose curls around her face.  Her face had been kissed by the sun days and weeks over.  Her eyes were alive and full of love.  The woman was me.

She was the woman I found last year in the jungles of Thailand.  She was the part of me that holds so much love for me—so much that I never knew it was possible to feel so comfortable with myself—so gracious and uncritical.  And when it was time for us to return to the states, I grieved leaving her.  I felt like I had only discovered her—how would her face not fade me after months had gone by?

When I saw her in this picture, she looked at me with an open smile.  And there wasn’t a critical thought in her mind toward me.  She embraced me, held me, and as I sat at the dining table in my Seattle home I started to cry. Brian became quiet having no idea what had happened.  And yet, I think he sensed the moment was an unexpected holy moment.  I cried as I pictured this woman holding me, despite all the ways I feel like I have come short these last couple months.  She held me and smiled through her own tears because she knew that I was home to heal.  I had come back to heal and be renewed—that my tank has been empty for longer than I want to admit…and she had no criticism for this—just joy to have me home.  I held on to this picture as we frantically packed the other day.  I thought of it in the clouds as we fly for hours on end.

A few hours ago, we stepped off the plane in Bangkok.  We’ve flown 17 hours and have one flight and boat ride left.  I walked off the plane into the thick, humid air of Thailand and felt the air itself wrap around me.  I had to stand and take it in.  Something deep inside me responded to the thick humid air, and I felt embraced—surrounded.

I’m not sure what it is but a shift is happening in my spirit, my heart.  We are here for almost two months, and I know that I won’t need to seek out this shift.  It seems to be waiting for me, waiting on the beachfront, waiting for me to discover it with every step.  What more could one want for her birthday, but to feel like she has come home to herself.

Thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes, the beautiful emails and words, thank you for holding us in your arms of support.  I’m excited to have you journey with me over the next seven weeks as I process my time with her on this blog.  I am excited to reacquaint myself with a woman that I have much respect for.  I am excited to learn from her, be quiet with her, and find a way to bring more of her home.  I am excited to redisover how to sit with myself and not feel like the self critic is overbearing.  I am not just excited, I am also scared.  But, but…I am so ready.

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s.  One other amazing birthday gift that was unexpected…to have SOARORITY go live and see you all enjoying it so much!  Every time we land and have a couple hours to wait for the next flight, I’ve had a blast seeing more and more of you ladies on there!   Yeah-yeah-yeah!

19 Comments »

February 8th, 2010

Last Day to Vote: One Voter Wins a Sony Cybershot!

Hey friends!  What an insane weekend!  We thought we were flying to Thailand at noon today, and thank GOD we realized it was midnight last night!  So as you read this, we are somewhere en route (if all has gone well :) ).

I have a wonderful team of women helping me keep our blog fresh for each day this week.  Genie is going to make a little appearance and so is Mamabloo with a new Photo Tale!  So don’t think we’re going to leave you for the week.  :)   Nope, we’ve got some great stuff up our sleeve.  And I’m going to do my best to get the Five Finalists live this Thursday, but if for some reason I can’t get internet soon enough, we’ll be sure to have those Finalists live within a few days of Thursday.

We are closer than ever to our goal of 750 votes!  Maybe 200 more votes, if that!  Isn’t that AMAZING!

Today is the LAST DAY to vote!  The Five Finalists have captured amazing moments, like this one below!

To see all Five Finalists and submit your vote, CLICK HERE!

If you know anyone that would love a spiffy, new Sony Cybershot Camera, get them to get over here and vote today!

Deadline is at midnight TONIGHT PST!

To the SOAR! Recipients and all of you wonderful dream builders that are following along, we’ve got a SOAR! Photography Exercise today!  Check it out at the SOAR! Blog!  It’s going to be fun!

xoxo,

Me Ra

6 Comments »

February 4th, 2010

Vote and Win a Sony Cybershot! Top Five Finalists Unveiled!

Here we go friends! This is where it gets crazy!  We had two Photo Contests run simultaneously.  Both Photo Contests had a theme of COMFORT.  One Photo Contest challenged you to focus on using BLUR/Low Fstops = buttery, blurry backgrounds.  The other Photo Contest challenged you to use the theme of COMFORT combined with a BACKGROUND that has PURPOSE.  So today we are going to start the voting for the first challenge: COMFORT and BLUR.  Then next Thursday we’ll post the Five Finalists and start the voting for the COMFORT and BACKGROUND Photo Contest!   Sound good!  YEAH!  Here we go! 

 

Win a CAMERA for voting??!! 

 

Yes, you heard me right!  It’s the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220/P 12.1 MP Digital Camera!!!  And it’s PINK!  Can you get another color?  I guess, but why would you!  :)  

 

We are taking our voting to the NEXT level this week! If we get 750 plus votes, yes 750 by this Monday (at midnight PST), we get to give one of the Random Voters a hip, new, Sony Cyber-shot!  Not to bad for taking the time to cast a vote, huh! 

 

Can you believe that?!  I’m so pumped!  But that means you’ve got to tell ALL your friends, family, even wake up Granny, and get them to post their vote in TODAY’s comments! I know this contest is going to get crazy real fast with the voting, so we are going to close the voting this Monday night, February 8th, at midnight PST.  That means you have from now until midnight on Monday to vote!

Q:  How do you vote?  What do you win?  See the FAQ below! (It’s super easy.)

 

Q:  What does the winning Finalist get?  Ooooh, that’s good and juicy!  See below for those details!

 

Q:  What are we voting for?  Check it out…

 

Without further delay, I’d like to introduce you to the TOP FIVE FINALISTS for the COMFORT and BLUR Photo Contest!  Notice how they used these themes to tell their stories!  (and be Inspired!)  The challenge was to focus on close, tighter frames with buttery, blurry backgrounds using lower f-stops. You were asked to put our Depth of Field conversation into practice with an overall feeling of COMFORT in your theme.  Well, some of you got out of the box and instead of buttery, blurry backgrounds—you submitted buttery, blurry foregrounds.  And wow!  Your images are amazing! 

 

1. Nuzzeled and Kissed by Mom! by Chelsea Hudson in Phoenix, AZ. 

Chelsea did an amazing job with this photo.  I love the use of blur with mom’s long curls.  This alone adds such a deep softness.  And even more so, the hair frames the emotion that I almost feel like I’m looking through a window into their moment.  But the window is mom’s golden hair.  Does that make sense?  The color processing is also beautiful in this image.  Wonderful job Chelsea!  Thank you so much for submitting!  Do see Chelsea’s blog, CLICK HERE!

 

2.  Tenderness by Jane Wiggins in Waterloo, Iowa .

 

Jane also captured the tenderness between mom and baby but used the low fstop/aperture in a different way.  Instead of having a buttery, blurry background, she made mom’s profile in the foreground buttery and blurry.  The effect is breath taking!  The soft, blur to mom makes me feel her love and comfort surrounding this little one.  I also love the choice of black and white b/c it captures the timelessness of mom’s love for baby that much more.  Wonderful job Jane!

 

  3. First Halloween! by Christine Barker in Baltimore, MD.

 

This image is fantastic!  It’s a great example of creativity that got“out of the box”.  Christine, you knocked this out of the ball park!  Not only is the background buttery and blurred, but Christine has dad in motion and blurred.  I would love it if you told us how you captured this!    This image makes me wonder what the story is.  Did dad have leaves all over him?  Did the wind kick up leaves?  Is he going so fast that leaves flew up?  Any time you can draw someone in to create story behind your image, you have a powerful image.  It almost looks like the cold, October leaves are flying around dad as his comforting presence ushers his little one from house to house.   But that is only a guess.  Christine, great job on this!  Thank you for sharing! 

  4. My Raggedy Ann! by Gina Oh in CA .

 

Gina submitted a photo for our Photo Contest a couple years ago.  When she submitted this one, I couldn’t believe it was the same Gina.  I’ve asked her to do an interview for the Amazing Mom feature because you will be inspired by how far her photography has come in such a short time.  I love the use of buttery, blur in this image.  The soft, golden brush in the background.  And then the contrast of a crisp white sundress with the red haired Raggedy Ann…it’s powerful.  The mix of colors brings a sense of comfort.  Gina, this photo is amazing!  So proud of you!

 

5. Little Cowgirls! by Maureen Roy in Missoula, Montana.

 

 

This image jumped off the screen at me.  It is a wonderful example of how the focus–the story–doesn’t have to always be “in focus” or sharp.  The creativity on this image is out of the box.  I almost feel like the blurred cowgirl boots lens room to more creativity on the viewer’s end.  It’s as if I can hear the girls giggling and feel the hot summer air.  All these feelings come from this single image.  This is a wonderful story telling image.  Wonderful, beautiful job Maureen!  Thank you for sharing!  To see Maureen’s block, CLICK HERE!  

 

There it is! The Fabulous Five Finalists! Didn’t I tell you they were AMAZING!  Click on their names to see more of their work!  But vote before you go b/c whoever gets the most votes will WIN!!

 

And all of you, plus the winners, have the opportunity to win a Sony Cyber-shot Camera! All you have to do is post a comment and vote for your favorite finalist. Leave a few words about why they were your favorite, and you are entered into the Sony Cyber-shot Camera drawing!

 

Let’s go!  750 vote goal, HERE WE COME!

PHOTO CONTEST FAQ:

FAQ #1: How do you vote?

Answer: Just click on the pink word “Comments” at the end of this blog post. Put the # of photo your voting for first (it makes counting the votes way faster), and then add a few words about why you like their image the most. Remember, your comments and feedback give to the Five Finalists more than any prize from us. Please be kind, encouraging, and share all that you can with these wonderful Five Finalists! Your feedback on their images is priceless! That’s why we do the Random Voter Awards, because we appreciate your voting and feedback so much. So spread the word to family and friends! And ask them to vote! We need 750 VOTES to give this camera away!

(Please vote one time for one image. Thanks!)

FAQ #2: Is there a new Photo Contest happening right now? And when is the Deadline?

Answer: Not yet!  After we finish the voting for these two contests (or sooner) we’ll announce the next Photo Contest Theme.  It’s one my favorite Photo Contest Themes so far!

 

FAQ #3: What are the prizes for the Random Voters and the Finalist?

Answer: Scroll on down!!

 

Prizes for the Winning Finalist and the Random Voter Winners!

In the last couple of contests, we’ve broken our record for votes received!  You all spread the word, and the votes came rolling in! If we clear 750 votes on this contest, we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #750, but a RANDOM Voter) to win the Sony Cyber-shot camera!!!

And then we’ll keep going and pick one more Random Voters to win a $25 customized, cool looking Starbucks card! So that’s one Random Winner of a new, slick Sony Cyber-shot camera, and one MORE random winner of $25 customized Starbucks cards, if we clear 750!

 

Deadline for all voting is this Monday night, 4 days from now, 2/8, at midnight PST!! That means we have to clear 750 votes by that time for two Random Voters to be picked and win a pink (or different color :) ) Sony Cybershot Camera!

Prize for being the Winner of the Five Finalists!!!

Now what about the finalist’s prize! What will they get?  Well first, each finalist should vote too so they get a fair shot of winning the Sony Cyber-shot camera!  And then the Winning Finalists gets THREE SPECIAL PRIZES!!!

 

1. Get Girded Up with Award Winning Resources!  Their choice of one of our popular 101 Kits: The Essentials to Starting a Photography Business OR the Downloadable version of our Award Winning Refuse to Say Cheese/Beyond the Green Box DVD series.

 

2.  Continue Your Creativity After the Shooting!  Their own copy of Adobe’s Lightroom 2.0 Software!!!!  (thank you Adobe!)

 

3.  Don’t Hide Your Winning Photo!  Show It Off!!!  And the newest addition to our Winning Finalist prizes, their winning photo will be printed on a beautiful canvas!  Our SOAR! Partner, Pixel2Canvas, has joined the Photo Contests as of this year!   And we are so excited b/c now your winning image will be on a BIG, Beautiful Canvas for the wall!

 

So get all your friends and family to jump on here and vote before this Monday at midnight!

 

VOTE AWAY!!!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

p.s.  If your in the mood to keep voting.  You can cast a new vote today and every day for Pocket Philanthropist!  This is your daily reminder.  :)

630 Comments »

February 3rd, 2010

Meet My Little Brother: Pocket Philanthropist!

Little brothers are pretty special.  I consider myself super lucky because I’ve got two.  Aside from Brian, they are both my closest friends. 

 

One of them is in a constant race with me to be a guest on Oprah’s show.  He lives in Beverly Hills, and let’s just say that when my dad gave us the “You’ve Got To Make a Living Speech”, he was taking notes at the age of three.  He is a constant support to all my business endeavors, no matter how grand they seem. 

 

My youngest brother shares my passion for writing, literature and a desire to change the world.  His name is Shaun Hong (or I call him Shauni—emphasizing the eeee sound :) ).  Sometimes we called him Scrawny Shauni.     

 

 

OH but WAIT, for all the women who were in the Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop a couple weeks ago…YES!  This is the brother who tortured Ms. Johnson!  (Natalie Johnson was one of the attendees.)   Shaun said that Ms. Johnson used to have a big fan on her desk, and they would rip up dozens of pieces of paper and let them go when they walked by her desk so it looked like it had snowed—just on her desk.  :)   What a pill!

 

But Natalie, get this.  When I told him you were in the workshop he smiled and said “Oh man, all the boys had the BIGGEST CRUSH on Ms. Johnson!”  So even though they tried to run you out of your job, it sounds like they were crushing on you!  Isn’t that funny!  Did you ever know that?

 

Okay, so back to Shaun in “real time”.  I’m relieved to say that he has taken a turn for the better (since 6th grade :) ).  He is one of the funniest guys you will ever meet, and he is one of the most giving. 

 

Shauni and his best friend, Nate, have been burning the candles late into the night, hammering out an idea that could help thousands of people.  It’s called Pocket Philanthropist.  Don’t you love the name?  I think it’s awesome! 

 

They’ve entered Pocket Philanthropist in the Pepsi Refresh Everything Project.  Their goal is to win a grant for $250K so they can quit their day jobs and focus all their attention on helping people in need.  I’m shamelessly asking you to vote for these guys. Watch the video, and you’ll see how great their idea is.  

 

 

Every day, you can vote AGAIN.  I thought this would be a great way to get your “voter” muscle working because tomorrow…drum roll…I am posting the Finalists for the Comfort Photo Themed Contest!!  I know what your saying, you won’t believe until you see it!  And I respond by saying, I don’t blame you!  :)   But it’s coming friends. So get your voting muscle working on my little brother’s dream while I finish prepping the Finalist Contest post for tomorrow!

 

Oh, and if you have any questions about Pocket Philanthropist feel free to post them as comments on today’s blog.  Shauni will be popping on here to answer whatever he can. 

 

CLICK HERE to VOTE! 

 

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

xoxo, Me Ra

 

p.s. Jennifer’s Business Coaching Exercise is live this morning on the SOAR! Blog.  Enjoy SOAR! Sisters!  Their posts this week are pretty powerful. 

30 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »