Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

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

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

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

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


May we feel freedom to release our holds,

Kari

For more stories from MamaBloo, click here.

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Hall of Fame Anyone?!

Welcome to 2010 ladies!  A new year, and a new decade!  Nothing like starting the New Year in the middle of a race against the clock.  :)

We are THREE nights away from announcing the SOAR! Scholarship Recipients.  Three nights.  There is so much to accomplish before Friday.  It’s both exciting and SCARY as all get out!  Has anyone else not slept?  I am one of those people who falls asleep within minutes.  And for the last several days, I haven’t slept at all.  And if I am lingering on the state of half awake/half asleep, I’m dreaming about all the SOAR! Video Entries.  It takes every thing in me not to get out of bed and see if anyone else is awake on the SOAR! site at 3am.  :)

There are so many amazing video entries.  In fact, every video is heartfelt, every single one.  As you know, there will only be three recipients announced this Friday.  But I’ve been thinking that there has to be a way to showcase more of you and all your hard work.   I think everyone will agree that these SOAR! Video Entries were the most inspiring pieces ever.  And the community that has grown out of the SOAR! Scholarship is phenomenal.  The support you are all providing each other on the SOAR! site is amazing.  I can’t wait to release the forum!

In thinking of ways to celebrate your videos even more, I had an idea.  What do you think about having a SOAR!  2009 Hall of Fame on our future SOARity forum and website?   The SOAR! 2009 Hall of Fame could be dedicated to the video entries that stick out most to all of you.  There could be a top three videos for each category below…But what do you think?  I would want the spirit of this to celebrate women even more.  Thoughts anyone?

If you love this idea and want to help organize a way for us to create a SOAR! Hall of Fame (i.e. organizing a panel to vote or some other system or creating fun categories that I missed below, etc.) email us today!  (soar@merakoh.com with the SUBJECT TITLE: SOAR! Hall of Fame). My plate is crazy full,right now, but if any of you feel inspired to run with this idea, it would be great.  And we would love to help support you in making this happen!  Below are some suggested categories, but feel free to brainstorm something more!

SOAR! 2009 Hall of Fame

1. Most Creative

2. Most Hilarious

3. Most Daring

4. Most Inspirational

5. Most Entertaining

6. Most Confident Video Presence

7. Most Heart Warming

8. Best Video Editing

9.  Best Photography

10. All Around BEST SOAR! 2009 Video

p,s. The SOAR! Forum is also in the works!  I can’t wait!  2010 is going to be our year ladies!  Sorry about no photo today.  We are racing the clock, but never fear, Mamabloo is coming tomorrow to the rescue with one of my favorite Photocoaching Tips for Kids and Adults!

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Okay friends, the countdown has started.  Next Monday, December 21st, is the DEADLINE for our SOAR! Scholarship!  We want to spread the word to as many people as possible.  To help make that happen…I am throwing in two incentives!  :)   Any great parent understands the power of incentives, and since the SOAR! Scholarship is my baby…you bet I’m going to parent the heck out of it! 

I am giving away a $100 Gift Certificate to AMAZON and a set of our Award Winning DVDs, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box, to ONE lucky winner this week!…Friday actually! Who can’t use an extra $100 in their Holiday Shopping budget!  Right!

By entering, you will have a chance to get your name entered into a hat COUNTLESS times by completing as many of the following tasks as you can.

To enter, send ONE email with the subject “I SUPPORT SOAR!” to soar@merakoh.com listing which items you have completed with documentation as needed (photos, links to your blog, etc.)

Deadline to enter (i.e. Send us your email with which tasks you completed) will be this Thursday, at Midnight PST!  The winner will be announced Friday!

 

One Entry (For each item on the list your name will be entered once)

-Leave a comment on my blog this week and type the words “I SUPPORT SOAR!” at the end of the comment

-Add me as a friend on Facebook (you get one already if you already have:)

-Become a fan on the brand new Me Ra Koh Fan Page on FB, and post a comment with the phrase “I SUPPORT SOAR!” in it.

-Follow merakoh on Twitter

-Twitter about the SOAR! Scholarship with #SOAR in your status update (you can even more points if you Twitter every day between now and Thursday!)

-Post a status update on your Facebook page about the SOAR! Scholarship Deadline on Monday, December 21st with a link to the SOAR! website

-Email five friends, telling them about the SOAR! Scholarship AND our Newsletter (including the opportunity to win a Sony DSLR by signing up), include a link to the SOAR! website and our blog (www.merakohblog.com) for the Newsletter!

-Post a comment on the SOAR! website, underneath my video, and include “I SUPPORT SOAR!” in your comment!

 

Two Entries (For each item on the list your name will be entered twice)

-Email ten MORE friends, telling them about the SOAR! Scholarship and our Newsletter (including the opportunity to win a Sony DSLR by signing up), include a link to the SOAR! website and our blog (www.merakohblog.com) for the Newsletter!

-Write a (positive :) ) review at our www.refusetosaycheese.com site for any one of our products. CLICK HERE to see all products!

-Twitter this review with a link to our www.refusetosaycheese.com site.

-Twitter about SOAR! every day between now and Thursday with #SOAR included.   

-Twitter your reviews (see below) once a day between now and Thursday with #SonyMom included!  

 

Five Entries  (For each item on the list your name will be entered FIVE times!)

-Write and post a blog about the SOAR! Scholarship that mentions the courageous SOAR! Video Entries on the website, and why you believe in soaring!  AND, link to my website and the SOAR! website (make sure to include the links in your email to us)

-Write and post a blog review about our Award Winning DVDs, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box and link to our website and store!  If you haven’t purchased our Award Winning DVDs, and you want to take advantage of these points, you can order the download version by CLICKING HERE! 

 

Ten Entries!  (yes TEN!)

-Purchase any one of our Refuse to Say Cheese products (DVDs, 101 Kits, Women’s T-shirts, Baby Onsies, etc.) OR any one of our products on the Top Ten Stocking Stuffers blog post, before this Thursday (at midnight PST) and you will earn TEN ENTRIES!  Be sure to copy and paste your receipt in your “I SUPPORT SOAR!” email.  If you already purchased one of the sexy, Sony DSLR copper brown cameras—just copy and paste your receipt. 

 

We will track your specific number of entries from the ONE email you send us!  Be sure to make your subject line says “I SUPPORT SOAR!” 

 

Need inspiration today?  If yes, look no further!  The SOAR! website has some amazing Video Entries that you can see live!  Check them out today!

 

Still in process of making your SOAR! Video? 

We noticed that we have HUNDREDS of SOAR! Applications but only 30 plus SOAR! Video  Entries.  Your application will only qualify if you submit your SOAR! video too.  Gets those videos in ladies! 

 

Couple quick Video Tips from the judges and MORE FAQ:

1.  It’s most ideal to have YOU speaking in your video.  There is going to be a lot of video blogging in the next SOAR! year, and the panel of judges want to see how you hold yourself on video.  You don’t have to be perfect by any means, but to see you give it your best shot is gold. 

2.  If you’d like to redo your video, GO FOR IT!  Just re-upload a new video and let us know that you’d like to switch it out.   CLICK HERE to upload your video!

3.  A panel of hand picked judges will pick the THREE winners for SOAR!  They will base their decision on two things; Your Video Submission and Your COMPLETE SOAR! Application.  

4.  Winners will be announced on January 1st 2010!

5.  Click Here to SOAR! 

 

Coming up tomorrow!  I can’t wait for tomorrow’s blog post!  We are going to share one mom’s story of what happened when she tried my Christmas Tree Photo Tips!  :)    You’ll get to not only hear the story but see all the Photo Tips for yourself! 

And later this week, you get to meet Sony’s Director of Marketing!  To show Sony’s support for SOAR!, the Director of Marketing made a video for our SOAR! Partners page!  Goes live this week!

Pray for our SOAR! Blog Tour this week!  Brian and I donated a Blog Tour to SOAR! that will reach 200K mommy bloggers in the next several days!

 

Okay, that is it for Monday!  (phew!)  We’ve got a BIG week ahead of us!  Send us your “I Support SOAR!” emails, and let’s spread some inspiration!

xoxoxo,

Me Ra

p.s. Thank you Crystal Garcia for this fantastic Contest/Entries idea!  You are beautiful woman, wife, mother, friend and sister, and your work is beautiful too.  We are so thankful for you and Brian!

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Christmas lights went up this weekend in our neighborhood. We even got our first Christmas card! Eeks! I’m still finishing off our pumpkin pie! I’m not ready for the holidays to be official! Are you? You know what, I don’t think it matters if we’re ready. I think the holidays are here whether we’re prepared or not. So let’s form a circle! Gather in! :) We must support each other! I’ll support you tossing the leftover pumpkin pie as I make room for the eggnog. I’ll support you buying your own stocking stuffers b/c let’s face it, Santa doesn’t stuff our stockings the way mom did. So here we go ladies and gents; this is my Top Ten Stocking Stuffers for the Photo Enthusiast whether you are a beginner or pro!

I admit, you need a BIG stocking for #1. But it’s so worth it! The moment we’ve been waiting for is finally here!

#1 Me Ra’s Sexy Copper Brown, Sony a330 DSLR Camera and Lens!

Price: $549.99 BUY HERE!

Family Circle magazine highlighted this Copper Brown DSLR in their Favorite Holiday Electronic Picks! Check it out on the newsstands this month! And remember, the secret Sony trip we made this summer? We were filming a revised DVD for them called Kids in Focus. I’ll blog about that amazing experience more later. But here is the coolest news, when you purchase your new Sony Alpha DSLR, Sony will include a copy of our newly released Kids in Focus DVD! Exclusively available at Sony Style stores and Sony.com! If you get it, you must PROMISE to send me a photo of yourself with your sexy, new camera!

#2 The Buttery, Background 50mm f/1.8 lens.

Price: $149, BUY HERE!

I love this lens b/c it gives you the low fstop ability to create buttery, blurry backgrounds! FYI, all the images, shot live, for the Kids in Focus DVD were captured with the Sony a330 DSLR and 50mm lens! And believe me, I pushed the camera and lens abilities to the limits, and they both blew my expectations out of the water!

#3 NEW Refuse to Say Cheese Organic Cotton Baby Onesies w/ FOUR Colors to Choose from!

Price $24 Holiday Special $19.20 till 12/4!

Coupon: stockingstuffer BUY HERE!

Style 1

Style 2

Photography Printed Onsies for Babies

I’ve been wanting to make Refuse to Say Cheese onesies forever! Aren’t they sweet! They are by far one of my favorite Stocking Stuffers! We even have two styles to choose from for the little ones. Sizes range from 6-18 months. And the boys versions are green onesies with the brown camera!

#4 Can’t forget about Mom! NEW Refuse to Say Cheese Women’s American Apparel T-shirts!

Price $29.99 Holiday Special $ till 12/4!

Coupon: stockingstuffer BUY HERE!

Style 1

Photography Printed Tshirts for Women

Style 2

Photography Printed Tshirts for Women

You asked for them, and we got them just in time for the holidays! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!!!

#5 Our Award Winning Instructional DVD Set.

Price $ 49.99 Holiday Special $39.99 till 12/4!

Coupon: stockingstuffer BUY HERE!

Instructional Photography DVDs w/Me Ra Koh

Fox News recommended the DVD set on TV as a top Holiday pick! NAPPA gave the DVD set their prestigious Gold Award! Sony’s new Kids in Focus DVD was inspired from this DVD set. And thousands of customers have emailed us their praise for Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box! What are you waiting for!

#6 The Sony External Flash for a price that’s hard to BEAT!

Price $129.99 BUY HERE!

I love this little flash because it solves the red eye and black cave problem in seconds. With this flash, you can point it toward the ceiling and bounce the light. Bouncing the light gets rid of all the red eye, and your kids don’t look like they are climbing out of black caves. It’s light weight, easy to snap on, and the price is pretty amazing!

#7 The BEST Photo Editing Software EVER: Adobe’s Lightroom 2.

Price $169.99 BUY HERE!

We do ALL our photo editing with Adobe’s Lightroom. I could sing Lightroom praises for hours. This software has made photo editing ten times faster. When you have little ones running around, fast post process is a BIG deal. Lightroom is super intuitive and Dynamic with a capital D! Ask other users, they will confirm what I’m saying.

#8 Stop Reinventing the Wheel with our Popular 101 Kits!

Price: $99, Holiday Price $79.20 till 12/4!

Coupon: stockingstuffer BUY HERE!

Essential Nuts and Bolts for Photography Business

Do you want to stay up all night trying to reinvent the wheel on starting a photography business? Or, do you wish that someone did the research for you and just shared it all with you? I SHARE IT ALL in our popular 101 Kits. You’ll receive photo release waivers, marketing tips, package pricing, and much more. Just read the reviews when you click to buy now! We’ve received hundreds of HAPPY emails from customers! And when you buy two 101 Kits, you get an even better deal. Our Portrait 101 and Wedding 101 Kits are the most popular!

#9 Chic jill-e Camera Bags that will make Her Giddy!

Price: $24.99 to $384.99 BUY HERE!

extraordinary Pro camera bags by jill-e designs deliver function and fashion

My girlfriend Carey bought me a Jill-e Camera Bag for my birthday a couple years ago. Love it! Love it! You can’t beat the classiness of these camera bags for women (and they’ve got some pretty hip ones for men too–Brian approves! :) )

#10! Me Ra’s best resource for Artistic Inspiration: The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity-10th Anniversary Edition.

Price: $26.40 BUY HERE!

If your creativity needs to be inspired, this book is for you. There are endless exercises that jog your creativity, whether it’s tackling fears, beliefs we have regarding our worthiness to create, you name it, this book tackles it! It is my Bible when it comes to creative inspiration. You’ve heard me quote it several times, why not treat yourself or someone you love to their own copy!

_________________________

You have it friends! Our Top Ten Stocking Stuffers for the Photo Enthusiast! If your purchasing a product from our store (tshirts, onsies, DVDs, 101 kits) remember to use the Coupon: stockingstuffers. This Coupon will give you 20% off until this Friday, December 4th!

Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

Me Ra

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The weekend was a mix of resting, laughing and crying. My business coach has warned me several times about the aftermath I feel when a workshop has ended. I can’t help it. I’m a super emotional being, and when Brian and I spend the weekend pouring all our emotion and energy into the lovely, amazing women who attend our workshops–I usually have an emotional crash when it’s all said and done. I think touring the Smithsonian delayed this crash because boy, did it ever come.

But the toughest part is not the emotional crash. The toughest part is what I choose to believe in the moment. For instance, this weekend I did a handful of things to soak up “being home”. I rode my bike to the grocery store (and bought a bouquet of flowers for my basket just because). I took a nap in the middle of the day on Saturday. (I rarely nap.) I got the new homeschool curriculum organized. I was feeling good, even great at times. And then on Sunday later afternoon the tears came without warning. I slid down the fridge and just cried on the kitchen floor. No real reason. Just needed to cry. (anyone feel me out there?). I struggled with judging myself in that moment. ‘What a horrible mom I was being? How selfish? How this, How that. All things that don’t involve grace for myself. When in fact, tears are often a good sign for me, cleansing. But for some reason, I felt disappointment with myself.

I think I felt disappointment because I feel vulnerable these days–a little more vulnerable than I’m used to feeling. If you’ve read this blog for more than a week, you know that I’m pretty self disclosing. Heck, if you’re reading today’s blog you know that. But there are shifts in the air. Shifts in the weather, shifts in our family routine, shifts in our business-some bigger than I have had experience with. And the question that lurks behind all the shifts are “Will these shifts fail on us? Will we fail the shift? Will we come out on the other side fulfilled and glad we took the risks or feel the exact opposite?”

Aside from the shifts in the weather, I feel very invested in all the shifting around me. Brian and I put our heart into a creative family makeup where homeschooling, family life and traveling somehow work together (some days being better than others). We also put our heart into our dreams and our business. I have a dream ladies–a big dream. I want my own TV show. I want a show that reaches out to women and mixes photography and inspiration. I’ve even spent the last several weeks writing a 40 page TV Treatment proposal. It’s amazing how you find pockets of time on the airplane, or late at night when everyone is in bed, hammering the words out, hammering your dreams out–and how it all somehow energizes you.

I’m submitting the Treatment, putting the feelers out. And all this makes me feel naked in an open field. When you put your heart into anything, it seems the fear of failure only grows by the second. So what do you do? Where do you go when your aware of the fear more than the excitement? How do you escape the judge that sits on your shoulder, while you cry on the kitchen floor, telling you that your in no shape to ever have your own TV show?

I have a stack of books on my writing desk. They are a collection of my favorite authors over the years. Last night, I found myself going back to their words and their wisdom. I stumbled upon an excerpt that I thought you’d enjoy too. The book is called Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’engle (author of A Wrinkle in Time). I had the privilege of taking a workshop from her. She has since passed away, and she will never know how much her honesty has impacted my life over the years. In this excerpt she writes about having her book The Lost Innocent rejected again;

“This (the rejection) seemed an obvious sign from heaven. I should stop trying to write. All during the decade of my thirties I went through spasms of guilt because I spent so much time writing, because I wasn’t like a good New England housewife and mother. When I scrubbed the kitchen floor, the family cheered. I couldn’t make a decent pie crust. I always managed to get something red in with the white laundry in the washing machine, so that everybody wore streaky pink underwear. And with all the hours I spent writing. I was still not pulling my own weight financially.

So the rejection on the my fortieth birthday seemed an unmistakable command: Stop this foolishness and learn to make cherry pie.

I covered the typewriter in a great gesture of renunciation. Then I walked around and around the room, bawling my head off. I was totally, unutterable miserable.

Suddenly I stopped, because I realized what my subconscious mind was doing while I was sobbing: my subconscious mind was busy working out a novel about failure.

I uncovered the typewriter. In my journal I recorded this moment of decision, for that’s what it was. I had to write. I had no choice in the matter. It was not up to me to say I would stop, because I could not. It didn’t matter how small or inadequate my talent. If I never had another book published, and it was very clear to me that this was a real possibility, I still had to go on writing.

I’m glad I made this decision in the moment of failure. It’s easy to say you’re a writer when things are going well. When the decision is made in the abyss, then it is quite clear that it is not one’s own decision at all.”

Madeleine L’engle knew she had to write. I know I am meant to dream big. Ever since I was little, despite the many pains of my childhood, I knew I was meant to shoot for what others might say is impossible. The tears on the kitchen floor don’t get to weigh in as evidence of this being true or not. The decision was made long ago in my own abyss. I just needed a tearful, cleansing reminder of it.

Thanks for reading today friends. Today I feel selfish because I feel like I’m using your listening ear to process this next step. Today I feel grateful for you listening. Does this resonate with any of you and the season of life that you are in?

xix, Me Ra

p.s. To all my Minneapolis women…counting the days! xix

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Tomorrow we will announce the beautiful Running on Empty Winner for the upcoming Minneapolis Workshop. Thank you so much for all your submissions.

Do you live on the West Coast? We are kicking off 2010 with a CONFIDENCE workshop in Seattle! The November Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is already sold out, but we have spots for the January Workshop! CLICK HERE to get your spot!!

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series are now AWARD WINNING! Read the press release HERE ! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and , and our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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Wow ladies! Are you ready to kick off the FIRST CONFIDENCE workshop for 2010?! Brian and I are excited to open the Early Bird Registration for the Seattle CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop for Women, coming to you on January 16th and 17th! If you know your ready to sign up, CLICK HERE to register!

Seattle CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop for Women w/ Me Ra Koh

Commit to a New Year’s Resolution today! Why not?! If you are in need of a weekend with women, full of laughs, and creative inspiration with your camera, the Seattle CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop is for you! It’s just in time to give you CONFIDENCE with your camera and prepped for a new year of photographing your family for the holidays, vacations, playing in the snow, inside on those horrible, rainy days with all the low lighting, (if your from the Pacific Northwest, you KNOW what I mean!). And don’t forget about those pets! We’re going to cover it all!

Ladies, we are going to be READY for an awesome 2010 of photography! All levels are welcome! Topic details are below! But first, to give you a window into what our workshops look like, check out the trailer here by clicking the PLAY arrow button!

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION STARTS TODAY and last TWO WEEKS!

FAQ: (if we don’t answer your specific question here, email Genie direct at genie@merakoh.com )

Question: What is the Early Bird Registration?

Answer: If you register between today and October 1st (that’s two weeks), you get to pay the Early Bird fee of $799 instead of $999! Pretty great savings for all of you who jump on board fast! After October 1st, the registration goes back up to the normal price of $999. But we must warn you to not wait until October 1st. The last CONFIDENCE Workshop was sold out by the end of the first day for Early Bird! To take advantage of the Early Bird Registration, REGISTER HERE!!!

WHEN? January 16th and 17th 2010, All Day Saturday and Sunday

TIME? An optional Continental Breakfast is served at 9:15am, and then we jump into the workshop by 9:30am. Each day will finish around 6pm. (But we have been known to get excited and not stop on time. So see if you can stay late if that happens again. :) )

WHERE? The BEAUTIFUL Gallery space at Hotel Murano . We are going to use this incredible gallery as our creative space to learn, grow, be inspired, and create!

MEALS:

FRIDAY MEET AND GREET: One of the things I LOVE most about doing the Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is that we get to host the Meet and Greet at our home. Brian and I would like to invite you and your spouse into the privacy of our home for our special Meet and Greet. We’re going to have wine and appetizers, and a lot of laughs. The Meet and Greet will be from 7-9pm. Our purpose is to give you a chance to connect with other women attendees and begin to feel welcome, safe and inspired. We have our work all over the walls, so it will be fun to share with you some of our personal photography.

BREAKFAST: A continental breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt and pastries will be served both mornings at the Gallery. So feel free to show up at 9am to grab a plate of yummies before we start the day. We’ll also have coffee and tea waiting for you.

LUNCHES: Both lunches on Saturday and Sunday will also be catered for us. If you are a vegetarian or have any food allergies, be sure to email us so we can accommodate you. No problems, we are happy too! No one can be more work than our Gluten-Free, Dairy Free diets. Brother!

SATURDAY DINNER: This dinner is optional for our attendees, but we would love to have you join us! You are invited to a group dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Details to follow upon registration.

WHERE TO STAY: The Hotel Murano has been highlighted and raved about in Fortune, Conde Nast, Sunset and USA Today. Every floor features a glass sculpturist and their work. There is beautiful glass art at every turn. You can’t help but be inspired by the environment. And, the greatest thing is they are WONDERFUL to work with. Our contact there, told us to have our attendees email her direct for a discounted room rate (around $149). Once you’ve registered, Genie will email you all the contact details to get your room set up. FYI, you are also within walking distance to several restaurants, art galleries and the famous Chihuly Museum of Glass. Plus, the Hotel Murano has a pillow menu! You can choose from six different types of pillows. Can you beat that? :)

DAY ONE TOPICS:

True to this workshop, time tested (and approved :) ), we are excited to start the day with understanding the mechanics of your camera and learning about indoor lighting so you can capture shots of your loved ones in difficult lighting. The second half of the day will be hands on CONFIDENCE building as we process a FULL morning.

DAY TWO TOPICS:

Day Two will pick up where we left off. We’re going to continue to demystify tough lighting and camera settings. We’ll also walk you through our Post Process steps as we demonstrate lightroom, turning images to black and white, editing, what’s the difference between a JPG and RAW image, etc. Depending on the groups interest, we’ll talk about the in’s and out’s of starting your own side business too. (But this depends on the needs of the group.) We’re also going to cover the question of what to do with your images? Are stock photography options available to you, what is the bottom line of blogging, and where should you have your work printed and why?

The BEST part that everyone always loves the most is the models! We’ll also have models join us (both adults and kids), so you can practice EVERY THING we’ve been teaching you. And true to our workshops, we’ll sprinkle our time with creative exercises and inspiration that make our weekend so special.

By the end of our weekend, you will be filled with CONFIDENCE, refreshed, inspired, and possibly shooting in Manuel like it’s nobody’s business. (I promise, shooting in Manuel is way easier than people make it sound, but one step at a time.)

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

1. You can pay the whole balance at once. If you are taking advantage of the Early Bird Registration, you must pay the whole $799 at once before 10/1/09.

2. You can make a retainer (non-refundable fee) of $650 to reserve your seat. The remaining balance of $350 (total is $999) must be paid in full 14 days before the workshop date. You can pay by check or credit card at our e-store (the fastest way to ensure a reserved seat for yourself!). If you’d like to pay the Retainer of $650 to reserve your seat, you’ll need to use the word RESERVE as your coupon code when registering. Call us if you have any questions at 253-468-8913.

NEED HELP CONVINCING THE HUBBY?

If you need help coming up with ways to convince your hubby, check out Brian and Jeramy’s Top 12 Reasons for a Husband to Send His Wife to a CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop. You and your husband will crack up, and comments from other husbands are even FUNNIER! CLICK HERE!

REFUNDS & CANCELLATION POLICY:

Our policy is to not accept refunds. Due to the costs of holding a workshop, we must pay many of our workshop expenses months ahead of time. If you must cancel due to unforeseen problems, depending on your reason for canceling, your tuition may be considered as a credit for a future workshop. Thank you for understanding!

WHAT DO PAST ATTENDEES SAY ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP? To read what the last Seattle Workshop Attendees said, CLICK HERE!

Jen from Seattle, WA wrote; I know how these workshops can change your life…it did mine! MeRa and Brian were my inspiration…Thank you … you all are doing such greatness in this world!

Jeramy (husband of a wife who attended twice) from CA wrote; if you are reading this post and are on the fence about going to this workshop…or wondering if it’s really worth it….let me just tell you about my experience. my beautiful bride went to the Sonoma workshop last year with me ra and brian…and it changed her life. like so many women, she struggles with self-doubt and insecurities…coupled with strong passions and desire to create things of great worth. the magic of this workshop will help you see that YOU ARE special and can do anything it is that you want to do, if you just set your mind to it. there is limitless potential in you all…and if you have ever wondered how to get it out….sign up for this workshop and you’ll see. you will never be the same again.

Marianne from Seattle, WA wrote;
This was the BEST day I’ve had in a long time…it was so nice to wade through and be challenged, laugh along the way, conquer a fear, and leave wanting more. What a day! I can’t thank you enough!

Kari from Seattle wrote; Me Ra takes the camera apart and puts it back together in a way that actually makes sense! Prepare to laugh, learn, and walk away inspired!

Julie from Seattle, WA wrote; As a past workshop attendee…It WILL change your life and how you see yourself.

Allison from Virginia wrote; I can tell you with total honesty that this will be a life changing time for you all. Just soak it all in and throw yourselves in wholeheartedly and you will come away with SO MUCH!!

WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR?

This workshop is for women only. It is a workshop that is meant to inspire women, and at the same time help them understand their cameras. Coming from a Masters degree in teaching, Me Ra and Brian bring a number of teaching strategies to the workshop so every woman walks away with CONFIDENCE in using her camera. But this workshop is more than a photography workshop. True to their reputation and the testimonies you’ve read, Brian and Me Ra have a heart to bring inspiration, encouragement and vision to women. They will make you laugh so hard your side will be aching. And then be prepared because their stories may bring tears too. Me Ra and Brian have a goal to refresh women, build their CONFIDENCE and help them capture the photos they want. But not only help women shoot better photos, but also, having the understanding behind HOW they got their favorite photos so they can replicate the lighting again and again.

OUR PROMISE:

We promise to have lots and lots of stories, laughs and possibly a few tears at this workshop-all signature elements to a Me Ra Koh Workshop!

Can’t wait to see you all for another awesome CONFIDENCE workshop!

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to email Genie ( genie@merakoh.com) for any and all questions. Genie keeps me up to date on all questions as we travel for wedding season. She is truly my “little Genie”! If you need help with booking your hotel, understanding the area, flights, payment options, shoot her an email!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? CLICK HERE to register today and make her Christmas and New Year AMAZING!!

BIO for Me Ra Koh Photography, Inc.:

Me Ra and Brian are a husband/wife photography team. Their business is diversified into several powerful ways. They travel worldwide shooting high end weddings together. They teach photography workshops for women across the country. Their workshops often sell out, and attendees describe them as “inspiring, life changing” weekends. In 2008, Me Ra and Brian scripted and produced a DVD series called, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box. This homegrown DVD series has caught the eye of large corporations, and in March 2009, the series won the prestigious NAPPA GOLD award for the Best New DVD for Parents! Their DVDS are accompanied by other award winning photography products to help budding businesses get off the ground (see www.refusetosaycheese.com). In 2008, Me Ra was asked to represent women photographers in the iconic role for Sony as an Artisan of Imagery. This accepted invitation is a huge honor. The high end magazine, Wedding Style by Grace Ormonde, has called Me Ra and Brian a Master of Their Craft. Their work has been published in several nationwide magazines. They have also been spotlighted on VH1, Martha Stewart and Oprah! Me Ra, having a published writing background, dedicates two hours a day to writing her daily blog so women can find photography tips, inspiration and confidence. To follow her blog, along with thousands of other readers, visit www.merakohblog.com.

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Want to learn more about REFUSE TO SAY CHEESE? Check out our Award Winning DVD set, Refuse to Say Cheese and ,or discover our popular 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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Can I just say that I feel incredibly blessed this week with work! I get to laugh with all of you and your husbands on Tuesday, read sweet emails from you yesterday about your excitement for the Seattle CONFIDENCE Wkshp (we SOLD OUT by the end of the day!), and then feature an amazing mom today as I head to LA for a special Mom Event. I can’t think of better women to spend my time with, especially inspiring ones like Lora! She shared so much good info and honest experience in today’s interview, Lora even included an image from her first paid photo shoot (see below). Isn’t that great of her!

Your going to love this new Amazing Mom interview! With great excitement, I’d love for you to all meet Lora Ayers!

Lora Ayers

1. When did you start your business and what was the turning point of taking it from a hobby to a business of charging people and putting up a website?

Last June I received an email from a distant friend with a photography website link – I spent hours looking at her pictures. I’ve always enjoyed art and thought my husband/kids were all I needed to be happy, but now I was completely inspired to do more! My friend also gave me a list of other photographer’s blogs to check out. I found Me Ra’s blog and fell in love! I started with the very first blog post and read every single one of her posts. Based on a past Christmas wish list post from Me Ra’s blog, I decided to buy a used Canon 30D. I had no idea how to use the buttons and dials, so I took a starter class at a technical school. I was on my way!

Next I chose to purchase Me Ra’s Portrait 101 Kit, which is what gave me the know-how to transition a love for photography into a photography business.

Portrait 101 Kit for Starting a Photography Business

Her Portrait 101 Kit is packed with all kinds of important information that you need to get your business up and running – including Me Ra’s story and how she got started. I was encouraged to start shooting at a price I was comfortable with and to begin blogging. All my camera had was a kit lens, so I rented an 85mm f1.8 lens and started calling some of my pregnant friends to do maternity/newborn photos. I posted some of the pictures on my blog and then sent an email out to friends and family to let them know about my newfound passion. The turning point for my business was after someone scheduled a paid session last October. She was very influential and sent EVERYONE to my blog to see her pictures because she loved them so much. This resulted in a stream of paid clients that keep booking me (mostly through word of mouth) today!

2. What inspires your photography?

It sounds so simple, but the first thing I think of is raw emotion. Whether it is a newly engaged couple,

Lora Ayers Photography

a family with a new baby, or a dad’s joy (and sadness) while dancing with his daughter on her wedding day,

Lora Ayers

I want to capture all kinds of emotional moments that will transport people to that place/time/feeling.

3. What inspires you as a person, artist?

There has always been a part of me that loved to create, but most of all, I love having fun and making others happy.

Lora Ayers Photography

I’m not sure how this fits in, but I have always been inspired by people who have gone through extreme circumstances and/or challenges, both physical and emotional, and have still been able to imagine and achieve their dreams.

I can’t separate my personal and artistic inspiration; maybe I’ll learn how to do that in an upcoming Me Ra blog post!

4. What made you decide to do photography as more than a hobby? What was your turning point?

I bought my first DSLR days after falling in love with photography. From the beginning, I had my heart set on starting a business. The biggest turning point was when I followed Me Ra’s advice in the Portrait 101 kit and started a blog. My friends and family did most of my marketing by sending complete strangers there to check out my work! :)

5. What are the classes/workshops/DVDs that you’ve watched to teach yourself photography? Were they helpful?

I have learned so much from Me Ra’s blog… seriously! From big decisions, like which camera to buy, to smaller tips and tricks; even how to do a family session and bark like a dog, which I do often. I haven’t had too many moms barking yet because usually they are in the photos or too shy, so it’s left to ME! “Ruff! Ruff!”

Scott Kelby’s books are great for Photoshop, and I purchased Kevin Kubota’s RAW Workflow for Lightroom DVD.

Kevin Kubota

Those items have helped me tremendously, but when I couldn’t find something or needed a quick answer, Google was always there to lend a hand.

Another extremely helpful thing is when I met a good friend on Me Ra’s blog. Ali won a photo contest for the “wet dog” picture, so I emailed her and we’ve been friends ever since. She had started a photography business and was willing to share her experiences with me. I’ve called her for advice and encouragement several times and she has helped me to get where I am today. I appreciate her so much. (Hi Ali!)

6. What is one piece of marketing advice that you can give our newbies? (something that you did to get your name out there)

My best advice is to get a blog and/or Facebook presence, shoot something/anything, and post often. I just booked a wedding

Lora Ayers Photography

with someone who saw my Facebook fan-page, and the coolest thing is that you can tag your clients and then all their friends will end up coming to your page and possibly become new fans. The best part is that most online marketing is FREE. Another piece of advice is to find a photographer who will let you tag along on one of their shoots or weddings to help (anyway you can – hold stuff, pose people, or maybe even second shoot). Doing this gave me so much confidence.

7. What was your first “paid” shoot like? How did you feel on the way, during and after?

My first paid – non-family/friend – shoot went pretty well. It was a family of four with two preschoolers.

Lora Ayers Photography

I was very nervous while driving to meet them at their house, and I followed them to different locations that THEY had picked out. The first one happened to be on a golf course, so we had to hurry because golfers were waiting on us! Can you imagine?! It is my first paid shoot and there are golfers rushing me… AAAH! It got better toward the end when everyone (myself included) started to relax and have fun. I loved capturing them rolling around in the fall leaves and playing together. Afterwards, I kept stopping the car to review the photos, because I couldn’t relax until I knew there were some good shots in there. The clients looked at their photos later that week and loved them! As their positive comments poured in, so did the self-assurance that I had been missing.

8. What is the best and toughest part about doing this while being a mom and wife at the same time?

The best part is working at home during the week and being available whenever my family needs me. When it’s time for a shoot on the weekends, I take off and it’s “Daddy Duty.” I love getting out of the house and being creative, and my husband and kids have that special time together, so it works out great!

The toughest part is that I have to choose between things I love. When I’m on my computer editing, I’m thinking of my two year-old bored in the next room. I feel the drive to be better and learn more, but finding the time ‘to become’ means that something else suffers (usually housework – maid, anyone?!). My life’s dream of being a wife/mother now has to blend with my passion for photography.

Lora Ayers Photography

9. What is one piece of advice you’d give to newbies?

Sorry, I couldn’t pick… I have 2 pieces of advice:

#1 – Shoot A LOT! When I first started shooting friends and family I made so many mistakes, but I learned so much. Every time I gave it a go, I would learn something new.

#2 – Connect with people who share your passion. I can’t say enough about how much it has helped me to make ‘photog’ friends, and most of them are out of state. With the Internet and cell phones, it’s possible to connect with anyone.

Last thoughts…
I just wanted to add that I am a woman who has dealt with a fear of rejection all my life. I usually made up for it by being extremely bubbly, or others may say “the life of the party”. I never had enough confidence to pursue a career whole heartedly for fear of failing. Whenever I thought of possibilities for my future, my past failures and my fear of rejection were there to stop me. I thought that by being the best mother I could be that I had reached my potential, I never allowed myself to think any further than that. When I look back at how photography came into my life, and how I had a dream and went after it without hesitation, I am really amazed and proud of myself. Finally I let go and pursued something that I wanted so badly, and I didn’t let my “junk” get in the way.

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Lora sent me the last paragraph of her interview a couple days later than the rest. When I read it, I was so inspired. Lora, it took so much courage to share your own struggles with rejection, but you have no idea how many people will be blessed by that last paragraph of raw honesty. Thank you so much for not only the last paragraph, but ALL your wonderful thoughts and beautiful images. I still can’t get over you and Ali meeting through the comments on this blog. I LOVE hearing those kinds of stories! And I’m so glad the blog has been a source of inspiration for you. It means the world to hear that. Thank you for all your time and sharing your passion with such an open heart!

Lora has never been to a CONFIDENCE Workshop, but I was thrilled when I heard how much our Portrait 101 Kit helped her business. In honor of Lora’s great interview, Brian and I thought it’d be fun to offer our readers a 20% discount today on our Portrait 101 Kit. We’ve had so many people tell us this 101 Kit made their day! To take advantage of it, CLICK HERE , and when you check out enter the Coupon Code AMAZINGMOM. Enjoy!

To see more of Lora’s beautiful work, click LORA’S WEBSITE!

To order your own copy of our Award Winning DVDs, see below!

I also invite you to ask Lora your questions in the comments. I know she would love to hear your thoughts!

Much love from my office 35K ft in the air, Me Ra

p.s. Check out the last three Amazing Mom features? If so, check them out here!

1. Interview w/ Leslie Webber from Indianapolis, Indiana!

2. Interview w/ Michelle Riddle from Santa Cruz, CA!

3. Interview w/Tracie Stier-Johnson from Milwaukee, Wisconsin!

A new one to come next week! :)

p.s.s. AND, would you like to be featured on our blog too?

If you have attended our workshop, purchased one of our five 101 Kits , or watched our DVDs, and feel like your life has taken a new and wonderful turn for the better, then please send me an email at mera@merakoh.com . I will send you directions on how to be featured. We can’t promise to feature everyone, but I want to do this type of blog post more and more. Hundreds of people have sent us the most amazing emails regarding our workshops and DVDs impacting their life, their before and after photos, their revived passion; I would love for all of you to hear those stories!

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The SEATTLE CONFIDENCE Workshop SOLD OUT last night! Wow, that was lightning fast! But we still have a few spots left in the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE Workshop! The Minneapolis seats are the only spots left for a 2009 CONFIDENCE Workshop. To grab one, CLICK HERE !

Want to learn more about Framing, Composition, Blurry Backgrounds and Lighting? Check out our Award Winning DVDs, Refuse to Say Cheese and (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), or discover our popular 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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Our Last Stomping Ground Workshop for 2009!

We’ve decided to end the 2009 CONFIDENCE workshops with a BANG! We’re back in Seattle, on our stomping ground and SUPER excited! WOO HOO!!! If you’ve been needing a CHRISTMAS IDEA for your hubbie’s, how does a weekend with women, cameras, laughter, tears and creative inspiration sound?!

We are going to have our Women’s Photography Workshop in Seattle area on November 14th and 15th 2009! It’s just in time to get you acquainted with your camera and prepped for a new year of photographing your family for the holidays, vacations, playing in the snow, inside on those horrible, rainy days with all the low lighting, (if your from the Pacific Northwest, you KNOW what I mean!). And don’t forget about those pets! We’re going to cover it all!

Ladies, we are going to be READY for an awesome winter of photography! All levels are welcome! Topic details are below! But first, to give you a window into what our workshops look like, check out the trailer here by clicking the PLAY arrow button!

Early Bird Registration starts today!

Question: What is the Early Bird Registration?

Answer: If you register between today and September 23rd (that’s two weeks), you get to pay the Early Bird fee of $799 instead of $999! Pretty great savings for all of you who jump on board fast! After September 23rd, the registration goes back up to the normal price of $999. To take advantage of the Early Bird Registration, REGISTER HERE!!!

WHEN? November 14th and 15th 2009, All Day Saturday and Sunday

TIME? An optional Continental Breakfast is served at 9:15am, and then we jump into the workshop by 9:30am. Each day will finish around 6pm. (But we have been known to get excited and not stop on time. So see if you can stay late if that happens again. :) )

WHERE? The BEAUTIFUL Gallery space at Hotel Murano . We are going to use this incredible gallery as our creative space to learn, grow, be inspired, and create!

MEALS:

FRIDAY MEET AND GREET: One of the things I LOVE most about doing the Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is that we get to host the Meet and Greet at our home. Brian and I would like to invite you and your spouse into the privacy of our home for our special Meet and Greet. We’re going to have wine and appetizers, and a lot of laughs. The Meet and Greet will be from 7-9pm. Our purpose is to give you a chance to connect with other women attendees and begin to feel welcome, safe and inspired. We have our work all over the walls, so it will be fun to share with you some of our personal photography.

BREAKFAST: A continental breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt and pastries will be served both mornings at the Gallery. So feel free to show up at 9am to grab a plate of yummies before we start the day. We’ll also have coffee and tea waiting for you.

LUNCHES: Both lunches on Saturday and Sunday will also be catered for us. If you are a vegetarian or have any food allergies, be sure to email us so we can accommodate you. No problems, we are happy too! No one can be more work than our Gluten-Free, Dairy Free diets. Brother!

SATURDAY DINNER: This dinner is optional for our attendees, but we would love to have you join us! You are invited to a group dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Details to follow upon registration.

WHERE TO STAY: The Hotel Murano has been highlighted and raved about in Fortune, Conde Nast, Sunset and USA Today. Every floor features a glass sculpturist and their work. There is beautiful glass art at every turn. You can’t help but be inspired by the environment. And, the greatest thing is they are WONDERFUL to work with. Our contact there, told us to have our attendees email her direct for a discounted room rate (around $149). Once you’ve registered, Genie will email you all the contact details to get your room set up. FYI, you are also within walking distance to several restaurants, art galleries and the famous Chihuly Museum of Glass.

DAY ONE TOPICS:

True to this workshop, time tested (and approved :) ), we are excited to start the day with understanding the mechanics of your camera and learning about indoor lighting so you can capture shots of your loved ones in difficult lighting. The second half of the day will be hands on practice as we process a FULL morning.

DAY TWO TOPICS:

Day Two will pick up where we left off. We’re going to continue to demystify tough lighting and camera settings. We’ll also walk you through our Post Process steps as we demonstrate lightroom, turning images to black and white, editing, what’s the difference between a JPG and RAW image, etc. Depending on the groups interest, we’ll talk about the in’s and out’s of starting your own side business too. (But this depends on the needs of the group.) We’re also going to cover the question of what to do with your images? Are stock photography options available to you, what is the bottom line of blogging, and where should you have your work printed and why?

The BEST part that everyone always loves the most is the models! We’ll also have models join us (both adults and kids), so you can practice EVERY THING we’ve been teaching you. And true to our workshops, we’ll sprinkle our time with creative exercises and inspiration that make our weekend so special.

By the end of our weekend, you will be filled up, refreshed, inspired, and possibly shooting in Manuel like it’s nobody’s business. (I promise, this is way easier than people make it sound, but one step at a time.)

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

1. You can pay the whole balance at once. If you are taking advantage of the Early Bird Registration, you must pay the whole $799 at once before 9/23/09.

2. You can make a retainer (non-refundable fee) of $650 to reserve your seat. The remaining balance of $350 (total is $999) must be paid in full 14 days before the workshop date. You can pay by check or credit card at our e-store (the fastest way to ensure a reserved seat for yourself!). If you’d like to pay the Retainer of $650 to reserve your seat, you’ll need to use the word RESERVE as your coupon code when registering. Call us if you have any questions at 253-468-8913.

NEED HELP CONVINCING THE HUBBY?

If you need help coming up with ways to convince your hubby, check out Brian and Jeramy’s Top 12 Reasons for a Husband to Send His Wife to a CONFIDENCE Photography Workshop. You and your husband will crack up, and comments from other husbands are even FUNNIER! CLICK HERE!

REFUNDS & CANCELLATION POLICY:

Our policy is to not accept refunds. Due to the costs of holding a workshop, we must pay many of our workshop expenses months ahead of time. If you must cancel due to unforeseen problems, depending on your reason for canceling, your tuition may be considered as a credit for a future workshop. Thank you for understanding!

WHAT DO PAST ATTENDEES SAY ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP? To read what the last Seattle Workshop Attendees said, CLICK HERE!

Jen from Seattle, WA wrote; I know how these workshops can change your life…it did mine! MeRa and Brian were my inspiration…Thank you … you all are doing such greatness in this world!

Jeramy (husband of a wife who attended twice) from CA wrote; if you are reading this post and are on the fence about going to this workshop…or wondering if it’s really worth it….let me just tell you about my experience. my beautiful bride went to the Sonoma workshop last year with me ra and brian…and it changed her life. like so many women, she struggles with self-doubt and insecurities…coupled with strong passions and desire to create things of great worth. the magic of this workshop will help you see that YOU ARE special and can do anything it is that you want to do, if you just set your mind to it. there is limitless potential in you all…and if you have ever wondered how to get it out….sign up for this workshop and you’ll see. you will never be the same again.

Marianne from Seattle, WA wrote;
This was the BEST day I’ve had in a long time…it was so nice to wade through and be challenged, laugh along the way, conquer a fear, and leave wanting more. What a day! I can’t thank you enough!

Kari from Seattle wrote; Me Ra takes the camera apart and puts it back together in a way that actually makes sense! Prepare to laugh, learn, and walk away inspired!

Julie from Seattle, WA wrote; As a past workshop attendee…It WILL change your life and how you see yourself.

Allison from Virginia wrote; I can tell you with total honesty that this will be a life changing time for you all. Just soak it all in and throw yourselves in wholeheartedly and you will come away with SO MUCH!!

WHO IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR?

This workshop is for women only. It is a workshop that is meant to inspire women, and at the same time help them understand their cameras. Coming from a Masters degree in teaching, Me Ra and Brian bring a number of teaching strategies to the workshop so every woman walks away with confidence in using her camera. But this workshop is more than a photography workshop. True to our reputation and the testimonies you’ve read, Brian and Me Ra have a heart to bring inspiration, encouragement and vision to women. They will make you laugh so hard your side will be aching. And then be prepared because their stories may bring tears too. Me Ra and Brian have a goal to refresh women, build their confidence and help them capture the photos they want. But not only help women shoot better photos, but also, having the understanding behind HOW they got their favorite photos so they can replicate the lighting again and again.

OUR PROMISE:

We promise to have lots and lots of stories, laughs and possibly a few tears at this workshop-all signature elements to a Me Ra Koh Workshop!

Can’t wait to see you all for another awesome CONFIDENCE workshop!

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to email Genie ( genie@merakoh.com) for any and all questions. Genie keeps me up to date on all questions as we travel for wedding season. She is truly my “little Genie”! If you need help with booking your hotel, understanding the area, flights, payment options, shoot her an email!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Click HERE to register today and make her Christmas AMAZING!!

BIO for Me Ra Koh Photography, Inc.:

Me Ra and Brian are a husband/wife photography team. Their business is diversified into several powerful ways. They travel worldwide shooting high end weddings together. They teach photography workshops for women across the country. Their workshops often sell out, and attendees describe them as “inspiring, life changing” weekends. In 2008, Me Ra and Brian scripted and produced a DVD series called, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box. This homegrown DVD series has caught the eye of large corporations, and in March 2009, the series won the prestigious NAPPA GOLD award for the Best New DVD for Parents! Their DVDS are accompanied by other award winning photography products to help budding businesses get off the ground (see www.refusetosaycheese.com). In 2008, Me Ra was asked to represent women photographers in the iconic role for Sony as an Artisan of Imagery. This accepted invitation is a huge honor. The high end magazine, Wedding Style by Grace Ormonde, has called Me Ra and Brian a Master of Their Craft. Their work has been published in several nationwide magazines. They have also been spotlighted on VH1, Martha Stewart and Oprah! Me Ra, having a published writing background, dedicates two hours a day to writing her daily blog so women can find photography tips, inspiration and confidence. To follow her blog, along with thousands of other readers, visit www.merakohblog.com.

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It’s time for another Amazing Mom feature! I’m so glad that you liked Leslie Webber’s feature so much. Isn’t it inspiring to hear how other women are making their dreams happen! Sharing our lives and our stories are critical to not giving up on our own dreams. I’m a firm believer in the idea that we were meant to inspire each other.

Today, be inspired by Michelle Riddle!

Michelle Riddle, Santa Cruz Portrait Photographer

Michelle was in our Sonoma CONFIDENCE Workshop a couple years ago, and I’ve had the privilege of staying in touch with her. She is capturing some BEAUTIFUL images! And her business is growing right alongside her sweet family.

You’ll love this interview b/c Michelle shares what camera gear she used when she first started out, and she’ll also share a myriad of different workshops and photographers she has gleamed from. Her experiences are so rich! Feel free to ask Michelle anything else in the comments for today’s post. If you’d like to be featured on the blog, see below for directions on what to do!

Interview with Michelle Riddle

1. When did you start your business and what was the turning point of taking it from a hobby to a business of charging people and putting up a website?

Michelle: Like so many other moms out there, my interest in photography started soon after I had my first child almost seven years ago. I wanted to capture every moment, making sure I did not miss a thing. My point and shoot digital camera was not cutting it for me. I went to the camera store and bought a Nikon film SLR. I took a lot of photos but nothing too exciting. A few months after I had my second child, I came across Tara Whitney’s blog. In her work, I saw that there was another way to capture your children that was different than a snapshot or posed “sears” type photo. It was after viewing her work for a few months that made me want to go purchase a DSLR and learn everything I could to take better photos of my kids.

In December 2007, after slowly learning more and more and getting a little more confident, I was lucky enough to upgrade to the D300. Days after getting it, I felt like I needed to do something to help me figure out if I could really be do something with this photography passion of mine. I googled “photo workshop for moms” and found the information for the Sonoma CONFIDENCE workshop with Me Ra and Brian. It had just been released a few weeks earlier. I knew right then it was meant for me to go to the workshop since it was in driving distance. I asked my wonderful husband who had just days earlier bought me the D300 and he said yes!

Before going to the CONFIDENCE workshop, I did not think I could call myself a photographer until I knew “everything” there was to know about photography. I never considered myself to be artistic, I just liked taking pictures and did not ever think I could actually get paid to do it. I often thought of my favorite shots as “accidents” and worried that maybe I could not recreate that magic if I was getting paid to do it. Before the workshop I did not think that I had anything unique to offer. After the workshop I realized that each person has a unique eye and if someone else sees beauty in what I created then maybe I could someday have a business.

While at the CONFIDENCE workshop, I not only learned lots of photography stuff, I learned much more about myself, my fears, my dreams, my goals and most importantly, my story. Me Ra and Brian do not just teach about aperture, shutter speed and ISO, they really create an environment that allows women to open up and think in a way that just is not always possible in the reality of life as a mom. Lack of confidence is something that seems to be a constant theme, and it was so refreshing to be in a room with women who felt exactly how I felt.

Lucky for me, our workshop was smaller which gave us all a great opportunity to really get to know one another. As much as I learned at the Sonoma CONFIDENCE workshop, it is the connections I made that weekend that keep me going when I think about giving up. I had no idea that some of the women I met that weekend would turn out to be some of my greatest friends and supporters. I am lucky enough to live within driving distance of a few of them and look forward to when we can get together and catch up in person . It is so refreshing to know that I have a handful of women a phone call or email away who always know the right thing to say and are there to listen and support me.

Now a year and half after the workshop, I am slowly getting a little more comfortable calling myself a photographer. Even with other workshops I attended and all the learning and practicing I had done, I do not think I ever would have had the confidence to make the leap to starting a business if it had not been for the workshop with Me Ra and Brian.

2. What inspires your photography?

Michelle: My kids really inspire me.

Michelle Riddle, Santa Cruz Portrait Photographer

I want to capture every special moment of their lives, and love that I have the opportunity to do that for other people. I want the photos I take to be able to tell a story. When a mom looks back at a photo I took of her family years from now, I want her to be able to remember the way her daughter giggled and smelled or the way her son did a funny little smirk or the way her baby held onto her hair for comfort. I love how in a short amount of time you can get to know a family and capture the dynamics that make them who they are.

3. What are the classes/workshops/DVDs that you’ve watched to teach yourself photography? Were they helpful?

Michelle: Me Ra’s CONFIDENCE Workshop – This is the first workshop I attended and it was exactly what I needed. At this workshop, I learned lots of technical things that were not clicking for me before that. Me Ra and Brian are so great at making the technical stuff make sense. More importantly though, they taught me that every eye is unique and that if I loved photography I should follow my dream. I have both of their DVD’s ( Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box ) and continue to watch them when I need inspiration or need a little refresher on some of the basics.

Jay Reilly- I am a big fan of Jays work and it was so great to be able to watch him shoot and learn from him. One of the things I learned from watching him is that with kids you have to keep moving, changing what they are doing so they don’t get bored. Which goes along with something else..if what you’re doing is not working, move on. I used to worry that if I stopped shooting at a certain pose or location the clients would think I would not know what I was doing, now I realize that I am the one in charge and that the clients expect me to do what works.

Melissa Koehler- I met Melissa when I was down in San Diego for Jays workshop. I was a fan of her work and a friend and I contacted her to see if we could take her to lunch. That in itself taught me that so many great photographers are willing to answer questions and share their knowledge. After that we arranged for her to come do a workshop which was wonderful. It was great to watch her shoot and have her share her whole process of what she does with images after she takes them. She was awesome and it was so great taking shop with her

The Light Workshop- This was a great online workshop that got me much more comfortable shooting in the sun. I had a tendency to look for the shade at various locations because I was scared of the sun. After the workshop, learning some great techniques, I realized I am not a vampire and do not have to shy away from the sun. Working with it can create some beautiful images.

Michelle Riddle, Santa Cruz Portrait Photographer

4. Can you tell us a fun back story behind this GREAT Senior photo!

Michelle: I did a shoot of 5 high school seniors, a BFF shoot as I like to call it. It was so fun and much easier to get the girls to loosen up and have some fun. As I was taking some photos of the 5 of them, I looked down, and loved that with just their pants, shoes and they way they stood, I could see so much of their personalities that I had gotten to know during the shoot. It is shots like this that remind me to always look for the details that make a person who they are.

Michelle Riddle Portrait Photography

5. What about this dynamic Family Portrait shot?

Michelle: This shot is from one of my favorite family sessions I have ever done. People always look at this shoot on my blog and tell me they want photos just like it. What made this shoot so great was that they truly were just being themselves. Mom was not super stressed out about matching clothes and that “perfect” shot, which made it so much easier to just capture them being themselves.

Michelle Riddle, Santa Cruz Portrait Photographer

6. What is the best and toughest part about doing this while being a mom and wife at the same time?

Michelle: The best part is that I am able to make sure I do not get lost in mom land and forget who I am and what my interests are. The toughest part is time, or lack of it. My husband is great about watching the kids when I go to shoots, but it is finding time to do all the other stuff that is hard. I have 3 kids. Eli is almost 7, Zoe is 5 and Ari is 2..so needless to say, my days are a bit crazy. I have a million ideas in my head of things I want to try, promotions I want do, business stuff that has to get done. Most days, I am trying to be a mom, a wife, clean the house, do the laundry, pay the bills etc.,while also trying to be a photographer. At the end of many days, I feel like I was not good at anything and everything was just getting 20% of me. I have to be better at carving out work time so that I am not doing it among all the other mom/wife duties.

7. 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?

Michelle: I started with the Nikon D70s and a cheap kit lens and upgraded to the D300 two and a half years ago. The first lens I got was the 50mm 1.8 and truly believe that lens was a huge help in helping me get a better understanding of the technical stuff, especially aperture. That lens helped me understand what a huge role Depth Of Field played in taking pictures that went beyond the average snapshot. I also have the 85mm 1.8 which is a beautiful lens. I have the Tamaron 17-50 which I get a lot of use out of. I find myself shooting ALOT in the 17-20 range. I love that wide kind of distorted look. I think my next lens will be a wide angle prime lens. I just recently got the 80-200 which I am excited to play with some more. I wanted that one to use for family photos so I could get far enough away to shoot at 2.8 and get a nice family in focus with a beautiful blurry background.

Michelle Riddle, Santa Cruz Portrait Photographer

Michelle: I love this photo in particular. I know it is sometimes hard for dads to loosen up and just be themselves with a camera on them, but this dad had no problem. It was like he didn’t even know I was there, and I was able to capture a moment that warms my heart every time I look at it.

8. What is one piece of advice you’d give to newbie’s?

Michelle: That’s a hard one, I still consider myself a newbie. I guess I would say to make sure you have a great support system. Find other photographers who are at the same spot as you our further along. As great as workshops are, there is definitely something to be said for having a group of friends that you can go practice with, bounce ideas off of each other and just lean on when you need it.

9. Do you have a website that we can share with our blog readers?

Michelle : Absolutely! www.michelleriddlephoto.com

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Michelle, thank YOU so much for sharing with us! You are so sweet! We applaud your constant courage to go for your dream!

To all our readers, it takes A LOT of guts to share your images and story. If you have a minute, will you leave Michelle an encouraging word or two in the comments? There is nothing better than knowing people enjoyed your stories. Thanks so much!

AND, would you like to be featured on our blog too?

If you have attended our workshop or watched our DVDs, and feel like your life has taken a new and wonderful turn for the better, then please send me an email at mera@merakoh.com. I will send you directions on how to be featured. We can’t promise to feature everyone, but I want to do this type of blog post more and more. Hundreds of people have sent us the most amazing emails regarding our workshops and DVDs impacting their life, their before and after photos, their revived passion; I would love for all of you to hear those stories!

Much love to you all, and a BIG HUG to the beautiful, talented Michelle Riddle!

Me Ra

p.s. Is there anything else I should have asked Michelle in our interview? I want to include as much helpful info in these interviews as possible. Some of you wanted to know what camera gear Leslie Webber had when she first started. Fantastic question! Why didn’t I think of that! I made sure to ask Michelle on her interview. But if you think of another question I didn’t touch on, post it in today’s blog!

p.s.s!! Tomorrow is Winner Wednsday! :) I’m going to announce the Winner for the Running on Empty DC Workshop, the Winner of the Top Five Finalists from the Vacation Photo Contest and the Random Voter Winners! Winner Wednsday…has a nice ring, don’t you think? :)

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Here are the DVDs Michelle Riddle referred to in her interview! They recently won the GOLD award from NAPPA! Check them out and have a BLAST! Refuse to Say Cheese and , plus our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice

Our CONFIDENCE DC Photography Workshop for Women is SOLD OUT! YEAH!!!

But we have spots still open in our upcoming October Minneapolis Workshop! The Minneapolis Workshop is off to a FANTASTIC start! In the first 24 hrs. we were almost half full! I can’t wait to meet these beautiful women! Want to join us? If you register before August 31st, you get 20% off!! To find out more details and get yourself a spot, CLICK HERE!

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I keep getting great emails from women sharing their surprise and delight to hear we’re coming to Minneapolis! And I have to tell you that I’m excited YOUR excited! I’ve never been to Minneapolis so in some ways it hasn’t been on my radar. But the world needs to know that the women in Minneapolis are persistent! And when they want something, they don’t give up! Thank you for being persistent with me b/c Brian and I are SO EXCITED to bring the CONFIDENCE workshop to you!

Mark your calendars and keep sweet talking those husbands, the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE workshop is going to happen on the first weekend of October. We will be together ALL DAY Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th, 2009.

Minneapolis Photography Workshop for Women w/Me Ra Koh, October 2009

The workshop will be held at the ultra cool Open Book center.

I feel like we hit gold when we found this location. The Open Book center hosts writing retreats, has gallery showings…can you imagine a more creative, infused place to do our workshop?

If you are flying in and don’t want to rent a car, Genie has worked her magic again with the chic, Starwood hotel Aloft. All the hotels are super busy the weekend of our workshop, but Genie was somehow able to get us a group rate for $129 per room! Can you believe that! We love you Genie! The only deal, you MUST book your room there by September 11th. (see below for more hotel details)

The BIG Question…Why do we call this workshop the CONFIDENCE workshop? Great question!

Calling this a “beginner” workshop has never fit the bill b/c we have all levels of knowledge and experience attend. Yet, when I look over the feedback our past workshop attendees leave, I feel like the consistent thread is women walk away from the weekend feeling confident in how to use their cameras, but more importantly, in themselves. And this factor alone is why Brian and I love doing the workshop over and over again.

So who is going to join us! We are limited to twenty spots! Early Bird Registration opens TODAY! CLICK HERE to get yourself signed up!

Ladies, we are going to be READY for an AWESOME year of photography ALL levels, each and every one, are welcome! The topic details are below! But first, to give you a window into what our workshops look like, check out the trailer here by clicking the PLAY arrow button!

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION STARTS TODAY and last TWO WEEKS!

FAQ: (if we don’t answer your specific question here, email Genie direct at genie@merakoh.com)

Question: What is the Early Bird Registration?

Answer: If you register between today and August 31st (that’s a little over two weeks), you get 20% OFF! You get to pay the Early Bird fee of $799 instead of $999! Pretty great savings for all of you who jump on board fast! After August 31st, the registration goes back up to the normal price of $999. To take advantage of the Early Bird Registration, CLICK HERE!

WHEN? October 3rd and 4th, 2009, All Day Saturday and Sunday

WHERE? We will be tucked into the heart of Minneapolis in their art epicenter called Open Book! Doesn’t this look like a cozy space where we can sip tea and talk about photography?! I’m so excited! Julie Feldman helped find this space and even went the extra mile of taking pictures. She is determined to get the CONFIDENCE workshop in Minneapolis! We all owe you a BIG thanks Julie!! We can’t wait to meet you!

Open Book, Minneapolis Wkshp

ACCOMMODATIONS? If you need a hotel, the Aloft Hotel is one block away! Let your soul breathe a little by staying at the hotel (especially for their AWESOME group room rate).

The Aloft Hotel has done an incredible thing and offered all of you a special nightly rate of $129 per night instead of being over $200! But you must book your room by September 11th to get this special rate. Be sure to email Genie (genie@merakoh.com) if you have any questions, otherwise, you can contact the Aloft Hotel direct! Just let them know that you’d like one of the rooms in the Me Ra Koh Photography CONFIDENCE WKSHP, and you’ll be set!

In the past, a lot of women have introduced themselves to each other via email and ended up sharing rooms to cut costs. When we are 4-5 weeks out, Genie will send all of you each other’s emails so you can start talking (if you haven’t already found a way to do it by that point :) ). CLICK HERE more info on their cool rooms!

Aloft Hotel Minneapolis Rooms

MEALS:

LUNCHES: Both lunches on Saturday and Sunday will be catered for us. If you are a vegetarian or have any food allergies, be sure to email us so we can accommodate you. No problems, we are happy too! (genie@merakoh.com)

SATURDAY DINNER: This dinner is optional for our attendees, but we would love to have you join us! You are invited to a group dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Details to follow upon registration.

GIFTS TO YOU FROM OUR SPONSORS!

We have wonderful, fantastic sponsors that are excited to support this event!

Pictage will be giving ever attendee a complimentary 1 year Pictage Lite subscription!

Pixel 2 Canvas will have beautiful canvas door prizes for us and a special treat for each and every attendee!

Shoot Dot Edit will have a special “Post Processing” treat for every attendee!

Dane Sanders, author of Fast Track Photographer, is going to give every woman an audio copy of his book!

And Adobe will have the door prizes of Lightroom 2.0 for us!

Isn’t that great ladies! Not only do we get to have a wonderful weekend together, but we get to give you surprises too! Not to mention our Me Ra Koh surprises-of course, I always have those up my sleeve! What’s a girl’s weekend away without gifts! :)

WORKSHOP TOPICS:

DAY ONE TOPICS:

True to this workshop, time tested (and approved :) ), we are excited to start the day with understanding the mechanics of your camera and learning about indoor lighting so you can capture shots of your loved ones in difficult lighting. The second half of the day will be hands on practice as we process a FULL morning.

DAY TWO TOPICS:

Day Two will pick up where we left off. We’re going to continue to demystify tough lighting and camera settings. We’ll also walk you through our Post Process steps as we demonstrate lightroom, turning images to black and white, editing, what’s the difference between a JPG and RAW image, etc. Depending on the groups interest, we’ll talk about the in’s and out’s of starting your own side business too. (But this depends on the needs of the group.) We’re also going to cover the question of what to do with your images? Are stock photography options available to you, what is the bottom line of blogging, and where should you have your work printed and why?

The BEST part that everyone always loves the most is the models! We’ll also have models join us (both adults and kids), so you can practice EVERY THING we’ve been teaching you. And true to our workshops, we’ll sprinkle our time with creative exercises and inspiration that make our weekend so special.

By the end of our weekend, you will be filled up, refreshed, inspired, and possibly shooting in Manuel like it’s nobody’s business. (I promise, this is way easier then people make it sound, but one step at a time.)

PAYMENT OPTIONS and REFUNDS POLICY: See the Registration Page for all these good details!

WHAT DO PAST ATTENDEES SAY ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP?

To hear what the Seattle Workshop Attendees said about our most recent workshop, check out this fun blog post and read their wonderful comments!

Here’s some more feedback!

Jen from Seattle, WA wrote; I know how these workshops can change your life…it did mine! MeRa and Brian were my inspiration…Thank you … you all are doing such greatness in this world!

Jeramy (husband of a wife who attended twice) from CA wrote; if you are reading this post and and are on the fence about going to this workshop…or wondering if it’s really worth it….let me just tell you about my experience. my beautiful bride went to the Sonoma workshop last year with me ra and brian…and it changed her life. like so many women, she struggles with self-doubt and insecurities…coupled with strong passions and desires to create things of great worth. the magic of this workshop will help you see that YOU ARE special and can do anything it is that you want to do, if you just set your mind to it. there is limitless potential in you all…and if you have ever wondered how to get it out….sign up for this workshop and you’ll see. you will never be the same again.

Marianne from Seattle, WA wrote;
This was the BEST day I’ve had in a long time…it was so nice to wade through and be challenged, laugh along the way, conquer a fear, and leave wanting more. What a day! I can’t thank you enough!

Kari from Seattle wrote; Me Ra takes the camera apart and puts it back together in a way that actually makes sense! Prepare to laugh, learn, and walk away inspired!

Julie from Seattle, WA wrote; As a past workshop attendee…It WILL change your life and how you see yourself.

Allison from Virginia wrote; I can tell you with total honesty that this will be a life changing time for you all. Just soak it all in and throw yourselves in wholeheartedly and you will come away with SO MUCH!!

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to email Genie (genie@merakoh.com) for any and all questions. Genie keeps me up to date on all questions as we travel for wedding season. She is truly my “little Genie”! If you need help with booking your hotel, understanding the area, flights, payment options, shoot her an email!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Click HERE to register today and make YOUR DAY or her DAY!!

We’ll see you in MINNEAPOLIS!!!

xoxoxo, Me Ra

p.s. A number of you have emailed to see if we’re going to do another Seattle Workshop before 2009 ends. Brian and I can’t tell for sure if our travel schedule can make it work, but we might be able to squeeze one more workshop in during the weekend of November 14th and 15th. It’s a big maybe. But if you are interested, we’d love to hear from you. Please email Genie so we can put your name on the waiting list. Thanks so much! (genie@merakoh.com)

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Keep up the VOTING! Tell your friends and family to put in their two cents at a chance to win a Sony camera! We are almost past the half way mark of 750! How cool is that!!!

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series is continuing to grow, faster than we know what to do with! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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