Comments on: Did You Judge Your First Flight?

By: Kimberly Taylor

Kimberly Taylor — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:02:43 +0000

The older I get, the more I realize that things happen exactly as they are meant to, in order to guide me on my journey… I stopped a complete stranger on the street the other day because she was running and, well, I needed a running partner for this silly little race on Saturday. And can you imagine – she was excited to do it! So we ran yesterday for the first time together and while running, she told me about you – sent me the link last night. You see, I am the bird in the nest, thinking about photography, loving it, but unsure about jumping – unsure about my path. This post completely inspires me, as does your entire site. I know we will meet, because your workshops sound amazing (jodi williams took it – she is now my running partner) and I think that, as a mom of four boys, it is exactly what I have been searching for this past year in my attempt to find “me” in all of this~
Have a fabulous weekend!
xx

By: Hillary Shemin

Hillary Shemin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:13:06 +0000

I just linked to this post out of curiosity when reading the post of your SOAR winners…I didn’t have confidence in myself to apply…What a fabulous story and great metaphor. I met you briefly in NYC at the PDN after your presentation on the floor with SONY.. I have been following you on Twitter and befriended you on Facebook since then. You are a delight and joy and totally inspiring….I hope to meet you again one day and maybe even join in one of your inspiration seminars. in the meantime…all best to you and your family for the New Year. Thanks for your gift to all of us who follow you!
Hugs, Hillary

By: Susan Reynolds

Susan Reynolds — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:10:44 +0000

Dear Me Ra,
I know you wrote this blog post in July, yet I have just found your sight in a link from a NAPP newsletter…just in time to enter the SOAR Scholarship.
I used to have a lot more confidence, but since our son’s accident, I have slowly withered away from even going out…a car accident on my way home from a long work week in March of 07 put me out on disability, which has been a long journey back towards health and healing both physically from the accident and emotionally and mentally from my son’s tragic accident.
I had given up the will to even live several times and it was just by God’s amazing grace that I am alive today…and back on my journey towards living again. I need to do this not just for myself, but for my husband and our one remaining child…my daughter who lost not only her brother, but her best friend in all the world…they did everything together. Our family was so tight-knit and losing William has been such a terrible blow, that we are still, four years later trying to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts…and learn to live again in honor of our son’s honor…because he had such a zest for life and wouldn’t even think before taking flight like this baby bird.
I am putting my all into what I have learned about photography and am trying to get my business up off the ground. I’ve been in the RED every year since I started with a website while I was on disability in 2007.
This coming year of 2010, I’m not just going to try again…I’m going to take the leap and fly…no…not just fly ~ I want to SOAR!!!!
Thank you for the inspiration and encouragement you give to women everywhere. You have truly blessed my life in the week since I’ve seen your site.
And I sincerely “Thank my God upon every remembrance of you”
I wish I could hug you and say thank you for turning my life around!
Susan Reynolds

By: robert e. klimkiewicz, jr. photography » Motivation | Northern Virginia Photographer

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:36:34 +0000

[...] Did You Judge Your First Flight? – by Me Ra Koh [...]

By: Me Ra Koh Photography Blog » Your Beautiful Bubble Photography! Be Inspired!

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:38:06 +0000

[...] I’m really excited about this week’s blog posts! Some of you may not know this, but I draft up ideas for each week to make sure there is a good flow to the blog’s overall week. I try to think about what types of posts we should have, what types we haven’t done in awhile, and most of all, what all of YOU want. The drafting process works well if I stay open to it changing at the last minute, like a baby bird taking it’s First Flight. [...]

By: Treva

Treva — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 22:31:03 +0000

i am so ready to jump…actually i already did…i ordered your dvds…waiting for them to arrive…in the meantime, i keep shooting photos and documented a day in the life for my baby’s 2nd birthday

thanks for sharing your story

you are an inspiration

By: Jeannie

Jeannie — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 08:21:50 +0000

Yes, yes, yes! Carrie H., you took the words out of my mouth. Thank you for the post, Me Ra.

By: Rhonda

Rhonda — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:05:49 +0000

I love the way you look at things.
Your insight is God given.
There is more to be learned from this post than the obvious for me. Although the obvious is something I clammer with – always wondering if I’m in over my head, if I’m not going to get so lucky the next time, if I’m ever going to the point where I know I can nail the shot when I need to.
But the truth is, I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for God and of course it isn’t luck, it’s HIM working through me. And of course I’m never going to be sufficient myself.
And the less obvious lessons…
Pay attention. God is at work all around me and His glory is shining in the unobvious. His still small voice comes in ways that I can’t imagine… maybe from the gift of having dinner on the patio at a time when a little bird is getting ready to take flight.

You and your friends could have missed this moment had you been caught up in business. Thank GOD you weren’t!
And thank YOU for deciding to post this, even though it may have seemed silly.

Which brings me to one more less obvious lesson – I never can know who God may want to touch, teach, comfort, etc… through the things He gives me that I feel might be silly to share.

Thanks again!

By: Sara C

Sara C — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:55:47 +0000

YES this was SOOO needed exactly when it was posted! God is amazing all the time.

I was so dumbfounded at my first few leaps that I didn’t even realize I was leaping. It was almost like a toddler taking those first steps without even knowing they are doing it. They even fall on their padded little heinys and LAUGH their heads off. They don’t seem to know it’s “supposed to hurt.” Somewhere along the way I realized I was leaping and bashing into walls and started to notice all my battle wounds.

Awash in unseen depression and overwhelmed at my husband’s business travel God prompted me to put the business end of my photography down. Two weeks later He showed me that a tender little spirit was growing inside of me. Little did I know that growing and nurturing her inside of my body would start such an unspeakably magnificent journey of healing. Through her He healed so many wounds from our journey through infertility and high-risks-galore when we finally were able to carry our son to term.

Now, here I am almost 2 years later and He’s guiding me back to the talent He bore in me through a lens. And this time… that “first” leap has been thrilling and exciting and anything but “unnoticed!”

Me Ra, He has used you in such a powerful way to encourage my spirit. And in return, JUST THIS MORNING before I logged on, I was encouraging a new photographer. She did her first session just the other day and she is AMAZING with adult couples!!! Absolutely fabulous!! If it weren’t for the encouragement here I wouldn’t have been brave enough to leap again right now and I certainly wouldn’t have been brave enough to encourage someone else.

So I stand on the cusp of another leap. I’ve done all the legal things – flapped my wings as fast as I could – to get myself off the ground again. I’m scared spitless and yet thrilled to no end. My reward for taking these leaps… I FINALLY bought my first lens today… a 50mm f/1.8 so that I can take the shots I want of the 7 day old I get to photograph tomorrow. ANOTHER leap… I’ve had a dSLR for a month short of FIVE years and never bought another lens for it (18-70mm f/3.5-4.5) because I just didn’t think I’d do that much better.

Yammer yammer yammer, but THANK YOU for sharing your authentic journey. You never build yourself up on here to give us some standard to live up to… you are just yourself and make it ok for us to be OURselves as we walk this road and capture one 1/250 of a second at a time.

By: Wendi

Wendi — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:52:14 +0000

I posted a comment above and staying true to my “fearful” actions I did not post a link to go with my name. Re-reading all of the comments has inspired me to come back, say thank you to all of those (in addition to Me Ra) who so bravely told their stories of their leaps. My leap comes in the form of leaving the “secure” job to branch out and take a chance at doing what makes me truly happy. For years I stopped dreaming about what COULD be because I thought it was not possible. I am finding out that with this kind of support, ANYTHING is possible! I struggle with confidence in my abilities but I taking classes and always learning and growing which is all I can ask for at this point. I am not the best photographer, but I plan on becoming one! Thanks to everyone for your stories.