Me Ra Koh Photography Blog

March 22nd, 2012

Family Inspiration Images From Tampa CONFIDENCE Workshop!

Brian and I were so excited to start Day 2 of our Tampa CONFIDENCE workshop with this amazing bunch of women! Sharing much more laughter and tears made the weekend one of the most memorable for us. They did so awesome at the baby shoot yesterday, don’t you think? With that said…you will love their images from the Family Sessions! I don’t think I have ever challenged a CONFINDENCE Workshop group as much as I did that day. Full sun, on a beach…one of the most difficult situations for shooting, especially moving subjects. They did so wonderful! As you can see from our group photo, the sun was still really high in the sky. Harsh shadows and extreme backlighting were all around us!

What a beautiful moment you captured Alla Rozenberg. We get so caught up in shooting the kids of families that I am so glad you didn’t overlook how powerful a picture of just “those two” would be. I am sure they love this image!

Vikki Sloviter, this is such a great shot of this little guy! I bet when his family goes to the beach he picks things up like this all day long. The color of this image is wonderful!

There is so much I love about this image that Tita Nelson took. Of course the motion of this little girl is awesome, but I also love the birds in the background. Everything in this image takes part in telling the story of that day.

Suzanne Hamels caught a genuine look of admiration that this girl has for her mom. It is almost as if this was an in-between moment, you know, those moments you hope to capture by accident!

This little girl’s laugh and smile were infectious! Sheetal Kakarala, I am so glad you caught her in her element! Sweet!

Another shot that really depicts a daughter’s love for her mom. Robin Nierman, this is so precious!

Mary McGuire caught a “real” moment! When you just follow a family around for a bit and not ask them to pose, these are the types of shots you will get and these are the ones that makes moms cry!

Such crisp and colorful image from Laura Sharbough. Don’t you just love the parents expression!

Catching children in motion is a wonderful thing! Kathy Haywood did just that with this image. Fantastic!

Joyce Levy, I am so drawn to your image. I love how the completely blown out sky serves as a fantastic backdrop. We are completely focused on the emotion between this mom and dad. Wonderful!

Jill Furlong shot this family with the hotels in the background and I actually really like the architecture look in this shot. Your focal point was right on, look how sharp the little boy’s face is. Really awesome!

This is an amazing image Jennifer Tacbas! Your black and white conversion again leads us right into the emotion of this moment! So good.

Wow, wow, wow Georgina Petrosky! These girls were completely stunning! Facial features to die for! The fact that the little sister is not looking and her hair is blowing on her face is just perfect! Again, such a great technical shot when the sun was bearing down on them with no shade cover. Wonderful!

Debra Dremann, it is so hard to shoot blonde children in direct sun without a darker background. I am so thrilled that you manually exposed this so you didn’t lose their hair to a blown-out sky! I am so proud of you!

The color and skin tones in this image is perfect, Carla Kasera! A sweet moment among sisters!

This is one of the best poses for a family of three. Brittany Carpenter took this image and I love how the little girl is kinda laying on her sister’s shoulder. Lovely! That little ounce of positioning totally changes the feel of this picture.

Ahhhh, Bea Byers, I hope the mom makes this a really big canvas on her wall. It is spectacular!

Barb Skrobuton shot a completely different view of this mom and little girl. This too is so adorable! I love the camera tilt on this!

Anna Serebryanik, this is insanely wonderful! A dad and his little boy throwing things in the ocean together, what a great memory captured!

Ladies, I am so proud of you for tackling the challenge at the beach during Day 2. Your images ROCKED!!!

XOXO
Me Ra

How about the Gift of CONFIDENCE for Mother’s Day!

We have two upcoming CONFIDENCE Photography Workshops for Women: Buffalo, NY and Minneapolis, MN! CLICK for more juicy details! If you need help with the cost of the workshop, such as some type of payment plan, let us know! We love working all kinds of good things up so you can gain confidence! Also, email Genie pronto if you are interested because we also need a couple more baby models for this Saturday at the Huntington Beach workshop! (genie@merakoh.com) Sunday’s Family Shoot has a waiting list.

Jennifer Leigh, Debra Dremann Ushkowitz, Suzanne Simpson Hamels, Debbie Meier, Freida Hall, Lynda Kennedy Photography, Daisy Lane, Becky Lawrence James, Sheetal Patel, Angie Keiser, Jill Furlong liked this post

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March 21st, 2012

21 Inspirational Baby Images from the Women of Tampa CONFIDENCE Workshop!

Tampa, Florida…I will never know why we waited so long to hold a CONFIDENCE Workshop in your wonderful state! And even when we did release the workshop, it didn’t fill up right away. I kept thinking, “uh-oh, did we hear wrong on this.” What do you know, we ended up having a WAITING LIST and the BEST two days on the beach! This was a crazy time too because as I think back, Brian and I ended up going to the Nate Berkus Show in NY last minute before we came to you. And then we were crazy sick, slept all of Friday before the workshop in our hotel room, and burst in with ENERGY Saturday–laughing the next two days about moving couches and crying at whatever we felt like crying about! Bliss ladies, I’m telling you, it was the most fun two days!

We had the MOST DARLING babies for our Day One Baby Shoot. Oh, these babies!!! I could eat them up! The workshop ladies split into small groups and did the baby shoots in hotel rooms, hotel lobby area, the hotel restaurant…you name it! And if they looked like things were going to easy, I loved up’ing the challenge for them. The Tampa ladies were champs! Take a look and be inspired by all these wonderful baby photos!
Alla Rozenberg used the light coming in from the side to give great dimension to this portrait. The catch lights totally make her eyes sparkle. I also love that the little girl is laying up against mommy in this image. This is a great reason for mom to wear a simple black camisole during the newborn sessions…it makes an excellent backdrop!

I am so fond of the brightness and color in this image. Vikki Sloviter did a fabulous job composing this image. Seeing mom smiling at her little one on the edge of this image really “completes” this picture!

Vicky Bryan…Oh My Goodness! Isn’t this just the greatest catch of baby happiness! Fantastic!

I feel gentleness and calm when I look at this beautiful image that Tita Nelson took. Capturing babies with hands in their mouths also remind us of a certain time in their short first year of life. So sweet!

Suzanne Hamels shot a portrait that was similar to Alla Rozenberg’s. The light falling on this little girl is so spectacular. When you have a cooperative baby positioned in perfect light…shoot away! Beautiful Suzanne!

A few weeks ago you probably saw a shot of my blog with this couch and these little guys. Sheetal Kakarala caught this adorable image of one of the twins. I am just in love with the colors going on here. You would have never guessed we were in the hotel restaurant here. The blue and golden walls work so well with baby skin!

Robin Nierman shot this little guy as he was trying to escape. I love how big his eyes are! Great shot!

Mary McGuire…what a special detail shot! These little fingers will turn from this into chubby little fingers before you know it. What a great remembrance of what they looked like at this stage of life.

Laura Sharbaugh, I am speechless when looking at this image. It is perfection…the color, the expression of baby and momma, and the composition! Bravo!

This little boy was so quiet. Kathy Haywood captured his demeanor perfectly. We are really drawn into his expression because of the simple, blurred background. Very nice!

Mom is looking so beautiful in this image Joyce Levy shot. I am thinking this shot should be in a magazine somewhere. The black and white conversion is done so well!

Jill Furlong, this little one had an outfit for every direction she turned!!! I LOVE this moment that you captured! Just crazy ADORABLE!!!

Jennifer Tacbas…Wow! I am in love with your Black and White conversion here. It is so light and airy! It screams “Baby”! By shooting him with the simplest of backgrounds we are completely focused on his precious face and smile. Super Cute!

We had a window that was pouring in this beautiful light, but as you all know that putting this light behind your subjects can be very tricky and you have to shoot this kind of shot on Manual Mode. Georgina Petrosky did a fantastic job with this challenge! Yay Georgina!

There were so many wonderful shooting options with this little guy on the bed. Debra Dremann had a shot that looked completely different than the others. I chuckle when I look at this image and wonder what he is thinking about. Super job!

Shooting on an aperture between 1.4 and 2.8 will give you the look that Carla Kasera got in this image. You can tell it was shot like that because this little guys eyes are in focus but his ears are blurry! When you do shoot with an aperture like that, you have to really get that focal point on the correct spot and Carla nailed it!

So peaceful. Brittany Carpenter captured a moment of tenderness and security between a mom and her baby. It is such a soothing image to look at! Wonderful!

Bea Byers shot this great image of what I might call “modern portraiture”. The background color finished out with the color of moms fingernails…Love it!

I am so glad that Barb Skrobuton shot this lovely image of this family together! I tell you the best images are those in which no one is looking at the camera. The black and white creates a completely timeless portrait! Yay!

Anna Serebryanik shot such a sweet image of this little guy in the chair. Look at his expression! Oh, and his little fingers are pinching his leg:) Too cute!

Ambar Scofield got in a little closer. Even when he looks off to the side, it still creates an image that the parents will always look at and remember “that look”. Amazing!

A HUGE thank you to the baby models and their wonderful mamas! This was such an incredible experience, and we thank you for being so generous with your Saturday afternoon! I know we all learned a TON of things! It’s been wonderful to see your emails to Genie and see how happy and excited you are about all the photos that the workshop attendees captured. I just remember all of us ladies sweating like crazy, trying to distract, capture, repose, sweating even more, but LOVING the whole experience of it!

Tampa CONFIDENCE Ladies, I LOVED…BRIAN AND I BOTH LOVED…every minute with you ladies! From our Saturday dinner to the shoots, laughing on the beach, challenging your creativity, filling each other with inspiration and coming away with CONFIDENCE not only in your camera abilities but in you as a creative woman! What a honor to have had two wonderful days with you!

Stay tuned for the Family Shoot on the beach tomorrow! Going over all these photos makes me so excited for the Huntington Beach, CA workshop this weekend! ONLY TWO SPOTS left if you want to join us!!!

xo,

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How about the Gift of CONFIDENCE for Mother’s Day!

Jennifer Leigh, Suzanne Simpson Hamels, Anna Serebryanik, Kristin Addison Fairchild, Jill Furlong, Sharon Cave Bennett, Sheetal Patel, Bea Byers, Allison W. Laster, Veronica Frausto, Laura Sharbaugh, Candace Marker, Jenna Hondrellis, Laurene Klassen liked this post

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March 20th, 2012

Happy Spring to My Sweet Pascaline!

She planned her eleventh birthday party down to every last detail; cupcakes to start, a little antiquing with her BFFs, Thai food, games, PJs and a Movie… But I was totally surprised when she asked me if part of the day could include a photo shoot of her and her BFF’s. Can I just tell you this request was for the most special photo shoot I’ve ever done? Have you ever done a photo shoot with five, giggly, adorable, eleven year old girls who are teeter tottering the balance of becoming pre-teens and yet still in little girlhood? This photo shoot was such a treat that this mama will never forget. WOW, did we ever have fun!

Here is one sneak peak from our shoot!

Happy Birthday to my sweet Pascaline!

Your electric. sassy, loving, free spirit continues to bloom joy in all our hearts! (And girl you pulled that hat off–without a doubt!)

love,

mama

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March 16th, 2012

Fun Exercise on Lighting, LIVE Q&A TODAY and ONE Mini Left!

Let’s Start with Coffee and Photo Talk this Morning!

My LIVE Q&A with Cafe Mom is FREE and it starts at 9am PST / 12pm EST! See you there! I wanna hear ALL your questions! My fingers are ready to go! Make sure you come over a few minutes early to register on Cafe Mom if you haven’t already.

Take the Weekend to See the LIGHT through Sound of Music!

One of my favorite people and most talented photographers, Matthew Jordan Smith (a fellow SONY Artisan of Imagery) posted the COOLEST exercise on lighting! It has to do with the movie Sound of Music, and how the lighting in this movie inspired a recent fashion shoot. This is one of the photos from his shoot, but check out the rest of Matthew’s lighting exercise.

Anyone can do it, no matter what level of photographer you are, and you are sure to be inspired!

Give Yourself a Treat!

I only have one Mini Session time slot left! It’s for this Friday, March 23rd, from 4:15-4:45pm!

CLICK HERE to grab it!

Have a wonderful weekend! Pascaline and I have been planning her birthday party for tomorrow for two weeks!! She has become this beautiful young lady with SERIOUS vision! Can’t wait to share the photos with all of you!

Much, much love,

Me Ra

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March 14th, 2012

7 Travel Tips for Mamas!

In the last five weeks, I’ve been to Florida, New York, Vegas, Nashville, Dallas and somewhere else that I can’t remember. Talk about a whirlwind of travel. You could say I’ve learned a few travel tips along the way, especially for those of us who are moms! Whether you travel a lot or a little, here are the seven most important travel tips I’ve learned the hard way! May these tips make your journey that much better the next time around!

1. Don’t Rush Home
When I first started traveling, I would try to rush home to the kids. I just wanted to get back as fast as possible because 1. I felt so guilty for leaving in the first place 2. I wanted to make up for l0st time. BUT, I’d go home on the earliest flight to find myself exhausted and overwhelmed with the emotional shift from my trip to figuring out dinner. Will the kids live if I just come home after bedtime? YES! In fact, not only will they live, but you will get a full night’s sleep, have quiet time to catch up with hubby and be ready to embrace them in the morning with much more energy!

2. Don’t Buy Gifts for the Kids

Why? Because YOU are the gift. You coming home is the gift your kids get. I know it’s hard. If you can’t stand it, buy them a gift but save it for their birthday or Christmas. Brian and I made a commitment from the very beginning to help train the kids to be happy to see US when we got home and not fixated on what we bought them. Trust me, it makes all the difference.

3. Set an “Out of Office” to end 2 Days After You are Home

So many of us feel guilty for being gone in the first place that we often make the mistake of telling people in our “Out of Office” reply that we will be available the day after we get home. If you are a mama, don’t do that to yourself. Whenever I get home from a trip, I need two days to reconnect with my kids. If I happen to get online during those two days and answer a couple emails, that’s just an added bonus because they weren’t expecting a reply. But to come home and feel the pressure of responding to emails when I need to focus on responding to my kids, that can be fixed by simply extending my availability date (now you all know my secret and better not expect me to email two days before. )

4. Pay for Priority Boarding (if you have your camera gear)

Let me start by saying NEVER-EVER-EVER check your camera gear. Always carry it on. But how many of you have boarded the plane to find out there is no more room, and you are being asked to check your carry on? Yep, that’s happened to me and I’ve literally handed them my Channel purse and said “check this instead”. I can buy a new purse but replacing 20K dollars of camera gear because my bag is going to be TOSSED around…I don’t think so. Skip the risk all together and pay a little extra Priority Boarding. This way you get on the plane early and ensure having room to get your carry on bag put away.

5. Hydrate Like a Crazy Woman!

Resist the Gin & Tonic at the bar before your flight leaves. Resist the Starbucks. Both drinks are going to dehydrate you, and girl, when you combine that dehydration with flying–ouch! Have you ever landed in a new city only to feel feverish, sluggish and incredibly tired? Those are all dehydration symptoms. After I get through security, I buy two bottles of water. I drink the first one before we even take off. And I try to finish the second one before we land. I can’t tell you what a difference water makes. It’s insane! My mom also set me up a couple years ago with a product called Univera. I drink their Xtra drink everyday, and that makes a huge difference in not getting sick. With how much I travel, I can’t believe how healthy I stay (yes, I have an awesome mama). If you want to know more about Univera, you can ping my mama on Facebook. Her name is Cherri Hong. She would be tickled to death!

6. Prep Dinner Before Leaving

Sometimes I make a double batch of dinner and put one in the freezer. After traveling this much, I know that I’m more tired the second night I’m home than the first night. It’s like I have a boost of energy when I see the kids but by day 2 I crash hard. That’s when I pull out that dinner in the freezer. No brainer. Done! But now that Pascaline is so mature, she often volunteers to make dinner that night. She and I have practiced making two different dinners together so that she now has confidence to make them on her own. And she is a rock star at it! Plus, she knows what an incredible blessing it is to mama.

7. Stay at the Airport an Extra Hour

If you have internet on the plane, you are set for doing work. (LOVE internet on the planes these days! Thus, my office at 7D!)

But if I don’t, I sometimes have Brian pick me up one or two hours later at the airport. I know, insane, right! Who wants to stay at the airport when you’ve finally come home from a trip?! BUT…the last thing I want to do the first day I’m home is blog or answer time sensitive emails. I want to be able to give ALL my attention to the kids and Brian. Even though I’m dog tired, it’s worth staying at the airport and getting some work done so I can be free the next day or two at home.

*Southwest Airlines has no idea I’m doing this post, but I wanted to end by thanking them for supporting my mission to empower women through photography. They are amazing and also sponsoring our Gatherings Photo Contest. (Thank you Southwest for empowering women with me but also bringing your signature ease to travel!)

What are your favorite travel tips?! We want to hear!

xo,

*Mini Sessions in CA next Friday! Grab one of the three photo sessions, whether it’s your family, a much needed-new head shot of you, or a special session with your BFF! CLICK HERE to see the available times, details and register!

*Spring CONFIDENCE Workshops in West Coast, Midwest and East Coast! Phew! And then we may be taking a break!

See why women have said for almost five years why this weekend is life changing! All levels welcome!! Just be prepared to laugh a lot, maybe cry a little but maybe not, make new friends, be inspired with your creativity and walk out with confidence for your camera! CLICK HERE to see CONFIDENCE details and locations!

Pepper Grimm Lendennie, Kelley Ritchie, Ailynne Abarado-Remigio, Hanifa Junejo, Dinea DePhoto liked this post

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March 13th, 2012

Live Q&A this Friday at 9am/12pm (EST) on CAFE MOM!

Gather all your photography questions ladies for a super fun Live Q&A on Cafe Mom this Friday! I want you to bring ALL your picture taking questions, especially the ones you feel silly asking (because those are often the ones we learn the most from).

What is Cafe Mom? Wow…it’s an amazing community of moms just like you. And it has an INSANE WEALTH of resources for moms online. We are talking 9 million moms in this community. So beyond photography, whatever question you have about being a mom, I’m sure you will find the topic on Cafe Mom. What I love most about that, you feel a little less alone in your heart mission to be the best mom you can be.

CLICK THIS LINK to register on Cafe Mom for Friday’s Q&A. But also check out the four Photo Recipe Challenges from “Your Baby in Pictures”. Upload yours today! I’ll be picking a few to critique during the live Q&A!

And a BIG thank you to Cafe Mom for partnering with us on our current Gatherings Photo Contest! Have you submitted your favorite photo that captures the theme of Gathering with ones you love(or maybe the ones put up with ), or what about the objects you love to collect/gather! This is your chance to win a new camera, a CONFIDENCE Wkshp spot with your flight covered by Southwest, $500 GC to Target, and…MORE! Get your photos uploaded today! The contest deadline is around the corner! Be inspired by the other submissions! You can see a bunch of them HERE!

xo,

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March 12th, 2012

Invitation to a Photo Shoot on the California Beach!

I’ve just returned from Dallas, TX. I was one of the keynote speakers for the women’s Legacy Conference at Covenant Church. Close to 1500 women, wow, what an amazing, powerful three days for ALL of us! Can’t wait to tell you more as I continue to process all that happened!

I meant to release the Mini Photo Sessions for CA end of last week, and time got away from me. I do apologize. Thank you so much for your patience, especially when I’m on the road as heavily as I’ve been the last three weeks. You are all awesome!

Without further delay, I’m excited to invite you to the three time slots for a family photo shoot with me, Brian, the beach and California sun!

Click the time slot of your choice to book your family photo shoot!

1. Friday, March 23rd from 3:30pm-4pm. (CLICK HERE to BOOK!)

2. Friday, March 23rd from 4:15-4:45pm. (CLICK HERE to BOOK!)

3. Friday, March 23rd from 5pm-5:30pm. (CLICK HERE to BOOK!)

What is a Mini Photo Session? Click on any of the three times above for all the details! Once you have booked your time, Genie will be in touch with a few more details in preparation of our shoot! Any questions? Feel free to email Genie or Brian at info@merakoh.com.

In preparation for our shoot, think about the photos that you would love most of your family. I have a handful that I love to capture in our time together, but I always love hearing what vision you may have to. Not required by any means, but I like to offer that as something to churn around inside your heart as we approach the photo shoot. I can’t wait to play on the California beach with your families next week!

Much, much love and Happy Monday!

xo,

p.s. California CONFIDENCE Ladies…so crazy excited to spend the weekend with all of you! Kids are coming this trip, and I think they are more excited than us!

Carmen Tausend-Curtis liked this post

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March 7th, 2012

Do Kids Feel Invisible When We Take Their Photo?

With digital cameras and iphones, we take endless photos of our kids. But I wonder if kids feel unseen in it all. With all the picture taking, do they feel invisible?

We may tell ourselves that kids feel noticed that much more, but have you ever been snapping away and noticed how your kids were physically there but not emotionally there. Yes, their face is in the photo. But the story that lives within them, their voice–that light in their eyes, is missing.

When I’m doing a family shoot, I often look for ways to collaborate with the kids. I’ll ask them questions like;

“This part of the photo shoot is all about YOU! What kind of photo would you like me to take of you…that shows me who you are?!”

“How should we set up your doll for the perfect photo?…Where should we put you in the photo?!”

“How would you stand, if I was trying to take a picture that shows you being the tough guy (the cuddly one, the shy one, the silly one, etc)?”

I ask kids as many questions as possible, and I’m always amazed at their answers. They have the most incredible ideas…ideas I could NEVER make up! Thanks to Stress Free Baby blog who did a write up on my Blissdom photography sessions, YOU can watch a 2 minute video of me speaking on this topic. In this video, I share an example of a shoot where my heart wanted to give this little boy a voice. What the little boy gave me in return was far beyond anything I could have ever expected.

Let’s brainstorm together! I’ve written a handful of questions I ask kids when I’m taking their photos. What are more questions we could ask that would invite them in to the creative process and give them voice?

xo,

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Four Mini Sessions are Coming to Southern CA!

On Friday, March 23rd, I’ll be offering FOUR Mini Sessions at Huntington Beach (near LA) in CA! The four time slots go live on the blog tomorrow or Friday! Stay tuned! Get ready! I’m SO EXCITED to play on the beach with your family, creating photos, that tell the story of your lives!

What is a Mini Session? Keep reading!

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

Mini Details:

Cost is $550. Mini Photo Session MUST be prepaid to confirm your time. You must be on time, preferably 10 minutes early, since sessions are booked back to back.

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

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

-Alisa, Chicago Mini Shoot

Benefits of a Mini Photo Session with Me Ra

1. Done in 30 minutes! Have you ever experienced a photo shoot where you find yourself standing around, wondering what to do for the photographer. Not going to happen with me! One of the BEST time frames for a photo shoot with kids is about 30 minutes long. And I maximize that 30 minutes like you would not believe. We are moving, trying different ideas, laughing, playing and DONE before the kids are frustrated and tired. (Some of you may be thinking, THIRTY minutes? What can you shoot in thirty minutes? Answer: a whole heck of A LOT–see below)

2. 30 Final Images Narrowed Down for YOU! Are you one of those parents who has thousands, I mean THOUSANDS, of images on your computer? Do you feel lost in knowing how to choose certain ones to print? I hear your pain. This is why I narrow down our time to the top 30 moments of the shoot. And I mix them up with both Color and BW toning.

3. High Res Files FOREVER! The 30 Final Images are YOURS! (yep, you get to keep the images and print them wherever you’d like)

4. Show the Sweetness Off! An awesome 16×20 Metal Print of Your Favorite Image. Our team is more than happy to help you pick the one photo for this Metal. Moms have gone CRAZY over these Metal Prints since we spotlighted them on the Nate Berkus Show. Nate LOVES these Metal prints–I LOVE these Metal Prints! Watch the episode by clicking “Turn Your Portraits into Art.”

I have these metals all around our house, and I even have them hanging on my outside deck because they can handle rain and snow and add this wonderful design and color to our backyard. Once you get yours, you’ll join the fan club of Metal Prints!

The BIG question…

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

Mom had these amazing, long legs, so I walked the group through my thought process on how to set up a shot that tells this story along with the story of two generations.

(Within this 10 minutes, 20 plus women were watching me as I walked them through my camera settings and creative process–while trying to keep the kids entertained–mind you. )

When we do your family shoot, we won’t have an audience. And, I’m going to pull out the individual personalities of your kids so that you feel like the story of “who they are” is found in your photos.

When I’m doing a live shoot on The Nate Berkus Show, I get less than 7 minutes and ONE click for each photo–one shot, and it has to work because 2 million viewers see it.

Bottom line, a thirty minute Mini Session with your family feels like total LUXURY on my end!! We can do ENDLESS things in thirty minutes!

Once you are signed up, Genie (my right hand woman) will email you with details, like what to wear, what to bring, how to prepare, etc. Questions? Don’t hesitate to email us at info@merakoh.com.

Want more than 30 minutes?

Private Portrait Packages start at $3K. I come to your home and spend up to two hours with your family, documenting the many expressions of your family being in the place you love. Here is one of my favorite, recent examples, Gita, Nick and their Baby Boy! For more details on booking a Private Portrait Session, email info@merakoh.com.

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March 6th, 2012

Associated Press, The Washington Times: “Your Baby in Pictures” is Still Going Strong!

While we were at WPPI, we got the most exciting news! A feature about my book “Your Baby in Pictures” was released through AP (Associated Press).

Global, national, regional/local newspapers and news stations (basically everyone!) get a lot of their stories from AP. To have your book featured in an AP article is simple amazing. I’ve had a couple people tweet me that they saw my feature in their paper. Have you seen it in yours? If yes, can you tell me the name of your newspaper?

The Washington Times ran a piece called “Camera a a Sales Tool: Photo Tips from Artists“, and my quotes popped up within that piece because of the AP article hitting the wire! So fun! If you see my photo tips or “Your Baby in Pictures” come up, will you forward us the link and/or the name of the publication?

Here is the first part of the article!

To read the rest CLICK HERE!

Stock up on Baby Shower gifts with Your Baby in Pictures!

YEAH!

xo,

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Meet Me in Dallas this Week!

I’m so excited to head to Dallas, TX this week! One of my best friends from college is going to come with me so Brian can stay back with the kids (all three of them are sick, and I know lots of you are praying for me because I can’t believe I’m not!). If you live near Dallas and love inspiring, church conferences, you should come! The family who pastors the Covenant Church means so much to me. This is their three day women’s conference called Legacy, and I am beyond honored to do their opening Keynote on Thursday night (this week). I will also be doing a second session called “Know What You Want” on Friday morning. Yesterday’s blog post was inspired by my prep work for “Know What You Want”. Thank you SO MUCH for all your comments and feedback. Such a honor to be in community with you all. Maybe I’ll see you in TX this week! The conference is only $35! But get there early, this is a mega church...like ten thousand plus type of mega church! Texas style for sure!

CLICK HERE for details on the Legacy Conference!

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March 5th, 2012

Bits of Nourishment from Underground

As the new week begins, I wanted to share some bits of nourishment that I’ve received in the last couple months. Remember the post I wrote back in December “Journey to the Fallow Fields”? I heard a clear invitation within my creative spirit to go underground and allow for space–time–for new life, new ideas to come forward.

A woman named Beth graciously left a comment in that post. Her words rang with such truth that I have turned them over, again and again, in my heart the last couple months. She wrote; as the farmer allows the field to fallow this season, she is already planning ahead to the next. She knows the soil needs to be cared for continually. She knows that the wheat from the previous season took a heavy toll, so she will not ask the soil to do so much again soon. She will ask for clover. Maybe the next year oats. She knows that even with a rest, high demand with no change will slowly wear away the ability of the soil to sustain the life that relies on it. The last sentence is what rocked my world. Beth has no idea how divine her comment was. She was speaking right to my heart. I love how this community does that for each other over and over again.

Even though my travel schedule has been full since that December post, I’ve been dedicating time each week–each day if possible–to allow myself to go underground; to willingly sit in the dark where answers are far from obvious, to ask hard questions, to listen, to unpack, to wait.

Bits of nourishment have seeped through the ground.

I LOVE what Julia Cameron writes on the idea of going underground “Hatching an idea is a lot like baking bread. An idea needs to rise. If you poke at it too much at the beginning, if you keep checking on it, it will never rise….Open that oven too soon and the bread collapses. Creativity requires a respectful reticence. The truth is that this is how to raise the best ideas. Let them grow in the dark and mystery.“ Let them have space to rise. (Happy Birthday Julia!)

As these new ideas rise, I’m invited to revisit what I want. It’s hard to give new ideas time to rise, but the next part is even tougher for me. Answering the question “What do I want?” A wise woman recently told me “Be sure you know what you want because you will surely get it.”

Do you know what you want? Have you taken time recently to get real specific with what you want? Doesn’t it feel awkward? Almost selfish? And yet, this same wise woman continued to say “Get as specific as you can in regards to what you want! Get detailed! Write it down! Me Ra, why work so hard for something you may someday realize you never wanted?”

So I took the journal out and wrote down a few of my wants, trying my best not to edit along the way for the sake of just starting!

-continue homeschooling the kids

-travel less with work and take more adventure trips, like Thailand, with the kids

-multiply the mission to empower women by finding new ways to empower women so they can take the next step and empower other women (TV Show or something else that is totally different?)

-go on a spectacular 15 yr. anniversary trip this July with Brian

-create even more space for Brian’s ideas take flight

“Get more specific then that Me Ra! Hammer out what those things look like. The more specific you can be, the more likely these ideas and goals will succeed.”

The goals we set must be birthed from a clear understanding of what we want. I’ve met countless photographers who are working towards business goals that sound good, but they don’t necessarily know if meeting those goals will give them what they want. They haven’t taken the time to write down what success looks like for them. Do you know what I mean?

In the book Five it says “People who regularly write down their goals earn nine times as much over their lifetimes as the people who don’t, and yet 80% of Americans say they dont’ have goals. sixteen percent do have goals, but they don’t write them down. Less than four percent write down their goals, and fewer than one percent actually review them on an ongoing basis…”

As I’ve been spending time underground–as I’ve been creating space to let new ideas rise–I’ve also been simultaneously asking myself, “What do I want?” These wants are starting to shape up into revised goals. The goals are a mix of last year’s goals with new additions–new life from underground. I have a feeling that this little bit of tightening I’m doing is going to make all the difference in years to come.

Jon Acuff was the opening keynote speaker at Blissdom. I’m so bummed I didn’t get to hear him, but I got a copy of his book Quitter. There are some wonderful bits of nourishment within the pages of his book. I love how he challenges us to Define our Enough “…you are guaranteed to get to enough when you define it. You only find enough when you tell enough where to be found…The first taste of success, of winning, awakens the giant of enough. And if it’s not already defined, it will grow out of control.”

Brian and I were talking in the car yesterday about when and why the switch happens from looking at other photography websites and being inspired to looking at other photography websites and feeling like your work isn’t good enough. I wonder if it’s because some of us haven’t taken time to define “our enough”, and thus we haven’t defined what success means for us (more on this later), and in turn, everyone looks like they are better, smarter and more talented. Does that connect with anyone?

What about you? Did you make goals in January for 2012? Have you been able to pause from working on them to make sure they are still what you want? Did you know it’s okay to change what you want? If your wants change, it doesn’t mean you’ve wasted anytime. But here is the thing…I think sometimes we are afraid of this being true, we fear wasted time, and so we don’t step into the dark. We don’t go underground. We don’t allow ourselves to ask the question “What do you want?” The answers don’t necessarily scare us as much as the fear of hearing wrong to find we’ve wasted our time. But there is no wasted time when building a dream. Each step, each project, each work gives us something more we didn’t have before–taking us one step closer to our dream. (Even if our dream transforms along the way.)

Before the week is in full motion, take a few minutes and write down three things you want. Or revisit the goals you set earlier this year. Are those goals still matching up with what you want? Do you know what success looks like for you–not for anyone else–but you?

xo,

*See Me Ra speak in Dallas, TX this Thursday night and Friday for the Legacy Women’s Conference!

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