by Tracey Clark, guest photographer and founder of Shutter Sisters

The more I open my eyes to the visual language of the world, the more I discover. More peace, more compassion, more kindness, more togetherness, more beauty, more love.

I have considered myself “a photographer” (both in hobby and in career) for nearly 20 years. 20 years! And even still I know that with each photo I am learning, not only about photography as a medium but about the world around me and even more about myself.

I believe in everyday magic—in any and every capacity—so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise to me that beautiful things appear before my eyes everyday from seemingly out of nowhere. Inanimate objects display hopeful human gesture, heavenly light creeps in illuminating what is important, and tiny treasures that can so easily go overlooked gleam and glitter, begging to be noticed. The more I acknowledge the visual language of the Universe, the more is revealed to me. Even in the most unlikely places, at the most unexpected times love can appear.

I was finishing up a photo shoot yesterday and packed up my camera bag wearing a satisfied smile on my face, grateful for the opportunity to have a career doing what I truly love to do. I had the privilege of spending the afternoon capturing images of a local Buddhist Zen Monastery. It was an amazing experience. As I walked around quietly shooting all the details of the enchanting temple I watched each picture come to life, listened to each click of the shutter and heard my own rhythmic breath; inhale and exhale. As I walked back to my car still beaming from being in that creative and content place within the temple and within myself, right at my feet was yet another whisper of love. A small heart shaped leaf lay on the grass. I unpacked my camera and honored the moment. So unbelievably grateful for the gift I nodded, I hear you.

Tracey Clark is a photographer, writer, teacher, friend, sister, wife and mother. She is the proud founder of Shutter Sisters, the collaborative photo blog for women with a passion for photography. Tracey also teaches her daily photo-prompt e-class “Picture” series at Big Picture Scrapbooking where her next class Picture Summer starts on July 1^st.

She shares her thoughts and images at TraceyClark.com where you’ll also find inspiring stories from amazing women at her latest offering The I am Enough Collaborative. Tracey is honored to be featured here at Me Ra’s blog and is a huge fan of Me Ra’s work and goodness.

In fact, all three ladies knocked it out of the park last week in their blog posts.  If you didn’t get a chance to read them, head over to the SOAR! blog and click on the Business Coaching category.  Lindsay’s post touched me on such a deep level, I had to share it here.   Get a Kleenex box.  You may need it, but it is so worth it.  And yes, it has everything to do with Increasing Your Income.  (thank you Lindsay, so very proud of you)

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So two months ago I set an income goal with my business coach Fay, and it felt good, right, and obtainable at the time.  I  was having interest and booking sessions.  Now two months later, I am at a stand still and that monetary amount is taunting me telling me that I will never meet it by the end of the year.  What was I thinking?  Who do I think I am?

So in Karen’s blog she talked about loving the little girl in you.

“Do you feel unsure or uncomfortable? Too small to do this? Do you stop yourself before you even set a goal cause you worry you’ll fall short? Do you feel embarrassed about asking for what you are worth so you ask for so little that they don’t trust that you know what you are doing?  Does it feel like you stop yourself before you really get some momentum going?”

In reading Karen’s post and I realized something.  I realized that I am not being very kind to that little girl.  In fact I would say that I am more abusive to her than I am loving.  Would it ever be okay for someone to treat my sweet little girl like this?  NO WAY!!  Momma bear would come roaring out and that would be the end of that.  Why don’t I do the same thing for myself?  Perhaps because it is so much easier for me to see the good in others, their beauty, and their worth.

I like to think of myself as a kind and supportive person.  I hope that I encourage the people in my life.  Somewhere along my journey in life I have forgotten to do this for myself.  If I can’t be nice to Lindsay why should I expect anyone else to be?!!  I recently found these pictures on my computer of myself.  There was so much joy and innocence in those images.

I want to grab that little girl and hug her.  I want to tell her how special she is and that she could really go places if she would just learn how to love herself more.  I would tell her that she is beautiful and gifted, and all the things that made her odd will some day make her special.  I would tell her that life can be hard, but that the good will always out way the bad.

I would tell that little girl to be herself…and that is good enough.  I would tell her that I love her, and that more importantly someone much bigger than anything else that loves her unconditionally.  I would encourage her to forgive herself for mistakes she makes, and do her best to learn from them.  I would tell her to smile that beautiful smile and trust that there is a greater plan for her.

I did not expect to sit here crying as I wrote my business Blog, but alas those tears are a flowing.  But perhaps this is one of the moments that Jen spoke so eloquently about in her Blog last week.

“Challenges make us vulnerable.  A lot of times vulnerable is not comfortable.  But I realize that if I don’t experience vulnerable, I can also feel a false sense of security…like I’m in control.  It takes me feeling vulnerable to understand that I am Protected.  And if this understanding adds depth to what I can “see” as a person, a wife, a photographer…all the more worth it!”

I think that changes are happening in my life.  Some expected and some completely unexpected, and in working through this assignment I think I realized some very deep things about myself on a very personal level.

So to bring this back around to what it was supposed to be about…while I have fallen off the path of reaching my monetary goals at the moment, it is not to say that I will be off it for good.  I want to succeed at this so bad I am terrified of failing.  I put obstacles and expectations in my way that prevent me from ever knowing if I really could succeed.  I don’t want to do that anymore.  In this moment I am not afraid of disappointing anyone…but that beautiful little girl in the pictures and my Provider.

Shine On,

Lindsay

***All of these pictures were taken by my Momma when I was growing up.  I think she did a wonderful job, I love you Mom!!***

Meet Gina Maxine!

Gina is our Amazing Mom feature today!  Step back in time with me to about two years ago.  On February 15th, 2008, I posted the Top Five Finalists for the L-O-V-E themed Photo Contest.  One of the finalists was Gina Oh.  This was her adorable finalist photo!

Well friends, Gina didn’t win the L-O-V-E Photo Contest, but she didn’t let that stop her.  This woman is going to blow your mind!  Prepare to FREAK OUT when you see where Gina and her photography is today—only two years later!  Holy smoke, if ever a woman was inspiring, it’s Gina!  Check out her latest images!

I loved the setting and light on both of these!

A little different then her Photo Contest submission, huh!

Gina and I connected via email, and she has generously offered her time to tell us her story through this Amazing Mom Feature Interview.

1.Gina, when did you start your business and what was the turning point of taking it from a hobby to a business of charging people?

I started my business about 6 months ago. It was at this point that I became somewhat confident enough to do so. I finally had the confidence to produce good quality pictures regardless of the lighting situation.

2.What inspires your photography?

My children.

I was NEVER interested in photography until my children were born.

Also, newborns, I don’t think I will ever tire of shooting newborns.

I see such beauty, innocence, hope, it is totally inspiring to me. I see God’s handiwork in each baby and it never ceases to amaze me.

3.What inspires you as a person, artist?

Recently, I moved to the Central Coast of California and it’s so beautiful here that one would be crazy not to be inspired by the beach. When I am standing at the edge of the water and watching the sun set, I take a deep breath and try to take it all in. It is just an unbelievable feeling. I feel very spiritual at the beach, especially at night. Nature, nature inspires me as an artist. I love the urban work that many photographers do, but when I take children out into nature, I am overjoyed with happiness.

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

I was at a point where I was so passionate about photography that not picking up my camera several times a week was just really hard. My kids were just tired of having a camera pointed to their face, so I had started to practice on my friends’ children. I started a personal blog and people kept on commenting on how they liked my work. So I thought, why not give it a try?

Last February, I was a finalist your photo contest.The theme was love. Looking back, the photo was not technically sound by any means. I would’ve done many things differently had I taken the shot today. However, that picture still makes me smile, every time I see it.

I realize now that capturing “the moment” is very special, but to be paid, you better know what you are doing. So I started studying and practicing, day and night. When I realized that I was able to consistently produce images that I liked, I decided to charge.

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

I first took an online class by “Better Photos” from a very reputable teacher, but I was still lost. It was at this time that I started to look on the internet for DVDs that could help me improve my photography. I somehow stumbled on “Refuse to Say Cheese” and bought it immediately. When I received the package, I gave up on dinner, put out a bowl of cereal for the kids and watched it from beginning to end. Then, I immediately put myself on the waiting list for “Beyond the Green Box”, I think it was still in production at this time. I did almost every single one of those exercises on those DVDs and your daily blog. When recipes were handed out, you bet I wrote those numbers down and did that exercise. I took those recipes very seriously.  Me Ra, I don’t think you ever knew how much that impacted me. As strange as the “Professor” was, his quirky explanations helped me put the exposure triangle together in my head. I still think it’s hilarious that I would sit there and memorize those numbers, but you have to start somewhere, right? Now, it all comes to me so easily, but it wasn’t always like that. After that, I attended the Secret Workshop with Cheryl Muhr, the Baby as Art Workshop with Carrie Sandoval & Britt Woodall and The Life as Art Workshop with Nichole Van. All workshops were wonderful for different reasons.

(I have to jump in here.  This is Me Ra.  One of the BEST ways to improve your photography is by taking a workshop.  Just this weekend we had the MOST amazing weekend of growth with 20 women in Orange County.  These women are going to sky rocket!  Whether you take one of our CONFIDENCE workshops or one of the ones mentioned above, you will be blown away at how fast your photography and confidence improve.  Brian and I did a handful of workshops when we first started, and these investments jump started us like crazy!  There is a lot of talk about photographers doing workshops to early in their career and attendees being very frustrated with how much money they spent on the workshop.  I encourage you to go by word of mouth.  I don’t know personally know the ladies/workshops Gina mentions, but I’ve taken a few minutes to look at their workshop websites.   All three look inspiring.  So go for it ladies!  Ask around, do some research, and then invest in yourself.  You want be disappointed!)

6.What is one or two pieces marketing/self-promotion ideas that you can give our newbies? (something you did to get your name out there)

I have found that baby announcements are a great way to advertise. It is a high quality folded press printed card. I offer these to my newborn clients and it has my logo and website on the back. I am also the class historian at my daughter’s school. I give the parents free photos from their various field trips and that has generated some business for me as well. Other than that, it’s mostly word of mouth.

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

It was a newborn session and it was awful. The baby cried the entire time and I was just not able to achieve a single decent image. I was about to give up, but told myself that I was going to give it one more try. I told the mom to come back the next day to try again. He wasn’t the perfect baby, but much better than the day before. The first paid shoot is definitely not easy, but with practice, it does get better and better.

Looking back, I thought I was “ready”, but perhaps I wasn’t. Now, I rarely get butterflies in my stomach.

It took LOTS and LOTS of practice, you must practice, that’s the only way to know you’re camera. (Have I emphasized “practice” enough?)

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

Toughest: the never-ending juggling of time. It is crazy, isn’t it? I wasn’t very good at it last year so I had to re-evaluate my situation this year, I have cut back tremendously, and I am ok with this. My youngest is two now and I feel that they are only this age once and so my photography business is going to have to take somewhat of a back seat. This year, I only take one client a month and a handful of commercial work. I am happy with this decision and it works for our family in this moment in time.

Best: In this month’s issue of Baby Couture magazine, there is a full page ad with an image that I photographed. I showed it to my husband and he took the magazine from me and looked at it and read the article like he was really interested. (He’s your typical Asian guy, people, not one to express much emotion). Anyways, whether it was just playing it up or not, I don’t know, but he was like, “Wow, you’re famous now, I’m so proud of you, yada yada yada…” and I know a part of him was joking, but I also know that when he hugged me, a part of him was really proud. When he first bought me my used Nikon D70s, it was only supposed to be a hobby.  Yet, as I have I dived deeper and deeper, he’s supported me even more.

When holidays come around, his questions is always the same, “What lens is it this time, honey?” Haha, it always makes me laugh. Knowing that he encourages and supports my life outside being a SAHM has been a wonderful discovery for me.

9.  Is there one more piece of advice you’d give to newbies?

I feel like it is important to take time to find out what your style is, what you like to photograph. I tried all kinds of photography before settling down to newborns, children and commercial work.

I did maternity, engagement sessions, seniors, 2nd shot a wedding, editorial, still life, etc. It took my a good couple of years before I realized what I really liked. Having said that, there is no law saying that you have to stick to that genre forever. This goes for editing too. Right now, my work has a vintage feel.

I might not like this look next year and it’s ok. However, you must update your blog or website so that your client knows what look they are getting. So how do you discover your “style”? PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!

Dearest Gina,  Thank you so much for sharing your story with all of us.  It’s so inspiring to see what you’ve done in two years time.  I think so many of us struggle with wanting our images to improve overnight.  And while digital photography has sped up the process, anything we are passionate about learning takes practice.  And your images and business are proof of how rewarding the practice can be.  You are an inspiration dear.  You are an Amazing Mom!  One of these days, we’ve got to meet in person!

Much love, Me Ra

*To see more of Gina’s beautiful imagery, CLICK HERE!

To all our blog readers,

Did you miss one of our 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!

4. Interview w/Lora Ayers from Atlanta, Georgia!

5. Interview w/Carey Schumacher from San Diego, CA!

6.  Interview w/Amanda DiMonda from Long Island, NY!

7.  Spotlight w/Sreyown Sun from Cambodia!

p.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!  If you submitted an email to us before and didn’t hear back, please accept my personal apologies.   I’m working on getting more and more help with the number of daily emails I receive.  So just to play it safe, copy Genie on the email too!    genie@merakoh.com

Oh!  I almost forgot!  Tune into Lifetime’s Balancing Act tomorrow morning to see the feature spot I did with them!

I want to introduce you to a very special lady.  Her name is Sreyown Sun.  She lives at the orphanage in Cambodia and was our only female student when Brian and I did a photography workshop/photo shoot around the city.

Sreyown is not a mother from having her own children.  But she is an amazing mothering figure to all the little children at the orphanage.  So that’s enough to qualify her as an Amazing Mom to me.  Not only is she an amazing woman full of love for the orphans, but we all discovered that she has an AMAZING eye for photography too!

She and I talked about what it means to capture someone beyond a “cheese” smile.  What does it mean to capture the essence of what you see in that person—the dimensions of their personality, the subtle characteristics that make that person unique to everyone else around them?

We also discussed using the Third’s Principle to help enhance what we are trying to capture.  When thinking of your scene being split into thirds, what third would you place your Subject in?  How could this decision make all the difference in your image?

I gave her the Copper Brown Sony 330 DSLR and a lens with a low f-stop.  Look at what she captured!

The above image of Blaze, totally and completely, captures the heart of Blaze’s tenderness.   He was leaning on Brian as we were driving this open aired, Tuk-Tuk around the city—looking for places to shoot.  And Sreyown was sitting across from him and saw the moment.  She focused in on Blaze’s eyelashes, allowing his neck and t-shirt to go blurry behind him.  There is NO post processing done to this image.  The color is really that good on the Sony 330.  I will forever be thankful to Sreyown because this is a side of Blaze that I cherish.

Sreyown went after the Third’s Principle—trying all sorts of ideas.  After 30 minutes of really focusing on it, Sreyown was so excited to show me this image.  “Wow!”  That’s all I could say!

I thought it was super creative of her to shoot down on Blaze, as Blaze was looking up at his own camera.  His eyes are so intent on what he’s focusing his camera on.  You feel like you are right there, in the moment.  Again, Sreyown used a low f-stop to get the buttery, blurry background behind Blaze and also in front of Blaze (see how his camera and hands are blurred too?).

I was so inspired by what this young lady captured in her first hour of holding a camera!  I was completely inspired.  I had to share her gift with you too.

If everything else overwhelms you, do what Sreyown did.  Set your camera to the Aperture Priority mode.  Dial down to the lowest f-stop so you get lots of buttery-blurring backgrounds happening.  Then consider the Third’s Principle as you shoot away.  Think of your new sister in photography, Sreyown Sun, and be inspired!

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s.  Sreyown Sun and a number of others from the orphanage are on Facebook.  If she inspired you today, leave her a note in today’s comments and invite her to be your friend on FB.  You can’t imagine how far a few words of encouragement goes in their pursuit to overcome.  You can also learn more about the orphanage by befriending Randy Fleming, the amazing Director of Water of Life, on Facebook too!  To read more about our time with these amazing people, click on the Cambodia Adventures in the right margin.

p.s.s.  Have you checked out the AWESOMENESS on the SOAR! Blog this week?  Monday started with a great Business Coaching exercise that is all about finding clientele.  And each day, one of the SOAR! Recipients have tackled it and are sharing it on the SOAR! blog. Check it out and cheer those women on too if you have a moment.  They are working their BUTTS off, and that’s no lie!

Meet Amanda DiMonda!

Amanda is our Amazing Mom feature today. She is based out of Long Island, NY. And she has two beautiful twin girls!

1. Amanda, 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 your beautiful website?

I have always had a love for photography; however, my first love was animals. I grew up wanting to be a veterinarian. In college, I was always interested in taking a photography class and for one reason or another I never did. I did take my camera around campus with me when I needed time for just me and to reflect on life during a time when I was really trying to find myself.

Fast forward six years later and I found myself becoming a mom of beautiful twin girls.

My camera and I formed a new relationship. Would you believe I actually started off taking pictures with my Sony video camcorder?! It also took still shots and it was the only camera I had. After literally thousands of pictures later, capturing my girls every moment, my video camera fell at a birthday party and broke. While it was being fixed my husband and I went to the store and he asked me what kind of camera I wanted. I said, “Well if I could get anything it would be the Canon Rebel XTi.” At the time I had been drooling over it for a very long time. It was then that he looked at me and said “OK.” What?! I was really just joking and throwing it out there…never expecting to actually get it. He told me that it may take time but that everyone always compliments me on my pictures. And maybe one day it could end up being a business purchases, and I could start my own photography business.

I received my camera for a Christmas present in 2007 and never looked back. I was literally floating. Photography woke up something inside of me that I knew was there but never actually took the time to listen too. My camera let me show and “say” more then I could ever put into words. More and more people continued to tell me that I should pursue photography because they loved my eye.

It wasn’t until last winter (2008) that an amazing woman I met by chance through a mommy and me class, asked me to take pictures of her boys. She knew I could do it, just like many others telling me, before I did. And for some reason I listened and said I would love to. After my first photo shoot I was re-newed in spirit and on such a high that I saw all the pieces of my life fall into place. And just how amazing it was to produce such a priceless gift for another person and truly love every minute of it. That is when it started. I did do a few jobs after that for free and slowly started charging people from there. In April of this year, I decided to put up a website to have some way of actually showing what I do. Through my website and mostly word of mouth, I have started to take off. Some days I find myself holding my breath wondering if it is truly happening. I mean how many people can honestly say they LOVE and have such passion for their job?

2. What inspires your photography?

Definitely my children.

It is amazing how quickly they go from one stage in life to the next. I want to remember all the little things. The way their eyes light up when they do something for the first time, or how innocent they look while sleeping or laying next to their puppy, all those silly face only they make so well. I could go on for hours, but just to watch them grow and come into their own…is so beautiful and takes my breath away.

They inspire me to try my best to capture that, so one day they can look back and treasure those moments and see how amazing they have always been.

3. What inspires you as a person, artist?

Just life in general and a desire to want to show people what I can’t put into words.

I am a deep thinker, always have been and I am sure always will be. Growing up I always felt “older” then I was and the things that went through my head were not the normal things I should be worried about or thinking of. I was always sensitive to situations that would normally go right over a child’s head. Life itself was such a big question to me: Where exactly did I fit in this big world? It amazed me to think of all the possibilities. I saw and felt so much, yet I never found a way to let all that energy out and have always just taken everything in. My camera bridged that gap. Now I can show people what I see and help them notice something beautiful in places they might never have thought to look or taken the time to feel.

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

I found my self 25 years old, a mom blessed with newborn twins and unable to have any more children due to a heart condition that was a result of my pregnancy. That one stung for a while. As thankful as I was that I was given two amazing children, I didn’t like being told I could not have any more kids. I LOVED being a mom and thinking that all these moments that pass too quickly would never happen for me again was heart breaking. Those tiny newborn hands, those belly laughs and toothless grins. Everything. Only once. It crushed me.

Fast forward a few years later and I realized that there is a reason for everything! I found my camera, this passion…and I actually took that “leap”. Just the way I felt after taking pictures for someone else for the first time, it was so empowering. I finally saw all the pieces of my life fall into place, and it felt right. And I find that I am blessed again every time a family allows me to step into their lives for just a moment and capture their own child’s story.

I get to relive those moments every time I do a session! It truly is a special gift and dream within a dream!

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

I honestly have never taken a photography class or workshop before. I have learned what I know from playing around and reading information anywhere I could find it. Then I bought Me Ra’s Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box DVDs. They absolutely helped me in more ways then one. They showed me in simple terms how to understand Aperture. That was the most technical thing from it that I truly appreciated getting out of the DVDs. Then even more then that was the confidence it inspired in me. The DVDs, just your blog in general and you, and the information you provide and your encouraging sincere way. How you show in more ways then one that you can take this amazing passion and make into whatever you want it to be. All you have to do is look any fear or doubt straight on and jump in with two feet and the rest will fall into place. Whenever I feel my self confidence lacking all I have to do is read through your blog and take a deep breath. Then I realize I can do this, just keep moving forward.

I also attended MeRa and Brian’s CONFIDENCE workshop in Minneapolis, and I am still in awe of the whole experience. I had hit a glass ceiling in my photography and had not even realized it until the first day of the workshop. By the second day I realized why I was where I was, and Me Ra and Brian gave me the tools and the courage to go out there and challenge myself in new ways. I can not even put into words how amazing these workshops are…and there is NO question. Everyone should attend one…it is that simple!

6. What is one or two pieces marketing/self-promotion ideas that you can give our newbies? (something you did to get your name out there)

Definitely business cards. Even if you do not have a website yet, and are just starting out. I would absolutely tell anyone to just get business cards. You can put your own pictures on one side and on the other just have your name and contact information and write down photographer or child photographer how ever you choose to word it. Hand them out to friends and family to give to people, or ask if you can leave them at certain businesses. Or if you just meet someone and the conversation comes up you have something to show a piece of your work and have all the info right there.

I have also found the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation. I did not realize all that I had been through children could be subjected to as well. It is such a misdiagnosed condition and as soon as I found it, I knew I wanted to do my part to help them any way I could. I decided to donate 10% of my prints profits during a certain time frame to their organization. When they found out they were so excited and wanted to help promote me as well and in turn hopefully helping them at the same time. So they posted about me on their website, and I have gotten recognized through that. If there is something that speaks to you…something you would love to help out in some way–you can do it with your photography…you can do it! You never know the possibilities that can arise and at the same time you are helping others and that always feels amazing.

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

My first paid shoot I was very nervous. I was so scared that the “idea” of actually being paid would just get in my head to much and I would never give them something they would actually want to pay for. I had my work cut out for me as well as it ended up being the coldest day of the winter up until that point. It was of two little boys and the youngest was only about 15 months. He was so cold and not happy to be outside, and he cried every time we tried to get him to walk around. I totally understood why! It wasn’t until I got home and started looking through the images that I realized ‘Wow I really can do this, I had so much against me with the weather yet I still captured images where you would never known how miserable it was outside and that the little guy was so upset!’ I ended up making them happy and have actually taken their pictures again since then. It wasn’t until I got their mom and dad’s words of how much they loved the pictures that I actually started to breathe again! It felt empowering to make others so happy.

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

Guilt and time. By nature I find it very hard to do things for me and when I do…as much as I know in my heart I need them and despite my husband’s encouraging words and support to go get and achieve anything I want…I still feel tremendous amounts of guilt. It is funny to me, as much as this is my business and a job, it is so much fun and I love doing it from the bottom of my heart that I sometimes forget about feeling guilty for going out, away from my family to do a shoot. That I am creating something to treasure for others, making them happy which is priceless for me, and I am contributing to my family at the same time.

Also time, finding the time to sit at my computer and edit all the images I capture. I struggle to find the right time that I am not taking away from my “job” as a mommy or wife and yet not staying up all hours of the night working on pictures and then getting no sleep! (sometimes I just get so into it that I can’t stop to go to bed! Lol! The house is quiet and when does that happen right?!)

The best part is that I get to give people something and make others happy, while at the same time doing something I truly love for me. And I get to share my passion, especially as my children get older and hopefully inspire them to go after their own dreams.

9. Is there one more piece of advice you’d give to newbies?

To stop waiting and just go for it. Fly. Do it for yourself, especially if you are a mom…You know how we all get to these points where we are doing things for all these people and then we stop for a second and think…but who am I again? It will fill that space and empower you to do more in every area of your life! And don’t let those days where you are lacking self confidence bring you down. Just breathe and keep moving forward…it will come back. You can do this!

And to have a good support system behind you. I could not do what I do with out the support of my husband. He is so enthusiastic about what I do and wanting me to grow and succeed. He is always willing to help in anyway with our girls so I can go out and meet with clients and is always by my side reminding me why I started this and how proud he is!

I love that I can make people happy and slow down for a second in this crazy life and take a moment to appreciate the beauty in love in their own lives.

A client once told me that she had never known her husband to cry and as he looked through their on line gallery he had tears. That was the best compliment any one could have given me, especially just starting out.

Through photography I also found a way to give back on a personal level. I found The Littlest Heroes Project, which is a non profit based organization helping children who sometimes feel forgotten because of an illnesses or life altering condition by offering free photography sessions. I have yet to do my first session, but was accepted as a photographer a few months back. I am so excited to be able to take my love for photography and not only start a business but also reach out at the same time and make a child feel wonderful. I am not the founder of this amazing organization or anything to do with how it started, I am just waiting to partake and do my part! If you are interested check them out and see if they are in need of photographers in your area! http://www.littlestheroesproject.org/Littlest_Heroes_Project/Home.html

Photography has opened my life and heart to so many amazing things and I am so honored and thrilled that you, Me Ra, have given me this opportunity to take another deep breath and open up about my incredible new journey. If I can do this anyone can!

Dearest Amanda, I will never forget meeting you at the Minneapolis workshop. You have such a tender soul. You soak in all the energy around you, and you turn the energy into beautiful images. I was looking at your blog last night, and I was blown away–just in total awe of your beautiful images. You seem to capture the human spirit in such a soft, gentle way. Thank you for sharing your story, your fears, weaknesses, triumphs, your honesty…thank you for sharing YOU with all of us. We are better people today because of you.

Much love, Me Ra

To all our blog readers,

To see more of Amanda’s beautiful imagery, CLICK HERE! To follow her blog, CLICK HERE!

Did you see the last five 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!

4. Interview w/Lora Ayers from Atlanta, Georgia!

5. Interview w/Carey Schumacher from San Diego, CA!

p.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!

Carey is bold and doesn’t let the industry push her around. She and her business don’t fit into a box. She is who she is–take it or leave it. Her clients jump at the chance to “take it”. Throughout our friendship, Carey has given me so much encouragement. Even though our personalities and businesses are different, I can’t tell you how much it means to know that I can pick up the phone and ask her to pray for me. I can cry into the phone, and she will have an encouraging word for me. Even though she teases me for being so deep at times, she encourages me to go for it. Her life alone is a symbol of “going for it”. And let’s not forget that Carey is also one of the BEST at outwitting and teasing Brian! That is saying SOMETHING!

Meet Carey Schumacher, San Diego Portrait Photographer, owner of the well known Barefoot Memories!

1. Carey, 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?

I started in 2002. I’d been taking pictures for friends & family, but when my husband was laid off from his job, I needed to start charging for photography. I needed to help the family, so it was either 1) make a photography business profitable 2) get a job teaching college Math or 3) sell the house & move. A bunch of friends had been telling me, “you could totally charge money for your photography,” so it was time to find out if they were right!

2. What inspires your photography?

The people in front of my camera at the time (each family is so unique & beautifully made) AND the stories I hear back about how families have happily & proudly filled their homes with my photos — that’s awesome to me.

3. What inspires you as a person, artist?

Man, you get deep with these questions. I didn’t go to your touchee feely “find the artist within” workshop, so I’m neither qualified nor certified to answer this question. (There she goes, teasing me again. )

I’ll take a crack at it anyway… I feel really inspired by my family.

They’re divine (made by God).

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

I’ve never been to a photography class, and the first workshop I attended was the one I hosted with some spazzy chick from Seattle. (who is she talking about? ) I LOVE attending WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) in Vegas. Spending a few days around other photographers is great for my photography & my business.

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

I was VERY nervous. I felt nauseous. I prayed for peace, and I prayed that the family I was meeting would feel peace and joy as well. Then I prayed that I would get nervous on my way to my next shoot, so I’d remember to pray. Hundreds of shoots later, I still get nervous on the way to photoshoots. (Isn’t it nice to know that someone as talented as Carey still gets nervous before a shoot? Kind of freeing, huh.)

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

The best is being able to make my own schedule.
The toughest is trying to NOT WORK when I should be focusing on MOM duties.

(I have to add something here because one of the things I admire most about Carey is her ability to be present as a mom and present as a business woman. And sometimes she is able to magically combine the two. For instance, she did the coolest soccer team photos I’ve ever seen for her son’s team. I mean this soccer image redefines “soccer team photos” for me. What about you?

That image won Matt’s soccer team a trip to the David Beckham Academy. And they ended up being in Soccer America magazine! Is she the coolest mom EVER or what!)

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

Don’t stay up til all hours of the night looking at other photographers’ websites convincing yourself that you suck. Give yourself a little bit of “I SUCK!” time, but not too much! And use that time to convince yourself to PRACTICE MORE and try harder instead of getting bogged down with “I Suck-itis”

9. What else would you like to add that I’m missing? Feel free, free, free!

I’m excited about two things coming up:

1) my trip to NYC in a few weeks, where I’m teaching a myFUNcamera workshop in Central Park. I’ll also be in the Mpix booth at the PhotoPlus tradeshow if anyone wants to come by and say HI

2) WPPI should be opening up registration for next year’s Master’s Classes soon! They were supposed to be open at the beginning of October, but I don’t think they’ve opened up registration yet. Here are the details:

Program Title: Go BIG or go home? I’ll take HOME! Solutions and strategies for home-based photographers (that is my favorite title ever Carey!)
Program Day: Sunday 3/07 Time: 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Program Room: Room #201
The folks from WPPI told me to give people this link to “stay tuned”
http://www.wppionline.com/lasvegas/intro.html

I had to end with this sweet image of her dog (otherwise, I’d be in BIG trouble!).

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Carey just revamped her whole blog, and it’s pretty cool! http://barefoot-memories.com/blog Go check it out and tell her what you think!

If you have any questions for her, feel free to post them up in today’s comments. Also, be sure to check out her Pocket Guides! They are awesome!

And if you want to read more about Carey, she recently did an interview with a friend of ours, Davina Fear. Davina is another beautiful woman in the industry. She has been doing these awesome “Women and Business” interviews on her blog. Carey had a ton of great (and funny) things to say. Check it our here! http://davina.squarespace.com/journal/2009/10/1/women-and-business-carey-schumacher.html I’ll be doing one for Davina this November. If you want to see Carey live and in action during a portrait shoot, check out her video on her main Barefoot Memories website!

p.s. Did you see the last four 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!

4. Interview w/Lora Ayers from Atlanta, Georgia!

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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What about putting CONFIDENCE on your Christmas Wish List this year!!! We are down to THREE spots in the January Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop! The November Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is already sold out! CLICK HERE to get one of the last spots!

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 Beyond the Green Box , and our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

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

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,

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 Beyond the Green Box (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!

In case you didn’t hear, we are going to extend the Early Bird Discount for the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE Workshop to this coming Friday, September 4th! A handful of you have signed up last week, and I know a few more wanted to get in at the Early Bird rate. So instead of ending the discount on Tuesday, we’ll go to Friday! I hope the little bit of extra time helps. CLICK HERE to get one of the last spots!

Okay, Today I’m super excited to introduce you to the beautiful Tracie Stier-Johnson!

When I invited blog readers to send me an email if they’d like to be interviewed, Tracie was one of the many who emailed back. I was so excited b/c Tracie is one of the most beautiful spirits I’ve ever met. We first met when she attended our CONFIDENCE workshop in Chicago last November. And I fell in love with her. This amazing woman has endured so much hardship in life, and yet she still sees promise and hope in every new turn. You’ll see what I mean. She is simply amazing.

1. Tracie, 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?

I started my business only a few short months ago! Like most photographers, once I had children (starting 14 years ago), the camera was constantly in my hand. I have photos everywhere.

Then, mid-last year, enter the blog world and flickr {both new to me}. I found my insides turning with a strange feeling of angst in wanting to take images like the beauty I was seeing all over the Internet. So I signed up for a couple of workshops. I truly just wanted to take better photos of my children and our travels. Starting a business was the last thing on my mind!

I already owned a business, a small stationery store I’d had for 8 years, at the time … I seriously was not looking for a new or additional career!

Apparently, God had other plans for me. After attending Me Ra’s Chicago CONFIDENCE workshop in November of last year, I came home and offered photo sessions to several of my friends and their families. Just for fun and to continue to hone in on the skills I learned at the workshop.

Me Ra, you truly made the technical side of photography click with me! {get the little pun?} I walked away from the workshop thinking, “I can do this.” And an ever-so-small voice was whispering to me … “you can do this.”

For other lengthy reasons that revolve around wanting and needing to be emotionally ‘present’ for my children, I decided to sell my stationary store. And somehow … in the meantime, I started a photography business.

It was crazy. It all started with a donation of a photography package to an auction. I typically donated a stationery package from the store, but couldn’t. So thought, “Hey, I can donate a photography package.” One thing led to another … I needed a name {tsj photography}, a website, business cards, pricing packages … whew! A new business was born!

After I sold my store, I’ve never looked back. This is the first summer I’ve been home with the kids. My photography business is building at just the right pace for me. After each portrait session, I’m continue to learn and evaluate what went well and/or needs improvement. I’ve got just enough sessions that I’m not overwhelmed with editing, etc., but also have ample playtime with the kids. It’s been amazing!

And like Leslie, I’m amazed when I look back at my sessions from just six months ago how I’ve continued to evolve in my work, but also my confidence.

2. What inspires your photography?

Honestly, I continue to be inspired by the amazing images I see all around me. I definitely strive to have my own look … and when I see other images that inspire, it makes me want to be a better photographer. Truly, there is something that happens to my insides when I see an amazing image and inspires me to want to be a part of that incredible beauty and deliver that beauty to my clients.

3. What inspires you as a person, artist?

First and foremost, God. I’m seriously inspired by the gift He’s given me. I believe God has entrusted us all with a gift or talent and it’s up to us to nourish it, which in turn, thanks him for giving it to us.

Secondly, my children inspire me {is that cliche?}. They make me want to be a better person, a better mom. They make me want to give them myself, and ultimately my clients the very best of me. I’m constantly inspired by their innocence, energy, creativity … they inspire me to be the best I can be.

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

I feel incredibly blessed with the path I’ve taken. It amazes me when I look back at how each piece fit perfectly for my future plans … even if I didn’t know it at the time.

Of course the only DVDs I’ve ever watched are the very amazing “Refuse to Say Cheese” and “Beyond the Green Box.” J I watched Refuse to Say Cheese last summer and immediately took the girls outside to ‘play’ and catch all the little details of toes, dimpled hands and dress ruffles. I thought I was “it!” The stuff photographers were made of! Seriously, Me Ra’s DVDs opened my eyes big time!

Then I took a private class with Jessica Claire. She taught me a lot about natural lighting and how to catch it right.

When I got home, I ordered and watched Me Ra’s second DVD, Beyond the Green Box. Me Ra and Brian made it all sound so simple! I was already signed up for one of their workshops and couldn’t wait to talk in person about any other questions I had. From watching the DVDs, I was definitely able to have more confidence in shooting in manual {my goal}, but I feel like I was still missing something.

The CONFIDENCE workshop was like the flood gates of Heaven opening! I could hear the angels singing ‘Hallelujah” when I finally got it!! Me Ra, you guys must see that moment all the time in your workshops! I’ve been shooting in manual ever since your workshop and have even been trying to teach some of my friends the simplicity of it. No technical mumbo-jumbo … I call it Me Ra – ease. J

In April, I went to the Learnfest workshop. It was helpful to me in getting my business off the ground. It definitely gave me things to think about in the way I wanted to approach my business.

And the last workshop I went to was the amazing, awe-inspiring, goose-bump giving. It was the Discovery Workshop in San Francisco that Me Ra and Brian held with Rick Chapman and Garrett Burdick … absolutely amazing! The Discovery workshop really helped me see myself as an artist, not just a photographer. It helped me open up and learn how to make better connections … with myself, with others, with my clients. An experience I will forever be grateful for and will never forget.

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

I get butterflies before every session! So I don’t think my first paid one was any different. Is that weird? I feel like I’d done enough free, portrait building sessions … I’d done what I could to be the best photographer I could be {at that time, not to say I don’t continue to grow and evolve}. But I’d prepared myself enough to have the confidence I needed to know I would succeed. Trust me, that sounds better than what I was feeling on the inside, but the ‘brain’ part of me was saying, “you can do this. This is what you’ve been training for.”

So … my first official session was truly like all my sessions, only better than my free sessions, because I’d come to a place where I thought, “yeah, I can do this … I’m really doing this!”

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

The best part is having the ability to take beautiful photos of my family! Also, for me at least, I need to have something outside of my family that is just for me. That makes me feel like I’m contributing in some other way. So having this business allows me to keep myself ‘whole’ and in turn be more for my family.

The toughest thing would definitely be the logistics of leaving the family when I have a photo session. But that leads to my answer for the following question …

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

Balance. Keep things in perspective.

But isn’t that true about anything we do? We want to be all and give all … to all! I think we have to realize, and more importantly be okay with, the fact that we can’t do-all and be-all.

My family is my first priority. I’ve taken that all into account when starting my business. I don’t want to work on Sundays, so I don’t offer sessions on Sundays. And a session on Saturday will cost more than a weekday. I’ll also continue to limit myself to 2 sessions a week. It’s very tempting to schedule, schedule, schedule. We don’t want to turn anyone away, we’re anxious for the business and opportunity … but I have to remember, “At what price?”

9. What else would you like to add that I’m missing? Feel free!

I’d like to share two more things. The first involves adversity. I know from reading the hundreds of comments, and from talking to others at the workshops … we are all facing adversity in one form or another.

I was recently diagnosed with early stages of Multiple Sclerosis {MS} and have started a treatment to slow progression of the disease. It’s an every-other-day injectable medication that I have to take for the rest of my life. I’ve lost part of my vision in my left eye, and unfortunately, I shoot using my left eye. I’ve been trying to switch over to my right, but when I’m in the heat of the moment … I revert to my old habits. I’ve also been losing my close-up vision. Almost daily, it gets worse. I find myself having to move items further and further from my eyes, again … difficult when I’m trying to look at the viewfinder to see what I’m getting. Bottom line is that I’m dealing with it.

And not for one minute have I asked, “why me.” Instead, I’ve chosen to embrace my diagnosis and move forward with a brave face even though I may not always feel brave.

The second thing I’d like to share … as I mentioned before, I believe we’ve all been given a gift or talent and I’m so thankful I’ve been given the gift of photography. What an amazing craft we’ve been charged with! Giving others everlasting memories … makes me smile just thinking of it!

I’ve had a yearning in my heart to give back to others through my photography. I wasn’t sure what all that meant and hadn’t had it sorted out yet. I was worried what others in the industry would think, etc. Me Ra, I don’t know if you remember us talking about my thoughts? We were at Stinson Beach in the little clubhouse on that rainy afternoon during the Discovery Workshop, and I brought the subject up to you. You were the sweetest ever and encouraged me to continue figuring out exactly what it was I wanted to do. And not to worry about what others thought. If it was in my heart, I should do it.

And I did! I’m currently giving back half my profits to organizations all over the world. My giving plan is focused on organizations mostly overseas involving mother, children and the spreading of God’s Word. You can read more about it here GIVING PLAN. I feel so incredibly blessed to have this plan.

I encourage everyone to look for ways you can give back … it doesn’t have to be grand … but it should be something that makes you feel good!

Me Ra, thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my story with your readers. My hope is that I’ve inspired and encouraged anyone that might be feeling uncertain in their own story.

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*Tracie, Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story and BEAUTIFUL images. You are such a strong woman. Even with the new challenges you are facing, you are not giving up but going for your heart’s visions even more. You are such a powerful force of nature. It’s a honor to feature your work, your stories, be a part of your life. Thank you for all the time you gave to help this interview post happen. We are better people for it.

To read more about Tracie’s experience at the Chicago CONFIDENCE Workshop, CLICK HERE. To see more of Tracie’s beautiful work, click TRACIE’S WEBSITE. And yes, you must check out her great blog as she shares her unfolding journey. To order your own copy of our Award Winning DVDs, see below!

I also invite you to ask Tracie your questions in the comments. She has such a strong spirit to support women. I’m sure she would love to start a conversation with you! And it’s always nice to hear that your process was helpful to someone else. To know we are not alone–isn’t that what it’s all about? Thanks Tracie for letting so many women know they are not alone.

Have a wonderful weekend friends. Much love, Me Ra

p.s. Did you miss the last two 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

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 Minneapolis CONFIDENCE Workshop deadline for the Early Bird Registration price has been EXTENDED!! HOORAY!!! You now have until this Friday to get in on the deal! FYI, I don’t think we’ll be able to make it to the East until next Fall, so if you are near Minneapolis or on the East Coast , come join us! To find out more details and get yourself a spot, CLICK HERE!

Want to learn more about Framing, Composition, Blurry Backgrounds and Lighting? Check out our Award Winning DVDs, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box (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!

Today, be inspired by Michelle Riddle!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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 Beyond the Green Box, 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!

Leslie is a Portrait Photographer based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. I emailed Leslie and asked if she would mind sharing her photography story with all of you. You are going to LOVE it! Leslie first came to our workshop two years ago, and she has grown so much since that time. Every beautiful image you see today was taken by Leslie (except her bio shot, of course). Her story is awesome, and I’m sure a number of you will relate and be encouraged. She made me laugh AND CRY! Find a comfy chair, grab your cup of coffee and be prepared to be inspired! (Want to share your story too? See the bottom of today’s post!)

Interview with Leslie Webber

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

Leslie: When I came home after the workshop in the fall of 2007, I started taking pictures of anyone I could find. I constantly (and annoyingly) sent images to my friends and family asking for feedback. My wonderful friend Jill was one of the unfortunate souls I barraged with mediocre images.

Jill has two little girls. Her youngest was six months old at the time and wasn’t too fond of strangers, so picture attempts hadn’t gone well. Jill asked me if I would be interested in taking a few pictures because the baby knew me and we could shoot in her home where she was most comfortable. I told Jill I would give it a shot, knowing she would be completely supportive and understanding even if every image was terrible. Jill’s shoot would be like shooting with a safety net!

After the shoot, which was on a cold, gray January morning and shot indoors, I uploaded the images. I was nervous. As they popped up on my monitor, I started to cry. We had usable images! I called Jill and we sat, in our pajamas, clicking through pictures. She was thrilled, I was excited and stunned that I knew, at least somewhat, what I was doing.

I didn’t really decide I was going to take it from a hobby to a business, so much as Jill decided for me. Jill is one of the smartest women I know and has more business sense than I could ever hope to have. She told me to “go for it,” sent an e-mail with a link to our images to everyone she could think of and told them all how wonderful I was. Not only did Jill’s e-mail help me to get my business off the ground, it did wonders to bolster my confidence.

As I looked over my shoots from the last year, I noticed my work had really come a long way. There were several images that really seemed to resonate with people who didn’t even know the people in the images. So, after a year of cheesy business cards and toting around a tiny album with images from my portfolio, I decided to take the plunge and set up a website. It is so nice to be able to say, “YES! I do have a website where you can view my work.” Even though my rates increased, my business has steadily grown.

2. What inspires your photography?

Leslie: I am very interested in people and their stories. I love getting to know people! Part of what inspires my photography is finding out a little about the family and working to produce images that show who they are. There is nothing more precious than watching a family interact with a brand new member. It melts me and I want to convey how special those moments are through images. As a mom, I know how quickly time passes and I’m inspired when I’m able to provide someone with a memory their family will have years from now.

3. What inspires you as a person, artist?

Leslie: I am truly inspired and fueled by relationships. I feel so blessed by all of the new people photography has brought into my life. Not just other photographers from whom I’ve learned so much, but also my clients who have become friends. Building and nurturing relationships is so much a part of photography and that’s part of the reason I love it so much!

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

Leslie: The first paid shoot I did for total strangers was a referral from Jill. I was a ball of nerves, felt completely self-conscious, and wanted to hide in the woods of the park where we met. The family had a little guy, about eighteen months old and he was on the move. The location they chose was very shady and muddy. I felt like I wasn’t getting anything. When the shoot was over and she pulled out her checkbook, I came up with every excuse to give her a substantial discount. When I uploaded their images, there were several good ones and they were really happy. Lesson learned!

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

Leslie: The toughest part is taking time away from my family to go to a shoot. My wildly supportive husband, Brandon travels four days a week, so our weekends are sacred. I schedule as many of my shoots during the week as possible. That being said, while I’m off shooting, Brandon has one on one time with our kids that he probably wouldn’t have otherwise. When I process images after shoots, the kids look at me and yell requests through the glass French doors of the office, and that’s not much fun. I feel like I should be at the pool with them or putting away their laundry that is piled on the couch.

The best part has been the pride my children have taken in my work. Our son Alex is seven. When I launched my website, he asked me to write down my web address. He stuck it on the inside of his school binder. Through his teacher, I found out he pulled up the site during computer lab and showed it to the class. It brought me to tears to know he was proud of something his mom created. I also feel like I’m setting a really great example for our daughter Meredith, who is four. To be able to show her that I can be a wife and a full time mom, while pursing my dream is wonderful.

(This is Me Ra, did this answer make anyone else cry?! Oh my goodness!)

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

Leslie: I would say the biggest hurdle for me to overcome was a colossal lack of confidence. I had to find what it was that gave me confidence in my ability. For me, it was remembering I had an incredible foundation. I trained with Me Ra and Brian at their workshop for Pete’s sake! I also read all I could read about photography and shot every single day. I slowly started to believe in myself. My confidence comes and goes, and when I start to loose my footing, I go back through my portfolio to remind myself I do know what I’m doing. So my advice to someone just starting out…take the passion you have for photography, hone your skills, find your niche and tell yourself “you can do it!” Then remind yourself over and over.

9. Do you remember how you found out about me and Brian?

Leslie: I know this is probably more information than you bargained for, but I love the story of how I wound up in your workshop! I really believe my attendance was in the works well before I even thought about it. My dear friend Michelle grew up near Seattle, and attended college in Illinois (Yea Bradley University!) where we met. Michelle met Me Ra in grad school in Seattle. Michelle was back in the Midwest for a visit and I was taking pictures of our friend Sarah’s newborn twins. I was blabbering on and on about my love of photography and Michelle recommended Me Ra’s Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box DVD series. I went to the website to order the DVDs and instead wound up registering for the workshop. With little to no research, I bought an SLR at Costco and hopped on a plane to Seattle without a second thought! I attended in October of 2007 when it was a one-day workshop. I am still completely amazed at how much I was able to learn from Me Ra and Brian in eight hours! The workshop was one of the best experiences of my life. I have had a passion for photography since I was six years old. To be able to hold a real camera in my hands and create memorable works of art is fulfilling beyond words. To be able to learn and laugh in a room full of women who had the same interest I did was incredibly special! It was a great group!

10. Do you have a website or blog that you’d like to share with our readers?

Leslie: YES! www.lesliewebber.com

Leslie, we applaud your courage to go for your dream! Your images are BEAUTIFUL! What an amazing gift you give to clients! And the story about your son made me cry. Your so right, when our children see their parents follow their dreams–it shapes their own confidence and sense of identity. What more could you ask for? Leslie, you are inspiration to us all this morning! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your story! Brian and I adore you! And I still can’t believe you connected to us through Michelle. What a crazy, small world.

To all our readers, it takes A LOT of guts to share your images and story. If you have a minute, will you leave Leslie 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!

One last question, is there anything else I should have asked Leslie in our interview? I want to include as much helpful info in these interviews as possible. If you think of another question I didn’t touch on, post it in today’s blog (and maybe we can get Leslie to answer it! ).

Much love to you all, and a BIG HUG to the beautiful, talented Leslie Webber!

Me Ra

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Here are the DVDs Leslie 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 Beyond the Green Box, plus our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice

Except for the reserved Running on Empty spot, our CONFIDENCE DC Photography Workshop for Women is SOLD OUT! YEAH!!! We’ll announce the next city soon! Stay tuned to the blog for the upcoming announcement!