One of my greatest photography joys is following a family throughout the many seasons of their life.  I met Gita and Nick several years ago when I did an engagement shoot for them.  I wasn’t able to do their wedding, but I never forgot our session and how much fun we had.  Fast forward several years later, and they called me to do a photo shoot of their beautiful baby boy!

Meet sweet Walker, what a DOLL!

Unlike the fast, 30 minute, Mini Sessions, I got to play for two hours with Walker!  We journeyed through several different settings that Walker and his parents love from the vintage, black leather chair to the alcove off the kitchen to mom and dad’s bed.

We played with mama.  Walker is enamored with his beautiful mama and the sweet, soft sounds of her voice.  I LOVED watching Gita interact with him and seeing that little “love struck for my mama” look in his eyes.

The relational dynamics between mom and baby vs dad and baby always fascinate me.  Baby might cuddle and coo with mama, but with dad it’s a lot more about discovery.

Like discovering our toes!

If a couple is comfortable with it, I love to have them get in bed with their baby.  You never know what magic will happen when baby is in The Big Bed, surrounded by the two who love him most.  See the Photo Recipe: the big bed in “Your Baby in Pictures” for more ideas of how to photograph this special, intimate setting.

The sheer joy on Walker’s face…this photo has to be one of my favorites.

We played so hard we ran right into nap time–the perfect time for a quiet, tender family photo.  Gita, you are so lovely in this photo.  I love your tender smile tucked in the warmth of the two men in your life.

Let’s not forget about bath time–our favorite time!

One last favorite!

Dear Gita and Nick, what a complete joy to be with you again and meet baby Walker.  What a complete honor.  Sweet Walker is such a bundle of joy.  I LOVED every minute of our shoot.  I especially love all the different settings and dynamics we captured of you three from play time to nap time to bath time!  Thank you for trusting me with this special, timeless photo shoot.

All my love,

Me Ra

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Coming This Week!

1. THIS FRIDAY is the LAST day to order our instructional DVD series, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box, for holiday arrival! They’ve been flying out the door this week!  So fun to have them back in stock for the holidays!

2. You also have until Friday to win a copy of my book, Your Baby in Pictures, AND the SONY 3D Bloggie HD Camera by entering your favorite baby photo to the Random House/Crown Publishing photo contest on FB!  CLICK HERE to enter!

3. Give your wife the gift of CONFIDENCE with her camera in 2012!  Need help being convinced?  Here are the Top 12 Reasons a Husband Should Send His Wife to CONFIDENCE:)   We have limited spots left in our Seattle and Orange County/LA, CA Winter workshops.  Women only (sorry guys!).  Tampa, FL is SOLD OUT!  CLICK HERE for Seattle Details and Orange Country/LA Details!

4. And, if your looking for a photo lover-stocking stuffer, join me on my FB page every day at 10am for a new contest and giveaways that your photo enthusiast will LOVE!

 

*Washington readers, tune in today at 11am to King 5′s Morning Show, New Day,! I’ll be giving you more photo tips for the holidays!*

When Brian and I did our Dallas CONFIDENCE Workshop in November, I had the honor of doing three wonderful Mini Session shoots back to back.  You met Kelli’s family last week

and yesterday, you got to meet Court’s cuties.

Today, I want to introduce you to the third family.  All three of these Minis were done in under two hours, and I love the challenge of capturing how dynamic each family is–how different their personalities are–how unique this current season of life is for their family story.

Meet the Webb family who found me through The Nate Berkus Show.

I’m telling you, this little pumpkin was so darling, so squeezable!  Look at that little frown!  Don’t you want to squeeze her right this minute!

And wow, daddy knows how to light up her face!  Mama is beautiful and simply shines through and through.

We did an outfit and bow change on baby Avery.  I couldn’t resist putting her in front of the roses.

But my favorite moment was when we put her two favorite stuffed animals on either side of her.  She was so surprised and excited!  She didn’t know what to do!

This is always a good option when you don’t know how what to do. :)

And one more favorite!  Look at her walking on her tip toes!

Promise, last one! Couldn’t resist!

I can almost hear Avery giggling in this photo with her daddy!

Alyssa, thank you so much for the honor of capturing your precious Avery.  She is soooo sweet!

I love this photo that you posted my FB page!  Look at her little tongue!  It was wonderful to work with you!!  I will also NEVER forget the hilarious first impression I gave you and your husband at the hotel! :)   It was so fun meeting you, laughing with you and doing your Mini shoot.  A BIG HUG to your mama for finding me on The Nate Berkus Show!  Keep an eye on your Inbox today!  All the rest of our shoot is coming to you!!

For those who are wondering; What’s a Mini Session?  CLICK HERE for details.  We usually release three to four Minis the Friday before or Monday after a CONFIDENCE Workshop happens.  Be sure to follow all our feeds (sign up for our newsletter in the right margin, like our FB page, and subscribe to the blog) to be the first to know of upcoming minis.  They go fast!

xo,

m

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Our Favorite Holiday Gift Ideas for the Photo Lovers!

1. The Gift of CONFIDENCE with your Camera!  ONE spot left in Tampa CONFIDENCE Workshop for this February, and a few still left for Seattle’s and Orange County/LA CONFIDENCE Workshops!

2. Me Ra’s national bestselling book, “Your Baby in Pictures“, includes forty of her favorite Photo Recipes for capturing your baby and the password to watch ten of the Photo Recipes from Behind the Scenes!  See the trailer here!

3.  Her award winning DVD series, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box.  FOX News featured these dvds as a Top Ten Holiday Gift!  The DVDs are back in stock for stuffing your stockings!  Orders must be received by Friday, December 16th to guarantee holiday shipping and arrival!

 

As you gather your kids for a holiday photo this month, as you sigh and lose faith with the ever increasing wildness of your kids (and who can blame them with Christmas around the corner!), take heart from someone who has been there endless times.  If you got squiggly bottoms follow this fun Photo Recipe to make that holiday photo happen!

WHEN:  Plan to do your family photo early in the day.  If you need to, wait until the weekend and get everyone out in the cold, morning air.  Kids are at their best in the morning, and they are a somewhat more calm after breakfast because their tummies are full. (I love that little guy leaning in to his mama.  ADORABLE!  It’s okay if all the kids aren’t looking at the camera.  It’s more important to capture emotion and affection for each other.)

My DSLR Setting: Aperture was f/3.2, 1/500th of a second Shutter Speed and 25o ISO

PREP:  Choose their outfits the day before.  What to wear?  Mom, you first find something to wear that you feel beautiful in–no matter how casual or dolled up.  The only thing that matters is you feel super comfy and beautiful.  Once you have your outfit figured out, have everyone else wear something that compliments YOU!  (Court, you are glowing in this photo!  I love it!)

My DSLR Setting: Aperture was f/3.2, 1/500th of a second Shutter Speed and 25o ISO

Right after breakfast have the kids run and change into their outfits.  Think of yourself as a ring leader, raise your voice to a higher, fun tone and rally them, getting their energy going while you are the one who is obviously steering this ship.  Make sure you smile a lot and really take the kids by surprise in how excited you are (not stressed) to do this.

Consider your location.  Your backyard will work great, but prep before so there isn’t any distracting objects in the background.  Ask your neighbor to take the photo after you’ve set it up.  If you want to drive to a fun location, make sure it’s within five to ten minutes of your home.  Since this is a holiday photo that you are taking and not a photo shoot that has been set up and paid for, the kids’ motivation to cooperate is going to be shorter.  We want to take advantage of their initial excitement and make this photo happen as fast as possible.

FOR P&S USERS (point and shoot users): Turn off your flash and get down at eye level with the kids so you are shooting straight on.  Set your camera to Continuous Shooting Mode so you can capture ALL the action.

FOR DSLR USERS:  Put your camera in Aperture Priority mode so that you can pick your lowest f-stop (for the most buttery, blurry backgrounds possible) and your DLSR will automatically figure out your shutter speed.  If you are outside, you will have plenty of natural light for a fast enough shutter speed with minimal motion blur.  But if you are getting motion blur you don’t have enough light for your shutter to move fast enough to capture a crisp shot.  Easy fix; raise your ISO one or two notches for my light and sharper photos with action.   Make sure your DSLR is in Continuous Shooting Mode to grab ALL the action, like the ones below.

COMPOSE:  I like to start with everyone looking at the camera because that is what kids expect to do, and this is the photo that grandparents love most for the holidays.  But once we have that done, I have the kids sit close together and ask them to give each other hugs, tickles, and other little prompts to see how their personalities unfold.  Having my camera on Continuous Shooting Mode helps me capture every moment in this fun series!

It starts innocent. :)

My DSLR Setting: Aperture was f/3.2, 1/320th of a second Shutter Speed and 25o ISO

But boys will be boys.

My DSLR Setting: Aperture was f/3.2, 1/320th of a second Shutter Speed and 25o ISO

Here it comes!

My DSLR Setting: Aperture was f/3.2, 1/320th of a second Shutter Speed and 25o ISO

And there it is before you know it…

My DSLR Setting: Aperture was f/3.2, 1/320th of a second Shutter Speed and 25o ISO

I know mom won’t use this photo as her holiday card, but I still have to shoot it because this will be hilarious to look back on someday–like their wedding reception slideshows!

Reign in all those rascally moves by putting baby sister in there.  I loved how the dynamics instantly changed!

My DSLR Setting: Aperture was f/3.2, 1/320th of a second Shutter Speed and 25o ISO

CAPTURE:  When taking a photo with multiple people, who do you focus on?  I look to who the story is most about.  If the story is about the boys, and they are lined up with each other, I can focus on either one and they will both be in focus.

My DSLR Setting: Aperture was f/4.0, 1/250th of a second Shutter Speed and 25o ISO

But if the story is about everyone (being a family), I often step back a little so that everyone will be sharp.  The closer you get, with a low f-stop, the harder it is to get multiple people in focus.  You can raise your f-stop or you can take a few steps back and zoom in with your lens.  For more help with understanding f-stops and getting buttery, blurry backgrounds, check out our Award Winning DVD series!

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I want to thank Court and her beautiful, fun family.  I had the most wonderful time working with your boys.  Your baby girl was such a doll through the whole thing, and your boys kept me on my toes and laughing.  I LOVE the series of photos we did of just the two of them.  I think we captured their personalities pretty well.  :)   Wait till you see all the rest!  They are coming today!

If you have any questions, feel free to post them on my FB page or in the comments of today’s post!  And post your family holiday photos on my FB page!  I would LOVE to see what results you cooked up with this Photo Recipe!!

For 40 more Photo Recipes, check out my bestselling (woohoo!) book, “Your Baby in Pictures”!

xo,

m

p.s.  New Daily Contest on FB starts at 10am today!

p.s.s.  ONE spot left in Tampa CONFIDENCE Workshop for this February, and a few still left for Seattle’s and Orange County/LA CONFIDENCE Workshops!

 

Why such a sad face?

Didn’t mama tell you Santa’s coming?  And, Me Ra and her elves kick off the first FB Daily December Contest Today!  Starts at 10am PST, and you have 24 hours to play!)

CLICK HERE at 10am PST to PLAY!  (Kelli, I couldn’t resist using this for our contest kick off!  :) )

Now to Kelli’s Dallas Mini Session, the beautiful mama of that precious boy! 

But not just the mama to one child, but THREE UNDER THREE!  Phew!  And I thought I was busy!  :)   This photo session was a wild, crazy, FUN shoot that left us all feeling a dizzy and giggly.  In between all the ACTIVE, ACTION PACKED, “Grab him before he runs away!” moments, we were still able to tell their beautiful story!

I LOVE this family photo because this is the season of their family.  You’ve got mom and dad tending to the newborn.  The middle one is holding on to mama for just a little longer.  And the oldest, well, he’s ready to take the world on.  This is their season, and thus, the story of the photo rings true to this fleeting time.

Kelli makes the whole mothering thing look easy!  Talk about a woman who is at ease and moves in grace as little ones circle her.  And her husband, he is so in love with his wife and kids…it makes a shoot that much more rewarding to do!

Gorgeous mama!  (You really are Kelli,  especially when you have this little miracle in your arms.)

And the two boys, oh man, they are DARLING!  Stole my heart and literally raaaaaaaaan away with it.  Thank goodness for FAST shutters–the SONY Alpha 900 DSLR for inquiring minds who want to know!  :)

Look at these FANTASTIC facial expressions!  Doesn’t get any better!  (I swear Kelli, I don’t think your middle son ever fully bought into our photo shoot!  :) )

We were losing light fast, but I couldn’t help taking these next two!

And the two amazing parents who just laugh through it all!  These two are incredible.  Totally chill, even though the boys are long gone…somewhere.  :)   Their smiles come from such a deep place inside, and their joy is absolutely contagious. If you live in Dallas, TX, you have to meet this couple somehow.

Kelli, it was such an incredible gift and TOTAL BLAST to do this photo shoot with your precious family!  BIGS hugs to all of you!!  Thank you soooo much!  An keep an eye out in your Inbox today.  The rest are on their way!

xoxo,

m

 

I’m so excited to share a few of my favorites from the other Minis I did in Georgetown DC!  But first, great news!  There has been an extension to the New Beginnings Photo ContestThe NEW deadline is December 1st!!  Get those photos submitted by CLICKING HERE!

And, there is a serious “24 hr. special” that is going to happen on Cyber Monday!  That is this Monday, Nov. 28th.  Mark your calendars, details coming tomorrow!

Let’s go to one of the cutest areas ever; Georgetown in Washington DC!  It was a beautiful Fall day, right before sunset.

May I introduce you to two of the cutest Dashchund dogs and their ever-in-love parents!

Another favorite!  I love how the sunset light cast this soft hue on them.

Katie took one of our CONFIDENCE Workshops, and it’s been so fun to watch her own photography take off.  On top of her being super talented, she has a beautiful marriage.  Katie and Brad booked this Mini as an Anniversary gift to themselves!  So sweet, especially how much Brad adores her.  We had to play with the Georgetown cobblestone and railroad tracks!

We liked the lines in this garage door in an alley we found.  I love how Katie pops in that sweet, red dress.  And look at Brad adoring her!

Love playing with that dramatic lighting!  This last one is my favorite, Katie just looks stunning to me–her expression, how she’s leaning in to Brad with the sun flare bubbles.  I love it.  Katie, you are beautiful inside and out!

And then I had three strapping brothers who OFFERED to carry my camera bags!

Lori attended our DC CONFIDENCE Workshop, and what a treat to meet her whole family the Friday before!  Her boys are amazing, and they adore their gorgeous mama!

I loved switching creative energy from a couple to a family within the same hour.  It was so fun and rewarding for me as a photographer.  We got to play together and try all kinds of ideas, like this one!  Don’t those boys look tough!

And we made sure we left a few minutes for just mom and dad.

One more favorite of the boys with their glowing mama!

Thank you so much Katie and Lori for giving me the opportunity of capturing your families!  Your shoots were so different and both so rewarding!!  Both of you are amazing, strong, beautiful women.  It was a complete honor!

Much, much love!

Me Ra

CNN Interview with Amit

November 30th is fast approaching.  Here is an interview Amit did with CNN.  Please pass it on and keep him in your prayers.  Thank YOU!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I can finally say that I feel a little bit more like myself this morning.  It’s amazing how a red-eye can rock your energy level for days.  But with a crisp, autumn walk this morning and two little munchkins working away at their Math, I thought I’d post some favorite moments from the DC Minis.

Meet beautiful, talented photographer Kelly Nelson and her sweet family!  Kelly came to our CONFIDENCE Workshops a couple years ago, and she has become an amazing photographer herself!  It was a complete honor to take her family photos!  You MUST check out her work, she’s based in DC.

We start with the family photo of everyone looking at the camera, sitting in the middle of a cobblestone road  (while we dodge oncoming traffic!).

But my favorite family photo is this one!  I love how natural, at ease, everyone looks.

How can you go wrong with two little handsome boys!!

DARLING, DARLING BOYS!!!

Not to mention a BEAUTIFUL mama!

And one last favorite that stole my heart.  I love how their youngest is peaking over his shoulder.

Kelly, THANK YOU sooooo MUCH for the honor of taking your family portraits!  Wait till you see ALL the rest!!!  This is just a teaser of what I’m uploading to you now!

Look out Dallas families!  I’ll see you on Thursday! :)   The other two DC families are coming soon!

xoxo,

m

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How many days left???

For real, NINE Days left to get Early Bird Discount for CONFIDENCE Workshops in 2012!

TWELVE Days left to enter the New Beginnings Photo Contest for a chance to win $250 GC to Toys R Us AND B&H and MORE!

FOUR Days left to grab the last spot of the DALLAS CONFIDENCE Workshop this weekend!  LOL!

Winner of the Halloween Photo Contest is on FB Fan Page!

 

 

I’m opening up THREE Dallas Mini Sessions for Friday, November 10th!  But before we get in to those juicy details, I have to show you a few favorites from a recent Seattle Mini with Carrie, a CONFIDENCE grad!  Her daughter is DARLING!

But mama is just lovely!

On the couch, off the couch, on the couch, off the couch.  :)

and one more favorite!

(Carrie, thank you for the wonderful honor of photographing your family.  Your little one is simply precious!!  Love you dear.)

So grab your kids out of school an hour early and CLICK on your IDEAL time!

Dallas, Friday, 11/11 at the following times!

1.  3pm-3:30pm

2.  3:45pm-4:15pm

3.  4:30-5pm

What is a Mini Session?  Keep reading!

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

Mini Details:

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

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

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

-Alisa, Chicago Mini Shoot

Benefits of a Mini Photo Session with Me Ra :)

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

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

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

4. Show the Sweetness Off!  Since the holidays are around the corner, you can either choose 25 Holiday Greeting Cards with the photo of choice on the front and a holiday greeting of your choice on the inside, OR you can choose the awesome 16×20 Metal Print of Your Favorite Image.  Our team is more than happy to help you pick the one photo for this Metal.  Moms have gone CRAZY over these Metal Prints since we spotlighted them on the Nate Berkus Show.  Nate LOVES these Metal prints–I LOVE these Metal Prints!  Watch the episode by clicking “Turn Your Portraits into Art.”

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

The BIG question…

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

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

Love all that JOY!!

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

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

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

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

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

Want more than 30 minutes?

My Portrait Packages start at $3K.  I come to your home and spend up to two hours with your family, documenting the many expressions of your family being in the place you love.    email [email protected]

I can’t wait to see all of your beautiful families in Seattle, Sacramento and Washington DC!!

Much love!

m

p.s.  Only TWO Spots left for Dallas CONFIDENCE Workshop the weekend of the Minis!  CLICK HERE to GRAB ONE!

p.s.s.  Please keep in mind that you MUST be on time for your Mini Session.  If you are late, your time and payment will be forfeited.  Thanks for understanding and arriving early!

*Holiday Greeting Card Details and Specs

First, I LOVE these cards!  I make them all the time with my own photos, so I’m SUPER excited for your family to have them for the holidays!  The Mini Shoot package comes with 25 cards/envelopes, but you can always chat with us if you’d like to order more!

Here are the card details/specs;

Final Size / Dimension:
4.13″ x 5.82″
105mm x 148mm

Paper Stock:
This is a thick 16pt, FSC credited paper stock. With a light satin coating on the outside, the inside is left uncoated, making it easier for you to write your own message. Each card is individually scored, ensuring a clean fold.  (they are gorgeous!  I’m telling you, and I’m seriously picky about cards and photo printing quality–as you can imagine! :) )

See you in Dallas!!

xo,

m

I’m so excited to show you the first of a handful of Seattle/Tacoma Minis I did a few weeks ago!  As some of you heard, I was driving around the day before to find a new shooting location–looking for some fresh inspiration.  I drove past an antique store that had these fabulous vintage couches out front.  I decided to ask the owner if I could borrow the couches the next day, thinking he’d say no for sure because one was over $1500!  But he totally took me off guard!  Not only did he say “SURE!”, but he even gave me two of his employees to lift the couches for me!  His store is called Rampart Antiques in Tacoma, WA!  Everyone who lives nearby, go!!  Tell him I sent you and that he is the COOLEST guy ever!  Who does that?!  I guess you never know unless you ask!

What do you get when you do a 30 minute Mini Session with a vintage couch, darling mama wearing a felt hat, super cool dad, and an “on-the-go” toddler?  Let me show you!

You can’t help but get a little magic!  This photo is so magical to me!  I love it!

Storytime is a GREAT place to start!

Can’t go wrong with snuggling!

But get ready because at some point a little one just needs to run!

Then we all try to catch him, and the wind comes up just in time!

And holy smokes, can you believe there was a vintage horse outside Rampart Antiques!  Perfect!

Loved capturing mom’s beautiful laugh (and those FABULOUS SHOES!!!)

At some point, all our attempts to distract and outsmart this little guy are over.  And not only are we tired, but he’s pooped!

But still as ADORABLE as EVER!

And regardless of how tired he is, the magic is still there.  How can we not all be in love with him?!

Where is photo number 11?  I saved that one for the preview on the homepage!  Click www.merakoh.com and check it out; it’s of Mama and her little sweetie!

Tresha!  There are SO MANY more!  Wait till you see!  It was SO HARD to narrow them down!  Thank you so much for the honor of doing a Mini Session with you three!!  I loved every bit of our adventure!!

xoxo,

m

p.s.  Winter CONFIDENCE Workshops have started Early Bird Registration!  CLICK HERE to find the city nearest you!

I had the most wonderful time shooting this weekend!  On Friday, I did a longer shoot with a special family I photographed almost four years ago.  At the last minute, I asked the mom to bring props from their home that had significant meaning to their family.  Well, instead of having a pet cat or dog, they have a four foot fish!  There is much to show when I finish processing these photos, but I HAD to show you my two faves now because I can’t stop laughing!

Does it get any better than two brothers, and their pet fish?!

When the kids are older, I LOVE to get them involved in the creative process of what we could shoot by asking them for ideas, building a vision together, and seeing where it takes us.  These two brothers came up with the idea of walking straight face through the photo, and then turning and giving me the “look”!  I put the younger brother in the background, setting him up with a “cool slouch” to add a little more spice!  We were all pretty excited about our final result!  I can’t wait to hear what they think of these two shots!

Who would ever guess that boys dressed in blazers with a 4 ft. plastic fish would go together so well!

Have a wonderful Monday everyone!  May your week hold moments where the most odd things make sense and just work!

xoxo,

m

p.s. Going-Going-GONE!

Only TWO Mini Sessions left in Sacramento this Friday, and ONE in DC October 7th!

CLICK HERE for details on booking a Mini Shoot w/ me in Sacramento

CLICK HERE to grab the last DC Mini!

Just ONE spot left in Sacramento CONFIDENCE Workshop this weekend!  CLICK HERE to take it!

 

While in Chicago last month, one of our workshop attendees booked a Mini Session for her family.  But when her family couldn’t make it, she decided to use the session as an opportunity to have a Self Portrait Photo Shoot done of her.  A FABULOUS IDEA!

I LOVE self portrait work.  I love the process of collaborating with my subject to capture a photo that best represents their current season in life.   To start our process, I sent Dana four or five reflective questions to answer and send back.  A couple of the questions were;

  1. In this current season, how do you see yourself as a woman?  (i.e., strong, courageous, open, solid, quiet, unfolding, etc.)
  2. Where do you see your journey or process going?

Based on her answers to the above questions and a couple more I sent her, I had a much deeper sense of what direction we wanted to explore for her Self Portrait.  Before I started shooting, we talked about her answers and how we might visualize the words through imagery.  Together, we created a series of photos that are symbolic of where she finds herself in this season of life.

For question number one, Dana used the following words to describe herself;  strong- tough and tender- looking for my own place in the world.  Since she loves yoga, we incorporated this practice into her shoot.  Here are a few of my favorite photos that show Dana’s words.

STRONG

TOUGH

but TENDER

LOOKING FOR MY OWN SENSE OF WELL BEING (this is my favorite!)

Dana had never tried a handstand without a wall to help her balance.  Look at how she rocked it!  This is my favorite photo of the series because I can imagine her children, and even future grandchildren, drawing strength from this image.  To someday see this photo and know their mom was actively looking and working toward her own sense of well being, that she saw herself worthy of that process…wow, what a legacy to leave.

Thank you SO MUCH Dana for this wonderful Mini Session.  Your honesty to the questions I emailed you, the conversations we had during the shoot, your willingness to explore and collaborate together…it all unfolded the most amazing photo shoot.  It was such a honor to do this shoot for you.

Much, much love,

m

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Last Week for the Early Bird Discount!

If you are planning to join us this Fall for our CONFIDENCE Workshops, make sure you register this week to get the Early Bird Discount Price of $799 vs. $999.  If you’d like, you can also break up the amount into payments.  Click on one of the four Fall CONFIDENCE Cities for more details!

Sacramento

Washington DC

Dallas

Seattle

*If you are a CONFIDENCE GRADUATE, we have only got ONE Spot left in our Photo Coaching Intensive, 4 hr. Workshop!  It’s TOMORROW in Seattle.  CLICK HERE for details!