March 30th, 2011

New York Mini Sessions: Two Left! (Sneak Peak at Colorado’s Minis)

A few weeks ago, I did five Mini Sessions in Denver, CO.  Oh my goodness, I had the most WONDERFUL time!!  (To the families: I LOVE your kids–LOVE them!!)

This special family drove seven hours for their mini session, all the way from Kansas to Colorado!

And I fell in LOVE with their little boy and his best friend named “Bear”.

To much sweetness for words!  This photo idea was Bear’s suggestion.  :)

I had SO MUCH fun that we are TOTALLY going to do Mini Sessions in New York!!  We are coming to NY for our CONFIDENCE Workshop and a book signing/photo demo at the Park Slope Barnes and Noble!  But we’ve also carved out time for some Minis!

MINI SESSIONS in NEW YORK!

Date:  Friday, April 15th

Location:  Central Park

A couple former clients already called to make sure they could book a mini, so I’ve only got two spots left!

1. Friday, April 15th, 8:30am-9:00am

2. Friday, April 15th, 9:15am-9:45am

3. Friday, April 15th, 10:00am-10:30am SOLD OUT

4. Friday, April 15th, 10:45am-11:15am SOLD OUT

CLICK HERE if you’d like to book one of the two remaining sessions!

I’m going to post more of my favorite photos up soon, but here are two more for now!  This little sweetie is a busy 18 month old.  Boy-oh-boy, did she keep us on our toes!  So fun!

And this is little Ms. Ruby.  You’ll get to know her a lot more in the next few days!  Isn’t she darling?!

What is a Mini Session?  Keep reading!

If a Photo Shoot is something that tickles your fancy with Mother’s Day around the corner, here are the 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.

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!  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 a recent CONFIDENCE Workshop 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!  Only two time slots left below!  Can’t wait to see you in Central Park!

TWO TIME SLOTS left to CHOOSE FROM:

1. Friday, April 15th, 8:30am-9:00am

2. Friday, April 15th, 9:15am-9:45am

3. Friday, April 15th, 10:00am-10:30am SOLD OUT

4. Friday, April 15th, 10:45am-11:15am SOLD OUT

CLICK HERE to pick your time slot and pre-pay!  Once you are signed up, Genie (my right hand woman) will email you with details, like what to wear, what to bring, how to prepare, etc.  Questions?  Don’t hesitate to email us at info@merakoh.com.

Want more than 30 minutes?

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.  I’m not sure we can make this work for New York because of how tight my schedule is, but if this is something that would mean very much to you shoot us an email.  Let’s see what we can do.  email info@merakoh.com.

I can’t wait to see all of your beautiful families in New York!!  If not the Mini Session, I hope to see you at the Park Slope Barnes and Noble event that evening (Friday, April 14th at 4pm).  CLICK HERE to RSVP for Park Slope!

Much love!

m

p.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!

p.s.s.  We will be in Chicago in May for our CONFIDENCE Workshop and book event!   I’m thinking of adding a day that is dedicated to Mini Photo Sessions for Chicago, but let me know if that is something you’d like!

Where to Watch Me Ra this Week!

New Day with King 5 in Seattle, tomorrow (Thursday, 3/31), at 11am.

The Nate Berkus Show tomorrow (Thursday, 3/31), CLICK HERE for local listings.

If you missed it, here is the Good Morning Arizona interview that aired yesterday!  Enjoy!

11 Comments »

March 2nd, 2011

Offering FIVE Mini Photo Sessions in Denver, CO NEXT Saturday!

I’m headed to Denver, CO next week to do a special photo shoot–TWIN PREEMIES!  I’m so excited and just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this family!!  I had the honor of shooting both sisters weddings, their first babies, and now preemie twins!!  I can hardly wait to hold these little miracles!

I’ve also got a special opportunity for five families or engaged couples!  Since I’m already being flown to Denver, CO, I thought I would stay an extra day and offer five Mini Photo Sessions.  This is something I don’t get to do as often b/c of all the travel we do for SONY, The Nate Berkus Show, and our CONFIDENCE Workshops.  But I’m super excited to make it happen in Denver next Saturday!

There are five Mini Photo Sessions for five sweet families/couples.

If a Photo Shoot is something that tickles your fancy with Mother’s Day around the corner, here are the details!

Pick one of the FIVE TIME SLOTS below.

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.

Location: Cheesman Park in Denver, CO.

I LOVE this location whether it’s sunny, raining or snowing!  So many beautiful shots to take in this setting!  CLICK HERE for Google Maps!  Come to the monument, and as soon as I’m done with the family before you, I’ll find you!

Features of Mini Photo Sessions;

1. 30 minute Photo Shoot of your family (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 that are touched up, mix of Color and BW toning

3. High Res DVD of Your 30 Final Images (yep, you get to keep the images and print them wherever you’d like)

4. 16×20 Metal Print of Your Favorite Image (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 a recent CONFIDENCE Workshop 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!  Pick your time slot below!

FIVE TIME SLOTS to CHOOSE FROM:

1. Friday, March 11th, 4pm-4:30pm

2. Saturday, March  12th, 9am-9:30am

3. Saturday, March 12th, 9:40am-10:10am

4. Saturday, March 12th, 10:20am-10:50am

5. Saturday, March 12th, 11am-11:30am SOLD!

CLICK HERE to pick your time slot and pre-pay!  Once you are signed up, Genie (my right hand woman) will email you with details, like what to wear, what to bring, how to prepare, etc.  Questions?  Don’t hesitate to email us at info@merakoh.com.

Engagement Shoot

If you are engaged but don’t think you can afford to hire us for your wedding photography, the Mini Shoot is an option that clients love.  You are more than welcome to grab one of these time slots for an engagement shoot!  I don’t book engagement shoots unless we are shooting your wedding.  But the Mini Photo shoot is an alternative option.  In fact, this is one of my favorite engagement photos that was taken at Cheesman Park on a cold, winter day.

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.  I may be able to squeeze one of these Portrait Packages in on Sunday morning before I fly back to Seattle.  If you are interested, email info@merakoh.com.

I can’t wait to meet five beautiful Denver, CO families!  See you next Saturday!

Much love!

m

p.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!

p.s.s.  Since we spend a lot of time in NY for The Nate Berkus Show and SONY Speaking Engagements, I’m thinking of maybe adding a day that is dedicated to Mini Photo Sessions the next time we are in Manhattan.  Let me know in the comments if that’s something you’d like!  Central Park in the Spring…perfect photo shoot setting!

21 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,

December 7th, 2010

New Video & Photo-Recipe of Fast Toddler Magic!

Here comes Part 2 to last week’s Photo-Recipe for the Family Photo When You’ve Got Toddlers!

After you capture the family photos, what is next when working with Toddlers?  Well, give them a little playing room, and they may give you some great, unexpected ideas!   This little guy wanted to crawl around in the leaves and pretend like he was a doggy!  So stinking cute!  This simple moment led to something much bigger.

When working with a two year old, you can do one of two things.  Try to distract him from playing doggy, or go with the flow and see what magic may unfold.

When I least expected it, magic totally unfolded!  His mama picked him up and brushed off his clothes–and that’s when it struck me!  As I watched the two of them I thought ‘these are the kinds of photos I love from when I was a kid–that simple moment that shows how little I was, the funny things I did, and the glow of my mom’s love for me.’  I had to capture this!  So I asked mom to brush him off some more (and more and more).  If I don’t have cameras rolling on set and a live feed of every image I’m capturing for an audience to see on national television…I’m all about re-do’s!  Amen sister! :)

I asked mom to turn a little more towards me and be sure to smile.  I didn’t need to see her whole face, but instead, I wanted to capture her beautiful profile with her hair back lit by the sun.

My camera was set to Continuous Shooting mode.  This allows you to take several photos at a time by holding down your shutter release button (the button you push down when you take a photo :) ).  This camera setting is PIVOTAL to capturing these types of toddler shots!  The actions and expressions of a toddler are SUPER FAST.  If I wasn’t in Continuous Shooting mode, I may have missed the moments.  In fact, you can watch this quick video clip of me taking these photos to see how fast it all went down!  I’m not a video editor by any means, but I think you’ll find it helpful to see the simplicity in how I set this up and how fast it happened.

Within seconds we went from being a little doggy to joking with daddy (who is standing behind me).  If one of the parents are out of the frame, I like to have them stand behind me and a bit off to the side.  I encourage them to talk, joke, be goofy, even sing to their little one.  It’s amazing what expressions will appear when dad starts to get silly behind the photographer!

This one is my absolute FAVORITE!  Look at that SWEETNESS!

As we all know, photographing toddlers can be a HANDFUL!  They are constantly on the go needing to be distracted (without them knowing you are distracting them).  I find myself needing to create space within the shoot where I can watch them play, see what they are into, and within a matter of minutes they will almost always show me.   “Doggy!  Ruff-Ruff!” said this little guy.  Crawling in the leaves and playing doggy is something this toddler loves right now.  There isn’t anything sweeter to capture in that moment.

When I’m shooting, I can’t help but think to myself  ‘When this little guy is a grown man, what photo–what moment–what expression–will his mama, auntie, or grandma want to put on their fridge?  When he comes home from college, what photo will make him smile, even blush?  What photo will make his girlfriend fall even more in love with him?  :)   What expression will not only remind his loved ones of how sweet he was but the young age he was–his innocence–the simple joy he brought to everyone around him (and continues to bring).  These are the moments we are searching for when we hold our cameras.  Simple, true stories.  The kind that will bring us inner joy whenever we recall them.

CAMERA SETTINGS

Point-and-Shoot:

Look for open shade if the sun is bright.  Mama’s hair is back lit because I was shooting my DSLR in Manual mode (see below for those details).  But if you are using a Point-and-Shoot, you may have a tougher time getting this look.  My best advice is to still capture the expressions and moments, but shoot it in open shade where there are no shadows from the sun or unwanted eye squinting.  If you like the buttery, blurred backgrounds like the photos in this blog post, set your shooting mode to P for Portrait or A for Aperture-Priority.  These two modes will automatically give you a lower f-stop which creates the buttery, blurred background.

Your DSLR:

Go to Manual mode to have more control of your lighting and hair back lit from the sunlight.   Try my DSLR settings below;

ISO 200 I keep it as low as possible for the best color results.

Aperture was f/2.8. I’m using a low f-stop because I love the buttery, blurred background.  If you know you love buttery, blurred backgrounds but need help understanding them, check out our Beyond the Green Box DVD!

Shutter Speed was 1/400th of a second or some camera just say 400.  I metered on the little one’s face and then adjusted my Shutter Speed so the meter’s marker was between 0 and positive 1.  If this doesn’t make any sense, I’ve got another route!  If your weather looks similar to what my weather was start with my DSLR settings.  Then look at your photo.  Is the photo bright enough?  If no, slow down your shutter speed so more light can come in.  For example, try going from 1/400 to 1/250.  If your photo is to dark, roll your shutter speed dial in the opposite direction.

Remember to breathe, give yourself freedom to experiment and have fun.  No critics allowed!  Tell that critic voice to keep it zipped so you can play.

Post your questions about today’s Photo-Recipe!  I’ll be checking in throughout the day!  As always, feel free to post your own photo tips and tricks in the comments too!  Your voice is one of the things I treasure most about this community!

xoxo,

m

p.s.  And don’t be shy to post “I SUPPORT SOAR!” for your chance to win $100 GC to Amazon Giveaway!  Details HERE!

24 Comments »

April 20th, 2010

Photo Shoot of Sweetness! Baby and the Dog!

I did a photo shoot last week of a baby and dog, and OH MY STINKING GOODNESS!, it was the BEST, most HILARIOUS time ever!  We could not stop laughing all throughout the shoot.  Talk about two unpredictable subjects!

Plus, there is this mysterious and beautiful connection between babies and animals that always amazes me.  I mean if you really think about it, this sweet dog is like a horse in size from little Walker’s eyes. But Walker wasn’t afraid and just jibber-jabbered to the dog non stop.  It was the sweetest thing!

Photo Shoot of Baby and Dog 1

I look at this moment below, and I can’t help but see a deeper connection between babies and their pets.  The connection can be so gentle, so protective, and thoughtful.  And even though baby is pulling on the dog’s ears, grabbing fistfuls of fur, or trying to catch that wagging tail, the dog doesn’t waver in her steadfast commitment to watch over this little one.  It makes you want to cry and laugh all at the same time!

Photo Shoot of Baby and Dog 2

There are so many fun moments from this shoot, but I’m not allowed to show any more photos until the publisher has their pick.   Within the new photography book, I’ll be sharing the lessons I learned and photo tips you can try when working with a dog and baby at the same time.  And get this!  Brian video taped the WHOLE shoot so you’ll get to watch this hilarious adventure for yourself!  When is the photography book coming out?  Spring 2011!  We are about to start rewrite #3 this week!  As Pascaline would say “Foofy-Doo!”

For all my Photo Recipe Lovers!  My f-stop was at a 3.2 to soften the background of French Doors.  I had a higher ISO.  It was 640.  Why do this?  I knew I needed to freeze the action between these two, so that means I needed a fast shutter speed.  My Shutter Speed was able to be 1/2000th’s of a second because my ISO was higher.  This helped me freeze every split second of interaction between the two.

A big thanks to the precious baby Walker and Mushu, the sweet pup!

Me Ra Koh with Baby and Dog

xoxo,

Me Ra

p.s.  Click on any image to get a bigger, closer look!  And be sure to check out the SOAR! blog this week!  We’ve got a handful of diverse posts from the photo results of an Artist Way prompting to what happens when Linda shadows a pro photographer to having the right camera accessories!  Definitely, don’t miss it!  :)

20 Comments »

November 9th, 2009

Your Baby in My New Books!

We’ve got some great news to share! It’s official! Our book contracts are signed and done! We are doing TWO photography books with Random House! And I’m wondering if you and your baby want to be in it!

Baby Photos w/Me Ra Koh Photography

As I’ve been drafting the chapters for each book, setting images in place for different Photo Recipes and Photo Tips (yes, lots and lots of Recipes and Tips coming!), I’ve noticed a couple spots I want to fill. Be sure to stay tuned into the blog because I’ll be announcing a couple different age groups that I’m looking for.

Let’s start with babies that are 0-12 months. Do you have a cute baby that is publish worry?! (Okay, I just typed that and realized that was a DUMB question! That doesn’t narrow it down much, huh!). How about this…

1. Do you live in the Greater Seattle area?

2. Are you and your baby free the weekend of November 21st and 22nd?

Baby Photos w/Me Ra Koh Photography

If you said “YES!” to both questions, you may be in luck! Here’s what you need to do!

1. Send us an email at info@merakoh.com with the following;

A. JPG of your baby.

B. Age of your baby

C. Baby’s birth date and year.

D. Any special story you’d like to include

2. Pencil me in for November 20th and 21st (we will let you know the specific date and time as soon as we have some logistics figured out over here)

The photo shoot will be on me! That’s right. I didn’t stutter. It’s an $800 value. You’ll get a High Res DVD of the images and a $50 print credit to Pictage for pro lab quality prints! AND, if your baby is chosen, we will be sending you an autographed first copy of the book!

xoxo, Me Ra

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TWO NEW Photo Contests, TWO WAYS to WIN! Deadline is December 1st! To enter and WIN, read the details HERE !

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series are now AWARD WINNING! Read the press release HERE ! The DVDs were also recently featured on FOX News as a TOP GIFT recommendation for the holidays! Refuse to Say Cheese and , click either title!

Thinking of starting your dream Photography Business?! You can totally do it with our popular 101 Kits ! Inspired from the 100′s of emails that Me Ra Koh receives each week, asking the how to’s of having a Photography Business, Me Ra has compiled all her answers into her popular 101 Kits! For more info, click on the titles of your choice, read the reviews and make your dream a reality! And don’t forget to send your success stories to Me Ra at mera@merakoh.com !

25 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

October 14th, 2009

Meet Baby Lila: A Miracle Angel

The power of photography amazes me. Not only am I given the opportunity to capture someone’s story, but I become captured by their story. And in some mysterious way, healing flows.

Meet Baby Lila from NYC. She is a miracle angel. (I love her sweet, little hands.)

Baby Lila, Me Ra Koh Photography, Baby Portraits

I was given the honor of doing a photo shoot with baby Lila and her mom, Caroline. But this wasn’t any portrait shoot. This was an incredibly moving experience that captured my spirit.

When Lila was a four week old infant, she and her mom were in a horrific car accident. A truck diver fell asleep behind the wheel, and the collision caused Lila and Caroline’s car to flip seven times. Seven times. Lila was tucked in her newborn car seat and came away from the accident with hardly a scratch. Caroline was a different story. She was torn from her baby and helicoptered to the nearest trauma center. She had broken her neck in several places and was taken right into surgery.

After the surgery, Caroline had to undergo an intense recovery process. Part of the process has been wearing a constricting neck brace 24 hrs a day.

So much happened all at once. Her long beautiful, black hair was shaved in surgery. Her vision of being able to rock Lila in her arms would be put off for months. I cannot imagine the pain her heart has endured. And yet, she is still full of love. And her love washes over Lila.

Baby Lila, Me Ra Koh Photography, Baby Portraits

When we did the photo shoot, Caroline had just been told by her doctor that she could take off her neck brace for small increments of time–maybe 7-10 minutes. A couple weeks before the shoot, she was given permission to hold her Lila for small amounts of time. And as you can imagine, with all the trauma, they had not had photos taken of Lila.

Having heard their story before I arrived in NY, my heart was filled with a desire to capture the beautiful connection between Caroline and her baby girl. I wanted to capture the story of their intimacy. Even though the first four months of Lila’s life had been very different than what Caroline had expected, I wanted the images to prove that their love and connection was deeper than either could fathom. That Caroline’s neck brace wasn’t a distraction but a part of the miracle. That the scar on Caroline’s neck didn’t distract because Caroline’s inner strength glowed–filling the home.

Baby Lila, Me Ra Koh Photography, Baby Portraits

As photographers, these are the amazing stories we get to be a part of. We get to meet miracles. We get to be reminded that all hope is not lost, even when everything is not what we expected. We get to be inspired by the depth of love, despite the circumstances that threatened to break it apart.

Dear Caroline, thank you for allowing me into your home to capture you and Lila. It was a honor to hear your story and capture the beautiful connection you have with Lila. She is an angel Caroline. She is a miracle in the purest form. And so are you. My experience and time with you has forever changed me. My spirit shall never forget it. Much love, Me Ra

To watch Baby Lila’s Slideshow, CLICK HERE!

One last favorite: the classic, precious mullet.

Baby Lila, Me Ra Koh Photography, Baby Portraits

The slideshow music was another great piece I found at Triple Scoop Music. We were able to pay for a license of the music. The title alone, Angel Eyes, seemed to be the perfect fit for Baby Lila.

Enjoy! And get your Kleenex out. The words of the song combined with the images had me tearing up as I created the slideshow. You will see how wide and deep the beauty reaches between this mother and daughter.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What about putting CONFIDENCE on your Christmas Wish List this year!!! We are down to THREE spots in the January 2010 Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop! The November Seattle CONFIDENCE Workshop is 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 , and our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

24 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,

April 27th, 2009

Meet Baby Hudson!

Last October, I wrote a blog post titled: Wedding Clients Becoming Life Long Friends. It is one of my favorite blog posts because it shows how rewarding it is to be a photographer. What is the best part about our work? Hands down…the relationships we build and capture.

This family illustrates the point like no other. If your one of those people who loves back story, read on. But if you are chomping at the bit to see the baby photos, scroll down my friend! :)

Almost three years ago, Shannon came across our photography ad in Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style magazine. Shannon already had a wedding photographer, paid the deposit and had her engagement shoot over and done with. But when she saw our ad, she felt like I would understand her and know what she needed and wanted from her wedding photography. She called me, and a friendship began. Who would have ever thought how much the connection would grow.

Needless to say, Shannon canceled her wedding photographer, forfeited the deposit and flew me and Brian out to Napa to shoot her and Rob’s wedding. Not only did we shoot their wedding, but we became friends with her sister and fiance at the time. A year later, we flew out to Denver, Colorado and shot Brittany and Greer’s wedding. When winter came, we all went skiing together in Vail. The only problem we need to figure out is how to live closer to each other!

You can imagine how excited we were when we got an email in Thailand that Baby Hudson, Brittany and Greer’s first, was due around the same time we were coming home. Could we come to Colorado and do a newborn shoot? Absolutely!

One of the most powerful transformations we get to witness and capture is when the stunning bride

becomes a beautiful mother.

I can’t think of many transformations that can compete with a mother’s love.

And let’s not forget about the new dad, who was strong before but now seems even stronger with how gentle he holds his baby.

He is captivated in his own way. To see this captivation alive on a father’s face…it makes you feel like all is well in the world.

Greer has a tattoo on his back. It’s his family crest. We had to do something about that!

Shannon, having come to our photography workshop, caught some great shots of me getting the shots! You did great Shannon! I love these!

And this is by far the best “in action” shot ever! Look what, or who, is in between my legs! Is that funny or what! You never know what your shooting conditions will be. :)

Their even attentive when the baby cries. It’s pretty sweet.

Since the dogs are such a part of their life, we cleared out the basket of dog toys and put Baby Hudson in there.

Quick Photography Tip: When doing a newborn shoot, try to find objects that you can incorporate to show the scale of how small the baby is compared to the world around them.

We can’t forget the precious hair swirl.

This one is for Grandma! :) Love you Megan!

Another favorite.

But if I had to choose the image I love the most, it would be this last one. I feel like this image tells the story of a newborn; life is quiet, mom is there with arms wrapped around baby. Their body heat creates the perfect temperature, as it has the last nine months. You can hear mom and baby’s breath intertwine, the rise and fall of their connection. The day steps out of being a 24 hour day, time itself is fluid with no beginning or end.

All that is important is this. All that exists is this.

Brittany and Greer, Brian and I love you both. We are so happy for you. Thank you for inviting us to capture this incredible moment of time.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow’s blog is going to be all about the camera gear we took to Thailand! Why we took what we did, what we needed outside of cameras and lenses. What we would do differently the next time, and much more! Stay tuned!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**The BIG SONY/Woman’s World magazine contest ends April 30th! Have you signed up yet? Make sure you, your family and friends get registered! For details, CLICK HERE !

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series is continuing to grow, faster than we know what to do with! In the midst of unpacking luggage, I jumped on a radio interview this weekend and talked about our DVDS for 30-40 minutes! It was wonderful!! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a in , click on the titles of your choice!

30 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

September 5th, 2008

Who Leads When Taking Photos of Kids? Photographer or Kids?

For me the answer is always the kids.

Most the time, adults need to lead children.

But there is also a time when adults need to step aside and listen to children, allowing the children to lead.

Whenever I do a portrait shoot for a family, I always watch and listen to the kids. They are my guide to how this session will unfold. They answer all my questions…How much energy do they have? How do they feel about the camera in their face? Are they scared by it, excited about it? Do they want to connect with me? What can they teach me? How would they take a picture if they were the photographer? Carter didn’t have to think about the answer to this question. :) He’s a natural!

I had the honor of taking Brendan’s photos this summer. It was such a rich experience because I also took Carter’s photos when he was a baby. To watch Gayla and Ken’s family grow is amazing. They are the most wonderful, kind family, and I’m so excited for you to see their slideshow! Turn up the volume, the music by Alison Krauss is perfect for this sweet family shoot.

To watch Brendan’s Slideshow, click on the name!

But even if you watch it, I have to show you two favorites!

Look at how Baby Brendan smiled in his brother’s arms.

Carter has got the sweetest face and little curls in his hair. I’m telling you, he will rob your heart when you meet him!

For those of you doing portrait shoots, here are a few rules of thumb I go by…

Before I start a portrait shoot with a baby, I always suggest feeding the baby right before we start. Not so much for hunger but comfort purposes. I know that I’m going to spend the next two hours asking this little baby to interact with me. And even if they sleep through the whole session, they will have connected with a me…a stranger. I want them to start with the smell of their mom, take a break in between and maybe nurse again–reconnecting with their mom, and then I watch them carefully to make sure I never ask to much.

As you can see in the first image above, the two year old can have pretty strong ideas about how a photoshoot should go. And I love it! Some photographers email me and say they get really stressed out at this point. The kids aren’t cooperating and getting crabbier by the second. But I think it’s important to remember that as you gain confidence in yourself, you will know when you’ve captured the shots you want.

And remember, the family rarely feels you caught anything “good” because they are caught up in how their kids are behaving or not behaving. But as your confidence grows, you’ll be able to reassure the family that you actually caught exactly what you wanted.

If you want more help with your Portrait business, check out or Portrait 101 Kit. Hundreds and hundreds of people have bought this kit and given us the BEST raves! I share all kinds of secrets, like how I market myself, create packages/pricing, interact with clients, photo release waivers and staying organized, plus much more. You can see all the items in detail if you click on Portrait 101 Kit.

This kit, along with all our other kits, was designed for you. We get so many emails every day asking us about how to get their portrait or wedding business off the ground. These kits are a compilation of all the answers we’ve found. Enjoy!

Congratulations Gayla! I loved working with your family again! What a honor. Brian and I adore all four of you. We can’t wait to connect again soon!

Much love,
Me Ra

16 Comments »
Tags: , , , ,

August 7th, 2008

Baby Teaser!

I’m processing a baby shoot that I did for some very special clients. Gayla and her family are so dear to me. So far, my biggest problem is narrowing the images down because there are so many cute ones. I think baby shoots tend to be like that–how can you not like a photo of a chubby baby?

I’ll share a lot more when I’m done processing them, but for now, here are a couple Baby Teasers.

Look at his smile and big brother’s chubby hands!

And this is one of my favorite “mama and me” images. I love the circular motion that is happening because it almost gives off the same warm, covering energy that a mom feels when she is pregnant. Even though this little one has arrived, you can still feel the encompassing, quiet, devoted love of mama.

One last teaser! Guess what DVD 3 is going to be about? :) Yep, DVD 3 is in the works…

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To see our day job , visit here.

For more fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese , our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, or for details on spots left in our upcoming Chicago Workshop , click on the words of your choice!

18 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,

November 28th, 2007

Keys to Becoming a Great Portrait Photographer!

I go to do a photo shoot for a special family. We met this family when they put their house on the market almost three years ago. We fell in love with their house, bought it, and they moved into the beautiful house right behind us. Isn’t that fun!

Meet the two sweetest neighbors in the world: Henry and Will.

This is little Will. Can you believe those eyes! Isn’t he a little Gerber baby!

And this is big brother, Henry. This is one of my favorite “little boy” shots ever. I love the stone he’s sitting on, and the ground cover with little blue flowers and the dark background almost makes it seem surreal. It’s as if he’s sitting inside a magical world. His expression could mean a 101 things.

We grabbed one of their chairs from inside and put it in the backyard. Kind of fun!

And oh my goodness, look at how dynamic all three are in this shot. Dad is totally laughing, Henry is giggling so hard it’s making his tummy hurt, and Will is definitely giving me a command of some kind. :)

And here are two more to encourage all of you aspiring photographers. :)

We went live with our new site yesterday, www.refusetosaycheese.com. (And yeah, the pages are all working and looking good! :) )

One of the hot sellers for our first day was the much anticipated Portrait 101 Kit: The Essentials to Starting Your Own Side Business. If your new to the business of portrait photography, check it out. And remember, that every photographer wades through moments like this…

and this…

because they know this is around the corner, often minutes later.

What is one of the keys to a becoming a great Portrait Photographer?

Confidence.

Confidence that is gentle and strong when the parents are nervous that the session was a waste of time. Confidence that is quiet and kind when there is a temporary meltdown because you know kids go through these, and you also know the meltdown will pass. Confidence in your artistic eye. You really do see the moments of life and connection, it’s okay if you have to take a little longer to capture the shot–try to go easy on yourself if the waiting starts to feel to long. You’re okay, and your images will give more life than you could ever imagine.

How do you gain this type of confidence?

Build trust with yourself through experience. Shoot and shoot some more. You will learn to trust your creative spirit, and that’s when you realize your flying.

Thanks Henry and Will for letting me share my time with you.

Love, Me Ra

p.s. Brian is sleeping in this morning. Thanks for making him smile so wide all day yesterday! We celebrated the new site at took the kids to pizza last night. :) I couldn’t believe Brian was still awake, but he made it. Love YOU Brian!

34 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »