Christmas lights went up this weekend in our neighborhood. We even got our first Christmas card! Eeks! I’m still finishing off our pumpkin pie! I’m not ready for the holidays to be official! Are you? You know what, I don’t think it matters if we’re ready. I think the holidays are here whether we’re prepared or not. So let’s form a circle! Gather in! We must support each other! I’ll support you tossing the leftover pumpkin pie as I make room for the eggnog. I’ll support you buying your own stocking stuffers b/c let’s face it, Santa doesn’t stuff our stockings the way mom did. So here we go ladies and gents; this is my Top Ten Stocking Stuffers for the Photo Enthusiast whether you are a beginner or pro!

I admit, you need a BIG stocking for #1. But it’s so worth it! The moment we’ve been waiting for is finally here!

#1 Me Ra’s Sexy Copper Brown, Sony a330 DSLR Camera and Lens!

Price: $549.99 BUY HERE!

Family Circle magazine highlighted this Copper Brown DSLR in their Favorite Holiday Electronic Picks! Check it out on the newsstands this month! And remember, the secret Sony trip we made this summer? We were filming a revised DVD for them called Kids in Focus. I’ll blog about that amazing experience more later. But here is the coolest news, when you purchase your new Sony Alpha DSLR, Sony will include a copy of our newly released Kids in Focus DVD! Exclusively available at Sony Style stores and Sony.com! If you get it, you must PROMISE to send me a photo of yourself with your sexy, new camera!

#2 The Buttery, Background 50mm f/1.8 lens.

Price: $149, BUY HERE!

I love this lens b/c it gives you the low fstop ability to create buttery, blurry backgrounds! FYI, all the images, shot live, for the Kids in Focus DVD were captured with the Sony a330 DSLR and 50mm lens! And believe me, I pushed the camera and lens abilities to the limits, and they both blew my expectations out of the water!

#3 NEW Refuse to Say Cheese Organic Cotton Baby Onesies w/ FOUR Colors to Choose from!

Price $24 Holiday Special $19.20 till 12/4!

Coupon: stockingstuffer BUY HERE!

Style 1

Style 2

I’ve been wanting to make Refuse to Say Cheese onesies forever! Aren’t they sweet! They are by far one of my favorite Stocking Stuffers! We even have two styles to choose from for the little ones. Sizes range from 6-18 months. And the boys versions are green onesies with the brown camera!

#4 Can’t forget about Mom! NEW Refuse to Say Cheese Women’s American Apparel T-shirts!

Price $29.99 Holiday Special $ till 12/4!

Coupon: stockingstuffer BUY HERE!

Style 1

Style 2

You asked for them, and we got them just in time for the holidays! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!!!

#5 Our Award Winning Instructional DVD Set.

Price $ 49.99 Holiday Special $39.99 till 12/4!

Coupon: stockingstuffer BUY HERE!

Fox News recommended the DVD set on TV as a top Holiday pick! NAPPA gave the DVD set their prestigious Gold Award! Sony’s new Kids in Focus DVD was inspired from this DVD set. And thousands of customers have emailed us their praise for Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box! What are you waiting for!

#6 The Sony External Flash for a price that’s hard to BEAT!

Price $129.99 BUY HERE!

I love this little flash because it solves the red eye and black cave problem in seconds. With this flash, you can point it toward the ceiling and bounce the light. Bouncing the light gets rid of all the red eye, and your kids don’t look like they are climbing out of black caves. It’s light weight, easy to snap on, and the price is pretty amazing!

#7 The BEST Photo Editing Software EVER: Adobe’s Lightroom 2.

Price $169.99 BUY HERE!

We do ALL our photo editing with Adobe’s Lightroom. I could sing Lightroom praises for hours. This software has made photo editing ten times faster. When you have little ones running around, fast post process is a BIG deal. Lightroom is super intuitive and Dynamic with a capital D! Ask other users, they will confirm what I’m saying.

#8 Stop Reinventing the Wheel with our Popular 101 Kits!

Price: $99, Holiday Price $79.20 till 12/4!

Coupon: stockingstuffer BUY HERE!

Do you want to stay up all night trying to reinvent the wheel on starting a photography business? Or, do you wish that someone did the research for you and just shared it all with you? I SHARE IT ALL in our popular 101 Kits. You’ll receive photo release waivers, marketing tips, package pricing, and much more. Just read the reviews when you click to buy now! We’ve received hundreds of HAPPY emails from customers! And when you buy two 101 Kits, you get an even better deal. Our Portrait 101 and Wedding 101 Kits are the most popular!

#9 Chic jill-e Camera Bags that will make Her Giddy!

Price: $24.99 to $384.99 BUY HERE!

My girlfriend Carey bought me a Jill-e Camera Bag for my birthday a couple years ago. Love it! Love it! You can’t beat the classiness of these camera bags for women (and they’ve got some pretty hip ones for men too–Brian approves! )

#10! Me Ra’s best resource for Artistic Inspiration: The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity-10th Anniversary Edition.

Price: $26.40 BUY HERE!

If your creativity needs to be inspired, this book is for you. There are endless exercises that jog your creativity, whether it’s tackling fears, beliefs we have regarding our worthiness to create, you name it, this book tackles it! It is my Bible when it comes to creative inspiration. You’ve heard me quote it several times, why not treat yourself or someone you love to their own copy!

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You have it friends! Our Top Ten Stocking Stuffers for the Photo Enthusiast! If your purchasing a product from our store (tshirts, onsies, DVDs, 101 kits) remember to use the Coupon: stockingstuffers. This Coupon will give you 20% off until this Friday, December 4th!

Happy Holidays!

xoxo,

Me Ra

This is obviously the AFTER image (after I’m done processing the image in Adobe Lightroom).

This is the BEFORE image. This is the image straight out of the camera.

What do I do in Lightroom? What are the Six Time Saving Steps to my Post Process? If you’ve attended one of our CONFIDENCE workshops, you know that I don’t like fussing over images–takes to much time away.

First, I make sure the color balance is good (her skin looks good, the pinks look true, etc). Then I step back from the image (in my mind’s eye) and decide what the story is for this image. The image of Chloe is about Chloe’s confident eyes. She’s looking right into the camera, unafraid and totally engaged. This tells me she is bold and spirited. Even the pucker in her lips confirms it. This is the story that I want to draw out in the image. So I adjust toning in Lightroom to draw out her eyes. I want the viewer to be struck by her eyes more than anything else. Thus, I need to tone down anything that could distract us from her eyes. For example, the pink shirt and yellow mat below her.

All I did was lower the saturation. This means I removed some of the color so that it’s not a full black and white but has more of a vintage color. A full black and white would be a little to serious for me with this image. Then I raised the level of Contrast for an added sharpness to her eyes. I raised the Blacks a tad to add a little more impact to the Contrast. And last, I added a Vignette so the edges of the image would fade into a blacker type color. And that is it.

If you counted with me, that is SIX. Six is it. I put in a few pink arrows below so you know where to locate these steps in Lightroom.

1. Color Balance (or Temperature) looks good out of the camera

2. Identify the Story of the Image

3. Lowered the Saturation

4. Add Contrast

5. Up the Blacks a little

6. Add a Vignette (to add a Vignette, scroll down farther in Lightroom and you’ll see the Vignette scale)

Sometimes I don’t even lower the saturation. I just up the brightness, up the contrast and add a vignette. The post process tends to be within six time saving steps, or even less!

Why am I sharing this? I want you to fall more in love with photography! I want you to continue to fall in love with the stories of your kids that are unfolding around you on a daily level. I want you to know that you don’t have to own and understand Photoshop to be an amazing photographer with amazing images. Photoshop is not what makes an image amazing. You are what makes an image amazing b/c you spotted the moment and captured it.

We have two enemies when it comes to our photography. One is our own critic within. We talk about shutting that guy up a lot around here in the Personal Reflections category. The second enemy is Post Process. Instead of finding ways to grow our passion for photography, we grow our hours behind the computer doing post process.

Let me set the stage for what my life used to look like. I used to be big into Photoshop and Actions that change your image in a trillion different ways. But this is what happened. After a full day, bedtime prayers were finally said. It was almost 9:30pm, and I was exhausted. I got on my computer to start working on images, and somehow I got stuck for the next FIVE maybe SIX hours. And more than not, I had been stuck on ONE, TWO, maybe THREE FREAKING images. Tweaking it here. Tweaking it there. Trying this Action out. Trying that Action out. Hyper focused on a single image, bent over my computer at 1am, and pity the Brian who tries to have a conversation with me. The result was traumatizing to Brian.

Does that picture ring a bell with anyone? Seriously ladies, I have two active kids, we homeschool, I have a demanding business, dinners to make, groceries to buy and a dog to run, I don’t have time to deal with TWEAKING IMAGES a little here and a little there–especially when I’m the only one who will ever notice that I raised the Contrast by two more points! Can I get an AMEN!

Enter Adobe Lightroom. It walked into my life a couple years ago. I ignored it (in a snooty way) at first because Photoshop was “much more” familiar (as anything would be after that many late nights). But then I finally gave Lightroom a try and couldn’t believe how much easier and faster my post process could go! I could make my images without having to mess with Actions, Flattening an Image, Layering, Gaussian Blurs, etc. etc. (I’m getting dizzy!).

Nope. None of that anymore. Me Ra is now in bed around 10:30 or 11pm so she can get up to write her morning pages or blog, then heads to the gym by 6:45am. Me Ra is much, much happier.

So all that to say, don’t let the second enemy kill your passion for photography. Add a little contrast to make the colors pop a tad more. Add a Vignette to bring more focus to your story. Maybe lower the saturation for a vintage look, but then LOVE the moment of what you caught and walk away. Walk away from the post process trap and head to bed so you have more to give to your kiddos, husband, clients, and most importantly, yourself.

I would love to know if this post was helpful; seeing the BEFORE and AFTER and showing you what I changed in Lightroom. Would it be helpful to see more of these in the future?

p.s. If you are a wedding or portrait photographer and buried in post process, try out Shoot Dot Edit. They now handle the post process for our weddings, and they have been great. Worth looking into if you’re buried. If nothing else, their website cartoon is hilarious b/c of how true it is!

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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!

Mark your calendars and keep sweet talking those husbands, the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE workshop is going to happen on the first weekend of October. We will be together ALL DAY Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th, 2009.

The workshop will be held at the ultra cool Open Book center.

I feel like we hit gold when we found this location. The Open Book center hosts writing retreats, has gallery showings…can you imagine a more creative, infused place to do our workshop?

If you are flying in and don’t want to rent a car, Genie has worked her magic again with the chic, Starwood hotel Aloft. All the hotels are super busy the weekend of our workshop, but Genie was somehow able to get us a group rate for $129 per room! Can you believe that! We love you Genie! The only deal, you MUST book your room there by September 11th. (see below for more hotel details)

The BIG Question…Why do we call this workshop the CONFIDENCE workshop? Great question!

Calling this a “beginner” workshop has never fit the bill b/c we have all levels of knowledge and experience attend. Yet, when I look over the feedback our past workshop attendees leave, I feel like the consistent thread is women walk away from the weekend feeling confident in how to use their cameras, but more importantly, in themselves. And this factor alone is why Brian and I love doing the workshop over and over again.

So who is going to join us! We are limited to twenty spots! Early Bird Registration opens TODAY! CLICK HERE to get yourself signed up!

Ladies, we are going to be READY for an AWESOME year of photography ALL levels, each and every one, are welcome! The topic details are below! But first, to give you a window into what our workshops look like, check out the trailer here by clicking the PLAY arrow button!

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION STARTS TODAY and last TWO WEEKS!

FAQ: (if we don’t answer your specific question here, email Genie direct at genie@merakoh.com)

Question: What is the Early Bird Registration?

Answer: If you register between today and August 31st (that’s a little over two weeks), you get 20% OFF! You get to pay the Early Bird fee of $799 instead of $999! Pretty great savings for all of you who jump on board fast! After August 31st, the registration goes back up to the normal price of $999. To take advantage of the Early Bird Registration, CLICK HERE!

WHEN? October 3rd and 4th, 2009, All Day Saturday and Sunday

WHERE? We will be tucked into the heart of Minneapolis in their art epicenter called Open Book! Doesn’t this look like a cozy space where we can sip tea and talk about photography?! I’m so excited! Julie Feldman helped find this space and even went the extra mile of taking pictures. She is determined to get the CONFIDENCE workshop in Minneapolis! We all owe you a BIG thanks Julie!! We can’t wait to meet you!

ACCOMMODATIONS? If you need a hotel, the Aloft Hotel is one block away! Let your soul breathe a little by staying at the hotel (especially for their AWESOME group room rate).

The Aloft Hotel has done an incredible thing and offered all of you a special nightly rate of $129 per night instead of being over $200! But you must book your room by September 11th to get this special rate. Be sure to email Genie (genie@merakoh.com) if you have any questions, otherwise, you can contact the Aloft Hotel direct! Just let them know that you’d like one of the rooms in the Me Ra Koh Photography CONFIDENCE WKSHP, and you’ll be set!

In the past, a lot of women have introduced themselves to each other via email and ended up sharing rooms to cut costs. When we are 4-5 weeks out, Genie will send all of you each other’s emails so you can start talking (if you haven’t already found a way to do it by that point ). CLICK HERE more info on their cool rooms!

MEALS:

LUNCHES: Both lunches on Saturday and Sunday will be catered for us. If you are a vegetarian or have any food allergies, be sure to email us so we can accommodate you. No problems, we are happy too! (genie@merakoh.com)

SATURDAY DINNER: This dinner is optional for our attendees, but we would love to have you join us! You are invited to a group dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Details to follow upon registration.

GIFTS TO YOU FROM OUR SPONSORS!

We have wonderful, fantastic sponsors that are excited to support this event!

Pictage will be giving ever attendee a complimentary 1 year Pictage Lite subscription!

Pixel 2 Canvas will have beautiful canvas door prizes for us and a special treat for each and every attendee!

Shoot Dot Edit will have a special “Post Processing” treat for every attendee!

Dane Sanders, author of Fast Track Photographer, is going to give every woman an audio copy of his book!

And Adobe will have the door prizes of Lightroom 2.0 for us!

Isn’t that great ladies! Not only do we get to have a wonderful weekend together, but we get to give you surprises too! Not to mention our Me Ra Koh surprises-of course, I always have those up my sleeve! What’s a girl’s weekend away without gifts!

WORKSHOP TOPICS:

DAY ONE TOPICS:

True to this workshop, time tested (and approved ), we are excited to start the day with understanding the mechanics of your camera and learning about indoor lighting so you can capture shots of your loved ones in difficult lighting. The second half of the day will be hands on practice as we process a FULL morning.

DAY TWO TOPICS:

Day Two will pick up where we left off. We’re going to continue to demystify tough lighting and camera settings. We’ll also walk you through our Post Process steps as we demonstrate lightroom, turning images to black and white, editing, what’s the difference between a JPG and RAW image, etc. Depending on the groups interest, we’ll talk about the in’s and out’s of starting your own side business too. (But this depends on the needs of the group.) We’re also going to cover the question of what to do with your images? Are stock photography options available to you, what is the bottom line of blogging, and where should you have your work printed and why?

The BEST part that everyone always loves the most is the models! We’ll also have models join us (both adults and kids), so you can practice EVERY THING we’ve been teaching you. And true to our workshops, we’ll sprinkle our time with creative exercises and inspiration that make our weekend so special.

By the end of our weekend, you will be filled up, refreshed, inspired, and possibly shooting in Manuel like it’s nobody’s business. (I promise, this is way easier then people make it sound, but one step at a time.)

PAYMENT OPTIONS and REFUNDS POLICY: See the Registration Page for all these good details!

WHAT DO PAST ATTENDEES SAY ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP?

To hear what the Seattle Workshop Attendees said about our most recent workshop, check out this fun blog post and read their wonderful comments!

Here’s some more feedback!

Jen from Seattle, WA wrote; I know how these workshops can change your life…it did mine! MeRa and Brian were my inspiration…Thank you … you all are doing such greatness in this world!

Jeramy (husband of a wife who attended twice) from CA wrote; if you are reading this post and and are on the fence about going to this workshop…or wondering if it’s really worth it….let me just tell you about my experience. my beautiful bride went to the Sonoma workshop last year with me ra and brian…and it changed her life. like so many women, she struggles with self-doubt and insecurities…coupled with strong passions and desires to create things of great worth. the magic of this workshop will help you see that YOU ARE special and can do anything it is that you want to do, if you just set your mind to it. there is limitless potential in you all…and if you have ever wondered how to get it out….sign up for this workshop and you’ll see. you will never be the same again.

Marianne from Seattle, WA wrote;
This was the BEST day I’ve had in a long time…it was so nice to wade through and be challenged, laugh along the way, conquer a fear, and leave wanting more. What a day! I can’t thank you enough!

Kari from Seattle wrote; Me Ra takes the camera apart and puts it back together in a way that actually makes sense! Prepare to laugh, learn, and walk away inspired!

Julie from Seattle, WA wrote; As a past workshop attendee…It WILL change your life and how you see yourself.

Allison from Virginia wrote; I can tell you with total honesty that this will be a life changing time for you all. Just soak it all in and throw yourselves in wholeheartedly and you will come away with SO MUCH!!

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to email Genie (genie@merakoh.com) for any and all questions. Genie keeps me up to date on all questions as we travel for wedding season. She is truly my “little Genie”! If you need help with booking your hotel, understanding the area, flights, payment options, shoot her an email!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Click HERE to register today and make YOUR DAY or her DAY!!

We’ll see you in MINNEAPOLIS!!!

xoxoxo, Me Ra

p.s. A number of you have emailed to see if we’re going to do another Seattle Workshop before 2009 ends. Brian and I can’t tell for sure if our travel schedule can make it work, but we might be able to squeeze one more workshop in during the weekend of November 14th and 15th. It’s a big maybe. But if you are interested, we’d love to hear from you. Please email Genie so we can put your name on the waiting list. Thanks so much! (genie@merakoh.com)

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Keep up the VOTING! Tell your friends and family to put in their two cents at a chance to win a Sony camera! We are almost past the half way mark of 750! How cool is that!!!

Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series is continuing to grow, faster than we know what to do with! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

Below are the beautiful, amazing, inspiring Top Five Finalists for the Vacation Aperture Photo Contest! Blog readers were not only asked to submit a Vacation themed photo, but they were also asked to integrate Aperture into their image. Buttery, blurry backgrounds or foregrounds. To see a couple Honorable Mention images that demonstrate what Aperture is, check out today’s earlier post!

Win a CAMERA! Yes, you heard me!

We are taking our voting to the NEXT level this week! If we get 750 plus votes, yes 750 by this Friday at midnight, we get to give one of the Random Voters a hip, new, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W170 camera!

Can you believe that?! I’m so pumped! But that means you’ve got to tell ALL your friends, family, even wake up Grannie, and get them to post their vote in TODAY’s comments! I know this contest is going to get crazy real fast with the voting, so we are going to close the voting this Friday, August 14th, at midnight PST. That means you have from now until midnight on Friday to vote!

How do you vote? See the FAQ below! (It’s super easy.)

But without further delay, I’d like to introduce you to the TOP FIVE FINALISTS for the Vacation Aperture photo contest! Notice how they used Aperture to tell their stories!

1. Fourth of July at the Stadium! by Jennie in Provo, Utah.

This image jumped out at me. It has this wonderful editorial feel to it. Jennie was able to frame the boys in such a way that helps us feel like we’re standing right in front of these guys. I have to ask Jennie, did you shoot this image with a wide angle lens b/c I can’t believe the immediate feel this image carries. You did an incredible job! AND, your use of aperture to tell the story is FANTASTIC. You could have just focused on your boy’s face and his face painting, framed tight, and left out all the surroundings. But the atmosphere of people in the stands, blurred, and going as far back as we can see, adds so much UMPH to the storytelling in this image. This is NOT a snapshot! This is a story! I also love the blue sky, and how it ties in with all the shades of blue on the boys’ faces, necklaces and teeshirts. Incredible image Jennie! Thank you so much for submitting! (Have you seen Jennie’s blog? Check it out!)

2. Fishing Break! by Liza in Key West, Florida.

Liza, this image is timeless. The decision to focus on the rocks in the foreground and let your son be a soft, blur in the background is incredibly moving. You’ve done a powerful thing with this image. You’ve given us a sense of volume. Think about that! To create volume with the one dimensional image as if it was a three dimension story is AMAZING. I feel like the volume of this image is quiet and peaceful. I hear the soft sounds of water and the subtle breeze. I hear it because of your decision to blur your son and not have everything in sharp focus. I also love the blue hues to this image. I think the blues accentuate the quiet feel even more. Liza, thank you for sharing a precious moment in your family vacation. (Be sure to check out Liza’s blog!)

3. Afternoon Getaway Vacation! by Carol Ann.

Take a good look at this image, it is HILARIOUS! Talk about using Aperture to tell a STORY! Carol Ann focused on the sign “Best User Age: 2 to 5 years of age”, and then let her husband blur in the background. Carol Ann, you did an AMAZING job! Your use of Aperture, blurring the background so we see just enough of your crazy husband going do the slide, is perfect! If you had shot this image in Auto mode, we would have lost a lot of the humor in the image. With your husband sharp in the background, just like the sign, it would have felt more like a snapshot vs. a story…or better said “a comedy”. Thank you for submitting this image (thank your husband too)! Thanks for giving us a great example of how blurred action in the background can draw out the humor in a story! (Be sure to check out Carol Ann’s Design and Photography website!)

4. Welcoming Grandma and Grandpa! by Jennifer.

After I narrowed down the submissions to the Five Finalists, I went back and read the notes people included. In Jennifer’s note, she said that she was deciding to not hide her photography anymore but take a risk and share it. And wow, I’m so glad she is sharing! Doesn’t this image take your breath away?! There is so much emotion in this single image. Who ever said photography was one dimensional…well, they never saw these Finalists! Can you just feel the excitement and energy pouring out of her daughter? And the use of Aperture makes this story pop! By choosing to blur the background (which is the arriving plane and trees), we subconsciously know that our focus is the little girl and her experience of this moment. And to tell you the truth, even though the plane is blurred–the presence of the plane becomes that much stronger b/c I know the story is about this little girl. Incredible job Jennifer! I’m so excited to see what else you share with the world! (Jennifer, if you have a blog or website, please share!!)

5. Escaping the Heat in the Good Old Tent! by Linnea while camping at Lake Mayfield.

Does anyone else feel the temperature in the room rise when they see this picture? The red tones are perfect for an image that is all about escaping the summer’s heat. And what a moment of expression Linnea caught on her son’s face. I have a couple things to say about this image. One, I LOVE how she cropped half of her son’s face out of the image. This choice made the image jump out at me. When Brian and I are shooting, we are often thinking “Less is More”. The expression in the boy’s single eye is enough to fill the whole frame. Good for you Linnea, way to try something different. I love how it turned out. The use of aperture is also wonderful in this image. I love how we see baby sister blurred in the background. We know she is there, and her facial expression is pretty powerful. But the focus is on big brother. It’s as if he is looking for a break from his sister and pulling away for a moment. The last thing I love about this image is the tight framing. A tent is close, tight quarters. I love how Linnea decided to frame in tight b/c it accentuates the close quarters that much more. Wonderful job Linnea! Thank you so much for sharing! (Learn more about Linnea!)

There it is! The Fabulous Five Finalists! Didn’t I tell you they were AMAZING!

Whoever gets the most votes will win their choice of three prizes!

And all of you, plus the winners, have the opportunity to win a Sony Cyber-shot Camera! All you have to do is post a comment and vote for your favorite finalist. Leave a few words about why they were your favorite, and you are entered into the Sony Cyber-shot Camera drawing!

Let’s go! 750 vote goal, HERE WE COME!

FAQ

FAQ #1: How do you vote?

Answer: Just click on the pink word “Comments” at the end of this blog post. Put the # of photo your voting for first (it makes counting the votes way faster), and then add a few words about why you like their image the most. Remember, your comments and feedback give to the Five Finalists more than any prize from us. Please be kind, encouraging, and share all that you can with these wonderful Five Finalists! Your feedback on their images is priceless! That’s why we do the Random Voter Awards, because we appreciate your voting and feedback so much. So spread the word to family and friends! And ask them to vote! We need 750 VOTES to give this camera away!

(Please vote one time for one image. Thanks!)

FAQ #2: Is there a new Photo Contest happening right now? And when is the Deadline?

Answer: After we announce the Winners for this contest, we’ll start a new one! Start thinking of a new theme! I love your ideas!

FAQ #3: What are the prizes for the Random Voters and the Finalist?

Answer: Scroll on down!!

Prizes for the Winning Finalist and the Random Voter Winners!

In the last couple of contests, we’ve broken our record for votes received! You all spread the word, and the votes came rolling in! If we clear 750 votes on this contest, we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #750, but a RANDOM Voter) to win the Sony Cyber-shot camera!!!

And then we’ll keep going and pick one more Random Voters to win a $25 customized, cool looking Starbucks card! So that’s one Random Winner of a new, slick Sony Cyber-shot camera, and one MORE random winner of $25 customized Starbucks cards, if we clear 750!

Deadline for all voting is this Friday night, 5 days from now, 8/14, at midnight PST!! That means we have to clear 750 votes by that time for two Random Voters to be picked and win a Sony Cybershot Camera!

Prize for being the Winner of the Five Finalists!!!

Now what about the finalist’s prize! What will they get? Well first, each finalist should vote too so they get a fair shot of winning the Sony Cyber-shot camera!

Great question! The finalist will get their choice of one of our 101 Kits or the downloadable version of our Refuse to Say Cheese/Beyond the Green Box DVD series. And then, and THEN they also get to choose between one of two MORE things!

1. Their own copy of Adobe’s Lightroom 2.0 Software!

2. Or a copy of the newly released DVD “See the Light” by Carlos Baez! Watch the trailer by clicking the title. Carlos is not only a dear friend, but he is also a PHENOMENAL photographer who has years experience in the fashion and wedding industry and is now sharing his knowledge on lighting with the wedding and portrait world. This guy is loaded with tips and strategies on lighting. We just got our own copy of his DVD, and I can’t wait to watch it. Carlos is a master with lighting, and on top of that he has a HUGE heart for teaching people. Just watching him work with his clients is amazing. Your business can’t help but go to the next level with this new DVD. Check out his blog! To purchase Carlos’s new DVD, check out the Photography Mentor store. Retail Price for “See the Light” is $175!

So get all your friends and family to jump on here and vote before Friday at midnight!

Enjoy! VOTE AWAY!!!

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For more fun photo exercises, check out our Award Winning, Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese , our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography , click on the words of your choice!

Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes. I’m so glad you liked the Behind the Scene photos. Didn’t Brian do an AWESOME job with those! (He is the very best, out-of-control supportive husband ever.)

I also can’t tell you how many times I closed my eyes and visualized all the ladies we’ve met and have yet to meet from our workshops and speaking engagements. Every time I felt nervous or unsure, I pictured all your beautiful faces and reminded myself of who we were doing this for–the powerful impact it would have.

And we’re bringing all this power and inspiration to Washington DC!!! On September 19th and 20th 2009, we will be holding our Photography Workshop for Women, and we are going to have an AMAZING weekend together.

On top of this, I made an executive decision to call this workshop we do the “CONFIDENCE” workshop. What do you think? Calling this a “beginner” workshop has never fit the bill b/c we have all levels of knowledge and experience attend. Yet, when I look over the feedback our past workshop attendees leave, I feel like the consistent thread is women walk away from the weekend feeling confident in how to use their cameras, but more importantly, in themselves. And this factor alone is why Brian and I love doing the workshop over and over again.

And guess what? As many of you know, it’s a bit expensive to find accommodations for a workshop in the DC area, especially the Dupont Circle. But we looked and looked to find a place that met was convenient for all of you to get too and was within our workshop budget so we wouldn’t have to raise the registration price. We ended up finding the hip, chic Hotel Madera. Turns out the event planner there emailed Genie back saying she was a fan of our photography and would LOVE to help host this workshop! So she’s giving all of us incredible discounts on the hotel rooms, see below for the details! And she’s giving us great discounts on the meeting space and lunches so we can keep within our workshop budget. Isn’t that AWESOME! DC is welcoming the workshop with open arms on so many levels! We can’t wait to come!

So who is going to join us! We are limited to twenty spots! Early Bird Registration opens TODAY! CLICK HERE to get yourself signed up!

Ladies, we are going to be READY for an AWESOME year of photography ALL levels, each and every one, are welcome! The topic details are below! But first, to give you a window into what our workshops look like, check out the trailer here by clicking the PLAY arrow button!

Early Bird Registration STARTS TODAY and last TWO WEEKS!

FAQ: (if we don’t answer your specific question here, email Genie direct at genie@merakoh.com)

Question: What is the Early Bird Registration?

Answer: If you register between today and July 24th (that’s a little over two weeks), you get to pay the Early Bird fee of $799 instead of $999! Pretty great savings for all of you who jump on board fast! After July 24th, the registration goes back up to the normal price of $999. To take advantage of the Early Bird Registration, REGISTER HERE!!!

WHEN? September 19th and 20th 2009, All Day Saturday and Sunday

WHERE? We will be nestled in Washington, DC’s suave Dupont Circle neighborhood. Hotel Madera is the BEAUTIFUL luxury boutique hotel for our workshop Location!! We are going to use this elegant, boutique hotel as our creative space to learn, grow, be inspired, be pampered and create!

ACCOMMODATIONS? The Hotel Madera has done an incredible thing and offered all of you the nightly rate of $119 per night instead of $159! Just let them know that you’d like one of the rooms in the Me Ra Koh Photography CONFIDENCE WKSHP block, and you’ll be set! In the past, a lot of women have introduced themselves to each other via email and ended up sharing rooms to cut costs. When we are 4-5 weeks out, Genie will send all of you each other’s emails so you can start talking (if you haven’t already found a way to do it by that point ). Click here for more info on their beautiful rooms!

MEALS:

LUNCHES: Both lunches on Saturday and Sunday will be catered for us. If you are a vegetarian or have any food allergies, be sure to email us so we can accommodate you. No problems, we are happy too! (genie@merakoh.com)

SATURDAY DINNER: This dinner is optional for our attendees, but we would love to have you join us! You are invited to a group dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Details to follow upon registration.

GIFTS TO YOU FROM OUR SPONSORS!

We have wonderful, fantastic sponsors that are excited to support this event!

Pictage will be giving ever attendee a complimentary 1 year Pictage Lite subscription!

Pixel 2 Canvas will have beautiful canvas door prizes for us and a special treat for each and every attendee!

Shoot Dot Edit will have a special “Post Processing” treat for every attendee!

Dane Sanders, author of Fast Track Photographer, is going to give every woman an audio copy of his book!

And Adobe will have the door prizes of Lightroom 2.0 for us!

Isn’t that great ladies! Not only do we get to have a wonderful weekend together, but we get to give you surprises too! Not to mention our Me Ra Koh surprises–of course, I always have those up my sleeve! What’s a girl’s weekend away without gifts!

WORKSHOP TOPICS:

DAY ONE TOPICS:

True to this workshop, time tested (and approved ), we are excited to start the day with understanding the mechanics of your camera and learning about indoor lighting so you can capture shots of your loved ones in difficult lighting. The second half of the day will be hands on practice as we process a FULL morning.

DAY TWO TOPICS:

Day Two will pick up where we left off. We’re going to continue to demystify tough lighting and camera settings. We’ll also walk you through our Post Process steps as we demonstrate lightroom, turning images to black and white, editing, what’s the difference between a JPG and RAW image, etc. Depending on the groups interest, we’ll talk about the in’s and out’s of starting your own side business too. (But this depends on the needs of the group.) We’re also going to cover the question of what to do with your images? Are stock photography options available to you, what is the bottom line of blogging, and where should you have your work printed and why?

The BEST part that everyone always loves the most is the models! We’ll also have models join us (both adults and kids), so you can practice EVERY THING we’ve been teaching you. And true to our workshops, we’ll sprinkle our time with creative exercises and inspiration that make our weekend so special.

By the end of our weekend, you will be filled up, refreshed, inspired, and possibly shooting in Manuel like it’s nobody’s business. (I promise, this is way easier then people make it sound, but one step at a time.)

PAYMENT OPTIONS and REFUNDS POLICY: See the Registration Page for all these good details!

WHAT DO PAST ATTENDEES SAY ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP?

To hear what the Seattle Workshop Attendees said about our most recent workshop, check out this fun blog post and read their wonderful comments!

Here’s some more feedback!

Jen from Seattle, WA wrote; I know how these workshops can change your life…it did mine! MeRa and Brian were my inspiration…Thank you … you all are doing such greatness in this world!

Jeramy (husband of a wife who attended twice) from CA wrote; if you are reading this post and and are on the fence about going to this workshop…or wondering if it’s really worth it….let me just tell you about my experience. my beautiful bride went to the Sonoma workshop last year with me ra and brian…and it changed her life. like so many women, she struggles with self-doubt and insecurities…coupled with strong passions and desires to create things of great worth. the magic of this workshop will help you see that YOU ARE special and can do anything it is that you want to do, if you just set your mind to it. there is limitless potential in you all…and if you have ever wondered how to get it out….sign up for this workshop and you’ll see. you will never be the same again.

Marianne from Seattle, WA wrote;
This was the BEST day I’ve had in a long time…it was so nice to wade through and be challenged, laugh along the way, conquer a fear, and leave wanting more. What a day! I can’t thank you enough!

Kari from Seattle wrote; Me Ra takes the camera apart and puts it back together in a way that actually makes sense! Prepare to laugh, learn, and walk away inspired!

Julie from Seattle, WA wrote; As a past workshop attendee…It WILL change your life and how you see yourself.

Allison from Virginia wrote; I can tell you with total honesty that this will be a life changing time for you all. Just soak it all in and throw yourselves in wholeheartedly and you will come away with SO MUCH!!

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to email Genie (genie@merakoh.com) for any and all questions. Genie keeps me up to date on all questions as we travel for wedding season. She is truly my “little Genie”! If you need help with booking your hotel, understanding the area, flights, payment options, shoot her an email!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Click HERE to register today and make YOUR DAY or her DAY!!

We’ll see you in Washington DC!!! xoxoxo, Me Ra

p.s. On Thursday, we start a NEW photo contest! It’s going to be a fun one!!

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Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series is continuing to grow, faster than we know what to do with! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

This first prize goes to our Top, Top Finalist. This is the Finalist who received the most votes from all our readers.

The winner is Laura from Grand Rapids, Michigan! A big congrats Laura! And I feel like we should say a “hello” to your dad! If he’s tuning in, he should know that your photo along with his tenderness stole the hearts of hundreds of people who voted!

Laura, you get to choose between three prizes! You can either grab your own copy of Adobe Lightroom 2.0 software, the instructional lighting DVD by Carlos Baez, or a 45 minute mentoring session with me! Email Genie, genie@merakoh.com, and she will get you set up with your prize and/or a time set up on the calendar for you and I to chat. Thanks Laura for sending in your image! As you can see, I’m not the only one who LOVED it!

At midnight on Sunday we were two votes short of 500. We needed 500 votes by midnight to give a Random Voter Lightroom 2.0. But you know what, 498 sounds good to me. And then a ton of people voted after midnight. SO……

The Random Voter Winner for Adobe’s Lightroom 2.0 is Jasen!! His vote was the following;

I have to go with #3. Evokes an emotional response for me. Wonderful.

Jasen also has a blog too! Check it out! The image of his son standing next to the bathtub is priceless! Jasen, a big congrats to you for being our Random Lightroom Winner! Email Genie at genie@merakoh.com and let us know if you’d like to claim your prize! If you already have Lightroom, we’d love to offer you a 45 min. mentoring session with either me or Brian. Just let us know! And most of all, thanks so much for participating in the voting and leaving feedback!

We have one more prize for a Random Voter. This prize is a $25 Gift Certificate to Starbucks! This winner for this prize is Ceci! Her vote was the following;

They are all great, but I vote for #1.

Check out Ceci’s blog! The first image is just beautiful! A big congrats to you Ceci. Thanks so much for voting for a Finalist, and leaving your feedback. Be blessed my dear, and keep up the beautiful, beautiful photography! Genie will set you up with your Starbucks card so don’t forget to email her too!

I want to give a BIG thank you to ALL the people who sent us their Simple Photo images, special thanks to our Five Finalists (hats off to all five of you!), last but very important, all 509 voters. You make this community the safe and encouraging place that it is. Thanks for sharing yourself with us!

Now I have a question for everyone. It’s the middle of May. What do you say we start a new Photo Contest? What should the theme be? Something more concrete this time like family vacations or summer fun, etc. But what do you think?

And what do you think the GRAND Prize should be? Lightroom again or something else! Just curious what your thoughts are! Post em up today, and we’ll start a new photo contest asap!

Also, if you didn’t see yesterday’s post about the new Sony camera (our colors–pink and brown!), you MUST read it! It’s pretty amazing stuff!

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*Tomorrow is the LAST Day to get the Early Bird Registration Fee! We’ve got 3-4 spots left! Join us in Seattle for our next women’s workshop this coming June09! All details and video trailer are HERE!

Our Award Winning Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series is continuing to grow, faster than we know what to do with! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!

Our meetings with Sony yesterday were unreal. I am so overwhelmed with how AMAZING it was that I’ve been in and out of tears. Every thing will be officially announced on Monday to the press. So you better believe that I’ll be sharing the good news on Monday morning with all of you, right here!

In the midst of an unforgettable day, we have even more crazy news to share!

This is actually another DREAM come true for me and Brian! It’s one of those dreams that your almost afraid to wish for, but you hold your breath and go for it anyway. (What do you have to lose, right?!)

Here it is…Our instructional, photography DVD series, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box , has won one of the most prestigious parenting awards ever! The National Parenting Publication GOLD Award! To give you an idea of who else submits their products for this award…Last year, the 10th Anniversary Edition of Baby Einstein won! Can you believe that! Our DVDs are keeping good company!!!

We submitted each DVD on its own to be judged and scored independently, and I can’t tell you how excited we are that they BOTH won the GOLD award!

On June ST, NAPPA and their partner, Parenthood, will have our DVDS and the other winners appear in over THIRTY magazines! Brian and I are so excited to see what this will be like to have that much exposure at once! Check out the list of magazines! It’s going to be crazy! Do any of you receive these magazines already? If you see our DVDS in them, will you cut it out and send it to me? My grandma and I would LOVE to have a copy of the features!

NAPPA Editorial Partners Coverage of NAPPA winners is featured in these trusted, local parenting magazines: Akron Family – Akron, OH Albemarle Family – Charlottesville, VA Bay Area Parent: East Bay – San Mateo, CA Bay Area Parent: SF & Peninsula – San Francisco, CA Bay Area Parent: Silicon Valley – Los Gates, CA The Boston Parents’ Paper – Boston, MA Brevard County Moms (formerly Space Coast Parent) – Melbourne, FL Carolina Parent – Durham, NC Central California Parent – Fresno, CA Central Penn Parent – Harrisburg, PA Charlotte Parent – Charlotte, NC Chicago Parent – Chicago, IL Child Guide – Berryville, VA Cincinnati Parent – Cincinnati, OH Cleveland Family – Cleveland, OH Colorado Parent – Denver, CO Family Life – Mendocino, CA Family Times – Syracuse, NY Family Magazine NJ: Morris County Family – Morris County, NJ Family Magazine NJ: Union County Family – Union County, NJ Indy’s Child – IN Kids VT – Shelburne, VT L.A. Parent – Los Angeles, CA Lake/Geauga Family – Eastlake, OH Lowcountry Parent – Charleston, SC Metro Augusta Parent – Augusta, GA Metroparent – Milwaukee, WI Neopolitan Family Magazine – Naples, FL Newsday’s Parents & Children – Long Island, NY Our Kids San Antonio – San Antonio, TX Palmetto Parent – Columbia, SC Parenting New Hampshire – Manchester, NH Piedmont Parent – Winston-Salem, NC The Parent Paper – Paterson, NJ Sacramento Parent- Sacramento, CA Saginaw Valley Family- Saginaw Valley, MI South Florida Parenting – Tamarac, FL Tidewater/Peninsula Parent – Norfolk, VA Upstate Parent – Greenville, SC Washington Parent – Washington, DC / Bethesda, MD Westchester Family – Mamaroneck, NY Your Child Today – NJ

For those of you who are unfamiliar with NAPPA, here is a quick summary. (Check out NAPPA’s website to learn more! They carry a big influence on what is hot for parents!)

NAPPA is one of the oldest and most prestigious Children’s Products and Parenting Resources competitions. Expert judges and family testers select from hundreds of products that embody innovative design, quality construction, and make parenting easier.

In regards to the DVD winners, Judges evaluated programs for their overall appeal, production value, quality of content and benefits – which may be pro-social role models, educational content or pure entertainment. Every winning title is one that you could happily add to your collection and enjoy sharing with the children in your life.

Is that AWESOME or what!

If you haven’t seen our DVDS, or should I say “Award Winning DVDS” , you can check them out and purchase them at our product site, Refuse to Say Cheese! If you are a friend that lives abroad, Downloadable Versions are available too!

Okay, keep voting for your favorite Finalist! We are almost to 300 votes, and we only need 500 total by Sunday night for a Random Voter to win Adobe Lightroom 2! Click HERE to vote today!

We will be back Monday for the most amazing news ever on what Sony has done to change our world! Hint: some of you helped inspire it!

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We only have FIVE SPOTS left for the Seattle June workshop. The enthusiasm, nervousness, willingness, and openness of the attendees so far is going to make this a fantastic workshop! If you are looking to take our workshop on the West Coast, this is your best bet before the summer ends! To see all the details, check out THIS BLOG post. To grab a spot and get the early bird special, GO HERE! The Early Bird price ends this coming Wednesday, so make sure you get signed up before the special is over!

A big thanks to all the moms who shared their Mother’s Day stories. I loved reading them all! Some had me laughing so hard and others made me cry! Some were down right inspiring, and wow, some of you need to take a day off after working so hard on YOUR day! Do you know how amazing and beautiful you all are?

The one story I still can’t get over is by Katie Jordan . Did you read her story about how they had to take the oven apart to get their artichoke frittata out of it? It’s HILARIOUS! The woman needs to take her, her hubbie and mom out for a latte after that craziness! Katie, thanks for sharing! Email Genie, at genie@merakoh.com, with your address, and we’ll get the Starbucks card off to you! To read Katie’s whole story (and it’s so worth it for a good laugh), check out yesterday’s blog post.

On to the Photo Contest Finalists! Time to VOTE!!

Some of you forgot. Some of have been waiting. Some of you have no idea what I’m talking about! But here we are! It’s time to start doing our Photo Contests again!

Your about to see the TOP FIVE FINALISTS for the Simple Gifts Photo Contest!!

Does everyone remember how to do this?

You have a couple ways to win! If your a finalist, you can win be receiving the most votes. You will have THREE, not two, (I added a new prize) but THREE prizes to choose from! See details below!

If your a Voter, you can win by voting! It’s that simple. Because we cherish our voters and their feedback, we will pick TWO Random Voters to win prizes too! AND, if we CLEAR 500 VOTES, one of those Random Voters gets to claim Lightroom 2.0 as a prize! Nice huh! All you have to do is post your vote and give the photographer some positive feedback on why you liked their photo the best.

You can check by this Monday to see if you were one of the TWO Random Voters!)

But for now, let’s welcome these talented photographers and their inspiring work.

The theme was Simple Gifts. You were invited to submit an image that somehow conveys the theme of Simple Gifts. A theme that is this open can be good and tough at the same time. Check out what our finalists submitted!

Finalist #1, The Wedding Gift, by Laura from Grand Rapids, Michigan

Laura submitted an image of an incredibly touching Simple Gift. When she and her husband were married, Laura’s dad gave her this heart shaped box. For a dad to “make” a gift for his kids, wow, that alone is moving. Her father took the time to cut out images of his favorite father/daughter moments throughout the years. He cut each image out in the shape of this heart box and wrote notes on the back. Not only did Laura receive one of the most amazing wedding presents in the world, she did a wonderful job at capturing the heart shaped box.

I love how her dad’s inscription is lit on the heart shaped box. The sepia tone adds to the timeless that the gift possesses. And I love how she created drama with the blurred background of the bottom half of the heart shaped box. Laura, thank you so much for sharing such a special part of your life with us. The gift and the image you captured are both beautiful!

Finalist #2, “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!” by Michelle Sidles, Washington

Michelle and her family were headed to California for Christmas when the Blizzard of 08 hit. Their flight was canceled last minute, and they had zero food in the refrigerator and zero gifts for under the tree. That night she and her husband scrambeled to find something they could wrap and put under the tree. She said her son would have never dreamed of asking for his own BB gun b/c of the whole thing “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out”, but they decided to surprise him. I can’t imagine how surprised he must have been. Some of my younger brother’s best memories are when they would hike with our grandpa through the trees in Eastern WA practicing their aim with the BB guns.

The image can be a bit startling at first if you didn’t grow up with BB guns. But I love how striking it is. It is so obvious that this boy is in love with his BB gun. It may have been the only thing under the tree, but I think he’s okay with it. I love how the target practice is set up behind him. I love how the image is horizontal, almost square shaped, and every thing in the image adds to the story. There isn’t any thing we see in the image that shouldn’t be there. Michelle, great job! Thanks so much for submitting! Check out Michelle’s blog too!

Finalist #3, Siblings, by Denise from Arizona!

Denise said her Simple Gift was siblings. She has recently been reflecting on how much her brother means to her. In her submission, she wrote; “No one on earth lived my childhood with me, and saw things that I saw at that time–except my brother.” It’s so simple, and yet so true. Her submission is perfect for the Simple Gift Photo Contest. Denise also said that since she wasn’t able to take a picture with her brother, she decided to submit this image. Here are four brothers with their dogs in the back of the truck. And I want to add, “without a care in the world”.

Denise, I LOVE how all four brothers have different focal points. What a great story you have captured! Yes, they are brothers and growing up together, but they all have different views of their childhood. I also love how you composed the shot with the different places they are each sitting, standing, leaning, etc. The dogs are a great touch. Way to go. Adding pets isn’t always easy! And Denise has her own beautiful website! Check it out! There are two shots of mom pregnant and then holding baby that are priceless. Beautiful work Denise!

Finalist #4, F 2.8, by Michelle from Wisconsin!

Michelle said that her Simple Gift idea is photography. And the way she has created this message is incredibly simple but striking. In her email she wrote that she wanted to portray the gift of photography “simply but with a little whimsy”. I think she pulled it off beautifully!

She used her daughter’s blocks to spell out her favorite aperture: F 2.8. (Can I get an AMEN everyone!) The lighting is great on this image with the white tile floor and the blurred wall color behind. Both of these elements add to the clean feeling this image gives. Michelle, did you shoot this image at a 2.8? Thanks so much Michelle for submitting your image! Your gift was one that so many of us can appreciate, but your idea of how to portray this was so original! I just love it! Michelle also has an awesome website and blog that you must see, especially her Public Enemies gallery. That is super fun to look through!

Finalist #5, Daily Treat, by Katie from Mississippi!

Katie submitted this image of her son feeding his horse a carrot. She said that every day her horse gets to look forward to this Simple Gift. What a great idea for a photo submission. I love a number of things about this image. I love how the little boy is centered in the bottom half. I don’t often center my subjects, but for this image it works so well because of how it shows us perspective. What do I mean by perspective? I love how we see the size difference between the horse gate and the big horse itself! I love how the little boy is reaching up. I picture him being on his tip toes, even though I don’t see his feet. The energy is still moving upward enough for me to fill in the blanks. And the black and white toning helps add focus to the little boy and horse. Wonderful job Katie! You caught a great moment, and I love that you shared it with us! Thank you so much!

All five of these women are so talented AND totally going for it with their cameras and creative eyes! We applaud them all.

There you have em’! The Top Five Finalists for the Simple Gift Photo Contest! Now you have the tough job of voting for ONE!

FAQ #1: How do you vote?

Answer: Just click on the pink word “Comments” at the end of this blog post. Put the # of photo your voting for first (it makes counting the votes way faster), and then add a few words about why you like their image the most. Remember, your comments and feedback give to the Five Finalists more than any prize from us. Please be kind, encouraging, and share all that you can with these wonderful Five Finalists! Your feedback on their images is priceless! That’s why we do the Random Voter Awards, because we appreciate your voting and feedback so much. So spread the word to family and friends! And ask them to vote!

Please vote one time for one image. Thanks!

FAQ #2: Is there a new Photo Contest happening right now? And when is the Deadline?

Answer: After we announce the Winners for this contest, we’ll start a new one! And it won’t take me four months to post the finalists!

FAQ #3: What are the prizes for the Random Voters and the Finalist?

Answer: Scroll on down!!

Prizes for the Winning Finalist and the Random Voter Winners!

In our last photo contest , we had over 586! We broke our record again! It was amazing! You all spread the word, and the votes came rolling in! If we clear 500 votes AGAIN on this contest , we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #500, but a RANDOM Voter) to win a copy of Adobe ‘s Lightroom software again!! And then we’ll keep going and pick one more Random Voters to win a $25 customized, cool looking Starbucks card! So that’s one Random Winner of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and one MORE random winner of $25 customized Starbucks cards, if we clear 500!

Deadline for all voting is this Sunday night, 4 days from now, 5/16, at midnight PST!! That means we have to clear 500 votes by that time for two Random Voters to be picked and win Lightroom !

Prize for being the Winner of the Five Finalists!!!

Now what about the finalist’s prize! What will they get?

Great question! The finalist will get their choice of one of our 101 Kits or the downloadable version of our Refuse to Say Cheese/Beyond the Green Box DVD series. And then, and THEN (we’re hooking our Finalists up for 2009! ), they also get to choose between one of two MORE things!

1. Their own copy of Adobe’s Lightroom 2.0 Software

2. Or a copy of the newly released DVD “See the Light” by Carlos Baez! Watch the trailer by clicking the title. Carlos is not only a dear friend, but he is also a PHENOMENAL photographer who has years experience in the fashion and wedding industry and is now sharing his knowledge on lighting with the wedding and portrait world. This guy is loaded with tips and strategies on lighting. We just got our own copy of his DVD, and I can’t wait to watch it. Carlos is a master with lighting, and on top of that he has a HUGE heart for teaching people. Just watching him work with his clients is amazing. Your business can’t help but go to the next level with this new DVD. Check out his blog! To purchase Carlos’s new DVD, check out the Photography Mentor store. Retail Price for “See the Light” is $175.

3. Or, a NEW PRIZE !!! Since so many of our finalists have their own websites and/or blogs, I’d like to offer a third choice. As I was looking at the Finalists websites/blogs, I had so much feedback to give. I’d like to offer a 45 minute, private, consultation phone call to the winner to talk about how to strengthen their websites/blog for their business! Please understand that ALL their websites and blogs are AWESOME. I’ve just learned a few tricks over the years that I’d love to share with them. It’s a fun option if the winner already has prizes 1 and 2! And best of all, I would love to chat with the winner on the phone! (If you choose this prize and find it would be more helpful to talk about photography, juggling business/family as a mother, going to Thailand , your business strategy, marketing tips, etc. You let me know! I’m yours for 45 minutes!) Value: Private 1 hr. Consultations are $500.

So get all your friends and family to jump on here and vote before Sunday at midnight!

Enjoy! VOTE AWAY!!!

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Sony Camera Contest Winners will be Announced NEXT WEEK !!! Stay tuned!!! (boy, is this contest week or what!)

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 , click on the words of your choice!

Yvonne, you did an AMAZING job with this shot! And as you can see, a ton of people agree! (If you haven’t seen Yvonne’s awesome blog, check it out!)

When Yvonne found out she was one of the Five Finalists she wrote me this great email that talked about shooting the red shoes. Your going to love the set up she describes!

Omg Me Ra!! I can’t believe I made it to the five finalists!! Thank you so much, I really owe it all to you because I have watched the Refuse To Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box dvds so many times!! I don’t know if I should of included a story with the picture because I figured the image should speak for itself and I was hoping it would mean something special to who ever views it. But the set up is a different story – it was seriously by chance that I captured this shot!! I was watching early morning cartoons with the kids one morning and as the morning light fell through the blinds it created a magical feeling in the room. My two little ones kept asking where the sparkles were coming from and when I finally figured it out it was the sliver of light falling on the ruby slippers!! At first I didn’t think to try and photograph it because it was unfavorable circumstances (besides me being tired in the wee morning hours). As the time past and the light changed I felt awful passing up the chance to practice so I gave it a shot. I took lots of pictures of the original clutter of the house trying to capture the magic of the moment but they were just discarded shoes on the floor and I couldn’t get the sparkles that filled the walls. I repositioned the shoes on my ottoman and placed it in direct line of the light… unfortunately I couldn’t get the sparkles on the wall but I noticed the dust in the air was just as pretty and so I had the kids jump on the couch to stir things up!!…

Yvonne, thanks for sharing that great story!! I’m so glad you loved the DVDs! And the story behind your shot is awesome, especially getting the kids involved! I had to share it with everyone here!

I hope you were blessed by all the wonderful comments people made! If you ever needed a few hundred people to confirm your awesome eye for photography, you’ve got it now sister! Now it’s time to claim your prize! Let us know which 101 Kit would be most helpful to take your budding business to the next level! It sounds like you’ve got the DVDS, if you have a friend you’d like to bless with the DVDS let us know and we’ll forward the downloads to them in your honor!

AND my dear, which do you prefer? Your own Adobe Lightroom software to speed up your post process (fasten your seatbelt b/c Lightroom is AWESOME) OR the most unique prize ever, a copy of the newly released DVD “See the Light” by Carlos Baez! Watch the trailer by clicking the title. Carlos is not only a dear friend, but he is also a PHENOMENAL photographer who has years experience in the fashion and wedding industry and is now sharing his knowledge on lighting with the wedding and portrait world. This guy is loaded with tips and strategies on lighting. We just got our own copy of his DVD, and I can’t wait to watch it. Carlos is a master with lighting, and on top of that he has a HUGE heart for teaching people. Just watching him work with his clients is amazing. Your business can’t help but go to the next level with this new DVD. Check out his blog! To purchase Carlos’s new DVD, check out the Photography Mentor store. Retail Price for “See the Light” is $175.

Pick your favorite prize, and then email my right hand woman, Genie, at genie@merakoh.com. And we will get your prize to you right away!

To all our VOTERS, A HUGE thank you and WOO-HOOOOO!!!!! We had 583 VOTES!! We blew our goal of 500 goal RIGHT OUT OF THE WATER!!! And again, you were all so awesome to give your two cents on why you liked your favorite image. Talk about an AWESOME community! Thanks for spreading the word! You have no idea how much your votes and comments blessed the Five Finalists!

Since we hit our goal of having 500 or more votes, one of our voters gets a free copy of Lightroom!!

The BIG, WINNING RANDOM VOTER who won Lightroom is….(drum roll!) J. T. who wrote;

I vote #3,
the story is amazing, and the pic is to.

J.T., you didn’t hyperlink your name or leave an email so I’m hoping you check back in to see that you’ve won a copy of Lightroom! Email us at genie@merakoh.com!

But we also want to give two more Random Voters a $25 Gift Certificate to Starbucks!!!

The FIRST RANDOM VOTER one is crazy to me because I think I know her from twenty years ago. Merri Van Houte! Merri, are you “Merri Van Houte” from high school youth group!! Merri, this is crazy to see your name here! How the heck are you!! I didn’t even know you followed the blog until I found out you were one of the Random Voter Awards! How crazy is that! Maybe I can buy you a Starbucks in person, and we can catch up! Email Genie at genie@merakoh.com, and we’ll ship you your gift card!

My vote is for #5. I think the photograph is enchanting, without even reading the meaning behind the photo, it inspires a smile.

The SECOND RANDOM VOTER is Lisa who wrote;

#4
I have to tell you it was very difficult to choose. I was struggling with what am I basing my decision on – the image or the emotion. If it was the image I would have selected 3, because i just love it. But since the topic was emotion I decided to go with the image that stirred the most emotion in me, #4. They were all great, congrats ladies for making it to the finals.

A big congrats Lisa!! Check out Lisa’s website while your at it! And Lisa, email Genie at genie@merakoh.com to claim your gift card!

Remember, you still have time to enter your photo for the Simple Gifts photo contest! Look to the top right margin for the active countdown to submit! The rest of the details are as follows!

FAQ #1: Is there a Photo Contest happening right now? And when is the Deadline?

Answer: Yes! We picked the theme Simple Gifts Theme right before the holidays. You must send an image that in some way conveys the theme Simple Gifts. The deadline was January 4th, but since I forgot about the contest during my “unplugged” time off, we should extend the deadline. Don’t you think? Let’s make the Deadline for Simple Gifts, Sunday, January 25th 2009 PST . Send your images as an attached JPG (small in size) to contest@merakoh.com . Prizes will be as good as what you read below!

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To get your own copies of the DVDs that Yvonne, the Winning Finalist, mentioned click here!!!! To see what 101 Kits Yvonne has to choose from, click 101!!

If you are new to the blog, let me catch you up.

Way back when, we opened a photo contest for the most Inspirational Object. Remember that, feels like years ago!

Well, let’s fast forward to today! What better way to start the new year than be inspired by the Top Five Finalists for the Inspirational Object Photo Contest!

You will love these images, but you can only vote for one! See voting guidelines, FAQ, and prize info below.

For now, meet your talented finalists and be inspired!

Finalist #1, 1930′s Piano, by Julie

I wish I could do a post of all the piano images that were submitted b/c they remind me of the baby’s feet images from yesterday’s post. So many of you sent piano images, and each one was different in perspective. Each image was well done! We picked Julie’s as one of the five finalists b/c of the unique angle she shot from.

The piano fills the frame. The keys blur off the bottom corner of the image and you feel like the piano goes on forever and forever. I don’t know about you, but I also felt like I was sitting at the piano. The image composition is that inviting, drawing us in. The post process Julie chose was also well done. The vintage, sepia tones lends to that timeless feeling. But more than the timeless feeling, it makes one feel like the piano is magical, almost weightless. These are just a few things that come to mind when I see Julie’s beautiful image. What comes to your mind? Thank you Julie! Your image is wonderful! Check out Julie’s blog too!

Finalist #2, Asher’s Onsie, by Jennifer

The image alone is striking b/c of the meaning it holds. From a photography perspective, we loved how Jennifer composed this image. There are a couple elements that stick out to us that make her image stand out. I love that the onsie is hanging on the doorknob b/c it adds instant emphasis to how small this little one is. We already know the one who wears this is a baby, but Jennifer helps accentuate that point by hanging the onsie on the doorknob. And what I like even more than the doorknob is the blurred crib in the background. If this was intentional, BRAVO Jennifer! She also shoots down on the onsie to give the effect of it looking smaller and then there is a slight camera tilt which adds a little motion to the image. All these little details combined equal a great image. Jennifer also has a great blog! Be sure to check that out! And now to keep you from suspense, here is the story behind this sweet onsie.

Asher’s onsie is my inspirational object because it reminds me of how big miracles come in small packages. Asher is the son of a friend of mine who has overcome challenges he was born with. He had a heart defect and major open-heart surgery when he was born, and now at almost a year he is free of most of his medication and has a clean bill of health. I myself was born with a heart defect as a preemie twin born at 28 weeks weighing two pounds and two ounces and had life-saving surgery at two weeks old.

Finalist #3, Love and Coffee, by J.P.

J.P.’s image stuck out to us because of how warm his composition was (no pun intended ). The story behind why this coffee mug is his Inspirational Object will warm you right up. (pun intended )

My wife and I met in our favorite local coffee shop; I was 24, she was 19–far too young for me. I liked her an awful lot, though, and over the next year we spent a lot of time talking over coffee. Eventually, I realized that she was too amazing to keep at a distance, and so, sitting in our coffee shop, I asked her if she’d like to start seeing me romantically. She said yes, and a few years later said yes again when I asked her to marry me at that same table in the same coffee house. This cup and another like it were given to us by the wonderful owner of the coffee shop. They were the last two remaining of the old style of cups that had gradually been replaced by shinier, whiter cups that lacked the character of the old mugs. I love the chips and the stains in our matching coffee cups–they remind me that, although we’re bound to get banged up a little bit, we’re going to continue to bring one another warmth and comfort for years and years to come.

What did I tell you? Isn’t that a great story! But the story isn’t the reason why J.P.’s image was picked. A handful of you sent coffee mug images too, but J.P.’s soft lighting and buttery, blurry background guided my eye into the significance of this one mug. The lighting and blur played hand in hand in making this image give off a warm energy. J.P., was this window light that you used? I only ask b/c of how beautiful and soft the lighting is. There is also background in the image, but the background is intentionally blurred and the blur almost accentuates the solid colored mug. Even the light colored coffee inside the mug adds to the softness of the story behind this image. I don’t know if J.P. meant to, but it feels like he thought of every detail in composing an image of a single coffee mug. Great job J.P.! Thank you for submitting!

Finalist #4, Tic Tacs, by Ashley

The story behind this image reminded me of Brian and the kids, except we always buy little packs of gum. Not only are you going to love Ashley’s story, but don’t you love her composition of this image? It’s awesome. The low F stop with the tic tacs blurred in the foreground, and how Ashley filled the frame. Great job Ashely! You took a simple object and really brought it to life. Thank you for sharing! Here is Ashley’s story in the email she sent me;

The tic tac tradition started when I was a little girl. My mom would put orange tic tac’s in my brother and my Christmas stockings at first. Then she would hide them in my bag when I would go to my dad’s house on the weekend as a kid, go on vacation, or leaving home for college. Now, as a grown woman, she still hides tic tacs in my bag when I leave her house from a visit. Over time, orange tic tacs became a reminder of her love and strength when she wasn’t with me. A month ago, my husband and I went to see her for a visit. When I got home, I found these in my bag.

Finalist #5, No Place Like Home, by Yvonne

Red slippers was another popular image that was submitted by many of you. Yvonne’s image really jumped out at us. The sun flare captured in this image added a magic to the shoes. When we think of red slippers we think of the Wizard of Oz and all the magic of the movie. I remember watching the movie as a little girl and having my own pair of red slippers that I insisted on wearing with my white flower girl dress. The shoes were magical to me, and Yvonne has done a great job of capturing a magical element through her use of sun flare. Can’t you almost see those shoes tapping on their own? I also like how Yvonne filled the frame with the shoes. The background is free of distraction and all our attention is on the magic of the shoes. Yvonne, I would love to know how you set up this shot! If you are comfortable with sharing that would be great! Thank you for submitting your image, and congrats on becoming one of the Top Five Finalists!

There you have em’! The Top Five Finalists for the Inspirational Object Photo Contest! Each on is truly inspiring. Now you have the tough job of voting for ONE!

FAQ #1: How do you vote?

Answer: Just click on the pink word “Comments” at the end of this blog post. Put the # of photo your voting for first (it makes counting the votes way faster), and then add a few words about why you like their image the most. Remember, your comments and feedback give to the Five Finalists more than any prize from us. Please be kind, encouraging, and share all that you can with these wonderful Five Finalists! Your feedback on their images is priceless! That’s why we do the Random Voter Awards, because we appreciate your voting and feedback so much. So spread the word to family and friends! And ask them to vote!

Please vote only one time for one image. Thanks!

FAQ #2: Is there a Photo Contest happening right now? And when is the Deadline?

Answer: Yes! We picked the theme Simple Gifts Theme right before the holidays. You must send an image that in some way conveys the theme Simple Gifts. The deadline was January 4th, but since I forgot about the contest during my “unplugged” time off, we should extend the deadline. Don’t you think? Let’s make the Deadline for Simple Gifts, Sunday, January 25th 2009 PST . Send your images as an attached JPG (small in size) to contest@merakoh.com . Prizes will be as good as what you read below!

FAQ #3: What are the prizes?

Answer: Scroll on down!!

Click here for Seven Quick Photo Tips to photographing your own Inspirational Object!

Prizes for the Winning Finalist and the Random Voter Winners!!______________________________________________________________________________________

Don’t forget to vote before you leave! You could be picked as a Random Voter and win a gift card to Starbucks or a copy of Adobe ‘s Lightroom ! Yep, that’s right! You heard me say it correct! (but FYI, remember to check back when I post the Random Voter Winners so you know that you’ve won and can claim your prize! )

In our last photo contest , we had over 487 votes by the cut off time! It was amazing! You all spread the word, and the votes came rolling in! If we clear 500 votes (that’s only 13 more than last time) on this contest , we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #500, but a RANDOM Voter) to win a copy of Adobe ‘s Lightroom software again!! And then we’ll keep going and pick two more Random Voters who win a $25 customized, cool looking Starbucks card! So that’s one Random Winner of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and TWO more random winners of $25 customized Starbucks cards, if we clear 500!

Deadline for all voting is this Monday night, 5 days from now, 1/12, at midnight PST!! That means we have to clear 500 votes by that time for two Random Voters to be picked and win Lightroom !

Prize for being the Winner of the Five Finalists!!!

Now what about the finalist’s prize! What will they get?

Great question! The finalist will get their choice of one of our 101 Kits or the downloadable version of our Refuse to Say Cheese/Beyond the Green Box DVD series. And then , and THEN (we’re hooking our Finalists up for 2009! ), they also get to choose between one of two MORE things!

1. Their own copy of Adobe’s Lightroom Software

2. Or the most unique prize ever, a copy of the newly released DVD “See the Light” by Carlos Baez! Watch the trailer by clicking the title. Carlos is not only a dear friend, but he is also a PHENOMENAL photographer who has years experience in the fashion and wedding industry and is now sharing his knowledge on lighting with the wedding and portrait world. This guy is loaded with tips and strategies on lighting. We just got our own copy of his DVD, and I can’t wait to watch it. Carlos is a master with lighting, and on top of that he has a HUGE heart for teaching people. Just watching him work with his clients is amazing. Your business can’t help but go to the next level with this new DVD. Check out his blog! To purchase Carlos’s new DVD, check out the Photography Mentor store. Retail Price for “See the Light” is $175.

Enjoy! VOTE AWAY!!!

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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 , click on the words of your choice!