Posts Tagged ‘Photoshop’

September 10th, 2009

Featuring an Amazing Mom! Meet Atlanta, Georgia, Wedding & Portrait Photographer, Lora Ayers!

Can I just say that I feel incredibly blessed this week with work! I get to laugh with all of you and your husbands on Tuesday, read sweet emails from you yesterday about your excitement for the Seattle CONFIDENCE Wkshp (we SOLD OUT by the end of the day!), and then feature an amazing mom today as I head to LA for a special Mom Event. I can’t think of better women to spend my time with, especially inspiring ones like Lora! She shared so much good info and honest experience in today’s interview, Lora even included an image from her first paid photo shoot (see below). Isn’t that great of her!

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

Lora Ayers

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

Last June I received an email from a distant friend with a photography website link – I spent hours looking at her pictures. I’ve always enjoyed art and thought my husband/kids were all I needed to be happy, but now I was completely inspired to do more! My friend also gave me a list of other photographer’s blogs to check out. I found Me Ra’s blog and fell in love! I started with the very first blog post and read every single one of her posts. Based on a past Christmas wish list post from Me Ra’s blog, I decided to buy a used Canon 30D. I had no idea how to use the buttons and dials, so I took a starter class at a technical school. I was on my way!

Next I chose to purchase Me Ra’s Portrait 101 Kit, which is what gave me the know-how to transition a love for photography into a photography business.

Portrait 101 Kit for Starting a Photography Business

Her Portrait 101 Kit is packed with all kinds of important information that you need to get your business up and running – including Me Ra’s story and how she got started. I was encouraged to start shooting at a price I was comfortable with and to begin blogging. All my camera had was a kit lens, so I rented an 85mm f1.8 lens and started calling some of my pregnant friends to do maternity/newborn photos. I posted some of the pictures on my blog and then sent an email out to friends and family to let them know about my newfound passion. The turning point for my business was after someone scheduled a paid session last October. She was very influential and sent EVERYONE to my blog to see her pictures because she loved them so much. This resulted in a stream of paid clients that keep booking me (mostly through word of mouth) today!

2. What inspires your photography?

It sounds so simple, but the first thing I think of is raw emotion. Whether it is a newly engaged couple,

Lora Ayers Photography

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

Lora Ayers

I want to capture all kinds of emotional moments that will transport people to that place/time/feeling.

3. What inspires you as a person, artist?

There has always been a part of me that loved to create, but most of all, I love having fun and making others happy.

Lora Ayers Photography

I’m not sure how this fits in, but I have always been inspired by people who have gone through extreme circumstances and/or challenges, both physical and emotional, and have still been able to imagine and achieve their dreams.

I can’t separate my personal and artistic inspiration; maybe I’ll learn how to do that in an upcoming Me Ra blog post!

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

I bought my first DSLR days after falling in love with photography. From the beginning, I had my heart set on starting a business. The biggest turning point was when I followed Me Ra’s advice in the Portrait 101 kit and started a blog. My friends and family did most of my marketing by sending complete strangers there to check out my work! :)

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

I have learned so much from Me Ra’s blog… seriously! From big decisions, like which camera to buy, to smaller tips and tricks; even how to do a family session and bark like a dog, which I do often. I haven’t had too many moms barking yet because usually they are in the photos or too shy, so it’s left to ME! “Ruff! Ruff!”

Scott Kelby’s books are great for Photoshop, and I purchased Kevin Kubota’s RAW Workflow for Lightroom DVD.

Kevin Kubota

Those items have helped me tremendously, but when I couldn’t find something or needed a quick answer, Google was always there to lend a hand.

Another extremely helpful thing is when I met a good friend on Me Ra’s blog. Ali won a photo contest for the “wet dog” picture, so I emailed her and we’ve been friends ever since. She had started a photography business and was willing to share her experiences with me. I’ve called her for advice and encouragement several times and she has helped me to get where I am today. I appreciate her so much. (Hi Ali!)

6. What is one piece of marketing advice that you can give our newbies? (something that you did to get your name out there)

My best advice is to get a blog and/or Facebook presence, shoot something/anything, and post often. I just booked a wedding

Lora Ayers Photography

with someone who saw my Facebook fan-page, and the coolest thing is that you can tag your clients and then all their friends will end up coming to your page and possibly become new fans. The best part is that most online marketing is FREE. Another piece of advice is to find a photographer who will let you tag along on one of their shoots or weddings to help (anyway you can – hold stuff, pose people, or maybe even second shoot). Doing this gave me so much confidence.

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

My first paid – non-family/friend – shoot went pretty well. It was a family of four with two preschoolers.

Lora Ayers Photography

I was very nervous while driving to meet them at their house, and I followed them to different locations that THEY had picked out. The first one happened to be on a golf course, so we had to hurry because golfers were waiting on us! Can you imagine?! It is my first paid shoot and there are golfers rushing me… AAAH! It got better toward the end when everyone (myself included) started to relax and have fun. I loved capturing them rolling around in the fall leaves and playing together. Afterwards, I kept stopping the car to review the photos, because I couldn’t relax until I knew there were some good shots in there. The clients looked at their photos later that week and loved them! As their positive comments poured in, so did the self-assurance that I had been missing.

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

The best part is working at home during the week and being available whenever my family needs me. When it’s time for a shoot on the weekends, I take off and it’s “Daddy Duty.” I love getting out of the house and being creative, and my husband and kids have that special time together, so it works out great!

The toughest part is that I have to choose between things I love. When I’m on my computer editing, I’m thinking of my two year-old bored in the next room. I feel the drive to be better and learn more, but finding the time ‘to become’ means that something else suffers (usually housework – maid, anyone?!). My life’s dream of being a wife/mother now has to blend with my passion for photography.

Lora Ayers Photography

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

Sorry, I couldn’t pick… I have 2 pieces of advice:

#1 – Shoot A LOT! When I first started shooting friends and family I made so many mistakes, but I learned so much. Every time I gave it a go, I would learn something new.

#2 – Connect with people who share your passion. I can’t say enough about how much it has helped me to make ‘photog’ friends, and most of them are out of state. With the Internet and cell phones, it’s possible to connect with anyone.

Last thoughts…
I just wanted to add that I am a woman who has dealt with a fear of rejection all my life. I usually made up for it by being extremely bubbly, or others may say “the life of the party”. I never had enough confidence to pursue a career whole heartedly for fear of failing. Whenever I thought of possibilities for my future, my past failures and my fear of rejection were there to stop me. I thought that by being the best mother I could be that I had reached my potential, I never allowed myself to think any further than that. When I look back at how photography came into my life, and how I had a dream and went after it without hesitation, I am really amazed and proud of myself. Finally I let go and pursued something that I wanted so badly, and I didn’t let my “junk” get in the way.

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Lora sent me the last paragraph of her interview a couple days later than the rest. When I read it, I was so inspired. Lora, it took so much courage to share your own struggles with rejection, but you have no idea how many people will be blessed by that last paragraph of raw honesty. Thank you so much for not only the last paragraph, but ALL your wonderful thoughts and beautiful images. I still can’t get over you and Ali meeting through the comments on this blog. I LOVE hearing those kinds of stories! And I’m so glad the blog has been a source of inspiration for you. It means the world to hear that. Thank you for all your time and sharing your passion with such an open heart!

Lora has never been to a CONFIDENCE Workshop, but I was thrilled when I heard how much our Portrait 101 Kit helped her business. In honor of Lora’s great interview, Brian and I thought it’d be fun to offer our readers a 20% discount today on our Portrait 101 Kit. We’ve had so many people tell us this 101 Kit made their day! To take advantage of it, CLICK HERE , and when you check out enter the Coupon Code AMAZINGMOM. Enjoy!

To see more of Lora’s beautiful work, click LORA’S WEBSITE!

To order your own copy of our Award Winning DVDs, see below!

I also invite you to ask Lora your questions in the comments. I know she would love to hear your thoughts!

Much love from my office 35K ft in the air, Me Ra

p.s. Check out the last three Amazing Mom features? If so, check them out here!

1. Interview w/ Leslie Webber from Indianapolis, Indiana!

2. Interview w/ Michelle Riddle from Santa Cruz, CA!

3. Interview w/Tracie Stier-Johnson from Milwaukee, Wisconsin!

A new one to come next week! :)

p.s.s. AND, would you like to be featured on our blog too?

If you have attended our workshop, purchased one of our five 101 Kits , or watched our DVDs, and feel like your life has taken a new and wonderful turn for the better, then please send me an email at mera@merakoh.com . I will send you directions on how to be featured. We can’t promise to feature everyone, but I want to do this type of blog post more and more. Hundreds of people have sent us the most amazing emails regarding our workshops and DVDs impacting their life, their before and after photos, their revived passion; I would love for all of you to hear those stories!

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The SEATTLE CONFIDENCE Workshop SOLD OUT last night! Wow, that was lightning fast! But we still have a few spots left in the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE Workshop! The Minneapolis seats are the only spots left for a 2009 CONFIDENCE Workshop. To grab one, CLICK HERE !

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

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September 3rd, 2009

Me Ra’s Six Time Saving Steps to Post Processing an Image!

Meet little Chloe. She is a doll! Would it help if you saw the Before and After of an image I process? If yes, keep going. I’ll walk you through what I do. As Tracey said, it will be “Me Ra-ease” :) , so you can try this too!

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

How to Post Process an Image in Lightroom w/ Me Ra Koh

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

Post Processing Images in Lightroom w/Me Ra Koh

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.

Post Process Made Easy with Me Ra Koh and Lightroom

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 (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!

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May 13th, 2009

Vote and Win! Top FIVE FINALISTS for the Simple Gift Photo Contest!

We’ve got a Photo Contest for you to vote on today, AND the winner of the Mother’s Day story!

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 , 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 , we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #500, but a RANDOM Voter) to win a copy of ‘s 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 !

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 in , click on the words of your choice!

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April 29th, 2009

Part 2: What Types of Lenses Do You Need?

We’re back for Day Two on Lenses. Are you all still with me? Thank you so much for all the comments in yesterday’s post. If you haven’t had a chance to read people’s comments from yesterday, I strongly urge you too. A number of people chimed in about their experience with lenses and what types of lenses have made all the difference for them. My vision for this blog is that we would all learn from each other, and I can’t thank you enough for continuing the dialog in the comments!

Someone posted a question in the comments yesterday and asked if we had ever shot with the Canon equipment, and if so, how did the L series lenses compare with the Carl Zeiss lenses. To answer their question, we shot with Canon for years and owned almost every L series lens available. When Sony approached us and said they were coming out with a line of camera bodies and lenses for pros to use, we were really interested. In the pro world you only hear people talk about Canon and Nikon. Sony didn’t put any pressure on us. They sent us the equipment to test out and asked for honest feedback. I wasn’t sure what to expect b/c I loved my L lenses. And I’m a super passionate person by nature, so I really have to LOVE something to get behind it. But oh my gosh, can I just say my jaw dropped open the first time I shot with the DSLR-A900 and Carl Zeiss lenses. We were shooting a wedding in Colorado, and I started freaking out! “Brian, come here, come here now! You have to see this! Look at this color. Look how sharp this is. Look how fast this is for 24.6 megapixels!” He was like “I know! I’ve been trying to tell you!” So yeah, to answer your question the Carl Zeiss glass is freaking amazing. I can honestly say that when we switched to Sony I haven’t looked back once. My Lulu, yes I named her b/c I’m so in love with her, is magic! And the icing on the cake is that Sony wants to continue to design cameras that make sense for women and the way women think. Yeah, I’m pretty much in love with Sony right now.

Yesterday’s blog took almost six hours to piece together with shooting images of the gear and finding shots that I took with specific lenses. At one point, I was starting to fall asleep, and Brian looked at me and said “Just finish it tomorrow. It’ll be fine.” Thus, here we are wrapping the lenses up.

There are two more lenses we brought with us to Thailand. We also bring these lenses to wedding and portrait shoots. Can you guess why?

Hint: They both have my favorite lens characteristic. Can you guess what the characteristic is?

Answer: If you guessed, Low Fstops/Aperture for buttery, blurred backgrounds, you were RIGHT!

If your shooting with a higher end DSLR that has a full frame sensor, you must, without question, rent or buy the Carl Zeiss Planar T 85mm/f1.4. Yes, 1.4! Can you believe how low she goes!

This is the lens that caught the shot of Blaze when I posted about how invisible he feels in America.

The sharpness is from the lens, not Photoshop. I also didn’t make the background lush and blurry in Photoshop. The wide open aperture of 1.4 creates that effect. The vibrant color is straight out of the Sony DSLR-A900.

This 85mm is a fixed lens which means that you can’t turn it to zoom in or out. If you want to get closer to your subject, you’ve got to move your legs and feet forward. But because it’s a fixed lens, the aperture is able to go down so much more. The 85mm is the perfect lens for low lighting, buttery backgrounds, and sharp, crisp candid shots. But think it through. Make an educated purchase.

If your camera isn’t a full frame sensor, this 85mm won’t let you get close to your subject. You may have to stand 6 ft back before you can get the lens to focus. So if you don’t have a full frame sensor camera yet, stick with the 24-70mm that we talked about yesterday. I remember going to a workshop when we were starting our business. Everyone raved about the 85mm lens. I figured this was the thing to buy, but I didn’t think about how limited this lens would be with my camera body at the time. My first camera wasn’t a full frame sensor. When using the 85mm, I had to be 6 feet away from my subject. I felt restriction instead of creative. Needless to say, I put the lens away and was more than happy with my 24-70mm, 2.8 Workhorse lens. It wasn’t until I upgraded to a full frame sensor camera that I understood why people felt inspired when shooting with an 85mm, 1.4 lens. I hope that makes sense. It’s information I wish I would have known when I was first starting.

The last lens is another fixed one. It’s the 35mm, f/1.4 G-Series Wide Angle Lens.

Unlike the 85mm, you can get in super close with this little guy.

My little brother had his first baby this year. After the baby was born, he called me and asked me what camera to buy and what lens to buy with it. I told him to get the Sony DSLR-A350. He is a newbie at photography, and as I said yesterday, that’s an incredible camera body to learn on. The color is fantastic. It’s light weight, sharp, fast. For the lens, I told him to bite the bullet, spend the $1300, and get the 1.4/35mm. He wasn’t sure b/c of the price, and it didn’t have a zoom! I’m happy to say that he trusted his sister :) , and wow, you should see the shots he’s getting of the baby. They are awesome! The investment was a commitment, but he is capturing the moments. And he’s loving photography!

With a low fstop, just like the 85 mm above, you can take some great shots in low light. This is one of my favorite Thailand images of Pascaline.

She’s at rest, while we wait for dad. The sun was setting so light was getting harder and harder to find. But with an fstop that goes down to 1.4, I can open up aperture and let a lot of light in. Opening up that fstop also makes everything in the background blurry. I hope I’m not being to repetitive, I just know it helps to hear the same thing a few times with new examples.

The 35mm, f/1.4 G-Series Wide Angle Lens is also great for taking close-up detail shots. Pascaline had a homeschool assignment where she had to take the Sony DSLR-A350 with the 35mm, open the aperture up to a 1.4, and capture an insect, crab or whatever else she chose. But she had to get in close and think about how she was blurring the background to tell the story of the critter.

She chose the mysterious sand crabs on the beach. They spend hours making tiny balls of sand.

In this shot, you can see the little white sand crab to the right. He’s almost smaller than the balls of sand he creates.

Their designs end up being these incredible star-bust patterns spread across the beach,

only to have it all washed away when the tide comes in. It has to be one of the great natural wonders of the world because every design is different. It’s like the crabs have their own fingerprint with each design.

Pascaline is eight years old, and she took the first two images. Not to bad for an eight year old. But a lot of it is the low fstop she had to work with. I basically set the aperture at 1.4, put it on Aperture Priority Mode (the A setting) so the camera would choose her shutter speed for her. And with the low fstop she was able to experience being creative with blur. For the two shots above, she was down on all fours getting super close to the crab’s designs. That’s what I love about this 35mm. You can get in super, super close and still get a sharp focus.

When we are shooting weddings, there are a couple more lenses that we have in our camera bag. I’ll save that info for another post. But if there is any bottom line to all of this info it would be this…everyone, even you, has the potential to be a great photographer. Everyone.

I can’t tell you how many times Brian and I have taught our photography workshops and had women break into tears b/c they realize that their lens and fstop range can really help them capture the images they see and want. All this time, they had been thinking the problem was with them. They weren’t good enough at photography or just didn’t have the eye. The creative artist within us does make a difference, but the right equipment helps too.

If you are thinking about buying a DSLR, my best advice would be to save up some money and buy the camera body WITHOUT the lens that comes with it (if you have the option, if not, don’t worry). BUT, then save up and buy your lens separately, and make sure it’s a lens that has a low fstop range. It will change your whole experience with photography. If you need proof, read yesterday’s comments. :)

I hope this was helpful. I love to talk about all this in plain English. Life is difficult right now with all that is going on around us. Photography is a wonderful outlet, and for many of us it is a lifeline. If you have always been drawn to photography, don’t let your heart be discouraged b/c you can’t seem to capture the shots you see. Try renting some of the equipment we talked about yesterday and today, and give yourself another chance. It is well worth it.

And don’t forget to email me your results! I love to see and hear about how your growing! My email is mera@merakoh.com.

xoxo, Me Ra

*Seattle Workshop Details are coming together! We’re looking at Saturday and Sunday, June 6th and June 7th, with a possible special Meet and Greet at our home on Friday, June 5th. I’ll keep you updated!

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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!

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January 7th, 2009

Time to Vote and Clear 500 on Your Favorite Inspirational Object!

An object. Is it possible for an object to strike emotion in us? Can it move us even though it isn’t alive? If there is no face smiling back at us, can we still feel a deep connection? After seeing the awesome work from our Top Five Finalists for the Inspirational Object contest, you may say yes to all the above!

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 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 ‘s ! :) 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 , 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 , we are going to pick a Random Voter (not necessarily #500, but a RANDOM Voter) to win a copy of ‘s 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 !

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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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 in , click on the words of your choice!

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January 5th, 2009

The Seedpod and Running on Empty for Atlanta Begins!

It’s the first Monday of 2009! The first blog post of 09! Wow! Here we go! ;)

On Friday, Brian and I escaped to our favorite cabin up in the mountains.

We had one night. Our mission was to lock ourselves away, build a fire, spread out poster board, bring twenty different colored markers, get the tea kettle going and map out our vision for 2009. We wrote down all our dreams, goals, “impossibles” to see if they could become possibles, and much more. It was an amazing 24 hours together. We were worried that since we only had time to leave for one night, we wouldn’t get much done. But wow, God totally blessed our time and we feel like we are hitting the ground running for 2009.

Before we left, I went for a walk by myself and stumbled across something that took me by surprise. I saw myself in a seedpod.

If there was ever a self portrait of myself during the month of December, this lonely and confused seedpod would be it. It was like my whole world, all my insides, all my reserves, all my creativity and enthusiasm for work, life, family was empty but I kept hanging on, trying to tell myself that it wasn’t that cold outside, my tree of life wasn’t barren, I wasn’t hanging by a thread at all. And yet, a thread is all I was hanging by. That morning I read the following passage and felt as if I was looking in the mirror as every word reflected my being in December.

An artist must have downtime, time to do nothing. Defending our right to such time takes courage, conviction, and resiliency. Such time, space, and quiet will strike our family and friends as withdrawal from them. It is.

For an artist, withdrawal is necessary. Without it, the artist in us feels vexed, angry, out of sort. If such deprivation continues, our artist becomes sullen, depressed, hostile. We eventually became like cornered animals, snarling at our family and friends to leave us alone and stop making unreasonable demands.

We are the ones making unreasonable demands. We expect our artist to be able to function without giving it what it needs to do so. An artist requires the upkeep of solitude. An artist requires the healing of time alone.

-Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way

Does anyone else relate? Any other seedpods out there? :)

December was an amazing month of taking time to do nothing, and I can’t believe how much courage this took. I don’t know if the courage required is due to owning your own business, or being a woman/wife/mom and feeling the needs of those you love, or just being an artist and struggling with the right to withdrawal. But withdraw I did, and it has made all the difference. I knew I was my own Running on Empty mom when a colleague wanted to set up a phone conference to brainstorm over an upcoming project in 2009, and I had to cancel b/c I had nothing in me to brainstorm. I think I even got scared I wouldn’t ever be able to brainstorm again. Yet, all I needed was my own space of giving to myself, my own space of finding ways to inspire myself, finding time to heal and most of all, time to be alone.

In honor of the courage it takes to first call ourselves artists and then second, nurture the artist within, I thought it only seemed appropriate to start the first blog post of 2009 with opening up nominations for the Running On Empty Contest for Atlanta.

If you are reading this and feeling like your the seedpod hanging by a thread, or your running on empty, or you know someone in Atlanta running on empty, feel free to take care of yourself and nominate yourself or someone you love to come to our Atlanta workshop for free. The dates of the Atlanta Workshop are January 17th and 18th. Yes, you do deserve it. Yes, you are worthy of it. And yes, doing something to inspire yourself, escaping to nurture you, finding healing time… is all worth it.

Post your nominations in today’s comments. Tell us about yourself or someone you love and why they need the Atlanta workshop to help with running on empty. One winner will be picked and given the Running On Empty spot. (please make sure you can make travel and hotel arrangements. The workshop tuition of $999 is given to you, but the travel is something the winner must accommodate.)

Be sure to NOT email us your submissions. To qualify, the nominations must be made as posted comments in today’s blog post so all judges can access the nominees. And be sure to leave your email so we can contact you if your chosen! :)

Please note: The deadline is this Wednesday, January 7th, at midnight so we can announce the winner on Friday this week.

If you are interested in attending the Atlanta Workshop, click here for details/registration. Our friends over at Pictage and Triple Scoop Music are offering their members a special discount to our Atlanta workshop. If you didn’t get their newsletters or email and want to take advantage of the discount, shoot us an email! mera@merakoh.com

Did you hear Dane Sander’s great interview with Photoshop Action master Kevin Kubota? It happened New Year’s Day! If not, click here to listen to it!

And if your around…Dane is going to do an interview with me at 4pm PST tomorrow! If you know Dane, this will be a great time! We would love to have you join us! Follow the above link for all the info! I will also post more details in tomorrow’s blog too!

Have a wonderful Monday!

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For fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese (see the downloadable version that is now available if you live outside the US!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the words of your choice! To read a great review done on our DVDs, click here!

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November 4th, 2008

Graphic Designer Needed!

I’m looking for a Graphic Designer to join our team!

Last week I was listening to our good friend, Jared Bauman, speak at our PUG meeting. He asked us to think about what our weakness in our business is right now. To figure out what “this” was, he said;

1. What do you NOT like doing in your business b/c it stresses you out?

2. What do you feel like you don’t have time to do?

3. What are you not good at?

4. or…All of the above.

Answer for me right now: Graphic Design!

We already have the best album designers, but I have all kinds of marketing ideas I want to do. And quite frankly, I don’t have the time to do the layouts and designs. So after listening to Jared I told Brian, “I’m going to find a Graphic Designer! And that’s that!”

Here is what I’m looking for:

1. Someone who owns and is familiar with Photoshop CS2, Microsoft Publisher and even Pictage’sOnline Album Design (the last one is not a must, but would be great).

2. Someone who is creative and can think of ideas for us, but even more so, take my ideas and run with them.

3. Someone who can do all the steps from finding the needed specs for a design, to the actual design, to placing the order, to communicating with the printer and having the final product shipped to us.

4. This would be a project based, part time job. I’m not sure how many hours I need, so let’s start slow. Maybe 5 hours a week? If you are a full time mom, wanting a way to earn some extra money, set your own hours, and have graphic design experience this is a GREAT opportunity for you.

Does this have your name written all over it?

If so, I need you to email me your portfolio, thoughts and soonest availability. mera@merakoh.com

Yeah, I’m so excited to find you, whoever you are!

p.s. Don’t forget to vote!

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Upcoming Workshops:

We have ONE Seattle spot left!! If you’re considering the Seattle December Workshop as your Christmas gift to yourself or loved one, now is the time to register! Click HERE to register!

The Atlanta Workshop for January 16th and 17th is now live! Register here!!

For fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese (see the downloadable version that is now available if you live outside the US!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the words of your choice! To read a great review done on our DVDs, click here!

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October 15th, 2008

Blue Hues of Cape Cod!

Brian and I are often asked “Where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever shot a wedding?”

Well after this weekend, we have a new answer!

Cape Cod, Massachusetts!

Brian and I have never been to Boston or the Cape, so when it came time to shoot Christine and Patrick’s wedding, we decided to tack on a couple extra days and enjoy the area. Wow…Cape Cod took our breath away!

The shingled homes with colored shutters, the quaint town of Chatham with stores named after the Mayflower, the quiet sea, the cute restaurants…it was amazing! You may be thinking, ‘Why aren’t you showing us pictures of all THIS?’

The answer is kind of fun! Sony overnighted their new Alpha 900 SLR to us. This camera is unreal and will blow photographers away. Just for starters, the camera is 24.6 mega pixels and shoots lighting fast! The Alpha 900 has not been released to the market yet, and I think we may be the first wedding photographers to ever shoot a wedding with it. Shooting the Cape Cod wedding with the 900 was so exciting. But the deal is we had to promise Sony we would not show any 900 images until the end of October (when the Alpha 900 releases to the market), so you’ll have to bear with us. Promise, it’s worth the wait! :)

For now, here are a few of our favorite shots taken with the Sony A700. These images are just a taste of how wonderful this wedding was! Notice the subtle blue hues. The color of blue in Cape Cod’s light is so different than the blue hues in the Pacific Northwest or Southern CA. It’s a soft, washed blue that is ever so subtle but in the light surrounding you.

The sun was setting when we took these shots, and I decided not to brighten them up in Photoshop because the low light lends to how intimate this couple was–how deeply they connected at the slightest touch of the other.

I don’t know if it makes sense, but can you see the undertones of the soft blue in these images? It’s so subtle, and yet it changed every thing for me and Brian.

Here is Brian’s favorite “blue hued” example. This one was photoshopped a bit. Brian caught me having fun on the dance floor with the guests. You would have put your dancing shoes on too if you heard the band they had! And yes, I can still take great pictures while dancing. :)

Congrats Christine and Patrick! We hope you have a wonderful honeymoon! It was a complete gift to document your wedding.

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For fun photo exercises, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese (see the downloadable version available if you live outside the US!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the words of your choice! To read a great review done on our DVDs, click here!

The Seattle December Workshop has a couple seats left!! Click HERE to register!

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August 22nd, 2008

Contest and December Workshop Announcement!

It’s been so exciting to watch people vote and comment on the Five Finalists for the Water Photo Contest! Aren’t they all AMAZING!

I’ve got a few great links you must check out! I just found them as I’ve been reading through your votes.

For one, I didn’t realize Ali, photographer of the Wet Dog, has a blog too! Oh my goodness, her baby photos are just breathtaking! Go check out her blog!

I also followed Kirsten’s blog, photographer of Dancing on Water, to a Flickr page with more Dancing on Water images. These images are so cool! I wish I was there shooting with you Kirsten. That event looked like a blast!

Then this morning I got an email from Banner in Charleston. Banner and I met through my blog, and I just love Banner’s zeal for her photography business. She sent me a link to an artist named Eric Zener who does paintings of swimmers. These paintings are incredible! I have to share them with you too. And check out Banner’s beautiful work while you’re at it! (Thanks for sharing the paintings with us Banner!)

Now for the December Workshop Announcement!

Your votes were so helpful and difficult at the same time! It was practically a tie between two options! So after much conversation, Brian and I came up with a plan.

Starting Monday morning, registration for the popular Beginner 2 Day Workshop on December 6th and 7th 2008 will go live!

This will be Early Bird Registration!! This means if you sign up before September 20th, the tuition is $749 instead of $999! So get ready, and come find the link on Monday morning to sign up!

Since there were so many people who voted for the Combo Deal, we are going to offer this workshop in 2009! We’re still thinking on whether we’ll do this in Seattle or somewhere else, or both! We will let you know in the near future. Stay tuned!

But back to the voting for the Five Finalists! They are all talented and deserve every vote and wonderful comment they get! Keep passing the word! It’s a wonderful gift to give them, and if we hit 400 VOTES by midnight on Tuesday we’re giving one lucky voter a copy of Adobe’s Lightroom!

Love you all and have a wonderful weekend!

p.s. Remember that new photography exercise I was going to post this week? Didn’t forget. It’s coming on Monday or Tuesday, and I think you’re going to have fun with it! xoxo

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July 29th, 2008

Engagement Shoot with Yuriy!

As some of you know, Yuriy Manchik is one of our talented Amazing Associate photographers. He shoots weddings nationwide for us, and we are so blessed to have this guy on our team! We have received dozens and dozens of emails/resumes/applications from photographers all over the world who are interested in joining our team. But Brian and I knew we needed to feel really good inside about an additional photographer. They not only needed to be talented in photography, but they also needed to be an all around great person. Yuriy far exceeds both those things! If you’ve met him, you know how great this guy is!

Yuriy is super talented, very kind, pays close attention to every detail and then is able to step back and see beautiful, wide framed shots.

Here are some of his “Best Of” from a recent engagement session he did in Seattle with Tiffany and Ian.

Look how he got the light to do a star effect into the camera with a touch of sun flare. Yuriy, I forgot to ask you what your recipe settings were on this shot. Would you mind posting a comment and telling the blog readers what your settings were and any tips to getting the light to create a star effect like below? (thanks! your the best!)

It’s hard to pick my favorite, but this is right up there for sure! I love the energy in this shot with Ian on the bike and Tiffany loving it.

Same set up and prop but from a different point of view and different post process choice…

This one really brings out the story of Seattle. The Photoshopping Yuriy did enhances the overall culture and feel that Seattle can give. Does that make sense?

One thing I admire about Yuriy’s work is that he is so intentional as to when and how he chooses to Photoshop an image. He picks actions and effects that accentuate the story in the image and doesn’t just Photoshop something to Photoshop.

I love this portrait shot too!

And the color vibrancy works so well in the overall cheerful mood of this image. Don’t you love that green door!

Yuriy and I talked after he finished this engagement session. He told me that they all had such a good time together that they literally went all over downtown Seattle and spending a couple of hours together. Last week was their wedding, and I can’t wait to see what Yuriy captured. Better believe, we’re going to share it here too!!! Stay tuned!

Tiffany and Ian, I have a feeling your still on your honeymoon but just had to say how beautiful you two are! Yuriy filled me in on your wedding and said you were all dancing by the end of your wedding reception! I’m so glad he was available and go to be a part of your wedding day! It sounds like it was a blast! Congrats to you both!!

For more info on Yuriy and his work, you can see his gallery on our website at www.merakoh.com. FYI, Yuriy does have a second photographer accompany him when shooting a wedding. Her name is Julia, and she is a gem! For info on his availability and packages regarding wedding coverage, email genie@merakoh.com. Who is Genie? That is a special story that is coming soon! :)

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