Brian and I are so EXCITED about our 2012 CONFIDENCE Workshops!  Seattle was powerful!  Florida is this weekend with a growing waiting list (we will definitely need to revisit Florida for all the women on the waiting list!), and we’ve only got 2-3 spots left in Orange County, CA!

Time to start planning for the Spring!  In the midst of this insane snow storm, freezing rain weather, it’s hard to believe that Spring is around the corner.  But Spring is one of the most popular seasons for our CONFIDENCE Workshops, and we know how you ladies like to plan!

Lots of Mother’s Day surprises are wrapped in a CONFIDENCE workshop spot! I especially love the Spring because you feel so ready to brush off the winter blues and get a fresh start on the year!

So you tell us!  Where should CONFIDENCE come this Spring?  That’s our question for YOU!   Vote for the city nearest you!

Don’t see your city?  Feel free to add your city!  For those of you who requested Houston, logistically we could make San Antonio possibly happen this Spring.  We definitely want to hear from you if Minneapolis or Denver is something you’d like.  We also get a TON of inquiries for Philadelphia, so ladies, speak up because it’s in the running for this Spring.  Is it time to return to San Diego, CA?  We need to hear from you.  And man…how do we make Australia work?  I was meant to hug a koala!   It has to happen one of these days…somehow!

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION WILL START….

Hold on to your seats because after we get your votes, we will look at hotel logistics and announce the Early Bird Registration by the end of this week!  Our newsletter peeps will get priority registration, so make sure you are signed up for our newsletter (see right hand sidebar).

(and one vote per person …I know some of you try to hijack the votes every time (you crack me up!)

Happy Monday!

xo,

m

We had an amazing day with out family models during the second day of our CONFIDENCE workshop in Dallas, Texas.  I am so excited to show you some of the images from that day.  It was beautiful to see all of the different viewpoints that everyone shot from.

Amy Brion got an awesome shot of this young lady.  I love how the “hand holding that hat” gives this image a little “movement” which totally changes the look of the image as well as puts the subject at ease if you tell them to do something.  Amazing light!

The lines that the tree trunks make in this image that Veronica Bernal took really add to the image.  Great composition!

Susan Prejean…it is so hard to get an image of children this age, all looking at you!  You did it!  I think the backlighting is so yummy and warm on this image.  Because Susan kept these three kiddos close to the same “plane” , she could shoot this with an aperture that allowed for that creamy, blurry background.

Linda Hunstable, what a great, crisp shot of this gal.  She is adorable with that gentle smile!

Don’t you always want to have a shot of the older sibling kissing the baby?  I adore the interaction that Karen Porter captured with this shot!  So precious!

Karen Champlin and Amy’s shot above were probably taken minutes apart but look at how different each “eye” was.  Beautiful, clean editing Karen!

Jennifer Pacheco…WOW!  Everything works on this image.  The warm light, the sun flare, and the composition all directly go with the emotion that this image exudes.  Wonderful!

Jan Brier shot a great, classic portrait!  This is one of those times when putting your subject perfectly in the middle of the image totally works.  Really nice!

Heather Raiden…This is one of my favorite images of the bunch!  I love that they are both looking off and are completely caught in that moment of joy!

We had a special time with SOAR gal and NJ Confidence Workshop attendee, Marcia…and Jen Armstrong, 2010 SOAR! Scholarship Recipient on family day as well.  Marcia shared with the ladies how her business has unfolded since she went to the CONFIDENCE workshop.   It was super helpful to hear  Jen and Marcia talk about the ups and downs and excitement of pursuing their photography dreams.  Thank you so much for joining us Jen and Marcia!!

XOXO

Me Ra

Texas…WOW! I can’t believe it has taken us this long to get to Texas. What a fabulous bunch of ladies. Brian and I are so blessed to have been with this group of women during our Texas Confidence Workshop.  We loved being in Texas and sure hope to go back in the future.  The  women there are so wonderful with the biggest hearts ever.  They dove right in with full courage.   I am so proud of them and their baby images!

Oh my goodness, so cute…Amy Brion!  I love that we can see enough of mom’s beautiful smile as well and this awesome expression on baby’s face.  And the light…really yummy!

Heather Raiden took this image with the super simple background.  With a background like that, it totally draws us in to the little munchkin.  The catch lights in this baby’s eyes are amazing!

I love the warmth of this image from Jennifer Pacheco.  With the light coming in from the side of the subject it gives a great dimension to her face.  Lovely Jennifer!

Karen Champlin took this really crisp image.  I love how easily we can count her eyelashes.  Super great focus.

Karen Porter captured the love and comfort of a mother and baby in this image.  When I look at this image I totally think about what a baby’s head smells like.  Pure heaven!

Wow!  Linda Hunstable…the composition of this image is perfect.  Just the right amount of baby and mom!  And the wedding ring is an added bonus.

Susan Prejean shot this perfect portrait in just simply perfect light!  This image is perfectly exposed which also makes it look that much more crisp and clear.  Nicely done Susan!

Veronica Bernal used the “Rule of Thirds” with this little gal perfectly.  It sends our eye from hers to what she is looking at out the window.  Love it!

I am so glad that some of our ladies captured some “Behind the Scenes” during our Baby shoot!  Thank you so much!

XOXO
Me Ra

p.s.. There are only a few spots left in Seattle CONFIDENCE Wkshp this month!  CLICK HERE for Details!

The Family Photo Shoot day at the DC Confidence Workshop was a total blast!  We had super fun families who allowed us all to be creative!  And creative these ladies were!  Wow!  I am so impressed at the sampling of the images from them below.  Even though we were shooting the same families from the same angles…the eyes behind the cameras were so varied!  I loved looking through all your images.

Before we start with the fabulous images, here is a pic of the wonderful DC group!

Sharon Clauhs, the lighting on this little munchkin is absolute perfection!  This should be a large canvas on their wall!

I love this shot by Noelle!  It is so darn cute and the railing adds so much to the composition of the image!  Yay!

Molly Lynch captured this little girl with such a sweet expression on her face.  I bet if we ask the mom, she would say “That is her look”!  (Molly!  You’re finally not a model for a workshop, but showing offer your own talents!  Yeah!  )

I didn’t see anyone else with images in these pink flowers and Lori Pohlman had so many wonderfully creative shots here, that it was hard to choose a favorite.  I love that Lori stood back and just “shot” away while this little girl explored.  That is when we get the best images sometimes!

Lizzy Slade, I just had to choose this image.  It makes me laugh everytime I look at it.  What a great stage in this little girl’s life to document!  The early stages of walking.  How fun!

Lisa Whipple also had a bunch of shots of this guy and his brother that were awesome portrait images.  Crisp, clear and just natural!

Could Leslie Chang have caught a more sweeter moment for this family?!  I love that she was lower than them, looking up into the expression of love!  Beautiful!

I can just hear the laughter when I look at this image by Leslie Rottner.  So adorable…and it happened so fast!  Leslie, I am so glad you were there to capture this moment of a dad with his daughters!

You all know it…this is one of our SOAR! recipients Ali Anderson and her family.  Kim Myers, what a lovely family portrait you gave them.  I love the rich colors of the building, stairs and ivy.

Oh my goodness, I just want to squeeze her.  I am so drawn into the little girl by how Kate DeBow framed this shot, that I don’t even really notice the cars in the background.  Love it!

Jill Anderson, this is a true moment of tenderness!  It is so pure and candid.  WOW!  I wish we could give all moms and dads images like this.

The next two images are both of Ali and her daughters.  I wanted to show them right after one another because even if you are in one space with a family shooting little ones, you have so many different options of posing in front of you.  The first one, by Jenn Johnston is more from a posed shot on the stairs.  And the second shot, from Claudia Landis shows a lot of motion as all the girls are grabbing each other for a big hug.  Don’t worry about being confined in a small space when shooting.  If you move around, the options could be endless.  Push yourself when you are out on a session next to do 10 differently posed images all within 20 feet of another.  It can be done with wonderful results.

Jen Tilley, I love how you are leading us right to this little girl with the cement sidewalk on the bottom of this image.  Great use of the “rule of thirds”!

Greta got in really close on this girl with a lower aperture.   You can tell this because the focal point was on the eyes and it dropped off so quick that the little girls ears are already blurry.   You would not even know that is a cement sidewalk behind her.  Fantastic clear eyes Greta!

Just completely amazing Erin Yeh!  I love that the boy is looking straight at you and the dad is admiring his own son!  I can feel the proudness in this image.  YES!

Claudia Muir, yet another stunning composed image!  And your black and white conversion is nice and crisp.  Super!

Breanna Schumacher was in the same place that Sharon Clauhs was for her shot, yet they look totally different.  I love that the cars in the background were so blurry but the windows on the cars are adding that sparkle in the background!  Lovely!

Sweet sisters!  It was hard to slow these two down to get them in the same image.  Way to go Becky Talbert!  You did it!

Breathtaking, simply breathtaking Ania!  I don’t know what else to say, it is simply that good.  So proud of you!

Allison Laster, look at how the little girl is adoring her mommy!  Isn’t it like “The Holidays” when you find these images on your card after the shoot!  Awesome!

Again, I am not sure who took this image, but I had to include it.  You all know that your kiddos looked just like this when they first started to walk, but I think the best thing about this image is the mom’s expression!

Elaine Heintz has an image here of just pure happiness.  I love that Elaine positioned herself in this image, so she could get dad’s face also.  An exceptional non-posed, non-traditional family portrait!

Weren’t those images FABULOUS!  I am so proud of all of you!
I have just a few behind the scenes of us that weekend.

I loved this next image because it shows you how incredibly busy the location was that we were shooting in. You couldn’t tell hardly at all from the images!

Happy Holidays Everyone!  And to all the DC ladies, Brian and I want to thank you so much for a wonderful, rich weekend.  I LOVE that you are all still in touch on Facebook, supporting each other to go for all that you are meant to do!

xoxo,
Me Ra

*New Beginnings Photo Contest Update!

For all of you who entered your AMAZING, INSPIRING photos to the New Beginnings Photo Contest, I was told yesterday that the panel of judges decided on the winners and called them yesterday with the good news.  I plan to post the winners on my blog soon, so we can all be inspired!  I’m super proud of everyone who entered.  I think the most wonderful part was reading some of the emails you sent about how entering the contest–picking your best shots–was scary and empowering at the same time.  Kind of like deciding to come out of the dark with your passion.  This photo contest was so much fun that we are going to have a new one start in early January with some new categories that will make you smile!  Stay tuned for more details!

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

I’m thrilled to bring you an inspiring, Behind-the-Scenes look at our DC CONFIDENCE Workshop!

One of the biggest ways to develop confidence is by facing your fears.  To often, a photography workshop will bring in models and set up ideal lighting.  The photos taken are BEAUTIFUL, but how often do we have ideal lighting?  Almost never.  I’m so proud of our DC ladies because we did part of our baby shoot in the dark on Day One!  With only two small windows and a big, dark room, we unpacked this challenge on how to make a common fear a victory!  If you don’t have enough light, what do you do?  We answered this question from all different sides!  And you would never guess, by looking at the beautiful photos below, how dark this room was!

Confidence bloomed that day and continued through the whole weekend!   Take a look at how dark it was and more importantly, what these women captured!  I think it’s safe to say that they know how to capture beautiful moments when lighting isn’t anywhere close to being ideal!  Yeah!!

Elaine Heintz, I love that you captured this exact moment.  I can almost feel what this little guy is thinking.  He has an intense, curious look on his face.

In each different lighting situation I encourage my workshop attendees to take a walk around their subjects to find where the light is the best.  Or better yet, have your subjects just slowly turn in a circle to see when the light hits their faces perfectly, then shoot them from there.  Claudia Muir found the light perfectly hitting this baby.  It created those awesome “catch lights” from the windows.

Molly Lynch, I love this image.  What a great sample of finding the perfect, even light!  Again, when you find that light is when you can capture those awesome ”catch lights”.

What a timeless image Lori Pohlman shot.  I love that we can see just the right amount of mom’s face here.  Just beautiful!

Lizzy Slade was shooting is some really strong backlight, but was able to expose the mom and baby really well.  This is a perfect example of why spot metering off the subject’s skin is so important in a backlit image.

Ohhh, Leslie Chang, what a great portrait of this little girl.  Shooting with such a low aperture really gives this image a blurry, buttery background.  Love it!

Lisa Whipple, I absolutely adore this shot of mom and baby interacting.  The light on their faces, yet dark all around really draws us into the emotion of this image.

Look  at this little girls blue eyes!  Wowza!  Leslie Rottner composed this shot perfectly.  I love that the flower on her hat is up in the right corner giving us space on the left for mom.  Lovely!

Kim Myers positioned herself lower to shoot upwards on this special moment.  That is a great way to eliminate a busy background.

This picture makes me chuckle.  I love the expression that Kate DeBow caught on this little guy.  It is, and should be, our main focus because the background is so dark and blurry.  Awesome!

Jill Anderson captured another moment of pure joy!  It is so important to capture those moments that are really memorable,  like kissing or blowing raspberries on a baby’s cheek to make them giggle.  Super catch Jill!

Jenn Johnston, so peaceful!  I just love the quiet and calm of this image.  When you are shooting a baby and their family, remember to capture shots like these as well.  Documenting a baby at each stage is so important because these moments are here one day and gone the next.

Because the room was so dark, Jen Tilley was able to shoot this little guy in the window light, yet keep her background dark and simple.  I love the clean lines of this composed image. Jen also has an awesome food blog, check it out here.

We have seen a couple of shots similar to this one, but Greta Garcia’s image captures a different feeling of emotion for me.  I feel the comfort, security and love this baby has for mom.  Again, when you keep the background simple, the emotion of an image can be the main focus!  Beautiful Greta!

I just loved the little boy on this table.  Erin Yeh did an amazing job of moving herself around him to be successful in that dark space.  Yay Erin!

This is a perfect hair swirl image Claudia Landis.  You also got the added bonus of mom looking completely stunning in the background.  Love it!

A little baby at this stage is all about movement, trying to crawl away as fast as she can.   BreAnna Schumacher did a fantastic job of catching her in action, documenting this time in her life.

I often ask my moms to wear a simple black camisole during their newborn shoot for this exact reason. Becky Talbert got in close on this one to use mom’s skin and camisole for a super simple background.  Really sweet Becky…his expression is picture perfection!

I really like the composition of Ania Krasniewska‘s image.  Go ahead and take that shot that his whole body is in, then get in there close to capture an image that feels totally different.  Great work Ania!

Allison Laster, what a super moment you caught on your camera.  I love the pink pop of the pillow in the background.

I just think this image is amazing!  Noelle Soroka captured mom looking lovely!  Noelle’s eye of having 1/3 of the image dark totally works here.

It is so fitting to have drool dripping off of a baby at this age.  Sharon Clauhs caught this baby at just the right time to catch that detail.  Details tell the story:)

I’m sorry…I don’t know who took this image. Even though the baby is our focus point in this image, I am loving the composition of mom in the background.  The simple black sling that the baby is in keeps this image looking very classic.

I want to wish all the DC CONFIDENCE ladies and amazing models a magic filled, holiday season!  May you all capture photos you never dreamed possible before you found confidence in the dark!

Day Two is coming up tomorrow!

(Dallas, we’ll be celebrating your workshop on the blog in January!)

xoxo,

m

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

Woo-hoo!!  Throw some leaves in the air ladies! It’s officially 12:01am EST!  Cyber Monday is LIVE!

For the next 24 hours (as long as spots are available), register for the CONFIDENCE Workshop at regular price ($999) and bring a girlfriend for FREE! Yes, a 2 for 1 Deal just for the holidays! AND…**Special Seattle Note!   You asked and we granted!  Seattle Workshop dates are officially 1/21 & 1/22!

Slice and dice this deal anyway you want!

-Give the surprise of a lifetime by giving CONFIDENCE for FREE to a girlfriend when you sign up.

-Split the $999 with a girlfriend!

-Split your half, the $499, into two monthly payments of $250!  (use coupon code: 2PAYMENTS)

Grab your girlfriend and follow these steps to register 2 for 1 to a Winter CONFIDENCE Workshop!

#1. CLICK the Winter City of Your Choice.  SEATTLE, WA or Tampa, FL or Orange County, CA.  (Below I clicked on Seattle as an example.)

 #2.  Bringing a Girlfriend for Cyber Monday!  Hit the drop down arrow that says “Confidence Just for Me” and choose “Bringing a Girlfriend”.

#3.  Enter Your Girlfriend’s Name in the Next Box.

#4 What’s my Quantity?  If you are paying for both you and a girlfriend at the same time, your Quantity is 2.  If you and your girlfriend are paying separately, your Quantity is 1.  Your girlfriend will need to do this same process and put your name in when she registers so we can cross reference our records.

#5  Add to Cart.  If you are done shopping, click the pink button Add to Cart

#6  I Need to Make 2 Payments of $250.  Where do I enter the Coupon Code and What is it? 

If you are going to make two payments of $250 (one payment now and one in December), you will need to enter a special coupon code.  Please note, if you are going to set up this payment plan, we cannot accept Paypal. Enter the coupon code 2PAYMENTS at the bottom of this page where it says “Redeem a Discount Coupon”.

#7 Finding the Coupon Code Page.  Click the Checkout button, and you are on your way!  BUT, if you did not get this page because you had to register with our shopping cart, the top of your page should list four steps; Your Cart, Personal Details, Shipping & Payment, Place Order (see image below).  The first one on the far left is called “Your Cart”.

After you register, click “Your Cart” to get the above page to enter your Coupon Code.

Now you should be good to go!

Trouble?  If you run into any trouble, email us at info@merakoh.com!

Can’t wait to meet you AND your girlfriends!

Wait!  Having trouble finding a girlfriend?  Ping me on my FB page ASAP, and we will match you up with someone else who is looking for a girlfriend to get this special!

Happy Holidays to you and all your girlfriends!  2012 is a year for CONFIDENCE!

xo,

Me Ra

On Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, starting at 12:01 am EST, you can register for one of our Winter CONFIDENCE Workshops AND bring a Girlfriend for FREE! 2 for 1 LADIES!!

You can slice and dice this “Deal of the Year” any way you want!!  We know the holidays can be tight and especially seem impossible when thinking about doing/giving something to yourself.  But starting 2012 with a weekend of nurturing and most of all CONFIDENCE in yourself, your shooting, will last forever and change every image you take from that weekend on whether you are an aspiring pro or mom with a camera.  Cyber Monday’s sale is our way of offering you some breathing space–exhale and breathe in creative inspiration in 2012!

A Few Fun Examples;

-Give the surprise of a lifetime by giving CONFIDENCE for FREE to a girlfriend when you sign up.

-Split the $999 with a girlfriend!

-Split your half, the $499, into two monthly payments of $250!

-Got another way to slice and dice it?  Email us at info@merakoh.com and let us know before Cyber Monday so we can set you up for 12:01am start time!

***The Coupon Code for this deal will go live on the blog at 11/28, 12:01 am EST on…you guessed it…Cyber Monday!***

We might be switching the date of the Seattle Workshop to later in January, 1/21 and 1/22.  If this schedule change works for you, leave us a comment between now and Sunday and you may get your wish on Cyber Monday!

An attendee from our Dallas workshop wrote; “This workshop has not only rocked my photography world but also my personal world.  I have seen the freedom that I am missing.  I am ready to break out of my box!”

CONFIDENCE in 2012 is about freedom, breaking out of the boxes we limit ourselves to, infusing creativity, inspiration and a lot more.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  Super, super thankful for ALL of YOU!  Now to prep my 23 lb turkey for tomorrow!

xo,

m

p.s.  Need Help Convincing the Hubby?  This is the post that has done the trick for sooo many women!    CLICK HERE for Top 12 Reasons for Husband to Send His Wife to CONFIDENCE!

*This special Cyber Monday sale only applies to our three upcoming Winter Workshops in Seattle, WA, Tampa, FL and Orange County, CA.  If you are interested in that Seattle date change to the weekend of 1/21 and 1/22, let us know in the comments!

Happy Monday ladies!  Last night we wrapped up our Dallas CONFIDENCE Workshop.  What a WONDERFUL group of ladies to end 2011.  Two rich days of seeing women’s live transformed, laughing so much our side hurt, and getting out of our comfort zone to reach new heigths in our creativity!  Thank you Dallas ladies!!!

And welcome to Day 2 of the Sacramento CONFIDENCE!  Check out TWENTY TWO inspirational photos for working with families of all ages! Starting with our beautiful Charisse, this year’s SOAR! Recipient!  So fun to have Charisse on the “other” side of the camera for a while!  Charisse, you were an awesome sport and incredible model!

Angela Cole, there are SO MANY things I love about this first photo–but most of all–I love how the daughter is STANDING!  It’s PERFECT!!!  Way to have the family all in unison because that makes the daughter’s personality shine even more.  You rocked this shot!

Ladies, correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t the background in the photo above and below the same garage or siding?  If so, that is wild!  I LOVE how different the family story is for each of these.  You would NEVER know it was the same place!

Stephanie Elie did a FANTASTIC job with this photo.  This little guy was on the move the whole time, and you had to be quick on your feet to capture him.  Not only do we have a great action shot of him, but mom and dad look SO AWESOME!  Stephanie, this was not an easy shot but you knocked it out of the park!  Great job!

Sarah Nguyen caught this precious image.  This little one also stole our hearts.  His little, chubby fingers…those folds around his wrists.  I love this photo Sarah because it was easy to become hooked on his blue eyes, but this is a photo that captures his sense of discovery, playfulness, and all around sweetness.  Really great job!

I love this candid moment that Paula Orologas captured.  The mom is looking so beautiful and the girl is adorable with those huge “catch lights”!

These next two photos from Myriam Acfalle and Lauren Laing are fun to have side by side because the energy is so different between a vertical and horizontal.  Have you ever looked through your images and noticed what you tend to shoot more of?  Do you naturally shoot more vertical images or more horizontal images?  It’s important to know so you can make sure to get a few of the other before a shoot is over.

Now this is an image you could set up a million times and probably never get this type of reaction again.  What a cutie!  Awesome catch…Maria Adams!

What a super candid moment with this family,  Marcy Johns!  The joy on mom’s face really draws us in to this image, and then him all turned around….goodness.  This is one they should put on their wall.

Is he just precious or what?!  Laura Chesniak caught this super cute guy with the best “smile with your eyes”!  And I adore dad’s face in the background.

Kerrie Little, what a sweet moment you caught between Charisse and her daughter!  Isn’t that what we all strive for in our images…genuine emotion?!

Ajira’s family is so photogenic!  Ajira is a past workshop attendee and active SOAR sista!  Ajira, you are a special lady!  We were so excited she wanted to join us as family models this weekend.  Jen Rich captured this tender family moment between them. Remember when you are shooting that you can “photo coach” the family to start with, but it will be those in-between moments you capture that will be priceless.  Do not stop shooting too soon:)

Cyndi Zuniga, this is another example of “setting the family up” and then just shooting away while talking to them.  You caught mom and dad looking at you, yet you also got this great interactive moment between brother and sister that you could never have asked for.  Great job!

Aviva Roller, you may give up that whole lawyer gig and think of a new career!  This photos is ADORABLE!!!  These two were on the go at all times, but what an adorable moment of the kids with mom and dad framing them.  I LOVE it!  Great job lady!  (And I tried that yoga place, girl…I’ve got a story to share with you!  Ha!)

April Durrett, you took on of the few images of dad with his little girl.  This is one of those occasions that cutting dad’s head off really works.  It brings all the focus to the little munchkin, yet still gives us dad’s facial expression. Really nice cropping!

Annie Piros, I am so glad you captured this little guy with his innocent laughter and smile.  The blurred back ground gives us a nice portrait look!

Behind the Scenes on Day 2…Family Day!

We had a great space to work with at the B&B.  An alley was off to the side of us which held all kinds of options and magic that you may not have noticed first off–but the ladies found!  (And ladies, remember how great it was to stand in front of a garage when Brian talked about storage and archiving?!  Really made the example clear, didn’t it!  LOL!

Just fifty feet down the alley was a whole different setting, look, feel, everything!

I’m so proud of all that you captured ladies!  This is only a small sampling of the dozens and dozens of photos the baby and family models were given.  I’ve already heard back from some of your models on how BLESSED they feel to have been with us, and how extremely HAPPY they are with your photos.  You should all be proud!

(And keep an eye out for that Photo Organization and Archiving/Remote Support “thingy” we were talking about after Lightroom.  Brian has been working on it ever since.  I think you ladies are going to LIKE IT!)

Love you all!

xo,

m

________________________________________

How many days left???

Get the BEST CONFIDENCE DEAL EVER!  Click here, scroll to the bottom of the interview! It’s our Happy Holidays (come early)!

Only SIX Days left to enter the New Beginnings Photo Contest for a chance to win $250 GC to Toys R Us AND B&H and MORE!  Take a big gulp, get your best New Beginnings photo off your computer, and take the leap!  We want to see and celebrate YOU!

The Sacramento CONFIDENCE Workshop will always be a special weekend.  Brian and I often feel limited to bigger cities with bigger airports so more of you can have access to attending the workshop, whether the flights are cheaper b/c of a bigger airport or there are more friends and family to stay with.  But Sacramento had been tugging on my heart for a while.  We decided to bring CONFIDENCE there, even if the workshop didn’t fill.  And as we went around the room on Day One, briefly introducing ourselves to each other, I was stunned at how divine this group was.  So many women were in the midst of relocating their homes.  So many women had no option to attend a CONFIDENCE Workshop in a bigger city due to unique family situations.  If we had not come to Sacramento, we wouldn’t have met these beautiful, gifted, passionate women.  I was in tears after Day One because it was so clear that this weekend was meant to be.  And with great honor, I share the beautiful work of the Sacramento attendees.

I absolutely love the black and white conversion that Maria Adams did on this quiet moment with mom and daughter.  The super sharp focus on the babies eyes really accentuate the “catch lights”.

This is a great capture of mom and baby girl.  The mama’s tatoo and the red/orange colors in the background all add to the story of who mom is, her energy, her sass, her spunk, and then we have a miracle baby in the middle of it all.  Wonderful job Angela Cole!!

Sometimes at newborn sessions, we really have to find the best light in a home.  April Durrett found some really even light for this little gal!  The white comforter also helps the light bounce around a bit, too.  Super April!

Ahhh, “tummy time” can really create opportunities for great images.  Aviva Roller, what a crisp shot this is!  I talk about “Tummy Time” in “Your Baby in Pictures“…try it…turn off your flash, select Aperture Priority mode and dial that f-stop as low as it will go.  I also like to switch to Continuous Shooting mode so that I can take multiple frames per second to catch every bit of the action…including a drop of drool off the chin:)

Cyndi Zuniga also caught some “Tummy Time”!  Look how this baby is adoringly looking at her big sister.  So cute!

It’s funny how really similar this next image by Jen Rich is to Genie’s image…but still such a different outcome.  They both wanted to shoot in close with a portion of mom in the image, really focusing on the baby.  Awesome!

I am sure I have told you before that I really love when new moms wear a black camisole to the newborn sessions.  It provides a great backdrop for the baby as well as really allows us to feel the emotion of an image without being distracted.  This is such a peaceful moment that Kerrie Little captured.  Really Nice!

Again, another really fun Black and White image by Laura Chesniak.  It is so perfect that the baby is “brighter” than the rest of the image.   It really draws us right to our focal point which is the pure bliss on her little face!

Oh My Goodness!  This image should be a really large canvas or print in their home!  It is amazing Lauran Laing!

The adoration mom has for her little girl exudes out of this image!  Marcy Johns had them really close to the light source, as you can see the light in her eyes!  Really fantastic Marcy!

This was not the easiest room to work with.  You wouldn’t be able to tell from this beautiful photo below, but the lighting in this room was super low.  And yet, our small group had a blast trying to unpack this moment, the setting we had to work with, and the lighting we’d been given.  As you can see from the photo below, the results are gorgeous.  But GREAT job to Myriam Acfalle and the rest of the group that worked on this!

Paula, yet another image that this family should have on their wall.  Even though this little baby is not looking at the camera, she has totally captured the 3-6 month stage of babies…on their tummies, totally investigating their fingers!  I love it Paula Orologas!  Oh, and the Black and White Conversion is perfection!

I will not lie… it is so hard to capture a sibling with a baby at this age, but Annie Piros really captured how much these two little siblings love each other already.  So sweet!  Great work!

I remember this moment so clearly.  It was like we stumbled upon this mom and baby, and voila, you captured it perfectly Sarah Nguyen!  Beautiful, beautiful job.  The accent of that green wall makes such a huge difference.  Remember how much we LOVED the green wall?! 

Stephanie Elie, I love that even though we can only see the adorable baby’s face, we know exactly what mom looks like also.   The plain background really pushes us to feel the happiness and joy in this image!

Here are some Behind the Scenes photos of our Baby Day!  Check out the variety of locations and lighting!  Wow…really…hats off to these ladies for the wonderful images they produced.

Ladies, what a fabulous day!  More from Day 2 coming soon!
XOXO
Me Ra

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How many days left???

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

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

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