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Some People Might Appreciate It
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W e roamed the aisles of the Chinese market looking for things to add to the soup. Things from the television cooking show, things from my father's memory. We couldn't ask for help because no one spoke English, so we simply bagged baby bok choy, napa cabbage, carrots, and snow peas. The store smelled of foreign spices and I grabbed my father's hand when we walked passed the tanks filled with lobsters and crabs. I was eight years old and it was the first time my dad was making won ton soup.
Back at home, he cleared our small kitchen and worked on preparing the meat for the center of each wonton. I placed rows of thin wonton shells on a cutting board and my dad filled them with his savory creation. I remember thinking Jackie Chan would've been proud. He taught me how to fold the layers of the wonton over each other and we quickly made a small pile of dumplings. |
We had very little money back then--and my father's knowledge of Eastern cuisine was based solely on his memory of the Chinese immigrant chef on the television show, Bonanza--but it was the best soup I'd ever tasted. Our family sat around the table as my dad ladled the simmering deliciousness and we praised him for his creativeness. And my wonton wrapping ways.
Years later, I can't help but think I've taken the same principles and applied them to my life. Regardless of my circumstances, knowledge, or comfortability, if I love what I do and pour myself into making something I'm proud of, some people might appreciate it. Around the dinner table...or somewhere along the mangled path of following my dreams. |
    
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Using, and Leveraging, Social Media
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| Social media is this crazy thing. So many people talk about it and "experts" sprout every three seconds, but I--honestly--don't think there's a right way to use it. I will, however, say there are generally stronger ways of leveraging it for your business. Sure, you might disagree with me, but I've gathered my ideas on the subject and if you think they're awful...that's totally fine with me. It'll push you to further define how you want to use social media in a way that works for you. |
Here are a few quick tips in approaching and using social media for your business...
1. ATTENTION
Make sure and draw attention to ideas, desires, and/or needs more than drawing attention to oneself. Once you draw attention, it's best to enable people to do something with it. Basically, you want to use, say, Twitter to share and then enable. For example, an update that reads
"I got published in Inside Weddings Magazine!"
isn't as strong as, perhaps,
"Excited for @Groom and @Bride to be published in @InsideWedding. To read more about it, visit: www.website.com"
What you did with the latter update is enable three specific people to share your online voice...and extend your brand. Whether they will in fact do so isn't guaranteed, but it's still a potentially powerful outlet.
2. AWARENESS
Try to draw attention to people and things that are social. Ideally, you want people to easily access information that aligns with their interests...this is awesome for photographers because photos are innately social. People talk about what they see...and we are the curators of this! By raising awareness to things people are interested in (oh, say, their WEDDING!), you are raising awareness to your brand. By making them aware of their photos in an online capacity, clients are likely to discuss your work online, most likely on Facebook. This is amazing.
3. AFFINITY
Affinity is attracting to, liking something. You can create affinity with people by enabling them to interact, support, and communicate relevant information that is important to a person's life. Again, this is powerfully done with photographs...and leveraging Facebook's tagging and commenting features allows you to create affinity to your brand for the value created by the experience you enable.
4. AUDIENCE
By creating Attention, Awareness, and Affinity, you build an Audience who relates to your actions and intents created on behalf of the audience. In the easiest terms, this means people trust you. Because of doing steps 1-3, you've earned their trust...and I firmly believe trust is the currency on the web. When people trust you, they listen, endorse, and support your brand in unfathomable ways. |
Let me ask you an honest question: what are your clients saying about you? Furthermore, have you created a conversation, a way for them to talk about you? That's the key. When I first started, I didn't leverage social media, so I only touched the bride's inner circle (via personal referrals and slideshows), but social media has granted me access to their periphery in an online capacity.
Now, using--and loving--social media has allowed me to create ideas and conversations and empowered my clients to be the voice of my brand. We, as artists, are in the position to create ideas people are excited to talk about, so we have to make sure we're doing that.
Happy Friday! |
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Parador Houston Wedding : Sharon + Ivan
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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T he only sound was the raising and falling of their laughter. Rolling sounds of sheer happiness and, perhaps, a little nerves. Sharon and her bridesmaids were ready early...all dolled up and a little too early to dress, so they plopped on an oversized couch and watched Modern Family. As Sharon nibbled on miniature fruit punch snacks, the room swam around her. Laughter, joy, and peace. Much like her life with Ivan, these emotions prepared her for the day she'd marry her best friend.
Ivan waited for Sharon in the garden of The Parador in Houston, their hometown and the city where they fell in love. Fellow Longhorns, they walked the campus together one night and her nervously gathered the courage to tell her how he felt. He thought he could walk the rest of his life with a girl like Sharon. Years later, she walked to him on their wedding day. Surrounded by their friends and family, they promised to make each other better, to cook together (although Sharon might just be the Official Taste Tester), and remain by each other's side. Forever.
Sharon and Ivan...I said it before, but I'll say it again: being there with you, on your wedding day, made me feel like the luckiest photographer. In the world. I felt loved and appreciated and the best part is that you just didn't make me feel that way...that's the effect you have on everyone. And I'm honored to have documented the ramifications of your Love Effects. Boom! Just made up a phrase for you...feel free to use it while honeymooning in Hawaii! ;) Much Love and Appreciation... j* |
| Sharon is a stylish girl...so stylish, in fact, the running joke at the wedding was she radically revolutionized Ivan's wardrobe within a few months of dating. Based on her decision to wear Christian Louboutin heels on her wedding day, I wish she'd pay a visit to my closet! |
| Oh...ooooooh...how can a girl go wrong wearing a Monique Lhuillier dress on her wedding day? That's right...she can't. |
| Sharon and Ivan opted to see each other before the wedding ceremony (triple cool points for them!) and it was arranged in the gardens of The Parador...the look on his face alone makes a First Look so special and allows for maximum time for taking wedding photos... |
| Sharon...thank you for working it out, being fierce, and shaking the Puerto Rican dance moves I taught you! ;) |
| Now here's where Sharon and Ivan melted my heart. I arrived in Houston the day before the wedding and visited The Parador the day before to check out the venue from a wedding photographer's perspective. It's absolutely gorgeous and I loved it...but it was definitely a small space to work in. No biggie! That's something JD and I work with all the time. We got in our car and drove through the neighborhood to see a little more of Texas and then came upon...wait for it...an empty field of wildflowers. Amen. |
| Sharon walked almost three blocks in her heels for us to capture wedding photographs to reflect a truly unique side to their love...and I couldn't be more thankful. |
| Sharon and Kelly (and perhaps Ivan, too!) worked hard at making unique details for this wedding and it was absolutely worth every effort! |
| The First Dance as captured by JD... |
| Many thanks to Bella Vista Productions for being a great videography team to work with...and providing some epic video light! |
| ...my angle of the First Dance... |
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Good Reads : By Its Cover
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S he mailed it to me along with a Frommer's guide to London. Two books. I immediately grabbed the guide and used it for my trip a few months ago, but left the other book on my shelf, partially hidden. Gail sent me the guide and one of her recent favorite reads, Rebecca. And I kinda laughed when I saw the cover and shook my head because, really, did she really think I read Danielle Steele-ish lookalikes?
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Because of our strong similarities in book preferences, Gail emailed and asked if I started it. Uhhhh, makeupanexcuse...makeupanexcuse. It's the cover, isn't it? She came out and asked me plainly and I answered: YES. It's one of those books that looks like it belongs in a bargain bin on South Beach...the bin that ladies with long, pink acrylic nails thumb through just before their Bunko tournament.
I eventually picked up Rebecca and made my way through it's lyrical passages, falling in love with Maxim, Rebecca, and their love along the way. And--just like my mother always told me--you can't judge a book by its cover.
Here are a few other books I've read and absolutely endorse...
*The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. My book/photography friend Arielle contacted me and said I should probably get a jump start on this book...and then Gail emailed me and said I should pre-order...before it was even released the public. Of course I bought because I didn't want to feel like the kid stuck outside of the library during a literary sleep over. Written with such beautiful prose and a unique story line, I loved it. It started off so strong and somewhat petered out at the end, but it was delightful nevertheless! If you're looking for strong writing, a different kind of story, and a little bit of magic, this is for you!
*The Rules of Civility by Amor Towels. Oooooh, this! book! I finished this book in two days...I was smitten immediately with New York City in the 1930s. The story squarely revolves around Katherine Kontent and the struggles she must endure to find her voice, self, and, eventually love. But it's made complicated by the fact she hails from a family of Russian immigrants and tries to blend in with New York high society. Between the strong writing and the twists and turns, this book was a delightful read!
*The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Where do I start with this book? It caught me off guard and was written in such a personal way my heart ached, lurched, and grew with each chapter. The book starts at Vicotoria's 18th birthday and release from the foster care system, painting a picture of her affinity to flowers, a language few can speak and which she is fluent. The book navigates her life through foster care, and shines with redemption, hope, and finding the ability to love. So, so good.
Happy reading, y'all, and if you've read something you're in love with, pass it along in the comment box...I love good suggestions! :) |
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Pasadena Engagement Session : Eric + Helen
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H e's not just a planner, Eric's the type of guy who'll plan for planning. He thinks about timing, dates, environmental elements for his plans, then will push back the top to his convertible and enjoy sunset while the wind blows against his smile. But what he didn't plan was to fall for a girl over email. But that's exactly the power Helen has, she's the type of girl whose personality pops off the page and powers to life. And Eric liked it. Introduced by a mutual friend, Eric and Helen connected a few weeks over email, so by the time they met in person, Helen took his breath away.
When Eric planned his marriage proposal, he planned everything perfectly. A weekend in Santa Barbara, perfect weather, a romantic walk on beach...But, Eric, we don't walk on the beach... That was Helen's response as she glanced down at her gorgeous heels at his suggestion and, right then, some things in life can't be planned. Back in their hotel room, he lit the fireplace, poured champagne and while they enjoyed views of the Pacific, he asked Helen to walk by his side forever.
Eric proposed on Friday, January 21, 2011 in case Helen would like to marry...wait for it...on Saturday, January 21, 2012. Yes, exactly a year from the date he got on one knee, they'll wed in Los Angeles. And I have no doubt a they will plan a perfect day...together. We met for their engagement session in Pasadena (where they went on their first date) and had a great time taking pictures, making memories, and getting to know each other better. |
| We started the engagement session at Huntington Library and it was an absolutely perfect California day... |
| Helen, you're gorge! And many thanks to Joyce with Joyce Luck Style for hair and makeup! |
| Because the Library has a zero {professional} photography policy, we stayed in the periphery and tried to be subtle...until... |
| ...I started being all loud-mouthed...per usual. Right after I took this picture, a security guard said I needed to stop shooting because he knew I was a professional...so much for being discreet! The Library is special to Eric because he's a donor and contributed to the Chinese garden...it's incredibly beautiful and a bridge was dedicated in honor of his grandfather... |
| We decided to head to Downtown Pasadena to finish the engagement session, and Helen and Eric were all smiles... |
| This is my favorite photo from their engagement session, so I'll end on this lovely note... |
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