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Win a FREE Guest Sign In Album
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I t always feel like Christmas when the Leather Craftsmen courier appears on my doorstep with an array of boxes for me. The minute I say thanks and close the door, I squeal with excitement to see what's in store. Like always, I'm thrilled when I see my clients' wedding or engagement albums. It's such a perfect way to memorialize the wedding day and every album is perfect in its own way.
Yesterday I received Damaris and Donald's Guest Sign In Album, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face...it was truly the perfect documentation of their engagement session. Like I mentioned in the past, most my clients order Guest Sign In albums and have their wedding guests sign it at the wedding reception. At the end of the wedding night, I always take a peek at the final result and I adore seeing love messages fill the pages and make the album that much better. I called my good friend Ira Gershoff at Leather Craftsmen and asked if he'd be able to give one lucky blog winner a FREE 15 page/30 side Engagement/Guest Sign In album and he was all for it! HOLLLA! Normally, a LC client must order a Print&Bind album 10x10 or larger to qualify for the Companion Album, but Ira is hooking up the winner with no strings attached. He's the best! To read more about Leather Craftsmen's Companion Albums, I blogged about them in this post, so check it out. Here are the rules for the contest: *You must leave a comment of something you're thankful for...and get creative! Yes, I know you love your spouse and kids, but have a little fun with this! *You must leave a valid email address as this will be the point of contact. *One entry per person. *Deadline for entries: Sunday, August 23, 2009 @ 8pm PST *The winner will be announced next week. Here's a couple snapshots from the Guest Sign In Album... |
| Okay, so I can admit it...when Damaris asked for this replicated spread from my blog, my heart smiled...I have the best clients ever! |
| If you'd like more info regarding the Companion Albums, feel free to email Ira (ira@leathercraftsmen.com)...as I'm sure he'll answer you WAY faster than I could! :)
If you're new to Leather Craftsmen, you can receive a 50% Discount for your first print&bind sample album if you use the Jasmine50StudioSample. Also, if you're a new client, you can also receive a 15% Discount for your first print&bind client album if you use Jasmine15Discount. |
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The Hammock
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I t's what we did. Every night, we'd lazily walk out toward the ocean--pass the bar filled with loud mouths and empty words--following the sounds of the crashing waves. We'd take off our flip-flops and walk barefoot toward our spot. Yes, our spot. We'd staked claim to one particular hammock and we would've carved our initials into the adjoining palm trees if we could've. Our spot.
In the shadows of night, under a canvas of stars, JD and I talked about everything and nothing at once in the hammock. We'd recount our favorite high school memories, the first meal I made as a wife, the time I ran into a glass doorway, my secret dreams. I'd lay in my lover's arms and press my face into his neck, inhaling a sweet musky scent of the day's events. Sunblock, sweet plantains, and Newsweek magazine. I made him promise not to forget us. The simple us. The $5.99 pho and spring roll us. The kiss me with morning breath us. The Blockbuster night us. Made him promise not to forget who we are at that moment. Broken, thankful, content. And at the same time, entirely whole. Yes, it was our spot. And though the hammock remains on the island of Puerto Rico, just off a private beach, we took home the distinct pleasure of knowing the future is unknown, but bright. We approach our hopes and goals with the full assurance that together, we'll find a hammock any place in the world. |
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Featured on InsideWeddings.Com
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I was beyond thrilled when Senior Editor of Inside Weddings Magazine, Marilyn Oliviera, contacted me and let me know Kasey and Nick's wedding was featured on Inside Weddings Magazine's NEW WEBSITE. If you haven't checked it out, be sure do to so! The new format is eyecandy and I love the large format and the modern vibe. Kudos on a job well done! I truly adore magazine publications and my hearts swoon whether new issues hit the stands...it's like the sales associates at Barnes&Noble know me by now!
To follow up to a post Marilyn contributed to a few weeks ago where she mentioned The Editor's Circle, I wanted to clarify what it meant for submissions to their magazine. Lucky for me, the ultra fab Leila Khalil of Be Inspired PR has the inside scoop for what The Editor's Circle is all about. For more information, drop by her blog to read all about it! A special thanks to Marilyn, Nicole Palacios-Silva, but--most importantly--to my amazing clients Kasey and Nick for allowing me to do what I love...to see the entire feature CLICK HERE to read more. |
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FAQ : Discussion Board Questions
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A couple weeks ago, I posed a question on my Facebook Fanpage and asked if photographers could ask One Photographer, One Question, what would it be. The Discussion Board turned into something a little different, but it's all good! People started asking me questions (instead of asking others), so I decided to grab a few a post them here on my blog. I've had a fanpage for just over a month and it's been incredible to see the action on the Discussion Board, which has turned into a place for people to connect, ask questions, and offer advice...I love it! Be sure to pop on over and check it out!
Deanna asked: Where do you start in becoming networked with other photographers who see you not as your competition but as their peer? This is a difficult question to answer because there isn't just one response. There are a myriad of ways, but I think the most important is for a photographer to simply focus on what she's doing, and do it right. The minute a business person tries to convince another that she's a peer, it automatically disqualifies her attempts. It's like when I try to convince my friends I'm a great singer...I tell them so often of my greatness that they're well aware I'm going to suck by the mere fact that I'm all up in their faces about it. If I were to, say, sing quietly while I washed the dishes after a dinner party and they took notice, they'd think I was the next Whitney Houston. Obviously. In like manner, if a photographer runs his business and works hard at creating his work, others will notice and equate him as a peer, not merely someone trying to esteem himself by the use of his own smoke and mirrors. Devon asked: Is there ONE thing that you attribute more than anything else to your fast success?? I wouldn't say there was ONE thing that attributed to my growth, but I can definitely say creating an online presence helped me in more ways than I could ever imagine. When I first started my blog, I wrote about 3-4 times a week about my life, not about photography (well, because, I was just starting and didn't really have anything to show). I wrote about my struggles, my hope, and what I ate for dinner. It was so totally random, but I it helped readers connect with who I was a person, not a photographer. Once I launched my photography website, it further defined who I was both personally and professionally. Adding seasoning to this mix are online networks like Facebook and Twitter, which allows me to connect with clients, prospective clients, and photographers alike. I believe growth is directly proportionate to effort, and exerting effort online is relatively easy with minimal risk...and greater odds for success! :) Isaac asked: What in your opinion is your competitive advantage? I'm going to ask a side-question as well that is related, but what do other professionals and/or your clients say draws them to you? I'm going to be really, reeeeally honest right now. I don't have a competitive advantage. There are literally thousands of photographers here in Southern California. All who take good photos. Many of who shoot with the same camera I do. Most of who edit in Photoshop the way I do. All of who love the art of photography just as much as I do. What sets me apart? ME. So, if this can be a considered a competitive advantage, then by all means, I'll rock it out. However, this also means that anyone can be their own competitive advantage...which is awesome! Everyone is truly and uniquely created and that's precisely what photographers should leverage as they're greatest competitive advantage. Amy asked: Do you think that a photographer can become well known outside of CA or New York? Yes. There are a ton of amazing and spectacular photographers around the nation who are creating waves and their names are highly regarded in the industry. I, however, want to point out that a common thread these photographers have is their innate ability to focus on their work, not on getting others to focus on their work. The mark of an awesome photographer is someone who is elevated by others, and not himself...someone who doesn't give a rip about medals and awards and, instead, shoots for herself. Like I mentioned before, there are a TON of successful non-CA/NY photographers around the US, but here are a few that just few that blow my mind: LaCour - Atlanta, GA F8 Studio - Dallas, TX JVS Pictures - Houston, TX Madalina asked: How do you balance photography with married life? I find that I either focus on one a lot or one the other but can't find the balance I need to steadily work on both at once. Well, I'll be the first person to admit me and Balance are sometimes adversaries...and she's given me a black eye from our brawls in the past. However, I try extraordinarily hard to keep life balanced by maintaining a very scheduled and organized lifestyle. JD sometimes refers to me as The Machine. As in, don't get in my way because I may just RUN YOUR OVER WITH MY CALENDAR AND POST-IT NOTES. Monday through Friday are work days for me and I treat them as such, which means I wake up and start the work day as if I had any other job. Here's what an average work day looks like for me (and, no, not everyday is a work day as I have shoots and extended meetings some days): 6:30am Wake Up (it's just the time my body naturally arises...I abhor the alarm clock!) and Pray 7am Email (I dedicate just a small segment of my day to email...anything I don't finish in this time is transferred to the next day, unless it is a business or client email which gets answered in 24 hours) 8:15am Walk Polo with JD (this is one of my favorite times of the day...25 minutes to map out my goals for the day and simply enjoy time with my boys) 9am Workout 10:30am Blog/Edit/Process 12:15pm Lunch 12:45pm Walk Polo with JD (another opportunity to take a break from my computer and breathe a little in the warm sun) 1pm Edit/Process/Meetings (if applicable) 6:30pm Walk Polo with JD and Dinner I will definitely close my computer at 6:30pm...most of the time. Yes, there are days when I need to cram work out for a deadline, but other than that, I try to keep the evenings for my family. I work long, hard hours, but I need to ensure I carve time to enjoy my evenings and just check out. It's of utmost importance to keep your loved ones in the forefront of your life and when I first started my business, I lost sight of this notion. I was buried in work, glued to my computer, and generally frustrated. The minute I started organizing my life, prioritizing my work, and outsourcing, I gained back everything I wanted: Freedom to choose the lifestyle I wanted. There are days when JD and I decide to take an extended lunch in Newport Beach or watch a matinee or simply sit in a park under a tree. Having structure provides me the luxury of looking at my week and knowing where I can splurge and skimp, and always keep my family first. |
| This is a snapshot of how I spent most of last week...on a beach in Puerto Rico...enjoying life and appreciating life's smallest pleasures.
Happy Tuesday! |
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OC SmugMug Meeting : 08.27.09
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I n photo news, I'm incredibly stoked to announce the next OC SmugMug meeting will be held on Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 7pm at Mesa Verde Country Club. Many thanks to Mesa Verde for opening its large, mahogany doors for us again...this venue is simply beautiful and I'm incredibly grateful to have their support!
Our guest speaker will the uber amazing [b]ecker and I'm thrilled to have him join us! I have a soft spot for Becker, as he was one of the first photographers here in Orange County to embrace me as a newbie when I first started. He's a marketing guru and with the release of his online photography forum/resource/networking site--the [b] school--he's done great things for the industry! Right now he's on fie-yah, so I'm honored to have him present "The Love of Art & The Love of Cashflow". This presentation is going to be awesome and I'm totally indebted to Becker for coming out and freely sharing his knowledge. |
| The last OC SmugMug meeting was a total success because of all the amazing people who came out, so I hope to see all your smiling faces again soon! It bears repeating that this meeting is open to ANYONE and EVERYONE...and is FREE...but I also accept cupcakes as valid form of payment. Please RSVP in the comment box so we can ensure everyone has a chair and we can make proper accommodations...thanks so much!
Happy Monday! |
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