My beautiful friend Robin (of the blog Grace Enough for Us) recently wrote a post about the unfortunate, unfair, and downright illogical cultural encouragement for new mothers to "get their bodies back," and in addressing this, she talked about one of the photographs I included in her birth story.
And this week, her post - and my image - were published on the blog For Every Mom. I highly recommend you check it out!
Baby, it's cold outside. (Sorry. I couldn't help myself.)
Check back soon for the birth story that accompanies this bump!
My middle-little, Norah, scored a spot in Kinderwoods Forest School this fall, and I'm so happy it's been her first preschool experience. The whole thing is just so neat I feel like pinching myself. Twice a week I drop her off and watch her and her small heard of 3 - 6 year-olds hike off into the wilderness (in the mildest sense of the word, haha!) for a few hours of adventuring, snacking, tea-drinking, and learning.
Kinderwoods is "designed to encourage creative play, problem solving skills, adventure, movement, and love of the natural world. The outdoors holds the potential to support these goals as well as promote healthy emotional, physical, social and cognitive development in a way that indoor environments cannot. Children thrive out of doors and their bodies and minds need to be there." {From the Kinderwoods website.}
And truly, the story of how it all began is just as fantastic. Beth, the founder (and current teacher), wanted to enroll her little one in a Forest School-type program. When she found there wasn't anything like it here in Fairbanks...she opened one herself. Needless to say, I'm pretty psyched that she's one of my daughter's first role models.
Beth was kind enough to let me tag along with the class one day near the end of the fall session to make a photo essay on the Day in the Life of a Forest School. It was so. much. fun. to watch my daughter be her own little adventuring person among all her classmates. All these tiny kids were absolutely dwarfed by this gigantic forest, and yet each and every one was eminently at home there - completely comfortable playing, eating, drinking (and even peeing!) there.
Simply adorable.
This fall, I had the opportunity to make portraits for a few lovely people who happen to be graduating this May.
I might have to make this a regular thing. :)
Your LinkedIn profile.
Your Facebook Business Page.
Friday Introductions on Instagram.
Your blog byline.
When your essay or blog post is featured on another platform and you're asked for a bio.
The back of your First Friday postcards.
When you're asked speak or present at a conference and need to submit a picture.
The 'About Me' page of your website.
....When your grandmother calls and says your holiday card was wonderful, the kids are so cute, but she'd also like to see what YOU look like these days.
These are all real-life, real-time examples of why you need a killer headshot in your pocket (and off your to-do list). Especially for women, especially for small business owners, we're all about putting the best foot forward - but it can be too easy to neglect putting the best FACE forward.
A selfie doesn't cut it. A snapshot from a vacation you took ten years ago doesn't cut it. And ANYTHING taken with a smartphone doesn't cut it. You need a professional image.
It's no fun to be in front of the camera, I know, but as I've written before, I feel strongly that it's important to take yourself and your business seriously and to emanate the confidence you bring to it - whether your field is artistic, leadership, scientific, or humanitarian.
And on the subject of confidence (and confidence in front of the camera, and self-esteem): this is one instance where faking it till you make it really works. You may be reticent to step in front of the lens, but do it anyway, and be confident that you're going to love how you look. The Perfect Headshot events have been designed from the ground up to make something kind of unappealing (am I the only one who has flashbacks to school picture day whenever someone says 'headshot'?) into something fun, relaxing, and even a little bit luxe. I love having a skilled makeup artist take over the prep work, and I love working with clients to achieve natural, poised, FLATTERING and authentic portraits.
I'm pretty pleased with the results of these headshots, which feature Brenda Riley, the executive director of the Fairbanks Children's Museum (and local hero!). What do you think?
Give me a shout if you want a heads up (...had to do it!) before the next round of headshots - I'd love to see you there!
I put together a slideshow to run in the background during this year's Alaska Family Health & Birth Center's Fundraiser, pairing images I've taken of AFH&BC families over the years with the words of some of the families pictured. I wanted to share it here just in case you suddenly found yourself hard up for a major hit of oxytocin. Seriously, making it gave me the WORST baby fever. AND I HAVE A BABY. The struggle is real, people.
Enjoy. <3
I can scarcely believe it, but...it's that time of year again!
I'm thrilled to offer mini-sessions with Running Reindeer Ranch for third year in a row this October 22, 2016. Sessions are on-location at the ranch in the Goldstream Valley, sun or snow. The inclusive fee of $150 covers your 15-minute session, three to five finished high resolution images via digital download*, and a print release so that you can print your holiday cards wherever you please with no hassle!
*Clients who elect to sign a model release will be offered five finished images instead of three.
Questions? Give me a holler!
I hope to see you there. :)
Last month, I was asked to photograph Chef Ivan of The Crepery and Eastern Treats restaurants for a profile in Alaska HOME Magazine. You're definitely going to want to check it out (click here) - he shares his recipe for The Crepery's smoked salmon salad, which is dynamite when served in a crepe - or on a bed of greens, or - pro tip - inside a halved avocado. Trust me, people. Try it.
I also have to mention that the Crepery can and will make GLUTEN-FREE CREPES. Ivan said just give them a 15-minute heads up to make up the batter, and you'll be in gluten-free culinary bliss in short order.
It's that time of year! Back-to-School Portrait Mini-Sessions seemed like a great idea, and I'm really looking forward to offering them this year.
I'll be in the studio from 1:00 - 4:30 this Saturday, September 24. Sessions include a 15 minute sitting, four finished high resolution digital files + print release, and a $20 print credit (so the grandparents can get their wallet photos!). $50 for singletons, and siblings are $40 each. Contact me ASAP to schedule your session! Hope to see you there.
In April, I was able to complete a project that was a long time coming: a day-long event of headshots. But not just any headshots. PERFECT headshots. In which the subject is polished, poised, put together, personable, and eminently professional.
See, when I say "perfect," I'm not tooting my own horn insofar as photography skills, I promise. I'm referring more to the considerations taken to ensure a spot-on outcome. This whole project actually came out of a wayside thought from a conversation I was having with a commercial photographer in Anchorage, as I was asking him for tips on how to break into the commercial and editorial markets. He said something along the lines of, "I don't have any great advice, but I can tell you Alaska businesses sure need it - all you have to do is look at the number of HORRIBLE Linked-In profile pictures to see how much."
This 1) really made me laugh, and 2) made me resolve to fix it. Because I knew exactly what he was talking about. We're all guilty of it, especially women, especially in the small-business world: shifting the focus, neglecting self-promotion, avoiding things that make us uncomfortable (not many people love facing the camera!). It's a harsh awakening when you realize that in doing so, you're often doing your business and/or professional reputation a disservice. It's a measure of confidence to take yourself, your business, and your professional persona seriously enough to represent your brand, and to do it well.
Truth be told, I wanted to make this special. I wanted clients to walk in confident that they would walk away with portraits that were natural, professional, and above-all-else flattering. I invited my attendees to come in ready to relax for an hour, asking them to consider it a tiny exercise in self-care: indulge in a bit of pampering while also crossing a mammoth of an item of your to-do list. Clients arrived clean-faced and enjoyed a beverage while a makeup artist worked her magic and helped touch-up hair; and then we settled in for a half-hour of portraits.
And I cannot tell you how happy I am with the results.
One of my subjects was Amy Komar, artiste extraordinaire (whom I've had the pleasure of photographing before), and she was kind enough to share with me how she used one of her headshots. Would it be bad form to moon over this postcard for her First Friday show? Because I love it.
The next round of Perfect Headshots is coming up on Saturday, October 1 with makeup artist Diana Voorhees. If you'd like more information or would like to book your spot, please give me a holler!
