{'Dream' Issue of CHIC Magazine}

I'm excited about this month's Dream Issue of CHIC Magazine.  It's loaded with beautiful images and detailed articles.  I was flattered when I was asked to contribute with a tutorial on 'Beautiful Backlighting'.  I love writing (when I have time) especially when its technical writing about photography.  And I love to teach so this was so much fun for me to do. And finally....being in Arizona, I worship the light for photography here and utilize backlighting for most all of my sessions.   If you're interested in getting a hardcopy or a digital copy of CHIC magazine you can click here to order.  Hope you enjoy it!

{Vintage Crown}

I love crowns, especially vintage crowns.  When TJF Designs , creator of 'Confessions of a Prop Junkie' asked me to work with her on this stunning crown, I was ecstatic!  My mind started racing and I was getting so inspired from this one amazing little crown.  I thought about what I wanted to do.  And for some reason I do my best thinking last minute (literally) when it all comes together.  My mom made Brielle the gorgeous red cloak and Brielle really wanted to wear her new converse boots.  So I added them in to the pile of things to bring to the shoot and gathered a few more things...a tutu, cute lacy leggings, a brush and some hair spray.  Then we raced to the site with the last available amount of light and I feel in love with the scene that Brielle created with those new crazy boots and brilliant vintage crown.  You can find some amazing props and unique, beautiful crowns on Tabitha's website.  She also has a Facebook Fan Page where she posts recent items added to her store as well as sales and promotions and other business happenings.

{Bloom Basics Workshop is back} Registration OPEN now!

Stephanie Moore and I are back!  Due to popular demand we are doing another 'Bloom Basics', on-line, 3 week course!  We're so excited!  Registration is a first come first serve.  Seats are limited so reserve yours before it fills up.  If you're a Bloom Forum Member head over to the forum and sign up.  If you're not a member you can sign up here.  Please let me know if you have any questions at all.  That's what I'm here for and no question is a silly question.  Looking forward to meeting you all!

Unsure if this is for you?  Check out what some former 'Bloom Basics' students have to say about the course {see the bottom of this post}.

Sample work of former Bloom Basics Workshop attendees.  

Here's what some of them had to say:

I can't say enough good things about the Bloom Basics photography course taught by Kara May and Stephanie Moore.  When I started the class, I was a true novice and hadn't operated my camera on anything more than "auto".  At the conclusion, I could not only take pictures in manual mode with so much more confidence than I expected, but I could also edit in Photoshop.  I'm able to adjust f-stop, exposure, and shutter speed while taking into consideration lighting and surroundings.  Kara and Stephanie encourage participation and are so helpful in all aspects of the learning process.  Their lessons included many videos so that we could also "see" how things are done, which is very helpful.  They would even answer individual questions with a personal video if you were struggling with some concept.  The class was so much fun, that I didn't want it to end and I am looking forward to the next class that I can take :)

-Kathy K.

Bloom basics was such a great workshop for me. Stephanie and Kara were amazing instructors. The daily lessons were very easy to follow and then throughout the day and weeks they were frequently on the forum to explain, answer questions, and show examples. They were very available through out the course of the workshop. When I started this workshop I was always shooting in automatic. Now I am shooting in manual and understanding the triangle to doing it!

- Amy P.

I absolutely LOVED the Bloom Basics workshop – the material was presented in a clear way and it built on itself everyday. Even though I read several books about exposure and practiced on my own prior to – it really clicked in the first few days of the workshop. Steph and Kara were amazing – so supportive and ensuring that all questions were answered thoroughly. I learned so much and am so thankful for the experience.

- Sharyn B.

With no hesitation, I can say that Bloom Basics with Stephanie and Kara was life changing for me and for my photography! I was able to learn SO much about the world of photography in such a short time and am forever thankful. Before taking the course, I knew how to shoot in manual, but didn't completely understand all the concepts associated with shooting in manual and never felt proud of my images. Thanks to the detailed lessons and active instructors, I now fully understand the exposure triangle, have learned what terms like "metering" and "composition" actually mean and feel confident shooting both inside AND outside (even in full sun!). Kara and Stephanie offered such valuable feedback - critiques were honest and helpful EVERY time. I cannot rave enough about both of these talented and caring instructors. What an amazing opportunity for me to have been taught by such wonderful women and photographers! If you are wanting to improve your pictures and experience an amazing opportunity, sign up fast! I wanted to share a shot I have recently taken to document how beneficial this course truly is.

-Katie P

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your workshop.  I was on the fence about the commitment, since I have two little ones at home and rarely find time to do much of ANYthing for myself.  But was so glad I went with my gut and signed up!  I have had a DSLR since the birth of my first child three years ago, but was never able to find the time to sit down and learn how to shoot in manual.  My photos were just "meh" and I needed someone to just teach me the basic basics to get out of the snapshot rut.  I am definitely one that learns by seeing AND doing, with lots of practice in between, so reading books never really worked when trying to learn a new skill.  Your videos were extremely helpful and the way the class was set up was very easy to follow.   I was able to pop on when I could, as often as my daily schedule could allow.   You were both very good about responding to all our questions very quickly and presented material in a simple, yet very effective way.  But the talent you each have and brought to the class is unbelievable and I feel honored that you shared your tips, tricks and secrets with us!  I have been diligent about practicing since our class ended and have even started a photo project for 2013!  Even well before the workshop was over, I received compliments on the photos that I published on facebook or shared with family.  I feel like I have only scratched the surface, but can thank you for inspiring me and encouraging my enthusiasm for this beautiful art!  And one that allows me to capture precious moments and memories of my family and loved ones along the way.  It really has opened a door and changed the way I see things.  Thank you so much for this wonderful gift!!!

- Brita S.

I loved this online course! Stephanie and Kara were amazing at teaching us "newbies" the proper way to shoot in manual. Their material was to the point and so easy to learn. Often they answered our questions in a videos that would end up benefitting all of us. Their videos are very simple to follow along. When I first started this course I had ZERO experience using my camera in Manuel mode... now that's ALL I use. I would definitely recommend this. It's worth every penny!!

- Vanessa A.

What ______ looks like! December {summarized}

I'm so excited that I was asked to be a part of this amazing group of ladies doing this great monthly project.  So what is this project?  As busy moms and photography business owners we don't take enough time to document our own families lives.  This project is dedicated to our families, our lives, our passions and whatever makes us happy.  So each month we will be posting 'What_____ looks like'.  And in the blank we can fill it with whatever we want, it could be our family, it could be the daily things that make us happy, it could be objects.  The options are endless and with that comes a unique spin on what each photographer shares.  At the end of this post I'll share the link of another talented photographer in this group from there you can click through to complete the circle.

For this first post I decided to recap some of December.  As we all know, December is a very busy month for everyone.  It's full of parties, celebrations, decorations, twinkling lights, family, baking (which I admit right now, I didn't do nearly enough of ...not a single loaf of eggnog bread this year), late nights, trips to the post office, eggnog and other fun libations, etc.  I didn't photograph near what I had hoped to this year but I was needing a breather from my camera after busy season.

Here's a little taste of Christmas at our house:

The kids doing homework by the light of the tree  Instagram pic (below)

A little comp of Christmas from my Instagram feed also

Our very messy Gingerbread houses.  The kids were soooo proud of them.  I laughed (inside) at their final product.  They also made trains and a fire pit.  Can you find the fire pit?    I love their creative mess.  So much fun!!

A little blast from the past mixed with this years photo with Santa when we did the 'North Pole Experience'.  I LOVE looking at old Santa pics. And Brielle was so entertaining in these.  This years Santa was the scariest and she was her happiest. 

Brielle, Grandma May and me at Brielle's class play 'The Gingerbread Man' .  This is the first time B had a gingerbread cookie .  She decided she liked decorating it more than eating it {not her favorite}.

Brielle spent 3 weeks of December sick.  She had strep throat and pneumonia!  Poor girl.

And we had an elf.  Like many of you this little guy stayed at our house for the month.  This was a night off  for me so when I saw what the elf was doing the next morning....I just shook my head.   Jeff.  All I can say is, Jeff.

Our neighborhood is amazing.  Have I mentioned that before?  This is our first time celebrating Christmas in this house and our neighbors invited us to their tradition of having everyone over on Christmas Eve for food, libations, friends, cheer and Santa!  Santa came in with a HUGE red bag full of gifts for the 20+ kids that were there.  Each child got Christmas PJ's from Santa as well as a toy.  Seriously?!!  Yes, it was a blast!  Such a great night and so magical and fun for the kids. We have the most amazing neighborhood!

This year Brielle and Tyler handed out ALL of the presents while Jeff and I sat and soaked it all in, just in aw that our kids were growing up and so mature and sweet about making sure everyone had a gift and watching each other open presents.  

The day after Christmas we headed to Seattle to see my family.   The kids were greeted by excited cousins.  And the playing and bonding lasted the whole trip.  This photo was taken just before saying good-bye.  They had a great time with their cousins, Grandma & Grandpa.  

We arrived home on New Year's Eve. We were a little under the weather so we had to cancel our plans with friends and just laid low at home.  We spent the evening pulling out most every game we had.  Then the kids got this 1,000 piece puzzle out.  The kids helped for about 30 minutes then they realized it was more fun to play under the table than help with the puzzle.  At 9pm we all read books.  The kids wanted to stay up till midnight so bad.  So we told them they could read quietly till midnight knowing they would fall asleep.  At 11 I went to check on them.  Brielle was out and Ty was still reading.  Groggy eyed he said excitedly,' It's almost midnight.'  We all read together for the last hour and tried to get Brielle up but she was out!   We promised Ty we'd toast with eggnogg at midnight if he made it.  And that's just what we did.  He was soooooo sweetly proud of himself for making it to see the ball drop.  Love his sweet spirit.  So this was our December - summarized. 

Now click though to Stacey Woods | Clearwater Family Photographer and see what she's posting about.  I'm excited to see myself.

{Win A Seat at the Savvy Workshop in Alys Beach - deadline Dec 2nd}

Many of you know Marsha Mifsud, owner of the Savvy Photographer.  She's an amazing business woman and the coordinator of the upcoming Savvy Workshop at Alys Beach in Florida.  I'm honored to be a part of this workshop and the amazing group of ladies who are also going to be teaching at this workshop.

So what's this workshop about?  The Workshop is being held in Alys Beach, Florida on February 22nd to the 25th, 2013.  Details can be found here.  This location is amazing!  I can't wait!  There are going to be phenomenal speakers, bonding, friendship making, photoshoots, dinners together, late night giggles, and all around fun.

So who are the speakers?     Laura Winslow, the talented owner of  Laura Winslow Photography and my dear friend will be speaking about savvy marketing, how to find your ideal client and how to make your packaging wow your clients.  Alice Park, owner of  Alice Park Photography and founder of the NAPCP will be sharing how she continues to run her amazingly successful business while balancing the demands of being a mom and  running the National Association of Profession Child Photographers .  Beth Glisson, owner of Caroline's Heirloom Photography will be sharing some great editing tricks, tips as well as how she manages her photoshop workflow.  And I will be delving into all aspects of  Styling & Posing your clients!  We will be photographing models so attendees can get hands on learning with a live shoot!!   Sounds like fun right?  I can't wait to meet those of you who've already purchased a seat! So what's the deal with the title of my post?  There's a contest!  Marsha is giving away a seat to the workshop.  Yes, a seat and accommodations.   It's very easy to enter - you can choose one category or you can do ALL of the categories.  Be creative!  Here are the details: click here.  Since this week has been so busy with Thanksgiving travel and many people have e-mailed saying that they were bummed to miss out since they were out of town and couldn't enter the contest.  So Marsha has extended the cut-off for submissions to next Sunday (a week from today)!  If you have any questions, let us know.  We're happy to answer any questions you have.

{vintage. fall. my favorite.} commercial shoot: FaithWorks4U

Words can't express enough how in love I am with FaithWorks4U clothing.  Faith, is a designer genius who's brought back styles from the 1960's and 1970's.  I'm simply smitten with them.  I think she's tired of hearing that but I can't tell her enough how amazing she is.  Anyway, here's some of her designs available now in her shop - all ready for the fall season.

{Project 26 - 'jumping for joy!'}

For this weeks Project 26 I thought about the theme and was instantly reminded of our Mexico trip last year.  Since we're getting ready to go again I thought I'd post some pictures of the kids jumping in the waves last year.  My kids are so excited to go to Mexico each year they start packing weeks in advance.  This year I've convinced them to start with a packing list before tearing their rooms apart in an attempt to pack.  I think I have held them out so far - fingers crossed ;-)

Please be sure to click on all of the links to complete the circle of these talented ladies I get to meet with (virtually) on every Project 26 day.  Jessica Deane is one of my favorite photographers...check out her vision for this weeks theme.

{Announcing a Beginner Photography Workshop!}

I'm thrilled to announce a new workshop I will be teaching in late October.  The talented Stephanie Moore and I will be teaching a workshop for beginners called 'Bloom Basics'.  This workshop is aimed at teaching the basics of photography and how to confidently shoot in manual mode while achieving the end result you desired in your final image.  We'll walk you through all the technical aspects of shooting in manual mode, include video demonstrations, details on uploading and editing your image, and so much more.  Our workshop is for those who want to take better photos and understand how to properly operate all aspect of your DSLR camera and/or  those who want to eventually have their own photography business.   Please read the details below and well as the Q&A at the bottom.  I'm so excited to meet you all.  NOTE:  Seats are limited and sign-ups begin in NOW.  E-mail Stephanie at stephanie@stephaniemoorestudios.com to reserve your seat today. Thanks!! 

{Project 26 - 'throw back'}

It's that time already again!!  Project 26 and the fun theme of 'throw back'.  This theme can be taken in soooo many different directions.  I wasn't sure which way to go with it but I thought this recent session I did for FaithWorks4U  was the pretty fitting for this post.  I have many more from the is session that I'll be showing you in a separate blog post but I wanted to incorporate a couple of fun outtakes into's Project 26.   This was such a fun shoot. The kids, Jeff and I went to a local candy store - we explored, discovered and had so much fun.  The kids want to go back every weekend  and stock up on taffy and 'Zots' (remember those?), look at the cool vintage toys and gadgets and do some more photo booth pictures. I'm so glad they still have photo booths that are like the ones we used to use as kids - total throwback.  I think I need one for my house - my kids wouldn't get out of it.

Anyway, be sure to click through the rest of the circle and see the other talented photographers and their vision on this weeks theme.  Jessica Drossin won't disappoint with her post here.

{Project 26 - '1,000 Words'}

So we've all heard the saying 'a picture is worth a 1,000 words'.  And it's so true.  It may be cliche but it has deep meaning in many cases.  There were so many pictures I wanted to pull from prior weeks but I tried hard to use pictures from this week.  This week the kids and I built a fun 'living room' fort.  All I had that was light weight was 'white' and we grabbed several pillows to make it comfy and it turned out a quite girly unintentionally.  We have a 'feminine' look throughout much of our house when it comes to accessories so this is about as neutral as it gets lol.  But Ty was a great sport grabbing grey pillows from the couch and mustard pillows from the play room.  It was cozy at least. For homework each day I like the kids to read in a quiet spot, so Ty and Brielle ran to the fort to read.  Ty has read the Harry Potter series but Brielle hasn't so he started reading them to her.  Anyway, I thought this moment was fitting for this week's theme.  Reading in a magical fort - how much fun is that?!   All in all we had a blast building this and the kids haven't  wanted to take it down.  Brielle wants to sleep in it this weekend - the ground is super hard so I don't know how long she'd last.  But a family slumber party for a few hours in the front room could be fun.  I wish we could leave this up permanently too.  I'm sure we'll build more fun forts. My kids can't get enough of them!

Oh and guess where I found Brielle this morning when I went to wake her up for school?  She loves it.

After scrolling through this post click here to continue the circle. Jessica Drossin is full of creativity and I'm sure she'll have some amazing eye candy for us.  :)