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VISIT THE NEW FLOURISH BLOG AT WWW.FLOURISHBLOG.COM
February 20, 2008
February 09, 2008
Come back soon for more posts and updates!
The mailing list is up again. There is a link on the website. Stay informed!
XOXO,
Kim, Kitty & Angela
January 18, 2008
spotlight: Erich Camping
Name:Erich Camping
Where do you live: Rochester, New York
How long have you been in business:weddings 4 years
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out:
Show us an image you wish you took:
From what do you draw your inspiration: People and the built environment.
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be
shooting: nature or urban details and landscapes, flowers and football!!
Why did you choose Flourish: The three unique and talented lead
photographers...and food!
What three things would you like to learn more about at Flourish:
wedding trends and fashion, organization skillz, how the heck to get a
25 hour day. Art of Cool!
What area of your business needs more attention: organizing past clients
What area of your personal life needs more attention: My own Honeymoon!
My wife Mandy had a baby in the oven two months after our
wedding! We never got the chance:( for a true 10 day getaway.
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: The
amazing clients I have! I have am so lucky and grateful!
How is your business unique: I take this s#%^ for real!
What is your favorite indulgence: Starting to realize I rarely indulge
and trying to reverse that.
What are you motivated by: myself and my family
Do you have any personal photography projects: yes,
and urban and nature projects.
Tell me one of your favorite colors without showing me the color. The color of sky when the clouds are nice and fluffy, separated and dotted across the horizon...all of my sweaters!
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: race a motorcycle
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you: any thing Jackson Pollock...he poured his paint on the floor! Thats cool.
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would you
do it over again? A lot of time with friends! Crazy thing is, I would be a bad parent or business if i didn't.
How do you celebrate when you are alone? Being SUPER lazy!
What gets you so worked up that you want to scream/cry/dance? Politicians,child abuse, James Brown
And finally, What is fabulous about you: I have so much love in my heart!
January 16, 2008
Spotlight: Angela Michael
Name: Angela Michael
Where do you live: Valrico, Florida
How long have you been in business: I have had my photography business license for 3 years, but unfortunately life has interfered with me actually pursuing that dream.
Favorite image that I recently took: My daughter playing in a tree at the park. She is a total ham - always posing for me to take her photo. It’s not an astounding creative image, but her little eyes, so full of wonder, gives me hope of great things for her.
Image that I took when first starting out: I couldn’t even begin to look for a photo that I took when I first started because I have thousands of pictures that I have taken.
Image that I wish I took: There are plenty of these out there!
From what do you draw inspiration: It depends on my mood, but sometimes I will be out driving around and see a place/thing/person that makes me think, “this would make a great photograph!”
If you were not shooting weddings or portraits, you would be shooting: If not portraits, then it would be architecture or landscapes. A beautiful landscape or some cool place/building gets that shutterbug inside me buzzing too.
Why did you choose Flourish: The last 3 years has been emotionally draining for me and I let my one passion (photography) fall by the wayside. Then my best friend told me about the workshop, and I knew immediately this was something I needed to get involved in.
What three things would you like to learn more about at Flourish: Marketing, Photoshop, and tips for wedding photography
What area of your business needs more attention: Marketing because I need to find an innovative way to get my name out there because it seems that photographers are everywhere down here.
What area of your personal life needs more attention: Me. I always try to make sure everyone else is happy, but neglect my own needs and wants.
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: Getting a fresh start.
How is your business unique: I like to believe that I am pretty creative or at least I try to be. This isn’t just another job or hobby to me – it’s my passion and I hope that shows in my work. Many photographers’ work around here looks the same – stale and boring…very status quo. I want clients to look at my work and be impressed by the originality and sincerity that I invest in my work.
What is your favorite indulgence: Anything that is sweet and is a no-no for dieting.
What are you motivated by: My daughter because she makes me want to be my best, so that I can be a good role model for her.
Do you have any personal photography projects: I just started a B&W photo class at the college this semester, so I am working on several projects for that class.
Tell me one of your favorite colors without showing me the color: One of my favorite colors is red because to me it is symbolizes passion. It reminds me of anger – that passionate anger that just makes you want to strive harder to spite the thing that made you angry. It reminds me of love – the passionate, unconditional love that you can only feel when you look into the eyes of your child. It’s that one color, regardless of its many shades, that is so intense and can relate to what ever emotion you may be feeling in your heart.
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: I wish I could be fearless and take that leap of faith to pursue my dreams of having a photography studio and being able to do what I love.
Tell me your favorite piece of art work and why it moves you: All of Jerry Uelsmann’s work is so incredible, and I originally found my passion for photography with my 35mm camera and the dark room. So, I can really appreciate the time and skill that his work displays. Granted, now most of the same things can be done via digital cameras and computers, but the original surreal photography took many hours of dark room work as well as skill and creativity.
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would you do it over again: I sacrificed being able to open my own studio to stay at my current job for my family’s stability, both emotionally and financially. My husband became extremely ill and had his leg amputated 2 years ago when we were in the process of moving. I knew I couldn’t give up our insurance and stable income for the unknown when my family had already lost so much. I’d do it again though only because I have faith that I am where God intends for me to be.
How do you celebrate when you are alone: I jam to my favorite music by turning it up real loud while dancing and singing along.
What gets you so worked up that you want to scream/cry/dance: The people I love. They bring out the best in me, yet they can bring out the worst in me too! I can’t live with them sometimes, but I know I would hate to ever have to live without them.
And finally, what is fabulous about you: I am who I am. It’s hard to find people in the world today that are sincere and that you see their real self all the time. I am always myself regardless of what others say and think. I know we were all created equally and for our own purpose, so I try to live for my purpose and hopefully enhance others’ lives along the way.
Spotlight: Lyndsay Undseth
Name: Lyndsay Undseth
Where do you live: Monroe, Washington- about 30 min. from Seattle
How long have you been in business: 2
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out:
Show us an image you wish you took: Oh goodness, there are so many amazing photographers but recently I have been very inspired by Jessica Claire's engagement photos and the Bebb's "guy" photos.
From what do you draw your inspiration: Amazing photographers, the love and connection between each couple, my kids, things around me.
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be shooting: More pictures of my kids!
Why did you choose Flourish: These 3 amazing ladies all seem different, and being a completely self taught photographer, I would like to gain more confidence on the technical end.
What three things would you like to learn more about at Flourish: How to stand out from the other photographers in my area. Also, how to sell myself better and in a higher-end way and pricing is a big issue for me.
What area of your business needs more attention: Branding, selling myself.
What area of your personal life needs more attention: Time for myself- with a husband, 3 boys and a business that is pretty hard for me to find.
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: Raising my prices and knowing that I am worth every penny- if not more :-) I really want to be able to depend on my income, so we can purchase a new house :-)
How is your business unique: I like to think that I go above and beyond in my service and products.
What is your favorite indulgence: Wine... and shopping.
What are you motivated by: Personal success, being able to learn and grow my business.
Do you have any personal photography projects: Umm, at the moment I am just trying to get a picture of my family for our Christmas Card- that isn't even working out right now...
Tell me one of your favorite colors without showing me the color. The ocean, sunsets, the smell right before it rains- not a color but something I love...
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: Flourish! This is the first time I am actually doing something for me- I have never traveled alone, and have only left my kids one time before.
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you: Oh boy, can't think of one right now...
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would you do it over again? This is not recent, but still completely shaped my life and who I am now. This was about 10 years ago- Getting married at 19 when I found my best friend and love of my life, putting all of my personal hopes and dreams on hold to have babies and help support my husband through college. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
How do you celebrate when you are alone? When am I alone??? Work on the computer and maybe a little online browsing, sometimes some shopping.
What gets you so worked up that you want to scream/cry/dance? Rude People. Selfishness.
And finally, What is fabulous about you: Hmm, I am finally old enough to love myself and know who I am, which is a wonderful thing.
spotlight: Carmen Salazar
Name: Carmen Salazar
Where do you live: Sacramento, CA
How long have you been in business: a year
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out:
Show us an image you wish you took: pretty much anything by Brianna Graham
From what do you draw your inspiration: music, color, textures, glamour
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be shooting: dogs...silly but I love them!
Why did you choose Flourish: i love the sophisticated sassy-ness of all the ladies leading the workshop and I'm ready to learn as much as possible from them
What three things would you like to learn more about at Flourish: marketing, client consultation, album design and work flow
What area of your business needs more attention: every area...i'm just getting started.
What area of your personal life needs more attention: I need to learn to manage my work life so I can have a personal life
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: growing, learning and doing better than the last year
How is your business unique: my style is different than most in my area
What is your favorite indulgence: I love shoes!!!!
What are you motivated by: I love the reaction people have to my work and love knowing that it will be a part of their family history
Do you have any personal photography projects: I currently am opening a collaborative gallery and studio for photographers in Sacramento. That has become my personal project and has taken all my free time. I hope to get back into more personal work once it's finished in February.
Tell me one of your favorite colors without showing me the color. bamboo and martini olives
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: quit my day job
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you: I love the paintings of Mark Rothko. His work is abstract and his pieces are enormous and overwhelming. I love the intensity of color he uses or how small I feel when I stand before his painitings.
What gets you so worked up that you want to scream/cry/dance? inequality and our current political state makes me want to scream...mistreatment of children and animals makes me want to cry...and my boyfriend makes me want to dance...he's a musician.
And finally, What is fabulous about you: I'm ME!
Spotlight: Rob Carr
Name: Rob Carr
Where do you live: Pleasant Hills, PA (about 16 kilometers south of Pittsburgh (10 miles))
How long have you been in business: Good question. Actually workng as Director of Communications at Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church -- and this has been a killer time of year.
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out:
Show us an image you wish you took: Kimberly Reed Photography
From what do you draw your inspiration: Looking at what others have done and looking for unusual angles.
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be shooting: Birds -- ok, that's still portraits -- macro nature shots
Why did you choose Flourish: Kimberly Reed impressed me.
What three things would you like to learn more about at Flourish: Everything! I'm a sponge! Lighting and candid photography especially
What area of your business needs more attention: Portraiture and work flow
What area of your personal life needs more attention: Balancing having fun at work with getting work done with a reasonable effort.
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: Other neice's wedding, working at the church
How is your business unique: Willing to put effort into getting a lot of shots.
What is your favorite indulgence: photography
What are you motivated by: Occasionally getting photographs that are good
Do you have any personal photography projects: My wife and I have been documenting the wildlife at Piney Fork, an old stripmined area that nature has attempted to recover.
Tell me one of your favorite colors without showing me the color. On a cool spring day, about 8 o'clock in the morning, when the sky is clear and I've just started a 20 mile run, I look up and see the sharp, rich blue sky, free from haze.
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: Speak in public. I will. I used to be able to speak in public with no problem, but I was suffering from depression. The depression is now gone, and twice now speaking in church has been terrifying. I'm a teacher! So I volunteered to do the prayer at the 11 o'clock traditional candlelight church service.
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you: "Midnight Nation." It's a comic book/ graphic novel by J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5). David Grey, the main character, does what I would hope I would do.
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would you do it over again? I just put in 70 hours a week at church for a month -- a 20 hour a week part-time job -- to get things right for Christmas. I would do it again, but if I'm smart, I won't have to!
How do you celebrate when you are alone? Call friends on the phone!
What gets you so worked up that you want to scream/cry/dance? Injustice of any kind.
And finally, What is fabulous about you: I can do anything I want to. I can do far better at things I have no training in than anyone ever should. That sounds insane when written that way, doesn't it? It's true.
January 11, 2008
spotlight: Eileen Broderick
Name: Eileen Broderick
Where do you live: East Hartland, CT. Tiny town of about 1500 people. Not a traffic light to be seen!
How long have you been in business: Shot my first wedding in Oct. 2006. 6 more in 2007.
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out:
From what do you draw your inspiration: Oh, it could be anything. But I will say, for whatever reason I am most "inspired" when I am alone or in a sort of quiet, thoughtful moment. I really like to feel separate, in a way, to be able to see and to capture some truth...Even though I am often "forced" to be interactive when photographing people, I try to reserve some piece of myself remains as an outsider. I can't explain it without sounding all "far out, man"--but I can feel it and can see in my pictures when I nailed it. My favorite shots are almost always little details and moments that presented themselves completely without regard to me or my camera. I like to be invisible.
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be shooting: Old stuff! I have always been drawn to objects and places that seem aged, that tell a story and represent some piece of history. Old barns. Rusty metal. Broken windows. Random but beautiful slices of time passed. And still people--but just ordinary people in their ordinary lives. I guess I prefer a more documentary approach--again, if no one notices me or my camera, those are my moments. (They just don't pay the bills!)
Why did you choose Flourish: First, let me say, I loved the word--'Flourish.' Very intriguing and it just sort of felt right in my gut. Whenever I heard it mentioned--usually on Pictage forums--it just sounded like such an amazing group of people to learn with and learn from.
What three things would you like to learn more about at Flourish: Well--business stuff. I feel like I am an artist who has no idea how to ask for money! So, I want to learn about pricing, marketing, presenting myself to clients. Also--tips on posing and shooting. I struggle a bit with this b/c, as I said earlier, I prefer to be invisible and while I am not shy, really, I find the posing portion of the day sort of awkward sometimes. Anything else--maybe some lighting techniques.
What area of your business needs more attention: I need to define my packages/pricing and feel comfortable and confident in those offerings. I need to feel ready when I am contaced by a new bride so that I respond promptly and EFFECTIVELY. Some basic stuff--getting my new website up. Maybe some vendor relationships--i.e., sending prints or collages.
What area of your personal life needs more attention: Yikes. Exercise and sleep. I get far too little of both. And I am working a "day job" so I spend many nights up late at the computer and my husband and I have very little time together anymore.
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: Feeling more solid. If I can see the future is "strong," I can quit my other job and not feel like my whole life is one big juggling act.
How is your business unique: I don't know. My sister assists me and we have the best time. The couples and their guests seem to really enjoy the fact that we are sisters and by the end of every event we usually feel like we have gotten pretty close to them.
What is your favorite indulgence: Sleep. Reading.
What are you motivated by: Thoughtful people who have taken risks. My 94 year old grandmother and my 3 year old son. Pay it Forward.
Do you have any personal photography projects: I've had some ideas but never got around to doing many of them b/c I always feel like I have no time. But someone on the Pictage forum posted a thread about her own project that I loved! Project 365 (something like that) She shoots at least 1 picture every single day for a year. I think I'd like to try that this year. And I may make it a double--shoot one of my son every day, too. To document his 3rd year. But I'd like to have a separate project in which I am free to shoot whatever I see that day.
Tell me one of your favorite colors without showing me the color. Late day sun in autumn.
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: Move to Italy! (Not gonna happen!)
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you: I don't have a favorite. I am moved by lots of documentary photography--see Dorothea Lange example above. Most moved by images that tell a story, that capture the emotion of a real person's life. There are plenty of beautiful paintings and sculptures that move me but I can't think of specific examples right now.
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? My time with myself, by myself.
Would you do it over again? I don't really have a choice! (Yes and no--I'd do it b/c it is for my family and this business, but I am not my happiest and most content when I am running ragged and I really crave time alone to get centered and sane!)
How do you celebrate when you are alone? Read. Write. (Sleep.)
What gets you so worked up that you want to scream/cry/dance?
Scream--George Bush.
Cry--Child Abuse.
Dance--My Son, Finn. And some really great music!
And finally, What is fabulous about you: I am a person who will do the right thing even when no one else is looking.
January 07, 2008
One Last Reservation Remains!
Due to an unfortunate cancellation by one of our current attendees (we'll see you next time!), we have an additional reservation remaining for the workshop. We have to have it filled by Friday, though, in order to reserve the space at the hotel. So contact us right away as we don't expect, with all of the recent inquiries, that this additional opening will last.
And if you wanted to attend in the past when we were booked and would like to be considered for this open reservation fill out the contact form on the site right away and you can still possibly attend!
This workshop is going to be amazing. Oh and by the way, I hear that there is a FACEBOOK group dedicated to it, started by some of the attendees. If you are part of Facebook go and search the groups section for "Flourish Workshop" and join!
See everyone soon! We have a number of additional attendee spotlights on their way to the blog soon!
January 02, 2008
spotlight: alyssa maloof
Name: Alyssa Maloof
Where do you live: Philadelphia
How long have you been in business: 3 yrs
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out: I was stuck on this one for some reason. It was the first wedding i shot, I don't even think they liked it.
Show us an image you wish you took: http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images_969_199506_francesca-woodman.jpg
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be shooting: Fashion or nudes always figurative.
Why did you choose Flourish: I love your work and it's time to step up my game.
What three things would you like to learn more about at Flourish:Your opinions on consistancy with regards to action applications. Workflow managment. Being able to ask for tons of money! Changing markets (I want out of Philly)
What area of your business needs more attention: Post workflow
What area of your personal life needs more attention: I should write more letters
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business:Possibly moving
How is your business unique: I am super laid back and never show stress on the job but I still demand great end results
What is your favorite indulgence: boys and booze
What are you motivated by: Is it wrong that bad art motivates me?
Do you have any personal photography projects:
Divine Loraine Project above
I also make these 3d box collages
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: Move
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you:
The whole mystery of the Bellocq plates and the tights are KILLER the painting is one of my favorites by a contemporary painter here in Philadelphia
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would you do it over again? I sacrificed some of my champagne on New Years and yes I would do it all over again!
How do you celebrate when you are alone? See above, add music
What gets you so worked up that you want to scream/cry/dance? Politics
And finally, What is fabulous about you: my love and appreciation of the absurd
