The ‘Be Yourself’ Business/Life Plan

Posted in Business

So, in this second year of running a business, things are changing.

I’m asking for help.  I’m getting advice.  I’m patting myself on the back for flying by the seat of my pants and showing up for myself in this first year of business and getting myself this far.  But now its time to learn more about how to run a business.  So I’ve been going in search of business advice.

Here’s what is coming up though.  I thought I could use advice about how to make better newsletters, to get more students or how to spread out and get more people to hear about my classes.  That indeed would be good, but what I want more than that is to have it all more infused with who I am.

You see, I’m an introvert and am pretty private in a lot of ways.  It may not seem like it, but that is indeed the case.  When I shared that list from the last post a friend said “If you’re inside a box, where must I be?!”.  We all have these boxes we find ourselves in.  Some of them we can deal with, others…not so much.

My ‘professional’ me is still totally me, but muted.  I’ve guilted myself about it but really, in person I’m like that too…I don’t spill it all out as soon as we meet but once we get to know each other the gregarious, emotional, silly  and sometimes even wise me comes out.

We all live in boxes of some sort, don’t we.  Have these spaces we try to fit ourselves into.

I’ve been trying to fit myself into a box of what it means to run a business.  What I think I should be doing.   I mean,  I am doing my best of course!  I’m proud of the way I’m showing up in this creative life.

The thing that happens for me is that when I put myself in a box, I resist it at the same time.  Holding it in until every so often I just need to burst out of it in a really dramatic way.  That rocks, but what I want more than that is to poke holes all through the box from the inside so the light pours in.  Keep poking those holes until the darkness within the box has turned to light and there is no need for it anymore.

I made a list of ways I want my business (and life) to fit more with that ‘be yourself’ business/life plan and its funny what came up.  Its not the dramatic big things that I want to pull out to let you know me more.  Its the little things.

Like how I have a really big laugh and am totally silly…which most people don’t get to see until they know me really well.

The quirky me.  I feel like that comes out in my photos, but oh…there is still much more quirkiness to appear.

I also started thinking about how there are so many ways that we can ‘be ourselves’.  That it can speak through words, graphics, photos, videos and that for each way of ‘being myself’ I want to let out, there is a way that it can best speak….one of those things.  So I’m going to see what comes up and how it can best be given a voice.

So be prepared for more silly viv.  More quirky viv.  More playfulness.  More feistiness.  More truth telling.

More poking of holes in some box that I needed to be in in order to rise into this part of my life, but that it is time to step out of.

I know we all have boxes we’re in and we don’t necessarily need to break it down in one fell swoop.  Is there a way you could poke one hole in a box you’re in in your life and let some light in?   Maybe that is smiling at a stranger or wearing that outfit you love even if it is a bit outside of the box.  Or take a silly picture too and share it here?  Lets let the light into these spaces where we let ourselves be boxed in!

Posted in Business

Behind the Photo {Shooting from the Ground}

Posted in Behind the Photo, Tips

red shoes dancing

During my courses, I welcome questions about the technicalities of taking photos, even if the course isn’t technical (YAYOM is the course that covers all sorts of technical info in an accessible way).

Often it comes through with the question ” How did you get this shot?” in reference to a specific photo.

So I wanted to start a bit of a feature here exploring some of the ways to get self-portraits (and other photos) with all sorts of camera gear. I’ll also be telling it like it is and share how quite often I just use what is at hand, including propping my camera on a garbage can or using make-shift gear like your bike seat as a tripod). I’ll tell you some of the stories of how I got a certain photo…so if there is a photo or a type of shot you’ve been wondering about, don’t hesitate to ask!

 

 

One of the most spontaneous ways to shoot a self-portrait is to just put your camera on the ground!  So I thought where better to start but from where we stand.

Shooting from the ground is pretty simple.  I usually bring along a scarf and put my camera on top of it to protect it.  You could also put it on top of your camera bag (though as you’ll see when you try it out, a photo a foot off the ground often looks much different than right on the ground).

Shooting from the ground invites a whole cast of potential characters into your photo with you:

 

I find it really invites me to look for potential spots on the ground, which is something I might overlook normally.  It gets us to shoot from a whole new perspective.
Some questions I often get around these photos tend to be about how to get them focused where you are standing.  The easiest way is of course using a remote.  That way you can just put your camera on the ground, stand in front of it, press the remote and your camera will focus on where you are standing and take the photo.
Of course, quite often, I am out strolling with my camera without my remote.  You can absolutely still get a great shot without it.  When recommending shooting with only your camera timer, I usually recommend standing near something that the camera can focus on.  That doesn’t always work for me when shooting from the ground.  So here are some great options:
  • Shoot close enough that you can stand where you want to and have the camera facing you.  Then just reach over and press the button!  This would be a great option for a point and shoot or DSLR
  • Use your manual focus to pick a distance.  I usually note the distance away in feet and just count out the steps away.  This can be a bit hit or miss but is the way I do it most often.
  • I also usually shoot with a really really shallow depth of field (oh beloved bokeh…i’m addicted to you) so it makes it even more challenging as I’m giving myself a really narrow point of focus as you can see in this photo above.  You can also just try making it a bit less depth of field (a narrower aperture) to give yourself more of an area to be near the point of focus.
  • Embrace the mistakes.  I love photos that end up a bit blurry.  So if you mistake the distance away using the above technique, keep it!  You might find you love it.

 

I hope this is helpful!  If any questions about shooting from the ground arise, ask in the comments!  Or share your favourite ‘Shooting from the Ground’ Photo…just link to it in the comments below!

Posted in Behind the Photo, Tips

YAYOM is back!

Posted in E-Courses

You are Your Own Muse is back!

As you’ve likely noticed, I’ve been creating a variety of new courses lately.  I’m loving offering new classes and the creating new content pushes me in my own photography journey.  Part of my draw to create new courses is that the ideas pop into my mind and refuse to be ignored, but also because I have a really incredible group of folks who have taken my courses and love gathering together in a new one to continue their journey and to connect with one another.

So, I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with the two courses I’ve run regularly for the last year and a half.  I actually have some grand plans for YAYOM to evolve into quite a different format, but I feel like there are still lots of folks out there that it would benefit as an e-course so I’m offering it again this fall!

I’ve actually decided not to run Wading In this fall BUT instead I am going to give all of the YAYOM’s of this session the E-Book for Wading In, long before class begins so they will essentially get 2 classes for the price of 1!

We’ll be opening up the flickr group for YAYOM early as well so we can start sharing our Wading In images.

So, YAYOM is returning this fall and registration is now open.  I’m just sprucing up the Wading In E-Book but it will head into the inboxes of the participants by July so they have a few months to explore it!

YAYOM is one of those classes that I limit at 50 participants as well, to cultivate community energy and to be able to offer the attention and connection to each image shared.

Spots are being snapped up already, so I encourage you to secure your spot early for this class if you’d like to take part (I’m also totally open to payment plans by the way).  You can register here for the upcoming session!

Here’s what one of last winter’s participants said about her experience:

“Last winter I was a part of the You are Your Own Muse ecourse. It was an incredible experience for me.

I went into the class thinking that I was going to take self portraits and overcome my fear of turning the camera on myself. While that did happen, I also came away from the class with so much more.

I found my sense of self. I found beauty in myself. I learned that in the end, I control the way others see me. In pictures, and in real life. I came away from the six weeks of the course believing in myself, more than I ever had before. All because I started to see myself differently, and more positively.”

                                                -Krista Kruger

Happy Self-Portrait Adventuring!

Posted in E-Courses