mini-workshop registration | now open

registration is NOW OPEN for my upcoming breaking the mold online mini-workshop -- jan 23rd through feb 6th.  see all the details below.

some topics that will be discussed are: inspiration creativity thinking outside the box finding your style creating strong images building a strong portfolio

participants will receive the following: an honest and intimate look at my photography style and business three assignments followed by feedback an inspirational e-book a lensbaby discount code and a a few special giveaways

registration details: 1. this workshop is for bloom forum members only. if interested in registering for my mini-workshop but not a yet a member, you can join the forum (for 3, 6 or 12 months), by clicking the bloom logo below... 2. once a bloom member, you can then register for the workshop in the 'mini-workshops information' section, found here. 3. the workshop will run from monday, January 23rd – monday, February 6th, with posts | interaction daily. 4. active seats are $200.00 per seat. 5. silent/read-a-long seats are $150.00 per seat. 6. the private mini-workshop information will be available for one month after the workshop ends. 7. there is also a private section for all past breaking the mold participants, to continue  interacting and sharing with one another.

and here's what a few former breaking the mold participants had to say when the workshop was done:

I am sad that our time has come to an end in your new workshop ‘Breaking the Mold’. I have enjoyed it immensely.

We so often second-guess our instincts and I have learned lately that mine are very loud and rarely go away. It is funny too, I don’t often shy away from it, unless there is fear involved – fear of rejection, fear of not being validated, fear of moving forward, fear of dwelling too much on the past, fear of trying something new, fear of the competition. Your workshop has not only validated me, my strengths, my weaknesses, but it also brought my journey to a whole other level. I hope that I will continue to adapt and transform and ask myself all the questions you asked of us in your workshop. It was fast moving, made me reflect and helped me see things way more clearly. That is a gift.

There are very few people in my life who have truly given me inspiration, made me want to move forward and try something new. But you sure have! You have allowed me to let loose and share in a comfortable and giving environment. You were warm, generous and giving!!! I so appreciated all your candor. In our short two weeks, you have definitely given me confidence, helped me make sense of the issues and doubts I have been feeling for awhile and made me want to be a better me, for my clients and for my family and friends. Everyone needs that someone to get you “unstuck”. Your words, your exercises for us, and your explanation of your own photography has heightened my love and passion for photography so much more than I ever thought possible. - SARA

i’m so sad that our workshop is over, but i just wanted to take a minute to send you a quick note. this was the very first workshop i have ever taken, i had no real expectations. i can tell you that the last three weeks were unlike anything i thought i would experience in a photography workshop… it was almost like therapy for me, really! i am self taught, and have struggled with the mentality that i’m not up to par because i don’t have the piece of paper to prove that i deserve to be here. i finally think i’m starting to see that i don’t need to be technically perfect to be great at what i do. really, i could ramble on forever but i really just wanted to say thank you! thank you for helping me believe in myself, for bringing so much passion and inspiration to me in a short time and thank you for taking the time to teach us all and for being you!! i have never really surrounded myself with a group of my peers, it’s been an amazing ride. – Lila

I can’t thank you enough for your amazing workshop. It went above and beyond anything I had ever expected. I came into the workshop hoping to learn more about photography, I never dreamed of the personal journey it would take me on or the growth I would have. I have come away appreciating my vision as an artist and not worrying about others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so open and honest. I have grown leaps and bounds and look forward to continuing to grow even more. - STEPHANIE

coming soon | online mini-workshop

i'm super excited to share that i'll be holding my third online breaking the mold mini-workshop via the bloom forum -- january 23rd - february 6th.  this workshop is for bloom forum members only -- so if you're interested in registering for this workshop, the first step is to become a bloom forum member. to become a bloom forum member or for additional information, please click the bloom logo below...

This is what a few of the previous breaking the mold workshop participants had to say ...

I can't thank you enough for your amazing workshop. It went above and beyond anything I had ever expected. I came into the workshop hoping to learn more about photography, I never dreamed of the personal journey it would take me on or the growth I would have. I have come away appreciating my vision as an artist and not worrying about others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so open and honest. I have grown leaps and bounds and look forward to continuing to grow even more. - Stephanie

i'm so sad that our workshop is over, but i just wanted to take a minute to send you a quick note. this was the very first workshop i have ever taken, i had no real expectations. i can tell you that the last three weeks were unlike anything i thought i would experience in a photography workshop... it was almost like therapy for me, really!  i am self taught, and have struggled with the mentality that i'm not up to par because i don't have the piece of paper to prove that i deserve to be here. i finally think i'm starting to see that i don't need to be technically perfect to be great at what i do. really, i could ramble on forever but i really just wanted to say thank you! thank you for helping me believe in myself, for bringing so much passion and inspiration to me in a short time and thank you for taking the time to teach us all and for being you!! i have never really surrounded myself with a group of my peers, it's been an amazing ride. - lila

I am sad that our time has come to an end in your new workshop 'Breaking the Mold'. I have enjoyed it immensely.

We so often second-guess our instincts and I have learned lately that mine are very loud and rarely go away. It is funny too, I don't often shy away from it, unless there is fear involved - fear of rejection, fear of not being validated, fear of moving forward, fear of dwelling too much on the past, fear of trying something new, fear of the competition. Your workshop has not only validated me, my strengths, my weaknesses, but it also brought my journey to a whole other level. I hope that I will continue to adapt and transform and ask myself all the questions you asked of us in your workshop. It was fast moving, made me reflect and helped me see things way more clearly. That is a gift.

There are very few people in my life who have truly given me inspiration, made me want to move forward and try something new. But you sure have! You have allowed me to let loose and share in a comfortable and giving environment. You were warm, generous and giving!!! I so appreciated all your candor. In our short two weeks, you have definitely given me confidence, helped me make sense of the issues and doubts I have been feeling for awhile and made me want to be a better me, for my clients and for my family and friends. Everyone needs that someone to get you "unstuck". Your words, your exercises for us, and your explanation of your own photography has heightened my love and passion for photography so much more than I ever thought possible. - Sara

ONLINE WORKSHOP DETAILS: 1. This workshop is for bloom members only; therefore, you must be a member of the forum to take the workshop. If not already a member, click the above bloom logo and click JOIN to sign up. Once a member and registration is open, you can sign up for my mini-workshop within the bloom forum (under the 'Mini Workshops Information' section). 2. The workshop will run from Monday, Jan 23rd – Monday, Feb 6th 2012. 3. Active seat | $200.00 4. Silent (read-along) seat | $150 5. Registration opening in january (please stay tuned).

WALLFLOWER FRIENDS RETREAT UPDATE: Only four seats remain (three shared and one private) for our April 2012 Retreat in Half Moon Bay, CA. You can find all the details and register here.  It's going to be such an amazing weekend of sharing, learning, inspiring and growing.

see you in april?

i'm super excited to share that leah and i are holding our fourth WALLFLOWER FRIENDS RETREAT at seal cove inn, moss beach, california [right outside half moon bay and about 40 minutes from san francisco].  the 2-1/2 day retreat will be held APRIL 27th - 29th and we have the entire inn reserved for our retreat.  limited to 14 photographers. all the details and registration information can be found here. and you can see what some of the previous guests had to say about the retreat here.

hope to see you there!

another mini-workshop | aug 8th - 21st

i'm super excited to share that i'll be holding a SECOND online breaking the mold mini-workshop via the bloom forum -- august 8th - 21st.  this workshop is for bloom forum members only -- so if you're interested in registering for this workshop, the first step is to become a bloom forum member. workshop registration now open!! please refer to details below on how to register.

to become a bloom forum member or for additional information, please click the bloom logo below...

i am so, so grateful for another opportunity to teach and share. i can't wait!!

this is what a few of the previous workshop participants had to say about my breaking the mold workhsop...

I can't thank you enough for your amazing workshop. It went above and beyond anything I had ever expected. I came into the workshop hoping to learn more about photography, I never dreamed of the personal journey it would take me on or the growth I would have. I have come away appreciating my vision as an artist and not worrying about others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so open and honest. I have grown leaps and bounds and look forward to continuing to grow even more. - Stephanie

i'm so sad that our workshop is over, but i just wanted to take a minute to send you a quick note. this was the very first workshop i have ever taken, i had no real expectations. i can tell you that the last three weeks were unlike anything i thought i would experience in a photography workshop... it was almost like therapy for me, really!  i am self taught, and have struggled with the mentality that i'm not up to par because i don't have the piece of paper to prove that i deserve to be here. i finally think i'm starting to see that i don't need to be technically perfect to be great at what i do. really, i could ramble on forever but i really just wanted to say thank you! thank you for helping me believe in myself, for bringing so much passion and inspiration to me in a short time and thank you for taking the time to teach us all and for being you!! i have never really surrounded myself with a group of my peers, it's been an amazing ride. - lila

I am sad that our time has come to an end in your new workshop 'Breaking the Mold'. I have enjoyed it immensely.

We so often second-guess our instincts and I have learned lately that mine are very loud and rarely go away. It is funny too, I don't often shy away from it, unless there is fear involved - fear of rejection, fear of not being validated, fear of moving forward, fear of dwelling too much on the past, fear of trying something new, fear of the competition. Your workshop has not only validated me, my strengths, my weaknesses, but it also brought my journey to a whole other level. I hope that I will continue to adapt and transform and ask myself all the questions you asked of us in your workshop. It was fast moving, made me reflect and helped me see things way more clearly. That is a gift.

There are very few people in my life who have truly given me inspiration, made me want to move forward and try something new. But you sure have! You have allowed me to let loose and share in a comfortable and giving environment. You were warm, generous and giving!!! I so appreciated all your candor. In our short two weeks, you have definitely given me confidence, helped me make sense of the issues and doubts I have been feeling for awhile and made me want to be a better me, for my clients and for my family and friends. Everyone needs that someone to get you "unstuck". Your words, your exercises for us, and your explanation of your own photography has heightened my love and passion for photography so much more than I ever thought possible. - Sara

ETA | THE DETAILS: 1. This workshop is for forum members only therefore you must be a member of the forum to take the workshop. If not already a member, click the above bloom logo and click JOIN to sign up. Once a member, you can sign up within the bloom forum, under the 'Mini Workshops Information' section. 2. The workshop will run from Monday, August 8th – Monday, August 21st. 3. active seat | $200.00 4. silent (read-along) seat | $150 5. Registration is NOW OPEN inside the forum!

being content

katelyn had contacted me a while back about doing photos of she and her husband. and then she saw i was coming to utah.  so she packed up for the weekend, did the six-hour drive, from colorado to utah, and met me there. katelyn's husband couldn't get away but i was able to photograph the beautiful katelyn. my hope was that i could show her in photographs the beauty, strength and peace that we all see in her in person.

and today, i received this beautiful note from katelyn...

I am writing you with tears of happiness and hope streaming down my face. I find myself sneaking looks at my computer throughout the day just to look at the incredible images you captured of me in Utah. It almost feels as if I am looking at someone who is not me- ALMOST. The person in these images looks so at peace... and strong. Two words I never thought could describe be.

For a large chunk of my life I was so concerned with what other people thought about me that I didn't think of myself and the actions I took were based on what I thought others would approve of. I felt I needed to look/dress/act/think a certain way in order to be liked. In trying to be like everyone else and fit this societal mold- I lost myself.

I've always had this idea of who I was but I was too afraid to let it show. It has only been within this last year that I have begun to figure out who I really am. In the past few months I have done so many of the things I've always wanted to do and I'm finally becoming Katelyn. I am on this beautiful journey toward being comfortable in my own skin and knowing that I am enough.

This is such a momentous time in my life and I'm so excited to have “proof” that I am content with being me.

I feel like there is no expression of gratitude that could even come close to letting you know how truly grateful I am for these images. Thank you for helping me to let go of fear and thank you, a thousand times over, for making me beautiful in my own eyes.

my wish is that every woman can make this peace with themselves. to see their own beauty and strength. to be content in their own skin...with who they are and all they have to offer. and always remember that each one of us is absolutely... beautiful and special and unique!

the entire weekend in utah was incredible. and powerful.  the land is absolutely majestic. the company was oh-so-inspiring. and hilarious (i haven't laughed as hard as i did that weekend, in a really long time). thank you girls for a magical weekend!! can't wait till the next time.

+++

also, please don't forget that my mini-workshop registration opens tomorrow at 9 AM CST on the bloom forum. you must be a bloom forum member to participate in the workshop. to register for the bloom forum or for additional information, please click the bloom logo below...

a mini-workshop | june 3-17

i'm super excited to share that i'll be holding an online mini-workshop on the bloom forum -- june 3rd through june 17th.  this workshop is for bloom forum members only, so if you're interested in participating in this workshop, be sure to become a bloom forum member prior to workshop registration day (this tuesday, may 24th). to register for the bloom forum or for additional information, please click the bloom logo below...

i'm super excited about this opportunity to teach and share.  hope to see you there!!

off and running

i'm excited to be headed to california this morning, for the next 11 days. a wee bit anxious too as i haven't left my kids quite this long, although i do know that my husband is 110% capable of doing just as good of job as i with the kids. and steve's brother will be here to take care of the kids, while steve is at work. this morning, sky said,

am i just going to wear my hair down for the next two weeks. boys don't know how to do hair. unless they work in a shop....are trained in a special shop. and what about buddy's hair? i guess his hair will just look crazy every day.

i put sky's hair in a ponytail or pigtails every day for school. and wet and brush ryder's, as his becomes quite a fluffy mess during the night. so, i leave -- knowing all will run smoothly -- except maybe my kids' hair. and if that's all i have to worry about while gone, that's pretty darn awesome.

i guess i'll include instructions regarding the little ones' hair, in the weekly schedule / note that i'm leaving for uncle joe.  something i didn't think about, but is obviously a bit of a concern for sky.  :-)

i will be two days with my mom, in sacramento, helping her pack up her house for a mid-february move. three days in san diego, where i get the opportunity to shoot an elementary school class, a great friend's family and max's family. this will be the second time shooting max's family since he passed away, august 2008. and then i'm off to twentynine palms for our workshop. so, so excited to meet another incredible group of photographers.

from my last session with the mikulak family, in 2009.  nicky and hannah, with max's favorite stuffed shark, bruce.  nicky was belting out ring of fire, which max so loved to sing.

sure will miss these three, while i'm gone (taken a couple weekends ago, during gasparilla celebration)...

steve too, who continues to support and encourage my photography dreams. love you babe!!

should you

...work for free? if you haven't seen this yet, it's a funny read. but not really. it's something to REALLY think about as you contemplate doing business for free. i definitely have my opinionated thoughts about doing complimentary work and those attending the wallflower friends retreat will be hearing about some of those thoughts soon. :-)

created by jessica hische | view the original, larger version here

also... a great little interior design blog post here on when "fine art meets family portraits".

and since i love to include photos with my posts, here's a few favorites of my kids from the past five years...

can't help but mention that in the shot above, it was the first day ryder was potty trained (wearing big boy underwear), he scribbled all over himself and had sky's ponytail holders on, which we called his 'wonder boy bracelets'. sigh...where does the time go?

a contest | friendship

with our winter wallflower friends retreat right around the corner and *registration closing in two weeks, we thought it was a perfect time for a photo contest. and we're excited to share that the winner will receive a gift certificate from lensbaby, to select the lens of your choice.

to enter the contest:

simply, post your favorite FRIENDSHIP-themed photo to the wallfower friends facebook page and include the following link in your caption:

http://www.wallflowerfriends.com/wallflower-friends-blog/2011/1/7/photo-contest.html

contest deadline is friday, january 14th at 5 PM (CST).  winner will be announced on facebook monday, january 17th.

only one entry per person.

*just a few seats remain. if interested, we encourage you to register soon.  registration closes jan 21!!

fall retreat announcement

i'm so excited to share that leah and i have just opened registration for our fall wallflower friends retreat. it's going to be held october 1st - 3rd at the majestical sundance resort, utah.  i really can't say enough about how amazing sundance is!! get all the retreat details here register here limited to 14 photographers

we've made a few changes and have some awesome surprises for this second workshop and...we can't wait!!

read some reviews from our spring retreat here

hope to see you in october!

view larger (better) image here

weekend warriors

how did i get so lucky as to have two of the most incredible weekends, back to back?!! last weekend, i flew to salt lake city, for a photography get-together--just a few of us girls, hanging out and having fun.  to say the weekend was magical is actually an understatement.  we shared. we laughed. we learned. we cried.  i left there a better person...a person that embraced and soaked in as much goodness as possible, from each of these fabulous women.

i was also super stoked to find the most breathtaking resort for our fall workshop location.  the location alone is crazy inspirational!! we're hoping to share all the details and open registration this coming week.  just a few more things to work out before the contract is complete and signed.

i adore this photo so much. i love the way we all seem to be entwined with one another, which is exactly how i feel.  a part of them will forever be entwined in my heart and soul.  i'm going to print this and keep it on my desk, to remind me every day of their light, love, goodness and inspiration. from left to right: wynona, crystalynn, steph, me, mindy and jefra photo set up by jefra. taken with self timer. and edited by mindy.

and this weekend... terri fischer and julie bartel are visiting ME :-) woot! woot!  i thought they were fabulous, knowing them on-line. well, they're even more fabulous in person. we're having a blast. and so much laughter shared!!  they are actually flying with steve right now (he got his private pilot license just the other day), which is why i have the time to blog right now.  this afternoon will be filled with shopping, shooting and hooking up with another new friend. i just love terri and julie and am so very thankful to have them in my life. they, too, make me a better person.

wallflower friends

i wanted to share a bit more about our amazing wallflower friends retreat -- a weekend full of sharing, learning, laughing and growing.  and the blossoming of 15 fabulous new friendships. the weekend really was incredible -- a dream come true for leah and i.  we arrived on thursday, nervous and scared. organizing. prepping. practicing.  friday evening brought our welcome reception and dinner.  by the end of the night, leah and i were in awe of the fabulous group that had come our way.  we couldn't have imagined a more magical mix of inspirational women.  and then saturday and sunday...well, we just spilled our hearts and souls and shared everything we could. sunday afternoon, we were exhausted and sad. sad that the workshop had come and gone so quickly. we longed for more!  and now...we dream about the next wallflower friends retreat, hopefully this fall, in a location still to be determined.

i also wanted to share that leah and i are super excited about the launch of our new wallflower friends blog -- a place for continued sharing, growing and inspiration.

last but not least, a few photos of the families, who so graciously volunteered to model for us at the retreat.  thank you sweet families...for everything!

where do i start?

if i thought my mind was a swirly mess before, well...now it's a really crazy, swirly, mess. but it's a different kind of mess.  a grateful one--trying hard to focus on getting organized and getting something accomplished.  i can barely figure out where to start?  actually, i think everything on the to-do list has been started and nothing on the to-do list has been checked off.  i pretty much just keep bouncing around, from task to task...here, there and everywhere. even sitting here at my keyboard, thinking i finally might have a blog post figured out, i struggle.  too many thoughts in my head.  too much i want to share.

hmmmm... i guess i'll start with the fact that the wallflower friends retreat was absolutely amazing. seriously. absolutely. amazing!! leah and i feel so very blessed... and thankful!

meet the spring wallflower friends.

hopefully in the next few days, we'll be launching the wallflower friends blog, where we'll share much more about the retreat.

for the moment, let me say that the experience touched my soul and without a doubt, has impacted me for a lifetime.

after the retreat in twentynine palms, i drove to san diego, to shoot 10 client sessions. it's hard for me to explain my feelings through it all. it was definitely more emotional than usual.

having not shot much in kansas city, i had almost forgotten how much shooting means to me; how much photography is a part of my soul.  there was actually a time this winter, where i felt that i was losing myself--a misunderstanding of sorts.

and then the shooting in san diego began, and i couldn't have been happier.  it was as if a part of me was alive again.  i felt like i could have shot 30 more sessions--right then and there. my heart was happy and session by session, my heart was becoming more and more full.  and i was becoming more and more alive again.

i had missed shooting even more than i had realized.

in closing, i share a few wallflower friends and san diego images (details coming soon, in future posts :-) ).

p.s. thank you for being patient with my lack of blogging. i'll simply blame it on stress.

29 palms, CA casting call

we're looking for a few families to be photographed at our wallflower friends workshop--the afternoon of saturday, march 13th. casting call details: - free of charge - will take place at the 29 palms inn - model participants will be photographed by leah or i (or both) - must be willing to sign a model release - will be geared towards demonstrating client shooting to workshop participants - participating familes will receive 5×7 prints of all edited images

if interested, please email me the ages of your child(ren) and a photograph of your family. please put "casting call" as the email subject line.