Our clients think that if they rock up wearing anything, then we will take their photo and they will look awesome…..well, yeah, right.   As photographer’s we know that wearing the RIGHT clothes makes a huge difference to how their photos turn out!   When they are in co-ordinated clothing, colors that pop off the background location, etc…then the images are much much better than the tried-and-true but oh so boring denim and white shirt brigade!

With that in mind Dawn Weisenger (amazing Beyond member and truly fab photographer!) has opened her new Store….The Nest. Beautiful clothing, hats, etc for children.  It doesn’t matter what age the subject is, if the clothing is “right” and the hat is oh so cute, then the images are always going to look better than an outfit thrown together! ….so whether you are a photographer looking to put a few cute outfits in your kit/studio or a client thinking about your next session and what to wear, go check out Dawn’s new site! …..and right now Dawn has a sale of 25% off all Special Occassion dresses!!!   (Be sure to check out the adorable peapod hats while you are there!)

A special thank you and shout out to Kendra for the help you have given Dawn in launching this venture…and the gorgeous image of the baby in the beautiful long pink hat!   Multi-talented woman!

OKAY did you go check out the PeaPod hats?  aren’t they adorable!  …..well now you can win one!  Dawn is giving away two right here!  So leave a comment and Dawn will select two winners on the 23rd!  Right in time for Christmas.

I just love her dedication to blogging as well, so she also inspires me to be better blogging both here and on my own blog. This week’s Monday Motivation is non other then Chelsey, of MachC Photography.

A quick update to say that there is only one spot left for Phoenix; so if you were thinking about coming, had contacted us about coming but not paid your deposit yet; please do so TODAY, otherwise you will miss out.  Schedule and Details are posted under the Phoenix Tab at the top of the page.

We are looking forward to an exciting year with amazing speakers; which I’ll share later this week! ….and continued learning and sharing as a community.  The next Issue of Essence Magazine is due on in another 6 weeks (the Magazine of Beyond Just Images) and the site www.2findaphotog.com is also undergoing a facelift and will be open for new listings soon, we will post here when that happens, but all Beyond Members will receive an email first.

…and couldn’t do a post without also leaving you with some images!

Dawnn’s beautiful image….and you can ask her about the cute peapod hat too!  She sells them!

The fabulous Amanda Andrews…and her stunning Senior work…and finally Ken Deboe, who not only has increased his family with this beautiful angel (Congrats Ken and Family!~) but also took the bottom image with OCF for this family’s christmas cards.

You still have time to photograph Santa at your house!  Ginny Haynie shared this link:

http://www.capturethemagic.com/

So much fun!!!

The stunning christmas tree image was supplied by Heidi Brand.

As we know the season is all about Giving…..both to family and friends, but also to those that we may never have met, may only know “online” or those that are less fortunate than ourselves; and wouldn’t have gifts or even food/water without our help.

One of the things I LOVE about Beyond is the giving spirit that resides there, that a member gave another member a FlashPalette Website, because they knew she couldn’t afford one otherwise.

On Christmas Day, another member will receive a Bludomain Site as a prize from the 12 Days of Christmas, and then on New Year’s Day we are giving away another Bludomain Site, a Splash Page and a Custom Blog…..all generously donated by those sponsors to someone who needs a little bit of help in order to realise their dream.  Members have nominated who they think should receive this prize and the Sponsors will chose someone……and that person will start off 2009 with this fantastic gift bundle for their business!  The really amazing thing about this prize is that it was not Beyond’s idea, the idea itself came when Danna Bowes donated a site she won to a member she knew wouldn’t afford one otherwise….and so many of us were so touched, including Samantha from Bludomain, that it was her idea that we do it again as a Christmas Gift; Blu have fantastic Staff!

We are also really privileged to support and know Lindsay from PIF Blog.  If you have never visited this Blog…then you are truly missing out!  Not only is the information amazing, the sharing fantastic but they truly know how to “Pay It Forward”…and there are heaps of freebies to be had!  So go check them out!….and if you have something contribute contact Lindsay!  She’d love to hear from you!

Some of the beautiful and funny items from the Season come from:

Laureen’s “When Elf’s go Bad”

Jesse P’s beautiful Christmas miracle…and that of course leads to all the wonders that come all year round….. like this gorgeous babe photographed by Rebecca Bennett

or (ssshhhh!) this amazing shot by the VERY talented Kate Austin!

Enjoy your peaceful and relaxed Christmas!

….Ali Hohn’s Off Camera Flash Manual is now avaiable for purchase; visit her site at HERE and let her know you came from the Beyond Blog….she is also running a class that works in with her manual, it will let you ask questions, complete assignments and really help you master this fantastic technique.

Perfect for some Christmas Reading and Training, while you are taking a break! (IF you are! that is)

The Schedule Outline for Phoenix will be out by the end of the week, and there are only 8 places left!  This is going to be a fantastic weekend, with Cari Clinkenbeard also assisting and helping out with teaching on Studio Lighting.  The calibre of teachers and those attending is fantastic!

The 12 Days of Christmas is finished on the Forum, and we wish to thank all the sponsors for their fantastic donations of products, services and discounts for members who didn’t win the actual prize.   Your support and believe in us and the Beyond Community is amazing.  We will be featuring all the sponsors on the Blog over the next 12 months, because their products seriously do Rock, and are all products that photographer’s around the world love and use.  Be sure to check them out HERE.

..and finally ….because this post is kind of short and sweet due to us being so busy with the Christmas Rush! …like most of you are I suspect! …here is the funny of the week; sent in by the very funny Kella Vella.   Possibly only those that dwell “Down Under” will get it!

So a few people asked about our big announcement….here it is …..

We are very very excited to announce that Anastasia Chomlack will be joining the Teaching Team for Phoenix Conference 2009!

Anastasia (Stace) is best for her maternity work, and her interest in the ‘Celebration of Life’ Programme, which enables communities to nominate those in need for a free photo shoot. Many of us have all been touched by the stories and photos from this amazing Programme; if you are interested in finding out more information about “Celebration of Life”, please contact Stace for more details.  Stace is known for her giving and generositiy to others, so it is a privilege to have her extend her giving spirit to the Conference!

Anastasia is in her third year of business as a portrait/ lifestyle photographer and will share with us that process… As well as some shooting tips…. Location hunting (making something of ummm… Nothing…which as most of us know, is vital for on-location, natural light Professionals). This last year Anastasia (with her husband Chad) added weddings to the Business and not only did they suddenly find themselves fully booked for the season, but many of those weddings were “destination” weddings as well. They will be launching their new wedding website around the time of the conference. This past year has also seen Anastasia Chomlack Photography enter the Commercial Photography field.

She is excited to share that process as well as to facilitate discussion on products, web content, marketing, promoting yourself, how she creates a connection with her clients, finding your own style, giving back to your community, etc.                                                                                                                            You can see more of Anastasia’s work in some of her recent commercial ventures including FIG KIDS, TWICE SHY ORGANIC CLOTHING, CHRISTINE VANCOUVER LINGERIE, VOMO FIJI RESORT, THORNHILL GROUP REALESTATE, MILKSHAXS BABY WEAR, NAMESTHE TEA COMPANY, GOTTSCHALK ARCHITECT, BRIDGE MAGAZINE (Vancouver) and the GREEN LIVING SHOW.

Tonee Lawrence  shared this cool trick on the Forum: 

Wanna macro lens?? .. yeah me too. Did you know that pretty much ALL us have one right now? Yup.. sure do! Right under your cutsey noses! Plop on your kit lens (i know i know) get out your 50mm, flip it around and butt it right up against the lens attached to the camera, then get in loooooow and super close!
NEAT HUH!!!! Now go… go be addicts like me!

As you can see above, Susan Roberts gave it a go too! and with amazing results (using two 50mm lenses).  This is a fantastic idea for capturing some of the “details” of christmas this year!  If you take an image doing this and would like it posted on the Blog with a link to your site; simply email it to admin@beyondjustimages.com    Thanks!

Dale from Life’s Colorful Canvas is giving away an amazing set of her presets today as part of the Beyond 12 Days of Christmas Competitions!   Open to all Beyond members!  She has also put together the “Best of….” set…and we love it!  LR and ACR sets available! Visit her Blog (linked above) to purchase at a reduced price!

                                                                                                     Malin from HiF StoryboardMaker supplied the Contest Prize yesterday…and if you have ever wanted to do Storyboards but thought they were a hassle, difficult, couldn’t find the right template, etc…then we are going to let you into the best secret you’ll hear this year!  Malin’s Storyboard Maker is amazing! ….visit her site to see it in action and explanation on how it works.  Fully automated, and you can use it for web OR for print.  Love it!

…and this!  Dale’s actions, Malin’s Storyboard Maker….Images by Dale.

So adorable! and those eyes! Image taken by Samantha Pearce Her color is always so stunning!

Linked a great post by Dan Heller….check it out!   If you spend so much time worrying about your competition and who is copying you, or doing your “style”, etc, you will eventually burn out, either from stress or just trying to keep up!  Focus on YOU and your business…and do those two things really, really well…..and you will succeed in what can be a tough profession.

If you loved what you read on Dan’s blog, then check out Dane Sanders FastTrack book, audio or downloadable pdf….it really is a “must have”.

Further teaching on why you are worth it!! (please remember to thank the author!) and an interview we love with Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai….not only is it a fantastic interview but also the tips at the bottom are invaluable.

THE INTERVIEW

Cari from CariLyn Photography does such beautiful work! has just moved into a larger Studio…and has a stunning website, make a drink, then check it out!

Your website?    BOWES PHOTOGRAPHY

How long have you been in business?
Since June of 1997

What made you take the leap from being someone who takes photos, to being a Professional Photographer?
Its hard to say, I have been doing photography all my life, as far  back as I can remember. My grandfather was a photographer and my first job was working for him. It seemed a natural step to leave high school, go to photography school and pursue photography as a career. 
It is the only thing I have ever really wanted to do.

Any suggestions for those JSO?
Don’t try to be everything to everyone, if you do you risk becoming of NO VALUE to anyone, you then only compete on two things:
1) price
2) convenience
-Tim Walden

What was your biggest “Ah-ha” moment?
When I realized that newborns are what I am meant to be photographing, that I don’t have to photograph everything and it is ok to focus only on what I love the most.

What is your “must have” piece of equipment and why?
Aside from my camera I would have to say my light meter, it saves so much time in post processing, always better to get things right in camera than try to fix them after.

What inspires you and where do you find your own inspiration?
Every baby I work with inspires me in some way or another, each one is different and I aim to make each session reflect that. The love that the new parents feel for their baby is incredibly inspiring and pushes me to capture that emotion for them.

What do you think sets you apart from other photographers?
I think there are far too many photographers out there these days who go into this business for the wrong reasons. Photography is and always has been a passion for me, its not something I do just for fun or for 
a few extra bucks, or because it is cool. Photography is a huge part of who I am. I think (or hope anyway) that shows up in my images.

How do you continue to create your own style/presence in the market?
I work really hard at maintaining my style. There are so many photographers out there that do a little of this and a little of that, I think if you want to be noticed and stand out your work needs to be recognizable and consistant.

Name one special thing that you do for your clients…….
I treat them in such a way that they know how special they are to me.   Extraordinary customer service is so important to a great client relationship.

Name one phrase that you use all the time with your clients when you are photographing them……
hmmm, probably when I tell the new mom that during the session she  gets to just sit, watch and let me do everything, that she is not going to have the opportunity to do that often so just sit down and relax.

How do you get babies to sleep and relax so well?
Lots and lots of patience. Turn up the heat a few degrees, work slowly  and talk to then in a low soothing voice. Thats pretty much all I do.

What is the one thing you want to be remembered for? (business related or not)
This is something I have thought a lot about over the last year. For a  long time I was so focused on my business and making it a success. I then realized that at the end of my life it won’t matter how
successful I was in business, the only thing that will REALLY matter will be how successful I was in raising my family. So I guess I want my family to remember me for how much I loved them. So…I want to be remembered for being a good mother, a good wife and a good person.

How do you balance your successful business with your family/personal life?
I realized I can’t do everything and I need to say no. Simple as that, I figured out what I could handle while maintaining a healthy and balanced life at home and set my limits and I work very hard to stick to them.

What Boundaries have you learnt to set as your  business has grown?
I have policies in place that apply to everyone. I learnt the hard way that when you bend for 1 person it will likely come back to bite you.

If you were laying in bed late at night “brain-storming” about your  business, what would be the one aspect of it you would think about most? (other than proofing, or the pile of work on your desk!)
I do a lot of brainstorming about how to keep myself noticed as a  photographer of quality in my community.

What is your favourite blog/flickr stream or place to go just to ”hang out”, have fun or find inspiration?
Oh I could never pick a favorite…..so many people inspire me in many  different ways. The only forums I participate on are Beyond and ILP, I love flickr as well, but it would be impossible to pick just 1

and finally….. dogs, trees, babies or structure?  (take that question ANY way you want!)
babies, always babies…they make the world a much better place.