Flourish: Part two

The first day of the Flourish workshop we arrived at Angela's studio and there were welcome packets waiting for us. It contained photography magazines, fabulous notebooks, information from Kim, Kitty and Angela and a pencil to take notes. Before we were even seated we were asked if we wanted a Mimosa. "Umm, yes, please!" What a way to start the day, right?
Day one was all about business. We talked about branding, marketing, press releases, pricing ourselves, taxes, insurance and everything else you could think of that pertains to running a successful photography business. The information was extremely well put together and well presented. I learned so many helpful things on this day.
Day two was the actual shooting. Each person showed us how they lead a shoot. Kim led the engagement sessions, Angela led the bridal portraits and Kitty led the lights out (boudoir) session. These ladies were AMAZING! It was so inspirational being able to watch how they conducted these session. And being a hands-on-learning kind of person, I took away SO much from watching them.
Day three was all about post production. Kitty taught us some EXTREMELY helpful digital Lipo techniques (which I will most certainly be using on some of photos of myself! LOL) We learned about Adobe Bridge which I had on my computer but never actually used. Since Flourish, though, I've been using it all the time! We learned about album design as well. I was really happy to learn how to do this. I think because of my scrapbooking background I'll be really good at designing albums.
Day three also meant saying "goodbye" to this wonderful workshop, the amazing creativeness that flowed around and the FABULOUS new friends that we made. I learned so much not only from the instructors but also from wonderful people that attended. Everyone, and I mean literally everyone, was supportive and so giving of their time and knowledge. I was really sad to see it come to an end but will take this experience with me everywhere I go!!!

Cheers,
Jaci



My welcome packet.



Yummy mimosas were had by all.



Amy Campbell and Angela, being silly.



The fabulous, Kim, teaching us the importance of branding.



Karen's kitty socks!



Three girls on a couch. No eating and talking at the same time, Angela.



Getting ready to head upstairs for our engagement shoots.



Angela and her incredibly talented, filmmaker hubby.


Kim leading the engagement shoot.



Kim with the already married engagement couple, Angela and luke. :)

Flourish: Part one

OK, first let me say that trying sum up my experience at the Flourish workshop in one, two or even ten posts would be impossible and to say that I was blown away by my time there would be an understatement. I will say that Flourish completely changed the way I want to run my business.
This was a three-day workshop taught by the fabulous, Angela Anderson, Kitty Maer and Kimberly Reed. The theme for Flourish was everything FABULOUS so you'll hear me say that a lot in these posts! These girls covered everything from how to price yourself and market your business to shooting and editing. It's hard to know where to start so I'll start from the beginning; the hotel.
We stayed at the FABULOUS 21C Museum Hotel located in Louisville, KY. It boasts "contemporary art from living artists, exhibited throughout its galleries and public space. Among the many upscale offerings: iPods with a wide variety of music for guests' listening pleasure, award winning design and décor, poster art, 42" HDTV flat screen televisions, WiFi, 500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets imported from Italy crowning the exquisite bedding, silver mint julep cups, gourmet coffee makers, mini-bar refrigerators, Malin + Goetz bath amenities, and nightly turn down and Concierge services. The hotel also offers a full exercise facility with a steam room, sauna and spa services. And, of course, penguins."
You cannot mention the 21C without talking about the penguins. There are 200 of them scattered about the hotel and museum. The penguins were commissioned at the hotel's opening and were to be sold afterward. People loved them so much that the hotel kept them around as mascots. They're red and plastic and tended to move around a bit. One morning you might find one in the elevator and another you might find one staring at you when you open your door.
The 21C has a fantastic restaurant called Proof on Main where we spent our first night getting to know one another. We were greeted with hugs and warm welcomes from Kim, Kitty and Angela as well as the other 18 attendees. The uber talented, Susan Solo was my roomie and man did we have fun! Too many late nights and way too much gabbing! LOL. I always love making new friends and she's definitely one!
Stay tuned for more about the workshop in my next post. I hope all is well with all of you.

Cheers,
Jaci


Here's some photos from Susan.


The front of the 21C.


Eileen Broderick and me in the gallery. "Hi Susan!"



This is Penguin #2. This picture creeps me out a bit. He's kind of a peeping tom.



OK, he's not so bad after all! :)

Catching up: P-365's

I have SO many fabulous photos and experiences from the Flourish Workshop to share with you that I can hardly wait. Since I was out of town and got backed up on posting my P-365's, I've decided to catch you up on those first. So without further ado, here's my last two weeks worth of photos.

January 27, 2008: The grocery aisle



January 26, 2008: Lunch at the Rosetta Stone.



January 25, 2008: Monkey in Ridley's dress.



January 24, 2008: The spinning room at the "J"



January 23, 2008: Fresh Orchids at 21C. (Taken with Susan's 100mm macro lens that she was kind enough to let me play with)



January 22, 2008: Double dutch art at 21C.



January 21, 2008: The penis boys from the 21C lobby.



January 20, 2008: On my way to Louisville for Flourish.




January 19, 2008: A trip to the salon.



January 18, 2008: Colored popcorn.



January 18, 2008: The yoga room.



January 17, 2008: The old boiler in my basement.



January 16, 2008: Nail polish rack.




January 15, 2008: Artichokes.

I'm still here

I just wanted to make a quick post to let you know that I will be updating soon. I just got back from the Flourish Workshop in Louisville, KY and am exhausted but am so excited to share with you my experiences! I will also catch up on my P-365 photos.
So stay tuned for fabulous photos and fun stories!

Cheers,
Jaci

Saturday's shoot: Lauren and Steve

I had the pleasure of shooting a great couple this weekend. Not only are they gorgeous AND super nice but I'm lucky enough to call them family. These two are my sister and brother in law. Just wait until you see their eyes! They both have eyes as blue as the wall I was shooting them on. Their kids are going to be beautiful.
Lauren is a fellow photog located in Denver so if you're in that area and looking for a wedding photographer, she's your gal. She took some pics of me and my hubby which I'll be adding soon.
I was so happy to have the opportunity to catch up with Lauren and get to know Steve better! Thanks guys, you were great!

*Jaci Clark Photography is off and running and I'm looking to expand my portfolio. I'm offering a free engagement session and 8x10 during the months of February and March. So if you're in the Youngstown area, are newly engaged and interested in a free engagement session, you can contact me at jaciclarkphoto@gmail.com*

Cheers,
Jaci



The happy couple.



Holy blue-eyes, Batman!



I love this one.



Lauren, you have GORGEOUS eyes!



I added a little texture to grunge this one up a bit.



And finally, a slide show for your viewing pleasure :)

P-365: week 2

This week has been a little crazy. We had out-of-towners staying with us and had lots of fun together, I'm getting ready to head to Kentucky for Flourish and I had a great shoot with an adorable couple! I'm still editing their photos but I'll add them as soon as I'm finished. Until then, here are my P-365 shots of the week.


January 7, 2008: Statue in a local boutique.


January 8, 2008: Holiday decorations.


January 9, 2008: My hairdresser's accessory bag.


January 10, 2008: My thirteen-year-old cat, Smoker.


January 11, 2008: An old car inside the Canton Airport.


January 12, 2008: A cool decoration in the bathroom of a local shop.


January 13, 2008: This is what 5 1/2 pounds of crab legs look like after they've been devoured by four hungry grown-ups. (Taken with my cell phone)


Hope you all are having a great week!

Cheers,
Jaci

Project 365: week one

Here are my P-365 photos since the 1st. Rather than try and get them posted everyday, I'll do a weekly, Sunday post. My hope is that they will be a reflection of me, my life and my work.


January 2, 2008: The seahorse light in my kiddo's room


January 3, 2008: Shadow puppets.


January 4, 2008: More snow.


January 5, 2008: We got a break from all the precipitation and the blue sky peeked out.


January 6, 2008: Miss Ridley helping with the dishes.

15 days and counting...

January 20th-23rd I will be attending my first photography workshop in Lexington, KY. The Flourish Workshop is lead by the FABULOUS: Angela Anderson, Kitty Maer and Kimberly Reed and will include a day focused on business, a day full of shooting and a day focused on post-production, workflow and album design. I am SO excited to meet these wonderful women (and the other attendees) and learn everything I can during my three days there! As a way to get to know one another before the workshop, we were asked to fill out a questionnaire for the Flourish Blog. Here's mine:

Name: Jaci (pronounced Jackie) ClarkWhere do you live: Youngstown, OH

How long have you been in business: Launching January 1, 2008 :-)

Show us one of your favorite images you took recently: This is my new favorite shot. It's my son, Boston.Show us an image you took when you were first starting out: I really love this moment because I think he's actually looking down her very low-cut gown! LOL!
Show us an image you wish you took: (link) Just about anything from the FABULOUS Jessica Claire! I want to be her when I grow up.

From what do you draw your inspiration: Emotion is usually what inspires me. My emotions are very close to the surface so if it moves me, I want to capture it! Nature is a close second.

If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be shooting: Probably just my kids! LOL. Or maybe local theatre/bands. I worked with a local theatre company for 7 years so I'm pretty connected with that scene.

Why did you choose Flourish: I wanted a workshop that would help me make the right decisions from the start of my business and I thought these ladies could help me do that.

What three things would you like to learn more about at Flourish: I have to narrow it down to just three!? ;-) OK, how to market my business (especially to high-end clients), how to stand out from other photographers and I could use some help understanding my equipment better. I'm totally self-taught so some of the advanced, custom settings my camera has leaves my head spinning.

What area of your business needs more attention: I'm just starting out so I'll say...all of it.

What area of your personal life needs more attention: I have a GREAT life but my house is always a mess :( Seriously, the thing that needs the most attention is me. I'm so busy being a mom/wife/school teacher/etc. that I sometimes get lost in the hustle.

What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: Getting started, getting paid and making a name for myself.

How is your business unique: Since I haven't actually launched my business yet this is hard for me to answer. Maybe Flourish will help me develop a uniqueness.

What is your favorite indulgence: Scrapbooking. I love it and have even been published. What are you motivated by: Art, nature, my family, honesty, emotion

Do you have any personal photography projects: Yes. I live in the rust belt and 40 years ago that was synonymous with industry and growth and prosperity. Now, the factories have all closed, people left the city in droves and everything is completely run down. I've been going around town photographing things that were once icons of industry but are now just rusted and run down slices of history. This is part of the old factory my father worked at when I was a kid. Tell me one of your favorite colors without showing me the color. Violet blue (the color of the sky just as night's coming) and lime green (yes, I mean LIME green) are tied for first.

What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: I think starting my own business is probably the most fearless thing I've done my whole life. I've wanted to do it for a long time and now that the ball is rolling I'm petrified! I keep thinking I must be crazy for doing this.

Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you: I don't really have a favorite piece. I love color and things that are a bit abstract so I'm a big fan of Matisse and Picasso. I also LOVE MC Escher. His work on perspective blows my mind.
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would you do it over again? I had a dear friend who was diagnosed with cancer. When we found out about it we picked up our family and moved back to Youngstown from Tucson so we could be closer to him. We left almost immediately without our Tucson house being sold. For 7 months we had double mortgages, insurance, utilities, etc. We drained our savings and lived off our credit cards racking up lots of additional debt before we finally sold the house! Would I do it again? You bet! It gave us six glorious months with my dear friend that we would have otherwise missed. I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!


How do you celebrate when you are alone? A nice, long (and very hot) bath! My husband calls it "stewing". What gets you so worked up that you want to scream/cry/dance? Injustice, the destruction of nature for more buildings, ignorance

And finally, What is fabulous about you: I'm true to myself in most everything I do. I value others and their opinions and I'm an exceptional listener who gives great advice, if I say so myself :-)

Project 365

Two posts in one day! Don't fall out of your seats :)

I wanted to be sure to get this posted today. I've decided to challenge myself to Project 365. As far as I can tell, it was started in 2004 by a man named Taylor McKnight who decided to take a photo a day as a way to remember the year. I got the idea from Kristina after seeing some great shots she took for her Project 365. If you would like to participate and want/need inspiration from others, there's a Flickr group which has about 2200 members and a lot of ideas for photos. If you'd rather this be something you do on your own (like me), then click on the Project 365 link and read some great tips from Taylor.

Cheers,
Jaci



January 1, 2008: Day 1

This is a Star Wars pop-up book that the kiddos got for Tyler for Christmas. And this is page 1.

New year updates and news

WOW, where did the time go? I guess what they say is true: Time flies when you're having fun, and we have been having tons of it. Our holidays started out with an open house on Christmas Eve. We opened our doors at noon and told everyone we invited to come for minute, an hour or the entire day. Our first guest arrived around 1:15 and our last guest left a little after 9:00. We had a steady stream of people in and out all day long. I was smart this time and decided to serve cold items so I wasn't slaving over the stove all day. I directed our guests to help themselves to whatever they needed, and I enjoyed the party. It was a huge success, so we decided to make it an annual thing.

Christmas morning the kids woke us up bright and early to see what Santa had brought. I remember that feeling and LOVE to see the same twinkle in my kiddos. Santa made their day by bringing them the two biggest items on their list. Ridley got the art studio she wanted, and Boston finally got Megatron. That afternoon my parents and grandfather came over for a taste of our traditional Christmas dinner: spiral ham, sweet potato casserole, my Oma's dressing and Italian green beans. And, of course, they brought more presents. Thursday we went to some friends' for another "Christmas dinner". Thankfully, it was a roast and not another ham. We had, as always, an incredibly good time filled with good food, great wine and even better company.

New Year's Eve was spent in downtown Youngstown at 'First Night'. Our first stop was The Oakland Center for the Arts to see the Pickled Brothers Family Circus. The funniest tidbit from this stop came from Miss Ridley who announced to the entire theatre, "See, practice makes perfect" after the juggler dropped one of his balls. We were in stitches! Then we headed over to the Art Youngstown gallery. It's still a little surreal seeing my work hanging on the walls of a gallery, but I'm honored to be there. Then we headed over to the Children's Museum, where we ended up spending most of our time. What a great place this is! They had lizards and guinea pigs and a magician for the kids. And, part of what we love about this town, we ran into a bunch of people we knew. After, we headed over to Tomasino's Pizza and brought home a couple of "pies" for a very late dinner. We got the kids in bed about 11:00 and popped open some champagne in anticipation of the new year. It was a great night!

Tyler's company gave him the week between Christmas and New Year's off (a nice little "year end bonus" I thought). I wish I could say that we got a lot accomplished around the house and such, but truth be told we didn't do anything but celebrate the holidays and play. It was a nice, relaxing vacation and nothing more. You need those every once in a while.

Now that you're all caught up, I'll leave you with a few holiday pictures. I hope the new year brings you peace and happiness. Happy 2008!

Cheers,
Jaci




An Edible Arrangement brought to our open house from an old friend, Schultzie. It was almost too pretty to eat. (Notice I said "almost'?)



Here's our Christmas tree. As part of his family's tradition, Tyler leaves us cards in the tree that we open on Christmas morning.



I haven't done many black-and-whites lately so I did this one of the messy haired, Miss Ridley. My first thought when I saw this..."What happened to my little girl?" She looks so grown-up here! :(



Here's Boston trying to contain his excitement over finally getting this Megatron from Santa. If you only knew how long this thing was on his wish list.



The major difference between girls and boys is the amount of time they'll give you in front of a camera! Ridley is always a willing subject.



I used a couple techniques on this one to give it that old, worn look and I LOVE how it turned out!



Ridley after opening her art studio from Santa.



Our cat, Pepper, at the end of a long day.



And finally, another one of Miss Ridley. I thought her sour face deserved an unusual finish on the photo. It works well, don't you think?