I am in love with Pintrest! I've always been a fan of finding inspirational photos ("copying" them) and saving them on my desktop - especially when I was redecorating my room. I found out about pintrest maybe 8 or 9 months ago and I can't stop "pinning" now lol. It's really quite useful. I have pinning boards for fashion inspirations, my business brand, hair styles, travel destinations, interior decorating, and more! If you'd like an invite just let me know. I'd also love to connect with you and see what things interest you, so check me out here and I can follow you too!
So
I've decided to start the new year off with a "Big Bang" loL...I really
feel it in my bones that I will accomplish all of the things that I want to accomplish in this new year,
and you know what, I couldn't be happier! So happy in fact, that I really do want to
share the excitement with ya'll and get you guys hyped up and excited
with me! I will have officially had N~Grace Photography for 2 years next
month and I see the long trail that has lead us up to where N~Grace Photography
is now. It's pretty amazing what support, motivation and determination will do for you
;)
So anyway, on to the more exciting parts lol...I've got a lot of new
things happening for the "new year" - new travels, new thoughts, new
brands, new ideas and goals, and new accomplishments! - so the theme of
this celebration is "The Year of All Things New...The Year of Brand New
Beginnings!" :D Don't you just love it! Come on get amp'd up (insert
amp'd up music and dancing here)!! In celebration of this exciting new time, we (yepp, WE) are going to celebrate during the entire month of January!
I've got prizes, giveaways, discounts, and FUN! I like to party and
have a good time so I want ya'll to look at this celebration like one
big virtual party and have a good time! Oh, and everything's on me! ;)
HERE'S THE DEAL:
Every Monday (to jump start your week on a good note) and Friday (to
end the week even better) during the month of January check my blog and facebook page to find out what the deal of the day is. Remember I'll be giving away prizes, Discounts, and FREEBIES! Woot Woot!
I've been doing a lot of research over the past six months about positive customer experiences and how it affects business results. Many people want to know the secret of gaining lots of exposure and business (including me), but instead of flat out giving you the answer I've found, I thought it'd be cool to do a little activity ;)
Think of three brands that you've interacted with that you absolutely love and have purchased [something - service or product] from more than once. For me I think of...
Jet Blue Airlines
The Trunk Stylists
Apple
Why do I think these companies/businesses are so great? Well, I was introduced to Jet Blue when I was pretty young and I loved that they had TVs on the back of every seat so I could watch cartoons - not having to sit and watch a movie (one I prob. didn't want to see anyway) on a screen 4 rows ahead of me! Pretty convenient for each of their flyers, huh? They also provided me with a snack and drink (people always respond favorably to food loL), the airplane was clean and the seats were pretty comfy. As I got older and started paying for my own flights I quickly learned the value of "Free checked baggage" which is something Jet Blue has always offered over most of their competitors! I've experienced a few different airlines and always seem to be disappointed because none of them measure up to the standards of Jet Blue, in my opinion.
The Trunk, my favorite local boutique store! What's so great about this boutique? Simple, Aneesa and Marianne. The two of them have shown excellent customer service and we've since passed the point of owner/customer relationship, I really feel like we are friends. They greet everyone who walks through their doors and if you are a more frequent shopper they will most def. greet you by name which I think is something everyone likes. On top of selling extremely stylish clothes they provide a service that gains them promoters who spread the word of their shop and keep people coming back.
Apple. 'Nough said, right!? loL ;) - Apple produces products that are just unmatchable. They really do provide excellent products! The design of each product is always modern which appeals to people. The fact that they are a premium product, in my opinion, makes them all the more appealing to potential customers. They pay exquisite attention to detail in their product designs, customer service and marketing efforts; because of this rarity customers have jumped in line to purchase!
The point is, no matter which company or business you came up with you'll probably note that they all deliver excellent customer experiences! Whether that means they offer free checked luggage, go the extra mile in remembering your name, asking how you're doing and genuinely care and listen, or pay attention to the details that you as a customer care about and then go beyond those expectations. Remember, excellent customer experiences produce great business results because it causes people to promote you and your business! Having those "promoters" are the BEST way to keep and increase business.
And only because a post looks so much better with an image, here's a sneak peek to a photo shoot I had earlier this morning on the beach....
I came across this video a few weeks ago and it blew my mind! This act is called murmuration, there are 100,000+ starlings and apparently they move in such a way in order to survive (to keep from being eaten!).
They "seek safety in numbers, gathering in flocks and with every bird trying to
avoid the edge where adept predators can sometimes snatch a victim." Oh and by the way this footage was shot in Ireland, the land in which I am hoping to travel to soon remember?! loL
Traveling is a passion of mine. Those who know me, know this statement is true. Just yesterday I was given the opportunity to apply and possibly get the chance to travel to Dublin, Ireland!!! I remember when I was younger a few friends of mine visited Ireland with their mom, I remember seeing photos of the extraordinary plush, green mountains just imagining I'd gone with them. And then (years later) it happened, I saw one of the best romance drama movies ever produced...P.S. I Love You!!! It was then when I fell (one of those falls when your toes are curled all the way to the back, your ankle is now facing the ground, and your face just plummets to the ground and there is no break to your fall!) in love with that beautiful country.
I have to figure out how I am going to get the money to be able to pay for the trip. I have about 5 months to raise $3500-$4500 for this trip. I will keep saying to myself "where there's a will, there's a way" but I have no idea what way I will get that money! loL I mean geez I'm still just a part-time intern and full time college student. So with that said, anybody interested in buying some lemonade for a buck fifty ($150)? loL! At that rate I'll only need to sell about thirty (30) cups ;)....Nahh, seriously though if you guys have any suggestions as to how I can raise more cash I'd love to hear them :) Mini photo sessions anyone?! I gotta make this work! I'll keep ya'll posted...
This is one question that will never get old when it comes to getting your pictures taken :) what should we wear? It's a great question to ask because it means you care about the quality of your photos! For a more detailed suggestion as to what to wear during your portrait session you can read my first article of What to Wear?!
So what should you wear? I'm always going to push for color! Bold brights may not be your thing, so we won't even go there loL, but just a pop of color against a soft, neutral background does just fine.
A lot of couples and families think you have to be uniform, but I'm here to tell you that is not the case! Instead think more about complimenting each other rather than completely matching each other. Patterns – think stripes, polka dots,
florals, etc – on top of color really help to make your photos stand out, in a good way. Textures are great and
details too – a favorite hat, cool watch, pretty scarf, fun jewelry,
whatever makes you, you! For my portrait sessions you should always plan for at least one outfit change. Keep in mind the location we’ve chosen for your photos. And
remember, you want to feel comfortable and confident (and beautiful!) in
whatever you choose.
Pictures are always helpful, so here is an inspiration board for you :)...
This short film is so incredibly beautiful, Tom Jenkins is amazing! I put myself in the shoes of this desk toy everyday because I too want to escape from the confines of my routine school and office life. I wish the video was longer because I soak in the mood of it all! The enviornment, soft melody, display of colors...all of it! You can find behind the scenes photos on The Theory's Facebook Page
It was such a great experience getting to hang out with the women at the Shay Cochrane Photography Workshop earlier this month. I met photographers from all over Florida and got in contact with a few locals which was cool. I've been a fan of Shay's for quite some time now, not only for her amazing photography skills, but also her openness and willingness to share with others what shes learned. She and I had been keeping in touch via facebook over the past year, ironically though, we'd never met loL. So finally, finally we got to met during her beginner pro workshop at the beginning of the month! She is so sweet :) and I learned a lot from her that day which was extremely exciting! I've been happy to continue to put into practice the techniques she taught us that day. We had the pleasure of shooting a really nice couple in the super fab Tampa Heights historic building! I'd never been there before, but you can bet I will be back! I love it!
It was so nice to finally meet these two! I'd been in contact with Virginia for a few months trying to settle on a date that would be convenient for all three of us. It was so interesting to hear about how they met and learn of the activities they do together :) Virginia and I are both Floridians, so when she told me she wasn't really into the outdoors I could 100% relate loL! Her fiance, Kyle, is from Kentucky however and he loovveess the outdoors! She said he introduced her to a lot of the activities they now do together like hiking, camping, biking and snow boarding! I have to admit that all seems pretty cool. I wouldn't mind trying snow boarding myself and I've hiked a time or two before, but I'm still a laid back lazy Floridian at heart loL so there is only so much I can do. Anyway, he currently resides in Italy, how cool is that!? (I'll admit I'm a little jealous, I've always wanted to go) and he'll be there for another year or so...they are the sweetest people, but nothing compares to their adorable dog Troy! Their engagement shoot almost turned into a Troy photo shoot - I had to stop and remember who actually is getting married (smh lol). Well, it was such a pleasure to meet Kyle and Virginia and I wish them all the best in their future together :) I hope to have the pleasure to talk and photograph them again...
So I'm just sitting here in my room listening to music, editing pics, and browsing the web...what's new? lol...I'm looking at some of my favorite photographer's blogs - and for all of you who aren't photographers let me just tell you we are in our own little world, we have our "Beyonce's," and "Justin Beiber's" of the photography world. The celebrity photographers. - I'm looking at the blogs reading about their experiences speaking all over the world and it hit me! All of them have some sort of signature. Just like a singer has a signature sound or a top model has his/her signature walk or pose. These photographers have signature....I'll just call them signature ideas. These signature ideas are the ideas they sell to other people. They actually sell these ideas to people, well photographers, because we pay lots of money I'm talking thousands of dollars to hear them speak for just a few hours. Okay so I'll be real for a sec. because I've never actually paid more than $150 loL but seriously people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars for photography motivational speaking. If you got it like that, by all means go'head. This isn't a bash post. I'm not hatin on anyone spending or making money, it was just a thought that part of the celebrities' successes are their signature ideas. Be it the idea to use natural light or the idea to dream and continue to dream or work with film or whatever! What will my signature be?
I recently attended a photography workshop that was great! I loved it! We talked about the technicalities of shooting, amongst other things and I went away thinking okay this is how I need to shoot because this is what I like. I like this photographers style so I need to shoot like this. Well, I just had two shoots in the past week and I was not my regular self because I was thinking all about the technicalities of how I "need to shoot!" I wasn't thinking about MY signature (hadn't thought about it at that point) and it felt like I was trying to fit a circle into a square, just didn't fit and although I came back with nice photos they weren't MY photos.
I expressed that to my boyfriend last night as we were talking - and I love him because he always brings me back to Nina - he said, "Nina you know how to take a picture, you know the technicalities already and you're great at it. What's different about your images is YOU, your creativity. If you want to practice anything practice using your imagination, your point of view. Not another person's." So thinking about that and now thinking about signatures I wonder what my signature will be...I want my signature idea to be to follow your heart. Follow what you feel is right, what fits into your style and personality. It might not be the norm, but so. Television, texting, blogging, rap, heck! even digital photography wasn't the norm at one point.
I know every so often I have these rambling blog posts, but I know I'll just look back at these posts years from now and smile, reading how I had epiphanies throughout my life :) Here is a song, that I LOVE, from the musical Urinetown that I think fits this post perfectly ;-)
Last month was one of my favorite St.Pete events. The 600 Block After Dark Party! The boutiques are open late, everyone comes out looking fabulous, we have free food and drinks and there is a fashion show in the middle of, what they call, the arcade! Check out the link to the video my favorite videographer Javier Fick shot, below that are some cool photos from the night.
Yay my very own custom thank you cards! Now when I send clients their images I can thank them on personal stationary. All thanks to the lovely ladies at Beach Papery and Gifts in downtown St.Pete. They were so kind and helpful and I think the cards turned out great! I like them, simple yet meaningful (at least that's how I feel).
I didn't even realize this was on my 101 list that I made up last month until I read it again yesterday and said, "Hey! I can check that off" :D loL This is the first step to many in my new re-branding process and I can't even explain how excited I am! Things are starting off on a really good note! I can't wait to share more with you...
A few weeks ago I hung around The Trunk Stylists in downtown St.Pete on the infamous 600 block shooting some stills for their commercial shoot recorded by the fabulous Javier Fick! It was all kinds of fun. They started shooting inside the store for the first scene and then we moved outside onto the rooftop! The view of downtown St.Pete from up there was just beautiful...but I can show you better than I can tell you, so here goes...
Sarasota is so colorful and beautiful, I've always wanted to have a photo shoot in the downtown area, so I was extremely excited to make the 45 minute trip to downtown Sarasota to visit Tori and her friend Ariel to take photos :) We had lots of fun, enjoying good conversation and a LOT of laughing! I'm so happy the weather had cleared up a bit from the down pour earlier in the day.
This is Tori... * Click on the photo for better quality*
And this is her friend Ariel (love that red hair girl!)...
