Archive for Category: MLP
Highlights From My Last Photo Shoot
I was so excited when Zumba Babe Maggie asked me to take her portraits.
Maggie wanted to do it in honor of her birthday, and I was so glad that she trusted me to do a “Heads (AND) Tails Photo Session”! We actually did a triple threat shoot: Zumba, Boudoir, and Portraits.
If you are local and are interested in your own “Heads and/or Tails Photo Shoot” just drop me a line and we’ll set something up!
Zumba for a Cure in Dawsonville, GA
When I first joined my gym the two group classes that were the deciding factor for me were Bodyflow (Yoga/Tai Chi/Pilates) and Zumba.
I remember my first Zumba class. I stood in the back. It’s not that I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it. It’s that I’m a perfectionist (stop snickering Michael) and I wanted to know most of the steps before I unleashed Crazy Dancing Mishi.
Weeks passed and I moved up a row. More weeks, more rows. Now-a-days I’m only comfortable on the side right side of the room (where most of my Zumba-Babes break it down) and towards the front row.
Last week, Kristy (my OG instructor) was sick and she sent a CD to one of our Zumba [Babes] in Instructor Training, Amanda. A bunch of us that know the songs helped keep the class going, and it was so awesome. It made me think that someday I’d like to do the Zumba Instructor Training? For now I’m having fun just dancing in class. Burning calories is purely coincidental.
There’s a group of us that have bonded. We’ve gone to Zumba After Dark, Applebees to sing our Karaoke hearts out, dancing at the Ridge, we’ve sat in a wet sauna together, had breakfast in honor of a birthday, and we’ve also started to do Girls Nights In (our first one was at Stephanie’s — a Kinect Just Dance Night complete with Funtinis, Chocolate Vin and scrumptious tummy-yummies!) I’ve even had the honor of being trusted to do a ‘Heads or Tails Photo Session‘ for Maggie, our gym’s Thursday morning Zumba Instructor, whom I totally miss shaking-it with in our Tuesday/Wednesday night class, but am so happy that she is following her dream of instructing!
What I’m trying to say here is that I don’t just go into class, sweat my ass off, wipe it off, and leave. No way. We stay and talk afterward, make plans, and support each other in all of our endeavors.
The latest one is in support of Lucy and Lisa. They are doing the Atlanta 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer, and we are fully supporting them. A fundraiser Zumba night was developed! If you are in the Dawsonville area (or close enough) please consider coming! I guarantee it will be OMGWTFBBQAWESOMESAUCESWEATYCRAZYCOOLFUN!
WHERE? Veterans Memorial Park
Directions to Veteran’s Memorial Park:
-Hwy 400 N to Hwy 136
-Left on Hwy 136
-Left on Hwy 9
-Veteran’s Memorial Park on Right
WHEN? April 27th, 2012 from 6-8:30pm
HOW MUCH? $10.00 per person
*All proceeds benefit the Atlanta 2 Day Walk for Breast Cancer
WHO? Featuring local Zumba instructors Kristy Thornton Howard, Margaret Phiri, other guest instructors & YOU!!!
WHAT ELSE?
*Drinks & snacks will be for sale
*Raffle items including a Membership to Bodyplex Gym (and a session with a *cough*cough* local photographer!)
*Come spend the evening with us just having a great time while raising money for a great cause!
Happy Fourth of July!
It’s here, the day when we celebrate our country’s independence. Many of us will be watching beautiful firework displays, and we’ll want to capture them with our cameras. It can be frustrating, though, trying to figure out what setting(s) to use. It’s not hard at all; being equipped with some basic knowledge will prove to you how easy (and fun) it is.
Tips to Make Your Firework Photography Explode (using a dSLR)
- Turn off the flash.
- Use a tripod.
- Shoot in Manual (M) mode or Bulb* mode, if your camera has it.
- Set the focus to infinity.
- Use a remote release** if you can.
- Set your ISO to the lowest possible setting and keep it there.
- Use low apertures between f/8 and f/16. This will help to not over-expose your shot.
- Shutter speed is the key. You want a longer exposure, but must be careful not too leave the shutter open too long as it can over-expose easily, even in the dark.
- Switch off the auto-focus and go fully manual.
- Experiment with varying focal lengths resulting in tightly cropped shots or wide angle shots.
- Don’t forget to look for other types of shots, like silhouettes of observers, reactions to the big bursts in the sky. This allows for different and interesting perspectives.
*Bulb mode allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter.
**This is the best since you won’t be moving the camera at all. Remote releases are relatively inexpensive, too.
Point-and-Shoot Tips:
If your point-and-shoot has a fireworks setting, use that. It will turn off the flash, and adjust all your camera’s settings for long-exposure night photography. No fireworks mode? Set your dial to Manual and shoot with a long exposure, as with a dSLR.
I hope these tips will help you to achieve those awesome Fourth of July shots that you want! If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments sections.
Oh, To Be Young Again
Next year marks 20 years since my Senior Prom. I’ll never forget the day… The Grateful Dead were playing at Rich Stadium and our limo driver got into a crash with a Volkswagen mini-bus filled with hippies. Thankfully, the crash was before my date and I were picked up. This made for some “fun” time spent on the back porch with my already uncomfortable date (I’ll save that story for another time, I promise!) and my whole family. I’m just saying maybe getting into a crash with hippies might of been a whole different kind of fun. Not to mention that there’s a video tape of me leaving, with said uncomfortable date, and you can clearly hear my father tell my uncle to “write down the license plate.” You, know, just in case the driver was really a serial killer of something. But, I digress…
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of taking pictures for a family friend’s daughter and her friends before their Junior/Senior Prom. This group of kids was gorgeous. Classy. Elegant. Smart. Polite. Everything that makes a parent proud. I could have stayed there all day, taking pictures!
These are my favorites from the day:
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All Work & All Play Makes Mishi Feel Just Fine
My Bliss: Part V
Waking up on Thursday morning was really hard, but I had my first “Heads or Tails” mini-session to get to in the Delta Atrium. I met Amanda at 9:30am, and I was extremely happy with the light. I took a few test exposures before texting her to see where she was, as the atrium is huge and I was kicking myself for not being super specific about our meeting point in my confirmation email, but we found each other without much of a hitch.
After Amanda’s photo session, I raced to the opening keynote. Being one of the tribe leaders, for photography, I knew exactly where I had to go. I got to hear the end of Brené Brown‘s talk. What I heard was phenomenal, and I totally recommend you watch her speak on Ted. Moving. Memorable. Deep. Her words are what made me finally realize that I should “come out” on Facebook about my blog. I’m still listening and learning about vulnerability and shame and belonging and and courage and believing that . . .
Brené Brown’s Opening Keynote at Blissdom
[Photo courtesy of Schmutzie]
After the Keynote it was time for Tribe Leaders Round Table Discussions. I sat with some really wonderful women. We talked about what we do, our passions, our goals, our equipment, and our overall love of photography. I was honored to sit there with them as a Blissdom Tribe Leader!
Then it was time for lunch. Blissdom never disappoints in this department, and lunch was absolutely delicious. I was so hungry that I didn’t even get a chance to take a picture of my yummy food (I know, can you believe it?) But, I did get to eat lunch with my new friend Ann, and I got sit next to the ever lovely Domestic Debacle. I also got to talk to Ryan, and I got to get a big, huge, love-filled hug from Amy!
Once I had my fill of Mexican flare, hugs, laughter, good conversation, and camaraderie, I headed off to do some more work.
I had head shots scheduled for Shab and Brigid, in the Garden Conservatory.
There was some time to go support my old Cre8buzz pals: Jim, Leslie, and Amy at their Innovative Writing Techniques Session! Jim has a great recap (with videos) on his blog. You must see it!
Then I had my first Boudoir shoot with Carmen. After that session I met Mandy in the Delta Atrium for her head shot session. I felt in the zone. I felt alive. I loved doing this type of portraiture. The Heads or Tails sessions were off with a bang!
Beautiful women, right?
That’s Blissdom to me. Beautiful, talented, smart, funny, awesome women around every corner; seeing their bliss through my lens added to my bliss! When work is your passion you get bliss. I absolutely love what I do!
++++++
Once Mandy’s session was completed I headed back to the sessions to catch the Advocates and Activists: Harnessing Social Media for Social Good in the Face of Compassion Fatigue Session where the speakers got real about the situations that they have harnessed social media for social good. Ryan’s story touched me, and if you haven’t heard of him or what he’s done, you should definitely find out. Other speakers included Ellie Schoenberger, Anissa Mayhew, and Ellen Seidman.
Thursday night was something awesome. Music. Food. Drinks. Friends. Laughter. Oh, this was a night I will remember for years. [To be continued...]
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