FREE Photography Lessons

Good Morning Friend,

It’s day I-don’t-even-know-anymore of self-isolation because of Covid-19. I am writing you from home while the snow (honestly, Alberta really needs to move on to spring now) gently falls outside my window and the kids take this unsupervised opportunity to wreak some havoc.  Seriously though, I can literally hear them quietly giggling as they fill something up in the sink.  But thats where we are at, letting some of the mischievous antics slide for a moment of quiet or an hour of work.  It's not a perfect system, but ya do what ya gotta do you know?!

How are you doing?   I have been thinking of you all so much.  Wondering if there is anyway I could help besides reminding you to dance on instagram lol.   And I decided that at the very least, I could offer you a fun and creative distraction.  FREE PHOTOGRAPHY LESSONS!  If you follow me on Insta, chances are you maybe joined in on one or two of the live lessons.  But I heard from so many folks that missed out on the lessons or worksheets (sad face).  So I set to work to make everything available for you to go at your own pace.  All the live recordings have been, very non-professionally, posted on IGTV and all the worksheets will be sent to your inbox, just CLICK HERE to grab them! 

Here is a little break down of the lessons:

1. Learn how to shoot on Manual Mode

2. Understanding that Light

3. Creating with Composition

4. How-to Create Double Exposure and other Creative Techniques

5. The Beauty of Self-Portraits

Ahh, so exciting. I honestly love chatting photography with you all and I really hope these lessons bring a little light to your days! If you have any question or just want chat, you know where to find me!  Sending you virtual hugs!

Warmly,

Karmen

P.S.  A dance a day is quite an effective mood booster, just try it!

25 Places to Use Brand Photos

by Brand Designer Tammy Swier and Photographer Karmen Meyer

So you just had an amazing brand photography session done (insert happy dance here!). Now it’s time to put your images to work! We often suggest that you plan to sprinkle them into your social media to really make them last. Perhaps put a few on your website, but then what? Well the good news is that this beautiful collection of photos that aligns so powerfully with your brand both visually and emotionally can be used in so many other ways! We put a lot of effort into making sure your photo sessions tell your unique brand story and are absolute workhorses for your biz. It’s super important to us that you get the most use out of you one-of-a-kind as you possibly can. Heck, even if you took the initiative to create a set of brand photos yourself (bravo!), we still want your efforts maximized. Our mantra is 100% work smarter, not harder. So let’s go…

HERE are some places YOU can USE (and reuse) your BRAND PHOTOS:

1. Instagram Ads

2. Instagram Stories

3. E-mail Profile Photo

4. Product Listings

5. Presentation Slide Deck

6. Business Card

7. Blog Posts

8. Guest Blog Posts

9. Media Kits

10. Publications or Press Submissions

11. Upcoming Sale or Promotion Graphics

12. Facebook Posts

13. Facebook Header

14. Facebook Ads

15. Price Guide or Brochure

16. Email Newsletter

17. Contracts or Service Agreements

18. Mood Board to Communicate Your Brand Aesthetic to Your Graphic or Web Designer

19. Branded Goods

20. Desktop Screensaver

21. Freebie Phone Backgrounds

22. E-Book Cover

23. Thank You Cards, Postcards, or Mailings

24. Office Art

25. Pinterest Graphics

So there ya have it, these are just some of the places brand photos can level up your game. And before you go, we have got one more little tip for ya: When planning a brand session, see what other local brands you can incorporate seamlessly. By doing so you can send them a few photos from the shoot to use for free (with your photographers permission of course!). By doing so you are helping out a fellow small business owner by giving them an amazing photo for content and you get a little extra exposure. Win/Win. We love to use blankets, florals, beverages, mugs, clothing and accessories from local shops in many of our shoots and always encourage cross promotion, ‘cause #communityovercompetition!

If you have any questions at all just let me know in the comments below or hop on over to my contact page to send an email! Can’t wait to chat!

6 Reasons to Start a Bullet Journal and How to Get Started Today

Did you know that when you write down your goals you are 90% more likely to achieve them?!*

For me journaling is such an essential part of my self-love journey. I check-in with myself daily to take the vortex of anxiety-inducing tasks swirling around in my head and out them down on the paper. And what do ya know, they seem so much more reasonable once they are stationary. A journal is a safe place to say what’s on my mind. A place to dream big, set goals and make promises to myself. And you can easily do the same!

Here is a quick run-down of how journalling can help:

1. reduces anxiety

2. increases productivity

3. helps you to set goals and actually achieve them

4. keeps creative (and sometimes chaotic) thoughts in one place instead of scattered on random napkins, envelopes, and phone notes.

5. the blank slate of each dotted page keeps you creative and in charge of what needs to be said that day

6. and last but not least, it helps to practice the art of letting go of perfection. There are now perfect squares or pre-written titles. I think a lot of people start bullet journals with this idea that they are going to Pinterest worthy, and sometimes they are. But for me, and I’m willing to bet most people, it’s function over form. Just showing up and checking in, is so much more important then having each page immaculately laid out!

Are you sold yet?! Well the good news is that you don’t need much to get started. Just get yourself a pen and a notebook with dotted lines. I don’t use anything fancy here, I most recently ordered this ‘Essential Notebook’ off Amazon for $12 but I have seen similar ones at Chapters as well. (I am on the hunt for a stationary brand who is transparent about where and what their notebooks are made from though! If you know of any please do share!!). And then the final, most important step. DON’T OVERTHINK IT! Just go with it, if you have a messy journal it doesn’t make it any less impactful.

For example, my sister and I both bullet journal. Hers looks like a freaking artist’s sketchpad and mine looks like an explosion of lists, thoughts and the occasional drawing from my beloved children (Ugh, but remember…. the art of letting go…. deep breaths y’all). There isn’t a right way or a wrong way here. You do you girl!

Here is what works for me:

1. Attempt to make the first page of the journal pretty. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The end result doesn’t matter here, you just showed up for yourself friend. And I am freaking proud of you. I just started a new journal, and since it happens to coincide with the new year, my cover page has the number 2020 written large in the centre and then I wrote down meaningful words that I want to focus on this year. Basically it looks like one of those bubble charts we had to do in school. Call me a nerd, but you will see quite a few of said charts in my journal. They just work so well for plotting together my never-ending train of thoughts!

2. The next page, I write the title TO READ in 2020. This page I will leave blank and whenever I come across a book or post I want to read, I will write it down here so I don’t forget. PLUS, I love checking things off a list. The more lists the better lol.

3. Next page, I write the title TO LISTEN TO in 2020. This page is dedicated to audiobooks, podcasts, music.

4. and the next page, I write the title OTHER RESOURCES. Listen friends, I am a research machine and having a consistent place set aside to keep track of the info I want to indulge on is such a time saver!! If this isn’t your jam. Don’t do it. Easy Peasy.

5. From here on out the world is your oyster. Depending on what I am needing, I may write a daily to-do list. Or maybe I need a good old brain dump…. What’s a brain dump you ask? Well… write Brain Dump (or Thoughts if your feeling fancy) and then you just start writing down what is taking up space in your mind. These two things are what I do the most! But I also use these blank pages to map out plans for social media, to collect quotes that inspire, to write gratitude lists. I also, check in every few months to re-write my brand/life values and make sure that I am living in alignment with those values.

Bullet journals can be as simple or as intricate as you want. Because each page is blank, it means that they are basically universal. It just takes a bit of a commitment at the beginning to get into the habit. But I’m telling you once you settle in, it will be something you look forward to! If you have any questions or would like to know more about bullet journaling just let me know!

I hope this helps so much on your journey toward self-awareness, reflection and goal setting!

Can’t wait to chat more next week! Warmly,

Karmen

* ok I don’t know if it is exactly 90%! I read this fact so long ago that I don’t even remember where to look for the exact information lol. But moral of the story, WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS.