Archive for the ‘Muse’ Category

After dragging my feet for many long months, I have finally opened my little online Recherche Fine Art Etsy shop! I don’t know why it is so hard to share images that are my own personal expression of bliss. But it is. I hope you will take a minute to peruse the shop and let me know what you think. (And possibly consider purchasing a Mother’s Day gift?) I encourage you take a few minutes today to create something beautiful in your own world. Happy Monday!

I’m very excited to show off Recherche’s new blog! We’ll be tweaking for the next month or so but by the time we’re done it will be chock-a-block full of fascinating and helpful information! We’ll have  directions for booking your baby portraits, destination wedding packages, tidbits about the photographer, Regina Mountjoy (me!), tips on how to prepare for your photojournalistic children’s portrait session, links to my Recherche Fineart website, my The Organized Photographer website, a lush new gallery of wedding and portrait images from all over the world! And more! Stay tuned!

I am indebted to Juli with Voco Creative for her artistic vision and technical know-how. I woke up yesterday morning before our appointment, took this photo of my bedroom with my iPhone and brought it to Juli- “I’d like my new blog to look and feel like this.” What do you think? Isn’t she amazing?? Need a fresh look for your business? She’s your girl!

I think every artist must go through a period of self-doubt. Mine seems to be about every month of two. Every winter I say to Jay, “I’m not sure I want to be a photographer anymore. I’m not sure I’m good enough.” He smiles at me. I get annoyed and insist that I’m serious. He says, “I know you are. Let’s see how you feel in the spring.”

I also think one of the biggest dangers for an artist, and really for us all, is comparison. I recently watched a documentary about Annie Leibovitz and couldn’t help but think, “Wow. Now SHE is a photographer. I just dabble, but she is the real deal.” I look at other people’s photographs and think, “Now that is great photography!! hmm. What am I doing??” Then I run into someone randomly who says, “Regina, I’ve been following your work for years and it is amazing. I can’t tell you how much I love it!” I’m taken aback, flattered, surprised, wonder if she’s really talking to ME. I realize some people look at MY work and think, “Wow, she is the real deal.” But I don’t really FEEL like that.

Almost every edit I do follows the same pattern of mental dialogue. If you must know, it goes something like this…I start by looking through the raw, unedited mass of images: “Oh my gosh, really, Regina, you have GOT to figure out how to focus…maybe I need a new camera, ahhhhhh, what were you doing??! Well, you almost got it but not quite. Ugh, they paid how much for this? Why do you insist and shooting against this window?? blah, blah, blah.” Next phase, I’ve narrowed down 600 images to 180-ish decent images; I know I want to be closer to 50-75 of the very best, most perfect shots so I’m choosing roughly one out of three images. “OK, that’s a good one, this one is better than that one; yes, this is a little blurry but what a fabulous moment! This exact image was worth the entire photo shoot.” I’ve got my final edit and I do my processing/tweaking. Drop them in a slideshow, choose my song, watch the slideshow and get completely choked up. It is beautiful. And real. No one is photoshoped, no one is smiling unnaturally, the kids are just doing whatever it is they do, the interactions and expressions are genuine, and these images will be timeless for this family.

OK, I’m no Annie Leibovitz, or any of the other massively talented photographers, I’m just me and I shoot the way I shoot. People often ask me, “How can I niche myself as a photographer when there are SOOOO many of us??” My response is always, “you just have to stay true to yourself. That’s it. That’s the only way. Don’t try to copy other people’s styles, don’t try to shoot the way you think your clients want you to shoot, do a tight final edit of the images that YOU love best, show only what you love.”

Without further ado (if you’re still even reading this!!) I am so excited to share this set of images with you!

 
While new baby Melanie is getting prepped for her shoot, Adeline and I are just hanging out.

This little buttercup is all of two weeks old! She’s not sure about this business of laying in basins and whatnot, but can’t help but notice the overhead lights.
 
I cannot get over how adorable the print is on this blanket- not to mention the baby!!
Adeline is still getting used to the idea of a new kid on the block so we just let her kind of hang out in the background for a while.  
Eventually she warmed to the idea (or maybe she was just tired of Melanie occupying the spotlight!) This is the first time she gets to hold her baby sister.
Yeah, the whole family! This is a super tricky set of ages to get in a family shot!! But this whole series just makes me smile.
First sister kiss!!!
We always try to end on a high note so baby portrait sessions only take about 40-60 minutes. While Matt is getting Adeline ready to go I snuck this last shot of Jessie with her newest little one. So pretty.

Thank you SOOOO much Jessie & Matt for coming in and bringing me your gorgeous girls to photograph! A treat!

The Bliss Family Online Gallery is available here: www.pictage.com/840165

If you know me at all, you know I tend to hibernate during the colder/darker time of year, coming up for air only occasionally in dire need. Hence, no newsletter and blog posts few & far between. If we are friends on FaceBook you’ll know I’ve been doing a lot of yoga, gardening and spending lots of quality time with my pups.

In the midst of that, inspiration arrived. As usual, it was unlooked for. I created the space and *poof*. After 10 years of running my own creative business, I have somehow managed to combine my artistic nature, my commitment to customer service and my passion for organization into a streamlined business. Let me tell you, it did NOT come easily. Geeze. Which may be why I am so excited to share it with others! My new business combines my two greatest skill sets: organization and photography. I have been mentoring photographers young and old for years, and now I’m ready to formalize it bit.

Introducing: The Organized Photographer!

What is this about? Nutshell: I’m poised to help other photographers create structure in their business, space in their life and sanity in their psyche.

How will I do this? By offering group classes, intensive workshops, one-on-one coaching and downloadable forms + checklists. To start.

What does this mean to you? Are you a photographer that would like to have a little more structure, space and sanity? Start by signing up for the TOP newsletter, following me on Twitter, become a FB fan or just visit the new website to read more about the venture.

What if you are not a photographer? Cool! I’ll be offering lots of mini classes on de-cluttering and working more efficiently which will be applicable to all. I also offer one-on-one mentoring to help tackle clutter that is burying you. So sign up for the newsletter on the left-hand side of the TOP website.

Need some de-cluttering help stat? Come to my “Mini Clear the Clutter” workshop on Tuesday, June 1st at my home studio in Louisville! Wine, snacks, tons of tips and ideas and only $35! To reserve your spot sign up here.

Will I still be photographing? Of course! Otherwise my business would just be The Organized Girl.

And please be so very kind as to forward this email to any photographers in your circle. 
I would be most grateful if you would help spread the word and connect me with people I can help.

It is such a privilege to be present for so many treasured moments in people’s lives and be given the responsibility to capture, and ultimately create their memories. There are so many “memories” that I have that are based completely on a photograph in my old faded album. My aspiration as a photographer is to create as many genuinely happy and magical memories for people as I can. I believe it will make the world a better place.

I believe in ripple effects- doing one small kind and gracious thing can ripple through one person’s life and eventually into hundreds of thousands. It’s why I always tip generously, regardless of the quality of service; why I always try to smile first and trust that if someone does not respond positively back that they are just having a rough day or life. It’s why I try to give what I can whenever someone asks and why I try to at least put my hand on a person’s shoulder and make eye contact when I pass someone who seems lost and alone. In tiny little ways I am trying to break the cycle of isolation and am attempting to funnel love back into the world. I’m trying plump it all up a bit.

A new local Boulder-based non-profit with this exact idea has sprung up: HighHeart.org and I am delighted to be represented on their website! I bought two pieces of art at their opening, one of which is sitting right here on my desk, reminding me to daily put my heart out into the world, to offer it to everyone around me and to not close up because of the pain. It reaffirms for me that the little, seemingly trivial acts of kindness, to myself and to others, matter so very much.

The other piece I bought because I love the stars and love and i love the sharing. This piece is in our guest bedroom.

Just take 5 minutes to read through their beautiful website. It will inspire you.

A new decade requires a new hair color. Right? I chose red. My mommy took this picture of me at our birthday brunch last weekend!

One of the most poignant quotes I’ve read about being an artist (and I believe that word is synonymous with being ALIVE) is from The Courage To Create by Rollo May. This quote so accurately describes my experience- daily, monthly and yearly. My whole life has been a cycle of inspiration and desolation. Death and rebirth. Courage and fear. Optimism and depression. I am sustained by metaphors and visual symbols. (is that the same thing?)

“Zeus was outraged. He decreed that Prometheus be punished by being bound to Mount Caucasus, where a vulture was to come each morning and eat away his liver which would grow again at night. This element in the myth is a vivid symbol of the creative process. All artists have at some time had the experience at the end of the day of feeling tire, spent and so certain they can never express their vision that they vow to forget it and start all over again on something the next morning. But during the night their “liver grows back again.” They arise full of energy and go back with renewed hope to their task, again to strive in the smithy of their soul.”

It is hard to be in an artist, to work in service to others, for my work to be an expression of my heart and soul for all to see and judge, to put a price tag on my art, to photograph all of my friends’ and clients’ babies when I’ve longed for my own for so many years and have not been able to have one. It would be much easier to move to France where I don’t know anyone and start some sort of a garden business or get a job working for Anthropologie and be surrounded by beautiful meaningless things all day long. I’ve considered both options. Often. But I desperately want my life to matter, to make a difference, to have a lasting impact. And I love to photograph. I love my friends and my clients and love being a part of their lives. It fills me up. But to be honest, it also empties me out- at the same time somehow. So after ten years of pouring everything I had into Recherche, I now feel compelled to make time to be filled back up. That means MAKING the time to go for walks, for hikes, for yoga class, to spend time working in my garden and to cook. It means spending time reading, doing my own personal projects and just putzing around the house rearranging and organizing cabinets. Did you know I am obsessed with organizing? It’s true. I think it’s not so much that I’m a control freak, it’s more that my heart and my heart are both so saturated to the brim ALL the time that I require my surroundings to be in order so I can get anything done. I’ve had an idea for a professional organizing business in the back of my head for years called “Muddle Jumping”. Juli’s actually designed the webpage for me! I am very passionate about helping people dig out of material clutter so they can engage in this world in a real way. Someday maybe… in the meantime, I do it for friends.

The image above is also from England. It is in the Kew Garden last April. It is a different sort of image for my collection. It feels very Jumanji to me. It might be one of the only images I have that represents hibernation.

 

I hosted a lovely little gathering last night for the We2e women (a networking group for women entrepreneurs in the Boulder-Denver area.) I shared some of tips I’ve used over the years to stay inspired and motivated running my own business. (Juli, thank you for you last minute advice!!) The ladies requested this list in writing so here you go!

1. It’s amazing how things line up when you put your passionate intention out into the world. Trust that. Get clear about what you want (this often seems to be the hardest part) and put it out there!

2. Be crystal clear about your overall business goal/mission statement. Use only this as your measuring stick for success instead of allowing your industry or society’s definition of success to supplant your own.

3. Thoroughly believe in what you are doing or offering. People buy authenticity.

4. Set healthy boundaries with your clients and your business. (If you are having a hard time doing this hire a personal or business coach or ask friends for advice regarding specific trouble cases.)

5. Don’t look down or you’ll get spooked and loose your concentration. (Don’t compare yourself to other businesses or people. Stay true to what you do and who you want to be.)

6. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and who you respect. Do not hesitate to ask for their ideas and help. Do NOT try to run your business in a social or emotional vacuum. Trust me, it’s not a good idea!

7. Your heart comes first. Business second. (As an artist, if my heart withers, so does the business. Recherché is literally a physical representation of my heart.)

8. “I’ve learned that living a simple life of your own volition is more difficult than living a complicated life because somebody else told you to…When you dare yourself to your own misery, you end up owning your own happiness.” (I really wish I had written down the author about 7 years ago when I read her article in some fashion magazine, probably Vogue.)

9. See every “mistake” as a learning opportunity. (When things go wrong or when your find out the hard way that your clients had unrealistic expectations of what your business will provide immediately make changes to your consultation process, your contract, the information on your website.)

10. Celebrate all your successes, big and small, along the way. (I wish I’d kept even just a box of all the editorial pieces, ads, wonderful notes clients sent, awards, recognitions, etc. from the last 10 years. I didn’t because I always tended to minimize the positive and focus on what I still had to do and what was not going perfectly well. I regret that now.) 

11. Reinvent your business to adapt to your market but also your heart. As a perfectionist the idea of reinvention is frustrating for me, but as an artist, it is crucial.

*Another fun idea that came out of the evening was to occasionally swap “business managers” with a friend or other entrepreneur. Often it is much easier to use your imaginary legal counsel, your manager, your financial advisor, whoever to justify your decision or policy. It is easier to make clear decisions for someone else than for yourself, so stop beating yourself up about how difficult it is and just ask for advice! Juli has written several difficult replies to problem clients for me and I for her.

Do you have other helpful tips for entrepreneurs? SHARE!! Comment on this blog post!

Recherché Photography’s 10th Birthday is fast approaching! I’m hostessing a little soiree next Tuesday evening in honor of a decade of triumphing as an entrepreneur. And by “triumphing” I mean I am still in business. I rarely FEEL like I am triumphant, but it has been an amazing thing to think back over how far I’ve come and what I’ve experienced and how royally I have screwed up. BUT, I’m still plugging along! People are still hiring me to photograph their lives. And many people have RSVP’d for the party. So we’re going to celebrate!!

Anyways, I thought this was soooo cute. The artist and baker extraordinaire, Kim Boos, owner of Tee & Cakes, has graciously agreed to create a birthday cake for the occasion. She sent me this sketch. I picked the middle one. I can’t wait to see it. And on the inside? I certainly couldn’t choose just one flavor! So, lemon cream, peanut butter cup and coconut cream. I will be in heaven. I don’t know where the rest of you will be, but if you need me, check heaven first.

Wow, exactly 7 years ago today I was in Shannon, Ireland photographing my very first international destination wedding for Wendy & Mark. It was one of the most monumental experiences of my life. Where to begin…hmmm… Well, there was a moment even further back when I was working for a big corporate beast doing computer support work. Yup. Take a moment and imagine that: little Regina in a beige cubicle on the 42nd floor of a huge concrete building in downtown Milwaukee. Anyhow, I was concocting a plan to become a photographer. I told someone in my family that I wanted to fly all over the world shooting people’s weddings. Their response was, “um, why would someone fly YOU across the country to shoot a wedding when they could just hire someone locally??” I was 23 and still brimming over with self-confidence and naivety (the essential characteristics for an entrepreneur) so I was un-phased and plunged forward into the world of wedding photography.

Ok, now fast forward a few years. About 20 weddings under my belt by now and an unbelievable amount of mistakes, mishaps and falling flat on my face. Daily motto is, “come on Regina, just make it to the end of the day.” People continue booking me so I am tottering forward. I remember the day Wendy called me. She was “obsessed with photography, had seen my work and loved it. Wondered if I could photograph her reception in Evergreen.” Sure! Reception…where’s the wedding? “Oh, Mark and I are eloping! Our dream is to get married in a castle in Ireland!” My best friend was in the room with me at the time and I covered up the phone and whispered, “I’m going to shoot a wedding in Ireland!!!!!”

But I didn’t really believe it in my gut until I was on the plane- already missing one of my bags in NY, completely over-packed and headed for my second trip to Europe, first time traveling alone. Would I shoot a destination wedding by myself again? NO WAY. Do I regret this trip? NO WAY. I wish I had known what I was doing a little better. I wish I had had the camera and lenses I have now, but in spite of it all, I think I pulled this one off. It is so amazing to think back on all this. I exist so much in the future- planning, dreaming, scheming. Very rarely do I look back. I’m so glad I’m taking the time to do this and I hope you are all enjoying the ride along with me.

It is also worth noting that I traveled through Ireland for about 9 days before I arrived at the castle to shoot their wedding. In that time I had come to realize/admit to myself that I was in love with Joseph James Mountjoy and wanted to marry him, found the skirt I have worn to almost every single wedding I have photographed these last 7 years in a consignment store in Dublin, lost at least 8 pounds due to a $4 food budget for entire trip and walking a hundred miles lugging 5x more baggage than I should have ever had plus a painting I bought in Galway. I always think Wendy looks just like Judy Garland in this shot!

My experiment with infrared film could have gone better. Forgot to hand check it through security- and probably didn’t expose it correctly anyway. But I still like the way these last two came out!  

Wendy & Mark: thank you a billion times over for trusting me to photograph your dream come true. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and has been so fun to reminisce. I wish you the very happiest anniversary!!