Wedding Photography is a year round endeavor...

In Minnesota, weddings and portraits are usually scheduled during the "nicer" weather months. (May-October) So, it may feel like wedding photographers get a r-e-a-l-l-y long Christmas break, but while I'm hibernating I do catch up on a few things that get missed during my crazy season. One of those "fun" things is accounting and taxes...I don't really mean it's fun, you got that right? I am so thankful for accountants. :) There are people who love numbers so people like me could stick to what we do best. Another fun part of the winter is restocking for the next seasons clients. I just got one of those fun products in the mail (Custom USB drives) and I had to share...aren't they pretty?

Custom USB drives from: usbmemorydirect.com

TOP 10 Places to Shoot in Minnesota...

I had one of my readers write in and ask me to do a top 10 list for new places she can shoot 5 years ago...and it's still one of the top hits on my blog. I thought I'd bring it back for the new families looking for family photography locations. Here's what I came up with:

1. Stillwater - it's got great little antique shops, bed and breakfasts, the river runs through it and every picture is gorgeous! I could tell you about it or just cut and paste from the city website. Stillwater is a dynamic, growing community of approximately 18,000 residents nestled into the bluffs of the St. Croix River, one of America's protected Wild and Scenic Waterways. Located just 20 miles east of downtown St. Paul, our family-oriented community offers the advantages and conveniences of living near the Twin Cities metropolitan area plus the peacefulness and safety of small town Minnesota.
2. Harriet Island - It's a great little nook...tucked away and perfect for a stroll through the park or for an engagement shoot!
3. Stone Arch Bridge - I found tons of pictures that capture the beauty of the bridge...but, I love going there and reading the signs and walking and taking a shot or two in places people haven't found yet...let me know what you find!
4. Any wild grass open field with character - Seriously, you don't need to go far to get great shots. I'm constantly finding new simple spots all around me. Stick a kid in the middle of a field and let them run...you'll get great shots!
5. Sculpture Gardens - The Walker museum is gorgeous and walking through the gardens is so relaxing...you should do it without your camera first and then go back with a client.
6. Arboretum - I have not been there enough! I think there's a gorgeous spot behind every corner. A million different plants and flowers...totally beautiful! I think I just read it's free for Chanhassen residents to go on August 7th...I LOVE FREE! too bad I live in Prior Lake.
7. Centennial Lakes - I almost didn't use this one cause I've been there a ton and kinda like to try new places but, the truth is...it's beautiful and worth visiting! It's got stone, flowers, green, water, fountains...just to name a few!
8. Downtown...just park and walk, have your camera ready. look for brick walls or alleys or bright colors or reflections...man, I want to hop in my car and go now!
9. Anywhere in St.Paul (schools, parks, Grand Ave...too hard to narrow down) There's a beautiful park beside the library, the St. Paul hotel, and a Theater...I love shooting at all those locations.
10. Any small town (Chaska is adorable!)

I hope this gets your creative juices going in the right direction!

www.noemiphotography.com

Vintage FOCUSED Photography Workshop - Part 2

If you haven't yet...please check out Vintage FOCUSED Photography Workshop - Part 1 Serious overload on cuteness. Because The Vintage Workshop had a wedding flare. I had a model "bride and groom" but I also had them bring their kids so we could pose for family photography too. And then, I love having a couple to represent the "engaged" portion and help the photographers build different aspects of their portfolios. I really try and give you "more bang for your buck!"

The next Practical FOCUSED Photography Workshop is August 2nd, 2014 and registration is open (Class size is limited to 10)

CLICK HERE to get more information and register

Individual FOCUSED Photography Mentoring

Individual FOCUSED Photography Mentoring…is about learning what makes an image good. And then, taking risks to make images great.

I have been teaching workshops for years and recently decided to mentor more intentionally and customize the mentoring for each individual.

I've started to mentor one-on-one!

This can be a one day session (including: a live shoot, review of website/branding/social media and individual question and answer time)

or

Meeting once a month for 6 months. (Meeting monthly allows time for mentoring and developing your style and business.)

If either of these interest you, please contact me directly (Noemi@NoemiPhotography.com)

I love mentoring and have always encouraged people to ask me anything about photography and business…now I have an organized way to help and I'm really excited about it!

I've already started working with a few women and they are so lovely! We are sharpening each other every day in our closed Facebook page: posting images, offering encouragement and critiques, asking questions and getting answers.

One of the ladies posted this sweet review the other day, "I had my first mentoring session with Noemi yesterday and I just want to say it was wonderful. A person is never sure what you are going to get when you sign up for a class, in the past I was always hoping that it was going to be the one that will help me advance, but was always disappointed. After yesterday, I am very confident that I chose very well this time. Noemi is very patient, explains everything so well and in detail, and is just a fun person to be with. I came away from this session with a little more bounce in my step, understanding my camera better and more confidence than I have ever had. I am so looking forward to our future sessions, working with this talented mentoring group and growing in so many ways."

Can't wait to get to know you and help you grow as a photographer. :)

top tips for beginning photographers - DYI portrait session

Here's my top tips to improve your photography (DYI style). If you're a beginner photographer then you want a safe place to ask your questions or better yet, have someone answer them before you ask them. That is the main reason why I teach beginner workshops. I love providing a safe and fun place to learn! There's only 2 days left to get in on the early bird discount! 1. Shoot during the "magic hour" (the hour after dusk or the hour before dawn) Simply check when the sun is rising and setting and plan your shoot accordingly.

2. Backlight - put your subjects back to the sun, have the light come through their hair, angle them for the sun to touch their shoulder, and no squinting.

3. Use a reflector - Backlight can make your subjects face dark and putting a reflector in front will bounce light and soften their face.

4. Talk to your subjects - lead them, encourage them, show them your poses, mirror poses so it's easy for them to copy, show them great shots to build trust and willingness to keep following your lead.

5. Shoot for free to keep learning and shoot the things/people you love. You want to practice the magic hour? Invite an engaged couple to come out and pose while you play with light. You want to figure out light in the snow? Dress a family in colorful vests, hats and mittens and take them on a winter picnic.

You might have questions about this post and I'd love to answer them. Write your question in the comments and they other can learn from the answers.

FOCUSED Photography and Social Media Workshop

Are you a small business owner or beginning blogger who desires to grow their business? Learn how photography and social media know-how can bring your business to the next level at the upcoming FOCUSED Photography and Social Media Workshop.

Noemi Hedrick, a photographer with over a decade of experience, and Cate Mezyk, lifestyle blogger and small business owner, will teach you the ins and outs and tricks of the trade in a way that makes the overwhelming seem easy.

Hurry and take advantage of the December discount - this class is only $89 if you sign up by the end of the month, using code Earlybird2013. Keep scrolling for more details.

Who should attend?

*Photographers new to their camera and photography and those that are interested in knowing how their camera works and learning how to improve their images.

*Bloggers or small business owners wanting to learn the ins and outs of utilizing social media to increase awareness of your brand, including Facebook for business, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and more.

Cost Includes:

- Over 3.5 hours of hands-on teaching with Noemi Hedrick (Photographer) and Cate Mezyk from Wildruffle (Blogging and Social Media Expert)

- Technical & Creative on the spot training

- Discovering how to gain followers that will truly connect with you and your business and how to drive traffic to your site through social media.

- Learning how to get consistently accurate exposures in changing lighting situations

- Interacting with models, natural posing techniques, capturing images with impact

- Q&A during and after shoot to discuss challenges

WHAT TO BRING?

Bring your digital SLR camera/point and shoot for the photography portion. We also recommend that you bring a smartphone, and a laptop/iPad for the social media portion.

Preferred lens is a 70-200mm to keep everyone at the same shooting distance so we don't get in each other's way. You can bring other lenses as long as you are considerate and avoid standing in front of other attendees during the shoot. All gear should be stored on your person to keep you mobile. Bring paper and pen for on-the-go note-taking.

• Date - Saturday, February 8th, 2014
• Time - 1:00pm - 4:30pm
• Location - Meeting Location will be emailed to attendees.
• Cost $99.00 ($89 PROMO CODE: Earlybird2013)
• Level: Beginner (no prior knowledge of: blogging, social media or DSLR camera needed)

Brought to you by:

Welcome to my new blog and website!

Wow. It's finally here. Welcome. Grab a cup of tea...you may be here a while. When you get the idea to re-brand, change your website and update your blog you think it's a great idea...then you start working on it and your realize what a HUGE undertaking it is.

This update was so long over due and I'm sooooo happy about the clean new look.

For those of you who have been waiting...thanks for your patience.

This wedsite matches me.

And it matches my photography.

It's light and happy.

Somewhere I want to come and look at pictures.

So please, come on in. Take a look at all the links and all the photos...I chose each one carefully.

Enjoy! (picture me doing the happy dance!)

AND Feel free to invite a few friends to join you. Share, like, link, email, call those your love the most and tell them my website is done. :)

Family Portraits - Tips from a Professional Photographer

There's nothing like taking your own kids out for a photo session...one of the most humbling experiences EVER. They want to be silly...

or they don't want to smile...

or they smile too hard...

or they just run away...

LOL.

I'm sure it's very entertaining to watch!

Tips from a Professional Photographer:

1. Hire some outside your family to take pictures

2. Don't take your kids out during their dinner hour

3. Bring treats to bribe

4. Have someone behind the photographer to make them giggle

5. Don't yell at them, or criticize, or scold - all things that don't make them smile

6. Do have lots of stories about tooting, farting, burping on hand.

(I broke every rule except #6 on my last shoot with my kids...it's amazing what you resort to when trying to make your kids smile for the camera and that's why rule #1 is so important!!!!!!)

Here's the final product...they are still THE MOST BEAUTIFUL KIDS I have ever seen.

Because at some point I just let them be kids. The poses at the end are their own creations. They are amazing kids.

Have you heard of Pinterest?

yup. I know. Pinterest is an addiction of photo inspiration. I can lost pinning for hours. I love Pinterest for hair cuts and styles! AND I love to use Pinterest is for the recipes (more like the pictures of recipes) and I keep them pinned to my board until I need them. What to see my Pinterest boards? Click here

One of my favorite chef/blog/pinterest peeps is Vikalinka! I post about her all the time on my facebook page...and I will continue to! She inspires me to cook...and bake...now that's good photography!

She's so personable and willing to take requests and answer questions..."like" her page and ask away.

She lives in England and has done tons of promo stuff. I kinda think of her blog as my little kept secret. But, I had to share it with you.

Visit her Facebook page and...your welcome.

Minneapolis Wedding Videographer

I want to introduce you to talented friends of mine. They are starting a wedding videography company and I'm really excited about it. My husband Matt married Josh & Katie in 2009 & they found out they were pregnant with twin girls only a few months after their wedding day! Now, Josh, Katie, Emayah & Olivet are anxiously anticipating the birth of their son (& brother), Harvest.

Photo credit: Plaid Poppy" with a link to my website, www.plaidpoppydesigns.com

The Krehbiels have just recently launched their own production business called Harvest Film Company. Their desire is to capture the uniqueness of each person, couple, family or business that they film through their acute attention to detail. As wedding videographers, their hope is to come alongside the Bride & Groom to make their day as memorable as possible.

If you have a wedding coming up & would like to add one of their beautiful films to the memoir of your special day, view their recent work and contact them through their website at:

http://www.harvestfilmco.com 

Last chance to get your Mini Session!

YEAH! MINI SESSIONS ARE BACK!

What are Mini Sessions with NoemiPhotography? -20 minute portrait session

When are the summer Mini Sessions? - Saturday, June 8th, 2013

Where will the Mini Sessions be captured this summer? - The beauty of small town Minnesota will be the background for your family portraits this year.

What times are available? - Sessions will begin at 9 AM and will be booked on a first-come, first-serve basis (space is limited)

How do Mini Sessions work? - Sessions will start on the hour and the half hour and are 20 minutes max in length. - Available to groups up to 4 people max (kids, families, couples, headshots) If your family has more then 4 people…you may require two Mini Session spots to make sure we have time. Contact me for more details. - Assorted posed and candid shots (Feel free to bring a few props of your own)

Mini Sessions are $250.00 plus tax - 20 minute session - 20 digital files and print release - Online ordering gallery - All files will be delivered electronically NOTE: Ticket purchase is non-refundable.

Have you chosen your wedding music?

I love really good music. Live music at a wedding adds a unique sense of style. Read what Soullections has to say about being a part of your wedding... ''Every couple has a song. That song that means something more, something special, something personal. That song touches the soul especially when played on the most important day of your life: Your wedding day! Soullections provides personalized live entertainment, sets the mood and adds value to the ambiance, vibe, and progression of your event."

Schedule a free event consultation with one of our specialists to find out how we can surpass your expectations of what a wedding band can be. Forget multiple bands or a DJ, and turn to Soullections: one single group that provides the overall experience. 

Contact us to learn more about Soullections and our 3 in 1 package!

www.soullections.com

Want a discount? I'm your friend.

http://www.saintpaulchamber.com/cwt/external/wcpages/wccoupons/couponlist.aspx

Photography Workshop 2013 - Help me customize it for you!

I just came back from a week in vegas to attend WPPI conference and listened to the best in the Photography Business. I learned so much. Setting aside time away help me figure out who I am, who I want to be and who I don't want to be as a business person and photographer...so you want me to go. :) I got to thinking about how much I love to inspire and teach photographers at all different levels. Workshops allow me to do just that but, I want to make sure I'm offering what you're looking for so this year I'm going to ask you.

If you're interested in taking a FOCUSED Photography Workshop this year here's your chance to tell me exactly what you want. Just copy the questions below into an email, fill in your answers and send them to info@NoemiPhotography.com. Over the next couple of weeks I'll collect them and then post the workshops for the year.

1. What kind of a photographer are you? Beginner: meaning you own a DSLR, but don't really know how to use it and you would like someone to teach you camera and photography basics.

Experienced: meaning you have had your camera for a while, take lots of picture, but still don't understand how or why you get good pictures sometimes and not other times.

Advanced: meaning you understand camera basics, photography basics and your ready to build a business/portfolio or simply develop your craft.

2. What would you like to shoot at the workshop? Pick 1-2. Babies Kids Families Engagement Wedding OR no shooting and just talk business

3. What are you looking for in workshop teaching, shooting and cost? - 3.5 hours $99 (2 hours of teaching, 1.5 hours of shooting, includes snack) - 4.5 hours $199 (3 hours of teaching, 1.5 hours of shooting, includes dinner) - 6 hours $299 (4 hours of teaching, 2 hours of shooting, Portfolio and Business info, includes dinner and snack)

4. What's the most important "thing" to get out of the workshop?

5. When do you have availability to attend? Evening or Saturday May, June, July, August

I don't know any other photographer who asks these questions, but I'm okay with that because I really want to offer the workshop you really want to attend. I'm really looking forward to hearing from you.

Practical FOCUSED Photography Workshop

Ohh my goodness! I had such a great time teaching this group...I love it when people come ready to learn and have fun doing the stuff! Here's our class and our gorgeous models :)

Practical Focused Photography Workshop

Want to learn how to use your DSLR camera? Want a place to ask your questions about posing, lighting and composition? Would you prefer to have practical training over reading a manual? This workshop is perfect for you!! (limited to the first 10 to register)

Who should attend?

*Specifically for photographers new to their camera and photography but, interested in knowing how their camera works and learning how to improve their images.

**Also available to aspiring and/or established photographers who want to freshen up their portfolios and learn new technical and creative photography techniques.

Cost Includes:

- Over 3 hours of hands-on training with Noemi Hedrick

- Live styled models to add to your portfolio

- Signed model releases on file to ensure you have the rights to use the images you shoot

- Technical & Creative on the spot training

- Learn how to get consistently accurate exposures in changing lighting situations

- Interacting with models, natural posing techniques, capturing images with impact that will stand the test of time

- Q&A during and after shoot to discuss challenges

WHAT TO BRING?

Bring your digital SLR camera and a smile:)

Preferred lens is a 70-200mm to keep everyone at the same shooting distance so we don't get in each other's way. You can bring other lenses as long as you are considerate and avoid standing in front of other attendees during the shoot. All gear should be stored on your person to keep you mobile. Bring paper and pen for on-the-go note-taking.

• Date - Saturday, February 23rd, 2013
• Time - 9:00a.m. - 12:00noon
• Location - Meeting Location will be emailed to attendees.
• Cost $99.00 (The cost includes the newly release E-book - $20 value)
• Level: Beginner (no prior knowledge of DSLR camera needed)

Roundtable FOCUSED Photography Workshop

It's not too late to register for the upcoming Roundtable FOCUSED Photography Workshop! 2 more spots!

October 20th, 2012...if you've attended a NoemiPhotography Workshop before we'd love to have you join us!

I love Wedding Photography!

A picture says a thousand words. I love this picture!

How you heard this quote before?

Ask not what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive... then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Howard Thurman

It's simple. I love capturing love. And I love being there to serve the bride and groom on the biggest day of their lives...so far.

Thank you for trusting me. I don't take it for granted!

Roundtable Focused Photography Workshop - Oct. 20th, 2012

This is my last FOCUSED Photography Workshop of the year and I'm really excited about it! There is nothing like sitting around my table with a hand full of photographers brimming with questions and getting answers that will improve their business! Doesn't that sound fun? This Workshop is available to anyone who has previously attended a NoemiPhotography Workshop and is interested in setting up or furthering their photography business.

Event: Roundtable Business FOCUSED Photography Workshop

Date: Saturday, October 20th from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM (CT)

Location: My home - even though my table is a rectangle.

Limit: 6 Attendees (I want to make sure we have enough time for everyone)

Cost: $199.00

The lovely Rachel Greenhouse (special appearance Jeremy from The Sweet Colleens aka: hubby)

I am so thankful for the family I married into...I love them dearly! Getting to capture them has been my joy through out the years. even though picture taking is not there fav. I think they've come around. Enjoy!

Who am I really?

Today I have worn so many hats. I started thinking about it and thought I'd share. - Got up with the kids and wore my mommy hat. - Made breakfast and wore my service hat. - After coffee, I read and worked on my Beth Moore study of James and wore my student hat. - Then the tidying/cleaning began and I wore my cleaner hat. (can you believe I sorted through our winter hats a gloves? Crazy girl.) - I got the kids set up with coloring and crafts and I wore my teacher hat. - I dusted, vacuumed, did laundry and I wore my "need-to-workout-but-this-will-have-to-do-for-today" hat. - I responded to email and order some prints and wore my business woman hat. - Now I'm blogging and delighting my crazy life...

You have to be a little crazy to do 3 kids, maintain a house, be married, and excel at business ALL AT THE SAME TIME! but, I do it every day. Of course I struggle and I almost always wish I could it better, but it works and I'm so thankful. Ohhh, one more thing, I get tired and want to quit like everyone but, I don't quit...because I believe I'm doing what I should be doing. AND there's something important to learned in everything I face EVERY DAY. So I keep climbing and ask the Lord help me to enjoy the climb as much as the success of reaching the summit.

There is so much more to me. I wear the hats of daughter, sister, friend and mentor. Today I'm taking a step back and taking in the beauty of my hat collection. I'm privileged. and thankful. (Not shopping for more hats at the moment!)

For those of you who read this blog and don't know me personally...be encouraged. We're in this together. Embrace the crazy and enjoy the process of growth! If I knew you better I'd say changing hats is fun and why not laugh today. Here's my "walking through a field laughing shot" by my friend Shelley Paulson (incredible photographer!) Hope it makes you smile!