One year ago, my life changed. My photography life, that is.

I had just returned from a business trip in Denver from my full-time job where I had a lot of time to just think. Think about what I wanted to do in life. Ponder about what I wanted to accomplish. Reflect about what I loved.

I had been thinking a lot about photography. I had been thinking a lot about professional photography.

Last year, I attended a wonderful seminar that quite literally rocked my world. It gave me the inspiration and motivation to just do it. I’m talking about the Free to Succeed Tour with David Jay and Jasmine Star. I had heard about the tour from various photo blogs I had been reading…okay, more like stalking while I was in the midst of wedding planning. It was totally affordable and hitting San Francisco the week after I returned from my trip in Denver. Sold!

I ventured up to the Sheraton on Fisherman’s Wharf by myself. I found parking at the building I was familiar with (VERY expensive, but CHEAPER than the hotel parking!) and wandered into the hotel. I didn’t know anyone. I could hardly call myself a professional photographer. I had decided to pursue it, like, the day before, but of course, I wasn’t going to tell anyone that!

As I approached the conference rooms where the event would be held, I saw a sea of professional photographers. More like the OCEAN. And I didn’t know anyone. AT. ALL. I’ve always considered myself to be more on the shy side of the spectrum (those who know me well are probably thinking, “what are you talking about?”), so large groups of complete strangers basically freak me out, but in pursuit of furthering my dreams, I was going to stick it out. For better, or worse.

To pass some time, I headed to the restroom. (Great way for killing time! haha). While in the fancy schmancy ladies room, I met a friendly face who asked me if I was attending the seminar. Her name is Laura Lynne, photographer extraordinaire out of Sacramento! Laura, thanks for saying hello to me. Thanks for letting me sit next to you.

On our way back towards the crowd of photographers, I saw a familiar face. Why would I be recognizing anyone here? I was completely out of my element. Then I realized that I recognized her from her blog. I loved her blogging voice. Her stories, anecdotes, and not to mention awesome photos! It was none other than Jasmine Star. She was approaching us. She stopped to say hello to us. I was like, totally starstruck (yes, pun intended, used it a year ago too!) and hopefully I didn’t sound like a bumbling fool.

Whoa. This photographer just said, “Hi,” to me. Whoa.

Sitting down in the middle of room, I shuffled my papers and notebook around. I wanted to absorb every minute of this presentation. I don’t think I even really knew what it was going to be about exactly. Something photography related. To my left, sat Laura, new familiar face from the ladies room. To my right, a new friendly face sat down. She introduced herself as Lydia, also from the Sacramento area. We chatted during the break and found out that she was just starting out too. Phwew, I wasn’t alone.

I learned a TON that night. I also decided that it was what I wanted to do. Someway, somehow, I was going to be a professional photographer.

Let’s fast forward a year. Yes, a WHOLE YEAR. Never in my life would I think that I would be where I am now. While I still consider myself to be a fledgling amongst my friends and mentors in this industry, I feel incredibly blessed to be taking major leaps in the direction of my dreams.

And this post is inspired by wedding consulting diva and friend, Lara Casey, after reading her post on her new catchphrase, “Making Thing Happen.”

Here’s a little walk down memory lane…

Check out this killer tour bus!

With the lovely and hilarious, Jasmine Star. Oh, did I mention ghettofabulous?

And with David Jay, CEO of Showitfast.com and Showit Sites (mine is coming soon!)

Check out my friend Lydia on yesterday’s AskDane.com episode:

Cheers to you Lydia, we met a year ago, and we’ve kept in touch!

PS. Today was my last day at my full-time job!

My friend and photographer pal, Rosaura Sandoval, set up a fun model shoot with her fabulous friend Maggie. Maggie’s husband is in the military and stationed in Honduras. It has been a long time since they last saw each other. Maggie wanted to surprise him with some photos, so she was up for just about anything. And let me tell you, she rocked this shoot out of the park!

I think Maggie may have been born in the wrong decade, because she was totally exuding a forties pinup girl vibe. She even had a vintage swimsuit and pincurled her hair. She was a total natural and the camera’s best friend. We shot in  Julie Weisberg’s charming backyard in the Sunset district and at the Cliff House in San Francisco.

Now, don’t let those blue eyes fool you. Maggie is no bored housewife waiting for her husband to return stateside. She is a helicopter pilot. Yes, she FLIES HELICOPTERS. I think I had to pick up my jaw up off the floor when she told us her occupation. I’ve never met a helicopter pilot before, let alone a female helicopter pilot. Go Maggie!

Maggie is the definition of awesome. I hope her hubby loves these photos!

I will be in Washington, DC through Thursday. I’ll try to get back to your emails as soon as I can.

Happy Sunday!

To get in touch with me, CLICK HERE.

Cent arrived yesterday with his brother. We applied and received our marriage license from the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder’s Office. It was an easier process than I had expected. About 30 mins and $84 dollars later we can officially get married. Make sure you bring a government issued ID as well as the decision about changing your name (if applicable). But other than that, we were in and out pretty quickly.

I finally met a handful of his close friends after hearing so much about them. This afternoon we went up to San Francisco and nearly froze off all our appendages. Considering that it was 100+ degrees in the East Bay yesterday, which meant 80+ in San Francisco, I figured that the weather would be pleasant in the city. I was wrong. I showed all the folks from Atlanta that California being a warm state isn’t necessarily the case.

I have a couple of fun sessions to blog coming up! About a month ago, I met up with my friend Rosie, and new friend Julie, for a fun little shoot where we played with light. Rosie’s friend, Maggie was our super awesome model. Here’s a little teaser:

Last weekend, my sister (and Maid of Honor) and my bridesmaids hosted my bachelorette party. Finally, all of them together in the same place at the same time.

See, I have some talent in choosing bridesmaids. Maggie, my best friend since high school and who I’ve known for almost 20 years (so weird to think that!) is a Lieutenant in the Air Force and was on assignment in Italy and Kuwait. Krystle, my BFF from college, the one who can finish my sentences and spontaneously dress in the same colors without consultation, lives in Southern California. Liz, who is like a big sister to me (even though she’s shorter, he he) is putting her law degree to work outside Fresno. Elana, my good friend who I met in Lyon, France while studying abroad, is local in San Francisco, but travels like a maniac for work. And finally my little sister, Stephanie, who just completed her first year in college. In other words, getting together casually wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

But they all pulled it together and everyone made it out! Woo hoo!

To start off the day, we went to the Burke Williams Spa at the Westfield Mall in San Francisco. Oh. My. Goodness. Divine. That’s what it was. Freakin’ divine. It was so relaxing to sip on cucumber lemon water and sit in the Jacuzzi. We had a little seating area with some baked goodies and sparkling cider. Then it was time for the treatment. It was called Harmony.

Fantastic. Seriously.

It was a combination of hot and cold stone massage, salt scrub, and tuning fork. Yes, tuning fork. I suppose it was to vibrate my body back into balance? I think my favorite part was putting on the robe that they had kept in the warmer during the treatment. Toasty!

After trying out the steam room…seriously steamy, drying out in the sauna…insta-sweat, and the mist room…too chilly, we headed over to the Cheesecake Factory, where I received my tasks, resulting in subsequent gifts. We feasted on a bevy of appetizers and of course a slice of cheesecake – Dulce de Leche to be precise!

The entire night I had to wear a super classy plastic tiara and matching sash, with “Bride to Be” emblazoned across it.

For dinner we went to E’ Tutto Qua, an Italian restaurant with delicious food and very friendly waiters, if you know what I mean. They made our dining experience quite memorable.

Bridesmaid Elana with our very Italian waiter, Alessandro.

With Bridesmaid Lt. Maggie and Bridesmaid Krystle!

Dessert followed at Steps of Rome, which was accompanied by more friendly waiters. Here’s the waiter explaining something to me about the candlelit treat in front of me.

I have to thank my wonderful sister and my super awesome bridesmaids for an amazingly fantabulous Bachelorette Party. Thanks ladies! You are simply the best!

The question that remained was when.

As preparations for Christmas began, they set up their little tree. After an exhausting day of decorating, she was too pooped to move. When he called her into the other room to check out the tree, she almost didn’t budge. But something told her to get up and check it out.

Perched upon a branch of the little Christmas tree was something sparkly. Something that wasn’t an ornament she could recall. It was a ring. In that moment, he asked her to spend her life with him. Blayne proposed to Heidi. She said, “Yes!”

I had the esteemed honor of shooting Heidi and Blayne’s engagement session along the Embarcardero in San Francisco. Heidi and Blayne currently live and work in Hawaii, but both had short stints living in California. Heidi contacted me a few months ago about shooting their e-session while on a short vacation in Califonia. They thought it would be fun to get some urban shots in San Francisco, and so did I! Heidi and Blayne were great to work with! They even brought me some Chocolate Caramel covered Macadamia Nuts. Mmmm.

Thank you Heidi and Blayne for a great session! And thanks for the chocolates from Hawaii! Happy planning!

Melissa and John are from outside of Sacramento and drove down to San Francisco for their engagement session. Originally, we were supposed to shoot their session in May, but dark clouds hung overhead, threatening rain, so we canceled. Leading up to this time around, I kept my fingers (and toes!) crossed that the weather would behave. And it did!

We had a great time hanging out around Ghirardelli Square and then we ventured over to Baker Beach. The clouds and fog were being really cooperative and I was able to get some sweet shots of the Golden Gate. That doesn’t always happen in San Francisco!

Thanks Melissa and John for hanging out with me! Have fun planning for your September 2010 wedding!

I decided to pursue photography as a real gig last August. I started to read blogs and join photography forums. I heard the buzz about this book called Fast Track Photographer. It was written by Dane Sanders. I pre-ordered the book, and shortly after a trip to Denver for my office job, I received it in the mail. It was honestly one of the best books for me to read as someone just starting out, particularly in wedding photography. It gave me great perspective of a Freelance Photographer versus a Signature Brand Photographer. Plus Dane challenges you to leverage your strengths instead of trying to just improve your weaknesses. You can asses your strengths via the PDNA test. I was hooked. I knew this Dane guy must be something special.

In January, Dane made a stop at the San Francisco Pictage User Group to give his talk on – Standing Out from the Crowd. He was taking risks with people right and left, spoke of commitment and denting the wall at Pictage headquarters, and getting off automatic. I attended Dane’s session at WPPI in February. Even though I had heard him speak before, it was great seeing him again and watching the reactions of other audience members. I also remembered to bring my copy of Fast Track Photographer so Dane could sign it. I’m a nerd, I know, but how often do you get to meet the author of a book?If you have not seen Dane’s presentation, you should. He’s coming to a SMUG (Smug Mug Unity Group) near you.

So here’s my story with the Fast Track Roadshow Workshop. I had heard about Dane’s workshop on his blog and Fast Track Photographer website. At the time it was a two-day workshop and it cost $1200. I put it out of my mind that I would be attending. With our wedding coming in a QUICK 5 WEEKS, spending any “extra” monies would be out of the question.

Well time passed and things changed.

Melinda Bunker, a photographer from San Ramon, rallied to have Dane come to the Bay Area. I was interested, but I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be able to go. Suddenly, the game changed. The workshop became a one-day deal for $750. I thought that was a better price, but I was still unsure. Then Dane raised the stakes some more. He added all kinds of goodies from the photography industry, straight from the website:

All Participants of the Fast Track Roadshow Workshop will receive…

• Fast Track Roadshow Workshop Exhaustive Notes ($25 value)!
• 1 year subscription to ShowItSites ($468 value)!
• 1 year subscription to SmugMug Pro ($150 value)!
• $50 off ShowItWeb Slideshow Software ($50 value)!
• Kevin Kubota‘s Digital Photography Bootcamp Book ($35 value)!
• 6 months subscription to PhotographyMentor.com ($125 value)!
• Fast Track Photographer Audiobook ($25 value)!
• 2 copies of Dane’s Fast Track Photographer Book to share ($50 value)!
• 2 pDNA Assessments to track your progress over time ($40 value)!
• 3 copies of the Fast Track eBook to share with others ($27 value)!
• 1 year subscription to the Fast Track Forums ($240 value)!
• 1 year subscription to the Fast Track Coaching – a weekly LIVE group coaching call with Dane, to keep your learning going well beyond the workshop ($108 value)!

JUST ADDED!

• 200 DotBucks from ShootDotEdit – basically the equivalent of a free portrait or engagement session edited for little or no cost ($55 value)!
• 2 months FREE of ShootQ Studio Management software with a third month bonus when you book your first event ($120 value)!
• 1 year subscription to Pictage Lite ($199 value)!
• $100 discount on your first KISS Wedding Book ($100 value)!
• $50 off a Drobo from Data Robotics ($50 value)!
• LIVE PHOTO SHOOT-OFF!
• BONUS “DIAL-IN” DAY OF TRAINING – we are providing a pre-workshop “Dial-In” Day with techs from companies like ShootQ to get your entire workflow set-up right before we even get started… imagine arriving with nothing and leaving with everything you need ($450 value)!

So seriously, how could I turn it down at this point? I was already getting ready to subscribe to Showit Sites and with Dane’s workshop I get a whole year!?! And ShootQ, which I’ve been using for the last two weeks and LOVE it. I already booked a session using it! So easy. Plus Andrew and Rachel LaCour teach you how to set it up…in person! And everything else? And then it became a two-day workshop again? For less than the original price?!

I was in.

I’m sooooo glad that I went. I not only met and reconnected with some awesome locals (and a handful of folks who flew in!), but it was great having Dane teach in a small setting. A setting where we could ask questions, push back on his commentary, and where we could all safely take a risk and challenge ourselves beyond our comfortable thinking and ways of doing things.

I feel like this workshop wasn’t just one of those events that I attended and then forgot about everything I learned. I still refer to the notes and think about my business as a BUSINESS, and not just a “job”. I have a job (9-5 corporate drone), and I know that is not me. I cannot hang. I want my own business. I feel like attending Dane’s workshop has taken me one giant step closer to getting there. Where I steer the ship. Where I decide what happens. I have the reigns…

So, if you’re thinking about going, GO! Dane’s two-day workshop is amazing standalone. Add in all the goodies and it’s a no brainer.

Your business will thank you. Trust me.

Our San Francisco crew! Paul Steinke, Sara Goetz, Sara Lazio, Melinda Bunker, Lydia Takeoka, me, Terra Tabbytosavit, Jen MacNiven, and Aung Aung.

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I know, they are so talented. And I get to call them my friends.

I went to college with these lovely ladies at University of California, San Diego (UCSD). We also traveled across Europe during a 23-day quasi-backpacking trip back in 2006. So fun! When you spend that much time together, you get to know pretty much everything. We have so many fun memories and crazy stories from that trip. All I can say about them is that they rock. They get it. They are funny and caring, and simply some of the best friends I could ask for. Since our trip, we’ve tried to get together on an annual basis. We call it our Europa Reunion!

During our reunion we had a little photoshoot. Considering it was Memorial Day weekend, the kick off of summer, I thought that the weather would be good. Unfortunately it was awful! It was cold and damp and grey. Too freezing for a photo session outside. We had planned a shoot outside, since Connie literally lives down the street from City Hall in San Francisco (which is GORGEOUS!), but instead ended up rocking it in Connie’s living room. It was fun. We got to be silly. Just like old times.

Krystle is a therapist who works with children with autism. She has amazing patience while she can also be one of the silliest people I know. She was stoked to get to hang out with Frieda and Walter when she came to visit. In fact, they shared the couch with her! (BTW, Frieda and Walter are my dachshunds.) We first met during our second year of college in the Filipino organization, Kaibigang Pilipino. We found out that we lived on the same part of campus and we became quick friends. The following year, I studied abroad in France, and I would call Krystle on my walks home from going out. It would be like 3am in France, and 12pm in California, and I would stand in my favorite phone book to make the long distance call with my calling card. Good times! She’s going to graduate school to earn her Master’s in Healthcare Administration. She’s going to change the face of the nation’s healthcare system, I just know it.

Jen was Krystle’s apartment mate. My first memory of Jen is that she loves Star Wars. And cats. And dogs. And animals in general. Jen always welcomed me into their apartment as I was one of the roommates. In fact, they made me an honorary roommie! I remember a lot of laughs together while hanging out at their apartment. Jen recently moved up to Oakland to attend medical school. She’s going to be a podiatrist. So if you need a doctor who can help out with feet because of wearing crazy heels or something of the like, look Jen up in a few years!

Connie was the stylist for this shoot. In fact, the whole shoot was originally her idea that she had suggested months ago. I’m so glad it finally came to fruition. Connie moved up to San Francisco to go to Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). It was funny (now, anyway) the first time I went to hang out with Connie because I nearly was trapped in her parking garage. It was pretty ridiculous. We were able to convince a resident of the building as she drove in the garage to let us borrow her garage opener. Luckily after some pleading and near-begging, and maybe just enough pestering (I mean, I was ready to bribe her), she helped us out. I had to pick up Cent from the airport that night!

Oh my friends. The one bummer thing about being the photographer all the time is that getting in the shot is hard! Even if you compose and set up for someone else to take the shot, it doesn’t always work out. Instead, here are my fabulous girls, being themselves. Love it!

Happy Friday!