sneak peek.

 

Rachel was so much fun.  Her family lives on all kinds of acres of gorgeous, wild land.  We trudged through trails that their family has made over the years to her favorite place to sit, hang out, play in the creek with her friends, and spend time.  

The weather kept teasing us and we had a little rain and then a little sunshine and then no sunshine...we laughed and hiked and talked.

The woods are a magical place.  Imagination can fly and you can lose yourself and find yourself all in one day.

Every person needs a chance to fall in love with the wild beyond.

Thank you for a wonderful time, Rachel...and you too, Machete Man.

 

beautiful. LIFE.

 

a new challenge.

I love Move it Monday.  I want it to challenge you...make you feel like you have others rooting for you...and be a place that can be whatever you need it to be...

We'll have contests ocassionally...sporadically...what I'd like is for each of you to feel motivated to live your healthiest life.  And I'm hoping that this weekly place helps you to do just that.

We've been having contests and I've decided I'd like to try a new format.

Each week there will be a challenge.  You can take it...or leave it.  I'm hoping you'll take it.

And I'm hoping your life will be happier and healthier.

 

This week's challenge:  

Spend one less hour each day on your computer or in front of the TV.

 

Here are some ideas that you can replace that time with...

Learn a new sport

Take your pet for a walk

Do yard work

Take a walk

Work on a project around the house

Paint a room

Learn Tai Chi

Do a yoga series

Plant a garden

Play with your kids

Start a game of street hockey

Sit out on your porch and enjoy the blue sky

Do an act of kindness for someone

Go on a bike ride

 

Have fun!  Get outside.

 

breathe. LIFE.

***All images in this post are copyright Kristy Behrs of Wrecklessgirl Photography.***

 

NEXT WEEK:  Kelly Moore

 

{To nominate women you'd like to see in this series please list them in the comments-or if you have a question you'd like to see in the interviews--make sure to include your info in the comment fields so that I can get in touch with you- or write to me at: davina at davinafear dot com }

As always make sure to leave comments for the women who are featured. They like comments as much as i do I'm sure...let them know if you have questions or just to say thanks! for their insight and wisdom...



You can check out the rest of the series by clicking here. Tell a friend!
 

Kristy, You have a wandering spirit and real curiosity about people and places.  Talking to you feels like the layers could go on forever of the life you've lived and the person that you are.  I think that shows in your work and your approach to life.  Your journey is so inspiring...I'm so glad you're here. Thanks so much for being here on Women and Business!

How long have you been a photographer?  How long have you had a photography business?

 

When I was in high school, I borrowed my cousin's Pentax K1000 film camera to take a photography night class at Rogue Community College. I'd become a fine artist much earlier in life, but a professional photographer when I could intentionally expose imagery and sell my services and works to clients in 2005. Officially, five years.

 

 

Where is your studio located?

 

I like to say I'm based both out of Southern Oregon and the San Francisco Bay Area as I spend most of the year traveling and shooting equally between the two locations. I don't have a need for a portrait studio, but one of my goals is to open an artist's studio in Grants Pass, Oregon and showcase the art work and music others create. My small, artsy, growing hometown is becoming very art-friendly and I hope to encourage this kind of growth in our community.

 

 

What made you decide to live in Italy?  How long are you going to stay there?

 

Family. My Czech grandmother passed away last year, leaving behind a clever catalog of our family history and genealogy. Her husband, my half-Italian grandfather, now on his own, doesn't have such a well-laid out family record. Therefore, I committed to studying Italian language last year to be able to have conversations with my relatives and learn more about our family history. A restless spirit, I can't deny that I'd done much traveling around the states and was feeling a mighty urge to explore the world; my little Italian knowledge and ancestry strongly encouraged me to move to Italy. I felt a calling. I'll be here indefinitely, which could mean another week or five years. Whenever that fateful wind blows.

 

 

What have you learned while you've been in Italy?

 

I've learned how to cook with my heart; I used to abhor venturing into meal planning and preparation, but now I'm able to throw random grocery items into a pan with a little olive oil and call it dinner. I've also learned that no matter where I go in the world, I'll find helpful people with huge hearts, kind smiles, and open homes.

 

In terms of art, I've learned so much by being on my own in a foreign place/country with no official portrait client base yet. By photographing (anything:) architecture, strangers, moments, nature, and abstract subjects, I've learned even more how to shoot intentionally, tell a story without needing to direct it (be more of a photojournalist), find and encompass beauty where others may see none, be more spot-on with my exposures, and get more creative and flexible with my processing. I'm able to take my time editing/processing and trying new techniques I may not have had time to with clients. Lastly, I've learned how to radiate honesty about my life through imagery thought it may only shine light on bits and pieces and places of it.

 

 

What is your favorite part of your adventure so far?

 

One day, my new friend Massimo randomly picked me up in his untraditionally american Jeep 4X4 for a drive to the beach north of Naples, Italy. It was the perfect day: slight warm breeze, cool, fresh air, accompanied by lots of laughter. I'd just spent a few hellacious months traveling couch-to-couch, city-to-city, and I needed a day to just BE.  i remember sitting on the wet packed sand with my new Italian friend; with a short stick, I wrote "OGGI" in thankfulness for being allowed such peace after the storm.  In Italian, oggi means today. Sometimes the best adventure is respite from adventure itself. 

 

 

Are you starting your photography business there in Italy?  If so, what are you doing to get your business growing?

 

Yes. My goal is to live and shoot weddings in Italy (and all over the world) every summer because, aside from my family connections, I can't think of a better place to commit one's love to each other. It's an incredibly romantic and unusually magical and colorful place. I wouldn't even necessarily suggest getting married in the traditional and over-populated and polluted vacation hotspots in Italy, but I'd recommend a handful of villages I've passed in my travels that would be so dreamy to be married in! I'm networking with international wedding planners, stylists, as well as unique venues all over Italy, North to South-there are so many treasures in between. I want to make these lovely places available for American couples to be inspired by! My goal is to find and connect professionally with a few unique Italian venues, destination photographers, and wedding planners.

 

 

What is your approach to business?

 

Honestly, when I first found myself officially in business, I was going through a divorce and was also dealing with a bit of depression (which has always loomed even in jovial times). I look back and I see how that detachment from the world also poorly affected my photography business. I learned so much from that time and now I find myself transforming into a person who truly appreciates and takes care of her clients and other photographers as well. I'm so grateful that I get to create art and interact with people in this way, and every day, I learn how to use that positively by applying more care to the business aspect of things. 

 

 

What do you do to help your clients be so comfortable with you during a

photo shoot?

 

I am silly. And in the beginning, we laugh a lot. I always let my clients know that the first ten minutes or so of shooting, the images 'won't count,' which makes them loosen up a lot--when they know that nothing is required of them. Settling back into their comfortable skin allows them to be naturally beautiful and photogenic. Usually after those ten quick minutes, they become perfect models. I'm a director and a control-freak, so I make sure to give my clients something to do or hold, and that makes anyone a little less nervous--I encourage comfortable positioning so they can relax into the enjoyment of moment making and image capturing.

 

             

What is the most important thing you're doing right now?

 

Following my dream.

Not giving up.

Fighting for an unimaginably bright and inventive future.

Being grateful every minute for what I do have and not focussing on what I don't.

Warding away negativity and depression (a constant battle).

Shooting imagery for myself:  Photographing constantly. 

Being wreckless: unable to be destroyed, without devastation, holding onto wholeness and completeness that I only find in my Maker. Which circumscribe all the above.

 

 

What future projects can we look forward to?

 

VAGABOND BOND

I started VagabondBond last year after placating my nagging desire to be connected to other travelers and free spirits. We've already completed three beautiful projects and will have about one per month, as well as numerous posts each week from each of the eleven vagabonds. I'm incredibly inspired and encouraged by this community's amazing imagery, music, videos, and writings from their life's journeys. www.vagabondbond.com

 

WRECKLESSGIRL

My Wrecklessgirl blog is in a constant state of change. From the time I opened my Blogger account, I've felt like I'm always moving from one project to the next, but I think that's something that keeps me and my readers on our toes. My great fear is that I stay stagnant, un-moldable--this fear keeps me propelled forward into unknown territory (literally or figuratively in my art's direction). I've been a writer since I can remember, so I'm also trying to find ways to integrate my short stories and poems into my blog and works of art.

www.wrecklessgirl.com

 

WRECKLESS WORKSHOPS 

Although I'm not much of a workshop girl, I love teaching. My amazing high school art teacher invited me a couple years ago to come teach about photography to her advanced art students. I'm devoted to doing this, if not ever year, multiple times a year. This summer, I'm teaching a small-time workshop for beginning and intermediate photographers in Southern Oregon. I'm really looking forward to learning more about people and art through this experience and I'll be posting my experiences on my blog.

www.wrecklessworkshops.com

 

WRECKLESS ELEMENTS

Lastly, my blog design business is always growing and adding new projects and services. I recently dove headfirst, with a design friend, into Wordpress design. I love that, with web design, your options are virtually limitless: there's always something to learn and to upgrade to. I'm finding I love photography blog design as much as I love photography itself because it's challenging and eclectic. Wreckless Elements--blog design for photographers--has already added on one web designer and one graphic designer, and I look forward to adding another graphic designer as well as an expert programmer to the list of Wreckless conspirators. 

www.wrecklesselements.com

 

 

I love  your logo.  What did you do to come up with your look and feel of your logo/website/blog?  How did you know what you wanted?  What process did you go through?

 

Thank you so much! I found my graphic designer as I followed her design work and knew her husband was a tattoo artist. I asked her if it would be feasible for him to sketch a tattoo based on a concept I'd had in my mind for quite some time.  He offered up a handful of different drawings for me to choose from. My designer made the tattoo sketch into a graphic illustration and I was ecstatic with the results. Sadly, she's taking some time off of designing now. I believe my new logo (and the process I obtained it) encompasses the artistic freedom I take with my clients and my processing as well as with my entire approach to life: Walk in freedom and love and be Wreckless. I redesigned my own blog based on these new elements and immediately felt that I've never been so close to emanating all that my business and my person stands for.

 

 

You've started another business, Wreckless Elements. How are you fitting that into your schedule?

 

Elements fit itself into my schedule. My photoblog design company is something I created because I was becoming a bit overwhelmed receiving so many inquiries from photographers and artists who needed help tweaking their blog template. I knew it was going to be a part of my life, but now it's taking up so much of my creative time, I almost consider it an equal amongst my major passion, photography. LIke I mentioned, I now also offer Wordpress and Squarespace design services and have a web and graphic designer coming on board. A total geek, I learned web design (HTML and CSS) ten years ago, so it's only fitting that it found an artistic and lucrative place in my life. And for that, I'm grateful.

 

 

You have a very unique way of seeing the world and putting things together.  What inspires you?

 

Symmetry, Lines, Intersections, Patterns, Placings

Seeking out the extraordinary in the seemingly mundane

Finding the story beneath the ground and in-between the lines (and there always is a story)

Discovering and facilitating passion

Newness: whether it be something I've seen for the first time or something I've noticed (but always seen) for the first time

Reflections

Music, music, music

Writings, poetry, and old, smelly books

Numbers and mathematics

Interesting and uncommon color palettes

Anything I'm able to manipulate and control

The organic accompanied by the man-made or destroyed

 

 

What do you do for fun...that has nothing to do with photography?

 

Art really envelopes and fuels my entire life: I love playing the piano (classical or improv), hiking in the woods, swimming while having beautiful conversations with one of my best friends in Oregon after working out at the gym, playing Sudokup (competitive Sudoku with my Norwegian friend), shooting pool (I'm quite the shark, if only ambitiously so), learning new languages, researching history, teaching high schoolers about photography (forgive me, that has to do with photography), being around babies and children (family and friends), writing poetry and stories, learning about politics and government (present and history), thrift shopping (though, sadly, that doesn't exist in Italy), tumblr'ing & blogging, and making random crafty things. 

 

 

What are you most proud of as a business woman?

                        

This was a really difficult question for me. I'm proud that I haven't given up yet, that I haven't quit. I've been discouraged, but I haven't lost sight of my Dream; in fact, I've dreamed even bigger. I believe some of my encouraging family and friends and my God are to be credited for every part in that.

 

 

What are you most proud of as a woman?

 

As a woman, I'm proud for being stronger than I ever thought I would be. There were times in recent years when I thought I would literally not survive another moment; yet, not only did I survive, but most of the time, I made the most of my aching and striving. Not to say I was, by any means, flawless and unscathed, but I breathed and prayed my way through the extremely trying times and came out the other side stronger, wiser, and better for the living. I'm naturally an introverted and shy person. I think all that I've been through in the last years has taught me to stand up for myself more and take more initiative than I'm naturally inclined to do. I like to think that "Wreckless" was something that was god-breathed in me ten years ago, and that it became a talisman to carry with me through my entire life, in order to survive it and thrive.

 

 

What are the top three things you did when you were first getting started in

business to bring in clients?

 

I started a blog and blogged often, which encouraged me to shoot more, even if I wasn't posting client's shoots, I was learning so much about photography and developing my artistic direction in the process.

I gave my clients Mini Moo Cards (with favorite images printed on one side and their gallery information, my website, and business info printed on the other side) for referrals and for sharing and dispersing amongst friends (usually teens and seniors/graduates) www.moo.com

I facilitated in-studio/home slideshows and print/product ordering sessions. 

 

 

What is the best thing you've done to make your business successful?

 

Treating my clients with respect, returning inquiries and correspondence quickly and thoroughly, and being enthusiastic about our collaboration has always been a sure-fire way to keep business coming back and encourages new clients to inquire about my business.

 

 

What do you do to keep your family strong?

 

Communcation, communication, communication. Focusing on the commonalities and appreciating and being understanding of the differences.

 

 

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

 

I am a big-picture girl. Like I mentioned, ideas are always brewing and I can see clearly the big picture, the final product, the end result. This is, while inspiring, very overwhelming. If I jot down and solidify the macroscopic and work my way down to the microscopic (the details, the little things), I can easily maintain a sense of peace and feel like I'm doing everything I need to do to work toward that big picture. Surely, this is the only way for me to not be overwhelmed: to take baby step by baby step. Also, listening to music and exercising regularly helps me maintain a steady, level-headed, and encouraging pace while I work toward grandiose goals. It wasn't until recently that I recognized my obsessive compulsive, controlling tendencies and starting asking for help, and this collaborating has returned unimaginable benefits such as wonderful new friendships and reciprocal encouragement and inspiration. 

 

 

What three products or things help you stay organized?

 

Things by Cultured Code (Thank you, Mr. Andrew Shepherd): a task-organization program for Macs

My Moleskine notebook: I always have a thousand ideas cooking in my brain, so I need a quick go-to medium so I don't forget my current or future to-dos and random ideas.

Mint.com (a financial planner and organizer)

 

 

What is something that you think (single) women in the industry should not do?

 

Constantly compare themselves to other business women who may have more emotional and financial support and become bitter because of it.  Create your own destiny, it's all yours. The mountain you climb may be larger, but imagine your view from the top! 

 

 

What is something that you think (single) women in the industry should do?

 

Focus on what you do have. Know that you will probably struggle more because you're on your own, but don't be discouraged by what you don't have. Let family and friends care for you. Enjoy them. Embrace your wholeness and press forward knowing that all your striving will amount to something unfathomably spectacular soon down the road … as long as you don't give up.

 

 

What five suggestions do you have for women who are trying to have a more whole, content, and blissful life?

 

Travel! Explore! Go somewhere you've never been.

 

Do something that takes you out of your comfort zone (and I don't necessarily mean destructive, just something new and different for you)

 

Provide for yourself a quiet hour. Write down, "I WANT…" and spend the next hour jotting down any and everything that comes to mind. (You will be SO surprised by what you didn't even know you want!) This is the most physical form of listening to your heart.

 

Keep your body healthy by listening to it every day. Exercise and seek information about staying emotionally and physically in shape.

 

Give: we all have those occasional thoughts that we desire to give someone something, whether it be making a pie for our widowed grandfather, donating money to a  charity, donating our time to the local soup kitchen on saturday, or leaving a meaningful hello note on the car of a friend. Find the time to give, because you know you have it.  Give some of what you do have, even if you have a little: it will mean the world to someone. Last year, I was incredibly ill for an entire month. This friend of a friend I barely knew heard about it and came by my house with fresh homemade soup every day for lunch. I was so weak and couldn't move from my bedroom and she literally saved my life. It was a small thing that meant the world to me.

 

 

To see more of Kristy's Work go to:

Website

Blog

 

***All images in this post are copyright Kristy Behrs of Wrecklessgirl Photography.***

 

 

I'm a mini van mom.  I have a swagger wagon.  I've got the pride in my ride...

 

umm...so...maybe I don't have a swagger wagon....

 

maybe my van's been thrown up in more times than I want to remember

maybe my kids think I must be talking to someone else when I say, "Bring your jazz in from the van with you..."

maybe milk has spilled in my van

maybe a few diapers have been changed in there

maybe someone put their apple in the pocket behind the drivers' seat and it wasn't found for at least a few weeks

maybe people have driven around town with "wash me" written on the outside windows of the van

maybe we went to the beach a year ago and there might still be sand in the van

maybe we just washed it and there are fingerprints all over the inside back windows

maybe a taco bell taco has been smooshed into the carpet of the van

maybe when we say we just washed our van we can't remember when that was but it might have been more like a couple of months ago

maybe a strawberry milkshake spilled down the back seat cupholders and into the speakers of the van

maybe someone left their lunch under the seat and we didn't know it until our noses told us

maybe there have been some cross country trips in that van and there's still some cross country left in it

maybe some messy eaters have eaten in the van

maybe when you look in the rear view mirror you see fingerprints

maybe you can write your name in the pollen dust on the dashboard

maybe people sing at the top of their lungs in that van

maybe there are people who have laughed until they've cried in the van

maybe 4 year old kids have ridden in that van to their first day of preschool

maybe  12 year old kids have gone to their first day of junior high in that van

maybe there were twin carseats in that van

maybe people have kissed in that van

maybe kids have fallen asleep in that van and their sleepy sweetness has been carried to their beds when we got home

maybe a girl has been taken to horse lessons or ballet lessons in that van

maybe there have been at least 500 "Have fun at school"  and "Have a good day" sentences said in the early morning in that van

maybe there have been some heartbreaking football game moments in that van

maybe that van was a good little van and moved from Utah to South Carolina and was sweet about it

maybe some heartfelt prayers have been offered in that van

maybe a mom has watched kids grow in that van

maybe some really good talks have happened in that van

maybe some tears have been shed in that quiet van when the youngest child went to kindergarten

maybe a baby came home from the hospital in that van

maybe life has happened in that van

maybe it's been a really good life in that van

 

maybe....

 

 

sweet. LIFE.

keep it up.

From the looks of our last contest...the weather really got to you.  Many of you thought when it was messy outside it was a great reason to not get out and move it.

I've had the same problem at little bit.  It's easy to talk myself out of becoming a human sponge soaking up rain until I can make my own pond when I come back in the house from the amount of precipitation that drips off of me and my clothing.

Today was one such day.  I decided I was going to do an arm workout even though the hour at the trail was going to make me as full of rain as a one of the dark clouds in the sky.  That felt like something.  At least it WAS something.  Better than nothing. Right?

So what I'm saying is do something.  Get off  your hiney and stop being a couch potato or computer potato or whatever you're doing that's keeping you from working out.

 

Here are some tips for exercising on a rainy day from here:

 

1. Step1

   Pay attention to the most important layer - the one closest to your body. Choose jog bras and underwear made with polypropylene, Dri-FIT, CoolMax or Gore-Tex fabrics, which wick water and sweat away from your skin.

2. Step2

   Select clothing containing breathable fabrics to keep you dry and warm for your second layer - tights and tops - as well.

3. Step3

   Choose a wind- and water-resistant jacket or vest for an outer layer, but avoid wearing a waterproof rain slicker, which will trap moisture and heat on the inside.

4. Step4

   Go for an outer layer that's lightly colored or has reflective strips for added visibility, since running in the rain often means darker conditions.

5. Step5

   Choose layered socks that contain the same moisture-transporting properties mentioned above.

6. Step6

   Choose shoes with good traction, cushioning and, above all, waterproofing. You can buy shoes that are already waterproofed, or you can waterproof them yourself.

7. Step7

   Look for the same breathable fabrics for your gloves and hat. Some exercisers prefer a hat with a bill (such as a baseball cap) to help keep the rain out of their eyes. Depending on the temperature, this can be a good option.

8. Step8

   If you have to wait outside before the start of a race, a big trash bag with armholes cut out can help you stay dry before you exercise. Be sure to remove it once you begin.

 

Winner of April's contest:

Leann!  Way to go Leann!  Her number was generated by random.org.  She wins Uno by Lauren Clark.

 

fit. LIFE.