Rumor has it that the Love Affair Ladies are drawing up another plan to host a Love Affair workshop in 2009 from July 28-30th! Where? Well we can't give all of the details just yet but we can tell you it will be the ONLY 2009 Love Affair Workshop and it's going to be a blast! In February we'll take to the road to explore the next location and release the details to you shortly after so stay tuned to the blog or email info@loveaffairworkshop.com to join our "first to know list".

NOTE:  This new series, Women and Business, will be ongoing.  Every Thursday you can expect to meet a new woman who is managing more than just a successful business and doing it well.  Make sure you come back every Thursday (or more often if you'd like) to be inspired, motivated, get ideas, and so much more.  Thanks for stopping by.  Together we can make this a wonderful series! Who doesn't love comments? So make sure to let these women know what you think, if you  have a question, say thanks, or just to say you think they are fabulous in the comments...

Next Week:  Sheye Rosemeyer  

Coming soon:  Sarah Q, Kelly Moore, Carey@Barefoot Memories, Lisa Maksoudian, Stephanie Roberts, and more talented women!

Hello Amber, Thanks so much for being a guest today...our first guest... for the new Women and Business series!

You’ve traveled quite a bit in the past year or so. What tips do you have for moms when they need to travel and have to be away from their family?

Use technology to your advantage as often as possible.

My wonderful husband takes LOADS of pictures of my children on his iPhone, and emails them to me throughout the day. This really helps me feel like I'm not even gone.

You can (and should) also use the video chat functionality on your macbook pro (because I KNOW that's what you're using :) ) to help your kids have the opportunity to see your face as often as possible.

I also prep the kids way in advance, and tell them what I'll be doing on this particular trip. If I will be seeing or spending time with people they know and love, I make sure they know that.

When I return, I share pictures and stories with them, so they have the opportunity to hear what kinds of things I was up to while I was away. All of this seems to make things much easier. My kids have been wonderfully lenient on me as I've traveled this past year.

I'm blessed to have the most supportive husband and children one could ever imagine

What 5 things have helped you the most to manage being a mom, photographer, business woman, and writer?

1. The most supportive husband in the world....and the most well-behaved children inexistence.

2. The ability to seriously multitask. (This is either a blessing or a curse. I'm uncertain as to which.)

3. Photographer's Edit... www.photographersedit.com That sounds like a shameless plug, and maybe it is, to some degree, but honestly, at the end of this past year, I looked back, and I thought to myself... if I had to edit my own weddings last year, I would've never slept for even a second. I hope other people see the value in saving themselves a load of time.

4. iChat. Allows me to be in close connection with my husband and kids when I'm gone, allows me to have friends entertain me when I'm tired of working but need to keep going, allows me to haveimmediateaccess to many important people in my life merely by a click and a bit of typing, ultimately saving me insane amounts of time.

5. A nightly hot bath. 15 minutes of quiet restores me to some semblance of sanity.

Oh, I need a number 6, sorry.
6. Cleaning lady. Second best investment of 2008 (second only to Photographer's Edit). It's outsourcing at it's most basic.

You have 2 kids, what does a typical day look like for you?

Is there a such thing as typical?

As I've said already, I have an amazing husband. Very often, (and by that, I mean almost always) he takes morning duty, so I can get an extra hour or two of sleep.

Austen goes to school 5 days a week from 8-3 and Addison is in "school" Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-2. I have sessions scheduled a random times throughout the week, usually an average of three times a week.

Lately, I also have at least one mentoring session or baby TAG-A-LONG scheduled during that time.

It seems that there's at least one night a week (often more like FOUR nights a week) that we have evening meetings.

We have date night every Monday and family day every Sunday. We try desperately to go to the gym 5 times a week as well.

All of those things make a specific schedule almost impossible. I'm not going to lie, we eat a decent amount of restaurant food and takeout... (and Tuna Helper ;) I am hoping to change that ASAP.

I just tried to write out a schedule for you all, but I couldn't even do it, there are too many variables!

My recommendation is just be as flexible as you can. I try to stop, even if I'm working, and help my children when they need attention. This isn't always easy, but if you're working from home a lot, it's very necessary.

You are among some very well known photographers. What is the best advice you’ve been given?

I'm gonna list a few different thoughts I've learned from various different people....

My amazing husband regularly tells me to stop working and go to bed. I think "Go to bed" is probably the best advice I've ever been given :) www.photographersedit.net

 

David Jay instilled into Nathan and I the power of the web and viral marketing.www.opensourcephoto.com

I've had the opportunity to listen in on my dear friend Corey McNabb's sales meetings/bridal consultations several different times. The knowledge gained from listening to such a successful sales person as he creates a rapport with his client is priceless. I'm not entirely certain how to encapsulate his techniques in a short paragraph, but he does have a platform class at WPPI addressing just this topic. www.mcworkshops.com

Kevin Swan continually reminds me of the importance of finding "which hill you stand on". KISS wedding books stands on the "hill of simplicity", and because of that, they're succeeding brilliantly. We need to figure out where we can stand that is different from everyone else, and that's what we need to focus on. www.kissweddingbooks.com

Robert Evans reminds me to laugh at myself more. He has so much to offer on an educational level, but what I learn from him the most is that I take myself much too seriously. Life is too short for that. www.photographymentor.com

I could go on and on, we have been blessed by so many industry leaders, but I think I'm going to get the "Go to bed" advice here, any second. Those summarized statements above barely scrape the surface of what we have been able to learn from our peers and friends.

You have had several articles in Rangefinder and you’re currently working on some others. What are your tips for getting published in Rangefinder?

For me, my first article in Rangefinder was just a leap of faith. I wrote an article about something I believed very strongly in, and I sent a direct query to the editor. I don't think this would always work, but it worked that time! If you don't feel confident enough to do that, try to make a connection with one of the writers or editors, and see if they'd be willing to query an article for you!

What do you think are the most important things you do as a mom and wife every day?

Invest time. Even just moments. I don't do it enough.

And photograph my family. I don't want to look back in 20 years and wish that I had done for my family what I do for so many others.

This includes scheduling official photo sessions by SOMEONE ELSE! I didn't do this until Addison was 2 years old, and I hated myself for it.

Is there anything you wish you would have done differently over the years as a mom/business woman? If so, what? and how would you do it if you had another chance at it?

I don't like looking backward... I want to focus forward. I don't think I would change anything, because then it would be possible that I would be somewhere else right now, and I'm quite happy with where I am. I can't wait to see what the next year, and the next year, and the next year holds for us.

To read more about Amber and see her work check out the following:

www.photographersedit.com

www.holritzphotography.com

www.mcworkshops.com- for the only full workshops I am involved with

http://www.rangefindermag.com/repository/rf/articles/pdf/Nov07_64.pdf - my first Rangefinder article

The image at the top is by Rich Smith.  Used by permission of Rich Smith.  See more of his images at  www.richsmithphotography.com

All of the below images are by Amber Holritz.  Copyright 2008.  Used by permission of Amber Holritz.  See more of her images at www.holritzphotography.com

sick missie.

ETA:  Stay tuned tomorrow (Jan. 15th) for the first installment of the Women and Business series!!

I was hoping to do a much more elaborate post of the self portrait work that I've been working on. However, the pictage ask and learn went longer than I planned and shortly after it was over my little Miss G woke up and was feeling her tummy rumbling again. In the past week and 1/2 or so she hasn't been feeling well.

Except the not feeling well is not consistent. Gracie hasn't felt sick for 10 days straight. Whatever she has just seems like it just keeps coming and going.  I can't figure out if she is really all of the way better.

Is my mom-sense totally off? 

She's thrown up a number of times and they don't seem to be linked to anything in particular.

We've spent a lot of time on the couch me holding her and her feeling miserable.

Then she'll seem like she's done with it.

She'll be back to herself, playing, laughing, reading, and going to school. This time she seemed like she was completely better. She hadn't thrown up since two nights ago. She went to school today. Had a great day. Said she felt great. And I was relived that everything looked like it was over.

Now...tonight something is back...not sure what.

We just spent a long time in the bathroom while she sat at the toliet waiting to throw up. Nothing except a lot of stomach gurgling and a lot of burping. Now she's sleeping on the couch next to me...and that took some coaxing. She didn't want to leave the bathroom for fear she may puke.

So...I'm not sure what they night ahead is going to be like. Or what is going on with Grace.

This is definitely a mom life...crouching by a toliet, holding someone's hair, and whispering sweet things in their ear.  Holding someone on the couch and hoping that your arms will somehow bring relief.

unsure. LIFE.

we're a little crazy. 

So...Millie and I were just being silly getting ready for this interview when we were at the Pictage Partnercon in Los Angeles back in September.  Little did we know that the tape was rolling and this is what they decided to keep...all of our silliness!  Hilarious.

HIRING. and anything else.

If you're in the market for hiring some help you need to come be part of Ask and Learn Wednesday tomorrow on the Pictage forum!  Millie and I are going to spill our secrets on hiring the perfect person to work for you, the perfect fit, the perfect studio manager or second shooter or associate photographer, or image editor...whatever you need.  ANd if you think you don't need this...guess again.  You'd be surprised at how this will benefit the vast majority of photographers.

If you're doing jobs that you aren't qualified to do or that you don't like or jobs that you wish you didn't have to do because you want to do something else in your business (ie accounting, editing, making spreadsheets, doing reports, marketing, and so many other things that we try to do that we're really not qualified to do...then you need to get on this Ask and Learn). 

**We'll talk about anything else you want to know as well...just log on and write us a question.  We'll be there for two hours to answer what you need to ask.**

Can't wait to see you on the forum tomorrow night (January 14th) from 7-9 eastern and 4-6pm west coast time!

What questions do you have that you want us to address in the Ask and Learn?  Tell me in the comments...

Listen to this podcast for a little snipet of what we discussed when we were out in Los Angeles.

learn. LIFE.

it's time.

I've been thinking about what to do for the contest of the year and decided that we are going to have a year long contest (no matter what don't give up this year...it's easy to get back to a simple plan, remember!).  We are also going to have some monthly contests.

Contest for this month:

This month's contest will go through the first week of February.  To kick off the year the winner will receive a pair of workout shoes valued at $70, a magazine subscription of your choice, you will also get the book that I'm talking about today.

To win:

you just need to be the person with the most comments/help/advice on Move it Monday posts.  Give us all of the wisdom you can muster.   We want to hear about a favorite recipe, a way to feed the midnight muchies something healthy, your favorite motiviational tool or quote, emotional tips, what you do when you're trying not to eat something you love, what you do to exercise, your mantras to keep you on the path, anything and everything you can think of that helps you out when you're trying to lose weight.  Tell us how you battle through those times of the month when it seems like you do nothing but sit around like a bloated whale because you're feeling full on pms.  What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  The person that posts the most ideas and is the most helpful will win the prize package (and some additional goodies).  SO get thinking and sharing in the comments section of Move Monday posts this month!!

Contest for this year:

The winner will receive a full day with me.  It can be a Day with Davina or it can be a full day of a photo session with me.  You get to choose.  It will also include other goodies that we will add onto the winner's package through out the year.  You will want to win this!

To win:

*Be the person that posts the most often on Move it Monday through out the entire year.

*Keep a journal and have at least 12 entries by the end of the year. (That's at least one per month...this is about getting some consistent habits.)

*Check in every week on Move it Monday comments.

*Get 20 minutes of exercise at least 4 days a week.

*Start eating off of smaller plates...or at least eat much smaller portions at every meal.

Now,  I know that you can't do this every single day of your life.  Take it a day at a time.  Do the best you can.  Don't give up.  The person that does the best at developing consistency will be the winner.  It's not really about being the one that loses the most weight (although I think that it will be a natural thing that will happen) it's about changing your approach to food and moving your body.

I just read another book..."I can make you thin"

 Paul says that you just need to do the four golden rules:

*Eat when you're hungry.

*Eat only what you want, never what you think you "should".

*Eat consciously and enjoy every mouthful.  (When you slow down you eat less naturally)

*Stop when you think you're full.

He discusses how our brains have made well worn paths from our thoughts and habits toward food.  In order to make new paths you need to change the way you're approaching food and exercise.  He has what he calls hypnosis moments that he has you do.  It seems to me that they are meditations coupled with acupuncture/pressure points.

I don't think that there is a magic formula to losing weight.  I do think that Paul has some good points.  Many of the golden rules that he suggests are ones that I'm already doing and seeing results with.  The other issues he addresses in his book are ones that I know I need to work on as well.

This book is included in this month's prize package.

So...share share share share.  Tell us in the comments what your hints and tips are for eating well, exercising, healthy food, and all of the rest.  Be the one with the most amount of helpful comments on Move it Monday posts and you'll be this month's winner!

good. LIFE.