a new angle.

Sometimes a small shift in perspective can make a huge difference in your life.  So why not try the view from upside down in shoulder stand?

Lay on your back, lift your legs up to the ceiling, arms by your side.  You can stay here, in a modified version of the pose.  Or you can lift your behind off your yoga mat, place your hands on your lower back to support yourself, palms pressing into your lower back, fingers pointing up toward your feet.  Walk your elbows in close, keep your neck nice and long, gaze at the tops of your toes or the ceiling.  Be very mindful of your neck in this pose, don't turn you head to the right or left, just keep it steady, chin lifted up slightly so you can breathe and swallow.

Shoulder stand brings oxygenated blood to your brain: promoting clarity and creativity and massages your thyroid: getting nutrients flowing through your body.  It also helps keep your legs looking supple by draining the fluid that collects in your feet.  All that and you get a fresh new perspective!  You just might experience that a problem that has been bothering you has now shifted into a challenge.

Make it a wonderful Move it Monday!

Lisa Brownstead is a former TV news anchor who believes in the transformational power of yoga and helping young and old alike find more balance, self esteem and joy in their lives through yoga. She also believes that yoga (and a little bit of humor) leads to a significant decrease in stress and keeps those practicing looking and feeling young! As a mom of three kids who love yoga, Lisa has followed her passion teaching yoga to both kids and adults. Lisa is the founder of Pretty Postures.  For more information on private in-home instruction, classes, and yoga parties check out www.prettypostures.com.

friend Lisa on facebook

stress-free. LIFE.

**all images in this post copyright: Andrea of Pink Sugar Photography. **
 

{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.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...

NEXT WEEK: Laura Siebert

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

Andrea,   You were nominated as someone that should be part of Women and Business and I'm so glad!  I had not know of you or your work until I clicked the link that was included with your nomination.  And I have to say I'm in love.  I'm drawn into seeing the lovely and fun holiday decorating you do around your home as well as the photography work that you do.  You are talented and funny and your way of capturing couples and family is beautiful. Thank you so much for being on Women and Business.  Thank you!

How did you become a professional photographer?

I was actually hired (on my wedding day!) by my own wedding photographer. He was looking for a second shooter and although I didn't have any experience, he liked my creativity and took a chance on me. At the time I didn't know the first thing about using a DSLR, or to be honest, about photography in general but I'd always loved taking pictures so I was crazy excited. I spent a season working with him and spending all of my spare time either practicing or reading about photography. The following year I started up Pink Sugar and four years later, here we are!


Were you a professional photographer before Lila Claire was born?  If not, how did you make that transition?

We found out we were expecting Lila two weeks before I finished university and was finally going to be able to focus on Pink Sugar full time. I shot 24 weddings (would have been 25 had Li not arrived a month early…) that summer/fall and then took six months off to get to know my girl. After Lila was born, I knew I didn't want to be away from my family every weekend of the summer so I started limiting wedding bookings and just naturally transitioned into shooting more portraits.


What type of event do you shoot most?

I shoot lots of engagements, and also a lot of young families. My business seems to have paralleled my own life a little bit: as a newlywed I photographed primarily weddings; after Lila was born I began shooting more maternities and newborns; and now that Lila is a little older, I'm shooting a larger percentage of families with toddlers and young children.


How have you cultivated the portrait side of your business?

I've been lucky enough to work with many of my clients through their engagement and wedding, and then again as their families begin to grow. It's really nice to form relationships with people and get welcomed back into their families time after time.  

As well, (this one is pretty obvious but it didn’t click for me right away so I’m going to share anyways) be sure to share what you want to shoot! The moment I started blogging baby photos and family portraits, I began getting more inquiries for those types of sessions!


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

I think it is so important to keep in mind that every client is a unique individual and every session will be different; what works to make one person comfortable might do just the opposite for another. I try to make an effort to get to know each client on a personal level so that I can make those distinctions. I spend a lot of time chatting and asking questions, I laugh a lot, I give feedback, I really try to connect with whoever is in front of my camera on any given day. Once you make that connection, comfort [usually] follows naturally.


What do you recommend women do who are just getting started in the industry?

Be yourself. Try to find your own voice rather than  imitating somebody else's style. Shoot whatever makes YOUR heart happy and let your personality shine through. Chances are, what YOU love will be loved by other people as well, and those people are the ones you want as your clients.


What have you done to grow as a photographer?

I would say that most things I do on a day to day basis play a part in my growth. Some of the more obvious ways I've grown as a photographer are through workshops, reading, shooting all the time, and spending time with other photographers. Less obvious but perhaps more importantly, I find that challenging myself creatively in both photography and other mediums (crafting, sewing, designing) helps me to grow as an artist. Most recently I've started a personal daily(ish) photoblog that challenges me to pick up my camera, document life and create art every day.


How have you grown as a mother?

I feel like I'm growing as a mother every minute of every day. Lila teaches me new things about myself and the world all the time -- I am so lucky to be her momma.


Have you attended workshops?  What are your favorites?

I've been to a handful of workshops in the last five years but one stands out way above the rest for me. I attended a Bebbinar early on in my career and Jen and Steve provided me with a ton of tools and encouragement to ensure I was on the right track. I can't say enough about these two and I would highly recommend their workshop to anybody!


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

Crafting, sewing, decorating -- being creative makes me happy! I also have a bit of a weakness for shopping (particularly online) and I love spending quality time with my little family and my awesome girlfriends.


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

No secret formula for this one, I've just worked really hard to make my clients happy. When they're happy, they tell their friends, and then I work hard to make their friends happy too.


Do you travel often?  How do you make this easier on your children?  How do they feel about how often you travel?

I don't travel all that often for work, but when I do, I almost always bring Mark and Lila along. I think they like that :)


You have a fantastic blog following who consistently comment.  How have you grown your blog readership?

Thank you :) You know, I'm not really sure how that happened. When I was first starting out, long before I had a blog, I was quite active on Flickr and I think a lot of my blog followers have been following me since then. I also try really hard to blog regularly so there aren't any lulls in posts and I always encourage my clients to share their sessions with their friends when they are featured.  I love my blog readers!


Are you in a store front studio or a home studio?  What made you decide on the space you have? (please provide pictures)

I shoot all of my sessions on location either outdoors or in my client's homes, and spend the rest of my time working in a home office. At this point in time it just doesn't make much sense for me to have a studio.


What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?

Like most, I struggle with this a lot. Because I work from home, it's often hard to separate work and family and I kept finding that when I was working I felt guilty for neglecting my family, and when I was spending time with my family I felt guilty for neglecting my work. This past fall I put Lila into a childcare program a couple of days a week so I could have a few hours of uninterrupted work time and that has helped tremendously. And as a bonus, she totally loves it! I also make sure that I get out of the house and do lots of fun things every week :)


What three products or things help you stay organized?

Haha, honestly, I'm not in the position to give any advice regarding organization -- there's a reason there aren't any photos of my home office included here ;) That said, I definitely couldn't live without my iPhone. Having my email, calendar and Evernote (I’m a total list girl!) accessible to me at all times is super handy. (And if anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears!)

To see more of Andrea's work:

Blog

Wedding Site

Portrait Site

**all images in this post copyright: Andrea of Pink Sugar Photography. **

motivate me.

If you've said this to yourself...or maybe you've said, "I just wish I could get motivated to get out and exercise."  I have the answer for you.

This is her. Cocoa.

She'll make sure you get walking and burn all of those computer sitting hours off your hiney.

She requires at least two good long walks a day.  She wants to have the frisbee thrown to her at least 100 times in a row.  She may or may not bring it back to you.  She'll think about it.  You may have to walk down the hill to get it yourself.  She wants to go outside to go pee or maybe poop as often as you'll take her.  And then she'll consider relieving herself.  She may just want to walk around the cul de sac and see what's new. There might be a bird out there. Or she may just want to get scared to death by the trash truck.  And then she'll want to play catch-this-stick.  And she'll probably love the stick so much that she won't bring it back. But she'll want to chase you with it.  She can run much faster than you so you need to run fast.

Get moving.

So...if you are wanting to get in shape a dog will help to motivate you because she doesn't want a couch potato for an owner.  She'll whip you into shape faster than a drill sargent or one of those exercise boot camp intructors that yell at you.

And we're you're done with your exercise program she'll love you and kiss you and tell you what a great job you did and how thin you're looking.

Okay. Maybe she won't do that last bit but it will feel like she's telling you that.

Or maybe you can just keep your New Year's resolutions. Good on you! Pass some of that discipline my way, won't you?

motivated. LIFE.

**all images in this post copyright: Jackie Rueda. **
 

{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.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...

NEXT WEEK:  Andrea @ Pink Sugar Photography

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

Jackie, I first met you because of a kindness you showed me, you sent me a gift, and I'm still so grateful for that.  It seems that this is the way you are with everyone. I immediately went to check out your work and was drawn into your beautiful, emotional perspective on the world.  Since then I've so wanted to learn from you and have been so tempted to learn Spanish as my second language just so I can read your blog and take your online courses.  I think you are the only person I know of that has decided that preteen/early teen girls are your target market.  They way you bring out their innocence and beauty is wonderful.  I'm so excited to have you here on Women and Business.  Thank you!

You have become very popular in the last year or two among the Latin community for your Spanish photography online courses. How did that come about?
When I left Caracas I waved my career goodbye due to the change of language (I am a journalist and a TV writer). So I was new in beautiful Montreal with no idea of what to do with my life. At the same time I was going through a kind of personal storm and I felt like I was drowning. I started writing in Spanish on a blog to have a creative outlet. To my surprise the blog became very popular, partly because of the stories and partly because of the pictures. I was working simultaneously since the summer of 2008 with my Flickr group La Vuelta al Mundo (A Trip Around the World), where I encourage people to go out and re-discover their cities to capture in pictures a new theme for each month (happiness, rainbows, sun flare…). From the group discussions, from my previous experience in photography and from my work with children in creative workshops during my college years, emerged in a natural way the need to design this e-course. I make my class the less intimidating as possible- I call it The game of learning how to see. People learn about photography in a very relaxed way, and they are recued from their problems and routines by their cameras. I had never before seen anything like that on the internet, so I had no references to create it. I spent months puzzling over it until I came up with the perfect formula. Then, when my e-course was ready, the satisfaction was infinite because it was like no other. It’s welcoming, easy, fun and friendly. 75 % of my students are from Spain and 25% are from other Hispanic countries.

I love that you've chosen such a specific target market, pre-teen/early teenage girls.  You've taken this awkward time of life and brought out so much beauty, It's really lovely.  How did you hone in on that particular demographic?
It was an accident. I have two teenage daughters, and when their friends saw their photos they wanted a photo shoot too. Then they showed the pictures to their friends, sisters and cousins so my portfolio kept growing.

What do you do to help your particular age group of clients be so comfortable with you during a photo shoot?
I think the answer is that I am relaxed, I laugh a lot (mostly at myself) and I remember perfectly when I was that age, so I can empathize. I have had stunning girls who don’t want to laugh because they think that their smile is ugly, and others that think that they have one eye bigger than the other.  At that age appearance is a matter of life or death, and I take their worries seriously. I don’t pressure them into something that makes them uncomfortable. I really listen to them. Empathizing is the key when in contact with clients, and I think it’s the reason that my daughters and I are so close. The girls are comfortable with me, they don’t see me so adult-ish, and they relax. I’m not sure if this is something I should be proud of, but it works like magic!

What are the ages of your girls?  How have they been inspired by your work?
Marianne is 16 years old and Valeria is 13. Both have developed a certain artistic sensibility. They take turns to assist me in sessions, they accompany me on my urban photographic expeditions and they help me choose between two pictures for some project. They are my best friends, my most honest critics and they help me understand what people their age like, what is cool and what’s not. They took my Atelier Teens last summer and their pictures were amazing. That’s when I realized that they have definitely caught the photography bug. Valeria wants to be a wildlife photographer and Marianne wants to start doing sessions with her friends.

Are you in a storefront or home studio space?  What made you decide on the space you have?
I work primarily on location with natural light (Montreal is the prettiest backdrop, seasons here are like a fairytale), but I also have a small home studio flooded by gorgeous light. It's my favorite place in the world. It's surrounded by trees and it's accessible from my house, or from outside through turquoise stairs that I often use in my still-life photos. When I saw this house for the first time, I knew at once that this nice solarium had to be “my place”. It is not big, but it is inspiring and enough for now. At some point it won’t be anymore, since my plans for the future include having workshops in my own studio, but before thinking about renting a space, I think I’d rather expand my house...I love working here close to my family and my cats.

What are you most proud of as a business woman?
I am proud of having reinvented myself professionally. With no budget, no advice, not speaking good English or French, no incurring in debts, not marketing strategy, not contacts and not much experience, I could create something that not only generates an income, but makes me go out of bed happy everyday. I get positive feedback frequently from my students and clients and that nurtures me. I love so much what I do, I have so many plans and there are so many aspects of photography I want to explore, that the only thing I ask is to have longer days.

What is the best thing you've done to make your business successful?
I think I have known how to relate with people in an honest and direct way. There is something in my way of talking online that makes people feel close to me and want to take my class or hire me. I know that it's odd that a photographer says this instead of something related to her photos, but in this business, the emotional component is really important and I am a very emotive person and I don't mind being transparent.

What are the top three things you did when you were first getting started in business to bring in clients?
1. Talking about my new business on my blog. At that time I had spent 4 years building week by week a solid community of followers, and 2 years with a warm and participative Flickr group, so my potential clients and students where already there. Those people know me and are familiar with my photos and my way to express my ideas. Both the blog and the Flickr group were born for very different reasons, but at the moment of launching my business all that work paid off. I’ve never had to invest in advertising, my workshops are sold out 4 months in advance and everything works by word of mouth.
2. Networking (in a kind and polite way) is crucial. Facebook, Flickr, Twitter are very important.
3. A nice website to showcase my work, and another one just for my online workshops. It might sound very basic, but a clean, fresh and inviting site can make a big difference. Now I’m working on revamping my blog.

What do you do to keep from feeling overwhelmed?
To be honest, I feel overwhelmed all the time!  For me, the most difficult thing is handling my emails. My inbox is always over flooding and I still haven’t found a way to make this work in an efficient way. I just launched my newsletter to control the demand of information. It seems to be working; I’ve got my finger crossed!

What do you do for fun...that has nothing to do with photography?
I absolutely love road trips: music, honey roasted peanuts, my husband driving and some dreamy landscape. I’m a big fan also of our family movie night on weekends.

I so wish that I could read your blog but alas...I do not speak (or read) Spanish. Is there any chance you'll be offering classes in English?  You are so inspiring I would love to learn about how your creative mind works.
I would love it! Teaching in English would notably expand my horizons, but I'm afraid that my domain of the language isn't enough to teach online. Maybe if you hear me talk, I'll make a mistake, we'll laugh together and it'll maybe work out. But in an online class, I have to write a lot and express myself correctly, and I don't feel capable of doing that. In my class I comment the work of my students picture by picture in a very personalized way. That requires many hours of grammatically correct typing!

To see more of Jackie's work:

Website

Blog (spanish)

Blog (english)

Facebook

**all images in this post copyright: Jackie Rueda. **