The only way to have a friend is to be one. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
I wish you a weekend of relaxation over a good cup of joe/chai/wine and great friends and families laughter. Recharge. Refresh. Renew. Invest in your family and friends who support you. Take time for them. This is something I am trying improve on. So join me in setting aside the phone, the email, and the television. Listen. Laugh. Learn. and Love. It’s good for the soul.
As I promised I am posting the video blog outtake reel. But I also wanted to share website called 1000 awesome things I came across awhile ago and now I visit it whenever I need a pick me up. 1000 Awesome Things is just a time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things. It’s great at reminding me of the little wins in life. I find myself laughing and saying “I know right?” I think I might even need to the pre-order the book too. Follow them on twitter for a daily updates.
Here are some of my favorites:
#603 When the DJ plays your request
#925 Watching ‘The Price Is Right’ when you’re at home sick
#771 Waking up before your alarm clock and realizing you’ve got lots of sleep time left
#912 Hanging your hand out the window of a car
#574 Nudging the shower faucet a little bit hotter then a little bit hotter
#705 When you’re sitting in the backseat of a packed car and the driver takes a turn really fast
Here is my own little awesome things mini list. What would be on yours? I would love to hear.
1001 : The warmth of a puppy cuddling near you.
1002: First sip of hot chai when you are freezing
1003: Realizing the person in the car next to you in singing the same song
1004: Having someone else come to the bathroom with you (this might be a ladies thing)
1005: Feeling detoxed after a long Yoga workout
1006: Chatting on with a friend on Skype when their screen freezes on a hilarious and priceless face
1007: Fast Forwarding through commercials on DVR
1008: Hearing your favorite workout song in the middle of a hard cardio class
1009: Catching up with a old friend
1010: Watching people on Wipeout trying to cross the big balls
1011: Reading old notes or notebooks that you wrote in junior high
Ok, without further adieu. This was just too hilarious not to share. But sometimes you just have to get into the groove to make sense on camera. Yes. I am a nerd. I own that. Happy Friday!
The video blogs are getting easier my friends, this one only took a couple of times (ok maybe 7 or so) and a little editing. Pretty soon I will be knocking these out on the first try, with time to spare right? Tomorrow, look for a hilarious outtake reel from creating this vlog. Like… I can’t believe Gina is posting this video hilarious.
In this vlog I take you through some pointers I picked up from my latest read Never eat alone by Keith Ferrazzi. This book is a great resource about connecting with people and truly investing in them. Keith is a genius in creating lasting networking relationships. His exercises & tips in this book are super valuable and eye opening. Enjoy.
(and really YouTube? the screen shots you pull are always so flattering (not) Right here I look like I am ready to pronounce the “ch” sound. Like Charlie, Chimiganga, Cha Cha, ChattanOOga…ha. I digress.)
Get Keith Ferrazzi video blogs or buy this book. They are both great business resources!
Recently, I came across this post from Tara Whitney ( if you have never seen her work before… get ready to be blown away) In her post, she mentions on how you can publish and back-up your twitter feed. I have always wondered if they had this type of service. I actually would love one for facebook that pulls all of your status’s since you started, since I have been on it longer than twitter. I think it would be quite interesting to see what I was thinking in February 2004, my updates on my wedding day or my 21st birthday.
If you think about it our social media clients (facebook, twitter, tumblr) have become virtual scrapbooks, pages and pages of history in our lives. Literally if someone wanted to get to know you they could peruse through your updates and recieve a pretty interesting first impression.
I was blown away at reading through my twitter feed from early 2008. The way I looked at life – my frustrations, thoughts, hopes. One thing I painfully noticed was how much I complained then. I used to consistently crab about the traffic, my lack of sleep, how hungry I was. I was consistently enforcing my negative mood by writing them down in 140 characters. Now, I definitely believe in being totally authentic in all that you do, so that will include the random frustration updates, and the “I am eating taco bell right now, nummy” but what I have realized is this: If I choose to focus on the positive then I am battling my negatives with an unstoppable force. Most of the things I was complaining about were in my control. I complained about being tired: hmm go to bed earlier, Gina, then you won’t be tired. Overworked and stressed?? well, Gina, take on less and prioritize your time better.
Now I am not here to be your twitter police, yet as trivial as a tweet may seem, think of your audience. Do you think your followers/clients want to hear about the terrible traffic or your extra tummy fluff in every other update? How can you add value to their everyday? What kind of online legacy do you want to leave?
Enjoy these nummy set of books that I found during my latest antique store run. They just don’t make books like this anymore. I just love the textures and colors.
Somedays, you just have to pull out your superpower cape and put on your game face.
This would explain how I got through this week. Except for my super cape consisted of hugs from my husband, yoga, chai and my little puppies cuddles. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Isn’t this little guy the cutest thing.
Also, if your finger needs an extra click go here and vote. Thanks so much in advance.
On another freezing Minnesota day. I am missing these California Blues in the depths of my heart. Blue sky, blue/green water, sand, bright happy lines and colors. I would love to spend a week in Hermosa or Manhattan Beach, CA to decompress. Get up each day, wander into the little red coffee shop and then head to the beach with my toes in the sand & just breathe in the air. If you could decompress anywhere, where would you go?
My girl Eliesa hosted a MN Photostars mixer tonight and here is a sneak peek of some of the fun. It included some photobooth, face jowling/jostling(did i even say that right?), hats, pyramids, crooked instax max photos, wind and fire :). I met some awesome people, we have quite the talented group here in the twin cities. I was so excited to see the amount of people that attended and to meet new faces, I hope to get a chance to chat with everyone next time!
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it :: Glitter in the air -Pink
When Matt took this picture of me, I was just at the beginning of my eyes being opened to my passions & life goals. I remember exactly how the wind off the waves felt on my face at the beach in Watercolor. I have been playing this song on repeat while looking through photos. It just hits home on so many levels for me (plus her Grammy performance was beautiful art).
My favorite line of this song :: Have you ever looked fear in the face, and said I just don’t care ::
I want to do this daily. Bring it fear, cause right behind you is amazing accomplishments.
Making Things Happen 2010 came to Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago. I had the privilege of attending again and it was straight up amazing. Going through the exercise almost exactly a month later was eye opening again, and I really was able to fine tune what I am going to make happen in 2010. My heart was so full sharing with all of the beautiful Twin Cities women that attended. We got down to the nitty gritty and big dreams were realized. There were tears, laughter, dreams, fears and goals all out on the table. It was such a blast having Lara, Jeff & Sandi in my hometown. Here are some of the crazy fun mini instax from the evening.
Yea we are kinda “special” 🙂 Love you E.
The JNP Studios workshop was packed full of awesomeness (which I have more to post about) here is more from the live shoot with some of Jeff’s clients to test out some tilt-shift lenses. I was blessed to work with Tara & Dan. Check out Jeffrey’s e-session with them here, the colors in the shoot are rocking.
Tara & Dan were such a sweet little couple. In the short time I got to work them, their genuine care for others and each other really shined through. They were so comfortable with each other, it was such a treat to shoot with them. At one point when I was setting up a shot, I saw a peak of a tattoo on Dan’s wrist area. It looked like it could possibly be a whole arm tat, and I was thinking in my head “no way this sweet little couple and he has his arm done…na Gina you are just tired and hungry” Then I see it again and had to ask..”No way is that a full arm tat?” and they both just smiled.
Later I asked Dan rolling up his sleeves and showing it off and this yumminess is what we got.
VROOOM VROOOM.
Let me let you in on a little secret. I dislike talking about myself. Specifically talking about my strengths and accepting compliments have always been tough and uncomfortable for me. I don’t know why, but its just feel super awkward. One thing I have learned lately is that in order to work on my self-image. I need to be cool with me. Embrace me and all the things I am bad and good at. With that said, I am working through the fear of saying/claiming that I am a leader. I think part of what is holding me back it is that I doubt myself, and part of it is the responsibility of what the title means. Anyways, it has taken me a of couple weeks to get but now I am ready. You ready? Gina Zeidler is a leader. So, high five for me cause I finally can say it now. (Yet, again still feels a little awkward)
I think the term or stereotype leader is pretty positive. Assertive, good with people, big picture thinker, right. While having leadership traits is a great thing, sometimes having this quality can be a hindrance. About a week or so ago during the JNP workshop I had an opportunity to test out some tilt-shift lenses. Jeffrey brought in three of his couples and we each got to pair off in groups and shoot/practice.
***Now a little back story, I think I have rented the tilt-shift about 3 times and never figured it out. I read countless forums, blogs, manuals but I couldn’t get the hang of it. I really wanted to figure it out and get some hands on experience with Eliesa & Jeff on how to manipulate it to get what I want.***
When our couple walked up my crazy love for people kicked in. I greeted them and started to ask them a couple of get to know you questions. Seriously I have this weird weird weird need to make others feel comfortable. Maybe it’s my ultimate fear of the awkward silent moment (like in elevators), but I really think the key to great photographs is having the subjects feel themselves & comfortable. Anyways, we were to direct the shoots as we would like, so I naturally took the lead and walked us over to some really cool awesome windy California trees.
I set the couple up and started shooting with my normal set up (5d mark II and my beloved 35mm 1.4). After a couple of different poses and about 30 frames. I stopped dead in my tracks and said to myself…wait a second Gina, you didn’t come here to shoot a session in your comfort zone, you came to push yourself, to get uncomfortable and learn. At that moment I turned to my two other group members and said “alright you guys, your turn to lead.” I chose to conquer the fear of not being in control and I stepped back and put on the tilt-shift. I definitely felt uncomfortable, I fumbled, I screwed up my exposure, and grumbled while trying it out. After a bit, Eliesa helped me with a couple of settings and I finally got the hang of it.
Seriously though people, I had to push myself to step out of my comfort zone and not be the leader. In that moment I learned that to take a step back, slow down, and learn was what I needed to do. I could have continued on and shot that entire thing with lenses I am used to and got some great shots, but would I have become better? Would I have learned something new?
I want to apply this type of thinking to other areas of my life. I want to push myself to be better, stronger, and fuller. I want to feel uncomfortable, grumpy, and fumbly sometimes, because they equal growth. This situation equaled me conquering the tilt-shift and producing this image. I would have to say…the struggle was worth it.
Remeber these two.
Liz & Bevan are that one of a kind couple. I remember getting the first phone call from Liz and she was super uber relaxed. She mentioned that her fiancé wouldn’t be in town till a week before their wedding because he is from New Zealand. A got a huge smile on my face. I had no idea what to expect when I met these two for their engagement session a week before their wedding (since we did all our booking over the phone). I love this anticipation of meeting new people.
These two just blew me away with their genuine love and excitement for each other. Bevan was such a gentleman and so considerate of Liz. His accent also adds 3,000 brownie points in my book. I think if I would have someone narrate my life, it would be Bevan. I just love how eloquent his speech is and the fun words like “query” are in his everyday speech. I seriously just marveled at him when he talked, it was so fun. Sorry Liz, I admit I was marveling 🙂
I seriously love these photos and how much real and happy emotion is captured in each one. Their wedding was just as awesome as this session. Look for that post sometime next week.
This picture makes my heart flutter. I remember this moment exactly. I am so blessed to have amazing clients who share their love with me. Seriously, love these two..more from their engagement session & wedding soon.