What's your secret?

The idea of success lies in balance. Success in anything, including business. Even relationships are same. They break up when there's too much of some things and lack of the others.

Searching for that balance is what takes the most time at first stages of developing the business. Passing the stage of not wanting to get out of bed in the morning - so much anxiety in your heart that you almost can't get yourself together to deal with it. Passing multiple stages of sheer unexplainable excitement - for no reason whatsoever - that comes and goes. The best times are when you feel comfortable with what you've done yesterday, about to do today and planning for the next month. These are rare at first. Then they come more and more often... am I making sense?

I strongly believe that finding the balance is key. Once you set the intention want to make this business a success - it will occur by itself. If you let it happen. There has to be a room for it to happen. Remove the obstacles (mostly internal - fears, discomforts). Without that air fire won't burn as smoothly.

I once read somewhere that in order to get ideal projects we need to stop accepting jobs that are less than that. Create space for the big fish. Of course, that might not work for everyone I know, but do you get the idea? Balancing is crucial here too. Yes, we need to pay bills and who knows when the big fish is coming, but we need to have space for it, or be prepared to make space when it comes.

Balancing between several things - new aspect of your life (business), old aspects of your money making activities (whether you intend on keeping them or dodging completely, eventually..), family, physical activities, friends, keeping up with networking, new connections, getting enough healthy sleep, maintaining body in great shape, FAMILY again (what's more important?), keeping that spirit happy and balanced - there is a lot to do, if you know what I mean! I'm trying to even balance them all here in text.

To sort this out I find one of my mentors being the most helpful - he is a fashion photographer and he probably didn't realize that he taught me to cope with this whole balancing act of life. As he was teaching us to direct models - "small changes, keep the main pose, but do small changes at a time" - that is exactly how I apply it in my everyday life. Keep the general focus on the balance and make small changes - one day at a time.

Another thing that makes a huge difference is visualization. We have to take time imagining projects we want, try the situations on, taste them and then put a little mark on the imaginary checklist - whether we want to pursue them or not. We need to polish our desires to achieve. It would probably be easy for someone who "just wants a lot of money". Go for it! That's right. With me it's much harder. As I visualize having a lot of money I see that I want to do only certain things and don't come near me with the others. Then I try and visualize those things that I want and love, and weed out the ones that I only think that I want. And sometimes only the experience itself can show what's ours and what's not. But mostly you can get away with your imagination. If it's trained properly.

I have intentionally spent (and continue to spend) a lot of time visualizing the future, trying on different situations, jobs, projects. Initially I wanted to photograph EVERYTHING. Tough...

Some jobs showed me that I wouldn't really enjoy doing them again. Some things you can imagine that you wouldn't want to do, and some you need to do anyway. Just to see what it is - what bothers you about them - is it the lack of interest, or is it some sort of a fear? If it's fear, than it's only beneficial to take those jobs, until the fear dissipates and creates more space for your ambitions to come true.

This post is becoming very long and since I don't see an end to this inner-conversation with myself, and I don't know if anybody got to these lengthy words - I'll wrap it up and wish all of you out there - a happy search of balance. We will probably never completely get there, none of us, that's what evolution is all about... But that's a whole other conversation.

Have an amazing day~

Our first music video...

When your good client asks you to do something you have never done, but want to do real bad and you know the right people - you go for it. Another reason was - Sami believed in me. He said (and I quote) - you are amazing, you will do a wonderful job. So, naturally, I said I'll try! 

By that time I knew this great cinematographer - Piero Basso - and he kindly agreed to help out. I think we worked very well together and I certainly enjoyed the challenge of producing and even directing it a little bit. I also tried to take lots of pictures and have put together this little teaser using some of the material. The whole thing was filmed with my Nikon D300s, which was  a pretty cool thing to do, if you know the challenges. So, look out for the post about that... And let me know what you think of this teaser show :)

Some pics from the action...

That steadycam is one thing I want and can't get (yet)! Good thing there are rentals...

butterfly effect

A few years ago, when I still worked at my last corp job I was taking a class on the software we were using. There were only 5 or 6 of us together with the instructor, so we all got to know each other a little bit. One of the guys was from Albany and he probably doesn't even remember me, but he left this big ripple effect on my life.

And it's always been like that - when I look all the way back into the past I see how very casual encounters have affected me profoundly. Do you know what I am talking about?

After we spoke briefly I found out that he owns a small airplane with his buddy and all they do with their free time is fly around, and they even get to help people "by bringing donor organs here, or shipping something there". Sounded like a fun lifestyle and even while still there in the classroom I realized that it was a big sign for me to actually do what I have been planning to do for months - stop by a local flight school and get that "check ride" flight. It all got very complicated because I wasn't a citizen, but at the end I flew and I signed up for a private pilot course.

Before we bought a house and moved up north they made me take some ground school lectures, where I met a very good friend of mine. He, in turn, had a profound impact on my life by introducing me to works of some pretty fantastic people - Yanni, for instance. Studying their work inspired me to try and reach for something bigger in my life. That "something" certainly required taking more risks than it was typically necessary.

And here I am, living a life I wasn't even dreaming of - photographing for a living, running my own business, having a schedule that only I create, putting as much effort into projects as I want to or am able to (depends on the level of interest, of course, and /likely/ a compensation, heheh), the list is long. I'm counting my blessings every day. I commute when I want to, instead of every day. I decide whether to say "yes" or "no"... most importantly - I spend more time with my son, and get to take him "to work" as much as necessary.

And I have my ambitions back into place where they belong! I believe that everyone must have a dream. A big dream if not many of them. We shouldn't get stuck in one place for many-many years. That just gets us nowhere personally and as a society. Don't you think?

Don't mean it to sound too big though - this is just a blog...

I enjoy helping people reach for their dreams. It is inspiring to watch someone stretch themselves, take another little step closer, try something more challenging or different.

My new friend Melinda did this make up. In my opinion it isn't too much of a big deal to shoot beauty. The right face, the right light... but the make up is a lot of work. She can spend half a day easily working on something very special. These took shorter time, of course, but it's still a lot of work for the make up artist. And you should have seen ALL of the stuff that she brought with her to the studio. A lot of pounds of stuff...

I'm just so happy I can be there and help her a little bit with her dream!

Way to go girl!

Upstate New York from above...

my pilot friend and I...
...we took off that day with intention to travel up north and catch some of the last glimpses of fall 2010. I was after some aerial photos of colorful foliage and he needed company, so... long story short, we got into an airplane and went up.

The weather seemed perfect. There was very little turbulence and so clear out that I was amazed. The pictures coming out so good - that almost never happens. 

Our 1st stop at Glen Falls airport: very cute place.

Wide long runway, no tower, very quiet... You can tell you are in the country... As my friend announces over the radio to whoever is at the front desk that we are staying for breakfast and need fuel - a very energetic man comes out to meet us, shows where to park the airplane and even motion-directs to us, while we are at it. Then we proceed inside the warm building to check out amenities and see what they have in a cafeteria while he is pulling in with the fuel truck.

Two of the visiting airplanes are parked near the entrance - I imagine some business men taking a break on their flight somewhere farther away. They look snazzy and probably smell wonderfully leathery inside.

I have a delicious rhubarb/strawberry pie followed by some toast and egg and hot tea. My friend is on his phone - checking out the weather ahead. And I am writing this, after taking some calls to follow up with clients.

He is worried about the weather. There's lots of ice very low somewhere around the area where we are heading - Prattsburg NY.

We are planning to fly over lake George and lake Champlain. Gorgeous places.

We don't get too far and have to turn around, it's amazing how quickly weather changes in November. But it was a nice and relaxing day. Perfect for a day-off.

This is just a few shots from that day, I hope you enjoy them:

Another airport where you can end up in the water :), heheh, I already have a good collection of those - coming together... :

Coming and going

Can't remember where I read this, but the notion was new then and grasped my attention for a few months straight, now all of a sudden I recall the wisdom of it...

... we shouldn't get attached to any people in our lives no matter how sweet or sour the relationship was. Once they brought us a lesson and taught it - they leave. And mourning over what happened and didn't happen is a silly waste of energy.

Though some people I will never be able to completely let go of. These are who held my hand through happy and rough times. These are whose hand I held as well.

You know who you are :)

Some pics from Coney island a few weeks/days ago... my son so reminds me of me. Fascinated with same things I was when I was little. Sea glass, seagulls, sea sand...

Wishing a wonderful night to all of you out there~

Nobody wants free stuff..

Do you like freebies?

You would think you do, but then imagine, for example, taking a class that you "always kind of" wanted to take. You have a chance to take it for free, or with a very large discount. You receive the information given during it, you are happy to have gotten it practically for free, but when it comes to applying it in the real life, you discount that information as well.

Did you ever find yourself in that kind of situation? I have definitely been there more than once. See, I need to work on something in order for the results to be valuable to me. If I don't pay for it - it's just an experience. When I do - it's a lesson already..

Why all the story-telling?

Every once in a while I announce a headshot package giveaway. I gave one away last winter season, I gave away another in spring for some holiday, gave them away in bunches at my studio birthday party. Guess what? Not one of the winners actually showed up to claim it. And this season, I don't have a winner at all. Of course, my promotion of the matter was weak also, but... nobody interested? :) That just can't be true... must be bad promotional strategy.

Returning to the idea of a "Freebie": all in all I come to a conclusion that free stuff is not only unnecessary, it's bad for you! It spends your valuable time without you actually realizing whether you need the experience, whether you'd pay for it or not. If you are not willing to pay for it - you don't need it, right?

But I'm not giving away my headshots for free, I'm exchanging them for some word of mouth promotion. See, every time someone posts my link on their page or wall, I get more views. And this is why the whole thing is worthwhile for everyone involved.
And I'm actually serious. Of course, after you win it it's up to you whether to follow through with it.

I'm sticking to trying it though, I want to see the full potential of such marketing strategy, because I believe in it making perfect sense.

Next giveaway will be announced not only on my facebook page, but also by e-mail, here in the blog, on linkedIn, ASW, Twitter and there will be follow ups on it every day too. I promise to myself to actually invest enough time in it to make sure people are aware of it happening. Because this time it simply did not work. My bad...

Any ideas on how to improve the candidate tracking? I figured out how to track responses on Facebook and Twitter, will think on how to track them through e-mail versus other programs (oh, that reminds me, I wanted to write about all kinds of affiliate programs!)

That's it about the business for today. Some photos to accompany the season...

Did you go trick-or-treating this Sunday? Was quite chilly/windy and my son started coughing, so we had to retire quickly, but he still had fun and a bunch of cool candy. I like seeing how people get creative with everyday things. We've got things that I didn't imagine existed, nice little candy toys and candy packages and candy pistol and a lot of other interesting stuff. When we came back I almost felt bad that all we were giving away was just... candy. Interesting lesson, you know? I'd think I'm a creative person, but when it comes to everyday stuff... not so much. That's probably true for a lot of us. We just don't let ourselves be free enough to "play".

Enough talking :) have a miraculously wonderful Monday, and I hope the rest of the week will follow.