Superhero Summer Photo Tip #1

Right before I took the photos above, I shouted urgently to my friend, “Watch Nico! I have to get my camera!”

It had been bright and sunny all day – a gorgeous day by every measure – except that it was too bright to take a great photograph. The shadows were too harsh, too blinding. Too much middle-of-the-day sun. I regretted having lugged my big old camera  all the way to the beach.

But suddenly, the sun went behind the clouds! We love the clouds! and created a perfect diffuser for the sun. The shadows softened and the light became hazy and almost yellow. I snapped like crazy and Nico hammed it up for the camera. The sun returned shortly after, but I was delighted to get some beautiful shots in that dreamy light.

This summer, pay attention to when the sun goes behind the clouds. Instead of lamenting the cold, celebrate the light! and grab your camera.

More great photogaphy lessons in Superhero Photo!

Class begins next Monday, June 24th, 2013.

As I lay down in yoga recently, a line from a Rumi poem came to me:

Start a huge,  foolish project
like Noah.

It makes absolutely no difference 
what people think of you.

It felt like a message. Nothing short of divine. I had been feeling around in the dark all year for my next e-course but coming up short. I wanted to create something that would delight + energize me. Something that would be a huge gift to my community. Something that connected all of us in a meaningful way.

My body buzzed with excitement as I realized what my next offering would be– Start a Foolish Project! And by foolish, I mean awesome. Foolish projects are those things we do simply for the delight and the joy.

They are things like creating a wish tree or hosting a Storybowl. They might be organizing a bubble flash mob in the park or a book club for people who only read self-help books. A foolish project might be buying that pink ukulele that caught your eye and learning to play it. A foolish project could be deciding to make 10,000 hats and give them away.

Foolish projects make us feel alive.

Here’s my foolish project:

I am going to gather a group of women here in Berkeley (you’re invited!), hire a choreographer and learn a cheesy dance routine. Emphasis on cheesy. Then, we’re going to flash mob it! Yes, like in those you tube videos. Doesn’t that sound like so much fun?!!!

Foolish projects appeal to my sense of play, my desire to feel alive + my love of stories. No matter what happens, you will always have the story about that time you were in a cheesy flash mob, right? Even if it was a total disaster. It really doesn’t matter.

What’s your foolish project?

Maybe you do something like my friend Maya Stein who decided to celebrate her 40th birthday by bicycling across the country dragging an old-fashioned typewriter and holding spontaneous poetry workshops.

Or maybe you are more like that woman I heard about last year that was craving community. She decided to drag her rarely used farm table to her backyard, hung some twinkly lights and extended an open invitation to her neighbors for a potluck dinner every Sunday evening at 6pm. She transformed her entire community this way.

Join me + discover the foolish project inside of you.

This 5 week course begins July 1st, 2013.

Early bird registration available now for $79!

If you are in the Bay Area and want to be a part of my cheesy flash mob, you are more than welcome. The more, the merrier. (superherosf@gmail.com)

Laurie Wagner

Laurie Wagner

Laurie Wagner

Laurie Wagner

Laurie Wagner

Rachel Cole

Rachel Cole

Rachel Cole

Elizabeth Sullivan

Elizabeth Sullivan

Rebecca Brams

Rebecca Brams

I love taking head shots. They sound boring if they conjure up images of something you have to take for work, something shot in a cubicle maybe, or those posed school pictures from grade school.

But I love intimacy of the head shot. Just me, my subject and the best light I can find. Since we ALL feel awkward having our picture taken, I take it as my sole mission to have them say at the end, ‘That was totally painless and fun!”

The real joy however is if they actually love what I’ve shot in the end. If they can say, I never like photos of myself, but I love how you see me. I love what I see in these images… it’s the best feeling ever. It’s reflecting someone’s beauty back to them. It’s like saying, See? This is how the world sees you! And when it’s received on their end, it feels like an even bigger gift on mine.

Want to transform the way you take photos?

Superhero Photo starts June 24th, 2013.

Join me! Spend the summer learning all of my best tricks and create a beautiful collection of images you are proud of. You can learn more here.

“Superhero Photo has been more than just a photography course; it has felt more like a celebration of life with a friend who has been helping me to experience more joy in the world around me and to express that joy through photography.” -Tamara, Superhero Photo student

*The portraits above are my most recent headshots, Laurie Wagner, Rachel Cole,  Elizabeth Sullivan and Rebecca Brams. All creative, beautiful and awesome ladies up to some really cool things. 

Just a little plug for my pal Tara Sophia Mohr’s wonderful class, Playing Big!

Registration is open for a few more days if you want to get in on this session. It’s a powerful course if you are ready for big transformation.

Let’s hang out in real life!

I’m beyond thrilled to announce a LIVE in-person workshop coming up in October!

Opening the Creative Channel is a gathering of kindred spirits who will share stories, gorgeous food + creative exercises. We’ll write, we’ll pull out cameras and pens, we’ll put words to paper, play with color and even take a field trip, all in the service of opening the creative channel and waking up our intuition so we can hear the sound of our own music. Only 20 lucky peeps!

I’ll be collaborating with my dear friend and writing teacher, Laurie Wagner. Besides being a great teacher, Laurie is also a coach, author of 7 books, a mixed media artist and a mother of two. She is also one of the kindest + wisest people I know. It will be love at first sight, promise.

Here are the details:

When: October 4th- October 6th, 2013 October 11th -13th  Saturday and Sunday
9:30-4:30pm each day.
Bonus: Friday evening we’ll meet up in for an opening circle + tea + cookies

Where: Laurie Wagner’s gorgeous home in Alameda, CA (close to SF + Oakland) See photo above…Doesn’t it make you want to pull up a chair and a make a friend?

What: A gathering of kindred spirits for sharing stories, gorgeous food, and creative exercises.  We’ll write, we’ll pull out cameras and pens, we’ll put words on paper, play with color and take a field trip to a magical place, all in the service of awakening our intuition and our joy.

Easy Peasy: No previous experience or expertise required. We are not here to create brilliant art. This workshop is about opening ourselves to the creative channel that lives inside each of us, and which, when we tune into it, allows us to hear the sound of our own music, find our authentic words and ultimately be free to live with more creativity, intuition and joy. You just need to bring an open heart + a willingness to share.

Your guides: Andrea Scher + Laurie Wagner

Who: Only 20 lucky peeps! Register now!

Cost: $450 This includes Friday evening + all day Saturday and Sunday. Catered lunch is provided + all the coffee, tea + snacks your heart desires. Plus, 20 of the most lovely humans you just met!

Why: Because we’re so much more alive when we’re turned to the channel of our own intuitive magic. To connect with other women in a fun, cozy and creative environment.

Refund Policy: The bottom line is we want to play with YOU! If it turns out your plans change, please know that your ticket is non-refundable, but you can always transfer it to a friend.

Where to stay? Any hotel in SF, Oakland or Alameda will be great. We’re happy to send over some suggestions.

We promise: Deep connection, creative play + lots of laughter. We hope to have you!

UPDATE: Tickets are SOLD OUT for October 4th- 6th.

We have added another weekend – October 11th-13th

To register for the weekend of October 11th – 13th, click the Register button below!

Me taking photos of Jessica Swift, photo by Vivienne McMaster

I want to teach you everything I know!

If you’ve hung around here for any length of time you know that I LOVE taking pictures. And take them daily. It’s part of my creative practice, but it’s also my tool for appreciating the world, for staying awake + not missing the beauty.

I’m here to show you how to see + capture the magic in your world, how to compose creative +playful shots and do so with a minimum of technical expertise.

Easy. Peasy. Promise.

Join me for the next session of Superhero Photo, starting March 4th.

You can find out more here.

Just 99 dollars for 6 weeks of inspiration, juicy lessons and all of my best secrets! I’m really proud of this class + would love to have you!

Get ready to be inspired! And take some awesome photos.

Nico Boon, gleeful on his bike, shot with Canon 6D

Photography is more than a hobby — it’s a way of seeing the world.

And it’s not about technical skill, or having the latest lenses + gadgets — it’s about chasing light, capturing delight, and shifting our perspectives — literally and artistically. You’ll uncover a few of your own creative superpowers — like courage, intuition, play & trust — as you wake up & witness your real life. And capture it!

Anyone with a camera is invited to participate. (Point and shoots + camera phones are totally welcome)

Join me for this 6-week adventure. It’s a whole world of color, artistry & self-discovery — it all begins on Monday, March 4th, 2013!

Here’s what you’ll discover, inside:

• Fresh themes, every week.
  Impromptu self-portraits, hidden treasures, composition, color, and more.
• No-sweat technical lessons.
  Superhero Photo is focused on play & self-expression, but you’ll learn the fundamentals of aperture, lighting, post-processing, and more.
• Treasure hunts!
  Download a collection of creative photo prompts, to inspire a spontaneous photography adventure.
• Interviews, galore.
  Inspiring chats with super-talented photographers, like Tracey Clark, Vivienne McMaster, Anna Kuperberg, Andrea (Hula) Jenkins, and Tara Whitney.
• Community cheerleading.
  A warm & encouraging community space on Flickr to share & admire our work.

“Superhero Photo altered how I saw the world. I got down on the ground, climbed on chairs and tables, went out in all colors and weights of light, looked close and far away, and went on treasure hunts. I took some of the most magical pictures I ever had, and I haven’t stopped taking them.”- Jill Salahub

 Please join me! Class begins March 4th

elevating the ordinary, shot with Canon 6D

“Whether success or failure: the truth of a life really has little to do with its quality. The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.”
~ May Sarton

That’s what photography helps me do – increase my capacity for delight. A simple walk around the block becomes a moving meditation, one of the ways I can wake up to what normally passes me by. The tiny worlds that are hidden from view suddenly come to life.

It’s a way to say thank you.

Are you ready to increase your capacity for delight?

Elevate the Ordinary starts on January 28th.

I’d love to have you!

Succulent, shot with Canon 6D

I’ve been mulling this post over for a while now. How do I sing the praises of Zoloft without sounding like a nut?

But to be really honest, those little blue pills are rocking my world. Maybe even saving my life.

It started off slow when I started the medication. The anxiety dissipated after a few weeks and I was grateful. I didn’t feel much different, but the stomach-clenching, hypervigilant, jumpy feeling had subsided. This had so completely become my normal, I just assumed it was me– wound up, neurotic, overwhelmed.

I didn’t know there was any other way. Last year though, I remember wondering often: Is this just life? Is this how everyone feels?

I started interviewing my friends – Do you feel overwhelmed all the time? Does it feel like there are too many people in the world? Do crowded grocery stores or trips to Ikea make you run for the hills?

Some would say yes. Others would nod slowly, looking at me suspiciously, like, Are you okay?

I assumed I was flawed.

That it was somehow my fault. That I was too sensitive. That the overwhelm was an issue of not being organized enough, or calm enough. I felt humorless. It was almost impossible to get me to laugh. I longed to be lighthearted.

I need to do more yoga. I need to start meditating. I need to do those breathing exercises everyone seems to talk about.

And those things would help, enough. And I would go on and muscle through. Buck up and deal. Soldier on with a curious kind of resignation –

• Life is just hard.
• This is what having small children looks like.
• I just have to find whatever bits of beauty I can as the days unfold.
• I’ll try to take better care of myself so I don’t yell so much.

I quit sugar. I hiked in the woods almost every day. I took my vitamins and supplements. I went back to yoga. I did therapy. I ate kale. I wrote, made things with my hands, took photographs and saw friends.

And it wasn’t enough.

I’m grateful for the panic attacks.

Without them, I would have continued on like this indefinitely. I wouldn’t have gotten desperate for relief.

They say it takes 6-8 weeks for the medicine to fully take effect. I didn’t notice a big change by this time and was a little disappointed, but grateful the panic and anxiety had calmed down. It was enough for me to feel grateful and happy about my choice.

And then.

Around week eleven, something happened. A friend called and asked me how I was. I’m doing great! I found myself saying. I didn’t recognize my own voice! I don’t think I have said those words (and meant them) in years. This was miraculous to me.

I’ve been watching myself over the past few weeks and marveling at my new-found hope. I love my life. I love my kids. I love my husband. I am hugging everybody longer. I am saying I love you. I am able to cope without getting whipped up into a froth. When someone asks me how I am doing, my voice doesn’t go up several octaves anymore with an oh fine…

I feel genuinely happy.

WTF? Pills are not supposed to do this! My new-age heart shouts. Yoga and meditation are supposed to do this. Hard work is supposed to do this. Copious amounts of therapy is supposed to do this. My mind is utterly blown.

I am funny again.
I am loving.
I bust out spontaneous dance moves to make my husband laugh.
I cry when I read a good book.
I don’t fantasize about death as a way to find relief.
I feel grateful for my life in a way I didn’t have access to before.

I am humbled, once again, by going down the road I didn’t want to go down. By opening the door I was afraid to open.

Enter the coupon code “INSPIRE49″

For more info on Cultivating Courage click here.
For more info on the Mondo Beyondo click here.
For more info on Elevate the Ordinary (photo class) click here.
+ BONUS: Treasure Hunt course is only $29! click here.

Gift certificates are also available at the 49 dollar price; this way they can take their pick!

Offer is only good until tomorrow night at midnight PST.