Get on the “list”
Hello Followers of the Flourish!
After much consideration Kitty, Kim and myself are going to start revealing some very cool information to the mailing list over the next couple of weeks and months. So if you are interested in learning more about the workshop you need to be on the “list”.
We are really excited about the announcements and do not want anyone to miss out! So be sure to get on the list by emailing us at info@flourishworkshop.com!
spotlight: Andrea Flanagan
Full Name: Andrea Flanagan
Location: Denver, CO
Website: www.andreaflanagan.com
How long have you been in business: 5 years
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out: Yes, I actually hand colored the flowers….seriously…
Why do you love photography? I love that I am able to capture life in mid-sentence, mid-thought, mid-giggle, mid-kiss. And you can forever hold on to that moment with the image. Is that too deep? Hahaha!
From what do you draw your inspiration: Other photographers! I have so many, way to many blogs bookmarked and I obsessively check them daily to see what others are doing.
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be shooting: Fashion products: like purses, shoes, jewelry…
Why did you choose Flourish: All the great buzz from other photographers!
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: I plan on finding and opening my own unique boutique studio. I currently rent a great co-op space, but I want a space where I can put up my own work, have my own name on the door, and sell funky frames and all things photo related.
How are you unique: I’d say my energy makes me unique. I am non-stop, on the go. I bring a ton of energy to my shoots and I think that helps break down any roadblocks. I have heard many times that clients feel instantly comfortable with me, like we have known each other forever.
How is your business unique: Working on that now…working on how I can break away from the hundreds of other portrait/wedding photographers in the area! Again, I am looking into offering select funky frames. Not a frame shop, I want to keep the focus on my photography, but offering some unique products.
What is your favorite indulgence: I have a few…chocolate fondue, a brand new magazine, the first sip of a nice cold Pepsi.
What are you motivated by: Some mysterious force. I have no idea what keeps me going….life!
Describe yourself in three words: Motivated, Animated, Energetic.
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: Pack up and travel across Europe.
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you (include a photograph of it, if accessible): I bought this piece from a friend and amazing artist Rich Groskopf. He has an amazing eye for color. I love this piece because it is of Denver, my hometown.
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would you do it over again?: I have sacrificed a lot of my daily life and social life to build my business over the last 5 years. Luckily I am ok with my business being my life and vice versa. My kids are involved, my friends are my clients and my best word of mouth reps! It all works hand in hand. And Yes, I would do it again.
What song(s) are guaranteed to cheer you up? Right now…Come to Me, by Koop.
How do you celebrate when you are alone?: I laugh really hard, really loud! I jump up and down and run in circles.
What gets you so worked up that you want to:
1) scream? Slow people!!!!!! Walking, driving, talking…
2) cry? Screwing up, misplacing something important, unhappy client.
3) dance? Getting praise about my work, hearing others talk me up!
If you could live in any decade in the past, which one and why? 1940’s. Love the clothes, the dramatic Hollywood lighting. Love the way everyone dressed up just to leave the house. Chivalry!
What was your favorite class in high school? History
Would you say your work express more reality or fantasy?: Ooo, I’m torn. I feel that I take a bit of reality and work it into fantasy. I hear a lot that I have captured someone a way they have never seen them before…I’d say I take reality and see past it and find the fantasy.
You’ve just been booked for your dream wedding. Is it a destination wedding? If so, where are you going? Describe the wedding.: Some warm location where the temperature is perfect during they day and more perfect at night. One where they have no budget, and have a lavish reception, gorgeous flower arrangements, fantastic colorful lighting at night so I don’t have to use any flash. Designer shoes and huge diamond rings. Luxury items all around.
Tell us about one of your favorite clients of 2007. Why where they your favorite?: Cathryn and Scott Iten, from Denver, flew me to NYC for their nuptials in Central Park. They were so in love, the ceremony consisted of 7 people, including my husband and myself. After the intimate ceremony, we rode around Manhattan in a stretch limo stopping and shooting at Yankee Stadium, Battery Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, a traditional hot dog stand, The Tonight Show and Grand Central Station. Then my hubby and I stayed for a few more days to take the city in. They were so much fun!
Three words you would like OTHER people to use to describe your work: Fresh, emotional, vivid.
Have you ever had a nickname? Andy Pandy ( I was 5!)
Pick One: A) Answer questions B) Ask Questions C) Listen C, Listen.
Share one thing about yourself that might surprise us. After all I have said about me, I am actually quite shy and I blush very easily!
Where were you born? Santa Monica, CA
Favorite song of the moment: 23 by Blonde Redhead
And finally, what is fabulous about you: My sense of humor.
Flourish Spotlight: Nicole Dixon, Ohio
Full Name: Nicole Dixon
Location: Powell, Oh (Columbus)
Website: nicoledixon.com
How long have you been in business: 5 yrs
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out:
Why do you love photography?: Photography gives me the ability to crop little pieces of the world and share my point of view.
From what do you draw your inspiration:: :: I draw my inspiration from music, movies, galleries, shopping, and traveling.
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be
shooting: If I were not shooting weddings I’d be shooting personal fine art work.
Why did you choose Flourish: I chose Flourish because it seems like it will be a fun, creative and edgy workshop.
What are you most excited about for the next year in your business: I’m most excited to see growth in my business in the next year.
How are you unique: wow, what makes me unique… I guess, personally, I’m uniquely me: a quarter cup dorky, a quarter cup creative, a quarter cup spirit, throw in a teaspoon or two of cinnamon, cut grass and chianti and I think that’s me.
How is your business unique: I try to treat all of my clients as individuals and encourage them to choose custom package options to fit their needs.
What is your favorite indulgence: Travel would probably be my favorite indulgence.
What are you motivated by: Emotion continues to motivate me.
Describe yourself in three words: Creative, spiritual, adventurous are three words that describe me.
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon: : I hope to fearlessly travel to Europe very soon.
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you (include
a photograph of it, if accessible): One of my favorite pieces of artwork is
the attached photo, one in a series called “The Chain” by Chien-Chi Chang. The
series depicts some of the 700 patients chained together in pairs from a psychiatric ward in Taiwan. This particular image struck me with an overload of emotion. Their bodies and expressions look tough and tattered, but there’s a bond of love and friendship screams from their hands gently clasped together. It’s not enough that they’re physically chained together, you can see the two grown men emotionally connected as well.
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would
you do it over again?: My most recent sacrifice would be photographing a wedding on my 30th birthday. I though twice about doing it because it was supposed to be this ‘milestone’ in life, but decided to do it. I would do it agin because I didn’t think once all day about turning 30!
What song(s) are guaranteed to cheer you up? Amos Lee’s Sweet Pea, Butch
Walker and the Let’s Go Out Tonights’ Hot Girls in Good Moods, Faith No More’s A Small Victory are all songs that are guaranteed to cheer me up.
How do you celebrate when you are alone?: When I’m alone, I celebrate by cooking a great dinner and having a fabulous bottle of wine
What gets you so worked up that you want to
1) scream? Bad drivers
2) cry? Holy spirit
3) dance? Good music
If you could live in any decade in the past, which one and why? I am pretty fond
of the present, I don’t think there’s any other decade I’d like to live.
What was your favorite class in high school? Photography was definitely my favorite class in high school.
Would you say your work express more reality or fantasy?: I’d say that my work is fantastic reality.
You’ve just been booked for your dream wedding. Is it a destination
wedding? If so, where are you going? Describe the wedding.: out in the middle
of nowhere, Ireland.
Tell us about one of your favorite clients of 2007. Why where they
your favorite?: My favorite clients of 2007 would be the Sivard family. While
they were my biggest ticket of all times, which is definitely nice, they were also wonderful to me. I had the freedom to photograph without restrictions on the wedding day, they welcomed my ideas. The wedding party was able to joke around with me while being respectful. The whole family loved the
images and continue to speak very highly of the work and professionalism. Even months after the albums were delivered, I still get random emails from the bride to tell me that her album is better than all of her friends’:).
Three words you would like OTHER people to use to describe your work: Fresh,
joyful, romantic
Have you ever had a nickname? Let’s not go there 
Share one thing about yourself that might surprise us: I am a big fan of the
hair bands, Poison, in particular. And… I never miss a Rock of Love.
Where were you born? I was born in Columbus, OH
Favorite song of the moment: Rachel Yamagata’s Paper Doll or
Arcade Fire’s Wake up are my favorite songs of the moment.
And finally, What is fabulous about you: My relationships with my friends and family would definitely be the most fabulous part of my life.
Flourish Spotlight: Amy Carruthers, Ohio
Full Name:
Amy Carruthers
Location:
Columbus, Ohio
Website:
www.cstudiosphotography.com
How long have you been in business:
3 Years
Show us one of your favorite images you took recently:
Show us an image you took when you were first starting out:
Why do you love photography?:
I love losing myself inside the emotion of a moment and I love that in those moments, I am outside my body…floating and elated!
From what do you draw your inspiration:
Bright, playful and emotional editorial work.
If you were not shooting weddings (or portraits), you would be shooting:
Food!!!!!!!! Yuuum-eeee.
Why did you choose Flourish:
Simply meeting client expectations for artwork, service and product is not enough. I need a push into the realm of all things fabulous – to really understand how to reach that high-end client, and how to be the high-end vendor they expect.
How are you unique:
On the list of life’s big questions, this is right next to “What is the meaning of life?”
How is your business unique:
Maybe a (slightly edited) movie quote shall suffice? “This is my business. There are many like it, but this one is mine.”
What is your favorite indulgence:
Wine and popcorn. Not necessarily together.
What are you motivated by:
My desire for personal, financial and professional freedom (i.e. my total inability to punch in on a time-clock). I love the idea that, ultimately, if I do this right – my income and creative potential are limitless.
Describe yourself in three words:
Outgoing. Funny. Animated.
What is one fearless thing you wish you could do and soon:
Take 2 months off work, hop on a plane with my hubby and travel across Europe.
Tell me your favorite piece of artwork and why it moves you:
My friend and second photographer, Amanda Julca, has created several paintings for me over the years – but my favorite is a series she painted recently with several found objects and photographs I created or collected while going to college in Savannah, Georgia. I held onto those photos and materials for so many years because I was still telling myself that I would create the piece myself – but after a while I just couldn’t imagine how I would assemble them to express my feelings for that time in my and my husband’s lives. I am so moved by the final piece because it represents the idealistic expectations I had at that point in my life, the realistic woman I have become and is also a reminder that nothing in life is permanent. It’s bittersweet that I did not continue to pursue the fine arts and create my own painting, but it reminds me that the path I’ve chosen in life is equally significant.
What is something you have recently sacrificed in your life? Would you do it over again?:
I’ve sacrificed 3 years of my personal life to start this business – I would definitely do it over again, but I can’t continue at this pace.
What song(s) are guaranteed to cheer you up?
Faith, George Michael
Hey Ya!, OutKast
ABC, Jackson 5 (Actually, almost anything by the Jackson 5)
Grace Kelly, Mika
Proud Mary, Tina Turner
Downtown, Petula Clark
How do you celebrate when you are alone?:
Talk, shout, sing, scream and laugh aloud – then immediately call my mom.
What gets you so worked up that you want to:
1) scream?
Boxed Lunches at wedding receptions!!!!!! And people who drive absurdly slow.
2) cry?
Sleep deprivation. And people who drive absurdly slow when I’m in a hurry.
3) dance?
Actually taking time off work to enjoy delicious, simple moments with friends and family. And people who recognize they are driving absurdly slow…then get out of my way.
If you could live in any decade in the past, which one and why?
Without a doubt, the 1930’s. I grew up in a small town near Akron, Ohio – just minutes from Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, which is the mansion and country estate of the Seiberling Family (www.stanhywet.org). I spent countless languid summers touring the mansion, gardens, lagoons, reflection pools and stone vistas, which overlooked the Ohio valley – imagining a time when life was about leisure, tranquility and beauty. And despite the fact that the home was so overly-lavish, their daily life seemed so simple – sunny croquet games, fresh cut flowers in the kitchen, hide-n’-seek in the gardens, swimming in the lagoon. Mmmmmm…
What was your favorite class in high school?
Latin – I took it all four years and absolutely adored my teacher. She painted a picture of Greek and Roman life that romanticized history and made it feel important and fun to learn Latin.
Would you say your work express more reality or fantasy?:
I believe all photography is fantasy. The choice of exposure, composition, perspective, timing and color processing all create a sense of fantasy for the viewer. I feel that the moments we capture will never be identical to reality because of our creative interpretation – and that’s what is so incredibly empowering about what we do!
You’ve just been booked for your dream wedding. Is it a destination wedding? If so, where are you going? Describe the wedding.:
Anything outside!!!!! If there are trees, sunshine and breezes involved – I’m a happy camper.
Tell us about one of your favorite clients of 2007. Why where they your favorite?:
Molly and Kerry Thompson. I immediately connected with them the moment they walked through my door. They came in together for the initial meeting with Molly’s mom – and we just laughed and talked for nearly two hours! The conversation was so easy and natural – I just felt an instant friendship with them – as if we had known each other for years. What I didn’t know at the time they booked was how well they were going to treat me during the months leading up to and after their wedding. They raved about my artwork, talent and vision – they called me personally a few times before the wedding to tell me how excited they were to work with me and that they were telling everyone about their excitement at having us at the wedding. I knew they trusted me to be creative and that they were relying on me to make their day an amazing and fun experience. Their wedding day still stands out in my mind as one of my all-time favorites, because we got to know each other so well before the wedding, I felt like I was photographing my sister’s wedding and that made my job so emotional, satisfying and fun. I felt completely free to be myself and trust myself.
Three words you would like OTHER people to use to describe your work:
Vibrant. Refreshing. Emotional.
Have you ever had a nickname?
Punky (My husband started calling me that 9 years ago, I still don’t know what it means – but I love it!! No one ever gave me a nickname before that!)
Pick One: A) Answer questions B) Ask Questions C) Listen
Ask questions. My family insists I should have been a reporter or a lawyer.
Share one thing about yourself that might surprise us.
I used to belong to a bowling league, which was everything you think it would be; greasy pizza, thundering noise, LOTS of beer, high-fives and countless dirty jokes. (Oh, and our team’s name was the “Britney Spares”.)
Where were you born?
Akron, Ohio
Favorite song of the moment:
Lazy Eye, Hem
Do you have a blog? If so please give us the blog address:
http://seestudios.typepad.com/see_studios/
And finally, what is fabulous about you:
My husband says…my uncanny ability to launch into sudden, emotional diatribes on just about anything. I say…my sense of humor.
More Blogs You Can Follow!
For a detailed (in only the part one stages now, more sure to follow) review on the workshop visit Lauren Cohn-Frankel’s Blog!
Also, our Jaci Clark has updated her Blog with more photographs as well!
New Attendee Blog Questionnaires Coming Soon!
We have a number of November Flourish Attendees that are working on their questionnaires (they are more in-depth this time around!) as I write this. Hopefully we will have aquestionnaire to post
this week!
Remember today at Midnight (EST) is the deadline for the discounted “Early Registration” rates. Email us at info@flourishworkshop.com or call Angela’s studio and speak to Eric (you can leave a message if we are out) at 502.561.8111
Blogroll: January Flourish Attendees Share Their Thoughts
Want to see what some of the past Flourish Attendee’s had to say about their experiences (with photos to illustrate) then check out their blogs:
Anne Ruthmann’s Blog!
Susan Solo’s Blog!
Jaci Clark’s Blog!
Erich Camping’s Blog!
Karen Mikols’ Blog!
Deanna Kaye’s Blog!
