PORTRAIT SESSION: JOSIAH + ZORAYA

Josiah recently turned one and in addition to shooting a fun smash cake session, we also did a portrait session.  We headed out to a nearby park and I was able to capture some cute, woodsy pictures of my adorable nephew and his pretty momma snuggling and giggling amongst the wintry foliage.  Their mommy and me photos are just presh!

THURSDAY THOUGHT: BE HAPPY. BE BRIGHT. BE YOU.

Hello and happy Thursday to you!  I've really enjoyed getting back into blogging and I've loved reading all your awesome comments this week.  Thanks for reading!  

Today I'd like to share this lovely Be You art print from Sugar Paper, as a short and sweet little thought for the day.  The right font can bring me so much joy.  And, as you can tell from my logo, I am seriously loving me some gold.  Shine bright like a diamond!

This simple message describes exactly how I want people to feel with I photograph them:

If you're interested in being photographed by yours truly, please contact me! :)

GOODBYE 2012... HELLO 2013!

2012 was quite an adventure... one that I knew would require courage.

Like last year (and any year, really), whatever 2013 holds for me is a total mystery.  All I know is that there are many changes coming, big and small, some that I'm choosing to make and others that are not my choice but simply a part of life.  However, through it all, I will strive to remember this one thing: God is good.

I'm ready to take on this new year and I am so thankful that I have Kurt by my side to celebrate the successes, endure the failures, and have a few good laughs along the way.  Here's to more kisses, deeper faith in God, and lots of glitter in 2013!

VIDEO: MY SUBMISSION FOR reSTARt WITH JASMINE STAR

Happy Monday y'all!  And yes, it is a happy day because Christmas is upon us and the new year is just around the corner!

I wanted to share a video I made to hopefully be choosen at one of 3 in-studio participants next year for reSTARt, a 3-month course taught by Jasmine Star at creativeLIVE in Seattle!

Making this was pretty fun so I might start making more videos in the future.  I poured all my heart into this and made sure to include lots of gold and teal and glittery goodness.  Hope I get picked!

YASMIN SARAI PHOTOGRAPHY: BRANDING WITH WATERFALL CREATIVE

Lately, I've been learning about the importance of branding.  It's more than just a logo.  And prior to going to the Sitehouse GO LIVE Workshop with Promise Tangeman to create my website, (which I wrote about here!), I knew I needed help with developing my brand. After a little online research, I stumbled upon an up-and-coming graphic designer, whose style I fell in love with and who I felt could help effectively communicate the look and vibe of my photography business.

That designer is Joanna Waterfall of Waterfall Creative.  She is super creative, talented, and totally cute!  Joanna shares her lovely art, recent projects, and fun finds on her blog almost daily, so be sure check her out!  After seeing her art style and reading her blog post, Branding - More Than a Logo, I knew we would be on the exact same page and that she would be a perfect fit for me and for what I needed.

Isn't she cute?!                                                  Photo by Kristen Rogers

Now, what is branding?  Here is my little metaphor to explain: if photography is a gift, then branding is the beautiful wrapping.  Your brand is what gives a client the first impression of your business, reveals your unique style, and sets the tone of your work, in order to hopefully attract your ideal client.

Some of the words I want people to associate with my brand are: classy, cute, clean, sparkly, stylish, youthful, fierce, light, fresh, and fun.  Above all, I want my brand to communicate the most unique part of my business: me!  So the first thing I did was create an inspiration board, collecting patterns, typography, graphics, and colors that scream me! I then spent some time thinking about my personal style and taste, thinking about clothing and accessories that appeal to me and the vibe I want my brand to evoke.  Joanna was able to take all my ideas and create something amazing! Thus, I'd like to officially present to you: my new logo!

When I first saw it, I believe my response to Joanna was "It's perfect! Yay!"  In addition to my logo, I also wanted an emblem/motif that captured one of my favorite things: bows!!!  So she also created the cutest little bow for me.  I love it!

It's just so cute and represents my love of pretty little details.  After settling on the logo, Joanna sent these lovely business cards over, making me feel so official.  Here's the front:

 And the back:

I'm in love!  I also received these cute little stamps: 

 Fun!

I'm so pleased with everything!  The colors, the design, the attention to detail!  And this is just the beginning... I know that as I continue developing as an artist and as a business, it will only get better.  I'm totally inspired!

Now, who wants some pictures?!?!  Let's connect!

Love + Glitter,
Yasmin