TUESDAY TRUTH: COURAGE

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!

GRATITUDE

If you follow any of my social media feeds you'll have noticed by now that I've been posting a daily photo via Instagram with the hashtag #30daysofgratitude and have probably wondered what that is all about.  Well, in honor of Thanksgiving being this month, and because there are 30 days in November, I wanted to challenge myself to stop at least once a day and document what I'm thankful for.  That's it, nothing fancy.  It hasn't always been easy but somehow, everyday, before the clock has struck midnight, I've remembered to stop and share something!  It has forced me to realize how much there is to be grateful for and how much I take things for granted or somehow feel entitled to them because I have never had to go without them.

This wasn't some original idea I had, I saw it on the instagram feeds of a few of my amazingly inspirational friends and naturally was inspired to join them in expressing my gratitude everyday.  Hopefully you've also been able to learn a little bit more about my life these past 22 days (and beyond) and what fires me up too.

Today I will be enjoying a Thanksgiving feast with my family and thanking God because He is the one to whom I owe my gratitude.  And He has been so incredibly generous and kind to me this year: in my marriage, in my journey into photography, and in my own personal growth this year.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! -Psalm 107:1

Happy Thanksgiving from me to you!

WHY I WANT TO ATTEND THE MAKING THINGS HAPPEN WORKSHOP

I recently entered a contest to win a scholarship to attend a workshop called Making Things Happen.

The workshop covers many topics, including:

conquering fear, discovering your strengths, eliminating distractions, making bold leaps in life and in turn in business, how your environment and the people around you affect you, living your ideal day, authenticity and action.

Sounds amazing, right?  For me, it sounds life-changing. That list above describes my reasons for wanting to go to a tee.  I know that it would be a great opportunity for me to learn within a creative community and undergo some necessary life changes.  Every time one of the Making Things Happens women post something on social media I am totally inspired!  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to apply for the scholarship.

I am a young woman, an entrepreneur, a wife, a daughter, a follower of Christ, a photography intern, a friend, and hopefully, one day, a mother.  In order to be effective in all those areas, I know I need to learn how to balance!  And I desperately want to reach my full potential because I know life is too short.

If I can learn how to manage my life by crushing my fears and harnessing my passion now, then I know I can make things happen in my future and hopefully inspire others to do the same.  So, here's to hoping that I can win that scholarship! ;)

Source

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

MEET MY SWEET LITTLE SUCCULENT

At the start of the summer, I adopted a succulent plant! I've decided to take on the extra responsibility of tending to this cute little plant. I'd like to think I'm learning how to be nurturing... Or how to just keep something alive! It sits on my desks so I get to glance at it in between projects. It is a good reminder of God's amazing creativity. God is definitely my number one inspiration as an artist! I've only had to water it a few times and it's definitely grown since we first brought it home! It's pretty low maintenance... my kinda plant!

Without further ado, I am pleased to introduce my sweet little succulent: