Thursday, August 21, 2008

My Husband... a Writer Nominated for an Emmy!

Paul Ryser, my wonderful husband, wrote and produced this sketch for the award-winning comedy talk / variety show, The Steve & Kathy Show (CW, Sunday 8:30am).

The show received 4 Emmy nominations tonight at the regional Kansas City award night.... Paul is a writer for the show... here is a sketch he wrote that was one of the nominees!!! GO HONEY BUNNY!!!!!!!!!




We just finished shooting the first episodes for the new season with an all new cast last night!!! Big things are to come for this show!!! So cool.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Free to Succeed

The Free To Succeed Tour last night in KCK was nothing short of amazing, inspiring, motivating, and FREEING.

I'm really new to the photography industry as most of you know. The session gave me so many new ideas and I am sooo pumped up put them into action. Jasmine Star and David Jay gave me a lot to think about... and DO!

In my gut, I've always had a feeling and knew everything they were saying was true... But actually hearing someone else say the things I had been thinking (why do I have to have so many products? Why can't I just charge a service fee and be 100% flexible on the other stuff? What's so bad about giving away the digital files? Do I really have to have 10 zillion pro lenses? I'm sure there's a faster post process!) Everything Jas and DJ said made me stand up on the inside and yell, "HA! I KNEEEWWWW it!"" I just needed someone to show me the way and set me free. :)

So to Jasmine and DJ, (if you ever read this one girls blog out of the millions of others) THANK YOU!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Nick & Kerry - Part 2

Wellll... There were just too many fun photos and I couldn't decide which ones to post. So here's a slide show! After the slide show has played, you can flip through to see all the images in the gallery. ENJOY!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SHOW!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Nick & Kerry - Part 1

Kerry is From Canada
Nick is Not
They fell in love and now their married, eh?!



OK, so my poem doesn't exactly rhyme or anything. But it's true, eh!? ( I don't think "eh" is supposed to be a question, but it sounds like one... I'm easily confused)

Nick was BEAMING all day. He has the kind of love for Kerry that you can see all the way from accross the room.

And it wasn't hard to spot Kerry from across the room... she's the one smiling from ear to ear in a hot and very couture wedding gown.

Thanks Nick and Kerry for choosing me to be your photographer! I had a blast rock'n the day away with you.

See you tonight!

Claire



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Fun in the bathroom...

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Getting Pretty...

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Larissa found this and grabbed this shot. One of my FAV's! And I LOVE this bouquet!
Jennifer did a GREAT job.


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Nick work'n it!

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GORGEOUS

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I cried so many times at this wedding. I couldn't help it! Nick and Kerry were so free and transparent... seeing people who are so sincere in their love saying "... 'till death do us part..." It's just, WOW.

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This photo was not taken at the church... This is at Nick's mom's house! Seriously, these enormous windows are generations old and are sooo gorgeous. We stopped here on the way to the ceremony and boy am I glad!

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You'll have to wait 'till later to see my favorites from the reception! Here's a quick sneak peek:

How to get a photo of the bride and groom while they're being toasted from 60 feet away....

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Friday, August 1, 2008

Marketing YOU

Before I was a photographer... My first love, was Marketing.

I can remember being 12 years old and looking at a Coke can... and thinking "someone had to come up with the words on here... and someone had to design the graphics and decide what colors to use. I want to do that when I grow up!"


I wanted to be the girl in charge of writing product descriptions, designing ads, product packaging, writing the copy... I wanted to do that. I wanted to create, design and be the person responsible for the face of a company. Looking back, those are pretty big aspirations for a 12 year old.

9 years later, I walked down the aisle with my soon to be husband. Not a church aisle.. that was still a month out... but the aisle at UCM. I remember hearing my name "Claire Elizabeth Lohman, B.S.B.A , Marketing " . It was such a great feeling! (no more homework!) Lucky Paul (my fiance at the time) got the words, "Cum Laude" added to HIS name. Smarty Pants. I studied harder.

I think one of the biggest misunderstandings about "marketing", is that most people think it means "advertising and selling" ...

You see, marketing is offering a product or service that will meet and exceed the needs and expectations of a specific group of people. It's about excellence, creativity, communication... and making sure the end customer is happy, thrilled with their product or service. It's about creating an experience and making a connection. It's about being there when they need you. It's about establishing a relationship.

As photographers, WE are the face of our company. Not just our photos, portfolio, or website.

I once had a bride tell me she was trying to decide between me and another photographer in town. "I felt like you really wanted to be there as a friend... not just a photographer. You really cared"

What she said meant so much to me. And that's what I want to be for each bride that I meet along the way. I don't just want them to pick me because they liked my portfolio better than someone else's... but because they know that I'll be there as a friend and they know they'll be taken care of like they should be on one of the most special days of their life.

Everyday is a leaning process. Everyday is a chance to make a difference, improve, love, be loved... and capture love with every snap of the shutter.

I can't wait to learn more and improve how I work with my friends and clients. I think David Jay's Free To Succeed Tour with Jasmine Star is going to be right up my ally! My friend Kenny just started photography and heard about the tour on my blog.. so now he's going to go! He's just getting started and I'm excited to see all the awesome things to come in his future.

So no matter what you do, be it photography, graphic design, public relations, at-home mom... or one of the other a zillion other careers out there... marketing applies to you. Listen to the people around you.. find out what they like, don't like. communicate, have excellence in all you do. That's how you have successful business AND relationships.

Well, this post is long. I could write a book about this stuff though. Maybe someday I will ;)

In the meantime. Be you and be excellent at it!

xoxo,

Claire