For Photographers
Karmen Meyer
That Time I met Gwyneth Paltrow’s Wedding ...

“Is anyone sitting there?!” I said while balancing a plate of food and glass of wine.

He said “No, it’s all yours.”

And I cheered a silent ‘hoooray!’ because I was starving, and the wine was free. So far my day of solo travel had only occasionally been haunted by that painful kind of awkward. You know, the kind that almost always comes along with navigating new environments and experiences. And, dang, dare I say this was shaping up to be a good night.

I honestly can’t remember how the next bit went. But I quite quickly came to the realization that I had parked my clueless little self right beside the star of the show….

That Time I met Gwyneth Paltrow’s Wedding Photographer/4 Life Changing Lessons I Learned at Photo Native
For Photographers, Brand Sessions, Soul Sessions
Karmen Meyer
Why is photography so expensive?

OK, so here's the thing, this is really uncomfortable to talk about but I am going to anyways because I think these days transparency is everything.  So here we go (let's hope I don't make a mess of this). Why is professional photography 'expensive'? 

Why is photography so expensive?
Brand Sessions, For Entrepreneurs, Free Resources
Karmen Meyer
25 Places to Use Brand Photos

So you just had an amazing brand photography session done (insert happy dance here!). Now it’s time to put your images to work! We often suggest that you plan to sprinkle them into your social media to really make them last. Perhaps put a few on your website, but then what? Well the good news is that this beautiful collection of photos that aligns so powerfully with your brand both visually and emotionally can be used in so many other ways! We put a lot of effort into making sure your photo sessions tell your unique brand story and are absolute workhorses for your biz. It’s super important to us that you get the most use out of you one-of-a-kind as you possibly can. Heck, even if you took the initiative to create a set of brand photos yourself (bravo!), we still want your efforts maximized. Our mantra is 100% work smarter, not harder. So let’s go…

25 Places to Use Brand Photos
For Photographers, For Entrepreneurs, Free Resources
Karmen Meyer
6 Reasons to Start a Bullet Journal and How to ...

DID YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU WRITE DOWN YOUR GOAL YOU ARE 90% MORE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THEM?!* For me journaling is such an essential part of my self-love, creative and entrepreneurial journey. I check-in with myself daily to reduce anxiety, stay creative, commit to goals and plan my next moves. Here are 6 reasons why you should have a bullet journal too and super easy steps to start your own!

6 Reasons to Start a Bullet Journal and How to Get Started Today
Art Shop, Travel, Soul Sessions, Slow Living
Karmen Meyer
The Story Behind the Photos // The Mojave ...

What happens when two sister’s head off into the desert with a tiny teardrop trailer and a killer road-trip playlist?! Magic, my friend. Pure magic. I am so excited to share everything about our adventure, from the creepiest night in a tiny Montana town, to the unbelievably beautiful abandoned mid-century motel that used to be frequented by celebrities like Harrison Ford!. If you love the desert as much as I do, you are going to love coming along on this wee adventure with us. Or heck, just come for the beautiful desert art!!!

The Story Behind the Photos // The Mojave Collection

Concert

Africa Journal {WE HAVE FAITH CARAVAN} Day 20-23 | Edmonton & International Photographer

Oh wow, it has been a long time since I have shared a little piece of my Africa adventure.  So here is another teensy taste of my days on the caravan.November 21, 2011 | Gaborone, Botswana to Pretoria, South AfricaDay #20- LAUNDRY!  I was down to one clean shirt and a not so clean skirt, so a chance to scrub my clothes in non-pool water was a blessing.  Note to future self:  Always try to find time in the daylight to wash clothes, washing at night is quite the task.November 22, 2011 | Pretoria/Johannesburg, South AfricaDay #21- We have another concert today!!  Despite the HUGE thunderstorm, everyone had a great time and the whole concert sounded lovely =)  There was one moment that definitely stood out... Ryan broke out in some killer dance moves.  Let's just say he knows how to work the crowd!November 23, 2011 | Pretoria, South Africa to MountainsDay #22- Apparently today things needed to be shook up.  Our trucks were divided, as part of the caravan headed straight to Durban.  The people on the trucks were pretty much the only consistent thing on this journey (well that and beans and bread for breakfast) so it was a shockingly hard adjustment.  We missed our Truck families so much but at least is was a beautiful drive AND Ruth and I got to stay in a Cabin!  Yay for private showers and a bed.November 24, 2011 | Mountains to DurbanDay #23- Still feeling sort of misplaced and mixed up, but we're blessed with a shorter 6 hour drive.   When we finally arrived in Durban it was just pouring rain, I am talking the washed out roads, disappearing bridges type rain.  But it was OK because we were all promised cabins...  haha just kidding!!  After arrival they realized that they really did not have enough space.  So tents were set up in the rain and needless to say morale was a little low.  Somehow Ruth and I managed to upgrade to a little cabin, which I was so thankful for.  It had power and internet and I got a bunch of work done!

WE FINALLY MADE IT TO DURBAN!!

Have you missed the beginning of our African Caravan?  Check out our journey through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Botswana HERE and stay tuned for more.

Africa Journal {WE HAVE FAITH CARAVAN} Day 17-19 | Edmonton & International Photographer

November 18, 2011 | Livingstone, Zambia to Serowe, BotswanaDay #17-  Today we left VERY early to catch the Ferry that would take us across the Zambezi River to Botswana!!  On the way there, my new African friends frightened me with the story of how the Ferry capsized in 2003 killing 18 people.  And wouldn't you know it, when we arrive the second ferry is capsized on the other side of the river...  needless to say we all loaded very cautiously onto pontoon.  I can't speak for everyone else but I was pondering the existence of alligators in the river and making an escape route in my head!  Fortunately though, we (Truck 4) all arrived safely on Botswana's shores where we waited 3 hours until all the other trucks made it across.  Then we headed to our most remote campsite thus far!We arrived at the Elephant Sands Campsite at sunset.  This was a lovely place where wild animals and A LOT OF BUGS roamed freely.  In fact, the bugs didn't want to leave me alone.  There were these flying beetle things that covered my hair when I was trying to shower and insisted on being inside my sleeping bag while I slept, shutter.  But I didn't have to put up with them for long; it was short night, we were to wake-up, pack-up and be back on the road by 2am. November 19, 2011 | Serowe, Botswana to Gaborone, BotswanaDay #18-   After a super early start, we receive a very warm welcome from Gaberone.  We meet an inspiring group of cyclists and speakers who offer us words of encouragement and provide a lovely lunch for us!  Afterwards we head to the most awful campsite on the whole trip.  There is nothing but old buildings, piles of broken toilets (??) and a river filled with alligators!  It wasn't a big deal though, most of us were happy to enjoy the impressive Thunder Storm and catch up on some sleep. Later that evening, we headed out to an intimate evening concert!  I had a terrible time trying to focus in the dark, so after capturing a few images I decided to take the opportunity to enjoy the concert. Let's just say my voice was sore from singing and my muscles very sore from dancing my pants off!! November 20, 2011 | Gaborone, BotswanaDay #19- Today I stepped on a ginormous thorn.  Yes, I was just out brushing my teeth before church and I stepped on an insanely large thorn that went through my sandal and into my foot.  So nice and deep, in fact, that my sandal dangled there nailed to the ball of my foot.  Of course, I quickly pulled it out and though it hurt quite a lot I figured it would feel better in an hour or so.  Well, I was wrong!  By the end of the church service, my foot barely fit into my flip-flop and was basically useless for walking on.  It did hurt, but I was frustrated more by the inconvenience of not being able to walk properly!Later in the evening, a brave soul (Yussuf) stepped forward to perform surgery on my damaged extremity.  Well, it wasn't exactly surgery... but Ryan decided to call it that and it really caught on.  This surgery, was made even more dramatic by the crowd that gathered to watch.  My only wish was that the wound was more impressive, pretty sure everyone just thought I was I big baby. Oh my, I did have to laugh at the whole situation though.