Me Ra Koh Photography, Inc. :: Minneapolis Confidence Workshop for Women: October 3-4, 2009

Mark your calendars and keep sweet talking those husbands, the Minneapolis CONFIDENCE workshop is going to happen on the first weekend of October. We will be together ALL DAY Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th, 2009.

I feel like we hit gold when we found this location. The Open Book center hosts writing retreats, has gallery showings...can you imagine a more creative, infused place to do our workshop?

If you are flying in and don't want to rent a car, Genie has worked her magic again with the chic, Starwood hotel Aloft. All the hotels are super busy the weekend of our workshop, but Genie was somehow able to get us a group rate for $129 per room! Can you believe that! We love you Genie! The only deal, you MUST book your room there by September 11th. (see below for more hotel details)

The BIG Question...Why do we call this workshop the CONFIDENCE workshop? Great question!

Calling this a "beginner" workshop has never fit the bill b/c we have all levels of knowledge and experience attend. Yet, when I look over the feedback our past workshop attendees leave, I feel like the consistent thread is women walk away from the weekend feeling confident in how to use their cameras, but more importantly, in themselves. And this factor alone is why Brian and I love doing the workshop over and over again.

So who is going to join us! We are limited to twenty spots! Early Bird Registration opens TODAY! CLICK HERE to get yourself signed up!

Ladies, we are going to be READY for an AWESOME year of photography ALL levels, each and every one, are welcome! The topic details are below! But first, to give you a window into what our workshops look like, check out the trailer here by clicking the PLAY arrow button!

FAQ: (if we don't answer your specific question here, email Genie direct at genie@merakoh.com )

Answer: If you register between today and August 31st (that's a little over two weeks), you get 20% OFF! You get to pay the Early Bird fee of $799 instead of $999! Pretty great savings for all of you who jump on board fast! After August 31st, the registration goes back up to the normal price of $999. To take advantage of the Early Bird Registration, CLICK HERE!

WHERE? We will be tucked into the heart of Minneapolis in their art epicenter called Open Book! Doesn't this look like a cozy space where we can sip tea and talk about photography?! I'm so excited! Julie Feldman helped find this space and even went the extra mile of taking pictures. She is determined to get the CONFIDENCE workshop in Minneapolis! We all owe you a BIG thanks Julie!! We can't wait to meet you!

ACCOMMODATIONS? If you need a hotel, the Aloft Hotel is one block away! Let your soul breathe a little by staying at the hotel (especially for their AWESOME group room rate).

The Aloft Hotel has done an incredible thing and offered all of you a special nightly rate of $129 per night instead of being over $200! But you must book your room by September 11th to get this special rate. Be sure to email Genie (genie@merakoh.com) if you have any questions, otherwise, you can contact the Aloft Hotel direct! Just let them know that you'd like one of the rooms in the Me Ra Koh Photography CONFIDENCE WKSHP, and you'll be set!

I n the past, a lot of women have introduced themselves to each other via email and ended up sharing rooms to cut costs. When we are 4-5 weeks out, Genie will send all of you each other's emails so you can start talking (if you haven't already found a way to do it by that point :)). CLICK HERE more info on their cool rooms!

LUNCHES: Both lunches on Saturday and Sunday will be catered for us. If you are a vegetarian or have any food allergies, be sure to email us so we can accommodate you. No problems, we are happy too! ( genie@merakoh.com)

SATURDAY DINNER: This dinner is optional for our attendees, but we would love to have you join us! You are invited to a group dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Details to follow upon registration.

Pictage will be giving ever attendee a complimentary 1 year Pictage Lite subscription!

Pixel 2 Canvas will have beautiful canvas door prizes for us and a special treat for each and every attendee!

Dane Sanders, author of Fast Track Photographer, is going to give every woman an audio copy of his book!

Isn't that great ladies! Not only do we get to have a wonderful weekend together, but we get to give you surprises too! Not to mention our Me Ra Koh surprises-of course, I always have those up my sleeve! What's a girl's weekend away without gifts!

True to this workshop, time tested (and approved :)), we are excited to start the day with understanding the mechanics of your camera and learning about indoor lighting so you can capture shots of your loved ones in difficult lighting. The second half of the day will be hands on practice as we process a FULL morning.

Day Two will pick up where we left off. We're going to continue to demystify tough lighting and camera settings. We'll also walk you through our Post Process steps as we demonstrate lightroom, turning images to black and white, editing, what's the difference between a JPG and RAW image, etc. Depending on the groups interest, we'll talk about the in's and out's of starting your own side business too. (But this depends on the needs of the group.) We're also going to cover the question of what to do with your images? Are stock photography options available to you, what is the bottom line of blogging, and where should you have your work printed and why?

The BEST part that everyone always loves the most is the models! We'll also have models join us (both adults and kids), so you can practice EVERY THING we've been teaching you. And true to our workshops, we'll sprinkle our time with creative exercises and inspiration that make our weekend so special.

PAYMENT OPTIONS and REFUNDS POLICY:

1. You can pay the whole balance at once. If you are taking advantage of the Early Bird Registration, you must pay the whole $799 at once before 8/31/09.

2. You can make a retainer (non-refundable fee) of $650 to reserve your seat. The remaining balance of $350 (total is $999) must be paid in full 14 days before the workshop date. You can pay by check or credit card at our e-store (the fastest way to ensure a reserved seat for yourself!). If you’d like to pay the Retainer of $650 to reserve your seat, you’ll need to use the word RESERVE as your coupon code when registering. Call us if you have any questions at 253-468-8913.

REFUNDS & CANCELLATION POLICY:

Our policy is to not accept refunds. Due to the costs of holding a workshop, we must pay many of our workshop expenses months ahead of time. If you must cancel due to unforeseen problems, depending on your reason for cancelling, your tuition may be considered as a credit for a future workshop. Thank you for understanding! Me Ra Koh Photography Inc. does reserve the right to cancel the workshop if for some reason we don't meet our minimum of registered attendees. If this were to happen, every registered attendee would be refunded their monies. (fyi, this has never happened. :))

To hear what the Seattle Workshop Attendees said about our most recent workshop, check out this fun blog post and read their wonderful comments!

Jen from Seattle, WA wrote; I know how these workshops can change your life…it did mine! MeRa and Brian were my inspiration…Thank you … you all are doing such greatness in this world!

Jeramy (husband of a wife who attended twice) from CA wrote; if you are reading this post and and are on the fence about going to this workshop…or wondering if it's really worth it….let me just tell you about my experience. my beautiful bride went to the Sonoma workshop last year with me ra and brian…and it changed her life. like so many women, she struggles with self-doubt and insecurities…coupled with strong passions and desires to create things of great worth. the magic of this workshop will help you see that YOU ARE special and can do anything it is that you want to do, if you just set your mind to it. there is limitless potential in you all…and if you have ever wondered how to get it out….sign up for this workshop and you'll see. you will never be the same again.

Marianne from Seattle, WA wrote;
This was the BEST day I've had in a long time…it was so nice to wade through and be challenged, laugh along the way, conquer a fear, and leave wanting more. What a day! I can't thank you enough!

Kari from Seattle wrote; Me Ra takes the camera apart and puts it back together in a way that actually makes sense! Prepare to laugh, learn, and walk away inspired!

Julie from Seattle, WA wrote; As a past workshop attendee…It WILL change your life and how you see yourself.

Allison from Virginia wrote; I can tell you with total honesty that this will be a life changing time for you all. Just soak it all in and throw yourselves in wholeheartedly and you will come away with SO MUCH!!

This workshop is for women only. It is a workshop that is meant to inspire women, and at the same time help them understand their cameras. Coming from a Masters degree in teaching, Me Ra and Brian bring a number of teaching strategies to the workshop so every woman walks away with confidence in using her camera. But this workshop is more than a photography workshop. True to our reputation and the testimonies you’ve read, Brian and Me Ra have a heart to bring inspiration, encouragement and vision to women. They will make you laugh so hard your side will be aching. And then be prepared because their stories may bring tears too. Me Ra and Brian have a goal to refresh women, build their confidence and help them capture the photos they want. But not only help women shoot better photos, but also, having the understanding behind HOW they got their favorite photos so they can replicate the lighting again and again.

We promise to have lots and lots of stories, laughs and possibly a few tears at this workshop–all signature elements to a Me Ra Koh Workshop! Can’t wait to see you all for another awesome workshop!

Feel free to email Genie ( genie@merakoh.com ) for any and all questions. Genie keeps me up to date on all questions as we travel for wedding season. She is truly my "little Genie"! If you need help with booking your hotel, understanding the area, flights, payment options, shoot her an email!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Click HERE to register today and make YOUR day and HER day AMAZING!!

Me Ra and Brian are a husband/wife photography team. Their business is diversified into several powerful ways. They travel worldwide shooting high end weddings together. They teach photography workshops for women across the country. Their workshops often sell out, and attendees describe them as “inspiring, life changing” weekends. In 2008, Me Ra and Brian scripted and produced a DVD series called, Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box. This homegrown DVD series has caught the eye of large corporations, and in March 2009, the series won the prestigious NAPPA GOLD award for the Best New DVD for Parents! Their DVDS are accompanied by other award winning photography products to help budding businesses get off the ground (see www.refusetosaycheese.com ). In 2008, Me Ra was asked to represent women photographers in the iconic role for Sony as an Artisan of Imagery. This accepted invitation is a huge honor. The high end magazine, Wedding Style by Grace Ormonde, has called Me Ra and Brian a Master of Their Craft. Their work has been published in several nationwide magazines. They have also been spotlighted on VH1, Martha Stewart and Oprah! Me Ra, having a published writing background, dedicates two hours a day to writing her daily blog so women can find photography tips, inspiration and confidence. To follow her blog, along with thousands of other readers, visit www.merakohblog.com .

p.s. A number of you have emailed to see if we're going to do another Seattle Workshop before 2009 ends. Brian and I can't tell for sure if our travel schedule can make it work, but we might be able to squeeze one more workshop in during the weekend of November 14th and 15th. It's a big maybe. But if you are interested, we'd love to hear from you. Please email Genie so we can put your name on the waiting list. Thanks so much! (genie@merakoh.com)

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Our Refuse to Say Cheese DVD series is continuing to grow, faster than we know what to do with! If you haven’t ordered your own copy yet, check out our popular Instructional DVDs Refuse to Say Cheese and Beyond the Green Box (They are BACK IN STOCK!! Yeah!!), our 101 Kits for starting or expanding a business in photography, click on the titles of your choice!