We created a Mood Board with inspirational images using FreeForm (a free Apple app). We photographed in Parago Park in Phoenix, Arizona. It was the first night of the full moon, and in the distance, we could hear a new moon ceremony with the steady beat of a drum.

Lia’s branding words convey what she wanted to accomplish with her branded portraits.

• Capturing Movement

• Mysterious

• Feminine

• Powerful

• Luminous

I love what I do, but at the end of last year, I decided to break out of that mold and have some fun with my photography and clients. I wanted to invite them to come and “play” during an appointment that was all about them! That’s when I started the “40 Over 40 Celebration Project.”

As women, we are often bombarded with messages about what we should be: thin, beautiful, successful, and happy. These messages come from everywhere – the media, our families, our friends, and even ourselves. And when we don't measure up to these impossible standards, it can leave us feeling like we're not good enough.

Feeling like you don't measure up is a common experience. Whether in our personal relationships, careers, or appearance, we often feel like we're falling short. But why do we feel this way? And what can we do about it?

My girlfriend shared that her 22-year-old daughter wants to be anti-wrinkling cream because she is starting to see wrinkles on her face. It starts at a really young age - this young woman is supposed to be in the prime of her life. We easily become convinced that we don’t measure up.

Scottsdale, Arizona, is known for its stunning landscapes, rich history, and unique culture. With so much to offer, it's no wonder that photographers worldwide flock to this desert oasis to capture its beauty.

Look no further if you're looking for the best locations in Scottsdale to be photographed.

Here are the top 5 locations that will leave you with memorable branded portraits.

For many of us, the idea of loving our bodies seems like an impossible feat. We're bombarded with messages from society telling us what we should look like, what we should eat, and how we should exercise. It's no wonder that we often feel like we're at war with our bodies. But it doesn't have to be this way. 

As someone who once struggled with self-esteem and body image issues, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to love your body. But I also know that it's possible. It all starts with a decision to nurture feelings of confidence and self-love. 

I’m not an online dating expert by any means, but I know that pictures are essential in dating profiles, and the best online dating profile photos have a lot in common with great business branding photos. They need to communicate with the viewer and share who you are at your core. They need to be current and engender a “know, like, and trust” feeling in the person who’s looking at them. And, of course, you need to feel great about them so you’ll exude confidence. 

One of my clients' most significant obstacles is not feeling good about their appearance. It can keep them from wanting to have their picture taken and impact how they show up if they do decide to get brave and schedule a professional photoshoot. Maybe you can relate. I know I can.

If you’re an entrepreneur, I’m sure it’s become obvious to you that just having a few good headshots won’t cut it anymore when it comes to marketing yourself and your business. Branded photos that share who you are and what you do are essential to your overall brand and allow you to visually share with your audience in a way that will make them more likely to want to work with you.

I love talking with my clients about their personal brand because so much of what your personal brand encompasses is communicating who you truly are to your potential customers and clients. A personal brand is just that…personal. It means the photos we take need to communicate your personality. One of the best ways to do that is to make sure you smile.

It seems like the whole world is on Zoom, especially in the past two years. For a while, we were all living our lives on Zoom, from business meetings to family gatherings.

No matter what you use Zoom for, I’m guessing you’d like to look nice doing it. I know I do. Here are a few simple things you can do to show up as your best self on your next Zoom call:

Pay Attention to Your Appearance

Be Aware of your Lighting

Manage Your Background

Look Your Laptop Camera In the Eye

For entrepreneurs and small business brands, however, having at least 3 images gives you more versatility for not only LinkedIn, but also your Google profile image, Instagram, and Twitter. Each platform is a bit unique and each requires a slightly different type of photo to maximize your connection there. Most people want more images so they can express themselves professionally and casually.

There’s a very small segment of the population who actually love to have their picture taken. If someone pulls out a camera during a party, they’re the one shouting, “Take my picture!” while everyone else groans and turns the other way.

The odds are pretty good that you’re one of the groaners, not one of the ones jumping in front of the camera. Most of us shy away from cameras as a matter of course. It’s why actually volunteering to have your picture taken during a photo shoot is so challenging (and probably why you’ve been putting it off).

This is my 87-year-old neighbor, Gloria. We lived next door when we were wintering over in Apache Junction, AZ (near Phoenix). She loves to dance and makes her own dance clothes. She is whip-smart, quick-witted and we really enjoy her as our neighbor. I try to join her at 3:30 pm on her porch every day where she has a glass of wine, and I have a cool glass of water.

We’re really glad we spent a few days in Fruita, Colorado. It had a 26-mile bike trail along the Colorado River, which we rode and then ate at the infamous Hot Tomato Cafe. We had delicious pizza for dinner.

We checked out the Colorado National Monument for our evening drive and Dinosaur Hill where Elmer Riggs excavated big, huge dino bones in the early 1900s. They’re still admired at the Chicago Field Museum today. I probably saw them as a teenager.

Happy February! It’s been an awesome few weeks down here in the Arizona desert. In between working with new clients, my husband and I found time to attend “Quartzsite RV Show” a few weeks ago. If you saw the movie “Nomadland” this should ring a bell.

Every January, as many as 750,000 to 1,000,000 people (mostly in RV’s) converge on the sleepy little desert town of Quartzsite, located just 20 miles east of the California border on Interstate 10, for the rock, gem, and mineral shows and numerous flea markets. The main attraction, though, is the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show. This phenomenon started over 40 years ago and is now billed as “The Largest Gathering Of RVers in the World.”

Making It a National Park

The effort to designate the Grand Canyon as a national park started in the 1880s, but at first, Congress kept failing to pass a bill that would do that. But President Teddy Roosevelt loved the area so much that he finally declared it a national monument in 1908. The bill that finally made it a national park was signed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The Grand Canyon is cared for by the National Park Service, the Hualapai Tribal Nation, and the Havasupai Tribe.

We checked out Zion National Park which is absolutely gorgeous! More red rock, varied plants and trees, and there ARE fall colors even in the desert. We went on a short hike and came across a Jerusalem Cricket that is described as a Frankenstein-like insect with a nasty bite.

The thing that cracks me up is the cow grates you pass as you enter or exit a freeway. They are designed to make the cows think they’ll fall if they walk on them. Very effective barriers.

Moab is in eastern Utah, near Arches National Park with its red rock formations. It has a rich history that includes uranium mines, World War II internment camps, being used as a movie set, and rock art created by indigenous people.

We stayed in Thompson Springs which was about 45 minutes away from Moab. Next time, we promised ourselves to stay closer. Driving back and forth got old quickly. We stayed a week at Moab and wished we had two weeks to explore and enjoy it. We enjoyed it so much, that we promised ourselves to come back in the Spring of 2022.

Elk mating season lasts from the end of August through October and the official name for elk mating is rutting. We were excited to be at Estes Park for their big elk rut.

The male elk are called bulls, the females are cows and their young are calves. When a big herd breaks up into smaller groups of cows and calves, they’re called harems. The cows come into estrus (heat) only every 20 days, so as soon as a cow is ready to mate, the bull has to be ready. Cows can have up to four estrus cycles each season, but most cows become pregnant during the first or second cycle.