glamour girl

Shut your mouth

2012-01-25T11:13:00.001-07:00

I love pinterest. But I am NOT loving the shameful pins. For example someone sees a photo of a woman they perceive as fat and pin it with the comment that it's motivation to keep them from getting THAT FAT. This is a disservice to the woman making the shameful pin and an insult to the woman in the photograph. what message does that send to the Marilyns of the world? What's disgusting, is the forceful shame of one person's ideal on another person.

I want to say to this sin-pinner: Yay for you. I bet you send the same message to your sisters and daughters. I'm sure the women around you are uncomfortable in a bathing suit or dresses. Or they ascribe to your body bashing ways and you shame people together.

I'm so tired of the body bashing. I don't care WHAT size you are. NO ONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT ANYONE ELSE'S SIZE! I don't care what your BMI or waist size is. I only care that you love yourself and care for yourself in a loving way. Doing so makes you a better mother, sister, and friend.

That's not going to happen if you body bash.

This woman is STUNNING. End of story.

Gem

2012-01-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

There are women who put all else first. Women who are amazing friends, mothers, sisters, daughters. Women who light up rooms with their verve and laughter.

Nikki is all of this and more.

We had a blast doing her photo shoot to celebrate her birthday.

I challenge you NOT to smile while looking at these. ;) Her laughter comes right out of the photos and into your heart.

Watch our feature on In Focus with Eden Lane!

2012-01-21T15:09:00.002-07:00

If you missed it live (BOY was I excited!) you can catch it here:

And if this speaks to you at all, please show your support by commenting and letting Colorado Public Television know.

Thank you all for your congrats, well wishes and support. I can't do this without you. ;)

Iman

Dreams

2012-01-20T09:32:00.001-07:00

When I was a senior in high school, I told my favorite teacher, Mrs. Speck, my dream to be on tv by the time I was 22. She was skeptical at best, but loved me and so humored me with a wry smile, "Call me when you do." She winked.

I thought I would go to college for theater, move to broadway and become a famous actress.

Oh how life changes you and tempers silly youth.

It took four extra years and a career change to make the dream come true. My first tv appearance was for pinup art for The Arts Connection on WMFE in Orlando, FL.

Then two years later, 9 News here in Denver, and two years after that The Everyday Show. Tonight marks my fourth appearance on Colorado Public Television's In Focus with Eden Lane.

I never did call Mrs. Speck. And I've never looked back and wondered "what if?" either. I'm happy with the mistakes I made, the changes life wrought in me...

All that being said, I hope you'll watch! If you're not local, we'll have a link to watch it online over the weekend.

I still get goosebumps and excited that my dreams are coming true. Counting my blessings.

Learn more here:
http://www.cpt12.org/tv_schedule/program_details.cfm?series_id=28196673

Counting My Blessings

2012-01-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Through images because words can't express how grateful I am for the blessings I have.

Potential

2012-01-15T20:30:00.001-07:00

Everything you think or say has potential. Potential to cause harm, potential to heal, to hurt, to cure. What are you putting out into the world?

Guest post by Aimee Markwardt

2012-01-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

This is a guest post by Aimee about how she felt when the prints she'd ordered arrived. Many of you might remember her mother-daughter fairy shoot. Her gift with words is far better than my attempts to communicate the value and experience of ordering prints.

...

I just wanted to share with everyone that today I got two large prints of photos Iman took of my daughter and I, and I was so completely blown away... moved to tears, actually. I thought the digital pictures were amazing, and then I saw them in the big-screen premiere and thought THAT was even more amazing. But the prints... I honestly can't believe that I know the people in those amazing gallery-worthy pieces of art, much less the artist who created them.

Seeing these pictures in print-form really drives home that Iman is creating artwork, far beyond photographs, that will be passed down for generations and generations. Anyone who has ever visited Paris, for example, and seen the Mona Lisa or other beautiful work in person, not just in a book or on a website, can know the feeling I am talking about when I say that witnessing a piece of art in tangible form can be absolutely breathtaking and heartstopping. It's the difference between listening to your favorite song on the radio and going to the concert. It is worth every penny, because it becomes a part of you, it moves you, simply witnessing it is an experience that you will never forget. I have goosebumps just trying to find words for how these pictures made me feel.

I mean every word of this from my heart. I truly believe there should be an Iman Woods art gallery, and I do believe there will be some day. This woman is a freaking crazy genius. We are all so lucky to have her in Colorado, and I cannot recommend highly enough the FULL Iman Woods experience. I hope everyone gets to some day own their own piece of the Iman Woods art gallery for their own house.

Thank you, Iman, for what you create, and for bringing light and beauty into my humble house. It is a blessing to all of us.

An Empowerment Guide for Aspiring and Professional Photographers

2012-01-04T20:26:00.001-07:00

Discerning yourself as a true professional from a budget photographer and why you should

Countless friends and clients have come to me wondering what kind of recourse they have after mistakenly hiring a budget photographer instead of a pro. Every time, there's been little I can do at this point. Photoshop is not the magic easy button it's purported to be. If the shot isn't captured properly IN CAMERA, there's no amount of Photoshop that can fix it.

These stories encompass memories ranging from baby's first days, to weddings, to 50th anniversaries. Once milestones have passed, it's impossible to retake the photo. It's heartbreaking when the special moments are not adequately captured, edited, or backed up for the future.

I've been compelled to put a list of criteria together to help you become a better artist and business person. It will help you differentiate yourself from competition. Learn to compete on quality not price.

1. Pricing:

No one wants to reinvent the wheel, but you need to understand your own numbers before copying another photographer’s pricing structure. You deny yourself the gift of running your own business when you arbitrarily use another photographer’s market research. You’re also shooting yourself in the foot and charging more than the market will bear if you don’t have the same level of experience, clientele, money management skills and creativity. Instead of trying to be someone else, learn about your own artistic desires and passions. You might have a terrific product line that can be created at a lower cost and reap more profit. You’ll never know until you do the work of tracking expenses, income, fees and more for at least three years.

We are all budget-minded these days. But be careful where you cut. Instead of pricing yourself as the local cheap alternative, do some research. It’s impossible to compete on price alone unless you’re Walmart. You can try, but you WILL LOSE MONEY. The client gets what they pay for, no matter your best intentions. A package that includes all files and prints for $100 or less means you will not have time to adequately process your photos. Spending more time than you charge for is fine for a hobby, but it will not become a career.

Make sure you're editing the best of the best. You want every photo that you release to the public to be the BEST possible image. Every photo you release has the power to either strengthen or weaken your brand. Decide now whether you want to be an artist that makes a living or a hobbyist who makes money on the side. Either is fine, but make sure you know which dream you’re going after. Understand that the best artists charge more because clients GET MORE, in terms of quality. The remainder of this article applies to professionals and aspiring artists, so Hobbyists, please don't feel the following is a criticism.

Photographers who offer a photo shoot and all or most of the images on disk for $100 or less are simply NOT able to shoot for quality; they hope quantity will make them money. Or they hope to win clients with unrealistically low offers and will eventually be forced to raise their prices to compete with established pros. You cannot possibly recoup your costs and run a business at those prices. This is a cold hard truth.

Let me break it down for you:

Photo shoot: 1-2 hours minimum. Your clients are paying for your education and experience to make them look their best and capture priceless moments. You provide a stress-free environment, they get to have a blast laughing with their family, and priceless pictures are the result. Pros make it easy for clients to be themselves without looking awkward or posed. That doesn't mean there won't be awkward moments! Photos are high pressure, and it's your job to gracefully usher them through the experience.

Editing pictures: 20-40 hours for 35 finished photos. This means culling the bad shots, (quality, quality, quality!) fixing exposure, cropping, rotating, requested retouching, and then doing artistic treatments. It's a labor of love. For me, this takes up to 40 hours per shoot. It is NOT the client's job to to do any of the above. If you give them too many similar photos, it's WORK for them to find, choose, and print the keepers. You should never share the closed eyes, black frames, or unflattering poses. Take pride in your craft.

Prints: Everyone is keen to have a disk, but most people leave them there and don't make prints. Then their disk fails in 3 to 5 years and they want a backup to make their own prints. We ALL want to cave under the recent pressure of photographers offering high res disks with ridiculously cheap packages. But I promise that if you stand up for the integrity of your art, people will respect it. And you will grow as an artist when you trust yourself. Just because someone asks, doesn’t mean that you can’t explain why not. This is where you need to know your own worth and be able to communicate it.

I offer prints and include digital images. I want my clients to walk out with high quality files and prints. That way they get the most bang for their buck.

I have not found a Walmart or Walgreens that can print without altering the crop, colors, or contrast and changing the image my clients fell in love with. My lab mounts archival prints to high quality matboard that I feel confident will last for several generations. I can't say the same about CDs, DVDs, or thumb drives. I encourage my clients to back up their digital copies in at least two places.

Create a document for them that details the best way to keep their prints, DVDs and downloads safe. It protects their investment, educates them and shows how much you care about your work.

2. Education and licensing:

What kind of education do you have? This goes a long way to translating your worth. Formal, self-taught? It doesn't matter where you're learning, even if it only ends up in your bio.

How much actual on-the-job, paid experience do you have? If you don't have any, GET SOME! The best photographers are lifetime learners. We have to work full time to keep up with changes in technology, equipment and software.

Many new photographers are working to build their portfolio and as long as you are honest about that, more power to you. But PLEASE do not let your inexperience alter an important event. Be honest with potential clients about your abilities and areas that you don’t have as much experience. I cannot stress this enough. People will still book with you, but every client deserves to know in detail what your abilities and limitations are.

One way to make sure you're on the same page is to have them bring inspiration imagery and then be totally honest about whether or not you can replicate it. It's vital to ask enough questions to know what they want and what you hope to accomplish.

Here are some common serious problems among inexperienced photographers:

* Inexperienced photographers commonly use a wide-angle lens for a large group. The closer you place people to the edge of the frame, the more they get distorted. It's incredibly unflattering to have your face stretched and widened by half, or for people's feet to appear two times larger than their heads. There is NO simple or realistic fix for this in Photoshop. This needs to be taken care of in camera.

* Lighting ratios that cause extreme highlights and simultaneous shadows are due to the photographer not yet understanding how light falls. This can make skin look older and also make people look larger than they are. Know your angles, know your lighting.

Practice, practice, practice. Get a doll with glass eyes and try your lighting ratios out BEFORE you work with a client. Make sure the catchlights don’t interfere with the pupil. Amazon has a gazzilion (no, really) books on learning proper lighting. But there is no shortcut, it takes PRACTICE to learn to see the light. It's tedious, but you will be a better photographer for it.

* Camera angles are complicated equations. Shooting from too small a distance and tipping the camera an inch in one direction can distort everything in the frame. Don't make someone look bigger. Make sure you understand how this can alter the perception of a person’s body.

* Skin texture should be realistic, not glossy or muddy. There should be pores and fine hair. Bad angles, incorrect exposure, and poor lighting ratios can distort the natural texture of the skin. A dead give-away of an inexperienced photographer is skin smoothed beyond recognition in post, because it wasn't focused or lit properly in the beginning. Please don’t remove every wrinkle and mark. Over-retouching is quickly becoming unpopular in fashion magazines and clients are clamoring for realistic retouching. This is separate from a painterly look that has become popular since I began commissioned pinup portraits.

If you want to become adept at using Photoshop as a tool as not a crutch, get the book Photoshop Restoration and Retouching by Katrin Eismann. Then do EVERY exercise page by page. When you're done, you will know Photoshop inside and out and will have formidable retouching skills.

In addition, to help position yourself as a professional from an amateur, consider some of these questions:

Are you licensed? Are you a member of professional groups, like the PPA? Are you listed and active with your town's Chamber of Commerce? Are you working to educate yourself to be better artists? How much are you investing into your business and equipment?

Know your costs! Pros pay: sales tax (both city and state), around 30 percent income tax, for equipment insurance, for bookkeeping to maintain invoices and data, accounting for yearly taxes, cleaning, hard drives and disks to back up your images, business licenses, attorneys to go over contracts or copyright violations, credit card processing -- the list goes on.

Clients are paying for our hard-earned knowledge to help them look their best in front of the camera. Posing, lighting, helping children come out of their shells, and just plain being fun are tools pros implement to make the best pictures.

3. Innovation:

Since the advent of digital, everyone has the ability to take a ton of shots, and therefore score some good shots. But top-of-the-line photographers constantly push boundaries and strive to grow and change as an artist. They are out creating art. They find inspiration everywhere. They will be remembered in art history books for pushing the medium. You WON'T be remembered for being the cheapest option.

Are you giving back to your community? Are you fostering a photographic community? No matter how little you have, someone has less. The economy has created a competitive and mean atmosphere that we should all work to dissolve. I have spent the economic downturn growing a business when others have not been so lucky. I attribute it to the fact that I practice what I preach.

Do not copy! Do NOT search for photographers and then copy their product lines, pricing and/or marketing. You’re insulting their hard work and experience, and you’re denying yourself the chance to be an actual artist. What might happen if you decided to find your own way? You would be following in the footsteps of the worlds’ most famous artists. You cannot discover new things when you’re busy trying to follow someone else’s footsteps. And we do NOT find it flattering. We have worked hard to build our niche.

Years ago, I broke ground as the only photographer I could find that was focused on empowerment and self-esteem, creating my own unique style of painting, editing and lighting; no one had any idea how I could move forward or what to expect. It was lonely work. I had to work hard for five years to build this niche. When someone tries to grow their own business off of my work, it’s a disservice to all of my dreams, as well as that artist’s personal potential. I'm proud to know several talented artists who have taken up this cause with their own brand of photography.

If you like a genre, then EXPLORE it! Find your own creative process and you’ll be amazed at what you create. I have several friends that do pinup, but do an edgier or separate style and I love and respect them dearly. But they have worked hard to develop something that is their own. They don’t copy my pricing, don’t copy my poses, don’t copy my marketing and publicity.

Do not gossip! Photography is a small community. We talk. We know. And we mark you as someone untrustworthy. Your fellow photographers are your greatest source of information, and camaraderie. We can help with everything from technique to experience. Let’s support each other instead of stab each other in the backs.

In conclusion, I am a professional. I am an artist. And this is my passion. I aim to make this abundantly clear with my training, experience and the time I pour into every shoot. I believe it is rewarding for both me AND my clients that I'm constantly searching, learning and growing.

This is not to discourage students or new businesses trying to gain momentum through discounted prices; we all have to start somewhere, and it's great to support these newbies to help them learn. But remember, that's what clients are paying (or not paying) for: the experience that will potentially lead to a sustainable career as a professional photographer. Aspiring photographers are still learning, and clients are part of that experiment. A responsible newbie knows his or her limits and weaknesses and will openly disclaim them.

However, at all costs avoid being the photographer who plunges his or her prices to steal business from others. If you don't treat other photographers with respect, thoughtfulness and consideration, there is no reason for clients to think you will treat them any differently. Don’t act like an amateur if your goal is to grow a successful and professional business. This kind of planning is short-term and not sustainable, and it is dangerous (not to mention a waste of time) to inadequately handle precious memories. Photographers are historians. You have a responsibility to yourself and the future to act with integrity.

I hope this encourages you treat your clients and families like the works of art they are. They deserve to have the memory of this treasured moment captured beautifully and in high quality to pass down through generations. Most of all, I hope this helps you understand your worth as an artist and inspires you to go after your own dreams.

Worth a Thousand Words

2012-01-03T09:29:00.001-07:00

I'm always at a loss of what to say when people ask why I've set my prices the way I have. Beyond the fact that this is my business and living, I'm providing a priceless service. I would never ask my doctor or dentist to lower their prices. Or my personal trainer, publicist, etc. Because I've learned the value of their service. I should honestly stop feeling out of sorts and use it as an opportunity to explain how much working with me is worth.

Here is a link to a truly moving letter to another photographer, where a client explains the value of this photographer's work. I truly hope that this family was able to do one more shoot.

http://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/

Motivational Monday

2011-12-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

No matter what you've gone through in your life, you still have the ability to make it what you want. The dreams you've always had still have the power to be born into reality. You have to believe you can do the work.

Melanie is an incredible woman, an inspiration to me. I hope she can be to you as well. THIS is what a MOTHER of four LOOKS LIKE. Beautiful, elegant, feminine, strong.

FYI, Melanie is a teacher at Boulder Spirals if you want to learn to be strong and feminine too. ;) (I'm trying, but I'm not there yet!)

Xo,

Iman

2011-12-07T20:55:00.001-07:00

What if every morning you looked at your reflection and chose to love yourself? How do you think that would impact your self-worth? Your decisions? Your feelings? Your actions towards others?

Clothing size is an an arbitrary number chosen by manufacturers. It's YOUR choice whether to let that make or break your self-esteem.

Beauty is a feeling that doesn't come from being a certain size of finding the right magic bottle.

Made with love!

Iman

She has a time machine in her back pocket

2011-12-06T09:52:00.001-07:00

HG Wells may have dreamt of time travel, but Boulder bombshell Khyentse James is making time travel a reality.

Twice this year, Boulder CO will travel back in time. Sights, sounds, smells and tastes will combine to transport you to the height of 1940's Americana. Having been blessed enough to experience the summertime 1940's WWII Era Ball, my body gets anticipatory chills and goosebumps thinking about being a part of the Second Annual 40's & 50's Big Band Christmas Ball.

Tickets are a hot commodity and selling quickly. I hope you'll be able to score some and join us for unprecedented fun. Come live, laugh and love, jump, jive and shake with people donning their best 1940's threads. De Boudoir will be taking pics with Santa and his sleigh. And I'm thrilled to announce that we will be selling photos of you under the mistletoe with marines and pinups dressed in White Christmas costumes! If you've been itching to be photographed by us, now is your chance! We'll be offering a basic package of a high res file for only $15 with $5 of that going to charity. It's a steal that we want to make possible because this event is a one of a kind experience.

We're also donating TWO photography packages to the male and female winners of the COSTUME CONTEST! This lucky couple will be photographed AT the ball on our festive mistletoe set! This is an amazing opportunity and an extra incentive to show up in your very best.

I have barely scratched the surface of what it's like to have your senses serenaded by an event created by Khyentse. You'll have to experience it yourself to understand.

Here's a little taste from this past summer's ball to whet your appetite, including the lovely Erin who won the costume contest!

The end of unique human beings. The end of true beauty.

2011-12-06T08:09:00.001-07:00

This is one of my greatest fears come to pass. We are one step closer to creating a modified generation of girls who disdainfully shed their genetic history through plastic surgery.

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2011/12/hms-new-lingerie-models-are-computer-generated.html

A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to Work

2011-12-05T18:36:00.001-07:00

My career and passion is showing women their innate beauty. Showing them the things that day to day life and unattainable beauty standards chip away at. It's NOT my job to feel pretty or be a beauty queen. (Insert endless negative self-talk about why I could never aspire to win a pageant.)

I do TRY to see my own beauty as an exercise to better help my clients. It's a muscle I've been working on, but I don't expect muscle memory to kick in for another decade or four.

Growing up, I never felt pretty. I was darker, taller, curvier than the girls in Cosmo and Tiger Beat. We didn't have icons like J Lo or Beyonce rocking different ethnicities and round bottoms.

One day I was taunted by a girl following me all the way home screaming, "That's right, Bubble Butt! Run home crying to your mama, duck butt! Look at her with her butt sticking out!"

I tried in vain to stand tall and hide my tush.

It just... stuck out. On it's own. No matter what I tried.

Fast forward to this weekend. I spent a transformative day prancing around my studio in my undies with 10 of my close girlfriends. And I tried to hide that butt. A lifetime of trying has not made a difference. I still hear that awful girl's voice chasing me in my head.

But, the words from other girls were different this time. They were laced with the love of a good girlfriend and dare I say, admiration.

"Look at that hot tush!"

"I just want to squeeze it"

"Your butt is awesome."

And I posed for pictures. In red lacy underwear. With my butt as the subject.

A funny thing happened.

I like my butt. It only took 30 years, a sexy photo shoot, and my best friends to prove that it was photo worthy and therefore PERFECT. And even today, in my day clothes, without lashes and magic pinup hair, underneath all of this I have the body God gave me. I feel confident and beautiful.

It's easy to forget the change that happens in this studio. It's easy to go on auto and do my best to show someone else that they're beautiful. It took a shoot of ME to prove that we're more than on to something. And I can never forget that as much as this is an amazing journey for my clients, it's a beautiful journey for me to find love inside and outside my body along the way.

Me and my Bub

2011-12-04T16:37:00.001-07:00

The abode

2011-12-02T15:20:00.001-07:00

There's no place like home. And I've come to a new understanding of making a house a home since the Bub came into the world. We bought our house two months prior and I've been nesting ever since.

I finally (as in almost two years later) got around to finishing the master bedroom.

My latest design project was to make custom nightstands for this room so the shabby chic stands could go to the shabby chic guest room. They never quite matched our bedroom set anyways.

The old brown suitcases are replicas of some in my collection. They evoke the glossy tones of the wood from the bedroom set without being too similar. Credit to Rachel for choosing these over the blond set if planned on. And big kudos to Rachel for doing the measurements since I would fallen into a seizure of number induced trauma.

The final results. I'm in love.

This shoot changed me

2011-11-30T20:35:00.001-07:00

I am never more aware of the power of kindness than I am when I'm with someone who responds deeply to it. Amber has been planning her pinup photo shoot for almost three years. And the day was magical. This woman is incredible. She's a loving wife and mother and does a such a good job that she doesn't always take care of herself.

Here's a much anticipated sneak peek into her special day, with more to follow! Amber reminded me why we do what we do. That I should never take my gifts for granted. Showing every woman she's as gorgeous inside and out as Amber is my calling.

We were thrilled to pamper you for a day, Amber. Your dazzling smile and sense of humor lifted our spirits through the roof.

Xo.

Iman

Hair and Makeup by the fabulous Angel Garcia

Giving Thanks

2011-11-21T23:03:00.001-07:00

This Thanksgiving has more meaning to me than years past. My son is a tiny little Man and I'm aware of how much he sees and hears. I want him to learn by example that Thanksgiving should be a time to step outside yourself.

I will tell him what I'm thankful for: my family, our home, the friends that treat us like family. For modern medicine (I'll leave out a rant regarding health care).

There are so many that are not as blessed. There are people who don't have homes, don't have health care or the running water we take for granted. And it makes me ashamed that I worry about the things I worry about.

To balance my thoughts and heart, I'm donating money to local non-profit, Think Humanity. You may remember my post featuring the paper jewelry they sell to raise money. They have wrought CHANGE bringing running water, malaria-preventing mosquito nets, health care and education to African refugees. They work tirelessly and travel to Africa regularly taking important supplies to impoverished areas.

They were recently derailed from their goals for their next trip by ~~greedy~~ arbitrary airline baggage fees. Instead of being able to take three bags, only the first is included in the cost of the tickets. That means two bags full of life-saving materials will have to stay state-side and useless. Or. They can try to find $150 per bag for seven bags.

If you want to help and have a dollar or two, please see their make a donation page.

I give thanks.

Alluring Autumn

2011-11-19T13:33:00.001-07:00

This is a beautiful sneak peek into an upcoming blog series. We're blogging the latest fashion trends and how to rock them. We need your fashion do or don't questions! Please send questions to info@imanwoods.com and you might get to model for a future blog!

How's THIS for a sexy Fall look? The faux fur trapper hat is from Target and can be worn with jeans and a sweater or dress pants and a nice blouse. Pair this with some hot ankle boots or faux fur leg warmers over flats and you're good to go! This hat will rock on the way to work or out on the town with the added benefit of keeping you warm.

Model: Linh Sellers

Hair and makeup: Jess Licata

The stuff of fairytales and dreams

2011-11-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

It's a common occurrence for a woman to gasp when she first sees herself in the back of my "magic" camera. "I can't believe that's me!" they exclaim. I chuckle and confirm that it is indeed them and that they are rocking the glamorous pin-up girl look to perfection.

It's NOT a common occurrence for ME to feel that way.

Recently, I was interviewed by the lovely Remy Gervais of 8 Women Dream. Her name falls off my tongue like a French lullaby and she is quite a treat to talk to. Her passion is helping women find and work toward their dreams. Powerful stuff. Fairy tale quality, you need only look and then put in a LOT of work but dreams are attainable.

It was eye opening for me to stop and think about my own dreams. I could not believe that the woman Remy interviewed was me. She was too sure of herself, too willing to dream, too ready. My heart wants to burst when I picture that side of myself. I'll let the interview speak for itself. But I must send a huge thank you to Remy for asking JUST the right questions at just the right time. Rereading this gives me my own roadmap towards my dreams.

What are your dreams?

The Red HOT Mile High Mamas!

2011-11-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

We recently had the joy of photographing the Mile High Mamas for their website. The only other comparable experience of fun and laughter was the Denver Roller Dolls Shoot. These ladies are all beautiful confident women. Check out their blogs, but be prepared to get sucked in to beautifully written accounts of all things motherhood.

I had a blast and hope to meet everyone who couldn't make it. It was wonderful to put a face to a blog name. I hope each Mile High Mama feels as gorgeous outside as she is inside.

The Red Hot Mile High Mamas

Being good enough. You are. Right now.

2011-11-12T12:05:00.002-07:00

We are always ashamed when we cry. We brush tears away, apologize and wish they would stop. But! Tears mean you're feeling something. They mean you're human. And Beautiful. Perfect. Enough. Do you know what it feels like to feel like you're enough? Right now, not ten pounds from now. Not plastic surgery from now. Not a vacation from now. RIGHT NOW YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH.

Nearly every woman we work with has not felt satisfied, has not felt enough. She has felt an overwhelming amount of not good enough. She can not look in the mirror and see the positive. She can only see the negative. The overwhelming badness that permeates and feels permanent.

When you feel like enough, the negative things don't have weight. The positive things can finally have a voice. The compliments you shove away take purchase in your heart. You share a compliment with a loved one, paying it forward. That person gets a sense of being enough. The world gets brighter.

Tears have a place and time. Don't brush them away. Listen to them.

Are you enough?

YES.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T10:33:00.001-06:00

Angel carved this wicked-fabulous pumpkin and it's the perfect way to celebrate Halloween. Isn't she freaking talented?!

First Snow

2011-10-29T21:23:00.000-06:00

We had a beautiful blanket of snow a few days ago. So, of course, I had to take the Bub out to experience the joy of fresh snow.

I may have been a bit more excited about it than he was.

How do you expect me to walk?

What IS this?

Get me out of this awful stuff!

Ray of Sunshine

2011-10-26T20:09:00.000-06:00

We've been working on a project... a makeover of sorts. I hope we've helped a special woman realize how FREAKING GORGEOUS she truly is. Inside and out. Upside and down. With or without makeup. ;)

Since I was introduced to Amber M through our Inner Beauty Project, I've laughed, cried and everything in between. Though I've only known her a seemingly short while, she has made a lasting mark on my heart. Amber is an irreverent, hilarious, sailor-mouthed sweetheart. And a badass, so please don't make her come after you.

She also a talented artist. Check out just one offshoot of her creativity, Voodoo Dolls A Go-Go.

She is an inspiration on how to live life in spite of crushing pain. Amber has battled cancer more times than several people combined. All the while, she's been a mother to two beautiful children, a dear friend to many. After the Inner Beauty Project, Angel and I scheduled a photo shoot with her.

Two weeks before the shoot was supposed to happen in August (her birthday), she got the news that she would have to battle cancer AGAIN. She took the news in stride. Throughout her treatment she has fought to remain positive. She's kept her wits about her and employed her laugh out loud humor. I don't know how to she puts up with radiation, doctors' appointments AND parent-teacher conferences!

Yet she does, with a beauty and grace many of us can only dream of.

It was our pleasure to help show her just how gorgeous she is, how valued she is to so many. I hope she will be to you too.

Here's a link to her Premiere and all her lovely photos.

She KILLED that apple.

What every guy thinks we do at these shoots...

Double the Pretty!

Um. This is what my jokes look like... Yes. I'm that bad. Ask Angel.

She really is this beautiful.

She's our first DARK fairy! With lipstick. And she'll cut you.

I think it's safe to assume that it's poisoned. fyi.

This one makes me think of a gypsy fortune teller...

Dark Beauty.

Home Sweet Home

2011-10-26T08:56:00.001-06:00

Every year that I was away was agony this time of year. My compass points to the Rocky Mountains. It's good to be home.

Introducing several new team members!

2011-10-19T15:47:00.000-06:00

We've gotten so busy (hallelujah!) that we've expanded our team! Please head over to the website to read about them and see their lovely faces. :) Then come back and comment on your own hair and makeup questions. We'll see if we can help you out.

I'm so blessed to be able to work with these amazing ladies. If you're in the Boulder or Denver area and want your own Pinup Makeover, let us know! This is our specialty.

Suddenly, I feel like a MOM

2011-10-17T13:54:00.000-06:00

Things have been so busy at Iman Woods Creative that I've barely seen my Bub. At least, it feels like I hardly see him.

The Bub's vocabulary has been growing by leaps and bounds. He's been saying "Dada" for a couple months now and recently started calling everything under the sun Mama. The couch, his milk, he wants up, "Mama". So it doesn't really have the same Oomph as staring me in the face and saying Mama.

The other night we (our new team member <who will be introduced soon> and I) were installing closet shelves and I didn't get to see the Bub before his bath or bedtime. Those are sacred moments and I was bummed.

At around 10:30pm I heard him fussing and went to him and whispered, "Shh, it's ok."

He snapped awake and blearily rubbed his eyes, "Mama??!" his voice cracked reverently.

And I melted.

You catch more flies with... Flattery

2011-10-13T10:47:00.001-06:00

Every once in awhile, I come across a sales tactic that chafes my ideals the wrong way. Consider my ideals the sensitive inner thigh area on a bike ride. You want to ignore it, but it screams for your full attention.

I needed to run to the Apple Store at Flatiron Crossing. I had just moved my office and desperately needed Internet.

My mission: to quickly grab an Airport Extreme router.

My plan: to park at Dick's Sporting Goods and shortcut through to the Apple Store.

My error: I also needed another bike skort.

So I thought I was very smart to grab some workout clothing on my way to Apple.

I perused the brightly lit aisles. I tip toed pass glossy black plastic mannequins of perfect athletic proportions that seem to glare at me, "Unhealthy One!" as they sported perfect size 0 workout wear.

What is it about the health and athletic industry making those of us that need it the most feel so intimidated? Beyond the fact that they barely carry badly fitted sizes 12-14?

In the dressing room, I was HORRIFIED to discover that my body is covered in a disgusting uneven texture from forehead to toe. It looked like I had cellulite covering my entire body. Including my face.

Irritated, I glanced up. I'm a photographer. Light is my specialty. I know how to tweak and warp it to create the look I want. And Dick's is using one industrial overhead bulb to simulate the kind of horror lighting even Hitchcock wouldn't dare use.

It's traditional "horror movie" lighting. The goal is to light from an extreme above angle so you can make every pore, every wrinkle, every texture stand out in shadow. I wouldn't use this style of light on a 15 year old super model.

And I can't bring myself to believe that this wasn't intentional. In fact I almost purchased a too large skort so I could workout more and get rid of my "cellulite". Then I reigned myself in and reminded myself that I look WAY better in real life.

So I went to the Apple Store and went home. And my mood, which had been happy-singing-at-the-top-of-my-lungs for the trip to the mall, was pissy the whole way home.

Using unflattering light in dressing rooms is a diabolically brilliant way to shame people into buying your products. But its dishonest and greedy. The entire store is beautifully lit, EXCEPT for the dressing room.

Shame on you, Dick's. I'll be visiting a local store for my workout chothing needs.

And do I get karma points for NOT making a joke about the business name?

Presenting the new face of Iman Woods Creative!

2011-09-30T15:36:00.001-06:00

This massive overhaul signifies a return to my photographic roots, as well as an expansion of my business. The new logo is the Creative umbrella over everything I do. Making magic with a camera.

The new format pays homage to ten years of painted pinups, fanciful fairies, business photography and heart-warming family portraits.

I'm kind of blown away when I see it all in one place.

Thank you so much for your support and feedback over the years. I could not have created this without you.

Treat your family to an awesome portrait experience

2011-09-29T23:26:00.001-06:00

At a fabutastic price!

Happiness

2011-09-28T18:36:00.001-06:00

By Jennifer Pugh, buy it here:
http://www.allposters.co.uk/-sp/Happiness-Posters_i5028530_.htm

A love story

2011-09-27T19:13:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time, there a lived a girl who loved to twirl.

She became a woman who twirled and wished for nothing except one thing... a daughter.

One day she came across a beautiful fairy baby girl. And was instantly enchanted.

They danced and sang and twirled for what felt like forever.

They told each other stories of each of their worlds. The fairy baby told of wishing for a mother.

Then woman, decided to leave her old life and embark on a new one. Motherhood.

They were inseperable.

They shared fanciful tales of magical places that they would visit together.

The fairy girl taught the woman much. About animals and plants and how to kiss the sun.

The fairy baby's kiss imparted special powers:

Love everlasting.

Joy.

Comfort.

Family.

And they twirled all the rest of their days.

The End.

Into the Realm of Fairie

2011-09-08T19:00:00.001-06:00

I'm a pretty big fantasy nerd. (Understatement.) I was into fantasy WAY before the Harry Potter and Twilight frenzies. Give me a Tamora Pierce, Mercedes Lackey novel and I'll disappear for weeks. A few years ago I did a short series of Fairie paintings.

We're adding these to our offerings so email/call if you or your little lady want to spend a day in our magical world.

Today, I went back into that magical place and... well... words just don't cut it.

A big kudos to Tory Husltrom for being so gorgeous, and to Jess Licata for the ethereal hair and makeup.

They rarely stop long enough to be seen.

Their beauty is unparalleled.

Gossamer wings, the stuff of fairy tales.

Beware their kisses, they'll send you to Fae.

Inside our workshops!

2011-08-29T16:03:00.000-06:00

We've been getting SO much interest in our workshops that we decided to change things up a bit. The industry norm is to limit your radius so that locals who might take some of your revenue aren't allowed to attend and learn your secrets.

I went with this for the first workshop but realized I'm not worried about locals negatively affecting my business. Every interaction I've had with local pros has been positive. I love the questions, dialogue and most of all sharing a craft that we're all passionate about. I also have faith that people who take our workshops want to be the best artist they can. That speaks to my soul. So we're removing the mininum mile radius. :)

We're also offering the workshops one on one for a slightly higher price. Now you don't have to wait for our regular workshops and we'll work around your schedule. You'll get one on one technique and advice from me! More info on our website here.

This painting is the demonstration painting from our last workshop. Day one was pinup photos with three models, lighting posing and Photoshop. Day two was painting, and paintings speak louder than words.

Model is Angel, who also rocked hair and makeup. She's amazing.

Part One of the Best Wednesday in History!

2011-08-17T16:58:00.000-06:00

If you missed Part Two, please read that first. I'm messing with your head, but the anticipation will make sense in the end.

I could barely sleep the Tuesday night before. I'd been on television twice by now, but never LIVE ON AIR. I was sure I would lick my teeth, breath too loudly from my nose, or say "and" "UH" and "butt" over and over again. If you've taken a public speaking course, you understand how often we drop these little gems in normal conversation. Ever the over-achiever, I aimed to eliminate them from my 4 minutes on air.

We had also planned to fill the live audience with beautiful Woods Girls and several were going to be there in the morning to get ready together. I set my phone alarm (no need to wake the rest of the family) for 5:30am and finally drifted off to sleep...

...To be woken up by the baby at 6:30! No time to do any hair or makeup. The lovely Jess managed to rock smashing hair and makeup out in about fifteen minutes. The incomparable Angel, who had done my hair and makeup for the taping portion, couldn't make it but was totally with us in spirit. The girls and I were all nervous but mostly excited. We high-tailed it down I-25 (totally following the speed limit!) and made it five minutes late. We joined the other Woods Girls there!

No one at the studio have us a hard time for meddling with their rock solid schedule. Thank God. Because I might have cried. Or tinkled. (I was THAT nervous!) We ran upstairs, and while the girls got seated for the live audience, Tory, Audrey and I got the surprise picture and paintings situated.

Then came the waiting in the green room. Listening to the girls laugh and cheer was awesome! I wish I could have seen their faces! Luckily, Des took a great pic for us!

They called me to come get seated on the couch during a commercial. I was TERRIFIED. I was sure I'd rub my nose or throw an unconscious gang sign out. If you watch the clip, I'm not okay until I start talking. Then: - the part of me that lives every day with the deepest belief that I can change how people feel by showing them how gorgeous they are - took over. It's an out of body experience to watch the show. I don't really remember it happening. But I'm thrilled that I didn't insult anybody with an inappropriate gang sign! And I didn't cry!

Every employee we met that day was so warm and accommodating. Being on TV is daunting, but they made it easy. And I could not have done it without all my girls, including the ones who couldn't be there.

*Happy.*

If you missed it, watch for yourself!

MUAH!

Iman

Renovating the Studio, improving my quality of life

2011-08-15T12:51:00.000-06:00

An artist's workspace is a vital thing. If the space is disorganized or unattractive, it irritates my artist's eye and interrupts my creative process. So does my crying Bub. My office was on the main floor of the house until a week ago. This "worked" for awhile. But it became impossible for the Bub to understand that sometimes he was allowed in mommy's office, and sometimes he wasn't. The level of screaming and overall sadness made me not want to work AT ALL. I realized that while I was downstairs in the studio, he forgot I was home. He was able to play, eat, be. So we decided to move my office downstairs into a hidden storage area.

It was an unappetizing office in the beginning. I disdainfully called it my "closet office". My friend Rachel and assistant Tory tried to get me to stop calling it that. They used my own studio rules against me. I'm glad they did.

The Closet of Doom AKA My New Office (BEFORE)

My New Office AKA The Happy To Work Zone

Once moved in, the space proved PERFECT! It's absolutely silent. Brightly lit. The ergonomic desk (a Craigslist score) allows me to work unhindered for hours. In fact, there is just enough space that almost everything is within reach and I can easily wheel my chair to everything else. I love it.

While the office was getting a makeover, I thought it was time to make some long desired changes to the studio as well. Rachel (who knows far more about painting walls than this Army brat) helped me choose the perfect sky/ocean blue for my office and deep petal pink for the boudoir. The girl worked her tooshie off. She also made the first terrible trip to Ikea with me. We almost died, by the end we were ready to tip the lady in the wheelchair over just to get OUT. But didn't. Don't ever ask me to go back. BTW, don't wonder what the fire exit strategy is while you're in there. Not a happy thought.

I found a brass bed on Craigslist (it's an addiction, I'm still struggling with step ONE) and Amber graciously picked it up and brought it to it's new home. Patty generously donated her time and strength and helped move the old mattress upstairs. (That woman is STRONG.) And Amber made a second trip to Ikea. Don't go. Save yourself the panic attack.

There have been added benefits to the big move. I leave my phone downstairs with my computer and when I come "home" I'm home. No work. Instead of working 24/7 I'm working about 12-14/7 :) It's a start! It's much simpler having designated work and home space and a door to separate the two.

Two years ago I couldn't so much as install a curtain rod. I've installed five by myself in this studio renovation alone. It's empowering to understand the tools and be able to measure. I get giddy knowing I can drill and MAKE something that wasn't there before.

Throughout the process, I found something returning to me from before motherhood. I found space for me. I made it as colorful and romantic as I wanted. It is my dream studio come to life. I call it Fantasyland where fantasies come true.

A BIG THANK YOU to all the people who helped make this possible! I could not have done it without you. I also don't know that I would have been able to keep working without your friendship and humour. :)

Here are some more photos!

The biggest give away EVER!

2011-08-12T18:41:00.003-06:00

To celebrate reaching 1000 fans on Facebook, we're having a Thanks For The Love Giveaway...
We're giving away a PAINTING to a past or current client! If you've been thinking about booking, NOW IS THE TIME! If you pay your deposit by August 31st, 2011 you can enter by doing all three points below. If you've already paid your deposit towards a shoot for this year, you're also welcomed to enter. All three below have to be fulfilled to be eligible!

Here are the deets:

1. *You must be an Iman Woods Creative Pinup or Love Story client to enter!* Hurry up and book your shoot by August 31 to be eligible!
2. You must be a fan of our Facebook page. If you're not already, head the heck over!
3. You must comment on this post and tell us where you'd hang your fabulous painting!

This is my way of thanking you all for spreading the word about us.

Iman

Part Two of the Best Wednesday EVER

2011-08-11T22:50:00.000-06:00

I'm messing with your head and posting part two before I post part one of our Everyday Show Extravaganza. Saving the best for last. Though this part is pretty ~~dope~~ amazing in it's own right.

After we taped the show LIVE ON AIR: My very pretty friends and I headed to Racine's for lunch where a mob of admirers asked for autographs and kisses. Part of that last sentence is a teeny tiny fib.

Then, Jess Licata got an invite from The Wings Over The Rockies Museum to come and take a few photos there. If you know me at all, I love power tools more than diamonds, and vintage planes even more than that. It was an easy decision.

The girls were game and the museum was FANTABULOUS as well as accommodating. We will be returning with our friends and families to admire the exhibits in more detail. If you haven't been, I urge you to go. Nothing can replace actually seeing in person the incredible machinery that carried our country to war and back.

Pictures!

I am... A mommy blogger

2011-08-09T17:56:00.000-06:00

And I say that with the utmost respect and joy. Today could have sucked. It started out with an emergency crown. (NOT the preffered jeweled kind.) And even with the nitris I was on edge.

Then some financial stuff hit with a WHAM! but I still had this beautiful, perfect and quiet moment with my Bub.

We were watching TV and he climbed into my lap, leaned his head against me and while sighing he pulled my arms around him into a cuddle.

It was perfect. So I had to photograph it. For posterity. And for teenagedom.

Tune in August 10th to the Everyday Show!

2011-07-27T19:14:00.000-06:00

Coloradans can catch it on KWGN Channel 2 The CW. Everyone else can watch online! Be there or be square!

YOU MIGHT BE A PHOTOZILLA

2011-07-20T13:28:00.001-06:00

Photozilla: Someone who is so entrenched in their photographic career that nothing else matters.

If your spouse cringes when you scream, "Wait! Let me get my camera!" as you're loading the car for a nice day off at the zoo.

If you feel like you're missing a piece of your body when you don't have a camera withing easy trigger distance.

If you stare at random people in a creepy way. They don't know that you're examining the light around them and trying to picture which aperture and shutter speed would create the coolest back lighting.

If you stalk people in public. "Um... you've probably heard this before, but you have the most photograph-able blue and green eye I've ever seen!"

If you get the shakes and a fever when you haven't taken a photo in a couple days.

If you go into a trance like place when you're editing in Photoshop.

If your family inherently knows that a "quick trip to the studio" really means that you're gonna get all OCD and do a full on fashion family shoot.

If you have a camera on your phone and over 1,000 photos and JUST CLEARED OUT A COUPLE THOUSAND.

If you have an external hard drive addiction... you might be a photozilla.

If you have to add "photozilla" to your computer's dictionary.

If you dream about long exposure night shoots and painting with light. Or dream about shooting underwater. Or dream that you're a camera. Actually, then you might need professional help.

If you constantly wish that you could invent a camera that could be triggered by what your brain and eye are seeing.

If a fun girls day entails treating your girlfriends to professional, hair, makeup... and then you make them stand on bales of hay in corsets, bustles, and heels. ("But the pictures will be AMAZING!")

Words I wish we could burn from our tongues

2011-07-15T18:47:00.001-06:00

I wrote a post a little while back about my hatred for the phrase: stretch marks. My dear friend Elena (always the cutest rebel you'll ever see) calls them "love marks" which I find much more appealing.

But today I started counting how many negative phrases are alive and well in our culture. Words that I would like to banish from our language. Make them painful for our tongues to say them. And I'm apologizing up front for any sour language. This stuff gets me stark raving mad. I hope the next time you hear or say them you'll think twice before taking their negative legacy and making it your own.

Cottage Cheese: That's a food dammit! I'm not going to feed a foreign country with my thighs. Dimples are cuter. I do NOT ascribe to the notion that our bodies and skin must be taut and hard in order to be beautiful. We are all different. By the way, a history lesson: this phrase came about because companies needed a way to sell ~~snake oil~~ creams that will make your "unsightly cottage cheese" vanish. Which is a freaking lie of a promise.

Love Handles: Give me a break! They're HIPS!!! Female bodies are made to procreate! And walking upright limits our hips substantially compared to other species. (Humans are totally the procreational Twiggies of the world.) I have hips and I LOVE them. My husband sure does too. Nary a love handle in sight.

Spider Veins: Poor spiders get a bad rap. They eat tons of annoying and terrifying creepy crawlies yet they're vilified in movies like Arachnophobia AND by naming an "imperfection" in our skin after them. I once met a stunningly gorgeous woman of about 20 who was so terrified of getting spider veins like her mother that it felt like a life sentence to her. I can only imagine that this was something that caused her mother great distress which she passed on to her daughter. Once again, we lose sight of the miracles that our bodies ARE just by BEING.

Camel-toe: Thought up by assholes who were teased as children. Only jerks say this or point it out.

Visible Panty Lines: thought up by greedy underwear companies to shame you into buying their product which most likely goes up your butt. See, ma! No lines!

Blemishes: Skin goes through phases and changes like the rest of our bodies. It's part of being a living and breathing system of complicated parts. It's actually a beautiful process the way our bodies expel things they can not process. Yet we consider ourselves "unsightly" if we have them. Watch a commercial about about acne and you'll most likely hear "unsightly blemishes". Let me tell you, as someone who has tried EVERYTHING that Sephora offers: Blemishes happen and it doesn't make you less than. It means your body is doing it's job. Give it a freaking break.

I could go on, but I can tell I'm getting more angry the longer I write. I hate that we are prisoners of these terms coined by people trying to sell us a snake oil solution. I wish everyone could see how amazing this life is, these bodies, the miracles that each and every one of us is just by BEING ALIVE.

*Stepping down off of my worn out soapbox.*

How the Netflix price increase pertains to portrait photography

2011-07-14T19:35:00.000-06:00

Everyone is in uproar. Netflix has dared to increase their pricing AGAIN for the second time this year. Boo. Hiss. And to be honest, that was my initial reaction too.

But what if we break this down logically and point out similarities in the photograph industry? You might be wondering how these two have anything in common.

The photography industry was shaken to it's core with the advent of the internet. Prints were no longer the source of revenue that they'd been in the past. Our world changed and the photographers that didn't grow and change sadly went by the wayside. Successful photographers today can handle selling prints and files, pricing to compensate themselves, and treat photography like a business. A most rewarding business, but a business nonetheless.

Netflix cornered the market of renting DVD's. For people living in rural areas, they suddenly had access to a library of film that could dazzle. There was a time that everyone and their mom was telling you how much they enjoyed Netflix. Then, like Amazon, they branched out from one specialty into another. How many of you photographers have done the same? Netflix spends an insane amount of money on shipping DVD's and started working on building their streaming library, which I poo pooed until we canceled cable. Suddenly I discovered new and awesome shows and movies that I would have passed by. Netflix streaming has value for me.

Here's where the two industries compare. If you're running a business and raise your prices it works provided both of the following are involved: 1. You have to increase prices only if your costs go up substantially. (Basic rule of staying in business.) 2. You increase the value of what you're selling. This means adding products and inclusions to your packages.

So, I do NOT mind paying more for Netflix IF this means they're going to add to their streaming library.

I also hope that Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime give cable companies a run for their money, they're in desperate need of growth and change. Like photography, competition is healthy and keeps everyone at the top of their game. I for one am tired of watching copious commercials that ad companies blast at a higher volume. So, Netflix: bring on this price increase, but you better back it up with added features.

A doozy of a revelation

2011-07-14T09:55:00.001-06:00

The reason I haven't posted in a few days is because I've had a post in my head. But it's not about photography. It's about self-awareness and self-esteem. Since this blog is about searching for beauty, I finally decided that it was appropriate.

I am a blessed woman. Despite all the things that drive me crazy about my life, at the core, I am blessed.

But, I've had to remove several people from my life over the last two years. People who may be blessed but can't see it. People who focus on the negative. People who will steal ideas and revenue from others in a heartbeat. People that do not even realize that their self-centered actions may have negative ramifications.

I've had terrible boundaries over my lifetime. It's something I will forever be working to master. But because I now have boundaries, it's threatening to those without. I've recently had to deal with a severe amount of negativity from a few people who wanted my work for free. I understand that they want/need it but I also know that I can't support my family on intentions. I have to support us with actual revenue. Cold hard truth of the world.

And I was angry for a time, that I had let them into my life. That I had given to them generously. That they could not see the pain their actions had caused me. It wounded my pride and self-esteem. I went over and over the interactions in my mind. I felt like a bad person. A damaged person.

Something a friend said slapped me in the face: I was focusing on all the WRONG things!

Getting rid of the crazy-makers opened up space for me to appreciate the many lovely women who treat me like a beloved sister. These women lift me up when I have no strength. They make me laugh when I want to cry. They put themselves second if ever I need them. They give of themselves the way I do. These women are also blessed, and try to count their blessings. And despite the trials of their own lives, they keep pushing forward doing the next right thing. These women are my soul sisters.

How could I not see this before? Why, as a society, do we give more credence to the negative versus the positive? What I can learn and do going forward? Count my blessings. And know that I'm not in control of how someone perceives my actions. I'm only responsible for my own actions. So, in self-awareness and acceptance, I'm finding self-esteem. Funny how that works, huh?

Behind the Scenes

2011-07-07T09:25:00.002-06:00

At the Dirt Road Daughter Magazine shoot!

Shot on location in the stunning and vintage Miner's Tavern in Erie, CO. Owner, Lee allowed us to shoot pretty much anywhere we wanted. If you're local and haven't been, check it out. The brick wall that we shot against is from 1940 and the bar area is originally from 1920!!! (Excuse me, I'm geeking out.)

Not pictured is Danielle Hayes who styled the shoot with everything from clothing to hats and accessories. (OH my GOSH, the HATS!) Check out the first issue to see the styles!

In addition to Heather and Courtney, we had Jess and Jacki on makeup and what I really mean is that they hand painted perfection on faces.

This is just a teensy weensy sneak peek into the premiere issue. If you haven't gotten a subscription yet, mosey on over to their site and check it out. I may not live on a ranch/farm. But I still want this magazine.

That's right. Niki Taylor is gracing the cover! Just kidding!

This is the beautiful and sweet Megan and she's going to rock the cover!

This is Thea, editor of Dirt Road Daughters Magazine! A woman of many talents, she also modeled for this issue! And on the right is Heather who rocked out an insane amount of hair styling.

That's Aimee in front, our resident laugh maker and knower of all things fabulous.

Courtney flew in from TX to help out with styling hair.

This is our assistant, Tory. And yes, she's pulling her hair out.

That's just the kind of boss that I am. ;) J/K... This girl is an AMAZING assistant.

This is Lee, owner of Miner's Tavern in Erie!

The shoot ran like clockwork because of his tireless efforts. Thanks, Lee!!!

Group shot! This is everyone who made the shoot a success! Thanks, guys and gals!

Ladies: LISTEN UP!

2011-07-06T19:06:00.002-06:00

He speaks the truth.

Best of Denver, yes please, but I need your help!

2011-07-05T19:53:00.001-06:00

Denver's 7 A-List is letting the masses choose some of their favorite businesses. Our dearheart Linh just nominated me. If this blog or my work has ever brought a smile to your face or warmth to your heart, I hope you'll vote for us!

I'm really excited to be included in an awesome list of portrait photographers. But I can't lie: It would be way cool to win!

You have the right....

2011-07-05T14:12:00.001-06:00

To speak up and empower! Please save the date for an amazing event! I'll be posting info about how and where to get tickets soon.

More from Lovely Linh's Pinup Shoot!

2011-06-30T09:00:00.001-06:00

In case you missed her introduction check this post out. And without further adieu I'm posting so much loveliness your heart might skip a beat. You've been warned.

The Photographer's Code of Ethics

2011-06-29T09:03:00.000-06:00

Doctors have a strict code that they follow. Medieval knights had the code of chivalry. I have my very own code of ethics that I hold myself to whenever I'm working on photo. Whether it's in the studio or the digital darkroom, I strive to take these into account. If you're a photographer or an aspiring hobbyist, it's helpful to come up with your own code of conduct because the way people see themselves in your photos is a huge responsibility.

Leave No Evidence
This is fairly self-explanatory, but this is a huge complicated matter. Doing beautiful photography means that the viewer focuses on the subject. The same goes for Photoshop. It's become a tool synonymous with "lies": Oh just Photoshop it out. No. Being a pro means removing distracting elements and getting the light and focus correct IN the camera. Post-processing is polishing, not recreating.

Eyes Are Not White
(This could fall under Leave No Evidence, but I see it so often it deserves it's own mention.) Though they may called "the whites of the eyes" they are not naturally white. Making them bright white only adds a freakish element. Brightening, when used in moderation is great for drawing attention to the eyes. But if you're looking for realistic art, don't whiten until there's no detail left. Leave some veins and beige tones because it tells OUR eyes that the subject's eyes have three dimensions rather than a unnatural cut-out where the whites should be.

Know Your Angles
And understand how a camera can distort them. This does not mean shooting down on someone to make them thinner. The down angle is extremely helpful in very distinct situations like head shots. It's great for separating the head from the shoulders. However, a downward angle on a full body shot has an unflattering foreshortening effect of making the body proportions appear 'smooshed' rather than elongated.

Elongate
You can never go wrong by trying to show the length of the body or face. Study children, they make themselves as tall as possible to get something they want. And it usually works. ;)

Flatter
ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS flatter in a professional portrait situation. Try to imagine how YOU would feel if asked to do a pose that you KNOW won't look good. In fact, try it out first! If it feels wrong to you it will probably look wrong.

Laugh
Most people dread getting in front of the camera more than they hate going to the dentist. Everyone has had more than one unflattering photo. Make it fun, laugh and you'll get photographs of people with their guard down. True beauty.

Study
If you're not learning, you're not growing as an artist. You should look at every shoot with a critical eye. What could you do next time that would have made the photographs even better? Take workshops, read books, get a subscription to the PPA (Professional Photographers of America) and Professional Photographer Magazine. JOIN! They are immensely helpful at challenging yourself to be better. Ask questions. And most of all, try. If you don't try you'll never know if you could have made a dream come to life.

I hope I haven't bored you to death! What is your Code? What are your tricks to make a shoot successful?

;)

Introducing, Linh! Our first official Woods Girl!!!!!

2011-06-27T17:02:00.000-06:00

This is Linh, a dear heart. And though she only came into my life recently, she's already a big part. Beyond fab friendship (and I warn you, this is Fabulous times a hundred) she's my first Woods Girl. My ambassador around town to hit up the events that this new mommy/entrepreneur doesn't have time to attend. She's the first of a troupe of girls that will attend events and spread the word about our pinup experience. They'll be tweeting their whereabouts, Flipping video, and taking pictures with fans. They'll have some of my cute postcards and referral cards and SOMETIMES they'll have one of my original paintings with them, then you can see the magic up close.

So if you see her at a car show or vintage ball, please say hello and know that it's totally OK to ask for a pic and or autograph. ;) (I ask her all the time.)

And stay tuned because we've got even more surprises up our sleeves that will rock your socks off!

Ashley! The Story of a Sweet Surprise

2011-06-27T16:53:00.001-06:00

Everyone, say hi to one of our newest pinups, Ashley. This cutie patootie contacted me for a shoot to surprise her hubby with on their anniversary. She was totally stoked to book after seeing our pics but did not have any time to shop for wardrobe before her shoot. (We were able to squeeze her in!) I told her not to worry and once she got to my studio, she saw why. (Our wardobe is more of a ROOM than just a closet.)

We had a blast at the shoot! She was a pro at laughing and smiling and being all around cute.

And the look on her husband's face when the surprise hit him at their Premiere... PRICELESS!

Happy Anniversary guys! I'm thrilled I got to be a part of something so special. You guys are adorable!

Somewhere In Time

2011-06-19T18:11:00.004-06:00

(Yes, I LOVE that movie. Don't get me started.)

This weekend a longstanding dream of mine came true. I got to travel back to the 1940s.

Okay, okay, so I didn't really discover time travel. But a woman named Khyentse (pronounced Ken-zee) James has found the next best thing. She's tapped into the subconscious dreams of thousands and created an event that propels itself. The 1940s WWII Ball!

How this event has escaped my awareness until now, baffles me. Yesterday marked the third anniversary of the fabulous affair. Imagine: three beautiful ladies singing and sounding just like the Andrews Sisters. Vintage planes gleaming in the warm evening light. Women and men dressed to the vintage nines in form fitting dresses, zoot suits, delectable hats and heels. The dancing... OH the lovely swing dancing! I am convinced that it impossible to withhold a smile while swing dancing.

As a photographer I was in heaven. As a lover of all things vintage, I was geeking out.

If you missed out, don't fret! There's a winter ball that I strongly urge you to attend. I'll be there, *hint hint*.

Here are some photos that do not do the event justice. My apologies.

Iman

The gentleman on the right owns this beauty, that's his son on the left. They FLEW this in for the ball!

I'm not sure if they just got married (BRILLIANT!) but they sure were glowing for this pic.

This handsome couple was picture perfect long before I got there to enjoy them.

How is this NOT time travel?

They could have danced all night. Actually, they did.

My wonderful girls! I couldn't have done this without you, muah!

Le Sigh.

I tear up everytime I see the way he's looking at her. Timeless joy.

Maybe my camera can time travel?

Yes, that's it. My camera has the power to travel through time!

The evidence is compelling and I refuse to hear otherwise. Look at this amazing lady.

The planes. Be still my heart.

This could was so romantic. Had to prop my camera up to sneak a long exposure. This shot was right after they discovered that I'd been photographing them for five minutes. :) They're ADORABLE!

Wherein I reaffirm that change is GOOD

2011-06-15T11:12:00.001-06:00

For the majority of my pin-up career, I have kept a tight lid on my unique process. Like a parent, I've been proud and simultaneously protective of what I've created.

Early on in my career, I was advised by a talented and nationally established photographer to keep my secrets. They thought I might do better financially if I kept a tight lid on how I developed my artwork. That notion guided my career and relationships (both personal and professional) for many years.

I was very lonely for the first five years of my career. There was no one ahead of me to advise me how to move forward. It was lonely, frustrating and disappointing. I hope to save others this same loneliness and frustration. Recently, I've met some beautifully creative people who have rekindled my love and need to teach / share / experience.

Seeing the look on someone's face when they discover what the perfect exposure feels like propels me forward in an indescribable way. Showing another photographer how body language and angles can dramatically alter the way the camera perceives people is exhilarating. And Photoshop, ah Photoshop. It is my magic wand and I feel like a magician performing impossible feats when I'm working in Photoshop. I want to SHARE that high.

As much as I love to learn, I have discovered that I love teaching even more!

Which brings me to a very big announcement. I'm starting photography workshops and am looking forward to an open dialogue sharing this amazing craft with those who love it. I need your feedback! Are you interested? What do you hope to get out of working with me? What do you want to BE? Learn? Do? Dream big!

I hope you'll join me and create something amazing!

Sign up for our newsletter!

2011-06-08T21:41:00.000-06:00

We have SO much fabulous stuff coming your way. Specials have been going like hotcakes and in the future will have limited runs. To get first dibs, sign up for our newsletter! I promise only 12 issues per year to stay inbox-friendly. :)

And watch our blog for some crazy news in the next week or so. CRAZY. Fabulous. Glamorous. Goody.

Xoxo!

Iman

She's Got A Way About Her

2011-06-02T16:54:00.001-06:00

As I've lost weight, I've had to face something that makes me uncomfortable: the glances from men and women. Why am I ashamed of my body? Why do I feel like a small child when a man looks at my chest or hard-earned bum?

Because, for the past 8 years, I've hidden myself away behind my weight. I've hidden my hopes, my dreams, my sensuality, my spunk... I became a wallflower. A watcher from the side lines. Apparently I didn't care about glances or looks when I was thin before.

I've been struggling to put my finger on what is bothering me now. I work hard for this body! We have so many negative messages tangled up with sexuality. If a woman is beautiful and dresses provocatively she is considered as a harlot, "she's asking for it". If a woman gains weight or wears baggy clothes, she has "low self esteem". We can't win!

The biggest lesson I've learned from changing my life is that the perfect body doesn't suddenly make me able to be in social situations that I'd previously avoided. Actually getting out and enjoying life NOW at whatever size you are NOW is what grows your confidence! I've been biking in a teeny padded skort for a couple of months now. Yesterday, I rocked a bathing suit and bought my first pair of shorts in a decade. Because the more I'm out and satisfying my own wishes, the less I care about what other people might think.

I'm going to start a pole dancing class. (Check out Dollhouse Pole Studio in Boulder!) Mainly because two of my dear friends are addicted and because of a beautiful article by Aimee Heckel Markwardt. As you're reading, think of Billy Joel's song, he was most certainly singing about Teresa. http://boulderandthebeautiful.com/

My goal is to become more comfortable in my skin. And with all the biking, I could really use a workout that requires upper body strength. I want to do it because it's just plain sexy and fun. I couldn't care less if anyone has a problem with it.

Go and do and be. Go find something to do that you've always wanted to try and just be in the moment. Laugh, outloud, like a horse if you want! No more sidelines. No more wall flowers. And, I promise that when you're having fun, you won't care what anyone thinks.

Xoxo,

Iman

Party. You're doing it right.

2011-05-31T09:49:00.000-06:00

We had some much needed girly girly fun time this weekend. Which was quickly (I mean SO quickly that I left my own party early) followed by the world's nastiest 24 hour stomach bug. And the whole 24 hour thing is a total misnomer since TIME SLOWS DOWN and those 24 hours feel like 48 days.

Anyhoo. If you did not catch it, you're blessed. If you did, you're cursed and I apologize. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. (Note to the military: this would be a very effective form of torture. I would have given you every bit of info in my brain if I thought you could make it stop.)

On to the fun part: the party! We started at my place and then hit a local bar scaring the bejeezus out of the locals. Fun times.

Never say never... EVER!

2011-05-10T19:58:00.000-06:00

It baffles my mind that the following words will be typed by my own fingers:

I've started training. Me, THIS girl is TRAINING!

Not for a food service job (you're welcome, Waistline) Not for photography or painting either. (Not too shabby there.) I'm training to ride my bike in a charity race. I'm. (me) Training. (exercising voluntarily) For. A. Freaking. (what the hell was I thinking) Race. (Where there will be a ton of people watching me totter around on a bicycle and come in last).

Hold the phone.

The guru of all things "love yourself now" is at the precipice of a new chapter. I have loved this skin. I have loved these curves. I have also hated this skin, cursed these curves. Struggling with my image is a full-time job. A job I'm ready to quit. I'm ready to be my healthiest self. I don't know what size that is, nor the proper poundage. I do know that it means eating right and exercising for the rest of my life. Because that feels good and is the right way to care for my body.

In reality, my body has carried and supported me throughout my life. We learned how to ride a bike, how to paint, learned to swim, learned to play tennis, theater, singing! We traveled all over the world, tasted exotic flavors - craved American fast food. We met my husband. Then learned photography. We learned and sought and fought. We made mistakes and made apologies.

We carried my child and gave birth to him.

And all the while, we learned that women everywhere need to give credit to the skin that carries them through the world. It is a living and breathing part of us, we can not hate it without hating ourselves. I've come to a place where I'm immensely proud of this skin. Every day for the last year I've forced myself to find something beautiful in my reflection. It was a struggle some days, most days, but we did it.

I'm now ready to say farewell to my current reflection. We've learned amazing things. It's time to learn how to love ourselves. It's time.

In honor of Mothers' Day ~ we're going all out on special offers!

2011-05-04T14:22:00.000-06:00

*Must be booked by May 11, 2011 and cannot be combined with other offers.*

The Bub's First Birthday!

2011-04-14T13:14:00.000-06:00

The party was EPIC! The zoo was amazing. We are blown away by the love and kindness of so many in our lives. This was truly a celebration of an amazing person.

Painting from start to finish... on super speed!

2011-04-08T12:46:00.000-06:00

My newest painting of the lovely and talented Teresa!

Who wants to look AND feel good AT THE SAME TIME???

2011-04-07T21:45:00.000-06:00

Every so often you come across proof that God shares his love and support through mere human beings. Think Humanity is a non-profit organization based here in Colorado that provides relief, support and hope to refugees in Africa. Theirs is a bold and uninhibited mission that feels like something your child-self would have aspired to create in adulthood.

I remember being nine years old and promising to become a scientist so that I could invent ways to feed the poor and donate 85% of my income to the needy. It was silly and naive to believe that my efforts, however large, could make a significant dent in the number of those suffering.

Jim and Beth Heckel are living my dream. They provide insecticide treated mosquito netting to malaria ridden areas. They raise money to build water wells that bring fresh water where there previously was none. They've transformed wild African countryside into a girls' hostel and a health care clinic. They help fund the African locals by purchasing handmade jewelry created from recycled paper and selling it stateside on Etsy.com. The money goes back into MORE netting, more water, more priceless improvements.

This couple can also leap tall buildings in a single bound!

Well, not really (not that I've seen), but their actions are the stuff of legends. Putting others needs above their own, they are making a difference in an untold number of lives.

I've been wanting to help with some pictures of their enchanting jewelry. I've gotten it as gifts for some ladies I love and am very pleased with the uniqueness of each piece. My heart is warmed by the meaning and intention behind each hand-wrought bead. We had an amazing time working on these photos! My Bub and his little love, Bettie did a fab job modeling. And that's Brittany (head of Bub security) and Aimee (Bettie's Mom) and Beth (Mog). :)

I'll let the images speak for themselves.

If you'd like more info please visit: Think Humanity and check out their Etsy Store.

Love and light,

Iman

He says, "Bam. And that's how to model bracelets.
Any questions?"

"Um, excuse me, but THIS is how to
model a bracelet. The snap means it's working!

Bettie: "Ooh, let me pick one for you!"
Bub: "Go right ahead, Madame."

"NO, this would look better on MY MOM!"

"Snap. This is how you model a necklace."

Hand-made paper beads folks.

And who might this lovely hand belong to?

It's not a mannequin, that's for sure.

Why, it's the beautiful Brittany!

(She's actually from Africa. Just kidding. Isn't she lovely?)

It's Super Beth! Seriously, she needs a cape and a side-kick.

(She thought that was funny... What? Sometimes I'm funny.)

I can see Bettie in both of these amazing ladies.
That little girl has got some shoes to fill.

Aimee can vogue like nobody's business.

Now THAT'S a mannequin hand.

Versatility. This necklace has got it.

Images from the most amazing year of our lives

2011-04-05T12:45:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Bub!

Introducing...

2011-04-03T17:47:00.000-06:00

Introducing the newest member of our staff, Teresa! She is our Marketing Maven! She will wear many fabulous hats in addition to marketing. If you already know her, you love her. If you haven't met her yet, hold on to your horses!

Let's hear a big, warm welcome for Teresa!

Dear Friends

2011-03-28T21:50:00.000-06:00

*This post is not appropriate for the easily offended or grossed out. You've been warned.*

Please delete/block me if any of the following apply to you:

A. You're my friend because you hope I'll post pictures of my hoo-ha

B. You think/dream that I'm secretly single and childless

C. You want me to teach you how to be a photographer (for pin-ups, private parts, whatev)

D. You hope I'll give you free pinup pics (instead why don't I just give you my paycheck, I've got some fiddies right here in my "old sofa")

E. All of the above and/or any combination of the above

And I'm totally aware that this comes off bitchy. I guess I'm pissed about my fourteen month anniversary with my hemorrhoids.

Yes.

I totally went there.

Because there's so much crap people don't tell you about motherhood. The more you know...

And the winner is.... argh! the suspense!

2011-03-22T12:14:00.002-06:00

Click on over to the Inner Beauty Project to see who won!

Flashbacks...

2011-03-19T21:37:00.000-06:00

HOW can it be possible that my son will be ONE freakin' year old in less than three mere weeks?

This time last year... I was waddling around, heavily pregnant, trying to get our new house up to snuff before the baby came. I had pre-ecclampsia, swollen stumps for legs, half my head was paralyzed thanks to Bells Palsy, with a dash of carpal tunnel on top like toxic sprinkles.

Fast forward one year... I'm a MOM to an amazing, smart, hilarious, loveable kid. He kisses me with an open mouth making a "muah" sound. He lights up when he sees me. He nurses like I'm giving him the most beautiful gift in the world. He loves people. He loves animals. He loves to laugh. He laughs with abandon. He soaks up the world the way a cat bathes in sunlight.

He climbs stairs! Even thought he's barely two feet tall, he uses every inch of his body to clamber up. He grunts and strains but keeps his eye his goal of reaching the top. Every once in awhile he stops to admire the vista of his hard work. When he reaches the top his eyes light on a new goal: getting back down. One foot in front of the other, he keeps trying.

I am eternally grateful that I get to be his Mom.

Happy Birthday, my dear Bub. We will celebrate this beautiful day, the day you made me a mom. I love you more than words can express.

Blessings!!!

The Voice of Reason

2011-03-14T00:49:00.000-06:00

We are taught from an early age to abstain from bragging. Don't tell others about your special skills, talents or abilities. "Why?" our child selves ask, "Because, it's rude," the well-meaning adults say. Among the many no-talk rules we are brought up with, beauty is one of the biggest faux pas. We are never supposed to say, "I am beautiful!" We are supposed to be humble and unaware of our beauty. Nearly every teen flick features the teenage female love interest as a goddess who has no idea how stunning she is. Cue the cliche scene where lights make her hair glow and an 80's band croones as she tosses her hair.

"Humble Training" is everywhere! It has the best of intentions, to bring us back to reality and not become over-inflated with ourselves. But it is also creating negative voices that take on a life of their own in our minds. These negative voices are the cause of body disorders, depression, and self-hate.

You look in the mirror before work and think, "Damn! I look good today!" Within seconds a voice chimes up to chide you that you're merely ordinary. This voice is desperate to bring you back to reality. It's desperate to make you walk away from the mirror thinking you're not pretty, you're not special. The voice will eviscerate your essence upping the ante until you cave in. "Look at your huge nose," the voice says so that you won't notice your beautiful skin. "Ugh, sagging breasts are disgusting," the voice taunts. "And your THIGHS! Cottage cheese has got nothing on you!" On and on the voice hisses until you glance away from the mirror in shame. Only then will it quiet it's assault.

But there is a reason this voice is so loud. Like a bully depends on volume and aggressive posturing, this voice only exists as long as you listen and believe. There is a core part of you that will drown the negative voice out with all of your beautiful accomplishments, all of your inner and outer beauty. The voice of reason is just waiting for you to give it power.

The next time you stare at yourself in the mirror, pause. Listen to Negative Nellie desperately berate your every flaw. Acknowledge that you don't want to believe it. Then let your Voice of Reason find ONE beautiful thing and commend yourself for it. It will take time, it will always take effort, but you are worth it.

Talkin' Bout REVOLUTION!

2011-03-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

I am ridiculously excited to share this article that just published in the Denver Post!

This project exists ONLY because of all of the amazing women who have written letters. And all the people who are moved by those letters. I can NOT take credit for making it the movement it has become. We are taking our power back. We are creating the selves we wish to see and be.

I am humbled, proud and overwhelmed to be a part of something so special.

Thank you,

Iman

Make a wish and blow out the candles!!!

2011-03-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

Today is the ONE-HUNDREDTH anniversary of International Women's Day. What better way to celebrate than by writing yourself a love letter accepting yourself as you are, BEAUTIFUL!

If you don't feel like writing your own letter, please read some of these! The strength these women have to overcome obstacles and maintain pride in themselves is astounding.

Progress. My wish is that in another 100 years, girls and women everywhere will revel in their OWN God-given beauty. What a wonderful world that would be.

Xoxo,

Iman

burn in HELL!

2011-03-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

Here Ye, Here Ye:

The following word shall be forever banned from our tongues to the furthest reaches of Hell. May the devil forever glare at his abdomen and thighs in distaste.

And may NO woman OR man on Earth ever look at a body that makes a mother with anything other than appreciation and love.

From this day forward, "stretch marks" shall be known and called "love marks". Those who disobey will be punished with ugly and uncomfortable shoes for the rest of their days. Or have make-up tested on them. Your choice.

Love and light!

Iman

(Thanks, Elena, for your lovely letter and the idea of "love marks"!)

The Inner Beauty Project is featured in the Daily Camera!!!

2011-02-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

This article is full to the brim with quotes that you should cut out and paste all over your house. They will be a constant reminder of what true beauty is when you begin to doubt yourself.

Attention: You can stop searching for beauty now

With excitement,

Iman

Fantabulous Shout Out

2011-02-18T11:01:00.001-07:00

In the last few days this blog got a make-over of fabulous proportions. The new design feels like the perfect vintage dress on a Marilyn Monroe-esque body, with a dash of Vargas and Bettie Page perfection.

Yes. I love my shiny new blog THAT much.

So please blow kisses at Jenny of Star Mile Designs! Sashay your adorable tooshies over to her website. Check out her rockin' portfolio and be awed by her kick-ass client list.

And if you need design services that will impress both visually AND functionally, I told you so.

Muah!

Lucky

2011-02-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a lucky girl. Thank you to everyone sending their support. What a difference a day makes. We spent yesterday focusing on our family, and it helped so much. We explored day care options. It feels amazing to KNOW I have options. As hard as things are now, they will change. He will grow and in a heartbeat, he'll be walking to school. Walking. To. School. I'm trying to wrap my head around that.

We're also coming up on the first anniversary of The Bub's traumatic entry into our world. And as much as I'd convinced myself I was over it, some unwanted feelings are returning. Added to the mix, a dear friend is going through something similar and I'm feeling scared about what MIGHT have happened a year ago. Silly. I know, but these are the thoughts running through my head.

Beyond all of this, I know there are better days to come. Your letters and phone calls are lifting me up and I can't thank you enough.

I'd like to share a quote that resonated with me today:

"To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing."

- Author Unknown

Hugs and love,

Iman

AFTER SHOCK

2011-02-16T18:51:00.002-07:00

So I wrote this letter. When I wrote it, I was My Best Self. I was forgiving of my weaknesses, loving of my flaws. I was vibrant and beautiful. I knew what to say to make myself feel better and let go of past trauma. I was even SO confident about how wonderful things were, I shared this letter with countless women. I touted my ability to give myself credit for everything I'd overcome, accomplished, survived. I told others how wonderful writing the letter made me feel. CATHARSIS, I yelled triumphantly.

Then a peculiar thing happened. In the midst of reading similar letters that warmed me to my core, in the midst of writing and reading supportive comments from women around the globe... something dark crept into my soul.

And I started to hate myself. "You're a stupid liar," I screamed internally. "Look at you, you big faker! Preaching but not practicing!"

I started crying, couldn't stop, even wanted to die. Scared the crap out of my family. Scared myself. Hated myself for even considering giving up. Proceeded to lacerate myself for that weakness too. "See, I suck!" I was overwhelmed with trying to be a super stay at home mom and be Super Iman Woods the artist and lifter upper of women. I love both jobs. But sometimes, I just feel so WEAK. And ugly and FAT. And TIRED. Sometimes I just want to sleep. Not feel. Not hurt. Not hate myself.

This went on for days, all the while I projected a version of myself that could tell others to keep trying to love themselves. How could I preach to everyone else how to love themselves but then fail so miserably myself?

Then while talking with a dear friend today (I love you, girl!) I had an epiphany, "We all have moments where we feel strong. But the opportunity to love ourselves doesn't appear when life is unicorns and rainbows. The place where we CHOOSE to ourselves appears when we are at our weakest lowest point. That's when it's even more important, right?"

The Me that wrote that letter is in here. I need to read and reread this especially when I am questioning myself. The strong and confident woman who wrote this is My Best Self. That doesn't mean she gets control 24/7. So I will try to pull my head out of my ass and let her drive. I'll hand over the keys and shut up, no back seat driving. And that might get us where we're going quicker, since she never seems to get lost.

True Love

2011-02-14T23:29:00.005-07:00

As the entries for The Inner Beauty Project pour in, I find myself either crying or near tears. Not because of the obstacles each woman has overcome, but because it seems that we all tend to postpone our happiness/families/lives until someone ELSE tells us it's ok.

In our every day lives we tend to gloss over our struggles. When we pause to give ourselves credit, we give a powerful voice to our inner selves.

This is transformative.

I want to thank everyone for your support. Whether it is in letter form, through a supportive comment, or just a blessing to the universe, your voices are necessary and appreciated. These letters have shown me that even in my darkest hour, I am not alone.

Here's to a future where our inner voices and beauty can shine!

Love and hugs,
Iman

Inner Beauty!

2011-02-13T14:34:00.001-07:00

Our contest now has it's own website!

theinnerbeautyproject.com

Our first batch of beautiful letters are up. Please go read about these amazing women and comment! So much inner beauty... it's blinding me.

Love to all,
Iman

Prize Package!

2011-02-10T19:31:00.004-07:00

Because these awesome ladies deserve their own post! Check out our contest.

In addition to a shoot with me, one lucky winner will get a Vibrance Wellness Coaching package from Kim Frazier!

"Best Body, Best Health, Best Life Discovery session"

- Review her well-being assessment (to be completed online before the session)
- Create her Vision for her Best Body, Best Health, and Best Life in electrifying detail
- Identify her three-month goals, as well as an action plan for breaking them down into manageable, weekly goals to ensure successful achievement of the three-month goals

I've been working with Kim personally and can tell you that she is not only in her passion, but VERY good at it!

The winner will also receive make-up lessons with Angel Garcia of Pinup Pretty Make-up Artistry! Learn how to create your own best makeup effects. Angel needs no resume, her fantastic artistry is visible all over this blog and our website. I've raved about her before and will again soon. ;)

Announcing the Inner Beauty Project!

2011-02-10T19:16:00.004-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

More info: contact Iman at 303-834-0645
Visit The Inner Beauty Project!

The Inner Beauty Project
...In search of true beauty...

Iman Woods is her own Valentine this year. The Colorado woman wrote herself a love letter, and she is encouraging other women to follow her footsteps, in a quest for true beauty.

The challenge is part of a new movement called The Inner Beauty Project. Iman wants other women to write a letter to themselves, describing a challenge they've overcome.

"Commend yourself on what you have made it through, and tell yourself the words that you need to hear in order to finally move on," Iman says. "It is time to acknowledge how beautiful you are inside and out. Because true beauty shines brightest in darkness."

Iman would know. This spring, she is celebrating her son's first birthday, and her own recovery from a traumatic pregnancy and post-partum depression.

To honor other survivors -- spanning challenges with work, physical or mental health or relationships -- Woods is offering the most inspiring submitted story a more than $2,000 prize package, including a full photo shoot in her studio and work with a life coach. Women of all backgrounds and ages can enter.

"We've all had our hurdles. But this year, instead of identifying with them, we are rising above them -- as survivors, who embody what it means to be a strong woman," Iman says.

Enter by sending YOUR letter to Iman info@imanwoods.com.

***

Itsy Bitsy Details:

Entries must be received by February 28th, 2011!

All submissions will be published on our blog and web site and are subject to grammatical edits, however, no content will be changed. By entering, you agree that your submissions become property of Iman Woods Creative and may be republished in the future.

It's not required to send a photo, however we'd love to see everyone who enters!

All entries will be posted here on our blog. Vote by commenting! (Supportive comments only! Anything deemed unsupportive will be removed.) The letter with the most comments will win!

Glorious Morning

2011-02-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

We live in a magical place. Last night, the Bub felt snowflakes on his face for the first time. I'd forgotten that it tickles. The eyes of a child...

A very short and to the point letter

2011-02-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Haters,

Carry on. You can't touch this!

Hugs and kisses,

Iman

I've got sunshine

2011-02-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

On a cloudy, 18 below day...

I'm a big boy now

Does a face GET any cuter than this?

Mmmm... table. A great source of fiber.

I love this face.

Bear says, "Holy crap, Mom, he totally pulled my hair."

I love this face too.

And this one.

Actually, I love ALL his faces.

Ooh, look, here's another great face!

Da face!

Teeth! *Four*

My voice goes up several octaves when he smiles like this. No lie.

Mom, aren't you going to follow me and keep me from eating Bear's food?

Because you need to hear this

2011-01-31T12:22:00.004-07:00

Dear Iman

Congrats, you're a new mom! Your tiny newborn is beautiful. I know that's hard to focus on when you're in the midst of post-partum depression, but HE IS beautiful and alive because of you.

I know that you feel like a failure. I know that you feel hopeless. But I want you to know that you're WRONG. 

Those terrible thoughts are not your thoughts. They belong to Post-Partum Depression. One day you will look back and be able to differentiate your own thoughts from the disease. 

Despite your worst fears, you will be a fantastic mother! Your little family will face unexpected challenges and be stronger because of it. You will love your son more than life itself. You will learn to love and care for yourself. 

The mothering moments you dreamed of, the overwhelming joy, WILL come to fruition. It will just take time for your body and soul to recover from such a close call. 

Your son will be healthy and intelligent despite his frightening early entry into the world. 

Time and care will heal your body. You will feel beautiful again. Your child's smile and laughter will heal your soul. You will learn to laugh again.

You are capable of more strength and love than you give yourself credit for. You have amazing people in your life who will lift you up and help carry you through this storm. Learn to lean on them.

You will survive. You will thrive. You will forgive yourself for not being perfect. You are human.

I know this because I am you AFTER post-partum depression. And I want you to know what I know. Have hope, there are better days ahead.

*This is a letter from myself after PPD to myself struggling with it. I wanted to write what I needed to hear at the time. This is part of an exciting project we'll be launching shortly. What has happened to you in your life? Think about writing yourself a letter! Check back for a big announcement in the next few days.*

Shhh! Beauty Secrets! Vol 2

2011-01-22T14:52:00.002-07:00

If you're following our beauty secret series, (no promises on frequency!) you'll be happy to add a few things to your must-have list. Your significant other might not be so happy, but this blog is not a support group for partners of make-up-o-holics.

I have large almond shaped dark brown eyes. I'm not crazy about 'em... my lashes are short and stick straight out, no curling. So I usually have to do some magic with mascara and a heated eyelash curler to make my eyes pop. I'm not brave or wealthy enough to do Latisse. (My kid's reflux medicine trumps long spidery lashes.)

A while back I got hooked on Talika. After about six weeks I saw new lash growth and lost less lashes. I was happy with it but never happy enough to buy a second tube. Every few years I'd buy another and use it, but stop before it was empty.

Cue orchestral swell of hopeful music: I'm in Walgreens and see Rapidlash a Latisse alternative. Easy to get since I hate going to the mall. I know, I'm abnormal. Hate would actually be an understatement in this case.

I've been using Rapidlash for about three weeks and have already had better results than I did with Talika. I'm sure it varies person to person as with all cosmetics, but I'm THRILLED. My lashes are one to two millimeters longer already. I haven't had any irritation. I will SO be buying a second and third and fourth tube.

On the subject of eyes, our Makeup Maven Angel used the Mac Penultimate liner on me (and all our girls) and I looooooove how it looks. Clean, sharp, so defined. Of course a big part of the magic is Angel's deft application, but I have high hopes that with years of practice I too will be able to emulate her magic with this liner. She highly recommends it. ;)

So there you go. Now you have longer lashes and can wing tip the hell out of 'em.

You're welcome. ;)

Don't Blink

2011-01-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

.

He's growing up before my eyes. Don't blink. Don't even blink!

I love my Bub.

Sunshine

2011-01-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

Lately, I catch myself sighing and counting my blessings for getting to be The Bub's Mama. I am so grateful, thrilled, humbled, tickled, and happy.

LOOK at this FACE!

He's chasing me and my ginormous camera.

He's thinking about doing something A: Really Cute or B: Really naughty!

Hi, Mom!

Bear, I'm gonna git you!!!

Shhh! Beauty Secrets

2011-01-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

A girl needs her secrets, but in the name of all that is beautiful and confident, she needs to share them too! I'd planned one enormous post to encompass all of my favs before realizing that I had too many. So welcome to our (infrequent? no promises) series of Beauty Secrets!

These are products that I didn't expect to work that have changed my life immensely. Disclaimers! *I have is that not everything can possibly have the same effect on everyone. Most of the companies mentioned have great return policies. And, I am not being compensated in any way for any of these products.* (I wish!)

I use two systems to care for my skin. You wouldn't be able to tell from meeting me, but I have pretty bad acne. The scarring has been reversed and my new methods have kept even my cystic acne at bay for about three years. I tried EVERYTHING from infomercials to every brand that Sephora carried at the time. So I can say with confidence this stuff works for me.

Lightstim Light Therapy LED: I was reluctant to try these. It seemed at once too simple and too expensive to possibly work. I poured over online reviews for months before we took the plunge. We got the anti-aging light first. I hoped to prevent fine lines and fade pigmentation. It was wonderful, but I still had terrible breakouts that defeated the purpose. So we got the acne light as well.

How do I ♥ you...

These lights are incredible. If I feel a cystic breakout forming I use the acne then anti-aging light for 30 minutes and the next day my breakout is dramatically smaller. About three days of light treatments seem to kill the bacteria and speed up the healing process. This works better than going to the dermatologist for hydrocortizone shots! And honestly, these lights cost the equivalent of three shots at your dermatologist.

If I have a TV appearance or big event and need my skin to look it's best, I'll use the anti-aging light in the morning. It plumps up my skin, makes my pores look smaller, and imparts and over all glow that adds the finishing touch to my look. Extra bonus!

Cons: My only gripe about these is that one of the plugs never fit securely. I'm sure if I'd contacted them they would have sent me a new one... I didn't.

Nucelle Mandelic Acid Skincare: Even with the lights, I'd been searching for a skin care routine to help calm my skin, prevent breakouts, address shine... the Holy Grail. The folks at Lightstim turned me on to mandelic acid. It's an alpha-hydroxy derived from almonds that helps with cell-turnover and also kills bacteria. It takes great care of shine and doesn't irritate my skin like Proactive, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid. It makes you peel for a couple weeks, but after the peeling of the top layer my skin looked amazing! Combined with the lights, I now have a system that can handle ANY hormonal breakout.

Addiction: when you start to run out and have a panic attack.

They have different kits for different skin temperaments. I use the oily system with 10% serum. Do not be discouraged by any peeling, once you shed that top layer new beautiful skin can emerge.

Cons: Shipping! The address of the company is in the states, but it ships from Canada. Shipping is expensive and takes quite a while, up to three weeks (compared to Amazon's two day). I suppose I'm just getting a taste of the wait and cost that Canadians have for quite a bit of stuff from the States!

I hope these products will help you too! If you've tried them or plan to please post and let me know what you think. It really bothers me that so many of us feel like nothing will work. In reality, we just haven't found what worked for us.

Muah, Lovelies!

Uplifting thought for the day

2011-01-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

"O God, help me to believe the truth about myself,

no matter how beautiful it is!"

~Marcia Wiederkehr

.

The post that caused a thousand unfollows

2011-01-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

*Excuse me while I climb onto my soap box.*

**If you are uncomfortable with words like "vagina" please hit the back button.**

I recently posted a comment on Facebook that caused a bit of a stir. In part because my intentions were not clear and partly because I was saying something controversial.

I'd just seen an ad on TV for a local "Vaginal Rejuvenation Center" which made my skin crawl and my eyes twitch.

I've blogged often about the affect our media (shows, mags, ads) have on our collective self-esteem. I've blogged about how the push for plastic surgery has created eating disorders in children as young as five. I've done self-esteem seminars for teen girls to try and get them to look at magazines as retouched rather than a perfect ideal to be sought after at any cost.

Along the way I've met countless women and girls who do not know how to love themselves if they don't look like the glossy magazine covers they pass in the supermarket.

To add our most private parts to the list of things that need rejuvenating is hitting, literally, below the belt. Is not ONE part of our bodies sacred and allowed to age naturally?

Now, let me clarify that I am NOT talking about reconstruction or repairing in regards to pain or abuse. I'm only referring to making this area look YOUNGER for the sake of looking younger.

We have teen girls begging their parents for nose jobs and breast implants.

It's a nightmare to imagine young girls and women feeling shame about their own vaginas.

I'm going to re post some of my comments from that thread:

tr.v. re·ju·ve·nat·ed, re·ju·ve·nat·ing, re·ju·ve·nates
1. To restore to youthful vigor or appearance; make young again.
2. To restore to an original or new condition: rejuvenate an old sofa.

With that definition in mind: I am not talking about reconstruction as pertains to mutilation. I'm only talking about the idea that this area ever needs to LOOK YOUNGER.

I am horrified that women have added this part of their body to the long list of those they feel shame for not looking perfect.

If a man EVER insinuated that I needed ANY body part to look younger, he would be out of my life in an instant.

I believe with this with every fiber of my being.

Ohmygoshi'mTHIRTY!!!!

2011-01-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

This post is a huge shout-out to wonderful friends and family I have. You all made me feel so freakin' blessed for my birthday. And to the family that couldn't be here, you were definately on my mind.

So it is with love and laughter that I share this little vid of our totally rad fun.

Like, totally!

Bliss

2011-01-05T10:40:00.001-07:00

Rocking my sweetheart in my arms. His eyes flutter open and lock with mine. He smiles, sighs, and falls asleep.

Joy in the Trenches

2011-01-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

(This blog sat in my drafts folder for months. I don't want to put off posting it any longer in the hopes that some mom out there can be helped.)

For those devoted readers who've been following our PPD roller coaster, things are getting better!

I've been getting extra help from the Boulder Community Infant Program. If you know ANYONE who is suffering please give this group a call. Or contact me and I'll get you in touch with someone. I can not believe the change that I've undergone just by having highly trained people validate all of my feelings. They truly know what I'm going through and how to help. This is God working through strangers. And I'm so blessed.

Regarding pumping: I've been putting myself down, like the doctors and nurses before me, for not making enough milk. A nurse from the CIP said, "Don't think of a pumping session as having only one goal. Yes, it's nice to build up a reserve of milk. But the entire point of pumping is to put your baby's order for tomorrow in today. It's the act of pumping that tells your body to make more milk." SO I have not FAILED if I only get two ounces. Now I look at it as time, kind of like working out on the elliptical for 20 minutes. You don't see the results asap, but they're still happening.

Sara!

2010-12-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while you meet someone that you instantly connect with. Lately serendipity has been beating me over the head with a Happy stick.

Sara has a wicked sense of humor and had me cracking up during her shoot. I was laughing so hard that I could. not. breathe. I had to put my camera DOWN at one point for fear of dropping it. It was awesome.

She also has the most beautiful laugh. She throws her head back and her soul lights up as she laughs. It's no surprise that many of her photos showcase this.

She is the real deal, a fun chica to hang out with, and true beauty.

Hair and makeup by the Always Amazing Angel Garcia!

Makin' soccer more fun

Tennis shoes never looked so glam

Talented Toes

Gorgeous Gams

Red Hot!

1950's Glamazon

Kick your heels up and smile

Laughter lights up your soul

Beauty.

DIY Glamour

2010-12-31T21:15:00.002-07:00

Room with a view

Growing up as an Army brat, there wasn't much opportunity, space, or time to focus on decorating.

We certainly could have painted and decorated as long as we painted it back but with such short tours we'd only get to enjoy our handiwork for about 12 months.

We were more occupied with taking in our exotic locales... Germany, France... Kentucky.

So when we bought our home earlier this year, I was excited to make this house our home. Y'all know I like to do things myself. In the spirit of good Internets I'm going to share the creative workarounds I've found for some common issues.

First up is my office! (I love saying "my office".) If my husband's office is Man-Cave, then my office is the Estrogen Lounge. Come lounge in estrogen, I say.

It's got TWO desk/work areas, a beautiful giant built in, a nice sized window, and glowing hardwood floors. I want to ♥ this room but: one wall is completely taken up with a much loved/used elliptical machine. And the window faces my lovely neighbor's beautiful house.

I'll share the elliptical workaround in a future blog. The workaround for the window came from this Manhattan Nest post. Take fabric and use plaid old cornstarch to make a removeable paste. Simple. Brilliant. Beautiful. His directions are perfect. The only tweak I made was to soak and wring out the fabric because I had two much larger pieces and painting the backs with the glue would have taken more time than my son would allow. (I snuck this project in last night between fussings, er I mean feedings.)

I used a shower squeegee for the main areas and a credit card for the edges. I had added a half inch to my measurements but should have allowed for one inch of shrinkage. It's HARDLY noticeable, I just hadn't counted on it having that much stretch.

And the final effect is lovely.

Later gators!

Iman

closeup of fabric

Location:Home Sweet Home

New Year's Revelations

2010-12-31T17:44:00.001-07:00

The past few days have brought some startling thoughts and words to my lips. I've been contemplating the many life changing events of the past year.

2010 put me through the ringer both physically and emotionally. But it also gave me priceless gifts. I am a Mother. We are homeowners. My business is continuing to gain beautiful momentum reaching more and more amazing women.

I've had postpartum depression. Two days ago I startled myself when the following words tumbled out, "Wow. Motherhood is different without postpartum depression." It was said after trying catch my breath from roaring laughter.

And life is very different. The last two weeks (after paying $300 out of pocket for Prevacid) have felt like what I dreamed motherhood would feel like. I feel like I'm waking up from months of slumber. Who is that woman smiling in family photos? She wasn't me. I was hurting too much to feel like smiling.

But now. All the hopes I had, the moments I dreamt of are becoming reality. Postpartum depression really is a disease that robs you of your life. I don't think I'm anywhere near being permanently "cured". There are things I need to continue to do take care of myself. TRY to get sleep. Eat well. And the thing I struggle with most is avoiding people who drain me.

I'm really lucky, my circle of love and support has grown steadily throughout this process. You know who you are and how much you mean to me.

My hope for 2011 is to strengthen the threads of my circle... To enjoy my little family... To make my house a home... and most of to give myself credit for the obstacles I've overcome. I am woman. Hear me roar.

Iman

Location:My heart

glamour girl

Shut your mouth

Gem

Watch our feature on In Focus with Eden Lane!

Dreams

Counting My Blessings

Potential

Guest post by Aimee Markwardt

An Empowerment Guide for Aspiring and Professional Photographers

Worth a Thousand Words

Motivational Monday

She has a time machine in her back pocket

The end of unique human beings. The end of true beauty.

A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to Work

Me and my Bub

The abode

This shoot changed me

Giving Thanks

Alluring Autumn

The stuff of fairytales and dreams

The Red HOT Mile High Mamas!

Being good enough. You are. Right now.

Happy Halloween!

First Snow

Ray of Sunshine

Home Sweet Home

Introducing several new team members!

Suddenly, I feel like a MOM

You catch more flies with... Flattery

Presenting the new face of Iman Woods Creative!

Treat your family to an awesome portrait experience

Happiness

A love story

Into the Realm of Fairie

Inside our workshops!

Part One of the Best Wednesday in History!

Renovating the Studio, improving my quality of life

The biggest give away EVER!

Part Two of the Best Wednesday EVER

I am... A mommy blogger

Tune in August 10th to the Everyday Show!

YOU MIGHT BE A PHOTOZILLA

Words I wish we could burn from our tongues

How the Netflix price increase pertains to portrait photography

A doozy of a revelation

Behind the Scenes

Ladies: LISTEN UP!

Best of Denver, yes please, but I need your help!

You have the right....

More from Lovely Linh's Pinup Shoot!

The Photographer's Code of Ethics

Introducing, Linh! Our first official Woods Girl!!!!!

Ashley! The Story of a Sweet Surprise

Somewhere In Time

Wherein I reaffirm that change is GOOD

Sign up for our newsletter!

She's Got A Way About Her

Party. You're doing it right.

Never say never... EVER!

In honor of Mothers' Day ~ we're going all out on special offers!

The Bub's First Birthday!

Painting from start to finish... on super speed!

Who wants to look AND feel good AT THE SAME TIME???

Images from the most amazing year of our lives

Introducing...

Dear Friends

And the winner is.... *argh! the suspense!*

Flashbacks...

The Voice of Reason

Talkin' Bout REVOLUTION!

Make a wish and blow out the candles!!!

burn in HELL!

The Inner Beauty Project is featured in the Daily Camera!!!

Fantabulous Shout Out

Lucky

AFTER SHOCK

True Love

Inner Beauty!

Prize Package!

Announcing the Inner Beauty Project!

And the winner is.... argh! the suspense!