Photographers who Inspire: Leah Zawadzki

This is the first of a weekly feature of photographers who inspire me. There are so many out there that you don't look twice at... and then there are the few whose work you come across and it stops you in your tracks. Leah Zawadzki is one of those photographers, and seeing her work gave me the idea for this feature.

Leah is out of Orange County, and a friend summed it up well when she said her style is a throw-back to the days of the Kennedy's. Rich black and whites that evoke emotions you can't quite put your finger on. She has a very artistic take on everyday moments, and her post-processing techniques are to die for.

Check out her work on her website: www.lilyblue.com.

Check back here every Wednesday for a new photographer who inspires me! In the meantime, what photographers inspire you?

Celebrating Adoption with Free Portraits!

If you haven't heard of it, there's a fabulous website out there called CelebratingAdoption.org. The vision started with a single photographer out of Phoenix who did a session for a family seeking to adopt a child. From that session, her work with adoptive families turned into a national organization of photographers offering a limited number of free portrait sessions per month for families who have adopted in the last year. You can visit the site and download a pdf list of all photographers who have partnered with Celebrating Adoption. I've added Ethni Photography to the list, and an updated list will be on their site soon.

In the meantime, if you have added to your family through adoption in Central Oregon in the last year, or know of someone who has or is thinking about it, please contact me. I would like to give your family a free session in celebration of your decision! Also, the portraits of the families who respond to this post will be featured on the new Forever Family Designs website coming soon (with a signed model release, of course.)

Looking forward to hearing your unique stories and rejoicing with you!

Ila = Adorable

I had the pleasure of a shoot with little Ila this afternoon. It took her a little bit to warm up to me, but she is such a happy baby with such a great personality!! I can't wait to do it again when she's older!

Forever Family Designs

I've been sort of keeping a low profile these last few weeks. If you've wondered where I've been, I've been right here... in front of my computer. Tackling a whole new project. I've teamed up with a friend to start a business called Forever Family Designs, targeted at providing creative resources for adoptive families. I'm very excited about this new venture, as it will be heavily focused on design! Among other things, we will be featuring a brand new line of unique and modern birth and adoption announcements, designed by yours truly. I've got a ton of ideas rolling in my head, and can't wait to debut them. You can visit the Forever Family Blog for a more in-depth description of what, exactly, Forever Family Designs will be providing.

In the meantime, my head is down fine-tuning my 2008 Ethni marketing plan, re-sizing images for the launch of my new website, preparing for the debut of the Forever Family Designs website, and nailing down the announcement designs. (Oh yes, and still working 40 hours a week on top of it!) I also have a few shoots coming up of the most adorable children you'll ever see. And I'm going to be a second-shooter at a wedding at Timberline Lodge next month! Lots of great things ahead--keep checking back!

Coffee Table Books

Let me be the first to say I dislike fads. And to be quite honest, coffee table art books are a fad in photography at the moment. Nearly every photography studio is currently offering coffee table art books as part of their package deals. My personality is one that if I can't do something unique and different, I don't want to do it. I don't want to be like every other photography studio, offering the same cookie cutter package deals. However, I must admit that I went the coffee table book route with my own wedding album, and it provides creativity and versatility that you can't get in a regular album. After designing this 5x5 book for a friend a few months ago, I decided I can't NOT offer these books as an option for clients. My love and passion for design and photography are combined together perfectly in them. And, let's just be honest--the little 5x5s are adorable!

So, it's official... coffee table books are now available with your wedding and portrait packages. A complete price list will be available with the launch of my new website. In the meantime, here are some examples of books I have designed.

NOTE: the photography in the 10x10 example is courtesy of Shumaker Photography in Vancouver, WA. Brian was my personal wedding photographer (who did an amazing job!), but I designed the book myself.

Great Start to 2008!

There's a saying that I have written in the front cover of my bible that says "Where the Lord guides, He provides!" I can't tell you how true that statement is. Bludomain.com announced the prizes today for the 30 lucky winners out of 467 entrants for their Christmas contest. Prizes were awarded at random, and mine happened to be TWO free bludomain sites! God truly is good, and He has blessed in abundance! Ethni Photography will soon have a brand new look.... stay tuned!

Change in Plans

If you've been following my blog, you know I've been planning for the last three months to travel to Uganda with Antioch Church for missions. I was supposed to leave in 5 1/2 weeks, but the plans of changed. The circumstances of the current trip have been altered from the original vision, including dates and focus of the outreach. For a few weeks now, neither my husband nor I have felt a peace about me going on this particular trip. What helped in solidifying this decision was the change in dates and purpose of the trip, and the fact that the area of Uganda the team will be traveling to is not 100% safe.

However, if you have purchased a portrait session with the understanding that the session fee is going to missions, don't be alarmed. That is still happening. I had every intention of spelling out the specifics here, but have struggled for the last hour for words. To be honest, I don't take the vision the Lord has given me for Ethni Photography lightly. And I don't take my calling as a missions photographer first and foremost lightly. I take it very seriously, and I want to be extremely careful, and prayerful, about the outreach and missions aspect of it. Up until even an hour ago, I had what I thought was a solidified "Plan B" in my mind. But even now, I'm not necessarily sure if that's it. I want to wait and pray, until I have an absolute peace, and confident confirmation about where it is the Lord has me going.

The two places I'm praying between are places where personal friends are living and serving as missionaries: Florianopolis, Brazil and South Africa. This first trip might not even include either of those places--they might be more on the long term list. Either way, my goal is to travel to as many places I can, documenting the work the Lord is doing, and providing a list of missionaries and outreach organizations Ethni clients can choose to send their 25% donation to. As for the clients who have had sessions in the last three months with the understanding that 100% of the proceeds was going to missions, that has not changed. The money I have raised until this point is set aside in a separate Ethni Outreach account that will not be spent on anything other than international travel and support for the purpose of missions photography. I will continue the 100% donation as originally stated through January 31st. Any other money I raise through support outside of portrait sessions in the next 30 days will also go into this account. Whatever I raise above and beyond actual traveling costs will go directly to the missionaries/organization I visit when the time comes.
I was reading this morning in 1 Samuel, and felt so strongly a warning to wait and pray. To be careful to not get ahead of the Lord in my own ambitious efforts to "be true to my word." in 1 Samuel 13, the Israelites were in dire circumstances. 3,000 men without weapons up against an army of "30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude." As the Israelites hid in caves, thickets, rocks, holes and pits, Saul, the king of Israel, waited for Samuel to arrive to present a burnt offering. Seven days went by and Samuel didn't come. Finally, tired of waiting, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered an offering only the priests were allowed to make. He made a decision in haste to get the ball rolling in what he thought was the right timing that had lasting consequences. Immediately after the burnt offering was made, Samuel arrives, and his words to Saul were left echoing in my head this morning:

"...for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart..." (vs. 13-14)

May I be a woman after God's own heart, my gifting and calling in life established by His hand, and my steps ordered by His voice. May I be extremely careful to not get ahead of Him in my own selfish ambitions and desires.

Thank you for everyone who has supported me thus far. I will keep you posted as I hear from the Lord. Happy New Year!