JSP Daily Trivia - Answers 10-17

Thanks everyone for playing each new set of Trivia! We have some contenders!
Here are the answers to questions for January 10 - 17.

10 - Jen's home mountain:
Diamond Peak! I raced from ages 12-17 on the Diamond Peak Ski Team. Actually looking forward very much to Ullrfest tonight!

11 - What Tahoe spot is one of the most photographed locations in the world?
Emerald Bay. I was lucky enough to photograph an intimate wedding ceremony above the bay this past September.

12 - For which local publication does Jen freelance - with photos and written pieces?
Bigger and better, it's Tahoe Quarterly! A lot of you guessed the Bonanza - not so. You still see some of my new work in it because occasionally a client will submit a photo I've created for them :)

13 - What kind of incentives does Jen Schmidt Photography offer for referrals and customer loyalty?
15% off session fees for annual clients and for those who refer new clients to JSP. Really!

14 - With what Incline-based company does Jen work regularly for commercial photos?
The wonderful, delicious business called Meals by Maggie! She has also generously donated a meal for two as a prize for this contest, so play hard!

15 - Which one of your IVGID trustees was featured as a famous bank robber in those Chocolate, Wine & Roses promotional photos?
Mean muggin' Bea Epstein - she and her husband are a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde in these photos. Off camera, they're very sweet people.

16 - What college did Jen attend?
Okay - so I had a hard time coming up with answers that actually resembled college names. Whatever. The truth is I went to the University of Puget Sound--a very good school--where during my freshman year a "professional" comedian gave a stand-up show in the student union building and told us all he was surprised when he pulled up and there weren't any brown trucks. Crickets I tell you.

17 - Let's say you pick up a manual camera. What is one thing the f-stop controls?
Ahhh. There were two right answers. The f-stop/aperture controls both depth of field and how much light the camera lets in. Strangely enough, the smaller the number, the larger the opening.


Thanks for playing - keep it up, because you have 14 more chances to win fabulous prizes!

Erik and Macy - the proposal

There are quite a few things you could do to start off 2011 well. You can throw a big party for your friends, eat well, start losing weight, go on an amazing vacation. Last week I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to witness and photograph one of the very best ways to kick off a new year—a proposal.

I received a phone call last Wednesday morning from a friend at the Hyatt who said she had a customer who needed a photographer that afternoon. Something about how he was proposing to his girlfriend on the beach. Of course I was in, I told her. Ultimate photojournalist challenge.

At 4:30 I headed down to the Lone Eagle Grille and proceeded to pretend I was just taking pictures of the sunset while lingering nearby. Erik and Macy sat on a picnic table quietly, talking and cuddling in the chilly air, watching the sun set over Tahoe.

When they got up to walk around, he threw a snowball, they stood next to this funny half-melted snowman, etc. (I could tell he was nervous from my spot 20 yards away! Adorable.) Then he knelt down.

He pulled out a little box; at first she was in shock—then she said yes.

We did a mini-engagement session after the shock wore off a little. Both are originally from Florida; this was Macy's first time in Tahoe, a Christmas gift from Erik.

What an amazing first couples' session of 2011. I had never witnessed a proposal—personally or professionally—and the emotions were overwhelming. The love just flowed from these two, sweet, deep and strong. They are incredibly lucky, and so am I for having witnessed their moment.

Here's to Macy and Erik: best of luck, you two; happy new year to all. 2011 is going to be a good one.

JSP Daily Trivia - Answers 1-9

For those of you who aren't familiar, I'm running a daily trivia contest for cool prizes and if I get enough entries I'm planning on widening the prize pool...or maybe just making the prizes bigger! In any case, you can go here to participate. Good luck!

These are correct answers for the first several sets of questions, January 1-9.

Jan 1: What does Jen shoot?

Canon :)

Jan 2: Jen's sidekick?

Nala! I think almost everyone got this one. What can I say, that goofy mutt is a superstar.

Jan 3: What's your New Year's Resolution?

No wrong answers! There were a few people who answered "something much, much cooler," which was intriguing! Good luck all!

Jan 4: Name one of the Incline sports teams I photo'd in 2009-2010 that went to state. Bonus for teams that also won.

Boys soccer, girls soccer and boys basketball all went to state, but boys soccer and basketball came back with the big trophies.

Jan 5: What's the name of the first newspaper where Jen worked?

The Trail! (No one got this.) My alma mater's student newspaper...UPS, it's not just a shipping company.

Jan 6: What is Jen's shooting style?

Apparently my lack of fear proceeds me. You ALL got it right - I'll do whatever it takes to get the shot.

Jan 7: How many sets of twins/multiples did Jen photograph in 2010?

Three! I was so lucky! A set of baby twins, baby triplets, and senior twins! And you know what? None of them were identical.

Jan 8: Mac or PC?

For those of you who may think this was a little biased...I work on a Mac. Every photographer and their dog (that I know of) works on a Mac, but I also grew up with them. Went PC for a little while back in the early 2000s but switched after college because it's more or less an industry standard for journalists and media types. I've never looked back!

Jan 9: Jen collaborated on a pretty big project in 2010 with a local non-profit:

Tahoe Women's Services! We (with a little help from Dress the Part(y) as well) put together a great set of tableaus depicting classic/vintage Hollywood scenes. I do work with Boy Scouts of America and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival on occasion, but this project was definitely the biggest non-profit project I have undertaken to date.

#reverb10 - December 28

Achieve. What's the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you'll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

I want to find balance, which will help me be healthier - mentally, emotionally, physically, financially. When I can find balance I'll feel much more complete - happier in my relationships, more energetic, positive and optimistic about my job and future. It's tough to keep perspective when you're not happy with your body image, you can't sleep at night, you work like a dog 24/7 for not enough money, and you're stressed all the time.

1. You can't please everyone. Feel free to say "no" occasionally when you're not feeling up to a task that's not going to be worth your time in the long run.

2. Say yes to things that scare you, if they scare you in a good way.

3. Keep a food journal and exercise. I actually did this for a couple of weeks and it really helped me figure out how I was eating. This would solve several problems at once. (Healthy body, healthy mind.)

4. When you feel doubtful of your abilities, go look at the amazing video you made from the work you did this year. Tell me that's not talent.

5. When a customer is bothering you, remember the 99% of others who have been amazing, generous, grateful for your services.

6. Do something you don't want to do, but you know you must. It's like a shot of confidence.

7. Write :) It helps you sort out your thoughts when you're in a dark or stressful place.

8. Make a list, make a plan. Strange, but a very therapeutical activities for Virgos the world over.

9. Think: I am loved. At the very least, I mean the world to four people and a dog.

10. Think: it's okay to fail, as long as you learn. Not everything has to be perfect the first time around.

#reverb10 - December 26, 27

December 26: Soul food. What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth and touched your soul?

Good question! I do love to eat. This year I ate...delicious Hawaiian pizza from Miner Moe's - they serve it with cashews on top. Yum! The other night I ate true Swiss fondue that was incredible, made more incredible by the company of the Strotz family. In Mexico I ate aguachiles, basically a spicy lime ceviche shrimp that is to die for. That same night I had the best flaming banana dessert I have EVER eaten in my life...sugar cinnamon, alcohol, orange juice, lemon zest, all lit on fire and carmelized with bananas over a period of maybe 20 minutes, served hot over fresh vanilla bean ice cream. I wrote the recipe down somewhere and I want to try it someday.

The brisket in Austin. Oh my. So moist it melts in your mouth. Everything tastes amazing in Texas. Even streetcorner pizza after a night on Sixth. And the crepes we had! THE QUESO. Everything! If my soul had a mouth it would be watering too.

December 27: Ordinary joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

Every time I get to take off my work shoes and put on flip flops before I drive home after shooting a wedding. It's relief mixed with an adrenaline rush that only comes when you realize the gravity of the task you just completed. It's a reward for a job well done and I feel great because I know that couple will be looking through the images I made for them for the next 50 years. Honestly, I try to live every day with some amount of joy and even if I can't, at least allow myself to embrace whatever emotions come to me that day. It's a mind set, not necessarily just an emotion that comes to you.

#reverb10 - December 25

Photo - a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you.

Well. I think this year there were maybe...five images taken of me. I spend my time behind the lens, not in front of it, and that's just fine by me. My dad did take this shot in Mexico at a restaurant called Pancho's.

I like this photo. I'm relaxed, which is a very rare occurrence. This was...our second day in Mazatlan? Sunburned, happy, footsore, drinking a big Mai Tai, not thinking about work or the future or even the snowstorm that is attacking Tahoe at the second this was taken. Just existing. Enjoying some aguachiles and the sunset while a little marionette vendor man keeps wandering over on the beach and trying to sell me stuff. Thinking maybe about the gecko that's taken up residence in my bathroom in the villa or how badly I want to find an ironwood box to buy (which, by the way, I successfully did by the end of the week. Tortuga!). This is me when I'm not a tightly-wound ball of stress. I like it. I need to find this person and bring her back with me next time.

#reverb10 - December 23, 24

All right, climbing back on the horse so I can finish this up. Not for you or for anyone else, but for me. I need to finish this project.

December 23: New name. Let's meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock. Or maybe Fancy Pants. I'm pretty happy with my own name, though. Jen implies an easygoing wholesomeness, the girl next door. Pretty but not prissy or overly girly. I like that a lot. That's me. Plus it's good to stick with just one name for consistent branding ;)

December 24: Everything's OK. What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead.

My goodness. From a vacuous question to an incredibly complex one. That's quite a leap! I know everything is going to be okay but I'm still not sure everything is going to be okay. It's hard to be under so much stress all the time because you kind of forget what it's like to just live normally.

I had moments this year that reassured me and moments that shattered my faith almost entirely. I had so many wedding leads in the fall and most of them fell through because people just don't feel it's worth the money to hire a professional. Their uncle with the Costco DSLR and no training can do it, they hope I understand that it's just more important to have the 15-foot-tall chocolate fountain. That broke my heart. The only thing that will matter after your wedding day is the book of photos you'll be flipping through when you're 80. Your dress will sit in a box in your closet, your guests won't remember what they ate because let's face it - the fancy dinner choices are often all the same - but they'll look at the photos and remember the fun they had.

I did, however, have friends who took a chance on me and hired me even though I had little wedding experience in the beginning. Every time I delivered a product that was just as good as a high-end studio's work I was so proud and knew this line of work would lead me somewhere good, even if I was a little hungry at first. I also had a pair of professional shooters from a really high-end studio take an interest in me in late 2009 and I spent the summer of 2010 doing a lot of work for them as an associate shooter. Every time they praised my work, or even if they just had constructive criticism, I knew it was all for the better.

I almost lost faith when my dad's unemployment ground on for 11 or 12 weeks. Giving all my extra money to my parents to keep the bills paid and waiting for good news to come down the pipeline so we could stop living in fear. We're still waiting for that news but the thing that gave me hope again was hearing that after my father went to present their product at this huge company, the president of his company called from the U.K. afterward and asked specifically for him to tell him he did a great job. My dad is already my superhero and always has been, but to hear someone else say what I've always known in my heart makes me hopeful.

The last thing that let me know it was going to be okay? When I went to WPPI in March I knew I had finally found my people. Photographers are way cool and being at a convention with 14k of them only reiterates that fact. We work hard and play hard and almost always have fun because we have been given the opportunity to be creative every day. I always wondered what I was supposed to be and second-guessed my path. It was good to feel like it's all been leading to the right place.