Venus

As I am working in the studio, I like to have different types of media on, today I had the movie Venus on. Peter O’Toole said something that made me stop and think; it may do the same for you. He is walking through an art gallery with a young lady and they are looking at the Venus Painting. He says “For most men a woman’s body is the most beautiful thing they will ever see.” She asks “What’s the most beautiful thing a girl sees; do you know?” “Her first child.” He responds.

Just something to think about.

Rodney

Tired and Excited

It has been a crazy couple of weeks which culminated in a couple of 15 hours days before finally getting our book off to the printers. Just As I Am should be delivered to the studio here in mid Feb with the gallery opening being on Feb 26^th. This has been a crazy month so far and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down, we have a birthday bash for Eve Studios on Tuesday the 19^th (We are turning 2) and then there is the valentines day rush followed closely by giving a lecture at the Manitoba Camera club and our book launch open to participants and their families only tentatively scheduled for Feb 11^th.

The past few weeks have been a time of trying to put onto paper the thoughts behind Just As I Am; I’m afraid I didn’t do it justice. The themes I always end up coming back to are this, 1. We are more similar than we are different. 2. God has made us each beautiful and each very unique and there is a great deal of beauty in our diversity. 3. We are so much more than what meets the eye; and if we can learn to see each other as the people we are as well as bodies we live in we will much the richer as people for it.

I’ll talk more soon,

Blessings.

Rodney

Magic Moments Misprint

We recently received copies of "Magic Moments"...a handy little wedding guide that we decided to advertise "Gifts for Grooms" in. We had to laugh when we opened it up, because the article I had written from a third person feminine perspective (because I didn't know they would credit us) and that did a fair amount of bragging about Rod (what I do pretty well), was credited to ROD! I had to tease him a little for being so "metro".

So for all of you just joining our blog for the first time after hearing about us at the wedding show, please know that Rodney is neither arrogant (well, except for regarding his good looks), nor flowery. He does, however, have a great eye for what looks good and a knack for seeing and bringing out the best in people.

Hope to hear from you soon!
Sonya

FAQ's

What's an Eve Session?

An Eve session is a photography session focused on capturing your beauty and building your self-esteem. It is done in a fun, relaxed atmosphere with a photographer with expertise, professionalism, and warmth.

Do I have to do nudes?

Absolutely not. Though many choose the honesty and focus that an art nude photograph brings, there is never any pressure to do anything you're not comfortable with. The clothing options you bring along can also show off your style and personality, convey a mood, or create a look. Feel free to express yourself how you like.

How do I start?

Everything starts with a consultation. This allows you and Rodney, the photographer, to get a feel for each other, plan the session a little, and build anticipation towards your shoot. This is a great time to ask questions and find out the answers you need. Go to the contact page on http://www.evestudios.ca/ and fill out the form, or better yet, just give Rodney a call at 221-8413. He can't always answer the phone, but he will be sure to return your call.

What happens after the session?

After your session, you'll book a time to see and order your images. This allows you to set aside time to focus on you, as well as get assistance in choosing which ones to keep and what to do with them. We offer a wide variety of wall portrait options and albums, with the option of custom-design work added in to make them extra-special. We're always updating our product line to offer you interesting ways to display your beautiful pictures.

What kind of payment do you accept?

We accept cash, cheque, debit, Visa and MasterCard. Session fees are due at the session. Costs for the order are due at time of ordering...although we can accept a deposit with the rest due at pick-up.

Where are you located?

We are in the North End of Winnipeg, so it's fairly central. Once you call, we can give you more specific directions.

Why should I do an Eve Session?

That is something you only can know. We each have our own reasons: perhaps we have some insecurity with our bodies that we want to overcome, perhaps it's been a long time since we've done something just for us, perhaps we need a little boost in confidence--a little more sparkle, perhaps it's been awhile since we've felt sexy. Whatever the reason, don't hesitate to call and find out more. Take the first step. You'll be glad you did!

Merry Christmas

It's 12:18 a.m. Officially Christmas Day!

We wish you a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

We just spent the evening with cousins near Winnipeg whom we're just getting to know, and I have been packing since we got home. Rod just got home from finishing some odds and ends at the studio and he's cooking (gotta use up the mushrooms!)

Must....get....some....sleep...before the kids wake up!

Loving the snow. Hope the roads are good tomorrow.

Enjoy the day!

Not just for others

I have to apologize. Leading up to Christmas (and Valentine's), all you've heard from our business is "do this for your man". And while gorgeous pictures of you is a great gift idea, I think it's time we bring the focus back to you. You are beautiful. You have value. Whether you're in a relationship or not. Whether you're happily or unhappily single. You are beautiful and you can celebrate all you are.

There are lots of ways to do this. One way is to honour your thoughts and feelings. Give them a voice. Start by expressing them on paper. Learn how to share them in a way that respects others and respects yourself. Another way is to take care of your body. Begin by listening to its subtle and not-so-subtle cues. Often, you can find ways to rest and recharge during a busy day if you look for them. Notice what gives you energy and joy and what drains you. Then begin to act on those observations.

Even as I begin to share these ideas, I know from my own life that making changes to benefit me sounds good on paper--but actually making the changes involves a whole combination of conviction, commitment, and support. It's a process. So be gentle with yourself. Receive from others. Notice beauty. Give with gratitude. And you...will...sparkle.

Petrified

Well I just finished a meeting that I never would have thought I would have, I just finished a meeting with a guy from Friesens Printing regarding having a book made for the Just As I Am project. I really can’t figure out if I should be excited or petrified or both; I’m excited to have this as a possibility, at the same time terrified about the 10 thousand or so dollars that will be required to make it happen.

At this point I have a few options, I could rob a small bank or even a Credit Union, or I can pray for wisdom; since I don’t have a gun I guess I’ll stick with praying for wisdom as I think through whether we can sell in excess of 250 or so books.

As I’m praying if you happen to have a small bank or Credit Union and feel like making me a huge loan to help make the book project happen feel free to give me a call. If you don’t have a bank but have a personal relationship with Oprah or someone like her, again I would love to hear from you.

Speaking of a book, if you would like to write a bit about your experience we would like to have some of your stories as an option to publish or else there will just be a bunch of my ramblings in there.

Anyways, as always these are just a few things going through my head, have a great week.

Rodney

Of Beauty and Wealth

As I was driving through the Rocky mountains last week I was struck by how much Beauty and wealth have in common and the more that I thought about it the more humbling it was.

Wealth, if you asked me if I am wealthy the first answer you would probably get after a hearty laugh is a resounding NO, you have to have money to be wealthy!!! In our society we measure wealth in terms of millions, billions or even thousands; but it always ends with dollars, not smiles, hugs, peaceful moments or even people whose lives you’ve touched.

This morning my 5 year old daughter came and cuddled with me for about 20 minutes, my almost 3 year old wanted to give me hugs and kisses and my 7 year old said “I love you daddy” before leaving for school, you can’t buy that so I am forced to ask myself am I wealthy??

I have recently been thinking a lot about the many people who have let me into their lives to capture their essence and memories and I think to myself am I wealthy??

I think of our family; this last year my mother in law has scared us a few times by going into the hospital with severe chest pain, yet as we prayed for her she came out of the hospital with the diagnosis that it was not a heart attack and again I ask myself as a family, are we wealthy??

Beauty; they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, are they on drugs?? If you showed the same image, person, flower, or just about anything to 10 different people you would likely get 10 different answers as to its beauty. If this is the case is there really any absolute as to whether someone or something is beautiful? When I think of beauty I think of my wife Sonya, I think of my kids, I think of my clients, and I think of the creation everywhere around me, but am I right, is it all really beautiful?

My kids love to do art, and some of the paintings that my 3 year old comes up with simply bewilder me and yet to him he is proud to show me his latest masterpiece. Is his art beautiful?

I used to think that beauty was in the eye of the beholder but I have come to realize that too many of us as beholders are simply too screwed up to see, recognize and appreciate the beauty around us. My new philosophy is this, Beauty is in the eye of the creator and our creator has blessed us all with an abundance of it. Beauty is all around us and we simply need to open our eyes to appreciate it, so too we are all blessed with an abundance of wealth and our wealth looks different to all of us, but it’s ours to appreciate all we have to do is to open up our eyes and recognise what we have been blessed with.

Beauty and wealth, they look different to all of us and yet all we need to do is look around us to recognize how much of it we are blessed with so the next time you look into a mirror open your eyes and look hard to see how beautiful you are and how much you bless the lives around you and you will realize just how beautiful and wealthy you really are.

Blessings,

Rodney

One more option for H1N1

With all the fear of H1N1 as well as fears concerning vaccinations, I thought I would let our readers know of one more option out there. For some, it may seem too "out there", but it is a very valid option nonetheless.

When my son was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity last year, I searched and searched for options for him. I finally discovered something called "Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique" (NAET). It involves three steps: muscle response testing (MRT) for allergies, stimulating accupressure points while the allergen is held (a glass vial with the the energy field of the substance or the actual substance), and an avoidance period of about 24 hours until the brain has reprogrammed the entire body to accept the substance.

The technique, however, is not eliminated to allergy elimination. It can be used to test a person's immunity to a virus/bacteria, introduce the body to it (still in a vial), strengthen the body's response through accupressure, and thus give the body the immunity it needs to fight it when it comes in contact with the actual virus or bacteria in the environment. And there are no needles, no worrisome preservatives, and no live/radiated viruses actually put into the body.

Some people will still have a mild reaction (tiredness, aches etc.). They should come back in a day and check to see how the body is doing. Sometimes a second treatment is needed. But usually that is all. Babies, children, adults, all can have it done.

Two of my kids have been treated. I was too weak today (exceptional loss of sleep lately), but will be having it done next week hopefully. Normally, people are treated for basic allergens before moving on to something like this, but my practitioner is making exceptions given the situation. Some people (especially older ones) will find they have a strong immune response to the virus and will not need to do anything.

There are a number of people practicing NAET in Winnipeg, and most of the larger provinces (unfortunately not in my home province of Saskatchewan). You can go to www.naet.com to find a practitioner (not a complete listing). Village Chiropractic Centre on River Ave. is where I go. Dr. Maria di Bernardo is very skilled and personable. The cost there is $80 for the initial intake and first treatment (book is included) and $50 afterward. If you have extra health insurance, a portion of that may be covered.

I have been posting a lot on H1N1. I hope it has been helpful rather than tiresome. At Eve Studios, we want to be involved in the whole life of a woman. And so, I try to address things that come up in our lives. It will, however, be my last post on the subject!

Thanksgiving…. a little late

I love thanksgiving, it’s one time of the year where we are really encouraged to be very thankful and to intentionally stop, look at life and be grateful. This year I have many things to be very grateful for; I have my wife Sonya without whom I don’t know what I would do, I have my three wonderful children who make me smile so often, we have my family and my in-laws all of whom are wonderful people that I am thankful for and God has blessed us with health and strength.

When I think of thanksgiving I’m also overcome with a sense of extreme gratitude for our clients without whom we wouldn’t have our business and without whom we would not be the people we are today. I feel so thankful for each one of you, you make me smile whenever I think of you, it’s an honour to know you as people and to have you as clients and I think the ultimate honour for us is when you refer us to your friends because then we know that we have been able to impact your lives in some way.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

This week I have a special thank you to send out, in the past few weeks I have had the honour of sharing in and capturing forever in print the nuptials of my cousins daughter, capturing the maternity and newborn images of both clients and close friends, creating family heirlooms in some family portrait sessions and of course our specialty capturing the beauty and mystery that is “woman”. This week I also had the opportunity to spend the best part of the day with a group of women that work together, the 4 of them decided to come in to do an Eve Session as a Christmas gift to the men in their lives who had everything, well almost everything. These men will soon find out they didn’t have what they wanted most, some amazing images of the women they love. Girls, thank you for an amazing time, I had so much fun with you as we laughed, texed back and forth to co-workers, talked about them, ate great food, drank good drinks (Pepsi for we, wine coolers for the girls) and created amazing images in one of the most fun sessions I’ve ever had here at the studio.

I’m trying to teach my kids to have an “Attitude of Gratitude” and instead of grumping about things to simply be thankful and as I try to live that out I find myself a happier and more fulfilled person; so thank you all for everything you do to make my life better, I really appreciate you more than you will ever know.

Rodney