Archive for August, 2009

So yesterday you got to learn a lot about my beautiful Rebecca. She was thrilled with her blog post, and when I got home, she started explaining her style statement to me, about her love for textures and why she replaced a figurine on our desk with flowers because it made the room more inviting. It was truly lost on me, or so I thought. The room did seem cozier, and upon my exit, I noticed the warm scent of a freshly lit candle that made the living room seem to call to me. It was in that moment that I realized so many things that make us so different also make us the perfect complement to each other, in so many ways. I was inspired to make a list of ways we were different, and thought I would share some of that list with you.

Geek vs Chic
When we first started taking pictures together, Becka had a great eye but didn’t know how much about her camera. I was already perfectly rounded and had both the technical savvy and a perfectly developed eye for taking great photos. Ok, that’s only half true. I knew every menu and setting, studied the terminology and researched every lens, but she had to teach me what to do with it artistically. It’s one of the things that made us an excellent team. Once again, however, this transcends photography, and is apparent in our every day life. For example, while Becka was finishing her book the other night, defining her style, making brilliant introspective self-discoveries, I was playing World of Warcraft and watching Star Wars, which was streaming wirelessly from my computer to the TV via my Xbox 360.

Pessimist vs Optimist
She might hate that I’m telling you this, but my Rebecca is a pessimist through and through. She is skeptical, doubtful, and I’ve even referred to here as a “negative nancy” on a couple occasions. I, on the other hand, am a born optimist (as long as I’m not hungry. (Hungry Nate = grumpy Nate). Trusting to a fault, usually blind to bad intentions, and almost always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, that’s me. This, as you might guess, does not always make for quiet car rides or polite discussions (again, even less if I’m hungry), but it does bring some balance to our lives. As business owners, we deal with our fair share of difficult people and situations (if you’ve been one of our clients, I assure you that you were NOT one of them), and sometimes we have to talk some sense into each other before reacting.

Big and Small
In no other place are our perceptual differences more evident than our photography. If you look back through the photos on this blog and notice the relentless attention to detail, most of those pictures were taken by Becka. You can bet that the big wide ones with dramatic lighting and wide open skies were probably mine. I have a “big picture” mentality. If you ask me how to make a room more cozy, I would say “Move the couch” or “Paint a wall” before I said “Light a candle and put some coasters on the end table”.

Here’s a perfect example:
My shot of birds in Central Park, NYC

Becka’s shot of the same birds in Central Park, NYC

Other areas we are different include, but are not limited to:
I’m 6’2″, becka is 5’3″ without heels
I’m practical, she is a dreamer
I love steak, Becka is a vegetarian
I like beer, Becka likes wine (I’m not picky though)
I’m always right, Becka is usually wrong, except when she agrees with me.
Becka is brilliant, funny, witty, talented, and humble…. but not as much as I am. ;)

Next week, maybe you’ll learn about more things we have in common…

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Since tomorrow you get to know Nate better, I thought I’d steal today to let share a bit more deeply about myself…

If you follow me on twitter or facebook, you’ve probably heard the phrase “Style Statement” about a hundred times over the last two days. It’s because I’ve become completely enraptured by a book called “Style Statement: Live by your own Design”. And it’s purpose is to take you on a journey to discover your own personal style statement. A style statement is two words that define your authentic self. And having them defined helps you to stay true to yourself and make empowered decisions while navigating life, business, and the hundreds of choices you make every day from “Should I take that job” to “Should I buy these shoes”. I’ve done countless personality tests (I’m an INFP on the Myers Briggs, if you’re curious) and while I feel like I have a greater understanding of myself from them, I have never been able to use them to translate into my day to day life. Until now.

Style Statement asks you many questions about what attracts and repels you in various areas of your life such as your home, fashion, learning, spirit, service, wealth, relationships, celebration, wellness, creativity, nature, relaxation and more (yes more, it was exhaustive). You are asked to review your answers and search for patterns and words that intrigue you. I’m not going to lie, I felt a bit redundant in my answers seeing patterns emerge almost instantly and seeing my insecurities trending across my responses. I picked out bits that appeared over and over like purple, soft, desire, grounded, gourmet, exciting, intuition, drive, desire to be understood, raw, classic, impatient, expression and others that I was worried would never translate into an eloquent representation of myself as spot on as the other style statements profiled in the previous pages of the book. I mean, purple, really?

The fun part of the book is when you look through your collected words and pick out 5 that really draw you in. 2 of the 5 have to be applicable to material things. You then collect synonyms for the 5 that move you. Can I please tell you how absolutely excited I was when I found “purple” as an actual listed synonym for one of my 5 words? I also found understood, raw, classic, fast, intuitive, understood, willed, and exciting. Who would have thought that the random words I chose from my many answers would be synonymous with the few words I selected as possible definitions of my self.

You may think that picking two little words to define your style wouldn’t make a difference but you’d be surprised how liberating it is. It brings so much into instant focus. I would have never picked these two words to define my style before. But now, I can see how everything that I enjoy in my life is reflected in them. I can see how every favorite piece of jewelry, every favorite outfit, my favorite home furnishings, my favorite pass times, all fit into it perfectly. I can see how my goals for photography reflect it even before I had it defined. And I can see how everything I felt “stuck” in is in opposition to it. I’ve already started making some little changes to help bring myself more in tune with my Style Statement. I’ve started going through my closet and boxing up clothes that don’t fit it. I’ve made a playlist on my computer of songs filled with grounded melodies and beautiful lyrics. I’ve made an appointment to get my hair styled back to a cut I had when I felt at my best. I’ve started an inspiration folder of images and magazine clippings that represent my style statement in fashion and decor. And I’ve been able to understand my strong desires for family traditions and my love of cooking dinner at home…

Becka Knight
Tradition Sensual

I can see it all so clearly now. I feel grounded in tradition. I love security and a linear path. I need constants. I find beauty in classic lines, colors, and images. Tradition is my foundation and my rhythm. Old hymns, poems, and stories stir my soul. And I would have never defined myself as “traditional” but I can see how much I use tradition as a foundation in my life. And then there is my creative edge… things that are sensual. My favorite perfumes are rich and luxurious. My favorite things to eat are full of flavor. I love my milkshakes extra thick and my coffee extra hot. My favorite things to wear are soft. I thrive when we have plans to travel to see and experience new places. I try to surround myself with beauty. I feel very in tune to my intuition. I love dancing and romance and the color purple. Even my favorite images that I take show some sort of sensuality grounded by something constant. I see my Style Statement running like a thread through everything good in my life. I cannot wait to incorporate it fully into all the various areas of my life.

If you’ve gone through this journey to discover your Style Statement, what did you find? And how are you utilizing it in your life?

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You’ve got one week left to join the family of Studio222 Photography brides and grooms

for 2010 taking advantage of the biggest discount we’ve ever offered….

The fine print:

The promotion is coming to a close and you only have until the end of this month to take advantage of the discount. The date that will be used to figure out your discount is the date upon which your booking is initiated. You will have 7 days to complete the process or the discount will be voided and re-calculated. Wedding bookings are complete when a signed contract and non-refundable retainer have been turned in and accepted. The promotion will run until August 31st and is limited to brides booking weddings taking place in 2010. Weddings are not limited to a specific location and events both in and out of state, as well as internationally will be included. The total discount you accrue will be subtracted from the total in your proposal. Offer applies only to wedding coverage of at least 8 hours. To set up a time to meet with us, simply email us and put “Early Bird” as the referrer. We prefer to meet near downtown Orlando in the evenings. Meetings outside of the area are subject to our availability. Ready? Set? Go!

*The promotion ends at 10pm EST August 31, 2009. Limited to weddings taking place between 1.1.10 and 12.31.10. Subject to availability.

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