As a NJ based Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer, I have to say I am so excited.Within 24 hours  I will be on a plane headed to Las Vegas, NV for one of the biggest if not the biggest Photography Convention in the world, WPPI ( Wedding & Portrait Professionals International) which will take place at the MGM grand in Las Vegas Strip. you probably have seen all the crazy tweets and might even be a bit annoyed but let me tell you good times, great pictures and lots of changes to come.  I feel very blessed that I am able to go and have friends and family supporting me and major helping with the kids. As a mom, it is not easy going away, it seems the kids act up right before, house is a little crazy and the to do list is never ending but again just feel blessed I am able to go at all. Some amazing things are about to happen in the next 5 days professionally and personally and I must thank God for all of that, for being able to share my ideas, my work, my feelings on this blog with you and to continue to create art with my camera As I write here in the dark and the kids are asleep, I feel tired, excited, proud, happy, blessed,worried about the kids and hubster already and I feel peaceful too.

For those of you at WPPI you will also see me wearing a pictagerazzi shirt. I was one of the photographers selected by Pictage to capture some pictures of the event so photographers there can order free prints from the talks and trade show. It is an honor to be connected to Pictage and looking forward to meeting many cool photogs and leaders. And also I super excited about participating in the Fast Track TV which will be aired on www.askdane.com so if you are not attending WPPI tune in and see full schedule here*** I am nervous but luckily I will not be alone, I will be with fellow mom photographer Katrina Wheeler and we will have a talk on being a mom, launching a photography business and how social media has helped. Please join us Tuesday at 2 p.m EST/ 11. am PST and send your questions ahead of time on twitter @fastrackphoto

And if you want to connect while at WPPI, dm me on twitter and here are a few places I will be at for sure. THESE TIMES ARE PST TIMES.

Sunday-

9 am- brunch - Rainforest Cafe, feel free to join me

12:30- Pictagerazzi meeting

1:30- Bui Brothers Workshop

8-9 - Pictage Welcome Reception

Airhorns and Lasers after that- woo hoo

Monday- busy day

8 a.m

then some classes and trade floor

2:00-4:00 pm workshop with Stephen Knuth

4:00-5:30 pm Fast Track Shoot out

WPPI pool party – 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
The 30th anniversary WPPI pool party at the MGM pool? no swimming for me, hair is not water proof and need it to last while I am there, lol

Tuesday-

11:00- New Media Lounge- tune in on www.askdane.com to watch me, hopefully I will not chatter away,

3:30 pm- Dane Sanders Platform talk

6:00 p.m- Fast Track After party

Then B-school Party perhaps

Wed-

8 am breakfast  with Show it Unite

perhaps 1 class and back home

I have not packed just yet. I am a planner, I love to plan plan plan but have a bad habit of leaving some things for last minute, just like my shopping and packing list and then when I go shopping, of course I can not find anything that fits and the mall is about to close. Happy Friday, so are you an early color cordinate your socks packer or are you a last minute see what fits in suit case and pray you dont forget your tooth brush but you always do anyhow packer? I would like to say I am in between and pushing for the first then the second one, after all I do not want a tooth brush collection. I also work well under pressure for these kind of things, well sort of, at least that is what I tell myself, I would love to hear your packing and traveling tips. Of course we need some pixs up in this blog so here are some sneaks of my new business card which I got paid for my trip, designed by the lovely www.charlenevaz.com

As you can see I most  likely will be not updating my blog but please follow me on twitter and facebook for the updates on my great trip. Wishing everyone safe travels and I can not wait to connect. Also booths I will be sure to check out are: Tofurious, Shoot Sac, New Media Lounge, Pictage, Finao Albums, Shoot Q,Shoot Dot Edit, Kevin Kubota, Drop It Modern, and some others

As a NJ bases Lifestyle and Wedding Photographer, I do try and watch the Jersey scene of photography as well as some possible models to shoot and fun ideas. I have been wanting to do a portrait shoot with my brother in law, after all, dark, handsome, brazilian and really tall. I jokingly say I will try and make him a model and become rich, he smiles with his timid smile and folds his arms liking the idea of getting pictures done but not too sure on the modeling part since we told him he would need to wear skinny jeans. He was very shy but I got him to do a portrait session this weekend around my South River, NJ neighborhood. He is single ladies but not looking for any commitment at the moment lol.  Here are some of my favorites of the outside portraits.

I did mention in Fuse News that I had been interviewed by a local paper and was super excited about it. I met up with journalist Madhu Rajaraman from Sayreville Progress at my local starbucks for some coffee and q&a, I talked loads, just went on and on and in my mind was like I wonder what the final piece will be like since I can not shut my trap. Well  I received a hard copy 2 weeks ago and I could have not been any happier about my feature, first of all I was on the front page of the paper then my story continued to a second page talking about how I started and my interest in business and branding aspect of photography. The picture makes it hard to read so I will highlight what were my favorite parts of the piece.

For starters she begins the piece saying “Feuza Reis is not your typical wedding photographer. If you want cliche snapshots with stiff poses and false smiles,look elsewhere”  This is so true, I am so more about capturing who you really are as a person, how you like to interact as a couple, a child just being a child and not saying cheese. Another favorite line which has loads to do with the vision I have for my photography business is when I am quoted ” I try to re-create the exact emotions that a person feels in a specific moment. With my images, I want to create a bridge between the past,present and future”. When a person picks up my images from years to come, I want them to look at them and go back in time, feel the emotion in the present and reflect on their future. I want to be that bridge for people. Today will never come back again, this is our life, this is our story, each day can be seen as a page, and the seasons or important events as chapters so if we only life once, we want to live it to the fullest and we want to cherish the true emotions of special days, I am that bridge. Another quote that I loved Madhu included was ” Even though I shoot weddings , I like to be more modern,edgy,urban and photojournalistic than most wedding photographers. Love what she said about me in regards to business, Madhu states that whereas many talented artists might shy away from the business side of photography, Feuza embraces it. Then final quote from me ” I just jumped in, it’s all about understanding yourself and the vision you have for your company.

Why a bridge, I was born on an urban island in Brazil, Vitoria, E.S. It is officially an island but it is the capitol so very urbanized and it is so close to the mainland that one almost does not see it is an island also due to the many close bridges. I am Brazilian and I grew up in the states and for many years had identity loss almost, when I was in the USA, I felt so different and so Brazilian but when I would spend summers there I would be almost gringa. I actually specialized in ethnicity and race relations in college and finally was able to accept the fusion of these two cultures in my life and who I really was and when I went to work on the vision I had for my photography business, I had to look at who I was and saw how the fusion of my beach childhood and city life influences my work.

Thanks again to Sayreville Progress for this wonderful piece on me and thank you Bridal Crate Magazine for adding this in your vendor alert first page this week. Thank you to everyone who has blessed Feuza Reis Photography.

The last 2 days the sun has been shinning it’s lovely rays and the snow is starting to melt and I have missed writing on my old blogio. On Friday I had a chance to finally meet baby Jeremiah, Pastor Ryan’s son. He was quite a charmer with his red hair, blues eyes and chubby cheeks.  This is a beautiful story of God’s wonder which I hope to share. Here are some sneaks. I have a few blog posts coming up so stay tuned.

Back when I started in 2008, I was not blogging yet but grew my business out of an online media called Orkut popular among Brazilians and the first photographer that gave me the time of Day was a girl from MA called her business Photo Passion. We became online friends and then I had a question or two, she introduced me to betterphoto and flicker and also NYIP which btw I never finished my homework. She was my first photographer friend and she took me under her wing sharing info, business and overall advice. We became online buddies and arranged for us to meet when my husband was doing a Videography course in NH. I drove 1.5 hours to spend 1.5 hours with her, we were chatter boxes excited about all things photo. I am very grateful that she was not afraid and did not see me as competition which is so common amongst brazilians, she saw me as a friend, some one who she could exchange information and not just give it away. She is a strong woman who believes in her passion, is a great mother to her 3 rockin boys and a great wife.  Meet my friend, Eliane Filho.

1) What is your photography Story?

Well I got my 1st Canon camera on my 15th birthday a gift from my mother ever since then I started taking pictures of things and people. I upgraded my film camera to a digital Canon Rebel and decided to start studding for photography in 2007 I took pictures of everything I saw in front of me one day I took a picture of this little girl on her bike and decided to add it to a contest, ended up winning with that photo in second place so I decided to take photography more seriously and start the basics. That’s really how it all started I figured if That picture was good to get me to second place maybe it is meant to be. So I started as a professional in 2007

2) What is in your bag?

A canon 40D

Sigma 18-200mm 3.5-6.3

Canon 50mm 1.5

Canon 75-300 4-5.6

Tamaron 70-200 2.8

Canon speedlite 580EXII

2 Canon Li-ion battery pack and charger

Gary Fong’s Lightsphere II

Tiffen Filter Circular Polarizer 62mm

Tiffen Filter Haze-1 62mm

10Lexar Compact Flash

Lots of bateries

3) What kind of photography do you do?

All types of event

Wedding

portrait

parties etc

4) Knowing what you knew now, what would you have done differently in beginning?

Alot of things, Start slow, have some goals, plan things ahead of time.

Find a honest person that would help me get started. Look for tips and learn before i put my head in things.

5) where are you now in your business?

Well I Decided to start new

with new goals and perspective

6) What is your biggest dream? Your goals?

My Biggest dream would be to have my own studio

My Goals would be to book some more weddings this year

and to attend at least 5 work shops get my site customized

7) If you had to give advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Find a person you trust with your life to help you out it’s very hard to beggin something, but you will get threw it. Dream ahead and Never leave them behind. No matter what people tell you. If you can’t show them now how good you are you will someday God Bless Xoxoxo

It is snowing outside so Spring is not in the physical air yet but it is in my mind. We are getting about 10-15 minutes extra of sunlight and that is just a little hint that Spring is near, yes it is and I am so excited. After all I was born under the equator line, in Brazil, on an island actually so I got summer veins running through my body and snow and cold is not really my thing. What I am most excited about is all the cool happenings in my life lately which feels  like Spring is in the air, I will be attending my First WPPI and just won registration tickets thanks to photographer Kevin Jairaz from KJ Images who posted this on twitter and Azura Albums for offering this. If you are on the fence about attending, just do a Twitter search for WPPI and many photographers are doing give aways for the registration which saves you some nice money. There are so many cool things happening at WPPI that I am planning and highlighting events, dates etc. If you are going, I would love to meet you so give me a heads up.  I am so excited for this and for all the cool things happening in my life and I know soon the sun will shine and my dreams won’t be mere illusions but will be concrete filled goals. Sometimes you just gotta jump, being all in as Dane Sanders says which is hard and so scary but the first few months of this year I am working more and more on my vision, brand and strategies to make this a successful business. So what are you tips for reaching your goals? and dreams? I would love to here more. Here is some pictures of Rebecca that I did last end of Summer which reminds me a bit of the vibrant, fun dreams I have.

Love is Patient, Love is kind is a known Bible verse and these two adjectives are very much at the core of what love is and of how God wants us to love. My husband has been so patient and kind with me and I kick myself in the butt ever doubting if he cares about me, about my dreams, about my feelings, we women do that, don’t we? We ask do you love me? We worry when he think he has looked at us funny? We doubt. Lately my business has required a lot of me, not that  I have been booking lots, but that I have been working on strategies and CEO things which take up time, money and resources and my husband although skeptical at times about this passion of mine, has been all in for me, has been patient and kind. I must admit I have been anything but patient and kind,  I have been grouchy, grumpy and overall selfish, just self indulged in moi but life is too short and dreams are not worth it if you can not share them with the ones you love. I pray to God that He pour more of His love unto me that I can love others, love those who hurt me, love those who wish me to fail, love those who have not been kind nor patient. That I may love my love Maxwel more and more each day and that I may be patient and kind and generous and respectful and loving. This is our 7th Valentine’s Day together and we have never done anything really fancy since he is Brazilian and this date is not celebrated in Brazil but more and more, we have been opening our ears and eyes and caring for each other. Today he proved that even more so, worried about my phone issues, worried about what I will wear at WPPI, worried about my hotel situation which is still not 100%, just caring and worried about me. He always puts me and the kids first and I can not wait til he gets some needed rest and acknowledgement. Valentine’s is not so much about big bears, chocolates or gift but it is about showing appreciation and about being patient and kind. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, oh and leave a comment cause I feel alone over here sometimes.

Here are a few pictures of me and the love of my life Max, we got these done in Christmas 2008 by talented Bianca Valentim.

Find me on twitter

Find me on facebook

If you are a photographer you have heard of W.P.P.I which stands for Wedding and Portrait Professionals International, it is an international Photography convention which occurs every year in you know it Las Vegas. In 2008 I had heard about it but it seemed so out of my league and expensive then in 2009 I really wanted to go when I saw some cool photographers like Jasmine Star schedule Shoots and giveaways and I soooooooooooo wanted to go, I was like a puppy wanting a scooby snack, like a preschooler who can not wait to put noggin on, like a teen age girl wanting to go to a Justin Bieber concert, like a parent looking for tickle me elmo for christmas,  and I had the puppy eyes and all. I sucked it up, did not even look at costs or planning and just read what others were doing there and so wanted to be there, I mean it is like Spring Break for photographers. What I love about it is that there is action every where, you run into photographers you really admire, everyone throws cool get togethers and parties and plus there are classes that I would love to attend as well as shoots and fun things likeKevin Kubota treasure hunts. So this year I also though I would not be able to go but then a good friend starting telling our FEO NY group the costs and how it worked and  I thought, I so can do this but  I also was going to MD this month and with kids back to back month trips is just not doable. So long story short, there came the snow, lots of snow and MD got rescheduled and then I said, I am going to Vegas Baby so I was sad the workshop got post poned but consoled that now I would be attending the convention every photographer well almost every photographer would like to be at and if you are one of them staying back at home, Dane Sanders will be doing these live broadcast where he will be interviewing all these cool photographers and having life changing discussions and you should really tune in. Follow Dane on twitter/facebook to know more about that. I got my room with some Fast Track girls, flight is next but I am trying to get a free registration pass so one giveaway is being done on tofurious, check it out,

Lawrence email me: feuzafuse@gmail.com and show me that ticket.

Of course we need some pictures and here is some more snow, alas the reason I am going to Vegas in the first place. Also thanking my mom and husband in advance for helping making this dream possible.

P.S, one of my first ever favorite shots was back in Mr. Murphy’s class at East Brunswick High School. It was a shot I took with film, no digital back then,  and it was of a parking lot with snow and one lonely white dog in middle, I never knew why I liked that image so much but I did and wish I still had it today.

I sleep in on Saturday Morning to hear the boys come tell me as I am still half asleep that daddy wants breakfast, toast, eggs, juice, coffee, I give them half a wave and say no and my head is hurting and I was a bit confused for my husband was suppose to be at work, then I remember oh yes, the snow. I told the kids no, tell daddy mommy needs to sleep more because after all I was awaken by Lucas then by Joshua who did not go to sleep right away and was crying about what? who knows, all I know is I had been going to bed very late and had such broken sleep, I just wanted to sleeeppppppppppzzzzzzzz. I did feel bad for the hubster but my body just could not do it and when I saw he was home and I could indeed sleep some wore, I dozed off. When I did finally get my aching body to sit up on my bed, I saw the boys running back and forth and giggle through the door cracks. As  I got closer, I heard plans of snow, one had a crooked hat on, scarf almost reaching the floor and the other one glove and joshua saying lets find the glub. They were plotting they snow play date which they had planned in their minds as they say the almost foot of snow outside. I sadly told them no and they whined but soon forgot about it and went to their next adventure. Today I woke up to such a bright day agfter only 5 hours of sleep but good sleep, slept almost 5 hours straight for me, after having drunk some Brazilian Cha Matte tea and it felt good to get up before 9 a.m. I went straight for a long shower to wash my oh so crazy hair. The sunrays were bleaming in the window and were hitting my back as I scrubbed and scrubbed my scalp and felt so good to take a nice warm shower on what looked like a cold cold day. My husband knocked on the door to check on me for I had been in the shower  a long time, he asked : Are you ok? You are gonna melt soon if you stay any longer and I knew that was my queue.  I quickly got out to get the boys ready for church and finish getting dressed myself and as Max went to go turn on the car Joshua threatened to go outside and I told him he could not. He said he wanted to play in the snow and I said no and I also told him Jack Frost was gonna get him. He then started the cutes conversation about how Jack Frost was not going to get him because Jack Frost only gets kids, but I said you are a kid,but he said no, I am good to him,he likes me, he will not blow that wind on me, it was so adorable. I explained to the boys it was too cold and since they did not have the winter gear, they could not go and play outside.

We proceeded to go to church and to my surprise, the snow had not scared anyone and it was still hard to park. I entered first taking the boys to their respective childrens classes, well sort of. Joshua at first did not want to go to any classes and wanted to be with Lucas but the classes are broken up by ages, they all sing together in one big room and then are broken off. Luckily there is this great teacher who lets Joshua go to what was Lucas class which is for the age 4 group but now Lucas is at the age 5 group. Joshua is doing good, today was the second time he stayed all by himself with no big brother and no crying, only a big smile,stories to tell and a crayon scribbled worksheet to show mommy. I love Sundays, life is great and it is simple too. At church, we had a good service but sad enough I sat next to what seems to be a very bitter woman. She would not scoot down when the usher asked her too and she gave him a mad face, she did not say good morning when the Pastor asked us to greet one another and as she was going to get up at the end did not say excuse me to pull her coat which had a piece stuck behind me. So sad really that in the house of worship where God’s word is being preached people are so into their grumpy worlds that they refuse to open up and be at peace and enjoy a beautiful sunny snow day. Perhaps she was having a horrible day or something is very wrong in her life, I can not judge but just notice that I do not want to be like that grumpy.

So as we got home, I said to the boys let us go upstairs, we will grab some plastic bags and place it over your feet and go play in the snow. Max even made his first snow man ever, the boys threw themselves in the snow as if they were diving into an ocean, Joshua even did a snow angel face first and not only on his back. It was a nice simple sunny snowy day and I as I work on my to do list for my trip to MD for Dane Sander’s Fast Track Workshop which I hope does not get canceled fo r rumors of more snow in Baltimore area, I already miss them. They drive me crazy, sometimes they do not leave me alone for more than 7 minutes calling me saying mommy I want juice,  I want a cookie, I want #2, he hit me, I want to watch noggin oh but I want to watch something different, that car is mine and I want to open the door and so on and on. I look forward to these trips where I will have some me time and learn more about my business and learn to be a better person and when it gets close  I already miss them even if they drive me crazy and in these pictures you can perhaps see why I do miss them already and keep thinking if they will be ok at the sitter, will they sleep well at my mom’s, will they eat okay. I know I know, it is only 3 nights but I worry, hey I am a mom even if I am not the greatest mom or maybe not even  a good one, being perfectly honest, but I do love them and   I am thankful to God for the simple sunny snowy sundays, maybe not so much the snow, rather the beach but hey I will take the sunny and simple part.

Now here are my attempts to take pictures with the first family Snow man. Vote on your favorite.

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Take 4

Take 5

take 6

And the Finale with Daddy the creator of Mr. Snow Man.

and now for some more fun in the snow, I know this is long but can’t help it.

I had to play too right?

So ever since I started my blog, I have been wanting to interview folks, other photogs and then vendors or just over all cool people. Thought about naming it Fuse Coffee Talks, Fuse Reviews, Feuza Ask’s so still wondering what is best name for this section so today it will under Fuse News. It will be every Friday and I am open to ideas, we will have some video on location with folks too and some very hip folks lined up already but I am very happy to kick it off with a great interview of fellow Fast Track member Kristi  Crosson who is offering something so unique for her brides and I love that! Looking forward to meeting you Kristi!

1. What is your photographic story? why photography

I have had a camera in my hand from a very young age. There’s a photo of me at the age of 8 with one of the 110mm rectangular cameras in my hand. Photography has always fascinated me and as a hobby, it was my creative outlet. I went to college for Theater and Biology intending to go to Physician’s Assistant School. One of my classes was in Black and White Film photography and I L.O.V.E.D. every moment of it. A year before I graduated college my amazing sister (who is also a photographer) bought me my first DSLR camera. The love of photography was kindled even more. Someone actually hired me that year (2006) to do senior portraits…I have certainly come a long way since then. In 2007, after graduating college, my best friend from elementary got married back east. I was the unofficial second photographer. When I got rave reviews from all of her family and friends about my images, I started considering that maybe I could be a professional photographer…part-time. So that was the beginning of my journey as a professional photographer, and the start of my love for photographing weddings.

2. What kind of work do you usually do?

I have captured images of events, families, newborns, teens, children, engagements, and weddings…pretty much anything. I now focus mainly on weddings and engagements, but have recently discovered a real passion for maternity and high school seniors. I love the excitement and joy associated with weddings and maternity, and for seniors… well, if you’ve been around teenagers much, you’d find out that they are a B.L.A.S.T.

3. Nikon Chick? Canon Babe or none of the above?

I am a Canon babe by default. My first DSLR camera was a Canon Rebel xTi. I now also shoot with a Canon 40D while I save up for that 5D Mark 2 that I have been dreaming of…

4.Tell me about your ideas for photographing the plus-sized bride, tips, ideas

As a married woman, who is overweight, I have a unique perspective on how it feels to be in the “Plus-Size” category. I think that our media does a great job at telling overweight women that they are not as beautiful as their skinny counterparts. I do a great job of telling those women otherwise. I believe (truly) that all women are beautiful, and it is up to me as a photographer to capture that beauty that is already there, and show it to them. I understand that there are certain angles that are just not as flattering to someone with a little more meat on their bones. So here are 4 tips from me to you about photographing the plus-size bride:

a. Don’t photograph them if you do not think that they are amazing and radiant and beautiful. Seriously. I have heard photographers

put down their plus sized clients and demean them on forums. If you don’t think they are truly beautiful and that you can make them

shine, don’t take their business.

b. Once you know that you are “for” your client, make sure to affirm them (you should be doing this anyways, but I think it is important to

note here) on their wedding day.

c. Angles, angles, angles. Its all about the angles. There is a little more to be aware of when photographing plus-sized brides. Arms for

instance. A good way to minimize arm size in any bride is to break it up. Use the veil to help frame her face, while bringing attention

away from the arms. In bride and groom shots, you can have the grooms hand on the upper part of the arm. Do not photograph a

larger bride straight on. Turn her body slightly, and look for flattering angles. Do not photograph her from below her face, if anything,

have the camera angle slightly above where she is standing or sitting. If she tilts her head up toward you, it can minimize a larger face

size.

d. I personally am against using photoshop to slim a bride down. I want her to see herself as beautiful whether she is big or not, and I feel

that by using photoshop to make them skinny, it perpetuates to idea that plus-sized brides are not beautiful. If you are not against it,

and your client wants it, then that is another option for you.

5.What is advice you would give for somebody just starting out?

To someone just starting out, who wants to start a photography BUSINESS, I would recommend that they learn everything they can about running a business successfully. Learn about branding, marketing, being a CEO, creating Standard Operating Procedures, etc. Also, I would recommend that they find a photographer who is willing to let them be an assistant or second photographer. Learn how to use the manual settings on your camera, learn about lighting, and using a flash effectively. It will save you a ton of time in the long-run. It will also help you determine what areas of photography you are passionate about, and have a knack for.

6. Where do you see your business in 5 years?

In 5 years’ time I see my business being a leader in “Redefining the Face of Beauty” one amazing bride at a time. I see it as a forerunner to show the world that beauty is more than the size of dress that a woman wears. Every woman is beautiful. I really do believe that.