I have mentioned before that a Christening is like a mini wedding, there is a getting ready session where the baby or child gets dressed by God parents and God parents gives baby/child gifts such as gold bracelets or necklace then we hurry to church for mass and then christening is immediately following. Last but not least we head to receptiopn hall to partyyyyy. Well Portuguese parties are always so much fun and one thing that really caught my attention in this event as I stood there and observed because this is what we are hired to do, not to participate in the party but to stand on the sidelines and as my friend Dave says, antecipate moments and there were so many moments around me, people greeting each other, kisses on the cheek, cute little portuguese older men with their hats chatting away about who was winning the soccer game and chatting while waiting on line to get some delicious sea food and loads of appetizers and then of course the dancing. So what I observed the most was this sense and commitment to FAMILY, this is such an important day for them that that really take the time to spend with family, they laugh, they eat for hoursssss and feed the photographers like crazy and they dance and they live and this is what I need more in my life. I get so sucked by the business that it is easy to let the other more important things in my life slip away but I pray to God for wisdom and I ask for forgiveness to my loved ones and then I sit on the sofa and hug and eat and watch movies and maybe even do a little dance. Life is good folks, enjoy it daily. Here are a few pixs of Justin’s Christening and slideshow coming soon. A long post, could not help it!

P.S Already have some folks lined up for my Feuza Ask’s section which I will be starting next week. I can not wait.

Let’s Connect:   Contact| Twitter| Facebook| Fast Track Brasil

P.P.S I will be in D.C area from 02/09- 02/11- let’s meet up!

So today I am taking husband for a surprise getaway to celebrate his birthday. It will be a kid free romantic quick escape and I can not wait! We are staying at the place we stayed for our 1 year anniversary so it will be interesting going back there after 4 years and also differant season. I am looking forward to a computer free weekend, woo hoo! I love the pc and my social media but really need some relax time for myself and for my family, it is so easy to get so wrapped in the BUSINESS and life is just to short, remember 80/20 rule, and do joyous things. I have such a great week filled with awesome news, interviews and latest is I was invited to be an expert blogger for the Bridal Crate Magazine and if you are in wedding industry they are having a great advertising listing rate, I mean $5, sweet deal and lots of exposure for you and your work and/or product. I also have been going to lots of events lately and went to a fabulous open house tonight, will talk more about that in different post. So I would like to leave you with some sneak peaks of Justin’s Christening which happened last Sunday, it was a great time because Portuguese folks know how to partyyyy. Have a great weekend everyone.

Last week I had the pleasure to listen in to Jesh De Rox talk to Dane on www.askdane.com, you should check it out, the live recording at Imaging USA . One thing he asked was, what brings you Joy? And he then said do more and more and more of that and it made so much sense. Then I made a list of things that made me joyous and thought hum I need to do more of this and I will be in better mood and perhaps more productive but more importantly I will be HAPPY because isn’t that what it is about, sometimes we think it is about success and making money, great things too but what if you get there to the top and you are not happy? Isn’t better to be happy along the way instead of thinking you will one day be happy. I am reading the book the “The 4-hour work week” and just gotten to the part where the author talks about Elimination and said some of the same ideas, I will quote it here:
80/20 rule which I think is a great exercise-

1) Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of my problems and unhappiness
2) Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomes and happiness?

Then he went to say that he found out that only 5 customers were bringing him over 90% of the income and he was spending all this time calling all these are people that were just taking energy from him ( could so related to that especially in beginning of my photography business) and making him unhappy so he says

I then identified the common characteristics of my top-five customers and secured three or similarly profiled buyers in the following week. REMEMBER MORE CUSTOMERS IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY MORE INCOME. More customers is not the goal and often translates into 90% more housekeeping and a paltry 1-3% increase in income.

He also said instead of having this huge to do list, take a piece of paper that you can fit in your pocket and write 1 or 2 urgent things or things that if you did just those things, you would be satisfied and then go on your day to do other things like fun cool stuff so this sparked my interest. I work up Saturday having 2 important things to do for my Sunday Christening shooting event and then decided I would take the boys to the Liberty Science Center. We had driven by it on our way to the city many times and Lucas was especially interested. When I saw the T.Rex Sue Exhibit was launching that day, it was a green light. I got dressed up and pickup up my sister Ana and we headed to a fun filled afternoon of discoveries, dinosaurs, learning and even creepy creatures. I so loved the Center and we even watched a 3D Dinosaur documentary. It was such a relaxing time even with little Joshua acting up a bit and the day made me smile and made me happy. It was also a pretty much computer free day. As I was driving back home, my husband said he was cooking dinner for some friends to come over, perfect or what? I do plan to eliminate more things that cause me stress and suck up my energy, eliminate and automate so you could live the good life. Here is a glimpse of mine. Be sure to watch the SLIDESHOW*** to see more pixs.

Fuse News ( p.s if I like you enough, I will let you call me fuse, some very close friends of mine from high-school call me that and I like it.

• We are touching up the blog, testing out some things so some changes now and more in near future and I hope my website will be launched next month.
• I also was invited to lead a Fast Track Brasil group which I am so excited and nervous about since it will be an international group of photographers in Brazil or Brazilian Photographers to get insight on our local Fast Track Groups here. It is a test out phase before Dane goes to Brazil in April. If you are Brazilian, I ask that you join us, more info coming soon.
• I was contacted to be interviewed by a local paper today and I can not wait to see final print
• Q & A by the Fuse- I will be interviewing some fun guests in wedding industry, this includes, photographers, vendors, planners, so if you want to be interviewed just contact me under contact me form up on the blog.
• Want to sign up for my newsletter to receive my current Valentines’ Day offer? then use contact form and sign up

I met Yardia on 12/12/09 during the NJ Help Portrait Session and we chatted for a bit and exchanged cards. Then we hooked up on twitter and I saw that see also applied for the Soar Scholarship as I did and then we began chatting more and more. She had written to me and Ariane, also another soar applicant and suggested we did a shoot swap. I saw that Yadira needed one quickly and although I was not ready to get mine done I offered to do hers. It was all last minute and the plan was, take the kids and her husband would babysit them and we quickly go out and get the Bio Pixs done. So I met her up in Englewood, NJ at her lovely home. I feared my boys would not want to stay but as soon as they saw her little adorable 3 year old Joshua, they went on to play. We of course ran out before anything happened and drove down to city center to scout out some cool spots. Luckily it was not freezing cold and the sun was out. There were so many little cool spots and we tried hitting most of them. Our favorite though was the spot found on the end which we could shoot there for house. We went up a hill and found this parking lot with a view of the buildings in the town but also found a staircase which lead to this funky ally with green leaves falling down a wall, dirt, ally, all the nitty gritty stuff both Yadira and I love. Yadira is fun, passionate, vibrant and has such a beautiful smile. You would think she had done this before since she posed away and I did not have to say much. I had a blast with her and I am looking forward to a retreat for Creative Christian Women she is organizing which will be in June, check out her Point of Creation too. Here are a few of my favorites and be sure to check out the SLIDESHOW***

P.S Photographers- I have been with out Photoshop and I do miss some actions but cool to see what I can do using Lightroom~

Been meaning to blog on so many things so here is a quick post to my readers and friends. Have I told you how much I appreciate your visit? even if you do not comment, I am so happy you are here. It has been a crazy start for the new decade filled with events, new friendships and connections and anticipation for what is to come but I am glad I am busy as a bee and working towards my goals. Here is just a few random things happening lately.
I have been invited to lead a Fast Track Brasil group on Facebook which I could not be happier about! More info on that to come, so if you are a Brazilian Photographer, find us on Facebook. I am very pumped, excited and a bit scared but I am getting on that train, sorry had to throw that line in there. I watched the Polar Express with the kids tonight and my favorite line was when the Conductor told the main kid, The Dream! It is not about where you are going but about getting on. So what are you getting on? What have you longed to do? Two days ago I heard a great conversation between Dane Sanders and Jesh De Rox and Jesh said, what is it that bring you Joy? do more of that, every day and it was so powerful, you should listen to it, ( www.askdane.com) I need to and it is so true, I want to ride roller-skates in Santa Barbara, I want to make fun pannini sandwiches for my kids, I want to go see Sea Lions, Kiss my husband in Wine Vineyards in Napa, visit Museums and laugh til it hurts and gaze at the stars, life is too short, if we do not stop and notice it, it passes us by so are you getting on that Dream Train or what? So I did something on Wed I had never done before, I went to the ballet to celebrate Bianca’s Birthday ( very talented Brazilian photographer, check out her work). I faced many challenges getting there but must say it was nice to watch a story told with no words. I did keep thinking Romeo would scream out to Juliet and vice versa any minute but they were amazing actors and you so understood the story even if you had never heard of Romeo and Juliet. I think we are so used to so much stress going on, busy schedules, meetings and talk talk talk so it was nice to listen to the orchestra and to watch the dancers. It was my first time at the Lincoln Center and love the city lights and NY vibe even in the cold. We headed to a nearby restaurant for some chat time and must confess it has been a while that I do that and felt I need to do more of that cause life is short and if we do not stop to notice it does pass us by. Here are a few pixs from our get together.

Last Wendesday I got to attend Justin and Mary’s Spread the Love tour in NY, this was my second time attending Spread the Love and I am so glad I did. First and fore most I must acknowledge how Justin and Mary have been such a great influence in my career for the top following reasons:
BEFORE I MET THEM
- Mary was one of the first people ever to comment on my little former blog that had 3 people on it a month
- They were in the East Coast, when I found them I was like Woo hoo, East Coast Representing~
- They were Nikon Shooters- HALLELUIAH, everyone and their mother shoots Canon, finally someone else who happens to be very talented uses Nikon
- They were blog posting machines

After meeting them, these are the reasons why I like them so much
- Justin’s Eyes glow like crazy when he sees his Mary talking away at the workshop
- They are such nice humble people
- They are generous
- They are brand geniuses
- Who else in the middle of a big move to an unfinished house ready to leave their whole life in bins to go on 2 month road tour would remember oh Feuza really needs to attend this workshop, let us check in on her if she needs help to attend- say what?
- They have a really nice third shooter twitterless Julia
- They have style come on they shop at J.crew
- They care about people and about the industry
- They care about living a great life

Serirously you two, you are so amazing and inspiring and I learn so much from you as human beings and from your work. I loved the new content and how it was intense, bring it on. God bless you on the rest of your road trip and if anyone else is still doubting they should attend, snap out of it, are you kidding me- you really gonna miss out? I dont think so.

I got to see lots of my FEO friends which was pretty awesome.

Perhaps you are so tired of hearing me talk about the Soar Scholarship on twitter and Facebook but the three blessed candidates will be announced this Friday, Actually in 1.23 hours if it will be at midnight, not sure exact time frame but one of the participants added a counter on her blog and I check it to make sure we are getting closer and closer. Some ladies have been staying up late night including Mera Koh who is the creator of this wonderful opportunity and there is a little photo challenge and tonight’s topic is anxiety. Well I just checked the count down and this photo is reason enough for anxiety I will tell ya. It has been a long road and I have learned so much through applying for this scholarship about myself and about so many wonderful women who also have such a passion and dream with photography and being successful. I am a bit behind on my blogging and apologize for that. There is a lot in the works for the blog and website launch so do not be alarmed if I am still posting holiday sessions on here. For now my anxiety picture

and a little fusion video using Animoto from a great Holiday Party at the Coppede’s. ( http://feuzareis.com/?p=1079)

Well 2010 is here and I took up the challenge of shooting 100,000 images this here which is about 40k more than last year so what do I do on the first day of the year? I followed this exercise found on Merah’s blog to take a photo walk and
“2. Take a 15 minute photo walk. Look for something that catches your eye. Something that reflects, represents, symbolizes 2009. As you walk home, be on the lookout for an image that represents your hopes for 2010. Share the photos with someone you love and trust.”
I took my walk today and looked around for things that reminded me of 2009 and made me think of myself, my business, my family and God. I put the clothes in the laundry room of our apartment building and headed off all bundled up. I saw a wooded area behind of the buildings at our complex and saw a path. I love architectural elements and lines and when I find these in nature, ah that is even better. I will not much in my reflections but will comment on some photos which hopefully can inspire something in you. Here is what I got in my walk in my town. As I am writing this I heard A quote by Dane Sanders in his Audio Book Fast Track Photographer new book coming out soon- pre order now) which is appropriate, don’t get caught up, over all vision focused on the forest, do not get lost in the trees.
love lines

headed out to here

this is how I felt lots in 2010- alone in the midst of a big forest


a nest reminds me of life and hope and reminds me of soaring

reminds of harvest time which there were awesome periods of harvesting in 2009 and of planting

What is up with the trash in the middle here, old furniture, there were a lot of things I had to leave behind and let go but no polluting

Love the feel and curves of these trees, so warming in the midst of a dry season

in this one I do not feel alone anymore but reminds me of how I can stand out from the crowd in my business and that answer is just by being me.

love fall leaves and it was in the fall that I had my first destination wedding, what a happy weekend it was

Love the curves and lines for next two and the green with the snow such an awesome mix



and love how the sun always pierces through the tress, it peaks its warmth


and allows me to see my own shadow

Once I headed out of the wooded area to some parts of my town I began seeing the signs around me and they are so limiting, slow down, do not park, slow speed limit, if this was a book then the message was clear, do not be limited or be in limiting places.

The following sign makes me laugh and how I love to laugh, laugh at myself, at something funny, laughing is so great, it is the Joy God has given us

more walking and got a glimpse of the following which is grey and 2009 had lots of grey but you can see the little tiny fruits


I found this spot that not sure why I just love and there were some great spots that I loved in 2009 like Nashville, Cancun and being in small tight space with my fellow NY FEO’s

Then I saw this one and also laughed because when face with challenges we think we are sinking in such a huge ocean but the reality is it is just a small deflated pool, what is the worst case scenario? think of your worse caste scenarios then you will see it is not so bad and the risk is far better

There is that sun again, love it~


Now for the finale and conclusions-
For Starters- I do not want a back alley view- do you?

I do want a bushfull of fun- just love the green in this bush and reminds me of my hair

I do want freedom and want to be on the right road

These eggs remind me that Winter soon will be gone and here comes Spring in my life

Last but not least- love the green and red in these, Green for hope, hope I have for the new year, for my business, for my family and friends and the red for love and passion which drive me every day- I am all in for my business and for my family in 2010, what are you all in for?

oh and p.s are these green leaves the cutest and reminds of hearts and thus of couples in love- I LOVE WEDDINGS~


Let us connect this new year
feuza@feuzareis.com
www.twitter.com/feuza
www.facebook.com/feuza