Featured {2011} | Two Bright Lights | Southern California Photographer

I am so thrilled about all {2011} and what it has to offer!  

Last year I was proud & thankful for all the accolades & achievements, including 12 features.  Being featured is apart of this business.  It's a huge resource for marketing our work to engaged couples everywhere.  So when you see me and every other photographer getting excited and extremely grateful it's because our work is being recognized, affirmed as fab work and exposed to thousands and thousands of couples engaged to be married!

The one thing I didn't realize last year was that as professionals we are supposed to submit our work for features and publications.  Last year I think I did that 3 times near the end, so I am definitely lucky to have been recognized last year.  

When I began submitting I felt it to be difficult to keep track of and VERY time consuming to resize, organize, submit.  I also was lacking on sharing my photos with the my vendors I had worked with.  

Then came along Two Bright Lights!

OMG- I love them!

I submit my weddings, boudoirs, engagements on one site and it then enables me to link to all the vendors so they have access of their work plus it allows me to submit for publication.  WOW it is the most amazing marketing and organizational tool for a photog!

I have access to all my favorite publications and it keeps me informed of whom I submitted too and what the status is, plus my vendors don't have to wait for me to email them a zip file of pics (they have immediate access to them)!

I personally KNOW Two Bright Lights works, manages and promotes!

In one month I submitted 4 sessions to be considered for publication and 3 out of 4 have been accepted and one is still under review.

WOW!  

I love 2011!

Hot Pink Brides  accepted one of my most editorial styled boudoir sessions via Two Bright Lights. While Polka Dot Bride in Australia published one of my engagement sessions~ again through Two Bright Lights.

The Bridal Crate & The Baby Crate gave me front cover features and I am so thrilled they chose to feature me without me even submitting!

I am just so thankful for my peers' support and I can't wait what else {2011} brings!

Next stop NYC to visit my fave girls of the Bridal Crate Magazine, my fave photog Todd Laffler, my fave photog gear guru Joel Meisels of Adorama, and of course one of MY FAVE CITIES EVER!

Thanks everyone for your luv and support!  

I am so grateful to be amongst such amazing talent and to be able to do what I LOVE to do!!!!

Contact KrisD Mauga | View KrashingMotions Gallery | Book Me

{2011} The Year to be ME | Southern California Photography

I have to say {2010} was a year of trials and tribulation, challenges & growth.  I had this battle within myself.  I felt that the chaos of life was consuming me.  The entire year I felt as if I was searching for balance, searching for acceptance, searching really for myself.  Who was I?  Who was this person I had become?  Was this the real me? Am I worthy?  Am I a good mom?  Am I where I want to be in life?  I felt maybe as if I was lost.  I was lost in this jungle of searching for success & distanced from my responsibilities as a mother & wife.  I didn't completely neglect my family.  I spent much time with them but my mind and heart weren't really present.

 Just 2 days before {2011} arrived I felt something different in my heart & soul; it was sense of confidence and positivity that I had been searching within myself for a while.  It's bazaar how you can search for a feeling, try to make changes to achieve this feeling and once you actually just let it go, it comes to you!

So come the last quarter of 2010, I started to make positive changes in my life little by little.  My main goal was to take ownership of my life and not let my work's achievements or failures consume me any longer.   This has been something I have struggled with forever.  It's hard to hear "We REALLY love your work but we decided to go with someone else, sorry.  We'll be sure to recommend you to someone else though."  It took 3 years in this industry for me to realize, you can't win them all and you can't let the rejection painfully instill your mind with doubt.

So I worked on my mind and my soul to LET IT GO!

I can't even describe the feeling I have right now but it's good and I don't feel as if I'm in desperation to find it because the feeling I was missing for such a long time has arrived within me all on it's own.
So in {2011} I am no longer yearning for the search of happiness, success or confidence.  I have set it free and IT found me.
{2011} I shall just BE!

Do you ever feel like that?  The daunting feeling of soul-searching to figure out happiness?
If so, then let it go...
& just BE!

So I am still a work in progress, and I still face the daily challenges of balancing my family & work.  I have to remind myself to not lose myself in the chaos.  I have to accept the chaos as well and not fight it.
I will and always will try to balance this juggling act of life but I will no longer stress about it.  Yes there are dishes in the sink right now while I blog... and I'm not going to stress about it~ "Honey You might want to get on that because my mind is at ease while I work."
 I have to remember I am me, I accept me and I will continue to be a better me.


Many things have helped me through this self-discovery of acceptance:
my family & friends, my peers, my love for art & beauty, my peace of mind that life is what we make of it, and two books that I fell in love with as well...
of course everyone's fave "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert
& "Release Your Brilliance" by Simon T Bailey (whom I had the pleasure to see HIS BRILLIANCE in action).

Contact KrisD Mauga | View KrashingMotions Gallery | Book Me

Sneak Peak Creative Lifestyle Photography Session | Rancho Los Alamitos

So here is a sneak peak to a family shoot I shoot today at the "Rancho".  I have been wanting to go here and I finally had the opportunity!  I can't wait to finish this session and post my faves!  This family was so adorable and such a pleasure to work with.  Ahlea (the mommy) was one of my models for a past styled shoot (which I can not release the details just yet) and she emailed me in need of some shots of her family.

I met this vastly talented and beautiful family and was in awe of their beauty!

Thank you for having me as your photog!

Contact KrisD Mauga | View KrashingMotions Gallery | Book Me

New Year | New Stuff | Out with the Old & In with the New

I am so excited for {2011}!

Most people have resolutions and I try not to actually make resolutions but instead new goals and positive changes in my life- (I guess those could be considered resolutions).  The success or the failure of any really doesn't matter to me just as long as I tried and did it regardless!

Of course this year I am trying to become more organized.  I am looking into another management software to keep me more on track with production and communication with clients.
I am hoping the more organized I become, the more time I can free up to enjoy my life with my daughter & husband.  Momma can get very cranky and distant when I am bogged down with deadlines.

I'm also rebuilding my website!   I am very excited for a revised look and added work to my portfolio.  It seems daunting to update my website galleries since I keep everyone updated through my blogs, but it is definitely needed!  ShowItFast sites are so amazing & customizable.  I hope I can pull off a fabulous site!

I am putting myself out there more this year to.  I think now after 3 completed years of being in this industry and shooting with such amazing people I finally have the true confidence to represent myself, my work and my business.
The last 3 years I was building my portfolio, creating experience, figuring out the in's and out's of networking, and even searching for my place here.  I felt out of place when I would meet other photographers and vendors in the industry.  I can say I no longer feel like that little child.
Now I know I'm just me and my place is where ever I am.

I love to shoot and at one point I think I forgot that.  The work became work and the passion seemed secondary.  I now feel like I don't need to prove anything to anyone not even myself because I believe in myself and I believe in my passion.

I am exposing myself to new people, new ideas, new adventures and it feels amazing!
I'm traveling to NYC to meet some fabulous, amazing people and I can't wait to see what {2011} brings!  I hope to be shooting with one of my favorite photographers while I'm there (I'll let you know if it pans out).  If not I know I'm going to love the moment of just being n the city with camera in hand!

Yes this post was so "ME, ME, ME"... oh well, next time it will be all about someone else.
With that I wish you all an amazing 2011 and I hope we meet someday if we haven't already!

Contact KrisD Mauga | View KrashingMotions Gallery | Book Me

New York City eSession | Engagement Shoot Contest | KrashingMotions Photography

So I am heading to New York next month! I'm planning on visiting some of my online friends in the industry and first stop will be the Bridal Crate Magazine girls! These gals have been absolutely amazing! They promote fab vendors in the industry and the fact I'm included in that bundle of choices is true honor! They are also promoting this contest as well. So please check out my gals of the Bridal Crate Magazine!

Now as for the contest all you need to do is 1st be available to shoot in New York City on February 25th in the afternoon, then follow me on twitter oh and the Bridal Crate too, and last tweet the following "KrashingMotions is coming to NYC; we want a SHOOT @krisdmauga". ONe lucky couple will be chosen at random from the tweets on February 14th! Happy Tweeting!

Twitter handles to follow...

http://twitter.com/krisdmauga

http://twitter.com/TheBridalCrate

Contact KrisD Mauga | View KrashingMotions Gallery | Book Me

It's a New Year | New Look and Product for KrashingMotions

The middle of last year I rebranded my look, something that I think really suites my style.  Along with that I have been trying to revamp my product line as well when it comes to CD's, mailers etc.  The presentation of packaging is really important to me and it's been something I have been working on for the 3 years of me doing this.  I used to make everything, which became daunting and really it didn't present my brand as professionally as I wanted.  

So through this growth of change for 2010 I finished the year finding just the right product to pull off the look I wanted!

I found two companies that not only carry and match my style but also are green products which has been something i have focused on since the beginning.  

Loktah is my packaging for my Signature Wedding Collections; they finally have the exact colors I've always wanted. 

Loktah "essential element is the organic paper, a renewable source in the foothills of the Himalayas."

My other brand is Kraft & Jute!  I'm so excited about their products because they offer so much and again created from 100% eco-friendly kraft recycled papers.  They are custom with my logo and an extra touch of style is added with premium designed stitching!

The service is amazing and finally my packaging represents everything I want and at an affordable price!

I absolutely love Kraft & Jute; thanks Jessica for the fabulous service!

Contact KrisD Mauga | View KrashingMotions Gallery | Book Me