Monthly Archives: August 2011

Courtnall Red Carpet Gala arrivals July 23, 2011 (Part 1)

Yes, I know I should have posted these earlier, but a few things had to be taken care of first before I could post more blog posts.

It was such a great event, and I was very happy to be there. The ladies on the red carpet looked absolutely stunning! They definitely would inspire any young fashionista out there.

I was assisting Ian in trying to get the best shots of the celebrities on the red carpet by the Victoria Empress Hotel. The Empress Hotel always has great events going on. The gala was followed by the Courtnall Celebrity Classic tournament. The Courtnall Brothers put on this tournament and the gala to help raise funds to improve the quality of life and care for mental health patients. You can read more about their cause  HERE.

Some of the people that were present at this event include: Aaron Pritchett, Manny Malhotra, Willie Mitchell, Candace Cameron Bure, Geoff Courtnall, Bruce Courtnall, Russ Courtnall, Greg Adams, Valeri Bure, Don Felder, Kathrin Nicholson, Lochlin Munro, Jennifer Finnigan, and Jonathan Silverman.

We rushed over there thinking it was going to be at 4:30, but apparently it didn’t start until 6pm, so we had enough time for beef burritos at La Fiesta Cafe (AMAZING by the way..just so you know if you’re in Victoria this is a great place to eat..1001 Douglas Street).

Enjoy the photos below. 🙂 (Images copyright of Ian Simpson/IMS FotoGrafix)

Yes, come back for part 2!

What’s in Store for Me and AH Life & Style?

Hey ladies and gentlemen,

It’s about time that I posted a behind-the scenes kind of post which will talk about some things that have gone on outside of this blog. I haven’t been updating it as often, but that does not mean that I have forgotten about you. You are the best, and you definitely keep me writing & taking photos! I appreciate all the great emails that you send me from time to time.

My goal is to provide you all with information that you can benefit from if you are somehow involved in the fitness, fashion, beauty, and modeling industry, as well as share photos and other little fill-in tidbits.

With that being said, I LOVE this. However, for me to be able to continue to go on with AH Life & Style, I must take part in information gathering, training, and create experiences for myself that can make this a better place for my readers. Sure, I can take the easy way out and just rehash the same content that other bloggers are publishing, but I don’t like to do that.

I want to bring something new and fresh to my ever-evolving online publication. 🙂

So, here is what is going on:

**I was super-busy with my second to last semester in business school (the joy of being a 4th year student). Only 4 more months of actual school and 1 year worth of work experience, and I will have my Bachelor of Commerce degree.

**Recently, I signed up for personal training certification courses. Well, why not, right? I mean I am already a fitness enthusiast and former high school athlete, so why not become a credible one. That way, you guys and gals will have more up-to-date, more accurate, and more in-depth information about fitness, nutrition, and weight loss.

**I am trying to get rid of clutter. I have some stuff that I have not needed/worn/used for the past 3 years or longer, and I feel that it is time to let go if I were to move forward. If you have not used something for 3 years, are you really ever going to use it again? So, I think that I will sell some stuff, donate the stuff that doesn’t sell to charity, and throw out the stuff that can’t be disposed of in the previously mentioned ways.

**I am working on lining up interviews with some amazing people in the fashion/modeling industry, but dealing with 3rd parties when you are trying to contact them can be tough. However, I will not give up, because like I said, I want to provide YOU with information and YOU are the reason for my motivation, even when it gets tough.

**I am in the process of selecting some New York fashion & fitness bloggers that I would like to hire to write some of the content for AH Life & Style. I was looking for amazing people to work with, got an overwhelming amount of replies from interested and qualified writers. I am still going through the process, and although I initially wanted to hire 2, I might have to hire more.

**Other things are coming up, but I am not allowed to disclose them just yet. 🙂 Soon enough though.

**I have been taking pictures, but I have not had a chance to post them, but I will.

**An interview with an amazing Victoria personal trainer is currently in “Drafts”. So stay tuned for that one.

**I am seeking partnerships with reputable publications/websites who would be interested in publishing/reprinting some of my upcoming articles.

**I have secured a partnership with a highly reputable online community, whose name I am not yet disclosing, because I want that to be a surprise!

**AND…Last but not least!! Don’t forget to enter the GIVEAWAY sponsored by amazing clothing designer Laura Ashton!!!!!!

So, what have you been up to in July and what is in store for you in August?

Just a thought: “To blog I gotta live, but not necessarily the other way around”

How to Attract People Worth Working With

When you are looking for new people to work with, it is very important to present yourself in a way that will help you attract desirable collaborative teams, as opposed to those that are not worth your time.

Whether you are a model, clothing designer, photographer, or make-up artist, you can benefit by reading this article. If you want to be taken seriously as a creative professional, it is important to treat your craft/etc as a business. Even if you are not doing this full-time nor intend to, if you display that you are serious about your craft, other people will also take you more seriously.

So, what do you do to minimize collaboration requests from those you don’t want to work with and maximize the response from those that you desire to team up with?

1. Show only your best photos.When you are putting a portfolio together, use only the best photos that showcase your work. You do not have to put up 40 or more photos just because that’s what the limit might be. I believe that 10 great photos are far better than 40 or even 60 poorly done photos.

2. Fill out your Model Mayhem profile completely. When you are filling out your Model Mayhem profile, follow the steps outlined in this post. It is very important that you do not undermine the importance of having it filled out properly.

3. Do not post tacky images all over your “About Me” section. To make it easier on the people viewing your profile, do not splatter tacky images all over your “about me” section on Model Mayhem because most people just want to know the basics, such as whether or not you have tattoos and scars, what previous experience you have, as well as what you are interested in and would like to accomplish. If you have tearsheets, then yes, by all means, put them in your “about me” section because those are indicative of your experience.

4. Watch your spelling and grammar. Unless English is not your first language, there should be no excuses for improper spelling/grammar. Firefox has spellcheck and if you don’t use Firefox, then you can use Microsoft Word to make drafts of your messages, profile text, etc. Whenever people come across a profile that is all written in text speak or in capitals, some might deem you to be lazy and not serious because you didn’t even bother to check your spelling. Essentially, your “about me” on your profile is equivalent to a summary on a resume or a cover letter. If you wrote your resume or cover letter that way, would you get the job?

5. Don’t post drama. People don’t need to know about every bad experience you have had with other people. So if you want to work with serious professionals, then don’t bring drama because they have no time for BS.

6. Write a proper message when contacting people. When initiating contact with people that you want to work with, write a proper message, as opposed to “hey, wanna shoot sumtime?” or “u r so sexi, lets shoot”, or other messages of such nature. When you are sending someone a message, you should first introduce yourself. Then, tell the other person what you are looking to shoot/describe your concept, why you like their work, what you offer as compensation, and when/where you want to do the shoot.

7. Initiate contact. The best way to attract people worth working with is to somehow contact them first. If you are new, then won’t know that you exist unless you make them aware of your presence. You don’t just want to add them as a friend though, since a lot of people just accept all friend requests without even looking at people’s portfolios. So, if you want to add someone as a friend, especially if it is someone that you want to work with, tag or message them first.

8. Do not post huge “No TFP” signs on your profile if you are new. Just because more experienced people do it, does not mean that it is right for someone who is just starting out. Some people, when they come across a profile with such sign, they will simply click the “back” button and go to a different profile. You want your profile to be as welcoming as possible for people to contact you.

9. Ask for testimonials. If you end up working with a high caliber Model Mayhem member, then the best way to attract other people of that caliber that are worth working with is to ask him/her for a recommendation/testimonial to put on your website/profile. (It’s like if Donald Trump publicly states that you’re an amazing business person, chances are, other people in business will believe him and will want to work with you.)

10. Write in a welcoming way. Make your profile on Model Mayhem or any other social networking site as welcoming as possible. You should also make it easy to read and understand. Don’t write irrelevant, long-winded paragraphs describing every detail of your life, people will not care.

So, how do you attract people that you want to work with?

Aviva

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