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4 Skin Care Tips for the New Year

Everyone pledges to eat consume only salad with water at the beginning of the New Year, or stop smoking, or workout everyday. All this great for you (except salad and water), but women usually don't make a New Year's resolution to take care of their skin. Day after day, week after week, year after year, nothing makes you look younger than skin care.

How is that New Year's diet going?

How is that New Year's diet going? You know the one where you say, "Starting at 12:00AM on Jan. 1st, I will only eat salads and drink water and loose all my weight by April." It really never works out. What is so different about New Year's Day? Just another day of the year. What is wrong with eating right and taking care of ourselves the other 364 days?

Thoughts about moving into 2023

To live deliberately is to make every ounce of the present matter. The present is all we have. The past cannot be changed, and we could be gone in a minute. So the key to living deliberately is being deliberate in your present. But it’s not easy. It takes constant focus and energy to concentrate on what you are doing right now and making it count. It’s easy to lapse into a comforting past memory or dream about what might happen in the future.

Dreamspeed photography Chilhowie virginia

“To See the Beauty and Elegance people tell me I have...”

I was thrilled when Sarah said that my photos made her “see the beauty and elegance people tell me I have.” This is my favorite part of being a photographer, showing the person I am photographing what everyone sees in them. I could see her “beauty and elegance” right away.

The Consultation

The first step when working with Dreamspeed Photography is the most important: the consultation. Before I photograph you, I want to know exactly what you want and make sure I’m the right photographer for you. We will meet at my studio just outside Chilhowie Virginia and talk about how YOU imagine your photoshoot going.

The Gathering-Soul Graffiti

I want to cherish my friends and document all that I can. Looking through the images of the party, I am reminded there are still a lot of friends left and lots of good times to be had. We have to take care of each other and remember where we came from. Record your life. Prove you were here. Images are soul graffiti; not only proof of your existence, but a chance for you to relive moments that were large and small.

Tips for dealing with anxiety as an entrepreneur

Are you an entrepreneur struggling with anxiety? If so, you're not alone. In fact, according to a recent study, nearly 60% of entrepreneurs report dealing with anxiety. And with the constant stress of running a business, it's no wonder many of us suffer from this debilitating condition. But there is hope! Here are four tips for dealing with anxiety as an entrepreneur. By following these simple tips, you can feel better and get back to running your business successfully.

You don't need an excuse to get a boudoir photoshoot

An intimate portrait isn't dirty or trashy. You can show very little skin and still be enticing. You can show a lot of skin and be refined and classical as a greek statue. The intimate part of an "intimate photoshoot" is not the clothing or the amount of skin showing; it is the photograph your authentic self. It takes courage to allow your authentic self to be seen.

Open Your Eyes

As I pawed through the racks at Lane Bryant looking for something to wear for my photoshoot, I dreaded trying on clothes because I didn’t want to know what size I had become. I could wait no longer. It had to be done.To create a great image, you must be vulnerable and able to open yourself up to something you would have never tried before. This is the case with my white jacket. I never wear white, but this jacket spoke to me. I thought it would look clean and uncluttered for one of my branding images. I tried it on over myLed Zeppelin t-shirt, and it felt right. I grabbed a sleeveless shell blouse to go with it.

What is the speed of your dreams?

I love creating images of peoples' dreams. When I start working with someone new, we have an in-depth consultation about how they would want to be photographed. I encourage my clients to step up and be brave enough to imagine themselves in a different way. This is one reason I named my studio Dreamspeed. What are the speed of your dreams? Are you traveling toward your dreams? I want to show you the person you have always dreamed you could be.

Rent the Runway

Dreamspeed Photography would like to introduce a new opportunity for those who want to make their portraits truly special. You can order designer clothes for your photoshoot with us. You can now order clothes from Rent the Runway for your photoshoot. But book soon. Only 4 dresses available for October.

We are not 21 anymore

It's time get unstuck on the fact that we are not 21 anymore. We never will be. Why should we measure ourselves by that physical yardstick? I'm 56 now. I've traveled, owned several businesses, and have 3 degrees. I look different. I don't look "worse." I look older. There is nothing wrong with looking older. It is part of life. And everyone deserves to have photos that mark every part of their lives. I don't want the last photo someone remembers of me is of a 21 year-old twit. I want them to remember the woman I am now.

Time to record the strongest moment of your life

Le Anne contacted me to get a headshot. When she came in to the studio for a consultation, I knew I had to photograph her. She is gorgeous and has so much style. She is fiercely her own person with a great sense of humor and honesty. She told me she hadn't had any photos taken in years.

How will you show up in 2023

You are the leader of your business and your clients want to see who they are doing business with. Now more than ever, it's so important to have beautiful, current headshots. When people look your business up online or on social media, they are going to see you. The last thing you want is a headshot that does not reflect who you are. It's not just a headshot. You can tell a lot about a person by looking at the care they put into the image.

The Place Memories Begin

My memories can stray and meander, but my photographs of him bring me back to the place where memories begin. Even photographs like this one taken long before I was born, in a place I never existed physically, connect me to him. I get a glimpse of his youth and his history. When fitting the pieces of his life together, I have photos to pin to those years, to fill out the arc of his life.

Tips for your headshot session

One reason people tend to put off getting a headshot is they don't know what to do about clothing and hair/makeup. Here are some tips for your next session. It boils down to be a real, polished version of yourself that people will recognize when they see your image.

The most important photoshoot of my life

I had no way of knowing this was the last time I would get to photograph my friend. He passed away completely unexpectedly, July 18 , 2022. I am shattered and trying to regain my footing. I enlarged two of the images to give to his children, Keith and Rowan, and they sat by Ron’s casket during the viewing and at the funeral. I have never been so proud of my work. I was honored they were used and thankful to be able to share them with his family and friends.

The Gratitude Potion

The older I get, the more I find the opposite of bitterness: gratitude. When my mind starts to wonder into unproductive, black corners, I remember all the amazing bright lights of my life. Gratitude is like a magic potion to put you on the right track.

Sarah and Lyra at Dreamspeed Photography

Every second counts

Years from now, how precious will these photos be to Lyra and Sarah? Sarah may remember that hot summer afternoon when these were taken. It was just before Lyra started taking dance, and she was busy planning a recital. And Lyra can share these photos with her grand- children, and tell them that their beautiful great-grandmother used to teach dance in Marion.

Cindy Goff Dreamspeed Photography Chilhowie Virginia

"I need to loose 40 pounds"

As a portrait photographer, the number one reason women give me for not wanting to be photographed is their weight. They tell me, “I need to lose 40 pounds, and then we will do it.” They are waiting for a stunning outward transformation before they can look at themselves, but that transformation must come from within. It starts with accepting exactly who you are at this moment.

Finding the real you

We are faced everyday with choices. Situations, that make up who we are. And we know when these choices come up. Do I drink that Coke when I’m on a diet? Do I stand up to someone who is belittling me? Do I keep working on the computer or watch Pretty Woman for the 100th time? You always know what to do to stay on your path. You just have to keep believing in yourself. Believe that your opinion is valid. Believe that you can achieve your goals. Believe in yourself.

Cindy Goff, going gray. Photo by Cat Ford-Coats

To gray or not to gray

What will I do with my gray? I’m not sure yet. It’s like that summer you noticed you had breasts and were not quite sure how best to wear them. Did you cover them up with lumpy sweaters or wear the lowest cut top you could find?

Black Friday 2022

I look at the sale as a way for me to meet new friends and create clients that will come back to me year after year. The only time of the year I offer a discount on my services are these few days of the Black Friday Sale. It is a chance for those who like my work to get in at a great price. Here is an opportunity for everyone to afford a professional session. It is the perfect gift for your loved ones. What is better than a full portrait session that is all about them? On Black Friday, $200 will get you a full one hour portrait session, $380 credit toward print, and complete hair and makeup.

Dreamspeed Photography Boudoir Valentine's Day Package

Dreamspeed Photography Valentine's Day Boudoir Package

Have you always wanted to have a boudoir photoshoot but you thought boudoir was for 21 year-old girls who are a size 2? It's not like that anymore. We are having a Valentine's Day Boudoir Special. You will get a consultation with me to talk in-depth about what you plan to wear. We will talk about what kind of photographs you want. You will come to the studio and be in professional hair and makeup for at least an hour. And we will photograph you in 5 different outfits, on different backgrounds, and make you feel like a queen.

Behind the scenes - Dreamspeed Photography

Why I was miserable at the photography conference and what I learned

After the first day I was so miserable, I almost went home. I didn’t care what it cost. But I made the decision to stay because I came to learn from the best. I did everything humanly possible to make that happen. For three days I went on like this, but I pushed through. In order to photograph all day, I didn’t get to shop at any of the vendor’s booths or go to any parties. I had to conserve my strength. The morning I left I felt relived. I'd made it.

Dear Universe, I'm going to Egypt

This is the worst time of year for me. It's not snowing, the sun isn't shining. It's muddy and gray. C.S. Lewis called it, "a waiting room of a world." Perhaps it's because there is no distinctive day into night and night into day. I find myself thinking about a vacation. I really want to go to Egypt. I have been mesmerized by Egypt since I was a kid. The beautiful colors that have survived thousands and thousands of years painted on the walls of tombs, the golden outfits and huge headdresses, and giant pyramids are the stuff of a culture that just doesn't seem real. But it is. I can go see it.

Beauty and Fashion Tips and Tricks for Your Senior Portrait

Obviously, you want to look like the best version of yourself on your session day. After all, all these photos will be seen by your friends, family and peers for many years to come. Here are a few tips and tricks where beauty and fashion are concerned.

Ace's & 8's - Getting Serious About Your Brand

“Ace's & 8's is a lofty name. It draws a mental image that, should we fail to live up to, will leave the audience feeling like they've been sold a false bill of goods. We're a band of working class musicians, playing working class music, for working class people."

Women Over 40 and the media

Women over 40 may appear in a family photo, but in that situation they are not the focus of the portrait, only part of a supporting cast. As a portrait photographer, I have heard so many times, "Oh, don't photograph me, I just want pictures of the kids/grandkids." Women over 40 are used to be passed over by popular media, so why would they expect anyone to photograph them?

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