Photography is my "kid in the candy store" passion. I love being able to capture such exciting and important moments in my clients lives, it's truly an honor. I see life through a lens, using God's given surroundings as my everyday inspiration.
I am after the real you, not stiff and posed portraits and cheesy smile. I strive to bring a fresh and unique perspective of who my amazing clients are. We might get a little goofy and I can guarantee we will laugh. I have an eye for quirky and beautiful moments. I believe your photographs should tell a story of who you are, and I would love to tell your story.
This blog is a collection of both personal and professional. It's the home of the latest and greatest of my sessions, happenings and a bit of everyday life. Take some time to peek around and leave a comment or two. I read each and every one, and would love to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by, see you soon!
Gina Zeidler
I am a group fitness + gym junkie
Vintage + Quirky details make me happy
I love singing at the top of my lungs with the windows down in my car
I have a cute husband and pup
My life is full of design
I cry at every wedding and extreme home makeover show
Families that laugh together are my favorite
I heart my iPhone
Chai Tea is my cup of choice
I enjoy a bonfire on a cool summer night
Baby Chub makes me giggle
Music makes me tick
I am leaving on a jet plane, ok maybe not a jet plane, but a plane to Las Vegas baby. WPPI here I come!! I am super excited to be sharing some rocking evenings, sleepovers and parties with some great peeps. See you on the flip side!
* Clients. I will be returning all emails & voicemail’s when I return on Thursday. Thanks and have a great week!
Can you believe it is March already? It seem like I wrote this post ages ago. Here is my February self portrait. Man let me tell you these don’t get any easier for me. A whole ball of emotions well up inside when I put together these posts.
This month was definitely plum-full of introspection. I have been processing my thoughts, moods and decisions in depth. I am fighting feeling uncomfortable and trying to get the core of my fears or beliefs that are holding me back. One of the specific things I have been wrestling with is how I see myself. I am utterly critical of every single imperfection I have.
I recently have been introduced to Hot Yoga and I absolutely love it. It’s a great workout and awesome detox because its between 105-109 the whole time you are in there. During the class the teacher instructs you to find your eyes/gaze in the mirror in front of you. Here comes me being super vulnerable….. I know this sounds small, but this is so hard for me. I don’t like looking at myself. The minute I lift my eyes I can only see my problems. My shirt isn’t fitting right, I am not small enough, my hair is making me look like a boy, my cheeks are chubby….I could go on and on people.
I don’t want to be this way. I want to look into the mirror and love the me that is present at that moment, boy hair and all.
I can’t wait till the month I share a self-portrait where I am not looking away, but proudly sharing the present me without reservations. Until then, I am working through it. Which is ok. Because it’s really about the journey and not just the destination, right Emily?
- Beautiful Photo! Gina, I truly consider myself lucky to have met you! You are such an inspiration and have such a huge heart! I'm excited to see where life takes you and your talents. There are no flaws and I can't wait to see those eyes of yours!
- Gina...you are so NOT alone with this! It would be nice if we all naturally accepted our imperfections and moved on...but that's just not the case. Putting yourself out there on your blog is a great achievement and a step in overcoming these fears. Cheers to you.
- Ohhh yes mam that's right! I so know what you mean. And I admitadly laughed when I read your "flaws" that you see. I thought "she's crazy! Those are MY FLAWS!" So funny what we see in ourselves that no one else does. <3
- I totally have to comment on this because it's something I have been thinking about - and struggling with myself - a lot lately. I have been very harmful and hard on myself in the past. And one day, when I was whining about how my lip curls up crookedly when I smile and how ugly that was, I stopped and actually listened to what I was saying. I wondered how I would feel if I heard my gorgeous, spectacular, amazing daughter (who happens to have inherited that quirky little lip curl) say these kinds of critical things about herself. It would break my heart. Because when I look at her I see nothing but perfection. Her smile is a miracle and the very idea that she might find some flaw in her beautiful face was crushing. So lately I've been trying to see in the mirror what my Dad must have seen when he looked at me. It's a sort of experiment, a challenge I have issued to myself. And, as cheesy as it sounds, it actually works. The world needs a little more love, I think. Starting with loving ourselves is both the easiest and the hardest thing to do. But personally I'm a little happier when I catch a glimpse of my reflection these days. Life's too short and you're WAY too beautiful to be so hard on yourself. Chin up, girl. Enjoy that journey. :)
- And I daily pray that your strength in yourself only grows to be able to see the person I know. I want to see your eyes stat.
- Gina you are a REMARKABLE and beautiful woman! So proud to know you, and to be a witness to the journey that you are on. To me you are one of the strongest women I know, and when we talk, you constantly ask questions that I need to hear. Lots of processing and thoughts going on down here too.. HUGS!
The only way to have a friend is to be one. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
I wish you a weekend of relaxation over a good cup of joe/chai/wine and great friends and families laughter. Recharge. Refresh. Renew. Invest in your family and friends who support you. Take time for them. This is something I am trying improve on. So join me in setting aside the phone, the email, and the television. Listen. Laugh. Learn. and Love. It’s good for the soul.
As I promised I am posting the video blog outtake reel. But I also wanted to share website called 1000 awesome things I came across awhile ago and now I visit it whenever I need a pick me up. 1000 Awesome Things is just a time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things. It’s great at reminding me of the little wins in life. I find myself laughing and saying “I know right?” I think I might even need to the pre-order the book too. Follow them on twitter for a daily updates.
Here are some of my favorites:
#603 When the DJ plays your request
#925 Watching ‘The Price Is Right’ when you’re at home sick
#771 Waking up before your alarm clock and realizing you’ve got lots of sleep time left
#912 Hanging your hand out the window of a car
#574 Nudging the shower faucet a little bit hotter then a little bit hotter
#705 When you’re sitting in the backseat of a packed car and the driver takes a turn really fast
Here is my own little awesome things mini list. What would be on yours? I would love to hear.
1001 : The warmth of a puppy cuddling near you.
1002: First sip of hot chai when you are freezing
1003: Realizing the person in the car next to you in singing the same song
1004: Having someone else come to the bathroom with you (this might be a ladies thing)
1005: Feeling detoxed after a long Yoga workout
1006: Chatting on with a friend on Skype when their screen freezes on a hilarious and priceless face
1007: Fast Forwarding through commercials on DVR
1008: Hearing your favorite workout song in the middle of a hard cardio class
1009: Catching up with a old friend
1010: Watching people on Wipeout trying to cross the big balls
1011: Reading old notes or notebooks that you wrote in junior high
Ok, without further adieu. This was just too hilarious not to share. But sometimes you just have to get into the groove to make sense on camera. Yes. I am a nerd. I own that. Happy Friday!
- You crack me up! Love it.
- 100% -love/laughed out loud/adore you for posting- the outtakes!! and thanks for the cool/fun new twitter to follow!! ps. have you heard of/follow the shit-my-dad-says account? that's funny as well! (sorry for being obsessed with /'s) :]
- You are HILARIOUS! Love the outtakes. L.O.V.E them.
- I love you for not posting certain photographical evidence of #1006. :)
- i totally grinned at 1003. i love that and immediately start laughing. we should catch up sooooon.
- HAHA! These are awesome and so true. I love the feeling of bubbles in my mouth from sparkling water, soda or champagne. I love hitting publish on my blog posts and I love seeing photos of love on photographer blogs. It's the little things...
The video blogs are getting easier my friends, this one only took a couple of times (ok maybe 7 or so) and a little editing. Pretty soon I will be knocking these out on the first try, with time to spare right? Tomorrow, look for a hilarious outtake reel from creating this vlog. Like… I can’t believe Gina is posting this video hilarious.
In this vlog I take you through some pointers I picked up from my latest read Never eat alone by Keith Ferrazzi. This book is a great resource about connecting with people and truly investing in them. Keith is a genius in creating lasting networking relationships. His exercises & tips in this book are super valuable and eye opening. Enjoy.
(and really YouTube? the screen shots you pull are always so flattering (not) Right here I look like I am ready to pronounce the “ch” sound. Like Charlie, Chimiganga, Cha Cha, ChattanOOga…ha. I digress.)
Get Keith Ferrazzi video blogs or buy this book. They are both great business resources!
- Going to go out and buy this book tomorrow! Thanks for the great video post! :)
- Thank you for this post Gina!! It is very inspirational to me to not worry about what others might think and to get out there and just connect with those that are going to encourage, support, and inspire you!
Recently, I came across this post from Tara Whitney ( if you have never seen her work before… get ready to be blown away) In her post, she mentions on how you can publish and back-up your twitter feed. I have always wondered if they had this type of service. I actually would love one for facebook that pulls all of your status’s since you started, since I have been on it longer than twitter. I think it would be quite interesting to see what I was thinking in February 2004, my updates on my wedding day or my 21st birthday.
If you think about it our social media clients (facebook, twitter, tumblr) have become virtual scrapbooks, pages and pages of history in our lives. Literally if someone wanted to get to know you they could peruse through your updates and recieve a pretty interesting first impression.
I was blown away at reading through my twitter feed from early 2008. The way I looked at life – my frustrations, thoughts, hopes. One thing I painfully noticed was how much I complained then. I used to consistently crab about the traffic, my lack of sleep, how hungry I was. I was consistently enforcing my negative mood by writing them down in 140 characters. Now, I definitely believe in being totally authentic in all that you do, so that will include the random frustration updates, and the “I am eating taco bell right now, nummy” but what I have realized is this: If I choose to focus on the positive then I am battling my negatives with an unstoppable force. Most of the things I was complaining about were in my control. I complained about being tired: hmm go to bed earlier, Gina, then you won’t be tired. Overworked and stressed?? well, Gina, take on less and prioritize your time better.
Now I am not here to be your twitter police, yet as trivial as a tweet may seem, think of your audience. Do you think your followers/clients want to hear about the terrible traffic or your extra tummy fluff in every other update? How can you add value to their everyday? What kind of online legacy do you want to leave?
Enjoy these nummy set of books that I found during my latest antique store run. They just don’t make books like this anymore. I just love the textures and colors.
- I saw a fb application that jumbled your status from the previous year, somehow through my clicking I was able to access all of mine by date. It was definitely eye opening. Definitely a good point and those books are loverly.
- Oh my, I will have to check out that service for the twitter feed. I'm with you though, I think my facebook one would be way more interesting. That or my AIM statuses from back in the day. Love those books, I miss the detail on books like that.
Somedays, you just have to pull out your superpower cape and put on your game face.
This would explain how I got through this week. Except for my super cape consisted of hugs from my husband, yoga, chai and my little puppies cuddles. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Isn’t this little guy the cutest thing.
Also, if your finger needs an extra click go here and vote. Thanks so much in advance.
On another freezing Minnesota day. I am missing these California Blues in the depths of my heart. Blue sky, blue/green water, sand, bright happy lines and colors. I would love to spend a week in Hermosa or Manhattan Beach, CA to decompress. Get up each day, wander into the little red coffee shop and then head to the beach with my toes in the sand & just breathe in the air. If you could decompress anywhere, where would you go?
- These are beautiful! I was just thinking this same thought a couple weeks ago. February in MN is always torture for me! I had to stop looking at pics from my Cali trip! If I could go anywhere today, it would be St. Croix in the caribbean :) LOVE these colors!
- oh yes i like how you think. if i could decompress anywhere right now it would be hawaii. i can already feel my toes in the sand, the tradewinds in my hair, and taste the mai tai. beautiful pictures.
My girl Eliesa hosted a MN Photostars mixer tonight and here is a sneak peek of some of the fun. It included some photobooth, face jowling/jostling(did i even say that right?), hats, pyramids, crooked instax max photos, wind and fire 
. I met some awesome people, we have quite the talented group here in the twin cities. I was so excited to see the amount of people that attended and to meet new faces, I hope to get a chance to chat with everyone next time!
- so stoked we got to do this! and the fact that the sparklers worked...we were so determined!
- I seriously had the BEST TIME. Love all of you. Like whoa. (PS - I'm totally stealing these images.)
- Gina - these are great! Wish I could have stayed a bit longer! It was a load of fun though!
- pure awesome.
- This is what I missed?!?!?! BUMMER. Next time, I won't poop out and leave at 9pm. :)
- looks like a great night!
- It really was a fun night! So many talented people in one room! :) Cute pictures!
- HA! Love these! What a fun night that was! LOVEe
Close your eyes and trust it, just trust it :: Glitter in the air -Pink
When Matt took this picture of me, I was just at the beginning of my eyes being opened to my passions & life goals. I remember exactly how the wind off the waves felt on my face at the beach in Watercolor. I have been playing this song on repeat while looking through photos. It just hits home on so many levels for me (plus her Grammy performance was beautiful art).
My favorite line of this song :: Have you ever looked fear in the face, and said I just don’t care ::
I want to do this daily. Bring it fear, cause right behind you is amazing accomplishments.
- love this. thank you.
- I'm FINALLY getting caught up on blogs and this post just captures my heart. Wow, Gina, you are so beautiful. Your last quote is priceless. Thank you for sharing this moment.
- such a fan of you! awesome image. really looking forward to talking again soon!
- Your blog continues to inspire me everyday! Your photography is incredible! Your words are so inspiring to me! Keep reaching those goals, because you are doing terrific things!
- Such beautiful thoughts, lady! "I was just at the beginning of my eyes being opened to my passions & life goals." Isn't that an INCREDIBLE, terrifying, amazing space to be in?
- thanks for the post! I needed this today.....I am ready to say bring on the fear :)
- Beautiful post :)
by Zeidler Photography
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