2016 Best of Oakland & the East Bay!

2016BestofOaklandBannerI’m thrilled to have been voted Best Commercial Photographer in Oakland Magazine‘s 2016 Best of Oakland and the East Bay contest — for the second year in a row! Thank you all so much for taking the time to vote! The flood of kindness (and emails!) from so many of my dear clients and friends warmed my heart.

I feel honored to be a part of a community that celebrate its members; so much that over 175 winners are recognized throughout the East Bay every year! How amazing to be a part of a community that has the diversity to award over 175 different categories, and community-minded patrons who see the significance of shopping local!

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of the July issue of Oakland Magazine to check out the full list of this year’s local favorites!

Happy summer, everyone!

-Nancy

 

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

Mini-Interview with Katie Macks, Your Guide to Glow

Katie_Macks-11-24-14-3097RT

Meet Katie Macks: founder of Get Your Glow On, providing transformational coaching and training to growth-oriented individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Get your Glow On is centered on the philosophy that individual positivity has the power to ripple kindness and meaning well into the universe. And who doesn’t want that!

I was lucky to have met Katie (and all her positive energy) through our shared networking group. Naturally, I wanted to share her effervescent spirit, so I asked her to do a mini-interview for the blog!

Here we go!

-Nancy

Katie_Macks-11-24-14-3144RT

What is the philosophy behind GLOW? Get your Glow On is centered on the philosophy that Glow is the thread that connects all living things on this planet. Our Glow thrives in both our strength and our vulnerability vs defensiveness and arrogance and it thrives in our compassion vs comparison. Glow liberates us from the limitations that we place upon ourselves and others, and is the pathway to freedom and joy through curiosity, creativity and connection!

What does it mean to get your GLOW on? GLOW is an acronym for Growing – Loving – Opening – Willing; it’s a deep dive into personal development focusing on the most important relationship any of us will ever have, the relationship with ourselves. So often in life we are run by our deep-seated beliefs that often unconsciously drive the choices that we make. Many of us don’t even question the choices we make and we wonder why our circumstances are what they are. Do you ever feel like your life’s circumstances run you rather than feeling like you are in the drivers seat of your life? Getting Your Glow On is about liberating your soul’s full expression: moving from feeling like a victim of your circumstances, to recognizing that you always have choices in your life even if your choices are difficult.

What is a simple step that people just don’t take that can really help them get their GLOW on? Pausing and breathing. Most of us have knee jerk reactions to people’s behaviors, events and circumstances. If we pause and take deep breaths we may get a new perspective. Two keys to learning about yourself and others are to be curious and to be neutral. If you can get curious and find out where others are coming from you may learn that virtually nothing others do is personal to you. Most conflict comes from our own interpretation of what is happening around us. If you are to get curious you may very well learn that other peoples actions and behaviors are a reflection of how they see the world not how you see the world. One of my favorite sayings is “We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are” -The Talmud. There is so much to learn when we can seek understanding rather than focusing on being “right” about our interpretation.

What’s the most empowering habit people can incorporate into their daily lives? Do your best to not make assumptions and make it a practice to be curious rather than taking things personally. If you are curious you will learn that people’s beliefs, behaviors, attitudes and assumptions are their own and have nothing to do with you. These two things alone can transform your life in unimaginable ways!

What is your favorite thing to cook? Kabocha squash soup.

Find Katie: Facebook | Web

Katie_Macks-11-24-14-3124RT

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

Finalist for Best of Oakland 2016!

2016BestofOaklandBannerI am thrilled to be a finalist in this year’s Commercial Photographer category of Oakland Magazine’s Best of Oakland and the East Bay contest! It was such an honor to win last year, thanks to all of your support!

Voting is easy — no login required. Just scroll down to Goods & Services and you’ll find me under “Best Commercial Photographer.”

I know I’ll be voting for my local favorites before the ballots close May 31st.

Thank you for taking the time to vote! I hope to see you soon!

Warmly,

Nancy

 

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com

Turning Twenty: A Decisive Moment

Claudia GonzalezIt’s not often that I have the opportunity to photograph a subject I know with certainty is at a pivotal juncture in their life. Just prior to the mark of her 20th birthday, Claudia asked me to photograph her before the end of her adolescence as a gift to her mother.

Claudia_Gonzalez-02-19-2016-0030-0033RT2

Claudia wanted to be photographed outdoors, serene and woodsy, in the way of a Midsummer Night’s Dream. It seemed unfortunate at the time that the date of our session — the last date possible — was forecast to rain, with the elements markedly against us. Thanks to Claudia’s sense of adventure, however, the wind and mist presented an added air of spontaneity and mischief.

“The setting was like I always imagined it, even better with the lake.  I was super cold but I’m glad it didn’t show in the pictures!  The wind was a plus!  And I’m glad my ideas for the shoot were all accepted.”

There is a sense of magic at a moment when everything is possible. Thank you, Claudia, for inviting me to share that moment!

I wish you all the best as you begin your next chapter. I hope it is filled to the brim with new adventures!

– Nancy

Claudia_Gonzalez-02-19-2016-0045-0055-0060

877-881-7221 | nancyrothstein.comnancy@nancyrothstein.com