The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Day 35/90 – Bodyscaping Photography

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 35 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? I got to do a photoshoot with Ben Stadler-Ammon, including some bodyscaping work.

    I have friends who are amazing photographers. They’ve shot amazing photos of me over the years at Ignite Phoenix and doing flash mobs with Improv AZ. At the last Ignite Phoenix event, Ben asked if I’d be interested in doing a photo shoot with him. I jumped at the chance.

    One of the types of photo work Ben does is called bodyscaping. It’s a type of photography that is usually in black and white that focuses on shapes made with lighting and the curves of the body. (Yes, since this type of art focuses on the body, the photographer needs to see your body; therefore, most bodyscaping is done in the nude. And in case you were wondering, when you’re working with a professional photographer – like Ben – there’s nothing sexual about the shoot. It’s just about taking beautiful photos.) When done well, the resulting photos are absolutely gorgeous. Ben does an excellent job of capturing your best angles and making your eyes sparkle. We met for a shoot a few weeks ago and it was so much fun – and the photos were beautiful. Here’s my favorite one from that shoot:

    Gorgeous Photo by Ben Stadler-Ammon, June 13, 2015
    Gorgeous Photo by Ben Stadler-Ammon, June 13, 2015

    We did another shoot today. What made this one special was my friend and fellow model Sara Santiago was there to do some modeling and also learn about taking these types of photos to better understand how to take a good photo. It gave me a chance to learn about what makes a good photo and I got to take some shots with her so I got to see another artist’s perspective. Working with her was different because since this was her first time shooting, setting up shots took longer, which presented me with the challenge of holding still longer.

    Here’s something no one tells you about modeling – the most beautiful pictures involve contorting your body into poses that no normal person would use in their daily life. There’s a lot of twisting, back arching, and leaning in ways that no one does naturally. It’s funny at the time and the pictures that come from it are fantastic.

    Ben did some “organic” photos of me today too – just me being me. I can’t wait to see the results.

    In case you missed it: Day 34 of the 90 Days of Awesome – I finally hung my wall art.

  • Day 20/90 – I Love to Ride my Bike

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    Ruth Carter

    Day 20 of the 90 Days of Awesome is in the bank! What made today awesome? Riding my bike!

    New bike pic
    I love my bike.

    I love to ride my bike. It gets me where I need to go. It’s a good workout. And looking at the world at bike-speed gives me a much more complete picture of each neighborhood than when I’m driving.

    This morning, I jumped on my bike and rode to the library to return and check out DVDs. When I’m not going that far and if I have the time, I’d rather bike than drive to my destination. I feel so much more free when I ride. I love the feeling of wind whipping past me as I zip along. It also make me feel like I’m more connected with my surroundings compared to when I’m closed up in my car with air conditioning and the radio blaring.

    My quads could tell that it’s been awhile since I’ve done a ride but they settled in after the first mile. Today’s ride was 6 miles round trip. It was a gorgeous way to start the day. Every time I ride it makes me think that I should ride more and look into biking to work and training for an all-day ride.

    I need to ride more often.

    In case you missed it: Day 19 of the 90 Days of Awesome – Lunch with Julia!

  • Summer 2015 = 90 Days of Awesome

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    Ruth Carter

    Selfie from May 30, 2015
    Selfie from May 30, 2015

    I’ve decided to call June-August 2015, “90 Days of Awesome.” (Yes, I know technically there are 92 days in those three months but “92 Days of Awesome” sounds weird, so just go with it.)

    I am making a conscious decision to do awesome things this summer, but maybe not awesome in a way that you’re thinking. 2015 has been an amazing year so far for me – new job, Dad 2.0 Summit, The Undeniable Tour, and speaking at Ungagged in London are just some of the highlights – but I want to shift gears a bit for this summer. There are only two hard and fast rules for the 90 Days of Awesome:

    1. No airplanes.
    2. No dog kennels.

    While everyone else is fleeing the desert for cooler temperatures, Rosie and I are staying home. I want to work my ass off, focus on my health, exercise more, see my friends, and tackle some projects that I’ve been putting off. At first glance, it may sound like I’m going to be kicking back this summer, but that’s not true. (I’m pretty sure I’m incapable of “kicking back.”) I will be busy as ever, but I want it to be a different kind of busy – a more purposeful busy, with more exchanges of ideas and connecting with more people.

    I’ll also be laying the foundation for the fall and winter – especially in regards to speaking engagements. I have two speaking gigs already booked and at least four more in the works. I have a few other project ideas that I can’t start until the fall, but I can clarify my ideas and plans this summer.

    Of course, I’ll keep you in the loop on what I’m doing and I may invite you to participate in some of the shenanigans of the 90 Days of Awesome.