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July 2010: My husband and I recently visited the Mummy Exhibit at the Nelson Atkins this summer and were blown away by the artifacts and history. We were especially intriqued by the whole preservation process and detailed carvings in the reliefs. I remember thinking that the lighting, massive columns and entry were very unique. What a great place for a guy's senior portrait. So when Christian asked us to do his portrait, we naturally suggested the Nelson. He also selected the KC Plaza with it's waterfalls, iron bridges and international flag display along Brush Creek. A small cold front provided perfect temps for our evening shoot with Christian, who by the way, has great hair and a very easy going personality. You can see from these shots that he is very comfortable in front of the lens.
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| June 4, 2010: Madelynn raises several varieties of rabbits for 4H. She often has several tiny babies born in the spring and summer. She showed me their cages and how the mother rabbits takes fur from her chest to create the nest, The tiny guy in this photograph was very laid back and kept falling to sleep during the portrait session on the Yalowitz' family farm. Each time she went to pick him up and move him, he would startle and get very wide-eyed. In several shots, he made me laugh because he was very cooperative. He had no problem showing us his pink underbelly and round foot pads. (FYI--laughing while hand holding on a low ISO and shutter speed promotes camera shake (makes pictures blurry). I can never resist the opportunity to show Madelynn's freckles and captivating blue eyes. Madelynn spends a great deal of her spare time holding the bunnies to help tame them for shows and practices posing them for future judging at the annual Miami County fair. We hope she wins a purple ribbon this year!
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May 28, 2010: I first met Maleta 3 years ago while taking senior portraits of her step-daughter, Haley. Maleta is a very attentive and caring person. I am blessed by her humble friendship as a sister in Christ. Maleta and Harry recently celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary and wanted to forever capture this milestone occasion with a formal couple's portrait session at their home and include some of their lovable bulldogs. They actually raise french bulldogs and had some interesting stories to share. Our very best wishes to Maleta and Harry for a continued loving relationship and Christ-honoring marriage.
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May 19, 2010: A big hug and congratulations to all the 2010 Graduates. We took the liberty of naming names to recognize them for a job well done and because they are so very special to me: Zacchary Parish, Garrett James, Nicholas Snodgrass, Astrid Hyland, Kymbre Dwyer, Felicia Evans, Jake Lowman and Gwendolynn Baumgardner. May God bless you and keep you safe! And, of course, a few favorite portraits to share with you... :-
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April 9, 2010: Jen and Greg Hines fell in love twice. Once as high school sweethearts and then again after starting their own businesses. Greg loves farm life, tractors and all things outdoors. Jen frequents garage and yard sales when she is not managing her salon. The couple's ceremony and love story was very sentimental and much anticipated by every one who knows them. A few weeks prior to their wedding day, we arranged for a late afternoon, lakeside bridal session of Jen in her sparkling satin gown and free-flowing veil. Clear skies, gentle breezes and setting rays made for a very memorable evening with the girls. Several portraits show a more glamorous side with a flare for spontaneity and clowning around. If you have not met Jen, you can find her at Frankies, her very own beauty salon and boutique here in Louisburg.
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April 6, 2010: The Hauer grandchildren were absolutely thrilled with being able to play and romp outside with their cousins. While they were sitting in the green grass goofing with each other, I laid down in front of them to get a lower perspective which is close to the ground for children's portraits. The air was comfortable and had a slight breeze, perfect of holding up some hand-held wind whirlies. The early morning sunlight (my preferred portraiture lighting) rises quickly and provides a soft, whiter cast-- nature's softbox. Every one enjoyed the rocks, pond and rich green grass at Hauer's Turf Farm. The children's attire was carefully coordinated in soft blue and bright yellow polka dots, stripes and argyle patterns, down to the socks. A special thanks to Cindy for letting us use their farm pond and walk/lay on their new soft and tender grass. We hope Gary enjoyed his special Father's Day portrait.
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| Oct 2009: Not long after the Cohrs trip, we had another early morning session with the Velasquez family--Carlos, Jen and Macio. They also traveled from Colorado to visit with the Yalowitz family and have their family portraits taken. It had been several years so we were happy to give them some lasting memories together. We enjoyed getting several close-ups of Jen and Carlos together. Jen's eyes are so vividly blue and Carlos' smile very welcoming. We paired up the cousins Macio and Madelynn for a few fun tummy and back-to-back poses on the hay. We feel like part of our extended families live in Colorado. :-) |
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Sept 2009: Tomasita & Dan
Ahhh! I simply love morning portrait sessions! I have recently had the pleasure of taking several family portraits for the Yalowitz, Cohr and Velasquez families. They have all been such troopers about getting up so early and taking in the early morning sunshine and bird songs while we set-up outside on our home studio lawn. The reasons I prefer morning light over evening, are several...my Granddad always spoke of the beautiful pure light and always preferred this light over evening light; the natural cloud cover or fog added to the waking sunrise work together beautifully for a soft white lighting effect and to soften skin tones. Tomisita and Dan escaped the chilly fall weather in Colorado for a trip to Kansas to spend some time with Lisa, Bryan and their granddaughter Madelynn. After about 30 minutes into the shoot, the sunlight starting breaking through the fog and we needed a scrimmer to distill the sunlight. While we do have to work more vigorously given the increasing light, the results are always well worth the effort! So, if you want the best light for outside portraits, better rise and shine early. We're always serving spicey hot tea with honey and strong coffee to help you wake up!
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Aug 2009: Kymbre and Astrid - 2010 LHS Graduates
I have known these 2 amazing young ladies since their middle school years when I accompanied the Louisburg choirs. I have had the pleasure of teaching them piano and attended several of their high school band, choir productions, plays, etc. I am proud of them for several reasons--their focus, maturity, musical and scholastic achievements. They are both going away to college to learn independence and pursue their collegiate interests. I look forward to learning of their developing careers and learnings along the way. It's not every day that you get to teach best friends who geniunely care and have a heart for helping others. Kymbre and Astrid, my prayers and love go with you both as you begin your next journey. May your lives serve as light in a dark world and your example continue to cause others to rise above the norm. Love, Kat
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July 2009: Dugger Family
Gabrielle and Caroline are sisters and explore everything together. They especially like trying to train their new dog Frosty, who at times would rather be left to do his own exploring. :-) We took their family portrait session at the Louisburg Lake during an early morning sunrise. (My favorite time to shoot). They were troopers. Even Frosty participated that early.
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June 2009: Yalowitz Family
Madelynn is a very special little girl. She has a gift with training animals. Her Mom wanted to get some summer fun family portraits of Madelynn with braces and also some after her braces were removed. Everyone decided to get up early for this shoot. The morning sunrise and clour cover provided for some nice skin tones and eye catch lighting during the shoot. As you can see, this family enjoys the outdoors. I am also a big fan of Madelynn's freckles, having a few of my own. :-)
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May 25, 2009: Karla's Getting Married
I have known Karla and her family for about 13 years. I remember late evening chats with her and her brothers when they were bike riding our neighborhood. (We have taken senior portraits of Karla and her brother Kyle.) When she told me she was getting married, her eyes had that look--the swept away look She could not have found a better Christian guy than Matt. He is so sweet and attentive. The evening weather for the shoot was light rain, cloudy and humid. We almost rescheduled until I noticed the rain start to fade. The first few engagement shots were taken during a light mist so we grabbed an umbrella. After about 10 minutes into the shoot, the rain stopped and the soft cloud cover provided the perfect natural canvas for soft lighting. Karla and Matt love to listen to music they've downloaded on their iPods, so we naturally took a few of them enjoying themselves.
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June 8th, 2009: Talented Local Bands
Cross Factor considers their sound to be Christian rock for the next generation. After listening to them perform, I would agree. They incorporate fiddle, electric, drums and bass guitar. You may have seen them perform in and around Miami County. These youngsters are lit and have a passion for bringing hope through the message of Christ and encouraging other youth with their music.
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May 31, 2009:
The Solution is a local, contemporary Christian rock band. Their music has a soft rock feel with a strong message for Christ. You could consider them musical missionaries. We hope to feature some of their music from their first CD on our web site. Our goal in the shoot series was to convey their whimsical personality and a more serious side. The result is a nice variety of band portraits.
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May 13, 2009: Arianna's Love
Arianna is a mature little girl at 6 years of age and filled with unconditional love and affection. She had no problem with our camera or taking our hand, but felt the spiders and bees were a bit invasive on her play areas. So we helped her feel at ease by explaining the important job they have in nature. The afternoon light was a little strong so we managed the light by keeping Arianna's back to the sun and using reflectors to fill in facial shadows. We never used any flash during the shoot. Christy, Arianna's Mom worked her secret Mommy magic which made for some truly fun photographs...In addition, Christy and Rick (Arianna's parents) wanted us to share their special story about autism. They responded early enough to effectively address Arianna's needs... "The early signs and symptoms of autism are frequently misdiagnosed. The key for parents is to have early and frequent screenings. The symptons to recognize are: body spinning or spinning of objects, walking on tip-toes and lack of eye contact." Knowing what you're dealing with makes all the difference in responding appropriately. Autism takes patience, love and a renewed sense of determination...We truly appreciate this wonderful family sharing their special story and their sincere desire to help others.
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