natural light

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I adore these little ones.  Something magical happens when they are sleeping, watching them dream their little dreams, and those last moments of the session when you see a couple of those smiles **which means they are waking up**  hopefully when I come back in a few months, we will get some of sweet  Madeleine and her fiery red headed big sister.  Thanks Sherri for letting me take over your house and move pictures around to get that lovely, colorful shot of her on the changing table!  Blessings to you and your beautiful family.

Moms to be… if you are expecting and wanting to schedule a newborn session, please call me before the baby is born, so I can put you tentatively on my calendar.  Those first few days go by fast, and newborn photos are most successful if taken in the first two weeks after birth.

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I am sure I have said it a thousand times, but I just love me some yummy mummy tummy, and this little momma’s tummy is about as perfect as they come.

We had a great shoot despite the fact that this mommy is on big time bed rest, and can only stand for 20 minutes at a time, and sit up for 5. Thank God the payoff in the end is a wonderful miracle.

So as I know she is laying in bed right know I wanted to get her a sneek peak as fast as I could manage, hope you guys love them.

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So my big girl turned 7 this month, really the time goes by so fast.  She is an amazing little creature, she is the only one in our family who literally pops out of bed with a huge smile on her face.  She is an artist to the core, she could spend hours with nothing more than a pencil and a note book, doodling her day away or writing stories.  We adore her, and so enjoy watching all these little milestones in her life.  Happy Birthday Sweet Girl.

When I found this field I had an ah ha moment.  I have been looking for it, seeking out the perfect field of gold, but after the stinky winter we had in this part of Texas I had all but given up hope, then out of no where as if God had planted it just for me, there is was.  You can expect to see a lot of “my field” in the near future.

“Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.”

-Mother Teresa

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Friends

As I sit here writing my blog, I am utterly exhausted, in a really good way!  One of my best friends in this whole world came for a visit this weekend with her husband and their son, who happens to be one of my husband and my sons best friends as well.  So how does this happen?  These amazing friendships that link not just one member of our family but three.  The back story is a little on the interesting side,  I met my husband in November of 1998, and it goes without saying that we obviously “hit it off.”  For our second date he asked me to go to Puerto Rico with him for his company Christmas party, and I boldly said “yes.”  Of course then the panic set in, but that is a whole other story, seriously who gets on a plane with a total stranger.. answer a 23 year old!  Upon arrival in Puerto Rico, I began to meet my husband’s work friends, and that’s when I met Ben, who I just think is the sweetest guy ever.  I spent considerable effort trying to set him up with another lady I had met there, she was fun and really into Ben, but like all men Ben had a stubborn side and did not appreciate my match making skills.  He went out on his own and met, this other girl.  I think I remember saying she looked like a bit of a tart!

Well from that moment on Ben was hooked on the tart, who really wasn’t a tart at all, and since Ben and my husband were on the same projects, they spent weeks together all over the country.  I really don’t remember the first time the tart, now known as Bobbie and I talked, because we have been friends from the moment we met, see she is this really amazing person, totally animated when she talks, youthful, with this really beautiful spirit, and she is a great friend..and she has tons of them, and always room for more.  She was a bridesmaid in my wedding, as was Ben (a groomsmen), we have shared Margaritas in Cabo while our babies slept under the cabana umbrellas, spent time with each other in San Antonio, Florida, and a few states in between.  We can go months without talking and pick right up where we left off, the sign of a true and forever friend.  And our boys, both eight, have been friends since birth and although months or more between visits for kids usually brings a separation or an unfamiliarity our boys run off to play like they live around the corner from each other not wanting to waste a minute.

So this visit marks the first time I have photographed them, and I was thrilled when Bobbie asked me.  I hope you love your pictures Bobbie and to my blog reader please check out my friend Bobbie’s upcoming book.  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/pages/Baby-Golly/172656553561  I have read the rough draft and it is precious!

Come visit again soon, Love to you and the whole family!

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I have always considered myself pretty good with two year olds, but mom had me a little scared when she called and said that this little beauty was going through “a phase.”  Worried that she might cling to mom for the entire shoot, I asked her to come dressed in blue jeans and to make sure her toes were painted just in case they needed to be in the shot.  However, me and miss Kacey became friends real quick, she was the boss of the show and that is just fine with me.  We chose a great park for this location, lots of room to run and climb and not a swing set in site, Perfect for the adventurous two year old.  Things got chilly after a bit, so we came back to my place for some cozy indoor pictures… but mom will have to wait on those sneak peeks!

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knock, knock,….knock, knock, knock…! So what is all that knocking, it is the age of technology and it is literally beating down my “old school” doors.  I have been getting a lot… maybe half of my clients who are wanting digital files and for the last year, I handled it a little begrudgingly…  maybe a file here or there for Christmas cards, and the only all digital file sessions I did where for corporate work, they needed the files for their website design, not for a desk print for their wives, or themselves.. what can I say, they were pretty darn good pictures, they may be looking at themselves this very moment.  To each his own, right?  For me however it has been all about “control”, and probably not the greedy kind you are thinking about, but  quality, I don’t want my images printed off some generic photo machine at the local corner store/pharmacy.  I want every image I take to have my stamp on it, excellent quality and a print that people are going to say “Wow” about.  So how did I find a balance, well first I have come to realize, that 1. my clients aren’t the kind of people who would print a 16×20 image at the corner store, and 2. The trust me, they know what I am talking about, and they want quality too.

So, I magically discovered a consumer lab right under my nose, that is calibrated to match the images I see on my computer screen, pretty amazing!  I also realize that if I want my clients to get the best quality, I have to give them the best quality file I can create, no limitations, the same file I would use to order their prints.  I have also come up with digital collections that are cost efficient for my clients and a way for them to have those images available to them forever.  This way my clients will always have their pictures available for school projects, grandparents gifts, coffee mugs and t-shirts… things I don’t offer to my client.  Not to mention, we are facebooking ourselves like crazy and loading pictures on those little iphone thingies!

Now, yes I am still offering prints, the same high quality, beautifully presented images I always have for all my “old school” clients.  I have changed my pricing structure just a tad for 2010 and for a full copy of my 2010 pricing please email through the contact link on my website.

And for the next month with a paid session fee I am offering one free digital file per session.  Just mention “Old School” when you contact me!

Welcome to age of technology…in case you have been hanging in my era!

And because I am a photographer and it would be unthinkable to post a blog without a picture, here is a shot of my almost 7 year old, from the last set of pictures I did for the Marta Locklear workshop in January!

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So I eluded a bit to my style in the last blog post… this time I want to talk about my clients style.
First and foremost, please open this line of communication with me…and second you should know that I love color. My favorite colors to photograph are bold …they make a statement: teal, magenta (a cross between purple and hot pink for you dudes), green, yellow (like an canary), oranges, reds and purples. This is a colorful world don’t be afraid to be a part of it.
So here is my beef, everyone has a picture of the khaki family on their wall… khaki pants/white shirt, khaki pants/black shirt, denim pants/white shirt.. “you get the idea.” These pictures are fine and may even be beautiful…BUT “Are they memorable?” Do people visit your home and stop and stare at that image, Wowing in all its creative glory..my guess is “NOT”
Color it is a pretty important thing, so that is why first and foremost, I say “lets open a colorful line of communication.” When people walk into your home, I want them to stop and look at your portraits, I want them to be Wow’d, for two reasons… ONE purely selfish, because they are going to ask who took them and my business is word of mouth… Second, because you are going to feel really proud..not only because it is your family but also because you will have put in the effort to help me create this beautiful, attention grabbing portrait.
The best time for us to start talking about your style is… as soon as you book your session!!! It took me three weeks to put together my families outfits for our Christmas picture this year. I know that what I am challenging my clients to do is no small task. I will be tough on you, and I won’t be letting any more “Khaki families” off the hook, we will be making beautiful, creative, artful, inspiring and colorful portraits together.
Have a blessed day!
xoxo Kristi
ps.. my families holiday portrait, it had to be purple and teal for me this year!!

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