Kathryn Grace Photography

Libby Turns One!

2012-02-22T06:59:00.002-06:00

My friend Wendy and I had the pleasure of taking Libby's first birthday photos recently. After photographing a newborn, a one year old was a bit more of a challenge (what? you mean she won't just stay in the position I put her in?) :-) Despite lots of crawling away and squirming AND the fact that it was almost nap time, we came away with quite a few cute shots. Really, how can you go wrong when you've got an adorable little gal, pink fluffy stuff, flowers and pearls?

I Heart Faces - Hugs & Kisses

2012-02-21T15:17:00.001-06:00

I tried taking some photos this morning of my sister and her new puppy to use for this theme, but it just wasn't working out how I wanted. So I sorted through some of my existing photos, and stumbled on this one from December, from the newborn/sibling shoot I did. They were so cute and kept kissing her over and over... it's obvious they love her very much. :-)

Typing Away

2012-02-08T16:28:00.002-06:00

I am working on a blog design right now and one of the pictures for the header is going to be a vintage typewriter. How handy that I just happened to have one on hand. :-) This typewriter was my grandma's, and she gave it to me, knowing my love of both writing and vintage things! Here are some of the pictures I took of it.

Blog Award

2012-02-01T06:37:00.002-06:00

Allison from Allie Dean Photographie awarded me the Liebster Award (liebster is German for "dearest").

As usual with blog awards, I'm supposed to pass it on! Here are the rules:

• Choose five up and coming blogs with less than 200 followers to award. Make sure and notify them by comment or e-mail that you did so.
• Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them. If you’re not already a follower of their blog, that might be a great way to show appreciation for the award. :)
• Post the award on your blog, and be sure to link back to the 5 blogs you awarded, so that others can visit them.

I'm going to award:
Lass of Yesteryear (is it legal to award your sister?) - my amazing seamstress sister
Cooking for Seven - Wonderful food photography! (and tantalizing recipes)
Yim Photography - I really enjoy Victoria's photos
Immer Wachsen - I recently met Hannah at an event, and just discovered her blog. More beautiful food photos!
Jessica Shae - Here's a photographer who seriously inspires me. She's also one of the few photographers I've seen who uses a lot of vintage style processing but still manages to keep things looking real and not overly edited. I LOVE her wedding shots.

Thanks for awarding me, Allison!

The Cat

2012-01-27T14:07:00.000-06:00

I Heart Faces - By the Book

2012-01-24T10:08:00.003-06:00

This is my trusty model, wearing her lovely regency dress (with handmade buttons, I might add), reading poetry by the window.
*Edit: Got 7th place! Yay!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2012-01-17T06:47:00.000-06:00

Chocolate Cupcakes...

+ Peanut Butter Frosting...

+ Chocolate Ganache...

+ Mini Peanut Butter Cups...

= either Heaven or a Self-Induced Sugar Coma. Possibly both.

Cupcakes made by Grace, the Baking Queen, for my sister's birthday last month!

I Heart Faces - Best Face Photo from 2011

2012-01-10T11:00:00.000-06:00

This is sooo hard. The BEST face photo from 2011?!?!? I feel I have grown so much and learned so much more this past year about photography, that it's extremely hard to pick one. I don't really think I can pick only one favorite, so I'll just have to pick one that I like. :-)

My sis, from our formal photo shoot at Pine Crest

Blackberry Cobbler Waffles

2012-01-09T07:15:00.002-06:00

My sister had a birthday last month... and this is what we made for breakfast on her birthday. Oh, yes. With ice cream on top. Life is short... eat your waffles with ice cream. Especially if it's your birthday.
Get the recipe at www.howsweeteats.com

Belated Photos from Down South

2012-01-07T13:56:00.000-06:00

I remembered I said I would post some pictures from our trip to the sunny South and I never did! Sorry about that... though I dare say nobody even remembers I said that. :-)

This is the harbor within walking distance of our timeshare.

We spent a week in Hilton Head, SC back in the beginning of November. It was chillier than we were hoping - only one day got up into the 70's - but we still had a great time enjoying the sunshine, the beach, and the pool (yes, we went swimming while all the southerners bundled up in coats and scarves :-).

The first day we walked around historic Beaufort. The visitor's center is inside this neat old military base of some sort (now I can't even remember what this was exactly).

Loooove Spanish moss!

Beach time!

I took this picture, and then decided to wade in the water a bit. Then we decided to walk... and walked a mile or two down the beach and I realized I left my flip flops! Thankfully they were still there when we walked back, though the tide was rising. :-)

All of these photos were edited with my new Lightroom program! I love it so far!!

Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

2011-12-30T07:25:00.003-06:00

It's our yearly winter tradition to make chocolate truffles. We've experimented with different flavors over the years, but our hands-down favorite is peppermint!

Peppermint Chocolate Truffles

1 8-oz.(eight ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar,
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 1/2 tsp. pure peppermint extract (or extract of your choice, such as vanilla, orange, almond)
Crushed peppermints for rolling, optional

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until well blended.
2. Stir in melted chocolate until no streaks remain. Mix in peppermint extract. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in crushed peppermints. Store in parchment-lined candy tins in a cool place. Makes about 60 truffles.

Amber | Newborn

2011-12-27T14:28:00.002-06:00

I had the marvelous opportunity last week to take newborn photos of precious little Amber, the newest arrival at our church. I've never done a newborn session before, so it was a great learning experience and so much fun! After taking some pictures with Amber's big sister and brother (ages 2 and 3) beforehand, you really appreciate how cooperative a newborn is. :-)

She is absolutely adorable and sweet and... well, I want her. Unfortunately when I asked her mom if I could have her, I got a negative response. *sigh* I guess the pictures will have to do for me. :-)

A favorite. :-)

For the second set of bed shots we put a pink feather boa underneath...

I think I like it better than the plain bed.

Two more favorites... I love how there is the tiniest hint of a smile in the one on the left.

Thanks to Josh & Abbey for letting me come take photos of their little sweetie!

Lookie what just came!

2011-12-23T19:01:00.001-06:00

Yep, Adobe Lightroom! Whoo hoo!

And stay tuned - I can't wait to share pictures with you from my first newborn session....!!

I Heart Faces - Furry Faces

2011-12-13T14:06:00.001-06:00

Now is as good a time as any to introduce the newest member of the family... Katije! Her name is a Russian name which was originally spelled Katya, but then we used the Dutch spelling (ij in Dutch equals a y) so that in Dutch it means "Little Cat." Yes, it's a bit complicated, but it works for us. :-) She is 2 years old and is a retired breeder. And as you can see, she's quite feisty. :-)

I'll be posting some more pictures of her at some point, so c'mon back later!

Winter Sparkle

2011-12-09T12:29:00.000-06:00

Last week we had our first snow! It didn't even last the whole day, but toward the middle of the day, it had started to melt in the sun but it was still cold enough that it formed ice crystals on the bushes. I was having a lot of fun with bokeh. :-)

Also, if any of you are interested, a good friend of mine is looking to sell her Nikon D80... it comes with the 18-135mm lens, battery, charger and computer cable. You can view her Craigslist ad here! I've seen the pictures they have taken with this camera and it produces very nice shots (which I admit in spite of my love for Canon :-).

I Heart Faces - On Your Feet!

2011-12-05T08:09:00.001-06:00

... or, off them. :-) You might have seen this one before in the baseball post a while back; but it's too cute not to use again for this week's theme! One of my favorite little people goofing around at the baseball field.

If my sister went to the beach in the 1940's...

2011-12-02T11:53:00.000-06:00

She'd probably look a lot like this. :-) Check out her blog for more pictures from the photo shoot I did of her new dress!

The Granola Recipe

2011-12-01T15:08:00.000-06:00

Ashlei requested the recipe for the granola, so here it is for her and anyone else who might like to mix up a batch for themselves. :-)

Vanilla Almond Spice Granola

4 cups uncooked oatmeal
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins

Mix oatmeal and cinnamon. Add honey and vanilla and mix until oatmeal is evenly coated. Stir in almonds and sunflower seeds. Spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350ºF for about 10 minutes; stir, and then back another 5-10 minutes. You want the oats to get a nice toasty color but not get burnt (though I've burned it before and it doesn't taste THAT bad :-). Remove the granola from the oven and let cool. Stir in the raisins and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. (We usually eat it up fast enough to just keep it on the shelf, but it will probably last longer if you refrigerate it).
Enjoy!

Vanilla Almond Spice Granola

2011-11-28T14:55:00.000-06:00

That's what I made today... it's been a loooong time since I have made granola. Homemade is so much better than the store kind!

It's been a while since I've done any food photography. It was fun... I should do it more often. :-)

Black Friday Photography Deals!

2011-11-25T13:39:00.001-06:00

It's pretty crazy all the hype about sales on Black Friday... we were driving home from my grandparents' house last night and at 11pm there were people lining up outside Target, Macy's, Best Buy, Kohls... maybe it's just me, but I think that's taking "thrifty" a little too far. :-) But, it can be a good time to get some stuff on sale, especially online when you can shop from the comfort of your home instead of shivering in line for 12 hours!

I didn't do a whole lot of looking around, but I did find a couple of things that looked fun, and then of course there is Adorama which has TONS of photography stuff. :-) If anyone else has any photography related deals they have found please feel free to leave a link in the comments!

Enchantedly Yours offers beautiful hair flowers and accessories, and all of their items are on sale! I'm really loving the Pumpkin Orange Ranunculus (pictured at left) and the Burgundy Velvet Hydrangea clips.

Custom Photo Props has TONS of photography props, especially for babies. They have great bowls/trays and miniature beds, as well as wraps and fur blankets. They're offering FREE shipping in the USA with code Blackfriday11.

Adorama has a whole section of Black Friday sales on all kinds of stuff, like Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 or even DSLR cameras - anyone want a Canon 5D Mark II??? or better yet, anyone want to buy one for ME? :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:35:00.000-06:00

Colors of Fall

2011-11-21T16:41:00.000-06:00

As promised, here are the rest of the photos from the fall shoot I did with my lovely model and sister. She decided to break out her cowgirl hat for the shoot, which added a fun element to the photos!

I usually go for "light and bright" in my photos but I kind of liked the evening mood of this second photo kept darker.

Thinking...

(I almost didn't use this one because her hair poofed up on that one side which sort of gave her a faux 40's look... oh well :-)

Which one??

Thanks for stopping by and looking at my snapshots... even if it is pretty much the same face over and over again. :-) If anyone wants portraits done, give me a holler - my sis will thank you. LOL!

I Heart Faces - Autumn Splendor

2011-11-15T17:28:00.000-06:00

I hope this is splendorous enough for the theme "Autumn Splendor." :-) My sister, the oh-so-obliging one (well, I don't have any others to be not-so-obliging), once again traipsed out into the yard so that I could point my camera in her face. With all the splendor of autumn pretty much gone here it was a little hard to find something colorful enough to enter. Even so I came back with several good shots, and I promise I'll post more at a later date! For now, I hope you enjoy this one.

Justin & Melinda | October 15, 2011

2011-11-10T17:48:00.002-06:00

Last month we witnessed the union of Justin Ryken and Melinda Sanford. It was a lovely wedding (I have not been to an unlovely wedding to date) with a beautiful outdoor reception at the bride's home. It was a little chilly, but bearable. :-)

I was not the official photographer, but Melissa and Jessica, who were, kindly let me snap away as much as I wanted.

The lighting in the church was difficult, with the yellow tones of the lights plus the blue tones from the stained glass windows! Someday I am going to build The Wedding Church, which will feature perfect lighting for any setting. :-)

Married!

All right, forgive me as I indulge my love for detail and give you multiple cake pictures. :-) The gorgeous cake and cupcakes were made by the talented Grace, who should go into business, I think.

The maid of honor giving a very sweet speech.

I love that naughty expression on her face!

And they're off amid showers (and in one case, a deluge) of birdseed. :-)

Congratulations, Justin & Melinda!

P.S. Check out Romantique Photography for Melissa and Jessica's photos of the wedding!

I Heart Faces - Black

2011-11-08T20:15:00.000-06:00

My lovely friend and fellow photographer Wendy and I had a fun morning of taking pictures of each other and of my sister a while back but I had sort of forgotten about the pictures. Then I realized it would fit with this week's I Heart Faces theme! This one was one of my favorites.

Check out the adorableness

2011-11-03T06:14:00.000-05:00

I took pictures for my sister of these ADORABLE medieval outfits she made for two cuties at church. Click on the pictures to go to her blog and see more! (And leave her a comment. She loves comments. :-)

One Year!

2011-11-01T17:12:00.002-05:00

As of today, I've had this blog for one year (if you look in the archives it looks like I started it in July of last year, but those posts I pre-dated. I actually started the blog November 1, 2010). It's grown so much more than I ever thought it would! Here's a rundown on the year:

106 Posts

617 Comments

(whoo hoo! Thank you!)

71 Followers

26,900 Pageviews

All-time most popular (most viewed) post: I Heart Faces "Paper" Challenge

Top Commenter: It's a tie between Victoria and Miss R.J.!

This is from the gardens at the Creation Museum in Kentucky.

Thanks to all my readers for a wonderful year and encouraging me with all your sweet comments!

Stay tuned for more photos... I've got wedding pictures coming, as well as some cute kid photos, and pictures from our trip down South!

Autumn...

2011-10-27T06:42:00.001-05:00

I Heart Faces - Let Them Be Little

2011-10-25T14:35:00.000-05:00

Two of the cutest little kids from church after they picked some peaches off our tree on a warm afternoon. I love how she's utterly oblivious to the fact that her pants are falling down. :-)

I Heart Faces - Tickled Pink

2011-10-18T20:32:00.001-05:00

I love this candid shot of my dear friend Lily in her adorable pink and black dress with its impeccably matched stripes. You've probably seen this before if you have been reading my blog, in the uncropped version from the 50's shoot... just a different take with slightly different editing.

By the way... do you like the rounded corners on the pictures or not? I'm trying to decide if I should do that on all my pictures from here on out. :-)

I Heart Faces - Hands

2011-10-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

My friend and I went to a concert at the Lyon & Healy harp factory and before the concert started the showroom was open and we got to play the harps! There are probably at least 50 harps on the floor and you can play any and all of them! It was so much fun and the concert was incredible. I can't wait to go back. :-)

Little Boys + Baseball Field = Perfection

2011-10-04T11:05:00.000-05:00

Our church had our annual softball game a couple of weeks ago and I got some adorable shots of one of the cutest little guys on the face of the earth. There is just something about a little boy with a baseball (or softball, whatever!), at a baseball field. And wearing a blue t-shirt that's just a little too big.

I've been taking pictures of him basically since he was born, but now he's old enough to be aware of the camera and smile on demand! :-)

And he can throw like you wouldn't believe for not even being two yet.

Stinker!

Playing peek-a-boo!

He's already taking after his daddy and practicing sliding into base

(ok, actually he sat down and then stuck his feet in the air)

One of my favorites!

The End. ;-)

Just before sundown...

2011-09-21T07:19:00.002-05:00

I love spontaneous photo shoots... nobody is worrying about getting the perfect shot; you're just having fun playing around and then you have a pleasant surprise when your pictures come out good. :-)

My beautiful friend Lauren was dragged (literally) into posing by my sis, and did quite an excellent job I might add! Hurray, I have pictures of somebody outside of my family! LOL!

I think this one is my favorite. I love the composition and the soft light and her relaxed pose.

I need a hay field. Badly.

I took it anyway. ;-)

This one converted well to black and white... Lauren, my dear, you are gorgeous!

Probably second favorite!

Oh yes, there's the cowboy again... this one's candid (love it when those candid shots turn out!)

Awww.... friends sittin' in a field at sunset.... *happy sigh*

I Heart Faces - A Touch of Sun

2011-09-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

We spent the evening at our friends' house, and they have a hay field on their property. Whenever I drive by a field with those big round bales of hay I'm so tempted to stop and take pictures, so this was the perfect opportunity to finally do it! I've also never really shot at sunset, and now I think I'm hooked... all that beautiful, golden haze! It makes me happy. I'll be posting more pictures from that evening soon. My "adopted brother" very obligingly posed for me; I told him to "stand with his back against the hay bale, fold his arms, and look manly." Score!

The Flutist

2011-09-15T17:34:00.000-05:00

Here is my last installment of the series of photos from Pine Crest! This may be my favorite from the portrait sessions. My very talented sister, who sews amazing outfits and plays the piano beautifully, also dabbles in flute and so we did a flute session! I apologize to you all if you are sick of seeing my sister by now, but this comes of her being the only available model. :-)

Who could resist twirling in that dress?

And thus concludes the Pine Crest visit! I hope you've enjoyed seeing all the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. :-)

Drop Studios Backdrop Giveaway Winner

2011-09-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

First off, I have to apologize for the lack of posts recently. I have been dealing with some carpal tunnel-ish symptoms and so I've been away from the computer and not really able to post. I'm doing better now and have some braces to wear at the computer so hopefully I'll get back to posting a bit more regularly!

Ok, now for the giveaway results! The randomly drawn winner of the beautiful solid color photography backdrop from Drop Studios is..... *drumroll please*

Comment #23 - Allison!

Congratulations, Allison! Please email me with your mailing address and your color choice from the solid color backdrops to claim your prize!
Thanks to everyone who entered!

Drop Studios Backdrop Review + Giveaway!

2011-08-31T17:46:00.004-05:00

*The giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering!*

I recently purchased a photography backdrop from Drop Studios. I've had my eye on one for a while, and finally decided I should just get it. :-) I was trying to decide between getting the Solid Teal backdrop, the Solid Charcoal backdrop, and the Solid Mocha backdrop. In the end I went with the Mocha.

The backdrop shipped quickly; I ordered it on a Friday and received it the next Thursday. It was nicely packaged in a cellophane sleeve. I pulled it out and snapped a few photos with it right away with my cat and sister as models. :-) The backdrop was naturally creased from shipping, but even with that I got some nice photos (I was too impatient to iron it first :-). The creases came out easily with an iron on synthetic.

The backdrop is very well made with a pocket at the top for inserting a dowel rod to hang. I'm hoping at some point to try constructing some sort of stand for it. The edges have a professionally serged finish to prevent fraying. It was more lightweight than I thought it would be, but it doesn't look like a lightweight fabric in the photos. The fabric has a nice drape to it and looks great hung "flat" or draped into soft folds. Below are examples of both.

My lovely sister, backed by a draped backdrop...

... and a smooth one!

It has a nice matte texture so you won't end up with shiny spots in your photos. The color is more of a tan color in person, but warming up the photo either with your white balance or afterward in photoshop can give you a more creamy, warm brown (which is my preference). So it's kind of like having two different browns in one. :-)

Bridesmaid bouquet with the backdrop hung flat...

...or draped. Can't decide which I like better!

It measures 5x9 feet. It is reasonably priced at $29.00; I doubt you could buy the equivalent in a fabric store for less. Drop Studios also offers 9x10 photography backdrops, as well as patterned photography backdrops.

I can see using this for a variety of types of photography. I purchased the Mocha backdrop for the reason that it was a neutral color that I could use for lots of things; portraits, product photography, food photography, or any time when you want to block out an undesirable background. Below are examples of some product photography

Now comes the really fun part. Drop Studios has generously offered to give away one 5x9 solid photography backdrop! Check out the details below and enter to win!

Mandatory first entry:

• Visit Drop Studios on Etsy, and and then come back here and comment letting us know which backdrop is your favorite!

For extra entries:

• Blog, tweet or post on Facebook about the giveaway with a link back to this post. Leave a separate comment here with the link to your post. Only one comment, even if you do all three.
• "Like" Drop Studios on Facebook (there is a Like button toward the bottom of the shop's sidebar). Leave another separate comment here saying you've done it.
• Follow my blog (click the "Follow" button in the sidebar), subscribe to my RSS feed or follow by email. Leave another separate comment saying you did so (only one comment, even if you both follow and subscribe). Those who already follow/subscribe may just comment saying they already do so!

Maximum 4 entries per person. Make sure you post a SEPARATE comment for each extra entry. Giveaway is open worldwide! Giveaway will close September 10, 2011. Winner will be drawn at random and announced by September 12, 2011.

I Heart Faces - White

2011-08-30T11:48:00.000-05:00

Here's another photo from Pine Crest, of my sister wearing her new white Regency dress that she just made. She even made up most of the pattern herself! This was the perfect location for a historical shoot, with all the stone and the beautiful bay in the background. *happy sigh* Tara has posted the other pictures that I took on her sewing blog here, so rather than reposting those pictures on my blog I'll just direct you there if you are interested in seeing the rest of this session.

Pine Crest

2011-08-23T06:12:00.002-05:00

I promised you additional posts on our visit to the stone mansion, which goes by the elegant name of Pine Crest. The house was built by the first conductor of the Chicago Symphony!
Here are some pictures of the beautiful house and some of its contents. I still have another post or two of portraits of my sis, but you'll have to wait a bit until I can grab some more time to get those ready.

What did I tell you? Doesn't it look like you have stepped back in time, into a Jane Austen novel perhaps?

But nope, we're still in 2011 in the good ol' USA! Let me tell you, though... if I can't have England, this is a prettyyyy good substitute.

Round the house to the terrace...

And a sweeping view of the bay

(those stone steps lead down to the edge of a 300-foot drop down to the water).

The gorgeous back view of the house!

One of the first neat things you'll notice as you come in the back door to the kitchen is this TO-DIE-FOR phone hanging on the wall.

I was dying anyway. :-)

Winding steps with little criss-cross-paned windows! *squeals*

Up those stairs you'll find bedrooms and lots of neat stuff. Like this antique cash register!

One of the bedrooms had all these old suitcases in a pile. I was sorely tempted to take them out and use them for a vintage photo shoot with sis, but restrained myself.

Thought this was a pretty lampshade! I looove old handwriting!

This one's for my Opa... a deck-level photo of a model sailboat.

GLASS DOORKNOBS!!!

Could this house possibly get any better?!?!?!

Another item of note in the kitchen. I'm glad we live in an age where this sort of thing is decorative. :-)

I'm a key nut too. You should see my collection!

I love the colors in this... the contrast between the bright flowers and dark background.

One last photo to close out the post... we had a wonderful few days in this lovely place.

I Heart Faces - Pets

2011-08-22T09:28:00.003-05:00

Paper bags and cats... it's funny how the one attracts the other. :-) We brought in the bags, set them down and there was Gavana, tapping her foot and waiting for us to empty them so she could take possession. Ok, so she wasn't really tapping her foot. I caught her peeking at me through the handle. Sometimes she is just so irresistibly cute!

*My photo was picked for Angie & Amy's favorites this week!!!*

I Heart Faces - Beautiful Eyes

2011-08-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

Who knew this could be so hard?!?! Catching the right light to make eyes pop - especially brown eyes - is a lot trickier than it sounds. I tried so many different shots. :-) It's funny how your favorite part of an image can be something so little - but I like the texture of the table with the reflections!

Formal Fun

2011-08-13T16:02:00.001-05:00

I had the opportunity to take some portraits of my sister in her bridesmaid dress from Dawn's wedding a couple of weeks ago, in an amazing location - a beautiful stone mansion! I took photos of her in several outfits, but I figured I would spread it out a bit, along with a post on the actual house. Stay tuned for more!

Posing comes so naturally to her... if I tried to do this I would just look dumb.

Thankfully, I'm the one TAKING the pictures. :-)

There were stone walls everywhere - which was great since I happen to love stone walls...

The morning light was incredible... and so were these steps. :-)

One of my favorites

This was actually the first picture I took and I just did a little happy dance and wished that she was in a wedding dress because this would make an incredible setting for wedding portraits!!!

Come back soon for round two!

Like the larger pictures?

Opa's Camera

2011-07-29T06:30:00.000-05:00

More photos from the mini shoot with my Opa's camera!

I *love* her expression in this one!

Yeah, and this one. :-)

(She was un-smiling herself so that she would have a fresh smile for the next picture, but I thought it was cute like this!).

60 Years Ago Last Week...

2011-07-27T14:05:00.003-05:00

Here are more photos from the 50's photo shoot! We had such a blast with this. We spent the whole morning getting ready. Lily & Gretel (the friends who appear with us in the photos) brought a vintage hairstyling book so we all did 50's updos. Then we had to do retro makeup (can't leave out the red lipstick!) and put on our dresses, hats, gloves, pearls, and shoes. When we deemed ourselves sufficiently transported back in time, we hopped in the car (sadly, we had to drive a dark blue Honda Odyssey and only dream of cruising down the road in a bright red 50's car) and headed to Woodstock Square, a quaint historic square near us.

There was a lot of goofing off going on while I set up the tripod. :-)

We certainly attracted a lot of attention and people asked us if we were in the play at the opera house (which happened to be Cinderella... not sure where they made the connection between that and girls dressed up in clothes from the 50's...)

Lily & Gretel brought an assortment of hats, and it worked out perfectly that there was a hat that matched each of our dresses! I have now decided that a hat... or two... or three... will be on my to-buy-soon list.

We were pretty adorable, if I do say so myself! :-)

Speaking of adorable! Tara and Lily struck this pose and Gretel just stood there looking at them like they were a couple of goofs.

You've seen this one already, but I am posting it without the vintage editing... I'm not sure which I like better. Look at that amazing stripe detailing on Lily's dress!! (that girl is an INCREDIBLE seamstress!).

We came up with an idea of doing this every time we get together, but go back a decade each time. So next would be 1940's, then 30's, 20's and so on... though I find the 50's and 40's so cute that I'm not sure I'd want to give them up to wear 20's flapper outfits... :-)

I hope you enjoyed our little travel back in time. If we do it again I'll be sure to post again! :-) Thanks for all the fun, Lily & Gretel... this definitely ranks up there in the top funnest (I know, that's not a word!) days I've ever had!

I Heart Faces - Water

2011-07-25T07:24:00.003-05:00

We spent the whole afternoon at our friend's brand new pool (thanks, Mrs. L!). My friend went under water and whipped her hair out, flinging water everywhere... we had her do it again to get it on camera and I got this capture. I thought it was pretty cool, with her long hair fanning out and the water making an arch framing her.

Hats, Heels, & Pearls

2011-07-22T17:15:00.002-05:00

A peek at the photo shoot we had today...
Entering this for {A Photo} Challenge - "A Photo With a Vintage Feel"

I Heart Faces - Props

2011-07-19T20:23:00.001-05:00

When I saw "Props" was the theme this week on i heart faces, I had to bring out my Opa's camera that he gave me. I only wish I had film for it so I could really use it! My ever-obliging sister donned lace gloves and a cloche hat (which also happened to be wool... in 90 degree weather - she's an angel) for vintage flair. I wish I could post more than one picture, but that disqualifies me... so maybe I'll put up a few later on!

A Visit to the Lake

2011-07-15T18:49:00.001-05:00

Last month some friends of ours generously let our family use their lake house in Indiana for a weekend. We had a wonderful time with our extended family, enjoying the water and the sun. There was no sun the first day, though, which turned out perfect for taking some pictures before I hit the water!

I make her pose wherever we go, poor thing. :-)

But hey, the lighting and the setting were perfect - I couldn't resist!

Homemade Caramel Frappuccinos...

2011-07-12T07:08:00.000-05:00

Remember those cinnamon rolls I posted a while back? Well, this is what we had with them. Milk, sugar, coffee, caramel, ice and homemade whipped cream. It doesn't get much better!

Ben & Michelle's "Engagement" Shoot

2011-07-02T12:42:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to get into more portraiture lately and I was making up a little flyer to pass out in my area and wanted to offer engagement photos. Then I realized I had no engagement photos to use to put in the flyer, since I haven't done any!

Time to remedy that.

I asked my cousins, Ben and Michelle, if they would be willing to "stage" an engagement shoot for me... they've been married for 2 years, but why should that matter? :-) They obligingly agreed. The pictures were 2nd anniversary pictures for them, and I had some "engagement" pictures for my portfolio.

This was one of my favorite artsy shots.

I admit it, I copied the idea from someone else and wanted to try it myself. Fun!

Thanks, Ben & Michelle, for being my models... you were great! ;-)

I Heart Faces - A Touch of Whimsy

2011-06-27T11:05:00.001-05:00

Talk about a hard theme! It's so broad I had no idea what to post. I'm still not 100% sure this is the best one. :-) But I thought the hat with the big stitching was a little whimsical. Here's another of those rare moments when I decide to do vintage editing. My poor sis... she gets roped into all my photo shoots. Anyone else want to come over and model for me??? :-)

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-06-25T14:07:00.003-05:00

We made these wonderful cinnamon rolls with some friends yesterday... they were to die for!

If you are not drooling, you may want to go to the doctor... there might be something wrong with you. :-)

EDIT: I've received a request for the recipe, so here it is! We made all the separate elements (dough, filling and glaze) the night before and then put them together in the morning.

To-Die-For Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
2 pkg. Yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2/3 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon of sugar
1 cup warm milk
2/3 cup melted butter
2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
7 cups flour

Filling:
1 cup melted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups walnuts, chopped

Cream Cheese Glaze:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoon butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoon milk
4 cups confectioners' sugar

For Filling:
Mix all ingredients together. If making ahead of time, refrigerate until needed and then melt before using.
For Glaze:
Mix all ingredients except sugar. Stir in sugar until smooth. If making ahead, refrigerate until needed and let soften before using (you can microwave it gently if you want).
For Dough:
Place warm water, yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl. Let sit so it will get foamy.
In a mixer, mix milk, 2/3 cup sugar, melted butter, and salt. And eggs; stir well. Add yeast mixture. Then add ½ of the flour and mix till smooth. Stir in enough flour to create smooth but slightly sticky dough. Knead. *If you are making this the night before, place in a bowl at this point, cover and refrigerate. Punch the dough down if it rises to the top of the bowl. The next morning continue as follows.* Put dough onto a lightly floured counter and roll dough into a large rectangle. Filling on top and spread evenly. Roll jelly roll style, lengthwise, and cut in to 15 pieces (we got 16 out of this).
Place rolls in two 9x13 pans. Let rise 45 minutes (omit the rising if you followed the instructions for making the night before). Bake for 25 minutes, more or less, until golden brown. Spread with glaze. Enjoy!

Original recipe from Cross Country Bakers.

From My Yard

2011-06-18T10:36:00.000-05:00

These blooms have faded now, but I still wanted to post some pictures I took earlier this spring of the lovely flowers in our yard. I was looking forward to flower photos this year because I didn't have my 50m 2.8 lens last spring (and I love the bokeh from the 50mm!).

A tulip...

Has anyone else noticed it is hard to get red flowers to look true to life in photos?

We have a wonderful "wall" of lilacs on the edge of our property, with 3 different kinds of lilacs.

There are the larger, more feathery blooms like these,

And then the softer, clouds of blossoms like these!

I never can decide which I like better.

We also have several varieties of crabapples. I always love this one when it's not quite in full bloom, when there is the mix of white flowers with pink-tinted buds.

This is the reddish crabapple, not blooming yet

And the pink crabapple!

This is the redbud tree... I loved how the colors and bokeh came out in this one. Unfortunately I was very busy around the time this bloomed so I didn't get too many pictures. Perhaps that's just as well since I recall I got rather a lot last year. :-)

Purrfect Posing

2011-06-10T12:44:00.000-05:00

I don't agree with a lot of the "cat stereotypes" out there, like saying that cats are always snooty and mean. They aren't. They are cuddly and lovable, and I personally think cats have more likable qualities than dogs (go ahead, boo and hiss; my opinion will remain unchanged). One fact remains, however, and I don't think anyone will argue with it: cats do have a mind of their own. If you've ever tried to take a picture of a cat that does not feel like having its picture taken, you know what I am talking about.

My kitty, Gavana, has her moods when she poses nicely for me and even "smiles" in a way. The other day she wasn't feeling so obliging, and so we brought out a distraction (in the form of my mom with a toy). The result was two perfectly posed shots, basically the same but just enough different that I couldn't decide which I liked better. :-) Too bad I didn't have her on a backdrop to cut out the couch in the background!

SewTamz Camera Strap Covers

2011-06-08T07:38:00.001-05:00

My sister gave me the So Summer Citrus Lime Green and Black Damask camera strap cover from SewTamz for my birthday:

I knew I had to do a review on it. :-) Everyone needs one of these! Not only does it give your camera a distinct look (and if you're like me, you have friends who have cameras that look just like yours, and it's easy to get them mixed up), but it's also SO comfortable! It's like adding a cushion around your neck.

The camera strap cover is very well made; the outer fabric is a durable cotton-type fabric in that oh-so-fun damask design. The inner fabric is a soft and cozy plush fabric with cute little raised dots, and features the SewTamz logo. There's padding in between to add to the comfort level. Ever feel like your camera strap is cutting into your neck? Here's the solution! The cover helps to make the strap a little wider, and the plush fabric helps it to "grip" so if you wear your strap on your shoulder, it doesn't slide off as easily.

I really have nothing negative to say about SewTamz camera strap covers. If there was anything I would say it would be that it was a bit snug getting it on, but that's not necessarily bad as it then stays in place once it is on. The strap is washable, which is a plus... you can't wash your regular strap! I used to want one of those fancy straps that was a design fabric actually made into a strap just like your camera strap, but those were way more expensive and I think would not be as comfortable and practical. Besides... with a camera strap cover, you could even buy several in different colors/fabrics and switch them out depending on the season or your mood.

I highly recommend that you visit SewTamz's Etsy shop and take a look around. She offers TONS of cute fabrics, plus you can get it monogrammed or add a lens cap pocket. Or check out the wrist camera straps!

SewTamz has generously offered FREE SHIPPING to my readers! Just use the code KGFREESHIP when you check out!

Find SewTamz here:

sewtamz.etsy.com

facebook.com/sewtamz
http://twitter.com/sewtamz

I Heart Faces - From a Distance

2011-06-06T19:00:00.002-05:00

This week's i heart faces theme is a little unique... instead of being up-close on a face, we're supposed to pull back and take a "distance" photo. I wasn't sure what to enter, and then I looked through some photo shoot pictures from the other day when my friend and I were experimenting with our reflectors/diffusers and I stepped back to get the full picture. So often you see the finished product and don't realize everything that is going on to produce that finished product!

I Heart Faces - Best Face Photo of May

2011-05-31T17:04:00.001-05:00

I am not all that crazy about the i heart faces "people's choice" challenges, where people vote on the photos, since if I win I like to know that someone was actually judging my picture rather than how many people I know to vote for me. But this week the founders will be going through the entries too and picking their favorites so I decided I might as well enter, and for once I actually HAVE a favorite face photo from May. :-) I know, I know, you just saw it in my post of Dawn and Jake's wedding. Well, you get to see it again today, lucky you! All the same... I would appreciate a vote on Thursday. :-)

Birthday Goodies!

2011-05-30T06:08:00.002-05:00

With all the wedding craziness (and the craziness of life in general), I had neglected to post the camera goodies I got for my birthday, which I said I would post (now I know that saying such things is a bad idea). But, better late than never, as the saying goes.

My dear parents gave me two remotes, a wireless one (top left) and one that plugs in (bottom right). The plug-in one is more reliable and you can auto focus with it, but the wireless one has the convenience of not being tied to the camera. They also gave me a big ol' reflector! (top right). It has four options - black, silver, gold and white, and it collapses up into a little case. This is useful for indoor portraits when you have shadows on the side of the face not facing the window.
My lovely sister gave me that adorable camera strap cover from SewTamz! (bottom left, obviously). It's stylish and so comfortable... you'll hear more about that later as I'll be doing a review of it later.

I'm also going to be getting very cute, very nice camera bag at some point, but alas, it is on backorder. :-( In the meantime, I'll play with all my other fun things. :-)

Dawn & Jake | May 6, 2011

2011-05-27T12:28:00.003-05:00

Well... FINALLY, here I am with pictures from the wedding of Dawn & Jake! My schedule got crazy and I just didn't have the time that I thought I would to get the sorting and editing done. I think perhaps I shouldn't make commitments like, "I will post about this next week" because something is sure to come up and prevent it. :-)

It was a simply beautiful wedding and such a joy to see another Godly family started. The day turned out gorgeous (which was a relief because the day before was rainy and cold), and the setting couldn't have been better - the wedding canyon at White Pines State Park (it made for amazing pictures!).

I have at long last finished sorting my 600+ pictures and I hope you all enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them. I was the official bridal room photographer, so I'll start with a few of those pictures before I jump into the marriage ceremony. I was playing with collages... hope you don't mind. :-)

When we arrived in the early afternoon, Dawn was getting her make-up done and that was soon followed by a lot of hair curling.

A girl's gotta have chocolate!

Waiting... and hoping to get a glimpse of her groom.

Ok... one of my FAVORITEST pictures EVER!

After taking this picture, I can now die a happy woman.

(Did I mention this was candid? Is she not the most photogenic person you've ever seen?)

The beautiful bride, all ready to go!

Here they come! The bride is hiding behind her brothers so that the groom can't see her. :-)

A torturous experience for him, I'm sure.

Mother of the bride

Groomsmen!

Bridesmaids!

"Here comes the bride!"

I find this one absolutely adorable. The pastor is reading his service calmly and seriously, and the bride and groom are grinning at each other like little kids. Too cute!

Signing of the family Bible...

And then... the moment everyone is waiting for....

THE KISS!

And a very nice one it was, too. :-)

I love Jake's expression in this one... "We did it!"

The sun popped out right at the end, which made for a rather rapid scrambling to get settings changed on my camera, but it came out fine!

The bride and her maid of honor

After the ceremony and recessional, the bridal party came back to get a group picture with all the guests. David, the professional photographer, climbed up on top of the canyon wall to shoot down and get everybody in the picture.

Congratulations, Dawn & Jake, as you begin your married life!

May God shower blessings on you as you serve Him together.

Dawn & Jake are wed!

2011-05-07T15:42:00.001-05:00

More pictures to follow... I have to sort through the hundreds of photos and edit. Hopefully next week there will be a more substantial wedding post. For now, here's a teaser. :-) Congratulations, Dawn & Jake!!

At last!

2011-05-05T07:42:00.003-05:00

Finally, our tulips are blooming!

Now, I have to wait for the lilacs...

Dawn's Bridal Shower

2011-05-03T15:13:00.001-05:00

I thought as a post leading up to wedding pictures next week, I would post some of the pictures I took at Dawn's bridal shower (Dawn being the bride in the wedding this week... in case you didn't catch that... *winks*). It was a beautiful day and we hosted the shower at our house. The lighting was a little tough because Dawn was seated with her back to a very bright window, but I don't think the window was as important to capture as those in front of it. :-)

The beautiful bride-to-be with her lovely sister and maid of honor

She'll be the most stylish cook in the neighborhood!

Delicious food...

You can't have a bridal shower without the popular toilet paper wedding gown contest (which the real bride must judge, of course).

Anticipation builds for the wedding... 2 more days...

Look what I get to play with this week!

2011-05-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

At the end of this week I will be "unofficially" shooting a wedding. The bride is a dear friend from church, and she's hiring a professional photographer for the wedding day, but I get to be photographer for the rehearsal, and the morning of the wedding while the bridal party is getting ready. And of course I will be taking pictures during the wedding too.
My friend Wendy was so kind to lend me some gear for it which is pretty exciting. :-) As you can see in the picture I've got a battery grip which is a lot of fun, and the Canon 17-55mm 2.8 lens, my favorite feature of which is the image stabilization (whoo hoo!). I feel all professional. LOL! I'll be sure to post wedding pictures next week!

I Heart Faces - Soft & Sweet

2011-04-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

I took this picture last summer of a sweet little baby from our church. Their family just has the cutest kids! I loved how sparkly and clear her eyes came out and you can see the reflection of me taking the picture. :-) This was one of my first photos experimenting with very shallow depth of field when I borrowed my friend's 50mm 1.8 before I bought my own. I was hooked! :-)

Steak with a side of...

2011-04-29T13:09:00.000-05:00

I decided to have a little fun with food styling the other day when I was cooking dinner and take a photo of a dish before it was cooked. This was helpful for my family because they are often kept waiting while the food gets cold as I try to get the perfect shot. This way, it wasn't even done and there was no problem. :-)

Aren't the potatoes fun? They're fingerling potatoes and they are so interesting and colorful.

I Heart Faces - Pet Week

2011-04-25T09:55:00.001-05:00

Also entering this photo for Allie Photography's {A Photo} Challenge!

Of course I couldn't pass up this week's theme! I know you've probably seen this picture when I posted it a few months back for Wordless Wednesday... but really, how could I resist bringing back that adorable face? This is our friends' cute kitten, Benwick, who I just learned died a few days ago. :-( Poor little kitty... I think he will be missed.

A Peek into the Past

2011-04-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

My lovely sister arrayed in her fine Regency attire. This was probably my favorite of the photos I took of her during this photo shoot. Click here to see some more!

Nineteen...

2011-04-18T06:45:00.002-05:00

That's how old I turned yesterday!

Check back for posts soon on the camera goodies I got. :-)

I Heart Faces - Shadows

2011-04-11T08:04:00.000-05:00

All right, so I am thinking outside the box for i heart faces this week... at least I hope I am. I wasn't sure if I should flip it upside down, but hey, why not? "Shadows" is the theme and so shadows should be the main focus. :-) Thanks to my sis for being a good sport!

Sister + Spring

2011-04-09T15:10:00.000-05:00

Equals a lovely portrait. :-) We are enjoying gorgeous 60º weather and sun today (finally, after many days of clouds and rain!). My sister and I couldn't resist going out and enjoying it, and of course, you have to take pictures.
I normally favor diffused light, but when shooting in full sun, I think backlit works good too!

Playing Around

2011-04-07T17:04:00.001-05:00

I was playing around with photographing jewelry and decided to try the effect of hanging it on my conch shell from Hilton Head Island. I set my aperture at wide open to get the soft look.
Linking up at {A Photo} Challenge

Colonial Photo Shoot!

2011-04-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

Finally! Here I am posting some pictures from one of the photo shoots I did recently. This one was pretty short (comparatively) as the only purpose for it was to get pictures of our lovely friends, Laura and Kristen, in the beautiful Colonial gowns my sister made for them to wear to an event. (Yes. She is a talented seamstress. Visit her blog for further proof).

Here is the gorgeous Laura, wearing her drool-worthy gown made out of embroidered linen!

Here is a shot of the pleated sleeve ruffle, which I took that morning while the dress was still on the dressform.

And Kristen, looking simply regal in that beautiful gown of gold! You can't tell in the picture but it has a delicious stiffness to it and a train, of which I am envious.

Here's Kristen's sleeve detail. Why don't we dress like this anymore?

After we got the "formal" shots (which were for my sister's blog, so if you go there you will recognize them :-), we got some more informal and fun shots too. Laura and Kristen were so cute and I loved all the laughing candids I got. This is very characteristic of us... we laugh a lot when we are together. :-)

The girls cracking up after a failed attempt at a serious pose.

Sisters!

I love you girls!

Oh... and Laura made some yummmy key lime pie bars that we ate after our exhausting laugh session!

More pictures comin' up soon... I hope...

Lilla Rose Giveaway Winners

2011-04-01T12:45:00.001-05:00

I had a record number of entries for this giveaway (admittedly, I've not held many giveaways so it's not hard to beat that record *grin*). Thanks everyone for entering! The winners of the blog giveaway and the email list giveaway are...

Blog giveaway winner:

Samantha!

Email list winner:

Rosi!

Congrats, Samantha and Rosi! Please email me to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone else for entering the giveaways!

Creamy Spiced Squash Soup - Yum!

2011-03-31T17:13:00.000-05:00

My sister and I invented this soup a while back... it's super healthy and quite tasty into the bargain! Get the recipe here.

I had intended to have some photo shoot pictures up by now, but I got sick this week and am recovering. *sigh* I promise to have them up at some point! :-)

There is still time left tonight to enter the Lilla Rose Giveaway!

Signs of Spring

2011-03-24T14:21:00.002-05:00

Despite the dusting of snow we got yesterday, we had some heavenly warm days last week and things are coming alive! Looking forward to tulips in the front beds...
I love the dew drops and bokeh in this picture! This one is SOOC (straight out of camera, no editing).

P.S. Watch for some fun photo shoot posts coming up next week! I have a crazy weekend ahead so I'm afraid it will be quiet around here for a few days, but I have a bunch of photos I want to post (when I find the time!). In the meantime, don't forget to enter my Lilla Rose giveaway!

Lilla Rose Review + Giveaway!

2011-03-16T11:27:00.006-05:00

***Giveaway is now closed to entries. Thanks for entering!***

I was recently introduced to Lilla Rose hair accessories. I had heard of people raving about how great they are and I was a bit skeptical, since it really looks like a regular old loop-and-pin hair clip. My hair is also slippery, stick straight and layered so it doesn't stay up real well. My mom was intrigued so we got some to try.

I was very surprised to find that they worked great! I even put my hair up in a French twist per their instructions, and it held very well with no other pins, which is quite a feat with my hair (I'm usually stuffed full of pins). I love the classy, feminine look they have too, and they aren't junky plastic like most of the other clips I can get to stay in my hair. The pin has three notches in it, which keep it from sliding out and give a secure hold. The loops are made from music wire (the kind that piano strings are made of), so it is strong and durable, but just flexible enough to bend around your hair.

They come in all sizes from mini to extra large so anyone can wear them, from those with baby fine hair to super thick and curly. Styles vary from elegant to more relaxed and modern, and some have colored beads and dangles. It's like jewelry for your hair! :-)

Lilla Rose also sells hair sticks, headbands, jewelry, and more!

So what does this have to do with photography? Well... 1. I took the pictures for the post. :-) 2. Lilla Rose clips would be a very handy little thing to keep in your bag for when you're on photo shoots and need to pull your hair back quickly and still look stylish (or perhaps your client's hair is desperately in need of help? *grin*). And 3. (which really doesn't have anything to do with photography, but oh well! I couldn't just leave it hanging at 2 points)... I want one of you to be able to try it out for yourself!

You can also use them as scarf pins!

It's giveaway time! Our local Lilla Rose representative has graciously offered to give away a free product of your choice (up to $15). Here's how you can enter to win:

Mandatory first entry:
• Visit LillaClip.com, click on "Go Shopping," and choose the product you want to win (any product with a value of $15 or less). Then come back here and comment letting us know that's the one you want!

For extra entries:
• Follow my blog (click the "Follow" button in the sidebar) or subscribe to my RSS feed. Leave a separate comment saying you did so (only one comment, even if you both follow and subscribe). Those who already follow/subscribe may just comment saying they already do so!
• Blog, tweet or post on Facebook about the giveaway with a link back to this post. Leave another separate comment with the link to your post. Only one comment, even if you do all three.

Maximum 3 entries per person. Make sure you post a SEPARATE comment for each extra entry. Giveaway will close March 31, 2011 at approximately noon (central time). Winner will be drawn at random and announced April 1, 2011.

WAIT! There's more! Anyone who signs up for the Lilla Rose email list in the form below will be entered into a separate drawing for another free product (up to $15).

I Heart Faces - Best Face Photo of February

2011-03-07T20:20:00.003-06:00

I took quite a few photos in February so it was hard to choose a favorite, but I settled on this one of my sister. I have seen a lot of portrait photographers use a nice, creamy brown as a background and I really liked that look. I experimented with it using a wall at our old house. This image could be improved by a wardrobe change but I still liked it!
This week is another voting challenge, so vote for me - #107 - HERE!

Going Cross-Eyed

2011-03-04T13:23:00.001-06:00

My kitty, Gavana, tends to look slightly cross-eyed when she gets sleepy. Her eyelids start slowly drooping closed and her eyes start going toward the middle... it's really quite endearing. :-) Yes, she's a strange cat... but we love her anyway.

I Heart Faces - Anything But a Face

2011-03-01T16:52:00.000-06:00

I dug out an old photo for this week's i heart faces theme, one from when I first started getting interested in photography. I still like the peaceful, innocent look of it.

When It's Winter Outside, Bring Spring Inside

2011-02-23T16:56:00.000-06:00

Some tulips we brought to a friend's house for lunch... for some reason I think tulips were made to be put in square vases. Tulips are such cheery flowers, and we usually get the urge to buy them when spring is right around the corner.

And these carnations were given to us by a friend. Carnations are a somewhat looked-down-upon flower, perhaps because they're cheap, but personally I find them very pretty, particularly several of the light pink ones bunched together.

Go get yourself some "indoor spring"... even if it's a little $5 bunch of tulips from Walmart. :-)

C.A.P.T.U.R.E. Photography Workshop!

2011-02-18T17:49:00.001-06:00

Shining Light Photography has just released details about their brand new photography workshop, C.A.P.T.U.R.E.!

This is a photography workshop hosted by two Christian young women, Allison and Laura! (Click on their names to visit their personal photography blogs!). I don't know about you, but I think it's about time there were some more Christian based photography workshops and classes out there. Photography is an art form, and there are plenty of people out there who misuse it and make what shouldn't be art, into "art." It's wonderful to know that there is a wholesome, Christ-centered workshop for Christian photographers!

The first C.A.P.T.U.R.E. workshop will be hosted in Centerville, Tennessee. It's a week-long course, during which you will receive "hands-on instruction and professional critiques, go on photo-outings, compete in photographic competitions, learn to view God's world with new eyes, lots of laughter (plus a few surprises!) and last but not least whole-hearted encouragement from your fellow classmates." And the pricing has great options for multiple family members who want to attend!

C.A.P.T.U.R.E. Centerville takes place June 6-10, 2011 (that's Monday through Friday) and taking place at Cold Creek Farm. If you can't make it in June, never fear! They're planning on having C.A.P.T.U.R.E. San Antonio in September!

Be sure to hop over to the C.A.P.T.U.R.E. website, scope out all the details and register to save your place!

Retro Red Photo Shoot

2011-02-16T16:42:00.001-06:00

Ok, so maybe it's not really retro, but with the lipstick it sure is retro-inspired. :-) Here are some of the other pictures from the photo shoot we did for i heart faces (too bad you can only choose one photo!)
As you can see, we had a lot of fun with this. :-)

Bright and cheery!

This looks like a vintage modeling pose to me! :-)

This one is similar to the one we ended up picking.

This was my personal favorite... I liked how smooth it came out and her expression.

And of course, the one that I ended up entering in the contest. One reason we chose this one is because it doesn't have the snowy background conflicting with her cheery, short-sleeved outfit.

Have a personal favorite?

I Heart Faces - Red

2011-02-15T11:12:00.000-06:00

This week's i heart faces theme is "Red." My sister dolled herself up in red yesterday and we did a photo shoot. The pictures came out really cute and I had such a time of it trying to pick which photo to use. I eventually just had to choose one. But I loved all of them, so come back tomorrow and I'll post the rest of the pictures!

The Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-12T11:51:00.000-06:00

I meant to post some of these pictures earlier, so posting them now seems a little belated - it's currently 40ºF outside and the snow is melting rapidly. Still, I thought I'd post a couple of photos from the big blizzard we had. The drifts were up to 4 feet in places!

The branches weighed down by all the snow!

My sis lounging in the track made by the snowblower in the driveway.

And my daddy operating said snowblower. It took him 3 hours to clear the drive!

Lotsa snow!

My ever obliging model!

This is hardly a good example of the amount of snow we got, but I thought it was pretty. :-)

I Heart Faces - Hearts

2011-02-08T11:40:00.001-06:00

This week's theme at i heart faces is "Hearts." I had a few other ideas, but I was pretty sure someone else would probably do the same thing. :-) Someone may do this too, but it's little more unique! The pictures in the locket are my grandparents... they've been married for 50+ years now!

I did some vintagey editing on this to hopefully evoke a feeling of nostalgia... :-)

Cheesecake Marble Brownies

2011-02-04T09:13:00.000-06:00

My sister made these yesterday. And what's more, she even made up the recipe herself (sort of - she started with a base recipe and then changed nearly every ingredient in it). This also means I cannot share the recipe with you, because she didn't measure. :-) But trust me, they were quite delicious.

Wordless Wednesday - "Glamor Shot"

2011-02-02T09:20:00.000-06:00

Giveaway Winners

2011-01-31T18:24:00.000-06:00

I suppose I was a little too ambitious with the giveaway... ah well. Less entrants mean a greater chance of winning for those who did enter! The winners of the giveaway are...

RJ and Shilohmae!

Congrats, ladies! Please email me to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone for entering!

I Heart Faces - Best Face Photo of January

2011-01-31T06:57:00.002-06:00

i heart faces seems to be liking these "Best Face Photo of..." themes. :-) It's another week off of the regular judging and so there will be voting (please vote for #76 here! :-).
As I'm sure you know if you've read my blog before, this is my sister... my wonderful, accommodating model. She's so nice to always be willing to pose for me. This photo was fun because I got to try out a new editing skill... the bokeh originally didn't cover the whole background, but it looked funny the way it was, so I figured out how to spread it. I try not to doctor up my photos too much as a general rule, but once in a while I will really change something. Besides... it's nice to know how to fix a photo if it doesn't quite come out how you wanted.

Another Chance to Win

2011-01-29T10:55:00.004-06:00

***EDIT: This giveaway is now closed.***

I was thinking about the giveaway I had, and how I had done all that work making those computer desktop calendars, and only one person got them. :-) So, before January 2011 is officially gone forever, I'd like to offer a second chance to win the calendars. This time I will pick TWO winners, and if I get a large number of entries (let's be ambitious and say... around 30), I may give away three, so tell everyone you know. :-)

Rules are the same as last time...

Mandatory first entry:
• Leave a comment on this post saying which photo in the set is your favorite.

For extra entries:
• Follow my blog (click the "Follow" button in the sidebar) or subscribe to my RSS feed. Leave a separate comment saying you did so (only one comment, even if you both follow and subscribe). Those who already follow/subscribe may just comment saying they already do so!
• Blog, tweet or post on Facebook about the giveaway with a link back to this post. Leave another separate comment with the link to your post. Only one comment, even if you do all three.

Maximum 3 entries per person. Giveaway will close January 31, 2011 at approximately noon (central time). Winner will be drawn at random and announced in the afternoon of January 31, 2011.

Wishing for Spring...

2011-01-28T16:00:00.000-06:00

It's cold and wet and snowy here... kind of that drab snow, not even bright, happy snow. I'm looking forward to when I will go out in my backyard and see lilacs! It will be months from now, but it will be here before we know it.
I played around with CoffeeShop's Vintage Blush action on this photo... I really liked the soft, creamy tint it gave it.

Savory Salmon Dill Cheesecake

2011-01-26T12:01:00.001-06:00

While visiting some dear friends a couple of weeks ago, we were treated to a number of very delectable dishes. And the light in their dining room was amazing! I'm saving photos of our breakfast scones and the lovely afternoon tea we had for another post. But this was our lunch one day... a delicious savory cheesecake.

I had never tasted a savory cheesecake before... usually I think sweet when I think of cheesecake. But this was... well, out of this world. It really was that good. Of course, it may not be to your taste if you don't like salmon or dill, but since I happen to like both, it was simply de-lish.

Ok... want the recipe??? I think this would be a lovely tea party food...

Savory Salmon Dill Cheesecake
¼ cup plain dry breadcrumbs
3 (8 oz. each) packages cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. flour
1½ tsp. grated lemon zest (optional)
¼ tsp. each salt and pepper
4 oz. sliced smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Heat the oven to 325ºF. Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Add breadcrumbs and tilt to cover bottom and sides of pan.
Beat cream cheese with mixer on medium for 1 minute or until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Beat in sour cream, flour, zest, salt and pepper until combined. Stir in salmon, green onions and dill. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.
Bake 40 minutes or until center is just set. Remove pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate covered.
Shortly before serving, remove sides of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. Garnish as desired, and serve!

Love

2011-01-24T15:43:00.002-06:00

I'm entering this photo over at Beside Quiet Waters. The theme of the contest is "Love." I had a few shots I wanted to enter but they needed some fixing up, and one of the rules is your photo must be SOOC (straight out of camera - no editing).
This isn't a terribly creative idea by any means... I mean, everyone thinks of hearts when they hear the word "love"! Ah well... at least it's something. :-)
The contest ends today, so there's still time to enter if you want to!
*Edit: Guess what... I won! Thanks, Lauren Anne!

The Winner!

2011-01-21T11:07:00.002-06:00

The randomly drawn winner of the desktop calendar giveaway is... (scroll down!)

Kristin!

Congrats, Kristin! Please email me to claim your prize!

Thanks to everyone for entering!

Wordless Wednesday - Cuteness!

2011-01-19T15:56:00.000-06:00

I Heart Faces - Winter Wonderland

2011-01-17T10:51:00.000-06:00

I've posted this photo before, but I like it so I'm using it again for i heart faces this week. The funny thing about this photo is that I was telling my sister how I wanted her to pose, and she was doing this awful fake smile while looking up. So I started mimicking her and that made her really laugh so I could get the photo I wanted. :-)

I Heart Faces - Smiles

2011-01-10T06:54:00.000-06:00

Low light and cities... two things I really don't like and two things that, incidentally, appear in this photo. :-) This is one of the most delightful young women I know. She has such enthusiasm and an infectious smile. This photo is from when we were walking back to the train station in the city at night after a glorious evening of singing Handel's Messiah. It was a totally candid shot - she just turned around and smiled at me and I took her picture. Even though it is low light, I love it... it really captures her sweet personality. Not to mention I like the bokeh... :-)

A Giveaway!

2011-01-07T13:30:00.002-06:00

***The giveaway is now closed to entries.***

We all love free stuff, don't we? Well in honor of the new year I'm giving away a free set of calendars for your computer desktop! Each month features one of my floral photographs, with a handy calendar in the corner. Here's what you get (in month order, from left to right, top to bottom):

Want to win it? Here's how:

Mandatory first entry:
• Leave a comment on this post saying which photo in the set is your favorite.

For extra entries:
• Follow my blog (click the "Follow" button in the sidebar) or subscribe to my RSS feed. Leave a comment saying you did so (only one comment, even if you both follow and subscribe). Those who already follow/subscribe may just comment saying they already do so!
• Blog, tweet or post on Facebook about the giveaway with a link back to this post. Leave a comment with the link to your post. Only one comment, even if you do all three.

Maximum 3 entries per person. Giveaway will close January 20, 2011. Winner will be drawn at random and announced on January 21, 2011.

I Heart Faces - Best Face Photo of 2010

2011-01-03T15:53:00.007-06:00

I am so excited that i heart faces is starting up again! What a tough choice, to pick a VERY favorite face photo from the whole year! I was debating between two, but this one won. I just love this little guy's expression, with that raised eyebrow. :-)
EDIT: Thanks to everyone that voted for me! I ended up 81 out of 839 photos... not bad. :-)

Hello, 2011!

2011-01-03T13:27:00.002-06:00

I was originally going to post these photos on New Year's Eve as we were getting ready for our party, but then the guests showed up. :-) So you're getting them after the fact!
I'm a natural light lover, but you can't always shoot in natural light... so you make the best of it. :-)

I decided to play with bokeh on this one... all those shiny, sparkly party hats come in handy!

You can't have a party without sparkling grape juice!

This is our traditional New Year's Eve game. Sjoelen! It's a Dutch shuffleboard game (my mom's family is Dutch).

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year! It's crazy to think that 2010 is gone already... but I'm looking forward to what God will do in 2011!