The Giggles -- Delaware Commercial Photographer

Now normally, when a child doesn't know me all that well, he or she tends to be rather shy at first. But it doesn't take long for him or her to realize that I'm basically a giant child. The only difference is that I like to eat vegetables. That's about it. So, even if the little one is a wee bit shy in front of the camera at first, the shyness melts away pretty quickly. And usually after a few minutes of me being silly and saying, "Don't smile. Don't do it. No, no. Stop it!! No smiles!," the lips start to part and my little subject will giggle. And then, the rest, as they say, is history. On Sunday, however, I didn't have to work hard for smiles. This little one showed up with a major case of the giggles. At first I thought Mom was behind me doing silly stuff. But, as it turns out, she didn't need to. Maybe it was the cute dress that got her all excited. Or the glasses. Or the coolest silver clogs I've ever seen! Whatever it was, it was adorable. She just cracked herself up ... and I snapped away : )

This is another adorable CourtneyCourtney creation. As I've said before, check out her stuff! Her clothes rock! (hence the rockin' location)

With vintage bird cage ...

Without ...

How perfect is this wall for her dress?! I actually had to do some hunting around before I found the perfect spot. My usual go-to place for a graffiti has recently been ... sigh ... painted white. I'm sure some new art will surface soon. Don't get me wrong ... as a citizen of this town, I do appreciate the efforts to keep it clean. On the other hand, as an artist, I say ... leave the cool graffiti alone!

Seriously. She giggled her way through the whole session. It made my job very easy.

Thanks so much for coming out girls. And thanks for bringing such cute clogs! They were a perfect match : )

If you think your child would enjoy doing some modeling for me, then be on the lookout for future casting calls! We always have a blast!

Happy Monday!

Kate

Commercial Site is Up and Running!

It's been ready for a little while now ... but I've had some issues with the contact page. But, I got an e-mail this morning stating that the problem is 100% resolved. This site is really just a work in progress, so excuse any bumps or dust. It will definitely be growing and changing in upcoming months. Check it out : )



Have a happy weekend!
Kate

Leaving On A Jet Plane -- Delaware Glamour Photography

I'm heading towards the big two. That's right! In December, my little photography business will be officially two years old. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by! It seems like just yesterday that I was borrowing the camera from work to "fool around" on the weekends. I had no idea what I was doing, though. I would simply set the camera on the "no flash" setting and let the camera do the deciding for me. I didn't understand camera settings at all, and when someone tried to teach them to me, my visual mind couldn't understand the verbal explanation. But in time, I learned. And in time, I got my very own camera body and lens. And it rocked my world! I left my job and used that one camera body and one lens for well over a year. I couldn't afford to invest in any additional equipment, so instead, I invested in creativity. I studied light, angles, and people. And in time, I came to understand camera settings and how to create amazing imagery manually. And even with my limited equipment, I progressed. And then, just a few months back, I finally did get a second lens! And my how that lens rocks my world! And then, as if that weren't enough, I upgraded my camera body. And that (yes, you guessed it) ROCKED my world. But I'm still not someone to rely on equipment and gear. You will never see me walking around with 20 lenses strapped around my waist ... that's just not my style. I feel like it would distract me from what's really going on and I just might miss an amazing moment.

Anyway, from time to time, I schedule shoots for no reason other than to practice and try out new techniques and to really push myself. Yesterday, a good friend obliged me and was willing to be my victim, er, model. She was all like, "Ok, ok. I'll do your shoot. But only if you get out one of your jets."

Check it out. Isn't my jet nice?

Alright, I don't have any jets. But this particular shoot is such a cool example of creating truly meaningful imagery. My friend works at an airport, LOVES airplanes, and is wearing her Grandmother's wrap. I love when people are able to somehow work in both their passions and memories into our shoot.

Ooooh, I love this next one ...

This next one is my absolute favorite. It's a prime example of how my camera ROCKS my world. The plane was inside the hanger when we shot this and it was completely dark inside. There was a little light coming in the window, of course, but barely anything. I shot this at 6000 ISO. Yes, I said 6,000! The original picture had barely any noise, which is just insanely, crazily amazing. The grain that you see in the picture was actually added by me because I wanted to give it a really, really vintage film look.

On second thought ... this one might be my favorite. Not sure. I love that you can see her Grandmother's name on the lining.

And then, I dragged her up a ladder. She thought I was crazy. But I LOVE these : )

And with a little vintage finish ...

I'm very happy to report that I came up with a brand new service. The idea just popped right into my head while we were shooting in the plane! It's sure to be a BIG hit ; ) It's on-flight corporate head shots. Yes, that's right. This wonderful service would save CEOs precious time by allowing them to make use of their flight hours. In lieu of payment, I will accept a week-long stay in a 4-star hotel. Meals and extra desserts included. The suite must include a princess bed for my assistant, Bella. Please note: This service is only valid on flights going to France, Italy, Australia, Tahiti, Switzerland, and Ireland. Oh, and England, too.

Happy Friday!

Kate

He Made My Heart Swoon -- Delaware Baby Photographer

I love when Moms purchase my first-year picture plans! It's so much fun watching their little one grow and develop. I arrived yesterday afternoon for Hunter's mini-session (that his Mommy won on the blog a little while back ... stay tuned for another give-away coming up in the next few weeks!) and I couldn't help but just smile at the sight of him. He's growing into such a little man! Rachel put him down on the floor and I got down, too so that I could photograph him doing his current favorite thing ... crawling. But as soon as I got down on the floor, he came flying across the room and plopped himself down right next to me. He put his little hand on my leg and looked up at me like, "hi, lady!" And that's when my heart swooned. No doubt he could smell the potato chip crumbles that were still on my dress, and that's why he came to see me. But, I'll just pretend it's because he liked me so much : ) It was so precious that I had to quickly throw my camera at Rachel and she grabbed a picture of us. I love when that happens!



Ok, and now on to just him. He's got THE best eyes. There's only one other person I know with eyes like his, and that's, well, his Mom.

Even Jack joined in on the fun. I think he might even be able to give Bella a run for her money! I didn't know there was another dog who could strike (and hold!) such a fierce pose! Although currently, my poor little Bella is nursing a bad back. She wouldn't even give me kisses last night ... that's how much pain she was in. And if you know Bella, you know that trying to sneak in as many kisses as possible is her greatest passion in life. I'm happy to report she's feeling quite a bit better today : ) But she's forbidden from stairs and modeling shoots for two weeks. Sigh. Maybe I'll have to borrow Jack!

And a few in the buff. I can't decide if I like it better in black and white, or color? Either way, he's too cute!

And I think this last one is my favorite. Actually, I think it's the very last shot of the session, too.

I can't wait until Hunter's fall session! Although, I'm definitely going to have to wear my sneakers if I want to keep up with him. I'll stretch before I come, too ; )

Happy Wednesday!

Kate

Vintage Baby -- Delaware Child Photographer

Most members of my family share a love for all things vintage, antique, or just plain used. We scour thrift stores, resale shops, antique stores, and flea markets ... especially when we're in Maine. When I was younger, I used to collect cat figurines. Why? I don't know. I just did. And they, in turn, collected a lot of dust. Then as I got older, there was my vintage clothing phase. I think I owned at least 200 polyester dresses at one time (no lie). And now, I'm constantly on the lookout for props. I have an entire room in my house dedicated to my finds. And one of the latest additions to my collections is a lovely little antique doll crib that my Grandfather found for me at a flea market in Maine. He offered to refinish it for me, but I love it just as it is.

Here's Miss Alexandra trying out the crib for the first time. I'm not going to lie. She didn't love it. Although, she liked it more than the hat ; ) ....

We shot these pictures up at the top of Brandywine Park, right at 7:30 when the light usually lays on people like a luxurious blanket of gold. I was so excited when I pulled in to the parking lot. It was beautiful. I walked the crib out to the grass and all of the sudden everything went dark. Sigh. A huge cloud covered up the sun for the rest of the evening. But it didn't matter ... this was still the perfect place for our shoot.

This shoot was a practice session for me. I have a lovely new lens that I'm working with and I wanted to take it out for a spin ; ) And because I like to give my practice sessions a theme, this shoot was "Organic Vintage Baby." I think we made it happen : )

I hope everyone is staying cool! Hang in there ... cooler weather is on the way!

Happy Thursday!

Kate

U of D Family -- Delaware Family Photographer

One of the questions I hear the most often is ... where, oh where should we go for our family session?! And usually, I try and let my clients come up with a spot that has some special meaning to them. Some people like to take their kids back to the site where they got married, for example. Others like to stay around the home (after all, it's where the heart is ; )). So, when Christina contacted me about hosting a picture party for her in-laws, I was excited to hear their idea for a location: the beautiful U of D campus. Not only does her father-in-law teach there, but all of the kids in the family went to U of D. I loved the idea! But all summer long they've been ripping apart areas of the campus, so I wasn't sure how well it would work out. Saturday evening arrived, however, and there was no construction. Campus was empty ... and very lovely. I must say, I always feel anxious when I walk through campus. I get flash backs to exams, papers, and a super heavy backpack.

So, here we go. A big ol' hodgepodge of family pictures.

Five sisters ... and one little brother. He's going to grow up soooooo loved : ) ...

This is what it looks like to be a Grandma. Somebody snuggling you. Somebody crying. Somebody pouting. And you're loving it : )

Me and science never really got along. I was your typical English Major who dreaded having to take a science class (with a lab ... eek!) in order to graduate. The class I took had something to do with rocks ... and I got a B. That's really all I remember. So, needless to say, I never set foot in Brown Hall when I was in school. But I did this weekend! This family is full of scientists, so it only made sense to take some pictures in one of the lecture rooms.

These next two crack me up.

Check out her Pumas!!!!

The whole gang out in front of Brown Hall ...

We were just in time! The students have already started coming back to town and pretty soon that lovely campus will be over-crowded. I'm so glad that I had a chance to work there this summer. The grounds are beautiful. And it's so peaceful walking around there ... especially when there are no exams looming over your head. Or labs about rocks to attend.

You guys were so much fun! I'll have your full gallery of images ready soon : )

Happy Tuesday!

Kate