A 'Lil Urban

I stole (borrowed perhaps is a better word) this urban idea from Michele Carlisle of Carlisle Photography.  PS She does fabulous work (mostly studio...some seasonal on-location) and we used her for Isaac's 1st year of photographs.  Hey, mimickery is the best form of flattery, right?  So props to Michele!  And I found out our best ideas to come to us when we are in the shower or brushing our teeth.  :)

Anyway, the vicinity of Broadway/Short/Saunier/Second street is LOADED with photo opps!  This was a little forgotten location where my husband and I started off our engagement photo session...with Shaun Ring (check him out too...he's doing awesome work, even dabbling in commericial and editorial photography...GO SHAUN!)  If you can afford him, GO. FOR. IT. 

Anyway, back to my initial reason for this post (hey, the shout-outs were an after thought)...downtown!!  Shooting downtown is different than most locations.  For starters, you're pretty limited with your distance between you and your subjects thanks to allys and streets (I would NOT stand in the middle of Broadway with my 50mm...let's widen then angle a bit so I can stand ON the sidewalk...away from the curb).  Sun is also an issue.  You lose the sun faster behind the buildings.  I also figured out that my fav warehouse door isn't fair game for about 30 minutes.  There is that small window of time in which the sun peek-a-boos between two buildings and beams ya in the eye.  After the sun shy's behind another building, its GAME. ON. 

Enough jabbering...here they are...

The C Family

"2 for 1" could be another title for this post...I've been so busy with the business and raising kids (I won't even pretend that I'm 'keeping' house) I've neglected the blog so long I've done TWO sessions for ONE customer... Birthday AND Christmas...make sure to scroll all the way to down to see all their images.

The C's family's baby girl turned one at the end of summer - and boy did she enjoy it!!  I believe her cake smash pictures speak for themselves.  I've seen lots of tots dive into their cake, smear it all over their faces, somehow manage to cram frosting into every orrfice in their head and use it as hair styling product, but I've NEVER seen a child devour a cupcake like Miss K!  It went something like this...

1.  cupcake up to lips.

2.  devour cupcake by sucking it from inside out.

Ehhh...maybe that wasn't the best description....I'm a photographer, not a writer.  The cupcake did not leave this child's face like a conventional cake-devourer.  We just kept hearing her 'suck.'  Slurrrp up a bit more cake....like a push pop....but cake...make sense?!  Anyway, I guess you just had to be there!  And PS - I did not do any color adjusting with Miss K's hair bow and frosting color...Mama C was just THAT good (or lucky) with getting them to match!

Next up....Christmas!  I was trying out a new location for mini sessions.  I think South Elkhorn Christian Church on Harrodsburg Road is absolutely charming...especially the historical sanctuary with its painted white brick and captivating red arched doors.  Well, what wasn't so captivating is the fact those red doors receive sun.  All. Day.  Even sunset was a headache (literally from squinting).  Boo for photographers unless it is an overcast day.  BUT I didn't know there was a little garden which was perfect for Christmas pictures!  There was a flowering shrub whose flowers had withered to a dark cranberry red - perfect for a winter backdrop!  Take a peek!



Quite a miracle...first shot of the session, everyone looking with eyes open. 




Gaw...dontcha love the candy striped leg warmers!!  I do so much I got my daughter a pair!



AAAANNNNNDDDDD if you need any Christmas or other gifts for upcoming birthdays, Mrs. Joni Cecil is an independent consultant (and director - woot woot!) of Thirty-One Gifts.  Check our her site...and you just might want to consider a party in January...let's just say Thirty-One is being DOUBLY generous with their hostess benefits...HUGE winky face!!  ;)



Happy Birthday Jack!

Jack turned 2!  I was also there for his 1st birthday and Baby Dedication when he was 3 months old.  I love growing up with families and watching how their babies grow!

Jack celebrated with friends and cousins at The Little Gym (located on corner of Richmond Rd/Man O War Blvd).  I was so surprised how well his party was put together.  The ladies/trainers/instructors at The Little Gym keep the kids going with organized activities combined with a bit of free time play.  Balance beam, uneven bars, cheese wedges to roll down, mini rock wall (mini meaning 3-4 high), and various other padded tumbling mats were a hit at Jack's party!  The kids did some group activities with a huge parachute (parents included!), singing and rhythm activity with rhythm sticks, and an inflatable track to run and slide down. 

The kids sure were kept at The Little Gym and the parents kept at easy with such qualified and friendly staff and environment.  I picked up a few brochures for myself...future birthday party for the kids...ya never know!

Happy Birthday Jack!

For those who might be interested in having an event such as birthday party or reunion (other than wedding) photographed, please inquire!  My rates for events are significantly cheaper than a portrait session.  Feel free to ask...email me!

Austin & Jennifer: Engagement

Austin was one of the neighborhood kids that when growing up you would see him running around outside showing off his awesome ninja skills.  With his older brother.  Any my brother.  So I know.  The youngest of three kids (I did his sister's engagement session awhile back...check here) he was the 'kid brother.' 

'Kid brother' has turned into grown man and a growing heart for his bride-to-be, Jennifer.  Austin and Jennifer met back in Lexington, but reside in Pennsylvania.  He left for graduate school at Penn State.  And Jennifer followed.  Wow, I cannot imagine uprooting and making a blind move to another city.  Talk about taking a step a faith!  Jennifer settled right in and found a job as a social worker.

With 'home' being in Penn, we were locked into a few weekends to attempt their session.  We are at the mercy of the weather, so when you plan a session months out, you really hope the weather cooperates...especially when your subjects are traveling from afar! 

The weather held (thank goodness!) but my equipment didn't (ohmygoodness...check here for my camera snafu).  We were able to keep rolling with the pictures thanks to my mother who lived a few minutes down the road and has a similar model camera to mine.  Whew....

So the rest of the session went on without a hitch!  It was so eeeeeeeeeasy to photograph Austin and Jennifer.  I didn't have to encourage any loving brushes of the hand, a sideways glance or a peck on the cheek.  To say the least, they are naturals (and I recall Austin's sisters was the same way...runs in the family?!)

Enjoy!

Our first location was Waveland.

When you can start off a session with a shot like this, you know its gonna be gooood!



A little impromptu visit from other park-goers!  You never know who will make an appearance!

Second location:  A little church down Pisgah Pike (Versailles).