Why I love Packaging

Picture this - it's Christmas morning.  Admit it - you are SO excited to open all those gifts under the tree with YOUR name on it.  And even more so, you are so excited to see the moment when someone opens a gift from you that you know they are gonna. just. LOVE.  What if that was happening on... June 20th instead?  THAT is what packaging means to me.

Today, I got to see first hand the joy and excitement when a client opens their package with prints, goodies, a thank you card and a custom flash drive with all their images on it from their session.  CHRISTMAS.  Literally.

I think this is always going to be staple in my photography.  Delivering a box containing everything that that session meant to me with a pretty bow on top.  This was really my first go at it, but I loved it and I hope it was personal, exciting and well, just like Christmas.

                                                                                           -K

Sister^3

So you know that time when you have a shoot and you want to post literally all the pictures from it on your blog. They're ALL your favorite!? Yeah, that was today. 

These gorgeous girls are on the blog tonight! 

My coworker Ashley asked me to do a shoot with her and her two sisters, Kelsey and Lisa, as an anniversary gift for their parents (awwww). I obviously said DUH but also, I was so excited to have the chance to try out my NEW LENS!  And what else can I say except, IT IS AMAZING. 50 mm prime has taken over as my new go-to!  I mean, just look at it go!

                                      -K

Alex and Sterling NON-Engaged (aka the most exciting shoot ever)

For the record...

K, now that we got that out of the way...

Alex and I have know each other for (oh God, dare I age us) 8 years, since I first joined Alpha Phi at JMU.  Since then, we lived together a year or so after college in the Fan and bonded over a love of photography.  Alex has been a valued friend and a patient, knowledgable and encouraging fellow photographer every since I got my DSLR.  In fact, I can honestly say that without her encouragement, I may have never bought it.  Her love for photography is contagious and when I saw the joy she got out of it, I knew I had been putting it off for far too long.  And boy, was I right!

Any how, this wonderful couple volunteered to be my models for the evening at Belle Isle and let me tell you, this was literally the most exciting shoot I've had thus far!  LONG STORY SHORT - three people got caught in the current in the James and Alex immediately called 9-1-1 and ran to meet the fire department while Sterling shouted reassurances to them from the shore.  (They're like a super hero team or something.) They were rescued, thank God, and we kept right on shooting! You CAN'T make this stuff up!!

My favorite thing about this non-engagement shoot is that the whole time people kept walking by saying thinks like "congratulations" and "you two look so happy".  I just can't IMAGINE what it will be like if (ok, let's be honest.. when) they do get engaged.  Case and point... PLEASE ignore this horrible example of photography but it's funny.

I mean these two are like peas and carrots, and EVERYONE feels the love, including the curious passerby.  But, we will all wait with baited breath for the day these two find the perfect time for THEM to get engaged (no pressure intended Sterling, really).  But PS, can I PAALEEEASSEEE take THOSE pictures too??

See what I mean!?

                                 -K

The Lloyd Family

Wow, what can I say?  This shoot was hopefully the start to an awesome thing and I couldn't have picked a better family to do it with! I mean, LOOK AT THEM. Well, read this first, then look at them :)  When I asked them what was the most important thing they receive from this shoot, the answer wasn't creative poses, perfect smiles or even just gorgeous photos.  First they said that they just wanted to have fun but it was the second thing that really resonated with me.  Mrs. Lloyd said that she often finds herself out of the family photos because she is usually the one taking the pictures and that she just wanted some photos of her with her kids. I can completely relate to that!  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being the family photographer, but it isn't a rare occurrence that I enjoy a day of shooting and get home to look at the photos and realize I forgot to include myself in any of them!  

So, my ultimate goal this shoot was to provide this family with some wonderful photos where Mom was on the other side of the lens.  

                                             -K