Baby "A" - {Newborn} - Sneak Peek!

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know how much I loooove newborn babies. I could squeeze them, hold them, cuddle them and photograph them all. day. long. This baby girl holds an even more special place in my heart because this is my niece! 

I know what you are thinking - it's my family, so they have to hire me. But that is anything but the truth! They don't even live in the same state as me and it would be much easier for them to use someone there. Lucky for me, they always ask me to do all of their family photos!! :)

Sweet baby A slept through the ENTIRE session. She let me fold her, bend her, change outfits 247 times (okay, maybe not that many), change headbands and move her  - all without waking up once. And even if I am biased, I think she is such a beautiful baby! Her parents and older brother are certainly showering her with love and I can't wait to get my hands (and camera) on her again!

Here are just a few of my favorites from her session!

I am in love with her cute, pouty lips!

Congrats again on your new baby girl!!

.............

Krystal

Rebranding - {Design Process}

Over the past few months, I have been working on giving my website, blog & print materials a cohesive look. I want my brand to be the complete package & am working hard to get it there. As a way to get the creative juices flowing, it was suggested that I go through and find things that I like. Things that inspire me. Things that make me smile. Things that I can draw from to complete my brand image. I'm even hoping to include a lot of these products in my office when all is said and done! So here are some of the things found during that ongoing search! Can you guess what colors my final branding package will be??

And links to all of the fabulous products!

Paper Bird; Gray Chair ; Silver Vases; Tree Paper; Moss Decor; Tic-Tac-Toe; Vases; Shoes; Pillow

...............
Krystal

Zoey - {One Year & Cake Smash} - Sneak Peek

Last week I got to spend time with Zoey at her one year old & cake smash session! The last time I saw her was for her 9 month session and seriously - she just keeps getting cuter & cuter! It is so much fun being able to watch as little ones grow & see their unique personalities really shining through. Zoey has an outgoing, sweet personality & is a complete ham. Her outfits were adorable (as always) and the cake her mommy got her was SO cute. 

Here are just a few from her session!! 

She decided that the wall needed a little color added to it. Hah!

And she even made sure to leave her mark on the ground. ;)

Happy 1st Birthday, Zoey!!

Isn't she so cute?!
....................
Krystal

From a Mother's Point of View - {Birth Photography}

I have had a few people ask me what the real experience of birth photography was like and how it worked when the big day came along. Explaining it from my point of view was really easy, but I wanted to be able to give an answer based on the mom's point of view! So I asked Sam's mommy if she would mind writing up a little something that I could share with other mom's who were thinking of having me photograph their baby's arrival into this world. When she emailed me back, I was floored (and bawled like a baby). I never imagined she would elaborate so far & say such kind words! Her words touched me so deeply that I wanted to share them with you.

"Before we ever even got pregnant with Sam, we knew that he would be our last baby. I adore being pregnant, so I wanted to cherish every single moment of it. After all of the joys of finding out what gender Baby was and the things like decorating his room we started focusing on the delivery and how we could make that special time not only more special, but save a bit of the excitement.

With our other kids, my husband had dutifully stood over my shoulder and recorded the moment our kids came into the world. While it is an awesome token of a wonderful time, its not really something you throw up on facebook, or send to your brother in law.

I started thinking how wonderful it would be to be able to see what my husbands face looked like the first moment he saw Sam.

 Or the look on my face when I finally got to hold him! 

My line of thinking was much the same as a wedding. I wanted all of his wonderful newborn firsts frozen in time.

We've used Krystal numerous times for family portraits. She has such a way of capturing wonderful little details, and the best part is you never notice while she's taking the pictures. When you get the proofs back its amazing to see what she manages to capture.  Its like she can capture the essence of your child.

I started talking with Krystal and forming ideas about what we wanted. It took a little while to sell everyone on it, but I finally got her and my husband to agree on letting her in the delivery room.

I'm a very private person, but I wanted those images. I wasn't sure how I would handle having someone who wasn't my husband in the room with us. However, I have to say that I never once even thought of Krystal being in there during delivery. She was so quiet and so unobtrusive. She stood at the very front of the room, past the head of the bed and most moments I forgot she was even there.

Every time I look at the pictures she took, I get so choked up. There are so many moments that in the rush of everything I forgot. I think my favorite part of her photographing his birth is that each moment can be shared exactly how I want to share it. There are some photos she took that will always just be private photos, for Aaron and me. Other pictures are just so beautifully expressive I want to share them with everyone. And best of all, for the rest of Sams life I have wonderful memories that can be shared with him and the generations that come after."

Thank you for such kind words and for asking me to be a part of such an amazing day!
xoxo
................
Krystal

James' 1st Birthday - {Event Photography} - Sneak Peek!

I previously had the privilege of photographing baby James and was thrilled when his mom asked me to capture his first birthday party. I told his story before, but it is so amazing that it deserves a re-visit!

James was born at 22 weeks and 6 days gestation. In other words, little to no chance of survival. Had the hospital known we was 22.6 weeks and not 23, they would not have done any life saving measures. It wasn't until after they had him on a ventilator that they discovered the doctor had mistakenly put he was 23 weeks gestation. He weighed 15 ounces at birth and was only 10.5 inches long. But he is a little fighter & quite the miracle! He spent the first 5 months of his life in the NICU before he finally got to go home for the first time. Now - one year later - he is thriving, growing & happy as can be!

Just being around the family is an amazing feeling. There is so much love for this little guy and I am so lucky that I get to be a tiny part of his life! 

Here are few of my favorite photos of his 1st birthday!

They had photos on display of some of his time in the NICU.

Amazing.

I love how excited he is over the tissue paper!

Happy 1st Birthday, James!!
I can't wait to watch you grow up. :)
.........................
Krystal

Colorado - {Landscape & Travel Photography}

I recently got to escape this *ahem* spectacularly warm weather that has rocked Texas as of late and make a run to the mountains of Colorado. The break was wonderful and the cooler temperatures were so nice! 

This is just a small sampling of the places I visited!

View of the mountain in my wine glass :)

The storm clouds rolled in & created so much drama in this photo!

Now, if only Texas could take the memo that being over 100 with ridiculous amounts of humidity every day is completely unnecessary.
....................
Krystal

Mom's (and Dad's) Photography Class

Are you a mom with a nice DSLR (or a dad since it was pointed out on Facebook that mom's aren't the only ones who take photos)? Ya know, the camera with all of those buttons that you have NO idea what they are there for? Did you know you are wasting money by having that camera if you never take it off of Auto mode?

 Do you want to know how to make your children really stand out? 

Or how to get that nice blur behind them?

 Or how to get good images straight out of the camera?

Or maybe you just want to be more comfortable photographing in manual mode?

If so, check this out!

I will be offering Mom's Photography classes - or "Mom-tography" as I like to say - here in the DFW area and will expand to other areas if there is significant interest there. For one afternoon, I will teach you how to use your camera in manual mode as well as some tips and tricks that will vastly improve your photos.

A couple of notes before I get to the good stuff:
This class is being held in just a few weeks so REGISTER QUICKLY to ensure your spot.
Because it is a hands on experience, class size is limited and on a first come, first serve basis. 

Here is some of what will be covered in the class:

• Basic camera settings (including aperture, iso, shutter speed)
• Understanding your camera & how it works
• Using your camera in Manual mode
• The problems with Auto mode & how to fix them using creative modes
• Using natural light
• Basics of white balance, focus modes and file types 
• Storing and backing up your priceless images 
• Tips & tricks for photographing children and babies
• And more!

This will be a casual atmosphere where you can ask questions & get hands on training. Plus you don't have to spend numerous nights/weekends away from your family like you would going to a class elsewhere!

I am a firm believer in hands-on learning, so please bring your camera to the class. We will have yummy appetizers to snack on AND door prizes to give away! Please note this class is not intended for professionals nor is it for those looking to expand into a business.

Class Details:
Class Date: Saturday, September 24
Time and Place: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm in Dallas, TX ( I will email the address and directions 1 week prior to class)
Cost: $99 (due at time of registration)

Additional Details:
Only a limited amount of seats are available for each class to ensure that there is plenty of opportunity to ask questions and learn on your own camera.
You do not have to have an SLR to attend. Many of the lessons taught can be applied to a point and shoot camera.
All attendees receive 15% off a future photography session by KM Photo Studio
All attendees will be entered to win some fabulous door prizes.
Come with questions - there will be time to ask away.
After the class, I would love to give any comments/feedback on your photographs via email.
Come with a friend or come make some new ones!

*If you would like to host a Mom-tography class at your house, please let me know! There are perks for hosting & it is a great way to spend time with your friends. We can make it a private event just for you and your friends as long as you have a minimum of 5 people attending the class.*

To register, email me at krystal@kmphotostudio.com

....................

Krystal