A Great Day...

It's like mother's day started a day early :)

It started with the boys letting me sleep in late. Until 9:00! STOP. THE. PRESS. I know you moms out there know that 9:00 is akin to noon back in my college days. It was heaven. I am hardly ever in bed later than 7:30...

Then Trey's baseball game.


I love watching him play...

After the game I ran over to a client's house to give her a photography lesson. It went great! The one-on-one really worked well...! And, while I was there, I was able to take a picture of her display of pictures :) I originally shot her family in January of 2009...


She ordered this frame display from The Red Envelope. Have you ever shopped this site? It's AMAZING! It's a great place to shop for the person who has everything... Anyway, click HERE to check out the frame set. :) I might have to get a few for myself!!

Do you see the pic of that sweet cute little guy...? He's not so little anymore! While we were working on our camera settings outside, I snapped this picture. He's so big!!!

Tracy it was really good seeing you again and chatting...

The evening brought a quick dinner out, where I suffered from the allergy-attacks of allergy attacks... red itchy eyes, complete and total nasal congestion, miserableness all around... blah. Stupid pollen.

So after a quick stop at Rite Aid for some eye drops (which only sorta helped)... we made our way to downtown Hampton for the Saturday Summer Street Fest. The boys played and we got to listen to some fun music!


One of the vendors was giving out free roses for mother's day :) Noah confiscated mine...


And Trey found the bubble-maker table... !

And the band!

The boys wouldn't dance... but we've now made it a requirement for next Saturday... we will not go to the festival unless they promise to dance. Trey swears up and down, left and right that there's no way he's dancing in front of all those people. Noah says, "Otay." As we were leaving, Noah started crying, "I want to go back to da pahrteee! Go back to da parteee!"

Oh boy.

Until next time,

~ K

The Latest....

Just a couple from an afternoon playing outside in the yard.





Hope you're having a good week!

Until next time,

~ K

Snow | Hampton Roads Children's Photographer

The snow fell just after midnight Saturday morning and covered the ground with a beautiful layer of fluffy whiteness. The boys, who had been hearing about possible snowfall all week, were thrilled when they woke up to a winter wonderland. We tried heading out Saturday afternoon to play, but the wind was blowing and the gentle snowfall had turned into sleet which was pelting us in the face... it was painful. We lasted about five minutes and then everyone quickly made their way back inside.

But Sunday rolled around and it was perfect. Sunny. Still cold, but certainly bearable.


DJ and Noah facing off...


Trey enjoying the snow :)


A solitary moment...


This picture reminds me of my childhood. I grew up in Minnesota where snow was just a part of life all through the winter. Our parents bundled us up and sent us packing to play outside as long as it wasn't 20 below.

The pink cheeks, the wet face (remnants of a snowball fight or falling face first into a big drift of snow...), a runny snotty nose, and a smile. This is youth up north in the winter... I love that Trey was able to experience a little of that...even if it was only for a short period of time.


Noah and DJ


The family.


Until next time,

~ K

Perfect | Yorktown Family Photographer

This family, hands down, wins for the best dressed kiddos. It was perfect and colorful and warm and just everything that I could have asked for!

Meet the 'P' family: These four are beautiful, cultured, down-to-earth, and an absolute joy to spend 90 minutes with on a brisk Sunday morning. They are (relatively) recently transplanted here from Korea (and before that they lived in Italy, where their oldest was born). We have a shared understanding of what it means to live in Asia and a similar affinity for funny asian signs (maybe someday I'll dig some of my pictures out and post a few... always good for a chuckle or two).

By far my favorite part of this session was watching this family interact. They were just so real... and warm... and absolutely hysterical.

Here we go:

First meet Emma. The oldest. The rockstar. The natural. The most beautiful platinum blonde little darling I have ever met...

Mom kept talking about how gorgeous she looks in bold colors. SO right mom.

Next, meet Mia. The baby. The cuddler. The romper. The sweetheart.



...and Emma and Mia together... This is a strong candidate for one of my favorite shots of the year...



I know I keep saying this, but I just loved how they played together!



... and finally... a family shot. Beautiful.



I had such a good time with you! I can't wait to show you all these pictures!

Until next time,

~ K

'H' Family | Yorktown Family Photographer

Kendre first got in touch with me before they moved to VA to inquire about a session... and, though we had to wait several months for this to come to fruition, it was well worth the wait.

We walked around the park, chatted a bit (found out we'd both been stationed on Okinawa at roughly the same time), wiped baby snot, got drooled on (okay, well, maybe that was just dad... ), sang songs, threw some leaves, and watched little 'B' walk around like a pro...

It was a gorgeous day, the leaves are crisp and colorful, and ... well... it was just perfection.

Here's the family.


This is some prime genetics at work. Look at this GORGEOUS family! I feel like I say this all the time, but all of my families are so beautiful!

Little 'B' is about to turn one! And, as a matter of fact, her birthday is the same as mine! Oh... this makes me love her all the more...




I love the light and the colors here. Kendre, you did a superb job of picking out colors and outfits!

Mom... and 'B'...


And, you guys know how I just love pictures of Dads and their kids... This might be one of my favorites to date...



Real. Beautiful. Lovely. I don't think I could ask for much more...

If you guys are loving the colors as much as I do, consider signing up for my newly re-opened Quickie shoots for this weekend... see here.

I had a great time meeting you!

Until next time,

~ K

My Family Friday...

We should probably start off with some introductions...

Meet my eldest, Trey...


Trey is pretty much your stereotypical first child... competitive, yet thoughtful, a perfectionist, kinda high-strung. He is a happy boy and a sweet boy with a good, good heart... However, he has a propensity for whining that makes me go a little batty. Here he is, happily showing me his moves (I think he was singing... "Dontcha wish ya girlfriend was hot like me..."). I made him stop throwing the ball outside to take a few pictures. He rolled his eyes, moved into the good light (he's a photog's kid) and started dancing and singing like a madman... for five seconds... then said, "I'm Done." And picked up the ball again. It can't be easy growing up with a photographer as a parent.

And the baby, Noah...


Noah is the antithesis of Trey. He is impulsive, loud, and a raging dare-devil. His favorite phrase is, "ME DO!" As in, me-do everything... I don't need your stinkin' help walking down this huge flight of very steep stairs... "ME DO!" He is the reason years have been shaved off my life... For instance, this morning... I ran upstairs to get Trey's socks and by the time I came back down, Noah had put his little red plastic chair ON the couch and was sitting on it. {!!!} Heart attack!

Hope you guys have a fantastic weekend planned! The weather here in Eastern VA is supposed to be gorgeous! I've got several two shoots coming up and a even a little something for my own family :) So sneak peeks coming soon !

Until next time,

~ K

The Stars Aligned... | Hampton Family Photography

I don't think I can count on one hand how many times this family and I had to reschedule our shoot. Weather, weather, weather, sick kid, weather, weather... So finally... this week the weather channel's website professed a whole week of sunny days. She and I called each other and vowed to get this shoot in.

We talked on the phone yesterday afternoon, made a last-minute reschedule for this afternoon... and then joked about some crazy freak-snowstorm coming to VA... hahahaha... so totally not funny. I did a little secret good-weather dance last night... Yes, really. I'm that sick of rescheduling shoots...

Anyway, enough babble from the camera lady...

First, meet 'A'...


'A' and I had met once previously... and he was an absolute ball of energy. Tonight, however, he was much more reserved and into mommy and daddy. Might have had something to do with the weird lady with the big-black-box in front of her face making silly faces and funny noises. I would have been hesitant of me too at that age...


It took a few minutes, but he eventually warmed up to me... However, I certainly can't take all the credit. Mom and Dad did a great job of talking and playing too! That's the key! Play!


I really love this shot. It may very well be my favorite thus far. It's that thing we mommy's have...that absolute NEED to nuzzle our children and take in their scent and just be near them. I love it. The grain. The expression. Love love love.


Here's mommy (Beth) and 'A'... See there, he's picking flowers for her. Boys rule.


...and Daddy (Patrick) and 'A'... I love this one too.


...and the whole family... and can I just say... doesn't dad look like Anthony Edwards?! Whoa... it's really striking in this image... :) Cool!

Beth, it worked out! The stars aligned and, though the guy on the golf-cart was kicking us out of the park as the light fell.... and we had to shoot around moms with strollers, joggers, and a gaggle of tween-age kids... it was a fantastic afternoon!

Thanks guys for so much patience and for being so great. More in your gallery soon!

Until next time,
~ K

The Beautiful Family, Take III... | Hampton Beach Photography

Just a few months after I arrived in VA... I nervously clicked the 'Go Live' button on my new fancy website... and sat there and bit my nails to nubs and almost cried. It's such a labor of love working on a website and kicking off a photography business where you know NO ONE and can barely get from your house to the store without getting turned around... But I did it, ever so nervously.

After following the recommendation of our property manager, I joined a local parenting forum, Peninsula Mommies, and quietly mentioned that I was doing some portfolio building. Erin responded at once and said she was interested! We got together and I had a great time romping around her backyard with the kids and the dog. Today's shoot makes the third time I've photographed her family.

Erin, you and your family hold a special place in this photographer's heart, you were one of the first that trusted me to document the interaction between your family members. For this I am eternally grateful.

And can I just say... I was SO lucky to find them. She and her family are so laid back and wonderful.

But ... I'll shutup now... no one wants to hear me wax poetic about these guys...bring on the sneak peek, right?! Right.

First up, a family shot. I have to be honest, this one is both beautiful and hilarious to me. Everyone is on a forward path... walking towards me... like photography-lady instructed... except Keira. Nope, she was ready to jump in and swim to Norfolk.


Keira says to me, "Oh, what...you don't think I can swim to Norfolk? Look at how cute I am. I can doooo anything... " And, well, she's probably right. And if she were my little girl, I'd LET her do anything. Do you see those eyes? Who could resist? I asked her if she'd like to come and live with me... and she scoffed. *Sigh*



This next one is especially for you Erin :) LOOK FIN IS SMILING! Finley is the serious one of the bunch. She's watching... calculating...most likely trying to figure out how much energy she'd have to exert in order to tackle the crazy photographer-lady sticking the camera in her face... Oh but when she smiles. It's just the best and sweetest thing.


And here's big brother Owen, who is often called 'O'. Owen, ahem, got a little talking to while sitting on a log attempting to get a family shot... because he got all excited and threw sand in the air...and it got all over mommy. Erin was so calm and rational with him. SUCH a good mom :) So we pacified him by allowing him to throw as much sand as he wanted to ... but WAY OVER HERE... with JUST me :) And I love how these turned out! Favorites, for sure.


And a shot of mom and dad. What you can't see... just outside the frame there are three children pining for and wildly racing towards their parents. Well, as wildly racing as 18 month olds can... we purposely moved a bit away from the group to catch a few shots of mom and dad alone... good thing I snap fast :)


I think this might be favorite so far. There's not much more that I love...than a dad with his kids. Not much more to say than that...



As always guys, it was a pleasure. I had a good time out there on that beach! And I'm glad we finished when we did... because in Hampton... about 30 minutes later... it POURED!!

Your gallery will be up in the next few days!

Until next time,
~ K

Luke, Anna & Michael...at the beach | Hampton Roads Family Photography

There's something about the beach that just radiates everything that has to do with childhood... sand, toys, laughter, fun, splashing... being real. I know that when I close my eyes I can remember when we would go to the beach when I was young (which was actually a LAKE beach because I grew up in MN...), but there was SUCH excitement! The smell of the water and the lure of the huge open area and ohmigod-I-can-run-free-I-can-run-AND-SPLASH-all-at-the-same-time!

This is the epitome of childhood.

I think that's why beach sessions are so much fun for me. Kids LOVE the beach...

We got a good feel for that this morning at the amazing session I had with this gorgeous family. First let me introduce the kids:

This is Luke... Luke was very sweet and we had a nice conversation about his toy trucks. The excavator was one of his favorites... he was the sweetest thing, at one point, laying down on the sand quietly playing with his trucks while the cacophonous photo shoot went on around him.



Then we have Anna... who is sure to be a heartbreaker. She is absolutely gorgeous ~ thank goodness she has two brothers. Anna loves shoes. A lot. She wore mine around for a while...



And Michael...Phelps...ok not really. But he was most certainly ... the swimmer. Well, at least he thought he was. In fact, he was the first one to almost completely submerge himself in the water. He had a blast out there on the beach, darting in and out of the waves and giving his mom much anxiety... not to worry though... we have some beautiful shots of this adventurous little one...



And this family was lucky enough to have with them a set of grandparents who came down from Maine to spend some time with the family! And then they agreed to play with us out on the beach :) I just love watching grandparents interact with their grandkids...



...and...eventually... the babies lost their pants... so we hung out in cute sweaters and diapers. The weather was pretty much perfect today, despite forecasters calling for rain, so their outfits were quite fitting actually :)



And last, but not least.

Alina & Frank, this is for you guys. A little serenity in what I know is a frenzied (but wonderful) life. :) You two are drop-dead gorgeous and I loved meeting you! Thank-you for letting me share a piece of your day :)



Until next time,
~ K

T-Minus 3 Days...

...until my first baby goes off to Kindergarten...

He is so excited. I am so excited. I am nervous beyond comprehension...but would never let him know that....and if you asked me why I'm nervous I probably wouldn't be able to verbalize it..."Uhm. Uh. Kindergarten...bluh...blabber...scared...excited...big kids...big school...lunchrooms...blahdity...blah...bullys...ugh..." Make sense? Yeah, not to me either.

But in the end I know he'll do great. He's a fantastic kid. Truly.

So, to get ready for his big first day of school, we went to get his hair cut. :) I think it looks perfect.



*sigh*

I'm not ready for him to grow up.

Until next time,

~ K

We had... SEW much fun...!

I met Dawn several months ago at the 'Evening Under the Stars' military spouse event here in Hampton. We started talking about how we could work together. As small business owners, military spouses, and mothers to little ones, we immediately had a lot in common!

Anyway, Dawn is a very talented maker of all things cute, cuddly and adorable.. and the owner of Sew Much Fun Boutique! Yesterday I spent some time at her house taking photos of some of her products for her website. Cute matching plates, sippy cups, bowls... things you can personalize! Yeah, monogrammed bowl and plate sets! What a great gift for baby showers and birthdays!! When you get a chance, check out her online shop here.

For now, just a cute pic of her ADORABLE little girl holding up one of the personalized bowls...



Hope you all are well...

Until next time,
~ K

A Morning in Yorktown | Yorktown Family Photographer

My second family session this weekend and it definitely didn't disappoint! We had a great time! I loved watching this family interact... the little ones were absolutely adorable...

Little 'A' and Little 'J' are only about 18 months apart. They are going to be SO close when they get older. I love the dynamic in families like this.


The morning light was sublime. And this family had so much fun fooling around together. I just ran around (more like laid around... I love getting down on the ground) and snapped away.


Mom and Dad. I'm loving shots like this (can you tell?). I love their smiles. :)


Thank-you 'G' Fam... I had a great time! I can't wait for you to see the rest!

Until next time,
~ K

Another Fabulous Family | Newport News Family Photographer

The biggest compliment anyone can give me is a referral. This beautiful family came courtesy of a previous client (you can see their sneak peek here).

I had a great time traipsing through the park with these guys. We watched the ducks a bit, quacked at them some, went searching for big scary monster fish (which are, secretly VERY NICE big scary monster fish, didn't you know?!), pretended we were princesses (well, us gals did anyway), and used our third eyes to keep an eye on the kids while we grabbed some shots of mom and dad.

Whew. It was busy. But, as always, FUN.


I was in the muck getting this shot. But it was worth the dirty feet.


I don't know... I don't think these guys could get any cuter. And that baby. Ohhh that baby. That baby is one ball of chubby, lovey, happiness.


And then there's mom and dad. Now we know why the kiddos are so gorgeous. Great genes I suppose.


I really had a good time with you guys. Mom, hope you're having fun back home! And Dad, maybe without the kiddos around you can spend some time playing with photoshop (dad is budding photographer himself)...or not... b/c I would sleep...lots and lots of sleep... but you know, whatever!

I can't wait for you guys to see the full gallery. This is just a mini-taste. I have so many beautiful images to share with you! Soon... soon!

Anyway, more to come! I had another amazing session this morning...

Until next time,
~K