{Sisters: Seattle Session}

This session was so much fun!!  Jennifer and Amber wanted to do something special for their fathers birthday this year and since they are rarely photographed together, this was the perfect gift.   I loved working with them - they excited and up for anything.  Aren't they stunning?!!   I want Ambers eyes - they are so light and mesmerizing, a perfect compliment against her long dark hair and flawless fair skin.  And Jennifer, she's been a friend of mine for over 6 years now and I have to say she always has the cutest haircuts and most gorgeous, perfect skin {yes Jen, it's true}.   I had a blast with you both!!  Anyway, here's a peak into their session.

{Rangefinder Interview}

I know, I know...I'm super late in posting this.  My excuse - I'm trying to edit, edit, edit my sessions from Seattle and school just started for the kids so I'm a slave to my car right now with the temporary commuting I have between our temp house and their schools.  Anyway, I've had so many kind e-mails from other photographers who've read my feature in Rangefinder Magazine.  And the latest one was razzing me for not posting anything about it on my blog, so that prompted me to bump it up on my to-do list and post this evening. ;-)  The article was shown in the Special Edition -Portrait and Senior Photographer's August Issue of Rangefinder - it can be found on line at www.rangefindermag.com or click here to go directly to the article.  I don't know much about the magazines archiving system but at the end of this month the September issue will be shown so my article will be in their archives on-line (I believe). Anyway, I'm so excited and honored to be featured in this great magazine.  The interview took place just before we moved so it sounds as if I'm still in South Carolina - but I'm not....I'm here in the metropolis valley of the Sun!   So different and so fun.  I do miss my favorite old locations in the South but thankfully I'm finding a lot of variety here in the desert.  It's amazing what's out here.  Anyway, thanks so much  for checking the article out :)

{Designer Spotlight: Eliza Kate Designs}

I'm home!  Yes, but I've been running around like a crazy woman since I've been home and haven't had a moment to edit and post all the fun sessions I had during my time in Seattle. Tyler started the first grade yesterday (weep, weep).  I can't believe he's growing up.  It's all so much harder on me it seems.  Thankfully he's a pretty happy-go-lucky kid, but I'm the one stressing, overwhelmed and intimidated by the size of his new school.  The school is fantastic and the kids there seems happy, well-balanced, etc. but I'm completely overwhelmed by how big it is.  He came from a school in South Carolina where there was only one teacher per grade and it was very small.  This is all so new.  It reminds me of my first day at college - trying to find where things are, locating my classrooms in advance so I'm not late the first day, learning a whole new routine, etc.   So those anxious memories along with my baby growing up make me a bit of a mess ;-)  I'll get over it soon....I hope.

 Okay, onto my Designer Spotlight!  I thrilled to be asked by Krystin, designer of Eliza Kate clothing line, to photograph more of her clothing.  These pieces are from her new fall line.  Aren't they adorable!!  The pants - I fell in love with (well, the skirt, tops and dress too but if I had to choose one it would be the pants) - they are so cute, fit great and I love the detail on the bottom.  Brielle wore them to school this week under a dress, it's still in the low 100's here,  I tried to explain that she'll get hot but she insisted.  And she accessorized with 2 necklaces, 5 bracelets and a neck piece/chocker thing that 'was' here head-band as a baby but looks more like a garter now.  I just let her go with it after trying to convince her that we should leave pretty jewelry at home.  I was shaking my head and giggling at the same time.   Anyway, I love the colors and fabrics she used and Brielle felt comfy in them even in the 114 degree heat we had the day of this shoot.  I was shocked she lasted as long as she did.  Cold water and lots of it was key for both of us :)  Check out more of her work at www.elizakatedesigns.com 

{Designer Spotlight: Zozobug Baby}

So...I'm still in Seattle doing sessions, visiting with friends and family and just enjoying some time back in this amazing city.  Summer time here is amazing and works perfectly for sessions - except for record breaking heat...more on that later {wink}.   Anyway, we head home in just two short days and I already miss my friends, family and clients up here.  The good thing is, my flight from AZ to Sea-town is so much quicker than it was from South Carolina so hopefully that equates to more frequent vists.  ;-)  Anyway, I'll post more about my time in Seattle shortly. 

I've been meaning to post these beautiful designs for a couple of weeks, but computer glitches and being away from my main computer have delayed this.  Well talented Julie, from Zozobug Baby, sent me some great new fall designs she's incorporating into her line before I left.   Aren't these adorable!?  My favorite is the orange and purple skirt, Briella calls it her twirling skirt.  I love it!! Anyway, we  had fun photographing these despite the Arizona heat just days before we left for our trip.  Thankfully Briella has made it easy - we're done within minutes which is key in the heat.  On this day it was 114 degrees but we shot these when it cooled to 107, hence the flush cheeks.  But she's a trooper and started to cry when I told her it was time to go.  She wanted to find the grasshopper she spotted before our session, so we looked, and looked and looked.  Sadly, we couldn't find him again so Briella was finally ready to go.  Always an adventure with my little girl :) .

{Rock & Roll - Phoenix desert}

That's what this session was all about!  Jack, 9 and Riley, 11 were so hip, fun and cool to work with.  Not to mention their mom, Christy, who I adore.  Anyway, Jack is completely in Rock & Roll - yes, really.  I know, he's only 9 but he know so many of the classics rock and roll bands, he blew me away.  And Riley, geez - she's 11 and has such poise and grace but also knows how to still be a kid.  She's gorgeous to boot!  Anyway, I promised them a sneak peak before I left for Seattle for 2 1/2 weeks.  I wanted to include so many others but there wasn't time to edit them all before heading out of town and I want some to be a surprise in their gallery ;-)

Had to start with some images that sum up our session.  These first two were taken at the end of our session.  Jack cooled off in the fountain in the 114 degree desert heat and begged for the water to hit him in the face, success.  Both were Rock Stars are for putting up with the heat with smiles on their faces. 

Edited with my faded vintage wash for a fun look (below)

Jump?  You bet they can jump - I was pretty impressed.  Love Riley's expression!

The true rocker coming out in Jack.  :)

{4th of July - late post}

Oh my, with all of the designer shoots I've been doing,  the kids being home with summer break and getting ready for my trip to Seattle - I've been late in posting our July Festivities.  I promised several people they would be able to find the pictures on my blog since they weren't on Facebook.   Anyway, what a fun weekend!!  First, I never really believed that Arizona had forests and 'real' mountains.  I was in heaven!  The nights were cool and crisp and the days were warm and sunny.  The kids had a blast playing with all the kids that were there.  Here's just a taste of our weekend :)

 Tyler and Briella, love how they hug all the time.  Hope that never changes.

The Gang - all of the kids who shared in the festive 4th of July celebration.

Friends

Sweet Madison

Tyler flying high as he jumps off the swing  {shot in low-light so excuse the grain}.

Chloe laughing so hard at her brother's face-plant on the swing.  Madison, to the rescue :)

Thankfully, Dylan was fine - no scratches at all ;-)

Larry going for a ride!

Disclaimer needed for this photo.  This was our hayride from Charlie's cabin to Larry's cabin and I'm not completely clear on what this get-up was all about, I think it may have been a dare and Rhonda drew the short straw.  Anyway, the adults were in hysterics and the kids were just confused.  The costume came off after 2 minutes and all was 'normal' again. LOL. 

The real hayride.

Simply content on the hayride.

Starving after the hayride, it was time to roast hotdogs and have a picnic.  :)

Sweet moment - Jason and Jean.

This was the craziest homemade entertainment I'd ever seen.  This was a potato launcher and it had amazing power-  kids and adults were in aw.  LOL

Jean's parents, in from China, got in on the action too.  Love Lilly's expression - priceless!

Tender kisses for Grandpa. 

Tyler and Briella after the hoola-hoop and horse-shoe contest. 

At the end of our weekend Briella agreed to let the grasshopper go that she caught on the first day.  She was heart-broken but agreed.  This jar went with her everywhere (the parade, breakfast, smorse roast, everywhere).  This was one of 7 she caught during our time in the mountains.  After opening the jar the grasshopper didn't  want to jump out right away, so she said excitedly 'See, he loves me, he wants to stay with me'.  Tugged at my heart but we explained how much the grasshopper needed to be with it's family.  She mournfully place the jar under the tree and waved good-bye as we drove off. 

{Designer Spotlight: EarthGroovs}

 I can't believe it's June and it's not blazing hot here in AZ!  In May it was sweltering (I was dying)  and now that June is half way over it's weird to think that this was one of Arizona's 'hot summer months'.   I know I'm going to eat these words the next two months though lol.   Anyway, it's been amazing weather.  We've enjoyed dinners outside, roasting marshmallows in the fire pit, going for late evening strolls while the kids go searching  for bunnies, quail,  lizards, you name it.  The desert is like a huge museum to them.  They are so curious about every cactus, every flower, every rock formation and every animal they see.  It's really fun but I  look like a mom who doesn't know much because I'm in awe too unable to explain the cactus, the rock formations,  and the various desert flowers.  Oh well, we're having fun exploring.  I feel like a kid again.  This summer has been so fun!!  We've been doing all the fun things I remember doing during the summer as a child.  Summers to me are lots of swimming, going for bike rides, making lemonade stands, and being carefree from day to day.  That's how our summer has been - we are spontaneous and each day is a fun new adventure.  So I'm glad that I have this time with my kids right now.   I'm savoring each and every moment!!

Photo sessions have been fun and spontaneous too, we take pictures, we stop and look at something cool on the ground or a bunny hopping by, then we shoot a few more pictures, then we discover more.  It's made Briella excited to go on a session -we get to explore!  During this session Briella wore some of EarthGroovs very cute and funky tops.  The talent designer, Kerry, has been featured on here before and there is more to come, she's been busy!  She offers earth-friendly & retro prints for children.  She tries  to use sustainable, natural materials whenever possible like organics & cottons in order to reduce her carbon footprint.  A very Earth friendly and environmentally conscience  boutique :)  Check out more of her styles on etsy.

{some of this, and some of that...}

As the kids sit quietly munching on pears and watching 'Maggie and the Ferocious Beast' - I can quickly blog.   Ideally I prefer minimal time in front of the TV but sometimes I need to rely on my friends at 'Noggin' to help me out so I can get a few things done ;-)

So life has been moving fast lately which is good but makes it hard to blog and respond to e-mails.  So I'm going to work to make more time for both.  Since I haven't been able to respond to inquires regarding my actions, future workshops, mentoring and other photography related questions, I thought I could answer them here since many of the questions were the same.

Mentoring:  I would like to offer mentoring at some point.  It would be one-on-one and involve going out on a shoot where we can work on the technical aspect of photography, I would also incorporate other aspects of the business.  Details will be firmed up as I get closer to offering this.

Actions:  This is still up for debate with me.  There are so many actions out there and the thought of adding more seems a little redundant to me.  Hmmmm....

Workshops:  Right now I don't have plans for a workshop.  Possibly at some point but no current plans at this time.

Other questions I'm getting...

*'What camera do you photograph with and do you use fixed focal length or zoom lenses? ' Well, I'm a Canon girl and have had success with the 5D.   I use a variety of lenses - macro, wide-angle (both prime) but I'm obsessed to my zoom lenses.  Love the flexibility the zoom provides.  

* 'Do you use a fill-flash or a reflector?'  I currently don't use either.  With children's photography it's not practical to run around with a reflector and I find it intimidates the child and I can't get a natural look from my subject.   And I've never been fond of how a fill-flash looks.  I prefer getting the exposure spot on with appropriate natural light.  

*'Do you travel for sessions?'  I will travel for sessions but plans need to be made about 6 to 8 months out since my calendar fills up quickly and travel requires early planning, weather considerations, etc.  I ask for a deposit and travel expenses to be paid.  This works best when there are 5 to 7 families wanting pictures done, then the travel  and lodging can be split.

I know I'm forgetting to include some questions and others I've responded to directly.  If you have any others  or any I've left out, please feel free to e-mail me at kara@karamayphotography.com   Thanks !!

On a personal note:  {Some of you on Facebook have already seen these. Sorry for the repeat :) }  My kids finished swim lessons (I'm thinking about having them continue but we'll take a break for a bit before we delve into more)!!  We spent every morning at Aqua-Tots  with fabulous instructors and the kids looked forward to it each day.  Here's some pictures of their last day!  They were so excited!

Tyler below perfecting his backstroke.  He's such a little fish! ;-)

Briella below swimming to her instructor all by herself!!  Big goal met!!  And huge safety relief for mommy :)

{Designer Spotlight: ZozoBugBaby}

Oh it's been so fun photographing in my new surroundings.  I'm trying to learn the light here since it's so different from South Carolina and Seattle, but it's gorgeous light.   So recently, Julie from ZozoBug Baby contacted me to take some pictures of a few of her new designs, isn't the outfit below super cute?!  One of my favorite color combinations!  Julie is an amazing designer with such a fun variety of  design and fabric styles - I love them all! 

It was 103 degrees when we took these so we made this mini-session one of the quickest ever (7 minutes to be exact) -wow!  As you can see in the 3rd picture below she was ready to go inside and not too happy with me.  But she's a trooper and asked to do it again the following day - monsoons prevented that however. ;-)   Anyway, I have many more designer spotlights to come, just trying to time them with the weather and our summer activities, can be tricky but we have a bit of a system now.   Thanks for stopping by, I'll be posting more soon. 

{bit of the South}

I've been such a bad bad blogger.  I have so much to blog, so little time to do it (not to mention, wordpress went wacko on me and prevented me from posting for a while).  Wow, life has been so crazy busy since moving here.  I'm not taking any clients here (except for commercial clients) until the fall, so I thought I'd have time to ease into life here but it seems that's not going to happen.  It's all good fun but I find myself going to bed when the kids do since I'm so tired by the end of a very busy and active day.  I think this summer is going to be even crazier...hate to admit. 

I've been editing a few sessions from my last few days in South Carolina. It's fun editing them, but it makes me want to start photographing children now... then I step outside and remember why I decided to wait until fall to resume my sessions.  It's been unseasonably hot here, in the low 100's. The only time I can photograph kids is at ~5  in the morning...since the temp is nice that early (a cool 75 degrees).  My kids are the only ones that I dare bring out that early {giggle, giggle}.    And I will be doing that soon since they get up early enough to give me hugs and tons of kisses before my morning runs.

Anyway, I have a bunch more to blog about but I have to run out and take my kids to their swimming lessons.  I'll be blogging again soon... stay tuned :)  Thanks!