{'Is this what it's like to be a fairy, mommy?'} Commercial Shoot

What does a little girl with pretty burlap angel wings and a wishing jar do?  She flies, she dreams, she wishes and she plays.

'Is this what it's like to be a fairy, mommy?' Brielle gasped when I finished tying on her wings.

I was excited to see what Tabitha, owner of TFJ Designs, sent me to photograph for her store.  Aren't these wings adorable!?  And they're so sturdy too, which is ideal for my busy girl.  After the session, Brielle and the neighbor girls did a play where they used the Angel wings for Tinker bell.  So all weekend these wings have been tied to Brielle's back.  I love it!   She even went to Home Depot with a green petticoat, fairy wings and her hair in a bun.   She insists on having her hair in a bun everyday now.  Can't I please freeze her?  This is childhood and I don't want my little girl to grow up.

Beautiful fairy wings:  TFJ Designs

Wishing Jar:  TFJ Designs

Antique 1950's dress:  local antique store

Hair accessory:  Hobby Lobby

{What_____looks like} Arts & Crafts

Here I am again on the 2nd month of  'What____looks like'.  And this month it's 'Arts & Crafts'.  My kids (primarily Brielle) can't live without a coloring tool in her hand.   I find all of her art related stuff scattered all over the house.  Under the couch, in between the cushions, on her night stand, under the table, on the floor and even in the bathroom.  It's crazy but I love it!  The only time I didn't love it was when I found a marker without a cap on laying on our white carpet.  That wasn't so cute so we've had some talks about markers and capping them (and keeping them off the carpet).  Anyway, this is what arts & crafts look like (really arts...it should be) in our house.  Click on to  Jules Trandem | San Diego Family Lifestyle Photographer to see what she posted this month!

They must be photographers kids...when they saw me standing over them they both rolled over and did this.  So I went with it.  They crack me up.  Ty even said... my pencils need to be 'on me'. LOL  Okay, they'll get used to the life-style photos sooner or later...just not for some of these. ;-)

{Bloom Basics - Only 3 Days Left to Register!}

Stephanie and I are gearing up for another great group of students who've signed up for our on-line 'Bloom Basics' workshop!  And there are just a few seats left and only 3 more days to register. This class requires NO prior experience with photography.  This is about learning to use your DSLR on manual mode.  Forget using 'Auto' - gain control over the look of your images through your cameras settings.   Understanding how to control your camera to get the images you want.  We will be covering so many topics including photoshop!  For more details about the class and registration links click here.  And of course e-mail me at any time with questions:  kara@karamayphotography.com  Hope to see you in our private on-line classroom on Monday!

{Something's different about him....}

My little man looks a little different these days.   Something has changed...and he can see better in class as a result.  Yes, Tyler got glasses!  He was having trouble seeing the smart board (I keep calling it a chalk board but I'm quickly corrected) from the back of the class, so it was time to take him in for a 'real' eye exam.  It took a long time and Ty was pretty nervous.  I was by his side the whole time watching him struggle to read the letters on the wall from a distance.  I couldn't believe what he couldn't see.  But in the end his vision really wasn't that bad.  He only needs the glasses for distance and his vision is 20/30 and 20/40 so it's pretty minor.  But the new glasses...they're kind of a big deal to my little guy.  He was nervous but excited about this new addition to his face.  :)   He's very careful too, reminding me how to properly care for the glasses (guess I'm not as careful with them as I should be).  Anyway, this 'new look' called for a photo session, so we did just that - then the rain interrupted and we ran for the car.  So this was what we were quickly able to capture.

{'Dream' Issue of CHIC Magazine}

I'm excited about this month's Dream Issue of CHIC Magazine.  It's loaded with beautiful images and detailed articles.  I was flattered when I was asked to contribute with a tutorial on 'Beautiful Backlighting'.  I love writing (when I have time) especially when its technical writing about photography.  And I love to teach so this was so much fun for me to do. And finally....being in Arizona, I worship the light for photography here and utilize backlighting for most all of my sessions.   If you're interested in getting a hardcopy or a digital copy of CHIC magazine you can click here to order.  Hope you enjoy it!

{Vintage Crown}

I love crowns, especially vintage crowns.  When TJF Designs , creator of 'Confessions of a Prop Junkie' asked me to work with her on this stunning crown, I was ecstatic!  My mind started racing and I was getting so inspired from this one amazing little crown.  I thought about what I wanted to do.  And for some reason I do my best thinking last minute (literally) when it all comes together.  My mom made Brielle the gorgeous red cloak and Brielle really wanted to wear her new converse boots.  So I added them in to the pile of things to bring to the shoot and gathered a few more things...a tutu, cute lacy leggings, a brush and some hair spray.  Then we raced to the site with the last available amount of light and I feel in love with the scene that Brielle created with those new crazy boots and brilliant vintage crown.  You can find some amazing props and unique, beautiful crowns on Tabitha's website.  She also has a Facebook Fan Page where she posts recent items added to her store as well as sales and promotions and other business happenings.

{Bloom Basics Workshop is back} Registration OPEN now!

Stephanie Moore and I are back!  Due to popular demand we are doing another 'Bloom Basics', on-line, 3 week course!  We're so excited!  Registration is a first come first serve.  Seats are limited so reserve yours before it fills up.  If you're a Bloom Forum Member head over to the forum and sign up.  If you're not a member you can sign up here.  Please let me know if you have any questions at all.  That's what I'm here for and no question is a silly question.  Looking forward to meeting you all!

Unsure if this is for you?  Check out what some former 'Bloom Basics' students have to say about the course {see the bottom of this post}.

Sample work of former Bloom Basics Workshop attendees.  

Here's what some of them had to say:

I can't say enough good things about the Bloom Basics photography course taught by Kara May and Stephanie Moore.  When I started the class, I was a true novice and hadn't operated my camera on anything more than "auto".  At the conclusion, I could not only take pictures in manual mode with so much more confidence than I expected, but I could also edit in Photoshop.  I'm able to adjust f-stop, exposure, and shutter speed while taking into consideration lighting and surroundings.  Kara and Stephanie encourage participation and are so helpful in all aspects of the learning process.  Their lessons included many videos so that we could also "see" how things are done, which is very helpful.  They would even answer individual questions with a personal video if you were struggling with some concept.  The class was so much fun, that I didn't want it to end and I am looking forward to the next class that I can take :)

-Kathy K.

Bloom basics was such a great workshop for me. Stephanie and Kara were amazing instructors. The daily lessons were very easy to follow and then throughout the day and weeks they were frequently on the forum to explain, answer questions, and show examples. They were very available through out the course of the workshop. When I started this workshop I was always shooting in automatic. Now I am shooting in manual and understanding the triangle to doing it!

- Amy P.

I absolutely LOVED the Bloom Basics workshop – the material was presented in a clear way and it built on itself everyday. Even though I read several books about exposure and practiced on my own prior to – it really clicked in the first few days of the workshop. Steph and Kara were amazing – so supportive and ensuring that all questions were answered thoroughly. I learned so much and am so thankful for the experience.

- Sharyn B.

With no hesitation, I can say that Bloom Basics with Stephanie and Kara was life changing for me and for my photography! I was able to learn SO much about the world of photography in such a short time and am forever thankful. Before taking the course, I knew how to shoot in manual, but didn't completely understand all the concepts associated with shooting in manual and never felt proud of my images. Thanks to the detailed lessons and active instructors, I now fully understand the exposure triangle, have learned what terms like "metering" and "composition" actually mean and feel confident shooting both inside AND outside (even in full sun!). Kara and Stephanie offered such valuable feedback - critiques were honest and helpful EVERY time. I cannot rave enough about both of these talented and caring instructors. What an amazing opportunity for me to have been taught by such wonderful women and photographers! If you are wanting to improve your pictures and experience an amazing opportunity, sign up fast! I wanted to share a shot I have recently taken to document how beneficial this course truly is.

-Katie P

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your workshop.  I was on the fence about the commitment, since I have two little ones at home and rarely find time to do much of ANYthing for myself.  But was so glad I went with my gut and signed up!  I have had a DSLR since the birth of my first child three years ago, but was never able to find the time to sit down and learn how to shoot in manual.  My photos were just "meh" and I needed someone to just teach me the basic basics to get out of the snapshot rut.  I am definitely one that learns by seeing AND doing, with lots of practice in between, so reading books never really worked when trying to learn a new skill.  Your videos were extremely helpful and the way the class was set up was very easy to follow.   I was able to pop on when I could, as often as my daily schedule could allow.   You were both very good about responding to all our questions very quickly and presented material in a simple, yet very effective way.  But the talent you each have and brought to the class is unbelievable and I feel honored that you shared your tips, tricks and secrets with us!  I have been diligent about practicing since our class ended and have even started a photo project for 2013!  Even well before the workshop was over, I received compliments on the photos that I published on facebook or shared with family.  I feel like I have only scratched the surface, but can thank you for inspiring me and encouraging my enthusiasm for this beautiful art!  And one that allows me to capture precious moments and memories of my family and loved ones along the way.  It really has opened a door and changed the way I see things.  Thank you so much for this wonderful gift!!!

- Brita S.

I loved this online course! Stephanie and Kara were amazing at teaching us "newbies" the proper way to shoot in manual. Their material was to the point and so easy to learn. Often they answered our questions in a videos that would end up benefitting all of us. Their videos are very simple to follow along. When I first started this course I had ZERO experience using my camera in Manuel mode... now that's ALL I use. I would definitely recommend this. It's worth every penny!!

- Vanessa A.

What ______ looks like! December {summarized}

I'm so excited that I was asked to be a part of this amazing group of ladies doing this great monthly project.  So what is this project?  As busy moms and photography business owners we don't take enough time to document our own families lives.  This project is dedicated to our families, our lives, our passions and whatever makes us happy.  So each month we will be posting 'What_____ looks like'.  And in the blank we can fill it with whatever we want, it could be our family, it could be the daily things that make us happy, it could be objects.  The options are endless and with that comes a unique spin on what each photographer shares.  At the end of this post I'll share the link of another talented photographer in this group from there you can click through to complete the circle.

For this first post I decided to recap some of December.  As we all know, December is a very busy month for everyone.  It's full of parties, celebrations, decorations, twinkling lights, family, baking (which I admit right now, I didn't do nearly enough of ...not a single loaf of eggnog bread this year), late nights, trips to the post office, eggnog and other fun libations, etc.  I didn't photograph near what I had hoped to this year but I was needing a breather from my camera after busy season.

Here's a little taste of Christmas at our house:

The kids doing homework by the light of the tree  Instagram pic (below)

A little comp of Christmas from my Instagram feed also

Our very messy Gingerbread houses.  The kids were soooo proud of them.  I laughed (inside) at their final product.  They also made trains and a fire pit.  Can you find the fire pit?    I love their creative mess.  So much fun!!

A little blast from the past mixed with this years photo with Santa when we did the 'North Pole Experience'.  I LOVE looking at old Santa pics. And Brielle was so entertaining in these.  This years Santa was the scariest and she was her happiest. 

Brielle, Grandma May and me at Brielle's class play 'The Gingerbread Man' .  This is the first time B had a gingerbread cookie .  She decided she liked decorating it more than eating it {not her favorite}.

Brielle spent 3 weeks of December sick.  She had strep throat and pneumonia!  Poor girl.

And we had an elf.  Like many of you this little guy stayed at our house for the month.  This was a night off  for me so when I saw what the elf was doing the next morning....I just shook my head.   Jeff.  All I can say is, Jeff.

Our neighborhood is amazing.  Have I mentioned that before?  This is our first time celebrating Christmas in this house and our neighbors invited us to their tradition of having everyone over on Christmas Eve for food, libations, friends, cheer and Santa!  Santa came in with a HUGE red bag full of gifts for the 20+ kids that were there.  Each child got Christmas PJ's from Santa as well as a toy.  Seriously?!!  Yes, it was a blast!  Such a great night and so magical and fun for the kids. We have the most amazing neighborhood!

This year Brielle and Tyler handed out ALL of the presents while Jeff and I sat and soaked it all in, just in aw that our kids were growing up and so mature and sweet about making sure everyone had a gift and watching each other open presents.  

The day after Christmas we headed to Seattle to see my family.   The kids were greeted by excited cousins.  And the playing and bonding lasted the whole trip.  This photo was taken just before saying good-bye.  They had a great time with their cousins, Grandma & Grandpa.  

We arrived home on New Year's Eve. We were a little under the weather so we had to cancel our plans with friends and just laid low at home.  We spent the evening pulling out most every game we had.  Then the kids got this 1,000 piece puzzle out.  The kids helped for about 30 minutes then they realized it was more fun to play under the table than help with the puzzle.  At 9pm we all read books.  The kids wanted to stay up till midnight so bad.  So we told them they could read quietly till midnight knowing they would fall asleep.  At 11 I went to check on them.  Brielle was out and Ty was still reading.  Groggy eyed he said excitedly,' It's almost midnight.'  We all read together for the last hour and tried to get Brielle up but she was out!   We promised Ty we'd toast with eggnogg at midnight if he made it.  And that's just what we did.  He was soooooo sweetly proud of himself for making it to see the ball drop.  Love his sweet spirit.  So this was our December - summarized. 

Now click though to Stacey Woods | Clearwater Family Photographer and see what she's posting about.  I'm excited to see myself.

{Win A Seat at the Savvy Workshop in Alys Beach - deadline Dec 2nd}

Many of you know Marsha Mifsud, owner of the Savvy Photographer.  She's an amazing business woman and the coordinator of the upcoming Savvy Workshop at Alys Beach in Florida.  I'm honored to be a part of this workshop and the amazing group of ladies who are also going to be teaching at this workshop.

So what's this workshop about?  The Workshop is being held in Alys Beach, Florida on February 22nd to the 25th, 2013.  Details can be found here.  This location is amazing!  I can't wait!  There are going to be phenomenal speakers, bonding, friendship making, photoshoots, dinners together, late night giggles, and all around fun.

So who are the speakers?     Laura Winslow, the talented owner of  Laura Winslow Photography and my dear friend will be speaking about savvy marketing, how to find your ideal client and how to make your packaging wow your clients.  Alice Park, owner of  Alice Park Photography and founder of the NAPCP will be sharing how she continues to run her amazingly successful business while balancing the demands of being a mom and  running the National Association of Profession Child Photographers .  Beth Glisson, owner of Caroline's Heirloom Photography will be sharing some great editing tricks, tips as well as how she manages her photoshop workflow.  And I will be delving into all aspects of  Styling & Posing your clients!  We will be photographing models so attendees can get hands on learning with a live shoot!!   Sounds like fun right?  I can't wait to meet those of you who've already purchased a seat! So what's the deal with the title of my post?  There's a contest!  Marsha is giving away a seat to the workshop.  Yes, a seat and accommodations.   It's very easy to enter - you can choose one category or you can do ALL of the categories.  Be creative!  Here are the details: click here.  Since this week has been so busy with Thanksgiving travel and many people have e-mailed saying that they were bummed to miss out since they were out of town and couldn't enter the contest.  So Marsha has extended the cut-off for submissions to next Sunday (a week from today)!  If you have any questions, let us know.  We're happy to answer any questions you have.

{vintage. fall. my favorite.} commercial shoot: FaithWorks4U

Words can't express enough how in love I am with FaithWorks4U clothing.  Faith, is a designer genius who's brought back styles from the 1960's and 1970's.  I'm simply smitten with them.  I think she's tired of hearing that but I can't tell her enough how amazing she is.  Anyway, here's some of her designs available now in her shop - all ready for the fall season.