{What ________ looks like} iPhone pictures of life and travels

So this past month has been crazy with travel.  It's been amazing to see several big cities and soak them up.  I opted against carrying my heavy, big camera and decided my iPhone would provide me with some of the memories I needed to keep. Those of you who follow me on Instagram have seen some of these.  If you're on Instagram, I post a lot more pics - my name is @karaphotogirl.  I don't have many photos San Francisco  :(  so I'll start with our trip to NYC with the kids.  This was the kids first time to New York and they were so beyond excited to explore and see how big and fun this city really is.

When we got home, the first thing I did (after unpacking) was to get back to baking.  I love baking and my kids missed home baked bread.  And life was back to normal for a bit until Jeff and I headed out to Chicago…just the two of us.

Below capture some of the things we did and saw in Chicago.

So cold, but sunny… so I was happy to have my jacket with thumbholes and wrap over mittens type dealeos.

Above…the last picture I took in a suburb of Chicago.  Isn't that house so cozy looking?  I had to snap a photo of it.

We got home at midnight and the first thing Brielle showed me was how she learned to sew.  Love her enthusiasm for learning.

Life resumes at home…until our next trip. 

Thanks for looking at my iPhone photos during this months addition of What ___ looks like.  Please continue onto the circle by clicking through the links.  Next is up is Suzanne Gipson Photography.

{What________ looks like} peach picking!

This weekend we braved the heat (yes, it's sizzling here already!) and headed to the farm for some peach picking.  U-Pick fruit is one of my favorite things to do with the kids.  Thankfully they think of it as a treat so they really look forward to it.  We got to the farm at 9:30 so the sun was pretty harsh for these photos by the time we got on the hayride to head to the orchard to pick peaches.  After we filled two bags of peaches we were ready to head to some rides.  It was hot but the kids went on the roller coaster, the giant swing ride, the slides, the big air bounce pad…. again and again and again.  When they finally got tired, we headed home to plan out what to do with our peaches.

Be sure to check out the rest of this talented groups post!  Next up is Kelsey Gerhard Photography, I know her's will be a treat!

{What_______looks like} Easter Egg Dying!

This weekend was the weekend  the kids have been waiting for.  Ever since we put up some Spring decorations, the kids have been asking when they can dye Easter Eggs.  This is one of the first times we've done Easter Egg dying this early (I know, it's not that early but for us this is a major success).  The kids woke up early and while Jeff golfed on this gorgeous sunny day, we got started on s0me fun!  Brielle takes her time and spent hours thinking and decorating her bowl of eggs.  So when Ty was done decorating his eggs, the silly antics began.  Here's a peak.

Be sure to click through the rest of the photographers and complete the circle.  The next photographer is my dear friend, Sarah Cornish with My Four Hens Photography…her work is truly breath-taking.

{What________ Looks Like} Commercial Photoshoot 'Outtakes'

Yep, we're back with a great group of talented photographers in 2014's 'What_____ Looks Like!  I loved doing this last year.  And although we got super busy and skipped a few months, it's something l look forward to.  It's a project with no rules and no boundaries and I love that!!   I'm thankful to be a part of such a supportive and fun group of fellow photographers.

So this month….I'm a little bummed.  I've been sick and my families been sick this past week.  So rather than posting photos from this week, I decided to dig into my files and find some unusual and silly outtakes from some of my commercial shoots.  I have more outtakes than I know what to do with but I grabbed just a few to share here.  In every shoot, there are outtakes.  Brielle is always excited for our shoots but she yawns, has a silly moment or has a bug fly into her eye.  I love her goofy personality.  She's so full of life and I love seeing every aspect of her personalty  during our shoots.

Complete the circle by clicking through to the next photographer, DeAnna McCasland.  Her photos are worth your time.  Stunning!!  Thanks :)

 

 

{she told me she felt beautiful}

Oh wow, it's been a while since I've posted and I've honestly missed it. It's kind of like a journal for me.   This year I'm going to make efforts to post more.  I feel like this is my place for sharing not just my photography business images but also my life it general.  My photography is shaped by who I am and what I feel so I think it's only fitting to share me, my life, my trials, my journeys, my goals, my failures, my happiness and my sadness here.  My photography is created from emotions that are real, gritty and raw moments in every day life.  And that translates into art…into my art.  Anyway, I just thought I'd warn you, ha.

Last night was pretty chilly here in the desert but the sun was gorgeous so I took Brielle out for some sample shots of light and different properties of light for my 'Finding the Light' workshop in Atlanta next week.  While I was there I coupled the shoot with a commercial session for an amazing designer I've been working with for years - FaithWorks4U.  As I was getting Brielle ready in my bathroom she saw the dress hanging on my closet door and asked excitedly if she could wear her gold sparkly shoes, my gold headband and my gold earrings. How could I say no, she was styling herself and doing a great job at it.  Commercial shoots never get old for her, especially if I allow her to be a part of the styling. Then she spotted a new purchase I made at Sephora.  It was gold glitter.  She excitedly begged for me to put some on her eyes.  "It'll go perfectly with my sparkly shoes Momma'. Again, I was swayed and dabbed a little lightly near her eyes.  After she put on the dress, she looked in the mirror and told me with a smile on her face that she felt beautiful.  I always want her to feel beautiful.  Not necessarily physically but with the person she is.  With who she is on the inside and how she lives her life and projects her spirit onto others.  I truly hope my little girl always feels beautiful.

{9 to 5 Bloom Forum Blog feature}

I was flattered to be asked by 'The Bloom Forum' to share my day in a fun, new series they've started.  They feature a photographer and little snippets of their day in what's called their '9 to 5' series.  It was fun to be a part of this.  If you're not familiar with the Bloom forum, it's a great place to learn about photography whether you're brand new to photography or if you've been in business for a while.  They have great classes and the forum is VERY active.  I just wrapped up teaching 'Bloom Basics' and now we're getting ready to start our other popular on-line class 'Defining Yourself'.  This class is for those who know how to shoot in manual but are in search of their style....it's a very creative, fun class.  Check it out.  We'd love to have you!

Here's the link to my 9 to 5 feature and a few pics from the feature (below).  Thanks so much to the Bloom Forum Blog for having me!!

{texting trouble maker} little prank

I know this is my photography blog but as I mentioned in my bio, I post about things other than photography sometimes.  Specifically,  things that inspire me, my family and other random posts that I see fit to share.  This falls under 'other random posts I see fit to share'.  Some of you are my friends FaceBook  (on my personal account) and may have seen a text exchange between me and a total stranger.  Weird right?  It started when a random gentleman texted me...he had the wrong number.  But I couldn't let this person know he had the wrong number, that's boring and I can't resist causing a little trouble.   I don't take life seriously at all and I'm always sarcastic, laughing and joking.  So it wouldn't be like me to just say - 'hey, I think you have the wrong number.'  Naughty I know -- it's the 3rd grader in me telling me to do it.  So the text exchange is below.  It's very clear I'm not up on all of today's slang, I thought 'Tryna' was a girls name. I know, I'm cool like that. LOL Anyway, this person tried to call a few times and I'm sure when he realized I wasn't who he thought I was, he's out to kill me.  Ha!  I called Jeff after this exchange laughing so hard I couldn't get words out.  Thank God he wasn't in an important meeting and he literally started laughing as hard as I was when he read the exchange.   #ilovehim    When I read the text to my son he laughed and said 'you know that a ziggurat is a Mesopotamian Temple right? Well, it's Sumerian really. Why would you write to him about that?' Yeah, I so knew that...I did it on purpose (Not really.  I thought I made up that word)  And a skrim is a mountain in Norway. Yeah....I totally knew that too. {I lie.  I had no clue.} My son teaches me something new every day.  Anyway this provided my husband, kids and I complete Friday night entertainment.  So thanks Will, if you're out there. You are a shining light in our house and I really was really bummed when you didn't reply to my final texts bro. You coulda ringed it.... We coulda be tight man.

Today in the mail a package arrives for me.  I thought it was from one of my designers since it was from an Apparel company.  So I casually open it in the kitchen not realizing that every member of my family has their eyes glued to me.  I open it up to find this t-shirt (see below).  Again, this made my night, my week, my month.  My kids and hubby designed this t-shirt for me.  #ilovethem  They know me so well and 'get' my humor.  They immediately asked me to put it on.  It didn't matter that I JUST got in the door from the gym.  They had me put it on over my workout clothes.  So here it is!   And I love it.  They  are begging me to wear it tonight- we're going to Studio Movie Grill to see Cloudy with a s Chance of Meatballs 2.  I think this is my new favorite shirt!

{What_______ looks like} Saturday Morning Breakfast

Hi Everyone!  This month's 'What____ looks like' is our typical Saturday morning breakfast.  We usually all sit together on the weekends and eat a hot cooked breakfast at the table as a family.  Everything starts of normal, calm...average.  And soon the normalcy turns into games.  Sometimes we play 20 questions, sometimes we tell jokes, other times we talk about funny things that have happened or like this past Saturday everyone (except the photographer...me) played with the horse head.  Why do these masks provide hours of entertainment?!  It's a plastic horse! But seriously, we can't stop playing with it.  And so...this was our Saturday morning breakfast together.

Now hop over to Andrea Hanki's beautiful blog to see what she's posted and continue through the loop to complete the circle.  :)