Cupcake Cutie

I love this little kid more than life itself! She is so full of life and energy. Kylie-Bug will soon be turning one so we had to get a few studio images to commemmorate. And who can turn one without the cake smashing pictures?

My love-hate relationship with the internet.

I was informed today that my email server has been blocking emails to me from both Roadrunner (bham.rr.com) and Bellsouth (bellsouth.net) servers for about 2 weeks. If you have tried corresponding with me during that time and I haven't replied, my apologies. The issue has been resolved now. I'm hoping that I have gotten in contact with everyone but if not, please e-mail me back if you'd like.
Hope everyone is enjoying this little bit of cooler weather we are having this week! I sure am!

Upcoming Events

The wait is over! I am finally posting my Christmas calendar for this year. I am excited to announce that I am partnering with Rachael Spencer Photography to accommodate the overwhelming inquires I have had for Christmas portraits this year. We are excited about our upcoming events that we have planned with you in mind. We are offering a day of studio sessions, a day of Botanical Gardens sessions and also a day of sessions on Morris Avenue. Sessions will be 20 minutes each (one per family) and limited to one single outfit selection. The session fee is $50.00 and includes 2 8x10 prints, 2 5x7 prints and 8 wallets of one pose. Additional prints and Christmas cards are available for purchase as well. Please see below for a schedule of events.

Saturday, October 18th- Studio sessions in Pleasant Grove
Saturday, November 8th- Botanical Gardens
Saturday, November 15th- Morris Avenue

Sessions are limited to a first come first serve basis. I know that Christmas seems so far away but with the overwhelming response I have had, I encourage you to schedule as soon as possible. Session fee is due within one week of scheduling. For more information or to schedule a session, please contact me at kristy@kristyevansphotography.com.

Keep checking the blog for samples of this years Christmas card designs. I am bringing back a few of previous years favorites and also some fun and fresh designs for 2008.

It's my birthday! It's my birthday!

Ok, so actually it was Saturday, but I can still celebrate, right? I love birthdays, almost as much as Christmas. In the spirit of giving, I'm going to give a free $50.00 gift certificate to the first person booking a session to commemorate a birthday. So, if your child's birthday is coming up, there is no better time to schedule those birthday portraits now and save 50 bucks! And, just because I love Morris Avenue, schedule the session on Morris Avenue and I'll make it $75 in free prints!

Look out Barbie!

This is Miss Anna Leigh and her little sis Meghan. I photographed them several weeks ago and in the midst of my craziness didn't post any favorites on the blog. I was sorting through the nine bazillion images on my hard drive and ran across these again. I couldn't resist posting them. Aren't they dolls?

Saaweeeet!

Not to talk politics or anything, but oh happy day! I received my stimulus check today! The way I see it, I got $1,500.00 for checking my mail. It doesn't get much better than that! What to buy? What to buy? Maybe a new lens. Maybe some new funky colored backdrops... The possibilities are endless. So, thank ya Mr. Dubya! And thanks to you too. I'm helping stimulate the economy too. Book a session by
July 4th and receive the entire session fee as a credit to your order! That is a $50.00 savings.

Be on the look out too! My birthday is July 5th and I'll be doing a birthday special soon too.

If I had $1 for all his smiles

I'd be rich. This is Baby Beckett who I also got to meet on Friday. He was the happiest little guy I've ever met. His big brother Caid took some warming up but nothing a fudge pop couldn't take care of.

Sweetheart

This is Miss Brooke. I got to meet her last Friday. She is such a sweet and gentle child. That, paired with the fact that she is absolutely gorgeous made my job super easy.

Pretty Cool

I just found a Photoshop techinque that turns photographs into pencil sketches. Every one I have ever found did a pretty shotty job but I actually like the look of this one. I printed this out to see how it looks in print and its really cool. It's grainy like dark pencil lead. The tones and brush strokes are perfect too! Let me know what you think about this processing.

B2K

Ok, so its not as catchy as Y2K (remember that?) but its all I could come up with. I checked the blog tonight to see if I had made 2000 hits yet and it is at 1,999. That is incredible to me! I wish I knew exactly who all visited so I could say thank you. It's nice to know that somebody is reading and I'm not just talking to myself. :-) Anyway, we need to celebrate! The first person to comment to this thread will receive a $50.00 print credit on a future session. The next 5 people to comment will receive a consolation prize of a $25 print credit. Not valid on re-orders, session fees and party orders.

Thanks again guys! As cheesy as it sounds, without you, I wouldn't have a business!

As unposed as it gets

Ever wonder what life would be like with 3 boys each less than 20 months younger than the last? I couldn't imagine! These boys have the neatest names- Stone, Wilder and Jett (Excuse me if they are spelled incorrectly!) As you would expect, they were a ton of fun and a huge ball of energy. I really think they could produce enough energy to power a small city or maybe even all of Rhode Island. They were totally fun to work with today. Trust me, there are some great family photos of you guys. I just had to post a blooper! I had so much fun with you guys!

Going to get technical for a second

I took this shot today of sweet Grace. She is learning to play the piano. I wanted the shot to focus on the delicate movement of her fingertips. You can tell by the intentional motion blur of her fingertips that she was actually playing me a song at the time. You achieve this by using a shallow f/stop, I think 1.8 here. By using this setting, you only capture a very small portion of the frame in perfect focus allowing the rest of the image to be blurred. This is called depth of field. I love this shot. I hope mom does too.

Georgia on my mind!

This is Georgia. I was able to photographed her today in her gorgeous home. Georgia will be turing 3 in about 40 minutes and having a Pinkalicios party tomorrow. She is seriously 3 going on 13 or maybe even 30. Too sassy for words. Anyway, here are a few of her images I grabbed really quickly. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Girlfriend!

Portrait Party today

I photographed I think it was 25+ people today. It was hot! It was humid! It was a long day. You know what though? When I scan through the images and find this, it makes the aches in my legs and the hurt in my head go away. Well, maybe not all of it, but it sure makes it worthwhile. This is Anna. She is a gorgeous, sweet, sweet girl. Can you guess how old she is? 17-18? Nope, she just turned 15 in May. Can you believe that? Girls sure didn't look like Anna when I was 15.

Wendy and Anna, I can't wait for you to see the rest of you gallery. We got some truly amazing shots today.

A story from a wise old man

I frequent a large photography forum almost every day. There is a gentleman that goes by the name "Pix4You". He's somewhat mysterious but always has insightful things to say that always make me think. I'm sharing with you what he shared this week. See his message below.


I was up late last night. I was working to put the finishing touches on the memorial slide show for a friend of ours. His service was today./

Beyond the bad scans, grainy pics from the 50's and 60's.

Difficult color callibration issues for some of those polyester jumpsuits from the 60's and 70's.

Blurry and poorly framed images of family time and children...

I saw a life recorded by photographs...57 years of photographs from a baby in a bassinet to a valiant cancer patient. From a little boy in a peddal car, to a captain of his own boat.

Ski trips, picnics, beach parties, dinners in, dinners out, dancing, births, weddings, graduations, first steps and first cars...All pictures of a life.

Now here is the tough part...

[b]When was the last time someone took YOUR picture? [/b]

Do you use your camera as a shield? Do you prefer to be the one "not pictured"

I was thinking of it today, and I realized that at my memorial service, it would be difficult to put together 2 minutes worth of photos let alone 15.

I'm not super attractive, I'm not thin, I'm not fat. I'm not special in any way...to myself.

But rest assured. You MATTER. You matter to those around you...leave them a part of yourself and get in front of the camera for a change.

One other aside...

I once worked as a newspaper photographer. I knew a young lady who was an excellent photographer. She drove up to South Carolina for a family reunion. And for the first time in many years, she gave the camera to someone else. She posed for pictures with family and friends. She had a great time!

On a late night assignment 2 weeks later, her car skidded on the road, left the highway, and hit a tree. She was killed instantly.

But her family had pictures...Photographs...memories.

I urge you to stop hiding behind the camera and get your picture taken.

I'm the balding overweight guy with the white socks and sandles.
I'm the self concious wall flower with bad hair and no boobs
I'm the one behind the camera

I'm you...

SAY CHEESE!!!!

Workshop Changes

The August 16th date is tentative once again. I have received numerous emails that that weekend isn't good because of school starting, vacations, etc. I am going to rethink the date and maybe push it back a bit to a date later in the early Fall to hopefully accomodate more clients wanting to attend. So, if you have requested a registration form and I haven't replied, that is way. I do not want to accept registration fees until plans are more definite. Please keep checking the blog for a more definite timeline. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Workshop Details

Exciting news! I have secured a date and location for the workshop. It will be on Saturday, August 16, 2008. We will have discussion from 10am until noon. Break for lunch from 12pm until 1pm then continue discussion until 4pm. We will then dismiss and travel to a different location (probably Botanical Gardens) at 4:45 and work with child models for about an hour for those who are interested in that portion of the workshop.

So, the details...

What: The Photographer in You Workshop
Where: Park Place (A rec facility owned by the city of Gardendale
When: Saturday, August 16, 2008 from 10-5
Cost: $50 includes discussion, lunch and workbook of covered materials

Just to field a few questions I am repeatedly being asked...

I have a basic point and shoot camera. Would it benefit me?
There will be some technical discussion for those with SLR cameras and point and shoot cameras with manual settings. If you camera only has one option of Auto, that part of the discussion will be a bit over your head but you can still benefit from the rest of the discussion.

I shoot film. Should I come?
Definitely. For the most part, a film camera and digital camera operate the same way.

What should I bring?
You and your camera, charged batteries and plenty of memory!

Can I invite a friend?
Definitely! I will be accepting the first 20 paying applicants to attend.

I don't have Photoshop. Can I still benefit from this?
Of course. Photoshop is just one piece of the magic! I am also going to direct you to free resources for editing.

I can't make it that day. Will you host another workshop?
Anything is possible! Depending on interest, future workshops will be determined.

My kid is so cute. Can he/she be one of the models?
I will be seeking at least 5 child models for us to practice with at the shooting session. If you think your child would enjoy this, please let me know and we'll discuss this further. My son is programmed to do well so he will be an easy target for the group. If you know your child doesn't naturally enjoy being photographed, it's probably not a good idea!

I want to sign up. What do I do?
Email me at kristy@kristyevansphotography.com for an application then remit your payment to me either by mail or via Paypal.

The itty bitty Bittle

Meet Ella. The newest member of the Bittle family. She is my newest baby plan member. I am so excited to get to watch her grow this upcoming year. I look forward to working with you for many more years to come. Since I know that Mama Bittle is compin' at the bit to see her proofs, I'm posting a few that I grabbed off the memory card really quickly. I hope you enjoy!

The Photographer in You Workshop

After an overwhelming response for hosting a beginner photography workshop, I am going to make it happen. The covered materials and logistics are still being worked out but it will happen. I've created an outline of basic topics covered. If there is something specific you'd like to hear discussed, please feel free to let me know. A location is still in the works. There are places in Gardendale that I can rent but there isn't a place to do the shooting. I could do it at Botanical Gardens, but then we were battling the heat all day. So, that is going to take some working out. Any suggestions? The cost will be $50.00. A catered lunch will be provided. You will leave with a booklet of general information, vendor information and photoshop tips as well.

Topics Covered:

Equipment Overview- Point and Shoot VS SLR. Which is best for you?

Storage/Archiving- Protect yourself and your memories!

Basic Composition- Cropping, positioning and removing the clutter!

The Subject- Catching smiles and defeating the tears and cheese!

Technical aspects of proper exposure-- Getting your camera off of auto!

Lighting- The Good, Bad and the Ugly

Photoshop Tutorial- Working a bit of digital magic turning dull to dazzling! There is so much more to Black and white than desaturation!

Printing Options- There's better places available than Walmart!

One on one practice time. Be a paparazzi! Photograph child models under the direction of me!

If time & location permits, we will bring photos into Photoshop and edit on overhead projector so you can be proud of what you have learned!

So, stay tuned to the blog for the details and registration information.

I can't believe...

that it is almost June. I cannot believe that this year is almost 1/2 over! Before we know it, it will be Halloween then Thanksgiving then Christmas. So, just a few updates. I have very few openings remaining in June and a few in July right now. If you are considering Summer photos, now is the time to schedule them.

Around the first of July, I will be posting a list of upcoming events through the end of the year. I have a lot of fresh and fun ideas in the works that I'm sure you will love. (Think pettiskirts and lollipops!) I will also be posting my Fall calendar with a few "Cut out the Christmas Card Choas" sessions in the early Fall. Once all the dates are posted, I am going to set a tentative day to open my calendar. I can only accomodate so many so you'll have fair warning about what is going on and when you can book. After that, sessions and party dates are first come first serve.

I want to thank you for your continued support and I hope to work with you in the near future!