Lexy: Senior Model Class of ’17

Meet Lexy!

Lexy is my senior model for Ionia HS for the class of 2017. I met Lexy last spring when her mother had contacted me about doing photos for prom! We hit it off and I immediately fell in love with working with them. When Lexy contacted me about being a senior model I couldn’t wait to accept her into the program!

We did Lexy’s mini session in the historic area of Downtown Ionia. Its an absolutely gorgeous part of the city and being that it’s my home town as well as her’s it has a lot of meaning to both of us. Some locations you Ionian’s might recognize would be the theater and the post office.

Being a senior model, Lexy can get her classmates 15% off any senior package they choose! Lexy will have her model cards come the first week of May! If you decide you want to inquire about senior portraits prior to Lexy having her cards feel free to email me and we can get that discount figured out for you!

 

 

Now booking senior portrait sessions for May-August. If you book before April 30th, you’ll get an extra $20 in print credits!

Katie: Senior Model 2017

Meet Katie.

Katie is one of my senior models for the class of 2017! She attends Lowell high school and she loves getting her picture taken! She was such a natural in front of the camera and so easy to photograph. I didn’t even have to direct her posing wise, she just instantly picked up new poses and showed them off!

I had a ton of fun spending the afternoon with Katie and her mother. They were a lot of fun to talk with and just spend time with! I cannot wait for Katie’s full session!! If you go to Lowell High School or are friends with Katie, check with her on how to get 15% off your total package! Katie will be carrying around referral cards starting in May, bring one of those in to get a discount on your session! If you want to book before Katie has her cards, just be sure to mention her name and have her mention your name to me!

We did Katie’s first mini session here in downtown Grand Rapids. They wanted some photos in the city and left the creativity up to me! I love when clients are so willing to let me take over and guide them around the city to some great locations!

Senior packages start at $260! All package information can be found here! Or head on over to the website!

 

Self Portraits

There comes a time when I feel like I need to challenge myself a little. I like to do that by taking self portraits.

This past week I decided to try my hand at taking self portrait engagement photos of me and the fiancé. It is much easier to take a self portrait of two people compared to just myself. Using Logan, I actually had something to focus the camera on rather than setting up the manual focus on the spot that I might stand at.

I usually use a remote trigger but this day I didn’t have mine so we just used the timer that is already built into the camera. Let me tell you, it was tiring running back and fourth haha. Logan was such a good sport about it though, he let me pose us however I wanted and we even did three “different” locations too. We plan to take some self portrait engagement photos throughout the summer at different locations around West Michigan. I am beyond excited to try these out but of course we will most likely get engagement photos done by a professional just for the experience 🙂

Enjoy!

My set up for these was my Canon 6D sitting on a tripod using my 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. I am so in love with this lens. Probably the best purchase I have ever made!

Are you getting married anytime soon? I still have just a handful of dates available for the 2016 year, I am also booking into 2017! Contact me to get your digital welcome packet and to go over any questions you might have! I cannot wait to marry my best friend in Oct. 2017!

Garrett: Featured Senior

Meet Garrett.

Garrett is a senior at St. Patricks high school. Garrett’s, family are really great friends with my aunt and uncle. Thats how they found out about me!

They were so great to work with. His entire family was involved in his session and they were all so full of awesome ideas. Garrett was so easy to work with and such a natural in front of the camera. I could tell he was comfortable being photographed by me and he always had a smile on his face! His mom, dad, and sister made appearances at his photo shoot and they took me to some awesome locations.

Garrett is involved in sports and he also likes to hunt, we went to some of their private hunting property for the second half of his session. That location was beyond amazing!

New Beginnings

My post today won’t be filled with tons of beautiful photos. It won’t be filled with fun little things about each session. It is going to be just me getting personal and talking about those things that I love.

I have been contemplating for the last couple weeks on switching my business over to shooting only weddings and seniors. Why? Because thats what I LOVE to do. I am beyond nervous as all creatives are when thinking about making such a switch but I think in the end it will be what is best for me.

Of course I’m nervous I’ll loose clients or even some friends. Of course there is a chance that I’ll cave and end up shooting children or families to those repeat clients that mean so much to me. But I think over all making this switch is definitely what my business needs to strive. I feel like I need to follow my heart and push myself to make this switch.

Why weddings?

Let me tell you, weddings are a TON of work. Trust me, I could go crazy with how many hours I sit at my desk editing weddings but I don’t. I don’t go crazy because I honestly love doing it. Being able to photograph two people on one of the most important days of their lives is magical. It’s like I get to finally see that Disney princess marry her prince and I get to capture it all so these lovely couples can remember those moments forever.

I get to be the one behind the scenes, seeing your wedding day from an outsiders point of view. I get to capture you crying to your mom with tears of happiness after you see yourself get into your dress. I get to see the groom worrying that his boutonnière isn’t put on right and how upset she will be if it isn’t. I get to see the parents scurrying around trying to make this day the best day of their child’s life. It is an amazing feeling being in that position. It is a scary position, but amazing none the less.

Plus, seeing such a strong bond between two people is just beautiful. Seeing how much they can really love each other and being able to see that shine through in their photos just gives me so much more joy and pride in this job

So why weddings? Because, why not?

 

Now I’m sure you’re wondering,

Why Seniors? 

Hmm seniors. They are something else. Working one on one with a senior is really my chance to let them shine. They get to be who they really want to be and more. Seniors are probably my all time favorite subject to shoot. I don’t know if its because most of them are just a few years younger than I am or what but I always just have to much fun!

A few great things about shooting seniors is all the hype we get before the session even starts. Planning outfits, figuring out those perfect locations, talking about hair and make up and the list goes on and on. Once the session actually starts, we are prepared to do what it takes to get that perfect shot.

I love that most of my seniors really care about the input that I have in their session. They trust my judgement and are willing to let me take control on certain poses and locations! We always have so much fun, and my seniors always get really into it! My goal for shooting seniors is giving them the best experience they have ever had and something that they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Watching a senior go through their images in awe after I have wrapped everything up and finished them all gives me some sort of giddy feeling. Some awesome feeling of accomplishment. The looks on their faces and of course their parents faces is one of the best feelings in the world. Knowing how happy they are about their images and figuring out their favorites of the group really makes me see why this job is so worth it. Why its so worth all the time and effort I put in to make it such a wonderful experience for them. I love hearing about how much they love their images even after their session is over!

So here I am to say it. I will be switching over permanently in the summer sometime this year. I’m sure some of you have noticed subtle changes to the website and other social media platforms but I want you not to worry. I will still be taking family sessions for the rest of this year! I will also be offering different mini sessions throughout the year 🙂 I’ve got a lot of fun things planned for the littles!
Right now I’ve got  Lemonade Stand Minis scheduled for June 5th. I have slots available so if you’d like to book for that you just let me know!

I will also be running a few other minis throughout the year such as
Free Fair Minis- Ionia Free fair
Back to School Minis/Fall Minis
Hot Chocolate stand Minis
Holiday PJ Minis
Christmas Minis
and who knows what other ideas I’ll have coming up over the year!

 

Thanks everyone for reading!

Lens of My Dreams

Well if you follow my Facebook you will have noticed that I recently got a new toy! I was finally able to purchase my dream lens after 3 years of dreaming. I bought the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8.

Let me tell you, it is amazing! I have only used it a handful of times now and have only really photographed family members or friends but I was able to shoot with it yesterday during our Easter get together and I am so in love with the images!

The people in these images mean the world to me! They are my siblings, my niece and nephew, and of course the fiancé with our baby boy.

These were just taken at my parents house in the field next to their house. I could not be happier with these images! I definitely cannot wait to start using this thing during my senior sessions and weddings!

Enjoy!

Senior Fashion Tips

Hey all of you 2017 seniors! Trying to figure out those perfect outfits to wear to your senior sessions? I’m going to share a few great outfits and tips that some of my seniors wore during their sessions that really made them pop!

1. Think about your surroundings! 

When choosing the perfect outfit, think of what outfit will match your surroundings the best. Are you shooting at the beach? In the woods? Maybe in an urban area? Choose colors and patterns that will flatter you in those locations!

Also keep in mind which season you are shooting in!

When choosing your outfits, try to stick with solid colors. Adding in a pattern is fine but make sure its not super busy or make sure you can add a solid with it! Remember, you can always search online for outfit ideas to help narrow down your choices. If you can’t narrow it down just bring them all and I will help you!

 

2. Shoes

Don’t be afraid to add in some fun shoes to your photos! For you ladies, heels always make you stand out. Especially if they are more of an accent color to your outfit!

For those summer days, some cute sandals or wedges are always nice or to me, your favorite pair of chucks! A nice heeled boot can be fun for those crisp autumn or winter days! Don’t be afraid to bring multiple pairs of shoes to go with different outfits.

 

3. Accessories! 

When it comes to accessories, there are so many ways you can add something fun and unique to your outfit. Whether it be a bracelet, necklace, or even a scarf, you can easily dress up any outfit! They also make nice accent pieces to break you up from the camera!

For the gentlemen, you can add in a cool necklace or even a watch to give a little flair to your photos!

 

4. Headbands, Hats, and more

Wearing a headband can give a certain look to your photos. Emily below, wore a flower crown to give a more bohemian look during her session. Tossing a hat or hair bow/flower on can glam up your session even more!

For the ladies a fun sun hat in the summer can give us another handful of poses that we wouldn’t normally be able to do.

For the gents, a cool fedora or even your favorite baseball cap will really give something unique to your photos!

 

5. Sports and Extra Curricular

Are you involved in sports? Are you interested in portraying that in your photos? You are definitely welcome to bring your uniform along or a piece of equipment to help show off what sports you are playing. We can even head over to the field or arena for an extra measure!

 

6. Dresses and Skirts

Are you the type of girl who really loves getting dressed up? You like to wear skirts and dresses often? Add a couple into your wardrobe! Dresses and skirts really give us an option to change up some posing and add some dramatic effects to photos. Especially if they are paired with some awesome accessories!

 

7. Make Up

Make up allows us to hide some of those blemishes we might see. It also helps to soften your skin in your photographs prior to photoshop making it look more natural. If you get your make up done by a professional (I have one on staff) they will know how to compliment those cheek bones and where to exactly put that blush to show off those smile lines. Don’t forget the eyes, a natural eye with some mascara will really show off those gorgeous things! Don’t be afraid to add a little lip color either. We can always play around with different lip colors throughout the session! Some bright red lips are always a show steeler!

 

 

Well that about wraps it up for today! Keep in mind that the more accessories you have, the more we can play with and remove throughout the session. Bring different jackets or sweaters that you can add to any outfit to give multiple posing options that we wouldn’t normally have.

Don’t just bring a couple outfits, feel free to bring any that you really had your eyes set on. We can see what we will use throughout the session, and who knows sometimes the location can alter which outfit you really want to wear. You are more than welcome to send me outfit ideas leading up to your session or ask what I might think about a certain outfit. Make sure your clothes are neatly pressed and clean, wrinkles are not as flattering and it really will make a difference if they are hung up instead of packed away!

Hair and make up is available for booking through me! I have two wonderful ladies on my team that offer these. However, I can give some other recommendations for these types of things if needed!

For any other tips on wardrobe choices feel free to ask!

 

Thank you all for reading and remember, book your summer senior session before April 30th and get a $20 print credit towards any session!

Mr. & Mrs. Watters

I met Amber a couple years ago when I shot her sisters wedding! This year Amber asked me to be a part of their big day by just coming for a couple hours and shooting some family portraits and portraits of just her and her soon to be hubby!

Ambers daughter is also my senior model. You would have seen a post about her earlier in the year! Her name is Jade! It was so much fun to work with this family again especially for such a big moment in their lives. They are such a genuine family and so very nice and caring. It makes it so easy and so much fun to work with them!

Amber and Cassey did a first look. A first look is something a little non traditional where the groom gets to see the bride prior to the ceremony. In their case, they did the first look to save time and to get some more pictures than they would have! The first look gives so much more time for photos, its amazing! It is definitely something I would suggest doing if you are worried about being crunched for time on your big day.

Their wedding took place at St. Patricks cathedral. A gorgeous church in Portland MI.

After waiting so patiently in the cold to see his bride, he had the smile of the century when he finally turned around! The love between these two is amazing. Just by the way he looks at her, you can tell how much she really means to him. Amber was looking gorgeous on her big day with her lovely lace dress, these two were truly happy to be finally tying the knot!

I loved the inside of this church! I have been here many times before but this time I truly focused on the columns and other architectural aspects of the church for some of these shots. It’s just absolutely gorgeous.

 

I am still booking weddings for 2016 and into 2017! If you’re interested in more information send me an email to receive your digital welcome packet!

Tustin: Class of ’17 Senior Model

Meet Tustin!

Tustin is my senior model for the class of 2017 at Chippewa Hills High School.

Tustin actually likes to get his picture taken, such a rare quality to find in a man especially at his age! We had a lot of fun yesterday during his mini session and I cannot wait for his full session this summer. He is a natural in front of the camera and he’s going to make his sessions a piece of cake for me!

Hes a very sweet young man and I think we are going to have a great time working together this year!

We started his session out on part of the River Trail in Greenville. 

I am still looking for senior reps in the Grand Rapids area. If you attend a Grand Rapids school, and are interested in the model program, head on over to my website and read the details on becoming a senior model!

http://www.kbphotographs.com/Senior-Model-Program

 

Zack: Featured Senior

Meet Zack.

Zack is an East Kentwood senior. He was my senior rep for the class of 2016. He was so much fun to work with! Such an outgoing young man with one heck of a smile!

We did Zacks photos at some of his family’s private property. We did one session in the winter and one in the fall. They turned out so great!

I was also able to get a few photos of Zack heading off to his junior prom! He and his girlfriend looked wonderful and I am so happy I was able to capture these moments for them.

I am still looking for a few Grand Rapids area senior models! If you’re interested head over to my website to check out the details.

If you book your senior session for May-August before April 30th, you’ll get a $20 print credit towards any session!