kinsey.t photography

First new post up on the new blog!

2010-02-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

I just did a quick mini-session with my sister and her little boy - check it out on the new blog!

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Changes...

2010-02-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

Since I got married almost 9 months ago, I've thought about changing my name for my photography. And, it involved a few things like my watermark and my domain name, so I hummed and hawed (??) about it. But, I've finally made the change! You can now read my blog at:

http://www.kinseyholtphotography.com/

All of the old posts are there, and it looks pretty much the same as this one - the one change is the name!

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One good thing about the cold...

2010-02-05T17:14:00.000-08:00

The last few days we've had a lot of fog, and the mornings have been amazing! I love going to work when I get to see this everywhere:

I had a hard time actually going to work, because I wanted to stay outside and take pictures! Of course, by noon it didn't look like this anymore.

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Seniors

2010-02-04T17:46:00.000-08:00

I love doing one-on-one portrait sessions with seniors!

This is one session with one senior, just to show the variety of locations, poses and shots I like to get. What's the point in going to all of the work and getting all dressed up and getting only a few shots you like? I love it when my clients are up for trying new locations, like the fun alley we found during this session.

Senior sessions are $100, and include a disc of 20-30 high-res edited images. Print prices available upon request, or you can print them yourself.

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Keely | Playing with texture

2010-02-03T01:18:00.000-08:00

Isn't she gorgeous?!

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Workin' on #3

2010-01-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

#3 on my 101 list is to run a half marathon. And thanks to Clark's aunt, I actually started training for one. She's always recruiting people to run in races and to run in general. A local marathon club was starting up, and at first I wanted to do it but then reality hit. I didn't want to actually run 13 miles! I hadn't been running as much as I should and I thought it might just kill me, but she didn't let me talk myself out of it. I came up with all kinds of excuses of why I shouldn't train for one, but she didn't let me get away with any of them. :) So, I am officially training for a half marathon. I haven't picked one for sure, but I'm looking at the Cardston half - it's local which is great because the end of May is going to be super busy for me with my job and starting on our house building project. Clark's lucky aunt is running one in San Diego and getting a nice long girl's weekend out of it. Some day! :)

The marathon club takes the thinking out of it for you, which is great because it's easier to do it when you don't have to plan it out yourself - you just show up on Wednesdays and Saturday and they tell you where to run. It's a little hard to get out of bed early on a Saturday morning and make myself run in the cold, but once I'm out there it's great. Yesterday we did 4.5 miles and it was actually really good! I had to ice my knees after (dang IT bands) but I feel great today.

Thanks Dixie!

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#5 - New words!

2010-01-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

I can cross $5 off my list! I wanted to learn a new word a day for three weeks. I signed up for Dictionary.com's Word of the Day emails a few months ago and I've been getting a new word a day since. Here are the words from the first three weeks:

roborant
gallimaufry
bonhomie
fatuous
nonplus
intrepid
myrmidon
solicitous
ratiocination
cogitate
recalcitrant
palliate
largess
numinous
appellation
doff
paroxysm
diaphanous
capricious
iota
dolorous

I realized that a crazy new word every day makes it hard to remember all of the news words as time goes on...but I learned them all once!

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Ashley & Charles Re-visited | Just Because

2010-01-08T23:34:00.000-08:00

I've been looking back through my 2009 sessions and I came across one of my favorites - Ashley & Charles! I blogged a few earlier in the year but I just had to put up a few more.

Ashley was my roommate in university and we talked about doing a session for a long time before our schedules and the weather finally let it happen! They are one of the sweetest couples you'll ever meet. Charles would cook Ashley dinner and the rest of us in the apartment would be jealous cuz he was an awesome cook! :) He always took our garbage out for us - what a guy! I remember one time it was cold so he put it on top of his car and drove it to the other side of the parking lot to the dumpster. Hey, whatever works right?! Ashley is so quick to laugh and you almost never see her without a smile. She is so friendly and so nice and I miss the days when we lived together!

Even though she's usually smiling, she can really rock a serious look!

He is so in love with her!

They're always laughing together.

I love how she's looking at him so adoringly.

And one without the glasses for fun!

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90 years old!

2010-01-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

On Christmas day this year, my great grandma turned 90! What an amazing lady.

My favorite memories (along with probably every grandkid) include all of the sewing projects she undertook for us, and her famous Chicken Noodle Soup! It's my number #1 comfort food ever. Mmmmmm. We haven't always lived very close to my grandma, so we used to take trips to see her in Idaho and she would spoil us with food and her famous sewing projects. We got cute spotted dogs and personalized bags and big huge TV-watching pillows. And AMAZING cinnamon rolls. Happy (belated) birthday Grandma!

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Camera Cake

2009-12-28T23:05:00.000-08:00

My birthday is just 6 days before Christmas, so my mom has always tried really hard to make it seem special and very separate from Christmas. This year my family came out for a family birthday party and they brought this cake:

My sister had been texting me earlier in the day asking me about cameras and where to find information on them, etc., and I thought she was really going to go out and buy an SLR, but it turns out she was just doing research for the cake! They formed the whole camera out of cake - I have no idea how the heck they actually iced a huge pile of crumbly cake but they did! And, it tasted great!

Thanks girls!!

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Giving is awesome

2009-12-21T12:22:00.000-08:00

The deadline for "Giving is Awesome" nominations has past. Thank you for your entries! The winner has been decided!!

I came across "Giving is Awesome" a while ago and thought it was a really cool idea. Photographers all over Canada and the United States sign up and donate photography to deserving families for Christmas.

So, I signed up and am donating $150 worth of photography, which includes a session and a print credit, as well as images on a CD. The person referring the family who is chosen will also receive a free family session.

You can check out all of the details behind Giving Is Awesome here, but here are my details:

_______________

You probably know someone who has experienced some really rough times, who might be struggling to stay afloat, maybe raising kids while working more than one job, or is volunteering and helping others selflessly while in their own life they're facing some awful things. You probably know someone who can't afford to go get family pictures, but who would really love to have those family pictures.

I want to know who they are, and give them a chance to have those memories! So, I'm giving away $150 worth of photography. This includes a family session, their images on a CD, and a print credit. The person who nominates the winner will receive a free family session!

So just a couple of things:

* You can't nominate yourself, and the person nominated must sincerely be unable to afford photography.

* The nominee must reside in the Raymond/Taber/Lethbridge area.

* Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my photography services. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself.

* You must e-mail me the full story: kinsey@kinseyt.com.

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve -- please think of someone you know who could use some family pictures this season and get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

~Kinsey

________________

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Christmas Cards

2009-12-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

This is Clark and I's Christmas card this year so far. I kept wanting to take a new picture, but Clark wanted to use a wedding one, so here it is! :)

This was another version:

And here are some other cards I played with:

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Christmas Baking & Aperture

2009-12-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the food! My mom and I teamed up this year to make a bunch of things...

First, the pretzels. I love rows of things, because they make depth of field really fun. If you've never quite understood what the heck aperture was all about, maybe the following pictures will help you out a little bit.

This one was shot at f/1.4, which means the hole inside your camera letting the light in gets really big. This results in a shallower depth of field - you can see that hardly any of the pretzels are in focus, just a tiny, skinny plain in the middle:

The next three were shot at f/2:

This was shot at f/2.8 - you might not see a big difference between 2 and 2.8:

And this one was shot at f/5 - can you see the difference? A lot more pretzels are in focus, or at least not totally blurred out, like the first picture.

And here are some more goodies!

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Charlie Brown Trees

2009-12-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

I was over at my mom's the other day and we started talking about how our tree looked growing up - the 'Charlie Brown' type, that we as kids so lovingly decorated with our collection of random ornaments that grew each year.

On Christmas Eve, we always received two gifts to open - a pair of pj's (matching of course!) and an ornament. Over the years we got all kinds of ornaments. My mom and I started looking through my ornament boxes and relived a few memories, and my mom mentioned one ornament in particular that was so fragile that she wasn't sure anybody had it left. And we got an idea! My new photography project is to capture all of these ornaments in photos, so even when they get broken, or lost, and don't make it on a tree anymore, we'll still have the memories of our family Christmas tradition. So, here's the first one!

This is from Christmas 2007. My siblings and I all got 'Precious Moments' themed ornaments. They were all different, if I remember right, but here is mine:

More to come! I promise, some of these are pretty good....;)

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The First Look

2009-12-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

I wrote about having a first look here, but since I didn't actually have one myself, I'm excited to share the experiences of a few couples who have! Read about them here! These are all interviews with the grooms - it's cool to get the guys' perspective on the whole thing - an interesting read even if you're already married, or know you're not going to do a first look.

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Our first nativity!

2009-12-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

Clark and I received a Willow Tree nativity set for our wedding, and as Christmas got closer we wanted to have more pieces! We happened to get a gift card to the pharmacy in town for our wedding as well, so when Willow Tree stuff went on sale for 20% off, we bought 3 more sets to add to the collection (one set was the shepherds, one set was the wise men, and the third set was all animals) - now all we need is the creche! That's the stable-like thing.

Once we set it up of course I wanted to take pictures! It gave me a chance to play with my flash and aperture, and I wanted to experiment with my ISO to see how grainy pictures could get - these were all shot at 1600 - so you'll see some grain. I used my diffuser and tried some different angles. I pretty much never like direct flash, so these were all shot with my flash to the side or bounced off the ceiling, and even angled backward a bit so it wasn't too strong. I'm not in love with some of the shadows I got, but I didn't use a reflector or anything - next practice shoot! :)

I love the little sheep!

My favorite new piece might be the camel:

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I love this wedding!

2009-12-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

I stalk Jasmine Star pretty religiously, and today she posted a wedding that I loved! It was actually fake - staged just to show off different vendors and give them stuff for their portfolios, but I loved the style and the colors. I'm already planning my sister's weddings. And right now I'm trying to convince Clark to decorate our master bedroom (when we have one in a year) in white, black, and purple (maybe with some gray), the colors of this wedding. :)

Check it out here

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#76 - In Progress

2009-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm helping at the senior's lodge across from our apartment. Our ward is having a Christmas party, and I'm helping pick all the seniors up with the Handi-Bus to take them over to the dinner. I think it will bring back memories! At my previous job working at a senior's lodge, we had field trips every few weeks and we'd load everybody up with their walkers and wheelchairs and get them all buckled in, and then we'd sing songs like "It's a Long Way to Tipperary." I may be the only 23-year-old on the planet who knows that song. But trust, me it's a gooder! :)

Anyway, I loved that job and I'm excited to be a little more involved with the seniors. I also spoke with the coordinator over there and I'm all set to play the piano for a Christmas sing-a-long in a couple of weeks. I called asking to just go and play while they were hanging out after dinner, to brush up on my rusty skills, but I somehow agreed to play for a sing-a-long. Okay, I quit piano in like grade ten, and hardly touched it during the last 5 years of university. So, my mother-in-law might just see me a lot over the next couple of weeks! She kindly agreed to let me play her piano whenever I want to. I warned the coordinator, but she said they didn't care and they'd love it even if I played out of a beginning piano book. I'm excited to start playing again, and this helps me out with #76 on my list - Volunteer at a Seniors Home.

Wish me luck!

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#48 - Make a list of books to read

2009-11-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

Number 48 on the list is to make a list of books I want to read. When I sat down to make this list, I went blank. So, I figured that maybe the 3 of you out there who read my blog could help me out! :)

Okay, here's what I have so far:

- The Hiding Place - Corrie Ten Boom
- The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
- A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (started it once, didn't finish)
- An Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde
- Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
- The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton
- The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Sallinger
- The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
- The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

#87 Make someone a birthday cake

2009-11-26T18:28:00.000-08:00

I was looking back over my 101 in 1001 list, and I found another one I can cross off! Don't ask me why it took me two years, but I finally made someone a birthday cake! Not the most amazing cake I've ever decorated, but it's a cake, and it was for a birthday. :)

I really, really want to go get a cake decorating kit - there's only so much you can do with ziplocs!! :) I know of a class in March, so I'm planning on getting it then.

#42 - Get a real job

2009-11-26T18:04:00.000-08:00

I crossed another one off the list! #42 of my 101 in 1001 list. I officially have a full-time job, and I'm so excited about it! The title is Leisure Services Supervisor, and I basically get to run the pool, do community events, play with some new software, and develop fun community programming! I also work work on capital projects Council has given us. I get to find out tomorrow exactly what projects I'll be working on, but my boss told me I'll be really busy next year. Should be fun!

There isn't currently any programming offered by the Town, so I have a totally blank slate in that area. There's also not really a budget, so that's my challenge! Luckily, being in the area of parks and recreation has advantages in the grants department. I came across two applications today that I'll be working on, and there's another one I have in the works. There are so many things we could do around here, and I love that I have a million possibilities and I get to kind of run with it. So, I pretty much have the best job ever. And of course, the best major at BYU! :)

So, if you're from around here, and you've always wanted to see a certain event or program offered, or you're from somewhere else and they do really cool things, let me know! I want to hear about it. :)

Vintage Christmas Card

2009-11-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

I was trying to stretch myself a bit, so I tried to make something vintage-y. :) My sister-in-law is more of a vintage-y kind of girl than I am, so I played with one of her family pictures.

What do you think?

I finished!

2009-11-23T23:14:00.000-08:00

I ran a 5K this past weekend, and it was cold and windy and hard but great! I woke up to the sound of the wind howling outside my window (we always sleep with our window open - it comes with having a 30 degree + apartment all the time :). If Clark's aunt and cousin hadn't been running, I'm not sure I would have dragged myself out of bed! They ran the 10K, so I was on my own until the finish. I just kept reminding myself how awesome it was to be in the great outdoors getting exercise. :) Lucky for us, the course runs North and South so the wind wasn't actually too bad.

Here are a few pics!

Me, a guy I just met that day (son of the lady on the right), Clark's cousin Tina, Clark's aunt Dixie, and Kim, Dixie's friend.

Family! Tina had her camera too, which is what Dixie is looking at! Sheesh I wish I could hold on to a tan... :)

My number - I have a stack of these that I haven't made myself get rid of...

And instead of t-shirts, you get sweet ornaments!

Now, one more in two weeks and that's it for the season! In January, there's a marathon club that starts and Dixie, Tina and I are going to train for a half. Ahh - wish me luck!!

Paper Samples and Wedding Pics...and #91

2009-11-23T22:45:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about these paper samples that I had to take pictures!

And here are a few wedding photos that I finally put up in my apartment! This let me cross #91 off the list!

Running

2009-11-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a run, and I had all of these thoughts going through my head, so I thought I would put them into words...

1. Running is the best thing in the world.

Why? Running makes me happy. Running helps me get all of my frustrations and whatever, out. Running is hard. Running teaches you things. Like, you can run x miles over and over, and you'll eventually get faster at it, but when you make yourself stretch to run x+1 miles, x miles is so much easier! My point - stretching yourself makes you stronger and better. See - life lessons! I'm always happier when I'm consistently running

2. Running helps me eat better.

I ate a bottle of canned pears, and then waited for a bit so they could digest before I tried to run ( I get cramps, instantly.). Well by the time I didn't feel so full from pears, I was starving again. So, I ate a few bites of a sandwich, waited 5 minutes, then headed out. And it was sweet. But the point is, if I know I'm going to go running, I won't eat crap or eat a ton, because I know it will kill my run. Sometimes when I'm not that motivated and I don't care I probably eat food on purpose, but that's another story. Bottom line - running makes me healthier.

I went in the hour before sunset, and it was freezing, so I had my gloves and ear warmer and hoodie and hood and sweet running pants on, like in this picture:

Please don't judge. :)

The hour before sunset is hands down my favorite time of the day. The light is all glowy and it's kind of serene when you're out in the country and the grass/crops are lit up by the almost-setting sun. I LOVE this time of day. And I love getting out in the country with no people or houses around.

I LOVE RUNNING.

Next time, I might hate it. But overall, I love it.

Spring

2009-11-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

I took these photos on our landlord's back lawn this past summer...only about 7 months to go until summer!! :)

M Family | Family Session

2009-11-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

This shoot was alot of fun and a little crazy! This family was only in town for a couple of days, and it ended up being really, really windy. But, when you have such good looking clients, it's not too hard to get good pictures! Candice, the mom, is a cousin to my husband, and it was good to meet some more family. And talk about the happiest, nicest, most cheerful person ever! I can't wait until they come again! Her husband, Dave, was one of the nicest guys I've ever met, I think, and such a good sport about family pictures. The kids were so well behaved and such troopers. The wind was cold and everybody was freezing and getting sick of having their hair in their faces (well the girls :) but they were still up for whatever. Thanks M Family!

I got a little carried away when picking images to blog, so this is a long post:

Hair.

2009-11-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

I finally had my hair done! My roots had been growing for months and were like 3 inches long. Seriously. My hair was sooo blah. You'd think that I'd get my hair done more often, considering I notice such a drastic change every time I do. My feelings about myself are very linked to how I feel about my hair. That makes me sound vain. I don't really have anything to be vain about so I sure hope I'm not, but there is something about just getting my hair cut and colored that gives me an instant ego boost. It's kind of along the same lines as getting an amazing new pair of heels...

Anyway, on to my hair story....

I made an appointment the day before (short notice), so I wasn't sure who the girl I got was, or how good she was. I told her I wanted to go darker, like match my eyebrows dark, so she pulled out the color book.

Now usually I'm pretty good with a color book - I know what I want and it's not a problem. This time, however, I messed up. I picked a darker shade, but then let her do a lightener, and my hair as a third color. Oh boy. When she started drying my hair, I started having a mini panic attack inside. My hair was the same shade, if not lighter, than it was before she started. And I really wanted it darker, as did Clark (He LOVES it dark - the darker the better - hence my goth wedding hair).

For my poor husband, spending over a hundred dollars on hair is unbelievable - I was wondering what he'd think when I paid to get it done twice. In a row. I debated saying anything, because I hate speaking up, but I knew I'd have to face Clark when I got home, too, so after a few minutes I finally told her it wasn't as dark as I had been hoping, and asked her how soon I could dye it again. She was super nice about it, and had another stylist cover one of her appointments so she could dye my hair over again.

We ended up doing one color all over. I have some kind of interesting lighter chunks subtly showing through, but it's darker! And it didn't cost me $200. Phew! I wish that she had somehow read my mind and understood that matching my eyebrows meant having my hair be the same color as my eyebrows, and corrected my color book choices, but she was fresh out of hair school and probably nervous.

I finally figured out my hair in Utah, but I haven't found 'my' stylist here yet. Suggestions??

W Family | Family Session

2009-11-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

This family came all the way to Canada just for this shoot! Just kidding - but we're so glad they came! They're really good friends of ours and it was great to see them for a day. We had to deal with gale force winds, but they were troopers. Their little girl wasn't such a fan of the wind, but look how adorable she is! She did great. :) Come again soon you guys!

Running!

2009-11-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

To force myself to get out in the cold and run, I've signed up for two races coming up! Clark's aunt told me she was running them and invited me along, so she gave me the push I needed. :) One is a 4K, and the other's a 5K. I'm sure she is running the 10K (this woman is amazing), but I don't think that's gonna happen for me this soon.

I kind of have a love-hate relationship with running. I hate when I haven't been running and have to start again, because it's hard and it sucks (so why did I stop, you ask?....not sure). But there's nothing better than going for that run when it isn't quite so hard, because you've been running regularly, and you just get to be outside in the sun and the fresh air, and you feel alive, and then when you push yourself to go a little farther than you thought you could, and you're sweating and tired at the end and it feels so good - yeah I'm sounding like a dork, but it's a good feeling. And it's addicting. So, I'm excited!

my newsletter

2009-11-05T01:14:00.000-08:00

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Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

Work in Progress

2009-10-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

So if you've visited this site lately, you might have noticed it keeps changing! It's definitely a work in progress. Yesterday I updated the clients section, and the about me section. I'm sure they'll change again, but I think they're a lot better now!

I've hired a graphic designer to design a logo for me, so I'm super excited about that. He's amazing! :) Once I have a new logo, this blog will get re-designed again. I want it to reflect me, and look amazing, and so far I just haven't quite got that down!

H. Family {Family Photos}

2009-10-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

What a cute family! This is my husband's cousin who I hadn't met until we decided to do a family shoot! It was great to meet you Hilary, hope you love these!

Check out this poser - she was amazing! :)

And this 'self-declared' male supermodel: ;)

Check out a slideshow of their session here:

And a nice black and white to finish things off!

Brianne {Slideshow}

2009-10-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with Animoto....check out this slideshow of my gorgeous sister:

It looks like I need to ultra-sharpen to do this, but at least you can tell who it is! Watch for another slideshow later today!

I tried...

2009-10-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

...something new.

What do you think? This one is pretty simple, but it's fun to play around. My goal this year is to design an amazing Christmas card for Clark and I. :) It's even on my 101 in 1001 list, so it's gonna happen.

Anyway, this girl is not actually graduating this year, but let me just pretend.

L Family | Family Session

2009-10-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to do this session! Not only is the family awesome; my sister is one of them! With mostly boys, this family loves hunting, fishing, camping, etc. so I wasn't surprised at all when I heard they were going to outfitted in camo. Here's your sneak peek!

P Family: a few more...

2009-10-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Okay Shell - here are a few more (also for you Jocelyn!)! Thanks for being patient!

One of my favorites!

He's such a character. :)

I hope Grandpa sees this...;) Shelley please don't kill me - I think it's my fav from the whole shoot!

Bri | Just Because

2009-10-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more from our shoot! I love this girl - she's so sweet and funny, and gorgeous! :)

2009-10-13T14:23:00.001-07:00

My younger sister came to visit me during the Thanksgiving weekend, and I had so much fun! Crazy how little sisters grow up and become your friends. She's taking a photography class in school, so we went out for a shoot while she was here. She shot me and I shot her, and here's just a quick peek for now:

Yeah, this is my sister! She's a babe. :)

P Family - One more!

2009-10-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and I'm about to go take advantage of the little time I have to hang out with my husband (he's taking accounting classes at night), but I wanted to throw up a whole-family shot of the P family. We got little miss S looking at the camera! :)

Okay, actually this is two more...

P Family | Family Pics

2009-10-05T23:47:00.000-07:00

Check this couple out! I have to say...I have pretty good looking in-laws!

We tried to get some sweet family pics, and their youngest was just not in the mood! She's adorable, though - more to come!

Ethan & Rebecca | Wedding - Southern Alberta Wedding Photography

2009-09-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

I wasn't the official photographer for this wedding; I just took a few snapshots at the reception of Clark and I's friends. Dustan Izatt (dustinizatt.com/blog) did their pictures and he's awesome. I just wanted to share a couple:

Jason & Shanille...Coming Soon

2009-09-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick look! I'm going away for the weekend but I loved this one and wanted to show ya!

Brett & Blaire | Wedding - Southern Alberta wedding photography

2009-09-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

I looked forward to shooting this wedding all summer! I went to high school with both Brett and Blaire, and played basketball against Blaire all through elementary and middle school. When my family moved a few years ago, they moved to her hometown! She looked absolutely gorgeous - congratulations you two!

What to Wear

2009-09-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

"What do I Wear?"

Consider what you would like to do with the photos. If you are looking for an enlargement to place above the couch, consider the decor of the room and consider coordinating the colors of your clothing/style of the shoot so the finished portrait will fit in.

Let me know before the shoot if you have any specific ideas of what you'd like to do with your pictures. I went to a workshop with a photographer who told us he did an entire shoot, then learned that the couple wanted a portrait (up and down) photo for their invitations. He looked back through his pictures and realized he'd shot mostly landscape (sideways) - which most photographers will do. If you're not sure, just tell me and we'll shoot a variety! I want to make sure you end up with photos you love and can use.

Here are some suggestions:

Things TO Wear:

-Your session should reflect you! Wear or bring something that really captures your personality.
-Layers and bright, solid colors photograph really well. Love layers!
-Clothes that are in the same color scheme, but not all the same exact color - you'll look coordinated but not stuffy
-Accessories and props - particularly with kids and individual portrait sessions. Lollipops, balloons, balls, bikes, umbrellas, tutus, pets, wagons, etc. If you're not sure if it will look good in a picture, bring it and we'll try it for a few - you never know! Bring a bunch and we can play.
-Individuals and couples: a good mix of jeans, casual, and dress. My shoots include unlimited wardrobe changes, so if you can't decide between outfits, bring 'em all!

Things you might not want to wear:

- Solid white shirts (I like these on the beach, but in other locations they seem to take the attention away from faces)
- Plaids/thick stripes
- Tube tops - sometimes these look way cute in real life, and like muffin tops in pictures - just beware :)
- Families/Couples: the exact same shirts in the exact same colors - consider mixing it up a little!

Brett and Blaire | Coming Soon!

2009-08-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

Here's just a quick peek - longer post coming soon!

Another detail from Ty & Christine's wedding....

2009-08-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Christine reminded me of one detail I didn't mention...

....stepping in a big cow pie! Ok, that might be the first time I've ever called it that. 'Back on the ranch' I just called it cow crap. But anyway....I totally stepped in a big fresh one. And, the embarrassing part - I didn't even notice. Obviously, because I was so absorbed in getting pictures of the lucky couple! Haha Ty was so nice and offered to scrape it off my shoe for me. Apparently I wasn't doing a very good job on one foot. The other funny part (or not-so-funny if you're my mom) - they weren't my shoes! Once I got back to my mom's house I had to clean them up really good. Mmmmmm memories..... :)

Love the look on his face!

What a gentleman. Good pick Christine. :)

Ty & Christine | Wedding

2009-08-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

This wedding was so fun to shoot! I took their engagement pictures right before I got married, and Christine was so nice and patient waiting for me to edit them while I settled into my new crazy life! From the first time I met her, I have just loved being around her. She is a total sweetheart, and Ty is a lucky guy! Ty was incredibly patient and cooperative through all of the picture taking - what a guy. :)

Christine loves her cowboy, and she loves country, and you could tell through all of the little details! A reception on the wide open prairie overlooking a river, the cowboy gear Ty and his guys wore, and Christine's footwear - cowboy boots!

First, the ceremony:

Here are the groomsmen awaiting the ladies

And here come the bridesmaids!

Look how excited she is! :)

Their officiant brought along a handkerchief....just for Christine? She told me she didn't think she would cry....but....it happens!

Making sure she gets it right!

Mr and Mrs!

Some of Christine's friends added to her country details by showing up in full cowboy (cowgirl) attire

Proud Grandpa and Ty & Christine's daughter

All of the girls!

And all of the guys

Christine gave Ty this buckle while they were dating

Mother and daughter: one of my favorites!

The beautiful bouquet

Another one of my favorites

The groom taking his bride away in his big truck

The rings! Notice the barbed wire detailing on Ty's - these two are 'pure country! (sappy old movie that I love)'

Sisters! Christine's sister Justine is also a photographer!

And a few details at the reception:

Guestbook - I love these!

No they couldn't!

Weddings

2009-08-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Wedding Blogs

I stalked wedding blogs for ideas when I was planning my wedding, so I thought I would share a few:

Wedding Chicks
Snippet & Ink
Green Wedding Shoes
The Bride's Cafe
Utah Bride Blog
Style Me Pretty
InStyle Weddings

Other sites

Raise the Cake - cake stands!
The Budget Bride's Handbook

Wedding Photography

Having shot a few weddings, and being recently married, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on wedding photos. I am not an expert, by any means, but I researched and thought a ton about this when I planned my wedding, so I thought I would share what I learned. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Day After

Since I love photography so much, my wedding photography was really, really important to me. I wanted to take pictures at the ceremony site, and with all of the family and friends that turned out to see us get married, and then I wanted some pictures at a different location. I arranged to get some photos done at Val Halla (sp?) but the two locations were a couple of hours apart! On your wedding day, you don't always have a couple of hours to spend driving for an hour photo session. So, we decided to do a day after session (well, week after :). And I loved it! It was so fun to get in my dress again, and see my husband all dressed up. My bouquet kept really well, as did his boutonniere (isn't that a weird word?). If you make sure you get close up pictures of your flowers on the day of, you'll still have the photos and in your day after session you don't have to do close ups, so if your bouquet isn't looking quite as fresh as the day before, it'll be just fine.

Another thing I loved about doing our pictures after our wedding day was how relaxed we were! There was no stress to get to the reception or worry about last-minute details. We set aside an afternoon and just had fun with our session! We didn't have people waiting for us, and we didn't feel pressured to hurry up and go talk to everyone, because we did that the day before. It was so nice to have an intimate session with just us and our photographer (and my mom - thanks mom). Also, I didn't have to worry so much about getting my dress dirty!

First Look

Since I stalk so many amazing photography blogs, I see a lot of amazing work. One thing that a lot of couples do is a "first look." This means that the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony. Some brides prefer to be traditional and not let the groom see her before the ceremony, but I found seeing my fiance before we got married calmed me down and helped me enjoy the rest of the day. Your makeup is the freshest, your dress is the cleanest, your hair is the most perfect, and you haven't cried through the ceremony yet.

Just setting aside an hour for photos of you as a couple before the ceremony will let you enjoy the rest of the day without worrying - you've already captured those important photos! You can also capture some sweet photos of the groom's face the first time he sees his beautiful bride, without everyone looking on. Aww!

And since I didn't do this for my wedding, click HERE to read about a few couples who did, from the grooms' perspectives (on Jasmine Star's blog).

Other Thoughts

If your wedding photos are important to you (of course they are!) it will pay off to think about photography when planning your big day. The best light is in the morning or late afternoon - not between 11:00 and 2:00 in the middle of the summer. In the bright afternoon sun, people have shadows under their eyes and squint. The harsh lighting is not flattering on anyone. Consider planning your photos (or ceremony) for a little later in the day, or early in the morning. My day after session was shot in the hour to hour-and-a-half before sunset - my favorite light ever! I still haven't finished editing my own pictures, but I will put examples on here.

I totally understand the stress of planning your wedding day, and it's hard to fit everything in perfectly, but planning your photography will ensure that all your planning and hard work pays off as you look at your photos for years to come. Just something to think about! :)

What do you think?

Ty & Christine | Coming Soon!

2009-08-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

I just shot Ty and Christine's wedding today, and here is one quick peek at their big day! Details and way more pics are coming soon.

Megan & Hayley | Just for Fun

2009-07-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

I went home on Saturday and did a shoot with my sister and her sister-in-law. Hayley was definitely up for posing and had some ideas of her own! My brother-in-law even let us capture a few of him. Let me know what you think.

Ashley & Charles | Just Because

2009-06-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

As promised....here are some more!

Let me know what you think!

Keely | Graduation

2009-06-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

Keely was so fun to work with! She even brought along a prop - a sweet car. Way fun - I think I went to grad in a mini van - haha yeah, lame. :) She's way close to her older brother so he snuck into a few photos...here's a sneak peek!

Ashley and Charles | Just because

2009-05-06T19:58:00.001-07:00

Here's a little something to tide you over until I get the rest edited!

Ty & Christine | Engagements

2009-05-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

These two were so much fun! I was so excited about the wranglers and the corrals and the prairie for this shoot. Here's a quick sneak peek:

Coming Soon...

2009-04-29T15:25:00.001-07:00

Ashley and Charles - your pictures are coming soon! Clark and I had problems getting the Internet set up in the apartment, and I can't finish installing photoshop until we do. For some reason they don't give you the serial number; you have to enter a code online to get it. But, I can't wait to get to work on them! :)

Couple Shoot

2009-04-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

I just had a super fun shoot with an old roommate and her bf - pictures coming soon! I can't wait to start editing these...I should probably finish my last two finals and move out of here first, but they're coming - I can't wait to show them what great models they were!

#39 - Surprise!

2009-04-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

After telling me white lies for weeks about this BIG SURPRISE he was planning, Clark decided he couldn't wait any longer. I got a phone call from him telling me he was going to send me an email revealing the surprise in about an hour. Originally, I wasn't supposed to see it until two weeks from now, when I moved back to Canada.

So, about an hour later I was in a computer lab working on our engagement album, and he sent me a text to check my email. He apologized for the white lies and revealed the surprise:

A 24" iMac!! I'm so excited to have my own computer to edit pictures on! My laptop had died (which isn't the best for editing anyway) and once I graduated, I wouldn't have access to the media lab I've been using, so I was really worried about it. Clark knew this, and he's been so supportive of my whole photography obsession, and he totally blew me away with this surprise! He had already promised to buy me CS4 (Photoshop) as my grad present, as well as Lightroom, so I have a whole system for my pictures now!! I can't believe I found this guy. Wow. And I am SO excited to use our new computer!

I've been getting really excited about photobooks lately. I'm designing Clark and I's engagement album, so I'll post some page layouts on here when I get it done.We get married in just over a month! I'm also going to make one for my sister and brother-in-law. I love photobooks, what can I say?! I've been wanting to learn InDesign, and the creative suite I'm getting will include it, so I'm really excited about that, too. While Clark is studying for all of his CA stuff over the next couple of years, I'll definitely be able to keep myself busy and entertained! :)

As a BONUS - this checks #39 off my list!

101 in 1001 Update

2009-04-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a year since I made my list of 101 Things To Do in 1001 Days...so I checked back to see how I did. So far, only 17 of 101!! I've gotta get going!

Start date: April 25, 2008 End date: January 21, 2011

Graduate from BYU (04/2009)
Laser legs
Run a 1/2 marathon
Have an article published in a magazine
Learn a new word a day for 3 weeks
Get a car (Fall 2008, thanks mom and dad!)
Set up an LLC
Finish my Children's Writing Course
Buy and read Preach My Gospel
Write our family friend Jonny a letter in German
Shoot a maternity session (4/26/2008)
Acquire a 50 mm 1.4 lens (7/24/2008)
Acquire a 70-200 mm lens (IS)
Design a wedding album
Get a Shootsac
Get a logo for photography
Get kinseyt.com (10/06/2008)
Get actions (Boutwell) for Photoshop
Go to a photography workshop with a professional photographer (03/14/2009)
Make a blog background with logo for pics on blog
Coordinate a wedding
Shoot a bridal session
Decorate a wedding cake
Shoot 3 weddings (Second shot one, and 2 booked for this summer!)
Attend WPPI Convention
Make a portfolio book
Go to a musical
Second shoot with 5 photographers (1/5) (Eric Torrie)
Grow out my nails and get a manicure
Design a wedding invitation (2/2008 - my own!)
Acquire a flash
Learn studio lighting
See the Grand Canyon
Do a photo shoot of my parents
Open a Roth IRA
Read 20 books/year (4/60)
Enter a photo contest (07/02/2008)
Go to a spa and get a facial
Buy a new laptop/computer (04/10/2009)
Go to Australia
Make Lundbreck book
Get a ‘real’ job! (Pool Supervisor in Raymond 05/2009)
Take grad photos for a sibling (10/14/2008)
Make a quilt
Take a cake decorating class
Finish interviewing and recording my G’ma Tanner
Take the GRE (or whatever test for grad school I decide on)
Make a list of books I want to read
Take a road trip with friends
Make a list of movies I want to see
Write 30 letters to missionaries (0/30)
File my “To Be Filed” pile
Visit a national park I haven't been to in the last 5 years
Make cookies and deliver them anonymously
Sew something
Make cream puffs
Visit a church history site
Baby-sit for free
Take a child to the zoo
Play golf (07/19/2008)
Plan and go on a creative date
Keep a houseplant alive for 3 months (current record: 3 weeks)
Do the 12 Days of Christmas for someone
Do Operation Christmas Child
Donate to the Perpetual Education Fund
Do a photo session of a horse
Photograph an old building
Inspire someone else to create a 101 in 1001 list (05/18/2008)
See the Atlantic Ocean
Shoot a gun bigger than a .22
Go hiking
Get paid for photography (Summer 2008)
Take a cooking class
Copy my mom’s recipes that I want
Decide on a way to organize recipes
Volunteer at a senior’s home
Do a ‘random act of kindness’ every day for 3 months
Go to a drive-in movie
Blog once a week for 6 mos. (08/26/2008)
Do a newborn photo session (01/30/2008)
Pay off debt from school
Run the Ladiesfest (6/21/2008)
Learn 3 new songs on the guitar
Drink 8 8-oz. glasses of water a day for a whole month
Cook a meal and have guests over to eat it.
Learn and memorize a new song on the piano
Make someone a birthday cake
Listen to works of 20 famous composers, incl. Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, and Verdi (0/20)
Write letters to 10 people telling them how much they mean to me, or thanking them for how they have influenced my life
Take 150,000 photos
Print favorite photos to hang in my house
Read the biography of someone famous (Paul Rusesabagina's "An Ordinary Man" - he's the real-life hero of 'Hotel Rwanda')
Go on a picnic
Go camping
Go to an art museum
Design and send out cool Christmas cards
Do something one-on-one with each of my siblings (0/5)
Have a ‘mommy-daughter date’ with my mom and take her shopping
Have a ‘daddy-daughter date’ with my dad
Call each of my grandmas just to chat (0/3)
Have a good talk with my grandpa

Switchin' it up

2009-04-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

I was playing around with my block background thing...what do you think?

More Sean & Jennie! | Engagements

2009-04-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

I just can't resist - they're the cutest couple!

Mom-togs

2009-03-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

If you're a mom and you like photography, or want to learn how to take better pictures of your kids, check out the following two sites:

momtog.com
A portrait photographer had a baby and started this blog for moms. It's fairly new, but one of her first posts was really helpful and I know my sister used the info to take some really cute pictures of her son. So, read back a ways. Or, click here, here or here for questions about backdrops, lenses, and separating your subject from the background.

thepioneerwoman.com/photography
I love reading this woman's blog, especially her "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" love story, but her photograph section is really good. She has some basic photography tips, and then photoshop help as well. She even had the Boutwells from Totally Rad Actions (they charge $$$ for their actions - almost every portrait photographer I stalk has them) to help her develop 2 sets of FREE actions - yes I have them! If you don't have photoshop, she has some stuff for Photoshop Elements, though the free actions don't work in Elements.I've heard that Elements is more than sufficient if you're not doing photography for a living, and in some cases even if you are, and it's a LOT cheaper.

PhotoCamp Utah

2009-03-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I went to PhotoCamp Utah, and it was a lot of fun! It's a one-day, all-day workshop on all things Photography, for only $10. It sold out in only a couple days, and they had photographers come from all over Utah. They had four series of workshops, where you got to pick 1 of 3 to attend. All of the photographers were amazing and so inspiring! I learned a few key things that I think will help my photography a lot, so I can't wait to try them out! This Saturday I'm going on a shoot with a local photo club, which I'm really excited about. Also, if you would like to volunteer to model for a practice session, shoot me an email!

Also, this crosses #19 off my list!

School Project

2009-03-16T13:25:00.001-07:00

I need your help (yes, I'm using this blog for school...)!

For my research class, my partner and I are looking at female university students who have babies and still go to school.

SO, we have a really quick survey that takes about 5 minutes to complete, and we need students who have had a baby in the last year, and who reside in Utah county, to fill it out for us. We need 100 responses, and so far we have about 30. So, if you know anybody or know anybody who might know somebody, please pass this link on:

https://byu.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_2l8gz60jmPZDInq&SVID=Prod

Thanks!!!

A couple more Jennie and Sean | Engagements

2009-03-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

This couple was just so fun! I was editing a couple of pictures they're planning on using for their invitation tonight, and wanted to share!

Coming Up...

2009-03-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

I'm going to a photography workshop tonight, and then another one all day Saturday, so I'm excited! I am working on editing a few sessions this week, and looking forward to lots of shoots this summer! I booked my first wedding of the year for June, and can't wait!

Jennie and Sean Engagements| Portraits

2009-02-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

Jennie and Sean were so nice and fun to work with! They were up for whatever I asked them to do, and they're so good together.

They are such a cute couple - here's a quick peek with more to come!

(Sean - I took a few more 'slanty' ones than I thought....:))

And....this is my new favorite picture:

"Baby G"

2009-02-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

His other grandma calls him Baby G; isn't he the cutest kid?!

I'm pretty he sure he didn't want to go home and leave me...

Roommates | Portraits

2009-02-21T19:36:00.006-08:00

Family | Portraits

2009-02-21T18:13:00.000-08:00

Roommates! | Portraits

2009-02-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

My sister came to school with me this semester, and moved in with two way cute girls. Here is just a quick sneak peek:

I went a little crazy with post-processing just for fun.

My nephew!

2009-01-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

I took these over the Christmas break, just about 2 weeks after this little guy was born.

Engagement Pics!

2009-01-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

**Added more pics 1/30**

Here are a few engagement pictures! There are tons more to come!

We FROZE!! But it was worth it (pictures always are...:)) and Clark was SUCH a good sport. He doesn't really like to get his picture taken, and we had like 500.

\

Roommate Pictures

2009-01-29T19:46:00.001-08:00

I took these this past weekend, and the girls were so much fun! I work with one of them, and when I heard that her whole apartment actually liked each other and hung out together, I asked her if I could do a roommate shoot. They said yes, and they have a 'fifth roommate' who is moving away soon so they wanted some pictures with her.

Here are just a couple:

Pictures coming soon!

2009-01-28T08:30:00.001-08:00

I'm working on editing some family pictures and some roommate pictures, and I just had my cousin Eric take my engagement pictures, so once I get some of those edited, I'll post them here!

Photo Sessions

2009-01-26T00:55:00.000-08:00

I took some roommate photos on Saturday afternoon, and am excited to start editing! They were all way cute girls and total troopers-they hiked ice in heels, pretty much. They were so fun to shoot and I'll get a sneak peek up soon!

Clark and I were supposed to take our engagement pictures today, but the weather didn't cooperate, so we're trying for tomorrow. I can't wait! :)

More Christmas Break

2009-01-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

More Christmas Break pics! I can't believe Christmas has come and gone already!

Aw! They love him!

They played a game where Clark would toss a ping pong ball at them, and they would try to smash it with their ping pong paddle. Dangerous game!

Wearing Uncle Clark's hat. :)

Gavin has a bunch of little Jordan stuff. Check out the socks:

He's doing so good, holding his head up.

Muscle fatigue!

Trying on wedding dresses

2009-01-24T08:10:00.000-08:00

During the Christmas holidays, we pulled out my mom's and Tonya's wedding dresses and took turns trying them on.

Tonya pulling her dress out - it's been over 7 years since she first wore it.

This is me in my mom's dress.

Sisters! I'm wearing hers, she's wearing mom's.

And the grandkids!

Bri.

Torrie Day

2009-01-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

Every year after Christmas Day sometime, everyone who is around on my dad's side gets together for an afternoon. We eat a lot and play games and just catch up with everybody. And we play Pit. As you will see later, it's kind of a big tradition.

Sisters!

Megz and Benson hangin' out.

Our cousin Jessica with Gavin.

Cousins!

Bri

Me. Yes, I look awful. No, I will never do my hair like that again. Or take a picture from a low angle (those double chins always show...haha). :)

So, there's this game called Pit. And at Torrie Day, it's kind of a big deal. And it gets a little intense.

Mom always stays cool, however.

Like most people...

Well, most of the time.

The aftermath. We still get along when the game is over, surprisingly. :)

Don't take pictures while driving...they don't turn out very sharp. :)

Grandma's Birthday

2009-01-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

For my grandma's birthday, we had dinner at my parent's house. Clark came to church with me and stayed for the afternoon.

Jessica thought this was so cool (we're looking into the mirror, just in case you didn't look closely enough):

The birthday girl's birthday pie:

That's my grandma!

Sunday nap...

The girls LOVED pushing over Clark's domino trains. Here is one that he and my brother-in-law constructed:

I kept spotting these two reading books together:

Kilmorey Lodge destroyed by fire

2009-01-21T10:51:00.001-08:00

Clark and I ate at the restaurant at the Kilmorey Lodge right after Clark proposed to me, and it burnt down this morning! How sad. You can find the news story here.

Christmas Day

2009-01-21T08:40:00.001-08:00

Christmas Day!! We slept in a little, but not too late. I called Clark when we were done at about 9, and he was still asleep!

The girls with their present from Aunt Megan and Uncle Ty:

The girls made Grandma their very own special present... a balloon! Unfortunately, it popped in Grandma's lap!

Looking amazing with my stuff from Clark and the sticker on my face is from the girls

Brand new little aprons!

Opening her present from Clark and I...

Trying to wake up...

Christmas

2009-01-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

It was so nice to be home for a two-week break! I drove up by myself just to get here earlier, since I finished all of my finals in three days. I stayed overnight at my sister's on the way up, and here are my nieces and nephew:

I already posted about my birthday, which was great, so here are some pictures of Megan's baby shower the next day:

Great Grandma

Big yawn!

Great Great Grandma

Great Great Grandma

Our family friend Kate and my mom

Proud auntie!

Next came Christmas Eve! It was so fun to have kids around this year. Clark came out and spent some of Christmas Eve with us - this was our first Christmas together. :)

Best aunt and uncle ever :)

Kelsey Jo

Us :)

He likes to shave:

New additions to the family!

Dad being serious and reading the Christmas story while Brandon encourages Jessica to listen ;)

Proud Grandma :)

This is fuzzy, yes, but I love the look on her face!

New pajamas and new dolls (thanks to Clark's sister!)

Playing a beautiful song:

Wrapping my Christmas present :)

My birthday

2009-01-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

I made it home in time for my birthday! Clark came out for cake and ice cream, etc. with my family.

23 years old!

Leaning way in....hey, it was a lot of candles!

Me and my man.

Something funny...

2009-01-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Walking across campus yesterday, I saw this sign:

I'm done!

2008-12-17T13:11:00.001-08:00

I am done all of my finals, and I can't wait to get home to Canada! I'm hoping that I can go to my sister's Tonya, which is a little less than halfway, and get home tomorrow afternoon. Merry Christmas!

Risa | Portraits

2008-12-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, I met up with a fellow photographer, Risa, to take some pictures! She is way more comfortable in front of the camera than I am; she definitely knows how to work it! :) I think it comes with being behind the camera so much, but now I get nervous when people are taking 'official' pictures of me! Risa was so fun to hang out with, and I loved so many pictures...I didn't narrow it down very well. Here's your sneak peek Risa!

Tonya & Benson | Portraits

2008-12-11T17:22:00.001-08:00

When Austin was blessed, Tonya and Benson snuck outside with me for 5 minutes to get a couple of shots. I realized today that I never blogged these.

I'm done!

2008-12-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

I am done all of my classes and all of my papers, and now I just have to write 4 finals!! I think I'll celebrate by going home and eating, maybe cleaning my room, going to the gym, and talking to Clark!

Laugh!

2008-12-10T15:29:00.001-08:00

I had my last class of Program Management today, and our hilarious professor gave a lecture on laughing and playing. He's the master. He talked about how important laughter is, and laughing at yourself. He told us that the average child laughs 400 times a day, while the average adult laughs 15 times a day. So what's the difference? As we get old, we get boring! ;) So, in honor of laughter, and fun, I decided to post these pictures I found over funnychuckle.com:

This last one...would you be surprised if I said I'm supposed to be writing a paper right now? :)

*The last one is a bit small, but if you click on it you will see a larger version that is readable.*

My new nephew!

2008-12-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

Gavin Stuart Lepard was born this morning at 10:10 and was 8lbs 13 oz. He has a ton of black hair apparently, which is no surprise in my family, but you can't really see it in the picture. I can't wait to see this kid!

Finals: 1 down....4 to go!

2008-12-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

I took an in-class final tonight, and I am officially done with 1 class! It's my least favorite, and I am glad to be done. :) I have a couple of papers to get done in the next two days, so that will keep me busy. Friday and Saturday are reading days, and work-as-much-as-you-want days, and then I write finals Monday-Wednesday. I'm trying to leave Utah on Thursday, so I can be home with Clark for Friday (my b-day). It's going by fast, and I'm so excited to get home. I can't believe Christmas is only 16 days away!

Monograms...random

2008-12-05T16:41:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking of including a monogram on various things wedding, but I don't know which to use-

CK or CHK.

Obviously, it won't look just like this.

Suggestions?

Happy Birthday Kels!

2008-12-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

It was my sister Kelsey's birthday yesterday, and I didn't get a chance to put this up. I know, I'm a bad sister! She was so busy, I only got to chat with her for a minute, but I'm hoping she reads this.

Over the years, Kelsey has been like a big sister to me whenever I needed somebody tough. :) I used to get her to protect me from our "Attack Roosters" when we were really young. We had to go to the barn and collect eggs from the chickens, and there were these psycho roosters that would attack us. When they're a 1/3 of your size, and you're a wimp like me, you get kind of scared. Not Kels. We would throw the biggest rocks we could find at them. She was always so sweet to come with me and give me moral support! I should probably be embarrassed to admit this, but oh well. Kels has a huge heart. She's one of the hardest workers I know, and is never afraid to get dirty, but cleans up pretty good, as the saying goes. She's posed for countless photo shoots over the years without complaining. Thanks Kels! She's also super smart--the girl got 30 on her ACT and is joining me here at BYU in January with a scholarship! She's good at a lot of things I wish I was, like basketball and volleyball and being outgoing. Love you Kels!!

Friends | Just Because

2008-12-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

My sister and her friends agreed to pose for me over the Thanksgiving break, but with sports and school and the light disappearing early, it was hard to get a photoshoot in. We finally took these when it was almost dark, so I cranked up the ISO and you can see some grain because of that. The girls were awesome models and braved the freezing wind for about 30 mins. Here are a few samples, and my (and I think their) favorite edited in a few different ways:

The Date

2008-12-03T14:55:00.001-08:00

Clark and I are getting married May 16 in Cardston, Alberta. We're having a reception that night in Barnwell, and then we're done! :)

Wedding Planning...

2008-12-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to be doing homework, so of course I found myself on photography and wedding blogs. For colors I'm thinking green and purple with some black, and here are some things I like:

This is a random assortment, and also a very small sampling of the 38 emails I've sent my mom (you probably think I'm kidding, but it's true. I think gmail even deleted some of them, because I can't find some of my favorites). Also, I'm not going to put all of these things together. Don't worry! I just like certain elements, and these are just ideas. Originally, I wanted to go with just green and black, a color combination I've liked for awhile, but a lot of weddings back home have used it, which is why I'm thinking about adding in purple, mostly in the flowers.

I think I want my bridesmaids (as in, my sisters, and they won't really have any formal function but to look pretty) to wear 'little black dresses' :) with green sashes. I'm tempted to suggest green pointy heels...but I don't think anyone will go for it, and some people reading this will think that's a terrible idea. But, I just love green, and pointy heels. I even have some, and they're faux alligator skin. Favorite. No wonder my mom wasn't surprised when I told her I wanted green to be one of my colors.

Clark has two nephews and a niece, and so far I have two nieces and a nephew. How cute will that be? Little green ties and little green dresses...I'm just a little excited.

165 days to go! We're pretty set on May 16, 2009. I'll graduate the last weekend in April, and then I'll have a few weeks to get home and get stuff done before the wedding.

The break

2008-12-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

It was so good to go home for Thanksgiving break, and so hard to come back to Provo! It took me a few hours to realize I was back at school, which was after two class presentations. The first one went okay, and the second went well, and I'm now sitting in a computer lab with one more class to go. I went to work already, and took care of a couple of errands, so I'm feeling reasonably productive.

I need to pick up some food later today. I went to eat breakfast this morning and I was out of milk, so I didn't have cereal, and I went to make toast, and my butter had mysteriously disappeared. Where would I have put butter?? So, I ate a granola bar, which tasted like sugar, ick. I don't always do too well with a lot of sugar in the morning. I make exceptions for pancakes and french toast, however. I could possibly eat french toast every day. I just found a recipe for a french toast casserole and I'm so excited to try it. Clark's mom made us pancakes for breakfast twice while I was up there. What a woman. These are some pictures from the week:

This was at Megan's new house. The lighting wasn't so good, and I have amazing red eyes.

Self portrait. I was waiting for my parents to finish getting ready to go to Clark's for dinner with his parents.

Then I grabbed Brandon for a few.

It took a few tries...

But we finally got a smiley one.

And me and my mom!

Clark and I mostly just chilled for the week. He had work during the day, so I slept in and hung out with my mom, and then we'd see each other at night. The week went by way too fast!

Carrie Underwood concert

2008-11-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

I went and visited Clark at his office on Monday (I waited until 5:00 pm on the dot), the night of the Carrie Underwood concert. He looks so smart in his office. I'm attracted to people who can work with numbers. Strange, I know. But, that's me. And Clark can work with numbers. He really knows numbers. :)

That picture on his desk? Yup--that's me. Future Mrs. Clark Holt. Haha, I put that because I know he likes the sound of it. Okay, I do too. Oh, and those cookies are from me. I'm getting domestic!

Now he's smiling because I won't stop taking pictures of him while he's trying to finish up work.

Look at this man staple!! :)

After he finished work, we went back to his house so he could get ready, and dropped in on his nephews to say hi, then headed to Lethbridge for the concert.

Since I hate direct flash, here are the no-flash attempts with my mom's point-and-shoot. Pretty amazing white balance, I know. And sharpness. :) Hey, I just noticed there's a shadow of my hand holding the camera. Sweet.

And then Carrie...I have such a good fiance. :)

We were five seats in from the catwalk thing she had. Unfortunately, I'm 5'4", and the people to my left were all at least 5 inches taller than that! And why wasn't I wearing heels, you might ask. And that would be a good question. I used to always wear heels, but Clark the giant likes his women short. Lucky for me, my fiance is almost 6'6" and can get pictures for me! And the next concert we go to, he'll probably tell me to wear heels.

I still love Carrie Underwood.

You can hardly make this picture out, but I liked her outfit. :) I liked all of her shoes. Especially her boots. I love shoes. I could live in an ALDO. Clark and I don't have a place to live yet...

Anyway, I LOVED the concert. I showed my mom the music video for her "Just a Dream" today and we both almost cried. I didn't ask her if I could say that. She might even deny it. But she liked it. And I love it.