Why?

For lack of a better heading, I ask the question: "Why?" "Why what?" you are thinking, right? Let's see if I can explain! Keep reading. :)

My family and I recently had "professional" photos taken with a well known nationwide "studio", primarily for our church directory. Photographer tried to make the session fun, as fun as you can get in front of a backdrop. She tried to make my 'double chin' disappear in her lens or someone smile that wasn't. Took her time, she seemingly was not in a rush, despite other families waiting. Ok, so her focus at the moment was the family in front of her lens. She did that well! She blocked out the fact that they were an hour behind schedule.

Once we were finished with our smiles, poses, adjusting of collars, adjusting blouses to hide any imperfections we envision having, we sat down at a table with the photographer. It had a nice display of prints, collages, different papers, etc all to try to sell us stuff. And try she did. She had us to narrow down the shots taken to only TWELVE to look at for purchasing prints from.  And then the sales pitch began.

I pulled out my cheat sheet of prices, having an 'idea' of what we were going to spend. Ha Ha Ha Ha! She promptly told me, "Oh, you won't need that. We are going to 'build' your own package." (All the while smiling)

Long story, short - photos were compared and 'best' ones left to look at for product. Story boards were designed with chosen photos and shown, all in effort to sell more. Our oldest daughter looked at hers first, all the while, I am sitting there cringing at the thought of how much she picked out. The total was given and my daughter's face dropped. She could not in a year of Sundays afford what she had picked out. She looked at me, disappointed, and I reminded her that I had just taken their photos the week before. She agreed to getting just the free photo. We moved onto ours and ended up spending way more than intended and added the CD for a nominal fee and had ONE photo cleaned up for blemishes (the one for the directory) for a small fee of $40 (remember for ONLY the one photo!).

Photos came today. I was disappointed in our family group shot. Our granddaughter was all bunched up. The photos clearly indicated that the photographers are not used to working with infants. Yes, blemishes were clear on that ONE photo.

So why? When you want a gourmet meal, you go to an awesome restaurant where a trained chef will prepare it. Will it be the same, if you have the same ingredients and you prepare it at home? You want a massage so you go  to a massage place and have someone trained to give the much needed relaxation. Your car needs repair, so you take it to a trained mechanic.  In most cases, you would agree, right?

We thought the girl taking our photographs was a professional. I noticed her camera was taped to hold the f-stop in place. The other photographer somehow got the f-stop changed on her camera and she actually had to ask 'our' photographer how to change it back. She did and taped it in place. Professional?  Probably not. Trained in how to set up, snap a few photos and sell, sell, sell. Remember the one who had to ask how to change something? She also had to redo an entire session because her pre-set settings got messed up.

I say all this because that day, I no longer felt bad for what I do. When you book a session with Photography by Kelly, you will get ALL edited (blemish free, teeth whitened, eyes brighter, etc) at no extra cost. Am I crazy for doing this? Probably, but I feel that if you see one cleaned up, they should all be cleaned up in that way. Am I going to sell you product you do not want or need? No, you get no pressure from me. Granted I do not offer CDs. Why? Because anyone can go to Walmart, CVS, Target, etc to print photos.However, the professional print lab that I use recognizes when something is not 'quite right' with an image and will call me or email to get approval before going forth with the order!  Will the big box stores do that? No.

You can be assured that the product you order from Photography by Kelly is carefully inspected before processed and mailed out to me. So, why would you want to go to a photographer that only offers a CD? Each session includes prints also! And you want only those prints? No sweat! Remember, no pressure!

Want to know more about us? Check us out throughout this year as we have mini sessions planned for the rest of the year!

A New Life

A "Birth Story"

Last week, Photography by Kelly had the honor of working with this couple as they welcomed their newborn son into the world.

Mom is a long time friend of my daughter. Baby's mom had us on speed dial that day. She arrived at the hospital, got settled into her room and let us know her status.

As the day progressed, we stayed in touch with mom. Then we got the text! Arriving at the hospital, we found her room. As the time slipped by, the baby was getting closer and closer to being born. Mom and dad were both excited as well as baby's aunt.

Around 8 that evening, mom sent her final pre-baby status update to social media. The warmer was getting warmed up, nurses were making preparations for the new baby. Mom had time to take a short nap before the work began.

About 9:30 that evening, Baby C came into the world with an awesome set of lungs, tiny toes, tiny fingers and brown hair. Such a wonderful blessing for his parents. Congratulations to his parents and his big brother!

Photography by Kelly  is now offering "Birth Story" photography. Contact us for more information.

Fall Mini Sessions

It's been awhile since we blogged! Got caught up in kids going back to school, booster meetings, football games and marching bands...... You know how it is the month or so after school begins!

With marching band season upon us, a.k.a football season, the leaves will begin to change (in some cases trees are already changing colors), cooler weather, sweaters, jackets...ah FALL! One of my favorite seasons. 

With that in mind, we have scheduled two dates for fall photos. One date will be on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Oct 12). Currently there are four time slots left. Click here to schedule your session.

The second date will open up after October 13. If you are more interested in the November date, message us for times available and location. These sessions will be in the morning of November 9.

Either date will be $65 for 25 minutes and you will receive 25 complimentary Christmas cards. Perfect for families up to 6.

We hope to see you soon! Happy Fall!

Lura & Hao ~Engagement~

I have known Lura for a long time, meeting her first at church when she was young girl. When she began to look for colleges, I suggested touring my Alma mater. She did with her parents and resulted in graduating with a degree in education from the college. So now, we are fellow alumnae! Go Bears! :)

Lura met Hao (pronounced How) about two years ago. They began dating and in February of this year, he surprised her in New York City with asking the "big" question. He had already met with her parents and got their blessings. He made arrangements with someone to follow them as they walked through Central Park so the big moment could be photographed (oh how I would have loved to been there for that!).

From all of that, I knew their engagement session would be fun. Our first time out, it rained cats and dogs. So, we rescheduled. The evening we met was beautiful! The couple will be married in August. We wish them all the best and many, many years of happily wedded bliss.

Her ring was designed with her grandmother's diamond as the center piece. Stunning!

Yes, the date is written in Chinese! (Aug 10)

Main Street USA

Have you ever noticed old buildings in the town where you reside? Growing up in rural NC, there were a lot and some still stand, empty, desolate, forgotten.

Forgotten why? Owners neglect the buildings. Towns seem not to care, about the history, the preservation of  the old. People look at old buildings as "eyesores". The history is forgotten. The former splendor of the buildings is forgotten.

One such building will be demolished in the town where I reside tomorrow. It has been empty for as long as I can remember. It was once (built in 1912) a grand, state of the art hotel. It hosted around 20 rooms for weary travelers and school teachers at the local schools. Travelers visited the healing mineral springs nearby. Teachers probably stayed for the school year and returned to their families once the school year concluded.

The hotel, named for the builder, Dodson is said to have had a grand piano that a gentleman from Florida would come and tickle the ivories for travelers. It boasted electricity, running water, it's own sewer system and a wrap around covered porch.

Preservation takes money. Sadly far too any people feel it is better to destroy rather than save. Can you imagine with me for a moment? Imagine if the owner had seen the beauty in the building, the details that Mr. Dodson put into the building. Imagine the building being used for a visitor center to the town, the county, the area around. Imagine wedding receptions being held there, with a baby grand playing beautiful music. Imagine being able to have a cup of coffee or glass of good southern sweet tea at a small table on the wrap around porch in a quaint bed and breakfast.

Now imagine all the people who stayed there over night, for days, weeks, months. The conversations, the laughter and perhaps tears. Do you wonder what they talked about? Do you think they would rather have seen the building be preserved?  Now imagine that money is no object. Can you picture what I do? A place to gather with friends and families?

Imagining is not enough now. The building will be torn down, along with all the memories and history. It is shame, as the building is only 100 years old. Buildings much older than this one still stand.  "What if" is too late now.

The remnants of the wrap around porch 

If only walls could talk

They kept the light on travelers

Front of the Dodson Hotel

The north side of the building

Arched windows

Detailed brick work

Meet Hosanna!

A while back, on the Face book page, we announced that we were looking for someone to try out a location we wanted to use for a session. Hosanna answered the call. We met up one afternoon at Starbucks to go over the details.

We soon discovered that Hosanna is an aspiring actress and has appeared in Kernersville Little Theater productions.  She had just returned from L.A. and was working on a project for her college application. Hosanna is graduating this June. In August she will attend college in California (where her mother attended) and study film making. She plans to return to NC once she completes college and work in the film industry here in NC. (She said there are not enough jobs in CA to warrant her staying in the Los Angeles area.)

Watch for her! She has big plans and we are wishing her all the best as she pursues her dreams!

Interested in a session? Click here to complete an interest form. We will get back with you within 48 hours of receiving your inquiry! 

http://www.photographsbykelly.com/Portfolio.html

A Wedding in the Park

      Three weeks ago, Photography by Kelly had the pleasure of photographing a small wedding in the park. I have known the couple for three or so years. She approached the idea of my photographing her wedding one afternoon as she looked at her daughter's Easter photos that I had recently taken.

     Excited and nervous that she asked, as this would be the first wedding for Photography by Kelly, she asked if her wedding would be my first. Knowing that she knew that put me at ease a little. 

     As the day came, we discussed what she wanted, signed contracts and prepared. The day of the wedding, we were weather watching. Thankfully the rain, that threatened to force her wedding in the park inside her groom's parents' house, held off! 

    The wedding was small and intimate in a park gazebo. Perfect for their day. Wedding party was small, their parents and his grandfather, the pastor and his wife. As weddings go, it was beautiful. 

    We, at Photography by Kelly, wish the happy couple many, many happy years together!

      

A Baby's First Year in Photos

In January of 2012, a elementary school friend contacted me about taking her expectant grandson's photos once he was born. Of course, I said yes I would!

Aiden was born in April 2012 and the planning began. The first time meeting little Aiden, it stormed horribly and our outdoor session moved to his Mimi's living room. He did not want anything to do with having his photograph taken. After about two hours, we decided to reschedule. 

His first official photo shoot, he was just a little shy of 3 months old (top left). Needless to say, he did great and his parents joined in on some of the photos as well. In October, we met up to take his six month photos. Wow, he was not a baby anymore! Full of energy and full of laughter, that was his photo shoot at 6 months (top right).

In February, his mimi and I began planning his nine month photo shoot. My trusty assistant (a.k.a my daughter) got props together and off we went to a new location. Just as his six month photo shoot had been, he was full of energy and wanted to play with anything within reach. He had a blast riding (standing) in the vintage stroller we used in his photos. (bottom right)

We met recently for his 12 month photos. And true to history, this time, he was not crazy about it like the first time we met. (bottom left) We were able to get a few shots, but his mimi and I decided to reschedule. 

Aiden has grown so much in a year and we have been blessed to be a part in recording his growth in photographs. With his big, gorgeous blue eyes, he will surely knock some unsuspecting young lady off her feet one day when he is much, much older of course! The camera has loved his eyes during this past year.

Stay tuned! Perhaps we will watch him grow over the next few years. 

Interested in having your child or grandchild's first year recorded in photographs? Contact us for more information about the program "Baby's First Year". You can follow this link to our website http://www.photographsbykelly.com/Portfolio.html or email us at photographsbykelly@gmail.com for more information.

Senior Models for Class of 2014

Introducing Kirsti!

Kirsti is a Junior at South Stokes and will represent Photography by Kelly this coming school year. If you are interested in a Senior photo shoot, see Kirsti for a referral card.

Not a student at South Stokes? Want to find out how you can be the model for your school? Complete this form and we will be in touch soon.

http://www.photographsbykelly.com/Portfolio.html

Stay tuned for Kirsti's full photo shoot and find out more about her this summer!

Love is in the air!

Time flies. 

I first came to know Morgan and her family through the church we all attended. A few years later, I was called to sub teach in a 4th grade classroom at a local elementary school. As it turned out, I ended up teaching that class until the end of the school year (January - June) with Morgan and the rest of her classmates.  Morgan moved away from our little town when she was in middle school. We have stayed in touch through the power of Facebook.

A while back the photography page hosted a couples photo contest. Morgan entered and ultimately won the contest. This week, I was honored to photograph her with her fiance. As we traveled through the northern part of our county, we stopped at various locations to take photos. At one point, Morgan not quite sure where we were, asked. :) This was a really fun photo shoot. We ended up at the farm where my daddy was born and raised. 

Morgan and Justin will be married this weekend. Justin is in the Marines and will be headed out to the Middle East in a few weeks. Keep them both in your thoughts. May you have many years together! 

Time flies.

Our First Maternity Shoot!

We recently had the pleasure of photographing Candace. Candace is expecting a baby boy, could be tomorrow when he arrives! Candace and her husband, Mohammad E. have been married four years. They enjoy visiting the beach and find time in their busy life as restaurant owners to spend time with their beautiful daughters visiting local parks. When at home, they enjoy playing with their pets, two goats and one dog. 

Candace agreed to be our "maternity model". You will see her in promotional pieces on our website and Facebook page. If you are expecting and know Candace, she can tell you about her session and perhaps have a coupon for your very own maternity shoot. We are looking forward to our partnership with Candace and taking more photos after baby E arrives. 

We hope to see you all in front of our lens soon! Until then, take care.

It's Spring!

Finally! It is Spring! After a long, cold, snow-less winter, it is beginning to warm up. Flowers are blooming, at least here in NC, and the birds can be heard singing.

Easter will be here in a week. Mother's Day will be here also before we can turn around. A couple of weeks ago, we held a mini session for Easter/Spring Photos. We photographed 3 sessions and each one was different! Even the Easter bunny made an appearance.

With Spring upon us, many begin thinking about having photos taken. Some turn to the big box, print while you wait, studios. Others turn to home based photographers who shoot on location and use professional print labs to prepare your images.

Spring photos make excellent Mother's Day gifts. When was the last time your mother was blown away with the gift you gave her? How old are the family photographs in her home? (If they are like one of my own, it was taken long before my youngest daughter was born, before my dad passed away.) Are you ready now? Contact us to schedule your personalized photo session. It will be Mother's Day before you know it. Will you be ready with a gift to wow her?

What is your "Super Bowl?"

Last night, as most of the nation watched , it was brother verses brother in New Orleans. Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco Forty Niners. Now, I do not watch the game for the game, I am not a huge professional sports fan. I watch for the commercials and who doesn't, right?

The commercials that were my favorites dealt with family, our military and our nation. Can you guess? No? Well, the ones I liked best were the Doritos, Jeep and Dodge. What father could not turn down their daughter to play dress up in exchange for a bag of Doritos? She learned quickly the way to her dad's heart! Jeep did an outstanding job recognizing our military and their families! And then, Dodge. "On the eighth day, God made a farmer." Yes, Dodge made the night for a lot of us with that heart felt, God filled message. (Kind of makes you want to go out and buy a Dodge, right?!)

Our oldest, Chelsea

So what has been your "Super Bowl" moment? What photograph in your albums or hanging on your wall defines your "Super Bowl"? For me, it would be three: my wedding day and the birth of each of my daughters.

Our youngest, Frankie

Look around and find your "Super Bowl". Feel free to share your moments on the wall at Photography by Kelly (Face Book page). And should you want to update those photos? Contact us, we would love to help!

Why Choose an Independent Photographer? (Namely me?)

(google.com)

We all know the big box studios, which will remain unnamed on this blog. You know the ones where you can get a slew of photos for only $9.95 and no session fee, only to discover that your neighbor's kids photos look just like yours, only with different kids? Where you can sign up for their portrait club and get even more discounts?

(google.com)

Yes, they are cute. I even have some "big box studio" photos hanging on my walls.  While 'big box studios' have a place in society, independent photographers have been and are beginning to be more in the fore-front of family photography. Usually when you think of an independent photographer, you think of wedding photographers. I know I used to think that. :)

So why choose an independent? Immediately, you think, "It is going to cost an arm and leg to get my kids photos done." And, yes, it will be more expensive, I will not lie and tell you I will give you a ton of photos for $9.95 like the "big box studios". So, you are still wondering why allow me to photograph your family, right?


 Here's why:
1) I will meet with you prior to your photo shoot.
2) Based on that consultation, I will tailor your photo shoot for you and your family.
3) Location - you choose where!  (Unless it is a mini session.) You may have a favorite park, a secret picnic spot, a favorite fishing hole.
4) I will spend an hour with you to get the photographs that you will treasure for a lifetime.
5) Following the shoot, I will carefully edit the photos, creating art for your home.
6) Once editing is complete, the photos will be loaded into a gallery that you will have a password to and can share with family. (Yes, a sneak peek will be posted on FB)
7) Lastly, you choose the photos you want and order. I use professional photography printers and do not print at big box stores. (The quality is much better with my professional printer)

Unfortunately, I cannot do all this for free. Although I wish I could! The big box studios can get by with giving away the farm because they have a slew of people coming in weekly. (I still have to pay for my farm, before I can give it away..lol)

Before you leave the blog today, take a look at the photos below. And you decide, do you want photos like your neighbors or do you want photos that are unique to your family? I know that I will choose an independent photographer when I have the chance to have my family in the same place at the same time.

If you decide you want unique photographs, it would be my pleasure and an honor to photograph you and your loved ones.