it helps you use new technology to pretend you are using old technology. retro modern technology. it’s the wave of the future.

it’s called “shakeitphoto”

most of “my kids” or my client’s kids are seeing the most snow they have ever seen in their lives – right now. this very day. some for the first time ever-ever. that’s poignant, people.

i think i’ve posted about butch once before.
this is his counterpart – sundance.
we wants to play fetch with you.
true story.

snow piling high on the bushes…

this is pedro – the older brother.
yes, we have three cats.
yes, we have one more cat in this house than we have people.
yes. yes.

snowin’ in the pines…

here’s hoping you all get to frolic and play, the eskimo way,

Kaydee

Do kids still say things like, “Webster’s Dictionary defines (term) as…” ?

You know, like when they are writing thesis papers? And racking their brains for that last reference to meet the exact minimum required? The old standby was the above…what do they say now?

“Wikipedia clearly states…as of November 15th, i.e. the last time I updated said article personally…”

– or -

“Google provides as number four in results 1 – 10 of about 3,100,000 for fill in the blank. (0.30 seconds)…”

Seriously. Would it be the ultimate red flag if a teacher ran across that phrase in a thesis paper nowadays? “Webster’s Dictionary defines (term) as…”

I know high schools still have dictionaries, because I used a stack of them last summer in a photo shoot…I had a girl sit on them. I thought it was an appropriate use of symbolism. or is that direct expressionism? how did I get here? What am I talking about?

***I’m sorry. I haven’t blogged in a long time. I need to start over.

The title. The definition of sabbatical. right. back on track.

I’m going to be taking a sabbatical. What? I haven’t said that yet?

Wikipedia states, “In recent times, ’sabbatical’ has come to mean any extended absence in the career of an individual in order to achieve something.”

See what I did there? (If you didn’t read the top part, you don’t see what I did there, but don’t go back and read it now. I promise, it’s not worth it.)

So, for the rest of twenty-ten (is that what we are calling it?) I won’t be booking any portrait sessions.

(Other than the ones that I have already booked from last year – you know who you are – lookin’ forward to it.)

Like the Wiki says, I hope to use my time in order to achieve several somethings. I’m really excited about where I think family portrait sessions are headed, and I want to be a part of it – but I need time to experiment. Time to really take some risks and see what happens. Make some mistakes – without the worry of botching a session. Like that mail-room guy in Elf says, “I gotta get out of the flow.”

In addition, I hope to work on some of my personal-artwork-stuff. Which, as a nice side effect, provides inspiration for the work that I do for you guys. It helps me break down what I’ve been doing, lose the fluff, and start again. start with a clean slate. from scratch. get back to my roots. back to basics. rebuild from the ground…up. anyway.

I will also be taking some time to play house.

I like to play house. and checkers. the chinese kind.

Still, expect to hear from me from time to time between now and January twenty-eleven. I’ll be here posting from the several 2009 sessions that I didn’t blog for this or that reason and from the handful of sessions coming up in the next couple of months. I’ll check in to post some personal stuff as well, or maybe just to ramble about the dinosaur that is the Webster’s dictionary, current MLA formatting, and other such topics that surely interest you since you came to read this photography blog.

If you were hoping to work with me this year (thanks!) and now you are looking for someone in your area / someone that travels to your area that shoots lifestyle portraits, send me an email. I’d love to help you find the perfect photographer for 2010.

See you back here soon!
Kaydee

i had to share this with y’all, and i know that mom will be cool with it, because one, she’s cool like that – and two, she’s the one who stirred this all up. i believe her very words were, “watch this – this is funny…andrew! give julianne a hug! watch, watch…”

sometimes mom will ask the kids to hug, and it’s the most natural thing in the world…other times you get hilarious and sweet moments like this – more akin to my own childhood. i certainly yelled my fair share of, “momma! he’s touching me!”

and no, i did not insert the “that was funny” image randomly – that was the exact look on andrew’s face after he had attempted the hug for our entertainment. and that little smirk at the end when she is about to fall from pushing him! ha! priceless…

don’t you think this would make a great christmas card?? i’m just sayin’…

more traditional cuteness coming from these two soon…

casey was such a natural – i had to keep checking myself to make sure i was actually doing my job, because he was making everything so simple…i was able just to focus on the light and the shot.

it’s fun to throw in shots like the one below that you can really push the editing – especially with a senior session…

love this one…

we moved to the golf course, and i don’t usually do silhouette shots unless they really jump out at me and this one did – i thought, “yeah, this would make a nice silhouette shot”…it was only afterward that i realized it made no sense, because he would never be playing golf if the light were really this low… hmm. oh well.

this is the “if we were shooting for sports illustrated” shot…

thanks casey – it was a pleasure – enjoy the rest of your senior year!

and a close-up of those sweet cheeks…

after all the sitting up, he took a load off in this great red chair…

i LOVE the expression on his face here…something about his lips I think, reminds me of the gerber baby, so i wanted to give it a vintage look…

finally – the wonderful world of baby wrinkles…love it.

it’s one of my favorite ways to conduct a session…just go for a walk and see what happens. and i find i’m extremely partial to shooting out in the woods, under the oaks, the maples, the pines…i’m sorry. i got carried away there for a second. must be this book i’m reading. it’s got me feeling all nostalgic and wonderfully southern.

anyway…

with the last post in color and this one with a vintage look, it’s seems i’m out of my “everything in black and white” phase. it was short lived.

“ooohh – pretty pine cone…”

i love these next two together – they tell their own story. see that little finger she has pointed out there on her left hand? that’s the one she has daddy wrapped around…

“aahhh!” who doesn’t love this game?

laughing at mama’s funny faces…

happy 16 months, georgia ella!

here is one of jackson and mama playing the “i’ll run at you as hard as i can and you catch me” game…

love this one of everyone together, smiling and laughing…

we got big smiles out of jackson when daddy put him up on his shoulders…

and finally, the cutest little sugar plum fairy – you can see that she has warmed up to me here…look at this face!

Thanks guys! I had a great afternoon getting to see you and getting to meet your little ones.

After a week during the “busy season” without my computer, I have several sneak peeks to post, but I’ll come back to this session if I have time. One thing in particular you need to see…daddy and jackson played the highest game of “toss me into the air”…I had not laughed that hard in a long time.

could he be any cuter? it hurts. it’s painful. it’s too much.

above is one of those, “if we were only goin’ for one shot – we just got it.” kinds of images.

alone, it’s a great portrait. but that’s exactly the fun of lifestyle portraits! you’re not after one image, you’re after a story that does more than show you what people look like. you’re investing in a series of images that capture emotions and relationships. so, whether it’s an album, groups of canvas, or a gallery of frames on the wall – consider displaying your portraits together to get the most impact.

little bit ‘o drool here – listening to mom ask him to keep his hand out of his mouth for two seconds…

tickle, tickle!

i am so in love with this shot…are you smiling? you are, right? don’t you just want to take this picture and wrap up in it like a blanket? does that make any sense?

yay for tight crops!

he’s a big man, showin’ off his skills in his cute little horse giraffe shirt.

thanks for the fun afternoon guys – can’t wait to show you the rest!

rock-a-stack? did you know it was called this? they were gonna call it, “that fisher-price multi-colored plastic doughnut toy that you stack the rings on the webble wobble base…” but apparently they weren’t movin’ any units.

wanted to give you a fun pop of color, cause the rest of luke’s sneak peek is going to be in pure black and white…

i go through unexplainable phases where i shun color and want to process everything in black and white.

i’m in one of those phases right now.

wide shot of reaching for the piggies…

and a little closer – love this expression!

last, a close-up shot, looking at mommy – look at those lashes! goodness.