Family Photo Shoot~The "F" Family

First of all, I'm WAY behind. Second of all, I LOVE that I've been so busy that I'm way behind. :)

Referrals always pack a little bit more pressure. You know your friends or family will love your work no matter how it looks because they love YOU. I feel bad for some friends that were my first guinea pigs just a few short months ago and I'm sure I'll look back in a year on THESE photos and feel like I need to give refunds straight across the board. But I'm learning, growing, LOVING!!!! The "F" family are friends of my friend, Beth. I corresponded with Kari via facebook and met them a couple weeks ago at their lovely home to do some family photos and some of their little girls.

What a warm family, so fun and relaxed. I'm learning that the 2 to 3 year old age brings it challenges, and I face it head on. I'm not easily offended, I've got my own kids so I've seen it all, and now I've learned to pack some special treats for little ones that behave for the nice lady with the camera. :) I can be sneaky, too.

Their home was so nice, bright, and airy, great backdrops for a fun photo shoot. At first, miss Kate wasn't too into me but then she saw it could be kind of fun. Baby Annie was SO adorable. While Mom and Dad were helping Kate into a wardrobe change, I had my own fun with baby girl on the bed and came up with some fabulously adorable photos of her.

I love these soft, sweet photos of Kari with Annie. A mother's love!

This is one from when I had Annie alone on the bed! Oh that bow on her head was divine and she was so cooperative! :)

Kate's room was decorated so beautifully, even just a picture of her wall was adorable!

Love this: "I'm so over it"

Thank you so much Nate, Kari and girls for welcoming me into your home. Many warm blessings to your precious family!

"LBB"~Little Black Book

Welcome to a side of my business that I never even THOUGHT about! I've created the "Little Black Book" shoots from an idea of my good friend Renee (should I pay you a percentage?). These shoots are designed specifically for wives and mothers. Sorry, single girls, this one's not for you! I'm very passionate about these projects because I, too, am a wife and mother. My body has completely changed from when my husband first met me. It's bigger, it's lumpier, it's saggier....that's the stuff we, as women, unfortunately focus on. However, the husbands in our lives, the fathers of our children, they love us as we are. And much more, our Creator is pleased with His work as well! So NO MORE NEGATIVITY, girls! This is your time to shine.

The "Little Black Book" is not only to bless your husband, but to bless yourself. It's not vain or cocky to see a photo of yourself and actually think, wow, I look pretty good! Being proud and prideful are two different things. It makes me sad when my friends are so critical of themselves when I see such beautiful women before me. I wanted them to see themselves as I see them, too. These shoots are classy, using flattering angles (cuz we can all use them) and shot in the comfort and privacy of your own space.

"Little Black Book" Package: $125 includes the following, 1- 1 1/2 hour shoot with me, makeup provided by Heather Beam (see her and her work below, yes she was a model, too), as many "outfit" changes as you like (I usually suggest about 3), a disc of your edited photos to keep and an 8x11 or 8x8 20 page hardbound "black book" assembled by me and wrapped in a beautiful bow, ready to present to your love! This is a great gift for the husband in your life for birthdays, anniversaries, Father's Day, ...a Tuesday! :)

Below are a few examples from some shoots. Thank you ladies for your bravery, love for your husbands and overall STUNNING beauty!

Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."

And don't you forget it!

Carmelle~mother of 3, 4 and under

Kristina~mother of 2 boys

Heather (your makeup artist)~mother of 2 boys

Haley~mother of 1 boy

Oh yah, like my new logo? Fun, huh!

Thank you for letting me share. If you have any questions about a Little Black Book shoot, please contact me! I'd be more than happy to explain any more details. LBB parties are fun too, give your girlfriends some moral support!

18 Month Shoot~Miss Sara

My friend Donna's little girl ,Sara, just turned 18 months and she wanted to get some photos for the occasion. The weather has been pretty nasty around here so it was a finger's crossed kind of day. As we started our walk around the park (under the umbrella), I was feeling a little apprehensive, will this work, what if she's complaining about the cold and rain...? NOPE!!! Sara got out to explore and that's when the magic started. This little girl is GORGEOUS!!! I want to hang her pictures on my own walls. :) Her huge blue eyes photograph so beautifully and her colorful outfit was simply adorable. She should be a Baby Gap model, for sure!

So, basically, this is just a "walk in the park" with Sara! She went, I followed!

Who can resists those dimples and that smile? Seriously....

Yes, her eyes really are THAT blue!

Thank you, Donna, for letting me photograph your precious baby girl! Muah!

Family and Maternity Photo Shoot~The "N" Family

I had so much fun getting to Lori and her husband Jay and little girl, Miss "A", a couple weeks ago. Lori is, once again, another friend from my MOMS group. If you can't tell, we're a pretty big bunch! :) Lori has been pregnant all year, it seems *smirk*, but she's finally at the end of her pregnancy and wanted a few shots of the family before they add another baby girl to the mix.

It was quite the blustery day that we met, but again we were blessed with NO RAIN!!! And that's saying a lot around here. We met at Esther Short park (this is becoming quite the hot spot for my shoots) and away we went. Jay and little "A" went running off and Lori and I followed suit! They are such a warm, fun family, this baby is in good hands. Not much longer, little one!

I love her big brown eyes. We went back to their house for a few shots. I think by then she was a tad worn out and more subdued! :)

Hello??? Anybody home?

I am LOVING this wall. It's so eclectic. It's very military themed, yet depending on how you photograph it and where people stand, it makes the best backdrop. I love the planes in the background of these shots of Jay and Lori.

She's such a beautiful pregnant lady. I think I said in my FB post that my friends have to stop making pregnancy look so appealing or I'm going to want another one!

My FAVORITE shot of Lori! It's not at all a traditional maternity shot and it came out fabulous!

Congratulations, Lori and Jay! I can't wait to meet your new little bundle. Thank you for honoring me by having me document time with your family!

Catching up~Puppies

Wow, it's been a while since I've been able to blog and catch up with all of the work I've been doing. But that's a good problem to have. I have been immersed in multiple photo shoots per week and editing pictures that I haven't had a free moment. So get ready for a series of blog posts.

A few weeks ago I got the pleasure of photographing some adorable English Bulldog puppies. This was my first referral shoot as well (thanks, Ronda). Kandie had always wanted to breed her bulldog so she decided to go ahead with the dream. Bless her heart, it has been A LOT of work. Worse than a newborn baby? Perhaps, and she has 4 kids herself. But it has been a labor of love and she wanted some good photos of the puppies to commemorate this time before they moved on to different homes.

~Paisley~

~Solomon~

~Pearl~

~Tootsie Roll~ (my favorite)

They were snuggly and silly and moved all over the place, just like children, which I'm totally used to. :) Good luck, Kandie. They are such sweet things! If I didn't already know how much work puppies are, I probably would have left with one myself.

Spicing it Up!

Wanna add a little vavoom to your marriage? I've added a new dimension to my photography business designed to bless the wonderful wives and mothers in my life. Surprise your spouse for an anniversary, birthday, special occasion or for no reason in particular with his own "black book". This can be done in the privacy of your own home (or mine if yours doesn't lend itself), we'll have fun and laughter, and you will see the beauty of who God has made you to be!!! For more information and to see some samples please feel free to contact me via Facebook or email!!! And if you've had a session with me, share your feedback and experience so others can don some bravery and courage! I've even done some myself so I KNOW what it's like!

koren.faust@gmail.com