I had a fantastic time shooting Miss Chase. She and her parents are so warm and friendly, so it made the shoot sail flawlessly.
Of course it didn't hurt that she is absolutely stunning in every way! Enjoy!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Our Transient Weeks
Oh by golly, it's been a while since I've written. Yes, yes...that is a gateway sentence to an explination, so if you don't care about my excuses, please skip down a paragraph :) Kyndall was super sick nearly 3 weeks ago, and stayed home the first three days of the week. Our closing date was moved UP a week [yes, up], from September 28th to September 21st. We not only moved, but TRADED houses, which turned out to be quite an undertaking. We finished that up Monday, and Monday evening Kyndall's fever shot up. She was sick Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so of course Kamryn was sick Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
We all have months like the K. Richey bunch had this September, 2012. I am not at all complaining about a single aspect of the last month, only explaining why I have not written, or posted from shoots much in the last three weeks.
[my bad...you should have skipped to the third paragraph...now fourth ;)]
The move we completed over the weekend is only a temporary move. Anyone who knows us well, would surely quip, "Haven't all your moves been temporary?" To many people, yes, but this move is temporary even to us! About 8 weeks in this house, then our home will be finished. Kyle has stated he plans to live out the rest of his days in this house....heh, ok :P Don't get me wrong. I do plan to live in this house for an unforeseen amount of years--not just months. It is going to be just right for us.
I just...I justlike love change. I need a certain degree of perceived wiggle room in our future plans.
With this being the temporary home it is, we have vowed to only unpack necessities. I am loving this vow. It's like we turned into these efficient minimalists, who can easily locate items, quickly tidy up, and have enough storage space. It's like I'm organized. At least, I think this is how organized feels. My creativity greatly inhibits organization skills :(
Even though I am no organizing pro, we have always had things a certain way. Not perfect, but nice. This includes having a bed frame on our bed from the time we were married. Unfortunately, the bedrooms in this house are a little small, and our ginormous bed frame refused to fit. Anywhere. So, the boxes and mattress are on the floor... surrounded by boxes of clothes. Today, I was quickly throwing on something a bit more presentable than Kyle's giant T-shirt and yoga pants for our date night. The window was half open, blinds angled up rather than straight, bed sloppy, and clothes hanging here and there on box lids, so I stepped onto the mattress for a better view.
Something about that moment grabbed me. I felt like we were living in some tiny apartment somewhere in Europe. Goofy, I know, but the scene around me was so....so bad, haha. Despite it's disheveled appearance, I fell in love with it for this short season in our life. It's a break in consistency a pause in our routine, and a vacation from stressing about every little thing being presentable. The entire focus of this little rent house is our family, and the step we are in the process of taking; moving into a permanent house. [I am so bringing that focus to the new house] I felt happier and freer soaking all these realizations in than any other time I remember. Ever.
If anyone...If the Lord Himself told me in 2006 where our lives would be in 2012, I would have snarled in His face. Kyle teaching? He barely likes to talk! Two--TWO children? Photography? Annnnd MARMADUKE? Ohhhh, the ignorance of a 21 year old bride. Ohhh, the places God took us to beat out our stupid.
And there I was, mindlessly swaying on a mattress in the floor, gazing out a rented window, thanking God for his wisdom, guidance and provision. Kyle found his passion in teaching, I found a creative outlet in photography, we were given the two most precious gifts of all time, and we found our home waiting for us in Marmaduke. I'm sure I'll tell all about our moves, and dumb decisions, and God decisions, and things you don't care about later. For now, I'm just soaking in each day. I'm sitting still [for once] to soak in His grace...which is difficult for me to do :)
We all have months like the K. Richey bunch had this September, 2012. I am not at all complaining about a single aspect of the last month, only explaining why I have not written, or posted from shoots much in the last three weeks.
[my bad...you should have skipped to the third paragraph...now fourth ;)]
The move we completed over the weekend is only a temporary move. Anyone who knows us well, would surely quip, "Haven't all your moves been temporary?" To many people, yes, but this move is temporary even to us! About 8 weeks in this house, then our home will be finished. Kyle has stated he plans to live out the rest of his days in this house....heh, ok :P Don't get me wrong. I do plan to live in this house for an unforeseen amount of years--not just months. It is going to be just right for us.
I just...I just
With this being the temporary home it is, we have vowed to only unpack necessities. I am loving this vow. It's like we turned into these efficient minimalists, who can easily locate items, quickly tidy up, and have enough storage space. It's like I'm organized. At least, I think this is how organized feels. My creativity greatly inhibits organization skills :(
Even though I am no organizing pro, we have always had things a certain way. Not perfect, but nice. This includes having a bed frame on our bed from the time we were married. Unfortunately, the bedrooms in this house are a little small, and our ginormous bed frame refused to fit. Anywhere. So, the boxes and mattress are on the floor... surrounded by boxes of clothes. Today, I was quickly throwing on something a bit more presentable than Kyle's giant T-shirt and yoga pants for our date night. The window was half open, blinds angled up rather than straight, bed sloppy, and clothes hanging here and there on box lids, so I stepped onto the mattress for a better view.
Something about that moment grabbed me. I felt like we were living in some tiny apartment somewhere in Europe. Goofy, I know, but the scene around me was so....so bad, haha. Despite it's disheveled appearance, I fell in love with it for this short season in our life. It's a break in consistency a pause in our routine, and a vacation from stressing about every little thing being presentable. The entire focus of this little rent house is our family, and the step we are in the process of taking; moving into a permanent house. [I am so bringing that focus to the new house] I felt happier and freer soaking all these realizations in than any other time I remember. Ever.
If anyone...If the Lord Himself told me in 2006 where our lives would be in 2012, I would have snarled in His face. Kyle teaching? He barely likes to talk! Two--TWO children? Photography? Annnnd MARMADUKE? Ohhhh, the ignorance of a 21 year old bride. Ohhh, the places God took us to beat out our stupid.
And there I was, mindlessly swaying on a mattress in the floor, gazing out a rented window, thanking God for his wisdom, guidance and provision. Kyle found his passion in teaching, I found a creative outlet in photography, we were given the two most precious gifts of all time, and we found our home waiting for us in Marmaduke. I'm sure I'll tell all about our moves, and dumb decisions, and God decisions, and things you don't care about later. For now, I'm just soaking in each day. I'm sitting still [for once] to soak in His grace...which is difficult for me to do :)
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Hannah | Senior 2013 Paragould, Arkansas Senior Photographer
As I come closer to closing out my 20's, I have more and more moments that make me feel old.
Recently, Hannah's mom contacted me to do her senior pictures. I was so excited, because our families go way back, and I've known her parents my entire life. Once the excitement settled, I realized the last time I spoke to Hannah, she was sitting in a shopping cart...not being goofy.... but being about 7. Am I really that old?
Yup. I am.
I accepted over a decade had passed, and we scheduled the shoot :) Love how they turned out!!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Hadlee | 9 Months Trumann, Arkansas Baby Photographer
Pretty girly, pretty day, of course the result was pretty pictures! I've had so much fun watching Miss Hadlee grow up the last 6 months :)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Riley | Newborn Photographer Paragould, Arkansas
This little guy was such a pro. He slept, slept, snuggled to his big bro, slept, and let out one perfect cry.
Made my day easy! So glad I got to meet Mr. Riley :)
Annnnd I have to share this one from Riley's maternity shoot :)
Enjoy your evening!!
The New Leaf
Three years ago, I took this picture..
I took it with an inexpensive point and shoot. The lighting is wrong. The shadows are wrong. There is no bokeh, no flare, no haze. It's just a moment that was adorable, and special, and entirely fleeting, and I caught it. I had absolutely no idea where my life would be in 3 years.
Not quite one year ago, my little at home side business tripled. It outgrew my home in May. I added weddings this Summer. The times I set aside for Fall shoots filled up three months in advance. I was at a crossroad.
Do I follow the growth of my business, or do I slow it down? I couldn't keep going like I was; kids at home 80% of the time, and working 30+ hours per week. I couldn't give my customers the attention or service I wanted to. Neither could I give my girls undivided attention, because I was SO behind. After much back and forth I've made a decision....I'm letting my business grow.
With this decision comes some changes. I'm listing them with a brief explanation, so that my customers can better understand the direction I am taking my business.
The order minimum is now $200. I very rarely have orders under $200, so this won't affect many people. I know most people unlikely realize how expensive it is to be a small business owner. Taxes take 35% or more (not including sales tax), the studio costs plenty, along with its maintenance, the high quality portraits I sell are priced no where close to $0.19 a 4x6 [in my dreams!!], keeping props new and updated costs, laundering newborn fluids off props and drops costs, advertising, website charges...you get it :) You factor in time for editing, ordering, accounting, customer service, marketing, blog posting, and you begin to understand how much goes into one shoot. I stress all this because I don't want anyone to feel like I am being unreasonable :) What I do is a combination of skill, experience, and natural talent. I give a little of my heart to each shoot :)
I will book $100 mini's at all times. These are not styled mini's, just coming into the studio like a standard session, but only for 20 minutes, and a limit of 2 outfits if one subject, or 1 outfit per subject if more than subject. The mini's will have a small 10 picture album (5 color/5 black&white), the copyright to these images is included, and will be downloadable as soon as they are available. No preview session with the mini's. I feel this gives some who may not be able to spend $300+, to still get a few perfect pictures of their little ones :)
Online Albums will expire after 10 days. Albums can be reopened or extended for $15/week. They can be reopened at any time, and pictures will be kept for 2 years. After 2 years, the images will no longer be available. Images at 14 MB each, and 40+ per shoot take up a ton of space. Space isn't cheap! I will be offering DVD slideshows for $10 for all old sessions for the next ten days ONLY. That's 60% off, and after these days pass, the late and archival fees will apply, so if you want memories of these old, old shoots, make sure you take care of that in the next days :)
I'm adding Preview/Order sessions as part of my service! At no additional charge! These sessions will take 30 minutes to one hour, and be held in my studio. We will book it when we have the portrait session. At the preview session, you will see your pictures for the very first time, soak them in, touch and feel a ton of products I offer, ask questions, and place an order if you wish. Ordering at this time is optional, but if you do place a minimum order at the preview session, you will receive 8% off your order. Additional orders can be placed before the album expires :) These sessions are more in line with the new leaf I'm turning...one-on-one customer service, and a custom experience for all!
I feel these steps will take me closer to where I want to be. I want to make each customer feel special, while making a living, and making it worth my while to be away from my baby girls :) I'm so excited to see where we will be a year from now, and appreciate every customer who has given me the opportunity to work with them, capturing fleeting moments in their lives!
Thank you for your support!!
 |
| Just like Daddy. |
Not quite one year ago, my little at home side business tripled. It outgrew my home in May. I added weddings this Summer. The times I set aside for Fall shoots filled up three months in advance. I was at a crossroad.
Do I follow the growth of my business, or do I slow it down? I couldn't keep going like I was; kids at home 80% of the time, and working 30+ hours per week. I couldn't give my customers the attention or service I wanted to. Neither could I give my girls undivided attention, because I was SO behind. After much back and forth I've made a decision....I'm letting my business grow.
With this decision comes some changes. I'm listing them with a brief explanation, so that my customers can better understand the direction I am taking my business.
The order minimum is now $200. I very rarely have orders under $200, so this won't affect many people. I know most people unlikely realize how expensive it is to be a small business owner. Taxes take 35% or more (not including sales tax), the studio costs plenty, along with its maintenance, the high quality portraits I sell are priced no where close to $0.19 a 4x6 [in my dreams!!], keeping props new and updated costs, laundering newborn fluids off props and drops costs, advertising, website charges...you get it :) You factor in time for editing, ordering, accounting, customer service, marketing, blog posting, and you begin to understand how much goes into one shoot. I stress all this because I don't want anyone to feel like I am being unreasonable :) What I do is a combination of skill, experience, and natural talent. I give a little of my heart to each shoot :)
I will book $100 mini's at all times. These are not styled mini's, just coming into the studio like a standard session, but only for 20 minutes, and a limit of 2 outfits if one subject, or 1 outfit per subject if more than subject. The mini's will have a small 10 picture album (5 color/5 black&white), the copyright to these images is included, and will be downloadable as soon as they are available. No preview session with the mini's. I feel this gives some who may not be able to spend $300+, to still get a few perfect pictures of their little ones :)
Online Albums will expire after 10 days. Albums can be reopened or extended for $15/week. They can be reopened at any time, and pictures will be kept for 2 years. After 2 years, the images will no longer be available. Images at 14 MB each, and 40+ per shoot take up a ton of space. Space isn't cheap! I will be offering DVD slideshows for $10 for all old sessions for the next ten days ONLY. That's 60% off, and after these days pass, the late and archival fees will apply, so if you want memories of these old, old shoots, make sure you take care of that in the next days :)
I'm adding Preview/Order sessions as part of my service! At no additional charge! These sessions will take 30 minutes to one hour, and be held in my studio. We will book it when we have the portrait session. At the preview session, you will see your pictures for the very first time, soak them in, touch and feel a ton of products I offer, ask questions, and place an order if you wish. Ordering at this time is optional, but if you do place a minimum order at the preview session, you will receive 8% off your order. Additional orders can be placed before the album expires :) These sessions are more in line with the new leaf I'm turning...one-on-one customer service, and a custom experience for all!
These changes take affect for all shoots after today. All albums on the site that have already placed an order, or are more than 1 month old expire September 22, 2012.
I feel these steps will take me closer to where I want to be. I want to make each customer feel special, while making a living, and making it worth my while to be away from my baby girls :) I'm so excited to see where we will be a year from now, and appreciate every customer who has given me the opportunity to work with them, capturing fleeting moments in their lives!
Thank you for your support!!
Khloe | Baby Toddler Photographer Trumann, Arkansas
The last year went by much too fast :( It was a great year, but when time gets away from you, things like this happen...
Khloe is only a couple weeks younger than my baby girl, so her mommy (my childhood friend) and I consoled each other about our grown babies. Ohh...and she tore into her cake and cookie!!
Thanks for coming again, Brandy!
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