Kara Elmore Photography

APPARENTLY ....

...when you are getting ready to MOVE and you've changed your address in CERTAIN places ... but not OTHERS ... typepad doesn't like that and thinks that someone has HACKED into your account.  So they FREEZE your account and won't let you post for a moment... or a few days.  Huh ... who knew?

So - I have rectified the problem - have updated my records  (which will need to be RE-UPDATED in 2 days).  But alas, all is well.

This post is actually for my neice, Stefanie - who APPARENTLY (notice the word theme???) looks at my blog daily and is ANGRY when I don't post as often as I should.  Although she didn't THREATEN me, per se, I could SEE it in her belgium bound eyes.....So I told her I would rectify THAT problem as well and create a family blog named:  www.thisisalothoterthanutah.blogspot.com.  Don't you think??  Oh - and don't go trying to click on it - because I haven't created it yet.  :)

We pick up the BIIIIIIIIG GIANT UHAUL/BUDGET/RYDER (not sure which one Nate got) tomorrow morning.  We will then spend the remaining part of Tuesday trying to assemble the truck into something that is ever-so-brilliantly-organized-but-wont-be-because-it-will-make-us-more-angry.  Really this "moving" thing has turned into something MUCH more expensive and time consumming than one would actually think.  huh. 

Everyone is stressed out - everyone has had the flu (several times), including me w/ a cough that induced a slight pee everytime a cough was executed.  Ignore that boys who follow blog.  But MOMS ... you KNOW what I'm talking about!!!  It's as bad, if not WORSE than a trampoline.  You can say NO to a trampoline.  But a cough?  Nooooo - it just COMES ON!  Even Oscar the dog has anxiety over his new hair cut that makes him look like a cowardly lion (ohhh bless him!) and now sports a BLADDER infection.  yaaaaaaaaaaaaa.  It will be NICE to get there and BE there and not worry.

BUT  - there is also that part that makes me weep in the night thinking of leaving this life behind.  So I get up off the chair that is making me feel melancholy and I pretend to do work around the house.  WHEW - this house is spotless!  :) 

Tonight we had a GLORIOUS party at my sister's house (Lisa - the one below... LOVE HER!) Hamburgers, hotdogs, candy, DIET COKE (thaaaaaaank you!!!!) water (shooooooot ... that's what I SHOULD have!), lots and LOTS of candy (wood style, of course), sparklers, trampoline fun w/ dodge ball, football playing (ohh I TOTALLY played that... no), and GET THIS ... ROASTING marshmellows in her new fire pit in her driveway!  Ohh it was SO much fun.  Sadly, though, it was wash hair day.  So I will HAVE to smell like fire pit hair while we pack tomorrow.  Because you KNOW I can not waste brand new hair color on another wash so soon. :)  Ohhh you KNOW you know!

ANYWAY ... here are some QUICK snapshots.  And when I say SNAPSHOTS - I mean that in the realest of the real sense.  Other photographers will put "quick snappies" and you look at them and want to SLIT YOUR WRISTS because even their SNAP SHOTS out-do your finest work.  yaaaa - NO need to worry about that on these. ;)

 

You can completely see how this boy of mine feels right now.  A bit anxious - a bit excited ... but overwhelmed by what is ahead of him. I hope he feels strength as a family, too.

 

And THIS little muffin of the world... I LOVE this shot.  Completely underexposed ... I had it set for sparklers and she ran in the way - perfect little face - so you get to see it!  I'm sure she was just about to chuck that ice at some unsuspecting soul.

 

 

And THIS is why we don't have a current family picture... the oldest 2 no where to be found, baby maby SCREAMING at the top of her lungs holding onto a naked barbie doll, nate trying to be calm while she screams and me thinking that ALL will be WELL in 2 hours when she goes to bed ... :) :) :)  But realy I know that I'll have to wait SEVERAL years to get my OWN family picture. :)

 

Alright ... I've coughed myself into a hissy fit w/ close encounters of vomit because of it. :)  We're off to PHOENIX in 36 hours.  Everyone pray I don't beat the children senseless in the car.  Ooo - I mean .. everyone pray we arrive safe and SOUND.

Love you, Utah.

Welcome to the TWILIGHT zone...

... and no (although you KNOW I THOUGHT IT!) not the TWILIGHT you're thinking of ... but rather the life I call my own right now.  It's just a bizarre twist of randomness that makes me kind of laugh in the nights.

And really - this post is for Jamie and Lilian - who CHASTISED me for not blogging more.  But I'm tired. Emotionally and physically.  But it's a good tired.  But tired nontheless.

We left our home May 31 - cleaned our guts out days preceeding that and cried many times.  But walking out the door w/ the new owners on the front porch felt good.  They're darling.  And they fit the home.  I've talked w/ her several times.  I'm SURE she'll be glad when we move to Phoenix and I can't randomly drive by. ;)

So - now we're "Bob and Kathy's daughter whose moving to Phoenix".  And we smile as we're asked the same questions by all the neighbors surrounding my parents.  They're such great neighbors - so kind!  And we love that they drop off fresh grown spinach from their gardens, and invite us to ... get this name (which I LOVE!) "take a PEA sunday" where all the neighbors gather 'round Neil's garden and eat peas all evening.  My kids loved the name and I think I'll adapt it when we grow things in our garden next year.  Such great people - I hope to have this same experience in 2 short weeks when we'll be PHOENIXERS.

I've still been busy.  Just did another shoot this morning.  My last one before I finagle my brother into taking his LOVELY NEW MARK II out for MY family shoot next week.  "Oops, sorry Chris - I ACCIDENTALLY packed the mark ii in my boxes.  It looked lonely and NEEDED me. "  :)  Nate assured me mine would come soon.  "On my new front porch?"  I asked.  He laughed.  I took the check book while he wasn't looking.

Last night was the FIRST NIGHT that baby maby slept through PART of the night while we've been at my parents.  Yep - that's right... she's a WAKER UPER alllllllllllllll night long.  Granted, she's freaked out by her surroudings and nothing is familiar to her.  But SERIOUSLY ... I. AM. EXHAUSTED!.  Said with a 1950's face of happiness. Anyway.... while she slept my mind woke up at 3:12 A.M.  And I planned my clothes for our shoot, and pretended to sew (which I don't do) in my sleep.  Then I "wrote" this blog post.  Erasing here and there ... adding this and that.  Until I was SOOO mad that I was awake I CURSED the sheets that were bugging me to keep me awake.    Somewhere between that and Nate getting up for his last day of work today I must've dozed off.  And now my eyes are tired 12 hours later.  But because I've SWORN off diet coke/lime and naughty food (because I think I've GAINED 3.5 pounds in 2 weeks!!!) I will have to suffer alone w/out caffeine.  I think the gaining comes from my parents being food pushers.  Never thinking I eat enough.  Which I do.  They just don't see me.  So they stand in the kitchen w/ fresh popped pop corn and say "Kara - come here ... I've got something JUST FOR YOU" (imagine Hansel/grettle type voice here) as they pour on an ENTIRE cube of real butter!  And I feel guilty NOT eating what they make ... so I do.  FOOD PUSHERS.  :)

Ok - now for pictures.  I did a fun shoot last week w/ a subject that stood PERFECTLY still ... even in the rain.

 

Next ... my sister's family shoot.  Ohh I love my sister.  Her brain works like mine.  In reds and blues and yellows with touches of pinks and sparkly things.  Vintage galore.  And allergic to brown.

 

K - story for the above.  This is real.  Not posed.  This was REALLY them before I took the picture.  They said "IT'S JUST SO BRIGHT".  I said "ohhh it IS NOT.  BUCK UP!"  I can say that.  They're family.  And as I laughed, they did this.  Thank you fast camera.

Two of my favorite pictures of the BINGHAM BOYS here... (you'll recognize Ashton, Mr. Senior, in these).

 

 

And although we printed this in bw - it was SO glorious in color.  So it found a place TWICE in her home. :)

 

Here's my beautiful sister, Lisa.  She's talented beyond anything I've ever seen.  But more importantly she knows who she is.  She stands up for it and embraces it and expects others to love who they are.  A quality that is valued by those who understand its worth.

 

And her home.  Her beautiful - LOVELY - ALL AMERICAN - PUT ME ON A MAGAZINE COVER - home...

 

reverence please. :)

 

 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  I couldn't have wanted ANYTHING better than this one above!

After we were done with her session, fluff-n-guts wanted a flower.  So we got one from Lisa's garden.  This was a random series of shots.  Not set up.   Nothing.  Not one look.  This is ALL her.  In reaction to her surroundings.  Ohhh my!  I can't even decide color or bw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ahhhhhhhh.  REALLY now - which one would you print?  I have visions of this bw gallery wall in my new home... but OHH the color????

That's it for me for now.  I'll probably post again - maybe my OWN family pics.  Or not.  Depends on this crazy next week.  We're having a GARAGE SALE to get rid of ONE WHOLE TRUCKS worth of STUFF (which Nate deemed invaluable... but said we could buy new stuff - so that's OK).  IF YOU WANT TO COME... it's Saturday 8-2 at my parents:  894 W. 2225 So.  Syracuse.  Or email me for directions.  I'm seriously selling off like furniture, armoires, kitchen hutches, etc.

LOVES AND KISSES!!! :)

Finales

You know that time of the year when everything starts to wrap itself up???  You'd think it would be in December when you're getting ready to welcome in a new year.  But for me, it's always May.  All the shows are ending (24, Lost, Prison Break... love them ALL!!!!), programs are being held for pre-school graduation (laughing at how funny fluffy head's was!), field trips and year book signings for the higher grades.  It's SUCH an emotional time!

There were 2 moments for me my senior year in high school that were quite defining... one was when I played Emily in Our Town , and the other was the morning after graduation.  If you've ever seen Our Town you know it's a very emotional play.  When our group got together for rehearsals there were hard feelings about doing this play.  Some didn't want to do it - they thought a more upbeat play was in order.  But I immediately fell in love w/ Emily and her love for George.  Jen - our FABULOUS drama teacher - loved it as well and had long talks w/ us ... teaching us how to dive into the thoughts of the characters ... characters we had never played in our lives and something that was hard for us to grasp because we'd never gone through it in our life.  There was one particular act that was touching for me.  Emily gets to go back to a certain day in her life (after she had died during childbirth) and she chooses her 12th birthday.  At the end of the scene she is saying goodbye to all that she never really noticed or paid attention to in life- but that she had now appreciated.  She stands and looks outside her window and mentions everything that she loved - including her butternut tree.  I remember preparing for the role and imagining leaving for college (the only thoughts I could connect with about leaving) and how it would feel to stand outside my home that I no longer lived in.  I was able to get that connection of how it would feel to leave ... and not be able to go back to that time in my life.

Yesterday the kids were playing out in the yard and I stood by my Sunburst Honey Locust tree that I planted 5 years ago in the corner of my front yard.  It's beautiful and blooming w/ gorgeous yellow leaves.  I started to cry.  And felt like Emily as I stood by and said goodbye to all that I love about this house, this area, my memories.  And although I would not say "nevermind ... let's stay", it's something that's still difficult as I take my children away from all they've ever known.  Take myself into something that is unknown... and start fresh.  again.  So I walked around the yard, memorizing how the trees drooped over the fence, allowing the branches to lay so beautiful in the sun light.  I noticed the petals from flowers that I had planted - with the intention of seeing year after year.  And I felt like Emily as I stood there and said goodbye to my butternut tree.

Today I started to pack things up.  7 more days in this home.  And I cried again.  Baby Maby came up and offered me SEVERAL items that she thought would make my "OWW OWW" go away (including Oscar's leash).  But I told her it was my heart that was sad.  I know that we will live a good life in our new area - but the unknowns of our life have taken its toll ... and my heart longs for something that is permanent in our future.  I know it will come soon.

The day after graduation was quite pivitol for me as well.  It had been a hard year for me. Student Body President isn't all it's cracked up to be. :)  As my sweet nephew has now found out.  Leadership is a lonely road. And although emotional growth is always gained ... the pain of living a lonely time while trying to do your best for a school and for people that are ready to move on themselves ... hard.  So the morning after my graduation, while everyone else slept in the gym after the nightly party - I gathered my things up, got in my car at 5:00 a.m. and went to a hair appt.  My hair was long - and I loved it.  But I associated it w/ the time spent as SBO pres. and I needed to move on. So off it came - all 15 inches of it!  And I started a new life.  With new hair.  With a new out look on where I would be headed.

And so has my nephew.... I'm proud of him for living through this year.  Jerky people and all.  :)  He'll be stronger and wiser for what he accomplished. Integrity.

Ode to the black and whites.  With this process, we could FEEL the year.  The weight of who he was.  For what he became.  For what he WILL become.

 

 

 

Ashton is extremely talented ... plays by ear so beautifully!  On sunday nights when we go to my parents, he'll sit down and play all of our favorite songs.  Even writing a song for his mom on mother's day last year.

 

 

 

here's a color one for all of you whose eyes are hurting w/ the pattern... :)

 

If he ever does a CD I told him this would be his cover... and it would say "ode to my aunt kara - who does NOT look like she could be my mom ... even though the lady at the store said so." 

 

SO - this is to FINALES... may they make us stronger as we go into the unknown.  With our heads held high ... knowing that we WILL be taken care of.

EWWWWW!!! sick!!!!

That's what they said when their mom and dad KISSED!!!  EWWWWWWWWWWWWW ... sick!!! ;)  But OHHH it was worth it ... wasn't it, Jenn??

I LOVE getting to catch up w/ friends from long ago ... and I guess photography has been the means to that.  I went to High School w/ Jenn - "to the Clearfield... to the GREEN AND WHITE... to the best school in the LAND!"  yada yada yada. :)  I haven't seen her since we graduated???  But I got an email from her and was lucky enough to photograph her BEAUTIFUL FAMILY!  She was also one of the LUCKY ones to get in on my MAY PHOTOGRAPHY SPECIAL...  which made me honestly just giddy knowing that although it's rare to receive digital files, she would get to have these forever!

 

 

 

 

 

ummm...are you kidding me?  She's SOOO beautiful!  And I can say "hey - I'm her age... I look like that, don't I???"  ;)

 

I guess she's also UUUBER lucky because she got a sneak peak on the DAY I SHOT THEM!  She's busting out of town ... I'm busting out of town... so I wanted her to get SOMETHING before we can't e-speak for 2 weeks!!!  I LOVED photographing them. Her kids were not only gorgeous - but they were SO well behaved.  I got some of my favorites from the year!!  Every face was real.  Thanks, Jenn ... I've missed you! ;)  Happy trip!

***

Now ...here's another shoot.  And I am blown away by this little 8 year old's soul.  Every picture I took ... her eyes... her face ... she just ooooooooooozed (in a good way) an old soul.  Wise.

You'll need to click on this one - typepad (OF COURSE) is cutting her off on the right.

But this is the one that REALLY does it for me.  The lighting... her posture... the way you can almost touch the picture that seems to have been found in the wreckage of the Titanic.  Really.  I love it that much.

 

I've had a few requests about me leaving. ONE was to have an e-mailer when I come out to Utah for visits/shoots.  SO ... if you'd like to be PUT ON THE E-LIST to receive updates (and other random funness) of my UTAH ARRIVALS of photoshoots... then email me at  karaelmorephotography@gmail.com.  ALSO... another request was a JUNE PHOTOGRAPHY SPECIAL. I might... I repeat... MIGHT CONTEMPLATE IT!  So... if you are interested in receiving a full photo session for $800 (CD of full res. images in color and bw included), then email me.  It will be for a 2 week period only.  That's IF I decide... :)  So - I don't know - think about it - pray about it, yada yada yada. :)

NOW ... I'm off to Phoenix to try and find a home. :)  Will return on Sunday.  Pray that I'll find something with LOTS AND LOTS of greenery, old barns and building... and fields of flowers.  Do you think that's anywhere?  :)

Oops - before I forget ... I printed #6 of crazy baby maby that I love :) And yes - Lilian & Stef (and a few more) were right ... it was more HER... which inturn made it more ME.  And made me smile every time I saw it.  Which is how prints SHOULD be picked.  The smile test.

TWO in one week?

Posts?  Yes.  Baby Maby?  No. She turned 2 last month. HOWEVER (apparently my favorite word) I FINALLY got around to taking her TWO YEAR OLD PICTURES!  Which - really - with what's going on in our life... is a BLESSED MIRACLE! :)  Now - granted, I had to bring my dad with me because there was NO way I could finagle getting the kids all rounded up in a jiffy.  So we swung by, scooped him up, and were on our way.  And 12 minutes later... this is what I got. I should bring my dad on EVERY SHOOT!

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

(my dad pointed out the horses near by...)

6)

7)

This little thing makes me happy!  She also makes me cry... and scream... and be glad when it's nap/bed time.  But I know her spirit is strong for a reason - and in 10 years when SHE'S the girl to deck the boys for being naughty... I'll be grateful for her strength!!! :)

Now - you get to guess (off of the numbers I listed) which one I'm printing for her room (each child of mine has a 16x20 of them at age 2).

ANSWERS ...

FINALLY!!!!!!!!  :)

First of all - I wanted to THANK EVERYONE who signed up for my Photography Special!!  Now at capacity... thank you everyone!  I'm giddy as a school girl to offer my clients the entire session!  It always made me sad to get rid of images...like they were attached to me... my hip, my umbilical .. whatever. :)  It will be a nice ending to my photography here in Utah.  Although I WILL be coming back a few times a year for shoots ... this is kind of like my real farewell. :(  And this is a nice way to go ... creating things I love, for people that I love.

NOW - questions to be answered from this post ... in no particular order I might add... (and some are combined)

Q) When did you decide to get into photography and why?

A) I grew up in a family of photographers.  My dad and then brother about 15 years ago.  So a camera was always in my hand.  Knowing how to properly use it... that wasn't until later.  Until I realized it was art.  While living in St.Louis 10 years ago, my dad would give me assignments.  I would complete them, and mail them back to him.  It was a BRILLIANT way for me to learn.  Through my father.  Then when we moved back, I just started doing pics for family and friends.  Just because.  Then I discovered that I could make people HAPPY with what I created and it was ART.  SO .. WHEN was in 2004.  WHY was because I wanted to make people happy w/ the images I created. : )

Q) Why do I love dried fruit so much?  :)

A) Thank you Krista, for remembering! I DOOOO love dried fruit. More than anything!  More than diet pepsi (which I SHOULD NOT DRINK anyway!!), more than chocolate.  YES -that's right.  And I think it's because growing up quite poor, we became resourceful as a family.  My parents had fruit trees and every summer we would gather our own fruit and make dried apricots, fruit leather, dried cherries (while shooing away all the flies.. ICK!!).  It became my treat.  And I think, because I helped MAKE it, that it became "my thing" and I even took over the process as I got older. I loved making something myself.  Something that wasn't from a store. Something that was fresh and from MY TREE.  To this day, I won't share.  That's right - if you were STARVING and I had 14 things of fruit leather, you would wilt before me and I would still be holding my 14 fruit leathers HIGH ABOVE YOUR HEAD!!!

Q) What is it about EDWARD (said in reverence by Kara) that seems to sweep you off your feet?

A) Giggling as I read his name... let alone thinking of the answer! ;)  Lisa wrote this as part of the question... "Is it the fantasy of something unattainable, as there is yet to be a man born into this world that is like him? Or is it just a get away from your own life right now and anyone will do" ,.  YES. Is it all of those things. Twilight was shown to me at a time when our life was beginning the process of being turned upside down.  It WAS an escape for me.  And I was able to sit on my back porch and pretend that it was me... in high school. :)  All while my kids were climbing over me while I ate soy beans (yep - that's right).  I loved it.  I loved escaping into reading.  SO many of you already FEEL this way about reading... but I have NEVER enjoyed reading until now.  It stemmed from a 1st grade contest in Mrs. Provost's class w/ my darling friend Allison Potter... we HAD to one up each other in reading... so the contest became something I HATED.  And I likened it to reading.  And therefore hated reading. SO disturbingly sad... but true.  So to escape into a book at a time in my life that was uncontrollable - it was just what I needed.  Annnnnnnnnnnnnnd it doesn't hurt that Edward is OH SO FREAKIN" LOVELY!!!

Q) What is your favorite color combination?

A) uhhh do you even have to ASK???????  yellow, red, blue!!!!!!!!!  DUH!!! :)

Q) What is your favorite photo location?

A) Hmmm - I USED to have fave locations - until I started to LOVE the challenge of going somewhere NEW each time I photograph.  It's VERY easy to photograph in the SAME SPOT every time.  But OHHH so lovely to find beauty in new places.  So I don't have one.  My favorite thing to do is go somewhere NEW for every session!!!

Q) What is your favorite candy?

A) I had to think about that one... I'd say Hershey's chocolate bars w/ almonds ... BUT I also LOVE baked goods like brownies or cookie dough.

Q) Will you continue photography and posting even when you move?

A) OF COURSE!  It's who I am.  It's what I do. It's what I LOVE!  And I will continue to post ALL about our life. :)  not because there are TONS that follow this blog.. are there??  I have NO idea.  I doubt it's hugely popular.. :)  But I will post because I LOVE to write about my life and happenings... it helps me clear through the good and the bad and concentrate on what's important. Writing it out makes it REAL.  And it's a sort of a journal for me, too.

Q) What is your all time favorite photograph?

A) Ooooooooooooo I have been thinking about this ever since it was posted!  I don't KNOW if I have an ALL TIME fave photograph!  I think that I find a NEW FAVORITE each time I photograph. There are certain ones that stick out to me.  And I contemplated on WHY that was... and I came up with this... having someone hire me because they see my VISION is what i love to do.  Knowing that someone could see that my VISION and my EXPERIENCE equaled ART ... THAT is what I loooooong to be known for.  I don't what to photograph JUST to photograph... because I'm someone you KNEW with a camera.  I would HOPE that you would hire me because you saw my vision and experience ... and when clients see that - they LET ME IN and it allows me to create ART.  Art that will stand the test of time. And Art that tells a story.  When I am allowed to create that for someone, it becomes a favorite.  You can FEEL the image. And I would hope that my images are ALWAYS felt!  Strongly!

Q) What is the favorite part of your house?

A) Stefanie is asking this because she wants my house... :)  Love you Stefanie for this! ;)  My favorite part of my home is my baby's room.

 

This room is all ME ... :)  It's everything I would want in every room of my house.  Bright, lots of light, vintage and pretty.  While pregnant w/ Vicious LIcious, I knew that either boy or girl, I wanted the room to be white and blue.  So my mom and sister made all the bedding and drapes and showed up one day telling me to be gone all day.  I came back to it completely decorated ... with love.  After she was born, my sister came back and painted by hand the dripping roses all over the wall.  The names of all my kids are hidden in the roses... which makes for even a more special room.

Q) What is it about BROWN that you HATE SO MUCH!?

A) *** actually altering this a bit from my original answer.  It was brought to my attention that I'm probably being extremely rude in this.  I just wanted to stay true to what my feelings were without bending to what everyone would WANT to hear.  I hope NOT to offend people if they love brown. :)  If you love it - then LOVE IT with ALL OF YOURSELF! And be proud!! :)  I personally love other bright colors. It makes ME happy.

Q) What's in your cupboards and fridge right this moment?

A) Ohhh that is SOOO what I would want to see in someone else's house too.  So .. I'm doing it RIGHT NOW - w/ my POC camera... hold please. Ohh you should SO appreciate the time it took to get these! :)

 

(the only ONLY organized part of my life right now...)

 

(Grandpa wood bought the tootsie pops!  They've been nothing but a sore spot to my kids.. FIGHTING about who gets them NOW!!) ;)

 

Left over lasagna, Soy milk, rice milk, peppers, eggs, yogurt, grapes, more peppers and LOTS AND LOTS of carrots and apples.  We juice a lot right now.

 

SO there you have it!  A peek into my life RIGHT NOW!

Off to put on make-up.  I know it's 3:31.  And I have like 5 holes in my shirt. But that's OK.  Tomorrow I can do better, right? :) And a BIG OL' THANKS to everyone who asked questions!!!

You should have SEEN me today!

OHHHH it was SOOO great!  I thought of the typepad the ENTIRE time it was happening - knowing that if there were pictures to prove it, I would make MILLIONS! :)

I was working on a project for my parents, and my COMPUTER... evil PC that it is ... (don't worry ... mr. mac is on its way... there there.. hush now) kept DYING!  I'm like WHAT are you DOING?  I was ANGRY ... I was ready to paint it BROWN.  I THINK it heard us talking to mac people and it got mad!  It saw the plans, the order, the smiles on my face as I transfer things ... heheheheh..... ANYWAY because of the situation I had to go to my NEIGHBOR'S home to complete the task.  BUT ... how to get there, I asked myself?  My dad had taken the girls with him, in my (clear your throat) van...(ohhhhhhhhhhh naughty word!) so there was no vehicle for me.  Now - it isn't FAR... it's just that i was in a HURRY.  Soooo I walked around the house, contemplating how to maneuver myself there in a jiffy.  Found a bike. Is it MY bike?  Hmm. Don't know. Don't remember PURCHASING this bike. Maybe it's Nate's???  Or a neighbor's.  Nontheless, it was going to be ridden.  So, imagine me in my jeans, 3/4 length red/white/black (notice no brown) shirt CARRYING my RED/WHITE POLKA DOT PURSE (OF COURSE!) and red ballet flats - riding this robin's egg blue (well at least it's the right COLOR for my liking) vintage looking bike.  Ohhhh see - the description?  It MUST be my bike.  I hop on - only to find that the brakes are... where?  And it's MUCH too tall for me - so I'm teetering along the sidewalk, hoping that no one will notice.  I peddle as FAST as my itty bitty frog legs will take me... I'm quite proud of myself at this point.  "look at me!" I exclaim to the world!  "I'm FLYING!"  Well - not really - but for a girl that doesn't exercise much (or at all) I was feeling strong.  THENNNNNNN... the uphill battle began.  Brandy didn't think it was uphill.  BUT OHHHH NELLY IT WAS!  By the time I reached 3 houses down from her home, I was tempted to jump off and bail the titanic ... I was SINKING!  When I hobbled up her walkway I was panting, wheezing, and shaking - obviously in so much pain I could barely focus.  Did I have asthma?  I don't remember having asthma???  Feebily I knock on her door - luckily it was open.  THANK YOU!  I  nearly collapse from exhaustion on her couch.  She's laughing - thinking I am faking when I tell her I rode my bike to her home. "NO - it can't be!" she exclaimed.  "Ohhh yes -'tis true!"

The computer project resummed after consumming about 4 glasses of water.  I was done and realizing that the bike trek home must take place. But this time, I was going to be STRONGER.  Off and away I rode, only to find that DOWNHILL was to my liking.  I still arrived 20 houses later... feeble and weathered from the ride.

I really should start exercising again.

NOW ... my projects are winding down.  I still have a few more shoots before THE BIG MOVE.  But because my life in Kaysville is coming to an end, I thought it might be fun to open up my blog.  What do YOU want to see in my life?  What questions do you have?  Is there something you've been DYING to know - dying to SEE?  ASK NOW... OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE!! :)

Alright - I'm off to take some form of excedrin.  That bike ride gave me a HEADACHE!

Here's an image from a GIRL'S WEEKEND GET AWAY from last month.  Little self portrait of me w/ my lovely friends that I love. Most of us have known each other since we were 4.  I threw up at Amberlee's house quite often when her mom would feed me authentic mexican cuisine.  Ahhh the memories.  We had some stranger on the street take our picture - but as the rule goes when you give your camera away... it was ruined. :)

QUESTIONS in the comments section....  Make me feel popular... ask away! :)

 

***ETA***  Just wanted to let you know of some of the questions asked so far... just in case you're wondering if what YOU are about to ask doesn't fall under a category. 1) Can I see a picture of your laundry room as it is RIGHT NOW!?  2) when do you work on pictures?  3) what does your day consist of?  4) if you could be any type of photographer, what would it be and why?  And ... amberlee's question in comment #2 is:  Why do you hate BROWN so much???  Ohhhh how i LONG to answer this question!!!

 HAVE no FEAR... you can ask it all ... apparently.  And I'll answer in them all in the next post.

namemypostforme

ahhhhhh ... my brain has decided to let YOU name this post. Mostly because the kids are outside playing with Nate and I SNUCK back inside to finish this post... and I don't have the time to think of anything fabulous right now.

The frying pan is on - we're having EGGS or left over Chicken Fettuchini.  Hmmm - which would you choose?

I took wedding pictures of MANDY AND CADEN (see engagements and bridals below ... much too muchly tired to find the links and insert them here for your convenience).  :)  And OHHH what a beautiful day it was!  We were stressing all week because it was going to be raining AND snowing - and it was in Logan - so the weather is more extreme than what I'm in.  Ohhh the prayers that were said for good weather!  :)  I was worried that she would be blown away in the wind - or that their faces would look like they were cold. But OH NO - they were gloriously happy - and why not??? They were just married!  High school sweet heart loves ... ahhhhh so beautiful!  I'm SO glad I got to share it with them.  This was me randomly picking at the images ...many many MANY more to look at and sift through.

 

Yes - it WAS raining/snowing/blowing in nearly every image we took. You'd never know it though - they were SO easy to photograph!!

 

That one above cracks me up!  I WISH SO BAD you could see it HUGE ... (TYPEPAD... insert mean growl here!)

 

If you live in Utah, have an umbrella .. you MUST get this shot. I think it's required by law or something! ;)

 

And whoever said that sticks were ugly ... they're idiots.  I LOVE this shot!

 

 

You know that pitch fork old time image... this was my rendition w/ the umbrella and FABULOUSLY expensive shoes!

 

And one at the reception ... looking for the garter belt... :)

 

And .... DRUMROLL PLEASE .... my favorite image!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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*SIGH* ... (also inserting me in this memory ... I can do that, right?)

Next post will be me asking for VACATION advice... so get thinking!!!!

Calgon ...

I sat at the computer - deliberating on the title of this post. Not sure WHY that gets me stumped quite often.  Maybe I'm trying too hard to come up w/ something witty and explanatory of what you are about to read. And sometimes I just type whatever comes to my brain.  Which, I'm sure, I SHOULD be one of those people that counts to 10 before they BLURT out whatever comes to their mind.  Like Terrets Syndrome.  Maybe that WOULD be fun to have... you know, be able to say WHATEVER you want without anyone judging you?  Ohhhh the RELIEF you would feel. Anyway - I deliberated a bit too much - and then just went STRAIGHT for how I really feel. Explation to follow at a later time in this post that will probably ramble on WAY too long and you'll wish you would've watched Twilight again (did I make that an assignment from last?  Because I meant to.  Quiz tomorrow.)

I had 4 photography students with me today and I thought I'd use MY children as the models. Hmmmm maybe NOT so smart.  There IS a reason, you know, why photographers DO NOT have pictures of their OWN children.  I always laughed about it growing up - trying to find pictures of me growing up for my wedding video. None to be found. My dad was like "ummm... yaaaaaaaa I DO love you - however, I couldn't stand having my camera out again."  For me it's not so much THAT - it's more that baby maby is INSANELY crazy and getting an actual image of her is more like a nightmare for me. NIGHTMARE!  You KNOW I'm not the type of photographer to even want a pic of them all looking at me. I just don't want her to be SCREAMING in every picture.  Or worse yet, pinching or hitting them - or a random passerbyer just for the crap of it.

I could've made the title of this post:

SERIOUS CRAP SHOOT

SHE'S CRAZY

HER POOR SIBLINGS

TOLD YOU

... but I settled on CALGON - for CALGON  ... PLEASE TAKE ME AWAY!!! :)  Let me start with the images that are typical of her:

 

(running away from where I want her - right into my arms - quite difficult to manage a 2 year old and a camera)

 

Jumping out of the spot of where I want her - but LOVED the pic of my boy - so I know I'll print this one)

 

This one CRACKS me up - I LOOOOVE it. It's SOOO her and SO our life right now.  I may even replace our big fam pic with this one I LOVE it so much!

 

I love my boy's mouth - I love the red ring around his lips from not enough water and too much licking.  I love his crazy teeth growing in.  Love that fluffy head is SO oblivious to her surroundings. :)  Tra la la is in her head. :)

Miss fluffy lifting up her foot randomly. funny to me for some reason.  I'm her mom - I can feel that way. :)

 

Ohhh - OH  you BETTER RUN!  what the... is she MID AIR?  Right after this shot she JUMPED into my arms, SO afraid of the cars passing by.  Screamed SCARRRREEEEE for a LONG time. :)

***NOW*** after all the screaming trauma from up above, I still can appreciate our life and that capturing it doesn't mean perfection.  That's SOOO far from my life.  And every ...EVERY single time I go to print an image that is more "perfect" looking, I tend to not want it on my wall.   Funny me.  I know.  I am SO drawn to the images that make me BUST up as I pass them by because they told a story.  SO ... what you see below is what I will be printing HUGE for my new home.... some canvas galleries, I suppose.  This is my life - the kids doing random things - so oblivious to anything around them. No direction ... just them.  Perfect to me.

 

And ohhhh this one ... gets me.

   

They actually just randomly did this.  It's ok that Wesley's head is chopped off.  (my mother will freak out ... but not me). He's big - and towers over them - and takes care of them.

 

The last shot of the night - Wesley reading the ice cream work schedule. Wondering what time it was now - and if we could wait around for it to re-open.  Mostly this is special to me because we will be leaving this area and I will look back in 10 years and say "remember that cute little ice cream shop on main???" And this will prove that we were here. That we walked on main. That the little ice cream shop was there.

Without pictures... it's as if history never happened.

Rachelle's under contract ...

Does my title confuse you?  Ya  - it does me too!  :)  Hmmm - who came up with THAT ONE?  Well - let me explain.  I've got SOOO many things to TELL YOU. And I thought of doing separate posts - but that would take too much brain power. And because I was up WAY late last night, that brain power is zapped.  So join me in my quest to combine topics in a one-liner. It's just easier that way, don't you think?

Let's go to the easy one - the one w/ out a picture... but OHHHH so important.  You all know how my house was put up for sale about a week ago??? WELL ... it's UNDER CONTRACT!  One week later!!!  Funny enough I guess the family lives in the surrounding area ... so she might know me - or maybe not - but at some point MIGHT read this blog, right???  So let me just tell you, lady who bought my home, that I think you're darling.  :)  I saw you from afar Tuesday night while you stayed at my home for 2 hours w/ your realtor.  I was due to come home at 6:00 - but you were still here. SO I walked across the street to the nearby parking lot at the church. And I pretended to watch my kids run down the hill.  But I was really waiting for you to come out of my home. So I could spy on you - so I could SEE who was potentially the new owner of my home.  And as you walked out w/ your cute green shirt on, I thought "there she is - she's going to buy my home".  Now heaven forbid that something falls through in the next month.  :)  BUT, if all goes well, you'll be the new owner.  And the fact that you wanted most of the things in my home made me happy.  And made me want to sell you my home more.  Some owners don't care what happens to their home.  But I do - and I did.  So to know that you're keeping a LOT of the things up that I have in the home now, made me love you more, lady whose buying my home.  Because you "GET" my home.  And my home will "GET" you. :)  And for that - I'm happy and OK to leave my home.

My sister called me early this morning and said "SOOO - the fact that you sold your home ... does it register that you're MOVING???"  Hmmm - no - that didn't register. WOW - that's weird. I guess the two DO go hand in hand, right?

NOW - on to Rachelle ... Lefevre that is.  Miss Victoria - one of the BAD VAMPS in Twilight for all you non-twi-lovers out there. WHICH, btw, should be a password requirement to look at this blog.  It should say "do you love twilight".  And if you can't answer CORRECTLY - you will quickly be sent to the village of the browns. OHHH you karaelmorephotography followers - you KNOW what village that is!  :)

ANYWAY - as you SHOULD know - last night was the midnight release of the TWILIGHT DVD. And we got WORD that one of the CAST members was coming to SALT LAKE CITY!  Ohhh the freakin' JOY I felt! And of COURSE we knew who we WANTED it to be. Ahhhh wishful thinking. But OH how happy we were when we saw RACHELLE LEFEVRE!  She's gorgeous and lovely and SO endearing!  There were MANY MANY MANY men professional photographers covering the event.  WHY on earth can't I be the one, the only WOMAN covering this event?  ugh.  Those men.  :(  They look crazy ... and dazzed!  :)  I was behind the front row and obviously couldn't get a CLEAR shot, so I just held my camera up above me.

 

(look at the pic above - see the guy to the left of her?  He looks like he's ready to POUNCE on her!!  bla!)

 

 

 

After she did her initial appearance, she talked to press. So we went back in line, where we had been since 8:00 p.m. and waited ... and waited... and finally got our chance to have her sign our 2-disc DVD.  We couldn't take a pic WITH her, but could definitely take one OF her. 

 

I wasn't all in her face ...like the OTHER "men paparazzi" - but got some GREAT shots of her.  As she was signing my DVD she looked up and said "OH - you're a PROFESSIONAL!".  :)  Made me all sorts of happy! ; )

 

Here's a pic of our DVD - and then of my darling friend Brandy and me.  We wish that our APRIL was with us.  I'm having withdrawals from her.  :)

 

(Rachelle did tell my friend WENDY (HI WENDY!) "when you see my signature, you can pretend it's Rob's because they look the same". **********GIDDY************ ... ok, I'll pretend!! :)

 

AHHHHH fabulous night! We're tired.  Up most the night - and now tonight I will watch it for the 11th time. :)  10 x in the theater, and now to begin the count at home. :) I AM proud to say that I converted my sister to this love we call Twilight. She read it last week, and then we promptly went to the Kaysville Dollar Theatre (where they don't sell ADVANCE tickets and you wait in line OUTSIDE until it starts...hehehe!)  She said ALLLL sorts of naughty words while watching it. UHHHH HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. TOLD YOU!!! :)