Received a Special Mention for Best Wedding Photo 2009!

I am sooo honored to have received a Special Mention in the Best Wedding Photo of 2009 competition held at photo.net last week!

Photo.net is an online photographer's forum with over 800,000 registered members and spans the globe. It's a great honor to get recognition from other professionals within the photography business -- and it was a little nerve-wracking to even submit for this competition, since I knew I'd be judged by people who really KNOW photography iykwim!

This is the award-winning shot, which I call "Kiss of Color".

Hello there!

Wow, it's been a long time since I have posted on here! My Facebook page seems to be replacing this site, and I'm at work getting a new Wordpress blog up and running that will display my photos (and yours!) in a much larger format, which should show some of the great details even better.

However, I did want to update and spill some rather exciting news - Striking is going to be a featured photographer on TheKnot.com! The Knot is THE definitive online spot for modern brides, and I urge you to check it out. There are TONS of resources there for brides, and not just photographers! :-)

I just heard from their rep and have got the exact date -- Striking's appearance is going live on February 14, 2010! WOOT! Happy Valentine's Day! ;-)

Vote for Me on the Kansas City A*List!!!

Hey everybody! I am SOOO excited because Striking Photography is competing for the BEST Kansas City wedding photographer... please vote for me by clicking on the tag below:



It would be a great honor to win this award, so I hope you will go and vote for me today! Please spread the word... thanks!!! :-)

Sneak Peek: Business Portrait!

Donna is a professional in the healthcare industry and wanted a business portrait that was polished, sophisticated but not overly serious and stuffy. In a couple of beautiful suits and with some cool lighting techniques - mission accomplished!

In this information age, I can't emphasize enough the value that a professional business portrait or corporate headshot brings to you. Whether you are an individual on the job market, looking to promote yourself within your company, or a small business owner with several employees, the first impression you make is important - and more often than not, these days that impression is made virtually via your website, or LinkedIn, Facebook or other social networking profile. Ask yourself: what does your picture say about you?

At Striking Photography, each business portrait is carefully created and I discuss in detail your clothing and what your personal or company brand represents. I work with you to craft an image that conveys the core values your brand represents.

Call me today at 913.602.8061 to discuss updating your business portrait. Or visit the Striking Photography website for more examples of my work. It's a great investment in your most important asset - YOU!

Sneak Peek: Enagement Session!

Tara and Steve are getting married in a little over a month! (Yep, you guessed it - I am also their wedding photographer :-) ) My higher end wedding packages not only offer wedding day coverage, but an additional shoot of your choice - an engagement session, a boudoir session, or a "Rock the Dress" session after you come back from your honeymoon. Check out the descriptions on the site, http://www.strikingphotography.org/!

We had a great time, wandering around a nearby park and shooting wherever it struck our fancy. Although we had agreed on the time and general location, the park was quite busy that evening and it occurred to me that we might miss each other. So in a flash of insight, I put my camera tripod up on top of my car, figuring I would definitely stand out from the crowd that way! So if you see a car around Overland Park with a tripod and a crazy photog nearby, you'll know you were seeing me in action! LOL

We were also blessed with an absolutely gorgeous sunset that created beautiful reflections off the water. Congratulations, Tara and Steve! Check back to see some sneak peeks of their wedding in a couple months!

Sneak Peek: Baby Session!

How's this for some cuteness?!? This adorable little 7 month old, Sebastian, is the first grandbaby of a very cool woman - the CNM who attended the birth my own child!
So, feeling a little bit of full-circle coming around, I felt honored to capture some special moments of her with her special little guy (and Grandpa) as well as some new family portraits - Mom with her gorgeous long hair, proud Daddy and the little guy himself.

Sebastian was so cute during the shoot, crawling around and pulling himself up. He was fascinated by the grass outside and spent a lot of time exploring that new texture.

For those of you with new babies, around seven months is a wonderful time to get a portrait taken... the baby can usually sit up, is interested in lots of things, smiles and looks incredibly cute!

Sneak Peek: Engagement Session!

Matt and Tiffanie are a wonderful couple who are getting married in July. (Yup, I will have the honor of photographing the nuptials also :-) ) We shot these engagement photos in an hour-long session one beautiful Sunday morning. It was so sweet to see how in love these two are, and capture these moments between them!

The prints are actually going to be used in their wedding reception as a unique backdrop behind their cake table... they are mounting the images to a summery white garden lattice and I thought that was such a creative idea I wanted to share it with everyone out there in cyberspace. (Since I'll be shooting the wedding, you can be sure I will post a pic of it, too! ;-) )

Decorating with photographs is a great idea, not only for a wedding but also within your home as well. Nothing quite expresses who you and your family are as well as collections of beautiful photographs. Be sure to check back and see a sneak peek of Tiffanie and Matt's wedding later this summer!