Sneak Peek: Fall Family Fun!

So I wanted to title this post "Fabulous Forward-Facing Fall Family Fun" but I thought that might have been a little bit of overkill on the alliteration... LOL

This gorgeous family wanted to get outside and take advantage of some fall colors. Although we had missed the peak of the leaves (which in Kansas City is around mid to early October), I did some location scouting and found some very beautiful pockets of leaves, and also an amazing grove of evergreens that had a wide, grassy lane going right through them... which created this fantastic, magical forest feeling!













The afternoon light was slanting through the trees just right, creating a lovely rim light, and the kids and I had fun playing red light, green light all along the path.

Mom, a former model, and Dad, a musician (was it the hair that gives it away? *wink*), completed the quartet. We took some of everyone relaxing together in the grass, but this shot was my fave of the entire family. They just look happy and confident and cool, striding together into their futures together!

If you are interested in scheduling your own family portrait (think spring, flowers in bloom, new leaves), please give me a call at the studio: 913-602-8061 or send me an email via my contact form at Striking's website.

Sneak Peek: Fall Family Shoot

This was a really fun and casual session where we took photos while strolling around one of the local parks. One of the things I strive to capture in family sessions aside from the group images are the genuine interactions between siblings. I often just let the kids play together, or create a game for them to play and then at the right moment - CLICK!

I pride myself on being a versatile and professional photographer. This means that unlike 'natural light' shooters who rely solely upon the weather to create good images, I can shoot in almost any conditions. This of course is why people pay me to do what I do.

However, that being said ;-) I do not know a photographer out there who is not completely humbled sometimes by the absolute beauty that Nature creates. Sometimes you just thank your stars you were lucky enough to be there and witness the incredible glory of it all. As Ansel Adams once said, "Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."

During this shoot, the late afternoon light, reflections off the lake and a little fill into the shady area where we were shooting combined to create nothing less than some sweet portrait magic...

Winter Portraits

Once the beautiful golden yellows, reds and oranges of Autumn fall, many people simply stop thinking about taking a professional family portrait. I'm here to say: don't make that mistake! How about a Winter Wonderland portrait?

I fell in love with winter imagery in my 20's, when I composed a snapshot portrait of myself, my husband and our little Pomeranian puppy out in the snow with a our little point-and-shoot film camera. It was completely a spur of the moment idea that came to me as I watched the soft, fluffy quiet snow blanket our backyard. The black branches looked like lace, the entire world was a tranquil white, and the winter sunlight, filtered through clouds, cast a lovely, even, flattering light. (Best softbox in the world, clouds!)

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked my husband.

"Just take it, it'll be cool," I reassured him. (I had him press the shutter, as I was holding the puppy and he has longer arms = better focus.)

Here is that photo from way back in 1994, scanned in:



Baby, It's Cold Outside...


Having a monochromatic background might seem boring at first, but it actually allows the focus of your photo - the people - to stand out even more. The riotous colors of fall, while indeed gorgeous, are sometimes distracting. Plus, a neat winter portrait is unique -- you just don't see very many of them! To this day, that image is one of my absolute favorites.

Another year, we posed in crazy red, green and white striped long johns for our holiday cards. We got more compliments on that photo than any other!

So why not embrace the season and give a Winter Wonderland portrait session a try? Frolicking in the snow, sledding, ice skating, colorful scarves and hats and mittens are all really fun things to capture. Or if you prefer to stay inside, how about a photo by a crackling fire with mugs of hot cocoa? C'mon, you know you want to show off your flannel bunny pajamas! *wink*

Sneak Peek: Family Portrait!

Fall is one of my favorite seasons to photograph (the others being winter, spring and summer LOL). So when Pam sent me a message asking if we could squeeze in a family portrait session before the leaves disappeared and her husband, Tim, had to go on a business trip, I said, "Let's go for it!"

Here's my fave from the session that was scheduled on Sunday night and shot on Tuesday afternoon. Which just goes to show you that a fabulous family portrait doesn't have to be a big production... just go for it!

Family Portrait Special! FREE Holiday Ornament

Dear Friends,

It's that time of year again! Striking is excited to offer a very special promotion for those of you planning to book a family portrait session soon.

Book your family's portrait session between now and October 15th and receive a lovely silver keepsake ornament for FREE!

Perfect as a holiday gift or to grace your own Christmas tree as an unforgettable memento of this year. Available in six shapes, from 2.5" - 4" in length, the ornaments are edged in silver, brush-textured aluminum. They are also light enough to be used as bookmarks or bag tags as well!

I've got an incredible variety of unique, high-quality products that you just can't find anywhere else that are just perfect for holiday gift-giving. Custom designed holiday cards that bring out the very best in you and your loved ones; stunning heirloom jewelry using genuine silver, gold and gems; adorable leather-bound pocket-sized "brag books" and more!

Call 913.602.8061 or visit Striking Photography's website today to learn more and take advantage of this great offer!

Sneak Peek: Headshots for a Young Model

This young man is an up and coming child model who just finished participating in a model search for a local children's hair salon. The stylist suggested that he try modeling because he was so cooperative and had great hair. (I am jealous; can you imagine having great hair days all the time at that age? lol)

He was so fun to shoot and loved to chomp on pretzels in between takes! But I think he's more sweet than salty :)

Want some incredible photos of your kids or a family portrait? Ring the studio at 913-602-8061 and set up your appointment today.

To see some more great portraits of children, families and seniors, go to http://www.strikingphotography.org/.

The Barker Family

My favorite way to shoot family portraits is on location - parks, natural areas, urban settings, or for a very personal touch, your own home and yard. This beautiful family session not only showcases the love between family members, but also shows some of the different effects and collages available with Striking.



With the weather starting to warm up, and flowers starting to make their appearance, now would be a great time to book some fun family portraits! I myself just planted some bright and cheery yellow tulips in our front planters... Think Spring! ;)

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: Dostals' Family Portrait!

It's been busy both personally and professionally here at Striking Photography! School ended for my children and summer activities began, my youngest had his birthday, and I've had several shoots over the last couple weeks. Hasn't left me much time for blogging! Happily, I am back to it and have fabulous sneak peeks of the sessions I've been shooting! Shooting this family portrait out in the beautiful gardens of the Arboretum last week was a real treat. The day dawned warm but cloudy, which actually is wonderful, flattering shooting light.

This shoot was a birthday gift for Joan from her family. (Hint-hint dear readers: most moms would totally dig a family portrait as a gift!) Sometimes family portraits can be a drag (we still did get up a bit on the early side - 8:30am for you later birds *wink*) but we just had fun wandering around the gardens and capturing poses wherever the mood seemed to fit!

No stress and no stiff awkward poses - one of the reasons I enjoy family shoots is that there are so many opportunities to capture genuine interaction between all the family members. My philosophy is that there definitely is a time and place for more 'formal' poses, but there is an equally important place for more candid and fun shots as well. I like to mix it up! :-)

The timing of our session ended perfectly too - not more than 5 minutes after we wrapped the shoot and said our goodbyes, the rain started POURING! Beautiful work, Dostal Family! :-)

If you are interested in having your family's portraits taken, feel free to call Striking Photography at 913.602.8061 or visit our website: http://www.strikingphotography.org/!

Hope to see you soon!

Sneak Peek! A Beautiful Family Session

This was a simple and fun family session that I did over the holidays. The two girls could not be sweeter. It was a special time for them because they will be welcoming Baby #3 in a few months. I'm so glad I got to share in this wonderful time of their lives.