Stoplight Reflections - An Exploration

I like driving on rainy nights, because the streets are transformed into a shiny, reflective wonderland. The street lights, car tail lights and stoplights meld into a colorful splash, and the silvery black reflective nature of the wet streets adds to the beauty.

The problem is that every time I notice this, I'm the one driving. I briefly considered trying to shoot while driving, but quickly nixed the idea in the name of safety... I can't imagine what a police officer would say if I tried to explain that the reason I crashed my car was because I was trying to take photographs of the streetlights!

However, the other night my husband was at the wheel, and so I was able to capture these interesting images. I'm certain he was mystified as to exactly what I was trying to create, since it was quite dark. But he knows me too well by now and just let me happily click away :) (Thanks, hon!) I shot a series of each scene, so you can see the progression of movement, focus and extended exposure.

Enjoy!

Ashley's Senior Session

Amazing. Fantastic. Gorgeous. Beautiful. I run out of wonderful words to describe this young woman!

We shot until the sun was almost down and honestly, I could have kept shooting until my trigger finger got numb and I just fell down in a happy stupor. Ashley has incredible talent in front of the camera, and she's more than willing to try interesting, unique poses which always lends itself to a great session. Climbing trees? No problem! Her mom, Robin, was also such a joy to work with... so helpful and supportive. We had a great time traipsing around in the giant field and finding exciting locations to shoot. I was very pleased by the variety of "looks" we achieved in just one shoot.

Introducing animals into a photo session always adds a little bit of unexpected excitement... animals, unlike humans, do not "pose" and so you've really got to be on the ball as the photog. Quick reflexes and knowing your camera are a must because you never know exactly what the animal will do next... it might be fantastic or it might be a disaster. Our little birdie was so cute but I kept worrying that it would poop in Ashley's hands LOL! It also wanted to try and fly away so Ashley had to be sure to cup it just right in her hands.

Notice: no animals were harmed in the making of these images :)


To book your own magical photo session, whether a senior session, wedding or family portrait, give me a call at 913.602.8061. To see more photos, visit Striking Photography's website!

Awesome boudoir shoot today...

Boudoir photography ROCKS! So fun and creative. I just love bringing out the attitude and unique beauty in every single woman I photograph. And it's never the same, because each person has their own definition of what is sexy, and every woman has different features that she loves and wants to feature! For one, it might be her sparkling eyes. For another, it might be her gorgeous legs. Whatever it is, I think it's so cool to see a woman gain confidence in herself and in front of the camera!

So this boudoir session rocked today, and I've just gotten several new sets in the studio, and will be posting some previews here soon as well as some sneak peeks.

Don't forget to check out Striking Photography's portfolio of other work here at my website.

Rock on, ladies! :)

Mother's Day and Father's Day around the corner...

Had my third studio tour in seven days, and it went great! Busy busy. Booking lots of Mommy and Me and boudoir shoots right now. Mother's Day is just around the corner, and Father's Day is soon after -- don't forget, beautiful portraits make a great gift!

Off to the Sheraton again...

Overland Park Sheraton Easter Banquet: Sneak Peek

The banquet was *incredible*! The attention to detail was so impressive... there was literally an army of people making sure every detail was lovely. Matt Jackson, the guy in charge of food and beverage at the OP Sheraton, is a great guy to work with. And the ice work was simply stunning! I also loved the fact that children were made to feel very welcome, with some fun special touches just for them. Some highlights...

Easter Banquet at the Overland Park Sheraton

Hey everyone! Striking will be at the O.P. Sheraton this Sunday, shooting their gorgeous Easter banquet. I was told there will be many incredible ice works in an Easter theme - should be amazing - and I believe a special guest will be appearing after he's done distributing eggs in baskets throughout the world... ;)

I've attended several events at the Sheraton and I gotta say, they do an absolutely wonderful job. I'm looking forward to shooting this (yummy) event! If you haven't seen their property, check it out here.

And if you'd like to have Striking be there at YOUR own fabulous event and would like more info, don't forget to visit our website here.

Happy Easter, y'all!

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! ;)