Introducing KL Photography!

I am so happy to announce the arrival of the KL Photography website! We are officially up and running, and you can book me to photograph your event, wedding, or portraits with a click of your mouse.

Check it out

I have always loved photography, and I can thank my dear dad for that. Growing up, there was ALWAYS a camera in hand, my dad lugging the ginormous 80's video camera around with us to document everything, and and pictures galore. I have at least 2 photo albums of pictures of me and my friends from middle school alone! Dad made sure I always had access to a camera to document my life, and I still remember that thrill of knowing our pictures were ready at Costco to be picked up.

Now I shoot with a digital camera, but the thrill is still the same. I can do a quick check on the little screen as we're shooting to ensure exposure and composition are what I'm wanting, but there's nothing like that excitement of downloading the pictures to be seen on the big screen in front of me!

Just a few weeks ago, my best friend and I shot a school fundraiser together (amazing to shoot with my best friend, 

WOW!), and even though we'd been running around like chickens with our heads cut off for 6 hours, as soon as I got home I just had to download and look at all the pictures I'd taken.

Bleary eyed, exhausted photographer looking at an 800+ picture slideshow at 10pm? The thrill is only slightly dulled by the fatigue! I love how pictures encapsule so much for us: they hold memories, sounds, people and smells from the event you captured in that one shot. This is my absolute favorite aspect of photography - capturing memories and being able to look at a photo later and remember exactly where we were, who was there, and what was going on when that shutter snapped closed for an instant.

To give you an example, here is one of my favorite shots, taken during our Belarus trip in August:

Isn't she just gorgeous? This picture makes me smile every time, because Olya was goofing around here while Yuri (her husband) is out of frame to the right, marching dramatically toward her. They are a couple of goofballs, and it was so entertaining to watch them blow off steam while the official wedding photographer changed out some equipment. We were right by a lake, there was a soft breeze that was very welcome, it was a stifling 115 degrees F, and my camera was hot in my hands. Literally, I kept shutting it off because I was afraid it would overheat!

These are details that can get lost in the vortex of time and memories on thier own, but with a picture, it all comes rushing back in vivid, colorful detail, as if it had just occurred yesterday.

This is why I will forever be in debt to my father for his love of the camera, forever be in love with the camera, and forever love my husband for tolerating my shutterbug addiction!

If you'd like to see some of my work, check out my portfolio, and send me an email to set up a time to have your memories captured!

Haircolor FAIL

I wonder how long I have to wait to dye it again?

Ramblings and tidbits

I like to make lists, and I think this will be easiest way to lay out what I want to say here :)

- I can officially touch my toes, with my knees straight!

- I have progressed in the Camel Pose to having one hand on my heel! I've not been able to do this before, EVER! This is what most of my class looks like:

 

And here's the eventual goal for the pose:


- I attempted, and mostly held, Tree Pose for the first time on Friday!


- Saturday I noticed lots of little things in myself, easier bending to pick things up, better form in getting up from being on the floor with kiddo, and more little things that used to be struggles. I'm feeling stronger in my body, and it feels good.

- Sunday beheld me taking my first ever "run"! It's in quotes because I warmed up with a walk, then ran as far as I could, then powerwalked until I could run again. Since I didn't run the entire route, I figured it's not technically an official run yet. But, I did .85 miles in 10 minutes, which I feel good about, especially because I had serious headwind for more than half of it.

- During my "run", I didn't judge myself. This is HUGE - I have lots of negatives in my head all the time, and I was actually kind to myself, and happy with the bits I was able to do, instead of beating myself up about not being perfect.

- 10 minutes after I got back from the run, Shark Week started (ARGH!), so no more cardio until maybe tonight, if I feel better. On the bright side, I went to bed at 7pm, and mostly slept until my alarm at 5 this morning!

- Mom and I went to see The King's Speech on Sunday afternoon, and WOW. I mean !! That movie is just and I think everyone should see it. It's incredibly well done, the acting is flawless, and you're completely engrossed until the last moment. Highly, highly deserving of the awards it was showered with!

If you made it this far, congratulations for mucking through my crazy mind

I'm looking forward to doing some cardio again today, and getting back into a routine after a couple days off. I'm also thinking, now that I've started doing more intense workouts, that I'm going to change my goal to working out for 5 days a week, instead of 7. It is seemingly not realistic for me to go all out every day of the week at the higher intensity level, so I'm going to obey my body and throw in rest days!

and to you, my dear readers!