imagesbykess

Evening family fall photo-sHOOT!

Sun, 06 May 2012 17:19:00 +0000

This family shoot was another one we did out in the country at my place. They were very photogenic and I loved what was happening in the sky to the clouds.

I know the youngest wants to be a photographer, please contact me if you read this, I would love to have you help me out on shoots and learn about photography!

~ Kess

Fall fun for the whole family

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:03:00 +0000

The Alberta Provincial Museum’s grounds are amazing and a great place for photo shoots. I was able to do 2 shoots there last year and here are a few shoots of one of them.

This whole beautiful family came down with the new baby to enjoy a crisp sunny fall morning. The shoot included mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and uncle.

Everyone had so much fun; I could have kept shooting all day!

Enjoy,

~ Kess

Family portrait session snapshot

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:38:00 +0000

I have an outdoor home studio. What does this mean? I am fortunate enough to live on 40 acres of trails and they are an amazing backdrop for portrait sessions. I love doing family shoots at my farm and over the next while I will post some shots from last fall in the beautiful trees.

Families get the chance to be outside and go for a walk together and really interact in the fresh air.

Enjoy!

~ Kess

Sweet Baby Sky

Tue, 01 May 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Babies are sweet like heaven.

Babies are hard to photograph. Well, that is my opinion, especially newborns. I have so much respect for photographers who specialize in baby images.

Usually a lifestyle shoot for me, especially with families takes between 1 to 1.5 hours, so, going in to shoot baby Sky, I was prepared to spend the same amount of time shooting. Boy did I underestimate everything.

Last winter this girl was around 14 to 21 days. She was tiny and perfect and as someone without kids, I found it so relaxing to be around her but that didn’t mean that I did not have to work for my shoot.

I absolutely love seeing all the creativity in newborn photography these days, look at Sandy Puc or remember Anne Geddes? She is still going strong. Although I do have to say the trend of hanging babies in blankets off branches does leave me with some trepidation.

Sky was really good though, I think (she was my first and to date only newborn). I mean she was quiet and sleepy and for a newborn I think that is considered best behavior right?

As a photographer who has only shot kids six months and older, my challenge was that at 2 weeks there really isn’t any reciprocal interaction between the baby and me. She cannot make eye contact, hold her own head up, grab a prop etc. So, the challenge is different. For the most part she was interested in sleeping and turning away from me so I started by focusing on the details and seeing her body as elements of form, then moving in to her head and body.

The second challenge is in post-production. A baby’s skin is blotchy, and from what I can tell newborns more than others. It did take me a bit longer in photoshop to get her to look the way she looks in to the eye.

Here are shots of what I got that day, let me know what you think:

Blog anxiety?

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:27:00 +0000

Blogging.

Sigh.

Yes blogging.

I have been neglecting it because a) I did not have the internet at home until late March (yes and I have been living at this cabin in the woods for 3 years) and b) I have been a photog-creeper.

Photog creeper? What is this? What are you saying?

Generally on the road to becoming a photographer you stop looking at other’s works for ideas, inspiration, and motivational envy and you realize you need your own site, image, brand, and blog. So instead of just being inspired by images I found myself looking at sites and blogs and deciding what I liked, what I hated and what I want for myself. The more I looked at the more choices and ideas I had and the more overwhelmed it became. To the point where I just did not want to deal with it.

Unfortunately, at the same time, as someone new to all of this and wanting to be serious with the foot I put forward, I found myself beyond overwhelmed. Of course I was looking to the best of the best for blogs and thought. And of course when this happens and you are a beginner the doubting thought comes in to play. What is the point of putting anything up? My site is not as cool as the wordpress sites. Is not having a slideshow or 500 facebook fans hindering me in my photography. Blah blah blah.

In the mean time I have become the only one hindering my blog and growth and online presence. So forget that. I have been doing good work the past several months and I want to show it off, post it, discuss it and move on and get better and grow. You know my site is pretty cool, I can edit it, customize it and at this point it is what I need.

I am excited to be a photographer and I want to share that with the world, and thank you to all who read, hire, and support me.

~ Kess

Equine photoshoot

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

This summer I was lucky enough to be able to photograph a herd of horses near Lamont, Alberta. The the owner was thinking about selling some of them as she had 13. I absolutely love horses and grew up with them so it was fun to be with such a large group of amazing animals and capture them interacting.

Every time I edit a shoot I learn and go a bit farther with my photoshop skills so I also look on this session as a good photoshop learning curve.

Did I metion I have a horse? I am on the fence right now about selling her, as between both jobs she is not getting the attention she deserves. Anyone interested in a Warmblood mare? To a good home only!

Enjoy the photos:

This fall's photography offers at introductory rates

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:44:42 +0000

It is pretty much taken from my Kijiji ad. For the rest of 2011, I am offering introductory rates. Next year I will be able to offer professional prints, albums, etc.

$75 gets you one of the following:

1) A fall photoshoot at my place near Elk Island Park where I have 40 acres of forest and groomed trails. Feel free to bring your family pet, large or small, after all, pets are part of the family too, right? 25 edited images with Photoshop CS5 that will be sent to you on a disc.

2) A newborn or baby portrait session in my home studio. 25 edited images with Photoshop CS5 that will be sent to you on a disc.

$100 gets you: 1) A fall photoshoot or newborn/baby portrait session at your place, or your favorite spot in the Edmonton area (east of downtown, after that travel might be a few dollars more. 25 edited images with Photoshop CS5 that will be sent to you on a disc.

$50 gets you the “lunch special” What does that mean? It means we will meet at the Alberta Legislature grounds any time between 11 and noonish for about 45 minutes and have a mini session where you will receive 10 edited images on disc that I will send to you. This is a great idea for couples or anyone looking for a session to celebrate living. (Hint hint, newly engaged couples)

Looking back

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Remember back in the film days? It really wasn’t that long ago, was it? Or am I just old?

Anyway, I remember my first Nikon SLR. I can’t remember how much it cost or what lens I had (maybe I should go dig it out- it died on me and by then I had a Canon DSLR), but I do remember how good it felt to have it and the first time I got to use it. No more point and shoot!

I was lucky enough to be in Taiwan visiting my dear friend Beth who was teaching there. It was my first trip overseas (OK, it was my only trip overseas to date!) and it was easy to be seduced by the saturated city lights and all of the newness.

Beth took me to a beautiful Buddhist monastery (nuns lived there so I guess, is it a nunnery). Has anyone else been here, outside of Taichung. It’s been so long since I’ve been there and all I have for my memory is the images I took.

OK, as you can see, no detail is left out when the Taiwanese make their art.

The other photos I took of these two ended up being quite blurry. I was glad to have this one. I have to go back and take more photos of these amazing huge monuments.

Below is a cemetery and paper money is put in with the ashes. What a beautiful place to rest. I remember it being very quite there that day. None of the nuns were to be seen, they were all inside, I think meditating.

Beth said she loved to take all her guests here. Taiwan is one of the most populated area in the world and to be out in the country side, though still busy for me, an Alberta Girl, it is a huge contrast to the cities.

There are narrow, winding road up the mountain sides dotted with colorful little lizards. There are fruit tree farm all around this area and each morning the farmers bring their goods into Taichung to sell. By 11am they are packed up and gone.

We ended up at Spring Scream where a psychic boy told me not to follow my desire to move East and join my friend in teaching English. He also said I’d be married before I was 30, which I found laughable. Oh how right he was… but that is another story.

Yay, you're here!

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 20:12:00 +0000

Yay, you’re here! You’ve found me and I am so glad.

My name is Kess and I am a photography addict. Like any obsession (or a really good chocolate cake), once you get involved you want more, and more and more. That’s how I feel about photography.

I can’t even remember how far back I was first drawn to photography, and really, who wants to hear me tell some story that I picked up a camera one day and was a child prodigy or some sort of overnight sensation because that’s not me and that’s not my journey.

My goal with this blog and my new business is to, of course, make images, promote my photography, and highlight my growth and development as a photographer. I also will be exploring various aspects of the industry, what inspires me, and generally look at the world through the eyes of the image maker.

OK, so please check back often, like me on facebook at Images By Kess, and send me some feedback, let’s interact, discuss photography and have fun.

My dog Wally, in HDR.