Category Archives: deep thoughts

Ideas…about photography

So, as some of you may know, I dabble in the world of photography.  I even started a small business on the side… taking pictures!

I came into photography out of a desire to capture better images of my own family.  I wanted to tell the story of our life… through pictures.  It began quite simply really- with scrapbooking. But I quickly became frustrated with the quality of the pictures I was scrapping.  Honestly, at first I just wanted to figure out how to take a sharp picture.  One that didn’t have red-eye and wasn’t all blurry.  So… I set out to learn.  I love to learn!  Eventually after receiving accolades from several people close to me… I began Katrinaelizabeth Photography.

I’m not sure how it is all supposed to work, but I’ve heard about some fantastic photographers out there, who just happen to be pretty accomplished.  They began their business and it spread like wild fire.  People were just drawn to their work, their creativity, their honesty!  I wish I could say that it is all happening like that for me too, but that would be a lie.  While my business has steadily grown each year, I feel far from accomplished.  I have had limited time and energy to put into my small business over the past couple of years, and while I really enjoy taking pictures and feel like I have grown tremendously as a photographer… I am not extremely sought after.  I wish I were.  I wish I could run my photography business from home, and stay home!  But that just doesn’t seem to be on the path for the immediate future.

I am always excited when a new client contacts me for photos, but I have noticed that the cold call contacts that I receive from Yahoo or Google searches, usually do not pan out.  I offer pricing and dates of availability as requested, and then often do not hear from them again.  My best clients have come through personal reference.  If you are one of those people that has referred me… THANK YOU! I appreciate it.

Ahem… well enough with the bla, bla… on to my idea.

So I’m a teacher.  No really… like I have a masters degree in education. I am a wife, mother etc… and I am a photographer!  I’ve been thinking… what if there was a way to put all of these things that “I am” together.  A way to smoosh all the parts of me into one single solitary… fulfilling personality??  I know about how to teach, I know about family and children, and I know about photography.

Teaching + family + kids + photography = teaching families how take photos!!

I’d love to teach moms and dads, just like me, how to take better pictures.  How to use their fancy “pro-sumer” DSLR.  The basics.  Maybe… just maybe there are other people out there who wish they could take better pictures?  Maybe they’d enjoy being able to benefit from my knowledge and not have to read a ton of books or take several years to get there?  So there you have it.  I’m thinking about offering a basic introduction to taking great pictures of your own family… seminar.  I feel like it would be most appropriate to gear it toward moms?  That just feels easier… but maybe there would be some dads out there too?

Anyway… I’ll keep thinking about it!  Stay tuned for more information to come.  Who knows, I may end up doing more than just thinking.  This would be a great time for everyone to become empowered to take better photos.  Christmas is just around the corner (scary ;o)

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Carpe Diem!

Life, for me, often feels like a huge “have to”! I have so much freekin’ responsibility all the time, that I find myself forgetting to just let go… and enjoy my kids! Appreciate my husband, who I spend way too much time harping on! Stop and stare and marvel at the miracle and beauty of a sunset!

Last weekend we got away! The packing and unpacking is just a nightmare, but there were a few moments that I was able to simply ENJOY! Dinner at the Fisherman, in San Clemente… cramming my family of 6 into a 4 top corner table, to eat and watch the sunset, was amazing! We especially enjoyed how everyone clapped as the sun slipped below the horizon… like we were telling God- “good job”! We slept in foreign beds, ate at different restaurants, loaded surfboards and beach gear on top of a golf cart and drove a couple blocks to the beach. We watched some tv, ate junk food, and celebrated the life of my beautiful (now) 3 year old! With a simple birthday excursion that included Build A Bear and ice cream!

All and all… I found a moment or two to stop and smell the roses a bit! I have missed that point of view! I need to try to remember how it feels, and not be so afraid to slip on over to the slow lane more often. Before I know it, I won’t have young children anymore. I’ll be worrying about cell phones and curfews:-(

I must carpe diem! I will carpe diem! At least today!

Pictures to come soon.

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About Me- Frustrated!

This blog has been a part of my life for several years now, and I have to admit, I’m wondering if I should be trying to maintain it. I believe that the purpose of a blog is to “dialog”… not just to “monolog”.  I have put ideas and images out there for years, and I have only received a small few comments from anyone who might be reading out there.  For the past few months I have really been wondering if anyone is even out there.  Is anyone interested in what I’m posting?  So out of pure curiosity, I decided to embed a hit counter into my blog.  Over the past week, I have received thousands of hits.  That means that there are people coming to see what I have posted.  But still, very few comments.

So what do I do?

How do I make this blog more of a “dialog”?  How do I get people to leave comments?

I will mull over those questions for a while, and see what I can come up with.  If you are reading this, and you have an idea, I’d love to hear it.  Leave me a comment!

In the meanwhile, I figured I’d put it all out there.  If you are someone who knows me personally, than you may already know this, but if not, I’d like to let you all know a little bit more “About Me”!

I am a wife, mother, teacher, friend, Christian and often frustrated photographer. My husband and I live in San Diego, CA with our 3.5 children… the .5 is because we have joint custody of my 12 year old step-son, and he is only with us part time. So I suppose I should add “step-mom” to the above list too!

I have a couple of pieces of paper to prove that I went to college, one in Psychology and the other in Education.  I guess that, and a couple bucks, can buy me a cup of coffee:-)

After college I worked in youth ministry with high school students for a couple years. Then I got ants in my pants and wanted to explore the world a bit… so of course I became a flight attendant for American Airlines.  That adventure landed me in New York City for a little while. I even had a few ladies nights out at the “Windows to the World” bar at the top of the World Trade Center, prior to 911, and saw my fill of Broadway shows.

After flying around the country for few years, I decided that serving food and drinks to people and dealing with people’s drama, wasn’t what I wanted to do with this one life that I’ve been blessed with.  So I went back to school to get my teaching credential and MA.  I figured that impacting the life of a child for the good, was a great way to really make a difference.  I also figured that the schedule would be great for the family life that I hoped to have some day.

A few short years later I got married and started a family.  I continued to believe that positively influencing children’s lives is the most important thing… especially my own children.  I was blessed to stay home through my second pregnancy and the first year of my middle daughter’s life, which proved to be very necessary… because she was born with a life threatening heart defect. During those years at home, nurturing my beautiful girls, I discovered the passion within my heart… to take pictures-to celebrate life, to capture the special and not so special moments.  My passion started attracting attention and so I decided to start my own business. But photography didn’t pay the bills, so when our financial position changed, I had to go back to work outside the home.  Thank God for those pieces of paper I mentioned earlier!

Nine months a year I am a full time elementary teacher and all year long, I am a frustrated photographer.  Frustrated because I just can’t find enough time beyond my responsibilities to give to my passion.

I walk the tight rope, I balance all the responsibilities.  Just like everyone else.

I love family!

I love looking at my own family in photographs, remembering… the good, especially when things feel all gloomy and crummy. Which admittedly, happens sometimes.  I also love capturing the love and real life of other families so that they can look back and remember too!

Everyday, I try to look for the beauty, the thing I want to remember, the relationship, the look, the smile… that makes each day good.  I believe that each and every day there is some beauty, some good, something to be remembered.  Something REAL!

Something worth photographing. (although my own real life gets in the way and I don’t always find time to take those pictures)

My life, most recently, has become increasingly consumed with the precious new addition to our family.  My 4th, and youngest, was born at the end of May.  I spend long moments just staring at him, wondering what he is going to be like.  I love being a mom, I love- the love that I feel!  The deep down, rip my heart out, I don’t ever want anything bad to happen, I’d do anything for- kind of love that I feel as a mom.

Speaking of my littlest, I think I hear him stirring from his slumber.  Gotta go! I’ll leave you with a few snapshots of him from the other day, (using a timer) because a post is not much fun without pictures.

Blessings,

Katrina

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Gone… but not forgotten!

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My dad lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Friday, Feb. 12th.  I am still processing everything.  No matter how long you think you have to say things, the finality of death is always difficult.  He fought for 18 months, with my step-mother, Cheryl by his side through it all.

Over the past several months, we were able to spend some quality time with my dad, and I will forever be grateful for the time to just be with him… watching my kids interact and soaking up the beautiful sunshine.

The above photo was taken almost 2 years ago, before his diagnosis!  I love how much little Campbelle looks like her grandpa!  The “Bohn- blue eyes” live on, through the next couple of generations.

There are so many things rushing through my mind and heart as we grieve!  I think one of the most disappointing things is that he will not have the opportunity to meet his new grandson who is due in June!

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We are having an informal “Tribute” to my dad on Sunday, February 28th.  If you happen to be a close friend of the family and are interested in attending, please email me so that I can give you the details.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for my family, in this difficult time.

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Makin’ People Think is ALWAYS a good thing!!


This documentary came out a while ago, but has just recently come to my attention… so I thought I’d pass it on!

I have been thinking about food ALOT lately, with being pregnant and having young kids and my dad having cancer.  I was actually just talking to Mike the other day about food, the environment and their relationship to health overall.  I honestly feel like I’m a fairly healthy person, but I do eat my fair share of processed food and I absolutely LOVE chips… almost any kind of chip will do.  Just give me the salty crunchy goodness of a bag of salt & vinnigar chips and I’ll have a hard time being self-controlled.

I haven’t seen this movie yet, but I’m planning to watch it tonight, because I just found out that it is on Pay Per View with AT&T right now.  I’m hoping I can convince my husband to watch it too!

In general, we as a people, spend less money (proportionately) on food than ever before in history.  One person I heard from recently commented on a few rules about deciding what to eat…

1. don’t eat anything that has ingredients in it that a 3rd grader couldn’t pronounce!

2. don’t eat anything that your great-grandma wouldn’t recognize as food.

3. don’t eat anything that doesn’t die or rot!!

If this doesn’t worry you… it probably should!  Think about it!

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