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)

A few weeks ago, I took my dear friend up on a play date invitation.  I know that we are always trying to make an effort to get the girls together… but somehow it doesn’t happen nearly as frequently as we would like.  I sure do hope that they will be close… even though they don’t go to school together, or play soccer, or Daisies, or… well they don’t DO anything outside of just play when we get them together.  They do have a great time when we manage to put them in the same room.

Little Cam & Liv are both starting kindergarten this year!  Whoa.  How time flies.  They were both pretty excited to take pictures together.

Eva is a little “cheese” ball.  It is hard to get a picture of her when she is not scrunching up her nose and giving you a toothy grin.  I love how Liv’s pony tails are totally crooked… and the bling around her neck. (Campbelle has Aunti M’s fancy bracelet on too.)  Notice the Princess Bell sticker on Eva’s shirt too!  These images are to be treasured as memories of today!

The girls being silly and screaming.  Funny… they do this ALL the time, but when I pointed the camera and asked them to scream… they thought it was really funny.  Campbelle hung upside down and actually wanted me to take this other picture.

Sweet, sweet Maddy.  That look!  I have seen it so many times.  Especially when she is looking and loving her kids.  She is holding a sleeping and swaddled baby Griffyn in this picture.

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.

Admittedly, I have been putting off some things, kinda like I’m in denial that I will be forced out of my home full time in a matter of days now.  I haven’t been pushing the bottle on little Griffyn because, well, come on now, who “wants” to pump and bottle feed your infant when you can just breast feed him with so much less effort.

I also have been putting off buying back to school clothes and shoes for the kids as well as some paperwork that I need to have done and submitted to start the year.  I feel like school won’t actually be starting, as long as I’m in denial about it!  But the other day, I could put things off no more. We bought school uniforms, and finally filled out all of those silly redundant forms.

I took Wesley back to school shopping last week.  It was so fun… picture me, at Ross, with all 4 kids.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love to cruz the isles of a well stocked discount store like Ross or Marshalls, just NOT WITH 4 KIDS!  Griffyn was the best one, as usual. Wesley is getting pretty self sufficient, and the girls… well they were maniacs.  I gave Wes his budget and he set out to find clothes that he liked, which consisted of some surf brand t-shirts, several pairs of skinny jeans, an adorable hat, socks, shoes, a sweatshirt and flannel.  All and all, I think he did really great for the money.

Now I just need to get some clothes that actually fit my fat- post pardem @#$!!

This picture was taken a few weeks ago, and I just love how little Griffy is looking right at the camera.  I have a zillion pictures of him on my phone, and even several lengthy videos… so that I can feel like I am with him- when I’m not.  I expect that I will be looking at those images quite a lot over the next days, weeks and months.  I sure hope I can do this!  Leaving a 3 month old in daycare feels like it’s going to KILL me.

Please forgive that this photo is not so sharp.  I did all of the set up, but my hubby actually pushed the shutter release.  The focal point seems to be set on my face and not the little man in the center ;o)  It’s still a cute pic!

I saw this bright orange shirt while were shopping at the Carlsbad outlet mall a few weeks ago. I immediately put this image of the little rocker together in my head. It took a little while to actually find time to put him into the scene, but I finally did it.
My older kids got a kick out of watching me set it all up… blankets, guitar & sock monkey! They wanted to dance around on the pretend stage too. Then I dismissed all of them to the back yard, climbed up on my ladder (literally) and snapped a few pictures on my family room floor.

I’m aiming for 12 images that I can use in a calendar for 2011. It will be so fun to look back on these ideas of what Griffyn might do, when he is big- some day! (a long time from now)

I’ll be working on a skateboarding scene soon bere, at the request of the big brother:-)