I would venture to say that most husbands are not too keen on having professional photographs done; my husband being one of them. He doesn’t quite get why I want these done so badly. He thinks I should take them myself. But here’s the thing – I want photographs capturing us and all the fun and love and playfulness that exists in our family, not just a record of how we look at the moment. I can take photos like that of my kids and my husband, but I can’t be included in that. A tripod and timer can only capture so much “spontaneous” activity.

It’s so important to me to do this now, while Knox is still a baby, even though I still have 15 pounds to lose (and by 15 I mean 20, who am I kidding), because he’ll be one soon. He’s going to be walking soon. Brock keeps getting bigger and smarter and is losing those baby-like features. This point in our lives only exists for today; tomorrow they’re another day older. And this thought is very prevalent in my mind, morbid as it may be: What if I were to die next month, next year, tomorrow? What will my two young boys have to remember me by? A snapshot here and there of me with a baby strapped to my chest? I want them to have something to look at when they are adults and see how much I loved them, how much fun I had with them, and how happy they made me. It’s that thought that made me toss all the insecurities out the window, all the delays I could create for myself – wait ‘til I’m thinner, wait ‘til Knox walks, wait ‘til …whenever. No. Do it now because this day only exists for 24 hours. I won’t get this time back.

And speaking of back, I just pulled up this gem from a couple of months ago.

This is one of my favorites. All dressed up with 20 minutes to spare.

Wow i would love a family session for my sister, Bro-In law and their kids ( they are having a second in September). They describe themselves as the most un-photogenic people ever, so they never get photos taken, and i would love for someone to prove them wrong

I’m up for that challenge!
Thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway

Up for grabs is a 1-2 hour photo session, on-location or in your home, and a 16×20 gallery wrapped canvas. Prize is valued at $325. Great time to get those holiday portraits taken! The session must take place by December 15th, 2010 and needs to be scheduled 4 weeks in advance. I will travel up to 2 hours outside of Seattle for the session, so if you’re in Portland, or Vancouver, we can meet in the middle

You have 3 ways to enter.
1. Post a comment letting my know what type of session you’d want if you won.
2. Share this on Facebook and post another comment over here telling me you did so. While you’re over there, go ahead and “like” Ketti Photography!
3. Share this on Twitter and post another comment telling me you did so. Go ahead and follow me on Twitter too!
Each entry must have it’s own comment posted here.
Contest ends at 11:59pm Friday, July 23rd. Winner will be announced over the weekend. Might not be until Sunday, because I’m having a big party on Saturday! But who am I kidding, I’ll be so excited to see who won, I’ll probably post the winner at midnight.

(I’m also giving away a camera bag on my other website!)

Their engagement session has to be the funnest session I’ve ever had. They came prepared with some costumes and wacky ideas, and were up for anything.
Let’s just get to the goods, shall we?

We finished up the session at an Irish pub. Great way to end the day.

These are some of the whack-a-dos of the day. The stretching photo is all their idea, and I’m kinda jealous of that. So fun.

While I was down there I had the opportunity to photograph a gorgeous family. Not being from the area, they had to do their own location scouting. Kristi gave me a few places she thought would work, one being an old cemetery. Who does family photos in a cemetery?! Well, we do. It was too cool! Old, beautiful, with just a touch of creepiness. I was there a bit early walking around the old tombstones, nobody there but me and a few hundred dead people. I  started hearing a knocking sound and imagined the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, only scary. Sure it was a woodpecker, but that, along with the giant crows cawing at me, had me speed right through the old part of the cemetery and onto the way less creepy new area. And there I saw wild turkeys. Odd.

Bailey & Ryan are friends of ours who recently got married. They opted to not have the big wedding and kept it teeny tiny and super private, just like they wanted. I totally admire that. The focus can really be on the love and not the show. Though I expect a party to come!

Congratulations, guys!

My boys indulged me with a visit to the Seattle Art Museum and a nice dinner at an old favorite restaurant of mine from back in California that I just found up here. My taste buds must have drastically matured from 10 years ago because I thought it was pretty sub-par. I won’t name any names but it rhymes with confetti schmactory

In the morning I had the privilege of photographing one of my favorite families again. They are so stinkin’ cute and such fun to work with! We hit up the Bellevue Botanical Gardens which is all in bloom and just gorgeous. Enjoy!

Stacey has been a great client of mine. It was just last year that I did her maternity and newborn photographs for her second baby, and now here she is awaiting her third, a little girl. I’m so stinkin’ excited for her! As a mother of 2 boys with no plans for a third, I have somewhat mourned the fact that I won’t have a daughter of my own. I love my boys, don’t get me wrong. I LOOOOVE them. And absolutely love being the mother to two. When I see other mom’s of boys I like to observe them, in a very non-stalkerish way, and picture myself and my boys at those ages. It warms my heart to no avail. Yet still, I guess I have a dream of having a daughter to shop with or french braid her hair… Having the opportunity to watch this family as they await their daughter is a good fix. I can’t wait to photograph her. Maybe she’ll have enough hair for a teeny tiny braid…