kelly allen photo blog

I'm Lucky

2011-09-26T16:50:00.000-04:00

Oh this little boy. I love him. I'm lucky to have him as my little boy. He's made me into such a better person, but I guess that's just a part of becoming a mother. I'm incredibly blessed to be able to see that sweet smile every day, to hear his laugh, to see him grow and run and explore.

He was nothing but smiles for me during this little session. I don't do a lot of portrait-type sessions with him. Most of the photos we have of him are candid shot of him playing, but once a year I make the effort to do some really nice ones. I should do it more.

Simply couldn't just pick 1 of the next 4:

Yellow and Blue

2011-09-22T14:55:00.000-04:00

Probably one of my new favorite color combinations.

Ducks at the Lake

2011-08-28T14:20:00.000-04:00

We now live very close to a small lake. It's only a 2 minute drive. We've taken Leon there a few times and we've started to feed the ducks each time we go. Leon loves it. Well...he loves it if the ducks stay in the water. Sometimes they get a little aggressive about the bread and crackers we bring. Anyway, I captured our litte adventure at the lake one beautiful evening to share with all of you.

More of Sarah and John

2011-08-26T12:11:00.000-04:00

Hank

2011-08-03T19:51:00.000-04:00

My brother and his wife recently got this little guy. Isn't he so handsome? I'm not to prone to taking doggie portraits but I just couldn't help myself. I mean, look at him! He's a yorke-chihuahua mix and simply sweet and fun.

The Pool

2011-08-02T09:19:00.000-04:00

I hope you're enjoying summer! Many more posts to come.

Evie

2011-07-11T19:52:00.000-04:00

I Challenge You

2011-06-23T12:49:00.000-04:00

I challenge you to grab your camera, turn the flash off, go to a well lit room or outside, watch your beautiful kids being them kidselves and capture the beautiful moments. I promise you'll get something priceless. If you accept and do this challenge, feel free to leave a link it the comments for me to see!

See mine here

Preview: Baby Evelyne

2011-06-20T16:18:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the world, little girl!

Preview: Sarah and John

2011-06-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

Can You Feel the Love?

2011-05-19T22:10:00.000-04:00

I've known Kristen and Jordan since middle school. They've been a couple for...well, for most of the time I've known them. When Kristen asked me to do the portraits I was so excited - a beautiful family, a beautiful couple, beautiful kids, and a chance to see some old friends again - what more could I possibly ask for? I loved seeing them with their beautiful children. They were always a great couple but they seem happier, more in love, and more complete with their little munchkins around. It's so fun to see. This session was fun. It was challenging with 3 kiddos under the age of 3.5 (are we really old enough to have 3 kids????). But the challenge and imperfections of working with little kids made these pics so real and so beautiful. It really is a beautiful reflection of their family, just the way they are.

You can really feel the love!

All of these portraits were taken at my Grandpa's farm which has been in the family since the 1920's. I've always wanted to do a shoot there and this family was perfect for it. The lighting, the grass, the barn, everything turned out better than I could of hoped for. And the box car you see in some of these pics is from the late 1800's. My family got it in the late 1920's and used it for storing grain. Pretty cool, huh?

It was really important for Kristen to get some nice pics of her and Jordan since they didn't really have many.

I'm so glad we did and you'll see why.

Kim's Maternity

2011-05-18T14:43:00.004-04:00

This is my photography friend, Kim. She just had her first baby just a few days after this shoot. I did these photos with our other photography friend, Jessica. It's so much fun to have photography friends - we help each other and inspire each other. This was my first maternity shoot ever and I really enjoyed it. I hope to do more in the future. I'm so happy for Kim and Brandon. I know they're going to be wonderful parents to their new little boy, Gavin. Congrats guys!

The Harward Family

2011-05-17T11:49:00.000-04:00

Such a great, fun family with the cutest, craziest kids!

Change

2011-05-14T12:56:00.000-04:00

I'm hoping that everyone has seen a change in my photography in the last 6 months or so. I was really unhappy with my portrait work. I got burned out easily. I wasn't really enjoying it. My images were good, but not what I wanted them to be. It just wasn't working for me anymore. I slowly tried to make small changes, but it all clicked when I did this session. It was mostly by accident how perfectly the session went in so many different ways. After that, I just knew the changes that I had to make in pretty much all areas of my photography - the editing, the shoot, the preparation, the business end. Everything just started to fall into place. A lot of things have played into this change, but I think it's funny how it only took me one session to finally figure it all out. I'm hoping you can see the change - it's not dramatic by any means but it is so much more of what I want to accomplish as a photographer and artist. It's more real, more natural, more playful, more enchanting, more timeless, more passionate, more loving - all the things I want for the people I work with.

I've been so grateful for this change. I love my sessions now. I love sitting down to work on the images. I love sending out those emails to the clients to say there portraits are finally done. I really feel like I'm finding my place in this art again. I've had 5 sessions in the last month and haven't even felt a bit overwhelmed or burned out by it (and I'm 13 weeks pregnant!). My work has been therapeutic during this relocation process. It's back to the way it felt when I first started doing photography. I'm passionate about it again and I'm so thankful for it.

This is a little preview of a session I did yesterday evening. I can't wait to finish editing them and to share them all with you. Everything went so well and it was one of those sessions that I feel really shows this change in my work that's taking place.

Amanda

2011-05-11T13:46:00.000-04:00

This senior girl is such a babe, huh?

What's even more awesome is that she's probably just about as beautiful on the inside as she is on the out!

Steph Family

2011-05-09T14:21:00.000-04:00

This was such a fun session and I just love how it turned out. I'm so happy to finally share them!

Preview: Harward Family

2011-05-06T19:33:00.000-04:00

Preview: Amanda

2011-04-30T13:15:00.001-04:00

Yesterday afternoon I was lucky enough to take this beautiful girl's senior portraits.

They are gorgeous and thought I'd share a few right away:

Editing Options

2011-04-28T12:46:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd share some of my editing options for my clients so they can get a feel of what I do during my editing process. I don't do all of these. I alway do a color corrected one and then many times I'll do some sort of black and white option for some of the images

Color Corrected: usually the color is a little off, so I set it back to the way it really is. In this image, you mostly see the improvement in the train track and background. I also sometimes help out the contrast and exposure during this process.
Black and White: the tradional, classic black and white option.
Warm Tone B&W: a warmer, "browner" version of the traditional black and white.
Cross Processed: high contrast, saturated color version of the color corrected. Sometimes this option gets even funkier depending on the image. I felt this image looked better with a more subdued cross process.

Preview: This Morning

2011-04-23T13:35:00.000-04:00

This morning I had the pleasure of photographing my friend, Melissa, her beautiful kids, and her fiance. The photos are looking amazing (so excited...eek!) and wanted to give a little preview, so here you are:

P.S. Can I just say that I love my 50 mm lens, which is what I used today! I think I'd marry it if I could.

Miss Finley

2011-04-13T18:33:00.000-04:00

Man oh man. I love little girls!

Preview: Miss Finley

2011-04-11T12:07:00.000-04:00

Remember this little sweetheart? Well, I had the pleasure of photographing her again. Here is a little preview:

Wyatt, Avery, and Olivia

2011-04-08T15:03:00.000-04:00

I've never done a session like this, but I loved how it turned out. See for yourself!

Fun, fun, fun!

Preview: Wyatt

2011-04-04T13:59:00.000-04:00

I recently did a lifestyle photography shoot with this guy, his twin sister, and his cousin. I loved the way they turned out. I just can't seem to figure out if I like them in color or black&white better.

Maybe it will just have to be a tie.

More of Miss Callie

2011-03-29T17:06:00.000-04:00

She's a sweetheart.

We're going to miss...

2011-03-07T15:01:00.001-05:00

our walks on our lovely little lane.

Can't you just see how much my Leon likes it? He loves taking walks in his little red wagon (a b-day gift from the grandparents). Whenever, I stop to take a photo or to browse around, he immediately looks at me, points ahead, and says "go, go". I'm going to miss our lane with our wonderful neighbors and absolutely no traffic to worry about. I'd only be so lucky to find another neighborhood like this one.

News

2011-03-06T23:10:00.000-05:00

My husband's job is being moved to Cincinnati, OH in June. My little photography business will be moving with him (because well...I am too). I'm bummed to leave my wonderful clients behind, but excited for the new adventures that await us. Come visit me and I'll give you a deal ;) Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Sessions will be limited over the next few months but I still have some openings!

Callie Brynn

2011-02-23T12:42:00.000-05:00

New Look...

2011-02-19T19:43:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm in the process of giving this little business of mine a much needed "facelift". The easiest to start with was this ole blog and I'm loving how its turning out. It's pretty much finished but there is still a little more work to do. As you can see above, I've added pages to the blog - making it easier and more convinent for you to get to the things you wanna know or see. I think this new look is much cleaner and simplier which is exactly what I'm wanting with this makeover.

Feel free to leave a comment letting me know what you think.

A Mother's Love...

2011-02-16T19:02:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing my new beautiful niece, Callie, and her momma. I love seeing Kris, her momma, love on her. There really isn't anything like a mother's love for her children.

More to come, I promise.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T09:27:00.000-05:00

Sneak Peek: Cars!

2010-12-14T12:38:00.000-05:00

I've been working on creating these images of these vintage cars for my son's room. So fun!

More to come soon...hopefully.

Snow Cows

2010-12-09T13:29:00.001-05:00

Winter

2010-12-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

Winter showed up last week in quite a stylish fashion covering the earth in the most beautiful snow fall ever. As much as I love being outside with my little guy in the warm weather, I am really enjoying the winter this year.

Beautiful...

2010-11-22T14:55:00.001-05:00

I'm completely in love with these photographs. This is Isabella. She's beautiful, lovely, and sweet.

This is how I dream every session will turn out. I think I finally know what I want.

P.S. They're just as beautiful in color. You can view them here.

Mini Session: Andy and Emily

2010-11-16T19:02:00.000-05:00

Remember these two? Well, they are celebrating their first year of marriage in these beautiful photographs. I love that you can tell they're truly in love. OH...and I how I love (love, love, LOVE) kissing pictures!

And they're just as beautiful in color (but we particularly loved these in black and white)

Emily had this great idea of bringing this little chair for the session and I thought it was wonderful.

And the whole family:

Thanks for another beautiful session!

Mini Session: The Asay Family

2010-11-15T13:05:00.000-05:00

Remember these two little cuties? I love seeing them grow. Here are a few fav's from the Asay mini session.

Mini Session: The Ledebuhr Family

2010-11-09T13:58:00.000-05:00

I grew up with Nowelle (the momma) and her sisters. We all were like family. Can I just say it is so much fun to see her with her own family? And that Ben (the little guy) is such a CUTIE! Watch out ladies.

Mini Session: The Davis Family

2010-11-01T11:27:00.000-04:00

And my personal two favorites are these. It's perfect.

What a beautiful, wonderful family!

Mini Session: Danielle and Jason

2010-10-30T11:02:00.003-04:00

Sessions like this make me happy.

Kelcie

2010-10-26T11:55:00.001-04:00

She's a beauty, isn't she? How do I get so lucky?

Thanks Kelcie - I had a great time with you and your pics turned out fantastic!

Bloom

2010-10-22T10:52:00.000-04:00

Just a little of what I've been working on.

Curtis, Shayla, and little Dax

2010-10-19T11:37:00.000-04:00

I love a fall afternoon photo session with a beautiful family. Little Dax is about 9 months in these photographs - my absolute favorite age for so many reasons. This was a fun session with the best type of clients - ones that are willing and eager for beautiful shots, but still relaxed and laid back. It makes my job so easy.

Italia Redone

2010-10-15T12:46:00.001-04:00

I've been working on my Italia photographs in preperation to sell them. I've been spicing them up by adding textures and doing some further editing. I need some opinions. Too much, very cool? What do you think?

Sam

2010-10-14T18:21:00.000-04:00

I love photographing cutie babies. This is Sam. He is 6 months old and just darling.

I love this age and these photographs are just evidence of why.

A little walk...

2010-10-08T11:55:00.001-04:00

can lead to so many beautiful things.

Melanie and Brandon's Wedding Day

2010-10-05T14:18:00.002-04:00

Congratulations Melanie and Brandon! I'm so glad I got to be apart of your beautiful wedding day.
I hope you have an amazing "time and all eternity" together!

Pumpkin

2010-09-30T12:52:00.002-04:00

I found this small, family-friendly pumpkin patch in Brookston, Indiana called Kent's Cucubrits. It's great! You should go and support them. October just wouldn't be the same without a fun pumpkin patch like this one.

It was so much fun!

Booked!

2010-09-27T14:57:00.002-04:00

Just to let all of you know, I'm booked through October and then I'm going to be taking a few months off. It's crazy how fast spots went this fall... I'm not use to it. It's been a little overwhelming, but good too.

I'm so sorry to those who have been emailing me in hopes to have portraits done. I wish so much that I had the time to shoot and edit everyone who has been emailing me and still be a stay-at-home momma. Thanks for all your support and kind compliments. They've meant so much to me.

Isabell

2010-09-17T13:29:00.000-04:00

Oh how I love me a sweet little girl...

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

The Gibbs

2010-09-14T20:03:00.002-04:00

I love this family. It's close to time to give them their very own label on this blog. I've photographed them many times before and I never tire of it. I think this years portraits have turned out particulary beautiful. They did a great job of coordinating with each other which made the photos come together sooo nicely.

Thanks Gibbs! You guys keep in me in business. I'm so grateful for your loving example you are to me and my family. I'm so grateful that I get so share a little bit of your life with you through doing your photographs. And I'm so grateful for all the beautiful photographs I've been able to capture because of you.

Preview: Melanie and Brandon's Wedding!

2010-09-06T10:49:00.000-04:00

Freedom

2010-08-30T18:38:00.003-04:00

Freedom

Seeing how birds have such sweet freedom as they fly is such a wonder for me.

It reminds me of how amazing God is to have created such a
beautiful and amazing things as birds soaring through the sky.

Sometimes I wish I could be a bird for a day.

My Leon

2010-08-16T12:01:00.001-04:00

This my Leon. He just turned 18 months old a couple of weeks ago.

I can't believe it.

Graves Family

2010-08-12T11:56:00.000-04:00

Cathy, Brandon, and Finley were so much fun to work with. They were perfect about everything - relaxed, patient, calm, and they followed my advice. I'm in love with how their portraits turned out. Just take a look and you'll see why.

Finley - she melts my heart. I want one just like her.

Melt My Heart (Preview)

2010-08-05T21:21:00.002-04:00

Is she melting your heart already? She's been completely melting mine!

My Beautiful Nieces

2010-08-03T11:46:00.003-04:00

Last week, I was able to spend the entire week with my nieces. They usually come once or twice a year to spend some some time with me and while they're here we typically do a photo shoot. We had so much fun together. They're getting so...I don't know what word fits just right- big, older, mature, smater, funner, more beautiful. I love them with all my heart. And I'm especially in love with this year's portraits.

The Thayn Family

2010-08-02T14:01:00.003-04:00

I know the Thayn Family from my church. Jinhee (the mother) has become a good friend of mine. She's such a sweet woman with a very sweet spirit. She's also a wonderful mother. I was so happy when she asked me to take these photographs of their family. The Thayns have two year old twins who are very spirited and beautiful children. I was very pleased with the final outcome of this session. Here are a few favs:

Jinhee is Korean, so she wanted some photographs of her kids in traditional Korean dress to send to her family who still lives in Korea. These turned out so cute, especially the ones of Gavin (who was being such a good little boy).

Sunset

2010-07-22T12:44:00.002-04:00

I'm was especially grateful for this beautiful sunset yesterday evening after a very long day. It reminded me that every day comes to an end and there is always a new one waiting for us tomorrow.

New Portrait Pricing

2010-07-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

I've been making some steady changes to the business. It's a slow process but I think it will benefit my clients and myself. Some current changes I've made are to my pricing. They're still very similar but are a few changes. You can take a look here.

Tips: What to Wear

2010-07-16T12:44:00.002-04:00

# 1 Tip: Work with the photographer. Don't be afraid to ask for help and advice! That's part of their job.

General Tips for Everyone:

Wear something your comfortable in, but make sure clothing isn’t too casual. Wear clothing that is stylish but will also stand the test of time. Keep your clothing simple. Wear your hair and makeup the way you usually do. Dress in a way that will help create the feelings you want the portraits to portray. Don't be afraid of color and most importantly - have FUN!

Don’t wear busy patterns (especially more than one together). Solid colors are typically better, however there is always the exception. Wear clothes that flatter your skin tone and your body shape. Avoid wearing skirts or shorts that are too short. Avoid sleeveless shirts. Avoid shirts with writing or graphics. Try to keep in mind the setting/location and time of year that your portrait is being taken. Don’t wear busy and big jewelry that can distract from your face.

No tennis shoes unless they are fashion athletic shoes. Tennis shoes often draw attention away from the face and toward the feet. Instead wear brown or black shoes that are neutral or wear another pair of shoes that compliment the rest of your attire. Do not wear white socks.

If you wear eyeglasses, you should wear your glasses in your session, but consider asking your eye doctor for a pair of frames without lenses. This will cut down the glare that eyeglasses can cause if flash is used.

Women - bring your makeup (especially powder) and hair brush with you.
Men - remember that a fresh shave is better than a 5’Oclock shadow.

Group/Family:
Outfits don’t need to be identical or even duplicated to look good. Coordinating colors and style of dress usually works best in group portraiture. Coordinate the clothing for all subjects in a group portrait so that one person will not dominate the scene. Wear colors that complement each other. Sometimes it is best to have a color scheme of two or three different colors.

Engagement:
Bring two outfits - one casual, one dressy-causal/dressy. Outfits do not need to coordinate, however sometimes with in nice to coordinate colors. Do not wear the same style of clothing. Try to stay way from dressing in colors that contrast too much with one another.

Senior/Teenager:
Bring two or three different nice casual outfits. If desired, bring one dressier outfit. Your dress should compliment your personality. However, it is not necessary to dress in something that reflects your hobbies/extra circular activities.

Baby/Children:
Bring two or three different outfits. Dress babies/children in a way that will help create the feelings you want the portraits to portray. Outfits shouldn’t be too “babyish” (unless it is a newborn) and shouldn't have characters on it. Sometime a cute hat or other accessory can really add personality. Have FUN!

Melanie and Brandon

2010-07-12T19:17:00.003-04:00

All I can say is this:

Beautiful couple, beautiful photos, CAN'T WAIT for the wedding!

Hello Daisy

2010-07-07T12:05:00.009-04:00

There's nothing like a little daisy on a summer day to make life a little brighter.

Preview: Melanie and Brandon

2010-06-29T20:04:00.003-04:00

can't wait to finish editing!

On the dock

2010-06-25T12:58:00.006-04:00

sitting on the doc, watching the water,

and letting the time slip away.

Rosier Family

2010-06-21T11:54:00.003-04:00

With one year old twins, this session was quite the challenge for me. However, I must say that I had so much fun with these two little munckins and their parents. Their portraits turned out beautifully. I love them!

Toy Camera Vignettes

2010-06-01T14:05:00.003-04:00

I found these cool toy camera vignettes online. I love vignettes - they bring back that old camera feel from when cameras and photography were just making it's way into the world. I played around with some images just for fun. What do you think?

2010-04-26T13:06:00.004-04:00

I can still smell how lovely the fragrant was from these beautiful pink blossoms. I am still in love with how the evening sun shone through them in the most transcendent way. They're so pretty in pink - it reminds me of the simpler, more idyllic moments that we all have in our lives from time to time.

Trees in Spring Time

2010-04-18T20:34:00.005-04:00

Isn't it beautiful how trees come back to life in the spring time? It makes them a hundred times more beautiful when they wake up from their winter sleep to greet us with new blooms and life. Have I mentioned lately how much I'm enjoying the spring this year? The renewal is inspiring - more so, for me, this time around than ever before.

Dreaming of Magnolias

2010-04-13T13:15:00.004-04:00

I'm hopelessly in love with Magnolia trees and their beautiful blossoms. I've been dreaming about taking their portraits and I finally got around to it.

Blossoms of Sunshine

2010-04-05T12:39:00.003-04:00

I've feeling very greatful for warm sunshine, blue skies, and spring blossoms. It's motivating and inspiring.

Sunday Steeple

2010-03-29T09:30:00.002-04:00

Sunday's are the days we go to church to be uplifted, to praise our Lord and Savior, and to learn of His teachings. I'm grateful for Sundays even though sometimes I feel overwhelmed by them. They help me gain perspective about my life.

This is a little church in a little town that I just love. It's rundown and I don't even know if a congregation still meets there, but everytime I see it I'm filled with tranquility and hope. It's a little odd and I have no explaination for it, but that is how I feel when I see it. Maybe it reminds me of simpler times? That is something we need more of these days.

Little Dax

2010-03-25T12:23:00.004-04:00

Little Dax is one of my very good friends new little boy. These were taken about a month ago when he was only a month old. As you can see in these photographs, he is a sweetheart. I love seeing how he has grown. I also love seeing my friend love being a new mommy. It all is starting to make me a little baby hungry. SHHH...don't tell!

Schemerhorn Kids

2010-03-11T11:54:00.003-05:00

Here are a few more of my favorites with the Schemerhorn kiddos. It honestly is hard to just pick a few from this session. I LOVED working with them. They listened and were well behaved, but yet they were still so much fun. I really feel like I captured their amazing personalities in this shoot.

Brothers

2010-03-03T11:28:00.004-05:00

I love these photos of these two brothers I took a couple of weeks ago. They're so sweet and you can feel the brotherly love in them. More portraits from this session will be coming in a few days.

Vastness

2010-02-15T13:46:00.005-05:00

Many people hate Indiana for it's vast flat land...

I'm just not one of them.

more proposal pics

2010-01-12T12:08:00.002-05:00

Just for the fun of it

2010-01-10T21:03:00.001-05:00

Pics of Leon and Mommy on a boring, snowed-in day. All just for the fun of it. I love this little guy!

Getting Professional, Going Personal

2009-12-20T18:44:00.004-05:00

After giving it a lot of thought, I'm going to start a new, different blog. I will still keep this one, but it will be solely for my photography work. The new blog will be personal - family stuff, my thoughts, my personal life. No, I'm not trying to be an over achiever. There are a lot of reasons why I'm doing this. I'm not going to get into all the details but my reasons are mostly business/security reasons. I was just reading on a fellow photographer's blog about how she's had some stalker-person taking her work and claiming them as her own - INCLUDING the ones of her daughter!!! I can't imagine how frustrating, upsetting, and even creepy that would be. I just think it would be good to keep my work life and my personal life separate - you know, to be more professional. I hope you'll all visit and love my new personal blog as much as you have this one. And I certainly hope you'll continue to check this one out. I love getting feedback from you. It makes it feel like all I'm doing is worthwhile. I've certainly appreciated you.

So, just to give you a heads up this blog will be changing a bit. I hope you'll be patient with it. I'm so sorry if it takes some time. I'll be working on it the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

ALSO! I've been getting some really weird anonymous comments...does anybody know anything about them or how I can fix it? If I don't get it figured out, then I'm going to have to shut down my comments until this goes away because I DON'T LIKE IT!

The Proposal

2009-12-15T11:31:00.003-05:00

I got the opportunity to be apart of a marriage proposal the other day on a portrait shoot. Brandon called me up wanting to surprise his girlfriend. I told myself I wasn't going to do any shoots this December but I just couldn't resist being apart of this!

Doesn't he look so happy? He was pretty nervous.

Mandy was so surprised. She thought he was going to wait until the spring. She was pretty happy too!

So sweet!

Brandon was hiding the ring in this sock. The ring made this hole in this sock...luckily it didn't fall out! That would have been bad!

This is Mandy's "I can't believe you" look.

Mandy's Beautiful Ring.

Congrats you guys! Good Luck with everything!

Delay in Photo Tips!

2009-12-11T10:17:00.003-05:00

Hey Everyone! I just wanted you to know that Friday's Photo Tips will be back in January! Sorry about that! Things are just crazy right now and I don't have much time to come up with outstanding photo tips for you. But I promise when they're back they'll be AMAZING!

Photo Tip #2

2009-12-05T19:54:00.007-05:00

Hey Everybody! Sorry this is a little late. I've been feeling under the weather this last week and have been resting during my "free" time instead of doing what I need to be doing. Anyway here's tip #2. It's a little more of the technical side of things but it's worth a million bucks. I hope it makes sense...sometimes these things are kind of hard to explain!

Tip #2: ISO. Understanding how your ISO works can help your skills as a photographer whether your taking photos of your kid playing soccer or trying to capture the fireworks on 4th of July.

What is an ISO? ISO is the film's or sensor's (in digital photography) sensitivity to light. ISO is represented by a number - 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, etc. The lower the number, the less sensitive it is to light. The higher the number, the more sensitive it is to light. ISO also represents your "films" speed - how fast or slow your camera will take a photograph.

How will adjusting my ISO help me? Adjusting your ISO to the lighting your shooting in or even the subject your taking will make a huge difference in how clear your photograph will turn out.

When to use a High ISO (800 or above is considered pretty high)?

When you are in a low lit environment. Turning your ISO higher, allows the camera to take the photograph faster, eliminating the chance of blurriness or camera shake.
Higher ISO are required if you wanting to take photographs in a low lit area without a flash.
If you are taking photographs of things in motion

There is one disadvantage to using a high ISO! The higher your ISO, the more grain and noise your image will have. So, if you are in a situation where you can use a low ISO (well lit areas, low motion, still subjects) then I suggest you keep your ISO around 400 or even lower.

Here is an example of a situation I ran into when having a high ISO came in really handy - A few summers ago, I was in Italy. I was in one of Rome's many cathedrals that forbids flash photography, trying to take photographs. The problem is that most of the cathedrals aren't always radiating with light and my images were coming out blurry from my slightest movement. Bumping up my ISO, making my camera more sensitive to the available lighting and therefore bumping my shutter speed, allowed me to capture images blur free.

Here's an image from a church in Padua, Italy I was able to take using a higher ISO.

One other helpful hint: If your shutter speed is below 1/60 of a second then your chance of camera shake (blurry images) is much, much greater. Try bumping your ISO to get your shutter speed faster. OR use a tripod to stabilize your camera.

In most cases you can think of it this way: Higher ISO = Higher Shutter Speed

Most new point-and-shoot cameras have the ability to adjust your ISO. On my point-and-shoot, I have the ability to change it from normal ISO or a High ISO. All DSLR/SLR have the ability to change your ISO.

IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS! I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP!

Twins

2009-12-02T12:54:00.007-05:00

Aw, Twins! I love these two twins that I have the wonderful privilege of seeing every week at church. Wyatt and Avery are about 8-9 months old and so dang cute. I can't get enough of them. I literally would laugh out loud when I was working on some of these photos. The shoot was a challenge but I loved it. Here are some of my fav's:

Avery was very interested in my camera.

Maybe she'll have a future in photography?

Wyatt - Don't you just want to eat him up?

I LOVE this photo of Wyatt. It shows off his chubbiness so well!

Avery makes me want a little girl SOOO bad.

Doesn't she just look so sweet-hearted?

Smiling!

The Family - you gotta love Asay's

(especially when you're an Allen)

To see more of Avery and Wyatt, Click Here.

10 months old

2009-12-01T09:22:00.005-05:00

Today, Leon is 10 months old! I can hardly believe that my baby is not such a baby anymore. I'm having so much fun watching him grow and develop. He is getting such a personality.

Leon is all boy! I'm telling you, this kid loves cars, balls, dogs, his radio flyer rocket (I'll have pics and hopefully video of it soon - it is so dang cute), rough housing, being outside and all those other little boy things. He is always messy. He is always so curious. He is constantly on the move...never ever still. He hates taking naps. He usually will not cuddle with anyone except on the rare occasion - like this morning which melted his mommy's heart and made her day as he rested his head on her shoulder while she sang to him. sigh.

I took him to the doctor yesterday for another check up. He's gained a whole pound within 3 1/2 weeks of being on formula. I can see his little chubby double chin coming back and it makes me grin.

Here are a couple of family pics we recenlty had taken by Lindsay Russel who goes to church with us. More are on there way.

Things are super busy around here. And things are just going to be getting even more busy - Chritmas, kitchen makeover, Christmas decorating, much needed cleaning and organizing, editing a ton of personal photos that have been neglected over the last two months. I'll try to do a better job of posting some more pics of the kiddo...I haven't done such a good job of it lately. I have so many things I look forward to posting, so stay tuned!!!!

Friday's Photo Tips: Tip #1

2009-11-20T10:11:00.006-05:00

I know lots and lots of people LOVE photography...I do too!!! I thought it would be a fun addition to my blog to teach you some simple tricks so you can improve your photo-taking skills! However, this doesn’t mean that if you get good you get to stop hiring me! Okay? OKAY! I'll be posting these tips on Friday's as often as I can. Here I go...

Tip #1: The Rule of Thirds is an amazing but super easy trick used in design. Using this trick can make an ordinary snapshot into an interesting, beautiful photograph. The Rule of Thirds is a compositional guideline. In fact, it is probably one of easiest things you can do to make your image (weather it’s a painting, a photograph, or graphic design) better.

Here’s how you do it:

Think of your image to have a grid of 9 equally spaced squares.

When you are snapping a photo, imagine this grid in your viewfinder as you compose your image. By placing your subject or an important part of your subject on, close to, or even within one of the intersecting lines, you create greater interest, energy, and just a more creative composition for your photograph.

Here are some examples:

FYI:
1) This rule doesn’t have to apply to everything. You can totally get cool images without using it. You also use it pretty loosely and still get good images. It's just a good/easy guideline.
2) This is also a good rule to use when you are cropping an image.

Whitney - Class of 2010

2009-11-18T12:41:00.005-05:00

Remember Whitney? Here are a few more of my fav's from her senior portrait session. I have no idea how I'm going to only pic a few to put on my website. She's such a beautiful girl...which makes me job 100 times easier.

Fall Portrait Special Results

2009-11-15T16:35:00.004-05:00

You remember that big Fall Portrait Promotion I was trying out in October? Well here are some of the results.

Mandy and Brandon

Paul, Nowelle, and Ben

The Madsen Family

The Gibb Family (I love all Gibbs)!

The Henri Family

The Davis Family!

Two of the Jensen Family's kiddos.

Needless to say, it was a total success and I'll be doing it (or something similar) again next year!

Help Me! Finding a New Do...

2009-11-11T18:56:00.003-05:00

So I love having long hair, right? Right! I love it when it's down, straight, and flowing. It makes me feel gorgeous and feminine. BUT, having long hair takes time and work. I don't have the time for it right now. In the last week, I've only had time to do it once and I'm SOOO sick of wearing it back in a pony tail...it makes me feel old and ugly.

I'm thinking that I'm going to cut it. Not super short, but much shorter than what it is now. I NEED HELP. Will you please? It's been a long time since I've had short hair and an even longer time since I've had short hair that I liked! Here are a few of my ideas:

Love Kate's hair in this photo. I'd probably go just a little longer.

Very practical...I don't know, if I'm going to cut it then I want to have a little fun with it.

Love this Mandy Moore do. I usually love her hair anyway.

I don't know if I just love this because its Claire Danes & she is stunning or I just like the hair cut.

I like this alot...simple and classic but also kind of fun.

I beg you to give me your thoughts! Well, that is unless you plan on telling me to NOT cut it. Come on, help a girl out!

Preview: Whitney's Senior Pics

2009-11-07T20:15:00.006-05:00

I owe this gorgeous girl a preview of her senior pics. I had a hard time just picking out a few to edit real quick and post. I can't wait to get busy on the rest! Sorry it's taken me this long, Whitney! I hope this gives you something to look forward to.

Hopeful Relief

2009-11-06T09:03:00.004-05:00

So the last two weeks have been pretty much miserable for me, for all of us. Leon has been getting up 3, 4, 5 or even 6 times a night. He refuses to go back to bed unless I feed him. Nothing else will work. We can't hold him or rock him or bounce him back to sleep - he has to eat or he is unconsolable. It is like having a newborn again. And most days he has been a lot less happy than normal. Oh, and he won't take his pacifier! GRRRR...

We tried letting him cry it out. He cried for almost two hours. I hated every moment of it, but I was desperate. After a couple of nights of this I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I called the doctor, spoke to the nurse, and scheduled an appointment. Yesterday we went in. I found out that he has a ton of fluid in his ears (Doc said it probably caused by the snotty noise he's had for the last 3-4 weeks) and he has gained LESS than 1 pound in three months (14 lbs 7 oz @ 6 months and 15 lb 6 oz @ 9 months). No wonder he wants to eat, right? The poor kid is starving! I don't know what is up with that...maybe my milk supply is diminishing? Anyway, the doc gave us a prescription for an antibotic. We also decided that for my piece of mind and relief to wean him onto formula. We have a checkup in three weeks to check how everything is going. Man, I hope all this works. I'm so exhausted and I have so much to do (so many photos to edit, my house is pretty gross, we're getting ready to work on the kitchen). Getting some sleep and getting Leon to sleep has become an obsession I'm so tired of.

I wanted to breastfeed until Leon was 1, but to be honest I am relieved. I'm hanging on my a thread and really could use a break. I love being a mommy, but it really can be hard at moments. At first, I felt like the world's worst mom for wanting to stop but the Doc made sure to let me know that it is okay and I shouldn't feel quilty about it at all. I needed to hear that.

I tried giving Leon formula yesterday. Of course he didn't like it. I've read it takes time for them to acquire a taste for it. And it takes time to wean the right way. I'm trying to be patient. Wish me luck. Heck, pray...I am.

Kyle's also been studing like a mad man for his actuary exam coming up on Monday. I'm sooooooooo beyond ready to have my husband back.

Miss Reese

2009-11-04T20:10:00.002-05:00

This baby girl is soooo beautiful! I think she looks like the sweetest little thing with that dark hair, untouchable smooth skin, and those amazing blue eyes! And did I mention the dimples???? I'm so glad I had the pleasure of taking her portraits!

SO gorgeous...I need to get me one of these!

October, I'm missing you already

2009-11-01T18:43:00.005-05:00

October, I miss you already. You left me too fast. I'm going to miss the way you make me feel...refreshed, beautiful, determined, inspired. You're my season. I'm going to miss your golden leaves against blue staturated skies. I'm going to miss your crisp coolness with warm sunshine beams. I love that I get to break out my favorite sweaters and scarves when you come around. I love you because you make the light in the evening so perfect. October, I'm going to miss you until next year. It seems too long from now!

Dear Uncle Levi,

2009-10-27T16:19:00.003-04:00

We hope you have a great one!

Love, Leon

Kyle's Birthday

2009-10-21T20:33:00.008-04:00

Kyle's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, so we had a little family celebration at our house.

Kyle with his nieces and nephews and of course Leon. Just look at Leon...he has no interested in anything but that cake! You may not be able to see it so well in this small photo but he is going in to get some icing.

Leon loves his cousin Hadyen.

Although I clearly said "NO!", Kyle still gave Leon a little taste of some strawberry icing.

The photo business has been pretty slow this year compared to normal. I was dying to take some photos so I got these wonderful kids to help me out. I loved how they just giggled while I took this shot.

I love this one.

Cori, Christina, and Lily...who didn't really like the idea of sitting still and getting her picture taken with mommy and daddy.

Little Harrison in Leon's johnny jumper. May I remind you that Harrison is 2? He looked pretty silly but he loved it. He is so stinking adorable.

We had so much fun with everyone. It was our first time having everybody over at our house. Leon also LOVED having everyone over. He didn't whine one bit while everybody was over.

God Gave Us Families

2009-10-19T11:07:00.015-04:00

The words of the this song, sung yesterday by our Primary

children at church, keep echoing in my head:

God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be -

This is how He shares His love, for the family is of God

I'm so thankful God has given me this family.

Momma Sonny and Baby Jared

2009-10-13T09:42:00.003-04:00

I had the fortune of taking some newborn photos for my friend Sonny. I'm hoping to do some more sometime soon. Here are some of my fav's:

I also helped Sonny make a baby announcement to send out. Here is the finished product. Cute, huh?

I'm dying to do more baby/children sessions! Please contact me if you want your little ones to have some portraits taken!

4 years and forever...

2009-10-08T10:46:00.006-04:00

Today, Kyle and I are celebrating our 4 year anniversary. I truly feel so blessed to be married and sealed in the LDS temple for time and all eternity to Kyle and our little family. He makes me so incredibly happy. I couldn't ask for a better partner in this life. I'm so grateful for the love and support he gives me. He is always there, he is all I need! Thank you for making my life wonderful and so complete! I'm so glad I get to spend forever with you.

Happy 8 Months!

2009-10-01T18:53:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, my little Leon turns 8 months old! Can you believe it? I love this photograph (above) of him. It captures his silliness so well. Leon has done so much this last month: gotten his first tooth, started to army crawl, started to get on his hands and knees, and we even switched his baths to the big bathtub. He loves taking baths now. He is always in the best mood when he gets out of the bath. I love it. Just take a look at these photographs.

I just can't get enough of him when he is like this. I can't imagine life without him. He puts so many smiles on my face. I love you Leon!

Fall Portrait Special

2009-09-24T13:38:00.006-04:00

For my first promotion I'm doing something extra special. I hope you'll be interested

WHAT: Fall Portrait Special - Mini Sessions
-$20.00/20 minutes for one person* OR $35.00/30 minutes for 2-6 people
-Online proofing and purchasing at a special price** of 10-20 photographs
-Disc with copyright release of jpeg images - $20.00 each (shipping not included)

WHEN: October 17th, 2009 2:30-6:30***

WHERE: The Tippecanoe Battlefield in Battle Ground, IN

DETAILS: Sessions must be scheduled. First to call has the first choice for their session time. A limited number of sessions are available so schedule ASAP! Payment is due at the session. Personal checks and cash are acceptable. More specific details about your session will be sent to you after you have scheduled.

Contact me by email: kellyallenphotography@gmail.com or give me a call at: 765-714-6239 for questions or to schedule your mini session today.

Please feel free to send this to anyone who may be interested.

To see more of my work you can go to my website – http://kellyallenphotography.squarespace.com/

OR my proofing website –
http://kellyallenphoto.smugmug.com/

* For the $20 session, children must be able to sit up on their own. If you a wanting your child photographed, please schedule a time when they’ll be the most cheerful and cooperative.

** Special Print Prices with Lustre Finish
4x6 – $0.21
5x7 – $0.99
8x10 – $2.49
8x12 – $3.99
Other sizes and finishes are also available online at a special one-time-only price.

*** If weather permits. If weather is not cooperative, then this special will be postponed for the following weekend: October 24th, 2009 from 2:30-6:30

Get Ready to Smile

2009-09-18T14:44:00.012-04:00

Leon has been a real hoot this month. He has been making me laugh and smile like crazy. Here is some evidence:

Here is Leon laying back on his boppy with his BELOVED sippy cup watching Oprah. What is even more funny is that before I took these photos he had one leg propped up on the other.

Leon woke up with this hair do one day. We left it like this all morning. It was great.

Leon in the laundry basket. He looked so cute as Kyle gave him a little ride.

Leon is starting to get up on his hands and knees. He loves to slide around on his belly on the hard wood floors in our living room. He also just cut his first tooth (that was NOT alot of fun). I love him. He is really getting a little personality!