LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin: 10-24-2010

Greetings!

LIVESTRONG Challenge Austin is coming up next weekend, October 23-24.  I became involved with this event two years ago, right after I rekindled my passion for riding my bike.  It's kind of a funny story.....I got my old mountain bike tuned up one day in the spring of 2008, and my husband said something like, oh that's silly, you won't ride that bike six times this year.  My response: GAME ON.  I think I rode just about every day that summer, and I decided very quickly that I wanted to ride in the 2008 LIVESTRONG Challenge.  John noticed how serious I was, so he got me a dream bike for my birthday that October.  I only had a few weeks to get used to it, but WOW, once I figured out how to unclip without falling over, I was hooked.  I registered to ride 45 miles, and I think I raised about $1500, which earned me a really cool LIVESTRONG messenger bag (which I now use to tote my giggle-inducing props to photo sessions).  The ride started out very well and I guessed it would take me about three hours to finish.  Oops.  I missed my turn for the 45-mile route and ended up riding 65 miles in the beautiful Texas Hill Country around Dripping Springs.  And I loved every minute of it.

This particular ride is my favorite of all the distance rides I've done, not only because it's a beautiful, well-managed ride, nor because of the cause I'm supporting (although both of these are good reasons to participate).  This ride is my favorite because I do it in honor of and in memory of many loved ones affected by cancer.  It is one way for me to connect deeply with them.  I lost my mom to breast cancer in 1986, when I was just 17, and of course she is my # 1 "In Memoriam."  I can still hear her voice and her distinct laugh in my memories.  Shortly before my first LIVESTRONG ride, I also lost a dear friend, Keri, who was my college roommate for a year and a half.  She succumbed to colon cancer just weeks before her 40th birthday.  And I can't forget my next-door neighbor, Bob, who was like a grandfather to me.  He passed away in the mid-80's when I was barely a teenager.  These are people who influenced my life tremendously and I am grateful for having known and loved them.

On a happier note, I have two girlfriends whose battles with cancer have brought me closer to them, and they are doing quite well today.  My friend Michelle is a Stage 4 breast cancer survivor who just passed her 5-year mark since diagnosis, and she also celebrated her 38th birthday over the summer.  My friend Traci is in remission from breast and thyroid cancers, and she recently went through surgery to get her "noobies."  Both of these fine women are wives, mothers and bright, beautiful shining stars who inspire their friends and families on a daily basis.  The photo below is of me with both of them at Michelle's surprise party in July.  They are a huge reason why this ride is so important to me.

In addition to Mom, Keri, Bob, Michelle and Traci, I wear or carry with me the names of several others who fuel my desire to ride.  Just today I added one to my list, a baby boy in Amarillo named Maverick, who was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma at 3 weeks of age.  Bless his heart.

For those of you who want to donate, please visit my personal donation page by clicking here.  I thank you for whatever amount you can give.  To everyone out there, please pray that we find a cure soon!

In my usual fashion, I am up again way past my bedtime.  So I guess I'll peel myself away from my computer and get some sleep.  I am such a night owl.

Until next time,
LIVE STRONG!
Kim

Tofino, BC, August 2010

Howdy!

I haven't blogged in awhile and remembered that I was supposed to post some vacation shots from this summer.  I still have a ton to sift through, but I was able to squeeze in this collage, which has a little of this and a little of that from Vancouver Island's western coast.  I'm going to print this one for my husband's office......his company sponsored this trip so I think it's fitting for him to have a nice visual memory of it.  It was such a beautiful, healthy place, although it was a bit chilly.  And yes, that starfish really was bright purple!

Some more recent excitement: Austin Humane Society's "Star Search" for the AHS 2011 Calendar -- please vote for my dog, Lucky!  Just go to the AHS home page....click here and then click on the Star Search link at the bottom of the page.  You can scroll down to see Lucky and read her bio, and voting is a simple click and you're done.  I am volunteering my services to AHS and will be photographing at least one of the winners sometime next week!

Next up: information on the LiveStrong Challenge, which happens the weekend of October 23-24.  I am planning to participate in the bike ride on the 24th, riding either 45 miles or 65 miles.  I need to raise a minimum of $250 to participate, and I'll include a link to my fund raising page next time I post here.

It's waaaayyyy past my bedtime, so nighty-night!
K

Gorgeous Gals / Austin Family Photographer

Hello my blog readers,
It's been awhile since I've posted because I've been playing catch-up and enduring some unwanted but necessary equipment maintenance.  My focus has been on adequate storage and backup, which means several terabytes more than what I really need, but it's the only way I truly feel "safe" and able to stand behind my policy of holding onto my client images indefinitely.  I found a fantastic IT guy who has been a tremendous help to me, and I am grateful beyond words -- thank you Joseph!!!
 
Anyway, the title of this post is "Gorgeous Gals" which I am sure you will agree fits beautifully (pun intended).  I promised my client that I would show her the difference between sftc (straight from the camera) and "the works"....not that these gals needed much of it.  All I did was punch up the contrast and sharpness a bit, clean up some flyaway hairs, tone down the undereye shadows (which EVERYONE has, even little babies), and enhance their eyes and smiles (just barely).  Plus I added some vignetting around the edges (which has nothing to do with the subjects).  I captured this one with my 50mm/1.8 lens (which makes it more like 65mm on my camera) at f/3.2 in natural light with no other equipment.  Don't remember the shutter speed, but as you can see it's exposed well and the original looks pretty darn good on its own.  Be sure to click on the image so you can see the enhancement details (it will pop up to a larger size).

I absolutely LOVE this image, not only because these girls are so easy on the eyes, but also because I believe it represents my style very well -- these girls were obviously ready to have their picture taken, and you can tell they were happy and enjoying the moment.  That is my goal every time: that my subjects are willing, but more importantly that they are enjoying themselves.

In my last post I said I would post some images from my family travels, which will come shortly.  I think I have around 800+ images to sift through -- yikes!

Until next time, I hope my fellow Austinites are enjoying all of this post-storm green-ness.  I think I've run our sprinklers a total of 6 times since last summer!

"Cousin to cousin we'll always be
Special friends from the same family tree."
~unknown

Yours,
Kim

Quick Update / Austin Children's Photographer

Greetings from Tofino, Vancouver Island!

Just wanted to post a quick update. Traveling for the rest of the summer with my family, have my iPad with me and quite surprised to be getting a signal at the moment...my husband has been getting spotty service where we are, so of course I assumed it would be the same for me; he has broadband and I only have wifi. I am not moving one inch!

The kiddos start school on the 23rd so I'll be back in full swing in a few weeks. Those of you waiting on your orders will receive top priority. I thank you for your patience!

Next time I'll post some travel shots. Tofino is gorgeous, especially when the sun is out (an infrequent occurrence from what I gather). Next stop: Curacao. It is due to my husband's hard work and extensive business travel that we're able to take these trips this year...thank you John!

Until next time, wishing all of you a pleasant August.
K

LUCKY DOG / Austin Pet Photographer

Salutations!

I've been talking about our new dog, Lucky, a lot, and it's about time I showed her off.  We've had her for six weeks and I have to say, she is one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met.  We saw her at the Austin Humane Society when we went to visit some rescue Chihuahuas on a whim.  After a successful meet & greet with our other two canine companions, Chief and Gypsy, we brought her home less than a week after meeting her.  Not sure what breed she is -- our vet* says she's a straight-up mutt -- but I suspect she's got a little bit of Lab in her, maybe part hound, too.  She is super-smart and I just love her to pieces!  Isn't she gorgeous?

*if you're looking for a fabulous vet, we LOVE ours: Star of Texas Veterinary Hospital.

I hope all of you are having a good summer and enjoying this small respite from the heat!

Kim

P.S. be sure to click on the image so you can see the whole collage....for some reason it's appearing to be cut off on the right side.

The Miracle 2011 / Austin Children's Photographer

I am excited to be on the photographer team again this year for The Miracle Book, benefiting Dell Children's Medical Center. 

 
The Miracle is a coffee table style photo book/calendar that is filled with professionally photographed images of children, grandchildren, families, pets, business donors, and patients and staff at Dell Children's Medical Center.  To secure a page in The Miracle 2011, please visit www.childrensaustin.org/cmcf/themiracle.  Each page is $500, which includes a complimentary session with a participating photographer, who will submit your favorite image to be printed on your page.  It also includes a copy of the book itself.  Additional copies are $80 each.


I am thrilled with how well this year's book turned out!  It was such fun to see it for the first time -- I love looking at all the beautiful shots of so many cute kids, many of whom I have known for years.  This year I am planning to offer a special portrait package to donors who choose me for their Miracle image(s).....we usually finish around holiday portrait time, so this package will include display prints and holiday cards.  It's my way to say thank you for choosing me and for donating to this worthy cause.


We are so fortunate to have this fantastic children's hospital right here in Austin.  It has become my "official" way to give back through my art and my business.




Until my next post, I hope you are enjoying this gorgeous weather!
K

MIA or AWOL? / Austin Children's Photographer

Kim has...


a. been hiding under a rock


b. moved to Bora Bora.


c. been trapped under something heavy.


d. lost her mind


e. none of the above


Who besides me is completely amazed that we are already ONE THIRD into 2010?! I cannot believe that my last post was in December. Life has been happening while making other plans. However, despite the lack of timely updates, I am keeping my promise: I said my next post (this one) would include the images that were selected for the 2010 Miracle Book. It was unveiled in January at the DCMC gala, so I am certain that all donors have received their copies by now. ; )


Don't you agree that all of these kiddos fall into the category of "eye candy"? (And the grown-ups look quite smashing themselves!)

  BTW, if you chose option "d" above.....you would be partly correct. After an exceedingly busy fall season I went into hibernation for awhile to keep my sanity. Break time often results in fresh creativity, so keep checking back for new visual treats and special offers. I'm making a new promise right now (as much to myself as to my readers): more frequent updates!



QUOTE FOR THE DAY: "Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got."
(Janis Joplin)



'Til next time, may you see the beauty in ordinary things............
K