Danielle

Danielle's images turned out amazing!

What a fun girl to work with.

As you can tell, she looks like she has done this a million times--she comes across so naturally.

We found this great little spot with some fall colors.

Danielle, thanks for your excitement about our work.

We look forward to working with you again in the future!

Cora

I love this image of Cora in the water!!

When girls come in for a senior session, some of them aren't sure what to expect. I'm sure 50 degree water on a 60 degree day wasn't in the plans. Like Cora, most of them jump right in there and love the experience. Senior pictures only happen once!! It's all for the love of the game right?

History in the Making

The more I sat and talked with this mother and daughter, the more I was awakened to the history being recorded in this session. I know to them their lives probably seem ordinary and average, but as the session began to unfold, it was evident to me how much time and love they invested into their relationship. As I look at each captured image, it's almost as if I can imagine video clips of their life together. I was truly astounded at how much this daughter honored, respected and cared for her mother. Hands have a history too!

Throughout our lives, we all have a choice about what we put our hands to. I hope that when I look back on my life, I'll find that I have learned from this mother and daughter's example. I hope that my hands would not be idle through the years but that I would make choices to care for and nurture my relationship with my children. When life turns around on me and old age sets in, I want to look back with no regrets and enjoy the investments I made in my children.

Thank you so much for letting me share this experience with both of you. I know you never intended to walk into my studio and teach me anything, but you did. As God would have it, I walked away with many reminders about how precious and rewarding relationships between a parent and child can be!

Many blessings to you both!

As luck would have it .....

I don't really believe in luck, but I don't find it a coincidence that this family ended up having their session on a day that was as gorgeous as this one was. It is rare to have a setting as beautiful as this for portraits. What a blessing it was to share that day with them. They have been my clients since their oldest daughter was a baby. Over the years I've had a chance to get to know and love their family.

It was a very cold day so we took turns putting coats on and running back to a car to stay warm. Despite the cold, these girl did great!

Thanks again guys for allowing me to be a part of your family over the years!

I count it among my many blessings to have the opportunity to know you!!!!

Every Session has a Story!

Rarely do I ever complete a session and not have a story to tell--this session was no different.

This session tells the story of two sisters...

...and a Grandma. :o)

As a Christmas gift to her daughter, this grandma decided to arrange for her grandkids to visit(from out of town) so she could have their portraits taken. As you can tell, this day was pretty cold. We had to stop periodically so the girls could huddle under grandma's jacket to warm up.

I love this image. It wonderfully captures these little girl's personalities as they were that day. As the older sister runs off to explore, the younger one stays closer to home. As you can tell, they don't necessarily like doing the same things at the same time. :o) That always makes for an interesting session. :o)

We had so much fun playing together as we explored. We made our way down to the water and found some of the biggest leaves I think I've ever seen.

We finished off our session by making a few leaf angels.

Thanks again girls for such a fun time!

Don't Forget!!

Don't Forget!!

Christmas is just around the corner. Now is the time to get your holiday shopping done early by scheduling your portrait session - a gift that will "keep on giving" year after year.

(Unlike that tie or kitchen appliance you received last year which ended up in the yardsale. hehehehe)

Sessions are currently booking two weeks in advance. November 30th is the deadline to have your session photographed and receive your final prints back before the holidays.

ONLY 35 DAYS LEFT!!

Jess

Gorgeous!

Here is what Jess had to say about her session with us:

"Senior pictures at my school were almost boring because they were all the same. I wanted different pictures that truly represented who I am and that would stay in people's minds forever. Kim made my dream come true. I now have portraits that reflect who I am at this point in my life. I will cherish these forever." -- Jess

Every year there are a few seniors whom I meet that seem to stand out.

Jess is definately one of those girls.

I loved listening to all her plans for school and how self-disciplined she is to reach her goals. One thing I adore about Jess is her excitement for the moment. She absolutely loved her Senior Year experience; even with her portraits, she decided that once just wasn't enough. She decided to double the fun and booked two sessions with us. I really enjoyed having the extra time to visit with her!

The top two images are from her recent session and the image below is from her session this summer.

Fall...la...la...la...la

Let the Fall Season Begin!

Right now is a great time to schedule fall portraits of the whole family or just of the kids.

Kellie and Joe, who have been clients for several years, had their fall session last week. These were their first family portraits with their newborn daughter, Rylie.

We asked Kellie to share a little about her experience with our studio. Here is what she had to say:

"We have had Kim capture our family portraits since our first daughter Jordyn came into our lives three years ago. We had seen some of Kim's portraits and wanted to make sure we had portraits of our girls and our family that we could treasure for a lifetime. Our first portraits of the girls were taken when they were just a few weeks old and we will treasure them forever; along with the first pictures of us as a family."

"We never have the probem of not liking the pictures. The problem is that we like them all and have to decide which ones to pick. Kim does a wonderful job of helping us decide what shots would go well together and how to arrange them on our wall.

Kim works so well with the girls. She can make them smile and interact with her and get some of the best shots!! We like working with Kim because we get unique shots that capture the moments and expressions of each one of us."

"Jordyn enjoys being a little ham for Kim. She has gotten to know her over the past 3 years and gets excited when she knows she gets to see her for pictures. We know that Rylie will be the same way as she grows also."

"Thank you, Kim, for being patient and working with the girls to capture the moments of our family as we grow and change." --Kellie

A Lot in Common

Recently, Sarah and Jason drove in from Salem for their maternity session.

Isn't Sarah cute!! I think pregnant women are SO beautiful!!

Sara and Jason are expecting a bouncing baby boy.

We laughed so much during our session as we realized how much we all had in common. Sarah and I related really well since our husbands are similar in many respects. We also found out that we all have a love for traveling. And not just for travel.....travel with the purpose of eating at new places. I think we've decided that Alaska should be the next adventure so Jason can fish king crabs for dinner. :o)

Thanks guys for driving in. I really enjoyed getting to know you both.

I feel like you guys are old friends already.

My Favorite Little Avery

Here are some images from a recent family portraiture session we had with "My Favorite Little Avery."

She's the only little Avery I know. :o)

Every girl needs a set of these eyelashes. Aren't they gorgeous !!??

By the end of the session, like most nine month olds, Avery had pretty much had it. Although, exploring in the water seemed to keep her interested - she was amazed at her reflection.

Once again, I am blessed to have such great people in my life. Thank you Dawn and Ryan for your enthusiasm about our portraiture. I am honored that you continue driving from Jefferson City for our services and have chosen us to be your family photographer. Thanks !!

Kylie

I could tell at the beginning of the session Kylie was a little nervous (as are most seniors when we get started). She was so sweet and soft spoken but very trusting all at the same time. :o) As you can tell from the images her personality of being soft and quiet really takes form.
Here is what Kylie had to say about her experience with us.

I was nervous as to how the images were going to turn out but I knew that Kim is a great and creative photographer and that my images would turn out ok.

Every pose and place where the photos were taken were very unique and I enjoyed my session.

-- Kylie

Sammie Jo's Puppy Dog

What a hallarious session. This little pupple was EVERYWHERE !!
This session would have been a good entry for America's Funniest Home Videos. The image of Sammie shown below required both of us to lay on the rocks. As I was capturing these images and this little dog climbed right up on top of my back and began to jump and chase my pony tail. He was all over the place nipping at my hair. The more I shook my head to try to get him off the more he jumped.
I have so enjoyed working with you and your family Sammie !!

Thanks for the opportunity !

CHALLENGE: What's your Legacy?

This Nichole Nordeman video really touched my heart. (My eyes water up everytime I watch it.) In the video, she is photographing people who have in some way shown hope to others around them, and in doing so changed their outlook on life.

After watching the video, I really began to think....who has left an offering in my life and changed my legacy? Am I doing what it takes to leave the kind of legacy I want to be known for?

Here is my CHALLENGE to YOU...

Using the "comments" link in the toolbar below this blog entry, share with us a little about those individuals who have changed your outlook on life after observing their example. Just like in the video, if you were to fill a wall full of pictures with those who have changed your heart and your life, who would your wall be full of?

(In the turquoise toolbar below click on comments and another window will pop up. After typing your message in the space you can add your name or choose to remain anonymous. Lastly, retype the word verification in the blank and click publish.)

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Brittany

Click on the play button below to view a small sampling from Brittany's Portrait Session.

There are three ways to do business:
the old way, the way everyone else is doing it and the right way.


Brittany and her mom, Anna, scheduled their appointment based on a referral they received from a friend. Below is their experience with our studio. I think what they had to say speaks for itself.

"I wanted my portraits to be unique. Kim is so creative and talented. I loved every one of them." -- Brittany

"I'm glad I put my trust in Collins Photography to capture this special moment in time." -- Anna (Brittany's Mom)

Cutie Pie

What a "cutie pie" ! !

This evening I had so much fun photographing this little girl. She absolutely captured my heart. She is as sweet as she is cute.

Her Nana called me after seeing our blog with free sessions advertised. She decided to take advantage of the opportunity to get portraits ready for holiday gifts.

There were little daisies all around the location we were at. I think we smelled two dozen daisies over the course of the session.

At this age they are ALWAYS on the move. We walked around and had so much fun.

These images were created with our Pastel Finish.

Just a sidenote...

We still have a couple of individuals who want to get in on the FREE session special. To accomodate them we have decided to open up the offer for one more week. If you are interested in scheduling a session please email us using the link in the right column.

We look forward to hearing from you !!

Special Offer

Blog Special Savings !!

We will periodically be posting special offers on our blog. To stay up to date on what's going on around the studio and to get your special savings, check back often for new blogs.

This week for our first special offer, we are giving FREE portrait sessions to all our blog participants. These sessions will include several different styles to choose from and are up to a $65 value. (This is a great opportunity to get a head start on Christmas Gifts or Senior Graduation Portraits.)

This is a first come first serve offer. Sessions are limited.

Contact us by email to schedule your appointment.
(Click the link in the right column of our blog which says "email Kim".)

Some restrictions may apply. A minimum retainer is required to reserve your free session. Contact our studio for more details.

Professionals need Professionals too !

Everyone asks me who does my portraits? I always answer, "I have to comission a professional photographer too." :o)

This occasion was no different. We decided that since my husband's family was going to be together over the weekend it would be a good time to update our family portrait. Especially since we had a new addition in the family. (I'm the proud new sister-in-law to Lauren who married my husband's younger brother. I'll try to post some pictures of their wedding in Georgia on the blog soon.)

Since we were in Kentucky we made plans for our session with Tami, a professional photographer and long time friend of mine. She packed up her equipment and made the 2 hour treck to come and photograph our session. I was so excited. Not only would I get to visit with her, I got to test out her new camera too. :o)

This is Tami hanging out in the picture above while we get ready.

There was one thing I overlooked. :o) The mud. When we scouted out the location the day before the ground was soft but not muddy. The day of the session the more we got into photographing the more it was brought to my attention how muddy it was. Since I had been there the day before and everything was fine, I was a little suprised to find the conditions to be the way they were. Needless to say, on the drive home from the weekend it dawned on me - it had rained the night before our session. As you can tell.....it made for some interesting memories. You can tell by their feet in the picture above, the kids loved it. They were excited to be in their sunday clothes with permission to get dirty. :o) But I suppose Mimi, my mother in-law, said it best.....most people go to the salon and pay big money for mud masks, we got great portraits, lasting memories and a mud mask pedicure all rolled into one."

Tami is almost knee deep out in the water ready to take the pictures of my sister in-law's family. (You can see them in the background watching.) I decided to go out and join Tami in the water so I could test out her camera again. One wrong slip and I'm soaked. :o)

I just had to share this with everyone. This candid picture was taken while everyone was getting ready for the next pose. My nephew just absolutely cracked me up. You can tell he's having a blast out there giving his football touchdown peace signs on his toes.