Monthly Archives: June 2009

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{Designer Spotlight: EarthGroovs}

 I can’t believe it’s June and it’s not blazing hot here in AZ!  In May it was sweltering (I was dying)  and now that June is half way over it’s weird to think that this was one of Arizona’s ‘hot summer months’.   I know I’m going to eat these words the next two months though lol.   Anyway, it’s been amazing weather.  We’ve enjoyed dinners outside, roasting marshmallows in the fire pit, going for late evening strolls while the kids go searching  for bunnies, quail,  lizards, you name it.  The desert is like a huge museum to them.  They are so curious about every cactus, every flower, every rock formation and every animal they see.  It’s really fun but I  look like a mom who doesn’t know much because I’m in awe too unable to explain the cactus, the rock formations,  and the various desert flowers.  Oh well, we’re having fun exploring.  I feel like a kid again.  This summer has been so fun!!  We’ve been doing all the fun things I remember doing during the summer as a child.  Summers to me are lots of swimming, going for bike rides, making lemonade stands, and being carefree from day to day.  That’s how our summer has been – we are spontaneous and each day is a fun new adventure.  So I’m glad that I have this time with my kids right now.   I’m savoring each and every moment!!

Photo sessions have been fun and spontaneous too, we take pictures, we stop and look at something cool on the ground or a bunny hopping by, then we shoot a few more pictures, then we discover more.  It’s made Briella excited to go on a session -we get to explore!  During this session Briella wore some of EarthGroovs very cute and funky tops.  The talent designer, Kerry, has been featured on here before and there is more to come, she’s been busy!  She offers earth-friendly & retro prints for children.  She tries  to use sustainable, natural materials whenever possible like organics & cottons in order to reduce her carbon footprint.  A very Earth friendly and environmentally conscience  boutique :)   Check out more of her styles on etsy.

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{some of this, and some of that…}

As the kids sit quietly munching on pears and watching ‘Maggie and the Ferocious Beast’ – I can quickly blog.   Ideally I prefer minimal time in front of the TV but sometimes I need to rely on my friends at ‘Noggin’ to help me out so I can get a few things done ;-)

So life has been moving fast lately which is good but makes it hard to blog and respond to e-mails.  So I’m going to work to make more time for both.  Since I haven’t been able to respond to inquires regarding my actions, future workshops, mentoring and other photography related questions, I thought I could answer them here since many of the questions were the same.

Mentoring:  I would like to offer mentoring at some point.  It would be one-on-one and involve going out on a shoot where we can work on the technical aspect of photography, I would also incorporate other aspects of the business.  Details will be firmed up as I get closer to offering this.

Actions:  This is still up for debate with me.  There are so many actions out there and the thought of adding more seems a little redundant to me.  Hmmmm….

Workshops:  Right now I don’t have plans for a workshop.  Possibly at some point but no current plans at this time.

Other questions I’m getting…

*’What camera do you photograph with and do you use fixed focal length or zoom lenses? ‘ Well, I’m a Canon girl and have had success with the 5D.   I use a variety of lenses – macro, wide-angle (both prime) but I’m obsessed to my zoom lenses.  Love the flexibility the zoom provides.  

* ‘Do you use a fill-flash or a reflector?’  I currently don’t use either.  With children’s photography it’s not practical to run around with a reflector and I find it intimidates the child and I can’t get a natural look from my subject.   And I’ve never been fond of how a fill-flash looks.  I prefer getting the exposure spot on with appropriate natural light.  

*’Do you travel for sessions?’  I will travel for sessions but plans need to be made about 6 to 8 months out since my calendar fills up quickly and travel requires early planning, weather considerations, etc.  I ask for a deposit and travel expenses to be paid.  This works best when there are 5 to 7 families wanting pictures done, then the travel  and lodging can be split.

I know I’m forgetting to include some questions and others I’ve responded to directly.  If you have any others  or any I’ve left out, please feel free to e-mail me at kara@karamayphotography.com   Thanks !!

On a personal note:  {Some of you on Facebook have already seen these. Sorry for the repeat :) }  My kids finished swim lessons (I’m thinking about having them continue but we’ll take a break for a bit before we delve into more)!!  We spent every morning at Aqua-Tots  with fabulous instructors and the kids looked forward to it each day.  Here’s some pictures of their last day!  They were so excited!

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Tyler below perfecting his backstroke.  He’s such a little fish! ;-)

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Briella below swimming to her instructor all by herself!!  Big goal met!!  And huge safety relief for mommy :)

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”NAPCP