test

test

test

test

test

test

It has been way too long since I have posted on my blog. My apologies. Senior season has arrived in full force. I have been so busy, but loving every minute of it. I only have maybe 2 open spots for afternoon sessions in September, for senior sessions. After school openings go fast, but if you are open to coming in during school hours, I can get you in September. October is filling up fast too, so if you want to get in, please don’t wait, call us today, 517-546-6654 or email me: Karina@karinagphotography.com

Here are a few shots from Cody’s full session, a couple of weeks back. You might remember him from past photos, since he is one of my Senior Model Reps for this year. Cody, I hope you got some sleep after this session
I do like how they turned out; hope you do too. More to come later. Enjoy! (Leave a comment if you like his photos.)

Cody is on Howell’s wrestling team. Be sure to go out and support him and his team this year!

And the winner of our First Pay It Forward Friday is, John L’Esperance of Howell High School, who was nominated by Nick Friend. John is the winner of a free studio and outdoor senior portrait session and a $500 portrait package! Congrats John! Thank you to all those who participated. I will definately do this again and hope others will follow!

I hope everyone will go out and do something for someone else, even in the littlest way. Pay it forward to someone else, and I guarantee you it will come back to you. God Bless!

Most people who know me, know that I absolutely LOVE what I do. Being a photographer is amazing. I love looking back at photos that I have taken, both professional and just snapshots, and remembering those moments as if I were there again. It’s all about capturing the moment, who that person is right then and there, and being able to feel it when you look at the photo. When clients contact me after viewing their photos and let me know how happy they are or how the photos made them cry, then that is when I know that all my hard work has paid off. It just truly puts a smile on my face. I just wish that everyone could enjoy and afford having custom professional photographs. I completely understand how hard times have been and still are, with the economy. We have all been there. It has been a ripple affect on us all.

I cannot imagine not having photographs of my kids, especially high school senior photos. My oldest two kids are ready to embark onto the real world, getting ready to spread their wings and fly, soar to their future. And I want to have documentation of who they are today, to be able to look back on those photographs of my babies and smile or cry. Unfortunately, there are others who won’t be able to do this due to finances or personal circumstances. So, I want to help. I have thought about doing this for some time now, but a good friend of mine, Marci Ralph, who recently did this too, encouraged me to follow through. So here we go. I am announcing my first PAY IT FORWARD FRIDAY giveaway to a deserving 2011 graduating high school senior!! The giveaway will include a full senior session, studio and outdoors (1.5 hours) and a $500 portrait package!

Here’s how it will work: There are too many circumstances that can prevent one from getting senior portraits done. A family provider could be laid off, there could be medical issues in the family, or just plain having financial setbacks. Tell me about it. Are you a 2011 Senior who deserves this opportunity? Tell me why and nominate yourself. Do you know someone who deserves this but might be a bit humble to tell me their story? Nominate them by telling me their story and why they deserve this. I want all high school seniors to have photographs to capture their memories of today! They all have the right to enjoy the experience of having their senior photos taken, in a studio who really cares about them, who wants to laugh with them and help make their senior year memorable! Send me an email to karina@karinagphotography.com and in the subject line put Pay it Forward Friday Seniors and then tell me your story, at least a few paragraphs (not pages please), then their name, high school they attend, and city they live in and who is nominating them and relationship to them. All entries must be in by next Thursday, May 20, 2010. We will review all nominations and the winner will be announced here on our blog and on Facebook next Friday, May 21st, hence the name Pay it Foward FRIDAY!!! The senior photo session will take place in June or July of 2010.

I look forward to reading the entries. Now go and do something nice for someone, pay it forward; it will always come back to you!

I photographed a last minute 2010 senior a couple of weeks ago and I am so glad I could get her in. Jordyn came to Karina G Photography all the way from Garden City! I love how I am getting clients from different cities and distances; it really makes me feel great knowing my work is making its way throughout Michigan. Jordyn was supposed to have some fall photos taken, but the weather didn’t cooperate and then life got in the way. We finally got her and her mother here and I was so pleased how her session turned out. She is not only beautiful, but a pretty smart student and dancer. Oh yes, Jordyn also is not afraid of snakes…hence the photo below where she happily picked up the friendly snake we discovered during the outdoor session. EEEWWW! Thanks for putting up with my phobias Jordyn, you truly are a brave soul! I wish you only the best Jordyn and congratulations! Thank you for choosing Karina G Photography for your senior photos.

And here she is with the snake. I figured I’d better photograph it because I will never be that close to a snake again! lol

First, bare with me as you read this post. I have to admit, this all may be odd to blog about, but in this day and age, when you want someone to “listen” to you, it often calls for “typing” it out. And so today, this is how I will do it.

It is hard to believe that 17 years ago today, at 9:11 a.m., our little princess Kayla was born. Looking back through the memories, through photos of course, I honestly do not know where the time went. Kayla was born strong and determined, confident she could accomplish anything she set her mind too. “Anything her brother Nathan could do, she could do better”; that was her motto. Lenny and I loved watching the two of them grow up so close in age because they were the best of friends; but like most friendships, there were ups and downs. But eventually they would find their way back to each other, happy as can be. Kayla has brought so much laughter and joy to this family, and looking back, I love to remember the times I spent dancing with her, hugging and kissing her, when she really didn’t care who was watching. Those were some of the best times of my life; being her mother and her best friend. If I could have bottled those special moments up to hold on to forever, and bring them back out when times were tough, I would. Relationships get complicated, for many different reasons; and not having control over that is a very hard thing to deal with. I guess growing up I never realized how hard being a mother would be, not just dealing with all that came with children, but the heartache that came with every little thing your child, your baby, ever would go through.

Kayla has grown up to be such a beautiful young lady, one who my husband still doesn’t want to see as a young woman. He, as well as I, will always look at her as the spunky little girl who would dress up in my shoes and clothes and sing the ANNIE song for money. She will always be our little princess who loved to wrestle and beat up her brother, or jump off of ledges and sprain her ankle just to say she did it. Even though we don’t always see eye to eye all the time, we will always love her: we love you Kayla. Being a teenager now is much more difficult then when we were in school; way tougher. There is way more ugly out in the world unfortunately, and as your parents we can’t always be there to protect you from all of it. We try, oh how we try. It is so not easy for us, for any parent to see that it is not up to us anymore. The hardest thing a parent has to do is let go. And right now, I am not ready. Don’t think I ever will be. It hurts too much. BUT, I am open to talking about it, and trying to get comfortable with just the thought of it. GASP, that is hard to even think of. But Kayla, you are and have always been the most important thing to us, yes, along with your brother and sister; period. Today, tomorrow and forever, you will always be our baby, our little girl. We hope that life brings you only the best things, and that you will truly follow your heart and your dreams, but most of all that you will believe in yourself and in us. I know to you it may not always seem fair, and that I do make mistakes and am not the perfect mother, but Kayla honey, please trust in God and in the love that dad and I have for you.

We know that the future is yours for the taking. I can promise you that we will always be here for you, no matter how complicated things may be; we will ALWAYS be here for you. Happy 17th Birthday Kayla!
Always, Mommy’s Little Angel! WE love you, MOM & DAD

Here’s Kayla and I 17 years ago.

Below, Kayla today