T-Shirt Time....

My friend Bill started a screen printing venture so I asked him to print up some T-shirts for our company (I've been wanting to do it for about 3 years now). This is another Marketing strategy we hope works. We delivered the T-shirts to our CK Reps and had them take an image wearing it and send to us. It's so cool to see an idea you have in your head become a reality (that's why initiative is so vital in life). I must say, the shirts look absolutely great on the girls. You can see some of their images here. When you sign up to have your senior portraits created with us, you'll not only get a one-of-a-kind t-shirt to wear with pride, but you'll also have the coolest, most creative portraits on the planet. How cool is that?

Miss Motorcycle....

We did another session with Christian (our JM Rep). She not only dances, makes good grades in school, hunts with her dad, but also rides motorcycles. You could say she's every outdoorsman's dream. Any way, thought we'd share a short video taken with the iphone... See more of her here. Enjoy....

Lengthening Life by Pausing Moments...

We had the fortune of photographing Hannah, Mercy, and McKayla's grandparents with them when we did their family portraits recently. They will be celebrating a milestone anniversary very soon (congratulations). The images turned out fantabulous. The reason for this post is that we rarely get to photograph grandparents with their grand children. What an honor. Just think, when the girls get older they will have these cherished portraits to show their children and grand children. What a privilege it is to help preserve their family history. A camera truly does lengthen life by pausing moments.

Miss Peppie....

...Rachel is our CK Rep from Steele High School. She is full of life, energetic, boldly honest, and has a magnetic personality. She's a cheerleader at Steele high school which helps her express her geniune loyalty. And hey, she gets into the football games for free ;). Rachel wants to do something in the medical field, but she's not sure yet. Her smile is definitely contagious; it's only fitting when you're around her to laugh and smile. I will say the funniest thing (besides her expressions and mannerisms on the trampoline) is when she told us about her car, Camille (yes she named her car, doesn't everyone?). Seeing the pink printed car seats we knew we had to use them for an image. Anyway, we hope Rachel turns out to be a great rep for us this year (and I have a sneaky suspicion she will). More images of her on the site... and if you see her ask her about her rep cards, there might just be a little surprise for you if you decide to come to us for your senior portraits. As always we appreciate comments. Enjoy...

Educating America #1: Personal Project

I've been wanting to do several personal projects for the past year or two and didn't have the time. I finally got this one started and truly enjoyed the first session. God-willing, some day this will turn into a book. The purpose of this project is to promote change in society's views of educators. I want to showcase their personalities and talents, in their own environment. To show they are extraordinary, selfless human beings. Unfortunately, the perception of teachers covers a broad range of ideas, but most do not fall on the positive, respected side. I know many would say, "teachers are respected", but in reality, it's just a weak facade put up to make the system look better. The perceived persona (the views of most educated individuals) compared to the actual treatment of educators is what scientist's would call "polar opposites"; as distant as the width of the Grand Canyon. I was a teacher for 18 years so I know first hand what educators go through on a daily basis. The hours put in, the un-reimbursed expenses incurred, and the issues that educators have to deal with on a daily basis would cause most to run in the other direction (leaving the profession). The old saying goes, "those that can, DO; and those that cannot do, TEACH". Well, how about a new saying, "those that can, TEACH; and those that can't teach, DO." We need top quality educators to help bring this country back to its roots (hardwork, integrity, humility, and responsibility to name a few), and regrettably, many are being driven from the system. This is the first of hopefully many to come. Mrs. McCarthy was wonderful to work with. Her dog, Lilly, was spunky and full of personality too. Anyway, you can read more about her on the site. If you know of an educator, that truly loves their job, and that would like to take part in this project, pass this on and ask them to contact me.

Asked by a dinner guest, "what do you make?", the teacher replied, "I make a difference". As for now, when you see and educator, tell them how much you appreciate what they do. They'll love it.... As always leave us a comment...

Meaning behind the Craft...

I've been involved in two professions (education and photography) for the past 18 years and it seems that they are not ranked highly in today's modern views of professions. In education, the true rewards come later, and in photography, unless you are a celebrity in the industry, the respect levels there aren't anything to be desired. In today's world, occupations are viewed in a positive manner if they make a lot of money, make you popular (famous), or grant you some sort of power or influence. Education and photography don't make the top 100 list. Of course I see them differently. I'll use photography for example. The rewards of photography (aside from a paycheck) far outweigh the deceptive pull of riches and fame the world so desires. Eight years ago, we were commissioned to photograph a wedding. It was a small, elegant, half-day event. The fact that we exceeded the expectations of our client, solidified their loyalty and made them life-long Captured Keepsakes advocates. We have been photographing the family (newborns, birthday milestones, and family portraits) for almost a decade now. The relationship we built is one based on trust, confidence, and respect. How many occupations out there grant that kind of reward? Trust: to allow you to handle and photograph a delicate newborn? Confidence: knowing you'll do a great job with a small, transient moment? Respect: telling others about your services with high regard? We choose professions in this country based on immediate, fleeting, and deceptive criteria. Don't get me wrong, money, fame, and power does satisfy, but only for a short time period. The true rewards in life that last aren't anything you can get, it's what you give. This adds to your character, which in turn helps you treat others with more respect, making a difference, leading to true change. It impacts the world. I'll leave you with this short illustrated story. When Noah was one, we photographed him. The image below is what came from the session. That image has drawn more attention to the family and at dad's business, people can't stop talking about it. It influenced Matt so much, that we recreated it for Noah's 5 year old portraits. And we will do it again until he graduates from high school. What a privilege it is to have a profession that allows us to create something that influences others for years to come. Capturing or creating a moment that creates value in the future....how many professions can say that? I love my job.

B-Cubed (B3)...

that stands for "Brown-haired Backwoods Barbie". Serrena is our CK senior REP at San Marcos HS this school year. She's new to the area but hopefully will make many friends in the next year. The title of this blog post describes Serrena. She's drop-dead gorgeous, reminds me of a young Elizabeth Hurley (don't get a big head S ;) . She's very down-to-earth. She's simple (in the nicest way). She loves the outdoors (hunting, shooting guns, not wearing makeup, driving pickup trucks, tending farm animals, and hanging out with the boys.... ). Most importantly, she's got a great heart (mom, you must be doing something right). I know she has flaws (she's human), but when I met her, her demeanor (geniune personality) really took center stage. I mean how many people that you know that are physically attractive have a humble spirit? Most are arrogant, out-spoken, or so self-centered that you can only have a one-way conversation with them. Serrena seems well-grounded. Anyway, the one thing I regret about the session is that she didn't sing for us (she sings and plays the guitar). Serrena, next time, you can't leave without singing! We hope Serrena will be a great CK Rep for us this year (hint, hint). So if you bump into her and you're a senior, ask her to tell you about us. We'll capture your personality, preserving it in tangible form for years to come, and have fun in the process. More images of her on the site. As always, leave us a comment. Enjoy...