A Glimpse into the Lives of Our Military Families #1 Guest blogger Stephanie
When I had the idea to have some of Operation Love (OpLove) clients write guest blogs on here, I was stoked at the response. Several of my clients responded saying they would love to write about their experiences dealing with deployments and their experience with me, their OpLove photographer. My hope with these guest blogs is to help others who might be going through deployments of their own, whether it is their first or tenth, by reminding them that they are not alone in what they are dealing with, and perhaps even helping them deal with any issues that they might be having while their loved one is away in a dangerous place. I know that several of my OpLove clients who have become my friends have been instrumental in helping me navigate this new world as I found myself dating someone in the military. (I might even share my own story at some point) If we even help one person with these blogs then we have been successful. I would also like to give the general public a view into what our military families go through and the sacrifices they make. So many people have no idea, I know I didn’t before I got involved with OpLove. By putting a more human face on our military I am hoping that there will be more compassion and respect for the men and women who live their life every day working for our government with little to no rewards, just because they believe in what they do. So please welcome Stephanie, my first guest blogger. Be forewarned, I had tears running down my face as I was reading it, so you might want to have some tissues handy. Thank you so much Stephanie for sharing your heart and soul with us.
“When Shauna asked for guest bloggers I was hesitant at first, but after she explained it might help other families I figured I would give it a shot. My name is Stephanie and my husband’s name is Rob. We have a beautiful 18 month old daughter, Sophia. Rob joined the military in 2003, officially started everything in 2004, so he has given the Army over 9 years of his life now.
I first met Rob on an online dating site back in 2008 during his 2nd deployment to Afghanistan. We started exchanging e-mails and talked as often as possible. I remember being so nervous for our first Skype date. We started talking almost nonstop at the end of his deployment when he arrived back at his base in Vicenza, Italy. He was due to visit back home, we both coincidentally were from the same home town in Michigan, and we had plans to get together. For some reason, we did not end up meeting then, and stopped talking.
Fast forward to 2010, during his 3rd deployment to Afghanistan, we reconnected and haven’t stopped talking since. When he got back to Italy in December of 2010, he flew me out to meet him. Everything from that point on has been a whirlwind! December 2010 included me flying to Italy, an engagement in Venice, and me flying back home. When Rob came home on his PCS leave in February, we got married. We had a JOP wedding on February 11, 2011. I found out exactly a month later that I was pregnant with our daughter, and just 6 days after that I moved to WA state to be with him. July 1, 2011 we flew to MI to have our big wedding ceremony with family and friends. We had our daughter in November 2011, and thankfully Rob got to be there for her birth.
We knew a deployment was coming, and when we first got word, the original date was in November 2011. I was so relieved to hear the date had been pushed back and he wouldn’t miss our daughter’s birth. We had at least 6 months to prepare for the deployment. I tried to keep the fears and worries in the back of my head, but they always managed to sneak up on me. At first I feared him missing Sophia’s birth, and then I just didn’t want him to miss out on her life. We spent as much free time as possible together and I took probably a thousand pictures. I wanted as many pictures as possible of Sophia & Rob together, just in case. I wanted to remember every detail of him, every crease, the way he smiled, his gorgeous blue eyes. I even took videos, just to have his voice recorded. The week before Rob leaving was so stressful and went faster than I had imagined. We packed up our house on base, put everything in storage, flew our Dog to MI, and lived in a hotel for a week. At the end of March Rob deployed to Afghanistan for the 4th time. Watching him walk down that hotel hallway was so hard. I felt like half my heart was leaving my soul. Sophia was just over 4 months old when he left. I flew home to live with my parents the next day.
During the deployment, we were able to skype about once a week and I would get a phone call as often as he possibly could, unless he was out on missions. I think that Sophia hearing his voice truly helped her remember who he was. Since she was so young, I didn’t do any special countdown or anything. I tried to include her in the care packages as much as possible, I would have her finger paint pictures for him, or I would put her hand and feet prints on the outside of his boxes. The deployment was rough, but I think I would have had way more breakdowns if I would’ve stayed on the base alone with our daughter. Rob missed every single one of Sophia’s firsts. He missed her first word (which was Dada), first time eating baby food/real food, first time crawling, first time on a boat, first time on a swing, first time camping, first steps, and he missed her first birthday by just one week. I was able to capture most of those firsts for him, and I still remember being on skype and watching his face light up to see his baby girl walking. His pride radiated through his smile. I have no idea how he stayed so strong, but I know he had to in order to be able to focus on his tasks at hand. While he was gone, I had us on a waiting list for a different housing neighborhood on base, and received a call that it would be ready in October. I started packing and getting things ready to move back to WA and wait for my husband to be home. My mom flew back with my daughter, our dog, and I on October 10th and we moved everything into the house over the weekend before she had to fly back to MI to return to work. Without her, I could not have got the house ready for Rob.
I had messaged Shauna to let her know he would be back soon. The date of course kept changing, but once Rob told me the date, it surprisingly didn’t change. In November 2012, after an 8 month old deployment, Rob was back in WA state and so close to us. I remember sitting there with Shauna and telling her he landed and it was just so crazy to know he was on the other side of base, but I wouldn’t be able to see him for a few hours. Sophia finally got to see her Daddy again around 9:45 p.m. that night. She slept through the whole ceremony, and through our first embrace and first kiss. The feeling of seeing your husband again after so long, is so unreal. I was filled with such angst and nervousness waiting for the ceremony to begin. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience another first kiss with my husband. I am so grateful for Shauna to have been there to capture those moments of us reconnecting. You can see my face visibly change in the pictures. A huge weight was immediately lifted off my shoulders the second I could touch my husband again. It isn’t real until you touch them. That moment you can feel for yourself that he is back and he is safe, is just so amazing. It’s a feeling like no other, and it is so indescribable.
Having those predeployment pictures to look at from time to time helped tremendously with my feelings. If I was down, or just needed to see a picture of Sophia & Rob together, I would look through our session and just smile. I know Rob enjoyed receiving the scrapbook that Shauna took the time to put together for him, and we still have it and look through it. Shauna has been such a joy to work with, and I’m so glad that our relationship has turned into a friendship that I will cherish forever. I love being able to look through our homecoming pictures any time I need a reminder of just how deep Rob & my love really is. You can feel the love and see the joy in the photos. Sometimes things get rough, but I really can’t imagine my life any differently. “
Rob and Sophia during our OpLove pre-deployment session
Bittersweet moments together knowing they will soon be apart for 8 months
A very happy Rob hugging his ladies for the first time in 8 months
“First kiss”
A relieved and emotional Momma
Look for more guest bloggers in the coming weeks. Please feel free to share these stories with anyone who you think might need them. They are meant to help with compassion, understanding and the reminder that those dealing with deployments of their own are never alone. If you are a military family with someone about to deploy, look for an OpLove in your area by going to http://www.oplove.org Or if you are a photographer looking to volunteer your services, check out the site. We can always use more amazing talent.
Rob and Sophia four months after the deployment. She is in love with her dad.
A family reunited again.
Changes are coming….and I’m ready?
My stairs in the springtime
Today as I was running my stairs I began to get nostalgic and a bit sad. Which was frustrating since I came to run in order to get rid of the emotions and anxiety that I had woken up with. But then I realized it made sense to get sad. I am realizing that in a month I will no longer be here, running these stairs on a twice weekly basis. Now before you judge me for being overly emotional about some stairs, think about this. For almost a year I have been coming here not only for exercise, but for inspiration, motivation and salvation. I have come here when I am sad, irritated, frustrated, unmotivated and when I just need to get out of the house, knowing that by running these stairs with their amazing view I would leave feeling refreshed, stronger, happier and inspired. In this past year, not only have I gained physical strength and left 20 pounds behind on these stairs, but my entire being has grown and bloomed, become stronger and more positive, and I have come into my own. These stairs have helped me keep my sanity through 8 months of being away from someone I care about more with each passing day, and helped keep me from worrying about him while he was in unsafe places. They have kept me going on those days when I just felt overwhelmed by my life and everything that I have to get done on a daily basis. The day that my sweet Jasmine kitty died, I came and ran these stairs in the pouring rain, my tears mingling with the rain as I did set after set, trying to rid myself of the pain. Afterwards I stood in that same rain saying goodbye to my 7 year companion while watching the rainrops hit the Sound. I have written my most inspired blog posts (including this one) on a bench near the stairs, after composing them in my head while running. I would then sit down and look at the view while I would write on whatever random pieces of paper I could find in my car, wanting to get the words down before I lost the inspiration. So yes. I am going to miss these stairs and this vista. With everything that they have done for me in this past year it is a little like saying goodbye to an old friend.
I’m going to miss this view from my “writing” bench
One of the days I was rewarded by an amazing sunset.
Early morning sunshine
The bottom…where I start pep talking myself…
I am very excited about this move, but at the same time overwhelmed at everything I need to get done to make it happen while still working two part time jobs, doing photo shoots (two boudoir sessions this weekend and an OpLove homecoming this week!) and editing those shoots. There is also that fear of the unknown adding to that. I have lived in North Seattle for the 6 years that I have lived in Seattle. I love the area, love being close to my brother and niece, and close to the ferry where my parents come in. I have my favorite beaches to relax on, and know all the back roads and alternative routes to avoid traffic. So it makes it tough to think about moving. However the fact that I have a lot of people down south who are excited about me being closer certainly makes it easier. A lot easier. The love I felt when I posted about the move reminded me that this is definitely a good thing. A very good thing. And honestly I believe it is meant to be. I have been struggling with my rent and ready for a change for a while now, and I when I put it out into the Universe (and my friends) that I wanted a house, with a yard, several bedrooms and a garage for a very small price, most people snorted and said “good luck with that!” But I kept putting it out there, and recently when I posted yet again, a friend saw it and proposed this place. It even has lilac bushes (my favorite flower) and a view of Mt Rainier. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. She had tenants leave a week before my post and they were trying to figure out what to do. At the same time I was waking up in the middle of the night stressing about paying rent. So yes, I believe that this move is meant to be. This deal could have happened just as easily up here in my comfort zone, but it didn’t. I believe that moving South will bring good things for me, my business, my growth and my personal life. Who knows, perhaps I will even have a social life outside of hockey. 🙂 So yes. I will really miss my stairs and everything they represent. And I will miss being two miles away from my family, but this is a new adventure that is bringing good things. I will just have to find a different set of stairs near my new home to help inspire me and continue my growth, and my family will just have to come south and enjoy some time in my new home. As I wrote this on my bench, the fog lifted and the sun came out, and with it I felt my spirits lift as I got these thoughts on paper and out of my head. Just like everything else I can handle this and it will bring me down another new and exciting road. Thanks for reading, and I promise, my next post will be related to photography.
Days Like Today
Days like today remind me of why started my own business. Days like today remind me that I am talented, and that my passion for what I do comes through in my work. Days like today make everything worth it, the financial struggles, working two part time jobs to support my photography business while it grows, the hours spent in front of the computer, and the hours and gas spent driving all over the place to take my photos. Days like today I KNOW that this is what I am supposed to do.
You might ask what happened today to put a huge smile on my face and remind me of all of these things? Well, let me tell you. One of my photos that I took at a military homecoming on Thursday was shared by King 5 on their Facebook page. I was so excited that they would be sharing it, knowing that it would probably make a couple of people smile like it does for me, and invoke that tear jerking emotion that it is meant to do. The photo is of a soldier meeting his two month old for the first time. Until that moment he had only met him via Skype and the photos that his wife sent to him. I am sure those photos and skype sessions were what held him over these last few months while he was in a war zone serving his country. And Thursday I got to not only see him meet Ryan Jr for the first time, but I was able to capture that moment for them to have forever, and share it on Facebook for his friends and family to be able to have that moment as well. So when King 5 told me that they would be sharing it on their Facebook page as one of their favorite photos of the week I was stoked. I was happy that others would be able to see that joy as well, and hoped that it would remind people of the sacrifice our soldiers make every time they deploy. The miss births, first steps, first words, birthdays, first soccer games and more. All to serve their country and help keep us safe. These sacrifices are the reason that I started volunteering for Operation Love ReUnited (www.oplove.org) in the first place. To be able to give back if only in a small way to these families who give so much for their country. I LOVE what I do with this organization, and have not only touched families with the photos I have gotten, but I have made friends who have in turn helped support me as I am suddenly going through deployments in my own relationship; helping me to navigate a world that until recently was completely unknown to me. I am beyond overwhelmed and humbled by the response to my photo on the King 5 Facebook page. As of now there are over 800 “likes” on the photo and 115 shares. I am blown away, and so happy that I am practically buzzing, walking around with a giant goofy grin on my face. The reactions by complete strangers to this photo that I poured my heart and soul into solidify why I do what I do, and makes all the struggles to get where I am today (and any I will face in the future) more than worth it.
(the link to my photo on their page)
In addition to the response on the King 5 page, I have also received heartwarming messages from an OpLove client, as well as the sister in law of the soldier from the photo I took on Thursday. These messages both made me cry, and once again make me so happy have found OpLove and can be involved in these families’ lives in such an amazing way. Here are those posts….crying yet?
“Kruse images.. u rock.. so happy to see my baby sister.. my brother in law.. and their children.. you are a blessing to our family.. words truly can’t express our gratitude …especially those of us that couldn’t make it to Washington to see his homecoming …again.. thank you from the bottom of our hearts.. your photos allowed us a beautiful view into what transpired …may God Bless you and the work u do!!!!”
“Shauna I just want to say I am so so very thankful for your Op Love participation! You have brought so much joy to our family by sharing your talent and ability to capture “us” in the moments that mean so much to our family! As we get closer to the end of yet, another deployment, we are able to look back at those pictures and moments and see just how far we have come in our love for each other! Thank you isn’t enough! Keep touching lives! God Bless!”
The first message is one of the reasons I love Facebook. By taking the photos from the homecomings, and posting them on my business page, (www.facebook.com/KruseImagesandPhotography) the friends and family who weren’t able to be there still get to “see” the reunion through my photos and feel some of the emotion that was present at the ceremony. And the second message makes me cry every time I read it, coming from a family who I have done homecoming photos and pre-deployment photos for, and who will welcome their sailor home this coming week.
So today I will continue to edit photos on my couch on another exciting Saturday night, but I will be doing so with a big sh** eating grin on my face, and a smile in my heart, knowing that today I made a difference. Today I made a lot of people smile with tears in their eyes because they viewed a photo that I took. Today I was reminded of my passion for what I do. Today I was reminded that it is all worth it. And that makes all the difference.
The “H” Family
A little over a year ago I received an email from Stephanie asking if I could do some pre-deployment photos for her and her family since her husband would be deploying for 9 months. Of course I said yes, and on a grey day we met at Owens Beach to get some photos of her little family. These photos were fun, but there was also a tint of sadness to them since they would soon be saying goodbye to Rob for nine months, so the grey day seemed the perfect setting. I remember it was raining when we all got to the site, it stopped long enough for us to take photos, then started pouring again as soon as we got into the car. Little Sophia was adorable, although very serious, but had these bold blue eyes that she fixed on me for almost every photo. Even then I could see the love shared between the three of them.
While Rob was deployed, Stephanie and I started talking, and found that we had a lot in common, and I got to learn more about their amazing love story. It was wonderful to connect with someone who understood a lot of what I have been going through with my guy being deployed, and it helped so much to have that person to talk to. I couldn’t wait for Rob to get home so that I could capture their homecoming, one made so much more meaningful to me since I had done their photos before he left, and now that I knew their story. Their homecoming photos are some of my favorites that I have captured while volunteering through Operation Love. The emotion that I captured makes me tear up and smile almost every time I look at them.
Which brings us to the recent family photo session. It was so wonderful to have a session with this family that didn’t have the emotional heaviness of a looming deployment, or the hurry up and wait atmosphere of a homecoming. Stephanie’s parents were in town, and we had a beautiful, perfect Seattle day for our session. We met down at the Seattle arboretum (along with everyone else in Seattle!) where the cherry blossoms were in bloom, and everything was a deep emerald green. There are some photo shoots where everything just comes together perfectly for amazing photos, and this was one of those sessions. The lighting was amazing, the backgrounds were beautiful. the people were happy and photogenic, and we were having a lot of fun. The resulting photos are definitely some of my favorites to date. And little Sophia? Oh my! So adorable with her blonde curls, her blue eyes and her little chubby arms and legs. And she was a happy little girl. She would walk towards me as I was taking photos until she was close, then she would whisper “hi” and run away. I spent the entire shoot with a smile on my face. So nice to have happy family photos with this family. I look forward to many more in the future. Here are some of my favorites from our day.
Maedean’s first year….
Last weekend I did Maedean’s 12 month session, and although it was a great session, it was also bittersweet. How could a photo session with such a cutie pie be bittersweet you ask? Because Maedean was part of my “Grow with Me” program, which means I got to see this sweet little girl every four months for the first year of her life. Not only that, but her grandfather also purchased a baby/belly package which means I have actually been photographing her since before her birth. So yes, I become a bit attached to these little ones and it is bittersweet doing the one year shoot knowing that I don’t get to see them every four months after that. I love getting t know these little families and watching them grow, and I hope that they will continue to come to me year after year, and when they have new additions to their families.
Enjoy the progression in the growth of this sweet little family….from growing in her mom’s belly, to a busy one year old. There is so much love in this family, Maedean is one lucky little girl.
So loved before she was even born.
So loved before she was even born.
Mae was one of the best newborns I have had in my studio. It took a lot of hard work, but she actually slept for us. Yes, we were sweating since we had the heat pumped up, and we had to wash 4 of my blankets and backgrounds because…well, that’s what happens when you have a naked 7 day old. But 5 hours later we had some beautiful photos of this sweet little girl.
7 days old
7 days old
7 days old
Our four month session was at Golden Gardens on a beautiful summer day. Maedean had grown so much since her newborn photos and definitely started to show some of her quirky and cute personality.
Four months old
Four months old
Four months old
Four months old
Mae’s eight month session coincided with my holiday mini sessions, so we did a combo of holiday photos and regular 8 month photos. She is so darn cute! Got the most smiles out of her during this session.
8 months old
8 months old
8 months old
8 months old
8 months old
Which brings us to her one year session. So cute and oh so very busy! I had trouble getting her to stop long enough to get a photo of her sweet little face, but at the same time, that is what these sessions are about right? Capturing the age of the subject and what that age entails. Which at one year old means that they are on the go!
One year old
One year old
One year old
One year old
One year old
I hope you enjoyed watching Maedean grow as much as I did. Hopefully I will see her in my “studio” again soon. If you know someone who is expecting, or has a new baby, send them my way so I can capture their growth in the best way I know how…through amazing photos.
Kimberly is four months old!
Seattle Area Photographer
I can’t believe it’s already been four months since Kimberly was born. It seems like just yesterday that we did her newborn shots. How time flies! Wendy and I discussed it and decided to do the shoot at Greenlake since everything is green and blooming. We met to do a scouting trip the day before the shoot and it was freezing! We walked around the lake and found a couple of good spots, including a spot with a low growing cherry tree. Then we got back into our warm cars and crossed our fingers for a better day for the shoot. Fortunately I woke up to blue skies and 50 degree temps the day of the shoot, so I headed to Greenlake to meet Wendy, Kelvis, and most importantly, Kimberly. It was a great shoot. Once again, Kimberly was an angel, never fussing or crying. She didn’t give us many smiles either, but I am learning that she is a serious baby. Fortunately I was able to capture a few.
One of my favorites!
Making friends with the monkey
Since it was the day before Easter we decided to put some ears on Kimberly and put her in a basket, making her the cutest Easter bunny I’ve ever seen. She thought the eggs were pretty nice, and sampled the stuffed bunny as well.
Cutest Easter Bunny I've ever seen
Chewing on the bunny
We found some beautiful spots, and had a lot of fun. I am looking forward to the 8 month shoot which wil take place on a beach…and hopefully with some more smiles. Enjoy!
A (delayed) welcome to the world to Kimberly!
Seattle Area Photographer
I’ve been meaning to get this blog up for about four months now. Since I just shot Kimberly’s four month pictures, I decided it was finally time. So here we go…
I’ve know Wendy for years. We worked as camp counselors at Girl Scout camp together years ago. So when I moved to Seattle we reconnected, and started hanging out and catching up on all the years we missed. So of course when I found out that she was pregnant I convinced her that she must get newborn photos of her little girl. She was born on December 11th, 2010, and five days later I got to meet her and take some newborn photos. It was my first newborn shoot, and I think it might have spoiled me for future shoots. Kimberly was an angel. She never fussed and she was awake the whole time. She endured us changing outfits multiple times, putting hats on her head and putting her in a basket. Although we didn’t get any of those cute sleeping pictures, I think the shoot was a success and we ended up with some cute pictures of this new addition to Wendy’s family. I convinced her to do the first year package which includes photos at 4 months, 8 months, and 12 months. I look forward to growing with them and capturing their precious moments.
Why I do what I do
Seattle Area Photographer
It’s been a while since I posted a blog. I had a super busy December (Yay!) then some dramatic events in my life slowed everything in my life into slow motion. I have several shoots that I need to blog about but I figured I would cheat a little and post the presentation I did for my business group last Wednesday. There is a reason that I am posting it besides that fact that is is already written. I believe that it gives some insight into the “why” of my business, and the folks in my BNI group raved about it, so I thought I would share it with everyone else. The interesting thing is that because of the events happening in my life I had trouble wrapping my head around writing the presentation, then the day before I had to do it, I was suddenly inspired. This is dedicated to Donald Barker, a loved one that was taken from us too soon, and is greatly missed. He was my inspiration.
Here it is:
Kruse Images and Photography
“As all of you know, my name is Shauna and I am the owner and photographer for Kruse Images and Photography. In my last 8 minute presentation I explained a little more about my business, described my background and experience, and told you what makes me different from other photographers. Since there are a couple of you who either missed my last speech or are new to our group, I figured I would reiterate a couple of points. I have always had a passion for photography, from the time I received my mom’s old camera when I was 8 years old. I find myself looking at the world as if through a lens, even when I don’t have a camera in front of me. I have over 9 years of professional experience as a photographer, shooting in all different climates and situations. I can handle a high stress shoot while keeping a smile on my face, and I absolutely love what I do.
Since I started my own business a little over a year ago, I have discovered happiness and a sense of relief knowing that this is what I am meant to do. I love making people laugh and capturing the important moments in their lives.
I love how happy my clients are when they look at the finished product, knowing that is is something that will be around for years to come. I love that my photos are hanging on walls all around the world, reminding people of their fun vacation, or their family that they might not see all the time.
Some people think a photo is just that. A piece of paper with faces imprinted on it. It is so much more. Not to sound cheesy, but it is a memory, a moment frozen in time.
Even after the years have passed and people have passed we still have that moment. It is something that can get people through the rough times, or tell a story of someone’s life long after they are gone. They are so important, and it’s sad that in this age of phone cameras and digital point and shoots people forget the importance of getting professional family shots taken.
Which one would you rather have?
Mobile phone picture
A no brainer right? The one on the left was taken with a mobile phone, and the one on the right was taken by me, a professional. It bugs me that there is a generation of children growing up with fuzzy digital photos documenting their childhood. That’s where I come in. I make sure your family has those treasured moments recorded clearly and beautifully.
Family has always been important to me, but events over the last week have reminded me how very important they really are. Time passes so quickly, especially if you have kids, and there is no way to slow it down or stop it. That’s why it’s important to get frequent family portraits. They allow you to save that moment in time and remember the good times.
Now as I have mentioned before, I prefer outdoor portraits because the family is more natural, and you really catch the personality of everyone involved, something that is a lot harder to get in a studio.
One of the reasons that I love doing family portraits and photos of kids is because I have a way with children. I can usually coax a good smile out of them even when they don’t want to give one.
I can get a smile out of anyone...
Well most of the time anyways…
...well almost anyone
Since the kids are usually comfortable around me I am also able to catch their true personalities on film, not just the cheesy grin they usually have for the camera.
I have focused on family portraits today but as most of you know my photography extends well beyond just that. I do head shots,
Events,
Santa Photos,
Landscape photos,
Newborn and Maternity shots,
and of course engagements and weddings.
I am really open to trying anything and I plan on getting into senior photos, and real estate shots as well as working with interior designers to get my landscape photos into local offices. In the coming year I plan to grow my business so that is is my sole source of income. I would also like to branch out and create a charity with my business that allows families without the financial means for professional portraits to be able to get them taken through Kruse Images and Photography. I would also like to extend that to people who family members with cancer or aging grandparents, as well as couples who have preemie babies. It is so important to have those memories, and no one should be without them just because they can’t afford them.
What is the perfect referral for my business? My bread and butter are people looking to update their boring head shots, someone who wants their event documented, or a corporate office looking to get photos of their crew or to redecorate their walls with local professional photos.
My cream referrals are families looking to get some great, fun family portraits, especially the families who update their photos annually. Or the couple who just found out that they are pregnant and are looking for maternity, newborn, and first year photos. Both of these instances really give me a chance to get to know the family and watch them grow.
My dream referral would be a couple who is planning a destination wedding, preferably somewhere tropical, who wants me to go with them and document their special day. Or the couple who is getting married locally, but they want the whole process documented by a photographer from engagement to wedding.
What makes me different from all of the other photographers out there, and why should you refer me to your clients and friends and family? My passion. My genuine friendliness. My ability to make even the grumpiest person smile just a little. The speed with which I am able to set up a group and get a great photo, and my unusual on the job training. The list goes on. So if you haven’t already, try out my service or refer a client and see the difference for yourself.”
Thomas Family Shoot
Seattle Area Photographer
This past Saturday I agreed to do a family shoot for the Thomas family at Craven Farms, a pumpkin patch in Snohomish. When I woke up the morning of the shoot it was beautiful and sunny. I grabbed some coffee and headed north towards Craven Farms. Right after I hit Everett I was suddenly plunged into a deep fog and the further I headed down highway 2, the thicker the fog got. As I drew close to the farm, I glanced at the temperature gauge in my car and noticed that it said 39 degrees. Brrrr!!! I was suddenly wishing that I had brought a hat and gloves and maybe worn footwear other than my trusty Tevas. Thank goodness for the extra fleece in the car! I knew there was a reason I left it in there for so long. Note to self…put an extra pair of gloves in the camera bag.
At first I was worried about photos in the fog, but when I got to the farm I realized that the fog was higher, and I was thinking we might be able to get some cool photos because of it.
The entrance to Craven Farms. Still foggy
Morgan cheesing it up for the camera
Samantha Addie, and Morgan in the rocketship
Morgan riding one of the "animals"
Joel, Nicole, Morgan and Addie Thomas
Another great smile from Morgan
Addie playing on the ship.
A good looking group of pirates!
…and the rest of the fun activities on the farm.
Addie as a scarecrow
Addie and Samantha checking out the pumpkin family
After the kids checked out most of the activities we decided it was time for a family photo before we headed out into the fields. We found a great wagon full of pumpkins for our background and gathered all six adults and four children together. It is no easy task trying to get that many people to look at the camera at the same time, especially when all the kids are four and under. All I can do as the photographer is take a bunch of photos and hopefully get at least one where everyone is looking and no one is crying. I don’t think we got any perfect ones, but I think we got a couple of good ones. surprisingly enough Osten, the youngest one was looking in almost every picture, and unfortunately Grandpa was feeling a little shy and I couldn’t get him to come out from behind Grandma. But what can you do?
The whole family!
I couldn’t resist some cute ones of the family interacting between shots as well.
Addie getting some love from Mom
Joel trying to get Morgan to laugh.
Addie sitting on the wagon full of pumpkins
Osten and Uncle Joel
Molly and Osten
Looking for the perfect pumpkin
Morgan is focused
Addie and Samantha following Joel and the wheelbarrow
- Addie looking cute as usual
Joel and Morgan in the corn
I finally got a smile out of Samantha!
Seth, Molly, Samantha, and Osten Thomas. This one was a hard one to get!
Morgan hiding in the cornfield.
I can't resist taking more pictures of that cute face!
Morgan and Grandpa looking for the perfect little pumpkin
Samantha and Morgan testing out the pumpkins
Osten is a happy little guy!
Morgan
One last family photo...I think Morgan is all done with the pictures!
Figuring it all out
Seattle Area Photographer
I love being able to learn things on my own, and figure out all this business stuff with minimal help from others. It just makes me feel accomplished and proud. Kind of silly I know. One thing that has been frustrating me is trying to figure out photoshop. I pride myself in not using photoshop on any of my landscape photos, so I really haven’t used it that much except in my previous job to create logos and remove skiiers from the backgrounds of family photos. Now that I am shooting a lot more portraits, engagement photos, head shots, etc, I am needing to use it more often just to tweak the photos a little. I am having fun learning how to adjust the exposure, change the colors, remove wrinkles and more, but I know there is so much more I can do with it. There are so many cool effects that you can apply to your photos, especially for weddings. I’ve noticed that a lot of the wedding photos that I’ve seen online look so good because they have been “fixed” in photoshop. One of the biggest things that I have been trying to figure out is how to create one of those great photos where the whole thing is black and white except the one color accent like the roses. It has taken much frustration, but…I am proud to say I have finally figured it out! By myself! I have the results here.
The original unedited photo
The first photo is the original taken of Owen on the beach. The second is that photo changed to black and white in photoshop, and the third….the exciting result of not giving up even when I got frustrated.
The photo changed to black and white in photoshop
The final result!
The possibilities in photoshop are endless, and I still have a lot to learn, but I am pretty proud of myself for being able to figure out the things that I have. It makes it so I am not quite as intimidated every time I open the program. It also gives me more confidence when I am shooting different events, knowing that I can change the photos once I upload them. Because even though I would like to get a perfect photo everytime, in reality, it isn’t always possible. Here’s to the ongoing process of learning new things.
Here we go!
Seattle Area Photography
I’ve never blogged before, I’m not even sure how this all works, or if anyone will read it, but here goes! My name is Shauna Kruse, and I just started my own photography business, Kruse Images and Photography. I’ve been told that looking at my photography is like seeing the world through my eyes, which is why I named the blog what I did. Maybe it will give the reader a little insight into my world, and how I end up with the photos that I do. I will include a little bit of everyday life, my trips, my friends, my family, and of course my work. It will hightlight my journey as I kickstart my business and and turn it into a successful venture. There is so much beauty in this world, even in the everyday going ons, and I am hoping to share some of that through my lens.
Through the lens-Kruse Images & Photography 