sometimes i say things that i really dont mean though because sometimes i think im funny and then sometimes i realize that its really just obnoxious.

i want you all to know that i am the lucky one.

so lucky to have such beautiful friends with such beautiful hearts…. and beautiful kids.

i might photograph their kids but they put up with me and they invite my family over and they feed us ( because lord knows i cant cook ) and they love my children like their own and they laugh at me even when im being offensive. they are my biggest fans and they encourage me to aim higher. they are pretty great.

and here is one of their wee little ones that we photographed quite a while back.

she has the healthiest booty you ever did see and we really wanted to get some photos of it before she started running around everywhere and lost her sweet baby fat and cute little toosh.

there are some much better close ups of her rump but we will save those for her momma

that sounded cheesy.

but what is that saying…. “you get what you put out” ? or something like that ….. well these ladies are putting out a whole lot of goodness into the world and surely they will get some of that goodness back. i see blindingly bright futures for them.

this session was just for me to have fun. i really wanted to experiment with some new lighting but i learned that day that i really dont like any kind of light but the good old natural sweet sunlight.

also i wont name names but someone was a good hour and a half late showing up for this session so my big plans were totally butchered. thanks linds

she totally made fun of herself in this when i posted the above image on facebook because i made her dress up. im pretty sure she has never nor will ever wear this outfit ever again in her life but i thought she looked super cute anyway.

and thats really sad because i love to photograph people that are in love.

so when haley sent me a quick email a few months ago asking if i photographed weddings i replied with a sweet sorry but no email.

fast forward a few weeks later and i end up photographing her engagement session and because i suffer from an insane lack of memory i totally didnt realize she had asked me to photograph her wedding.

near the end of the session i just blurt out ” why on earth didnt you ask me to photograph your wedding?!? i love you!” or something equally as well thought out.

and that is when she said “i did. you said no.”

but luckily it all worked out because i will be photographing her and gregs baton rouge afternoon rooftop wedding next year and im soooo so so excited. really.

i cant wait. i only email haley five times a week with annoying questions and ideas. poor girl. she didnt know what she was getting into.

it was at least 100 degrees the day that we met up in downtown BR for their session but haley is one of those freakish girls that doesn’t seem to sweat and their hair doesnt frizz.

craziness. needless to say she is going to be a gorgeous bride. and her groom isn’t too bad to look at either.

here is the sign in book that we designed using her engagement photos. simple layout with lots of white space for names and notes but i really dont think she is going to want anyone to write in it when she sees it in person.

aug 7, 2010 8:39 AM

brandon: just leaving to go to Nola. we can make it four if u like

me: i think that sounds awesome

brandon: k. thanks

brandon: maybe 3 moving kind of fast ill keep you posted. its gonna be between 3 and 4

me: i was just thinking about you! maps on my iphone is saying ill be there a little before three assuming we dont get into any traffic so it works out well that you guys are moving fast. ill let you know if something happens that will make us show up later that expected

brandon: yep

brandon: half way done. looks like 3:30 to 4

me: works out great. ill have time to bring my husband and son to the hotel then just wait for you to let me know when you are on your way

brandon: done about to leave to go to park

me : awesome almost there

brandon: pulling up

me: i dont see you i have a honda pilot

brandon: were coming in like two minutes. what color

me: oh shit i was scared hunter green already sitting in grass hanging out with my daughter

brandon: see us were parking

me: yes you guysxoming on this side and just say when you are about to do it

brandon: i dont see u after we eat. ill do it

brandon: where are you

me: standing behind your car but i dont see you

brandon: on left side of car walk to water

me: see you

brandon: about 100 to 200 feet

brandon: cool ill give u go ahead and u tell me when ure ready in like 10 minutes

me: k ill scoot my way over there in a few then send me a last second go time message

brandon: what are shellie and i wearing? making sure got right people

me: navy shirt baseball tee

brandon: you got it. after she lays on me its anytime after that

brandon: k

brandon: u teady

brandon: ready

aug 7, 2010 4:45 PM

me: go time

he just finished law school and took the bar exam so she was probably expecting a proposal soon BUT probably not this day.

they worked hard all morning and afternoon packing up his life into a uhaul truck and stopped at city park for one last picnic in new orleans before the move.

i love that they were so sweaty. i love that they were in working clothes. i love that he chose to propose to her on a day like that day.

this is real life people.

and i love my daughter for sitting in the itchy grass in 100 degree weather for me so  that i could pretend i was just another mom photographing her child at the park.

i think if i were just walking around the park by myself with a giant zoom lens i might have given the surprise away

go watch a slideshow of the whole proposal here.

this mom gets it. she just wanted photos of her children just because.

sister was such a pretty girl and so comfortable in front of my camera and brother was a really cool laid back guy. they were actually nice to each other too. bonus points for them.

but i have all kinds of things to blog about now so if anyone actually still reads this then i promise to start blogging again regularly.

i photographed these awesome kids a few weeks ago before i took off on vacation. such sweet kids. the little boy loves his sister and kissed her all throughout their session. going to be a total ladies man.

and i need some help from my photographer friends please. why do these images look totally different on my blog? the color and contrast are all sorts of crazy!

see facebook isnt only good for posting lame status updates and wasting time and stalking people you dont know!

also this family was super prepared for their session. little one had slept all day and been fed right before we met so that she would be a happy baby…. BUT her teeth decided to start creeping out right when they stepped out of the car. no joke. she was miserable. she was in pain.

luckily mom and dad were totally ready to play silly songs on their phones and jump around like crazy people to entertain her. i love when parents are into it like that. also little one felt much better when she was sucking her thumb and she looked so very cute while doing it.

i think they like her

less fake and more real.

less “me” and more “you”.

and a whole lot more teenage girls like this one.

p.s. i also created a facebook page for my business right here. so go check it out. its sort of on the lame side right now because its new but soon it will be a happening place to be for sure

]]> http://www.kimbraliphoto.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=890 13 http://www.kimbraliphoto.com/blog/?p=884 http://www.kimbraliphoto.com/blog/?p=884#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:42:44 +0000 admin http://www.kimbraliphoto.com/blog/?p=884 im only 27.

technically im still a youngen’

sometimes i feel so old though. running a business all by myself requires me to do all sorts of grown up stuff thats no fun. taxes. yuck.

then other times i feel like im still seventeen.

i have had so much fun the last few weeks and months photographing and hanging out with some really cool high school seniors.

oh to be seventeen again….

you seniors have no idea what your future holds and isnt that such an exciting feeling?!?!

you can move to lsu with your two best friends.

live in a new overpriced crappy apartment complex.

have your parents pay for everything while you waste their money on said crappy overpriced apartments rent and partying.

use your grandmas birthday money to get a permanent hideous sun tattoo on your lower back and have your mom quote bible scriptures to you for weeks in disgust.

dye your long blonde hair maroon on accident and be forced to cut it all off and die it black to fix the mess.

spend too much time in bars and nearly fail out of school your first semester.

im not saying that all from personal experience or anything (actually i am)

or you can sign up for an interesting elective like photography or ballroom dancing.

live in a dorm and make new friends you probably would have never met otherwise.

get a fun part time job to help pay for your college expenses. jobs can be fun!

actually show up to class and enjoy the learning experience.

sign up for a semester abroad.

you can go to school and learn anything you are interested in and become anything you want. go anywhere you want. do anything you want.

these are from one of my favorite sessions of the year.

super cool guy with an amazing talent for taking photos himself.

and he did the stanky leg for me. according to this …… anyone who does the stanky leg gets their very own blog post

so here we go…

i cant take credit for this next one. this was his idea and he even forced me into that creepy room to photograph it

p.s. i know that copyright watermark is obnoxious but it really does serve a purpose. there are some super creepy people on the internets that love to steal photographers images and use them for who knows what and id rather that not happen.

]]> http://www.kimbraliphoto.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=884 18 http://www.kimbraliphoto.com/blog/?p=864 http://www.kimbraliphoto.com/blog/?p=864#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 09:44:31 +0000 admin http://www.kimbraliphoto.com/blog/?p=864 this is my friend amy.

this is her family.

she is a photographer too. a very talented one i might add.

and now she has to photograph my family

and im pretty pumped about it. (and i sort of feel like this wont be a fair deal because she is going to have to tame the beast that is known as beckett)

little beans thinks shes funny she cracks herself up.

i love the silly faces parents are willing to make and crazy things they are willing to do get their children to cooperate when being photographed. amy isnt going to like that one there on the right though. too bad. my blog

oh i could just squeeze her and her two little bottom teeth.

i think they might love her a little bit.

p.s. can yout tell i am typing this at 4:41 in the morning?

my brain isnt functioning properly anymore.

amy there are a million bajillion more but you will have to wait till next week. hugs.