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Recent Shoots - AKA I've Been Busy!

It's Thursday, not Friday...just saying...

So I feel random today. My grooveshark playlist looks like this...

And my Blackberry is BLOWING up with emails and messages...yes...I love that sound. It's like, well, music to my ears.

There are 4 mints on my desk. I've had to go purchase them at Wal-Mart myself since Sonic discontinued using quality peppermints. Travesty if you ask me...dang it...just dropped one on the nasty carpet. Crap!

Okay..so you want to see a photo of something cool? How about a VIDEO of something cool? This is video of my little girl kissing her favorite person in the whole world! I couldn't ask for anything better...she amazes me...I love her!

She's Walking!!!

Sort of. Really, she is. It's just not FULL-ON walking...ya know, the kind where we turn our heads and then look back and she's gone. It's more of a "Dada pick me up kinda thing" where we have to help her to her feet and then she wobbles a few feet and then BAM!!!...face first into the floor. Not good enough to be considered a pro but better than some drunks can pull off....

My new goal is to have her fully walking in 21 days - her 1 year birthday. Think we can pull it off??? We shall see....stay tuned!

Wedding Outtakes - Casey & Travis - Kansas Wedding Photography

Weddings just happen to be one of life's biggest events. So it's important to catch all of those "big" and "important" moments. So I've included a few of those not so "big" and "important" moments...something only a few people see. Above you might think Casey is just sniffing her hand. Instead, she's trying to cover her laughter after having her butt grabbed.

Above you might think Travis is sniffing his buddy's arm pit. Instead, his buddy is just helping him put on his tie...

Ok ok ok...now for a few of the images they REALLY do want to see....

A Look of Love - Kansas Wedding Photography

There's a reason I enjoy photographing weddings.

It's fun to be a small part of something they plan on holding on to forever. It's an amazing feeling to see the look in a couple's eyes when they say their vows to each other and then dance the first dance, shove cake in each others faces and then forget the rest of the world as they enjoy the company of each other and their guests.

Traci & Jason were no different than what I expected...in love with each other and with life.

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Impromptu Photo Shoot - Kansas Senior Photographer

Once in awhile I get this itch to go shoot something for no real purpose at all. It's sort of a photographer thing...most of us never leave our cameras alone....

Well I got a new lens (it's actually used but new to me) and decided it needed to be broken in. And I promised Jordan that if I ever needed a model she'd be the first I'd call.

Every image was shot with a Nikkor 50mm f1.8 lens. LOVE the lens! It's tack sharp!

Memorial Day Weekend Wedding Extravaganza

This was my first 2-wedding weekend, with one ceremony on Saturday and another on Sunday. To say that it was a long week is an understatement. That said, I had a blast and made some good images I think!

Corey & Kiersten
Bayley & Brett

A First In Wedding Photography - Lindsey & Bo

Ladies and gentlemen, I experienced a first at my last wedding: A bride and her bridesmaids jumping into a pool. Dresses included.

I mentioned the idea of jumping in as a joke...why WOULDN'T you? I mean, come on, it's a wedding in Mexico. Near sand and ocean waves. OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO JUMP IN THE WATER! Fortunately for me, and the rest of the guests, the ladies provided a bit of entertainment to end the evening.

Mahekal Resort

A few pix from my recent trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I was reminiscing today about how beautiful the weather was....

The view from my porch...

What Makes Me Happy - Part 3

I'm back in the groove after a short trip to Mexico. Oh the pains I go through for photography...so hard to even WANT to go to a beautiful place and photograph beautiful people....but I guess I'll suffer through it.

Here's a few things that make me happy on this glorious - but slightly chilly - Friday.

1. Shallow Depth of Field. Photographers will understand what I mean...

2. My beautiful daughter, who will hopefully be the next big thing in the world of famous beautiful babies. She's already numero uno in my eyes.

3. BRIGHT COLORS! This was a wall at my resort in Mexico...just screamed TAKE MY PICTURE!

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Yup, tomorrow morning at 11:25 a.m. I'll be on a flight to Cancun, Mexico. From there I'll take a bus to Playa del Carmen for a beach wedding Saturday evening.

Lindsey & Bo tie the knot Saturday and then I fly home early Sunday. My shuttle picks me up at 5:30 a.m.!!!! I haven't been up at that hour in YEARS!

Friday is my down-time day so I'll probably stick to the resort to avoid kidnapping. I might actually get up at sunrise in hopes of photographing a beautiful panoramic shot of the beach and horizon...we shall see......

Hope everyone enjoys Kansas, Missouri and every other state in the Union while I'm gone.

Vote YES!

YES!

Yes, I will vote for the one-half cent sales tax increase in Fort Scott on April 5.

Serving on committees and boards aren't really my thing. Several months ago I was invited to lend a helping hand and serve on the Community Health and Wellness Committee, a group of people assembled to promote the half-cent sales tax increase that would fund the $3.9 million renovation of the city pool and an addition to Buck Run Community Center.

At first I was skeptical if I wanted to be involved. It took less than a 1-hour meeting to change my mind. Later that evening I told my wife that I didn't want to be a person who supported an initiative but didn't back it up. I didn't want to be someone who complained about a lack of good opportunities in Fort Scott yet did nothing to fix it. So there I was, involved.

I've heard the bad. Why do we need a pool? Why does Buck Run need to be bigger? Fort Scott needs jobs...not recreational activities! And so on and so on. The thing is, I know we need good jobs in this town. We need to focus on that as well. But nobody wants to live in a town with nothing to do.

I've also heard the good. And there's been an overwhelming response from the YES voters.

So before I jumped to make a decision I wanted to know the facts. Fact is that the pool is OLD! Buck Run is small and crowded. It's going to cost money to fix both issues...

After hearing all the facts and opinion, it's been surprising how easy of a decision it's been coming to the conclusion that I came to. IT'S WORTH IT! Yes, we are raising the sales tax . . . but it's by half a penny per dollar. Before I dismiss the fact that a half cent seems trivial, I decided to figure up what I spent in Fort Scott last year. On debit card transactions alone, I spent right at $4,000 in Fort Scott establishments. That figures to be $332 dollars in sales tax that I paid out last year based on 8.3%. If it raises to 8.8% I would have paid $352. That's a change of $20!!! If we take that times 10 years, it's $200. I'll write a check TODAY for that amount with no second thought and I don't have a surplus of $100 bills sitting around.

Granted, that was just on debit card transactions. But I rarely write a check to a local establishment OR pay with cash. This was a simple decision for me. I'm giving up a few hundred dollars over the course of 10 years for a new pool and expanded Buck Run. The trade-off, for my family, is worth every penny.

I personally will likely not swim in the pool. My daughter, though, most assuredly will. And that's why I will vote YES on the initiative to build a new pool and expand Buck Run.

BOLD

I've decided that the best way to make a statement is to be bold. So, while it's always my goal to make all my clients say "WOW" when they see their photos...it's also extremely important when meeting prospective clients. So, for that reason, I had designer Brittany make me a new business card. It's not regular business card sized but skinnier. I'm attaching the front and back...email me what you think! kfelt3@gmail.com

What Makes Me Happy - Part 2

It's the second week in a row that I've blogged about WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY! Expect these every Friday!

As a photographer, I enjoy when clients RAVE about their images. I love it even more when they buy big prints to hang on their walls. Sydney & CK were married in October 2010 and ordered these two 20x24 prints.

The bigger the better in my opinion...these are going to look great on their walls!

New Gallery Pieces

We're getting closer to finally having the gallery redesigned!

Our center piece above the famous red leather couch consists of 5 print wraps of the Stanton family. They were photographed this past Autumn in Gunn Park here in Fort Scott.

The coolest thing about the print wraps is how they FLOAT off the wall for a cool 3D effect. And they are cheaper than buying a framed print!

To the right of the Stanton's are the Gulagers (related by the way!) in a "Collection."

An up-close look at one of our Collections.

Soon our WEDDING wall will be done...will one of your photos be printed big for the whole world to see?

What Makes Me Happy

It's my goal to start blogging every Friday about things that make me happy. This is the FIRST EVER of those blog posts.

I combined two things that make me smile each and every day: my daughter Blair Harvi and my Blackberry. My wife (and sister, mother, grandma, long lost aunt, you get the picture) will kill me if she thinks I put them both on the same level of importance. THEY ARE NOT! Just so happens that Blackberry (which, by the way, runs my life thanks to its amazing calendar) released a new software (YIPPEE) and I did 7 month portraits of my little Tater (her nickname) all in the same week so I saved space by including the two things in one image. BLOG POST EFFICIENCY ALERT!!!

Adele's album is legit. So much so that if you stop by Captured Images, it's likely you will hear it blasting before you walk through the front door.

It's possible that nobody knows how much I love toast and jam. Not my mom. Not my sister and certainly probably not my wife. My father-in-law might but it's doubtful... Anyway, great client Tracey brought her little guy, Christian, in for 6 year old portraits. She loved the images so much she wrote a beautiful letter:

"Thanks for being so creative! Those of us who aren't really appreciate people like you! And thanks also for taking time to understand your subject. You make each of your customers feel special, that's a true gift. Captured Images is a great asset to our community but, speaking personally, you've given me some very cherished memories I can look at every single day!"

AND she brought us homemade jams...WOW!

It's been a long time coming but the studio gallery is finally starting to come together and that makes me UBER HAPPY! This is the Gulager family showcased in what we call a "collection" and we have several options available at a very amazing price!

Dumb Dad!

I was a bit overzealous last night when doing my daughter's 7 month photos. She was smiling and I was trying to keep her attention on the camera, which was on the studio tripod. I "thought" it was aimed directly at her....boy was I wrong. This is evidence of one of the many errors I have made. Luckily she kept the smiles up and I got a shot (or 20) of her beautiful little dimples.

Could They Get Any Cuter?

Winter usually brings LOTS of kids and babies to the studio. This year has brought us quite a few cute little ones, especially in the month of February!

First up we have Ceci & Joseph, siblings from Olathe, KS. Joseph is 7 months old and Ceci is a master dancer!

Above are Lincoln, Vaughn & Ainsley, a beautiful trio. This is probably my favorite image of 2011 so far!