Our New Website!

I tried to log onto the Kansas City Photography webpage last week. I was met with an error message. I may have panicked a little, but I figured it’d be an easy fix. I reached out to my web person — but it was crickets. My face was probably equivalent to Miss Luna’s:

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My bells and whistles started going off — and here’s why. This happened one other time, with the same web person. I reached out to him (the same one, I never switched) and he responded saying I needed to pay him to get it back online. I was confused as to why, and he said it was a maintenance fee, and he had to re-build it. I actually lost a potential wedding client over this — they had seen my site, loved my work, and then got concerned when my site suddenly went down.

You’d think I would have learned my lesson then … but, long story short, I stuck with him and he put the site back up (after I paid him again *grumble*), and it has been sunshine and roses since then.

Then, the error (again). And no response.

Instead of waiting around, this time I decided to go ahead and just build it myself. This way I can make changes and add photos any time I want, without having to pay every time I want an update. It was really a long time coming, I should have done it a lot sooner.

Go check it out and tell me what you think! –> http://kansas-city-photography.com

 

On a side note, I recently tried to get Kansas City Photography published on Wikipedia, but I need some press coverage for that to happen. They have really strict guidelines, and I meet all of them but that one. Stay tuned!

The Easter With 8 Baskets & Too Much Candy

My girls somehow managed to get 4 Easter baskets a piece this holiday. I’m not complaining, and I am grateful to those who thought about our kiddos, but I am pretty sure I have eaten about as much chocolate as I do on Halloween … you know, poison control. 😉

We woke up Sunday morning and hid Easter baskets with our cousins Caley and Ezra. Lily and Ezra are little besties, it’s so cute!

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From there, we went to my grandpa’s house. Grandma Karen told me every time I went over there that she had dreamt of hosting an Easter egg hunt on their big, gorgeous yard, but had never done it — and then all the kids grew up. Good news! The kids had kids, and now she was finally able to host her egg hunt!

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My two girls, Lily & Luna, were dolled up in their Easter dresses. Lily’s favorite color is purple, but pink is a close second. When they didn’t have purple, I knew it’d be ok to go with pink!

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Luna’s favorite color seems to be yellow (she’s 2, so it’s hard to tell, but she gravitates toward that color and uses it a lot). My favorite color is orange, so when yellow wasn’t available …

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It had started drizzling, but that certainly didn’t slow anyone down! The egg hunt was really clever — each kid was assigned a certain color of egg. This way, they all got equal!

We also made sure to get a shot of grandpa with all four of his great-grandkids!

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After that, we went over to Bryan’s (my hubs) uncle’s house for his family get together. More eggs to hunt! Luna considered herself an old pro by this point. Lily also killed it at cornhole. That’s the game where you throw the bean bag into the hole on the other side of lawn. Am I making sense? Haha.

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It was a great Easter weekend, I only wish it was mandatory to take Monday off, too!

Want to read more fun stories with our family? Did you know we have a pet pig?

The Crazy Schedule Of A Photographer

There’s a reason I had to bring on another photographer to Kansas City Photography. My schedule, especially on weekends, is … hectic.

I am going to give you a peek into the schedule of a photographer / Scentsy lady. Here is this weekend’s lineup, which includes photoshoots in both St. Louis and Kansas City.

Friday:

– Work (  Newsy )

– Maternity Shoot (in St. Louis for Kansas City Photography)

– Mother’s Day Scentsy Party (Online, Christine’s Scent-Sational Scentsy Page)

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Saturday:

– Wedding Shoot (in Kansas City for Kansas City Photography)

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Sunday:

– Drop off Scentsy (Independence)

– Family Shoot (in Kansas City for Kansas City Photography)

– Meet w/woman about photo restoration (in Grandview for Kansas City Photography)

– Another Family Shoot (in Blue Springs for Kansas City Photography)

– Drive 3.5 hours home to St. Louis. Phew!  

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What keeps me going? I LOVE what I do. I love capturing people’s special moments, their growing families, and the day they say “I do.” There is nothing more satisfying than walking into a client’s house and seeing your pictures hanging up on their walls!

Not to mention — I have a family that supports me 100%.

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Next — getting Tatiana’s schedule this booked! 🙂

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Meet Christine & Her Family!

I always write about my latest photoshoots, or give tips on “how to” do certain things, but I have never really delved into my fam. The day-to-day. I’m a wife and mother of two kiddos.

11062339_10205256002141996_4381440050230220695_oNot only do I own Kansas City Photography, which services both St. Louis and Kansas City, I also sell the amazing smell goods known as Scentsy. My house always smells awesome.

My two daughers, Lily and Luna, are 6 and 2. My hands are full with them alone!

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We have a pet pig named Penelope (I’ve written about her), and four cats. Their names are Goblin, Shy Guy, Diego, and Marshmallow.

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Luna, my 2-year-old, is currently into anything her sister loves, jumping in puddles, Paw Patrol, carrots, baths (she calls them “bubbles”), actual bubbles, Pikachu, the color yellow, snakes, and running outside.

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Lily, my 6-year-old, loves Shopkins, Girl Scouts,  gymnastics, taking pictures (wonder where she gets that from?), monkey bars, running, the color purple, anything art-related, her print-label maker, Scentsy, and attempting to climb trees.

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Bryan, the husband, not only puts up with my ridiculous schedule that’s riddled with photoshoots and Scentsy deliveries, but also instrumentally helps out. He’s the camera holder, the battery charger, the scent-sniffer. He’s my No. 1 man. Since I did “likes” with the kids, I’m gonna do it with him, too!

Bryan loves Pokemon, DBZ, the new Zelda game on the WiiU, anime, the color green (Lily made him pick a favorite, because she said everyone has a favorite), computer engineering (he works for Cerner), computer games, and being a kick ass Dad and husband.

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Guess I may as well do myself, eh? I love anime, the color orange, anything Sailor Moon related (total Sailor Moon freak right here), Mary Pickford, journalism (I work for Newsy, too!), photography (duh), Scentsy (double duh), Photoshop, the Little Mermaid, most Disney-related things, and being a momma.

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One day I will tell you our proposal story — Bryan incorporated Sailor Moon into my custom made wedding ring, and the proposal itself!

Anything you wanna know? Ask away!

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The Calm Before The Storm: Jenn & James’ Maternity Shoot!

We got hit really hard with severe weather Monday night. We even had to go to the basement at the wee hours of the morning when a tornado warning was issued for our area. But the good news is — I got a shoot in before all that hail hit! Meet Jenn, James, and baby Genevieve (she’s still bakin’)!

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Jenn had a whole Pinterest board for me to look through, and I noticed a lot of those pins were silhouette shots. Some of my absolute favorite shots are silhouettes!! Done!

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Not gonna lie, James supeeeer didn’t wanna do the shoot. He just got the Nintendo Switch (the last on in Missouri), so he had Zelda brain. But regardless, he was a great sport, and we got some amazing shots!

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You could see how much they love each other just by the photos!

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Jenn is very fit. She goes to the gym 6 days a week. It was important to her that we incorporate some workout shots into the shoot. Her favorite hashtag is #fitbump. She lives it!

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I saved the best shot for last — this sums up Jenn’s pregnancy. She has been SO hungry, especially for sweets. Since my oldest daughter, Lily, just got her Girl Scout cookies in to deliver … we had quite a few cookie props for Jenn to use!

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Congrats, James and Jenn!!

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A Day At The Park

I met with Sarah, Shane, and their adorable family this weekend in Parkville. They picked this location based off of our Top 10 Photo Locations in KC post. It was a gorgeous day — in the 70s — in February!!

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Their three sweet girls were a riot. They didn’t want to say “cheeeese,” but we could get them to say “Anna,” “Elsa,” and “Frozen.”

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At one point, they were dancing on the bridge singing “Let it gooooo, let it gooo!” How cute is that?

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Since it was so nice, it was really busy — and joggers kept trying to interrupt our bridge shots. But we still got some great ones!

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We walked past the bridge to look at the water, and then decided we may get our youngest princess Aarabella to smile if we used the swings. Who complains about swinging? No one, that’s who!

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A gorgeous day for a gorgeous shoot!

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Yes, We Have a Pet Pig

When we decided to move to the country, I told my husband (after he had a couple margaritas, for good measure): “We are moving to the boonies. Do you want a chicken, a pig, or a goat?”

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Well, from these pictures, you can guess what he picked. All I did to find her was Google “pet mini pig st. louis,” and I found Precious Pigs.

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Meet Penelope.

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She’s rambunctious, and as my husband says, “forever hungry.” She gets fed 1/2 cup of piggy food in the morning (we use Mizuri brand), and 1/2 cup in the evening. In between,  she gets healthy snacks like carrots and strawberries.

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She’s also smart. We have a swivel cabinet, and she has figured out how to nose it open and steal the powdered sugar!

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All of our mailpeople love her — UPS included. And while you may have heard the term “teacup pig,” those don’t actually exist. But miniature pigs do!

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I love how she has different colored hooves. Some are peach, and some are black! The white spot on her forehead is also adorable.

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Love Penelope?  You can get prints or canvas of the photos featured of her, here.

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Penelope also has her own Instagram. Don’t all pet mini pigs?

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Top 10 Photoshoot Locations in KC

Hooray, you’ve booked the photoshoot! The next question: “Where do we go?”

We get asked this by photography clients a lot. So, here’s a list of our top 10, with an honorary mention — all with photos we personally took at these locations!

Here is our list for the St. Louis area (Kansas City Photography is in both locations)!

Honorary Mention: Loose Park 

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Yes, it’s gorgeous. But, it’s only honorary and not on the 10 countdown list because of how incredibly busy this place can get. It can be hard to get a shot without people in the background (and editing people out takes time). Plus, photographers everywhere.

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It’s not a hidden gem — and if you get caught shooting professionally in this area, and you haven’t paid their photographer’s fee, you get fined.

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10. Bass Pro Waterfall Park

Wait. Do a shoot at Bass Pro? Hear me out.

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This particular location has an outside park that includes waterfalls. Waterfalls, people! 

9. Parkville

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Yes, I just used an entire city as a photoshoot location. It has a population of around 5,500, and a whole lotta character. It boasts an adorable downtown area — not to mention this bridge!

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If you walk over the bridge, there’s a nice, open area with grass — and a  nice view of the Missouri River. There is a path you can follow along it, so you aren’t getting your shoes all muddy!

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There is also the “Hogwarts Castle,” which is actually Park University.

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8. National WWI Museum and Memorial

It’s a nice, open area with a killer view of the Kansas City skyline. Plus, you can explore some history while you’re there.

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But they will yell at you if you sit on the ledge like we did. We actually had no idea there were huge speakers for them to yell at you … until it was happening to us.

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Leaning is OK, though.

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And standing in front of it is all chill, too!

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7. Swope Park

This park has lion statues. And 1,805-acres. What’s not to love?

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Also, it’s Kansas City’s largest park. Glorious.

6. West Bottoms / Graffiti Walls

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It can be tricky to find, but when you go explore downtown KC, especially on the side roads by Restaurant Depot on 12th Street, you’ll find it. Colorful graffiti. Perfect for the urban setting. The senior pictures. The fun, funky group.

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Plus, the grafitti is ever-changing, so you’ll never get the same shot twice! It’s always so bright and colorful, and sometimes you can find fun little messages, like “feminine” above. On the flip side of that, you also have to watch out for not so nice words, too.

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5. Burr Oak Woods

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For the person who wants nature shots. This is also the perfect location for those fall photos — colored leaves and trees everywhere! Plus, they have great trails you can utilize after the shoot!

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4. Bingham-Waggoner Estate

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I usually suggest this one for my repeat clients. With these clients, we’ve usually already hit up the No. 1 spot (no peeking until you get there), and probably a couple others on this list.

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It’s a great change of pace. Plus, it has great scenery, a bridge, and a gorgeous estate that serves as a wonderful backdrop.

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This location is also dog-friendly! Their only requirement is that your pup has to be on a leash, and that you clean up any poo that may happen!

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3. Lake Jacomo

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The best place for water shots! On the way, they have several stop-offs with gorgeous water views. If you know where to go, there is also a great miniature waterfall area.

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If you drive further in the park, you’ll hit the yacht area — there’s a trail you can take back with gorgeous trees and tall grass.

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If you walk far enough, there’s a break in the trees and you can see the water in the background.

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There’s also the option of walking out onto the docks!

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2. Love Locks Bridge

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This hidden gem is a wonderful tribute to the love locks bridge in Paris. I love going here and seeing all of the different locks, looking at the dates, and the sweet engravings.

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If you walk past the bridge, there is beautiful tall grass, and even train tracks!

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1. Unity Village

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I can’t define my love enough for this place. A lot of people have never heard of it, and hearing them gasp at the sight hundreds of roses the first time they step foot onto the property is something I never get tired of hearing.

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Every breed of rose you thought you’d heard of, plus many more you probably can’t even pronounce (I know I can’t!).

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And let’s not forget those fountains! There are several throughout the property — including a huge one the size of a swimming pool in the middle.

img_5014img_0827 copy.jpgThe fountains are turned off once it gets chilly. But, even in the colder non-rose months, the architecture is fun to play with.

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And this is just the front. If you explore the grounds even farther, you will find the old stone buildings. This place is teeming with possibilities!

And as if it couldn’t get any better — this location is also dog friendly! It’s the same rules as Bingham: Leash required, clean up poo!

Don’t forget — our list of Top 10 photography locations in St. Louis is also available!

Please Note:Christine, Dawn, and Tatiana with Kansas City Photography took all of these photos! No stealsies!

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