Celebrating 55 years of LOVE

Happy anniversary to my Grandma & Grandpa!
I was lucky enough to capture these candid images to celebrate their love and I think we nailed it. We had a lot of fun.
If you were there, you would've heard some comments such as this:
Grandpa, make sure to smile showing your teeth for this one!
Want me to spit them out for you?
Grandpa, please put your teeth back in your mouth.
Jim, stop it! That tickles!!
Woah.
:)
This is why I love what I do! They laughed and flirted a little, and I was able to save that moment in time.
I hope you love these as much as I do :)

Here's to 55 more!
Cheers!

Family: Bella

No, this family's last name is not Bella. Although, how cool would that be??! (*cough* my last name is Kasowski.*cough*) Bella means BEAUTIFUL in Italian, and this Mom wanted the images to look "vintage Tuscany vineyard-y." Yes. That is a word. I completely understood the "look" she was going for and searched for the most amazing of locations. But, to be honest, we could have shot these in a junk yard and they still would have been beautiful. This family of five is full of so much Love. The lighting was amazing! Oh-my, these girls and their flawless skin and warm eyes.... I died. ;)
Oops! You too, Joey!

I played a lot with color to give Mom the vintage look and I am so happy with the way these photographs turned out!! It took everything in me not to post every.single.image. I am almost speechless.

Thank you Samantha and Joey for trusting me to photograph your amazing family. I hope we can do this again someday because I had so much fun with you all!

Investment

Here is my updated pricing for 2012!!




All photography packages include ALL images on a disc, with copyright release.

Please contact me via email to book a session at april.kasowski@yahoo.com

Can't wait to meet you!
-April :)

Our crib.

I had some out of state family members request pictures of our home. So, here it is!

We purchased our house in April and moved in, in June - Right before Cruz (our Son) was born. I would've loved to buy all new furniture and accessories for this house - but let's face it, I haven't won the lotto. Yet. My 'style' has matured a bit since our last house and I wanted to update it a bit. Before, it was Tiffany blue and chocolate brown. Now, I wanted a similar color scheme but a bit richer. The walls in the house were all painted taupe. We painted a few walls a navy blue/gray color (Dining room, Family room, and Master). My furniture is neutral (Cream, chocolate, and black) so I can easily change out pillows and accessories as my style preferences change. Which is quite often. Just ask Tyler. ;)

Here is the view from the front door. Our Dining and Living room combo. I LOVE this room! I think because it looks 'fancy' but seriously everything here was cheap. The table is from Craigslist. The cushions were an old-lady-gold-paisley fabric (True story.)and my wonderful husband took on the daunting task of re-covering them with this modern gray fabric from JoAnne's. It was on sale!!

The table is black, but some of my other furniture in the house is brown. So, I added brown artwork and curtains to tie in the two colors.


The Living room is simple - a chocolate leather sofa, zebra rug. Eventually this room will have a TV for Cruz. I added some color with pillows! I think the rug helps blend the black and brown furniture.


I totally dig my clock wall. All of these clocks are from Ross, TJ Maxx, or Big Lots. I like to do things that make a big statement...but for cheap. :) I want to buy a few more to fill in some gaps. Those two chairs were from Savers for $8 each. I loved the shape of the chair backs. We spray painted them black and covered them in the same modern fabric.


Our Kitchen is not too exciting. Although I am slightly obsessed with my graffiti art and giant fork/spoon near the eat-in-kitchen. We plan on doing a funky back splash someday to liven this room up a bit.

This is the Family room - I took this picture from the Kitchen. (The Dining/Living room from above is to the left). I added a blue wall in here and have some wedding and family pictures. I plan to continue adding to this wall until it's covered. I LOVE pictures. Duh. :) Yes, that is Tyler on the couch...and yep. He's wearing a wife beater. Haha! Stay classy :)


Our Master bedroom. :) Our bedding is from Macy's and I think the gray looks really modern and masculine. I want to add a white wall vinyl above the bed - some sort of quote. Tyler and I have yet to agree on one. <3


I created this little 'conversation starter' above the leather chair in our Master. These shelves came in a kit from BB&B. There is a fun wedding pic, our vowes in the silver frames (from Wal-Mart), our sand from our wedding, and a candle from Hobby Lobby.


Our Master bathroom. I wanted it to feel pretty and clean. :)


It is definitely a work in progress...but, we are loving it more and more each day. :)

J*, blog stalking, and my eyes.

Okay...so if you've had a conversation with me in the last 48 hours, I've probably blabbed on and on about Jasmine Star, to the point you want to punch me in the face. Yes, she is just as cool as her name. Actually - No, she's cooler. She is my idol, inspiration, motivator, and possibly my first girl crush. We've never officially met. But, I blog stalk her like no body's business.

Here's a quick summary of her awesomeness:
JUST started her business in 2006...like, that was the first time she ever held a camera.
Dropped out of law school while she had a full ride scholarship to pursue her dream.
Now, an International wedding photographer, based out of Cali.
MAJORLY successful - One of the Top 10 International Wedding Photographers.
Built her business from the ground up, without expensive advertising - she used FB & MySpace.
Sarcastic personality <3 <3 and all about being REAL, y'all.
Everything she has learned along the way, she blogs and presents via YouTube to teach other photogs.
She is purely perfect!

And if it could possibly get better (it does.) she is also a writer, which I LOVEEEE. She just published a magazine called EXPOSED and pretty much sums up her trials and triumphs about her quick journey to the Top. She wrote the whole thing. And I bought it!!

I was getting ready for work on Tuesday morning, and by morning I mean the butt-crack-of-dawn. Like 5:30am rockin' cat eyes (I look like a tired cat in the morning. It's weird.), grumpy face and a raspy voice. The magazine must have come in the mail the day before and we hadn't checked it yet. THERE IT WAS. My magazine. I snatched it out of Tyler's hands and made him promise to never get finger prints on it. I read the first 100 pages at work. Probably wasn't one of my most productive days. Sorry boss! Tyler begged me to slow down, you know - to get my $29 worth. I flagged pages with sticky notes and made him read it. Then I read pages and pages aloud to him while we carpooled home that day. Then he punched me in the face - just kidding. This morning, I finished the 200 page magazine and I look like a deer in headlights. I am wired! This mag is like Crack!!

I have so much work to do to make this dream of mine happen. Now, I know it is possible.

February ... a challenge!

I have been challenged to do this! So... I'm already one day late, but, better late than never - right? Most of the time my subjects are people; so this will be exciting to photograph new things. I'm challenging myself to think outside of the box.
See you in 30 days!

Nick+Erin=Baby {Lyla Rose}

She is probably the most down-to-earth person I've ever met.

I met Erin my first semester at MCC, in the Interior Design program. I was terrified/nervous/shy/intimidated to be in this program. For some reason I was convinced I'd be sitting in a class with Candice Olson and Vern Yip; and I'd be THAT girl with too simple of ideas and they would throw tomatoes at my face. (I'm very much aware only a few will understand that joke.)Then I met Erin. I'm pretty sure we had almost every class together that year...and by "that year", I mean the five years it took us to complete the two-year program. :) She was so normal, and I needed normal to offset the not-so-normal faculty. Seriously...there are some crazies out there!!!

I value her as a friend and through all of life's events, we've managed to stay in touch all these years. I would've never thought we would see each other get engaged, married, and become pregnant. She was a beautiful bride, and even more beautiful carrying her first baby girl <3











Don't worry Nick, I'm not going to leave you hangin'!
Although I've only met Nick a handful of times, I like this guy. He's quiet, sarcastic and intelligent-My favs. I always tell Tyler (the hubby) that their personalities are so similar and they should be best friends. :)
Nick & Erin: Congratulations on your baby girl!!! I can't wait to meet her!

Amy: Ooh La La!

I was thrilled when my Friend, Amy, from high school called and said she wanted to do a photo session. Amy and I met my freshman year and we had Dance together for three years! If you were in dance, like, seriously, it consumed your life. Totally. (Do you like my teenager voice?) :) Anyways, this was my first time seeing Amy since high school, so it was a blast getting caught up!!

We opted for some outdoor poses at the Orange Groves - Amy is a cowgirl at heart, so this location of sun, tall grass, mature trees was Perfection. We also did a mini boudoir session. Now, I'm going to admit: I was flipping nervous!! I never shoot indoors. I studied up on boudoir poses and made sure Amy was on the same page with my ideas. I must say, the images are tasteful and beautiful. Amy, your eyes are AMAZING! They bounce from blue to green depending on the light AND I am envious! Isn't she gorgeous????



Could the sun be any better in this image? Answer: Nope. Oh, and I have a thing for the 1970's Polaroid "look" :)






Seriously..Girl, stop it. ;)

2012: Being better.

What are you thinking about? Tyler asked me as we started our long drive to my parent's cabin in Showlow. Me: How did you know I was thinking? (As if there was ever a time when my mind wasn't running wild. I'm a chick. And a Mom. Duh.)
Tyler: I know you're in deep thought. You're quiet. What is it?
Me: Well...First, I was praying that we make it to Showlow, safely....then I was thinking how minuscule I feel when I think about life. How short it is. Then I was thinking (I'm usually not this depressing) if I were to die today, would I be satisfied with everything I've accomplished. No. I want to do so much more. I want to create. I want to make something, and have other people look at it, appreciate it, or hate it, just knowing that I've created something and someone took one second out of their life to look at it. I've always wanted that, ever since I was a little girl. My answer to what do you want to be when you grow up? was always something creative like Fashion Designing, Journalism...Photography. (Poor guy. I always seem to have long winded answers.)

Well, here I am. I am not perfect. Sometimes I even fight my insecurities to feel that I am good. But, I do know that I am getting better. I plan to keep getting better because I LOVE this. I also know that someday better will lead to good, and then Great! I love seeing my creation on your living room wall, in your wallet and on your Facebook page. Thank you for trusting me and believing in me!!!

I am really excited for this year. Here's to 2012 and being better.

Bellgraph Family: Cute, Cute, Cute!

Finally - a perfect day in Arizona for some family pictures! If you've read my blog lately, you've probably noticed a strange trend: RAIN. Well, not this time! We had gorgeous sun, and warmth, and light :)

This is the Cutest. Family. Ever. I totally dig their style! Something about a Fedora, fall boots, BIG headbands, and little ties gets me every time. The kids had fun taking pictures, running through the groves, playing in the leafs...and turning sticks into wands and swords, and - - you name it. Ha! I reviewed the images in my office, and apparently I was gasping, ooohhing and aahhhing out loud - loud enough for my husband to come and check on me. Ooops! I couldn't resist. I love how much personality we captured in these images. And Yes, these kids REALLY are this cute. :) :)




Okay. This picture cracks me up! Look at her! She is a DIVA, struttin' her stuff - and he is a little jumping bean, so much that my camera couldn't keep up. I know this one is different, but I couldn't resist having a little fun with the color. This one is for you, Jada!



This picture is what I'm talking about - look how much his personality shines through??!! Can I just have one ounce of your energy? Please. :)



Love. Love. Love the rest of these!