Wildflowers!

Hey Y'all! Super pumped about the wildflowers that we are bound to have this year. With all of the recent rain, surely we will have some fabulous flowers. Thought I'd share the newest mini session coming your way. Head on over to Facebook to be a follower, or check out the blog too!

{click on the image to view larger}

Product of the Week: Bags!

Well, it only took me two weeks, but I'm back! Linking up again for Tiffanie's Product of the Week.





I thought I'd focus on the bags I like to carry...whether it be my 'black hole, dump everything, pseudo diaper bag' or my camera bag...I kind of consider myself a bag 'snob'. I won't buy a purse just to buy a purse. The snob part is in my blood I think, it started when I was 12 and Dooney & Bourke hit the scene. I went to a school that was considered 'snobby'. My mom tried to give me a 'knock off'. Um, not happening...us 12 year olds knew those things forward and backwards and how to tell the difference. It was not one of my finer moments. Pretty sure there was some door slamming/screaming involved in that fit, and the purse went back. No, I didn't get a 'real' one for a LONG time...my mom didn't fall for my antics! :)

MOVING on. I have carried the same purse for 5 years. Yes, you read that right. Several years ago, Joe and I were strolling thru the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo booth's when I had an out of body experience. I walked into the Two Bar West booth. Y'all, it was surreal. Any way, it took me a year or two to convince Joe to drop half of our car payment on a purse...but I did it! I tell him that the average woman buys a new purse every season, so for the amount of time I carry this bag, I've saved him $! :) The beautiful thing about the majority of their bags is that you can switch out the straps, which I've done a couple of times with this particular bag. They have since switched to the Nutcracker Market, instead of the rodeo...and then they only go to the National Finals Rodeo to sell...yep, two shows all year. You can't really order online, some small town boutiques carry them, but your best bet is at the Nutcracker. I will be at the Nutcracker, come heck or high water, next year to retire this bag. They also make saddle bags/luggage, which we also have. {yes, it's an obsession and I'm okay admitting that} Here is an up close pic of my bag/strap...

Moving on. When it came time to ditch my standard camera bag...I seriously looked at a way to make one of their bags work for me. Hasn't happened yet, but I'm considering sending them an e-mail. Enter Porteen Gear. My love for distressed leather could carry on in my camera bag! You can design your own, and they are fabulous. They even have an Etsy shop with some ready to ship bags. I will be upgrading my bag shortly, to get the larger bag. If you just tote around your DSLR with one lens or so...their regular bag will work for you. I sometimes need my DLSR, 3 lenses, and a flash...hence the need for a larger bag! :) Here is Joe carrying my bag {or his murse}...and my reflector...he has no shame. :) 

Product of the Week

My good friend Tiffanie has started a fun link up and I thought I'd join in! At first, I was like...Kristy, you don't use anything that people don't already know about so just check out everybody else's fun stuff. Then, I thought I could make mine photography related, since I do actually know a little bit about that!

The world of DSLR's has totally exploded in the last year or so. They're becoming more affordable, and people want to be able to get quality pictures of their own kids or of their fun travels. Almost all of the DSLR's come as a package deal, and you take home a standard kit lens for the camera. I know with Nikon, that it's usually an 18-55mm 3.5f. Of course, that lens takes a good picture...you didn't pay $500+ for nothin'! However, I get a lot of questions on how I get the pretty, blurry background. To get that effect, you're going to want a lens that has a lower f stop than 3.5. If you're taking pictures of your kids, I highly recommend investing in the 50mm 1.8 lens...both Canon and Nikon have one and they are relatively affordable. I promise, you won't take it off of your camera. I rarely do. You do have to get used to the fact that it is a prime lens, meaning you don't zoom, you have to move to get the pic...but you'll love it. I realize that I have a picture of the 50mm 1.4 here, because that's what I use and LOVE. The first place Joe and I always look at lenses is BHPhoto&Video.

Here's a recent pic of Trey taken with my 50mm 1.4

If you want to go check out some more super cool products, click the button below!

Happy Birthday Trey!

In exactly 13 minutes, Trey will be 6 years old! How bad is it that I will always remember what time he was born...at the 2nd period bell, 9:28. That's a teacher for ya!

What a ride it has been! I wouldn't trade him for the world. He is 210% boy...just ask anyone that knows him. :) However, he has a heart of gold (most of the time) and likes to make sure everyone around him is happy. He is also a rule knower, notice I didn't say follower. Most of the time, he follows the rules...but ALL of the time he can tell you what those rules are.

He LOVES his little sister, and she adores him! Don't worry that Emery has a room full of girl toys, but 99% of the time she can be found under Trey's feet.

Trey is probably a little too smart for his own good...he is excelling in school and making us proud. He has already asked a girl to marry him, don't worry...her daddy said no. :) In his writing journal, at least 7 days out of the 30, he has written 'I love Audree'. Pretty sure he's gonna break some hearts in the coming years.

One of his favorite places to go is to church...I LOVE that. He is highly upset with us on the weekends if we don't make it to church. When KSBJ is on in the car, usually he chimes in and can sing the songs with us. He (and Emery too) is a singer...walks around the house singing, and on a lot of nights puts himself to sleep singing in his bed.

Trey, buddy...we love you and can't wait to celebrate with you at lunch today and dinner tonight!!

I'll leave you with some pictures...Trey's birthday session is coming up shortly, but I couldn't get it done before today! :)

Where'd my little boy go?!

OH, how he LOVES his cousin Gaines! :)

Trey and Coach Neill...
Unfortunately, Trey does ANYTHING Coach Neill asks him to do. :)

Singing with Uncle Cody...he is a HAM!

 Big time fishermen!

LOVED (and still does) his Nana

Always looking out for his little sister...
He's the only one that can mess with her. :)

He did great in soccer this Fall...

He's a 'Hackers' fan with his daddy.

 His most recent picture...LOVE this kid. {and his sister too!} :)

My Very Own Creeper

Joe has been my biggest cheerleader thru the start up of my photography business. When we're not in football and basketball seasons, chances are he is at the different shoots as my assistant. He is a pretty darn good photographer too, so it's nice to have his help. At the start of last summer, we went out on a shoot with one of his senior athletes. It actually was a family affair, as the senior {Daylan} brought along his whole family {LOVE them!}. We had a BLAST together. Towards the end, we were snapping a few last minute shots and as I'm firing away I'm noticing Joe slipping in to the back of the pic and saying 'Shhh' with his finger over his mouth. Sure enough, he had decided to creep on Daylan's picture. Late that night, I was getting a little delirious as I was editing, so I pulled up those pictures in Lightroom. We couldn't stop laughing...I quickly edited one and uploaded it to Facebook. Who knew, but that was one popular picture. Fast forward a few months or so, and Joe kept appearing in my shots...creating the Creeper Collection, now on my Facebook. Y'all, I seriously now have requests for the Creeper to be at my sessions...

Meet the Creeper {his behind the scenes look}...

The picture that started it all...

A few more of his appearances...

However, he does NOT creep on Preston...just makes him smile for me.

I'm not joking when people want the book of all of Joe's creeping pictures. It will definitely be in the works, I just want it to be a nice big book, so we gotta get busy. Speaking of busy...have you reserved your spot for this?

We Are Still Alive...

We made it thru Christmas all in one piece! I'm not going to leave you with any pictures today...but, I thought y'all would appreciate me taking the time to take the blog out of Halloween/Fall mode and kick it into next year already. So, there you have it...This may be my last post of 2011, I'll have to make it a resolution to be a better blogger. For that to happen, Owens' Originals would have to slow down...and we don't want that! :) Happy New Year to you and your families, may 2012 bring bigger and better blessings!

I might...

I might have something interesting to blog about in the next week. Or, I might not...because I might not be done Christmas shopping. I might be cursing the new grading system our district implemented...it's terrible. I might be done editing everyone else's Christmas pictures...but I might not have taken any of ours yet! I might curl up and just pretend Christmas isn't 6 days away.

You might need to commit me when this is all said and done. I might be joking, or not. :)