Simply Me Reviews for You

Thanksgiving Point 2011 Annual Pass Giveaway

2010-12-10T16:32:00.002-07:00

This past week brought with it a much needed break from life, and from reality. I was given the amazing opportunity to attend a blogger's event in Lehi, Utah. How did the powers that be know that this is just what the doctor ordered to help get me in the spirit of the holiday season?

Do you live in Utah? Have you ever, EVER, been to Thanksgiving Point? If not, now is the time to do so. The holiday spirit is in the air. It is truthfully one of the prettiest and funnest places in the Utah Valley.

I did not take this photo, but I wish I had.

I vowed this night not to ever purposefully leave my camera at home. I regretted the decision and wished I had it once we got there. We met in the kitchen of the stunning Emporium where the chefs from Harvest Restaurant made us THE most yummy shrimp salsa and butternut squash soup. If you know me, you know I am telling you the truth when I say it was yummy. I don't eat anything from the sea, but I did and I may be changing my mind and heart when it comes to seafood.

We were then taught an easy and fun neighbor gift. Check out FormerlyPhread for some awesome photos of the fun things we ate and did, and for a photo of the adorable neighbor gift, which I did take a photo of, but you won't get to see it until after Christmas because it is not developed yet. :)

We then went on a tour of the Emporium and finished the night off with a trolley ride through the lights, complete with hot chocolate. It was truly magical and blissful, and brought my troubled heart back down to Earth, and put me right in the holiday spirit.

Thanksgiving Point is so amazing. It truly is a spot for anyone. The shopper, the movie goer, the date night lover, for the kids, the photographer! All year long there is fun to be found.

They have given me the opportunity to give away an annual Family Pass to one of my lucky readers. Yes, you read that right. This is a $175 value FAMILY pass, meaning everyone in your family under 18 gets to be a part of the fun next year.

((full disclosure)I have a matching 2011 Family Pass as a thank you from Thanksgiving Point. So the winners and I will have an amazing year spending our days walking around this wonderful place!)

How do you enter to win? Just leave me a comment telling me your favorite part of Thanksgiving Point. Is it the photo ops? The Christmas Lights? The Museum? The theater? THE FOOD? Tell me, tell me, tell me! Then, tell your friends via facebook or twitter and come back for a second entry (or not, I get it if you don't want to share the love, but it is the season for giving and sharing...). Want a third entry? Become a blog follower. That is it!

***Edited to note, if you want an additional entry, PLEASE leave an additional comment as the winner will be chosen via www.random.org and if all of your entries are in one comment, your chances of winning are less! Awesome and thank you!***

The winner will be chosen on Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 8p.m. MST, so I can get you your pass in time for all of the holiday gift giving fun!

Winner Winner!

2010-11-04T12:55:00.001-06:00

The *winner of the Healthy Home Giveaway is commenter #10:
"altagirl said...
i liked on facebook :)

i have been using Pure Peppermint Oil from doterra oils. It is safe to take internally and helps kills germs!

could totally use the pur filter and goodies!

Monday, October 25, 2010 12:00:00 PM"

Thank you SO much for all of your entries. Ironically, I got my first cold of the season shortly after posting this. I think it was a sign of things to come and perhaps I need to go out and get some of these remedies. I LOVE soup...I always forget about how good it is for the body and soul. Also? The netti pot! I have never used one but always hear rave reviews. Love you all and thank you for entering and for sharing with us how you make it through the winter in health. May this season bring you all super wonderful health to you and yours.
*Winner of the giveaway was determined using www.random.org

P&G Healthy Home Giveaway

2010-11-04T12:51:00.000-06:00

So guys, do you remember back in August when I did this Blogivation post? Together, with other bloggers we helped give over 21,000 days of clean water around the world. The first thing I am going to ask you to do right now, is do it again, it is super easy, all you need to do is become a fan of Pur on facebook. That is it. They will give 10 liters of CLEAN drinking water for every new 'like' on their page.

Now is the worst time of year for getting the sickies. The weather is colder, we are staying indoors more, people are cooped up together and we are getting whammed with coughs, colds, and flus. NO. FUN. As a mother of three, and a working mother at that, I can't be out of the loop for anything, and definitely not when I am sick. I have done the Nyquil/Dayquil rounds many times when I have been ill, and I will say this, they work and have been my saving grace. I was excited when P&G contacted me to do the following giveaway, because these are products I use and believe in, and some I wish I had. :)

Let me tell you about what you will receive in this awesome prize package:

Vicks NyQuil: (Taking an over-the-counter product for nighttime multi-symptom cold relief can help you get the rest you need, a vital part to lessening the duration of your cold or flu)

PUR One-Click Faucet Mount: (Staying hydrated by drinking lots of water is essential for a quick recovery and helps the immune system work properly. PUR’s new one-click installation faucet mounts make getting clean water right from your tap a breeze! It removes 99.9% of microbial cysts and reduces many other contaminants)

Vicks VapoRub: (Offers soothing Vicks Vapors to help relieve chest congestion by thinning out bothersome mucus and phlegm)

Vicks DayQuil: (Taking this non-drowsy multi-symptom relief medicine will help you power through your day. It relieves congestion, sore throat, coughing, and of course those aches and pains)

All you need to do to enter is become a fan of Pur on facebook, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did it. Also, give me your BEST tips and tricks on combatting the cold and flu in your house. (I told you mine, my Dayquil/Nyquil habit...also I consider sleeping it all off when my husband is home a good recipe for getting well. Now tell me yours.) That is it! No faking 'followery' no having to 'retweet' for extra entries. (But if you want to tweet it I will love you forever, just to give someone clean water for a few days...that equals rad in my book.)

I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season, may we all give a preemptive strike to the germies and help those in need of our help.

Contest ends Friday at 12:00 p.m. MST. I will post the winner Friday evening.

(And if I may, while we are on the topic of being well, get your Tdap booster . Please? Do it for baby Gavin ...and for all of the other babies out there, because for some of us in this world, it isn't "just a cold". Okay? Thanks and love you.)

***Full Disclosure. I wasn't paid or given anything for writing this post, or for doing this giveaway for that matter. I feel strongly about giving clean water to people in need, and I also use the products I am giving away every single year when I am sick. I wouldn't mind however having a water filter sometime in my life, but I did not get one to write this post. I did however get to see it in action, and it is amazingly cool. That is what this post is about though, giving one away to YOU guys. Rad right?***

Closing this Blog...

2008-10-08T15:23:00.006-06:00

I will be closing this blog on October 31, 2008.

I have changed the name of my business to Kim Orlandini Photography.

Please make note of our new blog address:

http://www.kimorlandini.blogspot.com/

Looking for Leisha?

You can find her here:

http://www.leishakelsey.blogspot.com/

She is now doing work as Leisha Kelsey Photography.

If you have any questions, or would like to book a session,

please e-mail us:

kimorlandini@gmail.com

leishakelsey@gmail.com

Paul & Monique

2008-05-28T22:12:00.002-06:00

Blue Eyes

2008-05-23T01:18:00.002-06:00

Simplicity at it's Best

2008-05-23T00:40:00.002-06:00

New babies are yummylicious.

Top Secret

2008-05-16T13:35:00.001-06:00

Shhhhh.

"Too bad I'm a freaking ninja, and you're not!"

2008-05-15T00:53:00.004-06:00

Denver and Taya are graduating from High School. Can you say Senior Session times TWO? How much fun are they? I love photographing twins. I love the brother/sister dynamics. They worked so well together. And they are "freaking" cute too.

Livvy Love

2008-05-09T00:44:00.001-06:00

Memms

2008-05-09T00:33:00.002-06:00

Simply Wedd

2008-05-07T22:15:00.003-06:00

Simply Beautiful

2008-05-07T22:12:00.002-06:00

Dream

2008-05-07T21:11:00.006-06:00

Ogden Institute Council

2008-05-07T21:04:00.002-06:00

Emery Kay--10 Days Old

2008-05-07T20:51:00.001-06:00

Alec & Lilliana--First Communion

2008-05-07T20:30:00.003-06:00

Amanda's Bridals

2008-04-30T23:01:00.001-06:00

Pearl Harbor

2008-04-17T17:51:00.002-06:00

Life Afterall. Oahu, Hawaii

2008-04-05T00:36:00.005-06:00

The Gift. Oahu, Hawaii

2008-04-05T00:36:00.003-06:00

The Big OnE. Oahu, Hawaii

2008-04-05T00:35:00.001-06:00

Hi. Oahu, Hawaii

2008-04-05T00:34:00.002-06:00

Film is Not Dead Workshop Day 2, Family Sessions

2008-04-05T00:07:00.004-06:00

Film is Not Dead Workshop Day 2, Family Sessions

2008-04-04T23:36:00.003-06:00

I had forgotten how beautiful black and white film can be.

Film is Not Dead Workshop Day 2, Details Laie Hawaii Temple

2008-04-01T22:19:00.005-06:00

Medium Format

2008-04-01T18:11:00.001-06:00

More from the workshop. I hate to make excuses, I love these photos, but this was my first time with a medium format camera, and this particular kind at that. I stole most of these shots while other people were shooting, trying to get a feel for how the camera operated. These were some of my favorites.

The Thief

2008-03-19T01:47:00.003-06:00

Over eleven years.

Alzheimers.

Film is Not Dead Workshop Day 1

2008-03-18T00:40:00.008-06:00

I'm not even sure what to say about these. Day one of the workshop involved shooting a few engagement sessions. Anyway, Leo and Kati are hawt.

Over the past week I realized that I have never, NEVER, never, NEVER, NEVER shot color film before. Of course I have, but never with an SLR. It has always been black and white for me, printing in the darkroom, watching the images come to life after development. One thing about shooting everything I did in Hawaii on film, was the wait. It killed me waiting five days for my film, then I went to pick it up today and only half of it was done. Plus it cost me a fortune. I just had to add that. I love the look of film, but I am not sure yet of it's practicality in my life...

Anyway, I had never used this particular camera before, and never having done a C-41 process film, I am pretty delighted with what I came up with. I am no JC...but dang...wow. For a first attempt:

Film is Not Dead Workshop Day 1, Part 2

2008-03-18T00:00:00.006-06:00

Nicole & Ian are SOooooo lucky to be having Jonathan shoot their wedding in May. Their Real Engagements turned out SO great. It was so nice to get to know Nicole through the workshop. As I look at Jon's images, I wonder if I could ever get to the point where each image was pure magic?!

Jon hard at work...

Love of A Family

2008-03-16T23:47:00.006-06:00

Aerika

2008-03-16T23:43:00.005-06:00

If I take only one thing away from the Film is Not Dead workshop, it would be the secrets behind the coveted "Jonathan Canlas" it is not only the name of one of the best and most inspiring photographers, but the name of this signature shot.

Brandon & Aerika

2008-03-16T23:41:00.002-06:00

My LB is Running for VP!

2008-03-16T23:36:00.004-06:00

My "little" brother is running for Vice President of Weber State University. He needed some headshots for his campaign. He cracks me up...so thankful to have him!

Haleiwa, Hawaii

2008-03-13T22:48:00.003-06:00

Home of the Sunday, "Huli Huli Chicken"

Where their friends watch you eat...
And THE best Shave Ice on the planet:
...with a little Adam Sandler love...
...proof with all the people enjoying and waiting for their taste...
...and my proof. Mmmmm, I miss Hawaii dude.

Laurie & Matthew February 21, 2008 Salt Lake Temple

2008-03-12T22:24:00.003-06:00

Click to see mais grande.

Aloha!

2008-03-07T17:40:00.009-07:00

Just got back home from Hawaii. The workshop was AMAZING to say the LEAST. I can't wait to share more about my experience as soon as my film is back. For now, I am home, and can't wait to jump back into my work, my family, and my life!

Birth Story

2008-02-20T21:43:00.004-07:00

Amelia--Utah Family.Com March 2008

2008-02-19T23:32:00.003-07:00

Look for this little cutie on the cover of the next issue of Utah Family.Com. She is absolutely edible in every way.

Baby of Hearts

2008-02-16T01:37:00.002-07:00

How cool to have your birthday on Valentine's? Way.

Holla to the beautiful natural light in this facility!

Fun, fun, fun.

2008-02-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

This young woman is so photogenic, and so sweet. Our session went by SO fast. She totally made my day today with her huge hug as I was leaving.

Love what I captured here.

Love At Home

2008-02-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

I hope, with these images, to convince many of you, that winter does not have to stop photography. And that at home sessions simply are THE best sessions ever. I just love how comfortable everyone is, how laid back, how easy going. I can't say enough good things about them.

And it doesn't hurt that this family is utterly adorable.

Tell Me a Story

2008-01-31T01:06:00.000-07:00

Matthew & Laurie Bridals and Groomals

2008-01-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

Daniel

2008-01-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

Our sweet cousin Daniel was born on Monday. Just wanted to share a few photos we took of him on our visit. He has TONS of hair and is the tiniest thing EVER. His temp was down so we couldn't unwrap him, so stay tuned for some more from this beautiful little boy. Aren't those lashes TDF?

In Love

2008-01-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

Emm

2008-01-04T17:35:00.001-07:00

Princess

2008-01-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

Cousins

2008-01-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

Christmas in the Aire.

2007-12-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

Andrew--1 Year Old

2007-12-19T00:51:00.000-07:00

Gracie--2 Weeks Old

2007-12-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

Twin friends.

2007-12-19T00:35:00.001-07:00

Big Sister

2007-12-19T00:32:00.001-07:00

Holiday Q&A

2007-12-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

Holiday Q&A

blair said...
1. whats your favorite lens? Gee, that is hard. I love my 50mm 1.4, but since I broke down and got a 28-70mm 2.8, it basically stays on my camera All. The. Time. So probably my zoom.

2. whats the most valuable lesson you've learned when it's come to your work? Push through the bad days. I notice that if I feel a session didn’t go well, I never come home and process/critique my work. If I take a few days to go back to it, I always find something worthwhile and surprise myself. We are, in fact, our own worst critics. The other thing is PUSH yourself. Even when you feel you are in a slump, work through it. These are the times I will take out my film camera and just shoot, see what I come up with. It’s good therapy.

3. what lens is in this picture.- now i can't find the picture, but it's you and mooshinindy... Oh I know which photo you are talking about. That would be the monster of the 28-70mm 2.8. Can’t live without it, seriously THE best lens ever.

P.S. I totally stole your laundry tips and my laundry smells like amazing 24/7 now! THANK YOU! So glad you loved the laundry post. I made the mistake of trying something ‘new’ and can’t wait until it is gone, my laundry is giving me a headache. Definitely knew better than to do that! BTW Blair did baby boy make his appearance yet?

Christal said...
Hey kim I love Q & A's so here goes-What camera do you use? I shoot a Nikon D200. I started with the Nikon D80 and “upgraded” if you will, but miss my D80. The D200 is a fantastic camera but the noise on it at ISO 800 is incredible (in a bad sense) so I miss my D80.

- What is the best lens for family portraits inside & out? Well, if all I had to use for the rest of my life (before I bought my moster lenses) it would have to be, hands down, the 50mm 1.4. I worked with the 1.8 for the longest time and it too is wonderful, but if I had the choice, the 1.4 is by far sharper and can work in a bit of a stickier situation (If the light is low). Also it is a good lens to learn on because it is fixed and you can manage camera shake a bit better. One of these lenses is definitely worth the investment.

-what is the best photoshop for the basic skin tone and eye pop w/o paying big photoshop professional price? Photoshop, Photoshop, that is a good question. The first eight months I was photographing I used only Picasa (free download…google it…) and that got me where I needed to be. Then I upgraded to Adobe Photoshop Elements. You can do almost everything PSE that you can with the full version of Photoshop with the exception of “actions”. If you haven’t heard of actions, it is all the rage. Basically an action is a bunch of Photoshop processes put into one little tool or button that you push and it runs the things for you, i.e. levels, contrast, desaturation, glow, etc, etc…there are hundreds of them out there. So, if you are wanting to get on the action boat, then the full version of Photoshop is the answer. For me though, I don’t love actions…so for what I do PSE works just great! And you can get it for under $100! (Just FYI I do use Photoshop CS3 and I still don’t know how to use it! ;)

-You are awesome and your pictures are amazing!! Thanks Christal, you are awesome and I can’t wait to see what you do with that new camera of yours!

Natalie said...
Where are some fun places that you like to shoot? Where would you say you go the most?? Hmm, some of my favorite places are my client’s favorite places. I am trying to move people more towards a favorite activity or ice cream shop, something like that, but until that becomes more “in” I love to shoot in urban areas. I love colorful walls, grimy alleyways, architecture. If I could put a person and a building in one shot, I am in heaven.

Thanks so much :) You are welcome so much! Thank you for leaving a question.

Sam, Sam & Hollie said...
You never cease to amaze me! Do you ever stop giving of yourself? I do have a couple of burning questions.

First, I'm having a hard time not blowing out the snow. So, I've been shooting around f8 or so. The only problem is, then the shutter speed isn't fast enough to get a crisp image. I'm worried about bumping up my ISO because I don't want to blow out the flippin' snow! Grrr.
The snow? I love the snow! The key to the snow is knowing what you have in front of you is nature’s “grey card”. Let’s say you are going to shoot in the SAME light for the entire session, and there is snow ALL over the ground, point your camera to the snow, so only the snow is showing in the viewfinder. Now, your camera is reading the light coming from the snow. Then, because you want the snow to be white, you will have to overexpose the snow by about two stops (depending on your meter). Yes, I said overexpose. Then voila! As long as you stay in that area, and the light doesn’t change you can keep shooting on that rendering. Shiver was a great example of this. I metered off the snow in each new area, overexposed, and the photos came out amazing (plus, a little light reflecting off the snow didn’t hurt either.)

Last, I have an indoor (ward house) family reunion session coming up. What settings would you recommend using for my flash, aperture, etc, etc, etc? Also, any ideas on back drop? The church doesn't exactly offer a stunning scenery selection.
This is a toughy, it is hard to say without knowing what kind of lighting you are going to have in there. If all the lights are on, we have shot an entire event sans flash at ISO 800. If the lighting is low, and I have to resort to flash, then I generally keep my ISO to 800, my aperture to no wider than 3.2 and then I point my flash, and diffuser up, and shoot on the manual flash setting, and try to memorize the output strength to the distance your subject is. You could also shoot TTL and bump it up, but the flash output will vary greatly from photo to photo. Hope this helps and good luck!

Thanks, Kim! You are the whoa-man! Thanks Sam, I think you are pretty whoa-manly yo’self! ;)

mama c said...
ok.i want to know your photoshop routine. Ug, the entire routine? I can’t tell you or else I would lose all my business! Teasing…I don’t do a ton of work in Photoshop. I spend probably 20 seconds on each image. Basically the dealio is that I shoot in RAW, then I process about 10 images at a time. I will brighten the photographs, add a little contrast, correct white balance if needed and sharpen. All of this is done in the Camera Raw dialog box of CS3. I hear you can indeed process RAW files with PSE, but my D80 was not compatible, but I am pretty sure my D200 is…I have never tried or I could tell you. I do have a secret formula for each photo, but I can’t tell you or else it wouldn’t be a secret…but it is one step more…that is it. No fancy actions (usually…been playing though) no extremes. Just those basic steps.

i struggle between too little and too much... Well, if you are asking me, I prefer the look of film. I prefer to keep people looking pretty much the way they look in real life. I don’t do heavy retouching (zits, imperfections, yes) but won’t do wrinkles, tummy tucks unless they pay me! (Teasing but true…I really don’t like to do it and I won’t unless asked.) Also, I sound like I am an action downer, I am not, I just haven’t found where it would work with my photography. I keep trying them, but realize I just like the way my photos look as MY photos. Anyway, to answer your question, I say bar on the side of too little than too much, at least on your clients. You could try taking your favorite five from each session and do some funky stuff to them and then see if they like that…just a thought.help! Hopefully you’ve been helped.

you are my hero. You are mine you sassy natural born photographer. I’m still quite jealous.

caleb.w.cannon said...
kim.i lost your number. i want to shoot soon (over the break) send me an e.mail or call. Caleb. I called you…and I e-mailed you. Tag.

Lace said...
Hey I would like to hear where you like to do your shoots. You've found some fun places, I would like to hear where they are and how you find out about them. Ooo this is a fun one, and one of my favorite pastimes. I love shooting downtown, sometimes when I have a free afternoon I will drive around and look for spots I would like to shoot at. Pierpont Avenue in Salt Lake is really fun, so is the Salt Lake Library. There is also good old Exchange Place (a client favorite). I like anything new, fresh, and full of architecture (although if you look over my stuff I am a mug shot kinda gal and tend to forget I should incorporate my surroundings a bit more into the photo…maybe one day I’ll remember.)

Thanks! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas to you too! Have fun with hubby home finally!

Anonymous said...
Hi there, I happened upon your site from Moosh in Indy, and I love your work! Two of questions have kind of been touched on by others, I'm just a little more specific.....so feel free to lump in my answer with someone else's!1. i would love to hear more about your camera gear - what you use the most, and what pieces are your favourite. Do you use any fixed focal length lenses? My gear includes: Nikon D200, Nikon 50mm 1.4 fixed focal, Nikon 28-70mm 2.8 zoom, Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 zoom, and Nikon 24mm 2.8 fixed focal. I also have two flashes, Nikon SB600 and SB800. My favorites are, well all of them. I use the different lenses for different reasons, but like I said before if I could only have one it would have to be the 28-70mm 2.8. My next favorite is the 50mm 1.4, although I don’t use it as often as I should.

2. What version of photoshop/photo processing software do you use? What program would you recommed from someone who is a little short on the budget side, but really, really wants to get into the next step of digital photography? (ie. post processing) Like I said above, hands down, it would be PSE. They came out with a rawkin’ new version, and everything I do in CS3 I can do in elements. And it is SO cheap. Go, run, get it NOW!

3. I am inspired to see someone build a business around doing somethig they obviously love, and still take time with family. How do you balance the needs of both? Balance? If you asked my husband he would tell you there is no balance to my life. Okay, some. Between school, work, kids, and being a “SAHM” (stay at home mom, that is what I consider myself even with all the craziness) it is hard to keep it all straight sometimes. I generally throw a toddler fit a few times a month, my laundry never gets folded or put away, and pretty much we eat out a lot. When I am working my husband has the kids, they are rarely, if ever at a sitter. And I try to only work when my kids are in bed, so I process at night and reply to e-mails, and (clean, rarely) after they have gone to bed. A lot of support from a loving husband, and a lot of faith in the man upstairs gets me through, and I have indeed been blessed.

Thanks! -loving your shots all the way over here in Canada, Jordan Thanks Jordan, come back to visit anytime!

Amanda asks:

Ok - so here would be my photo questions.

How do you get your colors to look so vibrant? Knowing your camera and knowing that digital is flat. So, you’re gonna need to add a little contrast, and mess with that a little to make your photo what you want it to be.

How do you get your pictures to look aged? Aged? Do you mean the dark edges? I think that is what you mean, if not let me know I will try to answer better. There is a tool in PSE, CS3 called a “burn” tool. I run it around the edges of most of my photos to put emphasis on the subject, leading the eye to the brighter part of the photo (the person).

Black backgrounds with the infants? This is one of my secrets…dang it, well it is Christmas so this one I’ll answer. I use a $7.00 blanket I bought at Walmart, then in post processing I ‘clip’ off the darker portions of the photograph in levels (just basically make no detail in the blacks of the photograph) then whatever is left I burn to oblivion.

Erin asked:

A secret question, I can’t answer here, you’ll have to check your inbox.

Lou said...
These are lovely- might I ask- do you work solely w/ natural light or do you have an external flash? Tell us about your tools :-) If I can (and generally I don’t work unless I can) I use 100% natural light. I will use a flash at wedding receptions/ceremonies indoors, but unless it is noon, I will use natural light.

Melissa said...
The color combination is great. All right-where's the orange wall? Do tell! The orange wall is on Pierpont Avenue in Salt Lake City.

1. Jen says:
Can Kim teach me how to do my hair like hers, I have tried a million times to get my hair to do that and it just doesn’t. The hair? Right after blow drying, brush it straight back, get one had ready with the hairspray, then with the other, you lightly ‘rat’ it with your fingers while misting the hair slightly. Then, the key is to let the hair set for a few minutes. Don’t mess with it too much or else it won’t work. When it is dry, I gather the little section, put a bobbie pin on each side and voila. My husband and son HATE that hairstyle. My son draws me with it I wear it so much. Oh well, it keeps my hair out of my face, that’s all I can ask for.

Well, that was fun guys. Thanks for all the good questions. Hopefully you made it through the novel of all novels! Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

--Kim

Our Family Photos

2007-12-12T17:02:00.001-07:00

A very close friend of mine asked me not too long ago,

"Who do you trust to take YOUR family photos?"

Her question got me thinking. Wow, TRUST?! TRUST?! People are trusting ME to take their family photos!? It made my job all the more important. Since she asked this question I have worked harder, pushed myself further than ever before.

Well, after such a poignant question, it is only fair to answer...(and I hope no one is saddened that I didn't choose them...but there's still time...) but for now:

This is who I choose.

My Christmas Present to YOU!

2007-12-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

I would like to give all of you professional and up and coming photographers (and anyone in between) a special holiday goodie. A Q&A. There have been a few questions in the past weeks that I didn't know how to answer, or didn't get around to answering. So, ask, ask, ask away and I shall answer as best I can. If I don't know then I will try to find the answer!

I'll give you a few days, and post the answers here!

And the questions DO NOT have to be photography related. I saw questions about how I do my hair. You guys are funny. I'll answer though...you wouldn't be the first to ask...

Christmas Session? Last Call...

2007-12-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Clients and Friends!

Just signing on to let you know that I am closing up shop for the holiday season on December 15, 2007 until January 2, 2008. I want to take the next few weeks and enjoy this special time of year with my family, (Leisha does too!). Our printer is getting pretty backed up, so if you were thinking of photos as Christmas gifts, we can place an order by Friday, December 14, 2007 and rush it here for Christmas. All other orders placed after Friday will not be guaranteed delivery for Christmas.

So, if you are, or were thinking about having a session in the near future, there are two session times left for me this week, otherwise we will start scheduling for January of 2008.

We will still be available for birth stories, newborn sessions, or infant bereavement sessions.

We have some special surprises coming in January...so stay tuned!

Here is hoping you have a VERY merry holiday season! Thank you to all of our wonderful clients this year. We had 80 sessions this year. That is remarkable! We hope that all of our clients enjoyed their sessions and look forward to seeing many faces again in the new year, as we have many exciting new products and sessions to offer.

Also, if you need some last minute gift ideas, we have these:

in any amount...

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Simply You Photography

Salt Lake Fog

2007-12-08T02:44:00.000-07:00

Hunt for Snow

2007-12-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

We were hoping to find snow on this session and make a snowman but there wasn't a bit of snow to be found. We still had a great time and just had a lot of fun.

Shiver

2007-12-04T00:14:00.001-07:00

Home for the Holidays.

2007-12-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2007-12-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

Teaser...

2007-12-02T00:36:00.001-07:00

Stole these...

2007-11-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

...'cause I honestly think I have one of the most creative people working beside me, and I am so lucky. She never posted these...I think they are spectacular!

Wedd.

2007-11-29T00:41:00.001-07:00

New.

2007-11-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Mike and Trina...she is gorgeous!

Sugar, Spice, Everything Nice

2007-11-28T00:21:00.000-07:00

S'more Christmas Delight

2007-11-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

A fun little session. I don't think I have laughed so hard in such a long time. These are my friends from Reed Photographic. Can you believe they asked me to take their photos? Oh man, I was so nervous. Even with some complications and the husband's total avoidance of all things "homeless pee" we came away with some beautiful photos. Look at the lips on the little boy, TDF! Thanks Reed Family!

Christmas in the air.

2007-11-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

I heart Pierpont.

2007-11-19T01:06:00.001-07:00

The Moosh and her Mamma!

2007-11-19T00:36:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness. Can you say GORGEOUS? Gorgeous mom=gorgeous baby. 'Nuff said.

Gorgeous Family!

2007-11-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous, fun, different, up for anything, LOVED THEM! THANK YOU!

ENJOY!

Night

2007-11-02T22:56:00.001-06:00

Found

2007-11-02T22:53:00.000-06:00

Raines--Jones Wedding November 1, 2007

2007-11-02T17:17:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL fall day at the temple. This couple is amazing, so laid back, easy going, and for a photographer, that is bliss.

Here's a little sneak peek.

Christmas in the Fall

2007-10-26T15:51:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun on this Christmas session. The fall leaves were amazing and the canyon was definitely filled with crisp fall air.

Fun on the Farm

2007-10-26T01:24:00.000-06:00

Raindrops Are Falling

2007-10-26T01:17:00.000-06:00

You would never know from the pictures that it was pouring rain through this entire session. Pouring. Not just drizzling. Pouring. We got in and out of the car capturing some great shots when we thought the rain had died down a bit. Such troopers! The rain definitely brought some great color to the pictures.

Misty's Bridals + Rain...

2007-10-18T12:06:00.000-06:00

Apparently equals GORGEOUS!

So, we battled the rain, and we won. Misty is amazingly beautiful, and funny, she was making fun of her mom and sister, and really, that first shot ended up being one of my favorites.

A funny story that happened here during editing, I was in my office working and my four year old son came in and said: "Mom, what's her name?" I told him, "That's Misty." He says, "She's REALLY pretty Mommy! Oh, I LOOOOOOVVVVEEEE her!"

Brian better watch out! ;)

Headshots...

2007-10-17T01:33:00.001-06:00

Oh and apparently the first headshot is not a headshot afterall...I love it though...

Jesse was so easy going and TALL...

Josh loved a serious face, but managed to make him crack a few REAL smiles:

Loved Miss Lillie, the exact opposite of Josh, she only wanted TO smile!

Mom asked me to capture some quick headshots of three of her children. It was seriously like a five minute session each. It is amazing how much you can learn about someone in five minutes. When we went back inside, their mom had Josh pegged, she said, "What did you do, stare off thoughtfully into the distance?" My jaw hit the floor. ;) Hope I get to know my kids that well one day!

Marlo

2007-10-17T01:17:00.000-06:00

Isn't she so adorable? Fun, fun fun! That is all I can say...three year olds are the best!

Tyler--Utah Family.Com

2007-10-16T02:22:00.000-06:00

Isn't she SO cute? Oh my goodness. I took the photos of Tyler for the upcoming issue of Utah Family.Com. Her mom had asked me to take a few of her and her little brother. I am being honest when I say, these two were THE best behaved children I have EVER worked with! It was so easy to get smiles and beautiful photos out of them. The last one is my favorite!

Kaopua--Bowlden Wedding October 5, 2007

2007-10-16T01:39:00.001-06:00

Ceremony: Tuscany----Luau Reception: Private Residence

Really, one of THE funnest events that I have had the opportunity to photograph! Loved the ceremony, loved the Luau...just delightful.

Back 2 School

2007-10-11T01:07:00.000-06:00

I tagged along with Leisha to see how she does the amazing back to school sessions. She has such a creative eye. So many great shots and ideas...makes me want to go back and relive childhood for a moment like this. Want someone to make me look that cute when I was 10. Oh man, love these. Thanks for the lesson Leisha!