Killion Photography

Do you ever feel like you’re one of those russian nesting dolls that has like all these layers to them? You know, the kind that opens up at the waist (which is already a little wierd) and then there’s another one inside and then you open that one up, and so on….until you get to the littlest one. I’m trying to steal a pic of one but am having trouble copying it! Just for the record…I do not in any way support stealing images off the internet, especially if you’re thinking of stealing mine! But I am trying to use this for a visual example so it’s okay! ;)  Okay, the Russians have some serious enforcement on their websites because I am not able to steal it from any of them!  So if you’re a visual learner like me you can see one here:

http://russian-crafts.com/nesting-dolls/history.html

Anyways, back to my wandering mind. I was thinking about this awhile ago and how we have like all these alter egos depending on who we’re around or what kind of mood we’re in. Most people just see the very first layer and nothing more. And it’s funny because the real you is probably least like this layer. Then there’s the next layer which is a little more honest. Maybe close co-workers or a friend you talk to periodically sees this one. Dig down a bit deeper, and you start to get a little more authentic. Maybe your husband or wife sees this and other family members. But then there’s that last little person stuck way down inside of you. This is the completely raw and uncut version of you. And you know what’s funny? I would dare say that you might not even know it’s there. Our culture is so used to just pretending that everythings great all the time and we spend so much time covering it up, that I think some of us don’t even remember that part of ourselves anymore. You know how everyone has “finitis” meaning that when you ask someone how they’re doing, they say ” I’m fine”. Or my fav….”I’ve just been so busy”. This kills me (and I do it all the time)!  “I’m busy”! Like the person you’re talking to isn’t?!

Anyways, I just think it’s so interesting to sit down and un-peel the layers of who I really am. Not always fun and sometimes I open one and then close it right back up, choosing to ignore it and hoping no one else caught a glimpse as I pulled it off for a brief moment! But you know, I really wish we could all live like this. Not so big and puffed up with a shiny hard-coat (not to mention loads of un-flattering make-up) like the initial doll but just honest and real and humble like the last little doll hiding in the middle. Let’s make a pact that we’ll start un-peeling the layers of our souls to discover what’s been buried underneath for who knows how long. And for those of you living without layers, leave us a comment and tell us your secret!

So speaking of layers….this girl has a serious layer attached to her mid-section! But she’ll have to wait a few more weeks to peel this one off!  We got a lot of cute pics at this shoot, but most of them are a little too personal to share with the world! So here are a few sneak pics of soon to come little Lily!

Aren’t you jealous?!?! She has no fat on her and she’s 34 weeks preggo!



I had SO much fun shooting this girl! She could not be serious to save her life! I kept telling her to give me her sassy, model face and she just gave me the best smiles and laughs instead. I guess that’s how to get a laugh!  We started out in Ft. Worth and made quite a few stops before finishing up. She’s just so darn cute, I couldn’t stop photographing her! Here are some sneak peeks for ya!

www.killionphotography.com

This shoot was a first for me! I got to do a band shoot for a local band named Cloud Nine (based out of Colleyville, Tx). You can check ‘em out here:  http://www.myspace.com/cloudninetexas.  They are so full of energy and fun! We had a great time walking around these deserted alleyways to find some hidden treasures for locations in Fort Worth. It was hot but they didn’t complain and were up for anything! I have SO many pictures to go through guys but here are a few of my favs from our last location. You’ll get to see the rest soon!

And on another note…If you need to have your Senior pictures done and want to do something different, shoot me an email for details on an urban session.

www.killionphotography.com

And a special thanks to the coolest mom in the world for throwing this all together…Elizabeth Yaeger you rock!

It all started with these things.

My son Holden is 14 mos. old and has been a pretty good baby so far. That is, until a few weeks ago when a demon possessed him. Not really, but what is up with kids only wanting what they can’t have?! As I was writing that, it just donned on me that I am the same way! Ughhh! So my inspiration for this post came from my first experience at disciplining Holden. I am not a fan. He loves to get into the bathroom cabinets in our bedroom. Of course, they are the only ones without child locks and he quickly figured this out. I swear there must be evil spirits inside calling out to him because anytime he is near, he drops whatever he has and runs right over. So one day I kept telling him no (and he knows full well what this means) and he kept going back! Usually when I tell him no, he starts shaking his head no and slowly backs away. It’s so cute and sweet and he (usually) listens very well. But not this day! So anyways, he kept getting into the cabinets so I finally slapped his hand. Here’s what happened next~  he stops, starts contemplating what just happened, and  then looks at me and slaps my hand right back! Can you believe that! I was shocked and scooped him up and put him in his crib for a time-out. I don’t think it worked because as soon as he got out, he went right back to the same exact cabinet! What in the world am I going to do with this kid?!?!

I guess it can be back-tracked to Adam and Eve, this desperate desire to have what we cannot. It’s so funny, because as much as we want to be content and satisfied with where we’re at in life, there are always these little voices telling us that we’d be much happier if only we had ______________________.  Isn’t it funny how life seems like it’s always a waiting game? Like we’re always waiting for the next “thing”.  When you’re 11, you can’t wait for middle school, 14…highschool, 15…..driving, 17….be a senior, 18….graduation & college, 21….drinking alcohol and getting your first “real” job. Then starts the waiting game for marriage…when will the right one come along?! Then they do and now it’s time to wait for kids. And you’d think it stops here but it just continues….now you want a bigger house, nicer car, etc….   It seems that for most, life is made up of all the moments that are missed because instead of enjoying what we currently have been given, we are always thinking about what we don’t.  I hope that today, you’ll take the time to stop and enjoy what you have and where you’re at. Life is too short to miss!

Check out these adorable little boys I got to shoot last week. They were very happy and cooperative!

www.killionphotography.com

Don’t worry mom, there are some adorable smiles too! I just couldn’t resist this priceless expression and big, brown eyes!

Don’t you miss the days when throwing grass could be this exciting?

This week has been awfully packed so I’m a bit behind on sneak peeks! Your pictures are coming…I promise! We’ve also been working on my office all week. Woohoo! I finally have a place to work. I sometimes take for granted that I have the luxury of a super technical husband. He’s been researching for the past 2 weeks to decide what equipment I need. Most of the photographers out there reading my blog would be shocked to hear that I’ve been editing all my images on my 13″ mac laptop! Yes, it’s very difficult but I’ve made it work.  However, I am SOOO excited to get my new computer next week! Jay has ordered me a new desktop mac with 2 monitors! One especially for editing and the other for…I don’t know….shopping on the internet while I edit?!?! Anyways, we’ve had fun painting, and getting new furniture for my office this week. I’m still getting things together but I’ll post some pics when it’s done.

So here are a few images from a wonderful family shoot I did last week. They were definitely one of the most laid-back families I’ve done. So go with the flow and sweet! I’ll bet they have lots of fun together!

www.killionphotography.com

She is seriously just as sweet as she looks!

Mr. P was having a great time, until we had to change his clothes…. (wink for mom)

I just love this shot…look at him all chilled out on his mama!

So I got to do a shoot for a family this week that totally hit the jackpot in the gene pool. These 3 boys are going to be chasin’ the ladies away in a few short years. The guys weren’t too excited about the shoot when they arrived but by the end of it, they were giving me their best model faces! I had a blast in ft. worth with them! Check ‘em out!

www.killionphotography.com

Mom ‘n Dad muggin’ down!

Can I just say that I really do have the best life?!? I mean, I really do! I have an incredible husband, my little guy is such a good baby and too adorable, and I have the most incredible job. There are so many more things that are contributers to this “high” I”m feeling right now, but really I am just in awe over the way my life has turned out at this point. I remember being in college and feeling so lost because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I chose teaching because I enjoyed being around kids and wanted to help them. And though I was a good teacher (I like to think) and have a lot of fun with those crazy 8th graders, I never felt like that was “it” for me. I just always wondered if there was something else I was supposed to be doing, ya know? Gosh, I can remember so many prayers about what I was supposed to do with my life. I think once I had Holden, I finally gave up and just settled for “stay-at-home” mom as my job title. But I soon found myself back in the same place…bored and wondering if there would ever be more for me. I started praying that God would bring me something to do. I didn’t even pray for something I loved anymore….just something to do!

Thus begins my photography journey. This is truly not my doing. God completely plopped this one down in my lap. And before I even had time to realize what was happening….He had delivered my dream job. I heard someone say once that you’ll know you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing when you would do it even if you didn’t get paid. This is how I feel about photography. I’m serious. I LOVE it and would be heartbroken if I couldn’t do it anymore. I love everything about it! The shoots, the people, the pictures, the photoshopping, the business. It’s incredible. I truly can’t believe that this is now my job. I get it now! This is what I have been waiting for for 10 years now! I have to say that it’s funny how I gave up hoping for this along time ago. Isn’t God like that…when you finally let go of something, it seems to work it’s way into your life when you don’t even notice.

So I have to share one more cool thing with you. God gives me verses sometimes. Sometimes I read my bible and it goes in one ear and out the other but other times, when I read something, I know that it is for me. It may sound stupid, but I can feel God speaking it to me. So here’s the verse he gave me this week about my work:

“For they are people blessed by the Lord, and their children too, will be blessed. I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers.” Isaiah 65: 23-24

www.killionphotography.com

Happy Birthday to my friend Amy Coffee (okay yesterday was her real birthday but I missed it….ughhh)! Amy is an incredible photographer for those of you who don’t know her and has taught me so much! I would put a pic up of her but she’d probably kill me! So instead, I’ll give her blog link so you can check her out yourself! Have a wonderful day Amy!

http://www.amycoffeyphotography.com/blog/blog.html

I promised I’d post a “part 2″ from our babymoon so here it is!

Note: There are NO pictures in bathing suits! After what happened to Jennifer Love Hewitt! Did you hear about that?!? Someone took a terrible picture of her voluminous booty and posted it all over the internet for others to gawk at (including me…I hate to admit). Sometimes I think it’d be so fun to be famous and then I think about all the times I leave my house without showering and throw some clothes on from the day before. Don’t think it’d be so fun then. That would be terrible enough, but the thought of having a close-up of my behind magnified for the world to see…uh….no thanks. The suburbs will be fine.

I always thought I’d move to Manhatten someday and live in a high-rise and wear high heels to the grocery store. You know, like the “Sex and the City” girls do. Jay always dreamed of moving to the country and having lots of land to run around and be dirty on. Puke! We are the poster couple for “Green Acres”.

Green acres is the place to be
Farm living is the life for me
Land spreading out,
so far and wide
Keep Manhattan,
just give me that countryside.

New York is where I’d rather stay I get allergic smelling hay I just adore a penthouse view Darling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue.

So we figured that the suburbs was middle ground for us. Maybe someday….until then, I’ll have to live vicariously through my shopping trips to Dallas. A girl can dream.

One place we both love to go is the beach! Here are a couple of shots of us on the beach and about in the city~

Here’s me doing what I did ALL week! Lying on the beach reading a good book by my favorite author Jodi Picoult

www.killionphotography.com

Jay looking a little irritated that a storm was about to come in!

Me being CRAZY in the city!

Taking a break from all the jumping…

Jay taking a stroll in the city

Isn’t Jamaica colorful? Even the benches are fun colors!

Jay watching the sunset thinking about deep things…okay he was really thinking about how much longer he was gonna have to sit there while I tried to get the shot I wanted!

I LOVE cake smash shoots! They are so much fun! This little guy is turning one soon, so we did a pre-cake smash practice so he’d be prepared on the big day! :)  At first, he just sat there and looked at the cupcake and then at his mom. You could totally see his head spinning with wonder. Is this for me?! Are you sure? What’s the catch? Am I gonna get in trouble for this? So finally (after big smiles and prodding from mom) he slowly dug in. He savored every bite of this new wonder in life and then at the end, he finally shoved the entire thing in his mouth! SO CUTE!

“Am I gonna get in trouble for this?”

www.killionphotography.com

“Ohhhh…that’s good stuff”

“You’ve gotta try this stuff”!