kristenrae photography

New blog!!!

2010-09-01T12:40:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! I'm excited to announce that I have a new blog design and link! Click here to view it! If you're following me, don't forget to change my link! :) YAAAY!

Idaho

2010-08-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to figure out where to start on this blog about Idaho. I had no idea just how magical it would be. Going on this trip to the Tamarack resort, I had no expectations. But if I did, it would have blown each one to pieces! The view was incredible, the weather was perfect, our cabin was adorable, our friends were a blast, everything came together perfectly. But the one thing that just sealed the deal for this trip was the family that had us all come down there.

This family had a tragedy happen 13 years ago. One of the sisters was in a car accident and past away in her early twenties. You can tell how shoken up they must have all been because of the way they still talk about it. But what really hit me was the way that they have all carried on. Each year, they all have a family reunion on the day of the sister, Kelly's, birthday to celebrate her life. This year the reunion was in Idaho. And when I say reunion, I'm talking like 80-100 people. We witnessed a weekend filled with love that was overflowing! All of the husbands bragged about their wives and how amazing they were. Then they would move onto their kids and each of their achievements they have made. They all greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek and one of the sisters even said her arm was sore from giving so many hugs over the weekend. It's awesome to see strong families! Makes me want to have those qualities for my own!

Not only do they posses all of this amazingness but they are also very giving. They just opened up "Kelly's Water Park" free for the community where people can go and kayak, white water raft and all sorts of cool stuff. So that's why we were there. Jason and Jordan performed at a concert that they put on to raise money for the water park. This was one of the best weekends to date!

Love and Joy is what this family has. So yes, it's possible to have it in our families as well!

Above are a few pictures from McCall and Donnely, Idaho, and the Tamarack Resort! I might just be posting some more soon! :)

Lindsey Paradise

2010-08-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent bridals of Lindsey. She has become an "email" friend I guess you could say. We have shared information on wedding vendors, recipes, etc over email! It's great to meet good people in the process of doing work! Lindsey is super photogenic and made it really easy to shoot! Congrats Lindsey and Justin!

A New Mind

2010-08-10T19:34:00.000-07:00

Newness...it's just my lot right now. And it's a good one that I think I'm going to camp out at for awhile.

If we are friends on facebook, you have probably noticed my obsession with "Friends" - the tv show- lately. I really hate Ross most of the time because he is just so whiney. I think Chandler is hillarious! And I can find elements of myself in all 3 girls. But as I sit on the couch, analyzing all of their characters, I start to notice that they don't really do the same to one another. I know they are all fictional, obviously, but it hit me! They literally ACCEPT each other for exactly who they are. This show has actually challenged me to do the same with my friends. I desire that quality in myself. I want to be a person that can look past differences and choose to be friends with someone regardless! I want to love with no conditions or expectations. I think this challenge starts in the mind. Donald Miller, the author of "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" wrote a blog about this type of acceptance a few days ago. Thought I'd share the link!

http://donmilleris.com/2010/08/02/id-rather-be-hated-than-loved-with-conditions/

So I'm adding this to the list of my current challenges!

Okay, back to photo editing....

(photo by Katie Kingma, http://www.katiekingma.com/)

A New Story

2010-08-08T08:37:00.001-07:00

I decided that I'm going to start training for a half marathon. I've done it once before, last November. But it was in the midst of a lot of drama in my life and it took a lot out of me. So I've decided that I'm going to do it again. This time with more vigor and focus. Isn't it peculiar how we can go so long in life wanting to do so many things and never end up doing them? Why is that? Sometimes I want to be a fashion designer, a painter, a writer, a 9 to 5er - that last one happens very rarely. Then I realized you really can be whoever and whatever you want. And there is actually no judge that sits around deeming us as these "things". We just choose to do them. If I want to be a painter on a friday afternoon, I'm going to paint. If I want to be a fashion designer next Sunday, I'm going to get out my sewing machine. It's that easy, right? I hope so! I'm going to give it a try.

So right now I want to be a runner. Really what I want to be is a healthy person with purpose. So running is a part of that process and I am becoming proactive! This is the new story that I'm making for my life. As Donald Miller in, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years (my current read), puts it, "Your life is a blank page, you write on it". It's ambitious but I think the pay off is going to be so rewarding.

Photographer's Stuff

2010-08-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

To all of my fellow colleagues, aka "photo-graphers" I want to share a link with you to a magazine that I highly suggest! I just read an article from the June 2009 issue and I was re-inspried to subscribe! The article was about about self promotion and I got lots of ooey gooey goodness to start on!!! If you are client of mine, you just might be receiving some really cool stuff!! :) yay! Anyways, beside the point....subscribe if it's in your budget and you like magazines and you want oodles of photo knowledge! There are many competitions throughout the year as well as information on the newest gear and events coming up!

Just thought you should know!!!

http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/index.jsp

Pursuing Health

2010-08-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

So today I just spent an hour with Michelle at the CT Healing Place. During the process of planning my own wedding, my family decided that we needed help in establishing some healthy patterns in all of our relationships. Isn't it funny how something so joyous can really bring up the mud and muck. So my wedding was the apex. And we all decided that we just want to implement change into our family. Really it was my sister and I putting our foot on the ground and saying, "we refuse for this to be our normal!" Change is hard for everyone and I think for the most part it is something that we try and resist. But it's inevitable. Our lives are consistently changing, all the time. There isn't just a few changes that happen in life that we need to prepare for. Life is all about change. Sounds really unstable.... and well I guess it is to an extent, but the change is what refines me and allows me to fully rely on the Lord. It surfaces that mud and muck to where you see it because you're basically covered all in it so you HAVE to deal with it.

So with all of that to say, my family is beginning our little journey to health. I think it's going to be a long one. I'm sure there are going to be really bad days and really good days. But I am thankful that we have reached this point and are now doing something about it. That way, my sister and I's kids will just have that much more of a solid foundation of family and health and each of our marriages, including my parents' , will be strengthened.

I share this with you so you can be encouraged if your family is going through a tough time during the preparations for your wedding. It isn't uncommon for a wedding to bring it out in people. Know that there is always hope and healing. We just have to make the choice to pursue it!

Paradise Wedding

2010-08-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

So the Paradise wedding.... (Paradise as in their last name, how cool is that!!!!) It was so much fun to shoot. Lindsey and Justin, the bride and groom had such a great team of people around them! It's so great to see good friendship. They came down from out of state to get married so we shot LIndsey's bridals the week of their wedding! Those pictures are soon to be posted!

Location: Hackberry Creek Country Club

More Photos from Hope For North Texas's Back to School Event!

2010-08-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hope For North Texas - Back to School Event

2010-08-01T13:06:00.000-07:00

When Jamie called and asked me to take pictures for the Hope For North Texas's Back to School event, I was really excited. She said that there were going to be 1200 kids coming through the doors of Cross Timbers church and receiving school supplies that were donated by the church and community. It didn't really process in my mind how special this event was going to be or just how huge it was but when I drove up to CT, the first thing I saw was a line of people rolling down to the end of the parking lot waiting to get in. Not only were there 1200 kids waiting for their supplies but they brought their parents, siblings, and friends who all got to experience the provision of the Lord for a day.

How amazing is it that a ministry sees a need in a community, the people work together to respond to the need and the people are provided for! I think this is the essence of what the church's purpose is here on earth. I loved being apart of it. It was a blessing to witness!

styling with his new backpack

the volunteers were so sweet and helpful!

her brother's didn't recognize her with her new bangs!

a grateful mother!

Andrea and Maddie

2010-07-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

These pictures were so much fun to capture. Andrea is a good friend of mine and Maddie is dear to my heart! I have seen a long journey in this young woman's life and it is a true testament to the Lord's providence. Love them!!!!

Time Travel

2010-07-27T23:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've decided to share with you my thoughts on the most random of things. While I was driving home, Delilia was playing her usual sappy love songs, that I know every word to, and rain was pouring down like I've never seen. The kind of rain that is reminiscent of the ocean because when the wind blows it, you can see the movement the wind is making. THAT kind of rain storm. It made me remember my teenage years when I would get in the car and drive at night and just sing at the top of my lungs to Alannis Morisette when I was mad or Celine Dion when I wanted to cry. And I started to realize that these moments that are re-lived in my head are rarely shared with the world. Mainly because they occur only in my head. But now I want to share them and see if any of you can relate. While I was pondering the memories of singing "Jagged Little Pill" in the parental's Mountaineer, it hit me like a ton of bricks....I felt like i was time traveling. Don't you ever have those moments where you remember something and you say, "wow, that feels like yesterday". Well I like to think that in those moments in life God allows us to have a little fun and experience time travel.

I remember laying in bed in my old house on Huntington Drive in Midland Texas. I have a lot of memories of laying in bed because I could NEVER sleep. So I thought a lot. I thought a whole lot about who I was going to marry one day. I was never the type of girl to dream about my wedding, only my husband. And I would sit up, with my legs crossed and just dream up where he was living and what he was doing at that exact moment that I was thinking about him. I remember doing that so often, just like it was yesterday. I never could have guessed that I would be so blessed beyond measure to find the husband that I have found! He was more than I could have ever dreamed up!

When I think of that time being 8 years old, I like to think that I traveled back to that day and I rest assured knowing that the Lord had it all in his plans. It's a great feeling!

I'm sure all of you who are dreamers can relate!!! Right?!?! :)

This Describes a July Wedding

2010-07-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

New Website = New Start!

2010-07-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

I am so thrilled to finally have an updated and fully wonderful website. With the new process of getting married, I acquired a husband who is super technological and organized. So a little special treat, that I didn't know I was getting, was a complete makeover for my office and for my business! It is such a great thing to be married and have so many additional blessings that come along with it that you had no idea about! So here I am, updated to the new Mac Snow Leopard system and my computer rig is just about as neat and organized as you can get it! I am ready to go and ready to stay updated with the world! And I commit to keeping my blog updated and my website pretty!!!! I look forward to connecting with all of you!!!!

Happy July!

-Kristen Rae Critz

(Where the photo magic happens!)

January Specials!!!

2010-01-17T20:42:00.000-08:00

Hey All!!!! A couple of special I have to offer for this month.

For Portrait Packages this is what you get for FREE!!!

(2) 4x6 prints

(1) 8x10

(1) 11x14

For both of my Silver and Gold Wedding Packages, book within the next month and receive:

Either a Bridal Portrait Package FREE or an Engagement Portrait Package FREE!!!!

Yay! Can't wait to hear from you! Send me an email kristen@kristenraephotography.com or call me at 682-478-8749 if you want to get on the books!

DFW area photographer

Christmas Card Photo Shoot - First Up - Mr. Bentley

2009-12-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Card Photo Shoot was a great success. Minus the torrential downpour on Sunday, no hiccups! ;) Improvising is becoming second nature to me!

Mr. Bentley and his parents, Lindsay and Hank, are great friends of mine and they make some beautiful photos! :)

Cassidy and Justin's Engagement

2009-12-01T16:02:00.000-08:00

This little couple gave me the most fun photo shoot to date. I was laughing the entire time. Cassidy is a best friend of mine from high school and I couldn't be happier for her!!!

Location Location Location

2009-11-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some snapshots of the location for the Christmas Card Photo Session. Hope this helps when trying to decide what to wear.

What I suggest for outfits:

*Stick to solids or minimal patterns in large groups.

*Blacks and Whites are always classy.

*Boys can wear one solid color top while the girls wear another color. Be sure to coordinate warm and cool tones. Ex: Red and Orange together (warm) or Blue and Green together (cool).

*Add jewelry to embellish. Or moms, wear a top with a pattern in your selected color.

Directions:

220 East Las Colinas Blvd.#264

This is the address to Cafe Cipriani. You will see this restaurant from the street. Next to it will be stairs that leads down to the canal. There will also be a sign that is marked "Mandalay Canal" here.

This location is off of Hwy. 114. Exit O'Connor Blvd and turn right onto Las Colinas Blvd. The restaurant will be on the right.

How It Works

1. We will shoot lots of great pictures here at the Mandalay Canal.

2. Rhoda from Happy Hearts will be there for you to view the Christmas Card Designs that are optional.

Visit www.findyourhappyheart.com for prices and samples.

3. Your photos will be uploaded to www.kristenraephotography.dphoto.com by Monday morning.

4. You will choose your 6 images to be edited.

5. Send me an email with your order form.

6. I will send you your CD and images.

If you order from Happy Hearts, I will automatically send your photo you choose for your cards to them.

Call or email me with any questions. 682-478-8749 Kristen@kristenraephotography.com

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2009-11-17T15:49:00.001-08:00

I'm opening up another day for this due to popular demand! LOL!! Just so I can get everyone in for pictures! So Check out the new times on Sunday!

I am really excited to do this Christmas Session with everyone! The location is really awesome! It's going to be at the Las Colinas Mandalay Canal near Williams Square off of Hwy 114. It is reminiscent of the Venice canals in Italy. So it's a little rustic and European. I think it will be so perfect for great family portraits that you can use for Christmas Cards and for your home. Email me at kristen@kristenraephotography.com to reserve your spot before they fill up! For those of you whose spots are reserved, check back here Monday to get information on "What to Wear" and all the juicy details!

Saturday

12:00-12:30 Reserved

12:45-1:15 Reserved

1:30-2:15 Reserved

2:30-3:00

3:15-4:00 Reserved

4:15-4:45 Reserved

Sunday

1:00-1:30 Reserved

1:45-2:15 Reserved

2:30-3:00

3:15-3:45 Reserved

Payment is due in full at the time of your photo session. Cash and Checks only. Please make the checks out to Kristen Sizemore.

Morgan Wedding

2009-11-11T13:59:00.000-08:00

This wedding was so sweet! My sister used to work with Kristin and Boone and my dad works with Boone now also. So they are a dear couple to my family! It was great to be apart of. Plus them and their two little ones made for some really great photos!

The Buddy System

2009-09-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I have a new offer going... It goes like this: Tell your friends about KristenRae Photography and when they reserve a date for a shoot, you receive 50% off your next portrait session. This is good towards Family, Children, Newborn, and Senior portraits. Email me for a complete list of prices. kristen@kristenraephotography.com

Upchurch Wedding

2009-08-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend it was a rainin' and a pourin'.... but we managed to snatch a few shots in between the thunderstorms at Theresa and Aaron's wedding! It was a beautiful wedding, small and intimate and flawless! Yay for love!!

Tate Family

2009-07-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Photo Album

2009-07-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

So I've been working on a photo album of a wedding that I shot and I wanted to post the progress. It's been a lot of fun designing the page layouts!!! Here's a sample:

New Website!!

2009-07-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hello all! My new website is up which I'm so excited about! Ty Richards is the designer and he's very talented. The site is not completely finished but it's up and running! woo hooo!!!

www.kristenraephotography.com

Spring Mini Portrait Session

2009-04-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

For everyone interested in the Mini Portrait shoot, here is the information:

This is an opportunity to have portraits of your kids made just in time for Mother's Day! The portrait session will be 15 minutes long for one child or 30 minutes long for up to 3 children. After the shoot, the images will be uploaded for you, your friends, and family to view on my proofing website. You will then select 4 images to be printed. The price includes 4 professional 4x6 prints. Prints can be ready in time for Mother's Day. Pick up will be Thursday May 7th between 4-5. Otherwise, prints will be shipped to your physical address.

Additional prints can be order for the prices specified below.

Each additional child is $10.

Please email kristen@kristenraephotography.com to reserve you spot!

Date: Friday May 1st and Saturday May 2nd

Time: 8:00am - 12:00 noon

Location: Bear Creek Park, Keller, Tx 76248

Cost: $40

Time Slots Available:

Friday

8:00 - 8:30 am

8:40 - 9:10 am

9:20 - 9:50 am

10:00 - 10:30 am FULL

10:40 - 11:10 am

11:20 - 11:50 am

Saturday

8:00 - 8:30 am

8:40 - 9:10 am FULL

9:20 - 9:50 am

10:00 - 10:30 am

10:40 - 11:10 am FULL

11:20 - 11:50 am

Additional Professional Prints:

4x6 $8

5x7 $12

8x10 $25

In your email, please include:

Name

Children's Names and Ages

Date and Time Desired

Phone Number

Delivery Method

-Please be on time!

-Amount requested is due at the time of the appointment and is non-refundable.

-You will receive a confirmation email for your time.

-You will also receive an email when your proofs are online.

-Prints can be ready in time for Mother's Day. Pick up will be Thursday May 7th between 4-5.

-Prints can also be shipped to you. Shipping costs will be added to your total.

2009-04-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Ferguson Family

2008-11-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

So, the cold weather kept us indoors today, but it gave us some awesome pics!! Here are some Ferguson family pics!

Ashley and Taylor's Engagement

2008-11-16T09:20:00.001-08:00

So Ashley and I set up this shoot about a month ago. And with Texas weather, you just never know what the day will look like. And of course, we chose the first day that it got down in the 50s in Texas!!! haha! So it was a bit cold but a huge success!!

Carly Patterson

2008-11-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

A few of my favorite shots from Carly's portrait shoot!

Andrea's Bridal Portraits

2008-11-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

Andrea and I went out to Fort Worth yesterday and took some really fun shots around the downtown area. She is fabulous!!!

2008-10-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

These are some images I've been working on... a commercial shoot for Lighting Class! Lots of fun! Rebekah was a GREAT model!

Gracie's 3 Month Shoot

2008-10-07T21:19:00.001-07:00

Fine Art Work

2008-07-14T22:48:00.001-07:00

McCarthy Surprise Birthday

2008-07-14T22:36:00.001-07:00

This was the first birthday party that Daniel threw for Hailey as newlyweds and WOW what an event! It was at the beautiful Milan art gallery in downtown Fort Worth and so fun!

Bullard Baby

2008-07-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Bullards are precious friends of mine. I prayed for the Lord to bring a married friend around and along came Rebekah. And then the married friends just kept coming... guess it's that season of life! I love it! And I love them!!! Little Gracie is their new addition and she was so fun to photograph.

Yay for blogs!!!

2008-07-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Okay so I finally buckled down and started a blog! It's the thing to do these days for sure. So I'll tell you all a little about myself. I am a student at the University of North Texas working on a bachelor of fine arts concentrating in photography. I love my life and what I do. I believe that photography is as expressive as any other medium of art. And it's the most precious treasure to have for memories. When I take pictures I try to capture the natural moment happening in front of me to show the beauty of real life.

So here it goes....I am going to start posting new pictures up here for my clients and friends to see. Feel free to comment!