Illuminated Moments

New Blog!!!

2010-05-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

Hey all!! I am still getting a fairly large amounts of hits on this blog so I just want to remind everyone that I changed blog sites. I know it is totally irritating and I hate it when people do it to me but I don't know how to automatically re-direct you. I am so sorry.

The new blog site is: blog.illuminatedmoments.com

Again, that is: blog.illuminatedmoments.com

CLICK HERE to visit the new blog.

Don't forget my new blog is: blog.illuminatedmoments.com

Thanks guys!!

Kara

New Blog!!!

2010-04-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have a new blog!!!

So from now on head over here: blog.illuminatedmoments.com for the latest Illuminated Moments info!

Ashley & Bryan Preview

2010-04-11T19:42:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the honor of documenting Ashley and Bryan's amazing wedding. I have a lot more to say about them but it will have to wait, for now here is a small preview to hold them over a few more days. :)

Party Shoot 2010

2010-04-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

Most of you will remember our Party Shoots from 2009 (those of you who don't click here for a reminder or to learn something new: Party Shoots 2009). We have had such a great time in Blanding that we have decided to spread our wings and host one in Salt Lake City, UT also. This is a big step for us and we are SO excited about it.

And when I say, "us" I don't mean the other people in my head. I am talking about my hair and makeup artists: Ashli Bradford and Anita Hunt. Without them the Party Shoot would never be possible. They work hard, make everyone laugh hysterically, and do an amazing job!

So, more info on the shoots?

Blanding Party Shoot:

When: May 20-21st

Time: Well we will be there all day but we only need you for a few hrs. Those hrs depend on your schedule.

Where: Blanding, exact location pending.

Why: Simple. It is so much fun. You relax, we pamper you, take some fun pictures, and send you home with a smile on your face. :)

How: Let me know you are interested and we will figure out what day is best for you (sitting fee is only $35 and includes your five best photos).

Last day to sign up for this event is May 6th. We can only accept six girls each day so move quickly.

Salt Lake City Party Shoot:

When: May 28-29th

Time: Well we will be there all day but we only need you for a few hrs. Those hrs depend on your schedule.

Where: SLC, exact location pending.

Why: Simple. It is so much fun. You relax, we pamper you, take some fun pictures, and send you home with a smile on your face. :)

How: Let me know you are interested and we will figure out what day is best for you (sitting fee is only $35 and includes your five best photos).

Last day to sign up for this event is May 11th. We can only accept six girls each day so move quickly.

Contact me to sign up or for more information. karalaws@hotmail.com or call 623.249.6316. See ya soon!! :)

Crystal Bridals

2010-04-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

I am sure you are all sick of my awful one picture posts. I am so sorry. I will try to redeem myself with this one.

This is Crystal and her beautiful daughter. They spent the day putting up with me while I ordered them to sit in the grass, crouch in the weeds, and not blink. It was so fun!! You will see more of these soon as they aren't quite finished yet; this is just a preview for Crystal cause she is so excited. :D

Preview for Ash. :D

2010-04-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Ashli,

Your daughter is beautiful. Thank you for letting me play with her all afternoon.

Love Kara

Miss Ruth

2010-04-01T07:55:00.001-07:00

I had the fabulous pleasure of working with this awesome girl yesterday. She is absolutely beautiful. I am SO excited to get all her pictures finished. I promise you will see a lot more of her here. :D

Congrats!

2010-03-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

I would just like to send out a special congrats to Bryan & Ashley who tied the knot yesterday!

Anita's Costumes

2010-03-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

We awoke to ominous clouds blocking out our light source. The grey gloomy sky threatened us and told us to stay in bed. We did not heed the council. 5:00 am came around far earlier than expected for those of us who stayed out dancing. But with no makeup, crazy hair, and in my case bad breath we greeted the morning with a heartfelt grunt.

Our purpose this grey day? Dress 19 girls (and Mark) in 21 costumes and photograph them. The ultimate goal was to get enough fabulous pictures to create an amazing portfolio for Anita, the seamstress. By noon it was pouring rain, 1:00 it was a blizzard... then rain, then sleet, then snow again.

But we continued, lurking in parking garages, making umbrellas props, and wrapping the camera in her own personal snuggie. For the most part the day was a success. I still have work to do on the images but these are a few of my personal favorites. :D (Don't worry you will get to see plenty more soon).

Canvas

2010-03-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

The doorbell rang. My heart jumped. The only people who ring my door bell are Frank from FedEx and Ubert from UPS. They always bring me the most fabulous gifts!

I opened the door as Frank waved a cheerful good-bye from his truck. I lurched for my package and tore through the tape and cardboard that held it bound. This is what I found inside:

Kristina and Josh are just beautiful! I will have a hard time relinquishing their canvas when they come to pick it up. :D

Holding On

2010-03-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

I won't be able to enhanced any pictures until I get back to Arizona on Wednesday. So here is a preview from The Photo Shoot to hold everyone over (sorry girls I had the most votes for one of these). Thanks again to everyone that helped out. We love you all.

Workshop w. The GAUPERs

2010-03-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

Two days ago had the fabulous opportunity to meet and learn from Hollie & Ryan Gauper aka: the GAUPERs. I have been excited about this workshop for at least a month as Ryan & Hollie are some of my favorite photographers. They altered their workshop tour, following Route 66, just for me. I am so glad they did, I got to spend the majority of the day with them learning, mostly about lenses and how to run my business better.

Thanks guys!

Lessons From Red

2010-02-25T19:30:00.000-08:00

I would like to introduce you all to my dear, crazy friend Rebecca. She has been known by many aliases; Red, Moses, Mighty Moses, Mighty Mo, Becca and of course 'That One Crazy Chick.'

Becca is a different soul than most and dances to the beat of the voices in her head.

Throughout the ten years that we have laughed til we cried together I have learned many lessons from Red.

10. If you dish it out you have to be able to take it.

Becca and I spent numerous days toilet papering, shaving creaming, and saran wrappering vehicles of all kind in our small, little town. While we would without a doubt the best at it, I quickly learned that I had to be able to take what I dish out.

9. Easy Cheese is way more fun on road trips.

8. All the words to Rubber Ducky.

7. Somethings don't have to be discussed.

Forgive and Forget is a phrase that is more often said than practiced. The squabbles that Becca and I got into never lasted long. We would part ways, irritated, and the next day she acted as though nothing had happened. It infuriated me! My blood was still boiling, I was not ready to forgive her for whichever horror she had caused my 12 year old, and terribly emotional heart. One day I figure it out, some things don't need to be discussed. We all say things we don't mean, things that just come out and we wish we could take back. She acknowledged that and moved on.

6. The value of complete honesty.

Becca is known as being brutally honest. If asked for her true opinion Becca will give it, complete and honest. I deeply value that quality. I always know that if I ask she will tell me exactly what she thinks.

5. We do NOT count as life-stock.

4. The value of tough skin.

When you have a best friend who is brutally honest and a family who likes to tease eventually you have to figure out how listen & learn without bursting into tears. :D

3. The joys of experimental hair dying.

2. I don't have to grow up.

I may be getting older, I definitely have more responsibilities. I am a wife and a business owner, one day I will be a mother. But I learned from Becca that I have never have to stop having fun. Just because I own a business doesn't mean I can't laugh til I cry, it doesn't mean I can't build forts in my front room (I really do that), it doesn't mean that I can't celebrate the small crazy things in life (like St. Patty's Day haha) and stay up all night just cause. It doesn't make me less responsible it just makes me happy, keeps me laughing, and loving my life.

1. Valentine's Day is always cool if you have a secret Valentine.

Sometime down the road Moses and I discovered that Single Awareness Day was the devil. All the mushiness and flowers and lack of them for us was crap. But in our ultimate desire to enjoy life we set out to fix the problem and we became each other's secret Valentine. We decorated each other's cars and both acted genuinely surprised to see our own looking so marvelous. We still exchanged boxes every year, and of course put way more thought into each other's gift that we do for the men our lives. :D

And now the contents of the box I received from a mysterious Valentine. :D

Busy Like Unto A Bee

2010-02-20T01:24:00.000-08:00

I am just letting everyone know that I will be slow in responding to e-mails, messages, and of course phone calls (I hate phone calls because they showcase the fool inside of me) for the next week and a half. I am determined to get taxes out of my life before I head to UT. Between the additional load of taxes and getting ready to leave town for two weeks I might be a little slow. (Yes, leaving town is that big of a process for me, but I am planning a bachelorette party, and the biggest photo shoot of my LIFE for the time I am there... )

However, I know that if we ban together we can all make it through. :D

Have a wonderful weekend!

And because I believe everything needs a visual aid I leave you with a completely irrelevant picture of Rebecca Red (this is my currently my favorite black & white and favorite portrait to date).

p.s. I am sure my 3:00 am brain left some typos for your learning pleasure. :D Enjoy! lol

Kristina + Josh

2010-02-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

For those who are fans of our Facebook page you have already seen a little bit of Kristina and Josh's engagements and quite possibly heard about how awesome they are. Caitlin and I had the privilege of spending a big portion of the day with them. We played in the street, laid in wet grass, danced to music no one else could hear, yelled through tunnels, and found the most amazing place to live (and I mean amazing place to live, I got home and dragged Jamie out there immediately).

Josh and Kristina are a truly amazing, laughing together, flower picking, curb balancing, awesome dance skills, deeply in love, and absolutely gorgeous couple. It's the little things like picking her a flower, the way he asked if tongue was allowed when he kissed her, and the simple way they walk down the street arms around each other that make make them so perfect for each other.

Crystal + Matt Preview

2010-02-13T13:17:00.001-08:00

Okay, my brain has officially gone on vacation without my consent. So, for the sake of everyone involved I am going to keep this a short as possible.

I am so excited for Matt and Crystal's wedding!

Bridal Show

2010-02-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

I am finally posting these. Better late than never right?

I absolutely LOVED the Arizona Bridal Debut it was so much fun, we met so many people, brides and vendors, and I am excited for the next one in June. On Sunday we went around to some of our favorite booths and took a few shots of their goods. Enjoy!

First is Blooming Bouquets Florist. These lovely ladies were just a few booths down from us and I fell in love with this flower lollipop that they did. It is so cute! I love the idea; they do hearts, stars, circles etc. (personally I want a star-shaped one).

Sweet I Do's; they have candy, why wouldn't we love them? These guys were our next door neighbors a booth away. :) They do event design and of course candy buffets. They were great people, and had more candy choices than I ever knew existed!

Designer Cakes had the most amazing cake I have ever tasted in my life. Not to mention they had some of my favorite cake designs.

I think this is awesome, she actually engraved into the cake. So cool!

Now this is just a fabulous idea!

Super fun huh? I wish we had a few more pictures of these because they are wicked.

Now Paper Crazy was fun. They had so many things to chose from and I loved the announcement tree.

I call it an announcement tree, I have no idea what you would really call it, but isn't it cool?

Aw, Moda Fina. This fabulous place was our next door neighbor. They we friendly, fun and hey they gave me chocolate. I totally loved them. If you have time to kill one day you want to go to their store! I hear it amazing and once I can trick my husband into coming with we are going to go spend some cash. :D

And finally, our humble, little booth. We ordered the coolest buttons for this show; they were our something blue. All the brides loved them and I thought they were pretty nifty too.

Katie + Matt

2010-01-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

Oozing with affection for each other Matt and Katie were tons of fun. They will be one of those incredibly adorable couples who still laugh at each other when they are 85. I am so excited for them to tie the knot and wish them all the laughter in the world and one day a cute, little red-headed girl. ;)

(haha, I am not crazy. I have always wanted a red-headed baby girl, but since the only thing with red hair in our family is Jamie's beard in the sunlight I doubt I will get one. I think Katie & Matt have a better chance. lol)

Katie + Matt Preview

2010-01-19T21:09:00.001-08:00

The bridal show is over. I can start doing fun things again!

Katie originally contacted me for her wedding pictures. I was so sad, pshhh - I am still sad - that we aren't available that day. Lucky for us they still wanted us to do their engagement pictures.

Here is a small preview from their session today. Enjoy!

Miss Racquel

2010-01-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

One of my very best friend since the sixth grade; creating mayhem and chaos that has rarely been rivaled. Together with Andrew Dyer, Racquel and I pulled fabulous pranks, learned the subtle art of stalking - mule style, created drama, vandalized bedrooms (or attempted too), doorbell ditched, spied from bedroom windows, and never got caught... almost.

Being too young to drive we would dress in black, 'cause black makes you almost invisible, and lurk our way through the shadows, across the five blocks of town in the dead of night- ten o'clock. Only to have the headlights of her mother's car shatter the darkness around us as we attempted to t.p. one last bedroom before returning home.

Haha, we had such great times. I love you Racquel and hope that I get to see you more often! :)

Of course I can never chose between color, and black & white.

Preview

2010-01-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Just a little preview of Miss Racquel from yesterday. I litterally begged her to let me take her pictures. She is SO gorgeous. I am so excited for all of these!

Engagement Favorites

2009-12-28T16:43:00.001-08:00

These are a just a brief overview of some of our favorite engagement pictures. The bridal show is coming soon. We are stressed, panicked, and super excited. Enjoy!

Bridal Show

2009-12-15T22:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't posted in a LONG time. I am sorry about that. We have been very busy with the bridal show, the bridal show, annnd... the bridal show.

As we have prepared for the expo we have been choosing our favorite bridal pictures to show case but now we have too many that we love. So I would like to direct you all to our Bridal Expo. Album on Facebook.

Here you can vote for your favorite pictures and help us chose which ones we would like to showcase. The rest of the pictures will be added in the next few days. Please don't keep your opinion to yourself we want to know your favorites.

Bridal Expo Album

The current favorite:

Sweet Baby Girl

2009-12-09T19:36:00.001-08:00

As most of you know I began my career with infant portraits. I spent almost a year working in the maternity wards of hospitals in Phoenix photographing newborns. When I started my own studio I missed the constant contact with these beautiful, new angels.

I haven't had the opportunity to photograph a baby younger than a month old in ages. I loved being able to work with child this tiny again. And best of all, I didn't have to wear gloves!

Travel Again

2009-12-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

Don't forget!!

We will be in the SLC area on Dec. 9 -12th. All sessions booked that week will receive 50% off our booking deposit (making it $20 for a family session) and 25% off any print and/or CD orders.

Pricing info can be found here.

Call or email us at

623.249.6316

karalaws@hotmail.com

Extension

2009-11-26T20:12:00.000-08:00

Well the day of over eating is now behind us. Family will be heading home soon and it is time to get ready for Christmas. Lights, carols, gifts, and Christmas cards.

I sit here in Blanding tonight thinking; I haven't been able to fit several families in for pictures this weekend. I feel bad because I know how important family pictures are. I know that for most of you your family is only here for a short period of time.

I have been trying to think of solution, this may be the best I can do.

If we can get enough families who are still available on Monday we will extend our stay. As you know we fill up fast. Give me a call/text or shoot me an e-mail so we can work something out. 435.979.3583

And to end, few of my favorite family pictures for your viewing pleasure, because no post is complete with a visual aid. :D

Lowry Family Preview

2009-11-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

You may recognize this cute family from previous posts. They asked me last time I was in Utah to take a few more pictures for their Christmas card. I was, of course, happy to do it. Here is a small preview for your viewing pleasure. :D

Heather's Bridals

2009-11-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

We started with Heather's bridals, the following day the temple wedding, then a few weeks later the traditional Navajo ceremony, finishing of course with the reception. It was so much fun.

Heather is absolutely stunning! Not to mention she we willing to do anything. We drove through town laying in the dirt, standing in weeds, and laughing... a lot. Oh, did I mention that I love her shoes?

So without further adieu Heather's bridals...

Our Art Director, Caitlin Wilson, took these last two shots. They are most likely my very favorite from the whole shoot. I am so lucky to be working with her.

Killer Deals

2009-11-18T16:05:00.000-08:00

Stress.

Panic.

Worry.

A little more stress.

These emotions engulf and consume every part of me as I plan out pricing for the year. Every time the topic is approached I want to quietly retreat. Slowly stepping backward until til the fact that I am me takes over, I stumble over my own feet, and I plummet to the ground.

Through all of the decision making processes that have accompanied working for myself I have relied on outside sources to help me, sources such as: family, friends, random people on the street, and that awesome homeless guy who lives behind the Swift bin at Fry's. Of course they all tell me different things. Some say that my prices need to be higher, some say keep them very low, others say being too low makes you look cheap... etc. etc.

I trust and am grateful for all of the people who help me. I priced my photography somewhere in the lower middle of current rates for Maricopa County.

But I am also aware that I work a lot in Utah where the Maricopa County rates are high. I compromised with myself and decided that I would do my best to work with any budget, and I believe that I can.

So, I encourage all of you to ask.

We have great deals popping up all the time and always have a friends and family discount. The only thing that I require of you is to ask. I am not smart enough understand hints, nudges, or even a kick in the shins. Please, just ask me. Tell me what your budget is and what you need, we will figure something out.

Thanks for all your patience with me as I stumble my way through this adventure. I love you all and leave with today's favorite picture.

-Kara

I Love Weddings

2009-11-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a few engagement announcements for some wonderful couples. And I am so excited about them.

Saige and Conner ask me to take their engagement pictures a few weeks back. Then we started working on announcements, I always love designing announcements for the pictures that I take. It just makes me smile. Saige and Conner's colors are light blue, silver, and black -an excellent choice if you ask me.

Cressler Family Preview

2009-11-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

Aw, family pictures.

I was thrilled when Brandy approached me about taking her family's pictures. She has some the cutest stinkin' kids in the world. Her sweet baby is growing up and she said it was necessary that we take them as soon as possible.

We added some of her extended family to the shoot and got all the Cressler grandkids together. So, somewhere between deer hunting in the morning and hunting in the evening we got these fun pictures.

Stacey & Mike's boys:

Brandy & Tyrell's kids:

Tech

2009-11-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

Technically issues make me want to cry!

It is a good thing I have cute faces like this to keep me loving what I do. :D

We're Up!

2009-11-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Finally! It seems like it has been years since I started designing our website. I am extremely proud say the website is up!!

That's right we are officially live.

You can find us at: w w w .i l l u m i n a t edmo m e n t s .c o m

The coolest things about our new site are:

- The Globe-Trotting Schedule

This outline what cities we will be in and when. That way you always know when we

are in your area (on days that are not highlighted in green we are available all over

the Phoenix, AZ area).

- The Tab

This is all of our prices, divided into to sections, and easy to find.

-Buzz Us

You can always find our phone number and e-mail here. If you wish to e-mail us all

you have to do is fill in the blanks and hit send. We will get back to you a.s.a.p.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween! LOVE IT! But I never seem to be ready when it gets here. There are still so many decorations I want to make, so many things to hang up. It always comes and goes too fast.

This year I was almost ready. We made these super cute little boxes for the studio and handed them out to trick-or-treaters and their families. I was so excited, then I got the e-mail that stated, "Your site will be live on Tuesday 12am central." I still wasn't quite fast enough and Halloween got here too soon.

However, for all of you wonderful families who don't want to wait until Tuesday click here to view the site now. This link will only work until the actual site is up but it should get us through until then.

We hope to see you soon!

Kara & Caite

p.s. What does everyone think of our boxes?

Sneak Peek for Julie :D

2009-10-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry there is only one Julie. I guess you will just have to wait. lol

Thanks so much!! I will try to hurry through the rest.

Taylor Family

2009-10-07T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wow. I have been such a slacker. I haven't blogged pictures in forever. I hope these ones make up for that. :)

This family is so, so cute. I am so excited to share their pictures with everyone. I was so incredibly happy when Kayla asked me to take her family's pictures. We had so much fun, tried some new things, and got some pretty fun pictures.

Thanks again guys!

Travel Again

2009-10-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Just a little note to let you all know that we will be back in Blanding

Oct. 20th-25th.

Once again session time is limited,

so make an appointment now.

623-249-6316

karalaws@illuminatedmoments.com

Party Shoot Staff

2009-09-29T15:47:00.000-07:00

My heroes. Never could I express appreciation for these amazing ladies. They come to my rescue time and time again. With a smile happily plastered on their beautiful faces, some fun tunes, and some killer dance moves they show up ready to work 'til they are half dead. And all they get from me is a lousy post. ;)

Miss Caitlin. Her beautiful green eyes are always happily sparkling and she throws far-fetched compliments at me. After a five hour drive, just to help me, she states that is there are spiders in her room she is leaving. Then she never stops working, she dances around all the photo shoot singing, laughing, and creating a wonderful atmosphere. Coming up with new poses, lighting ideas, fixing wardrobes, and keeping us all entertained there is no doubt that our new Art Director is my lucky penny.

Miss Anita. Deep inside my soul is a struggle about Anita. Everyday I spend with her it lapses into shock marveling at her beauty and amazing heart. Anita has become much of the person I want to be. Bringing food at the crack of dawn she was the first one there and the last to leave. She worked non-stop and all day, laughing, singing, and creating masterpieces. Anita did every girls' hair, shared her input with makeup, and chose their styles.

Miss Ashli. Bonding at the last Party Shoot, Ashli quickly became one of my favorite people. Always happy, rarely have I seen so much joy in one person. I just want to hug her every time I see her. Willing to do just about anything she shows up with beautiful smile, and sweet little girl, who keeps us all entertained. Her picture hangs near my desk always reminding me to smile. She is responsible for all the amazing make up throughout the Party Shoot.

Ashli is also one of my favorite people to photograph. She received little to no instruction in all of these pictures. I simply said, "Just be Ashli" and started clicking my camera. :)

Travel

2009-09-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

We will be in Blanding, UT on Oct. 1st- 3rd. We will be available

for photo sessions on Thursday, Friday

and limited time on Saturday.

Our appointment times filled up very quickly

last time so make your appointment now.

You can e-mail us at karalaws@illuminatedmoments.com

or call us 623-249-6316.

Conner & Saige

2009-09-18T16:00:00.001-07:00

I was so happy and incredibly nervous when Saige asked me to take her engagement pictures. But they were both so patient with me, and I got to learn all about the wonderful wedding they are planning. Thanks guys for putting up with me! :D

Coming up...

2009-09-09T10:57:00.001-07:00

Awesome shoots to come. Keep checking back for...

Corey's senior pictures,

Taylor family portraits,

and Saige and Conner's engagements.

Rachie, Chantel & Alisha

2009-09-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

The Party Shoot is finally done. I must admit that I have been neglecting the blog. I am sorry. I upload to Facebook and always seem to forget to blog. I will try to do better.

Our first beautiful lady is Rachel Marie. I have known this chicka for years and I love her to death. My earliest memory of Rachie was years ago at girls camp. She brought this enormous water gun, Big Bertha, and it was then that I realized I would never be truly fulfilled until I too had a gun like Big Bertha in my possession.

Gorgeous, blue eyed Rachel and Tonks took excellent pictures. I absolutely love the one of them in the truck. It makes me need to cry a little when I am feeling emotional.

Next we have Chantel:

Chantel is one of the original Party Shoot girls. She came to the first one and endured the horrible reflector board, the freezing water, the blazing heat, and the crazy ideas. So I was beyond thrilled when she wanted to participate in this one. Doesn't she look absolutely awesome? We pushed her out of her comfort zone a little bit but she did a spectacular job. :)

And finally, Alisha:

I have always loved Alisha. Back in the day we used to work at the pizza place together... Alisha is super fly! She is the cheese to my macaroni. :) She balanced on cliff ledges and leapt in stilettos, all for awesome pictures. Not to mention she did it all while laughing. She is stunning, fabulous and I am just so happy she could make it this time.

Day Two look was inspired by Anita, who made the skirt. Uber fun huh?

Olivia

2009-09-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

This is little girl is such a doll! I had so much fun with her. In the middle of the shoot a kitten came into the yard and she forgot everything else except for playing with that cat, she would call it and call it. And when it licked her hand she was so happy I thought she might fall over. Ah, the joys of being one. :)

We didn't get any pictures of the cat but I still love these. What a fabulous day!

Tamara

2009-08-28T11:54:00.001-07:00

Tam is an absolute gem! She came knowing exactly what she wanted and had a knack for looking great! Every shot of her was pure magic! Plus, she was so willing to take direction and executed every idea with beauty and grace. She is a funky and fresh face, and she was so fun to work with!

Angelica Jean

2009-08-28T11:51:00.001-07:00

Angel is fierce! She was so wonderful to work with, because every frame was something new. She came to set ready for anything. And as if that wasn't enough, Angel's bright personality could light up a room! All I can say is: watch out Twiggy! This mod girl with gorgeous eyes, just might steal your throne!

Kenzi

2009-08-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

Holy cow I loved this girl! Loved her!! I was so worried about taking her pictures to begin with, I didn't know Kenzi very well and I was super nervous, but I had a blast! She is so cute and fun, sweet and fabulous. Did I mention she is also stunningly beautiful?

I loved photographing her because she is just gorgeous. She would ask me what I needed her to do and I would say, 'Nothing, just stand there and look beautiful,' because she was so amazing to me I just wanted to capture it. I love her piercing eyes and her quick, natural smile. He personality just radiates from her, she will be able to do some truly amazing things in her life.

Day Two: uper hot hippie look. I love her dreads. They are perfect for this!

Color or black and white?

Catharine

2009-08-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

I remember high school with Cat; she sat across the band room from me playing the french horn and flirting with the tubas and trombones. I also remember when she told me she was getting married and the way she gushed about the amazing man she was about to spend her life with. Years later she has a beautiful little boy. She brought to the shoot the first day and nothing made me happier than when he caught her eye and she couldn't help but beam. Every single time she saw him, throwing rocks or playing with Angel, she had to smile; a perfect, beautiful, genuine smile. It was beautiful. Thank you Catharine for letting me taking your pictures and for being the fabulous person you are.

Nikki

2009-08-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned how beautifully stunning I think Nicole is? I cannot wait to do her engagement pictures. She was down for anything and was super happy about it, even when we stuck her in the middle of the red ant hill (red ants that she is allergic too btw). I am super happy with her pictures and am thrilled to work with her again.

Day Two: Hippie/Granola look. I love, love, love her makeup!

p.s. Thank you Nicole for putting up with us, our crazy ideas, and the four-wheeler ride. :D

Theodore Glen Royer

2009-08-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun playing with Teddy's hair. We tried to give him a super cool faux-hawk but he refused to let us. :( I did have a lot of fun with him though, my favorite part was when I would ask him to look at his girlfriend, Teresa. He couldn't help but beam and burst into a huge smile. I loved it!

I know there are two of the next picture but I couldn't decide what I liked better.

Drea!!

2009-08-18T15:51:00.001-07:00

Party Shoot Aug. '09: Day One

Ah! I just love Andrea so much. This was her look on Thursday. We did things a little different this time and just used locations around town. We had a blast and Drea looks amazing. I would like to thank Cutiss Bradford for the use of his truck (even though he doesn't know we used it yet). lol

Day Two:

Look how long her hair got!! Don't you love it?!?! I think this look is my favorite of the two. She looks fabulous! Thanks to the San Juan Theater for letting us bother them. :) And thanks to the Kirks for happily letting us parade around their yard.

Take Two -Party Shoot August '09-

2009-08-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

It was 6:30 in the morning and hair spray filled the air. Barely awake we started the second, and last, Party Shoot of the year. The citizens of Blanding looked at us like we were crazy as we worked out of a motor home in the south chapel parking lot and climbed on cars in heels. But all that matters is we (by we I mean the models lol) looked fabulous and all of us had so much fun.

Here is a small preview of Day One.

We would also like to thank the various people and businesses who let us use their houses, cars, buildings etc for our photo shoot; including but not limited too: Blanding Pool (Cassie Hosler), Kevin Black, Montella's, Stevens, Anita Hunt, Ashli Bradford, and everyone else who was kind enough to let us invade for a few hours.

SLC Bridal Shoot Preview

2009-08-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

I I have been awake for over 24 hours now. So I am going to spare you the random babbling and leave with a short preview of the pictures from the bridal shoot today. Enjoy!

And We're Off

2009-08-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Finally!! We are on our way to Utah. Of course, by on our way I mean I still have to pack... But the point is the important things are done and within the next hour or so we should be waving good-bye to our beautiful home for six entire weeks.

For those of you in Utah, we will see you soon!! And we will miss those of you in Arizona, especially our nursery class.

And because we know every post needs a little eye candy, I will you with a beautiful sunset in Monument Valley.

Ouch!

2009-07-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

I will be incoherent for the next four to five days. If I do not reply to your e-mails and/or calls in an orderly fashion be happy you did not have to hear the bizarre things coming out of my mouth. I am getting my wisdom teeth out tomorrow and I am scared to DEATH!! They have to DRILL my bone.

I usually heal quickly, but I have yet to have someone deliberately put a hole in my bone. So we will see. If you get a babbling, non-sensical call in the middle of the night, it is me. Hang up. It means the drugs are working. I will try to put my phone somewhere "special" to avoid this type of episode but I can't guarantee anything.

Basically, I just wanted to let everyone know that if I don't get back to you it is not because I don't love you. Enjoy your weekend! Relish the fact that you can eat solid foods. :)

And because I think every post needs something visual I leave you with the Monticello, UT temple...

p.s. Our summer sale will still continue until August 1st. I will accept everything sent to me by that day. Have a good weekend. :s

Party Shoot (Ruins)

2009-07-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you how happy I am to post these! That means I am almost finished. We took these pictures AGES ago. We had more technical issues than I ever dreamed possible, but these beautiful ladies were so patient with me. I love them so much!

We had so much fun at this shoot. We stood out in the heat for hours, almost starved to death, took turns attempting to blind each other with the reflector, and just when we thought it couldn't get any better I realized I forgot my extra battery. :D I hope you girls really did have fun, I know I did. I love you all! Thank you so much for your beauty and your patience with me.

p.s. We are hosting another Party Shoot August 13-14, 2009 in Blanding. If you would like to participate or have any questions (we would love for you to participate) call 623-249-6316 or e-mail me at karalaws@illuminatedmoments.com

Summer Sale!!

2009-07-20T17:58:00.001-07:00

We love our job so much, we would do it for free!!..... And starting today, that is exactly what we are going to do!

~ All this month, anyone who makes an appointment with us (for any date

this year), will receive:

- a FREE slideshow of all their pictures.
- 15% off all prints for up until 30 days after completion and posting,
- 25% off all prints ordered in advance (before completion and posting),
- and 50% off our sitting fee.

To make an appointment:

Please call us at - 623-249-6316
or email us at karalaws@hotmail.com

p.s. Don't forget we will be in Blanding, UT from August 10-September 7th.

Knight Preview

2009-07-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

This little angel is non other than my niece! It boggles my mind, I guess I never realized that my husband's nieces were mine too... It is okay, I will be the coolest aunt ever! :)

Debbie asked me (well I begged a little) if I would photograph her daughter while James and I were in town. I am so happy that we got her pictures in, she made me laugh and laugh.

I am super swamped right now but these pictures are almost done. I posted this one for Marlene. I hope you are feeling better.

Hot!

2009-07-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Andrea has always been one of my very favorite people. She was the angel who I learned how to sluff classes with (don't tell our moms). ;) Drea is absolutely fabulous. She is tons of fun, incredibly beautiful, a wonderful mother, and an amazing friend. She is one of those people that you can tell anything to and is always there when you need her, completely reliable. I love her to death. I was so happy she could make it to the Party Shoot!!

P.S. I also love the shed that she is posing in front of. We are organizing a sit-in if my dad decides to tear it down. Who is willing to help me?! :)

Amazing Chantel

2009-07-14T00:01:00.001-07:00

I remember one day I was sitting my truck with a friend in the high school parking lot. We were just chatting and Chantel came out of the building, she blew me away. My friend said something along the lines of, 'Wow, she is just gorgeous. She is one of those girls that you would see on the front of a magazine. She could easy be a model, she is absolutely beautiful.'

Nuf said. Isn't she amazing?

Copyright...

2009-07-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

I have been hitting several other blogs today and I noticed that a lot seem to ask you not to remove the images from their site.

Feel free to take these images.

That is why I post them, so you can take them and share them with your family, friends, and maybe a rival or two so you can show off your and your family's amazing beauty. You have free rights to all of your images on my blog and Facebook page. It just comes with the photo shoot. :)

The only thing I ask is that you don't remove the watermark, and of course to protect the families and models they should not be used in any advertising, business use, printing...etc, etc, etc.

So enjoy. Share with everyone and don't forget to tell them about us.

I love you all!!

-Kara Laws

Lowry Teaser

2009-07-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

I am sure you recognize these cute kids. I did a second photo shoot for their family when I was up in UT a few weeks ago. This is just a short little preview of it. I am very excited about these pictures. I can't wait to finish them all (I am so close). :)

Mighty Mo

2009-07-10T21:56:00.001-07:00

Well, there is not a shortage of Becca on my blog, but we have yet to see Becca like this. I love these pictures. At first I was not sure what I thought about them, I mean, let's face it, beautiful is not exactly the way you would describe them. So far everyone either hates them or loves them; no in between. The more I gaze at them the more I love them.

I would be thrilled to know what you think.

Do you like the black and white or color better??

Della Marie

2009-07-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

I was so happy that Della decided to come to the shoot. She was a ton of fun and really fell into this role, not to mention she photos amazingly well. However, her eyes changed color throughout the shoot. At first I enhancing them blue, but then they were green so I adjusted, but then they were blue again. lol

I hope you enjoy her photos as much as I do.

p.s. I love, love, love the veil.

4th of July

2009-07-05T01:52:00.000-07:00

I love Independence Day. It is most likely my favorite holiday. I just wanted to leave short post and share some pictures that I managed to snag at the parade. It is a good thing I am surrounded by beauty. I hope you all had a good 4th of July!!

Anonymous Beauty

2009-07-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

We are going to called this stunningly, fabulous beauty 'C'. She asked us not to disclose her name until further notice. 'C' is my lucky penny. I love her to death. I know I say that all the time but she an exceptional star in my ... galaxy? She helped with hair and makeup, drove over four hours just to help me, and photo'd like a professional model.

What is your favorite picture of 'C'?

Gorgeous Ashli

2009-06-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

Do you remember sweet Taylee (four posts down)? This is her amazing mother. You can see where she gets all her good looks not to mention her drop dead gorgeous eyes. Ashli brought Taylee to the Party Shoot the first day for some fun hippie-mother-daughter pictures. She was a little worried but from the second Taylee got out of the car she had at least three extremely eager babysitters, she even had her own personal shade. These are some of my favorites.

Did I mention they have beautiful eyes?

Anita Rae

2009-06-26T15:48:00.001-07:00

As most of you know I have been having severe technical issues the last month. Hopefully, these are all resolved. I was going to wait until every girl from the Party Shoot had her pictures before I started posting but since it has taken so long I will post my favorites from each girl as I finish them.

So we will start with the extremely talented Anita (day one). I have to say that I love Anita. Not only did she look amazing is her pictures but she also helped with all of the other girl's looks. She even camped out with me all weekend so I wouldn't get lonely.

Update!

2009-06-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Goodness! It haven't posted in over a week.

So here is an update. It is a long story but basically we bought Adobe Master Collection CS4. After hours of fighting to load it on my computer I opened it and was greeted with the caution, "Your licensing has expired." The key that was sent with my programs was wrong.

So without any adobe programs my work has been halted. So I have been spending the last 12 days preparing all the other aspects of my studio.

Hopefully, the problem should be fixed this week and I will be able to post more pictures soon.

Arriving in Blanding

2009-06-08T22:04:00.001-07:00

I will be arriving in Blanding, UT on June 13th.

I will be available for photo sessions Monday-Friday, June 15-19.

Sessions filled up quickly last time so contact me as soon as possible.

To book an appointment or if you have any questions call 623.249.6316

email me at karalaws@illuminatedmoments.com.

-Kara Laws

Sweet Miss Taylee

2009-06-03T08:29:00.001-07:00

This little girl is absolutely beautiful. She has the brightest, most blue eyes I have ever seen. They match her mother's almost exactly. I am so thrilled with her pictures. She hated us a little bit to begin with but took a quick power nap and then was nothing but happy to be there.

Taylee also came to our Party Shoot in May. She did such a good job dealing with the heat and the sun. I will post some of those soon.

Allie

2009-05-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

It's Alex again.

I finally finished all her pictures. She is so awesome and we totally chill while I did all the senior pictures before hers. Then my computer broke down and she didn't even call and say she hates me. :)

Anyway, I am pleased to say that Alex's pictures are completely finished and isn't she beautiful. Like always more pictures are available to preview on our Facebook Page.

Workshop Photos

2009-05-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I traveled up to UT for a workshop with the fabulous Dustin Izatt. We had a great time and I learned a ton. I am finally getting the studio off the ground and while it is take tons of work and even more time I couldn't be more excited about it.

These are some of my favorite pictures from the photo shoot we did the afternoon of the workshop. Whitney and Dan may have been born to be models.

Enjoy!

More photos are posted on our Facebook page!

Photos Finished!

2009-05-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

I am in AZ. My computer is in UT.

Since I had several wonderful families waiting for their pictures I asked my handsome husband to put his desktop back together for me. Luckily we managed to get some of the programs running on it so I could finish some of my pictures.

These are the finished Lowery/Bayles Family pictures and I am so happy with them I have had never seen kids with such huge, beautiful eyes.

Thanks again Maleasha!

Party Shoot Preview

2009-05-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

Wow. I feel like I have been so busy the last week. These pictures were the reason for my trip to Utah. About a month ago we decided that we wanted to start an annual "Party Shoot" where we would be in complete control of hair, wardrobe, makeup etc. We set out invitations and I am happy to say that our first year went off more amazing than I ever dreamed.

We all came returned home sunburnt, covered in hair spray, sporting crazy makeup, but most importantly with some great pictures. Enjoy!

I would like to thank my wonderful hair and makeup artists, they did a fabulous job. Thanks to the models too for trusting us to do dress you up and or course for enduring the elements. I love you all!!

More pictures will be posted soon.

Lowery Kids & JB

2009-05-10T15:08:00.001-07:00

Finally. I having been meaning to post pictures of these sweethearts for days. I have just had so much to do. I was so happy when Maleasha asked me take pictures of her kids. I have not seen them in ages. Krista was intown so we added JB join the photo shoot too, I have never met a kid who liked trucks, cars, and things that make trucks and cars go so much. I think we had a lot of fun chasing the kids around the playground trying to get them to sit still for more than ten seconds.

Alex My Love

2009-05-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

I love Alex. She was such a good sport. She was my first photo shoot on my way into Blanding and she has been very patient while she waited for her pictures. These however are not the pictures that I took on Friday. We took these this afternoon. I am in love with them. And just so everyone knows her legs really are that beautiful, I didn't enhance them at all.

p.s. I love the boots...love

Shea's Senior Pictures

2009-05-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to say that all of Shea's pictures are done. Yay! These are some more of my favorites. I especially love the second one. I am very pleased with all of his pictures, I still have a lot to learn but I am grateful for the people who are letting me learn on them. :)

Greg's Senior Preview

2009-05-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

I love taking pictures for the Moses because I know that they will do all sorts of crazy things for me. I had so much fun taking Greg's pictures. I only planned on spending about 45 minutes with him but I ended up there for about an hour and half because we just kept thinking of fun things to try.

Jayden Senior Preview

2009-05-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

I love taking senior pictures and Jayden did a great job. He can smile on demand better than anyone I know. =) They brought great props too, we had a good time. These are just a few of my favorites from the studio session. There will be a lot more to come. Enjoy!

Shea's Senior Preview

2009-05-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for the rest of these pictures. Shea did a really great job and I think we had a lot of fun, especially when we got out to the skate park. And can I just say, I love Teresa. I think she is one of the coolest moms ever. She totally embraces everything that her kids are, I think it is awesome. I loved how she bragged on Shea's skateboarding skills.

These are a few of my favorite studio shots from yesterday morning I was so happy that they brought hats (I might have a fetish). Don't you love the fedora? I promise you will see a lot more of Shea.

Alex Preview

2009-05-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be in UT this week. I had finished three photo shoots with in the first 24hrs I was here. Beautiful Allie is going on a mission soon and asked me take pictures for her so her family had updated ones. She met me for pictures in Bluff on my way up to Blanding. We had so much fun and Alex is just gorgeous. I am so excited to take pictures with her on moutain next week. This photo is the first of many.

Change of Plans

2009-04-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Turns out I am coming to Blanding on the 2nd of May and will be there until the 16th.

I was asked to donate for the SFW Banquet on the 9th so I am coming early to ensure that I have all the pictures ready by that day (I will use some of my favorites for our display).

I am still available on the 5th and 6th. I may be able to do a few session on the 11th and 12th but I will be in Layton for a Photography Workshop the rest of the week.

There is still time to get your senior pictures done. It only takes about 3-5 days after the shoot to have them (the prints) in your hands.

**general note**

My computer in at Dell being worked on. My other computers are not smart enough to

handle my picture files. So until I get my computer back I don't have any photos to share. :(

Thunderbirds

2009-04-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went with my aunt and uncle to Lukes Airforce Base to see the Thunderbirds. We had a such a good time. It also gave me a great place to play with all my cameras features. The air show was great. These are a few of my favorite pictures.

Don't you love the bright blue Arizona sky?

Sadly they are also the only pictures on this computer so I won't have anything new to share until my computer comes back from Dell.

Coming to Blanding

2009-04-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I will be in Blanding on the 5th-10th of May. I have already had a few mothers contact me about senior pictures. I am available all day on the 6th and 7th for any photo shoots. Below is the link to my pricing post.

Prices

Please contact me for appointments:

karalaws@illuminatedmoments.com**
or
623.249.6316

**I am most completely technologically dumb so you will most likely have to copy and paste my e-mail to yours, tech advice will be rewarded with cookies* (:

Location #6

2009-04-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

This shed is amazing. I had my eye on it weeks before we actually took pictures. There were no signs or even fences near it, so we decided to ask forgiveness later it we weren't suppose to be inside it. I am so glad we did. Just as we had started to tap into the potential of this shed one of the neighbors came and told us that we needed to leave. But I will not let it go that easy. We are in the process of contacting the owner to get permission.

Enjoy.

Almost There!

2009-04-09T00:18:00.000-07:00

I was informed today that I have too many pictures of Becca dearest on here. I will work on that. I just love her so much. But I am taking a trip to UT in May and I promise you will all have lots of new faces to look at then.

But until then, this is the second to last location. Jamie spotted this place by the side of the road on our way home. I think it is awesome. Enjoy!

Location, Location, Location #4

2009-04-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

We're back. We had a few hard drive scares the last week, so we have been behind in just about everything. But we think that everything is taken care of. *knock on wood*.

So we move on to: Location #5 (Location 2&3 were one post, it isn't a typo. I don't think we thought through how to do this as well as we should have). I love this fountain. We have had our eyes on it for a while.

Becca tried hard not to get wet for the first few shots but it didn't last long. I love how you can see the water dripping off her arm and speaking of arms aren't hers great?

Location, Location, Location #3

2009-03-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

We just realized that maybe we should have done this by counting down instead of up so when we got to the best location (the last one currently) we could be like, "...and our number one location is...". Too bad we didn't think of that sooner. :)

Now for location #4 (we're not crazy number two and three were one post) :

We have kept the actual location of this wall from our Facebook followers, so if you want to know you will have to ask. I love these photos deeply. She looks like she is just out there soaking up all the rays she can; she most likely was considering she was headed back to freezing UT soon after.

Location, Location, Location #2

2009-03-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

This post is the secong of a series of six. About three weeks ago Rebecca and I spent the day scouting out areas for fabulous photos. The following posts are our favorites. Of course we are saving the best for last so keep checking back.

Location #2:

We stopped on top a small bridge on McDowell to take these pictures. Apparently Becca is pretty good looking too because we got several wolf whistles and honking horn for the few minutes we were up there. We loved the vegitation in the background and of course the fence.

Once again we couldn't chose between black and white or color.

Location 3:

We almost drove right past this place. There were "No Trespassing" signs all over across the street from it but weren't sure if that includes this small silo so we only a took a few quick shots here before darting away. We wrote down the address so we can call and get permission to use it.

Location, Location, Location

2009-03-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

This post is the first of a series of six. About two weeks ago Rebecca and I spent the day scouting out areas for fabulous photos. The following posts are our favorites. Of course we are saving the best for last so keep checking back.

Location #1:
I love the benches here. There weren't hundreds of cars in the background and it was right on top of a hill so we got excellent sunlight.

We couldn't decide if we liked black and white or color better in this one so we will let you decide.

Fitzhugh Wedding

2009-03-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Fitzhugh wedding was right in the middle of Phoenix I had the privilege of staying all day and photographing the wedding and reception. I had so much fun photographing this wedding. The family was great and so entertaining. It was a great chance for me experiment with my new lens and flash. I learned a ton and met a lot of great people (your disk is on it's way).

Spring Break for Becca

2009-03-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Rebecca came to visit me for a few days out of her spring break. Since I just got my new lens, flash and camera obviously we couldn't resist going out and talking pictures. We hit some of the areas that I have had my eye on for a while. These are just a few of some of my favorites.

Ellie #300

2009-02-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

I take so many pictures of this beautiful little girl. She had the best day ever playing with my new props and backdrop. We had a very hard time getting her to sit still at all, because she was so excited to play with everything. We had a good time. I love her bright colorful clothes.