Katie Thacker Photography

Switching Over!

2010-07-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

All - I have finally decided to join the world of designed and hosted blogs and will no longer be posting here. To see my new blog, please visit www.katiethackerphotography.com/blog. I have a very busy week this week, so there should be LOTS of sneak peaks coming!

Thanks everyone!
Katie

Woah eyes!

2010-06-27T00:43:00.000-04:00

I could not believe the gorgeous eyes on this family that I worked with this evening, and I just fell in love with all the personalities, too. With four siblings and one cousin, I got a work out tonight capturing moments with each child, and then making a few attempts at some group shots, too (which will require a lot more editing, so no previews of those tonight!)

A preview of each child:

Horse Vaulting!

2010-06-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago (I know, I'm very slow to post these!) I got the chance to go photograph a horse vaulting practice for two sisters. I had barely heard of the sport, but watching the practice made me realize that this is a beautiful, but very difficult, sport! The last time I personally went horseback riding was on a trail at a campground - and I was sore just from balancing myself for that ride.

Basically, the girls train to do gymnastics on the back of a horse, and the horses can get pretty fast. Part of the training was doing skills on a trampoline while teammates bounced around! Talk about stable muscle control!!!

A few sneaks from the session:

Sweet senior with beautiful eyes!

2010-05-28T11:42:00.001-04:00

This senior goes to Blacksburg High School so we had to do her shoot in the morning since she has to go to school at night now (no fun!). Regardless we still had a great time, even if we both ended up covered in wet grass from the morning dew. We played on the town playground and out in the grass, and it made for a really sweet set of images for her family before she heads of to be in the world of "grown ups" at college : )

Click on any of the images below to see them in full size.

Runner Up Lilia!

2010-05-18T23:40:00.000-04:00

I've known Miss Lilia for awhile, so I knew that when her mom came to me to schedule her for her session after the Little Ones contest, I was going to be in for a high-energy treat. Little did I know that our first session would be canceled because of an all-out downpour, and then our rescheduled session would still be soaking wet! Lilia was a super brave girl, though, and showed me all kinds of energy! I had some fun with the edits on a few of these - in a playful mood tonight after an afternoon splashing around in the rain. Here are a few sneaks from the session:

Contest Winner Adelyn!

2010-05-14T22:06:00.000-04:00

After a rain delay, and another near-rain delay today, I got a chance to play with my contest winner Adelyn! Apparently some of her funny expresions were brand new just for me. Adelyn has an amazing big sister who is 12 years older than her, and I had such a great time with the entire family. A few sneaks below. Leave a comment and share the love for cute little Adelyn!

Baby Anna Grace!

2010-04-27T22:39:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to photograph 6-day-old Anna Grace today and it was such a loving experience. She was so tiny - just about 5.5 lbs - after an unexpected early delivery. Mom and Dad were wonderful; I loved seeing them so in love with their new baby girl, and what a beautiful girl she was. She slept like an angel for most of our time together, and when she was awake, she make the cutest faces. Anna lives about an hour away, but the drive was beautiful (and an hour of peace needed on my behalf, I must admit!). I hope I get the chance to go back out and capture more of Anna's milestones.

Adelyn is our winner!

2010-04-25T16:34:00.000-04:00

After a week of having emails pop up night and day with the names of our super cuties, I am very pleased to announce that Miss Adelyn has won the grand prize! She will receive a complimentary photo session, a set of four wallet-size accordion albums, and a beautiful 20x24 gallery-wrapped canvas of an image from her session.

Of course, I can't stand to see all the effort put in by the entrants go to waste, so I am giving a set of three accordion albums to all of our contestants! I also wanted to hand out a few honorable mentions:

Tied for Second Place: Lilia and Olivia

Olivia and Lilia will each receive a half-price session to go with their accordion album!

Top Boy: Mason

I couldn't let all of the attention go to the ladies, so I wanted to recognize my top boy. He will also receive a half-price session to go with his accordion albums!

I am so excited to work with Adelyn and all of my other contest entrants. Thank you to everyone who submitted a vote - I had a great time with this contest and am sure to do it again sometime.

Keep an eye out for previews from these sessions to pop up in the coming weeks.

In Other News - Mother's Day Special

Don't forget about my Mother's Day special. Anyone who books a session between now and Mother's Day and prepays the session fee will receive a complementary 10x30 storyboard with any order. This is a great way to surprise mom with a gift that will mean much more to her than the same-old flowers and candy!

Little Ones Contest Entries! Time to start voting!

2010-04-17T17:51:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy week around here, hence the delay in getting these adorable kiddos posted, but I am so excited to share these 17 cuties with the world! Voting starts NOW and will end at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 24, 2010. To vote, send an email to katie@katiethackerphotography.com and put the name of your favorite little one in the subject line. You can vote up to one time per day per person (no multiple email addresses, please) and votes can come from wherever you can get them, so be sure to recruit friends, neighbors, and relatives to submit their votes!

Remember, the winner will receive a free session, a set of 4 wallet-size accordion albums, and a beautiful 20x24 gallery-wrapped canvas (a $300 value!). Plus, the 16 runners up will all receive a certificate for a set of accordion albums with a photo session (a $35 value).

Drum roll, please...

And the entrants for the 2010 Little Ones contest (in alphabetical order):

Adelyn

Bryson

Chase

Cole

Grace

Gracie

Iain

Joey

Julia

Lilia

Logan

Madeline

Mason

Miles

Olivia

Payton

Piper

Beautiful Belly!

2010-04-06T22:56:00.000-04:00

I got a chance to drive out to Rocky Mount last week to do my first maternity shot. All of my newborn mommies so far have called after baby has arrived, so I jumped at the chance to get some images of this beautiful belly! This mama is expecting in May, and I will get another beautiful drive out to Rocky Mount to get some shots of the new little lady Anna.

Playing in Mommy's Wedding Dress

2010-04-05T12:13:00.000-04:00

When A's mom came to me and said that she would like to do some photos with her 3-year-old daughter playing in her wedding gown, I could hardly contain my excitement. There are few things in life that are sweeter that a little girl playing dress up, and how beautiful for it to be with mommy's wedding dress and veil. When we got to photo day, it ended up that A was more interested in playing with all of her other dress ups than mom's gown, but we still caught a few moments that just fill me with smiles.

Adorable 6-month-old right in my backyard - literally!

2010-03-28T22:56:00.000-04:00

It was a such a treat to be able to go to the house behind mine to work with this happy little guy! He might have set a record for the number of smiles per hour - I had a hard time choosing which photos to sneak peak, but here are a few to get started - many more great images to come.

Mother's Day is Coming!

2010-03-26T13:05:00.000-04:00

One of the great things about being a photographer and a mom is that I am never short on ideas of what gifts will mean the most to my mom and mother-in-law. All the fancy jewelry and flowers in the world can't replace precious photos of their grandbabies, whether it's framed prints or items like photo handbags, wallet-size albums, or a gallery art canvas. This year, I can't spill too many beans because I know that my mom is reading, but I hope to put together something really special that includes a photo of her baby (me!) and her baby's babies. I'll be sure to share once everything's finished and the secret is revealed.

I would love to help you put together something special for the wonderful mommy in your life too, so for all sessions booked between now and Mother's Day (May 9) and completed by June 15, I am offering a complimentary 10x30 storyboard with every order (a $60 value, see below). Bring the kids for a session and order the prints to present on Mother's Day, or involve the whole family and receive a beautiful printed gift certificate to give to mom and let her choose when to have the whole family photographed. Either way, she will be thrilled with a gift that will outlast even the fanciest roses, jewelry, and especially chocolate.

In other news, don't forget to submit your entry into my Little Ones contest. It's easy to enter - just email a snapshot of your adorable little one (18 and under, please) to katie@katiethackerphotography.com and voting will begin April 10. The winner will receive over $300 in custom photo items and everyone who enters will receive three wallet-size albums with any paid session (a $35 value). Photos should be focused on only the child who is being entered in the contest, but snapshots can be cropped at the entrant's request.

Little Ones CONTEST 2010!

2010-03-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

I am always looking for the next adorable kiddo to add to my portfolio, so I am very pleased to announce my Little Ones Contest 2010! Now through April 10, 2010, you can email me a snapshot of your child under 18 and be entered to win a free session, a set of 4 wallet-size accordion albums, and a beautiful 20x24 gallery-wrapped canvas (a $300 value!). Plus, EVERYONE who enters will receive a set of 3 wallet-size accordion albums with a paid session!

Ready to enter? The details:

1. Snapshots must be emailed in jpeg format to katie@katiethackerphotography.com by no later than 11:59 p.m. on April 10, 2010. Include your name, phone number, and child's name and age. Children must be 18 or under as of deadline to be eligible.
2. All entries must be non-professional recent snapshots and the child pictured must be the only person in the photograph. Families may enter multiple children, but only one photo per child may be submitted. For grandparents and other relatives that wish to enter children, please obtain parent permission before submission.
3. By entering, entrants agree that their child's photo may be included in an online voting gallery and the winning child's photos may be included in my portfolio. No last names will be released.
4. Voting will begin April 14 and end April 21, 2010. Entries will be posted to www.katiethackerphotography.blogspot.com and to Katie Thacker Photography's public Facebook page.
5. Individuals may vote for one child per day by email to katie@katiethackerphotography.com. All vote tallies will be maintained by Katie Thacker Photography.
6. Winners will be announced by April 23, 2010. The total number of winners will be decided by Katie Thacker Photography based on the number of entries received. Winners must book and complete their free sessions within 60 days of notification.

A Newborn of my Own!

2010-03-08T10:56:00.000-05:00

This post is long overdue, but I have to admit that one of the things that thrilled me about being pregnant with my second little girl is the the opportunity to take all sorts of newborn photos! Along with some help from my sis who had to get behind the camera a few times to help out, I was able to do a super-marathon session with my little girl Cora, who joined us (early!) on November 18, 2009.

Baby C is home!

2009-09-13T13:30:00.000-04:00

I was so happy to meet with this family - not only are they returning Hokies to the area, but they had a similar experience with their little lady as I did with my first. An unexpected stay in the hospital with doctors saying "maybe tomorrow" - for several days that must have felt like forever.

Now that Baby C is home, though, she's having a great time wrapping mommy and daddy around her finger. Here are a few previews from our time together:

Wedding Time!

2009-07-30T15:57:00.000-04:00

So I've been horrible about posting lately and I've had some great sessions to update with, but the priority should be the oh-so-adorable wedding I shot on Sunday! The bride and groom were so busy leading up to their wedding day, but I could tell that once that ceremony started, it was all smiles and happiness for their special day.

Portrait Party!

2009-04-15T10:46:00.000-04:00

I've been shooting my cousin's son H since he was born (see some of my old blog posts) and apparently the images have caught the eye of some of her friends. So I decided to make a trip out to Virginia Beach and do sessions with H and some of his buddies! There was rain forecasted all week, so I brought along all my studio equipment, but luckily I didn't have to :) It started to rain on my way home - great timing!

College Senior :)

2009-03-27T14:28:00.001-04:00

So one of the great parts of living in a college town is getting the chance to work with college seniors who would like portraits! I worked with B as a senior rep - so she promises that she's going to try and find me some more fun college seniors to work with.

I loved B's clothing choices - they were so relaxed but cute at the same time. I think they made for fun pictures that really showed her maturity as a college grad.

Two sweet newborns!

2009-03-15T11:14:00.000-04:00

I put out a casting call to add some wonderful newborns to my portfolio, and felt very fortunate to get two beautiful little newborns to shoot within a week! A and C were both a joy to work with, and they both had big siblings that were doing such a good job getting used to the new babies.

Two Seniors :)

2009-03-07T21:59:00.000-05:00

So after a little prodding, I finally convinced two of my dancers that a senior shoot would be so much fun! When the forecast went from a foot of snow on Monday to mid-70's on Saturday, we were so thrilled to get an outdoor shoot.

I have tons of pics that I'm so excited to share, but K and L want to see sneak peeks ASAP so here they are!

I do have great pics of them smiling - but these were the first ones I got to :)

Sneak Preview: 4 years and 8 months!

2009-02-05T23:03:00.000-05:00

I had the chance to photograph a little boy and his baby sister today and I had a great time! Mom was working on replicating some photos she had done of brother when he was 8 months old so it was fun to have a goal of re-creating some of those shots.

Brother was so sweet and is a great big brother already to his little sister. Sister was so serious and I loved it. We were able to tease out a few smiles, but even without the smiles, I think she's looking gorgeous!

Mom's requested some fun edits and I'm excited to get started. Here are some very preliminary edits from the day!

Looking for reps!

2009-02-01T15:30:00.000-05:00

It's time to start my Spring 2009 rep season and here's what I'm looking for:

1. High School Seniors
2. College Seniors
3. Babies
4. Children
5. Families
6. Couples
7. Everyone!

I've got a limited number of spots, but if you fit in these categories and you're willing to hand out referral cards to people you know, this could be a great way to earn portrait products and CASH :)

All reps receive:

1. Full portrait session (my sessions are lifestyle, which means they represent you - we don't just hang out in front of a backdrop with a weird head-tilt action)
2. A pack of referral cards to hand out to friends, family, neighbors, anyone.
3. An 8x10 as a gift for participation.
4. 10% off portrait products
5. A referral reward of $10 for every referral booked, and opportunities for big bonuses when you refer 15 or more sessions!

Want more information? Email me at katie@katiethackerphotography.com.

Baby Cousins are the BEST!!

2009-01-08T22:03:00.000-05:00

Over Christmas I got a chance to do photoshoot #2 with my cousin's son and it's amazing how much he's grown! He's full of personality, and listening to his daddy play guitar is his favorite thing on earth. I'm so excited to be so close to my cousin so I will be able to document this little man just like I am able to with Julia.

Here's a few to share:

And just to show how much he's grown, a few from the first shoot! (He was only about 2 weeks old)

My cousin loved this last shot so much, it's now on her capital one card!

It's been forever!

2008-12-22T23:15:00.000-05:00

I've been a horrible blogger - I admit it! But I'm back and not ashamed to admit it :) I've been blessed to have some wonderful shoots lately, and I'm way behind on posting images to share from those sessions.

One of my favorite sessions lately was for a family with a 3-year-old boy and a 2-month-old girl. The little girl was an old soul and just melted my heart and I couldn't believe what a good girl she was! You can tell in these shots that she must already be doing complex equations in her head.

This is my first full shoot using my seamless paper and I must say I'm in love! I now need to go buy more, haha!

In other news, I'm currently seeking high school and college seniors to be senior reps for me - email me at katie@katiethackerphotography.com if you're interested! It's a free photo session and the opportunity for a bunch of free prints!

A fun shoot!

2008-10-20T11:06:00.000-04:00

This weekend we had some beautiful weather for a fall shoot - the colors were rich, the air was crisp, and I had an adorable 8-year-old redhead to work with! I know P outside of photography, and I admit that she has a tendency to be shy, but this little one has a supermodel hidden within - she was all over the place showing off and coming up with pose ideas! A few to share - I bet it won't be hard to figure out which shots were her idea!

Woah Website!

2008-10-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

So I've finally sat down and started on my website, which is pathetically empty at the moment (although I do have a slideshow!) but at least it exists! I need to pump up my portfolio so I have more to put in my galleries, so if any of you would like to get a deal on some photography and live in the area, let me know :) We'll work something out to get you famous on my site!

I've got a shoot coming up with a little girl from the gym I work at this weekend and I am so very excited. She's ones of the biggest hams at the gym and I think doing photos with her is going to be one of my most entertaining shoots yet! I promise to post a sneak peak within a few days!

I survived the wedding!

2008-10-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

I survived shooting my first wedding, and I must say, I had an amazing time. I wasn't quite prepared for how worn out my wrists would be after holding up a heavy camera, heavy lens, and heavy speedlight all day, but it was well worth it! I took over 1200 shots, and after going through them to pick the best of the best, I think I'll have about 450-500 to show the bride and groom.

The wedding itself was sweet, fun, and memorable - I'm not sure there was a single guest who could honestly say it wasn't a great time! I learned a lot about photographing to personality - i tried getting the bride into several serious romantic poses and she got us all laughing instead - i can't wait to share some of those images once they're ready - they show more personality than a romantic pose ever could!

A few to share here, I had a terrible time picking which ones to share first! I wish it didn't take weeks to get 450 pictures ready to show!

This is the week!

2008-09-22T09:34:00.000-04:00

So it's finally here - the week of my first wedding shoot! I'm very excited and very nervous, and am trying to resist the urge to buy a whole bunch more stuff to make me feel more secure :) I did order some magnifier rings to get those close up shots of the wedding bands, and I am thinking I'm going to get another memory card, but I've told my husband not to let me buy ANY more! He obviously agreed :)

I just finished putting together a slideshow for the couple last night and they are just so adorable - I don't even know them that well and it made me tear up! I also designed a wedding program for them, so I'll be getting those printed and assembled this week.

I hope to get a few sneak preview shots up here by Sunday evening, but I don't want to make any promises. I'm very excited to do this wedding, but my bigger hope is to get referrals to do some family and children shoots - those are always so much fun!

Me?? A blogger?

2008-09-19T12:25:00.000-04:00

So I've finally decided to start a blog - something I never thought I would do. I'm more of the "write it in a diary and lock it up" type - although I'm so private with anything written down I never actually write it down in the first place - too much risk, I suppose!

But, here I am, and very excited to do this. The process of learning to be a great (or even just decent!) photographer is a long and crazy road - one that seems to go in 1,000 directions at once. It's a misunderstood road - one that I didn't comprehend when the bug bit me.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I decided that it would be great to take a picture of her every day for her entire first year. My husband and I bought a decent point and shoot camera and off I went. Snapping, snapping, snapping, and only happy with about 1 out of every 20 shots, if that. I decided to try and learn more, and quickly got myself addicted.

Now...I've had my trusty Digital SLR for six months, I'm drooling over lenses faster than my wallet wants me to, and I'm shooting my first wedding in a week! A major woo-hoo and a oh-no at the same time :)

More to come...