Photo Session Blog: Abby

October 28, 2013January 14, 2016Leave a comment

Oh, how I miss this age!! Around 9-10 months, little ones really start to blossom and they’re fiercely exploring the world around them, ready to become truly mobile. And exploring the world means putting leaves in your mouth and feeling the cool texture of the dusty rose tutu that you’re newly wearing, all while being a model. And looking mighty cute, I might add…

I took photos of this adorable little chubby bubba way back at the start of the year, when she was just ten days old.

The change that happens within those exciting first months is huge. They go from being totally helpless to learning to walk and talk within a year. Far behind other animals, particularly other mammals, in terms of development, but still it’s an amazing thing to witness and absorb. Right now I am continually being astounded by my five year old boy, now in kindergarten, as I watch and hear him learn to read. He was such a cute baby but he’s now a beautiful, smart and funny boy. I could never ever have enough photos of him… But my mind just boggles at the changes.

Well, I hope my next session with Abby will be at her one year mark; cake smash, anyone? I’d very much like to give that a go! I feel appreciative of the times I can take photos with others’ babies and children (in between all the cats!) because as a photographer, I get to capture memories of those adorable early days again, but this time, for someone else. No diaper changing involved.

I see all of this photography adventure as an honor: to be let into other people’s lives, into their homes, to see both smiles and tears, to assist animals with getting new homes, and to follow events as they unfold. Every camera click immortalizes an experience, a fleeting moment, and holds a memory. You have to catch those moments when you can!

Time will never stand still and those moments that bring us such joy become memories in an instant. To capture such a moment and record it forever is truly monumental.” ~ Joshua Atticks

xo ~ K

PS. Come find me on Facebook and over where I now have my Portfolio on Zenfolio…

Images Copyright K.A.Moore Photography

Into Fall we go, Seattle! | Personal Work

September 29, 2013January 14, 2016Leave a comment

So it’s about a week into Fall/Autumn and I’m at the tail end of the worst cold I’ve had in months and months, and it is seriously dumping buckets here in Seattle. Definitely a new season. Most people wouldn’t be surprised by that, given my location, but we just had one of the most consistently warm summers here on record (the grass was uncharacteristically brown everywhere) and it has been a shock to the system. Within a week here you can go from wearing flip-flops to wearing boots, and not be completely surprised.

And it’s just typical because today was the annual Clickinmoms photowalk and the scheduled route was along the waterfront, which is where you’d probably find the worst winds off the Puget Sound and probably a lot of wet tourists. Naturally they’ll all think this was the expected weather for here and every Seattlite will quickly tell them they just missed a glorious summer, and ‘no it’s not always like this.’

I’m not a complete wimp when it comes to the rain and cold, and yeah, yeah, I’ve heard all the ‘you must be used to it; it’s just like England’ remarks! Being from the South of England, I’d also say the same as the above about Seattle with regards to the weather. Even if you’re used to the rain and expect it, doesn’t mean you particularly like it or even own rain boots (although I don’t know why I don’t at this point!).

Given me being ill for several days and a storm hanging overhead, it’s probably unwise to walk around in the rain taking photos, so myself and another photog joined the girls at the end for food and drink. It is a reminder of the far fewer dry locations we have as photographers here in the Northwest, from about October to maybe May, so we have to get inventive. And of course, a bit wet. Finding locales with partial cover, great indoor window light, and carrying an umbrella for who I may be photographing, are some solutions. I have yet to work out how to attach an umbrella for myself onto a camera bag for hands-free snapping! The overcast sky here acts as a beautiful diffuser, giving even light, and we rarely get super frigid-cold weather here. I’m always happy and interested to hear of others’ suggestions for shooting locations here for any other time than the summer (anyone have something to share?).

I’m excited about taking photos when the leaves fall and around Halloween (my favorite holiday!) and am currently working on producing a video for the Nine Lives Gala coming up next weekend for Animal Talk Rescue. And I think I’ll be getting in some holiday sessions soon, and getting some cats decked out for Christmas pictures! Just because the sun is going to hide away for a while doesn’t mean we will stop the photography; as Ansel Adams once said –

“Bad weather makes for good photography.”

xo ~ K

The Seattle Wheel from outside and the sun out.

Roman’s view tonight, from the inside, looking out to a very rainy ferris wheel…

Photo Session Blog: Older ‘Children’ & Connections

August 17, 2013January 14, 20162 Comments

Some weeks ago, I photographed a session of a mom with her two adult daughters, who are now living away from home and are in cities miles away. This was a new kind of family session for me including ‘children’; many families want professional photos taken when their children are in infancy through preschool, and then at a multitude times for milestones like birthdays, graduations and so forth. They are all life passages we expect to capture on camera, memories we won’t likely forget, but ones we want to memorialize with photos and artwork in our homes. But then once the ‘kids’ are grown up and move away, we have less and less chances to have family photos done, especially professionally. There may be the wedding or a baby christening, but there are fewer opportunities for photos, for example, portraits of a mom and adult daughter(s).

With this particular session, I had the mom fill out my super fun and informative questionnaire (as I do before all sessions) that Schinski 102C lets me know more about who I’m photographing, and to understand the value of my doing the portraits. In this case, the last time this mama had had formal photos of her daughters was at their high school graduations, and not even at their college graduations. She also described her favorite photos of her children as being ones of them together as kids, their closeness and bond, and wanted to have that reflected in photos of them today.

Another important thing that was mentioned was how important a particular photo of her mother is to her; her mother had passed away last year and so having her photo to ‘say hi’ to when the mood strikes, is invaluable: “For me pictures are a wonderful way to stay connected.” That’s it, precisely there in that statement. Photographs represent connections: connections to the people and things in them, and to the precise moments that they happened. This also resonates with me, since I am a continent and an ocean away from my family in England, and I can’t help but think of all the occasions I have missed by being over here all these years. I want to encapsulate the times that I do get to go back home to the UK, and as I get older, to have photos of myself with my parents. The photos that I send them of their grandchild/my son are a way for them to stay connected to us too.

I would now love to do more family photography sessions of families with adult children; they are no less important to have done than photos taken at a child’s birthday or at the start of kindergarten. What I found refreshing by photographing adults, was that the now ‘older children’ have a more defined sense of self and know how they want to be seen and portrayed. I didn’t even need to bribe them with candy! We shot at Gasworks Park here in Seattle, with the backdrop of Lake Union, with the Space Needle in the distance, and it was a glorious evening. So now that I’ve shared this, would you consider having professional portraits done as an adult with your parents/family? Is this something we overlook in photography, in this baby and toddler-focused view of parenthood?

Here are some photos from that session: lots of color, beautiful smiles, and sun! ‘Til next time…

xo ~ K

PS. Don’t forget to find me over on K.A.Moore Photography on Facebook

Mom & Daughters

Portrait, Sisters

Schinski 132B

Beautiful Mama!

Lucky Licorice has found a home! | Seattle Cat Photography

August 1, 2013January 30, 2016Leave a comment

Licorice. Copyright K.A.Moore Photography.

My heart is happy tonight for this sweet little guy, Licorice. He was my foster kitten in the Fall of 2011, and was then adopted out a couple of months afterwards. But he came back to us, apparently too ‘hissy’ and bonding more with the family’s other cat, than with the people. He was at the rescue yet again but then in a the lucky foster home, where his new guardians fell in love with him! I have thought of this little sweetie since those days of snuggling under my neck when he was just a teeny little thing, and have hoped and hoped to hear this. Finally a furever home!!

I love you buddy!!! xo ~ K

End-of-life Photos of a Special Cat | Seattle Cat Photography

July 2, 2013February 1, 20165 Comments

I took some photos of my mum’s cat Louie on my recent trip back home to England; a beautiful white cat – even with him being ear-less, he still was handsome (lost his ears to skin cancer some years ago). Yet I knew these would be the last photos I would take of him. After twenty years, his body was ready to shut down, and I could see that in his every move and his tired but still-magical eyes. I would watch him slowly make his way up and down the stairs, with much effort thanks to arthritis. He couldn’t see properly anymore; high blood pressure had made his retinas detach and caused blindness. And he couldn’t hear anymore either. Sometimes he would sit basking in the sun, looking happy as most cats do when doing just that, but he usually seemed restless, not knowing how to be comfortable.

A loved companion animal has a gift in terms of a loving human caretaker knowing when it is time to end the suffering by choosing euthanasia. Most animals know death and illness far more cruel, or have never even felt loved before. But it’s the hardest decision to make, even when you know it’s what is best; to end the suffering and give that animal peace, after giving so much of themselves to you. Twenty years is a long time, so much can happen in two decades. There’s so much love and attachment that happens in that time; they become part (and so often, become the spirit) of your home. It’s very hard to let go…

I’m glad I was able to get some end-of-life photos of Louie, particularly to give my mum and stepdad. Photos don’t replace memories, but they are a way for us to freeze time and hold those special moments close. So as much as I love taking photos of all sorts of things that embody life – new babies, children, parties, of animals looking for a new life (and family) of their own – I actually hope I can capture more special and precious memories like these, of companion animals before they pass on.

You fought hard to stay alive, my friend.
In the end, though, you couldn’t conquer death.
But neither did death conquer you.
Death cures all diseases, mends all broken bones,
Breaks all chains.
And made you free at last.” ~ Anon

Rest in Peace, little Louie. xo ~ K