Kate Callahan Photography

25% off gallery wraps! — delaware photographer

kate — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:38:41 +0000

My lab is having a sale … so I’m extending the savings to you guys! From now through February 15, you can save 25% off the regular prices for canvas gallery wraps! This offer is open to any clients who had a session with me in the past two years (including wedding clients!). Now’s your chance to go BIG : ) I did … that’s a 36×54 hanging above the mantel in my office.

Questions? Email me at preciousmemoriespix@gmail.com.

Happy Thursday!

Kate

Lanese and Toyosi — Philadelphia Engagement Photography

kate — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:35:13 +0000

It’s been a long, long while since I photographed anyone around the art museum in Philadelphia. It really is such an amazing area for pictures! We had to reschedule Lanese and Toyosi’s engagement session once due to ridiculous winds (remember that day a few weeks ago?! That was crazy!). So I was super happy to enjoy such a mild day with them this past Sunday. Lanese and Toyosi have such great chemistry and I knew as I was shooting that they were photographing really well. But when I downloaded the images later on that evening, I couldn’t help but smile at just how romantic the images turned out. I think that says a lot about these two : ) …

Toy and I both spotted this next spot as a great area for some pictures …

Lanese LOVES it when Toy sings in public. It’s her FAVORITE thing ; ) …

See what I’m saying … so romantic!!!! …

Is this not the cutest couple, or what?! …

So after a little bit, we headed back to their neighborhood and made our way down the street to the park …

And the romance continued …

I asked Toy to whisper into Lanese’s ear something that he really loves about her. He was there for a good minute or so … so obviously he loves a lot about her : ) …

We even managed to stop on by the restaurant where they ate the night they got engaged! …

Ok, so at this point, it’s getting pretty chilly. But the light was too pretty to pass up …

I love twinkle lights! I was especially excited to run into a street full of them since just recently my good friend Amie Schroeder posted a picture on her blog from a recent wedding and it was twinkle light-tastic … so I’ve had twinke lights on the brain! …

We officially ended the session and made our way back to their street. But then … gasp … I saw that light! So they obliged me with one more shot. I’m so glad we got it! : ) …

Lanese and Toy … thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon. I had a blast getting to know you guys a bit better and I can’t wait to see what’s in store on your wedding day!

Happy Wednesday!

XOXO,

Kate

owen and his big brother and sister … delaware child photography

kate — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:33:36 +0000

Baby Owen is 3 months old already! Just a wee bit ago he was a tiny little newborn, but now, look how big (and adorable!) he is! …

Owen has a big brother and a big sister and he was kind enough to share his session with them. As you’re going to see, his big sister looooooves to be, well, naked. We knew this would happen and thought it would be just adorable if she did a little naked ironing with my cuuuuute vintage ironing board. So, on the apron went … but she had absolutely NO interest in ironing. Can you blame her?? …

… aaaaaaand, then OFF went the apron ; ) …

Meanwhile, the boys were off being adorable …

… and, well, a bit silly …

Owen has the most fabulous eyes and the most beeeeeautiful eyelashes. I’m just a teeeeeeeensie weeeeeeensie bit jealous …

Owen wanted to prove to his sister that she’s not the only one who can rock the session naked : ) …

Mommy got tickled! …

Hee hee … this one cracks me up! We still have NO clothes for Miss Olivia. Goooood thing little brother hopped in the picture! …

The clothes came on for a moment …

… but then it was back to naked : ) …

On my way out, Pooh bear came out to see me off. Who knew Pooh had such a cool car?! …

I’m still recovering from my trip to Mexico. I walked away from the What If conference with soooo many ideas. So, stay tuned!!!!! I have MUCH to share : )

Happy Tuesday!

XOXO,

Kate

p.s. Did you see that the temperature is supposed to be 65 tomorrow?! Crazy! Enjoy : )

out of office

kate — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:00:49 +0000

Dear friends,
I will be unavailable this week (week of 1/23). I’ll be off enjoying some sun and replenishing my creative fuel tank at the What If conference in suuuuuny Cabo!! All calls and e-mails will be returned asap upon my return. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding : )
XOXO,
Kate

p.s. I’ll leave you with the some cuteness from Owen’s 3-month session …

I just love Owen’s dark eyebrows and expressive eyes! …

Here’s his big sister. What you can’t see is that she’s naked and eating a cookie. That was how she preferred to be for most of our session. Can’t say I blame her!! …

Adorable full preview coming soon!

Just for Moms: Tips for Getting Ready for your photo shoot!

kate — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:36:38 +0000

Dear Moms,
You’re not fooling me. Nope. I know that you were only in about 2 pictures last year; even though you took about 2 million pictures of your kids, family, friends, and pets. I also know that some Moms (and non-Moms, too!) sometimes shy away from the camera because they feel like they still have some baby weight to lose or because they just don’t photograph well. But I also know that deep down in side, you do want beautiful pictures of yourself with your children. So, to help with the PANIC that starts to set in when you think about hopping in front of the camera, here are a few tips just for Moms who are gearing up for a family photo session with me (or any other photographer, for that matter). I promise that it doesn’t have to be as scary as it seems!!!!!!

XOXO,
Kate

Shop for yourself FIRST and then plan everyone else’s outfits around yours. Moms are selfless beings who are used to putting their kids first. So it’s only natural for a Mom to find a look for her kids that she LOVES for a photo shoot FIRST … leaving her to scramble later on (um, like the night before the scheduled shoot!) to find an outfit for herself. She’ll probably find SOMETHING. But it’s not necessarily something that she’ll feel amazing in. So, to completely avoid this problem, my recommendation is for Moms to dress themselves first. Pick out your outfit … the outfit that makes YOU feel just amazing!! And then coordinate everyone else’s looks around that. No matter what you pick for yourself, I guarantee that you’ll easily be able to find something for the kids that is perfect. Because let’s face it … your kids ALWAYS look adorable in anything you put on them!
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SHOOT TO SHOP. Oh my. Please don’t do this. (Please.) There is a strange phenomenon that almost always occurs when you need to find something fairly specific: You won’t find it. Nope. You won’t. You’ll search every store where you know you’ve seen it in the past … but suddenly it’s not there. You feel frazzled, frustrated … and your husband keeps telling you to relax, it will be fine if you just wear that dress or those jeans. His calmness is making you even more frustrated! So now, even if you do find something great … your anxiety levels are up … and now this whole photo shoot thing has become a frustration instead of a joy. And even though you do find something great and show up for your shoot looking beautiful … all that anxiety from the day before or earlier that morning is still within you making it really hard to relax.
If the idea of coordinating the entire family to look good together overwhelms you, then learn from (or shop in!) places like Old Navy, Gap, and Banana Republic. Anything and everything that is currently in the store coordinates with everything else. It doesn’t necessarily match perfectly … but it coordinates. And that’s really what we’re going for for a family look. So again, dress Mom first, and then grab some coordinating items for the rest of the family. (p.s. Plenty of stores have amazing clothes! The stores I mentioned are just a few examples!)
Plan on being in the pictures. I hear this a lot: “This shoot is all about the kids. My husband and I will probably just stay off on the sidelines and watch.” But then, as we start shooting, and Mom and Dad see how much fun it is … and how pretty the location is … they decide to join in the fun! You’ll love the pictures even more if you were prepared to be in them!
Resist the urge to wear something that you love … but doesn’t necessarily make you feel amazing. Perhaps you saw a family shoot on Pinterest that completely inspired you and now you’re trying to recreate that look for your family. Mom had on a strapless dress … and it was perfect in the shoot. Even though you don’t love your arms, you’re staying true to your vision! Stop right there … this is a recipe for disaster! All you’re going to see when you look at the pictures is your arms … and you’re going to wish, wish, wish you had not worn that STUPID strapless dress! When a woman puts on an outfit that fits her just right and accents all the right parts of her body … she feels great. And she LOOKS great, not just because of the outfit, but because of her soaring confidence. A confident woman always looks beautiful in her pictures … whether she’s still got an extra 15 pounds to lose, or didn’t have time to get her roots done, or hasn’t slept through the night in 5 years … she will still shine.
If possible, schedule your next hair appointment for a day or so before your shoot … or if possible, for the morning of your shoot. You had to get your roots done anyway, so you mine as well take advantage of having your hair perfect for the day. Now that’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about when it comes time to get everyone dressed.
If it’s in your budget to get your makeup done, do it! Let the makeup artist know that you’re having your pictures taken that day so that he or she can give you a look that matches your normal everyday style … but maybe with just a little extra touch of glam. There are lots of amazing makeup artists around here. I particularly love Tonya over at Oh La La the makeup studio in Wilmington. She does amazing work! Plus, she is a master at eyebrow shaping! Spending this little bit of time at the salon before a session can make you look your best … and also feel your best, too since a little pampering for an over-worked Mommy can go a long way!
If possible, try not to plan lots of other events on the day of your shoot. Life happens … and things like unexpected traffic, boo boos, and telephone calls tend to pop up right when you have to be somewhere. So the more stress-free of a day you can plan for yourself on the day of your shoot, the less likely you are to be running around like a madwoman in order to make everything happen. There’s an added bonus to this: Your kids will respond to your calmness and cooperate more readily on the shoot.
Ok … you’re at the shoot … now relax. I promise that you are not the only Mommy whose children sometimes refuse to listen, beat on each other, or just get wound up to the point of craaaaaaaziness! Kids are kids. And I, or any other child and family photographer, wouldn’t do this job if I minded! It doesn’t surprise me when children act a little, well, wild and crazy … and don’t worry, it never signals to me that the shoot isn’t working. I just might need to adjust my approach. Or we might need a little more time to fall into a groove where cooperation begins to occur. I’ve seen parents get so frustrated that they pretty much just give up on the shoot before we’re really done. Not only do they no longer look very happy in their pictures, but the children sense the frustration and either act out more or start to HATE being there. So … just … deep breathes! I want you to have beautiful pictures as much as you want to have them! Don’t worry that the pictures won’t turn out because of all the craziness. Crazy has never gotten in the way of my giving clients awesome pictures!
Don’t wait until you finally lose that last 15 or 20 pounds. I’ve been trying to lose mine for the last 5 years! Instead, choose clothes that make it look you’ve already lost it. I can’t tell you what will work for you … since every woman’s body is different. Me personally, I’m an apple, so blazers go a loooooong way to make me look instantly trimmer. Check out some of the tips on What Not Wear’s Web site … they have lots of great tips for different body shape. Keep in mind also that angles go a looooong way to making women look great in their pictures. I try really hard to pay attention to this while I’m working with families. I know that Dad probably is self-conscious about his double chin or maybe his waist line, and Mom is often self-conscious about her stomach, arms, or hips. So relax and let me work the magic of angles with you!!!

I hope this helps … even if just a little. There’s nothing more precious to a Mommy than having beautiful pictures of her with her children and family. I’m here to help as much as possible. So always let me know if you have questions about how we can make your shoot the most special shoot EVER! : )

70 pink balloons!

kate — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:44:09 +0000

You just neeeeever know if a little one will enjoy balloons or not. Some babies find them scary … and some think they’re just the funnest thing ever. As it turns out, Ambria thinks they are suuuuuuper fun! And it’s a good thing, too, because we had about 70 of them crammed into her big sister’s pink room …

It turned into a big old explosion of pink … which was just perfect for these girlies. This is Ambria’s 6 month photo session. She’s turning into such a big girl! (note the two teeth!)

Get ready. Here comes a big dose of pink cuteness …

Phew! That was fun!

Happy Wednesday!

Kate

black dogs

kate — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:31:07 +0000

Did you know that black dogs are often the last to be adopted from shelters and therefore the most likely to be euthanized? (You can read about it here.) There are many theories behind this phenomenon: black dogs often get white or gray hairs earlier on in life leading people to mistake a younger dog for an older one, black dogs are hard to see in poorly lit kennels, and black dogs almost never photograph well when a flash is used. Even without flash, it can be a challenge to get a black dog’s features to show well in a picture.

Well, Bella is determined to be the exception. Although, she started out as the rule. I was searching for a dog … and searching and searching. But every time I would find a dog on Petfinder that I thought would be a good fit, someone would beat me to it (a wonderful thing, actually … clearly people are adopting from shelters!). Finally, my Mom forwarded me a picture of Bella from a shelter in Caroline County, MD. She really didn’t look very cute. She was neglected and had patchy hair from being completely flea-bitten. Her eyes looked funny because of the flash on the camera … and I thought, “what an unfortunate looking dog!” But I went to go see her anyway. When I walked in to the shelter, she was wandering around freely and hopped up onto the front desk and looked at me. She was quite literally the most adorable dog I’d ever seen. It was true: the pictures had NOT done her any justice. I found out that there were already two applications before mine … but thankfully, this particular shelter accepted applications and then chose what they thought would be the best home for the dog from the group. Finally, after months of searching, I had my precious little one : )

Since then, we’ve definitely made up for those bad pictures. I have about a billion pictures of her. And as you know, she’s even gone pro ; )

Here she is playing the part of a cute dog being photographed …

Being a girl’s best friend …

Being sweet …

Ok, here is her perfected version of blue steel. I think she’s nailed it! …

Being very haute couture …

Playing the part of a regular old dog getting groomed by a cute groomer and not liking it very much …

The mannequin …

And finally, here she is as a boy’s best friend : ) …

Yes, she will sign your autograph if you ask her nicely. She’ll even lick your nose if you discreetly drop her a treat ; )

So, next time you’re looking for a new furry friend online, remember not to discount the black dogs that look terrible in their pictures. More than likely they’re about a million times cuter in person.

Happy Monday!

Kate

little black book sale — delaware glamour photography

kate — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:12:03 +0000

It’s that time of year again. It’s time for the annual Beautiful You sale! This year, I’m calling it the little black book sale. You’ll walk away from your session with a little black book filled with gorgeous pictures from your session. The book makes an amazing gift for yourself or for someone special. Here are the details …

Want to learn more? Full details here …

Meanwhile, never forget that you are beautiful …

Open publication - Free publishing

XOXO,
Kate

fun at home — pennsylvania child photography

kate — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:59:11 +0000

Every time I photograph these kiddies, I remember back to our original session a few years back. Big brother Timmy was the only one who wanted to talk to me back then. Gracie REFUSED to talk to me. Liam didn’t really want anything to do with me either. Soooomehow, we still got great pictures of everyone. These days, however, we’re good buds : )

I love winter sessions! For this session, we hung out at home — both inside and outside — and had some fun! …

Personally, I think the donut kind of makes this picture ; ) …

Could they smell the chocolate on my breath?? I don’t know … but everyone was loving getting suuuuper close to the camera on this session! …

Cousin Elsie came over to play in Gracie’s adorable pink room. The inner girl in me just wanted to drop the camera and start playing! …

Next, we bundled up and went outside for some fun!

WARNING! In approximately 12 years, Liam will be on the road. You should be afraid. Veeeery afraid! ; ) …

Here are the girls moving along slow and steady. Both hands on the wheel. Katy Perry on the working stereo …

Now those are some well dressed kiddies!!!!!! …

As always, guys, it was so much fun!!!!!! Can’t wait to share the rest of the images with you : )

XOXO,

Kate

a goal

kate — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:45:09 +0000

The new year is always a time for goals. I’ve got plenty of them this year. Here’s one that is at the top of my list …

So, if you see my lying on the beach, engrossed in a book at Starbucks, strolling through a museum, or maybe even taking an art class, just know that I’m not slacking … I’m actually hard at work ; )

How about you? What are your goals this year???

XOXO,
Kate