Meet Eric: 2013 Senior Portraits

Okay first off, just look at that smile. Eric is one of my 2013 Senior Models and instead of doing two shoots like my girl models, we decided to do one long shoot last Saturday. I arrived at Eric's house and before we took off for Denison University in Granville, we paused for some absolutely adorable pictures with the family dog. We spent the rest of the shoot at Denison University and at Eric's girlfriend's house (which has the cutest front porch I've ever seen). Eric is a great guy with a personality and sense of humor just as dazzling as his smile. While he's still figuring out where he'll go to school after he graduates next year, I am sure that anything he does in the future will be amazing. Thanks so much to both Eric and his mom for spending the day with me and being such great sports as I asked them to trek all over Granville with me.

Keep smiling!

Kaylina

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Jonas and Owen: 9 month and 3 year old Children's Session

I had the pleasure of stopping by the Glay household last Saturday and had a short session with 9 month old Jonas and 3 year old Owen. You may recognize these handsome hunks from my two previous sessions with them, Jonas's newborn and 5 month shoots. Compared to his all smiles demeanor for his 5 month shoot, Jonas was a little crabby this past Saturday. But that's okay because mom, Nicole, and dad, Adam, and I spent an hour making funny noises and faces and managed to get some smiles out of him. Big brother, Owen was very cooperative and very happy throughout the entire shoot showing me all of his baseballs and his complete set of yard tools (a matching plastic lawnmower, weed whacker, and leaf blower).

Thank you to the Glay family for spending a gorgeous Saturday morning with me and I hope that the next time I get to see the boys they'll be more smiles to go around!

Keep smiling,
Kaylina

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How to Do Your Make-up for Your Photo Shoot

Let me start out by saying that I am not a professional make-up artist and I can't teach you how to do a "smokey eye" (I've been trying for years). With that being said, Photography is all about capturing you in a way that's real and in a way that you'll want to share. I love my job because I get to make everyone feel special and beautiful. So please don't stress. I promise that your normal routine is perfect, these are just some broad tips about what to do and what not to do if you're feeling a little anxious getting ready for an upcoming photo shoot.

1. Natural is key
I do realize that there are people out there that like to look like the stars of Toddlers and Tiara's but I would recommend that less is more. In preparing for this post I did a little research and found that a lot of places recommend that you do your normal make-up and then cake on even more. I do not recommend that. Because I am a natural lighting photographer, I don't think you need to cake on the make-up because I'm not going to use any studio lights to wash-out your face. So take it easy. Do your hair; do your make-up. But remember that we want to see the real you, so keep it simple.

These ladies did a great job of having beautiful, natural looks for their senior shoots last month.

2. Oil free make-up
While I don't use studio lighting, I do use the sun. So try to use oil free make-up the day of your shoot. The sun has a nasty habit of picking up the shine of the make-up and making our faces look oily. Along that line, don't use sun screen the day of the shoot. Sunscreen actually has something in it that reflects the rays of the sun (that's about as specific as I can get- I'm not a scientist). So leave the SPF at home just for the day. Your oil free face will thank you.

3. Lip gloss not lip balm
This tip actually surprised me a little bit when I first heard it but it's super simple and only needs one sentence of explanation: Lip balm (or chap stick) settles in to the cracks of your lips making those cracks even more noticeable; lip gloss doesn't do that. If you're not sold yet- here's another thing I've noticed but is not proven (because I'm not a scientist)- chap sticks often give lips a purple or white look instead of a nice pretty, pink or red. So if you do need something for your lips that day, bring some lip gloss along.

4. Easy on the sparkles
Speaking of lip gloss... go easy on the sparkles and the glitter and just pick a nice, natural color with just a little bit of shine. The same goes for eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, or any other product you're using that day. Just stay away from glitter and sparkles. Now I'm all for shimmers, I don't even think they make eyeshadow without a little shimmer in it (or at least I don't use any). I'm just saying that some really sparkly lips may distract us from how gorgeous your eyes are. So sparkle responsibly, ladies.

5. Don't skip the basics
Please remember to do the usual stuff. Pluck your eyebrows, cut your nails, paint your toe-nails if that's all part of your normal routine. You may think that we won't see your feet or your hands but you'd be surprised how many of you limbs I can fit in a picture. So just make sure you're well groomed for the day because we want to show off all of you.

6. Don't worry
Please don't cancel your shoot because your face decided to declare war on you the night before and you have a fresh set of pimples. And please don't go out and spend $200 on a teeth whitening treatment. Small blemishes or insecurities you have we can work with. It's incredibly easy to remove those pimples you're worried about and whiten those teeth a little bit. If you really don't like your feet- tell your photographer and we'll try not to showcase them. Photo shoots are times to have fun and let all of your worries and insecurities slip to the background. So just remember to be confident and smile, it's my job to make you look good.

Hope this helped at least one person out there. Please leave comments with your own tips or questions, I'd love to hear them! And Don't forget to like Kaylina Norton Photography on Facebook to stay in the loop!

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Engagement Session: Cassie and Ben

She really just wanted an iPhone. So when Ben went out to his truck one night and brought in an iPhone box, Cassie was too excited opening the box to notice Ben getting down on one knee and reaching for her hand.  Ben had put the engagement ring box inside of his sister's old iPhone box. Cassie said yes (of course) but five minutes later, after the surprise had  worn off she asked, "Do I still get the phone?"

I met this wonderful couple a few months ago to talk about the wedding and I was absolutely ecstatic when the two decided to choose me to photograph their nuptials in September. Cassie and I have been texting, emailing, and Facebooking (that's a word, right?) over the past few months and it was hard to tell which of us was more excited for the upcoming engagement shoot. I arrived at their house last Sunday a few minutes early and caught Cassie in her rollers and an adorable dress. I'm pretty sure she's one of the only girls that can look beautiful in rollers. One thing's for sure: Ben is one lucky guy.

And he knows it. You can tell by the way he looks at her. He was such a trooper for the entire shoot. Kissing, posing, and lifting her on demand as many times as we asked him too. When we paused to take a few pictures in the shade, Ben showed his love for Cassie again. After asking if she ever did get the iPhone (not yet), I asked how long these two have been together. "About a year and a half," she answered. "Some people think that's too fast," she explained, but Ben cut in- "When you know, you know."

And just like that, it was completely apparent to me: these two gorgeous individuals have the real thing. They were complete naturals. I never had to coach them to look at each other, laugh, or kiss. Because it is natural for them- and they'll be doing that for the rest of their lives, even when the cameras aren't around.

Cassie and Ben- Thank you so much for allowing me to capture just a glimpse of your love. You two have the most amazing personalities and are so cute together! I can't wait for the wedding!

Keep smiling,
Kaylina

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Countdown to Now

There are 27 days until my last day of this quarter and 360 days until I graduate from college.

I'm a planner. Anyone who knows me well knows that. Heck, anyone who has ever sat beside me in a class knows that. I have two hand drawn calendars in the front of my notebook (one for school and one for my photo shoots) and at least two lists of things to do at all times (Homework to do list, Photography to do list, Things to accomplish at work, Things to clean at home). But my newest vice is countdowns. I check them everyday and sometimes twice a day (just in case they've changed since the last time I looked). But don't worry, I don't go through and count the days myself, I'm not crazy. I've got an app for that.

But the other day, Blake, in his usual (sometimes annoying) wisdom asked me one question: "What's wrong with right now?"

Uhhhhh... I didn't really have an answer. Actually, when I stop to think about it- there was nothing. There's nothing wrong with "right now". Sure, I may be constantly embarrassing myself in a drawing class where my work looks consistently like I had someone's 5 year old sister draw it for me, and I may have a pimple on the very tip of my nose that gives me a strong resemblance to Rudolph at the moment, but I am happy. And not "happy" in the way that people really mean "content". I mean happy as in joy-filled, smiling all the time, and constantly realizing how blessed I am. I spend all my time with these lists of what I have to do next and these countdowns to the future but as Blake so kindly pointed out, there's nothing wrong with right now.

So my challenge to all of my amazing friends, family, and supporters through this crazy journey is simple:
Spend one day this weekend just enjoying the now. Stop thinking, stop planning, stop worrying. Sit down and recognize all of the blessings you have. And if those blessings happen to be people, tell them.




In honor of Mother's Day and because every post is better with a picture, here's a photo I took of the most amazing woman in my life who is truly one of my blessings, my mom (and my dad's not too shabby either).

Keep smiling!

Kaylina

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Brielle's Sneak Peak: 2013 Senior Session

I had an amazing time with Brielle last weekend at Sycamore Creek Park for her first senior session. She was completely fearless as I asked her to trek through mud and high water to get some great shots. I absolutely loved the variety of outfits she brought and her ability to wear a sweater in 70 degree weather is inspiring. You might recognize Brie from the sneak peak I posted a few days ago featuring her best friend, Madison. We scheduled their senior sessions back to back so we could have a short session with both of them. Check out the sneak peak below.

Brielle's one of my 2013 Senior Models and she'll get a full blog post after we shoot her final session in about a month. Make sure to like Kaylina Norton Photography's Facebook page to stay up-to-date with all the happenings. And don't forget to schedule your senior session today by emailing me at kaylinanorton@gmail.com.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Madison's Sneak Peak: 2013 Senior Session

I shot Madison's Senior Session last Sunday at Sycamore Creek Park in Pickerington. I had so much fun with her and her mother, walking around the park on such a gorgeous day. Madison had a bag of outfits and shoes ready for the shoot (a girl after my own heart) and she looked beautiful in every single one of them. I had scheduled her best friend's senior shoot right after hers at Sycamore Creek Park as well so we had a fun little overlap session with both of them before she took off. Check out this short sneak peak below.

Madison's one of my 2013 Senior Models and she'll get a full blog post after we shoot her final session in about a month. Make sure to like Kaylina Norton Photography's Facebook page to stay up-to-date with all the happenings. And don't forget to schedule your senior session today by emailing me at kaylinanorton@gmail.com.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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