Danny + Amber: Columbus, Ohio Engagement Session

Danny grew up in Clintonville so when he finally popped the question and got a yes from Amber, Clintonville's Park of Roses was a natural choice for their wedding next June. It was also a great choice for their engagement pictures last Sunday. Amber and Danny were naturals in front of the camera- playing, laughing, and loving each other effortlessly. It's obvious to anyone who comes across them that they're meant for each other. They have a chemistry that can't be faked. It was an absolute pleasure to spend the evening with them, catching small glimpses of their love on camera. I can't wait to see their love grow stronger and even more adorable as time goes on.

Keep smiling,

Kaylina

Read More

Do it yourself

A few weekends ago I went home to my parents house to visit and got enlisted to help my mom in her latest Pinterest project. We spent 40 minutes traipsing around their property (and maybe some of the neighbor's property) to find all of the letters in our last name. We learned a few things, like Ns and Rs are not easy to find, people with Ls, Is, and Xs are surprisingly lucky, and I'm glad we only have six letters in our last name. All joking aside, it was great to spend the day with my beautiful mother, doing something new. To everyone who has a Pinterest board out there full of DIY projects waiting to be done- just pick one and complete it this week. You'll feel accomplished when you actually do it yourself.

Keep smiling,
Kaylina

Read More

The September Issue

I've always been more of a magazine girl. I dreamed of being a high fashion editor with dark sunglasses and a faint British accent that no one could explain. It's the visual element that always drew me in- how the words worked seamlessly with the larger than life scenes and vivid colors. I spent hours just flipping through the pages, reading every issue from front to back, and then front to back all over again. As I've gotten older I've lost the amount of free time required to read each issue religiously, but I always make time every year for the September Issue of Vogue. To this day I still pour over every page- dog earring the ads that take my breath away and the gorgeous models that seem to reach off the page to hold your attention. It's those ads that inspired me to become a photographer. I wanted to capture emotion and hold the audience's attention for more than just a passing glance. While my photos have not graced the pages of any glossy magazine, they still give me daily inspiration to keep reaching, improving, and striving toward my dreams.

Keep smiling,
Kaylina

Read More

New toys and skyline adventures...

I bought myself a new toy last weekend. It came in the form of a brand new Canon 5d Mark III camera and I couldn't wait to use it. So I drug Blake downtown to follow me around as I did the tourist thing and took pictures of the skyline. It was an absolutely gorgeous day (if you didn't count what felt like 240% humidity) and I lasted about ten minutes before I was begging to go home and eat ice cream. I did however get some great pictures- which Blake attributes entirely to the new camera but I like to think that my beautiful city had a small part to play.

Keep smiling,
Kaylina

Read More

It's Voldemort's Birthday

It's been a pretty incredible year. Last August I launched my website and in the last twelve months I've had the privilege of shooting nine beautiful weddings, not to mention the great engagements, family pictures, and senior portraits I've been lucky enough to photograph. This summer marks my website turning 1, my business turning 2, and a lot of big milestones in my personal life as well. I graduated college in May, got engaged in July, and started my dream "big girl" job earlier this month. But all of that pales in comparison to this... my kitten, Tom Marvolo Riddle, is celebrating his 1st birthday today. He might not know it, but it's a very special day.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

Read More

Why I Love PASS

I recently made a pretty big change in my photography business- I kicked DVDs out the door and said "hello" to PASS. PASS is a newfangled photo gallery that I am IN LOVE with and would marry, given the opportunity. Let me say that the change wasn't easy. I was so nervous at first- I knew that my clients love that satisfaction of physically having a DVD of all of their pictures in their hands, but after passing my last two weddings I'm completely sold and I'm never looking back.

Here's what my side of a typical wedding used to look like - I would spend an amazing day with a beautiful bride and post a sneak preview the next day. A week after the wedding I would post a blog post with 10 static images and approximately 50 images in a video slideshow. Two weeks after that I would upload all of the pictures to an online proofing site. I would then wait for the bride's approval of the pictures (normally took another 2 weeks) before I could burn them to disc and send them her way where the DVDs would arrive on her doorstep 3 days later (if the post office didn't lose them). Which brings the total turn-around time to approximately 6 weeks.

This is where PASS deserves a cape and a mask (because it's my hero)... brides get their images in 2 weeks!!

A screen shot from my most recently PASSed wedding

As soon as I upload the pictures to PASS they are hers. A bride can download them instantly, share them on social media, and email them to friends. Or she can make a gallery of her favorites that guests see when they visit the gallery. And that's not even the best part. PASS is compatible with all smart phones and tablets, turning your phone into an instant photo album. Guests of the gallery can save their favorites, order prints, and sign the guestbook. Yes, clients no longer get a disc, but I can think of a million (give or take a few) reasons that that's okay. Discs get lost, broken, and scratched and you can't pull a disc out of your pocket and flip through the pictures for your friends.

If my ranting hasn't sold you yet or you'd like to check out PASS for yourself, check out this super helpful video. I'm super excited about this change in my business and I love being able to share images with my clients in a new, gorgeous, and fast way.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

Read More

Gary + Andrea : Lancaster, Ohio Wedding

It was raining that morning, but nothing was going to dampen Andrea's spirits as she prepared to marry Gary, the love of her life. She had planned for the light drizzle, having bought matching umbrellas for the bridal party and was not afraid to use them. Her day was going to be perfect- she was about to tie the knot in front of all of her friends in family in the gorgeous Lancaster church her parents had said "I do" in many years ago. So who cared if it rained a little? A wet knot is harder to untie.

Andrea was stunning in her dress and took the time to share special moments with all of her guests before the day was out. She gave a small ornament with her father's picture on it to both of her sisters to match the one she would carry in her bouquet as she walked down the aisle. And although he could not personally be there, his presence was definitely felt by the three sisters during the touching Father-Daughter dance where Andrea's uncle stepped in to do the honor.

Gary and his groomsmen are the kinds of guys who will welcome anyone into a party as long as they're there to have a good time. They were a tight-knit group who have known each other long enough to share a few embarrassing stories if prodded. And they like to share. They were such a delight to work with and I knew the instant they started showing off their GQ modeling poses, that this day was going to end in a great party. 

Gary and Andrea- I hope you two are having an amazing time in Cancun! Thank you so much for letting Blake and I spend the day with you and photograph all of the special moments you two shared. Your love for your family and friends is inspiring and I can't wait to see what your future holds!

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

The morning of the wedding Andrea sat down to open a gift from Gary- a Pandora charm bracelet for her with the first charm being a mini bride and groom.

The rain stopped after the ceremony so we stole a moment during the reception around sunset to take some shots of the newlyweds in this gorgeous light. 

Andrea and her little sister have a small obsession with the "awkward prom pose" so I knew that she'd be willing to do the cheesy, but super cute, "dip and kiss". Nailed it.

To see even more pictures from Gary and Andrea's Lancaster, Ohio wedding feel free to check out and share the slideshow below!

Ceremony location: Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church  Reception location & caterer: Lee's Banquet Haus DJ & photobooth: Master Mix DJ

Read More