Atkinson, Nebraska Teen Photographer: FASHION!

I have been SO excited about this event!  I had the opportunity to collaborate with 2 AWESOME young businesswomen on a special project. 

Amanda is a fun and funky fashion boutique owner from Springview, NE.  What you say?  Springview?  That little tiny town north of the Niobrara river?  YES!  Open for just a few months, STRUT is a new clothing boutique offering fun, uniquely detailed clothing for fashion forward young ladies.  I LOVE her clothes, and they definitely offer another incentive to continue the weight loss, because they are FABULOUS!  I am happy to say that I didn't leave this shoot empty handed...I just couldn't resist!  :D 

Then, there is my friend Macy.  You might remember her from her fabulous shoot she did with me a few months ago.  A hair and make-up stylist from Atkinson, she joined our collaboration and lent her expertise at making women look and feel absolutely gorgeous!  Even more exciting?  She is now collaborating with me to offer her services to my clients! 

YES, KATRINA LEE PHOTOGRAPHY NOW OFFERS HAIR AND MAKE-UP SERVICES!  I can't wait!  She is absolutely fabulous!

So, on a cool, rainy day, we journeyed up to Springview, met up with our FABULOUS teen models, and proceeded to spend a Sunday afternoon getting make-up and hair done, choosing favorite outfits, and showing off those fabulous clothes on the streets of Springview (while dodging raindrops). 

What better way to spend an afternoon? 

SO GORGEOUS!

North Central Nebraska Art Photographer: R Is Ror Raspberry...

It is amazing how much inspiration you can find in the simplest of things.  I picked up some wonderful red raspberries at our local grocery store, Brauns IGA.  They have the best produce (I memorized what day the produce comes in so I make sure I get the freshest...), and today, I was lucky enough to get the last 2 cartons of these little gems.  Not only are they YUMMY, they hold a TON of nutrition!  Berries have become a permanent fixture in our refrigerator, and though they are pricey little things, well, they are a whole lot better to snack on than other things.  Right?  :D

North Central Nebraska Child Photographer: Blowing In The Wind...

It was another BEAUTIFUL evening here in the Sandhills!  My children and I were playing in the yard, smelling flowers, chasing bugs, and "sploring" my husband's new little garden out back.  Carter plucked a dandelion that was preparing to seed, and as I lifted my camera, he proceeded to softly blow the seeds into the evening breeze.  It was an angelic moment, and seeing the image just makes me smile!

North Central Nebraska Art Photographer: Lilacs...

Fall is my favorite season, but May is my favorite month.  So many of God's wonders emerge and unfurl from the earth; it is truly magical.  Calves frolic in the pastures, which are beginning to green.  Fawns prance across the meadows trailing behind their mothers. The robins bathe in the sprinklers, which are finally being turned on in freshly cut lawns.  The air is perfumed with my favorite aroma; lilacs.

Lilacs hold a special meaning to me.  They take me back to my childhood, when my siblings and I would run to the tree line north of our house and cut the wild ones for my mother.  Never deterred by the fact that they only lasted a day and made a mess, we diligently collected them to put in the carved glass vase in the center of the kitchen table.  We would cut them to lay on the tombstones of our family members in the cemetery that was just 1/4 mile up the road and then deliver the rest to my Great Grandmother, Hetty; she always praised us for bringing her the messy bouquets of aromatic blooms.  The lilac bushes that surrounded the old homestead would bloom too, adding to the mystery of my family's story, the ones who once inhabited the house I used to love to explore as a child.

It was only natural that I asked my husband to help plant a lilac hedge around the perimeter of our backyard.  This evening, as the sun was beginning to fade, I took my camera out to the backyard, where the lilac buds are just beginning to unfurl...and I instantly return to my childhood. I smile to myself as I begin to snap away.

I also had to make a few images of my African Daisies.  My son helped pick them out today at the green house, and as soon as we got them planted he said "mom, can you take a picture of them please?".   I was happy to oblige.  :D

North Central Nebraska Child Photographer: Sweet Claire Is "1"!

I have been SO excited about this shoot!  I was honored that this little darling's parents chose me to capture her first year of life, and as I sit here writing this blog post, I am even getting a bit weepy.  Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and there is no more precious gift I could offer the beautiful momma than a beautiful image of her beautiful daughter.  They grow up so fast, and I am so blessed that I was the one who got to create these images for all of them. 

Happy Birthday big girl!  You are just as sweet as you can be!

"And The Winner Is..." - North Central Nebraska Portrait Photographer

The Atkinson Vendor Fair was a lot of fun the other night, and though there wasn't a big turnout, I was so excited to get together with these ladies!  There is so little time to socialize these days, and I enjoy every opportunity to meet and mingle with the girls.  More importantly, I am SO excited that there are so many entrepreneurial ladies in our community!  What a great asset to our county!  We had everything from Miche Purses, to Pampered Chef, to Advocare Nutrition, To Jewelry, to Scentsy, to Signature Home Styles, to Norwex cleaning products, to custom portraiture...all under one roof!  How convenient is that! 

I was so excited to be part of this, and so I wanted to offer something special to one luck attendee!

I did a drawing (winner chosen out of a bucket by my 5 year old), and...

Shawntelle Peter, YOU ARE the lucky lady!

Please email me to redeem your gift certificate for 50% off your next session!  Congratulations!