2013 Senior Rep: Abbey

Meet the first 2013 Senior Representative for Karrie Drake Photography, the beautiful Abbey! Senior portrait sessions are so much fun. I enjoy the one-on-one time I get to spend with my seniors during their sessions. Not only is Abbey beautiful, she is also very bright, and stays quite busy with cheerleading and other activities. This mini session was shot in historic Edenton.

Now scheduling sessions for August & September 2012. Call now to book your Senior Lifestyle Session!

The colorful and flattering dress Abbey is wearing comes from Downtown Diva Fashion Boutique, which is located right on Broad Street. I have several lovely frocks from this fashion boutique. You can always count on excellent customer service. There are new items coming in all the time. The owner and fashion extraordinaire, Candace, keeps the store front fun and fresh with feminine style. If you are ever in the area, please stop by.

American, Baby! Sessions

The American, Baby! Mini Sessions 2012

This sweet family came to visit me at Colerain Beach for their family session. I love this location because there of the private beach and the the lovely colors. Trees surround this private beach, which offers lots of shade during the hot summer. It was such a pleasure to see the White Family again. Enjoy the sneak peeks.

Motivation for Monday: Your Season

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2b ~ "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: ...a time to plant and a time to uproot."




Farmers work hard. I had no idea how hard until I moved here. There are so many factors that go into growing a good crop. A farmer knows when to plant certain seeds and approximately when he will be able to harvest his crop. There is an order of things. God created this order. The right seed has be planted in the right season. We can purchase apples through out the year, but apples are always best in the fall. It would rather silly for us to light a pumpkin lantern in the spring. Why? Well, the spring is when you plant the pumpkin seeds so that you can harvest your pumpkins in the fall. 
Consider that you are a seed and that God is our Farmer. If He created you to be a pumpkin, a lantern of Jesus' light for the world, then you're season is not the spring. It's the fall. If He created you to be a poinsettia, a festive plant to bring cheer during the dead of winter, then your season is winter, not spring. Our Farmer knows when to till the land to prepare for your time of harvest. He knows that the irrigation of God's Word and the Sun light of Jesus are going to help in our growth. God, our Farmer, created you for a purpose. Don't try to rush it. Your season is coming. Have a blessed Monday!

Margaret {Bridal Portraits}

Oh My Goodness! My palms have been so sweaty over these Bridal Portraits. How gorgeous is Margaret! I've had these in a folder for about 5 weeks. My pointer finger has been tempted many times to press send. Margaret's wedding was last night in Oriental. So, now I have the permission to share her Bridal Portraits with you.
I met Margaret & her sweet mama in New Bern at Tryon Palace. This cute little historic city by the river holds a special place in my heart. I am so blessed that I had the opportunity to photograph Margaret here. Tryon has changed quite a bit since Beau & I lived in New Bern. We were escorted by golf cart to the main entrance to purchase our tickets. Margaret changed into her dress while I walked around to take in the new fancy brick building. The new building holds the ticket booth, gift shop, and little interactive rooms with videos to educate visitors about Tryon Palace. I mentally checked New Bern on our "places we must visit" for the summer break.
Margaret walked out and looked stunning! She was so easy to photograph. I don't think there was a frame that I didn't use. Absolutely beautiful! Here are a few of my takes on her Bridal Session.

Flashback Friday: Sage

Hello & Happy Friday! {To see my post about the sage a year ago, click here.}
We moved here one year ago. It's crazy all that happens in a year, how fast a year goes by. Time seems to go faster now that I am older. Maybe it's being aware of time that makes it go faster. I don't know. Yesterday, the farmers began harvesting the sage. The fields of sage brought hope and comfort to me when we moved here. There is something about taking in the sea of purple hues that made me feel like I was beholding Majesty. It still does...make me feel that way. I am thankful for all that God provides. He ever so gently reminds me where I've been and where I am today. I have no doubt that He has directed every step. There is a divine purpose for our time in the valley, for our hike up the steepest of mountains, and for the victory of making it to the mountain top. We can't stay there though. Others need their time on the mountain top as well. Have no fear of the journey. His glory is with us wherever we go. He is with us in the valley, on the hike up that steep mountain, and the glory we feel on that mountain top is His. Enjoy basking in it!
Have a blessed weekend.

The Davis Family

I had the privilege this past Saturday evening to photograph the Davis Family. We met up and drove to this great secluded location. We had the whole lot to ourselves except for a few kids fishing on the next dock over. It was so peaceful out there. This is the sweetest family. They've always made me feel welcome. We casually talked about our day and about our children. The little ones were so good. How gorgeous are they! They have the most beautiful eyes. We played with some bubbles and ran around in the grass for a bit. I absolutely loved the patriotic colors they chose to wear. They even brought flags. It was a perfect choice for this time of year. Thank you Davis Family for sharing this time with me. I am so thankful for you. I hope you enjoy your images; I surely enjoyed taking them!

Motivation for Monday: Memories

This weekend has been fun-filled and packed with outings. One of our outings was to the Sylvan Bird Sanctuary in Scotland Neck, NC. We met some friends of ours and their sweet children to enjoy the bird park and have a picnic lunch. The day was sunny and gorgeous. We were supplied with a scavenger hunt on our way in. It was cool for the kids to find and identify some of the birds we observed. Within the bird park, there were separate entrances to see the birds in their habitat up close. On one of the pathways we found this little duck that had escaped. Julian & John instantly spotted him and began to follow him. Watching our little ones follow the duck, Beau chants, "waddle, waddle, quack, quack". This chant took me back to my childhood. I can remember visiting my grandparents near Sebastian Beach, FL. They had a little vacation spot near the beach. Their development had a swimming pool. My siblings & I loved to visit. It was part of our summer vacation. We usually visited around the 4th of July. We would swim until our feet and fingers were pruned. On our way back to the house from the pool my grandmother would chant, "waddle, waddle, quack, quack!" as she walked behind us. Our wet feet rubbed against our rubber flip-flops as we walked. It made a squeaking sound that resembled a quacking duck. I can remember like it was yesterday. Great memories. Today, I am thankful for my childhood memories and for the memories that I am making with my children. Thank you, Lord!

Philemon 1:4 ~ "I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,"

Flashback Friday

Cracker Jack! Yummy caramel covered popcorn & peanuts. Oh, when I was  little girl I could put a dent in a box of these. You can have the peanuts though; I only ate the popcorn :) I can remember when my mom went grocery shopping she would bring home one of two things: Animal Crackers or Cracker Jacks. My brothers & sisters and I loved the Cracker Jacks because there was always a prize inside. It didn't really matter that the prize would wind up in the garbage by the next day. It was the suspense and excitement of wondering what kind of prize was inside. {Great marketing strategy, by the way.}

I went grocery shopping the other day and saw this Cracker Jack bag at the check-out counter. I picked it up and couldn't help but to smile. A flood of childhood memories filled my mind. I had a blessed & happy childhood. I pray that my boys will remember their childhood fondly, as I do. 

So, tell me what's the fun treat from your childhood? I'd love to hear from you!

Motivation for Monday: Learning & Deep Thinking

I'm always learning something. I love to learn! Being a student requires me to sit quietly, listen, and digest what I am being taught. Spiritually speaking, it's being in  a constant state of humility. Don't get me wrong though, it's not easy. Far from easy. My pride kicks in every once in a while. Who am I kidding, it kicks in more than once in a while. I like to think that I know a few things, that I could be in the position of teacher.
Truth is, I have so much more to learn in many aspects of life. Praise God for the miracle of life.

I have been watching my little ones play outside. They are so different, but I am so thankful for their differences. I can see Beau & I in each of them. Julian loves to play dress up with his ECU pirate gear. Beau used to play back in high school and college. John nurses many boo-boos with his Ironman icy pack. He is in the "cause & effect" phase right now. You know, "I wonder what would happen if I did this?" They're learning...from me, from Beau. They are watching us and listening to our conversations. They observe us and they learn our reactions and behaviors. It's amazing, isn't it! Having them has given me more purpose than I dreamed of having as an adult person contributing to society.

As a stay-at-home mom, it is easy to get stuck in the mind-set of mainstream thinking. To think that you are not contributing to society is STINKIN' THINKIN'! It's just not true. You are important in the lives of your little ones. They look up to you. They rely on you. You are teaching them how to socialize, how to use their manners, how to have a conversation. You are teaching them everything about life. You are not only contributing to society, you are touching future lives. You are growing a meaningful little life that has Divine Purpose. SAHM, you're job is the most important job. God has given you an opportunity to nurture, to teach, to create memories with, to nurse, to feed, to proclaim over your child(ren). Is it any wonder that God's Word declares that children are a blessing from the Lord, that they are a reward (Prov 127:3). Grandchildren are a crown to grandparents (Prov 17:6). Rewards and crowns. These are precious things and something to be thankful for. How wise of the Lord to give these examples in relating to the worth of children. He knows what we value. He knows the way of our thoughts, beliefs, opinions. The Lord wants us to see the value He puts on children. He had to give us an example that we would understand. Rewards and crowns. Investing time, energy, love, patience, prayers, laughter, and tears. I promise it is time well spent.

Dear Lord,
I praise You for You alone are God. Thank you for the beautiful rewards you blessed me with in Julian & John. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer. Be my strength when I am weak. Give me words to speak when I am at a loss for them. Pour your love and peace over me each day. Fill me up so that I may fill up those You have given me. To You be the glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.

My Dearest Julian & John, 
I love you! You have more worth than I give you credit for. I am so thankful for you. I want you to always know that I love you. You are important to me. I'm not perfect. I will make mistakes, but I will not give up. As long as I have life & breath I will praise God for the blessing that you are. I am proud to be your mommy. I am honored that the Lord has blessed me with 2 beautiful boys. I rejoice in the Lord for the boys and soon-to-be men He created you to be. May you always know that when I fail, Jesus loves you and will never fail you. He will always be right there by your side every step of the way. Know Him, Love Him, Serve Him.
I love you so much! ~ Your Mama

Frame it!

Having some down time has afforded me the opportunity to fine tune a few items of business. One being the products I will be offering to my clients. As soon as I saw the frames from The Organic Bloom I knew I wanted to be a vendor. These handmade frames are simply fantastic! With 16 frame styles and an endless color palette to choose from the handmade frames from the OB are a beautiful way to display your photos.
Don't know where to start? The Organic Bloom catalog will give you some great examples on how to group and display your frame selections.
Whether you book a session once a year, twice a year, or each season, it's your investment. Frame it!
If you're interested in booking a session with Karrie Drake Photography please visit me here. I'd love to talk with you.

Bridals + Waiting...

I had the absolute privilege to photograph a beautiful bride on Saturday afternoon in New Bern. One thing about photographing Bridal portraits is that you have to keep these gorgeous images to yourself for the next 3-4 weeks. After editing the Bridal sesh from Saturday, I must admit how excruciating it is not to share them. It'll be worth the wait though, I promise. This bride is stunning. I am totally psyched about her wedding and all the details. It'll be so much fun!
I took some pics of the flora and fauna around the palace gardens. Is there any wonder I chose to post purple ones? lol. I love purple!

Packaging - How I do it

Hello. Good Morning. Happy Monday!

In this post I'm going to share with you Packaging - How I do it.

Everyone has a different way of doing things. I love to scroll and click around pinterest to see others' ideas and inspirations. Having a different style and marketing your uniqueness are so important to set yourself apart from the slew of photographers piling through the door that flashes a sign surrounded by round light bulbs saying, "Step right up if you want to be a successful photographer". It is so interesting to see the fads in photography. I have succumbed to some of those fads. To save hurt feelings, I won't list the fads. If you've poked around enough, you know the fads I'm talking about. ALRIGHT! I'll share one with you. It comes from my own blog. I won't erase it because I want to remember how far I've come. ** Here you go!

The baby boy was absolutely adorable. I loved getting to know his family. **NOTE: This was not a paid session. Aside from my lack of technique and the unattractive flash light that is so evident on the baby's skin, can you tell which fad I'm talking about?! Good. It's out and I'm admitting that I've made poor photography decisions. I'm thankful for those decisions though because they brought me to where I am right now. I've followed much of "the thing to do" for your photography business. The best advice that I could share with you from what I've learned is RESEARCH. Research what you want. Research products. Research before you buy. Research vendors. Find out what others are doing and figure out a way to do it just as well, but differently. The last thing I want to portray is that I am a cookie cutter photographer. I don't want my business, my Welcome Packet, my website, my blog, my packaging to look like anyone else's. I want to be unique!

Now, on to my branding & packaging. I do not have the storage space in my home/office to purchase in bulk for my branding & packaging. I utilize the boutique packaging option that my printing lab offers. My logo is lavender & chocolate brown. So, I choose to purchase the chocolate brown boutique packaging from my printing lab when a client buys prints. I choose to do this because it works for me at the present time. I don't know if I'll do it forever, but this is what works for me in the stage that I am currently. The prints and packaging come neatly packed to my home...and I tweak it. I love my logo stickers. I place one on the front of the print box. I use one of my handy dandy postcards to write a thank you note. My mom taught me how to write thank you notes at an early age. I've implemented this practice into my business. I want my clients to know how appreciative I am for their choosing me. I don't do generic. I like to present myself as a personable business owner. I want my clients to know that I took the time to think of a thoughtful note to jot down to them. I place it inside the box on top of their prints, which are packaged in photo enclosures. I cut some raffia, and some lavender ribbon and tie a stamped thank you to the print package. The stamps are my own little touch. I've been collecting stamps since I don't know when. So I have one for every single occasion known to man :) I wrap all my print packages in brown paper.

This is how I do it. Decisions for your business are often so overwhelming. Your watching Suzie Cue Studios and how she does things, and the products she offers, and all her fans, and how many follow her, and leave sweet comments and AHHHHHH! Stop watching Suzie Cue. Do what is right for you. Be true to yourself and be like no one else.

Make it a great day!

Vendor Love: thirty-one

Are you familiar with thirty-one? I'm sure you've either seen or heard about it by now, or maybe you've been invited to a thirty-one party. The first time I went to a 31 party I honestly had no idea what to expect. Inviting me to a party like that is "bad news bears" because I LOVE to personalize things. Bags, shirts, wall decor, pillow shams, and much much more have been branded with our initials. The above tote is the latest. We went to the beach yesterday and I put our drinks and bubbles inside. There was room to spare. So, if you're a mom on the go this is the perfect little tote to carry along with you. You can keep it in your car. The rim is hard and the body of the tote is soft. It is collapsible. It won't take up any room at all. I've got lots of odds & ends in my car, so this is a great place to pile it up and keep my car relatively neat. I'm so glad I decided on this one.

Happy Un-birthday to You!

It's my birthday! And Happy Un-birthday to You! 

 Call to schedule a session between March 26th - March 31st with Karrie Drake Photography and receive a $35.00 print credit. 

Specifics & Limitations:

*This offer is only good between March 26th - March 31st {2012}

* $35.00 will be credited to your print order when you check out, but must be greater than $35.00 

*This offer is only good toward a new session. It can not be used toward an existing online gallery.

*The $75.00 session fee is due at the time of booking your session. Payments can be made by check or by   

  Paypal account.

Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon!

Happy Friday!

I love color and I love to put little collages together. Enjoy. Feel free to pin it! I hope you have a blessed weekend!

Encouragement!

The photography world has grown immensely in gadgets and in professionals. The styles and genres of photography seem endless. Looking at new up and coming photographers and reading forums and learning about new software and upgrading equipment, it can all be quite overwhelming. I get caught up in it at times. Comparing and critiquing work is a natural response to the plethora of photography out there. The thing I've learned is that I can not compare my own to work to others'. It's enough to drive me nutty, not to mention get me down on myself. I had to compare my past work to my present work. This is the only way that I will stay true to myself and my own style. Comparing my work to someone else's just tempts me to copy. I definitely don't want to be known as the copycat photographer. I want to be unique and original. The quote above really inspires me to do what I ought to do and that is to focus on my own progress and work. I am going to keep striving to do my best and to stay true to my own vision for my business. I believe that God has a special plan for me and for my business. I know for a fact that He intends good toward me. I can do all things with Him.

This all gets me thinking about encouragement. Not every one's Love Language is Words of Affirmation, but I think that everyone can benefit from a little encouragement. I challenge you to encourage someone today, whether it's a friend, a parent, a colleague, the person at a check-out counter, anyone. Words are so powerful. Let's use them for good. You will be blessed for it.

If you are wondering what in the world a Love Language is, please check out the book The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. It will open your eyes to how you show love and how your loved ones need to be loved. Knowing how someone needs to be loved is so important. I love this book and highly recommend it!

Katie & Jason ~ 3-10-12

The Wedding Venue: Open Door Church

The Reception Venue: Leon Nixon Catering

The Gown: David's Bridal

The Scent: Code by Armani

The Rings: Vaughan's Jewelry & Gifts {Edenton, NC}

I am so pleased to present this wedding post to you. What a fun and packed event! This couple is well loved & supported by many. It was so fun to meet Katie & Jason's family and friends. They were a great bunch. There was no shortness on laughter through out the whole day. Every single detail was so meaningfully put together from the schedule of the ceremony all the way down to the Cling Wrapping of the get away car. HA! 

Katie is my sweet hair stylist. Her shop is right in Edenton. So, if you're in need of a cut go check out her little shop and like her on facebook. I hope y'all enjoy the sneak peek of your wedding photos. I surely enjoyed photographing your special day for you. May the Lord richly bless you and may your tribe increase!