Thirteen beautiful & vivacious friendships were celebrated yesterday, and I had the honor to capture this special day.
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Each enjoyed a 10 minute make-over & a 10 minute glam portrait session, and some really fun groups shots at the end.
The rain held off, & it was an amazing day!
Much more to come…
~Kathy
Portrait Photographer Raleigh NC
I was just plain delighted when my dear friend Cathy mentioned it was her mother’s 70th birthday coming up, and they wanted to have portraits made for the occasion.
I am an on location photographer, so one Saturday morning we met for coffee & I scouted their homes, and decided to set up at Mom’s place. A perfect indoor sun room, as well as beautiful outdoor lakeside scenery.
We discussed clothing and decided to keep it simple, as I knew the focus here would be the amazing eyes of these gorgeous faces!
The day came, we had a room full of tops strewn over couches, sparkling bubbly & Mom’s favorite home made nut mix (quite yummy!) and my favorite hair & make up artist present. A great little pamper party for a Thursday morning!
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I read this quote somewhere some time ago, jotted it down & have been saving it for the perfect occasion. And this is absolutely it!
“There are many joys to being a portrait photographer. The greatest is the experience of a day with beautiful people.”
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This image makes me tear up every time.
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This one too. A momma and her son.
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I can only hope to be this radiant and beautiful at seventy. Nan, you are stunning!
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Like mother, like daughters …
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And this little guy, he whined at our feet until we picked him up. And then he smiled for me! Funny!
One more outfit change for some color, and back outside we went.
These last two were taken in noon day sun. Luckily we found some lovely shade & foliage for the backdrop.
Sparkling!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful selves with me 
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Kathy Howard Photography is now booking limited summer portrait sessions & portrait parties, the ultimate girls day out for you & your mother, sisters or even best friends.
I’d love to talk with you about your celebration!
Please email kathy@kathyhowardphotography.com or call 919-538-8987
~Kathy
Portrait Photographer Cary NC
Every year I have the privilege to work with the beautiful staff of Bloom Skin Spa. Our first time together last year we had a blast capturing some really fun head shots. You may remember them in this post here.
This year we decided to ramp it up a bit and bring in my fabulous hair & make-up artist Elaine with Elaine Harrison Makeup Artistry. The staff was very excited when they saw their images – I blogged their images last week &you can view them here.
So now for the final piece.
I spent about an hour of this day with the absolutely stunning owner & mother of three young children, Amber. She wanted to capture fresh fashion inspired portraits.
I had a fun time experimenting with some creative editing as well with textures and color, a bit out of my norm but fun to do & I’m really happy with the results!
Here are some of my favorites.
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More fun with texture & color …
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Amber has an amazing and quite adorable husband … meet Ken & Barbie!
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They have a really incredible relationship.
Laughter is one of the keys to love, I always say…
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We switched things up and ended her shoot with some Brigitte Bardot inspired images… and I must say, she pulls this look off quite effortlessly.
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Oh Amber, you even make giant hair rollers look good!
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And I pretty much had to beg her to let me share this, although I’m not sure why because she has so much natural beauty, inside AND out!
A before & after …
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Thank you Amber for another enjoyable photo shoot with you
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On a side note, I have definitely found a niche with my work that I am very excited about & actively working to expand. A portrait couture studio is in sights!
If you are interested in more details about a shoot, please email kathy@kathyhowardphotography.com and I will send you more details.
Together we will plan your ultimate dress up session, and capture images that will thrill & empower you every time you look at them!
I would be honored to capture the light that shines from inside of you. It’s an experience you will treasure.
~Kathy
Portrait Photographer Raleigh NC
It’s hard to believe sometimes how fast time flies. An entire year ago I was commissioned to take head shots of the staff of Bloom Skin Spa. Since then I have become a patron on a regular basis, and have come to know & love this staff!
Last year I decided that head shots do NOT need to be blah & boring, and we had a total blast making each other laugh and shine with true smiles! You may remember THIS POST with their gorgeous pics.
Here we are, one year later, and this year we decided to glam up the head shots a bit. I had my favorite hair & make-up artist Elaine (see her website here) join us as well as her assistant Adrian.
The staff was treated to some pampering and I think enjoyed it a whole lot!
What they may not have enjoyed so much was the fact that I asked them to step outside for their portraits. Originally I had planned to be inside in a well window lit room, but it was a cloudy, rainy and chilly day. I do know how to use my flash, but I really wanted the softness of the natural light.
Here is a back shot of the partial set (we are under an overhang to stay dry!):
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I promise you head shots with me is not boring, it is an experience and I take great pride in capturing you as beautiful as you are.
I spent about 5-10 minute photographing each staff member, and here are some of my favorite images …
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Love these two with a black and white film effect
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The owner and I decided we would take a good hour of this day to take some beautiful & glamorous portraits of her.
These will be presented in their own blog post, but here’s a teaser for you.
Stunning.
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Did you know that every beauty & boudoir session booked with Kathy Howard Photography receives a gift card for an amazing organic facial at Bloom Skin Spa! You will not only love the facial, but the staff is extraordinary.
~Kathy
Portrait Photographer Raleigh NC
Last week I had the pleasure of photographing this gorgeous family. Would you even believe they are celebrating Mom’s 70th birthday?!
So much beauty that I literally had goosebumps several times during this session.
Enjoy the preview!
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It has come to my attention that the images coming through in email are reduced resolution. Until I figure out the fix, please feel free to click HERE to view high res on my blog.
Thanks you for your support!
~Kathy
Portrait Photographer Raleigh NC