kml photography - Kate Murphy Lowenstein

Stay tuned for some BIG changes coming soon! New logo...new blogsite...new images...(finally)!

Next week, 2/26-3/6, I will be out of the studio on vacation. I will not be answering phone calls or emails during this time. I will get in touch when I return.

Thanks!
Kate

On Monday, I shot up to Boston's North End for my first engagement session of the new year. About one third of the couples whose weddings I am to photograph this year, I have not actually met. Yes, they book me site unseen. Scary for them, I imagine, but also admittedly for me. I never know what to expect when I arrive for the engagement session. And this time, my jaw surely dropped to the ground when I laid eyes on this fabulous couple.

I had so much fun walking around the North End and getting to know them. I am super duper excited for their May wedding at Wequasset. It is going to be fabulous! Meet Kim and John...


They are seriously GORGEOUS!


Just look at that smile!


Could my job get any easier than this?














It was just after Valentine's Day, so the decor came in handy.












Kim, you are stunnning.








The spot where they had their first kiss...




Hee, Hee! Way to work the camera, John!





Thank you both for a crazy great session. It was so good to meet you and I can't wait to see you again in May!

I got to visit with Maya in the hospital again on Monday for a few minutes, just two weeks after my initial visit (see post below). She is already up to 3 pounds, 5 ounces and doing great! She's even wearing clothes (I'm certain which would be too small for some of Lainey's baby dolls)! Unfortunately with a very full belly and at the end of the visit with her Mom and Dad she was pooped out and I didn't catch her with eyes open. But sleeping babies are my favorite anyway.

Here she is...




Sweet dreams.







My favorite.

A little sick of the boxed character Valentines cards I get at Walmart or Target every year, I decided to do something a little different and more personal this year.

How sweet it is to be loved by you!


Jack's was the same format. This is the cover image.


The middle


And back. He was going to be holding a chocolate heart I was going to tape in his hands.


And here's what I ended up with since Jack's Valentines didn't arrive on time!

In honor of my upcoming photography class (only one spot left! email me for more info!), I took a few pictures yesterday. Admittedly, there's nothing very spectacular about these images. They are straight out of the camera and not retouched (ie: Photoshopped) in any way. I wanted to illustrate a point. I am teaching class on how to take your DSLR camera off Auto and use the camera to it's potential. My friend commented, "I tried learning, but Auto is easy and my camera takes great pictures, so why would I want to?" Well, well... Yes, digital cameras these days do take tremendous images. And sometimes they come out great! But sometimes they don't... Or sometimes they just don't come out as we imagined in our heads. And here's why...

Look at this set of images. The one on the left was taken as the BEFORE shot with my camera on "P" (which is essentially the equivalent of Auto). It was take at ISO 200, 1/250 sec @ f8. The camera decides for me the camera settings. You can see that it is a little dark and kind of boring.

The AFTER shot on the right is where I took control of my camera. With my camera set to "M" (manual) I set my Aperture to f2 @ 1/3200 sec (ISO stayed @ 200). This allowed the blur of the foreground and better exposure than my camera could figure out. After all, I am smarter than my camera! If I decide the settings on my camera then I decide the outcome of the images. People always ask me how I get my images "blurry" in the background, and this is how! I don't let my camera decide my settings!


Here's another (boring) example.
The BEFORE shot on the left, AFTER shot on right. Once again on the shot on the left the camera chose the same settings as above. But I know that I wanted to focus on the foreground branches covered in snow, so in the AFTER shot with my camera on Manual, I set my camera to f2.0 @1/2500 sec. This allows me to focus just on the branches in the foreground.


Same thing here. See how different your pictures can be when YOU take control of your camera? Same shot, different camera settings.


The sun was going down in this last image. On the left the BEFORE shot is dark (the camera chose the settings of f9 @ 1/320 sec. I wanted to practice my sun flare, and so in the AFTER shot, I set my camera to f16 @1/30 sec. This allows me to see the suns rays. (Again, not a very impressive shot, but it proves a point.


So, my point is, that by taking control of your camera, you decide what you want your images to look like! So, take my class, learn how to use your camera and take great pictures!

Last Tuesday I received a text from my friend, Sara. "Maya was born today about 4pm." Of course I would have been ecstatic to hear such wonderful news, but I was worried sick. Sara wasn't due until March 20th - this was way too early. But I am happy to report that Maya is doing wonderfully! She was born at 2 pounds, 11 ounces and has been breathing on her own since birth. It will of course be a while before she is ready to leave the NICU, but she's a strong little angel! I had the pleasure of meeting her yesterday and she is the tiniest little baby I've ever seen. I am happy to introduce you to Maya!

Just look at her wide awake and so curious. And check out how big the pacifier looks next to her tiny little head.


Sara had only been able to hold Maya once before, so it was such an honor to be there to see them bond for one of the first times.





Every time Sara spoke or made a noise, Maya stared at her. Clearly she knows who her Mommy is!


It's amazing to see the size of Dad's finger next to Maya's.


And the happy family.






Smile!


Tiny little toes.


Snug as a bug.






Seriously cute!


Maya, it was a pleasure meeting you! Stay strong, little peanut!