Dufour Maternity Session

The rain wasn't going to put a damper on the maternity session I shot last weekend. We had to make a game time decision and change the location at the last minute, but it worked out beautifully! The Dufour's are wonderful clients of mine and they are expecting their second daughter next month. I've had the pleasure of photographing their sweet family through the years, beginning with their very first maternity session several years ago. It continues to be such a joy to capture these precious milestones for this special family. Here is a sneak peek from our latest session....

Laina

I am so thrilled I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with this precious newborn! Little miss Laina is 6 weeks old with beautiful blue eyes and a gorgeous head-full of dark hair. I had set up some stations inside my studio to shoot some nice cozy "newbie" shots, but Laina had other plans in mind! Ha! She wanted nothing but the outdoors! No worries....that's why we as photographer's have to think fast and improvise! As soon as Laina got outside she was in her element! While she took cat naps in the baby hammock--the whole crew sweated out each irresistible moment so I could capture the perfect shot. Thanks again everyone for your much appreciated assistance! A 95 degree, 98% humidity North Carolina June morning was all worth it! :) Here's a sneak peek from the session...

Mabry

Mabry was so much fun to photograph this past weekend! She had so many expressions (not to mention her gorgeous blue eyes)! One minute she was serious and then she would burst out with laughter. What a fun little girl! Here is a sneak peek from her session...

Maddy's 2 Year Session

I've had the pleasure of photographing this sweet little girl ever since she was still inside her mommy's tummy! It continues to be such a joy to watch little Maddy grow up into a beautiful little girl. Here's a sneak peek from her 2 year session this past weekend....

Spring Cleanout Time!

It's that time of year again....Spring Cleanout time! If you had a portrait proof gallery in 2010 and you would like to own all of your hi-res proofs, now is the time to buy! See details below:

Contact Courtney today!

courtney@catseyephotography.net

Kendall's 1 year Session

This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet little one year old! I've had the honor of capturing Kendall's milestone's over this past year....it's crazy how fast they grow! We made this session extra special, because at the end of our "normal" photo shoot we had a cake-smashing session to celebrate her first birthday! It doesn't get any better than babies in tutu's eating cake! Here's a sneak peek from Kendall's session....

Anything But A Face

I've been wanting to participate in a photo challenge for quite some time now, so I thought why not start this week! I've been following the ever-so-popular "I Heart Faces" blog and they have such great challenge ideas, not to mention an awesome following! This week's challenge is "Anything But A Face". The photo I chose to enter is titled "Held". It's one of my favorites from a newborn session. Something about those tiny baby feet being held in the hands of mom is just so precious to me!

Model Search!

ATTENTION MOMS! Cat's Eye Photography is conducting a Model Search for little girls ages 2 months to 12 years old. We are in need of girls to model our unique handcrafted photo props and hair accessories! We are designing our accessories specifically for Cat's Eye Photo Sessions and we need sweet little faces to showcase all of them! If you have a little girl or know of someone who does, you don't want to miss out! Every participant receives a Proof CD of all their "model images" as well as a coupon for a future photo session! Contact Courtney today if you are interested! You can also find us on Facebook & Twitter!

Prom Shoots

Cat's Eye Photography presents Prom Shoots! What an awesome way to preserve some of the best years of your life! Let us help capture those memories of you and your friends on your very special night. Individual sessions as well as group sessions are available. Group sessions start at $25 per person! You choose the location...at your favorite hangout, your home, downtown, etc....the possibilities are endless! Just gather your friends and get ready to have fun! You will walk away with an unforgettable experience and priceless memories that you can cherish forever. By the way, if you are a rising Senior head over to our Facebook page, "Like" us, and you will receive 40% off of a Senior Portrait Session! Spread the word to your friends and you'll receive referral bonuses for free prints too! What do you have to lose? Give us a shout today to schedule your Prom Shoot today!

Let It Rain

"the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It's cold and rainy here in the South today. They thought it might turn to snow, but all we've seen is rain with a little bit of sleet mixed in. I know, I blog about weather...a lot. I'm a weather nerd and I don't mind sayin' so. Not only do I shamelessly follow Jim Cantore on Twitter, but I have one of those remote weather monitors that tells me exactly what temperature it is outside before I even get out of bed. I love it.

It's fascinating to watch this complex atmosphere that our God created...full of power and tiny delicate wonders. I think part of the fascination comes from the fact that weather is still somewhat of a mystery. We might be able to forecast what might fall from the sky, but we really don't know exactly what is going to happen until we're in the moment. I guess it's kind of like life. Every snowfall has it's own unique snowflakes and every rainstorm has it's own unique raindrops, just as every person has their own unique life and experiences. The key is how we look at it. And when we have faith in God we don't have to worry about what falls from the sky, because we rest knowing that He already knows what is to come and He knows what we need. It might be a challenge to look out the window today and see sunshine, but if you look close enough you just might see a beautiful day....

"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there, but water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

-Isaiah 55:10-11

Sweet Treats Photo Challenge

Anyone who knows me the least little bit, knows I absolutely LOVE pastries and any sort of yummy miscellaneous bakery item. When I shoot food (and I shoot a lot of it), I am rarely tempted to dig in and take a sampling of my work, mainly because the dish I'm shooting is usually lacquered up with some unthinkable spice/oil concoction in order to achieve proper texture or coloring. Something you definitely would not want to ingest. But, when it comes to bakery items, as long as they are delivered fresh, I rarely have to disturb their natural state. Darn. :)

So, that got me thinking and I thought it would be fun to offer a photo challenge, in honor of Valentine's Day. What's your favorite Valentine's Day treat? It doesn't have to be specific to Valentine's Day, just shoot your favorite sweet treat and see what you come up with! It's always fun to share thoughts and ideas about each other's work! Click on the Linky Tool below to enter! Challenge starts today and runs through 2/14/11.

I captured the following images from a recent Valentine's Day bakery shoot. So, now that the shoot is over...I don't mind if I do....

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What Goes Around...

What goes around always come back around...eventually. That especially goes for photography styles. Lately, I've really noticed that a lot of what's hot now used to be hot "back then". Isn't that creamy, faded-out vintage Photoshop action an amazing new "look"? Actually, that's extremely reminiscent of my parent's 1969 photo album, (which by the way, I love to look through!). It's an awesome look that is timeless. It is somehow warm, moving and organic. A very cool look that is very popular...again.

It's so funny to think about, because back in the day...like way back in the day...photographer's would have given their right arm to have the equipment we have today that can produce the most crisp and clean photographs you can ever imagine. (I am still blown away by my 21meg baby on my hip and I recently read a release for a new 48meg! Seriously?!) What is so hilarious to me is that the cameras and equipment have never been better...they keep getting better. I personally don't think this digital age went exactly as planned. Instead of coming up with new processes and styles, we keep wanting to go back...way back. Some photographer's pay good hard cash to buy all sorts of newbie Photoshop actions to make their photos look like they came out of 1950! Take an excellent photo, throw it into Photoshop and click your favorite action which probably consists of something like this: desaturate the mess out of it, layer fuzzy filters and orangey-tan tones throughout, rearrange all of the color levels and curves, and don't forget to add the fake film flaws and lovely vignette...all to make it look "old". Hmmm....let's think about this.

Why do we like everything to look "vintage" all of a sudden? Whose idea was that? Now, mind you, I'm not knocking it, because I love the look. I just think it's interesting how we as photographers in the 21st century have every available tool at our finger tips to make our photos look pristine and "new", but yet we choose to go back to some of the roots of photography and the beginnings of an art that was already as cool as it gets back then! Keep in mind that back then, the photographers were shooting film and they used different lighting and special films and processes to achieve a desired look. Today, all we have to do is capture an "okay" picture and toss it into our computers and press a button and the work is done for us. What's organic about that process? I know I've said it before and I'll say it again...photography is just too easy these days...but is that good or bad? I guess it's all a matter of opinion. I guess as long as it's your original work, it's art...right?

I thought about suggesting a real vintage photo challenge to anyone that reads this and is interested, but even if you had a real old-school film camera, you probably wouldn't be able to find film for it...sniff-sniff...:( But, hey if you can get your hands on it, go for it! Go out and shoot something vintage style with film, then do the same image with digital. It's fun and eye opening to compare the two processes.

Hey, it all boils down to fads too. They come and go. Who knows maybe 40 years from now we'll be doing the 1979 fro's and matching sweaters....hmmm, something tells me that this one is gone and is never coming back....sorry, I couldn't resist. :)