Kayla Renckly Photography

I have a new blog!

2009-09-24T15:22:00.002-07:00

I finally have a new blog! So if you actually still come here to read despite the fact I haven't posted in FOREVER, I will more than love forever if that's the case, please update your bookmarks to http://kaylarenckly.com/blog It's beautiful if I do say so myself!

Way Lame Bloggger here!

2009-04-01T21:54:00.004-07:00

OK I know I haven't blogged this year. Wow that's pathetic! Between the holidays and the constant cold going through my house and a few life changes, I kinda forgot to get on here. Alright, I promise to try to be better now.

Rather than trying to jump in and get to posting, I'm going to let you in on a secret. I'm working on a Relaunch set for May 1st! New logo, new Splash Page, updated website, new Blog attached to my website, and new pricing. Yep you heard it, all new!

But if you call me between now and the May 1st Relaunch, you can get in on 2008 prices! And I'm looking for "models" in a few specific areas-so if you fit the description you may qualify for a free session and print credit in exchange for a signed model release.

- 2010 High School Seniors
- newborns under 7 days old (including multiples)
- pregnant mama and daddy interested in non-traditional portraits
- women who want to celebrate their bodies with a boudoir session
- mature couples looking to celebrate their "Forever Love"
- Engaged couples for a fun engagement session

Check back soon for more details!

Christmas Tag

2008-12-31T14:10:00.003-07:00

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, & try not to be a SCROOGE! Copy this entire post & paste onto your own new post! Change all the answers so they apply to you. Then tag a bunch of people you know....Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I like wrapping paper but sometimes gift bags are so much easier.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial because of allergies and ease of set-up.

3. When do you put up the tree? We try to do it the weekend after Thanksgiving, this weekend Bill was hunting so we had to wait.

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's Day

5. Do you like Egg Nog? Yuck!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Either a camera or a barbie

7. Hardest person to buy for? Depends on the year!

8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids, any boy toys will do!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? I do but it's not out this year because of Collin.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? One of these days I'll mail them out!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Giant undies from my grandma!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? "It's a wonderful life" w/Jimmy Stewart or Polar Express

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? December sometime, closer to Christmas though!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Only in White Elephants

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? The candy/chocolate, all of it!

16. Lights on the tree? I like white and we put it on twinkle.

17. Favorite Christmas song? "A baby changes everything" by Faith Hill

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel, we go see my dad up north the weekend before, my MIL's family sometime before, my mom's Christmas Eve, my in-laws Christmas morning, my mom's family that afternoon, and my FIL's family New Year's Eve or the weekend after.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Most of them, but sometimes I need help.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? yup.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? both

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? stress!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? red or blue.

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? One that is spent with family and yummy food!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? That we can have a low key enjoyable Christmas!

You all are tagged!

How cool, a personalized video from Santa!

2008-12-22T20:19:00.002-07:00

A fellow photographer gave me the link to personalize a video from Santa to your child. It is so cool how excited my 4yo was to see Santa and have him talk right to him!

Click this link if you want to see it or make your own video here!

Artistic Vision

2008-12-17T14:37:00.004-07:00

I came across an article written by Anne Ruthmann answering the question "Why do wedding photos take so long?" It may be written about wedding photos, but I thought it would also answer any questions about why custom portraits in general can take so much longer than when you go to say a mall chain photo studio. Please take a moment to read the article.

Custom portraits are a work of art. Every session is as unique as the individuals being photographed. As an artist, there are no formulas for creating the original image or for transforming it into the final product that you see. I don't have a studio set up with standard lighting or use a set of poses for each session. I craft each image individually, from tweaking the exposure and color, to fixing blemishes, to any other processing that the image inspires. If I don't love it, I won't show it. The end product is a representation of my artistic vision, no two images will ever be the same.

This sums it all up for me:

The Photographers Prayer
Dear Lord, as I bring my subject into focus & prepare to make each portrait, never let me forget that I'm creating treasures for a family, a keepsake for loved ones. Make me sensitive to the qualities and virtues of others, that I may draw out into the light the beautiful radiant belongings of their hearts.
Help me to be an artist, collecting the beauty of every soul, the glow of youth, the gentleness, the laughter or tears of each life that is precious in Thy sight. Deeper than a means of livelihood, give me the perspective to see my photographer's art as a service to others, making life richer and more memorable.
And, dear Lord, between the lights and shadows, the ups and downs and the rolling years, keep me from getting out of focus or off center, so that my life and work may be framed with dignity and colored with contentment. Amen.
-author unknown

Giving is awesome!

2008-12-16T13:11:00.005-07:00

You know someone. You know someone who's experienced a tragedy, is struggling to stay afloat, is raising kids while holding down more than one job, or is volunteering selflessly despite extenuating personal circumstances. You know someone who can't afford custom photography, but who would cherish it this holiday season. You know someone who deserves a year-round reminder of their family's spirit, love, and beauty.

You know someone. I guarantee it.

I want to know who they are, and I want to give them the chance to experience complimentary custom photography-a free session and a print credit {about a $250 value, but we'll talk}. Whether it's canvas or albums, prints for Grandma, or a slideshow to watch over and over, it's in your power to give them the artwork they deserve this holiday season.

Oh, and the best part? The person who nominates the winner receives a $50 print credit towards a future session. What better reason to show some love could there possibly be people?

The rules:

* You cannot nominate yourself or an immediate family member, and the person nominated must sincerely be incapable of purchasing my services. (Being unable to make mortgage payments for a two-million-dollar-vacation-home in Paris does not qualify as sincere financial need.)

* The nominee must reside in the Phoenix Metro area. Tell me who you know, what they're experiencing, and why they deserve my artwork. Please include a way to contact both your nominee and yourself as well.

* You must e-mail me the full story : kayla @ kaylarenckly.com {remove the spaces}.

The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve -- get nominating! I can't wait to read all of your entries!

Open your heart to someone this holiday season -- and thanks for giving me the opportunity to open mine.

With love,

Kayla Renckly

P.S. If you know someone deserving in another state, let me know and I'll tell you how you can still nominate them!

Computer is up!

2008-12-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Update: I managed to get rid of the worm/trojan so I'm playing catch-up now. I will still have to wipe the computer, but after the holidays. So far it doesn't look like I've lost any files but I have still have some programs that are acting up and will have to uninstalled/reinstalled. Anybody that has ever had to deal with Vundo can understand how time consuming it is to get rid of this horrible computer problem. If you ever get it, I recommend downloading "Super Anti-Spyware", Google it and you'll find it.

Don't forget to be CAREFUL online and back-up your important files either on CD, an external hard drive, online, or even better a combination.

Computer woes

2008-12-08T15:45:00.002-07:00

Ugh! So my computer has slowly been slowing down cuz I have so much stuff on it and it's like 5 years old. But last Thursday it all of a sudden got slooooow! And slower Friday so I rebooted before bed. Saturday it was taking 20 minutes to run a simple action on 1 photo. My dh has been hearing me complain for months so he kinda tuned me out. He tells me to back all my stuff up (cuz I'm lame like that) and we'll wipe the computer but run the anti-virus and spybot. So I spent all day Saturday weeding through my crud so I could defrag overnight. No faster. Then an internet window pops up over and over and McAfee keeps finding Trojans. Crap. DH finally comes to look at it and starts swearing. The computer crashed, I thought I was going to throw up. I have worms. I have no idea where I got them from. Luckily it's back up but now I have no choice but to wipe the computer clean. And I have way too much going on to have this happen.

Moral of the story:
Back-up everything
Be careful of the sites you visit
Don't download anything that isn't from a trusted source (I don't but you never know)
Don't open attachments if you don't know the sender (I don't do that either)
And make sure your anti-virus, spyware/malware, and OS are up to date.

I am very careful but it happened anyway. So I may be scarce for a few days. If you are waiting on something from me, I will do my best to get it done as fast as possible!

Cyber Monday

2008-12-01T12:00:00.002-07:00

Today is Cyber Monday! That means all of you that plan to do online shopping today is the day to get great deals! I know I'll be doing as much as I can today and found a great way to help a favorite charity at the same time. GoodShop is a site that allows you to enter your charity and then shop through a list of up to 700 participating stores. They will then donate part of your purchase to that charity and lots of them even have extra discounts and deals for you! It's a great way to get a great deal and help someone at the same time (and not just today)!

BTW if you don't have a charity in mind, please consider the ALS Association of Arizona - Phoenix Chapter. It is very near and dear to my heart after losing my grandmother to this deadly disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Catching up a little, Halloween

2008-11-24T11:50:00.004-07:00

Here's a couple of my kiddos in their Halloween costumes. My MIL was wonderful enough to teach me to sew so tat I could make these little astronaut suits for them. Without her help they never would have gotten done. My oldest wasn't very photogenic so I had to try again but my
youngest hammed it up!

And here is a composite with them together since it didn't happen!

I'll try to post a few of some detailed shots of the costumes to. Next year needs to be a little simpler!

Behind again!

2008-11-24T10:24:00.002-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting! I've been so consumed with finishing my new website I've neglected the blog! I will announce the new site in a couple days when I finish tweaking it and announce a sale at that time! And a new blog is in the works too!

If you have emailed me and haven't heard back, please email me again! My email is really having issues with the switch and I've been informed that people haven't been getting my emails or I'm not getting theirs. Not ignoring you! If I haven't heard back, I'll resend today. I've been very sick the last few days and I'm a little behind so I'm trying to catch up by Thanksgiving!

It's that time of year again!

2008-11-19T12:24:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Saturday afternoon in downtown Austin

2008-10-29T10:40:00.003-07:00

Still going backwards here! We met up at the state capital and started there, walked around finding interesting places to photograph, and ended at a bridge with a large bat colony to watch them. Sadly we were about two weeks late to see much, most had already migrated to Mexico.

She has the greatest wardrobe!

She wasn't feeling like being photographed so I just talked to her and snapped a few.

This was in front of a tattoo parlor

Austin skyline, I couldn't get a picture with the bats though.

Revamping again!

2008-10-27T23:40:00.002-07:00

I found a way to make the pictures bigger so I am switching things up. I'll work on it this week between proofing pictures, blowing my nose, sewing my kids Halloween costumes, coughing, yeah I'm sick and I'm really hoping my kids don't get it. They're going trick-or-treating no matter what! If you haven't heard from me it's because I'm drugged up on cold medicine and I'm afraid of saying something silly (at least I can edit it here LOL!). I'll be back to you within a couple days!

I've been tagged!

2008-10-27T20:53:00.002-07:00

Carole of Carole Marie Photography has tagged me!

Here are the rules:

1. Post the rules on your blog.
2. Write 7 random things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post.
4. Pass on the tag.

Here are 7 random things about me:

1. I LOVE to eat! Chocolate, cheese, fried, and veggies with salt and butter, yum!
2. I do not like scary movies! They give me horrible nightmares!
3. I hate sweating and turn into a hermit in the summer. I live in the wrong climate but I can't imagine moving!
4. I married my best friend, we've known each other for 20 years and married 5!
5. I recently decided to take up knitting in my spare time (ha!), not really making anything, just knitting.
6. I have ADD and have been struggling with it lately.
7. My favorite color is red. I adore red! Except red food coloring, I'm allergic!

I'm tagging Cindy, Arya, Julie, Stefanie, Mariel, Heather, Karmen!

Sunday in Downtown Austin

2008-10-17T19:47:00.003-07:00

I'm working backwards because I'm a goober and I like to do things differently. Sunday morning before I headed back to Phoenix, we headed back to downtown Austin with a couple of the girls' kids to try a few locations for some urban shots.

Miss "C" was the only willing model we had that morning, she was hamming it up!

Mr "M" was in a serious mood after he decided he wasn't Spiderman and sat down long enough for us to take a few photos.

And poor Miss "B" was so wiped out from the long weekend that she just wanted to sleep.

I'll post more in the coming days!

Isn't she adorable?

2008-10-15T22:24:00.002-07:00

She is so gorgeous! Miss "N" has to be the biggest newborn I've ever photographed! She weighed just over 10 lbs at birth and was only 8 days old here! I'm told she is very calm and never cries but apparently not the case while I was there. Enjoy your sneak peek mom and dad,
I'll be talking to you soon!

I'm ba-ack!

2008-10-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

I got home Sunday evening and was exhausted! We must have walked the entire downtown of Austin and it feels like I did at least 1,000 squats! I took Monday off to recuperate and I'm playing catch-up today. I have a newborn session to finish up and then I will share some photos from Austin, it was a blast!

Out of Town

2008-10-07T01:21:00.000-07:00

I know I've been a Lame Blogger (as one of favorite photographers calls herself)! I promise to do better when I get back! I will be out of town from October 9th through October 12th at a Workshop in Austin! I'm looking forward to learning from some incredibly talented photographers and getting a little vacation by myself! I will return all phone calls and emails at that time.

Yummy Newborn

2008-09-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

I met this family through my mom's group and when I saw them I knew I had to photograph them! These boys are so stinkin cute! Between their stunning big eyes and their gorgeous skin, I wanted them in front of my camera! Here's your sneak peek Krystal:

Back to work

2008-09-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I had to take a longer break than I planned. A couple weeks ago, my husband and I found out we were unexpectedly pregnant with our third child. We decided to keep it to ourselves until we had seen the doctor. A week ago Saturday, I started to bleed. I knew there was something wrong. By Tuesday I was sure I had miscarried. A set of blood tests, an ultrasound and an OB visit confirmed my fear. I appreciate all the well-wishes and prayers that have been sent my way. Thank you all for your compassion and understanding. I'm ready to get back to work and all calls, emails, and orders will be taken care of by this weekend.

Out of the office

2008-08-25T23:49:00.003-07:00

I wanted to let everyone know that I will be unavailable until later in the week (probably Friday) while tending to personal matters. I will return all emails/phone calls at that time. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for understanding.

Isn't she lovely?

2008-08-25T21:31:00.002-07:00

I may be a little partial since she is family, but I think she looks beautiful pregnant! I had a blast (I'm glad the dogs decided I was okay LOL!) and can't wait to meet your baby girl when she makes her debut!

Cake Smash

2008-08-09T11:12:00.005-07:00

I know I'm a little behind posting this but customer's photos come first. My little man turned one back in June, so to celebrate I did a Cake Smash session.

The aftermath

And just for fun

Website facelift in progress!

2008-08-08T18:06:00.002-07:00

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to work on my new website. I have a short break in sessions so I plan to try to get it done this weekend, sounds ambitious even just writing it. I have pulled my current website as I don't think it accurately displayed my current work, though you can still access your galleries via the same page.

I just had to post this photo after I finished proofing this session, I just loved the tenderness!

Perfect Pair

2008-07-29T23:10:00.003-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this incredible set of twins recently. They were perfect, they were so cooperative and adorable. Baby girl is a little bigger than her brother, and she gave me the most serious looks!

Beautiful redhead

2008-07-28T16:55:00.003-07:00

Here is the beautiful little baby girl from a recent maternity session (mom was 38 weeks at that time). Look at her gorgeous red hair and big eyes!

Another gorgeous mama!

2008-07-23T22:15:00.003-07:00

This is to be their last baby so they wanted to have portraits to remember how beautiful she looked. I'm sure their baby girl will be as cute as her older brothers are!

Blog Revamp

2008-07-18T00:46:00.001-07:00

I just got done recamping my blog, it only took two days and four different designs to settle on this (for now)! What do you think?

Just a Reminder!

2008-07-15T19:53:00.002-07:00

My sister will be running a 1/2 marathon this weekend in support of Crohn's Disease. She is raising money for research and awareness for this disease that has taken quite a toll on our family. She is working towards remission and my dad was just released from the hospital Sunday from his second relapse this year.

Please visit this website and support Rachelle in anyway you can!http://www.active.com/donate/napa08southwest/rachelletaylor

Recent Family Portraits

2008-07-14T17:05:00.005-07:00

Marylou's family was in town and they needed an updated photo. It had been awhile and I was happy to come to her to accommodate their father's wheelchair.

If you are looking for an updated family photo, please contact me!

Belly Sneak Peek

2008-06-27T15:21:00.004-07:00

After attending a recent workshop by the incredible Sandy Puc' I needed a model to try some new ideas on. My beautiful subject here is due in about a week (if she hasn't delivered already) and was wonderful enough to be a model for me. Doesn't she look incredible? Especially at 38 weeks!

Happy Birthday Collin!

2008-06-25T16:49:00.005-07:00

My baby turned one recently! We had a small family party before his birthday and he got to eat cake for the first time.

Big brother blew out the candle for him.
He wasn't very interested at first.

But then he dug in

Hopefully, I'll be able to do cake smash pictures this week and share those with you soon.

Mmmm....cake!

2008-06-25T16:09:00.003-07:00

The day before Collin's birthday party, Ethan helped me make his brother's cake. I make a big mess when I bake, luckily I don't do it often.

Collin seems to have an issue with dairy, eggs, and soy, so we had to find a good recipe. Betty Crocker has one called "Chocolate Snack Cake" that dates back to the Depression when such staples were harder to come by. It is really yummy and fits the bill. I usually double it and serve with a vegan (only because it is safe for Collin) chocolate icing, but this time I had to find a mock buttercream frosting recipe.

Chocolate Snack Cake

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup cold water

1) Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom and sides of 9-in round or 8x8 pan, lightly flour.
2) Mix dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients together in smaller bowl. Vigorously stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until well blended. Immediately pour into pan.
3) Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Vegan Chocolate Icing
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar

1) Warm all but sugar in a saucepan over low heat. When mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat and add sugar.
*I think it needs a little more chocolate so I add a little more cocoa and powdered sugar.

Mock Buttercream Frosting
1 cup shortening (can use half shortening, 1/2 margarine)
3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk alternative (soy, rice, almond, etc)

1) Beat shortening until fluffy. Add sugar and beat 3 minutes. Add vanilla and milk and beat for 5-7 more minutes.

My babies are getting too big!

2008-06-25T11:42:00.005-07:00

Here's a few of my favorite recent snapshots of what keeps me so busy!

About a month ago my youngest started walking. He's pretty much running everywhere now and he climbs on top of the coffee table, too.
Look at those eyes, who could resist!My oldest wanted a turn at wiffle ball with his daddy and uncle and managed to actually hit it a couple times. The white spot on daddy's leg is the ball, heading away. And here they are swimming. I'm just so proud of them!

One of many catch-up posts

2008-06-25T10:39:00.005-07:00

My grandpa turned 80 in May and my family threw a big party for him about a week ago. Due to higher fuel prices and flooding where a lot of them live, it was much smaller than originally expected but it was nice to see those that were able to make it.

This is my grandpa. I love this look. It's a mixture of pride and love as he watches the grandkids play. There's a slight smile at the corners of his mouth and his hair is unruly.

I've always wanted to try this effect on a photo. It's almost vintage looking and it really emphasizes the toll that years of hardship and physical labor have taken. He recently has had a lot of health problems that no longer allow him to work and that has been very hard on him.

And I had to throw in a photo of Collin saying his favorite word, "Ohhh". It reminds me of those martians on Toy Story. Also, look how orange he is! Big reason to lay off orange foods before portraits. And this was after a couple days of no orange foods, he was way oranger before (think oompa loompa)!

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation

2008-06-20T22:34:00.001-07:00

My sister Rachelle is training hard for a half marathon on July 20th to raise money for Crohn's research. As some of you know, Rachelle was diagnosed with Crohn's disease last fall while living in Louisiana. This is the same disease that our father has. Crohn's disease is an immune disorder that has no cure and the cause is still very unknown. The symptoms of Crohn's include persistent diarrhea, extremely painful abdominal cramps, fevere, fatigue, and loss of appetite. The treatment includes corticosteroids, immune suppressants, and anti-inflammatory drugs all of which can have serious side effects and have high costs.

Rachelle needs to raise $3500 to meet her goal and participate and is in need of ANY donations that you can spare. Every dollar counts. Whatever she doesn't raise, she has to come up with on her own to participate and is asking for your help. Please help Rachelle achieve her goal of making and completing this 1/2 marathon and continuing on her path to remission.

Please visit this website and support Rachelle in anyway you can!
http://www.active.com/donate/napa08southwest/rachelletaylor

Sorry I'm missing again!

2008-06-20T22:32:00.002-07:00

Life has been crazy lately with tons of birthday parties and Father's Day celebrations to attend. I will try to catch up in the coming days and share pictures from my baby's 1st birthday party!

Baby "G"

2008-05-23T16:05:00.003-07:00

The cute couple that I did maternity photos for last month had their baby! He is so teeny (well compared to what my boys were) and very adorable! He did not want to be awake for the photos but that made for some cute sleeping pictures! Here is your sneak peek mom and dad!

Been awhile

2008-05-22T20:55:00.003-07:00

I haven't posted in almost a month! I promise to catch you all up!

Yesterday I found out that I won an incredible prize! I will be getting a Tracy Joy® SUSIE camera strap cover that was given away by MCP Actions. Tracy Joy makes custom camera bags in some fabulous prints and someday I hope to have one for myself! And Jodie at MCP Actions has some incredible actions for photographers! My thanks to both!

On another note, my baby will be one next month! Collin is getting so big and has started walking! I am so excited but I am also sad at how fast he has grown up. I plan to do some fun one year pictures and I'll share them with you soon!

LOLcatz

2008-04-28T20:22:00.002-07:00

I don't know if any of you have ever seen thses but they are hilarious! If you have a chance, go to http://icanhascheezburger.com/ but be warned that it is addictive! Here is a photography related picture!

see more crazy cat pics

Some sports action

2008-04-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the privilege if working with 3 great photographers doing youth sports team and individual photos. I was an assistant for the first time as well as shooting photos. We had each team in and out in 10-15 minutes and got some great shots. I borrowed a Canon 5d from one of them rather than using my camera for consistency, now I can't wait until Sony comes out with a full frame camera! Still love mine though!

Look, a new tongue!

2008-04-21T01:23:00.004-07:00

Collin had a frenulumectomomy about two weeks ago due to his tongue tie (the tissue that attaches to the bottom side of your tongue extended all the way to the tip of his tongue and made swallowing food difficult and would have caused speech problems). This is a very basic procedure where they put clamps on the tissue to cut off blood supply, after numbing the area, and then clip it. Daddy held him while I occupied Ethan and Collin didn't even cry! The problem was noticed shortly after birth but most pediatricians have a wait and see policy unless there is a serious problem nursing and there wasn't. But as time went on, I realized it was causing some problems and he had a hard time eating solids. I had to convince the pediatrician we needed a referral to an ENT (the ENT was very proactive believing it would definitely cause speech problems), but I was very nervous about it even though I knew it was the right decision. There were no after-care issues and breastfeeding was already easier. About a week later, Collin realized that his tongue was different and did something amazing: he stuck his tongue out for the first time! For the next week I couldn't get him to keep his tongue in his mouth! We joked about him being our little Michael Jordan but I worried he would bite his tongue. He's finally able to eat thick foods but he still doesn't like chunky foods.

Maternity photos preview

2008-04-21T00:49:00.005-07:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to photograph this sweet couple. They are both very excited about the nearing arrival of their baby boy and she is just glowing! Here are just a few of my favorites from this fun session!

Postponing the contest

2008-04-16T09:02:00.002-07:00

It looks like I'm going to have to postpone the contest. There haven't been enough entries, so for now I'm going to put the contest on hold. If you know anyone that wants to participate send them here. If you sent in an entry, I'll hold onto it until I try this again and I'll let you know when that will be. Thanks for understanding!

Family Portrait Sneak Peek

2008-04-14T22:24:00.004-07:00

A little over a week ago, I met this fun family at Sahuaro Ranch Park for some family photos. The kids had fun following the birds around and the rose garden was in full bloom. Sorry for the delay Kristin, here are a few from the session

Dolce Salon and Spa

2008-04-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my mother, sister and I enjoyed a rare girl's day at Dolce Salon & Spa at Arrowhead. We spent several hours being pampered with facials, Swedish massages (I splurged on a deep tissue massage that left me a little sore but worth it), lunch and pedicures. It was so nice to take care of ourselves for once and destress. The staff there are so wonderful and the whole place has such a relaxing atmosphere, I definitely recommend them for anyone looking for some relaxation and pampering! It would be a great place to go for a Bachelorette Party or some pre-wedding preparations!

http://www.dolcesalonspa.com/index.html

Coleen and Casey's Sneak Peek

2008-04-04T11:32:00.003-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing this very much in love couple's wedding this past weekend. They were so much fun and were willing to try out my ideas no matter how silly they may seemed at the time. Thank you for giving me the privilege of being part of your big day and trusting my creative vision! Congratulations!

Contest Rules and Prizes

2008-04-03T08:55:00.004-07:00

As promised, here are the details

-Prizes-
1st Place:
Free Portrait Sitting*
1 Free 8x10 from Session
Up to $90 value

2nd Place
1/2 price Portrait Sitting*
1 Free 8x10 from Session
Up to $52.50 value

3rd Place
$15 off Portrait Sitting*
1 Free 8x10 from Session
$30 value

All other finalists will receive a FREE 8x10 at their next sitting.

*Discounted Portrait Sessions are only applicable towards a session that includes the winning child. Specialty sessions will be discounted the value of the prize. Prizes have no cash value.

-Rules-
Photos will not be judged by me, I will have a panel of judges to make that decision.
Please only submit one photo per child. If possible, please try to submit a photo that only includes the entered child.
By submitting a photo you are giving Kayla Renckly Photography (myself) permission to post the photo on this blog.
Entries must be received before midnight April 14th, 2008. Please email all entries to Kayla@krphotographyaz.com Please include the child's name and age and a phone number you can reached at to notify you if they are a winner (only photo will be posted, no other information for privacy). Child must be 17 or younger.
Finalists will be announced on April 16th, 2008. Voting will begin April 16th and end at midnight, April 29th. If your child is a finalist send all of your family and friends here to vote!
Winners will be announced April 30th!

Remember, this is a fun contest!

April Announcement!

2008-04-01T17:23:00.005-07:00

In honor of the new website in the works, I'm having a Cutest Kid Contest! From now until April 14th, email me (kayla@krphotographyaz.com) a photo of your cute kid. On April 16th, I will post the finalists on my blog for everyone to vote on. Voting will end midnight, April 29th and the winner will be announced April 30th. Please include your name, the child's name and age, and your phone number that you can be contacted at if you win. Tomorrow I'll announce the details and prizes! If you know someone else that would like to enter, please feel free to send them here!

New website!

2008-03-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of creating a new website! I hope to have it live within the next two weeks. In the meantime you can still visit the current website. If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!

It's my birthday!

2008-03-28T22:44:00.001-07:00

Today is my 25th birthday! I'm looking forward to the insurance discount! No partying here, I've got a wedding booked for tomorrow but I had a yummy steak dinner with my family and exchanged gifts with my mommy (her birthday is tomorrow). But next Sunday my mother, sister and I are doing a much deserved spa day, my first massage!

Here's a quick shot of my pretty flowers (I hope I can keep these alive!)

Wedding Detail Shots

2008-03-28T01:26:00.000-07:00

I was the second photographer at a recent wedding and I wanted to share some of the more creative shots.

New logo

2008-03-27T01:38:00.000-07:00

I just had a new logo created that I absolutely love! Michelle with Heirloom Photography in Tucson was wonderful enough to help me out, she is incredible!

Easter

2008-03-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to my grandfather's house for lunch and an egg hunt and then took them to my in-laws for an early dinner and another egg hunt. Ethan didn't quite understand the concept and kept trying to eat the contents rather than continue to search. His favorite though were the ones filled with coins that carefully placed in his piggy bank the next day, one by one.

We have visitors!

2008-03-18T00:59:00.000-07:00

The Canadian geese are visitting the park I take my boys to. We took the opportunity to feed and photograph them on our last visit.

Spring/Easter Photos

2008-03-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

I asked my friend to bring over her gorgeous little girl to take some pictures with my new backdrop and here is a preview:

More wildflowers!

2008-03-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

My sister and I had to make a short notice trip up to the hill to visit my dad in the hospital this weekend. He has Crohn's Disease and had a flare up after being really sick. While the reason for going was unpleasant, I really enjoyed all the time I had talking with my sister since our busy lives don't allow us to spend a lot of time together. But by the time we back to the valley we had nothing left to talk about. During this quiet time I started noticing all the flowers along the highway and decided to pull over and take a few photos. It was really windy so getting a good shot was difficult. Here are a few:

One single flower stayed in focus as the rest became blurry from the wind.

The sun was beginning to set and gave this great warm glow.

Wildflowers

2008-03-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

My mom and I took a 5 mile hike up in Cave Creek to look at wildflowers. Here are a few of my faves

New Backdrop Stand

2008-03-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

I finally bought a real backdrop stand and have been having fun playing with it. I pulled out my regular models, my boys, and here are a few of my experiments.

Lori is 30!

2008-03-05T00:14:00.007-07:00

Lori wanted to have photos taken of her and her closest friends in celebration of her big milestone. We headed out to South Mountain Preserve and played for a few hours. I had a blast with these great women! Here's your sneak peak!

It's been too long!

2008-02-28T00:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile and I promise to post more often very soon! Right now I'm working on new business cards, etc and as soon as I'm finished I'll post them on here for you to see!

1st Birthday Party

2008-01-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here are a few from this adorable little boy's big day

The Black Family

2007-12-26T23:43:00.000-07:00

I recently had the privilege of photographing these beautiful children. These three cousins were absolutely adorable! I am so thrilled to have been the first photographer to get a smile out of the oldest and look forward to seeing all of you again!

Baby Bits

2007-12-26T21:33:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share a new product that I am now offering. This is a collage that includes close-ups of the little details that makes your baby precious!

Martinez Family

2007-12-15T18:51:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to share a few of my favorite pictures from a recent session. Hope you enjoy them!

A little about me

2007-10-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

My name is Kayla Renckly. I married my childhood friend, Bill, just over four years ago. I am a stay-at-home-mother of two handsome boys, Ethan (2 ½) and Collin (born in June). For as long as I can remember I have been found behind a camera lens and have been passionate about producing beautiful images. After the birth of my oldest son, my love for photography grew into more than just a hobby and I began to seriously pursue my dream of becoming a professional photographer. My family is my inspiration and my first priority and photography allows me to help provide for them.

I am a photographer based in El Mirage but serving the Phoenix Metro Area. I specialize in event and portrait photography including weddings, maternity, newborn and family. Please visit my website to view my portfolio and find more information.