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Welcome

Thanks for visiting the blog - our little corner of the web where we can share with you samples of our work, feature our wonderful clients, keep you updated on studio happenings and events and provide you with any helpful and even totally useless information we happen to come across.  I hope the blog will be a place that you bookmark and visit often.  And, don't be afraid to leave comments.  We LOVE hearing from you!

I'm Christy, the photographer (and blog author).  My residential studio is located in Pleasant Hill, MO.  If you join us for a session you might also get to meet my studio assistant, Cait, or my two kids who occassionally help entertain children during sessions.  Together (along with my husband who is my "studio carpenter") we make up Christy B Photography. 

Let me give you a quick tour of some of the new features of our blog.  By using the menu near the top of the screen you can view our new Events Calendar, find a link to our Boutique Accessories online site, read an article on "What is Custom Portraiture", follow us on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter, learn about our Wedding & Newborn Portrait Gift Registry, contact us by using our easy to use Contact Form and much more.  At the bottom of the page you can request to receive an e-mail when the blog has been updated.  We make every effort to update often to keep you entertained and informed. 

Grab a cup of coffee, put on some good music and enjoy your look around.  Come back soon!  And most importantly, don't hesitate to contact us for your custom portrait needs. 

SMILE!  

 

CBP Quick Links

Mr. L ~ Video

A little while back I shared a few sneak peeks from Mr. L’s two year portrait session.  His personality is just so fun I had to share his entire session in this video.  It makes me smile every time I watch it. 

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Daddy-Daugther Dance 2010

 Hero Dad
By Joanna Fuchs

You are my hero, Dad
You’re my secure foundation.
When I think of you, I’m filled with love
And fond appreciation.

You make me feel protected;
I’m sheltered by your care.
You’re always my true friend; and Dad,
When I need you, you’re always there.

You have a place of honor
Deep within my heart.
You’ve been my superhero, Dad,
Right from the very start.

The annual Daddy-Daughter dance took place a few weeks ago.  Our daughter and one of her friends go each year with their dads.  It’s their day to be pampered with manicures, pedicures, fancy hair-dos, special dresses and extra spoiling from their daddys.  As always, I took plenty of pictures to remember the night. 

Getting Ready
Her aunt did her nails and hair.

Before the Dance

With Her Daddy

This was a test image. The lighting is terrible. Her dad just cracked a joke and he was actually smiling in a picture, so I had to keep it.

Her Friend, A

A and Her Dad

Good Buddies

Love the height difference here. :-)

Because I couldn’t narrow them down, a few more of our daugther.

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Southside Swarm Volleyball 2010

Just sharing a fun video of my daughter’s volleyball team.  If she’s not playing basketball, she can be found at a volleyball tournament.  
♥♥♥  My little athlete. ♥♥♥ 

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Michelle ~ 2010 PHHS Senior

I tend to photograph more senior boys than girls.  Don’t get me wrong, I love photographing the guys.  Their sessions don’t last long because they usually show up with some sports stuff and a shirt or two .  That’s it.  Easy!  I do get excited when I have a senior girl coming in.  Bright colors, sparkly things, shoes, shoes and more shoes, long flowing hair, fun jewelry, sports gear, prom dresses, make-up, loads of clothes.  There are so many variations with the girls.  Michelle was in for the studio portion of her senior images today and I had an absolute blast.  As you will see, the camera loved her.  I pulled out some new props and played with backdrops that the guys would never allow me to photograph them on. 

I’m so looking forward to your outdoor session, Michelle!  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these studio shots.  It was great meeting you and your mom.

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Drive Carefully

Today is my first born child’s fifteenth birthday.
Today is also the day I almost had a heart attack. 
He drove - on the road - with other drivers - in town - for the very first time.
I was scared!
Thankfully, we made it home safely.

Even more terrifying, he’s the child that will most likely be a good driver.
I may not make it through my daughter’s first day of driving.

There are no more fancy little birthday cakes with cookie crumb dirt and Tonka trucks to take pictures of.  No more ornery little boys donning pointy birthday hats gathered around the table at Burger King for his birthday party.  What has a photographer mom got to take pictures of when her child begins to grow up? 

HIS DRIVERS PERMIT!

He’s darn lucky I didn’t take a picture of him going into the license bureau, taking his test and getting his picture taken for his permit!  Trust me, I was tempted.   

Here is where I about had my heart attack. He was driving on the highway. 

“Hands at 2 and 10, boy, not 3 & 15!  And, for gosh sakes, look out the windshield while you’re behind the wheel!   Brake lights!  Slow down!!  Blinker.  Complete stop behind the stop sign. 
Listen to your mother. I have an impeccable driving record after all.”

Happy birthday, son! 
Once I pry my hands of the “oh s&*t” handle, I’m sure I”ll enjoy you chauffeuring me around.

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Sick Day

When you’re not feeling well, a cuddly friend always makes things better.

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TWO

You might remember this cute little guy from his newborn, 3 month, 6 month and one year sneak peeks here on the blog. Mr. L was a member of our Baby Steps portrait plan back when he was just a wee tyke. Now he is the big T-W-O and he was back with a few of his favorite things.

First on his list of favorites would have to be Mom and Dad. How cute is this shirt?

Next, a rockstar must have his own equipment.

A boy and his vehicles.  I don’t think they ever outgrow this obsession. 

Then we moved on to L’s favorite tractor shirt and cowboy boots.

Finally, if you’re going to put on the cowboy boots, you might as well ride your favorite bull.  I hate to say it (for mom’s sake), but he may just have a future in this (dad will be happy). 

It was so good to see you and your family again Mr. L! Hope you had a great 2nd birthday.

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Maxwell

A house without a cat is…is just not complete. Meet Maxwell, the newest addition to our family.

He loves to cuddle.




He tends to leave a lot of hair behind. I’ll gladly overlook a little hair for a kitty that will sleep on my lap while I work.

He was apparently once a house cat (because he has no front claws), but was found roaming around a neighborhood for weeks. Having to scavenge for his own food for so long, he is very protective of his food.

He is a bit spoiled at his new home. There is no lack of toys to play with.



Welcome to our home, Maxwell.  We are looking forward to many more years of playing and cuddling. 

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Preschool Portraits

I had to share with you a quick video of the cute, cute kids of A Step Ahead Preschool that CBP photographed earlier in the school year.  Every year it is so fun to see the little learners come to school dressed in their best attire for their school pictures.  I must say it again…I love my job!

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Just Because…

No, this isn’t a post about Valentine’s Day. This post is in honor of completing an item on my 101 Things in 1001 Days list: #30 Buy myself fresh flowers.

I found myself at the grocery store the other day walking by the floral department where I saw a SALE sign; $9.99 for a dozen roses. I immediately thought to myself, “Yes, they are pretty, but you don’t need fresh flowers.” I continued my shopping without stopping to smell the roses.

Further dialogue continued in my head, “No, you may not purchase those Caramel Bugles. Get some bananas instead.”

Do we need toilet paper again?

NO! Twinkies and Hostess Cupcakes are not allowed in the house.”

Why did you not check to see if we needed milk before you came to the store?”

Please tell me I’m not the only one that has internal arguments with myself while shopping.

I loaded my cart with lunch items for the kids, dog treats for the dog, and my husband’s favorite cookies.

“WAIT A MINUTE! Why shouldn’t I buy myself fresh flowers? It’s cold, snowy and miserable outside. I made sure the family had clean clothes and plenty of food for the week. The house is…fairly….clean. I worked my 40+ hours for the week. Why can’t I buy myself fresh flowers?”

So, I splurged on $9.99 worth of red roses.

They are beautiful. Worth every penny. They smell amazing. They make me smile when I sit down at my desk to work.  They remind me of my wedding day.  Red roses were the flowers in my wedding.  The fabulous crystal vase was a wedding gift from my Uncle Tom.  Almost a week later they are still pretty and smell wonderful and they still make me smile. 

The moral of this long, drawn out story…don’t be afraid to do something special for yourself…just because.  You deserve it!

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Girls Night Out Portrait Party

We recently held our first Girls Night Out party at CBP.  What a blast we had!

At the end of the night we took a few group images. Here are the beautiful ladies I was lucky enough to photograph.

They chose an intimates party. Some participated so they could surprise their significant others with a special Valentine’s gift. Others participated just to celebrate their beautiful self. Here is a fun group image just for the girls.

Of course, we had to end the evening with a few silly shots.

I just can’t express how much fun I had with these ladies. I’ll be sharing more images of the evening, as well as a fun little video I put together, on the Intimates blog soon. (Of course, no images are ever shared without express written consent from the participants.)  If you are interested in participating in your own Girls Night Out Intimates or Glamour party, contact CBP for more information.

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Valentine Doodles Mini Session

Three cutie pie children + crazy Valentine socks + giggles and laughter = one fabulous Valentine’s Doodles mini session. It’s been awhile since these three have been in the studio and I was reminded how much I missed seeing them. The girls are just the sweetest and do anything asked of them. Mr. K is a total ham and made me laugh the entire time. And, he loves his Momma! He wanted to make sure she got to take home one of the roses after the session. :-) How sweet it that!??!

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Vintage Winter

snow bent birches
bow down low
to log laden trucks

the mountains maturely
hold onto acres of snow
like a 19th century bodice…

can the child of spring
be far from birth?

Winter in Maine on Rte. 113 by Denis Dunn

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Girls Night Out Portrait Parties

After several requests, Christy B Photography is proud to announce our GIRLS NIGHT OUT PORTRAIT PARTIES. Our first official party is scheduled for next week. We can’t wait to share some images with you! In the meantime, here is more information on how the parties work.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to schedule your own GIRLS NIGHT OUT.

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My Valentine

Sadly, this will be the first year that my daughter will not exchange Valentines at school. My baby is growing up. That doesn’t mean she is too old for a Valentine’s inspired photo shoot. Thankfully, she obliged.

Here is where we get to the point that I pushed my luck. I really wanted her to change her outfit so I could get some images on one of our new backdrops. She refused. So I told her to suck it up and smile in the outfit she already had on. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration. Perhaps, it’s not. ;-)

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Nathan ~ 2010 LJHS Senior

Meet Nathan. He was in recently for his senior portraits.  He is a basketball player, runs cross country and is on the yearbook staff. He even went to the same tiny grade school as I did growing up. On top of all that, he’s a gentleman. It was a pleasure to work with you, Nathan. Best of luck with the rest of your senior year!

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Valentine’s Mini Sessions are Here

It’s time to start thinking about Valentine’s and the ones you love!

Christy B Photography is now scheduling mini Valentine sessions for your little ones.
Mini sessions will be done a little bit differently this year. 

 The cost of a Valentine’s Mini Session is $15.  
Various add-on products will be available for purchase using images from the session.
   Prints from the session are available at regular prices.
A variety of props and clothing options such as hats, tutus, baby legs (baby leg warmers), pettiskirts, ties, bandanas, etc will be available for use during the mini session.
Mini sessions will last 15 minutes.
You will be shown approximately 5 proofs.

Below you will see our custom designed Valentines.
Our 4.5″ x 5″ double-sided flat Valentines are avilable in sets of 24. Envelopes are included.
The price for our Valentines is $20 per set (of 24).
Card colors can be altered for boys and girls.

Add-on products available during our Valentine Mini Sessions are shown below. 
The acrylic Key Chain is 1.75″ x 2.5″ in size.
Magnets are available in sets of 2 and measure 3.5″ x 2″ each.

Contact us to schedule your mini session now through February 5, 2010 to receive your items in time for Valentine’s day.
816-935-4961

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Alyssa ~ 2010 Senior Video

This video of Alyssa’s senior session makes me dream of summertime. A few more months and summer will be back again and Alyssa will be GRADUATING!

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Quest for the Perfect Picture of a Mastiff

There is only one thing harder for a photographer to photograph than his/her own children. An English Mastiff.

First they refuse to look at the camera.

Then they lie down on the floor and look the other way.

Then they plop their giant slobbery jowls on the floor and look as if they are totally unamuzed by the camera in their face.

 If that doesn’t work, they roll over onto their back.

 Sensing the photographer isn’t going to give up, they muster up the energy to get up and pick up their toy (that they are too lazy to really play with) and put the saddest mistreated look on their face. 

Realizing they exerted way too much effort fetching the toy, they lay back down and continue to ignore the photographer until they finally give up the quest for the perfect photograph of said Mastiff. 

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Weaknesses

Two things I’m not that good at: cooking and product photography. Of course, I decided to share both of my weaknesses here in this blog post.

Generally, I attempt to cook in the evening when there is no natural light to be found, so I’m forced to use a flash. My family would kill me if I set up photography lighting in my kitchen. It’s bad enough they have to wait to eat until I take pictures of their dinner.  :-) Gotta love ‘em for putting up with me.

Anyway, I’ve posted a new monthly dinner menu complete with recipe links on the cooking blog if you would like to take a look.

If I can cook it, anyone can.

Happy cooking! 

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