Kari Douma Photography

2009-04-22T18:56:00.001-04:00

New Blog...

I have a new Blog! I will no longer update this blog, so make sure you check out the new one and update your bookmarks!

Oh Babies! {Grand Rapids Maternity Photography}

2009-04-19T13:31:00.000-04:00

Richard and Gretchen came and saw me last week. I am SO glad that we were able to get this session in. We had the session scheduled, and then Gretchen ended up in the hospital with early labor the night before the session was supposed to take place. Luckily, she was able to come home, and we were still able to do the session! Gretchen and Richard are having twins, and those babies needed to bake a little longer!

Thanks Richard and Gretchen! I can't wait to see those little babies!

My new niece - Newborn portraits! {Grand Rapids Newborn Photography}

2009-04-18T10:21:00.002-04:00

Here are some images from my new niece's newborn session! It is such a joy to photograph newborn's! It was even more special that this newborn was my niece. Here are some of my favorites from our indoor session!

After the studio session, we went out to lunch, then did a lifestyle session at their house! Molly was such a good girl!

And of course we couldn't leave their first "baby" out of the day!

Ashleigh at the Beach! {Grand Rapids Senior Photography}

2009-04-17T12:20:00.001-04:00

Ashleigh FINALLY got her braces off! She has been waiting all school year to get her braces off. She wanted to get her senior portraits done after they were off... so last week we did her senior portraits! She had a gorgeous smile too!

After the studio session, we drove to Holland State park for a beach session. I will have to admit... it was COLD... and WINDY! But, that didn't stop us from getting some awesome senior portraits for Ashleigh! She did a great job of not looking like she was cold! (My car thermometer said 40 degrees... combine that with some wind and you know what we were facing!)

Thanks Ashleigh for making the trip in to get your senior portraits done!

A little baby girl.... after 5 boys! {Grand Rapids Children's Photography}

2009-04-16T09:42:00.002-04:00

Little Avonlea was so precious for her newborn portraits! She is the 6th child in her family... after 5 boys! (I would have to guess that she is going to be a little spoiled!) Their household is definitely BUSY! I was tired out after only 2 hours with their family last week! But, the boys were SO good, and little Avonlea was just adorable! Here are some favorites from the session!

Thank you Kim for bringing your family in to see me!

Lost that front tooth! {Grand Rapids Photography}

2009-04-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

Just a fun little thing... my son lost his front tooth last night. I kept telling him that I need to get one more picture of him with his baby teeth in front... well, that didn't happen. But, we celebrated that toothless smile anyway!

Graham {Grand Rapids Newborn Photography}

2009-04-13T09:45:00.004-04:00

Graham came in to the studio for his newborn session last week. He was such a good baby (except for a little poo... ok a LOT of poo during the session!)

I love to show the love between the parents and the newborns. It is beautiful how much love parents have for their babies, after only knowing them for a few days.

And those tiny little parts... they change so fast!

What a peaceful sleeping baby!

OSP Indy! {Grand Rapids Photography}

2009-04-08T09:37:00.002-04:00

I finally had time to go through some of my OSP Indy images. OSP stands for Open Source Photo. OSP is a photographers forum that I am a part of. It is made up of photographers from all around the world, and we discuss photography in the forum on the internet. There was a gathering in Indianapolis last week, for the mid western region of the United States. It was 3 days of learning, playing, and socializing with other photographers. I had a riot meeting some new people, and also hanging out with some photographers that I already knew.

This is Mark Adams from LaCour Photography. He taught one of our classes, and also led one of our photo shoots. During the shoot, we talk with the other photographers about our ideas, and our techniques. We compared how each other would shoot the image , and then tried some new things.

This shows Mark joking around and having fun with our model Sarah Parent (who also happens to be a great photographer)!

Here are a couple shots I got....

Here are a couple photographers taking their turn photographing the model.

On the last day we were there, we had a creative challenge to do. We broke down into teams, and had an assignment to shoot. The topic of our assignment was "UNUSUAL". That was it. It was up to us to create something unusual. Well, Bobbi Sheridan from Bobbi+Mike Photography was the captain of our team. Let me tell you.... she was out to win! She was competitive! We came up with the theme "Feet and Faces" for our topic of "unusual". All our images that we took contained feet or faces, or both. Here is Bobbi trying to win....

And here is what she was taking a picture of! Let me tell you... we had a fun time!

Here is just one more fun picture that I took of Amy Carroll, a fellow Grand Rapids Photographer!

Collin is one! {Grand Rapids Children's Photographer}

2009-04-06T21:00:00.005-04:00

Collin turned one! I can't believe that it has been a year since I did his newborn session. He was full of smiles when his mom and dad took him to The Studio for his one year old session! (Daddy really has some great ways of making Collin smile!)

Collin's mom brought a birthday cake to celebrate his birthday. He dove right in! He LOVED it! In fact, he had more fun playing with the frosting than eating the cake! He CRIED when it was time to take it away and be done with the session!

It was a GREAT session for his first birthday! Thanks Collin!

Molly Grace! {Grand Rapids Children's Photography}

2009-04-03T22:00:00.004-04:00

I am an auntie! My youngest sister had a beautiful baby yesterday. She had quite a rough labor and delivery, so I had to wait until today to see her. She is precious! here are some images to celebrate Molly Grace's welcome into the world....

Tiny fingers....
Proud Auntie!

A kiss from Aunt Susie
Daddy gets a turn holding her!

What a beautiful baby...

Look at all that hair!
Tiny toes....

A mother's love...

OSP Indy!

2009-03-31T09:19:00.003-04:00

I am having a great time at OSP Indy! What is OSP indy??? It is a workshop for photographers in Indianapolis. Yesterday we heard Kevin Swan talk to us about branding our business. He gave us some great tips on how to create a brand. He has a background in advertising and marketing, so he had some great tips.

Then we heard Amber Holritz talk about lifestyle photography. She goes into clients homes, and creates lasting memories of REAL moments. She documents her clients where they are at this point in their life.

We have a GREAT line up of speakers today... Mark from LaCour Photography, and Sean Austin Gordon, who works with a wedding album company called KISS.

Tomorrow we hear from Bobbi Sheridan from Bobbi and Mike Photography We also have a creativity challenge lined up, and lots of networking!

Liam! {Grand Rapids Children's Photography}

2009-03-24T15:02:00.001-04:00

Liam was full of life last week during his children's session! His mom and dad are expecting a new baby, and they thought they had better get Liam's portraits done before they get too busy when the new baby comes! Life sure changes when the new baby arrives.... I always play silly games with the kids, and get mom and dad's involvement to help make the children smile.. Liam had no problems smiling!

And, as an after thought, we grabbed a few with his cute monkey hat!

Of course I LOVE the serious ones too!

Mike and Nisreen again! {Grand Rapids Wedding Photography}

2009-03-23T15:44:00.003-04:00

Nisreen and Mike couldn't decided between an indoor and outdoor engagement session... so they decided to do both! We did their outdoor session a few weeks ago in the snow, and now it was time for the indoor session. Mike was full of ideas to try... I loved it! I love it when the client gets involved in the process of creating their portraits! Here are some of my favorites of the day....

Nisreen and Mike have GREAT serious looks!
And of course we had a little fun too!
I can't wait until their wedding in August... I know it will be a beautiful day! Thanks for a fun afternoon Mike and Nisreen!

Lauren! {Grand Rapids Children's Photography}

2009-03-22T14:52:00.004-04:00

Last week I had the privilege of doing little Lauren's 1 year portraits. The first session I did for Lauren, she was just over 2 lb.., and she was in the neonatal unit at the hospital. Well, Lauren is a healthy active 1 year old! And a cute one at that!

Lauren's mom brought some cute props along, so we had to get out the bubbles to match! Lauren loved the Bubbles!

Parker! {Grand Rapids Children's Photography}

2009-03-20T11:16:00.003-04:00

Parker came to celebrate his one year old portraits last week. He was so much fun!

He had this cute little look that his mom and dad called "stink eye"! I had to make sure that I captured his "stink eye" look. This is what makes portraits special... capturing all the little things that are unique to the child!

Parker's mom brought a cake along for his 1st birthday. He LOVED it! In face, he loved it so much that he cried when we took it away at the end!

He even got a little bit on his feet!

Cliff Mautner Seminar! {Grand Rapids Wedding Photography}

2009-03-18T21:12:00.004-04:00

On Monday PPWM hosted Cliff Mautner for a seminar. Cliff is a nationally recognized speaker and wedding photographer. He was voted one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world! We were very fortunate that he came to West Michigan for a workshop.

Cliff taught us some techniques on reception lighting, as well as shooting wedding portraits in the full sun on the wedding day. (Every Bride wants a sunny wedding day... right?)

There were photographers from as far away as Detroit and Chicago who came to hear Cliff speak on wedding photography. Here we are enjoying the sunshine outside, while learning from Cliff!

Cliff really gets into his work!

I won!

2009-03-11T08:42:00.003-04:00

Well, I won the bloopers contest! Thank you all who voted for me! I won a new website, so check my website in a couple weeks to see what I did with it!

Vote for me!

2009-03-09T09:16:00.000-04:00

I am asking all my friends, relatives, customers, and readers to vote for me! I entered one of my images in a bloopers contest at Creative Motion Design. They are the company who I use for website design. One of my images has made it to the top 10, and the winner will receive a new website! So, please vote for me here!

http://www.creativemotiondesign.com/photo-contest.php

My image is the first one... the one of the baby peeing! It is this one:

Thanks Andrea for a GREAT shot with your little guy!

Kendall!

2009-03-09T08:52:00.002-04:00

Kendall and her family came for some newborn portraits! She was such a sweetie.... She was so alert in all her portraits! I just love this one with her mom!

I always encourage moms to bring along something special for the portraits. Kendall's grandmother made this blanket for her, so we used it in her portrait.
I just can't get over this expression on Kendall's face! I love the way her little lips are formed... and the little wrinkles in her forehead! It is as if she is trying to talk to us!

Thanks Heather for bringing Kendall to see me!

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland!

2009-02-27T13:54:00.002-05:00

It was a Winter Wonderland last weekend when we did Nisreen and Mike's outdoor engagement session! I woke up that morning hoping the snow would start, so that it would cover up all the grey gloomy dirty ground! Well, it did start snowing... hard! I had a fun time playing in the snow with them! We did an outdoor session in downtown Grand Rapids. The snow was beautiful! It made for some fun unique engagment portraits!

Thanks Mike for putting up with the cold and snow for us! Thanks Nisreen for your adventurous spirit to do the fun outdoor snow portraits!

Sam!

2009-02-26T12:06:00.001-05:00

I did Leah and Dan's maternity portraits, Sam's newborn portraits, and now his 1 year old portraits! I love to see the children grow that I photograph! Dan and Leah brought Sam to The Studio last week. We had a great afternoon! Here is my favorite.... I think this shows the love between mom, dad, and baby!

Sam's Best friend is Captain, the dog! So, of course we had to do a few portraits with captain!

Thank you for bringing Sam to see me! It was wonderful to see you guys again!

Joe + Tara

2009-02-25T11:55:00.003-05:00

Joe and Tara came to The Studio for an indoor engagement session! They are preparing a June wedding. I love engagement sessions so I can get to know the grooms! (And to show the grooms that it getting your portraits done isn't so bad....!) Thanks Joe and Tara for coming to see me at the Studio!

Deacon is One!

2009-02-17T14:54:00.001-05:00

Deacon had his one year old portraits taken! He was such a sweetie! He couldn't stop smiling. In fact, it was hard to get a cute serious one of him, because he wanted to smile so much! He made my job VERY easy!

Thanks for bringing smiley Deacon to see me!

PPM convention!

2009-02-09T17:30:00.004-05:00

I am in Lansing for the annual Professional Photographers of Michigan Convention. I have taken classes by some of the top photographers of the world! Today I listened to Ryan Schembri from Australia all day, and I am inspired! This is the kind of thing that pushes a photographer to the top of their profession... I love seminars!

Lila!

2009-02-05T08:52:00.002-05:00

My niece had her first baby... I am now a GREAT aunt! (Wow... that makes me sound old, doesn't it?) So, of course I had to do some newborn portraits for her. I am always amazed at how little their feet and hands are... I always like to show something in comparison. Look how little her toes are compared to her dad's wedding ring.

What a proud daddy! Andy was so good with her, I could tell he was ready to be a dad!

I LOVE this precious mother and baby image. It really shows the relationship between a mother and her newborn baby.
I could not believe how alert and awake Lila was for only being 9 days old! She is going to be a go getter, that is all I have to say! She didn't like to lay her head down, she always wanted to pick it up. She would stretch and reach, and not curl up and sleep like most newborns. You better watch out Tonya and Andy, she is going to keep you on your toes!
Congratulations Tonya and Andy! She is precious!

Look out!

2009-01-31T11:19:00.003-05:00

Baby Cole and his brother came to the studio for newborn and 3 year old portraits last week. Working with naked newborns can be a dangerous job... every once in a while we get something like this!

Thank you Andrea for bringing the boys over!

Lauren+Carl!

2009-01-30T22:16:00.002-05:00

OK, this is overdue... I have been neglecting my blog! Last week I met Lauren and Carl Downtown for the engagement session. It was FREEZING!!! When I left my house to go to the morning session, it was -11 degrees.... yes, that is a negative sign in front of the number. By the time I got downtown, it was warmer. It is always warmer in the city... it was a whopping 10 degrees! But, despite the cold, it was a BEAUTIFUL morning, and we had a great session. I had a lot of fun with Lauren and Carl... thanks for making the trip in!

Jessica and Brian

2009-01-19T14:16:00.003-05:00

I love doing engagement sessions for people I know. I knew Jessica since she was a little girl. Then, when she became a teenager, she babysat for my children. Now, she is getting married! I did her and Brian's engagement session before I left for Phoenix. I had a ton of fun! Thanks Jessica and Brian!

Tony!

2009-01-19T14:03:00.005-05:00

Now that I am back from Phoenix, I am catching up on some work! Tony and I met up for a senior session before I left... Tony loves the outdoors, so he wanted some snow portraits! Thanks Tony!

Pictures!

2009-01-09T23:15:00.003-05:00

OK, I found I get free Internet in the lobby for 45 minutes with my laptop.... so I was able to upload some pictures from my sight seeing yesterday. I went to tortilla flats.... Here is what I saw.

PPA Convention!

2009-01-09T10:29:00.002-05:00

I am in Phoenix at the PPA national convention! I am going to my first class today by Julia Woods. I am excited to see Julia, I saw her at a seminar about 4 years ago, and she was fabulous! I will still be checking my phone and my email while I am gone, so feel free to still contact me.

I spent the day sight seeing in AZ yesterday, and I got some amazing pictures. I can't post them, because I am on the hotel computer. I will post some when I get home!

Joel + Rachel!

2009-01-05T21:25:00.002-05:00

Joel and Rachel were married last Saturday at La Grave CRC in Grand Rapids. It was a perfect January day! Joel gave Rachel this beautiful necklace as a wedding present!
The handsome groom!
The steeple on the church was so cool... and the sky was so blue.... my assistant Jayne took this shot of the blue sky and steeple!

I love the architecture on the old buildings!

A fun shot of the sisters!

The Ceremony was beautiful!

The reception was at Egypt Valley Country Club. It was a beautiful reception! Here is the first dance.

The sisters had a "surprise dance" for Rachel. It was so fun! They did a great job!

If you want to see more, check out the slide show here!

Nathan+Rachel!

2008-12-30T08:10:00.001-05:00

We had an early start on a foggy morning for Nathan and Rachel's wedding last Saturday! We met at Synergy Salon at 6:30 am.

Then we headed to the Fellowship Reformed Church to finish getting ready, so we could start pictures at 8:00 am.
Rachel is a piano player, so she wanted some pictures with the piano in it!

Because it was raining... all day.... we didn't get too much of a chance to take outside pictures. We did snap these two under the awning in the front of the church!

I love this tough guy look....

The morning ceremony....

This image right here sums up the whole day... rain and fog! I love this one!

The limo ride was fun!

The rain stopped for about 3 minutes, so we quick grabbed this shot I think the fog really adds to the image!

After the lunch reception at Alpenrose Restaurant in Holland, we had planned to go around to some places in downtown Holland. But, the rain led us to plan B, which was awesome! Nathan works for Hope College, so were able to spend a few minutes at the Chapel on campus, which nicely rounded out our day!

Just as we were leaving the chapel, it quit raining for a few minutes, and Rachel and Nathan were kind enough to let me grab a couple more images to complete the day!

If you want to see a few more images from the day, be sure to watch the slide show here!

Congratulations Nathan and Rachel!

Nate+Katie!

2008-12-29T19:24:00.003-05:00

It is hard to believe we had this much snow last week! Last Tuesday we did Katie and Nate's engagement session downtown in the snow.... there was SO much snow! We had a ball! We even took a hot chocolate/coffee break at a cute little coffee shop on Ionia. Katie and Nate were great sports, because it was FREEZING out! Thanks for a fun morning guys!

Baby Braedon!

2008-12-29T19:15:00.003-05:00

Braedon had a newborn session right before Christmas! He was much better than his older brother was for his newborn session... But, that is usually how it goes! Babies who aren't the first born, are usually a little more laid back than babies who are the first born! Thanks for bringing Braedon to see me!

Family love!

2008-12-29T19:09:00.004-05:00

The Limaco family came for some portraits right before Christmas! Grandpa and Grandma were visiting, and Grandpa was flying home right after Christmas. So, they wanted some family portraits done!

Snowy senior session!

2008-12-26T17:33:00.003-05:00

Ben met me at Kaufman golf course for a snowy senior session! I had so much fun in the snow! The roads were a little slippery getting there, but that didn't stop him from driving in to get his senior session done. Needless to say, we were a little wet after the outdoor session!

Thanks Ben for a fun morining!

Working

2008-12-26T09:48:00.002-05:00

I have an apprentice working for me named Jayne. Jayne has been working with me every Tuesday and Friday. She was with me when I did Abe and Cinthya's portraits, and I found this picture she snapped of me on her memory card. It is fun to see pictures of myself in action! Just thought I'd share a behind the scenes picture with you!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T15:30:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope everyone has a blessed day!

I couldn't help adding this picture of my son! The kids always sleep by the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Well when he woke up this morning and opened his stocking, there was an ornament in there. He went to hang it on the tree, and I snapped this picture. This gives me an idea for a future competition print!

Adam!

2008-12-22T13:58:00.006-05:00

Adam came over last week for his senior session! Adam is a big bowler, so of course we had to showcase that!

We quick snuck outside for this one before it got dark!

Then we did some fun stuff with Adam's Tuba. Adam told me he wants to be a band teacher. I think that is cool.... I LOVED band, and I still play my flute!

Thanks Adam! I had a ball! (No Pun intended!)

Let it snow, Let it snow, let it snow!

2008-12-21T16:40:00.003-05:00

This post is dedicated to my mom... who is in AZ, and the last time I talked to her she said it was cold. (It was about 60 degrees.) For my readers who are not from around here, we are in a blizzard today! We live by the Great Lakes, and we are having a TON of lake effect snow today, along with blowing cold conditions. The combination makes for a snow day! All the area churches were canceled today... we will see if the kids have school tomorrow!

Here is my husband trying to dig out the driveway from the snow drifts! Yes, that is an official "Yupper Scooper" that he is using. You see these EVERYWHERE in the UP. (That is Michigan's upper peninsula for those of you who don't know what "UP" means.) We bought this when we lived up there. We wonder why they don't sell them down here... I think it is because everyone down here has a snow blower or a John Deere tractor plow.... everyone but us that is.

Edit..... here are a few after photos. It took Vince about 3 hours to do the driveway, and this is what he looked like when he was done...

Heart Gallery!

2008-12-20T21:20:00.008-05:00

I volunteer for a wonderful organization called the Michigan Heart Gallery. They take pictures of children who are older need to be adopted, and have a huge exhibit showing of the pictures. This year I made portraits of one child who needs to be adopted, and one family that is a child's success story.

First, this fall I did Abby's pictures. I asked her social worker what Abby was like, and what she would want to do for her portraits. She LOVES animals. She wants to live on a farm with 50 animals she told me. So, I called my vet, and we went there for some portraits with their horse! Abby LOVED it!

Then, this week I did Justin's family. Justin was featured in the Heart Gallery exhibit last year, and he was adopted by a wonderful family this year! Congratulations Justin! God Bless you in your new family!
Three brothers....

Abe and Cinthya!

2008-12-19T13:39:00.007-05:00

Abe and Cinthya live in Honduras, and were married 3 weeks ago. They are here on Christmas break, so Abe's brother and sister in-law bought them a portrait session for a gift. What a perfect gift! We had a wonderful time, and grabbed a few outdoors after our indoor session.

Thanks Abe and Cithya!

Alex!

2008-12-17T18:32:00.004-05:00

Alex and her family drove up from Indiana to see me last weekend. I was so flattered that they wanted me to do Alex's senior portraits! I did Alex's Aunt's wedding last spring, and they were waiting until Alex got her braces off to come and get her senior pictures done. The rain held off just long enough for us to finish our outdoor session in Downtown Grand Rapids! This is actually the last one we took before it started to sprinkle!

I LOVE this image. It looks like it is right out of a magazine! We didn't have a wind machine though.... we had some real wind!

I love this one of Alex's Dad and sister!

Alex plays lacrosse, so of course we had to do some with her uniform! You go girl!

Thank you so much, Alex, for making the trip to GR to get your senior portraits done! I had a ball with you guys.... especially the egg nog Latte! That was my favorite part of the day!

Ethan!

2008-12-15T14:11:00.004-05:00

Ethan came to see me last week. His mom reminded me that when he came for his newborn session, my patience was tested. I didn't remember that! Well, he was as good as gold when we did his one year old session. I love this first one, because Ethan is wearing the same outfit that his dad wore for his one year old pictures!

Sometimes I think the more serious ones are the cutest!

Thanks for being so good Ethan!

Santa BABY!

2008-12-12T20:21:00.001-05:00

Collin is 8 months old now! He came over and had a session for his 8 month old pictures. I couldn't resist doing a few Santa baby pictures!

And a traditional Christmas portrait in his Christmas sweater!

Collin is a Notre Dame fan... (or maybe it is his Dad!)

Photographer of the Year!

2008-12-09T09:38:00.005-05:00

We had our annual Christmas party and awards banquet last night at PPWM. (Professional Photographers of West Michigan) This is our year end party where they give out awards for the member of the year, the top 10 photographers of the year, and the Photographer of the year.

Well, I am proud to say that I was awarded Photographer of the year! This is the top award in our group. It is determined by an accumulation of points through out the year. We earn points for things like attendance, speaking, and print competition. I had the highest points in our group! It was something I worked hard on all year, and I was very happy to receive the award.

I am also now the President of PPWM. I have been on the board for the last year, and now I am taking over as the president starting this new year.

Jesse + Kelly!

2008-12-03T16:36:00.007-05:00

Kelly and Jesse were married on a perfect day last Saturday. You could not have asked for a nicer day at the end of November! They were married at Westwood CRC in Kalamazoo, and their reception was at Kalamazoo Country Club. If you want to see more, make sure you check out the slide show!

Kelly and Jesse gave each other a note. I love that they did this! Their first meeting

The flowers were BEAUTIFUL!

Kelly's Grandpa let them borrow this car. Her friend created the sign on the back. Kelly didn't want to put it on the car... she wanted to frame it! (Maybe she still will!)

What a beautiful bride!

What a handsome groom!

There were beautiful organ pipes in the balcony. I couldn't resist using them!

The Country club was already decorated for Christmas... so I couldn't resits taking advantage of the Christmas lights!

First Dance! The dance floor was hoppin' all night!

Congratulations Jesse and Kelly!

The Bass Family

2008-12-03T16:11:00.006-05:00

Tracy and Randy came over with the boys for their Christmas session Last week. I have done the Bass Family a couple times over the last few years... and it is a so fun to see them again! The boys were full of smiles... (although with one of them we had to work a little bit harder to keep him smiling... I won't say which one!)

I just LOVE this one! He was showing me his muscles!

Thanks for bringing the family to see me!

Baby Reuben!

2008-12-03T13:18:00.004-05:00

Baby Reuben came over and brought his big sister and Brother, along with his parents for a newborn session right before Thanksgiving. He was so good! He didn't cry at all! It is funny... usually babies who are not first born children are much better than babies who are first born. This definitely proved true for Ruben. Thanks Jeff and Anita for bringing Reuben to see me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T14:36:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! I encourage you all to say out-loud what you are thankful for. At church this morning, our pastor encouraged us to talk about this with our family. He said it was easy for kids, but hard for adults. I did not relate to that statement, because I think it is easy for me to say what I am thankful for. I encourage you to think of what you are thankful for. In fact, post them here in the comments section. Even if it is past Thanksgiving (those of you who will not read this today), I think we should still post them! Ok, here are 5 of the things I am most thankful for this year....

1. Salvation through Jesus Christ. To me this is the most important thing in life.

2. My Husband and Children - I can't imagine life without them!

3. Health - I am thankful that my husband, children, and I are healthy. There is so much sickness and pain in the world, and God has blessed my family with healthy bodies.

4. A job that I love - I love photography. I love my clients. I am privileged that my clients trust me with their memories, from birth to 90th birthdays! With the economy we are in, I am blessed to have a job that helps provide for my family.

5. A home - I love my home! Maybe this one goes along with family or with jobs. Since my family makes it a "home", and our jobs provide for us financially to buy the home.

So, there are my top 5 things to be thankful for.... what's yours?

What do Photographers do when they get together?

2008-11-27T14:22:00.003-05:00

We Play! I went to see my friend Synthia B. a few weeks ago on the east side of the state. Synthia is one of the co-founders of Heartworks. We spent the day just hanging out, talking photoshop, and then we had some shooting fun. You should have seen us driving around at sunset looking for a field to pull into to practice some off camera lighting! We were really zipping around in her mini cooper!

Synthia emailed me this picture she took of me, so I thought I would share it with you all!

On a side note, Synthia and her husband are looking to adopt "Sunshine". If you want to find out more, check here.

2008-11-24T21:39:00.001-05:00

I got my "dream machine" today! No, you are not seeing double.... I got TWO displays for my new Mac Pro computer. OK, I have to get busy setting it up!

Brayden!

2008-11-20T10:28:00.003-05:00

Brayden came over for some Christmas portraits, and we did some fun ones too! Here are two of my favorites!

I won!

2008-11-19T19:39:00.004-05:00

I won our monthly print competition at Professional Photographers of West Michigan again this month! The theme was "Night". So, I used this image that I took of the Chicago city sky line last Spring Break. It is fun to think about when I took this image. My husband was so generous! We were on a little Spring Break trip to Chicago, and he patiently waited while I was out in the cold at night taking pictures for competition! My kids were in the van watching a movie on the DVD player. My family is so good to me. So, I was excited that I won the competition with this image!

Time to spill the beans!!!

2008-11-16T22:17:00.003-05:00

Well, it is time to spill the beans. I am not good at keeping secrets anyway! I can keep secrets on my blog, that is easy. But when everyone asks me in person, I can't keep a secret! So, maybe it is no secret anymore.

The big news is that I am getting a studio in Grandville. I will be starting there at the beginning of January. So, that means no more driving all the way out to Dorr for my customers! (More driving for me though....)

My good friend is Jill Wolfert, who already has the studio in Grandville. We are going to share the studio space. You see, actually shooting in the studio is only a small portion of the hours that a photographer works. for one hour of shooting, there is 4-6 hours of work. Things like computer work, emailing meeting with customers, answering phone calls and ordering and packing orders take up time. So, we decided to share the studio space, but still remain our own businesses. She will still be Jill Wolfert Photography, and I will still be Kari Douma Photography. We will just share the building that we shoot in!

So, there you have it. That is the big news! I am moving into a studio in Grandville!

Mike+Jessie

2008-11-15T17:32:00.002-05:00

Mike and Jessie were married in South Dakota this summer. And.... they had every bride's worst nightmare. (...and photographer's worst nightmare for that matter....) Their wedding photographer's computer crashed, and she didn't have the images backed up. Most of their wedding images were gone. Yup... gone. (FYI, I ALWAYS back up my images in two places before I even erase my cards.) So, Jessie decided they better get some new pictures taken. She got her hair done, put her dress back on, and Mike rented a tux again.

Well, I had a BALL! No time constraints, no pressure of a wedding, and Grand Rapids as our playground! It was the LAST nice day of the year... last Friday. Here are some favorites from the session!

Mike LOVES his Jeep, so of course we had to do a couple with the jeep!

Thanks Mike and Jessie!

Nate + Cara!

2008-11-10T09:14:00.002-05:00

I have to admit, when we scheduled Nate and Cara's beach session for the month of November, I was a little leery of what it would be like. Cara really wanted a beach engagement session, and November was the first thing I had open. I was envisioning cold.... wind... maybe even snow....
Who would have guessed it would have been 70 degrees? It was the most perfect November evening that you could ask for!

We even had a beautiful sunset!

Thanks Cara and Nate! I can't wait until your June wedding!

Michael

2008-11-10T09:09:00.002-05:00

Michael came for his 6 month portraits last week. He had a few more smiles than when we did his 3 month portraits! We kept him busy and smiling for a while!

But, I always love the serious ones too.....

Then, we got out the blocks! Michael was sooooo cute with the blocks! He would hardly look at us, because he was so busy playing with them! We did manage to get him to peak at us a couple times. I think I know what Michael is getting for Christmas!

I love HATS!

2008-11-08T15:03:00.003-05:00

I LOVE hats, so I was excited when I saw that CJ and Abby came to see me with some hats! Thanks for making my day fun!

Married 17 years!

2008-11-08T09:49:00.002-05:00

Today is my wedding anniversary. I have been married 17 years to my wonderful husband Vince. We celebrated last night by going out to dinner. He bought me a heated mattress cover for our anniversary. (OK, you can tell we are old when we give/get gifts like that!) Here is a wedding picture of us, and a picture we took last week. Happy anniversary honey!

MY FAMILY!

2008-11-07T09:22:00.004-05:00

We finally had our family portrait taken last weekend. We did have it scheduled in October, but the weather messed things up for us. (Now I know how my customers feel!) So, last weekend we headed out to this cool old barn, and my great friend Jill Wolfert took our family portrait for us.

Now I have the hard decision of deciding which one I want as a large canvas print for my living room wall. Leave in the comment section which family one you think I should choose. (OK, I am asking for feedback here! Make sure you leave a comment!)

1.
2.

3.

Kaitlyn!

2008-11-06T17:11:00.002-05:00

Can you believe this weather? Who would have thought we would have had such nice days in NOVEMBER to get those last outdoor session of the season done! Kaitlyn had her session at Spring Grove Park, and the colors were gorgeous! Thanks Kaitlyn for letting me get out and enjoy the weather again!

Still getting those fall sessions in!

2008-11-04T15:00:00.003-05:00

The Michaud family wanted their family portraits done at their country club. We tried to schedule a fall date, and went back and forth with our schedules. We finally agreed on a date, and wouldn't you know it the weather didn't cooperate! So, they got put off a little longer. But, the day we finally did do it was perfect! Can you believe this awesome weather we are having this late in the year???? The kids were a little cold, but we survived!

Thanks for the fun fall morning!

Something is Brewing!

2008-10-29T08:05:00.002-04:00

Yes, I am working on something big! Some of you know what it is already, and some of you can guess! Someone guessed if I was having a baby, and that is a big fat "NO!" (I love my kids but four is enough!) So, I was trying to think of a little hint I could give you all. But, I can't think of anything without giving it away! I guess my hint would be - Grandville is a nice place. Hmmmm...... More info coming soon!

Wow, Time flies!

2008-10-29T07:45:00.003-04:00

I can't believe I have neglected my blog this last week! I have had a busy week with editing and orders. But, it has been crazy with the weather! I have had to reschedule a lot of sessions. But, we got Lance's senior session in before the weather turned bad. We had a beautiful afternoon for his session at Spring Grove Park!

When Lance was young, he loved to play in the creek. So, his mom wanted a picture that showed a creek!

Thanks Lance!

Ryan and Jan!

2008-10-22T19:43:00.003-04:00

Ryan and Jan were married last weekend! This one was a special one for me since Ryan is my nephew. There are a lot of photographers who don't photograph relatives weddings, but I wouldn't want it any other way. I love to photograph my relatives! Their reasoning is because they want to enjoy the wedding, and not work. Well, I enjoy the wedding by working, doing something I love. It would be hard to sit back and let someone else do it!

My second shooter, Matt, found this perfect spot in the back of the church. The color was perfect! Ryan and Jan love the fall, that is why they picked a fall wedding. So, this was perfect for them!

And of course I did one of my favorites.....

Matt took this picture of me photographing the girls. Usually I wouldn't add something like this in their proofs, but since I am family I thought I would!Then, today I was on facebook, and I found this picture of me! Someone took it with my niece's camera, and she put it on facebook. So, I asked her if I could put it on my blog. She said sure! It is fun to see pictures of myself in action. Matt is holding the chair with his foot so I don't tip. (Sorry Matt, but I think I would still tip if I lost my balance! Plus, your hands are in your pockets! I don't think you could catch me if I fell!)
Here is Andy Clowing around.... I didn't even notice at first that he put these in! Everyone was laughing and I was like.... "What is going on?"

The ceremony...

The Cake Smash!!!
A romantic first dance!
And here is one for Brianna, my niece! This is so she can show her college friends a picture of her on the blog! Here you go Brianna, love the dance!

Congratulations Ryan and Jan. If you want to see more, check out the slide show here!

My friend and her family...

2008-10-22T14:34:00.004-04:00

This is my friend and her family. I went to cosmetology school with Nannette a long time ago. (I am really getting old, because it WAS a long time ago!) She now has two beautiful daughters, and wanted some family portraits taken.

She was definitely a daddy's girl!
The two girls!

Isabella won some photogenic competitions at the dance competitions with a portrait I did of her a couple years ago. She wanted one just like it, so she could win again! I hope this one is a winner for you Isabella!
What a cute hat!

I love this laugh!
Thanks Nan!

Jessica!

2008-10-21T19:37:00.003-04:00

We did Jessica's senior session downtown last week. It was perfect! It was overcast, which is actually nice for portraits.

I just loved this black dress in the alley!

And just as we finished the session it started to sprinkle. I'm glad it didn't rain on us! Thanks Jessica!

Print Comptition winner!

2008-10-20T23:40:00.002-04:00

We had our monthly Professional Photographers of West Michigan meeting tonight. Each month, we have a print competition. This month the subject for our competition was Seniors. I was the winner with this image....
Thanks Brandon for a fun session, and for a winning print!

Dee Ann!

2008-10-20T10:25:00.006-04:00

We did DeeAnn's senior portraits last week, on a BEAUTIFUL morning! DeeAnn likes things simple, and she wanted something different. So, we did a session at her house! It was a lot of fun for me to look around and find areas that were the best. I LOVED this red barn across the street.

We also went 4 wheeling in the back property and found some great spots! (I hope you got the truck washed Mary!)

This weeping willow in the side yard was the perfect backdrop.
Thanks DeeAnn!

Nathan and Rachel

2008-10-16T11:03:00.001-04:00

Last week we had a perfect evening for Rachel and Nathan's engagement session at Kirk Park. I don't think we could have asked for a more beautiful October evening. It was actually even WARM!

I am such a sucker for silhouette images. I love them! When Rachel and Nathan wanted a picture on the overlook, I knew a silhouette would be perfect!

Nathan was full of fun ideas! This one was his and I loved it!Another silhouette!

And finally a beautiful sunset portrait!
Thanks Rachel and Nathan! I am looking forward to your Chirstmas time wedding!

Jeff and Anita!

2008-10-13T13:43:00.002-04:00

Jeff and Anita will be welcoming their third child into this world in November. So, they decided to celebrate this time of new life by having some maternity portraits done! I love to show the relationship of this happy time with the family. Everyone is eagerly anticipating this time.... I asked Anneke and Adam if they wanted a brother or a sister.... Anneke wanted a sister, and Adam wanted a brother. (Although Anita said that he wanted a sister a couple hours earlier!)

Thank you Jeff and Anita!

2008-10-10T13:09:00.002-04:00

Really.... something exciting is going to happen in the new year.... I can't really say a lot yet, but I am so excited! Make sure you keep checking back to see what is coming!

The Kolenda Kids!

2008-10-10T13:01:00.004-04:00

The Kolenda kids finally had their pictures taken! (I say finally because they haven't been here in a while, and their grandma kept telling me she was going to make an appointment!) I just love McKenna's curly hair and eyes!

Baby Wyatt was a sweetie too!
But... the real reason for the session was to get Lexi's one year old portrait taken.

Her mother and sister both had their one year old picture taken in this dress and bonnet.... so of course Lexi did too!

Baby Tristan

2008-10-10T12:58:00.004-04:00

Tristan's mom and dad got a gift certificate to see me for a baby gift. I think that is a GREAT gift for someone having a new baby! (Although... I may be a little partial to that idea!) Tristan was a little angel. He was so good. We got some great portraits of him!

Sandi!

2008-10-10T12:47:00.004-04:00

Sandi came this week for her senior portraits. We had a great session out at Spring Grove Park. (Although it was a little wet out there!) I photographed Sandi's sister last fall, so it was fun meeting another member of the family!

Thanks Sandi!

Max!

2008-10-08T22:03:00.003-04:00

OK... I was a little disappointed with the rain today, because my outdoor session had to cancel. But, then I had a great thought.... I could PLAY! I could play with my dramatic lighting! OK, I really don't have time to play this time of year, but I couldn't resist taking a break from one of my 12 hour working days and take a few pictures of Max.... so, here you go!

Becky and David

2008-10-08T07:19:00.002-04:00

Becky and David had an engagement session at the beach last week too! I met Becky and David at a wedding last spring. They were at my table. So, it was great that they booked me for their wedding next spring! We had a beautiful evening at the beach, and the sunset was perfect!

Thanks Becky and David!

Miranda and Ray!

2008-10-08T07:15:00.001-04:00

I met Miranda and Ray out at Holland Beach last week for their engagement session! It was a beautiful evening, and not too cold! (I was a little worried that it would be too cold....) But, we braved the wind, and had a great time! Miranda and Ray are getting married next year in July.

Thanks Miranda and Ray! I am looking forward to your wedding in July!

Elliot and Grace!

2008-10-06T11:43:00.004-04:00

Elliot and Grace came over for some portraits! They were such cuties! Eliot was full of smiles, and Grace... well we had to work on her a little more. But, they turned out absolutely adorable!

Eric!

2008-10-03T20:25:00.004-04:00

I met up with Eric this week in Muskegon for his senior session. I did his sister's wedding this summer, and now it was his turn. Well, all week I kept looking at the dark clouds, and I wanted to do something with them. But, I didn't have the time or opportunity.

Well, I knew that Eric was going to bring his Jeep to the beach, and on this cloudy night, I knew it was my chance to get an awesome shot! So, I packed my camera and off camera flash equipment and headed to meet him.

OK, I was like a kid in a candy shop! This is my favorite image of the year I think.....

And here are some more normal ones!

Thanks for letting me play Eric!

Rob+Sheri

2008-10-01T22:23:00.003-04:00

Rob and Sheri were married last Saturday at Beckwith Hills CRC in Grand Rapids. Again, it was a beautiful day! We truly have been blessed with beautiful days on the weekend, and this one was no different. I think I always say this, but I love to photograph people I know. Rob is a teacher at my kids school, so I have known him for almost 5 years. I was honored to be part of their special day!

Sheri made a beautiful bride! Rob didn't look too bad either!

The guys always look cool in their tuxes!

I love this one of the flower girls helping sheri with her dress!
Here comes those cool guys again!

This car was awesome! Combine that with a good looking bride and groom, and a cool old house, and this is what you get!
First Dance....The dance floor was hopping all night long! I don't think I have been to a party where SO MANY people danced for so long!

Thank you Rob and Sheri for letting me share in this special day with you! To see more, check out the slide show here!

Brandon!

2008-09-29T19:31:00.003-04:00

Brandon wanted some pictures with his car. We first tried to go to the sixth street bridge, but it was rush hour. We stopped traffic for about 60 seconds to try and get a shot, but decided that didn't work very well. So, we ended up taking Brandon's car to the alley. I LOVE THIS IMAGE! Thanks for letting me play Brandon!
Brandon had seen a post on my blog with my son Max. I had taken his picture at an old store near my house that is now closed. So, we stopped by there on our way to do the indoor session. I really like what we got there!

Thanks Brandon!

Leah!

2008-09-29T19:26:00.003-04:00

Leah had her senior session last week downtown. I LOVE her expression as serious. I did get some smiling ones too... but for some reason I am drawn to the serious side of Leah!
This one is my Favorite! This was one of the tunnels that I usually don't shoot in, but I like the texture of the wall behind Leah!
I really liked the texture on this tree, so I thought we'd quick stop by.
Thanks Leah!

Baby Levi!

2008-09-26T15:53:00.003-04:00

I was privileged to do Baby Levi's newborn session this week! He was such a cutie. I couldn't believe how old he acted... older than two weeks, that is for sure! The set of lungs were incredible..... He really didn't cry that much.... but boy oh boy, you don't want to make him mad! He was really a good baby, and I captured some great images of him!

I love this one of his mom laughing at him!
Dad brought his fire helmet along... and of course we just had to use it!

Thank you for letting me share in this joyous time with you!

Stephanie, Part 2!

2008-09-26T10:45:00.003-04:00

Stephanie came over this week for her indoor session! I love Stephanie's hair for the session!

Stephanie wants to be a photographer, so we had fun with a few props!
I LOVE her eyes!
Thanks Stephanie!

Look what is living outside my front door!

2008-09-26T09:39:00.002-04:00

OK, this big guy is living outside my front door. I couldn't resist trying to get a picture of him with the macro lens I am borrowing from a friend... (I think I will have to buy this lens!) Anyway, I first tried to get rid of him.... and he found his way back. Then we tried again... new web again. Now I am kind of used to him there... but, do you think he will come in as is gets cold out? I like him, but not enough to let him inside!

Jason + Melissa!

2008-09-24T10:35:00.004-04:00

Melissa and Jason were married last Saturday at Hudsonville Reformed Church. It was a beautiful day! With the rain we had the week before, I was glad the weather was nice this week! Here are a few of my favorites!

Playing with the off camera lighting again... you guys are probably sick of seeing the same image every time, but it is fun and new for me!

I did some macro shots of the rings outside... I really like how the color of the leaves work in this image.
The ceremony...
We went to the beach after the ceremony for a few quick images!
We actually tried a little off camera lighting at the beach too... I LOVE how this one turned out!

The reception was at Grand Haven Golf Club. We quick grabbed a few shots on the golf course. I love the green, and the lighting here!

The first dance....
OK, my second shooter Matt caught this amazing image. I just LOVE it. At first I was thinking it was just a little bit of luck that everything worked out the way it did... but then I started analyzing it more, and realized this was truly skillful. He was in the right position for the external flash, and had the perfect camera angle. It is hard to wait for that perfect expression, but he waited and got that expression he was looking for. But, to make that all come together in one image is amazing! Way to go Matt!
Fun, Fun, Fun! The dollar dance was a competition of Michigan vs. Michigan State. Melissa and Jason's house is divided on their loyalty to their favorite team, so they had a little contest for the dollar dance!
Here is Jason and his groomsman celebrating their victory on the winner of the dollar dance... but I hat to admit I can't remember who won... was it Michigan? You better ask them!
If you want to see more, check out the slideshow here!

Rachel+ Joel!

2008-09-23T20:40:00.005-04:00

I met up with Rachel and Joel downtown for their engagement session last week. We were supposed to do it a week ago, but the rain stopped us! Well, Friday night it was perfect weather to do a downtown engagement session! Rachel and Joel informed me that they had their "third" first date downtown. That is why they picked downtown to do the session. Ya see, they used to date years ago, and went their separate ways. But now they are back together and getting married! I did Rachel's sister's wedding a couple years ago, and now I can't wait to do Rachel and Joel's wedding. They are getting married next January. Thanks guys! I can't wait until January!

Hillary!

2008-09-22T12:24:00.002-04:00

Hillary is friends with another senior that I photographed. I love it when the seniors tell their friends about me... I feel so privileged that they like me well enough to recommend me! Hillary had her senior session last week. We went indoors and downtown. I think downtown is my favorite place to shoot. It has become very popular in the last couple years!

Thanks Hillary!

Kayleigh!

2008-09-22T10:42:00.003-04:00

Kayleigh came over last week for her senior session. She was soooo much fun... she loved getting her picture taken! We started inside....

Then went downtown. I played around with the processing on this one a little bit, and I LOVE it! It just cries "urban" to me!
And, we made to to the beach just before sunset and captured some great beach pictures!

Thanks Kayleigh!

Courtney!

2008-09-19T12:23:00.009-04:00

Courtney had her senior session too! We started out inside, and then went to Wedgewood Park in Grandville. I can't believe how flooded it was there. The creek that runs through the park was so high! Some of the spots that I usually photograph at were under water! But, we still captured some great images of Courtney!

I loved this rusty cart! I think it was my favorite thing at the park.

Josh... Part 2!

2008-09-19T12:23:00.008-04:00

Last time we were going to do Josh's senior Pictures, it rained. So, we did just the indoor, and rescheduled the outdoor. We did the outdoor session downtown this week! It was a beautiful day... NO RAIN! :)

Thanks Josh!

Lauren!

2008-09-15T23:07:00.002-04:00

Last week I met up with Lauren for her senior session. We did an outdoor session downtown, and then an indoor session back at my home studio.

When we were driving back to do the indoor session, I was looking at the sky and thinking about the sunset. I was thinking on how I wanted to play a little bit with some off camera lighting outside with the sunset. Well, I asked Lauren if she would let me play a little bit, and she was very excited to let me! So, we had a riot! (OK, maybe I was the only one who had a riot... But, I think Lauren had fun too!)

Thanks for letting me play Lauren!

Stephanie

2008-09-12T18:38:00.004-04:00

Sorry for so many posts in a row... but I have been editing all day today!
Stephanie wants to be a photographer. She made my day fun! She was so excited, and so involved in having her picture taken, that we had a riot!

Stephanie has BEAUTIFUL eyes. These first two pictures are almost the same... but I loved both of them so much that I decided to post both of them. What I love about them is her eyes...

When I saw the sun peaking over the top of this building, I just had to let it peak a little bit into the image!

Josh... Part One

2008-09-12T18:30:00.005-04:00

Josh came last week for his senior session.... well, at least half of it. We were had a day scheduled, and it RAINED! (Kind of like today!) So, we decided to do just the indoor session, and we rescheduled the outdoor session. Josh Plays football, so I had some fun with his football stuff!
OK, he's not always so tough.... he can smile too!

Thanks Josh! I can't wait to do your outdoor session! (I always like the outdoor sessions better than the indoor ones!

Kendra!

2008-09-12T09:41:00.005-04:00

Sorry Kendra!
It was brought to my attention that I forgot to do a peek for you on my blog! I didn't mean to leave you out! Well, it is a little late, but here it is! We did Kendra's session at Spring Grove Park. It was fun to do her session, because I did her older sister two years ago, and I also met Kendra at a Josh and Kelli's wedding in July. It was funny that we were at the same table! Thanks Kendra, and sorry I forgot your sneak peak!

Tom + Megan

2008-09-09T22:42:00.005-04:00

Megan and Tom were married last Saturday at my Church, Lee Street CRC. I have known Megan for 14 years, so this was a special day for me to photograph. I love to photograph people I know. Here are a few of Megan preparing for the day!
I love Megan's smile here! I just love the architecture of our church. I always showcase it for the weddings there.
And, I played around with some off camera lighting again! Tom, what a Macho Man!

This is always one of my favorites!
Again, I just think the architecture is beautiful! My second shooter, Matt, captured this one from the balcony. What a cute couple!

Then we went to Calvin College for a beautiful Waterfall!

I was playing with a macro lens that I borrowed from a friend... man can you get close with this lens! The rings are beautiful!

Matt got this amazing cake shot. The sunlight was just peaking through a hole in the blind...
Megan and Tom had to have the most awesome first dance ever. They worked very hard on it, and they got a huge round of applause!
If you want to see more, check out their slide show here!

The Bezemek Family!

2008-09-05T10:47:00.003-04:00

The Bezemek family braved the wind and dark sky at Holland State Park this week for some family Pictures! I did McKenzi's senior session at the beach earlier in the summer, and we had the same kind of weather! Go figure! The reason I like Holland State Park, is because if it is windy, there are some sand dunes that we can hide behind and block the wind! So, that is what we had to do!

Thanks guys!