Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Karri's updated bio including childhood photos!

Okay. I've debated. And debated about showing these potentially embarrassing childhood photos below out into the world wide web, but with strong encouragement from my creative team at Karri Brantley Photography, I have decided to share them now. *gulp*

So, I've recently been 'interviewed' for an updated ABOUT KARRI section on my website and when asked how long I have been taken photographs, I talked about my mom and how she always had a camera documenting every inch of my growing years, to include photos that are still in her diary of motherhood. When asked if I had any examples of these photo's, I simply looked down at the ground and quietly said {embarrassingly} yes. And then about 10 seconds later, I then followed it with a "and I know exactly where they are!" Bummer, did I really just say that out of my mouth?!? Well, that, my friends, is how you've been prompted to this wonderful inside look into my childhood and my love of photography! Enjoy.

Here is a sample of the ABOUT KARRI section on our website:

The fastest way to get to know Karri Brantley Photography is to read the interview with Karri below:

How long have you been taking photographs?
I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was able to walk.  Growing up, my mom was constantly taking pictures of my brother and me on family vacations, making us dress up in "cowboy outfits" in the random hills of South Dakota when I was around 9, sitting on a wooden fence as if it were 1855 {sorry don't have this one yet!}. Or my personal favorite is when my mom posed me like Farah Fawcett {ya know with the gorgeous long blond hair, over the shoulder turn pose}, so she could take photos of the perfect sunset over Lake Michigan.

 
My Mom has countless albums so full of photos you can practically see how I grew centimeter by centimeter. If you wanted to see what my room looked like when I was 13, while laying on my bed {okay, well now that I see this photo, it was not on my bed, but in our living room- Oops!} wearing my bright blue converse high tops reading a BOP teen-beat magazine with Kirk Cameron on the front, I can show you.


I remember looking at these photo albums for hours growing up, studying them, focusing on every detail.

I took my first photography class in high school.  While many other girls were shopping at the mall and combing their hair into the perfect side ponytail, my perfume of choice was eau de darkroom developer.

As my college years approached, I found myself drawn towards acting and directing and eventually came to create a successful traveling national touring theatre company for children, all the while with camera in hand, documenting every last colorful, glorious, juicy and meaningful detail.


It was then that I finally realized and agreed with what my friends and family kept repeating over the years:  I have a real knack for this picture-taking thing! All the albums I flipped through, all the time in the high school darkrooms, creating and organizing live moving moments (which is how I’ve always looked at theatre) really lead me to where I am today. Karri Brantley, have camera, will travel.

How are you different from other photographers?
As a professional photojournalist, I have been trained to capture those small, special moments that last for only a split second. I tend toward a documentary style with a mixture of artistic portraiture. I love laughing and joking while on shoots, this and my extensive theatre background helps my clients relax and forget they are in front of a camera, it is in this space where truly beautiful images are found.

What is your specialty?
While I specialize in lifestyle portraits, dynamic professional headshots, weddings, and special events.....I really enjoy natural light photography. I welcome the opportunity to capture any special moment of your life so that you and your family can dangle your feet off the sofa while smiling at the times chronicled in front of you. I would dearly love to help create those moments for you. 

Be it dynamic professional headshots, weddings, family portraits or a secret shot of your dog’s penchant for chewing up sofa cushions, I welcome the opportunity to capture that for you.  If you can think of the image, I will work with you to create exactly what you want and show you new creative angles as well.


Where can I find samples of your work?
I have a gallery of images that you can find here. A great way to stay in touch is by “liking” me on Facebook. It’s free, and I’ll keep you up-to-date on all my special offers and events. Just click here and you’re all set!

What if I want to work one-on-one with you, can I call you?
Yes, of course! You can easily contact Karri Brantley Photography by email at karri@karribrantleyphotography.com OR by phone (828) 808-4106 and we’ll be happy to talk with you. We would be honored to be the ones to help you create the perfect images to suit your needs.


Thursday, August 4, 2011

NEW BUSINESS CARDS bring tale of honest people on this planet!


Here is a sample of one side of my newer business cards. This experience of gaining my new business cards comes with a very funny, yet, sweet story of how honest human's really are!

I designed and ordered my business cards through a very reputable company called MOO. They are based out of Europe and have all sorts of wonderful products to showcase personal business'. I have used them countless times before and when I decided to design my latest photography business cards, I looked no further than to MOO. I went through the entire process of designing my 'perfect business card', which took longer than I wanted, as I carefully choose which photos to showcase on the back of my business cards. I finalized my purchase and anxiously awaited their arrival.

Well, about one week later, I get my beautiful cards in the mail, opened them and saw on the right hand side of the package, there were about 50 perfectly awesome NEW business cards....not paying particular attention to the rest of the order. I quickly placed them in my purse and have been distributing them like candy around town to friends and potential clients. A couple of days later, I get a very sweet email from another photographer all the way in New Jersey, named Andi from Sona Bella Photography. Apparently, she ordered from MOO as well, but received my business cards instead of her own. She wanted to let me know in case I wanted them and she was happy to mail them to me as soon as possible. HOW COOL IS THAT?!? She could have easily thrown them away, but in a sweet gesture she took the time to contact me, as she knew I could use the extra 200 cards. I quickly paypal'd her the funds for shipping and received my extra cards in just a few days. Plus, we exchanged several emails over the course of our connection, and now have a new photography friend in New Jersey. We're even, Facebook Friends! HA!!!! Fantastic how the universe works. Thank you Andi!

So, this story is not yet over. Here's the cap. A couple of days ago, I needed to replenish my business card stash and proceeded to open the left hand side of my original package from MOO, to find.....{*GASP*} Sona Bella Photography's business cards! HI-LAR-IOUS!!!! I quickly jumped on my email and composed a message to Andi letting her know that I have HER business cards now too! So, I of course, returned the favor and sent them to her the next day. Funny how the circle of our connection was brought together by a simple mistake, which later turned out to be a funny blog entry for my random Wednesday afternoon.