The Gunslinger. (my version)

It was a hot day out in the desert. Packing only a water hose, the hero wandered the desert, looking for people in distress.

He happened upon a lonely princess, who was on the verge of sunstroke. The Gunslinger knew exactly how to help- he quickly pulled out the waterhose, making sure to take precise aim.  But there was an evil King holding the girl captive!  Our gunslinger fought him off bravely...

..and managed to cool off the princess just in time.

They played together for the rest of the day, promising that they would remain friends forever.

Another damsel saved. All in a day's work for our Gunslinger.

Have a happy ending!
xo,
Kristen

Through The Viewfinder.

A few years ago, I stumbled across a type of photography that was really intriguing to me. I kept seeing these square images with ghostly, haunting qualities to them- it reminded me of film photographs, and of the slides I used to look at when I was a kid.  Check out this group on Flickr to see what I'm talking about.  I found out that this photography was called Through The Viewfinder, or TTV.  The photographer took their camera and aimed it at the viewfinder of an old film camera, like a Kodak Duaflex.  So, it's essentially a picture of whatever the Duaflex (or other camera) is aimed at.  I fell in love with the idea and had to try it out for myself.  I purchased a Duaflex on Ebay, which set me back a whopping $20 or so, and started to construct something that would block the light.  I found this amazing tutorial from Russ Morris and I have to tell you, it was so much fun!!! 
Here are some of my resulting photos:

As always, I love sharing.  If you've tried TTV, please show me what you've done!  If you haven't tried, go ahead to the Flickr pool, and tell me some of your favorites.  Have a fabulous week.
xo,
Kristen

Minty Fresh: Point of View.

Mint. (adj.) meaning new, fresh, sweet, brilliant, awesome.

ok, I'm cheating a bit with this one, but I thought it would be fun...  Three and four year old kids see the world in a very different way than we do.  My daughter Lilly really finds it to be a very magical place. 

Yesterday, I was sitting in the kitchen with her when she suddenly jumped up and yelled, "Fairies!!!"  Wondering what in the world she was talking about, of course I asked, "where?"  She quickly ran over to a little stream of sunlight coming in through the window, pointing out the tiny dust bunnies floating around.  "Right here, mama!  Fairies!"  (Note to self: cleaning is overrated. Ha Ha!)

Anyway, a few months before she turned four, we got her a tiny little camera (I think it's by Fisher Price).  Here are some of her photos.

Now, aside from the fact that she is a genius (right?), I adore looking at these photos because I get to see the world through her eyes for a few photos.  My absolute favorite just has to be her self portrait in the middle.  Love it. 

Don't be afraid to look at things in a new way, and find a fresh point of view.
xo,
Kristen

Templates!!!!

Happy Monday, my friends!  I wanted to show you- my lovely readers- what I've been working on this weekend.  You see, I FINALLY figured out how to make my own cards and templates in Photoshop.  Up until now, I've been using templates made by other (very talented) people, and have been really happy with them.  It's so easy to put my own photos in, change colors and fonts, and presto! I have a beautiful card. 
But I really wanted to start making my own from scratch, and after finding lots of beautiful papers and patterns from all around the interned, I figured out how to make my own templates. Here is a peek at my first three cards, which will be on sale soon in my Etsy shop.

Tell me what you think!  I'd love some feedback. 
Have a fantastic week- xo,
K

Photo-essay Friday.

What is love?

Love is trusting.

Love is full.

Love is joyful.

Share your thoughts with me!
xo,
Kristen

hugs and kisses.

It's been a long time, hasn't it? I missed my blog, and you, dear blog-stalkers.  I missed you a lot!!! I had the amazing experience of shooting a surprise paty for an 80 year old this past weekend.  It was really fun, and you could tell that this family really loved her.  They came from as far as Missouri to visit, and it was the first time in over 10 years that the whole family had been together. 
Here is what I thought was the most amazing thing.  When Grandma Perla came in, she was so excited to see them, and she went around the room, hugging every single person who was in attendance.  And it wasn't just one of those quick let-me-hug-you-so-I-can -get-to-the-next-person kind of hugs.  It was an I-missed-you-so-much-and-I-am-so-thrilled-to-see-you kind of hugs.  To EVERY SINGLE one of her guests.  Let me show you what I mean:

Today, hug someone like you mean it.  :)
(giant) XO
Kristen

No internet, new idea.

I'm discouraged today because I got to shoot an amazing family this weekend, and because of my horrible internet issues, I can't share photos yet. However, I have a little idea that I hope will work. I would love to share my instagram pictures with you!
If you are using this app for your iPhone, please let me know. I would love to see your photos! Don't forget to follow me at kdmintz.

Xo,
Kristen