}

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christmas-Glam | *UPDATE* | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

hellllllllllllo to my Christmas-Glam families!

here is the SCOOP: i am so glad one of my families contacted me tonight -- i realized i needed to alert the troops!

even with the power delay last week, my lab was able to ship them to me FederalExpress Express. (i love them and want to marry them, quite often. my lab, not FedEx. although i do have a friend who fell madly in love with a FedEx driver and married him. they are a really neat couple... but that's a whole other story.)
anyway, i tracked the package like a trained navy seal sniper dude and when i called monday, the package was on the FedEx Express truck for delivery by 7:30pm ON MONDAY. i was doing a JIG.

but apparently the package was not "due" to me (according to FedEx) until the 15th (yesterday), so the driver didn't make it a priority. (i was ummmmmm... NOT doing a JIG. as IF! Christmas-Glam should totally have been his first delivery of the day.)

at 8pm monday night i called 800-GO-FEDEX when the online tracking info changed and they connected me to the local Roseburg facility. i authoritatively had them hold the package so i wouldn't have to wait until 4:30pm to receive the photo-goodness within.

so on tuesday, i was able to pick the pkg up from the facility @ 2 o'clock! my trusty & faithful assistant and i packaged them yesterday afternoon, burned the rest of the discs for the clients who ordered them (in the late afternoon) and got them out in the mail tuesday night!

pheeew! i'm out of breath just telling you about it. whirlwind! (and not my only one this week!!!)

what's neat is that even though Goin' Postal closes @ 6pm in Green, the owner let me in their doors after hours! i paid those first class USPS shipping charges & appreciated her flexibility with an ear-to-ear smile!


now here's the deal... she may have made the labels that night... or she may have made them the next morning, but i'll tell you what... it was a good feeling to leave them there to be delivered! i can say with confidence that the good people at Goin' Postal sent them out into the world first thing this morning!
so, my Christmas-Glam troops, forgive me for the tardiness of my update!


i'm trying to wrap up all sorts of things, there's a flurry of activity & i didn't come up for air to THINK about letting you all know! so... now you do!

A-TEN-HUT!!!


P.S. here's a little gorgeousness. this beauty is a 2010 senior and her mama ordered this collage as a gift for the g-parents. what do you think???



Friday, December 11, 2009

last chance! | 2009 | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

i cannot believe it's the 11th of december! 2 weeks until seeing the joy of my trenkletoes on christmas morning! woo-hoo!

i do have some things to wrap up before i get there, though. including image collections for the last of my november bookings! rest assured you will have your galleries up next week sometime! if you have questions about your session, send me an email!

also wanted to let you know that 2009 has been a fabulous year for captivating. it's been a phenomonally fruitful experience and i am excited to have had such a great year of portfolio-building!




if you have been meaning to order professional prints or enlargements, now is the time! this is the last week to take advantage of my 2009 introductory/portfolio-building pricing. this is also the last opportunity to receive your order before christmas eve!

  • email your order to me with your image#'s before sunday night @ midnight

  • i'll send you a paypal invoice and once payment is received, your order will be uploaded!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Christmas-Glam | *PLEASER* | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

well, this afternoon, i input a couple orders. i spilled my homemade eggnog latte on the table. i ate blueberry almond pudding. i taught bryson how to put the little dots on the numbers to help him quickly complete number sentences. and, as usual, i chased the kids around, "encouraging" them to put their toys away.


my oldest, bryson, is totally into K'nex right now. i love the intensity of his focus and his determination to build according to the instructions. he's my boy who's most like his dad -- drawn to precision and order. he's been quite the engineer around here lately.


however.

as diligent as he is about putting his toys and crafts and schoolwork away, i'm finding random teeny pieces here and there and EVERYWHERE. today, i found a green one about 0.5" long and hollered for him, "bryson! hey, buddy, here's another K'nex! choking hazarrrrrrd!"


he came out, i opened my hand.

he looked at me and he said, "that's not a K'nex, mom. it's a K'neck."

oooooookay.

apparently 1 lone piece is pronounced differently.


reminds me of my daughter's sweet way of talking about laundry and her wardrobe. yesterday she asked me for help... "i need help putting my clothes away, mom. i could do it if it was just one 'clo,' but you could help me?"

1 'clo.'

i LOVE that she says that. (yes, rea, there's a li'l piece of you inside my girl!)


so, as my children were getting their P's and Q's and phonetic X's & CK's straightened out just for me today, i was wrapping up my Christmas-Glam orders, making sure my P's & Q's would be in order for my captivating families this next week!


i had a little bit of a snaffu yesterday with the 7-hour marathon power outage. i had originally hoped to have the order in by tuesday. but life with my trenkletoes tribe was a "titch" crazy and i had to find time to sleep at some point. so the plan was to click "SEND" to the order that just needed a couple things added first thing after breakfast yesterday. but the power. there was no power. so it set me back several hours and then some.


nevertheless.

the orders have been placed. i've begged my friends at my lab to play favorites and show utter and total partiality toward my oregon families, so we'll see how that goes. i expect the shipment to arrive tuesday instead of my perfect-world-plan of monday, december 14. wednesday at the latest.


but YAY! orders have beeeeeeeen uploaded. hoorah!


here's some Christmas-Glam, captivating style...








and, Roseburg, captivating and Celebration Street is giving 20% more than the estimated gift because of your support! thank you for partnering with us to bring a little bit of cheer to CASA this Christmas! hey, if knowing we blessed some families together doesn't warm you up, this little guy just might melt your heart...

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Christmas-Glam | *TEASER* | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle


well, first of all, today's Christmas for CASA was a blast! however, i couldn't have pulled off such a fun & fruitful event without my faithful team -- THANK YOU, GIRLIES -- for all the elbow grease! i have some seriously awesome friends.

who buys 70-lb bags of sand to anchor a backdrop stand? krystal. and not just 1, either! and guess who carries them up and then down the 2 sets of stairs? yeah. krystal AND rachael. i actually asked if she'd be willing to find me some dirtbags. and i'll tell you what, when you ask krystal for a favor, she delivers and delivers BIG. she also knows when to pray. today she was all about inviting Jesus into the meanest wrapping paper debacle on this side of the mississippi.

and rachael was my right hand girl today -- "can you grab this, can you grab that..." blessed is what i am. did you even know that rachael carries a swiss army knife? yeah! i needed scissors, a knife, a drill and a new sink installed today... rachael carried all the necessary tools for the job, in her ever-loving purse. THANK YOU, GIRLIES!!! you bring me joy, my whole team does, for that matter! even the ones who couldn't make it -- thanks, kris for handling 911 document issues with such finesse!

and... thank you, Babe, for being my covering as i stepped out for CASA & put on the ritz for some captivating families today. it's incredible how much i love you!

second of all, i will be spending this weekend processing today's images so i can put the orders in ASAP!

third of all, thank you to all of the folks who came out today to support Casa de Belen -- i'm so excited to have partnered with Celebration Street to bring them a little bit of cheer. we did it together!

fourth of all (is that even a phrase, really?), ahhhhem, FOURTH of all... my feet are super tired! i wore real shoes, like high heel boots. all day. click-clack, clickity-clack. and would you believe my sweet girl, kennady, pampered me with a foot squeeze massage when i finally collapsed on the couch? that was right around the time NEBRASKA was beating TEXAS tonight in the Big12 Championship and right before i dozed for an hour in the midst of all the typical trenkle tornado madness that occurs right about bedtime. and when i woke up i was covered in candy cane remains thanks to the baby (who found the loot leftover from our refreshments) and NEBRASKA was losing. 1 second on the clock, that's all i can say. hey, next year. but our BOISE STATE BRONCOS... undefeated, baby! woo-hoo!

fifth of all (hey, i can invent new phraseology, i'm on a roll here), on friday night, my children and i tested the christmas set lighting -- can't wait to process their pics. karsyn was not thrilled to say the least. you'll see. bryson, however, was the best EVER... he even decided he LOVED the hot pink tie mommy "asked" him to wear. kennady worked the camera (how does she know how to pose and you won't believe the shoes i found for her, i... no, you'll just have to wait to see them). kev? kev was more interested in CHOWING DOWN karsyn's lollipop than making eye contact with the camera. (the way he eats hard candy & animal crackers [at sunday school in particular], would lead an untrained person to believe that he is being STARVED to death by his parents.) and yes, if you're wondering, i bribe reward my children for "modeling" for me. (vanilla milkshakes all around last night.)



so, in the meantime, please enjoy sweet missAnna for a little ChristmasGLAM preview. more goodness to come! and i do mean GOOD-ness. ***also, if you are waiting for your image collection or a sneaky peek -- rest assured, i am working hard to wrap everything up this week! if you have questions, send me an email -- it's the best way to reach me.***

and hey! LAST of all, i'd love to know some of your favorite ways to spend family time with your kids in december. how do you make christmas meaningful for your kids?

2 things i'm looking forward to doing with my babes this week: reading max lucado's An Angel's Story and surprising them next weekend with a trip to the Live Nativity hosted by the Church on the Rise -- it's called JOURNEY THROUGH CHRISTMAS! we missed it last year and i'm counting down the days!

love to you and your families! it's christmas! it really is...

the
season
for
the
reason.

Monday, November 23, 2009

{update} Christmas-Glam | Christmas for Casa | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

november 30th:
scroll down to preview a sneaky peek of one of the elements of our christmas set!
*********
thanksgiving is in 2 days. WHOAH.
christmas day is nearly here!
that means it is now:

THE
SEASON
FOR
THE
REASON

yep, you read that right!
it's time to celebrate Life & Hope, Joy & Love.
the One who is the Life,
who is our Hope,
whose Joy is our strength,
the One who IS Love.

the Christmas season reminds us all how dear family is -- whether we are enjoying it all thru our children's eyes or remembering lost loved ones in our hearts, this is a season that celebrates family. as we spend these next few weeks, we need to take time to slow down and remember that our loved ones are our greatest treasure! hold them close!

to celebrate the joy of family & to provide you with a keepsake portrait of your gorgeous children this Christmas, i'm excited to announce a Christmas BENEFIT for Roseburg's Casa de Belen!

captivating is partnering with
Celebration Street Christian School of the Performing Arts to provide special Christmas sessions on December 5th! it's Christmas-Glam in 10-minute photo-goodness!

and here's the deal: $30.00
includes TWO complimentary sheets of your choice:
8x10 :: 2-5x7 :: 4-4x5 :: 8-wallets

12.05.09
9:30am - 3:30pm (see schedule below)
sessions available by appointment &
for your walk-in convenience!
Celebration Street Studio
831 Cass Street, downtown Roseburg

50% of the proceeds benefit Casa de Belen!



Casa de Belen provides homeless families with adolescents and homeless teens with a safe place to create and implement a vision for a positive future, that includes independent living, self-sustainability, and constructive involvement in the community.


Casa de Belen provides security, opportunities, and support for the homeless while they establish their route to independence. Casa de Belen is an outcome-based program focused on resident self-sufficiency by nurturing the growth of the 40 developmental assets. Casa de Belen instills in its residents the skills for independent living and constructive involvement with the community.


Casa de Belen is a volunteer, non-profit organization with over 22,000 square feet dedicated to serving the homeless.


you can bet your stocking that we'll have the coolest Christmasy set, the glamourous-est backdrop & the yummiest & refreshingest confections, so that December 5th is just another way your family can enjoy a really cool yule.


here's a preview of our backdrop! yumm!
our set will be black, charcoal gray, white with accents of deep christmas red.

the best thing about the Christmas-Glam session is: it's only 10-Minutes and you get to select your images right then! these captivating portraits would make a sweet gift & benefit a great cause.

if you'd like to guarantee your time slot, leave a comment here or email your request to: kellie_trenkle @ yahoo.com

9:30
9:45
10:00
10:15
10:30
10:45
11:00
11:15
11:30
11:45
12:00
12:15
12:30
12:45
1:00
1:15
1:30
1:45
2:00
2:15
2:30
2:45
3:00
3:15
3:30

AND... to sweeten the deal for you -- post my blog address to facebook or email your friends and for every referral who books & mentions your name, you'll receive a $10 gift certificate to use toward a captivating session in 2010!

spread the word!
together
we
can
bring
a

little
bit
of
cheer
to
Casa
this
Christmas
!







Sunday, November 22, 2009

christmas pics! | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

this just in...
i will be offering CHRISTMAS pictures on december 5!
i'm finalizing the details, but i'll be taking appointments and walk-ins.
so, start putting your kids' christmas outfits together and watch the blog for more info, coming soon!

Monday, November 16, 2009

a recent interview | press | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

LAB: Info about the company: location, number of employees, focus/specialty, website, contact info.
KT: I’m Kellie Trenkle, of captivating photography & design
co.
, located in southern Oregon. I’m the girl with the camera and the vision. I have no paid employees, but I do have a team of encouragers – my volunteer V.P.’s that for the past decade have encouraged me to step-up and embrace my creative vision and passion for photography.

My husband is my business manager. He’s got some serious smarts about the business side of things (with nearly 2 decades of upper management on his resume), and my four babes (ages 6 & under) are my inspiration, my models, and my cheerleaders.

I’ve always loved & treasured photos, but when my husband and I bought a Minolta film SLR camera for our 2001 wedding, I was hooked on being behind the lens and creating that short & sweet depth of field in my shots.

Fast-forward to 7 years and four busy kiddos later, I was browsing CraigsList one night at 2:00a.m. looking for something additional I could do to help supplement our income. “Just making it” can be challenging at times.

I’ve been freelancing as a graphic designer & marketing consultant since 2003. It was pretty casual, about one design job per month, which was the perfect workload with my babes being so young, while we were simultaneously serving full-time as youth leaders for EPIC, our high school youth group, and homeschooling our oldest. We were already a busy family and I always wanted being a wife and mom to come first for me.

So, like a crazy woman, I sat at the computer contemplating creating Google ads, filling out online surveys for $2.50 for every 500,000 questions, or telemarketing. I even got lured into looking at a surrogacy website from one of the job listings (hey, $20,000 to carry a baby? I KNOW I’m good at that!).

[Ridiculous! Don’t try making any career decisions in the middle of the night – you’ll end up with lots of spam.]

Anyway, the next morning, my husband looked at me earnestly and said, “Babe, you don’t have time for a “job.” (True.) “But I know what you’re passionate about. God’s put some desires in your heart and if you’re wanting to bring in income, do what you’re passionate about – that’s where His will is.” And off to work he went. I got a call literally later that same day from a friend who wanted to know if I’d ever considered getting into sports team photography. “Funny you should ask…”

That week, I applied for a business license. I voraciously read several technical photography books, including Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson, devoured everything written by Scott Kelby, bought a 50mm, joined some online forums, subscribed to kelbytrainingonline.com and would later take a class at the Umpqua Valley Arts Center. Late last October, I took the leap of faith going from freelancing to giving my dream a name – captivating photography & design co.

This month I’m celebrating one fabulously-fruitful-beyond-my-most-hopeful-expectations first year of business! Wow!

My focus? Well, primarily my focus is to glorify the Lord through my eyes, heart and lens. That’s just the truth of it. That’s why my business is called captivating. For me, this work that I do captures the life and spirit of the One who inspires me! I serve a loving, generous, creative God who’s full of mercy, grace and wonder! He’s captivating. That word for me is so indescribably descriptive. I want to bring that essence into all my images: color, joy, grace, love and life.

My focus practically? That’s a tough one. I’m still developing my portfolio, so I can’t say that I have a specialty quite yet, but I love lifestyle portrait photography. I love those serendipitous moments. But, I also love setting up a shot and letting “life” unfold in its own style. And I always feel so privileged to be part of documenting a wedding -- it’s so sacred – a day full of meaningful yet fleeting moments and gorgeous details. It’s like the photographer’s ideal shoot. You get stills, you get action, you get portraiture, you get lifestyle, and you capture a covenant being made. Dude, that’s a big deal.


LAB: The latest trends/techniques in professional photography.
KT: I still consider myself a newbie to the pro industry, so I can’t really answer on an expert level what the latest trends are, but I’ll tell you what I am watching, and that’s Off Camera Flash. That’s one of many things I am soooo going to learn & play with this next year. The other trend I see unfolding on the non-technical side of things, is this spirit of sharing among the professional photographer community. I have learned so much from Becker (thebecker.com), the [b]school.com and Matt of matthewsaville.com. It baffles me to think that the industry hasn’t always been like this. I feel really blessed to come into the professional photography community at this time and to be encouraged and mentored without any strings or dollar signs or egos attached!


LAB: What sets you apart from other photographers?
KT: I don’t know! My sparkling personality? I’m half joking and I’m half serious. I have a background in marketing and PR and a background in retail, so I know how important it is to develop relationships. Whether it’s working with my favorite salesperson at the LAB or the coach for a 3-year-old soccer team at our local YMCA or a first time mom who just got back into her “skinny” jeans and has asked for (and is a teeny bit nervous about) boudoir photography as a gift for her husband. I want them to be able to trust me! I love doing what I do and I want that spirit to be infectiously contagious. I don’t want to just "take pictures.” I want to capture life and to capture it vividly.


LAB: Favorite subject/event to photograph and why?
KT: I’ll tell you what: I’d be lying if I said that my children are NOT my absolute favorite subjects for my photography. They are such a source of creative inspiration for me.

Besides, following my children around like their own personal paparazzi, I love being asked to do family portraits. Not only will those images become art for their home, it’s way cool to capture a glimpse into this particular season of their life, their history. The experience leaves me skipping to my lou – my photography becomes an element of their little family legacy. Maybe that’s melodramatic, but it’s true. I’ll grab my husband when I’m working on a session and say, “come look at these!!! I want to be IN these!” The images give me such a rush.

And because I already couldn’t just give you one simple answer, I’ll tell you that I also love to shoot senior photos. It’s fun to capture their persona, their image -- it’s edgy and exciting and beautiful all at once.

I adore maternity/newborn and baby photography. I have a special stylized session for babies called BebeGlam. And really, is there anything cuter than babies glammed-out in vibrant hues, tutus and bling? I’m probably just biased, but for me it’s fun and hip and different!


LAB: What camera(s) do you use? What’s in your camera bag?
KT:
I am a Nikon user. I upgraded from a D70s to the D700 last spring. Oh
yeah, I digg it. It’s a full-frame, virtually noiseless, little gift from heaven, I am not even joking. There are days that I miss the DX reach factor, but man, this camera is a keeper. I’ve only purchased two lenses within this first year of business: a 50mm f/1.8, and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. I love them both, but now I’m having a hard time deciding which lens to purchase next. I’d love the 85mm 1.4, but I would also adore having the 70-200 f/2.8… any thoughts? (By the way, tax-deductible contributions may be sent to…)


LAB: What lens is your favorite to shoot with?
KT:
I use my 24-70mm ALOT, wide open. My favorite lens is my prime… it is so fun to shoot wide open and it challenges me to be more artistic with my composition -- me and my camera,we dance. And it usually resembles The Worm, as I often shoot on my tummy. We cool like that.

LAB: What’s your favorite Photoshop tool/filter?
KT:
Okay, so I love Totally Rad, they are as their name implies, TOTALLY Rad.


LAB: What is on your equipment wish list?
KT:
I’m still researching which lenses to add to my arsenal, but like I mentioned before, I’d love to own both the 85mm 1.4 and the 70-200mm 2.8 someday. It would probably behoove me to purchase a wide-angle lens at some point. Also on the list, some Alienbee strobes so I can dabble in artificial lighting! It rains a lot in Oregon in the winter, it’d be fun to have an indoor haven of a studio with the right lighting, some plush velvet softness and backdrops in something a little unexpected. I’d love to launch a whole new dimension of offerings to my photography. Does a velvet fainting couch count as equipment? It does, it so does.

LAB: What is your MUST have in photography equipment?
KT:
A shootsac from http://www.shootsac.com, a gazillion 4GB Extreme III SanDisk cards, my Gary Fong Lightspheres for my SB600, my battery grip, and my Nicole Miller lip gloss because my lips need to stay glossed when I’m shooting.

LAB: Any tips or advice for your fellow photographers out there?
KT:
For the love -- Encourage Others! There are so many seasoned pros and lots of us up-and-comers, we should rejoice in our collective passion and pay-it-forward. Give kudos when you dig another’s work, be the leader in your community. Oh, and you should totally join the [b]school.

AP: Remember to add anything that you want…this is your article?
KT:
I’m addicted to Lay’s kettle chips, sharp cheddar flavor.
Other secret things you might like to know:
  • I love writing.
  • I love to write, express, feel, describe, meditate upon and play with words.
  • I’m a perpetual procrastinator with fabulous intentions, those count, they really do!
  • I’m a pastor’s wife.
  • I totally think Boise State should get a BCS bid.
  • I love to use all lowercase when typing.
  • I can’t stop eating Sonic ice. I have 2 bags in my freezer at all times.
  • I have a huge feeling of accomplishment when I vacuum the baseboards in my hallway and clean the lint out of the dryer.
  • I adore chasing my four gorgeous kids (with and without my camera).
  • I love their kisses, stories, 59 clothing changes a day, and their unabashed love for me.
  • All of that brings me such joy.
  • And I love that my husband cherishes me and he still chases me sometimes too.
  • I have the best family and most supportive, encouraging friends in the world.
  • And I love and serve a gracious and faithful God, Christ Jesus.
  • He’s stolen my heart. He is loving, intriguing, and well, He is captivating!
  • And it’s because of him that I get to do what I do.
  • For. The. Love.
  • And thank you for asking!
http://www.kellietrenkle.com/
p: (541) 580-3612


Photos ©2009 Captivating Photography & Design Co.

Friday, November 13, 2009

your photos | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

hello, to my captivating peeps.

i am working hard to finish editing your sessions!

if you have been waiting for your image collection, know that i am processing them as quickly as i can and if you're waiting for a sneak peek, some photo-love-goodness is sure to come!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

mmmm, tasty! | iPhone pic | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle


it is thanksgiving season, people!

i am finally admitting it's fall and i'm resigned to believe that we aren't even going to get an "indian summer."

i'm thankful that so far my children have been healthy since we got home from our family trip to idaho. (it may in part be due to the fact that i've been keeping my kids out of public places as part of my CampaignAgainstTheGerm and it may be because that flu-bug in august was our flu for the year.)

i'm thankful that i get to be home with my kiddos, it's a joy to work while they do school right next to me. yes, some days are more hectic than others, but i know i won't regret keeping them close to me.

i'm thankful that the Lord provided for us to get our pickup fixed.

i'm thankful for our friends who have served our country to give us such remarkable freedom.


i'm thankful for the cheese grater the knudson family gave me. it's been almost 2 years since i've had properly shredded cheese. (and it's a red one, a twin of the one she uses in her home. 2 words: KitchenAid. mmmm-mmm.)

i'm thankful that my husband is so awesome. in this busy season we're in -- with four kids 6 & under, a youth ministry, homeschooling, and a photography biz -- he is: one. hero. of. mine. he's a superstar in the kitchen (he could put emeril to shame) and he's a ROCKSTAR as far as i'm concerned in the laundry department. i'm so thankful for his covering and his blessing and his wisdom as we walk (okay, RUN) thru life together. i'd not be... whole... without him.

(he even knows that since i'm sugar-free right now, that since i won't eat candy, i can at least have eye-candy and was thoughtful enough to send me the little candy-oreo-whopper-pbcup-iced-turkey-by-my-sweet-friend-dawn-nelson from his iPhone. and we're both excited to make those little guys a thanksgiving craft & tradition with our babes.)

i'm thankful.
i'm just really thankful.

Monday, November 9, 2009

another contest | photography workshop | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle


so.

i entered a contest.

for a seat at a photography workshop in january.

looked fun.

i'm one of 80 that entered.

kelly moore photography is a photographer whose blog i follow.

she's got some rad lighting going on in her style.

so, i thought, "eh -- whyyyy not."

it's just a contest.

all i had to do was send a self-portrait & my name.

easy.

you can vote once from 1 computer.

easy still.


and that's it!


CLICK HERE to vote!

good timing | the *TWINKLING* sessions | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

so... saturday was like WAY AWESOME!
i left my house that was sitting below blue skies & rainbows and drove TOWARD the DARKNESS for my mini-sessions saturday. i was keeping an open mind.

rainy to the top of the hill, 35 minutes from my house.
amy & christy & i started to set up our hot, cinnamony cider & cookies. and the rain fell to a sprinkle. my first peeps arrived & i didn't blink an eye. it didn't start raining again until it was time to load up & go home.

thank you to all who booked these special sessions! i know iiiiiiiii had fun. hopefully you enjoyed being with your family as much as i did -- all playing & smooching up there overlooking the vistas & rolling golden hills at celebration ranch. mmmmm-mmmmmm. good. ness.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

and the *TWINKLING* winner is...... | the *TWINKLING* sessions | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

i was super scientific in the way i performed this random drawing. every nomination was given a number 1-11. there were 12 comments and 11 nominees.

my 3-year-old green-eyed boy got to play the game of ripping up paper & putting the mess in the neighbor boy's hat, shaking it up & picking out one lone piece of paper. even as he fingered all the shreds, my heart skipped a beat. how exciting. and how hard! all of the nominees sounded so deserving! so it's good that i just leave it in the hands of my sweet boy.


Bethany Schricker's nomination was pulled out of the hat today, comment #1!


I am going to nominate my family, although I don't live with them anymore. (Got married and moved out.)

They are just the bomb, and make my life sparkle. My babies just light up when their aunt and uncles come over, and my son flies across the room with his arms as wide as he can get them to claim his hugs. Cracks me up to watch my big tall brothers hunker down on the floor with the kids and squirm around, making faces to get the babies to laugh. My dad can make them scream with laughter or calm down from a bad mood. My mom snuggles them and loves on them and gives me such awesome support as I fuddle my way through motherhood.

I don't think they've had a family picture taken since... well, about 8 years ago. My dad is the family "photographer," so he's rarely in front of the lens, and it's hard to get the whole gang together at once.

They all have such awesome personality. It would be sweet to get some pics of them.


bethany, please contact me thru facebook & we'll make arrangements for your parents' *TWINKLING* session this saturday. if, in the event your family is unable to participate on the 7th, we'll conduct another random drawing! this giveaway is for saturday only at celebration ranch!

thank you ALL for taking the time to nominate -- i do still have one open timeslot available if any of you are interested!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

celebration ranch | the *TWINKLING* sessions, the mini | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

i want you to close your eyes and picture this... (okay, well, first open your eyes, read the next paragraph and then close your eyes and imagine...)

200 acres of fall color and evergreens.
golden grasses.
a gorgeous tree-lined country road.
two glass lakes/ponds with docks (upper property & lower property).
a canoe.
a cabin.
a swing hanging from an old walnut tree.
amazing vistas.
the mist still clinging to the top of the trees this morning when i was there.


i'll tell you what, i seriously cannot wait to treat my lenses to such creative opportunities up there! it really, really, really will be a captivating celebration of family & nature at celebration ranch, in every sense. amy holst from limelight images will also be there putting her families into the "limelight" with some family-photo-goodness for the sessions she's booking. she'll be there with bells on. (but don't tell her i said that.) i totally swear she told me that. well, i don't like to swear, but i can nearly guarantee she said it.

many have asked, "WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?"
well i have a looooong answer!



the purpose for this special, limited edition, november -7th-only promotion is to capture that annual family photo because many families love to send out an image in their christmas cards. included with the *TWINKLING* session are 25-cards (christmas/new year/or other custom text of your choice). you'll also be receiving a deluxe professional print as my gift to you, so you will have one 8x10 wall portrait from this saturday's session. so, it's up to you! you can dress as casually or as dressy as you'd like. be comfortable & dress warm-ish.

here are some of my suggestions for wardrobe:
layers, layers, layers & texture, texture, texture.
choose a main color & an accent color. do coordinate, but you don't necessarily have to worry about being matchy-matchy. mix it up, be creative, have fun putting your outfits together.

with the many different backdrops we'll have the option of selecting for your custom photography session, you WON'T want to blend into the background or wash out. you'll want to COMPLIMENT the amazingly, awe-some, beautifully unbelievable, gorgeousness of creation at celebration ranch or rather, let it compliment you & your angel children.

for example:


  1. select a neutral color/color family. then, add an accent color that POPS against the neutrals -- this color harmony 'n melody is super fun to photograph. think about choosing different shades of brown & then adding an accent color of say, turquoise or purple or red.
  2. more examples: navy and a deep autmnal orange or maizey yellow. or black with red or maroon. or deep plum/wine with tan & black. charcoal gray with shades of green. i would LOVE to see a family in chocolate brown & deep plum, mmmmmm-mmmmmm. beautiful in the golden grass.
  3. avoid light colors, especially white. white/light colors will be okay photographically if they are small portions of the outfit.
  4. avoid busy patterns & small prints in big doses
  5. avoid sponge bob t-shirts (no offense)
  6. just so you know, i looooooove photographing scarves and knitted hats on my peeps.
  7. texture just photographs soooooo well.
  8. depending on the weather it could get pretty soggy -- i would love seeing golashes on kiddos (and they have lots of cute patterns in FredMeyer right now! even the standard black farming golashes or wellingtons are sooo cute for photos -- for adults AND kids!)
  9. i have several knit hats for kiddos & i have a basket of scarves that can be borrowed for your portraits, too!

think for the guys (big or little):

  • a sweater layered over a collared button up or a long sleeve shirt underneath a short-sleeved shirt. and don't stop there, add...
  • a manly sports coat or tailored/structured jacket, they photograph really well and give your hubby & boys that irresistible hunka-hunka-burnin' love vibe
  • layers can either be dressed up (with docker style pants in any color khaki/brown/black) or dressed down (with jeans)
  • even vests & ties are in stores right now and would be fun!

  • boots or golashes or thick soled shoes

for all the ladies out there:

  • layers are great for girls & moms, too, of course!
  • jeans/sweaters/jackets or tights/skirts/legwarmers/tall boots, layered tops
  • what's fun is for the ladies to wear more of the accent color, especially MOM because she's pretty special in my book -- hey, she works hard at keeping the family going, it's fun to put her on a pedestal for pics!
  • there's lots of fun jewelry that is budget-friendly & clearance-priced at walmart & kmart that can add a bit of dimension and a little more of that accent color in fun baubley bling (other people make up their own words, so i can, too -- baubley turns bauble into an adjective for me)
the shopping: if family portraits give you a fun reason to add a few seasonal pieces to your wardrobe, here are some things i've seen around roseburg (yes, roseburg) for your kids since we're only a few days away:
  • MACY's clearance is crazy good right now, so is SEARS
  • i've seen vest/tie combos @ SEARS & MACY's
  • fun hats & scarves in the accessories department @ KMART
  • golashes/rain boots @ FRED MEYER
  • black farm-style basic rubber boots @ WALMART
  • suede & leather boots for kids @ KMART
  • girls' tights in fun patterns @ WALMART
  • leg warmers for girls @ FRED MEYER
  • solid long-sleeved boys' shirts @ WALMART
  • skirts with patterned sash-belts @ WALMART
  • and i've seen christmas dresses & 2 or 3-piece outfits for the little guys @ every store mentioned, if the traditional red & green fits your fancy


and for the mamas & the papas:

  • sweater dresses for mom @ KMART
  • vinyl-pleather MileyCyrus black leggings @ WALMART (oh, come on, i'm JUST KIDDING!!!!!)
  • cute boots @ ROSS & FRED MEYER
  • clearance button-downs @ MACY's for Dad
  • i haven't made it into ROSS recently myself, but there's always some fashionable treats in there if you have the time to search the racks
  • lots of sweater goooooooodness @ MAURICE'S, cardigans to crew necks, mmmm-mmm.
  • dads: new collection just for the hip guy @ the newly improved clothing store FETISH in the roseburg valley mall, probably some trendy stuff hanging on their racks in there, haven't run my fingers along their hangers myself, but from a distance (as i was on a mission last weekend in the sears clearance) i saw some cool long-sleeved things

now, i'm a bargain shopper, so i have a hard time looking thru the full-price apparel, but i know there's some good stuff out there right now, so enjoy the treasure hunt! i won't even mention the goodness at oldnavy, garnet hill, gap or mini-boden. those looks are luxe. but we are on a time crunch & hey, i want to bless your economy, not hinder it -- you might have bills to pay or gifts to shop for in the next several weeks. but honestly, i do love checking out their sites for ideas & then go thrifting or bargain shopping to score on some luxe-inspired-looks.

here are some recent photos from sessions where the family pulled off the textured/layered/colorPOP looks that my lens & i just absolutely digg...




amy dressed her family in chocolate & turquoise.
the girls wore a bit of bling & splashes of pink.
spunky. fun. layers.

krystal & will chose chocolate brown & a vivid, autumn wineberry color.
notice krystal's dress has a larger pattern that is pleasing to the eye.
(and makes you want to ask me for her email
so you can beg her to let you borrow it. i know, right?)

and meet mr. & mrs. otis.
they took my neutral + color pop theory
and can now write a "been-there-done-that" essay on it.
very. successfully fashionable. ensemble.


see how junior's hat adds even more irresistible-ness
to his creamy features?
here's a closer look...
mmmmmmm.
i already tried taking him home with me.
mom & dad? stingy. fun people, but they're babyboy hogs.
be forewarned. you can't have mr.E either.
i do, however, own this cap.
it's yours to borrow for your sessions, if you so choose.


and the image below is mrs. otis showing off that accent color so well.


the otis family was my most recent family session,
to view more from their sneaky peek, visit my facebook album!


the darlings in these last 2 images are my trenkletoes.



i chose browns & turquoise.
mixed up the patterns & shades.
layers & hats.
these are
THE MOST
(i'm-not-even-ashamed-to-say-it-all-time)
FAVORITE
pumpkin patch pics of my kids.
ever.
(shameless mommy says: there's a slideshow in a previous post)

and FYI: for those of you who have booked sessions already, i will be emailing you driving directions to celebration ranch this week. and thursday is the big drawing by my 3-year-old for the *TWINKLING* giveaway!

i have been really blessed by the peeps who have nominated and shared a story as to why or shared your gratitude for 2009 -- each nominee is so deserving! i'm touched & honored that you took the time to share. and hey -- there's still time to nominate! every person who leaves a comment (nominating their family or another's) in the original *TWINKLING* promo post is put into the drawing and they'll receive a special thank you from captivating for taking the time to "count their blessings!"

i still have 2 time slots remaining, you can BOOK or you can WIN -- don't miss out!
i can't wait for the weekend!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

the mini, short & sweet | the *TWINKLING* sessions | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

the christmas season is around the corner! i haven't actually calculated it myself, but i think i saw somewhere that there are only 10 weeks until christmas. for those of you who enjoy sending out cards to friends and family for christmas or new year's, i have the session for you!

it's a simple, super-fast, sweet little session for the sole purpose of capturing that annual family portrait -- captivating style. you'll be thrilled with the end result -- all because you showed up and let me [make goofy sounds at your children in an effort to get them to think i'm crazy -- i mean smile...] shoot some portraits of your little family in the twinkling of an eye!
  • the *TWINKLING* session is only available on november 7, 2009.
  • limited number of sessions available
  • at Celebration Ranch (about 10 minutes outside of Roseburg)
  • sessions are 30-minutes
  • includes an online gallery of 10-15 un-retouched proof images
  • and 25-5x7 flat cards incorporating your favorite image

  • $75.00
  • *PLUS* (because i just can't help it) as my gift to you, you'll also receive an 8x10 deluxe print!

  • session times available:
    9:00 booked
    9:45 booked
    10:30 booked
    11:15

the fine print: this session includes 1 gorgeously-captivatingly-artistically enhanced image! for those of you who end up having more than one "favorite", you may upgrade to a print package with more options. those upgrades/add-ons will be made available at the time of your session and orders may be placed after viewing your online gallery!

P.S. captivating is teaming up with amy from amy holst limelight images who is also offering this fun and fresh annual-family-portrait-capturing-mini-session! if you book soon -- you should be able to spend part of a saturday morning hanging out with ONE of US!

i photographed amy & her family a couple weeks ago and it was fun to shoot another photographer's family portraits -- she knew what she had in mind -- her vision was to hang out and ROCK ON with her family. they even ended up with an audience!


and lastly, because the season of giving is upon us, i'll be giving away one *TWINKLING* session! so, in the comments section, please nominate a family that you know would be so blessed by a short & sweet family session. you can even nominate yourself!

there's only two rules to qualify:
rule#1-post the link to this post on your facebook profile or in an email to spread the word! (cc me in the email! kellie_trenkle @ yahoo.com)
rule#2-then, come back to my blog and in the comments section of this blog post, tell me why you are thankful that the family you are nominating is part of your life -OR- if you are nominating yourself, list 5 things you are thankful for in 2009.

the catch:
if you nominated the family selected, you'll receive a sweet score of a gift from captivating!

the *TWINKLING* winner will be selected randomly by my three-year-old at noon NEXT thursday, november 5th.

Monday, October 26, 2009

gray day = vivid play | trenkletoes fall09 | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle


last week was a crazy busy week. we are down to one vehicle. for 2 busy adults and 4 active children! for the most part, it has worked out fine. our tahoe hasn't been double booked. i did take my husband to work last wednesday so that i could have wheels that night and on the way home i was playing tour guide, as we moms often do when chauffering our kids, "Look guys, cows!!!" so, i pointed out the pumpkin patch. and guess what, instead of heading straight home to get busy with their schooling and my working, we headed straight home to dress appropriately for a field trip to the farm/orchard. we took the day off. sometimes, we just have to play!

it was a grayish, chilly day for the first time in all the years i've taken the kids to the patch -- seems like i could never get there until noon, which is not an optimal hour for outdoor portrait-quality pics of the kids. gray days are GREAT DAYS for outdoor pictures -- think Gray Day equals Vivid Play! and let's see, the dirt clods and the canopy of trees were the highlight of the trip for my kids. the dirt clods were awesome! kennady couldn't keep from running thru the orchard and spinning in delight in complete awe of the saffron boughs overhead and the thrill of the light rain falling on her sweet face... sighhhhhh.

i found myself appreciating the colorful order of the rows of trees in the orchard. the view struck a chord with me, it almost reminded me of my marriage. my husband is magnetically drawn to order and is so naturally organized. i appreciate that, because i am sooooooo much not built that way. (i love love love when everything is in it's place, but it's most likely not because of me!) i find myself drawn to the colorfully chaotic go-with-the-flow rhythms in life, i'm an adapt-er. and in that orchard, the orderly rows of trees and the colorful artistry of the trees dropping their leaves for the season is leaving a gorgeous blanket of disorderly leaves on the ground. the order innately part of the beautiful disorder. but yet, it's so magnificently part of God's creative creation design.

and the best part of it all was seeing my kids run thru it! God has an intensely beautiful design, doesn't he? in me, in him and our kids -- in that orchard.

i love autumn. i think more pumpkin bars need to go in the oven, it's raining. mmmmm. coffee, crafting kids. cozy.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Ruby & the Irwins | *CHARMING* the deluxe family session | kellie trenkle, oregon lifestyle photographer

this is the family of krystal irwin, one of my very best friends and a behind-the-scenes V[i]P for captivating. krystal was one of my first friends in the area when we moved to roseburg almost 9 years ago. my first friend was her mama.

we had quite the scheduling melodrama for our *CHARMING* session. first, they moved. then, i was booked. then the rains came. but we finally made it happen! on a rainy sunday afternoon in about 50 degree weather. we found shelter. and then, the heavens parted and there was blue sky! so we shot in a few locations. it was fun!!! thanks to jake & june for the use of your truck to haul miss Ruby! (i'm still shopping the classifieds for her own personal trailer -- every superstar needs a "trailer" on set, right?)


i'm quite attached to this family. there, i said it.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Ruby, the McGregors & the Beach | *CHARMING* the deluxe family session | oregon lifestyle photographer, kellie trenkle

well, Ruby and I had quite an adventure a couple weekends ago when we headed out for our *CHARMING* beach session. she's definitely a looker. she had some admirers. from the front desk guy at the red lion to the quirky gulls who poked around the sand for their morning snack. loved it! she even had paparazzi as we carried her from the beach back to the truck! they pointed and shooted at her! huge thanks to my friend, kristin, for loaning me the big ford truck -- it was perfect!


my *CHARMING* family was awesome. carole booked her session with me back in february, boy did i chat her up about Ruby at sunrise. i could just "SEE" the images unfold in my mind. she jumped at it! i researched the tides & temps & times predicted for our sunrise session, i'll tell you what, we set a date and met up at 5:45 in the morning, so we wouldn't miss that sweet light -- we were ready! uh, but we were a little early (like 55-minutes) because sunset bay is in a cove with a hill and suuuuuper tall evergreens. but nonetheless, the predicted "clear" morning was accurate -- it would be (and was) the perfect day for a beach session. and i am just thrilled with how easy-going they were and how EASY this family is ON THE EYES. thank you, mcgregors, for the fun morning! here are some images to tide you over until the image collection is complete!




carole purchased these dresses with Ruby in mind. she was thinking ahead to christmas cards! she told me she'd loan the girls' dresses out to any families who also want to complement Ruby's own plush, velvety upholstery. (is that cool or what??? email me if you have girls ages 7-12 and we'll let carole know she's got a deal.)













this last image is my fave.
wooooot-wooooot!
i can't wait for my next *CHARMING* session!