JennKL Photography

Patience and Waiting for the Moment

JennKL — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:22:20 +0000

I recently had the the opportunity to spend the day documenting/photographing Stand In Balance (Equine Assisted Therapy and Equine Assisted Learning). It was an inspirational and very peaceful day. I can’t even put into words how beautiful the ranch is. As you drive up to the property you get a new lease on life, a fresh breath of air and an escape to nature. It really is a powerful experience to visit this gorgeous place. I had the honor of documenting all the details and the actual work with the horses. Amazing! What is Equine Assisted Therapy? Best explained on their site, click here. Fom the Stand In Balance website “Working with horses is an experiential, holistic (hands on, mind, body, spirit) form of learning that helps participants increase self-awareness, work through emotional blocks, and gain powerful tools for change – no matter what you are going through now, or are trying to work through from the past. It’s about getting “you” back.”

This photo shoot was a practice in patience, calmness and reflection. You certainly can’t “make” a horse pose for a photo . Ha. You really have to ground yourself, find your confidence and then approach this grand, graceful, HUGE being. Be present and patient, waiting for the moments to happen. Photo tip I learned from my Dad about horses, he told me before my first shoot with horses back in 2010 that “the horses ears need to be pointing forward in order to have a great photo, otherwise they can appear not so smart”. Ha. (see behind scenes video from that shoot in 2010 here, Dad supplied the lessons, Mom filmed). Great tip from my Dad. And it is so true. Just that little detail makes all the difference in the world. Capturing a horse at their “right” angle shows off their majestic, powerful, intelligent beauty. Waiting for those perfect moments when comfort and curiosity collide to create the perfect photo. I really think it’s the same when working with people. You can’t make people pose any more than you can make a horse pose. Well, you can try and make someone pose, but you’ll end up with a stiff, rigid, not so great photo, “ears back”, tentative, not good. It’s really about getting to know your subject and having the patience to build a real relationship so those beautiful moments can happen. Just letting beings be. Letting them show you who they are, respecting them and capturing their beauty.

Enjoy some of my favorites from the day. And for sure, hurry and check out Stand In Balance…

JennKL Photography

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

www.JennKL.com

Location: wherever you are

What do you think about Love?

JennKL — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:54:27 +0000

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and I’m sure love, or in some cases lack of love, is on a lot of minds. Tomorrow will be a great day to celebrate and show your love to those you love. What about every other day of the year and what about all those people you meet every day that are outside your love circle? What changes and inspiration could happen if we all tried everyday to lead with love. Leading with love in all areas of thought, action, attitude, smile, tone, words, energy…Love Love Love! What would happen? Get Out And Give some Love.

Some flowers for you…

(Photo taken in Florida, Crab Apple Tree in my parents’ yard)

JennKL Photography

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

www.JennKL.com

Location: wherever you are

Wake Up, Boog! A conversation with myself

JennKL — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:09:14 +0000

I recently tried to celebrate a birthday. My birthday. It was this past Sunday the 5th. I turned a year older, not really a year, the number got one number bigger but I was really only a day older than I was the day before even thought it FELT like a thousand-hundred-years-days. Anyway. One of my best friends called me during the day to wish me a “Happy Birthday“! Then she continued…”How old this year?”, me “t*^%!y -*$&“, her “Oh, those are the best years!, what a great year!”, me “Really?”, she chuckles “well Honey, I’m 89. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Isn’t it funny we spend our whole life thinking about being younger“.

A few days passed by and on Wednesday my husband and I went to eat at California Pizza Kitchen. I chose to eat a cheesy, hammy, pineapple-y delicious pizza and some fried mac and cheese so I could eat how I felt about turning older. Apparently I hadn’t really heard my sweet friend about enjoying this moment in time. As I was sitting there stuffing my feelings down my throat, wondering how I was ever going to accomplish all the goals/dreams on my list given that now I AM A YEAR OLDER!…a lovely woman walks in to dine by herself. She is a good 50 years older than me. I could see over her shoulder that she was reading an Assisted Living brochure. My heart broke and then I started feeling really bad about feeling bad about turning older. I thought to myself “WAKE UP, BOOG!!!” Boog is an endearing term someone I looked up to in high school would call me. Ha. I continued the conversation in my head “You have all the time in the world, it doesn’t matter if you’re 36, 46, 56, 76, 86, 96 or 106, if there are things you want to accomplish then just get to doing it!!!” It’s that simple. Get to doing it instead of thinking about what you haven’t done. Plus, like my friend wisely said, “these are the best years!”

Given that I am healthy and so very thankful and grateful to be alive and well and blessed with another birthday, I started feeling reallllyyy reallllyyy guilty for feeling sorry myself. So since I felt bad about feeling bad I enjoyed a nice, cinnamon-y, gooey, apple crisp dessert.

(Sidetracked…I also had the thought that we all live in “Assisted Living” from the time we are born. Parents, Family, Friends, Teachers, Spouses, Mentors…nobody’s doing this alone. You may think you are, but somewhere along the line we’ve all been assisted in some way.)

Grab life and get to doing…

JennKL Photography

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

www.JennKL.com

Location: wherever you are

How I See You…

JennKL — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:06:31 +0000

My philosophy…

My work is about showing you in a portrait what I see in real life and what I know you feel in your heart. You are a beautiful, powerful and vibrant person with unlimited potential. My desire is for you to see how special you are. I believe that the process we go through working together results in a heightened sense of self, strengthened self-confidence and may be just the catalyst you need to ignite a determined passion for achieving all you’ve ever wanted. You are unstoppable. The Proof is in Your Portraits ~ JennKL

Here are some of my favorites from a recent session with Talya. Her dream…acting. I’ve seen her work, she is super talented. I can’t wait to see where she takes her career.

“My love as a photographer lives in working with entrepreneurs to create portfolios of images for both personal and professional use: press releases, social media, websites, blogs, author portraits, actor portraits, speaking engagements, you name it. It is pure joy for me to help you succeed in achieving portraits that show your superb self in a genuine way. The result: authentic, stunning portraits to be used as an essential tool in advancing your dream career.”

The Proof is in Your Portraits ~ JennKL

JennKL Photography

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

www.JennKL.com

Location: wherever you are

Focus Forward: Joy, Fulfillment, Purpose

JennKL — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:41 +0000

My love as a photographer lives in working with entrepreneurs to create portfolios of images for both personal and professional use: press releases, social media, websites, blogs, author portraits, actor portraits, speaking engagements, you name it. It is pure joy for me to help you succeed in achieving portraits that show your superb self in a genuine way. The result: authentic, stunning portraits to be used as an essential tool in advancing your dream career.

Here’s a sneak peek from a recent session with Talya. Perfume ad? I think so…

JennKL Photography

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

www.JennKL.com

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

Location: wherever you are

Role of a Lifetime (JennKL Photography, Portraits)

JennKL — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:39:09 +0000

One of my absolute favorite things to do is help an entrepreneur, author, artist, creative person, painter, lawyer, you name it, get portraits that represent who they are. Portraits that can be used as part of their marketing portfolio to achieve their goals and reach their dreams. Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to work with the talented and beautiful Ferrell Marshall. Ferrell was recently cast in a dream role. She will be playing Maureen Folan in the The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, opening January 13, 2012. You will soon be able to see info and purchase tickets through The Production Company (www.theprodco.com).

Here is a synopsis of the play:

The story is set in the Irish village of Leenane, Connemara in the early 1990s. It takes place entirely in a shabby, poorly-lit kitchen, resulting in a claustrophobic sense of entrapment. The play centers on the life of Maureen Folan, a 40-year-old spinster who takes care of her selfish and manipulative 70-year-old mother Mag. Maureen’s sisters have escaped into marriage and family life, but Maureen, with a history of mental illness, is trapped in a seriously dysfunctional relationship with her mother. The Folan cottage is visited by Pato Dooley and his younger brother Ray. Pato is a middle-aged construction worker fed up with having to live and work in England, disappointed by the limitations and loneliness of his life. The day-to-day sameness is tedious also for Ray, a non-threatening “bad boy”. The glimmer of a last-chance romance between Maureen and Pato sparks up in the first act, and continues in the second one with a notable monologue of Pato. The plot, full of deceptions, secrets and betrayals interspersed with turnabouts, keeps surprising the audience. Hopes are raised only to be dashed.

The goal of our session was to portray the character Ferrell will be playing so she can use the images for press and marketing. Below are some of my favorite portraits along with a quote that Ferrell provided from the play…

Sometimes I dream… Of anything. Of anything. Other than this.

~The Beauty Queen of Leenane~

by Martin McDonagh

JennKL Photography

www.JennKL.com

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

Location: wherever you are

Portraits

Celebrating You

Love, Birds and Other Things (JennKL Photography)

JennKL — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:34:05 +0000

I’ve recently been taking lots of trips down memory lane. It’s been a long trip, like a relaxing vacation or a hike up the tallest mountain depending on which day you catch me. I am going through my entire body of working prepping for a more focused 2012. I came across the portrait below and it is definitely one I’m very fond of. It’s a portrait from my very first engagement session. I love everything about this photo, the birds, the love, the beach, all of it. But I especially love what you can’t see. Let me share. When we arrived at the beach there was a big HUGE gathering of birds just hanging out in the sand. I immediately thought how cool it would be if they were in the portraits. So I had the couple and I head toward the water about 50 yards south of the birds and asked my husband, Hal Lublin, to head up north of the birds. I picked my camera settings, asked the couple to love on each other and then…cue the birds! I called to my husband and said “we’re set” and then he just starting chasing the birds, a full on sprint, clapping at them, running, “hoot, hoot”-ing them in our direction. I don’t know how to write in words the sounds my husband was making. It was bird talk. And it worked. I held down my shutter and hoped for the best. The results made me jump up and down with joy. Going through all of my work is also a time for a lot of reflection about where I started, where I am now and where I want to take my photography. I realize what a huge part my husband has played in my success. He has been there from the start and been my biggest supporter and for that I am more grateful than I can express here. In words. Hoot, hoot.

JennKL Photography

Southern California is my location.

Portraits are my passion.

www.JennKL.com

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

Special Delivery. (JennKL Photography)

JennKL — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 18:02:19 +0000

I just received my very own signed copy of Pretty Dolls. Kimberly Dana (the author and one of my publicity portrait clients) just mailed me a copy of her children’s book. I had to read it right away. It is such a sweet story with a powerful message. I definitely think it should be in every child’s book collection. Click here to order your copy from Amazon. Thank you for my copy Kimberly. I can’t wait to see the success of the book! And of course, couldn’t help myself, had to take a few pictures…

JennKL Photography

www.JennKL.com

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

Southern California | Los Angeles | Florida | Everywhere

Did you listen when you asked? (JennKL Photography)

JennKL — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:21:47 +0000

Just something I think about a lot. When you ask someone “How are you today?” or “How are you doing?” in passing…do you actually listen for an answer or keep walking? Do you want an actual answer or just a “fine, thanks” so you can go about your day? I try to make it a point to stop and listen when I ask someone this question. I do genuinely care. You never know what a difference you might make in someone’s day just by actually, fully listening, taking a moment to care, making eye contact. This sounds sad, but I’ve been asked “how are you doing?” many times and often times when I turn to actually answer and ask the question back, I’m saying it to the back of someone’s head. It usually makes me laugh because I’m telling the back of someone’s head as they walk away “fine, thanks for asking” and then I just think really?!, why did you even ask. I am fine today. And was fine on those days that someone asked and didn’t wait for a response. But still, some days we’re not fine and it just hurts a little more when someone just keeps on walking by. I’d wager there are times when we could all bring this into our friendships and relationships too. Do you really listen? Thoughts?

I hope you are doing well today. Here’s a little sunshine…

JennKL Photography

www.JennKL.com

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

Southern California | Los Angeles | Florida | Everywhere

Birds of a Feather: What this Parrot stands for (JennKL Photography)

JennKL — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:19:56 +0000

Birds are symbolic of Freedom. So today, I share with you the sweetest Parrot I’ve ever met. A red, white and blue one…how appropriate for Veterans Day.

Hers is a face of hope, dreams, promise and light…

JennKL Photography

www.JennKL.com

Jennifer(at)JennKL.com

Southern California | Los Angeles | Florida | Everywhere