Kanda Studios

Sara & Giancarlo are married!

2011-11-11T17:06:00.000-05:00

Sara & Giancarlo were married on October 29th at the Gramercy Mansion. As I am sure most everyone in Maryland remembers, this was the day in October that we got snow. Unfortunately, this weather didn't allow for their outdoor ceremony, but luckily for them, this venue has a gorgeous "Plan B"!

Congratulations again, Sara & Giancarlo. We hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

Sara & Giancarlo are engaged!

2011-11-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

Sara and Giancarlo met with us back in September for their engagement session. Actually, the title of this post is not accurate because as of two weeks ago they are now married! But we will get to that post soon!

Until then, here are some of our favorite images from their session.

Alex and Bill are engaged!

2011-11-10T13:44:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of our favorite images from Alex and Bill's engagement session back in October.

Joni & Jeff are married!

2011-11-10T13:34:00.000-05:00

Joni and Jeff were married on September 23, 2011 at Kurtz Beach. Here are a few of our favorite images from their wedding day.

Erin and Chris are married!

2011-11-10T13:29:00.001-05:00

Erin and Chris were married on September 10, 2011 at The Inn at Roop's Mill. Here are a few of our favorite images from that day.

Here is a look back at their engagement pictures.

Playing Catch Up

2011-11-10T13:27:00.001-05:00

The past few months have been our busiest yet! We have had four client weddings, one family wedding, two engagement sessions, four wedding albums that we currently designing and one well needed family vacation to the Outer Banks.

Over the next few hours we will be posting a few short blog entries to catch up.

Lindsay and Clint are married!

2011-08-24T19:00:00.001-04:00

About a little over a month ago, we had a great time with Lindsay and Clint while shooting their engagement session. This past Saturday we had the pleasure of watching them become husband and wife, and also the honor of capturing it all with our cameras. What made it more special for us, was that it took place at our favorite venue…the Links at Gettysburg.

As you can see in these samples from many pictures taken that day, Lindsay was absolutely beautiful, and Clint made for a very handsome groom. I’m sure this day turned out to be all they hoped it would.

Lindsay and Clint - Thanks for allowing us to be part of your special day, and we wish you many blessings as you start you new life together.

Jess and Chris are Married!

2011-07-13T23:41:00.001-04:00

Ever since our initial meeting, we have been looking forward to Jess and Chris' wedding day. From one of our favorite venue's, to the kilt skirts, to a beautiful couple, we knew we were going to walk away with a collection of great photos. But more importantly, at the end of the day, we were so blessed to get to know two amazing people even better! As we said about them on their engagement blog, they truly are such a genuinely sweet couple.

Jess and Chris, we are so honored that you invited us to be a part of your special day. We hope you enjoy your sneak peek.

Feel free to leave well wishes for the newlyweds and check out their engagement pictures if you missed those last summer. Also, feel free to tag images on our studio's Facebook page!

Here are some of the great vendors who helped made their day a success!

Thurmont United Methodist Church

The Links at Gettysburg

The Flower Shop

D-MAN Music Productions

Cakes by Susie

Touch of Class

J.crew

Lindsay & Clint are Engaged!

2011-07-07T22:33:00.000-04:00

We are a little behind on our sneak peek with this session. We have been so busy with shooting a wedding & designing some albums, that this entry got pushed back. If you are a fan of ours on Facebook, you will have already seen these images last week. But, for those of you who are not, here are a few of our favorites from Lindsay and Clint's engagement session two weekends ago.

Lindsay and Clint, we can't wait for your wedding in August!

Kristen & Ben are Engaged!

2011-06-12T22:53:00.001-04:00

Kristen and Ben have been dating since 2007. The first time we actually met Kristen was the day we took Ben's senior portraits. A little over a year ago Kristen left for an 11 month long mission's trip that traveled all over the world. The day she came home, Ben was at the airport with all of her family. He patiently waited down a flight of stairs during her tearful reunion with everyone. When she finally ran down to him, he was on one knee before she hit the last step. We were so honored to be there capturing their beautiful engagement, and now, their engagement portraits.

We got together with them last Wednesday to take their portraits. Can you believe it was over 100 degrees when we took these images? These two are one of the most romantic couples we know. We can honestly say we hardly had to pose them. They are so in love and it shows!

We are so excited for their wedding this September and can't wait to attend as guests. We are so happy that Ben has met such an amazing girl, and we can't wait to finally call her family!

Gift Certificate Winners!

2011-06-11T09:58:00.000-04:00

Last year Kanda Studios donated a gift certificate for use in a Howard County Library silent auction with proceeds benefiting the library's educational initiatives. Tia and her family were the lucky winners of that certificate. Last weekend, we met them at Patapsco State Park to honor the certificate and capture some great photos of her family. Although it was hot and muggy (the trend in Maryland lately), we had a lot of fun during the session.

Here are a few of our favs from that day.

Jacob is One!

2011-06-08T14:00:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe it's been a year since we photographed Jacob as a newborn. Now he is old enough to walk around, and even drive his own 4-wheeler! We had a great time in Old Ellicott City last week capturing these images. Here are just a few of our favorites.

Kira and Adam, we loved having the privilege of photographing Jacob over this past year. We hope that, although your "Babies First Year" package has ended, you will continue to hire us to take his pictures in the future. He is defiantly one of our favorite clients!

Happy First Birthday, Jacob!

Here is a look back on Jacob's first year:

Clients, learn more about our "Babies First Year" package here.

Sophia & Shayne

2011-06-03T11:49:00.001-04:00

Lisa contacted us about doing a session of Sophia and Shayne at Brookside Gardens, where she was married about 8 years ago. This was a gorgeous location and will be added to our list of recommendations for future sessions! Maybe one day we will get the opportunity to photograph a wedding here.

Here are a few of our favorites!

Cathy and Dan are married!

2011-05-26T19:58:00.000-04:00

We had loads of fun shooting this wedding. Our day started at the house of Cathy's parents where she was getting ready. The house was a buzz as the bride, six bride’s maids, four flower girls, Cathy's parents, and a host of others involved in the preparation, frantically readied themselves for the big day. After capturing candid shots of the prep work, we moved outside to capture several formal images of Cathy grouped together with the others.

Our time with the Cathy was finished quickly as the limo arrived to pick her up. We quickly drove about a mile over to where Dan and his groomsman were getting ready. Taking a few quick group pics of them, we were again on the road to the wedding location at Kurtz‘s Beach…arriving at about the same time as the bride’s limo.

Although it was threatening rain most of the day, the bulk of the rain held off until the ceremony was over. Throughout the ceremony a slight mist was falling…or maybe it was just tearing eyes over the beautiful ceremony. Kanda Studios managed to get some recognition near the end of the ceremony. Before the pastor announced to Dan, “you may kiss the bride,” he reminded them that the photographers wanted them to hold the kiss for the pictures. Happy to oblige, Cathy and Dan locked into a long kiss, giving us plenty of time to get the shot.

We really enjoyed being a part of this wedding day, and we wish the best for Cathy and Don as they start a new life together. Enjoy a small sample of the many photos taken that day.

Congratulations guys!

Senior Portraits- Jeremiah

2011-05-23T22:33:00.000-04:00

Below are a few of the images from a recent senior portrait session of Jeremiah at his home. I don’t think many guys in high school love having their photo taken, but Jeremiah was a real trooper and he did a great job following our direction. His pictures came out great, and we loved that he wanted to use his car in a few of the shots.

We even let his girlfriend join in a few of the shots.

Jeremiah, congratulations on your upcoming graduation this week!

Kathleen & Zach are Engaged!

2011-05-13T17:25:00.000-04:00

On Saturday we met with Kathleen and Zach at the local tire playground in Catonsville to start their engagement session. During their session we had a little boy following us around asking questions and teasing the couple during the kissing shots. As the session went on the crowd of children grew to around ten. Before we left this location, we took a few pictures of Kathleen and Zach on the tire swing, incorporating the children into the background

We then headed to Baltimore City. Zach proposed to Kathleen at an Oriole's game recently, so we took a few shots outside of Camden Yards before the sun set.

Afterwards, we took some night shots by the train station, at the Inner Harbor and then ended the night

at the carousel.

Kathleen and Zach, we look forward to your wedding this December! Congratulations again on your engagement. We hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Stephanie & Anthony are Married!

2011-04-22T14:10:00.002-04:00

Stephanie and Anthony were married two weeks ago at Grace Episcopal Church off Main Street in Elkridge. This location, just from the castle like exterior, has always been on our list of Churches where we wanted to photograph a wedding. The inside did not disappoint either. It was gorgeous with lots of dark wood details and beautiful stained glass windows. We could have taken creative shots there all day.

Stephanie and Anthony had a lovely afternoon wedding with a cocktail reception to follow. Guests drank Champagne, and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres including some delicious chocolate covered fruit, while congratulating the newly married couple.

Everything pulled together for a beautiful day. Stephanie's color palette for her Bridesmaids, of clover mixed with watermelon, made for a fun look and certainly brightened all the photos.

Stephanie and Anthony are a super sweet couple and we thoroughly enjoyed sharing their wedding day with them!

Feel free to leave well wishes for the newlyweds and you can tag images on our studio's Facebook page too. You can also check out their engagement pictures if you missed those last winter. Congrats to such a wonderful couple!

Here are some of the great vendors who helped made their day a success!

Grace Episcopal Church

Edible Arrangements

David's Bridal
Flowers by Giant

Hair & Makeup by Lauren Ward

Videography by Joe Austin

Jen & Mike +1

2011-04-08T14:35:00.000-04:00

Jen and Mike are about to welcome a little baby girl into their family in about a month. The name of their baby girl has been kept under wraps from everyone, including their parents! Can you imagine our excitement when they decided to let us in on their secret, in order to get some pictures of her name in baby blocks?

As adorable as the images are, we will not be posting them until after the baby is born. So, if you are a family member hoping to get some hints, you will not find any here!

Jen and Mike, we are thrilled for you both and can't wait to meet her. Here is a sneak peek of some of our favorite images from your maternity session. We had such a great time with you both, even though it ended up being a gloomy and slightly rainy day.

Kieran is 1!

2011-02-15T16:47:00.000-05:00

Kieran has officially come to the end of his "Babies First Year" package, which means he just turned one! We loved photographing him this year and seeing him grow. Kieran's Mother decided she wanted to do the traditional cake shots as well as a few "clean" ones. Since we just had some major snow that was still in the process of melting, we opted to meet at their beautiful home for his session.

Here are a few of our favorites:

A Gift for Mom

2011-01-06T13:32:00.001-05:00

Leigh Anne contacted us about doing a photo session with her husband Justyn, and his sister Eryca, as a Christmas gift for their Mother. Chris is in the military in North Carolina, but they planned to be in town for Christmas. So, last Thursday we met all of them in the historic town of Sykesville, for their session. We had a great time with this family playing on the tracks, and at a near by river in the woods. Since we were trying to get a variety of group shots, we had so many great images to pick from! Here are just a FEW of our favorites!

Stephanie & Anthony are Engaged!

2010-12-28T18:01:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday we did an engagement session with Stephanie and Anthony in Baltimore. Its hard to tell in the pictures, but it was freezing and extremely windy that afternoon. Between locations they were both throwing on heavy coats and scarves to keep warm. Because of the weather, a few of the ideas we wanted to try, we ended up having to pass on. Stephanie told us that her and Anthony dance everywhere they go, and we can see why. They are both so in love and it really shows.

Here are just a few of our favorites from the session.

Also, Anthony is in a local band called Rosabella. So, if you are interested in Rock music, you should check them out! We are hoping that after the wedding we can meet up with them to do a band session as well!

Stacie & Cricket

2010-12-02T14:07:00.000-05:00

Meet Stacie and Cricket!

I met with them at Rockburn Park this morning to take some portraits for their Christmas card. We were only out there about a half hour actually taking the pictures and braved some seriously cold winds. I am still thawing out as I type this. I almost feel bad complaining, because Stacie did it in a thin sweater and walked the park in high heals. A serious pro!

Here are a few of my favorites!

-Krista

Sandra and Lamont

2010-11-30T13:45:00.002-05:00

We love clients who want to get creative during their sessions. Sandra took the typical pregnancy craving to the next level and used them as props during her maternity session. Creative, huh?

At first glance you would assume she is about 6 months along, but she is actually due in the middle of January! I can see all mothers out there having to pick their jaw up off the ground. She looks amazing, doesn't she?

Sandra and Lamont, we can't wait to meet Logan! Congratulations again on your pregnancy!

Shayne & Sophia

2010-11-29T12:00:00.002-05:00

Shayne and Sophia's Mom contacted us recently about doing some pictures of her kids for Christmas. Since we had already booked an early morning session at Lake Elkhorn last Saturday, we had them meet us there as well. We had a great time chasing these two around. It certainly warmed us up, since it was pretty cold that morning.

Here were a few of our favorites!

Jacob is 6 Months Old!

2010-11-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we met Jacob and his parents at Lake Elkhorn for his 6 month session. Despite the really cold temperatures that early in the morning, Jacob was really easy going and gave us so many great smiles. We think he is becoming quite the pro at this. Here are a few of our favorites!

Lindsey & Davey are Engaged!

2010-11-23T17:01:00.002-05:00

Just for starters, we love this couple. Why? Because they are family! Well, Davey officially became family at the end of September. So, as you can tell we are a little behind on posting their engagement pictures to the blog. These taken about a week before their wedding, that we had the honor of attending as guests.

These are just a few of our favorites!

Jennifer & Joe Are Engaged!

2010-11-22T16:55:00.001-05:00

This past August we met with Jennifer and Joe at Patapsco State Park for their Engagment session. We had a great time exploring tunnels, keeping an eye out for moving trains on the railroad tracks and walking swinging bridge for portraits. Here are a few of our favorites!

Kieran is 9 months old!

2010-11-21T18:31:00.002-05:00

Kieran's parents wanted to do a Christmas theme for their session this past weekend. Lucky for us they even set up their Christmas tree at their house for us to use! Kieran was full of smiles during the entire session and made our job extremely easy! Here are some of our favorites.

Shyann & Marissa

2010-11-17T14:17:00.001-05:00

Meet Shyann and Marissa.

I can't say enough how adorable these two girls were. We had such a great time photographing them at Rockburn Park on Sunday. The weather was perfect and the girls couldn't have been in a better mood. I think the only time one of the was fussy was when we had to take the leaves from Marissa so she wouldn't eat them. We had such a hard time picking a few favorites for a sneak peek, so we hope you love them as much as we do!

Catching Up

2010-11-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

We are officially behind on posting to our blog. About two months behind, to be exact.

If you are a fan of Kanda Studios on Facebook, then you have seen some of our recent sessions. If not, we plan to catch up on here in the next week. Plus we have quite a few sessions coming up in the next month that we are excited about as well.

We hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful leaves! Although after all the wind and rain we are having today, we may have seen the last of them this fall.

Jacob is 3 Months Old!

2010-08-27T14:01:00.001-04:00

Baby Jacob is three months old already! This time we headed out of the studio to get some portraits of him at home. He was full of smiles during the whole session. He really made our job easy!

Here are a few of our favorites from the session:

Kieran is 6 months old!

2010-08-19T18:29:00.001-04:00

Little Kerian has not lost that huge smile he had 3 months ago at his last session. Here he is six months old and as cute as ever. We had a great time with him and his parents at Centennial Park last Saturday. We were really lucky to have great weather that morning and a really happy baby.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Cara is 1!

2010-08-13T15:10:00.004-04:00

This adorable little girl was so much fun to photograph. She was full of smiles and her mom picked out some of the cutest outfits. She really kept us on our toes chasing her around though. The amazing part was that she had just learned to walk not too long ago and was practically running at that point.

Here are just a few of our favorites:

Jess & Chris are Engaged!

2010-08-07T08:35:00.004-04:00

Since meeting with Jess and Chris we have called them our story book couple. Chris is from Scotland and they met here in collage. Then, while taking Jess on a trip back home, he proposed to her. We joked with them that they needed to get married there so that they could take us too.

Jess and Chris decided on historic downtown Frederick for their engagement session location. We loved getting to explore new territory and finding unique places to shoot while walking around downtown Frederick and Carrol Creek Park. Both of them were completely comfortable in front of the camera, comfortable with each other, fun to be around, totally photogenic, and just some of the nicest people in general.

We absolutely can't wait for their wedding next year. And get this, all the guys will be wearing kilts!

Here are some of our favorites from their session:

Erin and Chris are engaged to be married

2010-06-24T19:22:00.000-04:00

Here are a few images from our recent engagement session with Erin and Chris. During this time of the year it's usually hot and humid, but the weather this day was relatively nice. As usual, we wanted some variety in backgrounds so we visited a couple locations during the session.

We first met Erin and Chris at Piney Run State Park in Eldersburg. Here we took advantage of a small gazebo and nearby dock that strutted out into the lake to get several great shots. After a few more pics, we left Piney Run and drove to the nearby town of Sykesville to get a few shots on the large rocks along the Patapsco River.

We've shot a few sessions in historic downtown Sykesville, and we really like the variety of settings in and around town. Railroad tracks parallel the Patapsco River and go right through the town. We made sure to get a shot or two on the tracks, and on the old blue (and very rusty) train caboose that sits nearby.

Wrapping up the session, Erin and Chris made a change of attire into their favorite football team jerseys. Erin ... the Ravens, and Chris ... the Steelers. This is when things turned ugly and this couple (supposedly in love ... and engaged to be married) started to duke it out right in front of us. We won't say, but I'm sure you can guess who won.

Thanks Erin and Chris...we had a great time. Can't wait for the wedding!

Sisters

2010-06-23T12:00:00.006-04:00

This is Suzannah and Jessica. Not only are they adorable young ladies, but as sisters they also have a very close relationship ... as you can see in these photographs. This relationship made our job easy, allowing us to capture some endearing photographs of the girls together.

We met them and their aunt at Lake Elkhorn in Columbia, and instantly fell in love with their beautiful eyes. They were spending the day with their Aunt Robin, and she scheduled this secret photo session with us to capture some images of the two girls as a surprise gift for their mom.

Suzannah (the eldest of the two) is already planning on a future career in fashion design. During the entire session, she was the seasoned model and the glue that held the shots together. Jessica was fine most of the time, but like most younger children, lost interest in our constant direction and picture taking.

Because of the loving bond these sister share with each other, we were able to capture some beautiful images. We're sure that their mom will be excited when she views their online photo gallery, and even more excited to

get her hands on some prints of these two lovely ladies.

Hopefully, we will one day have the pleasure of photographing both girls again.

Thanks Robin!

Say Hello to Jacob

2010-06-21T22:15:00.001-04:00

We are so happy to introduce you to Jacob. He's one of the youngest models we've had in front of our camera ... 7 days old at the time of this session.

Even though he's relatively new to this photography stuff (and life in general), he did a tremendous job in front of the camera, giving us several opportunities to get some fantastic images for mom and dad.

It's amazing how sleep is a major portion an infant's day ... that is of course, unless they are in our studio. When working with infants we find that patience is a necessity, as it takes time to get them asleep.

Once sleeping, they can usually be posed and placed into most any position and setting. Although, one still has to work fast and quietly because there's no guarantee how much time you'll have to capture images before nap time is over.

Jacob was no exception to our "infant-in-studio" rule. Once he was asleep, we captured several shots that his mom and dad wanted. Overall he did very well for his first photo shoot, and we got some creative images that will be cherished for years.

The best thing for us is that Jacob is on our Baby's First Year plan. This means we'll have him in front of our cameras a few more times this coming year, and we'll have the pleasure of seeing him grow into a little man.

Silent Auction ($150 Kanda Studios Gift Certificate!)

2010-06-11T14:44:00.000-04:00

A good friend of ours is raising money for her World Race trip that starts in less then a week. For 11 months, Kristen and her team will travel to 11 different countries to help in orphanages, teach English, lead sports camps, plant churches, teach life skills to former victims of the traffiking industry, feed the hungry, disciple the spiritually hungry, be love to everyone they meet, and much more!!
You can learn all about it at http://kristippett.theworldrace.org/.
Until tomorrow at 1pm she will be holding a silent auction for a Kanda Studios gift certificate in the amount of $150 to help raise the final $8,000 she needs for her trip.

If you would like to place a bid please contact her at snoopcz@aol.com. Leave her your name, phone number, address, email address and the amount you would like to bid. She will contact the winner after the end of the bidding tomorrow at 1pm. The winner of the certificate must pay the amount that they bid within a week. Once she has received the money we will mail the certificate to the winner.
You can use the gift certificate for any of our serives or products and its good for a year!
If you have any questions regarding the certificate please contact us at info@gokanda.com
So go bid! Its for a great cause!!

Mary+Tim 05.23.10

2010-05-31T16:05:00.023-04:00

We were blessed to cover one of the most beautiful weddings, in one of the most beautiful venues in Baltimore. Built in 1866, the Tremont Grand is such a hauntingly, gorgeous venue in which to get married. We were blown away by the architecture, early 1900's paintings, stained glass windows, the library and even the famous women's restroom... it was all exquisite. This venue was truly a photographers dream. These are the moments when we really wish we had more time to take photos. But we know it's still a wedding and we squeezed in as much creative shots as we could in the time we're given.

We have known Mary for over 15 years. So, not only were we her photographers, but we're pretty close to being family. I remember trying not to tear up seeing Mary's sister zipping up her stunning Watters & Watters gown. She looked absolutely breathtaking! We knew Tim was thinking the same thing
                                                                                   when his face lit up as her
                                                                                 father walked her down the
                                                                                 isle.

And I must say they had one heck of a rockin' reception afterwards. It seemed that every age group really enjoyed getting out of their seats to let loose. Our favorite part of the reception was when Mary's 88 year old grandfather put down his cane to get up and dance with all the beautiful ladies.

Congratulations Mary & Tim! We hope you enjoyed this sneak peek of your wedding images. We can't wait to share the rest with you! And thanks again for allowing us to be a part of this special day!

Lauren & Eric are Married! /Baltimore Wedding Photographer

2010-05-27T16:46:00.003-04:00

We are so excited to share with you some of our favorite images from Lauren and Eric's wedding that was held at the Patuxent Greens Golf Club on April 10, 2010. The weather that day was gorgeous and we had such a blast with the wedding party shooting on the greens. Well, as close as we could without getting in trouble! It was a beautiful ceremony and reception, and because of the small and intimate gathering we got a chance to really get to know at lot of the people. By the end of the evening we felt like part of the family.

We also want to do a shout out to our friend Devon, from DV Bridal Artistry, who did an amazing job on the girls makeup.

Claire & Ryan +1/ Baltimore Maternity Photographer

2010-05-20T01:32:00.002-04:00

I love Rockburn park for their grassy fields, flowers, trees, and abandoned houses. It makes the perfect backdrop for a portrait session. We had a great time with Claire and Ryan exploring the landscape while documenting her beautiful pregnancy. Here are just a few more of my many favorites from their session:

Kieran is Three Months Old! / Maryland Baby Photographer

2010-05-08T20:20:00.002-04:00

Isn’t he the sweetest little thing on earth? A couple of weeks ago we were asked to take pictures of 3 month old baby Kieran. He had also just been christened, so we got a few images of him in his christening outfit as well. He was such a great baby considering we were taking his pictures for almost 2 hours! We got so many great images it was hard to pick just a few favorites to post.

We can’t wait until his next session! Kieran's parents chose to do a Baby First Year package, which is 4 different sessions within the first year of Kieran's life. Since his mom didn't find out about us until he was already three months, we substituted his newborn package for a nine month session.

Below are a few more favorites of the session.

Shayne is two/ Pasadena Maryland Childrens Photographer

2010-05-03T17:20:00.003-04:00

We have been a little behind on posting any blogs lately. Here is some images from a session that we did a few weeks ago with one of our regular clients. We had such a fun time at Downs Park chasing these two around to get their picture. I am sure they went home exhausted, because we did!

Newly Married/ Annapolis Family Photographer

2010-04-08T18:43:00.032-04:00

Last Saturday we met with a family at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Valerie had contacted us because she had recently gotten married, and while visiting her parents and brother, wanted some family portraits. Since Valerie is in the Navy, we thought the Naval Academy would make for a great backdrop.

In the beginning we could tell Valerie was the only one excited to be in front of the camera, but by the end we had everyone smiling and a little more willing to get their picture taken.

Valerie, we hope you and your family had a great time. Congratulations again on your marriage! -Krista

Kira & Adam +1 / Maryland Maternity Photographer

2010-04-07T21:26:00.006-04:00

Kira's mother contacted us about doing some maternity portraits of her daughter a few months ago and we were thrilled. It had been about 3 years since the last time we had taken any and we were ready! We found out the day of the session that Kira had some previous modeling experience and it showed. She looked beautiful in every image!

Kira and Adam, we had a great time and look forward to meeting and photographing baby Jacob in the near future! -Krista

Evan is one!

2010-03-29T17:04:00.015-04:00

A couple weeks ago we had a photo session with a little boy named Evan. He was turning one year old, and mom and dad wanted some photos of him to send to relatives. He was such a very cute and calm little boy, and getting photos of him was a breeze! This was a welcome change since we're used to chasing kids all over the place to get our shots as their attention goes from one thing to the next.

One of Evan's favorite things is his piano. It's the perfect size for him. After all, it is a baby grand. His loves banging on the keys, so getting a picture of him with the piano was no chore at all. As you can see in the photo, he happily stood there hitting the keys and grinning from ear to ear.

Along with being a pianist, I think we're also looking at a future fireman. Another favorite of Evan's is riding on his fire truck. There were no problems getting him to ride the truck. He would probably stay on that thing for hours. Wearing his fireman's hat while on the truck...now that was a different story. It would not stay on his head long before he yanked it off.

It was such a joy to work with Evan on this shoot, and we look forward getting him in front of our cameras again real soon.

Proof Print Special Offer

2010-03-18T20:00:00.001-04:00

The lab we use for printing has reduced its cost for 4x6 proofs until this Sunday, March 21. We’re passing this savings on to our customers. Contact us for more information on ordering proofs of any sessions (weddings or portraits) you have done with us in the past.

Krista & Anthony

Bridal Show

2010-03-09T21:29:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday we had a display at the Links at Gettysburg Bridal Show. The show was great! Not only did we meet a lot of future brides and grooms, but we also got to network with plenty of other wedding vendors. We want to thank all those that stopped by to talk with us. At the show, we told everyone about a free engagement session offer included for those that book a wedding. This is a limited time offer, and we're extending it any new customers that book with us. See the details below.

Book any level of wedding coverage with Kanda Studios between now and 9 July 2010, and we will include a complementary engagement session in the deal*. Engagement sessions are a great opportunity for couples to get in front of the camera and get to know us before the wedding, and the images can be used for save-the-date cards and guest books or photos for signing.

*Based on availability of your date; booking requires a signed contract and retainer. Engagement sessions are shot within the greater Baltimore area, and must be completed no less than six weeks before the wedding date. Images are posted online for purchase; prints, guest-books, and other products are extra.

Thanks,

Anthony and Krista

Danielle

2010-02-28T20:50:00.009-05:00

Next Saturday Danielle will be attending the Baltimore Ravens 2010 Cheerleader Tryouts. Along with her application, she needed to submit two 5x7 pictures (one head shot and one full body.) She contacted us a couple of week ago to set up the session, and we did the shoot just the other evening.

She was a little nervous at first, but eventually warmed up to the camera and was working it like a pro. In a short time we had lots of great images from which to choose. We then sat her down to sort through and narrow the pics down to her top two choices.

Danielle - We think you have a great shot at making it. Good luck and don’t forget us when you make it big…a couple of tickets to a Ravens game would be nice.

Caliente!

2010-02-02T20:46:00.003-05:00

Howard County Library has an annual fund raising gala called “Evening in the Stacks.” As part of this fund raising effort, they also have a silent auction. This year Kanda Studios has donated a $200 gift certificate to be included in the silent auction. Proceeds from this fund raising effort benefit the library’s educational initiatives.

Our certificate is at the Elkridge Branch Library along with other items donated from the community. If you are in the area, stop by and place a bid on our certificate or the other auction items. If you win the certificate, you could use it toward a photo session and prints, or any other Kanda products and services. If you have no need for the certificate, how about giving it as a gift? All in all, you would be getting a great bargain with the certificate, and supporting your local library at the same time. Bidding ends on Feb 22 at 7:00 pm. So what are you waiting for…go bid!

Congratulations Claire and Ryan!

2010-01-06T15:33:00.023-05:00

We can’t think of a better way to start the new year than to witness (and photograph) a beautiful wedding. This past Saturday we had the pleasure of capturing Claire and Ryan’s wedding at The Links at Gettysburg. The venue was breathtaking inside and out. But, with the wind pushing temperatures in to single digits that day, shooting any pictures outside was not going to be easy. We did manage to squeak out a few before we had to run back inside and warm up.

We shot Claire and Ryan’s engagement portraits last year and had so much fun. Our anticipation for the wedding was high, and they didn’t disappoint us at all. Claire was beautiful in her one shoulder Venetian style wedding gown, and Ryan was very handsome in his black tuxedo. The plan for the day was to do all the formal group portraits before the wedding ceremony…a luxury we don’t usually have. That allowed us to take more time to focus on these formal shots, and not feel rushed.

The ceremony was beautifully performed in front of a large stone fireplace glowing with 40 or so candles of various sizes. After cocktails and dinner, the dance floor opened up and guests of every age filled the floor. Dave Lynch of Amplified Entertainment had the place rocking, and it seemed that the bride and groom along with the guests were enjoying the music variety the DJ played.

It was a fun evening, and we had many good photo opportunities. We put a few teaser pictures here within this blog posting. Check our website and FaceBook pages in the coming weeks for additional pics from this wedding day.

Claire and Ryan - We wish you the best of luck and many blessings as you start a new life together.

Free Photo Session

2010-01-03T19:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

To celebrate we are giving away a free photo session with Kanda Studios worth $75!!

To enter, all you have to do is become a FAN of our Facebook page!
Just click on the Facebook icon to the right of this entry to get to our page.
If you are already a fan, then you’re already entered!!

The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, January 15th

and will be notified via Facebook.

Good Luck and thanks for entering!

Photo session must take place before April 1, 2010. Some restrictions may apply.

Mary and Tim are engaged

2009-12-31T14:05:00.014-05:00

Mary and Tim are engaged to be married this coming spring. For their engagement photo session, we decided to use a few locations in and around Baltimore City. There were high expectations that this session would yield some good photos, as we had previously worked with Mary on several modeling sessions. We knew if we provided some great settings, she would make the pictures look good. Well, she lived up to our expectations as usual. Oh, and there was Tim . . . yeah, he was pretty good too.

The first goal was to get a few shots in a park like setting just before dusk. Since one of our planned stops for the evening was to be Fell's Point, the perfect park choice close to that location was Patterson Park. This park has a lot of character and charm, not to mention unlimited choices for portrait settings. Since Tim is active military, it seemed appropriate to get the cannons around the pagoda in at least one of the shots. As daylight faded, we left the park and headed to Fell's Point.

In Fell's point we took advantage of the waterfront view, charming shops, and quaint cobblestone streets to get several great portraits. Then we made our way inside one of the local coffee shops to warm ourselves with a hot drink, and to just take a break. There's no rest for the weary though, as we took advantage of this time to get the "close up of engagement ring with couple kissing out of focus in background" shot.

Wrapping up the evening's session, we made our way to the neon "LOVE" sign on the side of the American Visionary Art Museum near Federal Hill. This provided an interesting, and appropriate background for the newly engaged couple. Our final stop was on the steps of the Baltimore Basilica. Although this stop wasn't planned, the warm lighting and the beautiful columns at the entrance caught our attention. After a just a few shots, the guard chased us off and locked the gates.

Mary and Tim - We had a lot of fun doing this session and we hope you did too. Congratulations on your engagement, and we're looking forward to capturing your special day this spring. We can't wait!

Meet Jacob Max

2009-12-21T13:45:00.019-05:00

This beautiful little baby is the newborn son of a long time friend of ours. She wanted us to capture portraits of him at home, so that the images could be used within a birth announcement...which we ended up designing for her.

The session started once Jacob was fed. Mom placed him down so that we could get some photos of him quietly asleep. We had little to time shoot because as soon as he was down...his eyes would just pop open, and he would start to fuss. It was almost as if he knew what was going on, and didn't want to miss anything. We did managed to get a few shots of him alone, but soon came to realize that he was more comfortable (and stayed asleep) while being held by mom.

With a little coaxing, we were also able to get Jacob's handsome older brother Joshua into a few pictures before we wrapped up the session. In fact, an image of Jacob being kissed by his older brother was the perfect picture for the inside flap of the birth announcement.

Jacob is such a beautiful boy. We feel honored in capturing some of his first portraits, and also in helping to announce his arrival to family and friends.

One Chilly Morning.

2009-11-04T18:40:00.018-05:00

It was a chilly morning when we arrived at Piney Run Park. We were there to capture some photos of Kathy and her family, surrounded by the colors of the autumn season. Kathy was the lucky winner of a gift certificate we donated as a silent auction fundraiser item benefiting the UMBC women’s lacrosse.

The photo-session, originally scheduled the day before, had to be rescheduled due to…you guessed it, rain! We arrived at the park a little early, scouted a couple possible photo locations, and were ready to shoot. The Fall leaf colors weren't quite at their peak, but there was a little bit of color in them.

Everyone was a bit cold, so we kept coats and jackets on until we were ready to shoot. We would then take them off, and put them right back on again. Starting with the whole group, we captured photos of the entire family first.

The little ones were a little restless, so we did the best we could with the larger group. Then we broke things down into smaller groups. Eventually, we let the kids be kids, and they played on the park playground. Capturing images of the kids just having fun on the playground seemed most natural for them. Do you blame them? We hate posing for pictures too!

We included a few pics from the session in this post.
Enjoy!

Stacey and Travis are married!

2009-11-01T12:30:00.031-05:00

Author John Ruskin is quoted as saying, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” This is exactly the attitude that Stacey and Travis took on their wedding day. You see, most of the plans they made for an outdoor wedding ceremony had to be changed when the weather didn’t cooperate.

The rain started a couple of days before, and continued right up to the day of the wedding. But that didn’t discourage Stacey and Travis. They were flexible with their plans, and embracing the rainy weather…made it a great day for a wedding.

A few months ago, we had a great time shooting an engagement session with Stacey and Travis, and we were excited to be part of their wedding day. We started the day getting shots of Stacey and her bride’s maids getting ready. All levels of the house buzzed with activity. In the basement, hair was being primped, make-up applied, and flowers delivered. Upstairs, the guys arrived and gathered to talk with the pastors and parents.

When the time arrived, all made their way outside to the tent where the ceremony would take place. Two pastors performed the ceremony. In a short while, Stacey and Travis were officially man and wife.

The wedding party headed back up to the house where we proceeded to capture some formal pictures, and then all made there way back out to the tent to celebrate this wonderful occasion. It was wet…fun…and all in all, a wonderful time.

Stacey and Travis - we wish you all Gods blessings as you two start your lives together as one. Thank you for letting us be a part of this special day.

Meet Ava

2009-09-17T17:36:00.017-04:00

This little one has a definite future in modeling!

After about ten minutes of shooting, we started to think this girl knew exactly what she was doing. She was giving us cute expressions with a little bit of attitude. Along with those expressions came some really great poses…and most of this with little to no coaxing from us.

We brought along a few toys to catch her attention for the times when we wanted her looking at the camera. The noisy / squeaky toys worked the best...especially for the close up pictures.

And talk about close up shots…just look at those eyes! Aren't they gorgeous? You know, we like to take credit for our photography, but when the model is as cute and cooperative as Ava, it really helps to make us look good.

We look forward to taking more pictures of this cutie in the coming years.

Session Fee Increase

2009-09-16T20:28:00.006-04:00

We will be increasing our session fees on October 1st. To secure the current price for a session after that date, please contact us before October 1st to set up an appointment.

Krista & Anthony

KandaStudios@verizon.net

A Family Reunion

2009-09-12T12:27:00.028-04:00

Jenny and Nate live out of State. With him in the military, they are rarely in Maryland anymore. During their short visit for a family reunion (which was immediately after this photo session), Jenny had us come out to her parents house in the early morning for some family pictures. When we arrive at her parents house, we learned the meaning of the phrase "its a small world." The house looked familiar. Then we found out, Jenny's parents actually bought their home from some of our relatives a few years back.

We started out with just Jenny and Nate and got some pictures of them, as well as some with their dogs. The neighbors must have thought we were a little crazy when they heard us loudly yelling "kitty" to get the dogs attention...but it worked like a charm.

We then got a few shots of her mom and dad before getting all her sisters together for some photos of the entire family.

Despite a few setbacks, wet grass, buttons missing on shirts, water spills, and racing against the clock for those last few moments of shade, we got some great pictures!

Colin is 3 months old!

2009-09-08T13:40:00.002-04:00

This sweet little baby boy came to our studio a few weekends ago and traveled so far to get here.... about 30 seconds! His mom was looking at the directions on how to get to the studio and realized that they were just around the corner, that's my kind of commute!

When they arrived Colin was wide awake and a little concerned with what was going on. But, after a little bit of cuddling with his mommy, he was ready to go. We were able to get some great smiles out of him and he was up for any ideas we wanted to try. His parents were wonderful and obviously so in love with their sweet baby boy.

Colin was so exhausted by the end of the session, as you can see, he fell asleep while sitting up in the family photos.

Kayla and MaKaehla

2009-09-07T13:03:00.030-04:00

Here are a few photos from a recent shoot of Kayla and her daughter MaKaehla . We met them at Centennial Park one evening for the session. MaKaehla was wearing this adorable dress, and we instantly fell in love with her beautiful eyes and cute cheeks.

As you can see in the close-up photos, she has the darkest eyes. She was fascinated by the flowers and the tall grass at the park, and we took full advantage of her curiosity to get some great photos of her exploring.

We then left Centennial for Lake Kittamaqundi a few miles down the road. The fountain near the lake proved to be a good spot. MaKaehla seemed to really enjoy kicking her feet in the water, and wasn‘t happy at all when we left the fountain for another location. We couldn't blame her...it was hot and humid that day.

After a few more shots in near the lake, we could tell she was getting tired, and we all decided it was a good time to wrap things up.

Over all, we got some great shots of both mom and daughter during this shoot. Thanks Kayla & MaKaehla!

Dianne & Sam Are Married!

2009-09-01T11:53:00.000-04:00

Dianne and Sam were married a couple weeks ago at Deer Park Methodist, followed with a reception a few miles away at Martins Westminster. We started this session at the bride's house, photographing the bride and bride's maids preparing for the wedding. This gave us many opportunities to get some great shots, as they joked around and acted silly with each other. Some of our favorites shots were taken when all the bride’s maids hands worked together to lace up the back of Dianne’s wedding gown.

The ceremony was wonderful, and the beautiful interior of the church added to the warmth of the moment. This wedding ceremony and reception was filled with love and lots of laughter! Although Dianne is known for her funny expressions when being photographed, when she smiled it would light up the room.

The dance floor was rarely vacant during the reception as the guest seemed more than happy to fill it up. Although Sam wasn’t much into hitting the dance floor, he looked so happy throughout the evening talking, laughing, and celebrating with his friends and family.

Dianne and Sam - we’re so grateful we had this chance to get to know you two a little better, and share in your special day. What a fantastic time we had!

Sophia is Five!

2009-08-28T13:24:00.007-04:00

We had a great time photographing one of our regulars this past weekend. Sophia's mom is always up for anything... which makes our job a little more exciting. We had been scoping out this new location a few weeks earlier and it worked out perfectly. Sophia was great and we had fun capturing her little personality:)

Tiffany & Matt are Married!

2009-08-17T17:25:00.020-04:00

Here are a few photos from Tiffany and Matt’s wedding we shot a couple weeks ago. This wedding was held at Kurtz’s Beach. If you’ve ever been there for an event, you know how beautiful this location is…right on the Bay. It was a perfect location for the beach theme of the wedding.

To go along with that theme, it threatened to be a fairly hot day, but as it turned out…it wasn’t that bad. This was mainly because the ceremony took place later in the afternoon. A heavy summer thunderstorm did roll through shortly after the ceremony, but by that time everyone was inside for the reception.

The reception hall layout, which was somewhat round, made it easy for us to move around the crowd for some great shots. With the casual, laid-back atmosphere of the venue and the event, we didn’t feel like we we’re working. We had a great time, and really felt like one of the guest.

Tiffany and Matt - It’s our prayer that your marriage will be full of God’s blessings. Best of luck, and thanks for allowing us to photograph and be a part of your special day.

Stacey & Travis

2009-07-18T23:40:00.023-04:00

What a good time we had shooting an engagement session for Stacey and Travis. This session was originally scheduled earlier in the Spring, but with so much rain at that time, we found ourselves rescheduling most shoots…including this one.

Well, the wait was well worth it! There were so many photo opportunities at the house of Travis’ parents, that we could’ve shot there for hours. As with most shoots, Krista and I get so wrapped up in the sessions…we don’t know when to stop. If it wasn’t for losing the sun light that evening, we may well have shot hours more. Hey what can we say, we love this job!

Although the daylight ran out quickly, we managed to cover most ideas that all of us wanted to try. The hardest part of this session wasn’t the shooting. It was selecting some photos to post to this blog. We like so many! Finally, we managed to narrow the selection down and post a few.

We can’t wait until the Fall when we’ll have the opportunity to witness a very special day in their lives, and be there to photograph every moment of it.

Stacey and Travis - thanks for a great evening. We are really looking forward to your Wedding . . . it will be beautiful!

Trash the Dress....well, almost.

2009-07-07T20:20:00.017-04:00

For those not familiar with a "Trash the Dress" photo session, check out this Wiki link for an explanation.

One morning last weekend we met Ana at Patapsco State Park, with the intent of shooting her at Cascade Falls in a wedding gown we bought on Ebay. Well, the Ebay dress didn't fit...but she'd also brought her own wedding dress. Not wanting to totally trash her own dress, she was willing to at least let it get a little wet on the bottom. Hey, that will work for us we thought...let's do it. Off to the falls!

Although it was a short uphill hike to the falls, by the time we got there, we all realized how out of shape we were. Fortunately for us, there was no one using the falls when we arrived...so we were good to go! There was however a tree that had fallen right across the pool at the bottom of the falls. Note to self: add chain saw to photo equipment bag for all future wooded shoots. Just kidding. The tree, although in the way, was worked into the session quite nicely as you can see.

We set up some lights, Ana changed into the wedding dress, we did a few test shots to check exposure, and we were ready to roll. Several locations in and around the falls were used, and we were only interrupted a few times by hikers and bikers...one person even congratulated Ana on her marriage. Within the couple of hours while there, we got a fairly wide variety of shots done. When a family with several kids arrived to use the falls and pool for swimming, it was time to call it a day.

As we edit the photos, we'll post more here for everyone to see.

Ana - Thanks for a great session! We look forward to working with you again soon.

Senior Rep Model Search

2009-06-10T20:47:00.002-04:00

Are you graduating in 2010?

If your answer was yes then you have a chance to win a FREE senior photo session. Kanda Studios is looking for outgoing seniors to become our Class of ‘10 Senior Reps. Two seniors from each high school will be selected and receive the following:

-one complimentary on location photo session
-4 of your favorite images watermarked and sized for Facebook/Myspace
-2 sheets of wallets with an image of your choice
-50 Custom Senior Rep cards

What is a senior rep?

A senior rep promotes Kanda Studios by personal testimony and referring seniors to us by handing out senior rep cards. These cards will give them 20% off their print purchases. Then, for each of your referrals that completes a session with us, you will receive two sheets of wallets from your session or $10 cash, depending on what you prefer.

If you would like to enter for your chance to win, please have your parent send an e-mail to KandaStudios@Verizon.net and be sure to include the following information:

1. Your name
2. High School name
3. A contact phone number
4. A recent snapshot

All entries are due by July 1, 2009.
The seniors selected will be notified by July 8, 2009.

**All contestants must be graduating from high school during the 2010 school year.
**Winners must agree to be a participating Senior Rep for Kanda Studios.
**High schools are limited to Howard, Carroll and Anne Arundel counties

If you have any questions feel free to contact us at KandaStudios@verizon.net

We look forward to hearing from you!

Blue Chevy & Blue Jeans

2009-06-08T21:20:00.021-04:00

Here are a few images from a session we had recently with the Decker family. As with most of our sessions in the last couple of months, rain was again threatening to force us to shoot inside. We were lucky enough to get most of our shooting done outside without getting wet.

Their property had many great locations to use as backgrounds for our photos. To save time, we didn’t stray far from the house to shoot. In fact, the house plays a major role in most of the session's photos. At our request, they even pulled their blue 57 Chevy out of the garage, and parked it in the driveway for a few shots. These were some of our favorite shots of the day.

What about the rain you ask? Well, it held off until after the session, and we were well on our way home...then the flood gates opened!

Baby Chloe

2009-05-17T19:02:00.029-04:00

Meet beautiful Chloe. She was 6 weeks old at the time of our session and very much aware of what was going on. We had a hard time getting her to sleep because she hardly takes naps on a normal basis.

Our intentions were to have her sleeping in the majority of her pictures but ended up with a bright eyed baby. When she was content we were amazed at how well she would look at the camera. I think we have a future model on our hands.

Relatively Speaking...

2009-05-12T18:29:00.000-04:00

This entry is titled “Relatively Speaking” because the family in the pictures are related to Krista and I.

When planning this session, Mom told us that her daughter Julia might not cooperate in front of the camera. Well we've handled situations like this in the past, and we were ready with all the tricks we normally use on little kids to squeak out a few good session pictures.

We were even ready to use some things we learn in a recent Sandy Puc seminar "Tots to Teens." Turned out, we used very little from our bag-o-tricks because Julia cooperated extremely well. As a matter of fact, we captured so many cute images of her that it was hard to narrow them down for touch-up and editing.

Here’s a preview of a few images from that session.

Fitness Modeling

2009-05-06T23:08:00.004-04:00

Last week we finally got the pleasure of taking pictures of Sarah. Sarah is a relative of ours that we’ve been trying to schedule a photo session with for quite some time. Busy schedules on both sides have delayed us getting together to take pictures, but we finally managed to find a date that was open for us all.

The main purpose of the session was to add some new fitness style images to Sarah's modeling portfolio. As you can see, I think we got some nice shots for her to use.

Since the weather was rainy that day and we couldn't go out, the entire session was shot in the studio. Hopefully soon, we’ll be able to get on her schedule again for some photography out side.

Sarah - It was good to see you again, and we hope you had as much fun doing this session as we did.

The Smiths

2009-04-25T17:09:00.017-04:00

We had a session with one of the sweetest families a few weekends ago. We had intentions of doing the session outdoors but the weather ended up being terrible that day.

Lucky for us their house was gorgeous and it made for some great portraits. Hopefully next time we are able to make use of their beautiful yard as we intended to that day.

Thanks again! We had a great time!

A chilly afternoon at Savage Mill

2009-03-19T22:26:00.028-04:00

Last weekend we had the privilege of shooting a family at Savage Mill. Lucky for us, we found lots of great spots for the kids to play and be themselves. The area was full of statues for the kids to climb on, a big red barn, and a beautiful church court yard.

Zach was full of energy and personality. He loved to have his picture taken. Aly took a little longer to warm up to us, but she very quickly broke from her shy shell and all of her adorableness shined through.

Their Grandmother was in town during the photo shoot, and we were able to get her in a few shots as well. Some of them ended up being our favorites from the day!

Brandi, we are so glad to have met your family and boyfriend. You made this "sneak peak" blog posting very difficult for us… way too many wonderful pictures to choose from. We look forward to seeing you all again!

Spring is finally upon us.

2009-03-15T18:03:00.006-04:00

This month has been interesting. Snow showers mixed with sunshine, rain the next week and the beautiful signs of new life….spring is finally upon us.

We are very excited about the coming season! We love to get outside and enjoy the weather with our clients. The cold always seems to keep people home and you can only have so many studio shots. We love to change it up taking pictures against any backdrop the earth has to offer, and have you going home with portraits that are unique and fun. So, if your looking to get some nice spring photos, we are ready when you are!

In the mean time, here are a few spontaneous shots of my son enjoying the warm weather for the first time this year.

Creative Sessions

2009-01-27T18:54:00.013-05:00

What do you mean we are not getting paid for this?

That’s right; sometimes we as artist need a creative outlet that’s not driven by money. Something for our own fulfillment. When we don’t have a customer’s need to satisfy or meet, we are free to experiment and try some of our own ideas and techniques. Not only does this give us a creative outlet, but it helps us to improve our techniques for those future paying gigs.

For those creative sessions, we usually call on someone to model for us. Sometimes this model may be a relative or a good friend. Other times we pull from the resources of groups like the web based Model Mayhem. When using people from MM, the shoot becomes an opportunity for all of us to practice our tradecraft. Ultimately, everyone involved in this type of shoot walks away with images to freely use as they wish.

Recently we contacted Carrie, a Mayhem friend and model, and set up a day and time for one of these creative sessions. We had a couple of shot ideas we wanted to try, and then we were just open to experiment. As usual, it’s always enjoyable working with professional models. Just point the camera at them, and they know exactly what to do. They can really make the photographer’s pictures look good…and as you can see, Carrie did just that.

Thanks for a great session Carrie!

Jessica & Ray

2009-01-20T20:53:00.017-05:00

Last weekend we had a HS Senior photo session with two great teens...Jessica and Ray. By far, these were the best seniors we ever had the pleasure to photograph! We have to say that because they're family :-) Really, they were great, and we had a lot of fun doing the shoot. We even think they may have enjoyed it a little.

Usually we try to get our seniors out side for their sessions, mainly because this gives us much more to work with as far as backgrounds and scenery. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, and the temps were a little on the cold side. So, in the studio we stayed.

After a few individual pics of Jessica and Ray, we got them together for shot or two. The session ended with a requested shot of them both together, and included some props they brought along. This was a fun picture that would be used later in an invitation to their graduation parties. The shot ended up really looking cool, and we'd like to post it here, but we can't right now. That would just ruin the invitation for those of you on the invite list, wouldn't it? Although, we're sure that if you keep an eye on the High School Senior Gallery of our web site, it should show up there sometime before summer.

2009-01-15T17:01:00.007-05:00

Well, It's almost a month into the new year, and we're already really looking forward to the arrival of Spring. Ah, how nice it will be to take our photo sessions out side again. We know what you're saying,"that picture is not from around here." Well you'd be right, it's Colorado...but it's beautiful and looks Springy!

This year we are offering a new photography package, and we think it's a heck of a deal! It's called "Baby's First Year," and includes four photo sessions for the new baby...newborn, three months, six months, and a final session at one year.

If you are you a "Mom-to-be," this is a perfect opportunity to capture photos throughout your child's first year. Add this package to your baby registry, and we'll be ready to shoot when your little package arrives. Well, not literally that first day, but within a few weeks of that day.

This would also make the perfect gift for a Baby Shower. Unlike that bottle warmer that may get used once and then thrown into the closet, this gift will be cherished for a lifetime. Years from now when that child is grown, mom will look at those beautiful baby photographs and say to herself..."that was the best gift ever!"

For more details and pricing, feel free to contact us or check out the Investment section of our web site:
http://www.gokanda.com/investment.html

Thanks,
Anthony & Krista

Tyler & Heidi

2008-12-12T17:11:00.021-05:00

...let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Last Saturday afternoon we met up with a newly engaged couple, Tyler and Heidi. Tyler proposed to Heidi just two days prior to our scheduled photo session with them.

We started shooting the session at a park where a few years ago the love birds carved their names on a bench. The names weren’t visible enough to be in any of the shots, so we proceeded to get a few photos of them sitting on the bench.

As temperatures dropped and snow flurries fell, we headed to Fells Point for the remainder of the shoot. Things couldn’t have been better (well maybe warmer would have been nice).

The falling snow was just enough to add a visual hint of winter to the photos. As the darkness fell and the lights came on, we took advantage of the great light reflections on the wet cobblestone streets.

After a while of being out in the cold, we were all somewhat chilled and needing to warm up a bit. The Daily Grind coffee shop fit the bill perfectly, so we stopped in for a cup of hot chocolate and a little heat. Never one to miss an opportunity, we snapped off a few shots in the coffee shop before heading back out into the cold. A few more pictures out side, and we were done for the day.

We had a really fun time with Tyler and Heidi. This was a memorable time for us, and we hope it was the same for them. Their love for each other shined the entire session. How could we as photographers lose with a couple that looks so good in front of the camera.

Good luck Tyler and Heidi!

Jack & Kate

2008-12-10T19:47:00.004-05:00

We had a photo session with these kids about a month ago. They both looked so cute in their matching outfits.

Jack loved to have his picture taken. He would smile and pose for us anytime we asked.

Kate on the other hand wanted nothing more then to play. As she realized what we were doing she would scream on queue every time we lifted the camera. With a little distraction we were able to get some really great shots of her,

2008-12-10T19:32:00.005-05:00

We have been a little behind on our postings. The past few weeks has been booked for us with photo sessions and also getting ourselves ready for Christmas. Here are a few pictures from a session we had a few weekends ago. These kids are always a joy to photograph. I still cant believe how fast they are growing.

The Henn Family

2008-11-17T09:57:00.006-05:00

A few weekends ago we met up with the Henn family to shoot their Christmas card portraits. We scheduled them during a weekend that we thought would have the brightest leaves. Even though the sun was not out as much as we would have liked, we were able to get some great shots of the the family.

Hope you guys had as much fun as we did!

Christmas Cards

2008-10-28T18:50:00.009-04:00

We finally got a few Christmas Card designs complete. Here are some 5x7 flat card examples we're offering this year. Go to our website for information.

Aiden Joseph Smith

2008-10-09T11:42:00.008-04:00

Well, he's finally here!
Say hello to the newest member of the Kanda Studio's family.

Aiden Joseph Smith
born 12:18 on 10.07.08
7 lbs, 6.7 oz
21 inches

Mommy and baby are doing fine.

Stay tuned! You'll be seeing creative photos of this good looking guy showing up in our blog and web site in the near future.

One happy grandfather

Christmas Cards

2008-09-30T15:54:00.002-04:00

Well, you’ve probably noticed that we haven’t been posting much to our blog lately. With Krista getting really close to her due date, we’ve slowed down on scheduling photo sessions. After Aiden is born, and she’s feeling up to it, we’ll start things rolling again. I'm pretty sure that very shortly, you'll see images of him popping up here on the blog.

Don’t forget Christmas is right around the corner. If you’re thinking of sending out photo Christmas cards, let us help you with them. We can do a mini-session to capture some images (hour or less of your time). Then you can either purchase a digital image and have the cards made yourself, or have us design and print the cards for you. Contact us for prices.

Miller Family

2008-09-29T15:33:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, we had a photo session with the Miller family in their front yard. We got some great shots of the family all together. It’s not easy getting fifteen people to stay focused, look at the camera, and not blink. Especially when there are youngsters involved. We then broke things down into more manageable groups, getting shots of the individual families and couples.

Hopefully everyone had a good time, and enjoyed the session. I know we did. We’re still editing the entire session, but here’s a preview of some shots from that day. Enjoy!

Jack's First Birthday

2008-08-27T20:22:00.012-04:00

This little cutie had a first birthday full of poney rides, moon bounces, a clown & western themed everything!

Even though most of the activities were for the older kids he seemed to have a great time.

As you can tell, he really enjoyed digging into that cake.

Sarah, thank you for inviting us to photograph such a fun day!

Ryan & Claire

2008-08-14T18:23:00.014-04:00

Last Saturday we spent the morning shooting an engagement session for Ryan & Claire. During the early part of the morning we started out at Morgans Run & a local pond. The weather was perfect and we couldn't ask for better lighting.

In almost every photo we took you can truly see the love that this couple has for each other and it made for some wonderful shots. They were completely comfortable trying any crazy idea we came up with along the way.

To finish off the session, with Ryan in his Dress Blues & Claire in her matching dress, we headed to Old Town Sykesville. At one point we were shooting on the railroad tracks, amongst a restaurant full of on lookers, when around the corner we hear a train whistle. I'm sure it was pretty amusing to them as it did take a second for us all to realize that we were still on the tracks and close to being run over.

When Ryan returns from his overseas tour they plan to get married.

To Ryan and Claire, we would like to thank you for being such great models. We had a great time with you and hope to work with you again soon! Claire, you are truly going to make a beautiful bride.

Laura & Michael

2008-08-12T16:09:00.013-04:00

We spent an evening last week shooting two cousins in another High School Senior photo session. A local place near the water called Downs Park seemed to be a great place to start. Now this was a cool place for portrait photography, except it was a little too buggy to spend much time there that evening. We stayed long enough to get a few portraits done before deciding to move on. We’ll be putting that location on our list of places to shoot when the weather is cooler.

Next we stopped at a high school track where we got some great shots of Laura in her track uniform. Go Cougars! To wrap up the evening, we took the session inside. Using a black backdrop, we got few graduation cap and gown portraits of both.

This was a fun shoot for Krista and I, and hopefully for Laura and Michael too. You guys were great! If either of you want to do another session sometime, just let us know.

Ballerinas

2008-07-30T07:28:00.005-04:00

A few days ago we had the pleasure of shooting three beautiful little ballerinas in our studio. These future models were great at posing and giving us smiles on queue. We spent time getting individual pics of each, and also groupings of two and three. When the session was complete, we ended up with some really nice pictures. Of course, how can a photographer lose when working with such great talent. We even got the moms into a few shots.

Thanks Devon, Melissa, and Chris

Jorden & Kevin

2008-07-22T18:12:00.005-04:00

The other evening, we had a lot of fun working with Jorden and Kevin. This senior portrait style session started in the studio. After several good shots of both, we headed outside into the yard to catch some of the late evening sun light. We were able to capture a few good poses before the mosquitoes got to us and we headed back inside. We can’t wait until Fall gets here …ah yes, no bugs!

Back in the studio, we finished up the session with a few goofy shots…which actually turned out to be some of our favs. Kevin was a natural at modeling, and seemed as though he'd done it before. Jorden was a bit shy and nervous at first, but by the end of the shoot she gave us some beautiful pictures.

Thanks guys...it was fun.

Sophia & Shayne remix

2008-07-20T17:56:00.004-04:00

Well, we got another crack at shooting photos of Sophia and Shayne. Topping the shot list was getting a photo of Shayne in his baptism clothes. Mom wanted us to try and match a photo of Sophia taken in her baptism clothes a few years ago. We just love a challenge! I think we’ll get it pretty close.

Another reason for the shoot was to get some pictures of the kids outside. Of course Maryland’s weather in July is not best for shooting outside. That is unless you enjoy temperatures in the 90s and high humidity. Oh, and don’t forget the usual mosquitoes. But, by adding bubbles to the session, Sophia forgot all about the hot temperature and the bugs. All in all, it was a great session.

Vacation

2008-07-12T17:29:00.001-04:00

Our family recently spent a week in Colorado on vacation. What a beautiful State! We traveled from Denver south to Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, and Pikes Peak. Then off to the Great Sand Dunes. Heading north we stopped in Aspen, Brekenridge, and then finished up in the Rocky Mountain National Park. In one week, we experienced temperatures ranging from the 30s to the 90s. We walked through desert sands and mountain snows. Our feet were frozen as we trudged barefoot through ice cold water to get a look at Zapata falls. One day our heads were buzzed by multiple hummingbirds as they approached a feeder, and another day we sat on the mountain tundra amongst a herd of elk. Now we just need to get the thousand or so digital images printed so we can share the experience with others.

Sophia & Shayne

2008-06-25T12:16:00.004-04:00

We recently did a photo session involving a toddler named Sophia and her new baby brother, Shayne. One reason for the session was to capture an image of Shayne that his mom could use on a post card announcing his arrival. Lisa (Sophia and Shayne's mom) also wanted some pictures of Sophia alone, and together with her new brother. We were hoping to split the session between shots inside their home and outside at a local park setting. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate that day, and we spent the entire session inside. None the less, I think we captured some excellent images of the kids.

Shayne cooperated nicely, and seemed very curious about the strangers in his home and the equipment being used. We tried to get several pictures of him soundly sleeping (we managed a few), but he would have no parts of that, and stayed awake most of the time. Sophia was the perfect little model. She is extremely cute and photogenic, and as you can see in her pictures...this little girl has attitude! Basically, she's a teenager in a toddler's body. All in all, it was a fun session, and we came away with some great pictures. Here's a sample...

Lisa - thanks for letting us photograph your kids. We're really looking forward to our next session with them. Maybe the weather will cooperate and we can get outside.

Anthony & Krista

Crystal and Bryan

2008-06-05T15:43:00.011-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Krista and I covered the photography at a wedding. Bryan (the groom) and his family have been long time friends of ours. When my wife and I headed up a church youth group, Bryan and his sister were part of the group. Of course that was a few years ago. Look at him now . . . he's grown up and married. Bryan was looking very hansom this day, and Crystal was just beautiful! They seem to be the perfect match.

We had a lot of fun shooting the wedding. I have to admit, knowing the family sure made it a little less stressful. Although, there were some drawbacks. Most of the people invited to the wedding were people we hadn't seen in a while. So, while it was great seeing them again, everyone wanted to talk and catch up on old times . . . unfortunately, we were working. With Krista being pregnant, they really wanted to know how she was doing and get details on how the pregnancy was going.

Over all, it was a great time. I'm sure Crystal, Bryan, and their families will be blessed through this marriage. Good luck Crystal and Bryan!

Anthony & Krista

Benefit for Madalyn Jackson & Blessing of the Bikes

2008-05-01T23:18:00.018-04:00

Last Saturday (26 April) at Daniels on Route 1 in Elkridge, there was a benefit held to raise money for Madalyn Jackson. Madalyn is a six year old born with a very painful disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (commonly known as "brittle bone" disease.) She has had over 80 breaks in her lifetime, and has endured eight painful surgeries to help strengthen her bones. A few months ago, Krista and I had an opportunity to shoot a photography session with Madalyn and her family. She is an amazing girl, with a wonderful attitude.

The benefit money raised will be used for transportation equipped with a wheelchair lift, medical bills and expenses, and training for an assistance dog. We took photos during the event, which also included the annual "Blessing of the Bikes," and hope to post them online soon. Check back on this blog, or on our web site (www.gokanda.com) for a link to the photos.

The photos will be available for purchase, and half of all proceeds from sales will go to benefit Madalyn.

To view photos of the day click here.

Lighting Seminar

2008-04-28T16:42:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I took a lighting seminar in Baltimore with Don Giannatti and a bunch of other photogs.

Don's web site: http://www.lighting-essentials.com/

If he ever comes to a location near you, I highly recommend taking his workshop. It's well worth the money. The models were professional, and great to work with. I'm just getting around to sorting through the pictures. As I do a little post work on the best ones, they'll be posted below.

Enjoy,
Anthony

Model: Lindsey Bickert
MM #651787

Model: Jeanette Maria
MM #160873

Model: Virginia Petrucci
MM #212966
MUA: Lauren Morreale
MM #622320

Bear Butts.

2008-02-10T19:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we did a session with an old friend of mine from highschool. Her little boy was a joy to photograph! During the session we were talking about when my husband and I planned to have our first child.... three days later I find out I am pregnant =]

Here are a few more images from the session.

Elisabeth- thanks again for a fun session! Hopefully soon he can fill out that hat we had on him =]

abandoned.

2008-01-30T12:51:00.001-05:00

A few weekends ago my father and I did a photo session on the grounds of the old Saint Mary's College; also known as Hell House to those who grew up around Howard County. I'm sad to say that our previous intentions were to do a session at the abandoned car that I had taken pictures of before, as you might remember, but it appeared that within the year it was flattened... possibly from kids or maybe the rust finally gave out. Either way we were able to find a few new ideas along the way.

These were taken at an abandoned factory across the river from the old college.

These were taken on the old grounds where the college used to be.

And some taken on the bridge nearby.

pigtails and icing.

2008-01-23T10:48:00.001-05:00

some of you might remember this little one from a year ago.

can you believe she is a year old already?!
we had so much fun with this 1st birthday session!

Gift Certificates Available!

2007-12-19T20:45:00.000-05:00

Available now in any amount you choose!