The first time I met Jennifer, we were at an after work happy hour in downtown Fort Worth. We were both working for the same staffing agency (along with Chelseabug). Towards the latter (more fun) part of the evening, I insisted that we be some karaoke guy’s “Fly Girls” (backup dancers, for those who didn’t love the show “In Living Color”). So we got onstage… and we danced. Why not? Well, homey didn’t know the words to “Baby Got Back” so (embarrassingly enough) so I found myself hijacking the mic a few times (since I got mad flowin’ skills… yo). It was the epitome of ridiculous. But that’s what happens the few times Jen & I are able to hang out…ridiculousness.

Fast forward, we stay in touch through the years. Jennifer’s the kind of girl you can go 2 years without seeing, and then hang out and talk like you never missed a day! I’d heard about Bobby (BJ) when she started dating him, and how cool he was, and all these things she liked about him. Months later, they’re still dating; she’s still all googly-eyed whenever she talks about him. Then, after she had spent some time away on a trip, she came home and there he was with her puppy… and a very important question!! Totally romantic! Naturally I was honored when she asked me to be their wedding photographer! Here’s a few shots from their special day.

PS -BJ, after seeing the two of you together, I understand why Jennifer was so head over heels in love with you! It was amazing looking through all of your film & seeing how madly in love the two of you are. Thank you to you and your gorgeous wife for allowing me to be a part of your special day. Let’s meet soon for a Day After Session! xoxo

Click on the thumbnails for larger images

OHHHHH, and I have to tell you all about their first dance. They danced to Journey’s “Faithfully.” You know – Oh girl, you staaaand by me. I’m foreeeeveeeer yooooours. Faithfully. (I sing amazingly, btw.) (hah)
Well towards the end the end of the song, when the song busts into the “Ohhhhhh ohhhhh ohhhhh!” part (again, great singing…), the entire wedding party was singing along! It was awesome. And I captured it:

And how amazing are these two…

I am back to blogging! I realize that in order for me to grow my business, I have to be giving it a lot more, in regards to what I provide to my clients, my marketing, and a million other things. I still have my full time job, so it’s not as though I have gobs of extra time to d this… but I have had such an amazing year with weddings and families and bands that I want to push even harder. I know my friends and family will hate me for doing so, as they probably hate me for missing so many weekends with them due to shoots and weddings and editing galore; but I also know my friends and family don’t really hate me and I know they all are so supportive. So here I am…

Stay tuned for a few of the images from Jennifer & BJ’s October wedding!

I’ve only been able to devote time to this on a slight part-time basis, due to my full time job. My full time job isn’t going anywhere anytime soon (it’s not the right time w/the economy to really pursue photography full time yet). However, I feel as though I owe it to my clients to treat Kasi Daine Photography as a full time business. That means new, cool packaging, more (consistent) blog posts featuring my amazing clients, and really treating this as though my livelihood depends upon it.

I’ve been neglecting you purposely so that my mother could catch up on reading you, since she’s stubborned and has YET to read my 2 prior blog posts. Yeah well now she has no choice! Mama, I’m coming home for the weekend! And if someone’s unlucky, I’ll introduce my mother to Facebook, and leave just in enough time for someone else to have to answer her questions about how to figure it all out. I say that out of love, Mom.

(Warning: I had about 3 hours of sleep collectively throughout the night due to stupid insomnia… I then got up around 4:38am, and proceeded to do things around the house, go to work, go grocery shopping, and now I’m blogging. I’m exhausted and I think I’m in SillyWorld… you’re not familiar with SillyWorld?? It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump away from KasiLand! Told you… no sleep.)


So where was I a full month ago? OH! The most amazingest live shoot ever! My most rocking friend Tiffany arranged for me to shoot some very special guests at her club…None other than Arson Anthem! Arson Anthem consists of Mike Williams on vocals; Phil Anselmo on guitar; Collin Yeo on bass; and none other than Hank Williams III (Hank 3!!!) on drums. Raw, intense hardcore as it was when it originated. To make the deal even sweeter, my friends’ bands were able to take the stage – both Turbid North and Burn Down shared the stage with Arson Anthem. Absolutely phenomenal. It was a night none of us will EVER forget… PS didn’t mean to forget haarp, this craaaazy amazing band from New Orleans. Absolutely fantastical. Here are a few shots from the night (clickity click the thumbnails for larger image). Enjoy.

First things first… My mother has yet to look at my blog – so MOM! Whenever you read this… I want you to skip on down to the blog before this one (you can do this by scrolling down…) and read that blog post, then continue with this one. K?

OK so I really didn’t want to move forward with a new blog update, and I told my mom she was holding up any blog entries I may want to post, but like I have to want to blog, she has to want to turn on the computer. Oh well, I tried.

Moving on with the second part of my first Holy Mega Update, the end of the year was a busy one…. I did a family shoot in the Japanese Gardens, followed by a shoot with one of my oldest, most dear friends & her 2 kiddos:










And the shot I refer to as my ‘Ralph Lauren-esque’ shot:

(Yes, Mom, that was Dusty & her little ones)
Then I had the honor of seeing 2 old friends of mine from Midwest City, OK – he surprised her with a mini-photo shoot (then we got to have the best nachos ever at Yucatan Taco Stand):




Then had the honor of shooting a new friend & her amazingly cool family…


Next on my calendar was an “I Feel Pretty” Session – a new session I am introducing to my line of portraiture… it’s the session for those girls who just want to feel pretty and have their picture taken for no other reason than they can! Styling, hair, and makeup are available upgrades with this session. These 3 girls, however, came well prepared:



Then I got to shoot 2 of the cutest bulldogs ever – Duke & Daisy!!


…Reunited with a friend I hadn’t seen since middle school (we attended middle school together in Bellevue, NE):



Had 2 engagement shoots (for weddings I’ll be shooting this year):



followed by a family shoot with one of my favorite families, the Wakefields:



had a family night inside of the most amazing sheet fort ever (built by the most amazing husband ever… my own Michael):

…and finished the year with my first boudoir session:


So yeah… that was my year.

Coming up… shots from this year! That’s right, getting caught up and organized.
… or at least that’s what I’m telling myself right now.

Dear Blog:

You should accept the fact that, no matter how bad I wish it weren’t so…. you’re the red-headed step-child in this business. Even my own self-imposed picture of the day challenge isn’t enough to get my into a routine of blogging. I know I’ve been incredibly busy with photo shoots and editing the past few months, but still… I really should find the time to blog more. And I will. 2011, watch out blog. You’ll still be my red-headed step-child…but I promise to show you a little more love.

PS… Mom – You’re the main reason I’m going to be working on updating this more often. Love you.

Without further adieu… here’s to catching up!

Starting with images from Jacquelyne & Austin’s wedding:

That brings me to the fabulous engagement session I had with Matt & Krista! I knew I had the right clients when she decided to bring mimosas to the picnic I had staged!

Followed by a gig for Ride For Dime!

Then for a complete change of pace, I shot an amazing senior shoot in the Fort Worth Stockyards with gorgeous Miss Taylor! She’s as sweet as she is beautiful and she has a bright future ahead of her!

Then I had an amazing time at Will & Stephanie’s wedding!





And the best wedding shot of all time….

More to come…

So a week and a day ago, I put forth a challenge to those of you who read my blog and keep up with me on Facebook: Do something nice for someone else and nominate them for a free photo session, and tell me why they should be the recipient!

The entries I received were wonderful to read. Talk about warm fuzzies! As you remember, for the first Pay It Forward Friday giveaway, I decided to give away two mini-sessions (1 for people portraiture, 1 for musician/band promotional shoot). And the winners are:

Allison Andrews -Allison actually had 2 nominations! To her friends, Allison is a beautiful girl, inside and out – and they wanted to give her an “I Feel Pretty” portrait session to show her just how beautiful she is. I LOVE THIS! I am all about empowering women to feel and look their best, and just be comfortable with who they are, and know that they all are beautiful!

And for the band promotional shoot, I know a little about this band, and I couldn’t agree more with the people who nominated them… The free band promotional shoot goes to a band straight out of Dallas, TX: Revengeance! It seems like almost any weekend you can catch a Revengeance show somewhere – and the reviews are always stellar! This is just my opinion, but when you see a band touring their hearts out, recording, pulling out all the stops (they opened for KISS this past September!), it’s clear that they love what they do and I think they totally would be able to utilize this prize! I can’t wait to see where they go from here!
SO congrats again to the two winners! Winners – shoot me an email kasi@kasidaine.com and we can schedule your shoot within 60 days! Thanks to all who submitted – it was really heartwarming to see what kind words you had to say about those with whom we share the world. Keep putting out those positive vibes people – and have an amazing weekend.

PS – Dear Blog, I keep neglecting you. I’m sincerely sorry.
Check back soon to see the wedding shots from Stephanie & Will’s wedding!

Ahhh Friday.. I’ve been waiting for you, for so long it feels.

So if you haven’t been able to tell by my recent postings, I’m full of all sorts of warm fuzzies this year. I’ve been inspired by this world and everything in it, moreso than I could have ever imagined. I’ve actually dubbed this year “The Year of the Awakening.”
Come on now… you didn’t actually think I’d go with something any less dramatic, did you?

Along with the joy and warm fuzzies, I’ve been able to open my eyes a little bit more to what’s happening in the world… Wait, let me change that. I’ve always been aware of current events; but unless something was directly impacting me, I just kinda shrugged it off. Hey, nothing to worry about right? Doesn’t interrupt my life, so who cares? And I think that’s kind of the mentality in America for the most part… it’s only human. We all get so busy, we all face our own trials, and especially with the recession – people have been hurting. The climate has changed in America… and I guess I just never noticed the negative dog-eat-dog nature that’s kind of evolved. I know, where have I been?
(A: KasiLand, the world of ignorance is bliss, dangit)

So what I want to do is spread a little bit of positivity. I want to inspire all of you, and all of the people you know, to do a random act of kindness, or do something nice for someone who’s down on their luck. To kickstart my attempt to bring a little more sunshine to the world, I’m pleased to announce the start of Pay It Forward Friday – a free mini-session giveaway!

Here’s the deal: Make sure you like Kasi Daine Photography on Facebook (http://facebook.com/kasidaine) & then suggest the page to your friends. Then I want you to reach into your heart and think “Whose day could I make with a free mini portrait session? Who could use a break? Who did something super nice for someone else, and should be paid forward? Who deserves to have touching images that they’ll have for a lifetime?” Then send me an email to kasi@kasidaine.com with the subject line “Pay It Forward” and tell me who this person is (provide a link to their FB) and tell me why they should be the recipient!

You cannot nominate yourself, obviously, because this is about doing something nice for someone else, just to do something nice for someone else… But by spreading the word of Kasi Daine Photography to your friends and family, it’s likely that someone may nominate YOU for the free session, just because of your generosity!

For this first Pay It Forward Friday, I’m giving away TWO free 30 minute mini-sessions! The first will be for non-music related portraiture – so it can be for maternity, newborn, children, engagement, couple, boudoir, etc…The second will be given away to a local band and/or musician! There are a LOT of musicians & bands out there that would greatly benefit from having professional promotional shots, and as a music lover, I couldn’t help but set aside a separate giveaway for those who make music that makes my heart sing.

So what are you waiting on?! Make sure to give a big thumbs up to Kasi Daine Photography on Facebook, repost to your friends, share the link to my blog and Facebook page, and start paying it forward! You have a good week to submit the names of those people you want to surprise with a free mini-session! Let’s Pay it Forward!

I promise you, I’m not a crazy dog lady.
I just happen to have one of THE most amazing dogs.
My most amazing french bulldog Bacon turns 4 today. So what do I do? I insist on making my dog wear a hat he clearly did not care for. Bacon’s so amazing that he lets me do this… and tolerates it just long enough for me to get my shot.

His cooperation does not go unnoticed. This afternoon, when I realized it was his birthday, I called the brand spankin’ new H.E.B. (grocery store) in Burleson to find out if they served single cupcakes. They said they did, and I asked what all they had that didn’t have chocolate… and I let it slip.
“It’s my dog’s birthday.”

The incredibly friendly young lady on the other end went and checked out what they had left for the day and came back and said the only non-chocolate containing cupcake they had was carrotcake. I was so excited I said “Oh! He loves carrots!” (again… I shouldn’t be this nerdy to strangers who don’t already love me unconditionally.. I say the weirdest things!). The clerk proceeded to ask me how many I needed, and she would be happy to put them aside for me!

Hats off to you, H.E.B. Bakery and the young lady who helped me this afternoon. Your cupcake was much prettier before I took forever getting it home. But mmm, it was good. (After all, I did have to QC test it).

Happy Birthday, Bacon. You really are the coolest dog ever, and I can’t imagine life without you.

All night tonight, I’ve thought 2 things: I want to take my shoes off and I want to go to bed.
Instead of coming home, taking out my contacts, and getting the best sleep ever… I’m blogging. I can’t help it. Today was one of the most inspiring days I’ve ever had… I mean ever.

First of all, Will & Stephanie’s wedding was off the hook. I seriously tried to say something other than off the hook, but everything I wanted to say was too common for this beautiful event. I don’t usually cry at weddings, but I fought back a tiny tear when I was watching them on the dance floor. It was like you were watching two people, head over heels in love with one another, in their own little world – totally oblivious to the event surrounding them. At that moment, it was only the two of them, and the rest of the world had disappeared. I was very blessed to see this moment between the two of them (pics coming soon).

After the wedding, I headed to the Rail Club to see Black on High and Turbid North (along with Vaste Burai -Longview, TX- and Plector -Sweden in the house). I was just in time to see Black on High play 3 songs (pics also coming soon). Love these guys! After Black on High was Plector and Vaste Burai… and finishing the show was Turbid North – home from their tour. You could feel the love at their homecoming show. Good times with good friends. AMAZING performance when some of the members from the other bands jumped on stage and performed a Turbid North song with the guys. TN’s performance was so heartfelt, so thankful almost, to be home, to have had a great tour, and to do what they love. I even danced along the side of the stage (which I never do, unless it’s a Dillinger Escape Plan show). I drove home thinking again, how lucky I was, to be witnessing such a celebration of great things happening and great things to come.

Then I come home and see my husband, my dogs Bacon & Porkchop, my cats Sway & Reese… and think, once more, how blessed I truly am.