~Year in Review~2011~

Wow. That pretty much sums up my 2011 year. It was a year of firsts and growth.


Looking through my photographs I can see so much change (for the better) throughout my shooting. I love finding new angles, making a few mistakes so I know how to fix them the next time. I started shooting in RAW this year and will NEVER go back! It took some getting used to, but is totally worth it.


I jumped right into wedding photography with both feet this year. Yes, it was totally crazy, but weddings soon became my favorite events to shoot! All of my brides and grooms were wonderful to work with and appreciated the fact that I will do anything for a laugh! Six weddings are now under my belt. No, not a huge number, but enough to know that I want to continue with them in the future!


Another first was newborn photography. Since I became a Mother I knew the importance of these precious moments. I loved meeting the little ones and parents! Learning poses, and then realizing that the interaction between the parents and the new little bundle of joy was what I wanted to capture. Yes, newborn photos can be oh so cute, but I find the most emotion in watching a Father and Mother cuddle their newborn, and the comfort they give them. A lot of the shots truly brought tears to my eyes.

I have two photos that are my absolute favorite this year. It was so hard to choose! I have favorites from every session (see my Facebook page for the best of 2011).


The first was from a wedding I shot in Breckenridge,CO in July. It was an odd situation from the start, the bride was out East and the groom was in Germany. In fact, his whole family is from there. Everything was booked via email and phone calls, paypal was a Godsend for this wedding! I didn’t get a chance to meet the bride and groom before the day of the wedding due to unforeseen circumstances. Which was fine, I am good at winging it! The venue was a lookout down a hiking trail, and as my assistant and I made our way, it was breathtaking. Perfect day for a wedding. They had a string quartet in the trees and a lovely view for the ceremony. The bride and groom arrived a little late and I was able to quickly introduce myself before they started down the isle. The nice thing about this couple, was they were so laid back. I knew the whole day was for them, and was in no hurry. After the ceremony we took a lot of posed and candid shots. As we were leaving the venue I was relieved of my duties for the day, but I turned around and caught this amazing shot.

It is my favorite image of 2011.
The second image is a personal one. I took my Son outside on a nice day and shot is two year photos. Every year I try to get a photo of him and our dog, Maverick, as they are best buddies. This was a shot I was so excited to get, that it didn’t matter to me that it wasn’t perfect. This just speaks volumes of the relationship between my son and his dog. 
No, the whole year wasn’t filled with great things. I had a few clients bail on me last minute, so I had to enforce a retainer fee. Sometimes the photos weren’t what I expected them to be after I got them on my computer, and had to make the best of what I had. More often then not, the client was more then thrilled with what I was able to put together. I always prepare myself, however, for the bad reaction. That’s all part of the job, not everyone will like your work, but those who do, love it.
2011 was a great year. My clients are the best I could ask for, and look forward to watching their children and families grow.
 We are ready for 2012! Some changes in prices, as I had mentioned before, but there will be specials EVERY month! And for the fun of it, there are THREE in the month of January! 😀 I will also be doing “Photo Fridays” and sharing a photo from my week with all of you here on my blog. It may be from a session, or my everyday life. Something so I can look back over my year and relive it, and also for you to get to know me.
The biggest surprise of all?! We are moving! My family and I are headed to Northern Nebraska! I will be serving  most of the state of Nebraska and South/Western South Dakota. I am very excited for this next chapter in our lives. This will bring us within driving distance of both sides of the family. Which will be nice, since we are getting married!! EEEKKK!! Yes, let’s add some MORE excitement into our lives! 😉 7.5 years together and we decided to make it official. We are oh so very excited.
So, bring on 2012! 
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Shields Valley Montana

Kyleen Olson is a  Shields Valley Montana Wedding and Portrait Photographer that specializes in capturing the imperfect moments of life. She loves helping her clients to find the authentic moments and spending her Sundays with her family.

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