I had such a great time being the wandering lens at the first Empower-Her Conference hosted by Ain't I a Girl , a local non-profit group dedicated to empowering women and girls in Madison County, Kentucky.
It was amazing being in the room amongst some of the most articulate, intellectual, beautifully humble women I've met in a long time. I heard stories of courageous perseverance & witnessed the power of like-minded women aligning for the same, noble cause: women empowerment. I was inspired to keep pushing through my own obstacles I face daily. Not only will I survive, be successful & give back; but I will raise my daughters & teach all other young women I interact with to do the same things. Thank you Day'Zaughn Graves for allowing me to CAPTURE this awesome event. I look forward to next years Conference and beyond. To learn more about Ain't I a Girl Empowerment Group, visit https://www.aintiagirl.org/
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SHOUT OUT to the Nasty Dogs for letting Natural CAPTURES by Kina Photography bring the full, fun photo booth experience at their Annual Anniversary Party.
Check out these photo booth pics!!! To see this beautiful young lady blossom from a 2-year-old, quiet yet inquisitive toddler to a focused, mature entrepreneur in her Senior year of high school has been bittersweet. Our time together has been nothing but magical since we were both able to let our guards down and enjoy the many facets of our blended family. I feel like we missed out on a major part of your journey into adulthood, but now that your 18 I feel closer to you than I ever have before. I hear you, I see you, I love you and pray for nothing but abundant blessings no matter where life leads you young lady. It was an honor to be able to to CAPTURE you at age 12, YOUR FIRST year in middle school and also MY FIRST "official" photo shoot as Lead Photographer for Natural CAPTURES by Kina. So I guess we've grown up together so to speak lol. I was even more honored to be your chosen photographer for this impromptu yet fabulous senior photo shoot. I must say brown is definitely your color Na'Kiyah. May your melanin continue to shine, your knowledge continue to grow and your spirit continue to be free as you conquer the world baby girl. You got this!! These past 2 weekends have been super busy for me and all the hats I wear. I've worked my full-time job almost every day leading up to Veteran's Day 11/11 (one of our busiest days of the year) where we offer complimentary meal to active service members. After that, I was blessed to be able to donate my time and photography services to the New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW). It's a local non-profit organization in Berea, Kentucky that offer scholarships to low-income, high potential women of Appalachia; giving them access to community resources, education and opportunities to better their lives.
I had worked with the NOSW during my time as a Berea College student, so I was very familiar with their cause and mission and knew I wanted to help in any way I could. Upon reaching out, the program coordinator Jennifer Walden responded, and the rest is recent history lol. Not only was I able to provide this year's class participants with headshots and a group photo, but I was also invited to film their commencement ceremony this past weekend at the Boone Tavern Event Center. I had a blast in the little time I spent getting to know these beautiful women and the leaders of the program are amazing individuals! I hope that my little offering was enough to impact the women as they return to their hometowns with a newfound sense of confidence and purpose. Please take a moment to visit nosw.org and challenge yourself to give back as well. It was more worth it than I could've ever imagined. 2021 is a year of new beginnings for me and my business, so I've been working diligently behind the scenes to level up any way I can. I've dedicated time to applying for grants, EIN and LLC certification, increasing my digital marketing, etc. I've stayed up late after putting the household to bed so I can advance my editing skills (as you see in my before and after headshots). I've also been brushing up on my videography so that I can offer more of a variety of services to my community in the coming months. I surely am one tired MaMa but I know my hard work will pay off when it counts.
Be on the look out for Natural CAPTURES by Kina 2.1; new and improved baby! So I don't know about you, but 2020 has been a year to remember (and forget) for me and my loved ones! Who knew that our worlds would be turned upside down, right side up and backwards in just 346 days (we still have 19 more to go at this point lol). I'm so so so so grateful that not only have all of my immediate family members safely dodged the monster known as COVID-19, but we've also welcomed 2 new additions to the family (my great nephew Kingston and my youngest daughter, Kianah; born 4 days apart).
I am going to step out on faith and claim victory in 2021...victory in health, finances, personal and career growth, relationships and most importantly happiness. Because this year has taught me to value the little things and not to stress the mess I can't change, I plan to let my friends and family know how much I love them as often as possible. I'm going to invest in my business like I never have before in order to be my own boss in the near future, continually providing top quality photography and videography services for affordable pricing. I will continue to be an example of strength, joy and perseverance for my daughters and I vow to only surround myself with people who strive to do all the above as well. My energy will be evolutionary in the new year... Cheers to to the New Year, 2021! So I know I've been missing in action for several months now and that's because I was super pregnant and busy organizing my affairs for my new chapter in motherhood. I've taken photos of my 4 year old sporadically but I'd put my professional photography and bookings on hold until now. So needless to say I was itching to do what I love for a long time...CAPTURING some natural moments.
I decided in order to save time, money and convenience, I'd collaborate with my 4 year old Kiarah to shoot my very own Maternity Session! It was challenging at moments (trying to beat the 10 second timer in posing position, keeping my child focus while hitting my angles, racing against the movement of the sunlight to capture the best shots, etc.), but I'm over the moon ecstatic with how they came out after editing/retouching. My favorite shots are of myself and Kiarah together because it truly shows how much fun we had together before our baby Kianah made her grand entrance (10/25). I realized, yet again, that I can do all things I put my mind and I'm capable of greatness when it comes to my craft baby! I had a blast shooting these two this past weekend! I'd only experienced shooting my own and my neighbor's pets until this shoot, so I was unsure how well I'd connect with Ms. Toca in order to get some solid CAPTURES for their holiday session. After an initial bark-n-greet followed by a few of her fav treats (thanx Mom!), it was like we'd known each other for years! Lights, camera, CAPTURE!! Can't wait to shoot some more fur-baby family sessions in the future! Happy Holidays Everyone, til next time...
-Kina #ncbkina So I just celebrated my 33rd Birthday on Wednesday, December 4th. I chose to spend my rare time off from work playing with my youngest, Kiarah, relaxing at home with my Husband and co-cooking a bomb-diggity dinner together. I feel like I've totally outgrown those days of club hopping, getting wasted and wasting $$$. I've learned more and more over the years how precious life really is and how quickly time flies and I choose to now value every day as a "Fresh 24". Let me explain...
Each day, we're all faced with a plethora of decisions that guide the course of our existence. "What time am I going to wake up? What's the first thing I need to do when I get out of the bed? What to eat for breakfast, what to wear, what needs to be done and in what order?" What you decide will determine your past experiences and memories, both good and bad; so it's very imperative that you either choose wisely or learn from your mistakes. But I've now realized the counter-productivity of holding on to idea of "what if". Instead, I approach each new day as an opportunity to reset the course of my life and I move with purpose on purpose. I also make an effort to incorporate some sort of meditation/yoga/reflection in my daily routine. It's so important and necessary to take a personal "pause" in this microwaved society we live in. So if 33 years have taught me anything, it's to stay humble & grateful; live within your means at all times; NEVER stop improving yourself & to always question everything (especially yourself) when it comes to discovering the real truth. So what have you learned in your __ years? Comment below how young you are (or feel lol) AND some of the major lessons that life and reality have taught you. ~~PEACE |
KINASee what it's like being me, the woman behind the lens @ Natural CAPTURES by Kina. There's never a dull moment when juggling my husband, 7-year-old and 2-year-old daughters, 3 pet fish, full-time hospitality career and part-time photography business. Archives
June 2023
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