Tis The Season | Holiday Cards 2012

The holidays are all about spreading warmth and good cheer to those around us.  Custom greeting cards are one way to share a little fun with your family and friends.

This year I am offering custom Christmas/Holiday cards.  There are 2 design sets to choose from - Christmas Whimsy and Holiday Traditions.  Both of these sets offer 4 different beautiful designs - giving you 8 possible card designs to choose from this holiday season.


Holiday Traditions Collection:

Star Tree

Holly Jolly

Brown Banner

Old Time

Christmas Whimsy Collection:

Branch Ornaments

Christmas Lights

Mittens

Ribbon


These holiday greeting cards are available on 4 different paper stocks - Semi Gloss, Matte, Art Linen and Pearl.  Cards are sold in packages of 25 and include your choice of white or parchment envelopes.  Packages start at $40.00 ($1.60 ea.) and vary in price based on paper selection and quantity.  Please contact me for additional information at amy@carstenphotography.com

Happy Holidays!

The Kaufman's

I got to hang out with some amazing people last weekend during an extended family session.  I had so much fun with this group - I didn't want to stop shooting!  This group truly understands what it means to be a family and they enjoy every moment they have together.  

  

The Kelly Moore Bag | A Review

It's been a little over a year since I purchased my Libby Bag from Kelly Moore Bags and what more can I say besides...I LOVE IT!  This bag holds a ton of equipment!  I can carry my camera body, 5 lenses, tablet, extra memory cards and batteries, personal items (so as to not carry a purse on a shoot) and still have left over room to store a few more things.  I have dragged this bag all over the Detroit area and it still looks like I just took it out of the box.  With all of that equipment, the bag can become a little heavy at times, but it is not unbearable.  This bag distributes its weight pretty evenly and the cushioned shoulder pad on the strap really helps with this. I had been concerned with carrying such a large bag at my hip, but I have found that it fits in place perfectly.

As for customer service, Kelly Moore Bags does NOT disappoint.  When I first received my Libby Bag, one of the zipper tabs had broke right off.  I suspect it was an issue with soldering.  I contacted customer service right away and provided pictures of the issue.  They responded within a few minutes and apologized for the issue.  With no questions asked, they shipped me out a new bag right away and I had it within a few days.  They also paid to have the "defective" bag shipped back to them.  In this day and age, customer service is not what it used to be.  Sadly, wonderful experiences such as this are too few and far between.  So thank you!

I really can not think of a single negative things to say about Kelly Moore's Libby Bag or the customer service her company exudes.  When investing in a bag for your equipment, you really should give The Libby (or any of her other amazing bags) a try.  It provides protection and ease of transport for most (if not all) of your equipment in style.  So say "goodbye" to those drab and manly black camera bags and say "hello" to a new colorful bag that reflects your own style.

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

I love the arts!  All forms of it, really.  But I do hold a special place in my heart for music.  There is something to be said about the way a song can make you feel.  How it can empower you. Enhance your mood.  Move you to accomplish things you didn't know was even possible.  This is what music does for me.

I think about all of the genres of music that I love.  Classical, Latin, Rock, Dance, Pop, Folk ... my list is endless!  Today, though, I sit here listening to music that was created by talented women.  Women who have, and still do, pave the way for others to create and grow.  Some women are more relevant and recognizable by popular standards.  While others are standing strong and creating even if no one is listening/watching.  It is these women, that I often feel more connected to.

I had the amazing opportunity to meet Noe Venable, a very talented sing/songwriter, when I was in my early 20s.  I had first heard Venable at an Ani DiFranco concert in Columbus, Ohio.  She was the opening act for DiFranco.  I fell in love instantly.  Her music moving, alive and sincere.  I can honestly say that was the best concert I have ever been to and the memory of it is still so fresh that it doesn't feel like it was a decade ago!  A few years later, a friend and I made a trip up to Ann Arbor, Michigan to see Venable at an intimate little venue called The Ark .  Her performance was awe inspiring. This is when I met her.  We talked for a few minutes, and she asked if I was an artist.  At the time, I didn't know a photographer was patiently waiting to be awoken.  I let Venable know how much her art moved and inspired me.  Not realizing how much women like her, would help shape me to be the camera artist that I am today.

My advice to anyone wanting to create.  Make sure your work reflects you.  Make it honest, pure and unwavering.  It can be hard not to compare yourself to others, I'm guilty of this.  Your work should reflect your individuality.  How boring would this world be if we were all the same.  I love the music that pours out of artists like Venable and DiFranco.  Not because their work is different from what's trending, but because it is not the same.

Are there any musicians who have inspired you?

Feel free to click on the playlist below to hear a few of my favorite tunes created by some phenomenal women:

Summer of 2010 | A Back Blog

I've already established how behind in blogging I am. So I thought it might be nice to do some back blogging to make up for some of the lost time.

August of 2010 was filled with two big events for me - my 30th birthday and my 5-year wedding anniversary. My wonderful husband thought of a great way to celebrate both and surprised me with a trip to Maui for just the two of us. Isn't he wonderful! What girl doesn't want a gift like that?!

We flew in family to watch the kids, packed our bags and headed for Portland, Oregon (we lived in Washington at the time) to catch our plane and start our adventure. We landed in Maui, picked up our luggage, grabbed our rental car and drove to our condo for the week. Our fun-filled time was mostly spent sun bathing on the beach (with some Corona's in tow) or snorkeling, but we also took in a few of the sites like the Hana Highway and lava fields.

The Hana Highway winds around the island, through luscious foliage, hugging the cliffs and mountain sides. It truly is beauty to behold. Along the way, there are many pull overs and stops that make the drive even more memorable. One of these stops is Coconut Glen's Big Dumb Coconut Stand. Glen is a character, to say the least. But one thing is for sure, his coconut milk ice cream is AMAZING!

Wouldn't it be sad to travel all the way to an island made from volcanic activity and NOT go see a lava field? Seeing lava rock for miles first hand is an awe inspiring experience. But seeing goats living on the rock is even cooler! Goats aside, we could see where vegetation was starting to grow through the fields, reclaiming the land the lava had laid to waste. It was really awesome to see the land evolving before our eyes - from destruction to life.

Our week in paradise ended quickly but was very welcomed as we missed our children and couldn't wait to be with them again. I hope you enjoy the photos of our trip. They are a great reminder for us of our fun on the island!

M.I.A. No Longer

I can't believe it has been over 2 months since I last blogged! Where has the time gone? Time is a funny thing. There are some days, or moments even, that seem to stand still and remain unchanged for what seems like an eternity. And others that flash before your eyes and are gone before you had the chance to embrace them.

As a mother to 2 wonderful and energetic children, my time often resides in the fast lane - weaving in and out of the day faster than the drivers on the highways of Detroit. I wake up every morning to my babes either snuggling with me or asking if they can play (this is usually at 6AM). Followed by the chaos that goes with getting ready for school. Inevitably, we are out the door and loading up in the car 15 minutes late. This is when I start to wonder what I am going to do when they are no longer in preschool and being late daily isn't an option. The rest of the day goes by in a blur and before I know it, it is time to call it a night and go to bed. 2 whole months of days like these have gone by and I can't seem to recall any of them individually as they have meshed into one large blob of time - only special moments with my family and projects with clients standing out above the rest.

I want to make changes to how I use my time by utilizing it better and appreciating it more! And I want to spend more time sharing what goes on in my day to day life - both professionally and personally. I will be doing this through more blog posts, Facebook interactions, and Tweets. I would like for you all to get to know the person behind the camera and not just the work that flows from it.

Be on the look out for more posts soon!

Amy