I had a friend ask me to teach her, her husband, and her co-worker a mini photo class before they go on vacation.  They bought a new DSLR camera, and want some tips before their trip.  So, I said yes, and I decided to open it up to a few more people.  I am going to teach a class on Wednesday, July 7 form 6:00-8:00 pm at the Studio in Grandville.  The class will be limited to 10 people… interested?  Read on to find out if it is for you.

Cost $30

What this class is:
1. This is a beginner’s class.
2. You will learn what your camera is thinking, what fools your camera, and what you can do to help it.
3. You will learn how to better use your automatic settings.
4. I will help you understand the limitations of you camera and lenses, and what you can and can’t expect them to do.
5. We will go over photography tips to take better snapshots.

What this class is not:
1. This class is not a professional class.
2. You will not learn manual mode or advanced settings on your camera.
3. We will not be going over things like aperture, shutter speeds and ISOs.
4. This class will not teach you how to take professional portraits, or be a professional photographer.

Requirements for this class is that you have a DSLR camera, and manual. You will bring both to class. (Every camera is different, and you will be required to look up things in your manual to learn how to change some settings.)

So, if you want to learn a few tricks on how to take better vacation pictures and snapshots, and find out why your camera isn’t doing what you think it should… this class is for you!  Spots are limited, so call to reserve your spot! 616-437-5603

I LOVE print competition!  I usually am not a competitive person by nature, but for some reason print competition is different.  I am not competitive in the way that I want to beat everyone else, but rather a personal goal… I want to do well.  I love to watch print competition, and hear what the judges say about the prints.  I feel it has really helped me grow as a photographer. I have been entering print competition for the last 4 years.  Again this year I entered the International Print Competition from Professional Photographer of America.  Yesterday they published the results of the competition.  I had 3 (out of 4 that I entered) prints that were accepted (merited) and one that was accepted into the Loan Collection!  I was THRILLED with the results!  They haven’t released all the statistics yet of how many prints were entered and accepted… but last year there were over 4300 prints entered.  about 30% were accepted, with the top 12% making it to the loan collection.  They will be on display in January next year at the Imaging USA convention in San Antonio TX.  Here are the two of mine that were accepted (merited)…

I Look To The Hills

Dog Tired

And this is the one that was accepted into the Loan Collection!

Falling For You

It is time to book your senior session!  Don’t be late!  I speak from experience.  If you wait to call until August… I probably won’t have an opening until September, and that opening will be during the day while you are at school.  Or, by the time you call,  your fall sport practice will have started!  This is how the conversation will go…

Kari: Hello, this is Kari, may I help you?

Senior: Yes, I need to get my senior pictures done this week.

Kari:  I am sorry, I don’t have any openings this week, how about Sept 13 at 10:00?

Senior: I have school that day, do you have anything after school?

Kari: My next after school appointment is Oct 4, will that work for you?

Senior: No, I have football practice that day.  Do you have any weekends open?

Kari: I am sorry, I book weddings on the weekends, so I do not have any weekends open.  How about after school in November?

Senior: Won’t the weather be bad outside in November?  Besides, my yearbook picture is due by then…..

So, you can see the problem if you don’t call early enough to schedule your session!  It is best to do it in the summer, before school starts (unless your mom will let you skip school to get your senior pictures taken….)

Call Me!
Here is a fun slideshow to get you excited!

A few weeks ago Jeff contacted me.  Jeff was a groomsman in a wedding I photographed last year.  He had a different sort of request for me.  He explained that he was a type one diabetic.  He was an athlete.  He was getting ready to run a marathon, and wanted to promote diabetes awareness.  We wanted some some portraits that were intense, that showed his insulin pump, that portrayed him as a diabetic athlete, and had the message of Mental Toughness. I have to admit, I had a BALL  photographing this assignment!  This was like play time for me!  The awesome Lisa Lenderink and Jayne (my studio manager)  assisted me in this project.  Here is what we came up with!

My church started a project last year, that looks like it will be an annual project called Upside Down Serve.  The reason we call it Upside Down Serve, is because the youth lead the adults on this project.  Our high school students are in charge.  They lead the adults in work, and also in small group devotion time.  We had a beautiful weekend for our project, God was good to us!  It is a blessing to us to serve our church neighborhood.  We worked on 8 houses in the Godfrey/Lee area where our church is.  Here is what our weekend was all about:

Kari Douma Photography is holding another Facebook Party for all high school students! Here are the details:

Who? All High School Students!

What? Facebook Party!

Where? Kari Douma Photography – The Studio in Grandville! 4021 Chicago Drive, Grandville, MI  49418

When?  April 28 from 6:30-8:30pm

Why? Because it’s cool!

Cost? FREE! That’s right… FREE!

Want some awesome Facebook pictures? Come to The Studio in Grandville for a Facebook Party! All high school students are welcome to drop by, hang out for a while and eat some snacks, and get some pictures taken for Facebook!

How it works: Download the release form HERE.

And have your parents SIGN IT. (You will not be allowed to get your picture taken if you do not have a model release signed by your parent.) Then, in a few days,after you become my facebook friend, I will upload one or two of your pictures to facebook and tag you in them! You can then save it, add it to your galleries, or use it for your profile picture!

Bring your friends, props… what ever you want! Make it fun, make it you! Call Kari Douma Photography at 616-437-5603 if you have any questions!  Become a fan of Kari Douma Photography and RSVP!  Invite your friends!

No Strings attached! Enjoy some free facebook pictures!

Nicolas and Lukas were just like most boys…. BUSY!  The came to The Studio in Grandville for some spring portraits, and Lukas was off and running!  We had a hard time making him sit still long enough to capture his portrait!  But, patience paid off, and with a quick trigger finger I was able to get some great portraits of him and his brother!  (Notice how we put him in the trunk?  That was so he couldn’t get away!)

The VanderPloeg family had their family portraits done a few weeks ago at The Studio in Grandville!  The girls were so much fun… I LOVE the sassy image of them!

This time of year is not as busy as June-December, so this is the time to PLAY! I had a great time with some friends of mine who are also photographers in the Grand Rapids Area. We got together and I shared with them what I know about off camera flash. My friend Jodi lined up some models for us. Here are a few samples from the day!

just wanted to share a few images from the Professional Photographers of Michigan Convention that I attended last week. I had a wonderful time. At these conventions we have classes all day, dealing with all aspects of photography. The classes range from Photography techniques, to Photoshop, to Marketing, to Business related topics. Some are classroom style, and some are hands on. They bring in some of the best photographers in the country, for us to learn from. One of the days I was at the convention, Jayne and I took a wedding class from Damon Tucci. Here are a few images from our class!