KMS Photography has expanded!!!

If you are booking a wedding with us, you will now have an option to add a photo booth to your package. Our child company, KMS Photo Booth launched last month and we are very excited to have this new addition to the KMS family! 

In case you were noticing, I am also typing WE. This year has been one for the books! I got married in August and it was absolutely beautiful. As some of you may already know, my now husband has been my assistant for a couple years, but now we have taken on the full KMS business as a duo. He will be a main point of contact for the Photo Booth and I will continue to be a main point of contact for the Photography and we will both support one another in all the adventures you take us on with you. You will almost always see us together at weddings and the photo booth may bring both of us out as well. We are looking forward to not only spending our lives together but cruising along side by side in our ventures together.

Please help support us by visiting and following us on social media! We will be posting all of the events we will be at, including an event we will be throwing, so be sure to follow so you can come join us and have some fun. We look forward to working with each and every one of you!

It may be farthest from your mind, but the holidays are just around the corner! Want to update your family portrait? Or get some quick shots to use for your holiday card? Holiday Mini Sessions (details below) are a great option to get a quick family portrait and some pictures of your children at a discounted price.

Holiday Mini Sessions are $200 and include a 20 minute session for up to 5 people at the two selected dates and locations, 5 high resolution images for download via a password-protected online gallery, and a photo print release. If you wish, you may also purchase holiday cards directly from your online gallery for 20% off with the discount code HOLIDAY2014! CLICK HERE TO BOOK or email me.

If you are looking to book more than just a quick mini session, please click here to browse my Portrait Welcome Guide for other session options.

Please feel free to share the love and forward this to any family or friends who might be interested in capturing some memories and milestones of their own for the holidays. Much appreciated.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Time to get real!

I have recently, in fact just today, felt very compelled to join in on this #IceBucketChallenge to support #ALS. How lucky am I that my gorgeous cousin Hanna Mills decided to call me out on this very day. I ACCEPT! Let's start by seeing my acceptance. Here goes nothin':

As you saw, I nominated 5 people and just so you know I DID donate. I know there are rules, but I don't care. Here is what compelled me to do this so intensely today.

A while back I read a story about a fellow photographer, Anthony Carbajal, who got the devastating news that he had ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (click here to educate yourself). The disease runs in his family and his grandmother died from it and he is currently taking care of his mother who is slowly deteriorating from it. What struck me so much about this real life story was that the disease was taking away the use of his hands and he could no longer be a photographer. I paused. What would I do if my passion and career was suddenly taken from me? Overwhelming sympathy came over me. I donated to his fundraiser that would help him return all the deposits he had collected from brides and prayed for his well being. You too can donate and/or read more details by clicking here.

Here's where my reality check came in. As life went on, I had forgotten about Anthony and his struggle. Life has it's funny way of doing that, doesn't it? Then, all these ALS #IceBucketChallenge videos started to pop up on my news feed and I rolled my eyes at many of them, got confused because some people were donating to a different foundation so I wasn't sure which challenge was the original challenge, and even said to myself that I would just ignore it if I happened to get challenged. Then a little birdie reminded me of that fellow photographer, and I felt such disgust with myself. He had posted a video about his struggles once again and I was reminded that this "challenge" means something, it is not just a stupid Facebook plow to get people to post videos of pouring water over their head. This is about awareness and giving back.

My take from this is very simple. Donate. Donate your time, donate your money, just donate. I decided to donate $20 to the ALS Association from KMS Photography in honor of Anthony Carbajal as well as another $20 from me personally in honor of everyone who is affected by this disease. Even if you think that your $10 is not going to make a difference, just donate it if you can, I promise you it will make a difference. As of August 16th, the #IceBucketChallenge raised over 10 million dollars. The $10 really does add up. If ALS is not the foundation of your choice, that is fine. Donate to any foundation you feel strongly about. If you cannot donate any money, that is fine. Donate your time to a local homeless shelter or an animal shelter. If you have no time or money to donate, that is fine. Put the people of the world affected by the many problems ad struggles that exist around the world in your prayers. Do the best you can with what you have and most importantly be kind to one another (thank you Ellen for that beautiful reminder every day). Everyone struggles from something, so give back, even if it is just a smile!

Donate Now!!!


I would now like to take the time to challenge all my clients, past, present and future, to post their videos of the #IceBucketChallenge on my Facebook Page and send me proof of donation via email and I will offer a $50 credit on any sessions booked before the end of the year.

Ready! Set! Go!


Donation Link:
https://secure2.convio.net/alsa/site/Donation2?idb=1244805082&df_id=27420&27420.donation=form1&27420.donation=root&idb=910077104&df_id=27420

Anthony Carbajal's Story & Donation Page:
http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/for-anthony-with-love/133001

ALS Information & News:
http://www.alsa.org/about-us/

I could not have asked for a more beautiful background for Alyssa & Jeff's wedding! Not only is their love radiant, as is evident in the photos below, but the venue they chose provided me with so much beautiful scenery to shoot. The day was absolutely prefect, from the weather to the beautiful bride and beyond, they are so lucky to have had such a great, special day! Congratulation you two, I wish you the best!

Venue: Los Altos History Museum
Wedding Planner:  Ashley McKenzie Wedding/Event Planner
Makeup Artist: Modern Beauty by Deana
DJ: Alexx "J"
Caterer: The Party Helpers
Cake: C'est Si Bon
Florist: Design with Flowers
Dress: Essence of Australia from Elegant Lace

To view and 'like' these images on Facebook click here and don't forget to 'like' KMS Photography while you're at it! :)

With the awesome turnout of entries for this giveaway, I decided to be generous and pick not only one, but TWO winners! Thank you all for your participation. I will definitely be doing this again in the future.

And the winners are...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Kathi R.


&


Arwyn I.

Congratulations!

Please be sure to check your email to redeem your prize! You will need to schedule your session before June. Enjoy & Happy Monday Everyone!

To celebrate my New Look and to thank all my lovely clients, past, present and future, I am putting on a Photography Session Giveaway!


Enter to win below:

KMS Photography's New Look for a New Year Session Giveaway begins Tuesday, January 28th and will end on Sunday, February 2nd at midnight. The winner will be selected by random number generator and announced on this blog on February 3rd. The winner will have 24 hours to claim their winnings or another winner will be selected.


Good Luck Everyone! I can't wait to announce a winner on Monday!

    As most of you already know, I got started in this industry on a bit of a whim. I merely saw others making a living doing something they love and thought, well I can do that too. I was already learning tons about photography in the wonderful photography department at College of San Mateo and was headed to a university to get my business education. Luckily, I had supportive parents that allowed me to work minimally so that I could focus on my education and my dream.

    So what did I do? I went out and got myself a business license, made a website, offered some cheap sessions to family and friends to get my portfolio started, and ventured into what has now become KMS Photography. Slowly but surely, I was able to upgrade my website, create a logo, thanks to my beautiful best friend Lauren, and really make a name for myself. KMS Photography has gained support from so many of you out there and I could not be more grateful! Having delved in to my business so quickly in the beginning, I decided it was time for a change. You know "a new look for a new year!"

    Now, you may be wondering, "what exactly has changed?" The truth is everything and nothing at the same time. I am still the same photographer, taking the same beautiful photographs of your beautiful faces, however, I've got a bit of a "facelift." Obviously, my logo has changed. What do you think? I have all new wedding and portrait welcome guides that will lead you through my process and pricing, all new packages that now include proof prints, so that you may all see your beautiful session images in physical form, a few new products, and while it is not required, I want to spend more time with my clients by having in-person consultations to really focus on what exactly it is you are looking for with your session. All that being said, I am looking forward to sharing these next years with you, capturing all your precious moments with my camera.

Check out what I have to offer by reading more...

I realize I am a bit late with this post, but I wanted to be sure to get this up anyway. I had a great turn out this year for my holiday mini sessions! here are just a few of the photos.

This cake smash session was SO much fun! Little Miss Emily has such a personality and I loved every minute of it. If you are thinking of hiring a photographer for your babys first birthday portraits, I would highly suggest it! Not only is it a great way to celebrate, but you can get wonderful photos of your sweet child and family!

Set on the beautiful coast of California, this Half Moon Bay wedding was certainly one for the books! Friends of mine, Teresa & Nick, hired me back in December for their big day at the wonderful Oceano Hotel & Spa on Friday, October Fourth. This couple is very special to me and allowed me the honor of, not only creating both their Save-the-Dates and wedding invitations, but also capturing the moments they will get to treasure for the lifetime they will share together. Here are just a few of the wonderful moments I was able to grab!

Venue/Caterer: Oceano Hotel & Spa, Half Moon Bay
Hair & Make-Up: Mizu Salon, Half Moon Bay
Cake: Mazzetti's Bakery, Pacifica
Florist: Costco (& they were GORGEOUS)
Dress: Starlet Bridal, Santa Rosa
DJ: Patrick Numair of Golden State Productions

I must start by explaining how fun Bill & Kate's wedding was. Not only did they have a Caricaturist...they also had Karaoke! Such an amazing, laid back, enjoyable wedding! With a quick ceremony that started with a beautiful song sung by one of their close friends and the vows officiated by another close friend, this wedding couldn't have been any more intimate and perfect. Once the party started and the karaoke got going, every single person was having a blast. I ended up wanting to video and so that is exactly what I did, putting together a little something for the bride and groom. Enjoy!

Venue/Caterer: San Mateo Marriott
Cake: The Cakery, Burlingame
Florist: La Lavande, Belmont
Dress: White One by Pronovias, black lace trim added by bride
DJ: DJ Purple
Caricaturist: Family Fun Entertainment, Martinez

Processional Song: "All I Need" by Awolnation, sung by Claire Karoly Ard, lead singer of Muze (local band)
First Dance Song: "Grow Old With You" from The Wedding Singer

I cannot begin to explain the beauty that this wedding was: the venue, the couple, the bride, the family, the fun. Everything about this wedding was an absolute blast! I am so thankful that Diala & Karim allowed me to be a part of their special day and I cannot believe how amazing everything turned out having only about two weeks to put it all together. That's right. You heard me correctly. Miss Diala contacted me a mere two weeks prior to her wedding date. I would have never thought that something this beautiful could get done that quickly. And their love for each other was so easily captured!

Venue: Dolce Hayes Mansion | San Jose, CA
Floral & Event Design: Flowers by Edgar & Argie
Videographer: Signature Wedding Films
DJ: Portable Party DJ's by Jerry Schultz
Trumpet Trio: Gabriel's Trio of Heraldic Trumpets led by Franklin Beau Davis

With such advanced technology that we have available to us today, everyone wants to capture their loved one's moments from their personal perspective. At weddings, they like to get that "perfect shot" of the bride walking down the aisle and the post father-daughter dance hug, but is this creating a problem for professional photographers, like myself? As a professional wedding photographer, I have run into both scenarios: having wedding guests taking pictures and having wedding guests fully unplugged from their devices. While I do encourage photos to be taken by guests at certain moments, after reading this wonderful article about the differences between having an unplugged wedding and a tech-filled wedding, I have to admit, I am fully for the unplugged wedding and I may even opt for one myself when I get married!

Now, I want to hear what you guys think! Is today's technology getting in the way of enjoying life's special moments? Or is it helping capture moments from a different perspective?

UNPLUGGED or PLUGGED? Comment below and tell me what you think.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bridal-guide/why-you-might-want-to-con_b_3331528.html

I must begin by saying that City Hall has got to be one of the most beautiful venues to get married at! Ashley & Brian rented out the North Balcony, which is BY FAR the best spot at City Hall and we had some fun and captured some beautiful photos.

The day began at a nearby hotel for some getting ready and detail photos. While hotels are always so much fun to photograph, with their oh-so-beautiful walls and carpets (that was sarcasm in case you didn't know...haha), this one was especially pretty with its mustard and burgundy carpet. After moving some things around however, I managed to grab some gorgeous details and beautiful bride photos. After the bride was all ready to go, we walked the block and a half to City Hall to capture the signing of their marriage license and and their lovely intimate ceremony! Take a peek...

Venue: San Francisco City Hall

Here are the dates and locations available at this time. If you would like a weekday session, those are still available and you may choose your location.

Sunday, October 13th: (at Central Park only)
9:00am
9:30am
(I may open 8:00am and 8:30am for this date if needed)

Sunday October 20th: (Location up for grabs)
9:00am
9:30am
10:00am
10:30am
11:00am

Saturday October 26th morning: (Location up for grabs)
9:00am
9:30am
10:00am
10:30am

Saturday October 26th afternoon: (at Laurelwood only)
2:00pm
2:30pm
3:00pm
3:30pm

4:30pm

Book your session soon, I have already booked up a ton of spots. Luckily I have two full weeks to book sessions and have quite a few more spots available. Email: katie@kmsphotos.com!

Also, for those of you who have booked a session, please check out my Pinterest board or blog post for lovely ideas about what to wear for your session!