POSTING HAS BEEN LIGHT, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

My apologies that I’ve been slacking in the boudoir bog post department. You see, I’M ON A BOAT.  I hope everyone is enjoying their summer as well!   Below is our new 24 foot Stingray pocket cruiser, “Sunday Funday” or “The Juice is Worth the Squeeze”. Or some other really cool name like that.  Recommendations welcome!  

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MEET THE FAMILY.

I had been holding out for sunshine, but there was a 90% chance of thunderstorms last Saturday morning. We spoke with our engagement shoot clients for the day and decided it best to reschedule for later in the week.  The humidity was thick, and the sky was that weird yellowish green color you can expect right before a storm, but I was in photo-mode and an angry cloud or two wasn’t going to ruin that for me.  So, Scotty & I leashed up our beasts and hit the streets so I could get my fix.  The sponges in the sky held out for 15 minutes or so, about half way through our walk. Just as we started to head home the heavens twisted, and buckets of warm rain came barreling down onto us. So, I tucked my camera up under my halter top, kicked off my rubber flops & RAN LIKE THE WIND BLOWS.  Below are a few shots I was able to get of my lover & fur-kids before the monsoon. No after pictures. It wasn’t cute.

 

Meet my domestic terrors: Duke (weimanraner) and Cassie (golden retriever):

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IF YOU’VE GOT IT, FLAUNT IT.

We are looking to expand our online boudoir photography portfolio, and are in search of fresh new faces to feature on our site! I’ve got lots of fun new photography ideas, and need a pretty partner in crime to let me test them out. We are now offering reduced package pricing to females interested in modeling for our website & blog.

Special is for a limited time offer, and I’m only taking a handful of fun, open-minded clients to work with. Let me know why you want to be the face of Katie Hyde Photography! If interested, please send a current head shot and full-body photo to: katie@katiehyde.com. Details below.

 

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SAVE $100 BY BOOKING DURING THE WEEK!

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LINDSEY & PAT ARE ENGAGED!

Last weekend I had the pride, the privilege, nay, the pleasure….of photographing my long-time friend, Lindsey, and her awesome fiancé, Pat.  Scott & I met up with the happy couple at The Phoenix Emporium in downtown historic Ellicott City, MD and then walked the town taking photos.

Lindsey, fun, beautiful and put-together as always, and Pat, who ranks getting his picture taken right up there with having to open present IN FRONT OF PEOPLE (the bane of his existence) were awesome to work with. They NEVER rolled their eyes or gave me a hard time (OK, maybe a little) when asked to trespass onto private property or lay on railroad tracks in the blinding sun. TOTAL. CHAMPS. I wish you guys all the happiness in the world.

And so, without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, I give to you….

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CARNIVAL VALOR WESTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE

There’s something about vacations that always revitalizes my love for photography. I always come back inspired, my head spinning with new ideas and projects I want to tackle RIGHT AWAY.  I make lots of lists. Brainstorming comes easy- as does the business. My guess it’s because of all the super fierce creativity vibes I’m emitting right now, making ya’ll feel sexy & in-need of boudoir photo shoots. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

It’s hard to not be inspired when surrounded by the beauty that is the Western Caribbean. For all of you out there that are under the impression that cruises are solely for buffet-lovin’ old farts, au contraire mon fraire, you are mistaken.  There’s LOTS to do on a cruise besides stuffing your gourd all day. And gourd stuff we did, along with swimming with bottlenose dolphins in Roatan, zip-lining through the rain forest in Belize, motor-biking along the beach in the Gran Caymans (note: scary as hell) and getting hot stone massages (OMG) on board the cruise ship.  We met an awesome couple in Key West (Hi Amanda & Rich!), that showed us around and then promised us we could come visit them in Naples, FL ANY TIME WE WANT.  I sure hope that wasn’t the vacation high talking, because ready or not!…

 

Below are some of my favorite photos from the trip- some taken with my Nikon D300, some taken with my little point-and-shoot camera, and some taken while under the influence of fruity adult-beverages garnished with colorful paper umbrella toothpicks:  

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I live for bath towel animals with a taste for high end sunglasses.
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This next one sort of has a butt for a face, no? Whatever, you were thinking it too.
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Good eats:
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I have a hard time handing over the camera… pardon my sarcasm enthusiasm.
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Don’t let the smile fool you, I was petrified on this thing.
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This is Fiona. I think she had a crush on me. “Scotty doesn’t know that Fiona & me….” (Euro trip)
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Lock & load:
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We LOVED Key West. Loved it loved it.
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ROBBING THE WEEKEND.

Aaaaaaaaaand…. we’re back. Hi! Our vacation was super, and I promise another blog post showing off all the beautiful sights, but for now I just want to make a quick announcement about our availability…  

 

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Guess who is now offering photo shoots during the week?

WE ARE NOW OFFERING PHOTO SHOOTS

DURING THE WEEK! 

(woo hoo!)

In addition to our usual weekend availability, this summer we are offering two-hour customized photo shoots on weekday evenings!

When: Monday through Thursday (June 1, 2009- August 31, 2009)

Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Location: Our in-house studio rooms in Bowie, MD

 

Email me at: katie@katiehyde.com to check our availability

and to request our package and pricing information!

 

 

 

THE BEST RED VELVET CUPCAKES W/ CREAM CHEESE ICING RECIPE EVER.

I made red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting FROM SCRATCH for the party we had on Mother’s Day/my birthday. It was the first time I’d ever baked anything on my own that didn’t come out of a cardboard box. True story. Anyway, they were a huge hit with the family, so I though I’d share the wealth. Check out the recipe below. PS. I recommend using half the ingredients when making the frosting. Seriously- half a batch was more than enough- unless you’re like my husband and like to use the extra frosting to dip your frozen Hershey Bars in. Also, a true story. Enjoy!

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INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes:
2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 item large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional garnish: white- or milk-chocolate curls

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1½ pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar (sift to avoid lumps)

PREPARATION

To make cupcakes: Heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 standard muffin pans with paper muffin cups. In medium-size mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. In large bowl, gently beat together oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients to liquid ingredients; mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting: In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add sugar; on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase speed to high and mix until light and fluffy. To frost cupcakes, use a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with chocolate curls.

Yields 24 servings

LENSBABY:

Yesterday was my 28th birthday, and my super generous in-laws surprised me with this little beauty. If you don’t know anything about a Lensbaby, other than the fact that IT ROCKS, you can read about it here. 

 

I’m taking it with me on vacation next week, so stay tuned for hundreds of freaky focused photos. More than likely, they will all be of food products and my flip flops.

 

Behold the newest edition to the Katie Hyde Photography camera bag, the Lensbaby “Fast & Loose” Muse Lens:

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MARATHON BOUDOIR SESSIONS

Over the next few months we plan to host a marathon boudoir photo session at a local upscale hotel. Sessions will be 30-45 minutes each, and we’ll be offering an on-site hair and makeup artist. Before we set any dates, we want to find out when you would be interested. Please note your preference in the below pole, and contact us directly with any additional questions! Email me your contact info, and I’ll be sure to let you know as soon as the date, time and hotel have been confirmed.