Furnished Photography : Katherine Fallis : Lifestyle & Wedding Photographer : Raleigh, NC

Airlie (9 mos.)

2012-02-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

since airlie's 6 months pictures, she's learned to sit up by herself and crawl, pulls up on everything, puts anything in her mouth, grew her two front teeth, and learned many, many new facial expressions. it was a joy, as always, spending time with she and seth and jill. it's just amazing how much she grows in such a short amount of time. unbelievable that the next time we shoot, she'll be ONE! crazy. enjoy the pictures!

khalid - 1 year old.

2012-01-24T20:18:00.002-05:00

meet khalid!

as Sarah spoke to him in a mix of english & arabic, he responded with squeals and laughs filled with love for this little life that he lives. we held the session at their house where khaliid was most comfortable and eager to show me what a normal day looks like for him!

after some time in his play area & his nursery, we headed outside into the bitterly cold weather to grab a few shots in the natural light as well.

oh, and by the way, he has the most gorgeous, dark, curly hair. so thankful that Sarah decided to keep the "chaos" for the session. :) and don't even get me started on his outfit & hat. i'm obsessed.

Michelle & Ethan: Part 2

2012-01-23T17:13:00.000-05:00

M&E - You'll never know how much it means that you both chose me and trusted me to photograph your wedding day. You guys are a joy to spend time with and November 26, 2011 was absolutely beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :)

Michelle & Ethan: Part 1

2012-01-22T18:27:00.001-05:00

As I drove up to the most gorgeous home I've ever seen and looked up into the sky to see that the clouds were the perfect thickness to allow some sunlight but less shadows, I got out of the car and realized that the not-too-hot, not-too-cold weather was just the icing on the cake for the perfect wedding day for a photographer. And I thought about who I was going to get to capture throughout the day and I just smiled and smiled thinking about Ethan & Michelle committing their lives to each other.

Then I walked into the master bathroom to find Michelle getting ready with her Mom and bridesmaids and just beaming from ear to ear. It was then that I realized that this was not just the perfect day from my perspective. :) Her day was finally here!

Michelle & Ethan decided to do a first look so that we could take advantage of the natural light and do almost all of the pictures before the ceremony. It truly helped the day to run so smoothly and allowed for the couple to arrive at the reception soon after the ceremony ended.

Also, some of Michelle's family's friends in Statesville allowed them to use their home for pictures, as well as for the reception. It was beautiful! And the landscaping outdoors was to die for!

M&E - I hope these images allow you to glimpse back at your perfect day and remember the feelings that you felt and the love of the people around you. It was a joy to capture your wedding. Congratulations!

Make sure to check back for Part 2 tomorrow for more of the bridal party, ceremony, and reception!

the williams family!

2012-01-08T19:59:00.000-05:00

allison set up a little christmas scene with lots of red and green and some awesome christmas trees in order for us to grab a few shots of sawyer and the whole family for their christmas card this year. i think her idea really came to life!

here's everyone...including their family dog, tucker!

sweet sawyer. and yes, those are santa's on his pants. LOVE!

then we headed over to fletcher park for sawyer's 18 months pictures. he is too cute! he ran, and ran, and ran, and ran around the park. and we all had such a fun time!

you can see more images from this session in their sneak peek on Facebook. click HERE.

levi & olivia.

2012-01-06T22:41:00.000-05:00

about 2 years ago, i took these pictures of Levi...

and about 1 month ago, i took these pictures of Levi's new, precious, baby sister Olivia...

annie & brandon really wanted to get some pictures of olivia that were similar to the ones we had done of levi at that age. what special images to be able to look back on years from now. you can read in this post about the rocker that we used. i hope we can continue to use it in future sessions with their family. :)

family christmas pic 2011

and some of the newest addition to the Adams family...Olivia Ann...

and i'll leave you with one of Levi playing his guitar along with Zac Brown.

LOVE IT!
thank you Annie & Brandon for allowing me to capture your family once again!

Kristen & Justin's Wedding Day

2011-11-25T15:51:00.000-05:00

As McCall and I began shooting at the Hilton Wilmington-Riverside around 7:30 in the morning, I could tell very quickly that we were going to have an exciting day ahead of us! From the bride and groom, to their friends and family, and others working to make their big day come together - it was so obvious how elated they all were that this day was finally upon them! All the preparations and organizing and patiently waiting had taken place to create a beautiful day.

With the ceremony beginning at 11 o'clock, we had an enjoyable morning together capturing images filled with laughter and love and many more emotions. And that love carried us through a day of memories - a meaningful ceremony, the first announcement of "Mr. and Mrs. Justin Evans," sweet toasts given by the matron of honor and best man, lots of dancing, and of course, food! It was truly a joyous time.

Kristen & Justin: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for choosing me and trusting me to photograph your big day. My hope is that you'll be able to feel, all over again, exactly what you felt that day. October 22nd will never be the same!

sarah & ellis: part 2

2011-11-21T21:30:00.000-05:00

after doing some engagement pictures at five points a couple of months ago, sarah & ellis wanted to grab a few in the cooler weather as well. so we headed over to nc state's campus for a little while and then on downtown to fayetteville street to add the christmas feel to a few. thank you, raleigh, for putting up your christmas decorations before thanksgiving! :)

for those of you who attended state, i'm sure you're wildly familiar with the "free expression tunnel" after walking through it on your way to class everyday. for those of you who did not, it's a place where anyone can come and spray paint on the walls anything they want to. some artists are impressive...and others...not so much! but it may have been one of my top 5 favorite places to shoot. so eclectic!

this session made me even more excited about ellis & sarah's big day coming up in july 2012!

we couldn't help but go along with some of the art! :)

LOVE the colors. AND the models!

the wachtel family!

2011-11-21T18:50:00.000-05:00

it seems like just yesterday that jill was pregnant with a little girl of whom we had no clue what her name would be! (that didn't keep us from guessing!) sweet airlie has already debuted on the blog for her 3 month pictures, and today i have the joy of sharing with you some images of air-bear at 6 months. she just keeps getting more and more beautiful. i love every minute that i get to spend with her, and her parents!

sometimes i just can't handle how happy she is!!!

the nelms family!

2011-11-20T21:55:00.001-05:00

olson has grown quite a bit since his debut on the blog a few months back! and believe me, he's just getting cuter and cuter! his parents' love for him is so obvious and i'm so thankful that i got to capture this stage of life that they are experiencing as a family. precious, precious, precious.

the saxenmeyer boys keep growing up!!!

2011-11-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

well, about 5 months ago, you saw the saxenmeyer's up on the blog again here.

and you'll probably notice that through all of those images, the youngest of the 3 boys was pretty stationary! let's just say we had the opposite as we met up again a few weeks ago. sam is all over the place and i love it! such a fun stage of life as they learn to explore and see the world in their own way. what else are you supposed to do when you have 2 older brothers to keep up with!?

without further ado, here they are again...with a bit more commotion mixed in!

baby Harper!

2011-11-20T20:19:00.003-05:00

Remember Kelly & Will?

Well, about 4 months ago, they welcomed their little boy Harper into the world! We decided to do this session in the comfort of their home, and Harper did such a great job. Think he'll remember his first photoshoot? :) Enjoy...

somebody's a Duke fan in the house...

and somebody else is an ECU fan!

LOVE the hat.

house divided!! i'm not sure how Harper feels about it...

and some sweet black & white images:

i'm looking forward to spending some more time with Harper over his first year of life!

The Roark Family!

2011-11-02T20:38:00.000-04:00

the Roark's are the sweetest, most giving, and gorgeous family that you'll ever meet! this precious family attends the same church that I do, where Nick is a pastor. he and Allison have 3 beautiful children! anyone surprised? no way! i've loved getting to know the Roark's over the past few years, and wish them the best as they continue living life and relocate to Washington DC in January. we'll truly miss you here in Raleigh!

i hope these images are suffice to capture the stage of life that you're walking through right now. i hope they're a blessing to you and your family, as you all have been to me! enjoy!

you think they love their momma??? one of my favorites from the day...

emmaline

elijah

hudson

Fall Mini-Sessions!

2011-10-16T17:55:00.000-04:00

Well, I wanted to share a couple of images from each of the mini-sessions that I completed on Saturday, September 24th. We had a great time at several different locations around the Raleigh area. Enjoy!

Devan (+ Gwyn, his mom!)

The Reynolds Family

Sarah: Senior Portraits

The Sawyer Family

Keep an eye out for some more mini-sessions being offered Spring 2012! :)

Jillian: Senior Portraits

2011-10-16T17:32:00.000-04:00

the Butler family.

2011-09-28T22:57:00.001-04:00

meet the Butler kids!

we also had a chance to do some senior portraits of Annabel. she's looking at possibly joining the Wolfpack in 2012! i'm all for it! :)

what a joy it was to capture this family!

Sarah & Ellis: Engaged! (Part 1)

2011-08-30T20:46:00.001-04:00

I had the joy of being in the same elementary education cohort with Sarah during our college years. That means we were in every single class together for our junior and senior years. Needless to say, you grow pretty close with those that you spend that much time with...whether you like it or not! Thankfully, I LOVED having that time with Sarah. I really can't imagine those last college years without her around. She brought much laughter to our cohort! :)

Well, about two years ago, Sarah met Ellis at The Point. And so the story continues...

I hope you get a glimpse of the love and laughter that they share through these images! Enjoy.

Come back later this Fall to see Sarah & Ellis: Part 2! We'll be continuing this engagement session once the weather cools off a bit. :)

dancing in the dunes.

2011-08-17T20:30:00.000-04:00

remember levi? well, these days he's loving BOATS and may or may not think that a surfboard is a boat, but whatever works, right? on our way out to the beach, annie kept mentioning that we were going to go "dancing in the dunes" and in his sweet little innocent voice, he would repeat each word over and over again. i loved every minute of it.

here are his 2-year pictures, along with some maternity/family pictures including annie & brandon. they have since given birth to a beautiful little girl named olivia ann and i'm dying to meet her and get to capture her in that precious newborn stage of life. coming soon, hopefully! :) but for now, enjoy these pictures we took around the wrightsville beach area, as well as out on the beach.

cutest kid.

it is unbelievable how much laughter comes out of this family. the best.

levi, looking at all the boats on the water!

what a sweet momma/son moment...

dancing in the dunes. :)

colorado sky.

2011-08-06T18:27:00.001-04:00

Giveaway Winner!

2011-08-01T20:10:00.005-04:00

gEntries were represented by user name and numbered as:

1. G-dawg_Cooking

2. Kahred10

3. Sue Reynolds

AND THE WINNER IS...

the #1 entry! congratulations to G-dawg_Cooking! you have won a $25 gift card to Exxon Mobil.

please email me your mailing address and your card will be on the way to your doorstep very soon!

thank you to all that participated!

fall mini-sessions & a giveaway!

2011-07-28T14:12:00.004-04:00

after a few email inquiries over the past few months, i am excited to announce that i will be doing mini-sessions this fall here in raleigh! most of the information that you need is found in the ad above. however, if you have any questions, feel free to email me! i will be booking 5 mini-sessions on september 24th, so contact me as soon as possible if you want to fill one of those spots! these sessions can be used for any lifestyle occasion. this includes, but is not limited to: engagements, families, children, babies, maternity, seniors, etc.

and now onto the giveaway! a week from tomorrow, i will be jumping on a plane to head out west for 8 days. my friend shelly and i are planning to hit denver, los angeles, and phoenix during the trip, and also get the chance to see some good friends that live over on that side of the states. so...in the spirit of TRAVEL, furnished photography is giving away a $25 exxon mobil giftcard!

who doesn't need extra gas money these days?? (other than someone who's younger than 16...and i don't think that's the age of the majority of traffic on this blog. :) )

so here's what you do. it's so easy. only 3 steps:

1. just make sure you "like" furnished photography on facebook by clicking here and then clicking on "like" at the top of the page. (if you already "like" fp on facebook, then you're finished with this step!)

2. share the text below on 1 of the following social media sites: facebook, twitter, or google+

"furnished photography is giving away a $25 giftcard to exxon mobil in the spirit of summer travel! who doesn't like free gas these days? go to http://bit.ly/r22bXM to enter for your chance to win!"

3. comment on this blog post ONLY ONCE letting me know that you have liked fp on facebook and have shared the text above on at least 1 social media site.

a winner will be chosen on Monday, August 1st at 7pm. good luck!!
(all persons who enter are responsible for checking this blog for the winner announcement and then contacting me by email within 24 hours)

little airlie.

2011-07-28T09:25:00.000-04:00

remember these crazies?

well...airlie elise was born in may and let's just say seth and jill are head over heels for her. here they are when she was not even a week old.

i had a chance to go see them a couple of weeks ago and we had fun with a quick photo session of airlie in her new dress. yes, it does have tulle! we joked a lot about the fact that she's going to kill us for these pictures when she's 16. i can't wait. enjoy!

LOVE this face. babies are so unpredictable.

i'm so glad we caught this image. airlie kicks non-stop! she is a mover at heart. once she starts crawling, she is going to be ALL OVER the place!

and I'll include a drool pic just for Seth. i think these were his favorite. :)

kristen & justin: engaged!

2011-07-25T23:28:00.000-04:00

when kristen started dating justin, he lived in downtown Wilmington, right above "A Carolina Wedding." as we walked and talked during their session, she shared with me about the thoughts that would go through her head each time that she visited justin at his apartment. :) maybe an upcoming WEDDING in their future??? there could not have been a more appropriate place for us to begin our time together...

can't wait for your wedding in october!!! :)

time flies.

2011-07-19T17:11:00.000-04:00

well, well, well. wouldn't you know that summertime would just FLY. yesterday began my 6th week of summer vacation...and i have 4 weeks left. you know what that means. i'm over half way through. where does the time go!?

i have so enjoyed time at the beach, the lake, raleigh, wilmington, etc. and i have been fairly busy with photography sessions in between as well. it always brings me so much joy to charge my camera batteries, plug in an empty memory card, and head towards a location where i get to stop the hands of time for just a few moments. i love taking pictures of people that love being with each other!

here's a brief preview of what will be hitting the blog over the next couple of weeks. get ready!!

kristen & justin's engagement session:

airlie's (almost) 3 months session:

the adam's family/maternity session:

and i am so, so, so excited to tell you that i'll be venturing out west to the denver, co and phoenix, az areas in august. to say that i'm stoked about getting pictures of red rocks, the rocky mountains, and other beauties that God has created would be an understatement. i'll update from the road! promise.

enjoy these last few weeks of summer! :)

Baby Hudson.

2011-07-11T01:27:00.000-04:00

first of all, katie and paul's nursery furnished for the arrival of their new little one is UNBELIEVABLE. it's bright, modern, and beautiful. filled with creative pieces from anthropologie and other more personal aspects, it may be the most gorgeous nursery i've ever walked into over the past few years. katie has done a lot with interior design in the past, and if this room doesn't show off her talent and ability to make a space come alive, i don't know what will!

and to add to the beauty of it all is baby boy hudson rives. we enjoyed our time together and i just can't wait to watch him grow up! :) enjoy!

Daniel and Kirsten's Wedding Slideshow

2011-07-05T22:52:00.000-04:00

two weekends ago, i was delighted to be able to shoot daniel and kirsten's late morning wedding in chapel hill. the weather was perfect, the ceremony was gorgeous, and the reception was filled with lovely family and friends. these two were so confident in their decision to commit their lives to each other, and it was truly a joy to be with them on the day that they made it official!

isn't she lovely??

i will be posting my favorite images from the day within the next few weeks, but until then, i have put together a slideshow that tells the story of daniel and kirsten's big day! just click on the link below and enjoy!

click here to view Daniel & Kirsten's slideshow!

SUMMERTIME!!!

2011-06-13T18:44:00.000-04:00

so today i officially completed my third year of teaching. the students' last day was on friday and after cleaning up and turning in my keys today, i can say that i am finished. i know the summer will fly by, as it always does, but right now in this moment it feels like i have forever to sleep in, hang out with friends and family, actually have time to focus on photography, and enjoy time off. it's a weird feeling. i don't know if i'll ever get used to working 10 months and having a random 2 months off. don't get me wrong - i'm thankful for it! but it's just weird going from working 8-5 and then...nothing. so we'll see how i end up filling my time over the next 8 weeks.

with a wedding on the 25th of this month and several family portrait sessions scheduled for july and august, i won't leave you guys hanging here on the blog! there should be plenty of updates actually posted in a timely manner since i will have plenty of time on my hands. :)

as much as i will miss these guys and have been blessed by each one of them this past year...

i am looking forward to spending lots of time with family and friends!
(this is what happens when your family knows that you're a photographer and have that "perfect" picture in your mind...)

happy SUMMER! :) :) :)

the saxenmeyer boys + one!

2011-06-13T18:28:00.001-04:00

these faces should be familiar to those that have frequented my blog over the past few years. however, there is a new addition to this sweet family. i can't wait for you all to meet sam! we met over at bass lake, yet again, and did some portraits of all THREE boys this time. enjoy!

sam.

charlie.

will.

you are my sunshine!

2011-06-13T18:15:00.000-04:00

Meet the Nelms Family! Betsy works with me at Creech and has the most precious little boy EVER. He is so cute and loves to smile...but the best part is that he will do it on demand...if you sing "you are my sunshine" to his delight. :) So for those of you at the rose garden that same night, I apologize for my singing!! Keith and Betsy are great parents and I'm so excited about getting to see this little one grow up over the next few years.

Meet Olson.

McLawhorn/Hunter Cousins!

2011-06-13T18:01:00.001-04:00

When I moved to Raleigh to go to school at NC State 7 years ago (that's crazy!), I had the wonderful opportunity of keeping the McLawhorn children each summer in between college years. From bowling to movies to Adventure Landing and so much more, we figured out how to fill our days with fun and laughter! My connection to the McLawhorn's was through their cousin's, The Hunter's, from Wilmington where I grew up. A couple of months ago, we met up to do some cousin portraits in Wilmington...some at the Hunter's home and then some down at Wrightsville Beach as well. It's really, really hard to believe that they are this grown up! Parker will enter middle school next year and Drew will continue on to be a sophomore in high school. Enjoy!

Parker and Drew

Adam and Lee

Adam will be heading to Davidson in the fall for college!

They each wanted to represent for their favorite school. Looks like we have a house divided on our hands! (Go pack!)

To the beach...

The Cumbie Family

2011-06-05T17:16:00.000-04:00

Over Easter weekend, I had the opportunity to do some family portraits for the Cumbie's. Sarah is from Wilmington and we grew up in the same church. She has since married Patrick, had 2 precious children, and now lives in SC. Will and McLean are so, so, sweet and did great out on the beach for the pictures! It was a joy to capture their family at this time in their lives. :)

Kelly & Will & Boys

2011-06-05T16:53:00.001-04:00

Kelly and Will are expecting their little boy Harper very soon! We had a chance to get together a few weeks back to do some maternity pictures and family portraits for them to have as they embark on this new journey together. Congratulations to you both! :)

Fashion Shoot

2011-05-30T17:58:00.001-04:00

A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to do some fashion photography for a friend that is trying out the world of photo-styling. She styled two different shoots, planned everything, set it all up, and asked me to come along to attempt to capture what she had created in her head with my camera lens. The model we worked with was nothing short of amazing, and we had a blast making it all come together! Anyway - just wanted to share with you all a portion of the images that were created. I'll be in touch sometime later with some details on my friend's photo-styling business that is currently up and coming. Enjoy!

Update + The Proffitt Family

2011-05-30T17:28:00.002-04:00

I have 6 sessions that I've finished editing and have yet to share with you on the blog. I guess it's about time to update! Spring has been busy and I've gotten to take some sweet pictures of amazing families over the past few weeks. After posting the Sneak Peek on Facebook for each session, I found myself quickly re-focused on school things and tended to neglect my poor, lonely blog. But I'm back! And over the next couple of days, you should be seeing several posts to let you in on some of the exciting things that I've been up to lately.

Back in April, I was able to take some pictures of one of my favorite families. Andrea teaches 5th grade with me at Creech Road and has been my mentor for the past couple of years. If you know anything about teaching, you know that your grade level team definitely makes or breaks your experience. And I am so, so thankful that I landed on a team with Andrea. She has been such a blessing and I have so enjoyed getting to know her and her family over the past 3 years. Andrea and Chuck have two children - Saniah (6 yrs old) and Jace (6 weeks in the pictures). Enjoy!

Only 8 more days of teaching and then I'm back to being a full-time photographer for 2 months straight! I'm not going to lie...I'm looking forward to it! It'll be a good break from school and very nice to have some time to catch up on Furnished things.

Come back and check out some more posts tomorrow! :)

spring break 2011.

2011-04-21T22:54:00.002-04:00

Since I've been teaching, Mom and I have been taking a short trip for a couple of days during my Spring Break each year. The first year we traveled down to Charleston, SC and you can see a picture that I took of the Cooper River Bridge here. Last year we went to Savannah, GA. Check out some of those shots here.

This year we decided to travel up the NC coast to the Atlantic Beach/Beaufort/Morehead City area. We also had a chance to take a ferry over to Cape Lookout. We had a great time eating at good restaurants, enjoying the beach, and seeing the lighthouse. The design of Cape Lookout is my favorite out of the NC lighthouses. Did you know the diamonds actually represent all four directions (N, S, E, W) so that the captains at sea know where they are going? (We learned many fun facts about lighthouses!)

Three more days and it's back to reality. Trying to savor every moment! :)

Any suggestions for where we should go next year? We're looking for ideas!

Seth & Jill: Maternity

2011-04-21T17:32:00.001-04:00

With Jill being due a week from today, I knew I needed to get these pictures finished and up on the blog before baby girl Wachtel decides to enter the world! We went to Joyner Park in Wake Forest, NC to grab some maternity pictures a few weeks ago. Seth and Jill were one of the first couples that I ever shot when I was beginning photography about 3 years ago. I did some engagement pictures for them in 2008 and you can see them here on the blog. A lot has changed since then and we are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of their precious little girl! Can't wait for her debut on the blog once she's here!

We're all waiting to hear baby W's name!

I had to put this one on the blog so that you get a glimpse of one of the reasons that I love photography. :) Best clients ever.

she'll be filling these shoes before we know it.

i'd say she has the pregnant glow!

a whirlwind of a weekend.

2011-04-06T20:57:00.001-04:00

there are several ways that i know it's springtime each year. one is the warmer weather! second is that my car turns yellow. third is my watery, itchy eyes. and fourth is photography! after 2-3 months of yucky, cold, snowy, winter weather...it's about time that i can drive to one photo session after another with my windows down and music blaring. i had a slow winter (photography wise), but the joy of shooting people and families (with my camera, of course!) has come around once again and brightened up my life!

this past weekend was a whirlwind. and i use that word figuratively and literally! in almost every session we fought against the wind! but the beautiful weather outplayed the wind...and won. :)

i have some serious editing to do over the next couple of weeks, but i wanted to share with you one image from each session just to hold you over.

on friday night, i completed my first attempt with fashion photography. i have a good friend that is in the beginning stages of entering into the world of fashion design, so we're trying to start building her portfolio.

on saturday morning, i laughed so much and enjoyed my time with Aubrey shooting some headshots for her theater portfolio. she's probably going to be famous one day. watch out, broadway!

on saturday afternoon, i met up with the Proffitt's for a quick family session down at fletcher park. Saniah loved showing off and loving on her new 7 week old brother Jace.

on sunday afternoon, i got to shoot a maternity session for two of my best friends from college. not to mention they were the first couple that i shot engagement pictures for about 3 years ago.

more details and of course more pictures when i blog about each individual session in the coming weeks!

happy wednesday!

boston.

2011-03-27T18:51:00.001-04:00

first ever Mini Session special

2011-03-04T21:28:00.001-05:00

i am so very excited to announce that...

ok, here are the details:

   -- i will schedule up to 5 mini sessions for saturday, march 19th

   -- each session will last 30 minutes and will take place at a location of your choice in wilmington

   -- immediately after the session, we will load & view the images and YOU will choose your top 15

   -- i will re-touch and edit the pictures that you love the most

   -- you will receive your DVD, with personal copyright to print, the NEXT day.

   -- that's right - on sunday, march 20th i will bring you your DVD

so, hurry up! have you been wanting to schedule a session for a while now, but it just hasn't happened yet? now is your chance. email me - katherine@furnishedphotography.com to set up a time for your mini session!

Turkey & Spain!

2011-01-24T21:56:00.001-05:00

Over my Christmas break, I was able to go visit one of my best friends from college who is living in Turkey. There were actually 5 of us that ended up spending Christmas together there, and although it was very different from spending it at home, I was blessed to be with great friends. We were able to spend a good amount of time in Turkey, and then we flew to Spain and spent some time in Barcelona and Madrid. We spent New Years Eve in Madrid and then split ways - Julianna going back to Turkey - and the rest of us heading back to the States. It was a great trip and I wanted to share some of the pictures with you all!

But first, my top 5 favorite things from the trip:

1. Being able to see where Jules has been living and what she's been doing over there for so long!
2. Going to the Hamam (Turkish bath).
3. Seeing the Basilica Cisterns.
4. Celebrating New Year's Eve in Madrid and eating 12 grapes at midnight!
5. Spending Christmas day with good friends and a family that Jules has come to know as family since being in Turkey.

Now for some pictures...

hello, Turkey!

Hagia Sophia (huge museum that used to be a Christian church and then Muslim mosk)

Blue Mosk (active mosk in Istanbul)

Basilica Cisterns (one of the most amazing things ever)

One of the bridges that crosses the Bosphorus Strait to connect the European side to the Asian side.

Turkish women selling flowers

Barcelona!

Outside architecture at a bullfighting stadium in Madrid

The 4 of us on the field inside Real Madrid's soccer stadium

a simple Christmas.

2011-01-24T20:59:00.001-05:00

The church that I attend, Providence, puts on a Christmas show each Christmas season and this year it was entitled "a simple Christmas." I had the opportunity to take some pictures at two of the shows and I love getting to play with the stage lighting a bit. It's something I don't do very often since I'm usually working with natural lighting, but I learn about 150 new things each time I get to try it out!

The show was amazing by the way. Here are a few images from the night...

The Barrow Family

2011-01-24T20:09:00.001-05:00

Back in early December, I had the opportunity to take pictures of this family. I worked on a few quickly for them to use for Christmas pictures, but just recently got around to finishing up all of the edits and wanted to share them with you! We met up in Walkertown at their house and enjoyed our time in the FREEZING temps as it had just snowed the day before. The kids loved it...and the adults did well, too. :) Enjoy!

hello 2011! a few things coming soon...

2011-01-15T11:51:00.000-05:00

Although January & February are "slow" months for me as far as sessions and weddings, I actually do have several things that I've done over the past month or so that I so desperately need to post!

I'm working on three different posts right now and am excited for you to see each one of them!

But for now...a preview of each...

The Barrow Family

Providence's "A Simple Christmas"

My trip over Christmas to Turkey & Spain

Monday I will be celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as committing most of the day to catching up on photography work. I'll be editing, burning DVDs, backing up images, updating financial spreadsheets, and hopefully spending some time casting vision for what Furnished Photography will be up to in 2011. I'll post my (late) goals for the year on Monday. See you then...

Sarah & Ford: Part 2

2010-12-19T23:45:00.001-05:00

And so the day continued...as perfect as could be. :) Enjoy these shots of the ceremony and reception!

love never fails...

a sweet moment with dad right before walking down the aisle!

i love this picture of jonah, the scripture reader, helping mally may, one of the flower girls, down the steps. so precious!

they're married!

sarah with her mom and her mom's best friends.
sarah and her sorority sisters!
off to las vegas!!!

Sarah & Ford's Wedding Day: Part 1

2010-12-11T14:52:00.002-05:00

Sarah and Ford had the most gorgeous wedding day. From the easy flow of the day, to the 70 degree weather at the end of November (!), to Sarah's beautiful laugh, to the easy-going wedding party...it was just perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better couple to photograph. Sarah and Ford are one of a kind. Dating each other since high school, they know each other so well and their becoming one was such a joy to watch throughout the day. I have no doubt that these two will love each other well as they enter into this new phase of life together. Enjoy these images from the first half of their day...

And here's a little preview of what's to come! Check the blog later this week for Part 2 of Sarah and Ford's Wedding day. :)

Thank you to Pri Garach for second shooting with me during this day.

the troutman family.

2010-11-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

my time with the troutman's began as we walked down water street and front street in downtown wilmington. we found some great spots to shoot as we dodged all of the participants in the local ironman competition happening at the same time! here are a few from downtown...

then we headed down to wrightsville beach for a few more! we went down to the south end and i just have to say that the lighting was so great and it was NOT windy!!! i couldn't believe it. usually the wind is out of control down on that end, but there were no hair or wardrobe problems being caused by the wind on this day! we had a great time together.

the queen family.

2010-11-17T20:59:00.001-05:00

brett and amy were two of the leaders in my youth group during middle and high school in wilmington. i was able to be part of their wedding when they got married and we have continued to be friends ever since. i also need to mention that they have the cutest little girl that consistently brings some excitement into their family! i remember visiting them when kamryn was born. it's true...time flies. i hope you love kamryn's squinty-eyed-wrinkled-nose face as much as i do. you can almost hear the laugh through the pictures.

and be prepared - if you weren't already thinking about christmas before viewing this shoot, you will be soon. "mr. snowman," as kamryn called him throughout the session, had me listening to christmas music already on my way home from our time together. :)

the leger family.

2010-11-16T22:01:00.000-05:00

rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life. -albert einstein

meet the leger's. what a sweet, sweet family. we spent some time down at wrightsville beach and stopped by the park for a few more shots afterwards. this family won this session at a silent auction that took place in wilmington in order to raise money for rett syndrome. i'm so thankful for their willingness to give to such a cause and am so hoping that these images will show off their love for each other for many years to come.

thank you kelley for trusting me to take pictures of your family! you guys are naturals. :)

wrapping things up...a little update.

2010-11-15T22:27:00.002-05:00

it's so hard to believe that the year 2010 is almost over. in about a month and a half we'll be walking into the year 2011. when i read that, it sounds like we're living in some futuristic time that people used to make movies about. TWENTY ELEVEN. where did the time go?

it's been a busy year for furnished photography, but things are going to wrap up in the next couple of weeks. i have my last (very exciting!) wedding of 2010 this Saturday and one more family session in the beginning of december. i'm hopeful to finish up all editing by december 22...when i leave for TURKEY.

not the city of turkey, nc. but THE COUNTRY. you better believe that i am dying to be in the middle of the bosphorus strait taking pictures of asia and europe at the same time. one of my best friends from college is living in turkey. five of us, all friends from nc state, will be spending christmas together overseas. then we'll fly over to madrid for 4 nights and eventually back to the states. the travel bug that's been crawling inside of me for the past year is about to be satisfied with a trip to the east. i can't wait.

upon returning, i'll take most of january and february to close out all of the business to-do's for 2010 and begin brand new spreadsheets, planning, and scheduling for 2011. i find myself longing for a break when i can spend a good amount of time giving vision and thinking details for where this company will eventually go. it will be good to begin a brand new year of photography. i have a love/hate relationship with the unknowns of life...photography being one of them. :) i don't like not knowing what will happen, but i absolutely love seeing how it all comes together.

in case any of you are still wondering, yes, i am still a teacher. i spend most of my time with 23 5th graders learning how to round decimals, label cloud types, and use context clues while reading. and i still love it. it is where i am for now. and most likely where i'll be for at least the next year and a half. after that, who knows. that's where the love/hate relationship towards the unknowns of life comes in. but to be honest, i'm really excited about having some freedom to decide what i'll be doing and where i'll be.

anyway, i hope this serves as somewhat of an update on my life. i am so thankful for each of you that have supported me and encouraged me as i've continued with this whole doing photography on the side thing for a long while. and thank you to all of my clients that trust me to capture their wedding or family or life circumstance at the time. i get to work with the best people ever. and speaking of the best people ever, i have 3 families that i'll be blogging THIS WEEK. keep checking back for updates!

oh, and by the way, i won a goldfish at the state fair. but she died in less than 24 hours. RIP coral.

the saxenmeyer boys.

2010-11-06T22:53:00.003-04:00

the last time you saw these faces on the blog there were only two brothers. now there are three! little sam was born at the end of august and has brought new joy into the lives of his older brothers. we enjoyed our time once again over at bass lake in holly springs. i can't wait until sam is walking and all three of these crazy boys can interact with each other! we'll have a blast. :) until then...enjoy these sweet boys!

here is serious will. and by serious, i mean that he's seriously wearing red converses that you'll get to see very soon. LOVE it.

and crazy charlie. i'm not sure what words to put together to describe this face. he's been the root of many trips to the ER in the past few years. he loves adventure.

and finally, meet sam for the first time! he likes his mom, his stroller, the sound of shaking keys, and cameras. he's a ham!

and thus begins many years of sam sticking his tongue out at charlie!

animal crackers, peacoats, and innocence.

2010-10-27T22:47:00.002-04:00

i could post every image from this session. that's just how much i love it.

this family has been a huge part of my whole "life as a photographer." becky was my mentor my first year of teaching at creech road. in the past i have been able to shoot cora's 2nd and 3rd birthday parties, as well as some sister shots right after kassidy was born a while back. i was so excited when becky told me that they would be needing to schedule a family session for this fall. finally - you get to meet the parents! :)

this family is one of a kind. i hope you enjoy them as much as i do.

here's cora:

cora is most comfortable when she's close to home. in mom or dad's arms is a great place to be. she's not scared to step away, but usually pretty quick to come back. i love her love for life. she can entertain herself with whatever you put in her hands. and she loves her sister to death.

and kassidy:

kassidy is the most suspicious little one that i've ever met. she is more than precious, and i love how you can just tell that she's checking out every little thing about her surroundings. she finds the most comfort in wandering around with no supervision. i believe we have a brave one on our hands...

maybe my favorite capture of the day:

about halfway through the session, we needed a cookie break. animal crackers for everyone! and of course, cora entertained us while we "rested."

onto the rest of the session...

to becky, toby, cora, and kassidy - you guys are awesome! i hope i get to capture more and more of your sweet family as you continue to grow. :) see you soon!

mallory: wrightsville beach.

2010-10-22T22:17:00.001-04:00

mallory is two and a half. she is all girl and she loves pink. considering that it was a little bit chilly on the particular morning that we met to take pictures on the beach, let's just say that it was a good thing that i had a pink flower-shaped lollypop available. with the cool sand between our toes and the sun (called Mr. Sun! by Mallory) shouting out across the ocean, i was again reminded of God's goodness in his creation. not only in the beauty of nature, but more so in the pure beauty of children. i hope you get a glimpse of how joyous our time together was by seeing a few motion-filled moments being brought to a brief standstill. enjoy.

Haley: Senior Session

2010-10-12T22:42:00.001-04:00

About a year ago, I shot a family session for the McClure's down at Fletcher Park. You may remember seeing it here on the blog. I actually babysat for this family during my middle school years in Wilmington. Let's just say that the fact that Haley is a Senior in high school makes me feel kind of old. ;-) Bradley, their oldest son, is at Elon now...Haley is graduating from Broughton in June...and their youngest, Avery, is in the 8th grade.

A few weeks ago, I had the joy of meeting up with Haley at the Rose Garden in Raleigh to shoot some senior portraits. We had a great time together and I wanted to share some of her beauty with you! She is still contemplating where she wants to spend her college years, but I'm secretly pulling for her to join the Wolfpack...

Enjoy!

chrissy & joe: married!

2010-09-20T22:09:00.001-04:00

this sweet, sweet couple attend my church back home - first baptist, wilmington. they met on a mission trip to Guatemala and thus followed the next little bit of time in their lives in which they fell in love with each other. they present a precious story of God's grace and each walk with God's love in their hearts.

chrissy & joe - you guys were amazing. the joy found in each of your lives overflowed on this special day and i hope these images help you to remember it forever. thank you for sharing that joy with me by allowing me to be a part of making august 27, 2010 happen. :)

some details from the day:

getting ready for the day:

the beautiful bride:

the handsome groom:

a few family shots:

the ceremony:

i absolutely LOVE the blur of this image...how happy is joe to be holding his bride!?

some sweet moments with the newlyweds:

the reception at balcony on dock:

a perfect picture of the satisfaction found in a perfect day...

love you guys! thanks again for giving me the privilege of being your photographer. God bless!

levi is a year old!

2010-09-12T20:43:00.002-04:00

if you follow my blog, you'll recognize this little guy. you can see levi's 3 mos. session here and his 6 mos. session here. we caught up in downtown wilmington the last time i was home to catch levi one more time at 12 mos. levi is walking. and by walking, i mean that he's taking about 3 steps max before resorting to crawling once again. :) so we settled for some more precious, stationary shots up against some pretty neat backgrounds. my guess is that the next time i see this little one he'll be all over the place and i'll be moving my little fingers as quickly as possible to snap some action shots.

annie and brandon - thank you for adding such a cutie to your family and for sharing him with me in front of my camera. it has been a joy to watch levi grow over the past year and to watch you guys as parents. there is no doubt in my mind that levi is loved and loved and loved some more. :) you guys are awesome!

Baby Silas!

2010-08-13T11:47:00.001-04:00

well, you can follow Todd & Leah's story throughout my blog, from their engagement session, to their maternity session, and now to their precious little baby session! Silas Durant was born on August 3rd, and we did this mini-session with him on his 8th day of life outside of Leah's stomach. i know i am biased, but HE IS SO CUTE. he laid in this chair for probably 15 minutes without making a sound...just as content as could be.

welcome to the world, little silas!!!

Katie & Ross: Engaged!

2010-08-13T11:27:00.001-04:00

Katie has been one of my roommates for the past 2 years in Raleigh. She has been a gracious friend all through college and it has been so much fun getting to watch she and Ross fall in love over the past few years. Ross is very much loved by the girls who lived on Catherwood...as he fixed just about everything that we broke, killed roaches, ate Moe's with us, made us laugh, and so much more. I am so excited that they get to marry each other in 2 weeks! :) And with the excitement comes a little bit of sadness as well. Ross works in Georgia and Katie will be joining him there, but I know they are ready to be in one town together!

Katie and Ross - I can't wait to see God bless your marriage and your time in Georgia. But you better be coming back to NC very soon. I'll be praying for it. :) Love you both.

the Price's: family session

2010-08-13T11:06:00.001-04:00

one of my best friends from college, julianna, has been teaching overseas for the past year and a half. she was able to come home for the month of july for two weddings and we also incorporated a little family session while they were staying at topsail beach! one might say that this was the windiest day that has ever taken place at topsail. though hair was in faces and bows on shirts weren't staying in place, we managed to have a great time together!

to the price's - thanks so much for allowing me to take pictures of your family...and for being so patient and so fun in the windy weather! :)

leah + todd + baby.

2010-07-16T11:45:00.001-04:00

leah is one of my best friends from college and todd and i went to high school together. we were all excited when they got married...and now we're REALLY excited that they are going to bring a little one into this world!! they have decided not to find out what they are having and i LOVE that. i can't wait to hear if it's a boy or a girl and know how excited they both are either way. we went over to yates mill for a little maternity session one morning last weekend. it definitely made me want to do more morning shoots. who's in? :) it's just so peaceful and quiet and the light is glorious. enjoy!

daniel + suzanne: engaged!

2010-07-16T11:29:00.001-04:00

what a fun couple! daniel and suzanne are so excited to be engaged. their love for each other and laid back personalities made for a very fun and relaxing shoot! we spent all of our time in downtown raleigh and enjoyed the tons of options of where to shoot. they will be getting married next april. congratulations!! :) oh, and you'll be seeing more of them soon - we'll be doing another session at the beach in just a few short days!!

the simmons' family: holden beach!

2010-07-16T11:14:00.001-04:00

lyle and tatham have been on the blog several times over the past month...and here they are again! except this time they brought their whole family. :) i met the simmons' family down at holden beach to take some family portraits out on the beach. of course, the grandchildren were the center of the shoot...enjoy how precious they all are!

karen + barry: married!

2010-07-16T10:51:00.001-04:00

in early June, Karen and Barry tied the knot out on Wrightsville Beach! it was a hot one! but everything turned out to be just perfect. it was a small ceremony with family and a few friends and it seemed that everyone had a blast.

Karen and Barry - you guys were great! thanks so much for allowing me to capture your day. :)

the Brown's.

2010-06-28T17:47:00.001-04:00

in May i went down to garden city beach, sc over Memorial Day to spend time with my Dad's side of the family. my dad has 1 sister, Jan, who's married to Mike. they have 2 children, jonathan and david. jonathan is married to jessica and david is married to sarah. david and sarah have 2 children, garrett and keller. did you get all of that? anyway - we had a little photo shoot out on the beach while i was there. enjoy!

here's the whole crew:

david & sarah with their boys:

and jon & jess:

more of our time together:

garrett:

keller:

flying a kite! the boys absolutely loved it! :)

cora's 3rd birthday party!

2010-06-24T17:41:00.001-04:00

cora turned 3 in may and she celebrated with a BUBBLE PARTY!!!! that's right. all the bubbles you could ever want. it was so much fun. :)

here's cora:

and here are her sweet friends that got to enjoy the bubbles, slide, and sandbox as well:

instead of having a cake, becky made these cookies. how cute are they!? oh, and she has her own clothing business. lots of the kids in the pictures are actually wearing the clothing that becky made! check it out here & here. and buy something cute for your little one. :)

a long time coming.

2010-06-24T17:10:00.001-04:00

the full post of denise and matt's engagement pictures is finally here! i've been finished with these images for a while now, and hopefully matt and denise are enjoying them already, but it's just been one thing after another that has kept me from posting on the blog.

1. very scary photoshop error.
2. very scary photoshop error that cannot be fixed.
3. new adobe creative suite 5 on my doorstop.
4. new 15" macbook pro i7 from the apple store.
5. all files transferred.
6. new programs loaded.
7. ability to post on the blog. whew.

so without further ado, here are denise and matt. cannot wait to see them get married in september! :)

it's summertime!!

2010-06-14T19:22:00.001-04:00

today was my first "official" day of summer. and what that means to me is that it was a weekday in which there was no need to set an alarm. that is a GOOD feeling. and surprisingly enough, i slept until 8:45 without waking up! i was so happy i didn't turn over and see the usual 6:45 on the clock.

so what i'm getting down to is that this is a major reason to CELEBRATE! summer is here! relaxation has arrived! and i am just a little bit excited about it. :)

my excitement flows all the way into photography! today i am announcing a 15% discount on all family portrait sessions for this summer! now is your chance to finally get the family together to allow me to capture precious images that may find themselves on the walls of your home or on the inside of your wallet. you can schedule your session for anytime between now and august 15th, but the discount will only be available for those who contact me within the next 2 weeks.

we can hold the session in your backyard, at the beach, or at your favorite local spot!

contact me (katherine@furnishedphotography.com) before june 29th to schedule a session between now and august 15th and you'll save 15% on your summer family portrait session!

let's get this summer started!!

lyle and tatham: maternity.

2010-06-06T23:03:00.001-04:00

a few weeks ago, i gave you all a preview of my time with lyle and tatham at airlie gardens. well, since i've finished editing, they have given birth to a beautiful baby girl - layne elizabeth. how precious is her name? i love it! and i know i will love her when i get to take pictures of her precious face, along with the rest of lyle's family later this month. for now - here are more from our time together pre-baby.

denise & matt

2010-05-16T22:54:00.001-04:00

my 3 favorite things about my latest engagement shoot:

1. the cutest couple ever.

2. amazing orange shoes.

3. the ring.

more to come very, very soon! :)

airlie gardens.

2010-05-08T22:38:00.001-04:00

i've been wanting to shoot at airlie for such a long time now. it is so beautiful! i finally had the chance this weekend as i shot a maternity session for lyle and tatham. more to come about them and their little one, but here's a little preview for now. enjoy!

edwin.

2010-04-25T17:36:00.002-04:00

this weekend, i went with some friends to see edwin mccain at cat's cradle in carrboro. i've been an edwin fan ever since i can remember. i just love the singer/songwriter feel that he presents so well. i absolutely love when he plays acoustic...just he and his saxophonist. but last night he had his whole band with him and it was amazing.

it was raining when we got there, so i decided to leave my camera in the car. that didn't last long. :)

the Griffin family.

2010-04-17T17:30:00.001-04:00

it has been a joy to re-live this family session for the past couple of weeks as i've been editing. these girls are precious! not to mention their gracious parents that love them to death! everytime i shoot, i am reminded of why i do what i do. and this session was no different. i loved every minute of joking around with these girls and chasing them through the arboretum to catch their every moment.

to the griffin's: thank you so much for allowing me to spend some time with your family! i enjoyed it so much and i hope that you can enjoy these pictures for many years to come. :)

the adams family.

2010-04-10T15:21:00.001-04:00

here they are! annie, brandon, and their precious baby boy levi. there are so many things that i love about these pictures. everytime annie or brandon are smiling at levi, he is for sure smiling back. it is the sweetest thing ever. we started out at the arboretum and then headed down to wrightsville to put our feet in the sand. i can't wait to shoot his 12 month pictures later in the year!

kisses on the nose!

levi absolutely loves hats. and i love that he loves hats.

sweet time with his daddy and mommy.

coming soon.

2010-04-03T12:53:00.001-04:00

meet the griffin's!

remember levi? he's back on the blog and his parents are included this time. :)

become a follower of the blog (look over on the right side) so that you won't miss out on seeing the full posts for each of these families!

happy easter!

savannah: day 2

2010-03-30T17:52:00.001-04:00

tybee island lighthouse:

springtime flowers all around the city! tulips and azaleas.

savannah, ga

2010-03-29T20:33:00.001-04:00

mom and i are on spring break in savannah! we spent most of our day today walking around the historic district. the live oak trees are gorgeous. river street is hopping with restaurants and shops. the architecture is immaculate. i'm looking forward to taking more pictures tomorrow, but here are a few from today.

Bruises, Band-Aids, and Grass.

2010-03-27T20:39:00.001-04:00

"A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last weekend I spent part of my Saturday running through a park, chasing a boy, and clinging to my camera while trying to snap buttons on it as quick as I could so that his parents will be able to remember this age. Not that they will ever forget the things that Noah does, or the things that he says, but maybe these shots will help to bring back some fun memories for them years down the road.

Warning: Noah is ALL boy. You may or may not see bruises, band-aids, and grass all over him. :)

And yet this is a prime example of why I love photography. There was nothing to impress. Nothing to make things perfect. Just a day in the life of a child.

Enjoy this first series of images as he struggled to get his gun to work! I love it.

I hate to say that he never succeeded and just threw the gun onto the ground. Onto the next thing! Why not roll down all of the hills?

JOY.

I'm thinking Noah should produce his own CD and use this as the cover!? :)

Hello gorgeous brown eyes.

I'm in love with how this captures the end of our time together. I think all of our faces were similar to his! We were worn out from having so much fun together!

Thank you, Kelley, for allowing me to take pictures of your precious nephew. And to his parents for being so laid back and amazing to be around! I had a wonderful time and am looking forward to seeing you all again soon.

finally. spring is here!

2010-03-20T21:46:00.002-04:00

this morning i woke up and immediately opened the windows in my room. i went for a longer walk/run than usual. i sat out on my front porch. i ate my lunch outside. i laid out in the sun for 2 hours. and i spent an hour chasing a little one around fletcher park for a photog session this evening.

HELLO SPRING. i am so excited that you are here. you make my heart happy and content. thank you.

and to satisfy your own craving for springtime, enjoy these gorgeous blooms!

and you'll be seeing more of noah on the blog in the upcoming week or two. we had a blast!

living life by the grace of God alone.

2010-03-17T18:50:00.001-04:00

it has taken me a while to write this post. i'm not sure if i just don't know what to say or if it's just so close to my heart, or what, but i've just struggled. i will preface what i'm about to say by telling you that the story you are about to hear has only been lived out by the grace of God. and the life of this couple for the past few months has brought about many emotions, highs and lows, for the both of them, as well as for their family and friends.

i know chris and marie from my time at nc state as well as from being part of the same church. i'll never forget when marie and i and some other girls drove 14 hours to florida for spring break one year. we had a blast. and i'll never forget pretty much everything that chris says and does. he is hilarious. these two are the most loving, genuine couple that i think i've ever met before. they are welcoming and full of joy all the time. it has been a gift to know them.

they got married in march of 2007 and then found out they were pregnant with their first child last fall. oh, the excitement of them both that they would be blessed with a little one very soon! at their doctor's appointment in january, they found out that they were going to have a little girl. but they also found out that there were some things looking a little bit different than usual on the ultrasound. there was fluid in her body and the chances of her making it were slim. if she did make it full term, she would be born with turner's syndrome. marie went back for weekly visits to the doctor and they were blessed to hear her heartbeat several times in the following weeks through the ultrasounds.

in the midst of all the news and the reality of what was taking place, sweet chris and marie asked if i would be willing to take some maternity pictures of them with hannah. of course i felt privileged to do so. we went out to yates mill park and had such a joyful time together celebrating hannah's life that God was blessing them with for the time.

a couple of weeks later, hannah went to be with Jesus. and although the loss is tremendous for chris and marie, God's love and grace has completely overwhelmed them during this time. i wish you could read each and every "update" email that came from marie as they trusted God and consistently spoke of his goodness and love and peace that came only from Him. but you can know that they are faithfully following God's perfect plan for their lives and their family.

and so now i introduce you to marie and chris and their precious little girl - hannah marie:

i'm in this place.

2010-03-07T17:37:00.001-05:00

the question comes frequently. and various words come flowing from my mouth each time i try to answer. but really i should just start saying, "i don't know," and ending the conversation there. because who really knows anyway? i keep trying to know. in my heart i literally long to know. i want to know so bad where i'll be in 6 months, a year, or 5 years. sometimes i spend hours of time just thinking about where i'll be. kind of hoping that maybe, just maybe, i'll have this crazy revelation where someone will just yell out my future. i will hear the words that i want to hear. yes, katherine fallis, you will be a full-time photographer. because that's what i want to be when i grow up.

but there's so much in my life that keeps me from jumping. i love the kids that i teach. i'm a teaching fellow and i owe the state of nc two more years of teaching in their public schools. i'm afraid of failure. i don't think i have enough money. i know only a little about owning a business. i might waste time if i don't have a set 8-5 schedule for work. and even if it weren't for any of these things, am i good enough?

these are not little things. these are the things that are filling my mind day by day. and yet while i go through life worrying about the future, God graciously fills my mind with reminders of Himself. he is loving, he always provides, he conquers all, he is my rock, he comforts those who need to be comforted, he gives new mercies every morning, he created the world, he knows the number of hairs on my head, he sings over me. why should my heart be filled with worry when God has allowed for me to know him and be able to trust in Him alone? my heart should be filled with joy!

and from now on, when the question is asked, i will say, "i don't know. i don't know if i will be a full-time photographer or a teacher or a mom or anything else. but i know that God is faithful and he will have me where he wants me and i will praise Him for providing exactly what i need."

so for now, i am in this place. this place where God has me. teaching and taking pictures. and if he gives or takes away tomorrow, then i'll be ready. i will be ready.

how about that for a sunday post? love you guys.

providence college class.

2010-03-06T15:31:00.001-05:00

a couple of weeks ago, i took some pictures during providence's college class in the delta lake center. they are looking for some photos to update their new website that's in the works. here's a preview for you.

i hadn't been to college class in a while and it was a joy to be back there and see how the Lord continues to work. i was encouraged by the teaching and the singing!

Daddy/Daughter Date Night

2010-03-06T11:07:00.001-05:00

One of my sweet roommates, Katherine, is the one of the marketing directors for 2 Chick-Fil-A restaurants in North Raleigh. She works at the Falls Village store, as well as the Capital Crossing store. And if I may say so myself, she is AMAZING at her job. She loves Chick-Fil-A and markets for those stores very, very well.

They recently had a "Daddy/Daughter Date Night" at each of the stores. The special evenings included seating, photos, and activities for dad and daughter. The place was decorated with table cloths, balloons, cows, and many daddys and daughters enjoying a night out together. I had the privilege of being the photographer at both stores. Some of the little girls came dressed in their favorite princess dress arm in arm with their proud daddy all dressed up as well. It was precious. I loved being there.

Here are a few shots from the night:

Katherine all ready for the guests to arrive.

Cow/Balloon decorations found throughout the store. Each little girl left with a cow, coupon, flower, and some balloons. The dads received Truett Cathy's latest book.

One of the daddy/daughter couples!

If you are ever in need of some chick-fil-a for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and you're in North Raleigh...go visit Katherine at one of her stores. And if you are looking to order trays for anything or find out about future events, you can go to their website www.mychickfila.com and order online!

ashley and john: engaged!

2010-02-12T18:11:00.001-05:00

finished up with some engagement shots this week. these two will be getting married in july! ashley and john: i wish you both the best in the next few months and in your marriage as you begin your new life together very soon!

they brought their sweet pup harlow along for a few pictures!

oh how i wish you each could have seen john's (obvious) excitement about the "kissy" wolfpack pic!

how much more beautiful does it get?

ashley&john: sneak peek!

2010-02-07T17:31:00.001-05:00

last week i had the privilege of shooting some engagements for ashley and john. they are the sweetest couple. we started out at pullen park and then headed to campus for a few more before we concluded the session. i will say that i fell for the first time during a shoot. it may or may not have been hilarious. i'll blame it on the ice/snow that was still on the ground, but i'm not really sure if that's a valid excuse or not. don't worry, i landed holding my camera about 2 feet above my head and we joked about how i protected my baby before myself! it's true. anyway, here's a little preview of our time together. more to come later in the week!

happy super bowl tonight!!

and the winner is...

2010-02-03T22:06:00.002-05:00

the FREE $50 iTunes giftcard goes to...(you'll have to watch the video to find out!)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! and THANK YOU to each of you who participated. :)

february goals & iTunes giveaway!!

2010-02-01T15:59:00.005-05:00

to my faithful readers,

i finally made it out of the house today. went to the gym and to chick-fil-a with my roommate cindy. i felt like i was free after being trapped in this house for 3 days. as i sit here on this snow day and watch the ellen show, i decided it would be productive to make some goals for february and also fun to give a little something away to one of you! after all, i am thankful for your readership and support!

so here are my february goals:

-book a wedding for this summer.
-get caught up on finances for january, so that i don't get so behind on 2010 stuff.
-start using my iTouch more to take pictures on a whim.
-post at least 1 video from my flip camera that i got for christmas.
-give away my photography by shooting at 2 "daddy/daughter date nights" at chick-fil-a.
-learn more about shooting in RAW.

and for the giveaway! (how many of you just skipped reading my goals and scrolled straight to the giveaway??? i know who you are.) i am going to give away a FREE $50 iTunes giftcard to one of you. here's what you have to do to qualify for the giveaway:

1. become a follower of this blog. this is easy. just click on "follow" on the right column of the blog. this will keep you informed for any posts that i put up!

2. leave a comment on this post with ONE goal that you have for february. it can be anything, as long as it is a goal for you! maybe i can help hold you accountable to reaching it! :)

3. become a fan of "furnished photography" on facebook. if you aren't on facebook yet, maybe it's just time for you to join! you can search for furnished photography in the search box at the top right of your facebook page.

4. tell one person about furnished photography! this part of the qualifications will have to work by the honor system. i trust you guys.

even if you're already following the blog or following on facebook, you may still fulfill the other requirements and be a part of the contest!

you may enter this contest anytime between now and 9pm on wednesday, february 3, 2010. i'll put all the names that have qualified into a bowl on that night and draw for a winner. i'll announce the winner sometime that night by posting a video of the drawing. the winner will be responsible for emailing me their information so that i can send them their FREE $50 iTunes giftcard!

go comment, go follow, go tell! :)
talk to you on wednesday.
-kf.

spring, anyone?

2010-02-01T10:09:00.001-05:00

well. raleigh has been covered in snow since friday evening. it melts, it freezes, it melts, it freezes. i haven't left my house since friday when i got home from work, except to go out for a bit to attempt to sled without a legit sled. so that didn't work very well anyway. so the cabin fever that has been slowly creeping up into my life has officially given me a serious longing for SPRING TIME. goodness. i loved the snow, but i am ready for it to be gone. go on your way, snow, and don't come back for a while. my heart is eager for warmer temperatures, budding flowers, bright colors found in nature, and windows down in the car. after postponing 2 photo shoots this weekend due to the snow, i've found myself in my spare time looking back through pictures that have some green and blue skies, and no snow. oh, and i have an engagement shoot coming up on thursday, so i'm wayyyyy looking forward to that. can't wait to share some of those with you. thanks for reading, and for the teachers out there - enjoy this snowday! :)

monday post.

2010-01-25T16:25:00.001-05:00

i got a text from my brother this morning asking about my sunday post. or lack there of really. i know, i know, i just can't seem to get into a routine. i took all of last week off from photography everything just to have a break. january has been my least busy month over the past year and honestly, it's been nice to have the time off. now don't get me wrong - i love, love, love taking pictures and interacting with so many different people - but sometimes you just need to rest. so last week was my week of rest. and now i'm back in the game. i started this week off with a very productive workday at school, along with going some different places not too far away to attempt to get some images that i can enlarge and possibly put in my room. it's been on my "to-do" list for about 6 months now and today was the perfect day. beautiful weather and temps in the 70's. that's what i'm talking about.

two exciting sessions this weekend, so be looking for more updates soon!

kelly and jeremy: engaged!

2010-01-17T17:47:00.009-05:00

kelly and jeremy got engaged right after christmas and we quickly did some engagements since jeremy was heading back to texas to finish his training with the airforce. we didn't know when he would be able to make it back to nc. kelly and jeremy met at nc state and they have a fun little story. i asked kelly's permission to use the "how we met" portion from their wedding website.

"I was on my way to meet my bible study leader on campus. I parked my car in front of Reynolds Coliseum and noticed this guy looking at me. Since my older brother went to NC State, I thought it was one of his friends that I did not remember meeting. I smiled just in case. I continued to walk to Tally Student Center and found Mikel Bass sitting outside. Then the same guy who looked at me like he knew who I was sat 2 tables away. He got up to get some napkins inside. I quickly asked Mikel if she knew who he was. She said no about the same time he came back outside. We locked eyes and I thought he caught us talking about him. Embarrassed/flirting I smiled really big at him and continued to talk to Mikel. He then finished and came up to my table and said, "Excuse me ladies, I don't mean to interrupt, but you smiled at me and I was like whoa and I think you're incredibly attractive and I just wanted to throw that out there... K well, Have a good day." I laughed and said thank you. Being extremely flattered, it was difficult to finish my meeting with Mikel. After our meeting, I walked back to my car and thought I had a ticket for the meeter going over but it was a note that read - "This is probably the most random thing I have ever done in my life, BUT I would love the opportunity to hang out and get to know you sometime. Call Me. -Jeremy Smallwood" Needlessly to say I am thankful he left that note! The rest is history."

Meet Kelly & Jeremy:

hadley family + curtis.

2010-01-17T15:57:00.002-05:00

after hanging out with the mcclure's and doing a family shoot for them, their neighbors contacted me a few weeks later in order to set a date for when i could come out to their house to take some family shots of them as well. we finally made it happen on new year's eve day and it was a joy to spend time with them.

meet the fam:

and curtis! (who was camera shy for the most part):

to my faithful readers, consider this my first sunday post of 2010. although i may be updating again before the day is over. :)

collins wedding continued...

2010-01-13T19:59:00.001-05:00

i've been meaning to post some black and white shots from greg and michelle's wedding. so here they are...enjoy!

who's it gonna be?

2010-01-11T22:09:00.002-05:00

so i've been waiting for the first person to call me out for already not keeping up with my resolutions for twenty-ten. two sundays have flown past me without a post up on the blog. so here's to this sunday. i'm committed to making it happen. (and if it for some reason doesn't happen, there better be someone out there holding me accountable. thank you very much.)

here's what i've been up to lately:

kelly & jeremy engaged!

the hadley family, including curtis!

more to come later in the week! :)

greg and michelle: married!

2010-01-09T15:49:00.003-05:00

greg and michelle married each other the saturday before christmas. it was freezing outside and the weather was snowy almost everywhere except for wilmington. their honeymoon to new york city was postponed a few days due to the weather...which ended up allowing them to spend their first christmas together as a couple in the big city! how sweet! :)

i grew up with greg in wilmington and soon after we went off to college, rumor had it that greg was dating this sweet girl that he met at coldstone. to make a long story short, it lasted and was made official on that cold day in december! what a joy it was to take their pictures and be a part of their wedding as their photographer. enjoy!

congratuations greg and michelle! you guys are the best.

happy (belated) new year!

2010-01-02T22:24:00.001-05:00

well...my new year's day post just didn't happen. i was visiting my granny over the weekend and posting my twenty-ten goals went way down on my priority list. things like frigid weather, football watching, family time, and playing dominoes took over. so here we go.

things that i would like to do in 2010 (dealing with photography):

-close off 1 Saturday a month completely devoted to photography (planning, vision, paperwork, editing, etc.)
-meet one new photographer each month.
-answer a confident “yes” to the question, “are you a professional photographer?”
-find a way to give photography to someone who ordinarily wouldn’t choose it or can’t afford to pay for it once a quarter.
-host a contest on the blog.
-buy the 5dmkII.
-experience more wedding photography.
-post an image on the blog every single Sunday.

i'll probably be adding to this list as the year goes on. we'll see!

here we go 2010.

'09 reflections.

2009-12-31T19:00:00.001-05:00

i think i can confidently say that 5 years ago i would have never ever guessed that i would be a photographer. and now i can't watch sports on tv or go to a friend's wedding without my eyes focusing in on the lenses being used on the cameras snapping away. when i wake up and look out the window, or as i drive to work, my thoughts go straight to what kind of lighting the sun/clouds are providing for the day. i spend time reading camera reviews, lens specs, and other photography blogs, just trying to fill my brain with everything i just might need to know in that one moment during a shoot. i leave the house with no plans and end up in a field on the side of the road just shooting at old buildings and old cars. in the past 5 years, my life has changed.

and when i think about how to describe and reflect on simply this past year, two thousand and nine, there are 2 words that come to mind. the first word is learn. and the second is practice. sometimes i learn something from someone else or from reading and then i go and practice. and lots of other times i practice and then i learn something. and so the most appropriate way for me to reflect on this year, is to share with you what i consider to be the top 5 things that i have learned.

i've learned...

5. that truly the best way to learn is to stop reading, watching, listening...and to practice on your own.

4. (very quickly) that i am awful with finances. i don't understand spreadsheets, taxes, etc. and i desperately need other people to help me with these things. i also never remember to keep up with all that i'm supposed to keep up with. mileage, bank statements, invoices, etc. that stuff is just not for me. but i'm practicing. :)

3. the uncontainable joy that comes from shooting a family with young children. i love that they are so unpredictable. and i love that one child can show so many different expressions on their face. it is precious.

2. that the best learning comes from failure. i think i have experienced this with teaching, but it became even more real with photography. there have been plenty of times that i've been in the middle of a shoot, driven home from a shoot, laid in bed at night, edited images, and felt like i've failed. and yet in these moments, i can identify what needs to change. and it is after many failures in which success follows.

1. to be so, so grateful for the people in my life that are constantly telling me to keep going hard after photography. your encouragement is what keeps me going. thank you so much.

goodbye 2009. i'll miss all 8,760 hours of you.

making progress.

2009-12-30T16:07:00.003-05:00

the break from school has truly given me time to make some progress with photography. from finances, to business cards, to editing, to designing...i've had time to do it all. and i am so thankful for the time and for the result of feeling productive!

tomorrow i'll be posting some of my reflections on this year and then my 2010 goals on friday. stop by when you get a chance!

and just because i feel even more productive when i post pictures on the blog, here's a picture of michelle's gorgeous bouquet! i loved the red roses.

does it get any cuter than this?

2009-12-23T10:26:00.003-05:00

you may remember the maternity shot that i posted back in august. looking back, i probably should have posted more than just one, but hey, you live and you learn. anyway, annie and brandon welcomed their sweet little boy into this world in september. levi is three months old and has the cutest little personality already. i love it! i'm hoping to get him in front of my lens some more over the next year, and i can't wait to see how he changes and grows.

when i went to annie's to shoot, i grabbed this rocker out of she and brandon's bedroom to take outside to use. come to find out, it was given to her by her mom who bought it years ago...so i tokened it our heirloom for the shoot, although it probably shouldn't be considered that already. :) maybe one day though, right?

enough from me. meet levi:

katherine & grace.

2009-12-22T22:19:00.003-05:00

katherine and i have known each other for almost 6 years and she has been one of my roommates for at least half of that time. :) i knew i could talk her into going to a new location that i put my eyes on about 2 months ago. i was in love with what i saw, and am so glad that she and grace were willing to go with my idea to shoot there. these girls are hoping to surprise their parents with a portrait for christmas! we had so much fun during the shoot. enjoy the results...

winter "break"

2009-12-20T15:49:00.005-05:00

i am so thankful for the 2 weeks that i have off from school. i love my kids, but i think we were all ready for a break from miss fallis' classroom. mom and i are actually heading to raleigh tomorrow for the day because i have a workday, but that'll be the last of school for me over the break.

and although i'm on a school break, photography is still going strong. i have some fun things that i'm working on, and i just wanted to give you a little preview. hopefully i'll be ready to do a full post of each of these sessions by the end of my "break." :)

sister shoot:

greg & michelle's wedding:

the bass girls.

2009-12-20T15:44:00.003-05:00

a few weeks ago, mikel and i ventured out to try and get some pictures of the girls for a christmas card shot. we went down to the park by their house because i thought madi would be the most comfortable there, and we were pretty short on time. although it was pretty cold out, we ended up with some precious pictures of madi and ash. here's a little clip of what we got...enjoy!

the Scillitani family.

2009-12-13T16:30:00.003-05:00

if you follow my blog at all, then you've definitely heard about some of my ups and downs, highs and lows of photography. so i'll share this little story with you just to be a bit vulnerable with you. (if you don't want to know about my life, then feel free to skip the next paragraph.)

i'm sure you've noticed, but i've been experimenting a bit with some "collage" posts instead of just posting one picture after another. so first of all, i don't know how to do these in photoshop (and haven't asked anyone to help me), so i use illustrator instead. once i've completed it in illustrator, i copy/paste it into photoshop so that i can save it as a jpeg. after that, i upload it to a photography site and use the link to actually make it show up on this site. well...after completing this particular collage twice due to technical difficulties (and my computer not having enough RAM to allow me to have 2 large programs running at once), i was so happy that i was done, so i uploaded it to the site that i use. then i realized that the site only allows for the pictures to be a certain length. and this document was long. so although it is still long, it is not wide because the site automatically shortened it. i would do it all over and load it differently, but i'm tired...and my eyes hurt. welcome to my life.

and with no further ado, i introduce you to the scillitani's. crystal was one of my professor's during my time in the elementary program at nc state and we have kept in touch ever since thanks to facebook. :) we shot at pullen park and had a great time together!