| welcome.to.the.ksp.photo.blog! |
fri, 6-26-09 | news |
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hi there! & thanks so much for stopping by! i am a fine art international photographer & make-up artist based in Michigan, capturing moments & creating work with great passion.life.&.love.  my blog acts as an open journal of all the happenings at .ksp., as well as my personal life. there are new posts weekly, so be sure to RSS feed & check back often! this welcome post will remain pinned to the top of the blog at all times, so all new posts will follow below.
if you happen to be searching for a particular post, just use the search bar located above in the main header on the far right corner. it searches by key words, so simply type in the name of the post that you are looking for, click "go" & it will take you there!
your comments truly make my day, so if you like what you see, please let me know! i absolutely LOVE hearing from you. happy day & happy blogging!
ksen
***also,,, if you are wondering about my name, ksenija, it is pronounced more like "s-e-n-i-y-a"... or you can call me ksen ("s-e-n") - whichever is easiest for you! |
25 comments so far... this post is outta control!
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| wednesday's whimsy :: perception |
wed, 2-3-10 | personal |
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minus the cold weather & my birthday, i could have easily mistakened the month of January for June or July. i have also pretty much come to the conclusion that no matter how old i get & how much i strive to achieve the 'perfect' balance in my life,,, i will always be wondering where the time went & if things will ever slow down, just a tad. definitely NOT complaining at all,,, just sayin'. 
i am also getting better at understanding that if i want time to slow down, i have to be the one who makes that happen. a very hard concept to wrap my work-aholic brain around. however, i am trying inch by inch, so i give myself an 'A' for 'acceptable effort'. ha!
needless to say, my lil ol' blog here has been a wee bit neglected. which in turn means that my creative self & mind feel like they might just explode if at least a few of the things that i have been wanting to share are not posted soooon.
instead of feeling overwhelmed at the thought of 'where to start?'... this little diddy below came to mind on my walk with Jones-ers today. one of my bestest friends, Jac, sent me this months ago because she thought i would enjoy it -- and enjoy it, i did!  if you have a few minutes & want a little smile to curl up onto your face,,, i suggest you read below! |
| ...and with that, i leave you this image of one of my favorite places in the world,,, Firenze, taken from my recent travels for Ciao Andiamo. when i look at this image, it takes me to a time many moons ago where i really began to learn & understand the importance of the beauty that is naturally all around us. be it in nature, people, buildings, animals, sounds, smells.... truly, everywhere we are, everywhere we look, there is something to be discovered, something to be enjoyed, something to be lived. |
6 comments so far... comments ROCK!
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| erin.&.bryan |
thu, 1-21-10 | wedding |
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i can pretty much guarantee that after you are finished looking through this post below, you will not be able to stop yourself from smiling. Erin & Bryan naturally, and quite beautifully, have this joyous effect on everyone -- from their bigger than life smiles, to their zest for life, to their unconditional love -- it is no wonder to me that the Universe joined these two bright lights.
i first met both Erin & Bryan when i documented her sister Allison & brother-in-law Matt's wedding in 2008 (to see that post, click here!). i will never forget when i received one of the MOST cheery & thoughtful emails from Erin after Allison & Matt's wedding. my heart was already deeply touched from the connection with Allison & Matt,,, so this extra step of kindness & gratitude just blew me away. this, however, i quickly grew to know was just Erin, being Erin -- a true kindred spirit filled with a most optimistic outlook on life.
in the midst of our many emails that followed, Erin spoke --- ahem,,, gushed... about Bryan all throughout. without ever having a conversation with Bryan, i already felt like i knew him. when the day came that Erin called me to tell me 'something' important,,, i literally screamed in excitement! i could hear her smiling through the phone line, as was i. my heart couldn't have been happier.
Erin & Bryan were married in the awe!some city of Chicago (or as i used to call as a kid "Chikakago" ). the day began with the ladies getting dolled up at the great Crowne Plaza Hotel. next, their heartfelt ceremony took place at the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple. after, we ventured around the city for some photo fun & ended at the gorgeous Prairie Production for a night filled with great laughter, toasts, eats, dancing & grand celebration by all.
below are a 'few' top faves, however be sure to check out the slide show for even more at the end of this post!
Erin & Bryan!!! as i have expressed many times before, i feel the luckiest to know you and your families. being in Chicago that weekend felt like being part of the fam -- thank you again for your incredible warmth & hospitality. both Danielle & i couldn't stop talking about how ah!mazing everything was & how much we adore you all. i wish you both a lifetime FILLED with the laughter & joy i witnessed and captured that day... when going through your images, i am reminded once again of the power & incredible beauty of the one thing that matters most in this world -- Love. ....and now i get to show you a bit of what your love looks like! hope you enjoy!! with great heart, love & gratitude, always, ksen
Erin is also the incredible talent behind her company,Pulp and Honey (featured in a previous post, as well!),,, therefore the mastermind behind all the brilliant details below : |
| the day was extraordinary : |
| her dress. was. stunning : |
| and the bling! oh the bling... |
| the creative designer behind their pretty hair flowers is the talented Nichole Brown (Coie is her company & you can also check our her etsy shop for more work!) : |
| more of the lovely details... |
| Bryan's ring : |
| laughter was a constant that day : |
| oh Erin,,, you are such a beauty! |
| the brilliant make-up artist that day was my dear friend Rommy. he will not only ROCK your make-up look.... |
| ...but also bring such great energy & laughter with him! i *heart* this image : |
yes. getting dressed really can be THIS fun!!  |
| Erin was given gifts from Bryan, as well as her Mother & sister. what i love most about this image is that there is so much going on. it is real, vibrant & full of heart... as simple as it 'may' be : |
| Erin,,, you . are . GORGEOUS!!! |
| Bryan was all smiles as well that day : |
| ...and looking quite dapper himself : |
| sealed with a smooooch & smiles : |
| and just a little bit of newlywed time... |
| i love this mini series of Erin with her fam : |
| the bridal party was a BLAST : |
| while Erin was getting bustled, i couldn't help but notice her up-do. so graceful & romantic : |
| Erin's wonderFULL parents : |
| the ladies : |
| this image is how it actually looked that evening. no 'color' or texture was added. i it : |
| the Mc's : |
| can someone say yummm!?! yes please! |
| oh the details!!! Erin is truly such a talent : |
| ... you know i LOVED this wall! |
| their 'sa-weeet' cake was created by Tipsy Cake in Chicago : |
| i absolutely love it when a client becomes a friend,,, & i feel so lucky to be able to say this about the radiant Allison & Matt : |
| love. everything. about. this : |
| their first dance as husband & wife... |
| ...and the dancing continued thanks to their awesome guests & great dj Mark Rankin of DJ Chicago! |
| last, but not least... a few late-night romancy pics : |
20 comments so far... this post is hot!
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| wednesday's.whimsy :: 50 life lessons part II |
wed, 1-13-10 | personal |
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6 comments so far... comments ROCK!
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| mup.mondays :: question one |
tue, 1-12-10 | make.up |
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....aaaaand i am already slightly behind the ball on my mup mondays -- unfortunately, unless i pulled an all nighter yesterday (which i am vowing not to do this year!), there was no possible time to fit one in. so instead, on this gorgeously bright Tuesday, i bring to you mup mondays a day late . ...question number one!
Q. from Kristen :
How do I do a cool brown smoky eye (shadow/liner?) etc..and what products do u like to use for shadow that don't crease..I have issues w/ that. What tools do u use, I can't ever do that crease thing right w/ my almond shaped eyes.
A. from ksen :
a smoky eye can be done a number of ways & there are also many different levels of what people consider 'smoky'. however, i am going to do my best to break it down as simply as i can! below will be an example of a 'cool brown smoky eye'. please note that the products used may need to be adjusted slightly due to your skin color tones!
first :
in my opinion, i believe that in order to achieve a great smoky eye easily (or any eye-look for that matter), your number one needed tool is a set of fab brushes!!! brushes will make everything SO much easier & also apply your products best. investing in a good set of brushes is essential & when you do, be sure to spend a few extra bucks on some brush cleanser so that you can maintain your brushes. if you do so & take the time to take good care of your brushes, they WILL last... leaving that investment to be not as costly when you stretch it out over the years.
however, with that said & knowing that we all may not have the master set of brushes of our dreams at home, i will try my best to help you create a smoky eye with only 3 brushes!
second :
all the products that i use professionally & that are listed below are from MAC. i can go into this subject more perhaps on another mup mondays!
ok! here we go :
step 1)
begin with a good base. i adore MAC Eye Paints, as well as MAC Paint Pots. for myself, i usually use MAC 'Painterly' Paint Pot. i would suggest applying it all over your eye (from the lid up into the brow bone) as a base with the soft & fluffy MAC #217 Blending Brush. however, instead of a brush, you may use your ring finger to apply this product as long as you apply it gently!! both MAC Eye Paints & MAC Paint Pots go on easily & then set -- once set i always say you can 'cry, sweat, get rained on & your shadows will stay!' the key, however is that a 'little goes a long way' -- so no need to glob it up! in fact, with all MAC products it is pretty much a given that 'a little goes a long way'. you will always get the MOST out of your products & be so surprised as to how long they last you!
step 2)
take MAC Stubborn Brown Powerpoint Eye Pencil (also glides on easily & then sets becoming waterproof) & line the top of your lid, as well as slightly 'hug' or round out the outer corner of your eye with a touch of the liner. don't worry about how 'perfect' your line is either because the next step will be to take the MAC #219 Pencil Brush & smudge the line well.
step 3)
use the MAC #239 Eye Shader Brush & apply MAC Tempting Eye Shadow (once again, this is just an example) as your lid color. then dip your #217 Blending Brush into your crease color, in this case i would suggest MAC Twinks Eye Shadow. place the round fluffy #217 Blending Brush at the outer corner of your lid & create the crease color by going back & forth like a sideways "v" shape. the softness of that brush will allow you to soften the color to your liking, as well as build the color by adding more to the brush & repeating the process. this brush will also allow you to shape the crease color around your eye to best suite your eye shape!
***side note!*** if you used the #217 Blending Brush to apply your MAC Paint as a base in the first step, then you will need to use a clean & dry brush to apply the crease color! very important!
step 4)
take your #219 Pencil Brush and apply MAC Retrospeck Eye Shadow as an inner highlight to the inner corners of your lids & then a lower liner highlight underneath your eye. ps. i LOVE this color. very versatile for so many occasions & looks!
step 5)
ever tried to do a smoky eye before & then thought to yourself, 'this just doesn't look right?' to me, this next step is one of the most important parts to making that smoky eye look 'complete' and the best part is, it is so simple! take MAC Graphblack Technakohl liner & line the inside of your lower lid with it. it might go on a bit dark, however keep in mind that that is the tissue part of your eye so it will eventually fade a bit to a more subdued gray. this also helps make the white of your eyes pop, & in turn bring out the vibrant color of your eyes!
step 6)
at this point, you may go back in & vamp up the crease color or add more upper eye liner -- all depending on how 'smoky' you want to go. the very last step, though, is to pump up your lashes with mascara! this step truly brings it all together. i would recommend a waterproof mascara if you are going to an event & don't want to worry about your look smudging, falling, etc. however, any mascara that you are comfortable with is key. make sure to place the mascara on both your top & bottom lashes in order to achieve more of a balanced smoky eye look!
i hope that all helps at least a bit.
happy tuesday!
ksen
below are two examples of smoky eyes with two different eye shapes. here is one of the wonderFULL Tanya: |
| and another version of a smoky eye of the FABUUUlous Nicole : |
3 comments so far... i heart comments!
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