Mentor Sessions + Motherhood

This is one of my favorite sessions + here’s why… it started as a mentor session with this beautiful momma you see in these photos + then turned into a mini Motherhood Session. One of my most adored progressions as a business owner has been mentoring + pouring into other photographers who are eager to learn, grow + dive deeper into bettering themselves as business women.

I’ll never forget the feeling of overwhelm, confusion, frustration, comparison… honestly, the list goes on when I first stepped into the pool of photography. All I wanted to do was feel more confident behind the camera, know exactly what I was doing on the business side + succeed, make a name for myself. But for whatever reason everything was hush-hush. Asking a photographer what preset they use or what location they shot at or what their camera settings on an image were unheard of. I hated the feeling. It was really a world of every man for themselves. If I wanted to learn I had to do some deep google searching or try, fail, try again.

Fast-forward five years + I was well on my feet, but again, only after facing trial + error, late nights, money spent + money wasted. It was no easy feat, but I’m proud to have built the company I have + knew that I wanted to change things moving forward. I knew that if a photographer reached out to ask a question I’d give them the best most honest answer I could because heck, starting out is so hard + I wanted to help. Like truly help. Plus, it feels so good to help others, I suppose that’s the ennegram two in me.

For this session Morgan + I focused on working with 35mm film, practiced metering + the importance on waiting for the shot. After we were done shooting a roll of film I then took over + photographed her with her son for a sweet Motherhood Session as I talked through what I was doing so that she could get an idea of what I think about during a shoot.

I have a true passion for equipping motherhood + family photographers, especially those that are “new-to-the-scene” + feeling all the intimidation of starting out, to create the work they dream of + build a photography business that aligns with their own vision + values. If finding a mentor for 2023 is one of your goals + you’re interested in learning more about my Mentor Sessions or coaching groups I would love to chat, please feel free to email me!

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Here’s a little behind the scenes of our time together in Morgan’s Studio.

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In the Kitchen with my Girls | Cherry Hand Pie Recipe

I love all things home — renovations, fixer upper projects, holidays, decor, movie + game nights, baking, hosting… truly anything that involves making a house a home + creating memories with my littles + beloved family + friends. With that comes a lot of time in my kitchen while trying out new recipes. And on this day in particular my girls (plus the baby in my belly) + I blasted Disney music while we made an absolute mess + some delicious cherry hand pies!!

I found this recipe while I was watching Magnolia Table one night with my husband. Not only did the process look fun, but the end product looked delectable. So, on a day that my girls were home with me we added “bake cherry hand pies” to our to do list.

I thought it would be fun to not only bake, but capture the process on my film camera. So I set up my tripod + got to work. Man, am I SO GLAD that I captured this afternoon. It’s not often that I’m in photos with my girls, I really do try to be better about this so that my girls have memories of what our life looked like when they were little. I will forever treasure these sweet images + highly recommend trying out this recipe, especially as fall approaches + the temperatures begin to drop. I have a feeling we’ll be making these again but after a trip to the apple orchard so we can substitute cherries for apples!!

You can check out the recipe below!

Cherry Hand Pies by Joanna Gaines

Total 2 hours and 20 minutes (includes chilling and cooling times)

Active 50 mins

Makes 8 hand pies

Ingredients

• Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed

  • 2 tablespoons milk, plus more if needed

  • 1 large egg

• Cherry Filling

  • 1 cup canned cherries

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

• Streusel Topping

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats

  • 1/4 cup almonds

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

• Egg Wash

  • 2 tablespoons milk

  • 1 large egg

Directions

1. For the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour. Using either a pastry blender or clean fingers, cut the butter into the flour until it is thoroughly coated and the biggest pieces are the size of small peas. In the center of the flour mixture, make a “well” and add the milk and egg to the center of the well. Gradually incorporate the flour mixture into the milk mixture. Knead until the dough comes together, adding more milk as needed.

2. For the filling: Drain the cherries, reserving 2 tablespoons of juice. In a large saucepan, combine the cherries and reserved juice, granulated sugar, and cornstarch. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer until the juice begins to thicken, about 7 minutes. Stir in the butter and almond extract, and set aside to cool to lukewarm.

3. For the streusel: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, oats, almonds, and butter. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the ingredients together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

4. For the egg wash: In a small bowl, beat the milk and egg together.

5. To assemble: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, and roll it into a rectangle, about 12 x 16 inches. Using a pizza roller, cut the dough into twelve 3 x 4-inch pieces. Reroll scraps and cut out 4 more pieces of the same size, for a total of 16.

6. Brush the egg wash over the edges of 8 pieces of dough; these will form the bottom of each hand pie. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each bottom piece, then top with a piece of the remaining dough. Use your fingertips to press firmly around each pocket of filling, sealing the dough on all sides. Press the tines of a fork around the edge of each hand pie. Lightly brush the tops of the hand pies with egg wash. Then gently press some streusel into the top of each.

7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently place the hand pies on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Prick the top of each pie 4 times with a fork, to allow the steam to escape during baking.

8. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Chill the hand pies for 30 minutes.

9. Bake the pies until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. Allow them to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

These images were captured on 35mm Kodak Portra film + was scanned + processed by PhotoVision.

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If you’re interested in capturing a memory like this in your home click below for more information on a reserving a Milwaukee, WI in-home lifestyle session

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Home with New Twins | Milwaukee Newborn Photographer

I met this beautiful momma about a year ago when my family first moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I had just posted about a model call on social media + this momma was one of the first people in my DMs. Now, this wasn’t the first time we had chatted in direct messages, we had plenty of previous conversations + at this point it felt like it was only right to meet in-person after a genuine “social” friendship had already unfolded. Man, am I so glad that I chose her!!

She got her crew dressed + met me in freezing temperatures for a very quick Snow Session. What I hadn’t known until meeting in person was that not only was she pregnant, but she was carrying twins! Oh, how I just adore working with growing families welcoming multiples.

We spent a quick 10 minutes creating pure magic in the snow + despite the negative windchill we had an absolute blast! After I had gotten in my car + pulled away I had hoped we’d see each other again for more sessions.

And sure enough she was in my inbox a few months later reaching out about a newborn session.

After the twins arrived I met the new family of six at their beautiful home. If you don’t know this about me yet, please understand that one of the most beloved tasks I have as a photographer is to be welcomed into the homes of my wonderful client’s + photograph the season of life they’re in with their loved ones. I LOVE IN-HOME SESSIONS!! Especially ones that take place in a sun-drenched room like this gorgeous one we shot in.

I sure am thankful our paths crossed. This momma has been such a blessing to my business + I hope you enjoy this beautiful family of SIX as much as I did photographing them!!

This beautiful Milwaukee, WI in-home newborn session was photographed on both digital + Fuji400h film, scanned + processed by PhotoVision.

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Interested in booking a Session with KKP?
Click below for more information + pricing!

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Cozy at Home as a Family of Three | Milwaukee Newborn Photographer | Film Photography | Kyle Kelley Photography

Newborn Sessions are the heart + soul, the bread + butter to Kyle Kelley Photography. These sessions are near + dear to my heart because this is where it all started for me, photographing the beautiful season of newborns.

Did you know that when you reserve your session you have the option to either shoot in the KKP Studio or inside your home? I adore both locations + can always find the light inside your cozy home, just like I did for this sweet new family of three. There was light all over the house + we bounced around from the living room to the den to the nursery.

Prior to our time together you will receive all the information you’ll need in order to feel + be fully prepared for our time together. Over the last seven years I have created a foolproof email full of how to prepare, what to wear, + much more in order to create a flawless session together. Whether you’re welcoming your first bundle of joy or you have a full arms worth of kiddos, I’m here to help you every step of the way! My goal is to eliminate any stresses you may have going into your session because let’s face it, you have enough on your plate as it is!! These extra steps are just some of the reasons why people enjoy their experience with KKP!

If you’re interested in reserving a Newborn Session, just click the button below!! In the meantime, enjoy this precious in-home Newborn Session on film!

This beautiful in-home newborn session was photographed on Kodak Portra 800 film, scanned + processed by PhotoVision, my new favorite film lab!!

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Interested in booking a Session with KKP?
Click below for more information + pricing!

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a year's change

It was about this time last year that our family was preparing for our move to the north. My husband spent months preparing for intense interviews that would eventually land him a promotion in-house with his company. Our family moved from Memphis to Milwaukee, + a lot was changing.

We sold our house and bought a fixer-upper, I had to pause my work as a photographer + became a full-time mom, homeschooler + homemaker. Among these changes (+ more) I had decided that all things business + personal would live under one social media roof as a means of simplifying this area of my life + that it did!

However, after a year of posting personal, photography, presets, programs + everything in between I have decided that my personal life needs to remain private. A few years back I took a break from social media. I fasted every social app during the Lenten season + since then have felt very differently about posting my girls on a forum so freely accessible to the world. Yes, Instagram can be a beautiful blessing for a small business like mine, which is why I have decided to dust off the KKP handle + begin posting all things photography, presets + programs on this account again.

I’m looking forward to freely showcasing work along with all the business updates happening + I hope that you will join me! You can follow along here: @kylekelleyphotography.