Sometimes there are those in your extended family you just instantly connect with for several reasons or just that you get to see them more often.  Avery, my grand niece, is one such person. I can't say enough good about her. Aside from just being pretty, she has a heart of gold, so much fun to be around, great sense of humor and above everything a christian young lady.  

While visiting my sister for Christmas last year, I told Avery we need to take some pictures.  We did some quick ones outside that were cute and fun.  This year we decided to bump it up and do some nicer images for her.  My biggest bonus from these photos, aside from giving her some beautiful images, was getting to spend some much needed quality time with her.  I love her like a daughter!

Meet the grandchildren of Wayne and Patsy Wootton, long time friends from church. It had been years since they had a updated portrait of the grandchildren and never a portrait of them all together. They boys did great and we all had a good time, despite the chill in the air.  We also photographed each set of kids (children from each parent) separately so the parents would have personal portraits for their walls as well.  As times would have it, due to covid, they did not get to deliver on Christmas day but still managed to surprise the grandparents and they were, as you can see, thrilled with the gift.

Some jobs provide bonuses, whether it be in benefits, cash, or even stock options.  With me, the biggest bonus is the thrill and enjoyment of a portrait I created, that will be enjoyed and cherished for many years, if not passed down through generations.  I later received a text from Patsy

"Keith, we L O V E the picture (portrait) of our grands!  I can’t believe you got all 5 of them to be so well posed at the same time.  The fall colors are beautiful.  It’s already hanging on the wall here in our family area.  Just couldn’t be happier with it!  Thank you"

Do you know someone in your family with a super expressive personality?  A goal in every portrait I create is that the end result in a smile every time the image is viewed.  With the Expressions portrait, I want a huge smile if not laugh to brighten your day!  We all know someone that has a very outgoing fun personality, for me, it's my daughters and grand niece, Avery, (who is like a daughter to me).  

The making of this portrait is hilarious to say the least. Avery was awesome and her expressions were so her, we both laughed, mostly me, so hard.  It only took five minutes to create and a few hours to assemble/edit but the end result is priceless.  I gave Avery a copy for her room and have one one for my office as well.  I have to stop and admire it every time I pass by, especially when my day isn't going like I'd want, it gives me an instant smile.

Meet the Zelner family.  I try to find locations for portraits that the clients will like. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes they tell me and others it's a challenge (due to weather or time of year).  For this session I gave them some options based on sun angles and we decided on their home, it would be more personal to them and a unique portrait no one else would have.

2020 portraits have been different, we keep our distance and need to be aware of others feelings and concerns at all times for health reasons.  However, it has made us appreciate seeing a smile or a friendly face and I hope that is even more appreciated when all this is over with soon.

The Zelner's were awesome to photograph, super nice and I enjoyed every minute around them, even their dogs did perfect.  

"Wonderful family portrait! We had our family pictures taken with our children and two dogs in front of our home. We could not believe how amazing they turned out, and everyone, including the dogs, were picture perfect. Thank you for this timeless memory!!"  Melissa Zelner

Meet the Maurras family from Rogers.  We had a fun family session at a beautiful location with vibrant colors.  It all started with a consultation, not only going over details but getting to know each other so the session would be that much better. We bounced ideas on the best location that would not only provide the best backdrop but lighting.  After driving around, google maps and my sun app (that shows where the sun will be at different times of day), we decided on Chapel on the Creeks.  We made the right decision.  We even included their family dog and he did great too. I delivered a 30x40 and 2 16x20s to their home and they are going to look great on their wall just as you walk in the door. They will surely be a conversation piece for many years to come.

Meet the Bryan family.  We had such a fun time creating their images, even though it was overcast, windy and 40 degrees, even the babies did great!  We not only photographed the family grouping, but also the son's photos with their families and also the two babies, they all looked great and everyone was THRILLED with the results.

The biggest challenges with family portraits is weather and getting everyone together.  With our first session rescheduled due to weather, the next available date for everyone to get together was the day before Thanksgiving.  At this point, all the leaves from the trees had fallen and the beautiful fall foliage was gone.  I managed to find one location that would work and the results were amazing!!  With a little digital magic, I eliminated the distractions so the focus would be primarily the family, you can see the difference here:  https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs...

It was such a fun time and a pleasure meeting this super nice family.

Every so often a person comes along that I say "I just have to photograph them!", Kamryn is one of those people.  I've gone to church with Kamryn's family and grandparents for over 10-12 years and I've seen her grow up into the beautiful girl she is today.  At only 15 years old she could be a model, she has the looks height and most of all, the reason I wanted to photograph her, is her eyes.  Her mom and brother have the same stunning eyes.  Before talking to Kamryn, I asked her mom and told her the photos I had in mind and she was all in for the photo shoot.

A couple of weeks later, her mom brought her in and we had a great and fun photo shoot.  The only challenge was to keep Kam from laughing... I know, right, a great problem to have!  The results were amazing!  Thank you Kamryn, it was a pleasure meeting you, laughing with you and creating these amazing images.

Meet Jonathan and Lindsy Coker, their daughter Emma and Lindsy's parents. I've known Jonathan for several years through networking at BNI and got to know him very well, a nicer guy you'll never meet and Lindsy is exactly the same, such a great couple and their daughter Emma is such a cutie.

We planned the photos for Sassafras Springs Vineyard and Winery at a time of day that the light would be just right.  We even included their dogs in a couple that looked great on their Christmas cards.

Branch Photography is honored to be Voted by the readers of Celebrate Arkansas magazine, Very Best Commercial Photographer.   This is the 6th Year we've received this honor by the readers.  I am truly blessed to be in a profession that I love so much, that I can meet so many great people, touch so many lives and blessed with a talent to create images that everyone loves.  Thanks to all that voted for Branch Photography.

I've gotten to know Kirby through networking and both of us being Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Diplomats.  Every so often I have creative ideas or need a model to test lighting or posing, Kirby is always generous with her time and is great to work with… it helps she's photogenic too!  

Black label is a premier portrait experience capturing the essence, strength, determination and empowerment of the subject.  Kirby has all of these attributes and more, she has a great personality with generosity and kindness.  You can see the confidence in her eyes and the joy in her laughter.  The Black Label sessions not only promote pride and self confidence but also through a session  that is fun and relaxed.

Every session, I like to make it enjoyable for everyone, having fun shows in the final images even if they're not smiling.  Some don't like to smile, some don't like to look serious (it makes them look mad), but to find a happy balance and capture a personality will make for beautiful variety in portraiture.  With Larra Donaldson's Black Label portraits, I captured her confidence and fun mood.  A photograph of confidence is different from one of just looking mad, it's in the eyes.  It will be a constant reminder to the subject of what is inside her/him and, hopefully, give them inspiration and motivation that they can accomplish their goals and conquer their fears.  Isn't that what we all want?

Meet Melody Martins, she is a bank president at Signature Bank in Bentonville.  Not only is she ambitious and successful, but also genuinely sweet and kind.  The images speak volumes about their personality, boldness and kindness with the drive that go her where she is today.

Over the past few years, it seems as though the nation has embraced more negativity, we've all seen it in many forms.  There is an ever growing need to elevate the human spirit, self worth and acknowledge people for their many accomplishments, one of the reasons for Branch Black Label Portraiture.  

The images I create are to show personalities.  With high school seniors, the images show who they are at this point in their life; with family portraits, the images show the love and family connection; with business portraits, the images show that the person is approachable and a person you can trust.

With Branch Black Label Portraiture, my goal is to go further to an elevated personal level.  While mood, confidence, ambition and success are the viewer's impression or thoughts, the images have another purpose that is more personal to the subject.  The images portrait the energy of who that person is, a reminder of how others see them and who they truly are, which is a good reminder of our personal empowerment.  My goal is to first, show the others who they are and inspire.  On a personal level, the goal is to remind the subject of how awesome they are, to lift them up with a quick glance at the photo and give them purpose and ambition when the image 'looks back'.