Heart to Heart

Troy and Amanda: A couple's shoot

I first heard from Amanda in early June regarding this shoot.  Along with her inquiry she shared with me a touching love story.  I was intrigued by her email and looked forward to meeting her and Troy in early August.  I was not disappointed when we met.  If we were in high school they would be the couple to beat on the homecoming court.  They're good-looking, so personable, thoughtful, funny, and they've got their stuff together in so many ways.  When I come across people like this in my business, I don't chalk it up to coincidence.

We were a little concerned with this August heat so we met at 8 a.m. in hopes of surviving.  At the end of the shoot, they still looked great.  I, on the other hand, looked like a drowned rat.  That's okay.  It was worth it ;)

They're as lovely in person as they look.

Oh, how I wish you a wonderful life together.  It was so good to meet you..

P.S.  I owe my friend, Kris,  a special thank you for taking my kids at 7:30 am on a Saturday morning so I could do this shoot.  You're so good to me. 

Megan: A bridal shoot

I've been itching to post these bridal pictures for several weeks now.  The wedding took place in Bandera so I can now congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Matthews.  We shot this bridal session at a ranch nearby that means a lot to Megan.  It's always fun to shoot somewhere new, but when I arrived to the beautiful gardens I was coming out of my skin. 

Megan was stunning and I can only imagine the expression on Heath's face when he saw her walking down the aisle.  Now, I've never been one to notice anybody's neck nor think that one neck is different from another until proofing these pictures.  She has the perfect neck for this dress, doesn't she?  I know it sounds odd, but I have a new appreciation for necks.  Case in point...

The grounds were amazing, but I got to step inside the ranch house which looked like something out of Architectural Digest.

It was a photographer's dream come true.

Sarah & Dax: An engagement/family shoot

Sarah has met a prince.  This prince is named Dax.

 
Prince Dax knew just how to sweep this princess off of her feet.  Check.

This prince comes with a precious boy.  Check, check.

And together, they'll live happily ever after.

Aren't they a pretty bunch?  You'd never know that Sarah was nervous in front of the camera.  She was.  But, lucky for me she's naturally photogenic and so little work was required on my part to take a beautiful picture.

And Daxton knew just how to help Sarah relax.

I love these close up shots.

I feel lucky.  I feel lucky that I get to photograph the start of their lives together.  One day, years from today, they'll look at these pictures and begin, "Remember when..."   What an honor for me.

 
I wish your family a blessed marriage.  I'm happy you found each other.

Jillian Lee: A Bridal Shoot

The wedding has come and gone so it's officially 'safe' to post a few bridal shots.

 

A bouquet and a ring

So I had a wonderful opportunity to do a bridal shoot which I rarely get to do considering the fact that brides will typically have their bridal portraits done by their wedding photographer.  However, this bride insisted that I shoot her bridal portraits and I assisted in her insistence.

But, as tradition holds I cannot reveal the bride nor her gorgeous garb prior to the ceremony.  So, for now I leave you with one lonely image and the promise of more to come post-ceremony.

Heath and Megan: An Engagement Session

I met these guys at a fishing spot in town as they're both avid outdoors(wo)men and you know I like for you to like where your session takes place.   So, naturally we headed to nature to nurture their love of all things outdoors.  And nature has provided quite a backdrop of colors in late March.

 

And while color is dandy, I still love the simplicity and the stillness of black and white.

but, let's return to color...

or let's go a different route altogether...

Is that Jeep cool or what?  My five year old even complimented Heath's ride as he walked past the computer while I was proofing. 

Megan and Heath will be married this summer in a beautiful part of Texas and I am already anxious to see pictures.  I can imagine how beautiful their wedding will be. 

I wish you a loooong happily ever after.

Yeah! Another engagement shoot.

 

I LOVE doing these.  Danielle and Mark were recently engaged and the bride to be contacted me to set up an engagement shoot.  I was delighted.  I just recently mentioned how I wished I had the opportunity to do more engagement shoots. 

I've known Danielle since high school and she is high fun-factor.  I don't know Mark well, but he must be a pretty special guy to have swept Danielle off of her feet.   They look good together, don't they?

With engagement shoots, I like to try different looks for the pictures.  I don't often use actions, but there is one that I love.  I love this vintage-y look, but you have to be picky what pictures you use it on.  It's not a one size fits all action by any means so I try to be choosy when picking photos to post process this way.  Here are a few that I liked:

They couldn't have picked better colors for the location if they tried.  I can't believe it worked out this way. 

I love the drama of this next shot and Danielle's perfect expression.  She looks like an angel :)

I'm so happy for you guys to experience the beauty that is a marriage.  You look good together and your wedding will be perfection no matter who, what, when, or where.  Best wishes to you both.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back, Friends .  I hope Santa was kind to each of you.  I spent the week soaking up my family and enjoying the time off.  I've got lots of housekeeping stuff for 2009 to take care of so give me some time to get all of the new info out.   

Pricing is the same for 2009, but I would really like to stick to a shooting schedule of Friday through Sunday.  My husband will begin a new schedule that includes commuting to Sealy every day for the next 3 or so months (roughly a 2 hour drive each way with traffic).  He'll be leaving before we wake up and arriving after the kids have gone to bed.  He'll be scarce so I need to be sure to set up a good routine for the kids.  Anyhow, if you're interested in a shoot I will do my best to accommodate your schedule, but keep in mind that I will need to take care of my shoots Friday through Sunday.  I will be scheduling no more than 3/4 shoots a week.  Once the four are taken I will consider myself booked for the week.

I am doing Birthday Club pictures this month on Jan. 10th.  I have  8:00, 8:30, and 9:00  a.m. available.  9:30 is booked.  If you're interested, check out the link and let me know.

CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR A FUN LITTLE GIVEAWAY!!!!

Onward....

I wish I had more sessions like these.  But, I realize that engagement pictures are usually a part of a big wedding package so the opportunity to shoot couples doesn't come often.  I'm still not venturing into the wedding field.  So, I had my fill of bride and groom last week and they're as charming as they look.

I could fill this blog post with obnoxious inside jokes that we came up with during our session, but I'll spare you the torture and take these fun memories with me.  You're welcomed. Meet Jill and Johnathon. 

a couple of vintage-looking shots.

They'll be walking down the aisle next summer and I must admit that I'm a little envious.  Everything is so fresh, new, and exciting for them.  They're seeing the world through rose-colored, in love glasses.

Congratulations and thank you for letting me partake in a little part of the magic.

love and the city

My first trip to Discovery Green was when I shot my brother's engagement pics and I fell in love with this new oasis in the middle of downtown.  I'm a small town girl at heart, but that doesn't mean I don't like to pretend to be a city girl now and again.  So for this shoot, I arrived an hour early on a very cold, very windy Saturday and had a pleasant walk around the trails listening to the sounds of the city and taking in the sights even though my hands were on fire.  I'm allergic to the cold.  It's legit.  It even has a name: Cold Urticaria. Yes, wierd.

 Meet Jacquelyn and David who will be married next summer and allowed me the opportunity to photograph them in the city.  

I want her amazing eyelashes!

We did lots of laughing throughout the shoot, mainly at David who would have rathered been at the deer lease than in the middle of the city.  Regardless, he was a trooper and turned out to be quite a natural :) Jacquelyn knew just how to handle the situation and make him comfortable.  She's going to be a great wife.

This next one is probably my favorite from our shoot.  Their expressions are so cute.

Have fun planning your very special wedding.

The little bro and the new sis

This, Friends, is my baby brother and his sweet wife.  They are really a perfect match and we feel so blessed to have them both.  They're kind, gentle, and have such sweet spirits.  My brother is a person with integrity like no one I know.  It would have to be a special girl to capture his heart and Marcy is special indeed.

a little sun and vintage action

 

a little cross process action

and a little ring action

Love you both.