Family Portraits

I had the great priviledge of getting to hang out with Lucinda and Mauro with their adorable son on his very first birthday. I love babies at that age, when they’ve just learned to walk and they are so expressive and fun. This little guy was very serious to start out, but it wasn’t long before we had him laughing and having a good time. I love working with families and watching them as they grow and change, and it’s such an exciting time with your first. Here are a few of my favorites from their session…

Debbie – Portraits

Debbie called me not long after her daughter, Tricia’s wedding with an idea. Her husband’s birthday was coming up and she wanted to do something special for him. So we planned a casual photo shoot for her and their sweet dog, Lucy. It was a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon, and the shoot couldn’t have been more fun and laid back. Tricia came along with her dog and we all had a great time catching up on life since we last saw each other, and there was no shortage of laughter and conversation. Debbie went on and on about her sweet husband of 30 years. I love talking with married couples who truly love and enjoy each other even after years of being together. It makes me even more excited about my own marriage and what lies ahead — the fun, the joy, and the comfort of really knowing each other and sharing that real love. It’s so inspiring! Thanks, Debbie, for your laughter and inspiration, and your willingness to get out there in front of the camera even though you were nervous! You are awesome! Here are just a few of my favorite shots…

Tricia came along with us for the shoot and, of course, I had to get a mother/daughter shot!

Grant Family – Portraits

One of the things that I love most about my job is getting to know my clients and creating photographs that truly reflect who they are. I try to do this 1) by really focusing on the person — their facial expressions, personality, etc — and 2) by placing them in an environment that feels natural and comfortable, and that is the perfect match to their “style”. I love that every session is completely unique. One of the ways that I try to do this is by having them come up with five words (or thereabouts) that describe themselves. It sounds simple, but it’s an awesome way for me to understand who you are!

The Grants called me a few weeks ago about taking their family portraits, and I gave them the five word challenge. They talked about it and called back with these words: laid back, traditional, comfortable, silly, love the outdoors, and playful. So we decided to go spend the morning in Gruene for their portrait session. Gruene is the perfect place for comfortable, outdoorsy fun! 🙂 I had a great time getting to know January, Chris, and their boys! There are few families so genuine and sweet. The boys loved throwing rocks into the river, talking about Lightning McQueen, and exploring all that Gruene had to offer. Thank you, Grant family for such a great morning! Here are some of my favorites…

Heather & Chris – Holiday Cards

I just wanted to take a second to show you the Christmas cards we put together for Heather & Chris. We took the design from one of our holiday card sets and made a few adaptations to it and I think it came out really nice! More to come!

Holiday Portrait Event – Gordon & Leslie

The first time I met Gordon & Leslie, they were coming over to our house to talk about having me photograph their wedding. Leslie and I had already spoken and she was absolutely certain that they had to have me be their photographer (which is so flattering!). She needed help convincing Gordon though. He (like most men), didn’t really want to be there, and didn’t see the point in spending much money on something like wedding photography. Leslie called me after the meeting was over, however, and told me that he had conceded that this just might be worth it (and maybe even fun!). Their wedding was amazing (probably one of my favorites to date), and I loved getting to know (and document) their family throughout the day.

Their family portraits were equally as much fun. There was TONS of laughter (there are only a handful of pictures where someone isn’t laughing), and it’s easy to see the love this family has for each other.

Holiday Portrait Event – Daniel & Amanda

Daniel & Amanda are a couple of other people with whom I go way back. When I moved here, I got involved in the College group at our church and Daniel was the leader. We became great friends and hung out a lot. I remember when he met Amanda. I remember before they even started dating, he couldn’t stop talking about her. It was so cool watching them fall in love. They’re perfect together. I have lots of stories that Daniel & Amanda are a part of, one of which Amanda reminded me of today. A few years ago, we went to this great BBQ joint together (The Salt Lick) where they had all you can eat BBQ. Well, they make fun of me now because while Daniel, Amanda, and Aaron were talking and laughing, I quietly sat in the corner and put away probably a pound of brisket by myself! Ha! What can I say? Why waste time talking when there’s good barbecue to be eaten! Well, I could probably go on for a while about these two. They have had a huge impact, both individually and as a couple, on both Aaron and I. Heaven only knows how much they’ve done for us. Thanks for being great friends and I’m so glad that I’ve finally gotten to take your pictures!

Towards the end, Annabelle was hamming it up for the camera 🙂

Baby #2 is on the way! How come I never looked that good pregnant?

The Holidays!

This is the first year we’ve offered press printed holiday cards and I’m so excited! In the past, photo cards have been printed on photo paper and, more often than not, were kinda cheesy. Now there is an awesome alternative! There are several different sizes and paper types available, ranging from $2-4 each, so order yours soon!

Here are some of the designs that you can choose from, and I’m working on putting together some other simpler, modern designs too! The designs below are for 5×5 or 5×7 flat cards, but they can be modified and we can create an inside design too if you are wanting folded cards. Let me know if you’ve got questions!

Heather & Chris (and their newest addition!)

Heather & Chris have been faithful clients since we met a few years ago. I have felt very priveleged to shoot their engagement and bridal portraits, be a part of their wedding, and to photograph Heather’s maternity portraits… and now their first family portraits! I feel so honored to be able to document and to be a part of so many lives. Heather and Chris, thank you for always trusting me with your life’s special moments and for becoming such good friends. You make me love my job!

Reagan – Newborn Portraits

Newborns are awesome. They eat and sleep and that’s about it. When I went to Jason & Natalie’s house last week to get some portraits of 3-week old Reagan, she slept the entire shoot. We’d move her around, poke her, and do all sorts of funny things and she just slept on. It was amazing! She’s just the sweetest baby ever. (Not that I’m biased or anything because she’s my niece.) 🙂

The Gin Family

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to photograph the beautiful Gin family. They were so much fun and their kids are painfully adorable 🙂 We spent the morning walking (or running at times keeping up with the kids!) around the Japanese Tea Gardens and it was beautiful!