Studio Bloom Photography Blog

New Blog

2010-03-02T00:07:00.001-06:00

I'm finally moving from my dinosaur-era blog to a new and improved one.

Here's the address for the new one: NEW BLOG

Double the cuteness

2010-02-28T22:09:00.002-06:00

How cute are these 2? I loved watching them together and was so impressed by how their parents had a plan for everything. They tackled clothing changes, poses, pacifier duty, everything with ease. Hope you enjoy your peek:)

Miss February

2010-02-26T08:37:00.003-06:00

I love eye contact. Probably more than a big smile (although I know that parents love the big smiles). This little one-year-old didn't give many smiles but she was awesome at looking straight at me. I can only imagine what she was thinking about me:) But hey, I have a ton of pictures showing her big soulful eyes...and that makes me happy. Hope you enjoy the peek:)

Hope everyone has a great weekend. I have several shoots I'm super excited about that I'll share next week.

Big, Brown Expressive Eyes

2010-02-25T15:03:00.003-06:00

This adorable little girl had the biggest brightest brown eyes ever. She is 4 months old and tried her hardest to move all around. I have some of her attempting to roll right out of the shot, scoot back off the rug, and pull the rug in front of her face. She was too cute!

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek:)

She looks like she's reaching up to give a big hug

We cut this one a little close

2010-02-23T22:18:00.003-06:00

This beautiful mom-to-be was having this baby boy within 24 hours of these pictures. I couldn't believe it. I have to say I've never done maternity pictures and newborn pictures within the same 2 weeks. She looked amazing!

Their 5-year-old was such a hoot. She had me laughing the entire time!

I'm the client now

2010-02-21T22:08:00.004-06:00

There are a handful of my favorite photographers that if I could I would travel to where they are and hire them for our family photos and it just so happened that one of them posted on her blog that she was coming to Houston and was going to spend one day doing five shoots. And to top it off they were urban shoots...my absolute fave!! It was fate, meant to be, and couldn't be passed up. I asked Chad if he could get off of work that day and he said "Yes, but what about the kids and school?" School schmool! (Ummm, Melissa or any teachers that may read this...shhh.cough..cough.haha). So I snagged a spot and we spent some time with Angie of Simplicity Photography this past Friday. Sure I can take pics of kids...just not my kids. They are sooooo over me and my tricks and it was worth every penny to hire someone to do what I do...for me. When we did family pictures before Christmas my kids were just o.k. for me. Drew tried to be silly, Cassidy always smiled like she was in pain and Mackenzie and Chad are Squinty One and Squinty Two. I didn't really love any of them. But on Friday the kids were so good (well, Drew gave her a little bit of a hard time but she was great with him) and I left there feeling so happy and optimistic. I can't wait to see them! And the weather was totally overcast so I'm hoping that Squinty One and Squinty Two were able to open their eyes:)

I helped her pin down a location and it ended up being in the Warehouse District downtown. I warned her that it's a little rough down there and I hope it didn't scare her too bad! I don't get a lot of requests for "urban" shoots but maybe I can share some of ours and get some takers.

I can totally relate to my clients now. I was stressed about clothing, the weather, and now the wait. This is hard!

And I say this as I'm so far behind that it's not funny. This is the slowest part of the year and I'm behind...not good but I'm resolved to get caught up and get back to blogging better. I'm so behind that I have a new website that I bought months ago that isn't started. Well, I think the home page is done...a new blog that hasn't been finished. And I wanted these to be done in time for the February price increase. I also am doing a separate site for seniors that hasn't been started. I will have some new policies and packages...it just isn't ironed out yet...but it will be!

Here's the Valentine's Day pics I took of the family and I think they will prove my point that Drew is a stinker when it comes to pictures for mom.

Here's my husband's Flintstone's car. It literally has a hole in the floorboard but it's a great color for pictures. He's had it for probably 10 years with the intention of fixing it up. Well, it's become a junk collector in the garage. We like to tease our 16-year-old neighbor that his parents are buying it for him.

Ok. I wanted him to look up at me and he sticks the bottom of his feet up.

Then I get the closed eyes

and the open mouth

I really, really, really wanted a fajita salad that day so Chad went to the store, bought the supplies and made one. This is BIG. He usually sticks to cooking breakfast every once in a while and grilling. It was perfect:)

driving up from the store

Is this a bad mom? I had her take her glasses off for our pictures. She's pretty blind as a bat without them....but to my defense, she wears them crooked and halfway down her nose. We call her our little granny. And we made sure she didn't trip or anything:)

I think there's a little spit flying with those bubbles

Exhibit #1 - crooked glasses

Exhibit #2 - squinty eyes

A great Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T22:44:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a great day! I really enjoyed my day. We have been running around so much lately that it was great to have a day to chill with the family. It was actually gorgeous outside -- which is surprising with the way the weather has been lately -- and we were able to walk the dogs in the neighborhood and play outside for hours. I even took the camera out and took pics of the kids playing. I hadn't done that in years...literally. I'll try and share those pics this week. I've sadly gotten to the point where I'm either tired of the camera or worry about the background not being good or the kids not being dressed nice enough or their hair not brushed. It's really sad and I'm going to try and get better at the everyday pictures:)

This family's session was one of many that has had to be rescheduled because of bad weather. I'm so glad we were finally able to meet up. Hope you enjoy your peek:)

This little guy...

2010-02-07T22:48:00.003-06:00

was too cute with the most adorable hairdo.
Hope you enjoy the quick sneak peek:)

Family of Five

2010-02-06T23:24:00.003-06:00

It turned out to be such a gorgeous day for this photo shoot except that it was COLD. At least it was cold for us Texans. The kids would take turns running to their vehicle to warm up or put on layers in between pictures. We tried out a new location that I had been eyeing and I loved it! It had some of the only green grass that you see this time of year and a little bit of urban:) I know I'll be going back there soon.

Sorry to make you wait for the sneak peek...hope you enjoy:)

What a difference

2010-02-03T23:45:00.003-06:00

He wanted nothing to do with pictures last year but this time he jumped out of the truck and was ready to pose as soon as his feet hit the ground.

Little Fashionista

2010-02-01T22:18:00.003-06:00

This girl totally gave me my 8-year-old-girl-that-loves-to-pose-for-the-camera fix. She had clothes, accessories, and her ideas were flowing full-force. My 8-year-old is done doing these type of shoots for me so it was so nice to work with a little girl that likes me and my camera. I had a blast working with her and her mom & dad. I did get an age reality check though. My husband(boyfriend at the time) and I used to coach the mom's basketball team when she was a teen a very.long.time.ago! Man, how time flies!

Hope you enjoy your peek:)

Getting Bigger

2010-01-29T16:18:00.003-06:00

It's been about 8 months since I had last seen this little one and he's changed quite a bit. Last time we couldn't get him to crack a smile and this time he gave quiet a few.

A new little guy

2010-01-26T22:33:00.002-06:00

Not too much sleeping going on with this little dude but he was great at eye contact with the camera. Just look how he was working it.

Ok, so a little sleeping....after we tired him out:)

Check out those cute little lips

The biggest smile ever

2010-01-26T21:32:00.002-06:00

This little one has a smile that could light up an entire city. Mackenzie went with me to help out on this shoot and just fell in love with her and her big smile and sparkly eyes. Totally adorable!

Hope you enjoy the sneak peek:)

Pregnancy

2010-01-24T22:38:00.002-06:00

It's a beautiful thing. I did not take being pregnant too kindly. I didn't like the sickness, the bigness, the uncomfortableness, the feeling like it was going to go on forever. I always couldn't wait to have my body back. And I certainly never felt beautiful while pregnant. But being on the other side of the lens -- and especially seeing a mom for her maternity pictures and then meeting the new little one shortly after for newborn pictures -- has really made me see a different side to the "look" of pregnancy. I see these moms-to-be in a different light and I wish I would have embraced it a little more. They're really beautiful.

The first picture is of my husband's sister. She is due in March and our entire family is already over the moon for her little one. She is their long awaited first baby and is sure to be rotten. Everywhere we go (especially my girls) we find things that she just has to have, or would look adorable in. And I can't wait for the pictures sessions we get to do!

The next mom-to-be is kind of like my long, lost business builder. I kept getting people referred to me from their friend or co-worker but they would mention that she had never actually met me but would show them my website and put in a good word. So it was a pleasure to finally meet the person that was so wonderful about pushing my business when she didn't even know me first hand. When she mentioned the people that she had referred I was like "Oh, YOU'RE the one. Thanks for all the referrals!"

I hope you enjoy your sneak peek....and you'll definitely be getting some credits for those referrals:)

Newborn Girl

2010-01-21T10:05:00.003-06:00

She is so petite and adorable. We wore her down after a while and then she slept like a champ.

Dad is a Met's fan and she looks pretty happy to go along with that.

Can't remember for sure but I *think* that one of the grandparents is in broadcasting so mom had this brilliant idea that we just had to get.

A Really Big Family Shoot

2010-01-18T23:04:00.003-06:00

The grown kids in this family bought their parents a Studio Bloom Photography gift certificate for Christmas 2008. Well, do you know how hard it is to coordinate a photo shoot for that many adults? Very, very hard! We rescheduled several times so we were all ecstatic that we were finally able to meet up a little over a year later. It was pretty cold this day but there was no other option but to just get it done. They were very fun and I can only imagine a holiday at their house.

Hope you enjoy the peek:)

New Little Guy

2010-01-16T22:42:00.004-06:00

I loved this little guy's extra wrinkly skin and I imagine that by the next time I see him he will have filled it all out:(

He was pretty easy-going and let us try lots of different things...gotta love that! Hope you enjoy your sneak peek J & J.

Let's just say...

2010-01-16T00:13:00.003-06:00

that this little guy's bodily functions are in check and working:) I've only had 1 newborn EVER that didn't use the restroom on a parent, me, a blanket, etc.... but I'd much rather have to deal with a little #1 and #2 than to look back at a diaper with a character on it in the picture. Luckily we did the pictures in their home so his parents had access to other clothes because he did decide to initiate them during the shoot.

Hope you guys enjoy the peek:)

Big Sister, Little Sister

2010-01-14T15:11:00.003-06:00

What started out scheduled as a newborn shoot became an 8-week-old shoot. We had to reschedule so many times that I actually lost track....bad weather, bad weather, I had a sick kid, Christmas holidays, weather, etc....

I was so relieved when I actually saw them face-to-face and knew we were going to get those pictures taken!

Big sister is so good with her. Love the details in this series of 4 pics. Check out the hands, the smiles, the looks...so cute together.

First of the Explosion of the Newborns

2010-01-09T23:30:00.003-06:00

The newborns come in waves I tell ya:) This is the first from last week...a week of 5 new little ones. He was such a sweetie and happiest when his entire hand covered his face. Not the best pose for pictures little dude:)

Hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Senior Pics

2009-12-29T11:23:00.002-06:00

Family Shots

2009-12-29T11:15:00.002-06:00

One more sneak peek..

2009-12-21T22:51:00.002-06:00

and then I'm taking some holiday time off (except for some newborns expected any day:))

I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas.

Mom to Be

2009-12-21T11:16:00.002-06:00

Fun in the Fog

2009-12-21T10:24:00.003-06:00

A Year Older

2009-12-20T22:27:00.002-06:00

Mom, Dad and 2 Girls

2009-12-20T21:31:00.002-06:00

2009-12-18T01:42:00.002-06:00

Family Visit, Snow, and Cold Feet

2009-12-15T12:41:00.004-06:00

Cold feet...literally. Snow in Houston is quite a novelty. I've lived here my entire life and it's snowed more in the last 2 years than I can ever remember...ever. It just doesn't snow here. And now once last year and then already once this year. And this year it covered our yard, cars, and bushes within a matter of hours. And my poor 4-year-old son obviously doesn't know how to properly dress to go out in the snow.

He walked out of his room with his jacket and a hat (luckily) but check out the shoes. And no, this in not why he had walking pneumonia this past week because he was outside about 20 seconds before he got smart on snow shoe attire and came back in to change into some better shoes:)

And here's Cosmo who thought the snow was pretty fun! Our other dog however walked out and immmediately walked right back in.

My husband's cousin and her family came from Missouri for a visit and one of the main things on the list to do was a family photo shoot. It turned out to be really bad timing. The day after they got here was when it snowed (I think they brought it with them) and then it was bad weather every single day they were here. We decided to at least get some of the kids indoors.

And then we found a small window of time on Sunday morning before the rain started up again.

Don't they each have a little Mini Me?

And this cutie patootie did not want to be held back. He was full on running as much of the time as he could.

And my favorite picture. It's perfectly imperfect:)

Mr. Adorable

2009-12-11T18:35:00.003-06:00

We did these pictures at her sister's beautiful home and I loved the wood, stone, natural light....everything in there made for gorgeous pictures. He held his smiles for quite a while but really gave them up at the end. Hope you enjoy your peek:)

Put the camera down

2009-12-10T20:12:00.003-06:00

I know that my friend here in the pictures is afraid...very afraid....of what I'm going to write about her family session. And I could really torture her. But it's the Christmas season and I guess I'd better not:) Just kidding girl! It's always so stressful being the person in the pictures, especially wrangling kiddos that don't want to be in the picture. And on this particular afternoon Mr. Noah did not want to be in the pictures. He ran, he told me to stop taking pictures of him, he was doing some kind of ninja moves, and he wouldn't crack a single smile if I was in the vicinity. His mom even came prepared with candy for bribery but he is stubborn. So stubborn that the candy was right in front of him and he wouldn't be bribed. Yet we got one of my favorite pictures of all time. It's the first picture here...The one where his dad is chasing him. Just look at that smile. He looks so happy and adorable. And his sister is little Miss Model. So no worries Margarita...I have Drew who wouldn't cooperate at all for our family shoot and Cassidy who won't be bribed by candy either:)

A couple of things...

2009-12-08T00:11:00.002-06:00

that I need to mention. Studio Bloom Photography will have a price increase February 1st. I've never had an increase although all of my costs have increased over the years so it's something that I've been needing to do but haven't. It won't be a huge jump or anything:) And if you're already booked I'll honor the current prices for those sessions.

Also, if you are waiting on me for samples of cards, collages, or proofs I am working on them and should send you something in the next day or so. If you've emailed me and haven't heard back please send me another one or check in with me because I'm still getting reports of emails that are not coming through.

That's it for now...Thanks:):):)

Rock Climbing:)

2009-12-07T22:14:00.002-06:00

We started our picture adventure for this session at a neighborhood entrance that has a huge rock/fountain structure and then went to their home and finished up.

And this session has me amused for a couple of reasons:
1) I didn't realize there was rock climbing so close to where I live
2) I imagine that there is a big ole' NO TRESPASSING sign in front of said rock structure that was erected this past week

This family went and scoped this location out and mentioned it to me. I remember seeing it in the past driving by but had never paid too close of attention to it. Sure, let's do the pictures there. Well, I didn't realize that the rock structure is like 3 stories high and that I'm sure we were a spectacle to the cars driving by. But it was a blast and I love when families are up for an adventure!

Hope you enjoy the sneak peek:)

I've got to do a driveby...

2009-12-07T15:30:00.002-06:00

by their house. They had me come and do pictures at their home because the husband likes to decorate for Christmas. So, I think sure, ok. Well, he REALLY decorates for Christmas and I can only imagine how spectacular it is at night. Their tree was humongous (my lens couldn't even get all of it) and I'm pretty embarrassed to say that I haven't even begun around here:( Hope you enjoy! Oh, and I have to mention that their son kept wanting me to hold him and as soon as I would pick him up he'd snuggle into my shoulder. Talk about melt your heart.

New Little Aggie

2009-12-04T12:00:00.003-06:00

You may recognize this little girl from some past blog posts. Well, she is now a big sister to a baby brother. He wasn't too much into sleeping but he didn't fuss at all with the different poses we did. Hope you enjoy the peek:)

100% A&M University family

Sisters

2009-12-03T23:18:00.003-06:00

Beautiful girls on a beautiful day.

Mr. Lotsa Nicknames

2009-12-02T23:02:00.002-06:00

I was pretty excited to see this family. I hadn't seen them since their little guy was a newborn. His eyes are still a bright blue and he's as cute as ever. And I was pretty impressed by all the nicknames he's racked up. I must have heard 10 during the session and I think you have to have quite a personality to have that many:)

Hope you enjoy the peek!

A Few Roadblocks

2009-12-01T23:41:00.002-06:00

We, of course, had some weather issues on this day. We decided to wait and see and then decided to go ahead and do pictures. A little bit into the session their sweet daughter started being fussy. After a few minutes they realized she was warm and getting a fever. Poor thing. Here's a few of what we got before that:)

Cutest little bald guy I've ever seen

2009-12-01T21:44:00.003-06:00

Seriously....who could dispute that? Take a look:)

Because of this weather...

2009-12-01T20:48:00.002-06:00

I've had to reschedule more shoots. But the good news with that is that I have more computer time. So, if you're waiting on something from me I'm working on getting caught up:)

Super Sweet

2009-11-29T19:35:00.003-06:00

I was contacted by this little guy's mom's best friend. His mother had had some surprise life-threatening medical issues while she was pregnant and they had to deliver her baby boy early. He had to be in NICU for a while and she is still in the hospital. Her best friend knew about her desire to have newborn shots done and she was an amazing friend who coordinated to make it happen. She told me about how they had looked together at my website before any of this happened and she knew what his mother would love. His grandmother, father, and his mom's best friend came to the shoot and we all worked together to create the photographic memories for her to have. As a mother I can't imagine not being with my child during those first newborn weeks and I pray that these photos of her precious son will help her see what he was like while she was recovering.
Kim, you're an amazing friend. I hope that she treasures these:)
And to his grandmother and father...you guys have strength beyond belief. Keep up the great work:)
I hope you enjoy these.

I've done this shot before, but it had a little more meaning this time with his mom and dad's rings on his tiny toes

Mr. C

2009-11-27T01:37:00.002-06:00

He made my life so easy on this day. He was nothing but smiles.

Even during his booty shots:)

Adorable in Red

2009-11-26T13:17:00.002-06:00

I really do have a Thanksgiving Day life. We're about to leave for my Brother and sister-in-law's house but I thought I'd get in a quick post. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!!!

Family of 5

2009-11-23T21:41:00.003-06:00

Sorry for no words these last couple of posts but I'm falling farther behind by the minute so just want to get the peeks up:)

Hope you enjoy.

Sweet New Baby

2009-11-23T19:39:00.000-06:00

Family Holiday Photos

2009-11-22T09:31:00.002-06:00

Photogenic

2009-11-20T22:09:00.003-06:00

To say that this 9-year-old is photogenic is an understatement. Typically a 9-year-old girl will enjoy having their picture taken...and she was no exception. She had all kinds of ideas for locations and poses. And we had to include her dog, Lucy, in some of them too.

Personality in Pictures

2009-11-20T20:50:00.002-06:00

This photo shoot didn't last much longer than an hour but the array of pictures that we got show the many sides to this adorable 3-year-old. I have smiling pictures, thoughtful pictures, playful pictures, hide-n-seek pictures, monster pictures, and sassy pictures. Isn't she too cute?

Family of 3

2009-11-19T23:06:00.003-06:00

I think that I could just make this blog about the daily escapades of my 4-year-old, Dennis, I mean Drew the Menace. His teacher -- which happens to be a really good friend of mine -- told me that every time she would say something today that she would hear a slight echo of her words. Really softly...almost like she was hearing things but yet she could hear someone lowly repeating what she had just said. She tried and tried the entire time to figure out who was mimicking her. Finally, she said she just decided she must be going crazy, hearing voices and such:) Anyway, at the end of the day she finally catches Drew doing it. We go to get in the van and I ask him if he was repeating her today. He smiles this huge I'm-so-proud-of-myself smile and answers yes. I ask him why, expecting some great insightful answer. And he says, "Because it's fun."

So, a little while later I relay this to his dad and do you want to know what his reaction was? A hearty laugh and a "Well, that does sound like fun". I wonder where he gets this???? It's a mini dad in the making!

Onto the family of 3 that I photographed last week.

I just love the way this picture turned out. I love mother/daughter pictures and it reminds me of one that my mother-in-law captured of me and Mackenzie at her 2-year-old birthday party. I didn't even know that she was taking it but it shows Mackenzie laying on my shoulder looking straight into the camera. We were both exhausted from her party and it just captured a moment of us time.

And she's a quick little one. This was as she ran by me. The pictures right before and right after were a blur...glad that this one came out.

Sibling #2

2009-11-19T21:57:00.003-06:00

I think it's pretty cool that I did newborn shots of her big brother and now her. It's so fun to capture a family as it grows.

Mom brought some flowers to incorporate; little Miss thought it was fun to wiggle them off.

Got the couch back out

2009-11-16T22:54:00.001-06:00

The leaves you see in the background is sadly about as good as it gets around here.
Their oldest is a nature buff so the 4th picture down is soooo him.

Senior 2010

2009-11-16T09:30:00.003-06:00

It was so nice to work with her. She just smiled and went along with anything. We went to this new urban-y (bear with me...I don't know any other way to describe it)location that I love. I'm sure it will be torn down soon because that seems to be what happens every.single.time I find a new exciting run-down location but I love that we got to use it for some of her shots.

Maternity Pics

2009-11-15T18:50:00.002-06:00

This is my husband's good friend and his wife. They are expecting their first baby and I am SO excited for them! Hope you enjoy guys:)

Marla & Family....

2009-11-15T02:15:00.003-06:00

and her mom and dad and her sister and her family. We waited to see what the rain was going to do right up until the point of leaving. I'm so glad we went ahead with the pictures because we didn't end up with any rain. Hope you enjoy your sneak peek:)

Opposite Day

2009-11-14T18:52:00.002-06:00

I think these 2 had a plan of attack against their mom and I. It was quite comical because they consistently did the opposite of each other. One would look...the other would look away. One would smile...the other would not. One would stay still...the other would move. At times I was laughing so hard because I couldn't believe that we couldn't time 2 little girls to do the same thing at the same time.
We had fun though and I hope you guys enjoy the sneak peek:)

Ok, so this one makes a liar out of me:)

Love her dimples

One would make a silly face and the other would try and get away! I told their mom that this was THE picture for their Christmas card. It was so her girls this day:)

Attack of the cockaburrs

2009-11-14T13:21:00.002-06:00

I have no idea if I spelled cockaburrs correctly but that is besides the point. I know that I've written several times about the attack from ants that I've had at photo shoots but this time we were attacked while walking a couple of feet from our vehicles to the cement. Just.a.few.feet and we looked down and OUCH! these things covered our shoes, legs, clothes, everything...and there were hundreds of them...and they hurt! And we were running out of light. The kiddos mom had the brilliant idea to knock them off with her brush and it really worked. So if you're ever in that situation (cockaburrs all over you) and you happen to have a hairbrush on you then you're good. Just brush them off:) Hope you enjoy your peek. Sorry that it's so late.

Out of the ...

2009-11-12T23:40:00.002-06:00

5 gazillion pictures from this session I have no idea how I ended up with only landscape oriented pictures for this sneak peek??!!

Miss H

2009-11-09T23:25:00.004-06:00

Drew just walked in a few minutes ago and said,
"Mom, you're on the naughty list."
"Why? Well, what list are you on Drew?"
"Aww Mom, I'll be on the naughty list with you."

Great. Anyone want to join us? I'm guessing this is a Santa thing...and I've gotta figure out how to change lists because I need a new lens:)

Little Miss H is in the "quick" category but a ton of fun. Extremely photogenic...I mean look at those blue eyes.

Engagements

2009-11-08T20:23:00.003-06:00

Luckily they had an inside connection to this location and we had the o.k. to take pictures all over the place. It did not disappoint. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and the inside is very cool, too. They are having a destination wedding that sounds like a dream...with a castle and all. I'm a wee bit jealous!

Hope you enjoy your peek:)

My husband: the comedian

2009-11-06T08:49:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago there was a conversation about bubble baths and how it would be so nice for my husband to just get a bubble bath ready for me. He adamantly said that he would have no problem doing that (even though it's never happened. ha!) So, last night I didn't feel all that well -- Drew had just started running a fever and I was so hoping that I wasn't getting sick and thankfully I feel better after a night's sleep -- and a bubble bath sounded great. So I say to him "Remember that bubble bath conversation? Will you draw me a bubble bath?" And here's what I get:

Funny huh?! At least I really got one after that!

This little one's mom was like the little sister I never had growing up. I can't believe she's now married with a baby!!

Another Rainy Day Session...

2009-11-05T10:03:00.002-06:00

that we ended up doing indoors. We met for outside pictures and within minutes it started pouring...so indoors we went.

Miss S

2009-11-03T22:02:00.003-06:00

So cute and so stylin'!

Little Cutie

2009-11-01T11:50:00.002-06:00

Here's another late one...sorry! He was little but he sure knew how to work the camera:)

catching up

2009-11-01T10:09:00.002-06:00

I'm running a couple of days late on these posts...sorry:)

This sweet family scouted out a new location that we went to and I loved it! It had water, an old house with a porch, a playground, and big trees. The only thing I didn't love were the warnings about snakes and the 2 that we saw swimming under us as we crossed the bridge...yuck! Snakes are the one creature I don't love.

He was so done with my camera by this point but we were letting him head to the playground and just look at his smile.

Now a family of 4

2009-10-29T23:23:00.003-05:00

and she's soooo sweet.

Running from the rain

2009-10-28T22:54:00.002-05:00

Literally...running from the rain. Check out the rain in the first picture. There have been so many sessions that have had to be rescheduled lately because of the rain. We really wanted to try and get this session done if we could. My husband calculated the rain on the radar and told me I had about an hour before it would hit our area. We rushed through one location and then tried our luck at going to another location about 4 miles away. We drove, they changed some clothing, and right about that time it started. NO! We've gotten this far...we can't stop now! So, we used a jacket and an umbrella and were able to get in some shots at the second location. Their daughter didn't seem to care a bit about the rain...especially with that lollipop:) Hope you enjoy the peek..it was fun!

I love how she's holding on to her dad's finger

HOLIDAY CARDS 2009

2009-10-27T20:26:00.003-05:00

Here are samples of the holiday cards that I am offering for the 2009 season. One change that I'm making this year is that all of the flat cards will have a backside instead of being plain white. (some samples don't show the back)

Here's the pricing:

5x5 or 5x7 front/back $38 a set of 25

5x5 or 5x7 folded (4 sides) $50 a set of 25

5x5 trifold $70 a set of 25

5x7 wide format $70 a set of 25

Up to 3 samples can be made free of charge. Just let me know your card choices and favorite pictures:)

She shines

2009-10-27T20:12:00.004-05:00

Loved her wardrobe! Loved her spunky-ness! We had rescheduled this session a handful of times for weather and sicknesses but we were finally able to meet up :) Isn't she adorable?

He still holds the title...

2009-10-26T18:38:00.003-05:00

for fastest little boy that I've worked with. I know of a couple of little girls that would give him a run for the money but he's still wins for the boys! We always, always, always get a workout when we run around with him but we are also entertained the whole time. He's one of the happiest, full-of-life, smiling kids I know. Just take a look.

He loves to run and dive down into the ground. Luckily I caught a few!

He doesn't know these boys. They were playing football and he just ran up behind them and got into position. Too cute! Dad was about to grab him here.

His mom is expecting again:)

2 Tutus and a tie

2009-10-25T21:31:00.003-05:00

I've had some super fun clients lately...can't you see? Loved this idea and couldn't wait to do this photo shoot. We stayed in their backyard which was absolutely a dream backyard. Can you guess which dog was into modeling and which thought that we were wasting his time? Typical male:) Especially a typical male (not every.single.one. but most are like this) being forced to dress up for a photo shoot!

We went out with the family today for some pictures of our own. We had one little man (ahem, Drew) that would NOT cooperate. Yes, I have one of those kids! I wonder if another photographer could get some shots of him?! It was pretty fun. We decided to go to some of my favorite places in downtown Houston. Hopefully I'll have some time to share some.

But because of my daughter's birthday/slumber party last night and family pictures today (you know how stressful and tiring that is) I'm absolutely pooped out and need to get to bed. So, Jennifer in case your checking for a sneak peek...I promise I'll get on that first thing in the am:)

AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE WAITING ON THE HOLIDAY CARD SAMPLES THOSE WILL BE UP BY TUESDAY!!!

Family Shoot

2009-10-24T10:17:00.003-05:00

Very easy-going family with a busy little girl and such a sweet little boy. Little miss brought her own baby and blanket along and gave us some great photo ops as she played peek-a-boo with us.

Meet Mr. Owen (my most recent new baby)

2009-10-22T22:45:00.003-05:00

This was such a blast! I LOVE puppies so I jumped on this when his owner asked if I'd take pictures of her 7-week old puppy. She kept apologizing that he wasn't being good but he was actually so easy to work with. In fact, one of the easiest new babies ever.

Ummm, he weighs more than that. That's just the front end. A little chunky monkey:)

Fastest pics ever

2009-10-19T21:44:00.002-05:00

I spotted this field and loved the yellow flowers. I just know that it will be cut soon so I headed out with my girls and a friend of mine and her girls to take a few shots in the flowers. The only problem was that it had been pouring rain every single day, and was supposed to continue to pour, and I didn't have much time. By the time we grabbed clothes and did some quick hair fixing, drove over there and unloaded everyone and everything, we had 20 minutes until I had to leave to go to another photo shoot. It was like "Ok, you...get out there!" "Act like you love each other"! NOW! "Ok, next"! It was pretty funny but I'm really glad we went.

I love side profiles

Can't you just feel the love between my two? Ha I'm pretty sure they were making smart alec remarks to each other and finding it pretty amusing.

Our poser of the day

Ahem....couldn't get a real smile out of her until we said a certain boy's name.

Dream Location

2009-10-18T22:19:00.003-05:00

This place had it all...sigh:) There were hay bales, huge beautiful trees, and 2 old rustic barns with vines growing on them. I could do pictures there every day.

One of our kids had to do it

2009-10-16T23:16:00.003-05:00

Threaten to run away that is. The girls were never brave enough or didn't think of it, but Mr. Drew is a totally different ballgame. Just today I've been told that I'm not his friend, that I'm not invited to his birthday (which is not until the end of May...hello!) and he wanted us to pull over tonight and let him out because he was leaving. I couldn't help myself...I had a little fun with it.
"Oh yeah, where are you going?"
"I'm gonna go to my friend's house."
"But you don't even have any shoes on. What if you step on a rock or glass?"
And then the girls had to chime in and tell him that it would hurt and he wouldn't have any band aids (he's a band aid fanatic) and that it would gush blood.
"How are you going to get there?"
"I'm gonna run super fast." (Yes, he's still using the super word every chance he gets)
We actually did pull over...to rearrange his seatbelt and pants that were halfway down his behind which was one of the reasons he was upset...but he thought that we were pulling over to let him out and that didn't go over very well either. Good times.

Here's one of my fave families and their new baby girl. Momma was one of my first maternity clients and it's been so awesome to follow her growing family. Hope you enjoy the peek of your new little princess...she's precious:)

He's a new big brother

2009-10-14T21:51:00.003-05:00

We just did his 2-year-old pictures and he was an only child but I just got word yesterday that he's now a big brother! Congratulations on your baby girl K family. Can't wait to meet her:)

How many dogs do you see? It takes a minute.

These dads and all their tricks lately...

bang, bang

2009-10-12T22:09:00.003-05:00

-mom brought a huge bouquet of balloons for these pictures

-I carried them and tied them onto the stroller (didn't knot it because we did that at a recent photo shoot and then had to find something to cut them off because they get so tight blowing around)

-we forgot about them and did some other pictures several feet away

-there are signs that say "Please stay on the walkways" "Stay on the path" etc...

-I decided to break the rules and step off of said path into a grassy area so that I could get the perfect angle and at the exact moment I stepped off the path we hear...bang, bang, bang

-my first thought...they have this dang thing booby trapped...is someone shooting at me?

-mom asked what that was...I don't know I said

-we took a few more pictures, walked to get our other things and

-the balloons were GONE...stuck up in a tree...popped (you knew where this was going didn't you?)

-I felt terrible and what a bummer but glad to know

-the place isn't booby trapped after all:)

Such Troopers

2009-10-11T18:58:00.003-05:00

I know I've talked about having issues with ants at photo shoots before but this time took the cake. We went to a location that I had been eyeing and it was just as fabulous as I thought it would be. I LOVE LOVE LOVE yellows and greens in the outdoor colors and that late afternoon light coupled with trees, grass, and bushes that have yellows and greens and then add in the sunlight streaming though...well, that's what this place has. But what this place also had as we quickly found out was crazy ants -- aka Rasberry Ants.

And the name "crazy" fits them perfectly. They crawl across you at a speed of like 80mph...I'm not kidding! The good thing is that they don't bite. So we would see them crawling across our feet as it they were in the Formula One race but no bites. After a minute or two of this I said I guess we'd better move on...although it was killing me because the light, the yellows and greens, a happy one-year-old adorable girl...well I knew I loved the location (minus the ants) but how could I expect them to deal with crazy ants. But they didn't mind...they said they're not biting us so we can deal for a few minutes...Yeah! So, they get the award for harshest conditions for a photo op with the best attitude:) I hope you can "see" the beauty that I was seeing for this place. Enjoy the sneak peek:)

Small World

2009-10-08T13:09:00.002-05:00

This sweet girl and her family doesn't live in the town that I do. When she and her mom got here her mom told me her daughter's name is Kate. I mentioned that my son's best friend is named Kate. Then we talked about how her Kate is tall for her age...so is my son's bff Kate. After a little bit more of this we finally figured out that her husband works with our Kate's dad. Following this?? They are also good friends with our Kate's parents (which we are, too), but she was referred to me by someone she works with so our Kate's parents had no idea they were coming to our town to do pictures. Funny how things work out that way:) Anyways, she was a great little poser and quite quick when she wanted to be. Not my normal outdoor shots but it was pouring outside and this was fun for a change.

Hope you enjoy the pictures:):):)

So Handsome

2009-10-05T22:07:00.004-05:00

We didn't have long to do this photo shoot because of 70% forecasted impending rain. I don't think we took pictures for much longer than an hour but we got so many happy, smiling pictures of him.

Hope you enjoy guys and let me know if you need one asap:)

New and so very sweet

2009-09-30T15:04:00.003-05:00

Update on the Fall schedule - I'm now just about totally booked for this year. I'm starting a waiting list for those that still want to book so just let me know if you'd like to be put on it. I do have a few December spots open but those pictures will not be ready until the beginning of January. I was way overextended last year and that wasn't good for the clients, or me or my family and I vowed to not have that happen this year:)

My 4-year-old Drew just came in here and used his most favorite word of the month. It's "super". Things are "super awesome", "super funny", and as he just asked when he was hugging Cosmo "Are we super cute?" Yep, super duper cute:)

And on that note this super sweet little girl was so easy to photograph. She really didn't care what we did which is sooooo nice.

Sure, I'll sleep in a little tub

And I'll sleep with cute little hats on

and sometimes I sleep with a smile on my face

and then I lay here and look around for a minute and...

think about sleeping some more:)

Such a smiley girl

2009-09-28T22:39:00.002-05:00

I just realized that she is smiling in almost every single picture I have of her. What a great little model:)

It's been a while...

2009-09-28T21:44:00.004-05:00

since I had worked with this family and the girls (especially the youngest) has changed and grown. People say that about my kids but you know when you see them every single day it's harder to notice the changes.

The 3-year old had her own agenda and we didn't hold her interest for too many pictures but she loved the bubbles and we were able to keep her still for a short bit. Then towards the end we bribed - yes bribed - her with candy. And it sure did work:) Hope you enjoy the peek:) Good to see you again Leissa.

New Little Peanut

2009-09-24T22:04:00.003-05:00

Isn't she adorable? Big brother was not loving the fact that we wanted him to do pictures but we managed to get some.

Spunky and her family

2009-09-22T18:35:00.003-05:00

I've had several bookings the last couple of days and all of my weekends are now officially booked for this year. I have a few scattered weekday appointments left so please contact me asap if you want to book a day.

I do have new holiday cards for 2009 and will put samples up soon.

This 5-year-old angelic looking little girl is so photogenic. She is so full of personality and had me laughing the ENTIRE time. We did some family pictures, swing pictures, tree pictures, sibling pictures...we tried to get it all in. I really hope you guys like your sneak peek:)

Spunky playing on the swing

LUV her hair

Little sister must not have liked what we were doing

Newborn Boy

2009-09-20T11:59:00.002-05:00

Seems like I just posted her maternity session and now here's Mr. Kade, their newest addition. He's was pretty chilled out the whole time and totally adorable.

1st Birthday Party

2009-09-17T21:56:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that he's having his 1st birthday party. It seems like we just did his newborn shots!

A year in the making

2009-09-13T20:44:00.003-05:00

We have been trying to do this photo shoot for a year. They knew that they wanted it at their bay house in Galveston and just when we were going to meet Hurricane Ike happened. And they had damage. They showed us where the water line had come to and it is just unbelievable! She contacted me again recently and said that they had rebuilt and were ready. I ended up not feeling well the day before our scheduled time but I was not about the re-schedule again. I felt better the day of the shoot, just really tired...so Chad went with me to be the chauffeur/assistant (which is kinda cool...I can boss him around and he has to do it). I'm so glad we were finally able to meet in person. They are a really sweet family and I loved catching some fun shots.

Hope you enjoy your peek:)

It's a Jungle Out There

2009-09-10T22:23:00.003-05:00

They drove up with a vehicle full of fun props that would help keep him entertained. And I was amazed at all the large stuffed zoo animals. That's the theme of his room and I can just imagine how cool it is.

Enjoy the peek:)

Senior Rep

2009-09-06T18:50:00.003-05:00

Here's my gorgeous senior rep for the new high school in our town.

Sisters

2009-09-04T18:53:00.003-05:00

I'm not feeling too hot right now but I wanted to get these up before I head back to bed. Hope everyone enjoys their long weekend.

Smile

2009-09-01T13:20:00.003-05:00

Working on these pictures makes me smile. These kiddos belong to my sister-in-law's best friend, Kristen. She and I both got a good workout...we withstood the heat and the ants (poor Grant) and did everything under the sun to get some good pictures.

They are all under the age of 4 (almost 5) and extremely fast and fun-loving! Even though I was exhausted I couldn't help but be entertained the entire time. They were so funny that I just have to include a collage of outtake shots. I especially love the shot of Rowan (smallest one) where it looks like she's giving me the finger. Actually, she probably was. She is the typical 3rd baby that just goes with the flow but by this point she had most likely figured out that I was the one that was keeping her from a nap and being put in all kinds of crazy positions that allowed her brother and sister to harass her.

I hope you enjoy these Kristen:) I really had a lot of fun!

2010 Senior

2009-08-29T20:19:00.003-05:00

Here's my first 2010 senior. I talked to her mom and suggested downtown for the shoot and she was game. I think it was perfect for Miss Sam. She loves the hustle and bustle of the city life and really got into the whole shoot. We had a blast finding new locations although I did almost get ran over by a crazy driver that took a corner waaayyy tooooo fast.

Hope you love them Sam:) And I hope you're having a great time at your new high school.

So cute

2009-08-26T23:15:00.003-05:00

I can't decide if I like his smile or his intent stare better? I always LOVE eye contact and he gave me a lot. And when he smiled it would just light up his eyes and show his little teeth. He's adorable! I really hope you like your peek:)

Expecting

2009-08-24T08:57:00.003-05:00

Aaahhhh, school is a good thing for my sanity today. I'm tired as heck....couldn't go to sleep early last night because I'm so used to working on the computer until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning but I think after a couple of days of this and I'll readjust. So, the fact is that Drew spent a LOT of summer time aggravating his sisters. So far this morning he has been so pleasant. No one to aggravate (well, except for Cosmo a little bit). He's been setting up his drum area, a baby area, and a bowling area in our living room. But I'll take the mess over squealing sisters today. Maybe I'll miss it in a couple of days but today I'm going to just enjoy:)

I loved working with this mom and her daughter. We were able to get some great poses of them together. We also did a couple of her 9-yr-old by herself and that's when she really started coming out of her shell. She's going to be a great big sister.

Adored

2009-08-22T13:16:00.003-05:00

You may recognize this little cutie from some previous blog posts. In the past I've included some pictures that he was in with his mom and dad and this time Mr. Adorable had some pictures done with his 2 aunts. Aunts that totally adore him I might add. When his aunt contacted me about the photo shoot I thought that was the coolest thing that they wanted to do pictures with their nephew. He's definitely surrounded by people that love him.

Hope you enjoy:)

Miss Tatiana

2009-08-20T23:45:00.003-05:00

She is the quickest and most articulate little girl ever. We were doing her 2-year-old pictures and she had me so entertained. I showed my husband pictures of her and we laughed because in almost all of the pictures you can tell that she's running...and usually away from me. She even told me "no more pictures" more than once. I love the fact though that if she wasn't running away from me then she was giving me eye contact (which is my favorite thing). If you look up at my blog header collage of pictures she's the one on the left squaring off with the horse. That was from her 1-yr pictures. She has changed soooo much in one year.

I really hope you guys enjoy the sneak peek:) It was great seeing you again!

Hangin' with our bff's!

2009-08-16T17:46:00.003-05:00

I knew I'd never get these pictures blogged if I didn't just stick them in a quick collage.

Even though it's Galveston, it's a beach with sand and waves and the kids had a great time! They had an even better time at Moody Gardens but I didn't have my camera out for that.

We stopped at a store so that all of the kids could use the restroom before we got there because we went to the west end of Galveston where there's not a lot of restroom locations. We were there no more than 10 minutes before Drew runs up to tell me that he has to go potty....#2. I looked around...no restroom in sight, just private beach homes. The other kids had all just gotten in the water. Dragging 5 other kids out of the water, through the sand, and into the van just to drive back into the main part of Galveston did not sound like fun. So, being a resourceful momma I dug a hole. Yep, that's right I dug a toilet out of the sand. But first I had to decide where to do this. There were quite a few people around us. On one side was a in-love-young-twenties-never-had-kids couple and on the other side was 2 moms with their kids. Ok, gotta go with the moms...they'll understand. The hole in the sand wasn't quite working so we added a brand new bucket to the hole. Now he had a bucket toilet that he could even sit on. Kristen and I held a quilt around him for a little privacy -- and to shield our embarrassment -- and the deed was done. And then I buried it. Deep down.

Hey, it's better than him going in the water:)

I've been wanting to get a picture of these condos that were damaged from Hurricane Ike. Finally, when I went down for a photo shoot a few weeks after we were there with the kids I was able to have my camera ready.
This is driving up to it.

This is from the other side. Not bad for a drive-by shot, huh?

This used to be a huge pier with shops out over the water. From a distance the truck looks normal and then you get up even and realize it must have been placed there during the hurricane.

Crazy

Mr. Sweet

2009-08-12T00:50:00.003-05:00

This 15-month old is so super-sweet. He's mild mannered and even though the photo shoot was close to his bed time he did really great!

I don't have a lot to say tonight because I'm tired from an exhausting day. Here's some highlights:

-had Drew's 4-yr-check up and if you've been through this then you know it's THE WORST one. He loudly proclaimed "No shots. Don't give me any shots today." as he walked down the corridor where all of the nurses and dr.'s stand. He did, however, in addition to the shots he received his flu vaccine for this next year. I'm glad that's done.

-went to Target to get his bribery bowling set for all the shots and they were out

-picked up paperwork for Kenz's school

-took the kids with a friend and her kids to Chuck E. Cheese...which again just in itself is quite a trip

-just HAD to go in a Hallmark with ALL said kids to pick up a Webkinz because they realized their account was expiring tomorrow. Darn Webkinz why do they do that?

-ran into Baybrook mall with all said kids to grab something quick that I just had to get while in that area

-had to go into a Lowe's with all said kids to get the bowling set that Target was out of

-the dogs walked me and all said kids to the park tonight because somehow I was talked into all of them having a sleepover

-the dishes need doing but I'm gonna overlook them...and the rest of this tornado-ridden house

-and I'm also recouping from our long weekend trip to a bay house. Now that was refreshing...but coming back home has not been!

I'm hoping I feel better in the morning:)