Elliana at the Park.

So apparently "tween" sessions are a thing now and since my favorite tiny human (Elliana) is turning 12 soon, I decided we absolutely had to go play in the park and take have a tween portrait session, even though I kind of hate the word Tween!  First of, let me say that she is much easier to photograph now than when she was 2!  I remember the kicking and screaming well.  As the years progress it has gotten easier but she never really wanted to have anything to do with the camera.  Now she is like a little fashion model!  Oh how times change. (sigh.)  I have truly enjoyed watching my little munchkin turn into such a beautiful young lady.  Check out how much fun we had playing in the leaves and hanging out with my favorite girl at my favorite park!   

Gabriella's Downtown Dallas Bridal Portrait Session

Lately, my absolute favorite way to photograph bridal portraits is to have a friend drive me and the bride to several locations in the downtown Dallas area.  There are a few things about this type of session that really work for me.  First of all, it  cuts down on walking.  Which you wouldn't think would be a big deal in a portrait session, but with bridals it definitely is!  By having a friend drive us to spots in the city, we are allowed to rest our feet in between shots and cool off or warm up from whatever crazy Texas weather we are having that day.  This session with Gabriella was in the middle of the "hotter than heck"  Texas summer so getting out of the heat every 10 minutes really helped.  I assume this would also help in the winter months when  strapless dress can cause a bride to catch a chill in a few minutes time!  My favorite part about a downtown session is the variety of shots that we can get!  There are so many different backgrounds to choose from and with a chauffeur we can really cover a lot of ground fast.  The shade from the buildings creates such a great lighting that we almost never have to deal with an unflattering light.  If they are timed just right, we can also transition into a glam night-lights session!  So many possibilities in the city!  The only question is where to begin?  

Flowers by Linda McEwan

Chris and Michael's Destination Wedding

When my bestie from college asked me if I would rather be his best-(wo)man or photograph his destination wedding to his long-time partner, Michael, it didn't take me long to decide I definitely wanted to photograph it!  We all flew up to Massachusetts for a week last fall.  The ceremony and reception were held on the property of dear friends of Chris and Michael.  We all gathered around just before sunset to witness their vows being made in the middle of all of their closest friends.  It was a beautiful ceremony.  I remember having to wipe my tears of joy frequently through the ceremony.  It meant so much to me to see 2 wonderful people who had loved each other exclusively for almost 10 years, finally able to call each other husband and husband.  After the ceremony we had a tent set- up where we danced the night away and ate lobster that was cooked in the ground, just like the indians and pilgrims used to!  The next day we all drove up to the very tip of Cape Cod for a few days of fun in P-town, Mass.  Here are my favorite images from the trip! Enjoy!

Baby Riley's Newborn Portraits

 love it when I have such an amazing connection with a wedding client and end up photographing their family as it grows!  I first met Kiran and Ryan when I photographed their wedding last year. First we did Kiran's Bridal Portraits, then I was finally able to meet Ryan on the wedding day.  When Kiran called me and told me they were expecting their first baby, I was over the moon excited! I was also thrilled that they wanted to work with me again!  We did the maternity session, which I blogged about last month and now it is time to introduce this precious baby boy, Riley, to the world!

But wait!  First, let me tell you a little about this shoot....  

Newborn portraits have always been a favorite of mine!   I find it very peaceful and inspiring to be around a beautiful sleeping baby.  Over the years, I have molded my approach to newborn photography through trial and error and finally feel I have found my personal style. For Riley's portrait session, I went to Kiran and Ryan's house and was able to set up my backdrop and pillow right next to a great big window and shoot with natural light.  I prefer to use natural light for newborns because I feel like the flashes tend to disturb the baby. My best investment was a heating pad, a noise machine, and really soft blankets over a peanut shaped newborn poser pillow to create a really comfy bed for the baby to fall asleep on.  I have transitioned into only using the newborn fabric wraps so that the baby can wear a diaper and I have not had a single accident since!  Plus there is so much you can do with a newborn wrap.  It really allows you to be artistic.  Ideally, the baby will sleep through the whole session and we can get a few looks in a couple of hours but realistically, this rarely happens!  I usually end up spending the day hanging at the house with the family waiting for the baby to fall asleep.  Post production is huge in newborn photography, I spend more time retouching newborn portraits than any other type of portrait.  The majority of the retouching involves backgrounds and skin healing.  The blankets may have a wrinkle or crease and babies tend to have peeling skin and some imperfections that just need some fixing up.  

Ok, now it's time to meet Riley!  Enjoy!

Krista and John's Country Wedding in Royce City, TX

Krista and John got married on a hot summer afternoon at Big Sky Ranch in Royce City, TX.  Their wedding was probably one of my favorite weddings to photograph in a long while!  The decor was stunning, the couple was so fun to work with, and the rain that came later that night, made for the most amazing clouds!  However, my favorite part of this wedding was the decor!   Krista and John borrowed sets of china from all the members of their immediate family to create a massive collection of mix-matched china for their guests to eat of of.  I just loved that idea! Not only was it gorgeous, but it added a nice sentimental touch to the decor.  The mixture of antiques, rustic wood,  and greenery, mixed with the soft pink color palette made this decor absolutely stunning against the country backdrop.  The ceremony featured a gorgeous cedar cross made by a close relative of the bride.  They had a very musical set of friends who performed during the ceremony and also saved the day during the reception by playing "Somewhere over the Rainbow" for the Mother/Son Dance when the DJ equipment failed.  The whole crowd sang along, it was a wonderful thing to witness.  It just goes to show you that even the things that go wrong can turn out to be the best part of the whole day.  Oh, and did I mention, the bride gave the groom a rifle for his wedding gift???  I couldn't resist getting at least one gun portrait! (only in Texas, right?)  Overall, I just really loved every thing about this wedding.   From the people, to the decor, to the venue, and everything in between it was just absolutely perfect!  I hope you enjoy viewing the images as much as I enjoyed taking them!