family

2016 Christmas Mini Sessions

2016 Christmas Mini Sessions

Only 80 days until Christmas!! Do you have recent family portraits for your Christmas cards? As in recent, I mean since your last kiddo was born? Since everyone started walking? Since everyone has been potty trained? Since your last kid started school? As in recent, I mean: do you have professional photographs from within the last year?

Newborn: Mackenzi Jillee

Newborn: Mackenzi Jillee

Not only is it exciting to schedule a newborn session, but it is even more exciting when that newborn is in the family! My family and my husband's cousin's family have similar stats: we got married around the same time and we both now have toddlers. They have just upped the stakes with the arrival of this beautiful and precious baby girl: Mackenzi Jillee.

Back to School mini 2015: Burrs

For our Back to School minis this year, we had a specific look in mind: vintage and aged. Alyssa and I tag teamed this session.

Look at those eyes.

I love this. Siblings. :) Best. Friends. Ever. I have my own pictures with my siblings where one of us is attacking the other, getting on the other's nerves, or something similar. I love those pictures! 

I love several of the images we got of Ellie. She carried around a giant Disney book that we set out as a prop. She intently studied the images on each page. She starts school this year! I bet she uses that same intensity on her schoolwork. 

I really enjoyed watching this family interact. As we began, Ellie was a little nervous to be in front of the camera. And I completely understand! It can be scary! There's a reason that I like to stay behind my lens. ;) As we worked with her a little bit and her mom and dad made her laugh, she slowly felt more comfortable. It's like you could see her start to come out of her "nervous shell." She's an adorable little girl! 

Again, with the eyes! 

We enjoyed it guys! Best of luck this school year!

Newborn: Gabriel Luke

Be still my heart. How cute?!? Don't you love pictures of sleeping babies?

I went to elementary, middle, and high school with this little guy's parents. Chandra and I marched in the band and were on yearbook staff together. We met for lunch dates during college. Chandra's pretty awesome. 

Chandra and Josh welcomed Gabriel Luke on July 31. 

Isn't this little guy adorable? He was so calm and so tiny and so sweet during our session.

His brothers, Isaac and Jonas, are in love with him already. 

Jonas was so excited to show off his brother. When I arrived, he had to check me out to make sure that I was safe for his new little brother. It was so sweet!

Congrats on your new family of 5, Josh & Chandra! Love you guys!

Robert, Kelli, and Ryker

Special thanks to these guys! This is Robert, Kelli, and little Ryker. Cute name, even cuter baby!!

I really enjoyed getting to know these guys. I've known them for a few years, but finally we got to spend some time together. They were so much fun! 

I absolutely loved watching Kelli and Ryker. She's such a good momma. 

Aw. Maybe it is just the momma in me, but I LOVE this photo of Kelli and Ryker. Some of my favorite times with my own little have been feeding, rocking, and snuggling as she sleeps in my arms. Pictures of momma and baby are some of the most precious things!

Doesn't Kelli just glow here?!?

Ryker Jace

Cousins!!

I love how in the middle photo he looks at her like, "What are you doing here?"

Franklin Family: 2015

This family is one of my favorite to photograph. I might be biased: they are family! They have always given in to my requests over the years to follow them around with my camera. During my first film class in college, Ruger, their oldest, made his entrance to the world. I remember taking film pictures of the few day old little man while he slept on Justin and Julie's dining room table in their one bedroom apartment. Aw! My heart gets all happy just thinking about it! I processed the film in the darkroom. I was so worried that I would ruin the precious film and lose the precious photos of their adorable baby. Guys, I had only processed a few rolls of film before Ruger was born. I won't lie, I might have spent a few days building up my courage to process this roll of film. Once I built up the guts to break into the film canister, I headed toward the darkroom. As the image appeared on the paper, my heart sang. It was adorable. 

Things have changed for me since this guy was born. I've switched to digital. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the art of film photography. That's exactly what it is: ART. But, I'm kind of a tech geek. I love my computer and all the techie stuff that goes along with digital photography. I applaud those photographers that still jump in the darkroom. 

I absolutely love watching these boys grow up both through living life with them and from behind my lens. I have hundreds of pictures of these boys, and I plan to take hundreds more. Their parents are doing such a great job. These boys are respectful and sweet. They have their own personalities and interests. And aren't they good looking fellas?!? I mean, those eyes!

Look for this image in the Hallsville Bobcat football program this year! Denny's of Longview (view Facebook page here) bought a full page and I designed the ad! 

I love it.