Dannah & Matthew {Leander, TX | Engagement Photographer}

Finally, I have finished the photos from Dannah & Matthew's Engagement Session!  The best part about this session is that Dannah is my step-daughter.  So, I have a bit of a personal attachment here, and I wanted to be sure that she got exactly what she was looking for in her photos. We researched, pinned things (gotta love Pinterest!) and headed out with lots of ideas.  

We made it happen.  I'm so happy with how these turned out!  I hope you enjoy.

Class of 2014 - Isabel {Leander, TX Senior Photographer}

What a fun session to photograph! I've taken Isabel's photos before and she's always full of laughs and smiles.  This session was no exception.  I love it when things go this smoothly.. and I especially love a few good outtakes!

Here's a little peek of your senior pics!

I Now Pronounce You... {Salado, TX Wedding Photographer}

Today I Marry My Best Friend, The One I Laugh With, Live For, Dream With, LOVE.

 Author: Unknown

What a beautiful couple!  What a beautiful wedding!  What a beautiful reception!  Can you tell how much I loved photographing this?  My goodness!

The bride is probably one of the sweetest, most likable people I have ever met, and her groom couldn't have been nicer.  Their wedding was superb. It just so happens that it rained that day, but let me tell you, it didn't dampen the spirit. The happy couple was surrounded by family, friends and so much love.   May you have a wonderful life together and thank you so much for allowing me to photograph your special day.  Enjoy your little sneak peek! 

It's a Beautiful Day for Photos! The Sun is shining…. {Leander, TX Photographer}

"It's such a lovely day for photos! The sun is shining and…"

Stop. Right. There.

Most clients have an image in their mind of the perfect photo. The sun is shining brightly, the sky is bluer than blue, and it's beautifully warm without a breeze. You wouldn't believe how many times I hear this.  You also wouldn't believe how many times I am asked to reschedule because it's a cloudy day.

No.  Believe me, you think that is what you want, but it isn't really what you want. You want your skin to glisten. You want your eyes to sparkle. You want your photo to be bright and lovely.  Yes.. I want those things too, but I want them in the shade of the beautiful clouds.

Full sun does wicked things to photos. It creates beastly shadows and ugly, bright, hot spots on the skin. It makes you squint like nobody's business. It washes out the colors and blows out the sky.  The sun can be evil when it comes to photography.

So, the next time you have your photos taken, don't look for the noon session in the full sun.  Go in the early morning, or in the evening just before the sun sets for the beautiful warm glow that the sun will give. Look for clouds and beautiful shade. If your photographer has a reflector or diffuser, that's even better!  Your eyes will be open, your skin will look lovely, and your photographer will thank you.

In the end.. it's a win/win situation!

The photo below on the left is a full sun photo with no retouching. Notice the harsh shadows, and bright spots on the side of her face and on her arms.  That cannot be fully corrected, even in Photoshop.

The photo on the right was take a few minutes later, slightly different angle,  the same location but in a different spot, using a big diffuser to block the harsh light.  Beautiful, even light.  This photo very has little retouching.

Which one would you rather see on your wall?  :)

Dannah & Matthew {Leander TX - Engagement Photographer}

This is my step-daughter and her wonderful fiancé.  They tagged along on a photo shoot and I was able to snap this impromptu photo in as the sun went down.  Dannah wanted a silhouette photo, and that's exactly what we got!

Happy 15th, Daniella! {Quinceañera Photographer | Kyle, TX}

I had the honor to photograph Miss Daniella's Sweet 15.  I love photographing quineañeras and this one certainly held up to any and all expectations.  The food, the dancing, the fun! So many loved ones were present and Daniella always had a big smile on her face, despite the fact that I was her shadow for the evening!  What a beautiful party it was.  Enjoy the sneak peek!

Mikey is turning 2!!

How I love capturing this sweet face! I've taken his photos every year since he was born (he's the little fella with the huge smile in the slideshow at the top of this blog!), so I've been lucky enough to watch him grow from a tiny little newborn to a rambunctious two-year old!
Here's a few photos from his session today.  Happy Birthday Mikey!