Owen, 16 Months

Owen is just a little cherub-faced ray-o-sunshine. Seriously... with these eyes and cheeks, how can you tell him no?!?!

We shot at his home in The Heights, both indoor and outdoor. I enjoyed playing "Wheeeere's Owen?" with him as I hid behind the grill on the patio, which brought plenty of smiles our way-- not to mention some really funny little curious looks. He found a leaf out there that garnered more attention that you'd ever think possible (and then tried to eat it), and climbed like a big boy up into the chair.

I had taken my favorite baby-whisperer Connor (he's 9) along to assist and help wrangle on this shoot, and Owen really didn't want him to leave! Connor picked him up for a hug, and owen latched on like a baby monkey. It was sooooooooo cuuuuuute!

Celina's Family

Celina was given a gift certificate for a portrait session, I was happy to meet her and photograph her family! We shot in Terry Hershey Park, off Memorial near Eldridge. It was a great sunny evening!

Heeeeeere's Hailey!

I posted some of gorgeous little Hailey a while back, but here's a little collage for even more sweetness:

Brand New Madeline... 7 days old.

I recently shot Madeline's Mommy's maternity portraits, and was thrilled to be invited backto their home for her newborn session.

Still new and wrinkly and pink and snuggly, Madeline was bright-eyed and very awake when I arrived! After a few little snacks here and there to relax her, she finally nestled into my favorite baby-backdrop rug and fell into peaceful slumber... ahhhhh.

We took some beautiful first-family-portraits right there in the nursery, and several of the new baby with each parent. Grandma was also there, so we pulled her in for a few shots. Mom looked absolutely amazing, glowing, spectacular; you'd never guess she gave birth seven days ago.

On a personal note, my very, very favorite shot from the session is Madeline's father holding her and looking down, smiling at her. I know they will both cherish that photograph for years to come... and there will literally never be another time when they can have that particular moment, when she will fit into the palms of his hands like that, when he will stare into his future with such anticipation and wonder. It reminds me of a beautiful poem my Dad wrote for me when I was a baby-- noteworthy, as this session took place on the first anniversary of the day my father passed away. I couldn't have asked for more than celebrating new life on that day.

Does it get much cuter than this? Lindsay in her dance outfits...

Lindsay is a free-spirited and sassy little tap-and-ballet diva who recently had a recital... her Mommy wanted some beautiful pics of "Lulu" in her costumes. I met them at Granny's house, and the backyard was perfect for our shoot.

This little sweetie is my niece, and we were laughing ourselves silly during this session. After the backyard, we went inside and I shot some of her in the windowsill in my old bedroom (a place I used to sit frequently)... I am absolutely thrilled with the way those shots came out.

Without further ado, here she is... if you can make it through these pics without smiling even a little bit... well, you're much stronger than me!

Becca & Sergio & The Dogs in the park!

We shot Becca & Sergio's engagement portraits in the centrally-located and wildly popular Discovery Green park in Downtown Houston. They brought their dogs along for a fun and frisky shoot! Halfway through, Sergio's mom and brother kindly took over as dog-handlers and took the pups to play in the dog run area of the park.

Absolute lovebirds, it was no trouble getting these two to be sweet and kissy-kissy with one another. Lucky for me, it also wasn't too difficult to get them climbing and having fun on some of the sculptural and playground pieces throughout the park!

As summer evenings in Houston often are, it was hot and humid. Winding down, we wandered over to the ice cream trucks, and the two of them got some tasty treats.

Their wedding is next weekend, I can't wait!

Tracey & Ed's Wedding

You may remember Tracey and Ed from their bright popping colorful engagement portraits!

Their wedding took place on a warm summer evening on the Terrace at Moody Gardens. It was absolutely beautiful, with the ethereal music of a harp and nothing but the sky above them as they took one another's hands in marriage. The reception was full of dear friends, family, and fun! The couple had a table full of wedding portraits of family and friends who had been married for over thirty years (some of them incredible heirloom portraits), and gave guests seashell-handled bottle openers as favors. At the children's table, there were plenty of shimmering copper cupcakes to go around.

Tracey's florals were absolutely stunning-- not over the top tropical, but bright pinks and peaches (and even artichokes in the centerpeices!) were great with her cream/chocolate browns... and of course her gorgeous red hair and clear blue eyes. Also of note-- the cute cake-toppers! Ed's a golfer, folks ; )

Lucky for us, one of Ed's aunts left her pretty orange parasol at the ceremony, so we were able to grab it and use it for some together-pics of Tracey and Ed. The grand staircase reminded me so much of a cruise ship, with the bright evening sun shining in the windows behind it.

Three precious sisters...

Courtney, Lindsey, and Chelsie are from Mississippi, but invited me out for a portrait session between a visit to their Grandma's home in West University and a San Antonio Sea World trip! We piled in the car and headed over to the majestic oak-lined path at North Boulevard on a sunny morning that turned into a super-sweaty hot mid-morning... but the girls were great sports about the heat (we tried to keep them in the shade as much as possible, and the fact that they were promised a trip to Target if they were good didn't hurt).

I absolutely LOVE that their mom, Audrey, found these sweet, simple dresses and chose to have them photographed barefoot-- it plays to the innocence of childhood and whimsical nature of the three girls. These images are absolutely timeless! Nothing about them will appear dated or out of style in 20, 40, 50 years, and it wouldn't be a far stretch to imagine they were taken 100 years ago (well, except for maybe the fact that they're in color).

After North Boulevard we shot a few in front of their grandma's house, and a few with their faithful and patient dalmatian, Muddy. They were getting hot and tired, but it made for some really funny shots of who they "really" are-- I like smiles, but sometimes when you get those few pics where the attention has shifted and boredom has set in... they're good as gold and will make you laugh for years to come.

Enjoy the sweet girls... and if you're ever in Hattiesburg, be sure to stop by the Keg & Barrel. It's their dad's place, and I hear the food and microbrew is fantastic!!!

Fallon's Bridals

Congratulations to Fallon, who was married to her dear J.B. last weekend! Since the big day has come and gone, I'm comfortable posting her bridals to the blog now (no chance of ruining the "reveal" on the wedding day!).

We shot in and around the Portofino Shoppping Center in the Woodlands, then made our way over to Fellowship of the Woodlands for some shots incorporating their beautiful landscaping, water features, and of course the chapel where Fallon and J.B. were to me married.

I fell in love with Fallon's whole family! They were so much fun to have along on the shoot, so sweet and personable. I could hardly wait for the wedding day to arrive so I could spend more time with them all.

Kudos to The Perfect Face for the stunning beauty they brought out in our bride! Her hair and makeup were flawless.