Monkey Tree Blog

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in our area

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:14:00 +0000

A few weeks back an acquaintance tipped me off that ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition would be featuring a family in our area this January... and they need volunteers to do the family photography. I applied because hey, why not? I figured they'd never pick me but it was worth the 2 minutes it took me to fill out the online form.

I got a call last night that they'd like for me to be their family photographer! It was 9 pm when I saw that I had missed the call (my husband and I were driving to Austin for work, and in true form I was singing all the way there), but I didn't want to miss my window of opportunity. I called her back immediately and left a message. Then I hung up and squealed a little and told Jack what was up.

Finally, I spoke with the representative today and confirmed all the details. I'll be meeting the family shortly after they're told that they're chosen, and then will have a short window of time when I'll shoot family and individual portraits... the designers will probably use them throughout the home for decor, I'm so excited! The opportunity to be a part of something so extraordinary leaves me truly humbled. Wish me luck, and pray for good weather tomorrow (not too sunny not too dark!).

If any lab/frame company representatives are reading this, we'll be needing print services donated, so please contact me via e-mail if you're willing to help.

January 6 & 7: Heading to Austin : )

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:34:00 +0000

If you're in Austin and in need of a portrait session, let me know! I'll be in town Wednesday and Thursday of this week, staying in the Round Rock area. I've got 3 slots available!

2010 Rates are coming soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Just a quick note to remind everyone that the 2010 pricing increase will happen promptly on 1-1-10!

If you're looking to book a wedding or get a January portrait session in, you can save by booking now. I'll be doing away with pre-packaged wedding collections, and going to a strictly a la carte rate sheet.

Portrait and print prices will change as well, so be on the lookout!

Warning: Extreme Cuteness Ahead!

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:50:00 +0000

Yes, curls and dimples. Seriously, this is a cute kid.

I shot Gideon (age 2) in Challenger 7 Memorial Park on a cloudy blah kind of day (my favorite, of course). He was all over the place, running and playing, just being his cute little self for me and Mommy. This little guy is so very expressive! I loved when he made a funny face and squished his cheeks up with his chubby little hands... it reminded me of my stepson Connor when I met him (he had just turned 3), and how silly and happy-go-lucky he was.

I've known Gideon since birth, and it's been such a joy to watch him go from a roly poly little baby to this running, joyous little man. He'll be welcoming a baby sister into the world in 2010, and it will be great to watch him relate to her and step into his role as big brother.

Please enjoy the extreme cute!

Super-exciting headline news...

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:47:00 +0000

It snowed in Houston : ) We were all pretty excited about it, too. It is as blizzardy of weather as I've ever seen in real life... I was driving down the freeway with big clumps of snow hurtling toward me like some kind of wintery twilight zone! We actually had snow last year as well, but Jack and I were in Las Vegas and missed it.

I happened to be shuttling my mom to and fro, and snapped a few pics with my handy Sony Cybershot out the window of the car as we were driving through Hermann Park (otherwise I'd have done what every other native Houstonian does when the weather dips below 40 degrees-- stayed in my house and off the roads). It was crazy to see our Sam Houston statue all covered in snow!!!

I had to get a picture of the "monkey tree" in the wintery wonderland. There were four people playing around it, making snowballs for a snowball fight..the kind where everyone scrapes snow off the ground, makes ONE snowball, and you throw. Then it's over, of course, because there isn't really enough snow for more than one snowball per person ; )

It was really pretty magical to see a layer of white all over the place.... didn't last long, but WOW!

Now we're back to our regularly scheduled seventy degree mucky humidity, trying to figure out if we should just leave the heater off, or actually turn the AC on. Tomorrow it might be 50 degrees, and then the next day it could be 80 for all we know. We enjoy weather spontaneity here.

Megan & John's Engagement Portraits

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:42:00 +0000

Megan and John decided to be cute, colorful, and eclectic for their engagement portraits! We began our session along the pathway that runs down Heights Boulevard, made our way over to 19th Street, and then finished up at twilight in the Warehouse District downtown.

On 19th Street, we happened to come upon a cute little old car/truck thing that made for great eye candy-- and we lucked out as the owner approached and asked if the couple wanted to get into his Ford Ranchero! They did, and we got one of my favorite shots of the session, complete with a dashboard hula girl, awww yeah.

In the Warehouse District, we went to one of M&J's favorite places, the Last Concert Cafe, and then made our way through a few blocks nearby. There was a great Van-Gogh-Esque wall complete with Spongebob Squarepants lights... and a residence that reminded me of a Sesame Street set in the dark. Just after the sun had set, we were able to capture some of the beautiful blue of the twilight sky (many thanks to my lovely assistant Claire who was ever so patient that evening!).

This is definitely a spot I hope to revisit in the future.

Megan and John are getting married in a week and a half : ) I can't wait to share her incredibly beautiful bridal portraits with all of you once the wedding day has passed (can't ruin the big reveal now, can we folks?)!

Not your Momma's Maternity Portraits!

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:09:00 +0000

Donna is a colleague of mine, the creative mind behind Paper Dolls Photography. I was flattered when she asked if I'd be interested in shooting her maternity portraits!

She really went all out and had hair and makeup done-- snazzy wardrobe as well (heels! oh my, GREAT heels), but I suppose that's to be expected of someone who shoots boudoir on a regular basis... she knows what's fabulous. I think it's an incredibly meaningful gift to give your daughter... a little something for her to cherish years down the line if she should be blessed with a child of her own-- to know that Molly will perhaps see herself in her mother's eyes, and feel that same beauty and spirit within.

We shot in Donna's neighborhood park, on a wooded lot near her home, and in/around the house. The picturesque, gorgeous house. WOO HOO! Molly even has her own little Christmas tree at the foot of the stairs.

The resulting images are... well... not your mother's maternity portraits. Unless of course your mom climbed on playground equipment in espadrilles and a hot little lacy dress. I LOVE them. I'm even willing to attempt to block out the 5 seconds when I feared for my life and sanity as a giant wood spider landed on my arm (in the wooded lot) *shudder*. I'd do it all over again, even with the threat of giant friendly spiders.

Donna was beaming, confident, no-holds-barred adorable. Enjoy! Best wishes to you, Donna, through the remainder of the pregnancy... and thanks a million for the great bottle of wine : )

Family Portraits!

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:18:00 +0000

Jacob & Sarah's family was my first in the new studio. We had a nasty rainy day so shooting outdoors was not ideal, and for the first time, I had an alternative! It was great to have a place for everyone to change clothes : )

We did a few family portraits, until we were sure we had a few with everyone looking happy, then it was on to the kiddos! After a quick clothing change (Sarah into her beautiful red Christmas dress, Jacob into a dashing sweater) the fun began. I was able to capture some really sweet moments as the kids played with one another, hugged, and showed off their little personalities.

Jacob likes to "show you his muscles" by flexing his arms and making this hilarious squinty-smiley face... I think I've included one of those shots in the blog. One of my favorites is the two kids hugging one another, but a close second is the one where Sarah looks like she's ready to attack Jacob-- she was just "shownig her muscles" but his little clueless face really makes it funny.

This family was an absolute joy to work with : )

Mary & Filip's Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Mary and Filip were married at the incredibly beautiful Christ Church Cathedral downtown, with a reception following at the new Saint Arnold's Brewery location in the warehouse district.

They wrapped up the evening's festivities in a special section reserved just for their party at the Flying Saucer!

Barrett and his family

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:48:00 +0000

Barrett is an absolute DOLL! His mommy received a gift certificate from a dear friend at her baby shower, and was finally ready for he shoot now that her little man is sitting up.

He is the essence of wide-eyed wonder... all of those little baby expressions came forth in our session. He was absolutely mesmerized by my jingle-bells, and happy to roll around, pull up on everything in sight, and even give us a classic Cabbage Patch Kid face

Daddy arrived home from work in time for us to get some intimate family shots right there in the living room : )

Fran, Caroline, and Family

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:37:00 +0000

I met Fran years when I was just starting my business, she was one of my very first bridal portrait clients. Shortly after she was married her husband was transferred out of state, so I was surprised to hear from her a few months ago.

Fran's grandmother had recently taken ill, and since Fran has a baby daughter she wanted to take advantage of the opportunity for a four-generation portrait before too much more time passed.

Because her grandmother's health had declined, the family was not particularly interested in a portrait of the ladies' faces, but instead a portrait of the four generations of hands. All of the ladies wore their wedding rings with the exception of baby Caroline, who wore a special ring that had belonged to her mother as a child. The portrait turned out beautifully, despite Caroline's squirming.

Afterward, there were of course some portraits of little Miss Caroline in all her toddling glory! I arrived as she was getting a bath, so I took the opportunity to snap a quick shot of her in Grandma's kitchen sink... because everyone should have one of those.

I received word from Fran a few weeks after the shoot that her grandma had passed away. I feel so very blessed to have captured this family's legacy in time. May she rest in peace, and may Caroline's youth and joy bring comfort to the family at this difficult time.

Belinda & Dave: A Walk in the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:12:00 +0000

Belinda and Dave are totally fun! These two couldn't stop the giggling through our entire session, but I have to admit I love days like this. I look forward to their wedding because I KNOW it's going to be one of those great days full of fun and laughter.

We shot throughout Hermann Park on an absolutely perfect fall day, which means it was fulllll of people, but we managed to find some secluded spots with the natural beauty the park is known for (check out the incredible golden trees).

Super-thanks to Haley of En Vogue Events for the referral!

Along the way, there were a couple of "just cute" pics I snapped... one of some bathing ducks, and one of a cool vintage bicycle.

Holly & Nick's Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 06:07:00 +0000

Nick and Holly were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Galveston, with a reception following at Mario's on the Seawall.

Between the ceremony and reception, I got to meet the couple's sweet pup Abbie for a few portraits (check out her fancy pearl necklace!), then we headed to the beach for some wedding party photographs with some really cute umbrellas that Holly rented from Bella Umbrella. Everyone was so silly and cute out there!

The reception was total fun, and waiting at the end of the sparklers at their exit was the couple's getaway car: a bicycle built for two!

The cake is by Julie Moncrief, and Holly's hair and makeup is by Kathy DeVries at Lulu's in Galveston.

A Day at the Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:56:00 +0000

I first met mom Sarah when she called me a few years back to shoot Lindsay's portraits, as they had recently moved to Houston and needed a local photographer. It's been a while, and I've been privileged to shoot their family portraits, Baby Lauren's portraits, and most recently this beach session.

It's a treat to see these guys each and every time I'm invited! I can't believe what a beautiful girl Lindsay has become (I remember when she met me for the first time-- super-shy, we watched Clifford and had some goldfish crackers to break the ice). Lauren is growing like a weed, looking more like a little girl and less like a baby.

It wasn't the most fabulous weather at the beach (cloudy, sticky, and of course windy) but we definitely made the best of it and came away with some great family shots. One of my favorites is Lindsay walking into the surf with her dad, you can see their reflection on the wet shore. It reminds me of a picture of my father with my niece and daughter walking along the beach... one of those images she will treasure as she gets older.

Mia, Ava, and Andrew: Triplets turning one

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Mia, Ava, and Andrew turned one recently, and I traveled to their home in Cypress for a special birthday session!

Initially, no one was really in the mood. Mom, Dad, and Grandma worked hard to get these little monkeys to buck up and get happy! We had dad running circles around the yard, Grandma chirping a little toy bird, and everyone making noises and being silly. Multiples can certainly be a challenge, but teamwork pays off.

Nature even lent a hand, as the kids were totally in awe of a flock of birds flying overhead.

Surprisingly enough, we were able to get everyone looking one direction and not crying for a full family session!

After a quick snack, the babies had a wardrobe change into their birthday outfits-- three peas in a pod was the theme-- the ladies had lovely green tutus and Andrew's matching shirt was paired with jeans.

Jack's Back! Two Years Old : )

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:27:00 +0000

I met Jack when he was just an infant, and shot him several times throughout his first year. He accompanied Mom to my studio open house, and I was so happy to see him again! We scheduled a studio mini-session and Jack was just as adorable as ever with his plump cheeks and lips, and those happy brown eyes.

Mom stepped in for a few shots at the end... as you can see, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

Susan & Buddy's Engagement Portraits

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:03:00 +0000

I've photographed two of Susan's nephews... Susan's sister and brother-in-law, and Susan was a bridesmaid in Marcie & Ed's wedding earlier this year (Buddy was also a groomsman). I'm so excited that in January it will be Susan & Buddy's turn to tie the knot and be the center of attention!

Their engagement portrait shoot was somewhat of a challenge... their fantastic photographer scheduled them without taking daylight savings time into account on a dark and cloudy day, so by the time we got Downtown from having been at the WIlliams Tower Waterwall, well... we were out of light.

We rescheduled to finish the rest of the shoot on another day-- and what did we get that day? RAIN! Luckily they were troopers, and we completed the Downtown portion of our shoot (rainy day, we practically had Downtown to ourselves). Cloudy, rainy days give us the benefit of soft, diffused light-- perfect for shooting : )

I'm hoping that their rain-karma will be better on the wedding day, and that they have beautiful happy clear blue skies. We shoot Susan's bridal portraits this coming week at The Parador, so I'm also hoping we have at least a little light coming in the windows (not to worry, I"m packing plenty of my own light!).

I played a little with textures on a few of the images, just to add a little extra drama.

First try in the new studio!

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Well, now that I'm in this fabulous new place, I decided it might be high time to actually try and photograph someone in it! Kendall, who has been a client of mine since birth, was absolutely first choice because I usually know how to push her buttons, and she's such an expressive little monkey. Her mom's office is also right next to mine, so we see each other often. At 3 1/2, she's at that wonderfully goofy and unpredictable age.

At one point Kendall got up on the couch and began telling me a story-- using her hands and really getting into it. Later, she gleefully conversed with me and said (in her best lady-talk voice), "Evewy time I come to my mommy's office, EVEWY SINGLE TIME, I love Tay-tee!"

Tay-tee is me. *awwwwww*

We did some jumping, some spinning, some jumping on the couch, some lying on the floor, some right-side-up and some upside down. I was happy that we got to try out one of the blue brocade print antique chairs-- one of my true splurges in decorating the space.

Good job Kendall!

Winter dSLR Day Camp!

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:14:00 +0000

Whether you own a Digital SLR, or hope to receive one for Christmas... this is a great opportunity for you to learn more : )

Join me at the studio for a basic look at your dSLR! We'll get to know one another, get to know our cameras, and leave enlightened and ready to set out and explore the world with fresh eyes and new skills. I'll cover basics like white balance, ISO, aperture, your camera's various shooting modes, lens choices, and how to use available light to your advantage in composing your shots.

If you'd like to bring prints of some of your favorite shots, I'll be happy to stay after the session and offer up constructive criticism and help you learn how to improve!

What to bring:
Your camera, batteries charged, and lens/lenses
Your camera's user manual
Prints of your 5 favorite pictures (images you've shot)
A list of questions/frustrations/things you're dying to know about using your dSLR

Please do not bring laptops.

Choose Saturday, January 9, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or Sunday, January 10, 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Each session is limited to six attendees and costs $150 per person.

Follow-up Sessions will be held on January 23 from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (choose one). This will give you a couple of weeks to get out there and shoot, and come up with some good follow-up questions... and of course images to share!

Each Follow-up session is limited to six attendees.

What to bring:
Your camera, if you have specific questions
Prints of images you'd like to discuss
A list of any questions!

How to sign up: Visit , click "Contact Kasey" at the bottom, and complete the contact form.

Holiday Mini-Sessions are here!

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:12:00 +0000

Need a quick session for Christmas pics?

Bring it on! Kids,babies, couples, boudoir, pets.. even quick bridals.

Join me for about twenty minutes of shooting time (plenty of time for us to get several fantastic finished shots), and quick-turnaround on your images!

Sessions will be scheduled between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 21 and between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24.

Call or e-mail to schedule your session today!

Veteran's Day: Honoring those who have served us.

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:50:00 +0000

On occasion I am privileged to shoot for someone who is serving (or has served) our country in the military... This is a shout out to all of those ladies and gentlemen-- and the families who support them. Thank you for making the choice to join the ranks and make our safety and freedom all part of a day's work.

You'll probably notice that this is a compilation from years of photography...
it's fun to look back and see how my technique has improved has improved : )

I'm also including a shot of the good old American flag that I took at Minuteman National Park in Massachusetts. I had walked the Freedom Trail in Boston that week, then went to the woods at Lexington & Concord and saw many of the Revolutionary War sites and markers. Walking along the dark woodsy trail, it was beautiful... but imagining being there in the middle of a war was a little harrowing. I came upon Paul Revere's capture site and could only imagine how scared he must have been out there, all alone-- it's almost unthinkable that someone could put his life on the line for something like freedom, which is such a given in my world today. When I got to the visitor center in the clearing and saw that flag flying, I really felt more sense of patriotism than I ever had before in my life... thinking about the actual day-to-day of someone serving our country, and how big of a deal that really is.

I thought about how we send our own soldiers all over the world to protect our freedom and fight for the rights of others... and how awesome it really is for an 18 year old to stand up and say, "Yeah... I'll do that." How much of a sacrifice it is for someone to marry into the military, knowing that her husband's job is to go up in a fighter plane... or that he's going to be deployed halfway across the world... or on a boat out in the middle of nowhere.

All for the service of others.

Fancy Facebook Ladies' Nights!

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:52:00 +0000

So admit it... how many of you ladies out there have a Facebook profile picture that leaves much to be desired?

Fancy Facebook Ladies' Night is all about YOU! Each month, we'll have a different fun and funky theme set up to take your best headshot. You'll get two shots, and they'll be posted to Facebook the next day. All you have to do is visit the Monkey Tree Photography page, find yourself, and add the picture to your profile. VOILA! Facebook perfection.

For December, we'll probably do something in a happy aqua tone... I'm currently trying to figure out how we can rig up falling "snow" as well. Brainstorm time : )

Bring a friend or two if you like-- the more the merrier. Leave the boys and kids behind or drop them (the guys, not the kids!) off at one of the many pubs in the area; you can join them later!

The December Marketing Piece...

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:41:00 +0000

This is our half-page ad that will appear in the December issue of Modern Luxury's Houston Brides magazine... can't wait to see it in print... hehehe. Thanks to Molly and Lisa (my sales rep and editor at Houston Brides) for stopping by the Open House on Thursday-- and for the gorgeous bouquet of flowers to celebrate the occasion!

Bicycles on the Beach with Laura Beth & David

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:52:00 +0000

WHEEEE!!!!

I love when I'm meeting with a bride, and we're talking about how we can do engagement portraits and incorporate my awesome aqua beach cruiser bicycle. Then she hires me. Then we make the bicycle portrait wishes come true : )

That's how it happened with Laura Beth and her fiance David in Galveston on a bright and happy Sunday morning. She showed up in this flirty little yellow dress (her wedding decor will incorporate marigold and pewter) and they even managed to find another blue cruiser bike for David to ride! We threw everything in my husband's truck and headed down to the island. These two were great sports as I drove around prospecting for great shot-spots. They'd jump out whenever I asked them to, and we all three totally laughed the morning away during this session... mainly because laughing is how you make it work when you're trying to ride a bicycle in a dress and heels and it's windy.

I should also mention the technical difficulty in getting two people to ride past you, on bikes, at the same time, with just the right spacing between them, and both people looking at you-- and not falling off the bikes or running over one another. Oh and not covering up the "save the date" sign, or whacking the other person with it while holding it and steering a bike.

We didn't use stunt doubles, I swear ; )

We finished up at the beach for a little spashin' fun in the sun. I'm really looking forward to their wedding at The Parador and the cute little bicycle centerpieces!

I received their save-the-date postcard in the mail one day and it was really WOW factor... Laura Beth had used the image I shot while lying on the ground (you can see the bike wheels really big) and the colors popped with the sky so well. It's the last image on this blog post, and I love it!

Stacie & Brian

noreply@blogger.com (Kasey Marsh) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:36:00 +0000

Stacie and Brian were married at the elegant and tranquil Paraiso Maravilla on an early fall evening. Stacie was absolutely stunning in her gown, and Brian was beaming with handsome pride!

The couple lives out of state, so we relied on the expert coordination of Kelly Balfour with Eventology Weddings to make the day run smoothly. This was a rare instance where I'd never met or spoken to the bride and groom before meeting them at the wedding venue with camera in hand... but it all went beautifully, and we were able to build instant rapport. I really enjoyed meeting the families and friends of the couple as well; everyone so joyous on this occasion.

Cafe Natalie catered the event (yummy as usual!) and the beautiful centerpiece lanterns were provided by Dream Bouquet.

For their guests' favors, the couple had the cutest little personalized tins of... drumroll please... one of my favorite candies....

JELLY BELLIES!