Kathy & Clint's Engagement Pics

So when I met Kathy and Clint in Galveston for their session, my first thought was, "Aww, Kathy looks so pretty! and my second thought, as my eyes moved to Clint, was "HOLY COW! You look like Dave Matthews!"

Yeah, evidently he gets that a lot. They even have that same little eyebrow-raise expression... uncanny! At any rate, Kathy also brought along a helpful friend and the fabulous young lady who will be her flowergirl. The flowergirl was crazy hilarious and I can't wait to see her again at the wedding-- she's very entertaining!

We walked around The Strand Historic District for a while, then made our way over to Kempner Park. Garten Verein and its lovely grounds fared well through Hurricane Ike (no surprise, the octagonal pavilion also survived the storm of 1900 and the entire twentieth century), and though some of the vegetation wasn't quite back up on its feet, it still made for lovely portraits. The Strand had changed a little (my favorite bright blue bookstore wall is now a really neat blue and yellow tile mosaic... and still makes for a rockin' portrait background), but mostly seemed to be cleaned up with many of the businesses up and running.

Kathy and Clint met at Molly's, so we strayed a little from my usual path and took some pictures in front of the pub (see the embracing-in-doorway pic, last one of the bunch). I think it's so cute to have a little place like that, my husband and I met at a burrito joint, which just doesn't really carry the same romanticism/nostalgia as a cute little pub. So now, for your viewing pleasure... heeeeere are Kathy and Clint!

Oh Hello! Back from vacation, and my first post-Ike Galveston Bridal Portraits

Vacation was great, Vegas was good to us.

The night before we left for vacation, I had a bridal session in Galveston with Dara, who is getting married this weekend. She's also drop-dead gorgeous and up for just about anything-- my favorite kind of bride! Living on the island, she wanted some beautiful classic beach pictures but also a few in and around some of the storm rubble (note the fallen-down building whose door is still standing, and the dock that washed up in a parking lot with the sunset behind it). For a lovely bonus, she lives in a home that's over 100 years old and survived the hurricane of 1900 in Galveston-- so we were able to shoot a bit right on her cute little front porch.

It was great to be back in Galveston and see most of my familiar haunts doing just fine... I was pretty sad, though, when we drove past 61st and Seawall, and noticed that the cute purple fishing shack is completely washed away.

It's hard for me to pick favorites from this session, I'm torn between the calm classic beauty of her beach shots and the drama-shadowy shots under my favorite dead vines in Kempner Park (one is great, but two's better-- so I did a color and a sepia version of that one). Either way, she exudes calm confidence and was just wonderful to work with! I can't wait to shoot her wedding : )