The thing I find difficult about bridal portraits is that I have to wait until AFTER the wedding to share them. But the wait for these is over. Jennifer and Kyle tied the knot Saturday night at Heaven on Earth, a 19th century mansion in Missouri City.
We met for our portrait session at the wedding venue on a hot steamy Houston Summer afternoon. Hot-steamy-Houston-Summer — now that is a bunch of redundant words all in one sentence, don’t you think?
Not only did Jennifer and her mother attend the session, but we had the pleasure of shooting with her sister and maid of honor, another bridesmaid and the future Mother in Law. I sort of wish that I had brought snacks to make a party out of the event, because when you get that many girlie-girls in one room at the same time, it is bound to turn into a fun time — and it DID!
Jennifer is a quiet doe-eyed blonde, and it would be hard NOT to fall in love with her sweet spirit. I know I did when I first met her a couple of years ago. Special Kudos to Jennifer. It’s because of her and her community activities that I have had the opportunity to work with a number of organizations and individuals in Fort Bend County.
And here she is . . . now that she is a beautiful married woman — and Kyle is one lucky man.
Long before I ever met Anikka, I knew I liked her bold and fun-loving spirit. Then after I learned that she wraps up a rough day by putting on her wedding dress to sit on the sofa and drink a beer, I decided she would make a great candidate for a Trash the Dress Session. And was I ever right! She jumped at the idea and even invited her good friend Kisha to join us. I’m so glad she did too. The more the merrier . . . We had tons of fun, laughing and playing all morning and we thoroughly enjoyed providing a little free entertainment for passers by who loved seeing such well-dressed ladies in very casual locations.
The term “Trash the Dress” is a bit of a misnomer. While some women are willing to stain, shred, or even burn their dresses, most just want to put them on again, play, and get some non-traditional images of themselves having a good time in their dream dresses. After all, there is a dry cleaner on nearly every corner of our city and most of these dresses even come out looking as good as new after a bathtub hand wash or a gentle cycle in the washing machine.
We met early on a Saturday morning and headed down to a pretty little bridge for the first part of our session.
It takes strength and fortitude to spend too much time in a low creek bed during a Houston summer day. We’re renown in this part of the world for our heat and humidity anyway, and by climbing down the banks where no breezes can reach we had to remind ourselves that some people pay good money to sit in saunas. Before long we decided that we were healthy and well-steamed, so we moved along to a nearby open field. Trash the dress is all about fantasy though, so let’s call it a meadow instead. That just sounds better.
Since we were photographing in a newly developed area, we couldn’t resist a chance to explore a nearby home that was under construction. The light in there was phenomenal, but because the external walls had already been put up, we again had no breeze at all. Our respect for construction workers jumped tenfold.
With only a few construction images, we walked out of the house as the construction crews arrived.
They laughed. We left — and headed for the lake.
As I mentioned before, some women embrace the idea of actually “trashing” their dresses. While I never expect this of my brides, I will not turn down the opportunity either. Kisha had brought a can of hot pink spray paint to end our session. I asked her three times if she was sure she wanted to do this, and each time her enthusiasm grew. Anikka changed clothes so that her own dress would still be suitable for her next hard day’s night and then the spraying ensued.
We have tentative plans for Part II with these ladies and their phenomenal dresses before the end of the summer. If it all pans out, you won’t want to miss the results.
Every spring I like to buy a big rubber ball for the pool., and it’s become a ten year tradition that I intend to keep up for a very long time. It’s not just that the ball is fun to play with. I really enjoy the simple pleasure of having a big bright orb floating around in blue water. The ball stays until it goes over the fence and no one wants to climb after it, or it pops, or the sun and heat reduce it to a fraction of its former size. — and then it’s gone.
Until this year it’s always been a red ball, but we’re on a bit of a blue kick right now so our ball looks like a little happy replica of the Earth , drifting along in space. Okay, maybe not, but if you squint and use your imagination it does.
Last week Hurricane Alex dropped more than seven inches of rain on the yard in just over two days and all the low spots filled up with water. Our ball floated out into the yard and nestled near the flower bed in some awesome reflections. With another band of showers bearing in on us, I rushed outside with my camera so that I could save the image to enjoy on another day and to share with you.
“I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains. One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness.” Adeline Knapp
A couple of months ago when I attended the WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) convention in Las Vegas, I attended the most heart-string-pulling class ever. The instructor, Jesh deRox, is a hotshot young Canadian photographer with vision, passion, and a dream. This dream is to give photographers a tool that raises the art of photography to an entirely new level.
The Beloved concept for photography allows a couple — whether they are newly engaged or married for 50 years — to reach inside their souls and genuinely express the love they share. Imagine — if your grandparents had left you a trunk full of their most intimate love letters, wouldn’t that be a very special treasure? Well, this is a comparable legacy that we can create in the 21st century for our descendants.
When I explained Beloved to Kelly and Andrew, they were not only open to experimenting with me, they seemed downright excited about trying something new. They arrived at our chosen location , and Kelly got out of the car wearing this adorable hot pink strapless sundress with . . . COWBOY BOOTS! At that very moment I knew that our session would be a huge success. She is just too too cute.
Andrew had selected a beautiful open grassy field with trees, wildflowers and MOSQUITOS! I’m so glad that I threw a can of Off into the picnic basket that I had picked up earlier in the day to use as a prop. Once we had ourselves properly sprayed, we plopped a quilt onto the ground to use as home base, and I explained that I wanted them to think of our time together not as a photo shoot, but rather as a celebration of their love. I just happened to have the privilege of being present with my camera.
We spent about two hours playing silly games, imagining different scenarios, remembering, and dreaming. At one point I even sat down in a fire ant bed. That’s something I think I’ll try to avoid next time.
On any given day, Andrew fixes things, builds things, and refurbishes or remodels homes for people. Kelly heals people who have been injured. They both have a huge heart for Christ and for each other, and they plan to take their dreams and their skills into the mission fields of Africa where they will live and work and love and share.
These two are absolutely beautiful . . . they are totally beloved . . . and their lives will bring blessings to many. I just feel it.
I am my Beloved’s and He is mine. His banner over me is love. — Song of Solomon 6:3
With a baby in the room, it’s bound to be a good day. Especially if that baby is as sweet and cuddly as little Benjamin.
I love babies at any age, but think four months is a fabulous age for a photo shoot. They’re still little and they stay in one place, but they’ve started discovering the world, and they’re usually fascinated by their fingers and toes. They make eye contact. They smile and laugh, and they reach for bright and shiny objects.
We played and took photos for a while, until he decided that he was hungry, but he packed a bottle away in no time flat and we got right back to shooting. For the bathtime images, we put a yellow rubber duckie just out of his reach on top of a folded white towel and let him go for it. He’s not mobile just yet, but it won’t be long before he’ll be scooting all over the place.
It’s easy to see why this little guy is the apple of his mom’s eye.
Here’s a video with more pictures from our day.
And by the end of our appointment, I felt like I had plenty of photos for mom and dad to choose from, and this totally yummy little guy was DONE.
