by Shelly | Mar 7, 2016 | baby, maternity, women |
I’ll never forget the first time I met Rachel. She and her husband, GT were not engaged yet, but some of us knew that it was going to happen soon. We were working on a photography project for his family. It was an extended project to create a family portrait of sorts without ever having everyone in town at the same time. There’s always a way to get what you want, and you can read about what we did right HERE!
Fast-Forward just a little more than two years, and here we are again. Now we’re ALL anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby ZEKE. EEK!
SPECIAL THANKS to our Hair and Makeup Artist, Cintya Velderrain. You make my work easy.
When people say that a pregnant woman is glowing, THIS is what they mean. Is she not absolutely gorgeous?
Thank you Rachel for allowing me to photograph you during this very special time of your life. I hope these photographs always remind you just how stunning you are and how glorious it is to bring a new little life into this world.
Blessings to you and your sweet family.
by Shelly | Mar 1, 2016 | family, senior guys, senior portraits |
The senior year in high school can be a super emotional time, and I don’t mean just for the students.
In my own experience, as a mom of five sons, I came to think of the senior year sort of like pregnancy. It lasts about nine months, and by the time it is over, you’ll do whatever you need to do in order to get the kid out. I played tug of war between the joys of seeing my children spread their wings oh so ready to stand on their own and become an adult, and the fear of wondering if they would be safe from one day to the next. I worried about each one of them walking out the door to places where we can’t monitor whether or not they and their buddies come home at a decent hour. To this day, I still LOVE watching them take on new responsibilities and excel in ways I could never imagine. I still crumble inside when they face struggles that I cannot and should not even try to fix. I cry a little when I realize that my days of drying tears,mending scraped knees, and keeping a well-stocked pantry and fridge are becoming distant memories.
What many of us moms tend to forget is that the graduate is not the only one facing a new stage of life.
Senior year is a time when the entire family dynamics are about to change in a big way. Parents get to embark on a new journey too. Yes, the adjustment can be very very tough, but for the most part after transition (another pregnancy analogy) it is very very sweet.
Not too long ago I got together with this family to create the first portraits they had made since their son was quite young. He will graduate this June and within just a few short weeks will leave for army boot camp. When he returns, he will be a different human being. That’s what service does for us.
I’m so glad we did this project.
Life for mom and dad will definitely change. Their son will come into his own in a great way. And Mom and Dad are going to be fine. They’ll be just fine.
by Shelly | Feb 22, 2016 | senior gals, senior portraits |
If there ever was an All American Girl, it would be Caroline!
How lucky am I that I got to create her senior portraits? 
Caroline will graduate this spring from Cinco Ranch High School where she’s been involved in so many activities I can hardly keep track.
She plays clarinet in the band. She’s a member of the Good Sportsmanship Club, the Cinco Sweethearts, Senior Women, and she’s been a Cougar Challenge Officer for three years, reaching out to other schools about ways to help ensure that all students feel accepted and included.
I love to see how the most involved and well-rounded students are the ones who reach beyond their own communities!
Not too long ago, Caroline and her mother took small group of swimming instructors to Brazil because they had learned that the incidence of child drownings there was very high. These women worked to teach young moms in the villages how to swim and more importantly to teach them how to train their children how to respond if they fell into the water or got into a dangerous water situation.
She may never know how many young lives are saved because of this trip, but I’ll bet it makes a huge difference in the lives of several families.
After graduation, Caroline is Baylor Bound where she plans to study marketing.
While she could go to work in her family business, she is keeping her options open.
After all, there’s a big bold world out there with opportunities we have never thought of yet.
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Caroline. I can’t wait to see what you do with your brains and your sweet spirit.
Thank you for allowing me to create your senior portraits for you. I hope you and your family enjoy them for many many years!
