by Shelly | May 20, 2013 | baby, family, women |
I knew it would happen before TOO TERRIBLY LONG and Oh My Goodness was it fun. One of my first seniors grew up, became a mommy, and brought her sweet baby girl back to my studio for portraits. 
Not only did Kayla become a parent. FIRST she became a US Marine, got married, moved all over the world and finally back to The States, but not anywhere near The State of Texas. So — we had to finagle some creative schedule arranging to accommodate her maternity-leave and trip back to visit her family and take baby on a grand tour to meet the relatives. I was so glad that Nana was able to make that all happen. You can tell she’s only just a tiny bit in love with her little princess.
Baby was about 6 weeks old when she came to visit. That’s a little bit older and bigger than most babies are when they come in for their newborn sessions. Older babies are more awake and alert, which allows us to see their gorgeous eyes, but they have also had time to develop their own preferences, so if baby is not interested in a snuggly, squishy, curled-up newborn pose, it just ain’t gonna happen.
We held our own, but she did too — so together we came up with some yummy sweet 6-week images. 
And I couldn’t resist a little bit of a trip down memory lane to find mommy’s senior portraits from 2008. It seems like just yesterday and then at the same time it seems like a lifetime too.
Notice a little streak of independent spunk in mommy? Well…. I’m thinking that baby may have inherited her share of that too. She’s going to bring lots of joy and laughter to her family and I am so glad that I got to photograph her. She’s PERFECT! Absolutely PERFECT.
by Shelly | Feb 6, 2013 | baby, family |
This baby girl, about as sweet as a strawberry sundae with whipped cream and sprinkles on top, came to visit me the other day.
We had planned for an outdoor session, but the cold wet weather made us change our plans and move into the studio. I’m so thankful on days like this for the flexibility of backup locations, because Baby, Mama and Daddy were all safe, dry, cozy and comfortable for our time together.
Mommy and Daddy, also known as Kristin and Bobby have a long and romantic history together. It all started when Bobby fell heels over head in love with his best friend’s little sister back in high school. That’s about all there is to it. In actuality, their Love Story would probably make a pretty good movie, except they’ve only just started living it. We’ll just have to check back in with them over years to read the happy epilogue. Personally I think it will include a happily ever after with picket fences, puppy dogs, and silly songs– Kool Aid mustaches, and finger paints — Dancing on Daddy’s feet and of course, lots and lots of Butterfly Kisses.
I can’t begin to say how much I enjoyed getting to know this sweet family. I so look forward to watching and photographing more scenes for their movie.
Popcorn anyone?
by Shelly | Jan 2, 2013 | family |
Talk about HISTORY! Kim Stowers and I go back a very long way.
Like, back to Brownies and Girl Scouts at Rusk Elementary, High School Band, Family Water-Ski and Camping Trips, and a High School Graduation Trek across Europe, one that we started planning in fifth grade. We called each other “Sis” and we called each other’s parents Mom and Dad… But all that was a very long time ago.
Fast forward through college, kids, marriages, achievements, heartaches, illnesses, the untimely deaths of half of our parents, and in general… LIFE. While we never actually lost contact with each other, we didn’t stay in touch as well as we should have either. The last time I saw Kim’s girls, Liz and Katt, they were about kindergarten/preschool age. Now they are are just about grown.
My, how time FLIES!
What an honor it was to get to photograph this amazing and fun-loving bunch not so long ago when I was back in Midland.
Still, the things they say about old friends are true. You honestly do get to pick up where you left off — and it is OH SO SWEET!
Yeah… Time Flies, but we won’t let so much of it get away from us from here on out, will we?
LOVE YA SIS!
by Shelly | Dec 26, 2012 | family, senior gals, senior portraits, women |
Ashley, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, porcelain-skinned beauty, graduated last spring from Taylor High School. Her senior year was so incredibly full that the senior portrait session before graduation just didn’t happen. Next next thing we knew she was off to a summer studying in Paris — and NOW she’s living the dream as a Freshman at New York University. Just because we missed the traditional pre-graduation time frame, it ABSOLUTELY DID NOT mean that she and her family would have to go without some gorgeous portraits to commemorate this eventful year in her life.
Because of weather issues, we shot the entire session indoors at my studio. I tucked my own canine studio mascots, Addie and Lucy, safely into their kennels with pillows and chew sticks so that Bluebell, the adorable Shi Tzu, could feel right at home.
To top off our session, Ashley’s parents, Steve and Angela joined into the action for a few extra images.
Christmas cards? Check! Heirloom Wall Portrait? Check! Gifts for grandparents and a touch of home for the dorm? Check!
I had Sooooo much fun photographing Ashley and creating some gorgeous wall portraits and albums for her and for her family. Yeah… I really do love what I do!
by Shelly | Aug 19, 2012 | family, SPCcreative, women |
Not too long ago I got to take part in a VERY clandestine top-secret operation. As my neighbor, Linda, approached a milestone birthday, her husband started planning the most amazing and elaborate surprise birthday party I have ever seen. He flew Linda’s two sisters and their husbands into Houston from across the country and planned an entire week of entertainment, dining out, shopping, baseball games, and BEST of ALL a photography session with me.
Now, I’ve known Linda for about 11 years, and we play Bunco together once a month. That made keeping the party a secret extra hard.
In fact, the secret-keeping became laughable. Since Linda’s husband is retired and spends a great deal of his time in her company, he could phone me, but I couldn’t call him back in case she saw my number or answered the phone. When he came over to drop off his retainer payment, he had to turn left off his own block first and then come back to my street because we’re in a cul-de-sac development and you can’t get out by turning right.
But . . . we were completely successful. Linda didn’t have a clue that anything was up until the car arrived with her two sisters and their husbands. The next morning the guys went golfing or shooting or something and sent the ladies out to shop for clothes that they thought would coordinate in their photographs. On the day of their appointment, the sisters all arrived accompanied by Linda’s soon-to-be new daughter in law whose job it was to keep the ladies from misbehaving. Yeah, Right!
This post may mean a little extra to some of my clients, because many of you (and I do mean many) have accidentally met Linda before. She lives one block west of me at the very same address, and our street names are similar.
Yeah… if you knocked on the wrong door when you were coming to meet with me, you’ll remember her. It’s a good thing she’s a VERY nice lady.
We made a party out of our session, using very simple studio settings. Some of our images were traditional, but we had more than our share of silliness too.
Sisters are a treasured gift, and so are husbands who go to the great lengths that Bruce did to craft a celebration that will not soon be forgotten.
For a fun music-video of the proofs from our session, just , click on this link: Sisters Celebration.
by Shelly | Sep 28, 2011 | baby, family, SPCcreative |
Although Haley’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and neighbors probably already know that she has been born, it’s never “official” until the birth announcement arrives in the mail.
My good friend, the Fed-Ex driver, stopped by this morning with these announcements that I custom-designed after her photography session, and I could hardly get them opened fast enough.
She’s a yummy little bundle of love. See for yourself!
When I found out that I was going to get to photograph Tracy and Ryan’s new baby, I could hardly wait, but I had to. See, my family was leaving on vacation just a few days after she was born, and we simply couldn’t squeeze in an appointment before we left. So, Miss Haley was just over 3 weeks old when she came for her session. STILL, it was her first outing, and she and her mommy handled it like true pros.
I look forward to watching this little beauty (and her adorable big sister) grow up. Here are a few more images from our session.
Yeah, I think Miss Haley has STAR qualities, ANGEL qualities, and most definitely SQUEEZABLE qualities !
