A Simply Glamorous Bride|Katy Houston Portrait Photographer

Makeup: Brandi Alea/Hollywood Hippie

Hair: Tisha Zuercher

Flowers: Kim Boyd-DeBerry/ Boyds Blossoms

One of the hardest things about creating bridal portraits is waiting until AFTER the wedding to share the images, but now that Leah and Ben are an officially married couple, here she is!

Traditional beauty with an artsy Boho vibe capturing moods of awe, wonder, and a little bit of fantasy. That’s what Leah wanted in her bridal portraits, and we were more than happy to deliver from Dutch Master dark styling with rich colors, intense light and deep shadows to a flying Disney-esque princess.

Leah’s bouquet, an abundance of delphinium, dianthus, eucalyptus, and sweeping greens designed by Kim Boyd-DeBerry of Boyd’s Blossoms in Baytown lit up the room almost as much as our bride did. Soooooo! Gorgeous!

Leah brought her own hairdresser and makeup artist to our portrait session so that they could all get a trial run together. Tisha Zuercher of TMZ styled those fantasy locks, and I was beyond excited when I learned that Brandi Alea, owner and founder of Hollywood Hippie Cosmetics would be in charge of her makeup. I’ve known Brandi and worked with her in studio countless times before, so it I knew from the beginning that Leah’s look would be in the best of hands.

In addition to gorgeous traditional images, I wanted to create a fantasy portrait for Leah, something like a real live Disney princess on her magical day. This was all in fun, but I love the way she seems to glide through the clouds.

The day we held our portrait session was a warm muggy Houston-style early fall afternoon so we chose to do most of our work inside the studio with the air conditioner cranked. We did, however, wrap things up outdoors to add a little landscape and warm fall colors to our collection.

Best wishes to Leah and Ben. May you both be blessed and joyful together for years to come.

Branded Portraits for a First Rate Image Consultant – Katy Houston Photographer

“You only get one chance to make a first impression.”

Maybe it was Oscar Wilde who said it, maybe it was Will  Rogers.  There seems to be a bit of  debate on that.

Regardless of who said it, it’s true. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

Especially for small-business owners,  that first impression often happens when potential clients visit a website or social media page. Think about it. What’s the first thing you see when you go to a new site?   If the photographs are of a professional quality, if they are engaging and show a personal style, they invite the viewer to linger  a while.  To read the words.  To learn more.

 And research has proven that the longer a person stays on a website, the more likely they are to engage.

 So, when  one of Houston’s most well-known and highly recognized personal stylists and image consultants, Ellen Caldwell-Ng, called  to schedule a portrait shoot to update her website, I KNEW it was going to be BEYOND amazing.

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Even her “Before” snapshot looks pretty darn great,  in a casual Saturday sort of way, but after spending a little prep- time with Brandie, Seifert, founder of Hollywood Hippie Cosmetics,  and dressing in some of  her own  new fall clothing, Ellen is positively RADIANT!

 

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Ellen provides full-scale image consulting services starting with closet overhauls where she helps her clients organize their existing wardrobes and “shop” their own closets to coordinate outfits they may have never put together before.  She helps them understand how to dress for their own body-types and  she personally  takes them shopping for clothing and accessories.   Who wouldn’t want a savvy shopping buddy to maneuver the malls, department stores, and hidden boutiques throughout the city?

This lady knows where and HOW to shop!  She’s also an Independent Consultant ant Team Leader for Cabi, a designer clothing line for ladies which is sold in home shows and by personal appointment.

 

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We wanted our  images from this session to do more than show off Ellen’s beauty and  and fashion sense, so we styled a mini-boutique  right in the studio.

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If your closet overwhelms you.  If you want to LOVE your own wardrobe and look your very best every single day.  Ellen is the person to call.  

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And if you want top of the line photographs that show off your personal style,

whether as  gift for your spouse, or significant other,

as an heirloom to share with your children years down the road,

or a branded collection to highlight YOUR business

 Call the studio at SPCcreative Photography and we’ll create an unforgettable series of images that  is BOLD — PERSONAL — UNIQUE– FUN — and most important of all, it truly is  ALL ABOUT YOU!

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Gorgeous Fashions from Two Elles – West Houston Fashion Photographer

This fall I’ve had an opportunity to do a little bit of photography for a trendy new  boutique called Two Elles.   Oh my goodness! Talk about FUN and CUTE STUFF!!

The hardest part for me has been staying disciplined, because I would LOVE to keep nearly every one of their absolutely ADORABLE clothes and accessories for myself.  Well, maybe not the short dresses because, face it,  My time for those has passed and  nobody wants to look at my white 50 plus year old legs — but the rest of it ….. Oh YEAH!   Check them out!  You’ll find some great gifts as well as a few goodies for yourself!  I promise!

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Their ever-evolving selection is always available online at twoellesboutique.com, but you’ll have a chance to see and touch these gorgeous fashions  for yourself this weekend and on into the holiday season at several area market events!   Starting RIGHT AWAY they’ll be at the Celebrations Gift Market at The Great Southwest Equestrian Center right here in Katy  on October 24 and 25.

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When you stop by, Tell Meredith, Hannah, Caitlyn, and team that Shelly sent you.  And if you want a sneak peek at the newest fashions as they become available, be sure to follow all the latest news at their facebook page!

 

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If you miss out on this event, you’ll also have a chance to check out the Two Elles goodies at the following Holiday markets thoughout the season.

October 24-25 – Celebrations Gift Market  – The Great Southwest Equestrian Center, Katy, TX

October 29 – Beth Yeshurun Day School Market – 4525 Beechnut, Houston, Tx

November 1 – Wilchester Market – 13618 St. Mary’s, Houston, Tx 77079

November 15 – 2014 Mom’s Holiday Market – The Woodlands College Park High School, The Woodlands, TX

November 21-23 – Home for the Holidays Market – The Merrell Center, Katy, Texas

December 5-6 – St. Nick’s Market – December 5-6 – 7901 Bay Branch Dr., The Woodlands, TX

I have had the best time EVER in my Two Elles  photography sessions, and I feel like they help me stay up to date on the latest trends that my portrait clients — particularly high school seniors will want to know about. Can’t wait until our next shoot date!

 

 

Lisa -Trash the Dress – Rock the Frock by Any Name, it’s Gorgeous Fun.

There’s this gorgeous young woman who officially joined our family nearly a year and a half ago — and there’s also this amazingly scrumptious dress that’s been hanging in our front hall closet ever since the day she and my first son returned from their honeymoon.

I’ve been waiting and waiting for her to get back into the dress and go play with me and my camera. The old adage about the shoemakers children having no shoes definitely carries over to photographers as well.  Our own kids are the last ones to get booked on our portrait schedules. It finally fell together not too long ago when we had a trip planned with just a little extra time to kill.

Lisa earned her degree in nutrition from The University of Houston, and she is very good at creating oh-s0-yummy and still super-healthy goodies in her own little kitchen.  That’s why Sweetpea’s Bakery provided a perfect first stop for us. Unfortunately, there was no cupcake sampling for us that day because the shop was going out of business. Everything was still adorably decorated, though, and we had private access.  Definitely a lucky coup for us.

  It’s great to have inside connections, and I’m thrilled that we got to shoot here before this place went away. BUT… an Italian Cream Cupcake sure would have tasted good about now.  RATZ!

Oh how I love working in  back alleys…. small towns, urban centers, doesn’t matter… give me some good grunge, and maybe a little street art… HEAVEN!

 Moving garbage cans out of the way gets a little bit nasty, but I know to carry wipes and hand sanitizer.

Probably the highlight of our session  for me was spending a little time at “The Station.”

We drove over to an old empty Mobile Filling Station that my grandfather owned and operated until the mid 1970’s when he retired.  It wasn’t just an ordinary filling station either.  This station had a  bar that served up ice cold longneck bottles of beer, and for the kids, every flavor of sodie pop you can name… and ice cream sandwiches. Mmmmmm!

I think that about a half dozen local retirees used to practically rotate shifts, sitting on the bar stools, drinking and smoking at the station.  I never knew their names, but can still see their faces in my mind’s eye.   A liquor store was attached, but with a separate entrance on one side of the building.  On the other side, a corrugated tin drive- in awning, or car-shade as we called it, allowed people to sit in the shade in their cars, drinking cokes or beer and eating snacks as long as they pleased.    When the customers wanted to place an order or were done and ready to leave  they could honk the horn and Pawpaw or one of his employees would come out side, take orders, and deliver treats on a window-mount tray.

I ran around this building with my brothers and cousins, barefooted and out of control for years…

My my how times have changed. The gas pumps are gone.  I do NOT get out of the car without shoes at a filling station or anywhere!

The  doors are locked, but the station building still stands, just a little more worn from the years that have passed.

I am so glad that I got to share this little bit of family history with our newest family member. 

 

We Trashed the Dress on the Vegas Strip

It’s DEFINITELY NOT your mother’s wedding portrait.

Oh my!  I can’t believe it’s already been a whole year since we ROCKED the Vegas Strip at the 2010 WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) conference and trade show. Thinking back made me want to resurrect some of the photographs I took a year ago.   I made some fantastic friends that day and just thought it was about time to share these never-before-seen images.

A  photoshoot sponsored by the Chicago Trash the Dress group was probably one of my favorite activities of the whole week.We met at the pedestrian overpass near our hotel before splitting up with our gorgeous models for two whirlwind hours of traffic-stopping fun.   Trash the Dress is  not just for models.  Every day more and more brides are scheduling after-the big-day sessions with their photographers to go out and  PLAY in their super gorgeous dress.  The end result — yummy, sexy, sultry, playful, joyful  and daring art.   Contrary to the name, we don’t actually “trash” or ruin the dresses, but they might get a little dirty or wet., but most wedding dresses today fare very well in the wash.  This is nothing like your mother’s or grandmother’s  wedding portraits.

Here are a few of my favorite Trash the Dress images from that afternoon   —  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.    Want to put on YOUR dress again and go “trashing?”  Give me a call and we’ll set you up.

Lovin’ That Dress Again

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.

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