by Shelly | Nov 3, 2015 | family, kids |
Here’s something a little different for my blog. I don’t photograph many kids. Mostly I concentrate on teens and adults, and I nearly always leave the whole chase-a-toddler-through-the-park scenario to my colleagues who are more well suited for those antics. But once the kids are school-aged, I have a hard time resisting them. Especially when they’re as fun to hang out with as the kids in the N Family.
I don’t know how I got so luck y to have Little Miss L and her mom knock on my door selling Girl Scout Cookies a couple of years ago. I’m a sucker for Caramel Delights and Peanut Butter Sandwiches. They had the goods. We stood on the porch talking for a LONG time and became friends immediately.

You might recognize some of these faces — or at least one because she has popped in and out of previous sessions with older siblings like she did HERE and HERE
These kids have amazing parents who are committed to capturing great images of them individually on their birthdays and around their half birthdays too. They come from a very large family, so it’s nice to focus attention on just two or three kids at one time. AND — I’m the lucky duck that gets to create those photographs for them. We print all the best images, mount them, and deliver them in a custom keepsake image box.


Are these guys not adorable — running through the tall grass together — in slow motion . . .



You never know who’s going to show up during N Family shoots. It’s Big Brother C and Bubba Kitty! 
PHOTOBOMB! YEAH!
Our session took place on a steamy morning, so ending the session by cooling off in the pool was a great idea! At least, that’s what L thought.
I agree!


by Shelly | Jul 8, 2014 | kids, special project |
When Little Miss S (and no, S doesn’t stand for SASS) lost her first tooth, her mom rushed her right over to my studio for an impromptu photo shoot to commemorate the occasion.
Teeth or none, this gal is such a HAM! Check out all of these goof-ball expression.

Back when I was a kid, the Tooth Fairy would deliver exactly 41 cents for a tooth. Yep.. ONE EACH… a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter.
I never managed to convince my mother that we were getting short changed at our house on Shell Street in Midland Texas. Even back in THE DAY…. Even in the OLDEN DAYS… other kids in the old hometown earned at least a dollar for each pearly white. Some even bragged of $5 bills.
Since this was Miss S’ s first lost tooth, she hadn’t t had time to establish a market value yet, but I’ll bet it was more than 41 cents….
Goodness … with a smile like this, she will probably be able to fund her college education by the time she gets down to her wisdom teeth.



Anything that happens TODAY makes TODAY a SPECIAL DAY — and it’s the little stuff that you’ll remember years from now, especially if you’ve got great photographs to jog your memory.
Don’t forget to commemorate those special occasions!
Do it yourself, or let me help.
You’ll be glad you did.

by Shelly | Jan 21, 2014 | family, kids, special project, women |
“How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it.
How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it.
How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em.
How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give ’em.” — Shel Silverstein

Kathe and Shelly have been best friends just about forever. And talk about coincidence, they grew up in my old hometown of Midland, Texas but I never knew either of them until Kathe moved to Houston. We met in Bible Study and bonded over our Midland roots and Kathe’s wonderfully wise and witty take on life in general.
These two amazing ladies take the time to get together several times a year, despite the eight hours of Texas Highway stretching between their homes — AND they’ve created a tradition of celebrating their daughters’ tenth birthdays BIG TIME. So, when Shelly’s youngest girls who happen to be twins were turning 10, Kathe decided that a spa day followed by a special portrait session would be a great way to cap off their week in Houston.

What a special time in life. K & K are definitely not little girls anymore, but they’re not quite teens yet either. The lingering sweet innocence of childhood still fills their souls, but if you look deep into those eyes you’ll see the gentle unfolding of strong and wise young women.
We focused most of our session on the birthday girls, but would have been amiss if we didn’t capture this precious sweet relationship that weaves its way through two generations
— mothers, daughters, sisters, friends.
Oh what a treasure! I’m so glad that I got to be a part of their celebration.


by Shelly | Jan 25, 2012 | dance, kids, SPCcreative |
A Beautiful Young Dancer, Golden Sunshine, Hills, Water, Trees, and my Camera — Pure Heaven.

Hoo -Ray!
It’s SOoooo much fun to conduct a photography session for people who are enthusiastic about doing something just a bit out of the norm.
My favorite young dancer, who just happens to be my niece, was beyond excited about our scheduled portrait session at the spectacular Inn of the Lost Pines near Bastrop during a family stay not too long ago.
Dance-Studio shots are nice, but when we can put on bold colorful costumes and get out into God’s creation, something very very special happens.
Call me sappy, but Lee Ann Womack’s song always brings tears to my eyes.
“I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance I hope you dance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin’ might mean takin’ chances, but they’re worth takin’
Lovin’ might be a mistake, but it’s worth makin’
Don’t let some Hellbent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to sellin’ out, reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance”
“To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking. ” — Agnes de Mille