I’ve always believed that God sends us exactly what we need, precisely when we need it, in His absolute perfect timing. The man you are about to meet, Pastor Leo Tyler, is a prime example of this. He came to lead our church at just the right time a little over two years ago.
I was honored to create a series of portraits for for him so that our church could put his face on social media and printed materials as we share our many growing ministries.
A little over two years ago our congregation at Bear Creek United Methodist Church seemed adrift. Oh, we had a firm anchor in Christ and wonderful people who wanted to to do great things but we simply couldn’t seem to catch the wind in our sails. From my pew, it sadly looked as if we had become another of the dying churches across America. To be honest, we were a lot of gray haired white folks with very little to offer the younger generations or the diverse neighborhood that had developed around our building.
Thankfully Leo came in equipped to change all that. He has a God-given gift of relating to people on an individual level, finding their skill sets, and putting them to work — together — for good. His enthusiasm and joy for Jesus are downright contagious.
In the two short years since Leo took the helm of our ship, we’ve done things quite a bit differently than in the past — and the change has been dynamic!
Whatever you do, do it as for The LORD.
We have grown in numbers and in spirit. Our youth and children’s programs are flourishing, and we have become a very well-respected resource for our members and for the community. We’re even in the process of becoming a flagship community health center, educating and equipping the our neighbors to make better nutrition, lifestyle, and medical choices. As our community learns how much we care about them, they are learning to trust us as their spiritual family too.
I love what I see happening in our little church these days and would love to invite YOU, dear reader, to be our guest. Whatever worship style speaks to your heart, we have one for you. Traditional worship starts at 9:00 a.m., and our contemporary bi-lingual service begins at 11:15.
Just come. You’ll find Jesus through the joy, acceptance, friendly people, and sincere prayers. Maybe you’ll even find a new church home of your own.
You’ll also find Pastor Leo.
And I know what he will say.
He would LOVE to be YOUR pastor too.
Bear Creek United Methodist Church is located at 16000 Rippling Water, just off HWY 6 near Keith Harrow in Katy, Texas.
A lovely big family moved in to our neighborhood a couple of years ago, and I was just lucky enough to be at home when mom, Susan, and their adorable young daughter came by selling Girl Scout Cookies.
The sweet child waited so politely while mom and I visited — and visited — and visited — and before long, we became friends.
Now, what does THAT have to do with the photos of this handsome young man?
Well, he is a big brother to my favorite Brownie Scout.
Ryan was back in town after his first year of college to spend a little time with friends and family before heading off to Brazil for a year long mission trip with his church, and Mom needed some great photographs to keep him close at heart. As a Mormon Missionary, Ryan’s right at home with a suit and tie — and he does look quite dashing. Don’t you agree?
A couple of his younger siblings, including the Cookie Princess dropped by during our portrait session, and they are BEYOND ADORABLE —
so naturally, they ended up in front of my lens out in the studio barn too.
Ryan’s looking ahead to an exciting year of meeting people and learning a new language. . . .
Portugese. Yep! That’s what they speak in Brazil. Look it up ! How cool is THAT?
No doubt, he’ll miss these little guys, but they’re going to miss him too. Have a great experience, Ryan.
Welcome to this brand spankin’ new year! It’s a great time for a fresh clean start.
January is when we all step back to look at our brand new blank calendars as we reassess our habits and goals for the next 12 months.
It’s also a great time to pay attention to the image we present of ourselves, and one place to start is with the profile picture or headshot that we use in business communications and social media.
This is especially important for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
So… what does your headshot say about you? Is it a five-year-old bathroom selfie? Are you about three hairstyles beyond the last photograph? Does your go-to photograph say who you really are?
Do you even HAVE a go-to photograph?
If not, let’s fix it. NOW. This month we’re running ONE HECKUVA SPECIAL on business headshots that can also double as your social media profile picture.
If you want the full deal with professional hair and makeup on location or in my studio, we’ve got you covered.
Do you need corporate environmental portraits to portray the essence of your profession?
Or will a simple traditional portrait take care of your needs?
I firmly believe that the image you present is extremely important.
That’s why we are offering a New Years Special through the month of January on professional headshots.
A basic business style headshot session in studio typically runs $15o, but if you book before January 31, it will only be $100. We’ll make it quick and painless as we create several great looks from which to choose.
We are also offering specials this month for groups and on-location business portraits
So… what are you waiting for? It doesn’t get any better than this!
Pick up your phone and call SPCcreative Photography today 281.773.7465. We’ll answer any questions you have, and we will make sure that YOU put YOUR best face forward in 2015.
This family! Oh my — THIS family is one of my favorite that I ever have photographed!
What do you do when you have two swoon-worthy college and high school aged sons and it’s been a while since you’ve had family portraits made?
YOU DO IT!
You get a date on the calendar and you make it happen. NO EXCUSES!
It’s no small feat when school and work activities and travel are chaotic. It takes an extra level of commitment to clear the schedule and get everyone into the room in good clothes all at one time, but it is Sooooooooooo worth it.
Kudos to the K family! They DID IT!
Setting up family portraits with older boys takes a special skill because showing a strong and fun relationship in an age-appropriate way can be tricky. What works for toddlers or ten-year-olds tends to fall apart and smell sorta cheesy once the kids are taller than their mother — and I LOVE that challenge.
We were facing some weather challenges and we couldn’t let that stop us either. So, rather than dodge thunderstorms, floods, and mosquitoes, we got a little bit creative and shot in the atrium of Mr. K’s office building. It turned out to be absolutely perfect — and we had air conditioning! That’s such a nice thing to have in this part of the world and it was a HUGE bonus for us!
These boys are handsome. They’re cool. They get along beautifully, and they like to be a little bit silly and goofy too.
Thank goodness! Laugher can carry a family a long long way.
THAT is what I wanted to show.
In a very short time, these boys will both be out of the house and living on their own, but the K family will always have some great artwork on their walls capturing these fleeting and very special days.
I’m so proud of them for making the effort to spend an evening in front a camera, and I am delighted that they spent that evening in front of MY camera because we had one heckuva good time together!
Does your family need portraits one last time before the kids scatter into their own grown up lives? Call me today. Let’s make it happen!
It’s been a while since this lifestyle session took place, but since the Houston Stock Show and Rodeo is in town,it seems like this is an appropriate time to share a few images from a dusty early morning in West Texas .
I’ve known John since we were both scrawny little fourth graders — and that was more than just a few years ago.
We totally drifted into separate worlds as life and families came along, but became reacquainted through Facebook a few years ago. Not only is he a skilled horseman, but he’s also become very thoughtful and talented writer.
When I was back in Midland a while back, I had an opportunity to ride out to his property which he calls Rancho Notso Grande. (GOTTA love that name) so I could photograph him working and caring for his magnificent animals.
This was probably one of my most unique sessions ever. How many people can say they’ve conducted a portrait session for a motorcycle with his own persona and Facebook Page.
Well, I have, and Tecumseh Smith the Indian Motorcycle ROCKED his session.
His owner, Herb Collier of Midland, Texas didn’t do a bad job either. After all, we needed a human element for more than just to get us around to our great West Texas locations.
There’s something exciting about scouting a shoot away from home. As always when planning a new location session, I started out with a very loose plan and then started driving. This abandoned Sonic drive in didn’t just call to me… it SCREAMED and jumped. I was so excited I could hardly catch my breath … and then I started praying that no corporate honchos would show up with bulldozers before we could get this nailed down.
We had so many great images that we almost had no choice except to design an album to hold them all… with a few of the more striking reserved for wall canvases, of course.
How about those sexy tailpipes. Gotta love FINS … to the left, FINS to the right!
I didn’t want to bid my abandoned burger joint adieu. After all, I had spent more than few hours there in my younger days, and I felt a real connection… but alas, I tore myself away with a wistful promise to return again. We were, after all, chasing the sunlight, and wanted to stop downtown before heading to the countryside.
This series still makes me smile. Herb looked down at the ground and found a pirates eyepatch, probably dropped after some kid’s birthday party. I double-dog-dared him to put it on . . . and he did. We LAUGHED so hard, especially after I showed him the back of the camera… but I loved the effect.
Naturally, Nobody does sunsets better than God in West Texas. Oh how I miss those blazin’ skies!
