Days around our house have been busy and exciting lately. You see, we’re especially looking forward to a very important wedding in January. At this wedding, I will not be allowed to have a camera because the groom is my first-born son. (Don’t tell anyone, but I’m seriously looking for a pretty evening bag that will accommodate our Canon C-9 Point and Shoot, just in case I start going into photography withdrawal tremors)
I DID, however, get to spend a little very special time earlier this fall with Ian and his lovely fiance’, Lisa, to create some memorable engagement images and a Save the Date card. Here’s what we came up with!
This is the front of our 5x7 Save the Date Card
And this is the inside spread.
And this is the back of our little card.
So as you can tell, I’m getting a beautiful new Daughter-in Love — and of course Grand-dog Jäger adds laughter, tail wags and slobber to the scene.
In posting these photos, I’m a little gushy and proud today. I can’t help but share our music video as well as some of my favorite picks from our outing.
Naturally, I’m a bit biased, but I think you’ll agree that we’ve got one heck of an adorable and so-in-love couple.
Ian and Lisa . . . I love you both BUNCHES and thank you for allowing your dopey mom to follow you around one afternoon with her camera.
For more engagement fun, here’s a video I created with all of the proofs from our session. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy young love and One Big Dog!
When Laura and John asked me to photograph their wedding, I was beyond excited.
Laura and I first met several years ago through our positions in medical nonprofit public relations, and we’ve been involved in several projects together since then. Her gutsy “Take-on-the world” spirit has always impressed me, and the sparkle in her eyes only begins to reflect her generous caring heart. You’ve GOTTA love a gal who devotes her days to saving lives by promoting organ donations all across this great State of Texas.
And John . . . well, he is absolutely head over heels in love with Laura. Good choice, John! Great catch, Laura!
We met for engagement photos on the grounds of the beautiful Houstonian Hotel and Spa. This is where they had their first date and also where John proposed to Laura, giving her his grandfather’s heirloom diamond in a beautifully–set ring. Sentimental? Oh yeah!
After our session we just HAD to swing by Tasti Delite, one of their favorite hangouts for frozen yogurt. Oh MY! It is GOOD STUFF!
I can hardly wait until their big day — January 21, 2012 — and I’m sure they’re a bit excited as well!
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.
The wedding album from Meagan and Mike’s Dallas summer wedding is complete. At this very moment it is probably in the UPS truck on its way to Meagan’s parents house so that they will have it in time to enjoy over the Thanksgiving holiday. Meagan chose a simple classic panoramic album with a white crocodile skin cover.
I have just started offering albums, so I was a bit skittish about placing the order for production. In fact, when it arrived I was so nervous that I left it in the box and didn’t open it for three days. Silly me — it was stunning.
I designed the album in a chronological order to tell a story about the wedding day, and I hope it sparks beautiful memories for years to come. So, sit back , scroll along, and be a guest at Meagan and Mike’s wedding.
The thing I find difficult about bridal portraits is that I have to wait until AFTER the wedding to share them. But the wait for these is over. Jennifer and Kyle tied the knot Saturday night at Heaven on Earth, a 19th century mansion in Missouri City.
We met for our portrait session at the wedding venue on a hot steamy Houston Summer afternoon. Hot-steamy-Houston-Summer — now that is a bunch of redundant words all in one sentence, don’t you think?
Not only did Jennifer and her mother attend the session, but we had the pleasure of shooting with her sister and maid of honor, another bridesmaid and the future Mother in Law. I sort of wish that I had brought snacks to make a party out of the event, because when you get that many girlie-girls in one room at the same time, it is bound to turn into a fun time — and it DID!
Jennifer is a quiet doe-eyed blonde, and it would be hard NOT to fall in love with her sweet spirit. I know I did when I first met her a couple of years ago. Special Kudos to Jennifer. It’s because of her and her community activities that I have had the opportunity to work with a number of organizations and individuals in Fort Bend County.
And here she is . . . now that she is a beautiful married woman — and Kyle is one lucky man.
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.
