by Shelly | Jul 17, 2011 | engagement, SPCcreative, wedding |
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!
by Shelly | Jul 1, 2011 | personal, SPCcreative |
We had a little surprise visitor this morning. Isn’t he handsome?
When I first saw that little reptilian head and the back of his shell poking up in the grass, I was afraid we were getting ready to have to confront a big honkin’ snake, so my “Mama Instincts” kicked in and I hustled both dogs back into the house.
THEN, I went back out to investigate, camera in hand.
SOOOOOOO HAPPY that it was NOT a snake because we had ourselves very a nice little visit.
Our guest told me that he had smelled water, and decided he should check it out. Said the places he and his kinfolk usually count on for a little refreshment had purt’ near dried up, and that things weren’t looking too good for the days ahead. In fact, he doesn’t think it’s ever going to rain again in Texas — or even in the whole world. Turtles are known for being a bit pessimistic.
Naturally I told him he was welcome to stay as long as he wanted and to partake of all the bugs he could find. Even turned the sprinkler on him for a little bit, and he was most appreciative.
I asked if he’d mind posing for a few natural-light outdoor portraits, and he perked right up. Did you know that turtles have egos? Oooohhh. This guy is quite proud of himself. When I told him that I thought he looked particularly intelligent, he said that I was darn right. After all, wasn’t he the one that found the green place with the rain maker thing in it?
When I asked his name, though, he just looked at me. Told me I wouldn’t understand Turtlel-ese, and that I should just pick something that I’d remember because names mean more to humans than they do to turtles.
Have you ever tried to name a turtle? It’s harder than it seems.
When I was about eight years old, I had a little green turtle from Woolworth’s. Pokey lived for a short time in our bathroom in one of those spiral dishes with a stiff plastic palm tree growing up in the middle of it. He was a happy and friendly little guy, until the night he took a bubble bath with my younger brothers. Jim, A desert tortoise, came to our back yard in Midland for several years in a row. Everyone knew his name was Jim because someone had painted J-I-M on his back in big red letters with fingernail polish. We figured it was probably the kid named Jim who lived in the Floyd’s rent house down the block for about a year . . . but wild turtles are not to be owned. That’s why he came to stay at our house.
This guy, however, was DEFINITELY not a Pokey or a Jim but he still needed a name.
He thinks he’s a Gulf Coast Box Turtle. At least no one has told him otherwise, so we nearly decided on Karumbe-Boaska, because it means Turtle-Box in Gujarati and it sounds super cool. We had to look up the word for Box on Google Translator. Don’t ask how we knew the Karumbe part.
In the end we decided to keep things simple and go with Sparky in honor of his intelligence and as a nod to Fourth of July Fireworks — of which there will be none in our neighborhood this year thanks to the drought.
Sparky was less than thrilled to make acquaintance with Lucy, so he announced that he’d be moving along. He is DEFINITELY a Sparky, not a Pokey. Maybe he’ll come back to visit, but he’s not making any promises. But thank you for turning on the rain maker for a bit.
by Shelly | Jun 4, 2011 | food, personal, SPCcreative |
Summertime, and the Livin’ is Easy . . .
Tomatoes are Ripe . . . and the Basil is tall.
Okay . . . perhaps I cheated. The tomatoes are store-bought.
My vines still only produce about five cherry tomatoes a day, but the basil is growing like crazy!
What’s a girl to do?
Splurge on the prettiest tomatoes the market has to offer, and make Caprese Salad of course!
YUMM-O . . . and so simple, sliced garden tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil from the backyard and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Salt and Pepper and you’re DONE! Mmmmmm!
Recently I’ve had reasons to go back through some of my older photography blogs, and realized how much I used to enjoy sharing a photograph every day. In fact, some of my dearest and most lasting photography friendships came out of the OLD circa 2007-2008 Dailies Community at Smugmug.
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
Lately though, it seems like the efforts to build my business have made it more difficult to just enjoy and create art for arts sake.
My wonderful clients DESERVE a fresh eye and the passion that made me ditch the daily commute and the regular paycheck. They deserve the passion that makes me get excited about the beauty of every day life.
So . . . Here’s something I saw and enjoyed today. That little voice in my head said that I really should share it with you.
I make no promises of a daily blog post that has little if anything to do with the business side of SPCcreative Photography, but maybe, just maybe, I’ll do better. Whaddaya think?
by Shelly | May 17, 2011 | family, SPCcreative |
Little boys grow up entirely too fast! I know. Mine sure did.
Fortunately, my friend Montse is wise enough to have figured that out. Her sons have entered that fleeting age where they bounce between being little boys full of mischief and silliness to young men with generous hearts and gentlemanly manners.
What better way to freeze this moment in time than a non-traditional family-lifestyle photography session?
Montse wanted to capture her family’s personality and activities, and she was super-enthusiastic about our session. She packed several sets of clothes, and had the kids bring a few of their favorite toys including light sabers (and Jedi Robes) , hand-held computer games and even the WII controllers. She and her oh-so-easy-on-the-eyes husband even hauled a laptop computer and a book to the park.
They’re going to keep on growing up, but Mom and Dad will always have these super-fun portraits on their walls to stir their hearts full of memories.
by Shelly | May 15, 2011 | senior portraits, SPCcreative |
For Kandi’s senior portrait session, she wanted a fun and funkly urban look, and I believe we pulled it off beautifully.
I had first met her mother last summer when she and one of her very good friends rocked the camera in a Trash the Dress session that I blogged about back in July.
Anyway, and I could hardly wait to see her again and to meet Kandi.
We picked a Friday afternoon to meet in downtown Houston for a walking session that covered just a few city-blocks where we found a great variety of settings.
Oh my goodness it was fabulous, and I can hardly wait to go back down there to shoot again.
Here’s the album we created with her favorite images. I feel certain that she’ll enjoy showing these off to her friends and family for years and years to come.
Enjoy your graduation celebrations, Kandi, and have a wonderful time in college. I know you’re going to SHINE.
by Shelly | Apr 30, 2011 | family, SPCcreative |
The Brown Family Photo album was a long time in the making, but I think it was worth the wait.
See, I photographed this amazing family back in December when they selected their wall portraits and Christmas cards. Because of the holiday whirlwind and their super-busy schedules, however, we decided to wait until things slowed down to select images for their album.
After things slow down . . . . Bwaaaaaa Haaaaaa Haaaaaa! Famous Last Words!
These folks have things going on! BUSY is an understatement!
I’m so proud of them for taking the time to get these portraits taken and compiled as a legacy before the kids scatter off to their own busy grown-up lives.
by Shelly | Mar 18, 2011 | event, personal, SPCcreative |
So, the Hubster and I had a Date .
We spent a lovely springtime afternoon strolling the midway at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo where there was no shortage of color.
Mike’s a great sport about my camera habit. He knows that if he doesn’t keep an eye on me, I will stop and get lost or wander off in to anything that looks interesting. What I like most, though, is how he has learned to stop and stand right behind me if I suddenly squat down to the ground to get a low perspective on something. He’s wonderful about guarding for baby strollers and roving bands of pre-teens who could all run me down in a heartbeat.
For our Stock Show Afternoon, I decided to give my new 16-35 mm wide angle lens a serious test-drive. It was the only lens I carried for the day. In fact, my backpack was so light that we felt better once we purchased a couple of cokes, drank a few sips and then tossed the bottles into the pack to enjoy later.
Wide angle photography is really a new thing to me. This lens is all about the big picture. So . . . here are a few fun images from our day, starting with the midway.
Getting There: One for the Money! 
Two For the Show — and What a Show it was. We enjoyed some Mutton Bustin’, Heifer Judging and Smiling Pigs (which I learned are called Market Barrows) sleeping in their stalls.
This young lady, above, and her cow were the best of friends. They made me smile as she rubbed the cow’s head and it nuzzled her right back.
No show would be complete without tons of Fair Food. You name it . . . somebody was frying it.
And Every Young Princess Needs Pink Boots and a hat to go to the Rodeo. Somebody had a very special day! 
Of course I’m assuming the vendors meant no pictures of PEOPLE WEARING these HATS.
You KNOW I would never want to break a rule. ; D
by Shelly | Mar 9, 2011 | personal, SPCcreative |
Just a few days ago, while cleaning up my outdoor studio, I met a brand new neighbor.
Actually I didn’t meet her that day, but I liked the way she was decorating her new home, so I decided to come back later to visit.
She must have run to the store for just a minute, because she left one of her kids to answer the door. I said I’d come back later.
Yesterday, I finally got to meet my neighbor.
She’s a pretty little red sparrow . . . the kind with a mask across her eyes.
Appropriately enough, since we met on Mardi Gras and she was wearing a mask and feathers, I named her Mardi.
Mardi now has four eggs in the 7-UP crate that sits on the Front Porch of my studio neighborhood.
We’re not going to disturb her, but will work carefully around her and hopefully we’ll be able to watch for the babies in the days ahead.
I’m so excited!
Although Mardi is terribly camera-shy, I believe the kiddos will be extremely photogenic.
by Shelly | Mar 8, 2011 | event, SPCcreative |
A “Big Girls Pajama Party” That’s how it’s touted, and it’s really a great way to describe the Girlfriends Giggle, held every year in Sugar Land to support the Fort Bend Women’s Center.
Where else can bunches of professional business-women run around in matching Jammies while they get manicures, pedicures, henna tattoos , massages, and more?
They shop, they eat and drink, they laugh . . . and of course they all stop by my photo booth for a group portrait.
This is one event where humor and creativity rule, and I’m so proud to be a part of it all for three years in a row.
Some of my favorite groups at Giggle included the Village People; my Lovely Charlies Angel Assistants - Susan, Heidi, and Rebecca; The Get Your Giggle On Pajama Contest Winners; and The Charming Ladies of Mardi Gras.
Coming back to GIGGLE year after year, one of the greatest rewards is hearing people say how much they enjoyed the photographs that they ordered over the last two years. But the REALLY REALLY best part is getting phone calls from these ladies afterward when they schedule their weddings, family portraits and powerful-sexy lady boudoir photography parties.
Now THAT is a RUSH!
The Bale Law Firm , acts as a major sponsor of the event, providing a nice chunk of funding to make the GIGGLE possible, and their ladies have come by my booth every year for pictures. Now they tell me that they have a whole collection of Girlfriends Giggle photographs on display in their office. How’s that for community spirit! I love these ladies enjoying milk and cookies above with bright shiny smiles, tiaras and red satin jammies. One other sponsor that was oh-so-fun to meet was Jan Loggins of J Loggins Jewelers She provided a lovely bracelet as a doorprize, and here she is above with her team and the lucky winner!
Okay . . . a few more favorite groups from the evening.
Did YOU get your Giggle On this year? If so, you’ll want to be sure to pick up your Giggle Portraits before the end of March.
Just scroll to the top of this page, go to PROOFS and then select EVENTS.
If you didn’t get to Giggle this year, there’s always 2012. Start planning NOW so that you will be in on the fun too!
by Shelly | Feb 12, 2011 | fashion, wedding, women |
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. 
