by Shelly | Jun 21, 2016 | senior guys, senior portraits |
I’m feeling a little bit verklempt as I post Miles’ senior portraits to share with you.
He is the third and final senior that I get to photograph for the Travis Family, and I”m going to miss them.
“sniff sniff”
I got to know their mom through the band at Taylor High school, and it all started when she trusted me to photograph her oldest son, Cole back in 2011.
We must’ve done something right because she came back again with sister, Shana in 2014.
Because I know that people have a choice when selecting a senior photographer, I never take a returning family for granted. In fact, I CELEBRATE them.
History aside, THIS is Miles’ year.
Three guesses where he’s heading to school this fall. Ain’t Texas.
by Shelly | Jun 17, 2016 | senior gals, senior portraits |
Oh, Allison! Your Senior portriats are ….. well . . . I have no words. Just enjoy them in all their gorgeousness!
Hair and makeup in studio by Cynthia Velderrain.
Sweet… Gorgeous … Smart … Shy . . . Lovely girl. What a great senior year this has been!
Allison is a 2016 graduate of Faith West Academy where she served as class president and head cheerleader.
Allison with her softly sophisticated style is heading to Texas A&M this fall where she has been accepted to the Business Honors Program.
We had a great time together in our studio. I’m so glad I got to work with her.
by Shelly | Jun 15, 2016 | senior guys, senior portraits |
The high school letterman — a lasting and iconic symbol of teenage accomplishment.
Go to any city, and find the kids in letter jackets. They are the movers and shakers. They are our future leaders.
Stands to reason that the letter jacket should become an important part of a senior’s portrait session. It certainly was for Colby, Class of 2016.
Colby just graduated from Katy cinco Ranch High School where he lettered in football. He also enjoys playing club rugby.
Colby is heading to Baylor this fall to continue his studis.
I see a bright future in those piercing brown eyes. Congratulations on your high school graduation, Colby.
by Shelly | Jun 13, 2016 | musician, senior gals, senior portraits |
The school year blew by WAY too fast for me to update you on the gorgeous seniors from the class of 2016, but now it’s time for swimming pools, lemonade and maybe a little slower pace for us to catch up.
These are Alina’s senior portraits. She is a 2016 graduate of James E Taylor High School in Katy. In-studio Hair and makeup by Cintya Velderrain.
Alina played flute in the JETBand, so her instrument became an important part of our portrait session.
When we were first setting up this photography session, Alina’s mom told me that she was on the search for the ultimate perfect dress.
SCORE!
The bright pink prom dress was absolutely da bomb! Brilliant color and , lots of sophisticated sparkle.
She wore it well. What’s not to love?
Alina plans to attend Texas State University in the fall where she will study Exercise Science through the school’s Honors College.
One of my favorite memories of working with this gal was how she and my little black cat, Pearl, became instant besties.
Pearl is already asking when Alina will come back to play again. I told her that I hope it’s soon… Soon and often.
by Shelly | Jun 9, 2016 | senior gals, senior portraits |
This is Brie. She’s a fresh new graduate of Clements High School in Sugar Land.
She’s STUNNING!
And here are the Senior Portraits we created for her in our Katy/West Houston studio this spring. Hair and makeup by Rachael Elise Walker, Elise Artistry.
I first met this young lady when her mother occasionally brought her to the office or to Relay For Life events when we worked together at the American Cancer Society.
Mom and I kept very loosely in touch through social media over the years, but I don’t believe we had actually seen each other in person since the day I left that job in 2008. That’s when I took the leap to tackle my photography as a full tim venture. So, you can imagine how surprised and excited I was when she called to ask about creating these portraits.
Brie’s a voracious reader and adventurous traveler. She love to escape into a good book, and she loves even more to travel the world. She’s been to Europe, to China, and several times to work with families and children in a Romanian mission. As I learned about her varied interests, I started gathering items to create this composite storyboard with globes and books. I really do love how it all came together!
Brienne’s style? It’s very Bo-Ho Chic, so it’s perfect that she’s the first person ever photographed soaking up the sun in front of our flower fence.
Now that school is out for the summer, Brie’s looking forward to some more amazing summer traveling. When she gets back, she’ll begin her studies at Baylor University where she’ll study Political Science.
I look for her to become a powerful force in bringing good things to the far corners of this world we all live in.
by Shelly | Jun 3, 2016 | senior portraits |
HOORAY! Graduation weekend is finally here.
I’ll bet you thought it would never come.
And here it is!
I want to wish each and every grad a happy and safe celebration.
Here are some of my very favorite members of the Class of 2016. Please join me in wishing them well.
by Shelly | Mar 7, 2016 | baby, maternity, women |
I’ll never forget the first time I met Rachel. She and her husband, GT were not engaged yet, but some of us knew that it was going to happen soon. We were working on a photography project for his family. It was an extended project to create a family portrait of sorts without ever having everyone in town at the same time. There’s always a way to get what you want, and you can read about what we did right HERE!
Fast-Forward just a little more than two years, and here we are again. Now we’re ALL anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby ZEKE. EEK!
SPECIAL THANKS to our Hair and Makeup Artist, Cintya Velderrain. You make my work easy.
When people say that a pregnant woman is glowing, THIS is what they mean. Is she not absolutely gorgeous?
Thank you Rachel for allowing me to photograph you during this very special time of your life. I hope these photographs always remind you just how stunning you are and how glorious it is to bring a new little life into this world.
Blessings to you and your sweet family.
by Shelly | Mar 1, 2016 | family, senior guys, senior portraits |
The senior year in high school can be a super emotional time, and I don’t mean just for the students.
In my own experience, as a mom of five sons, I came to think of the senior year sort of like pregnancy. It lasts about nine months, and by the time it is over, you’ll do whatever you need to do in order to get the kid out. I played tug of war between the joys of seeing my children spread their wings oh so ready to stand on their own and become an adult, and the fear of wondering if they would be safe from one day to the next. I worried about each one of them walking out the door to places where we can’t monitor whether or not they and their buddies come home at a decent hour. To this day, I still LOVE watching them take on new responsibilities and excel in ways I could never imagine. I still crumble inside when they face struggles that I cannot and should not even try to fix. I cry a little when I realize that my days of drying tears,mending scraped knees, and keeping a well-stocked pantry and fridge are becoming distant memories.
What many of us moms tend to forget is that the graduate is not the only one facing a new stage of life.
Senior year is a time when the entire family dynamics are about to change in a big way. Parents get to embark on a new journey too. Yes, the adjustment can be very very tough, but for the most part after transition (another pregnancy analogy) it is very very sweet.
Not too long ago I got together with this family to create the first portraits they had made since their son was quite young. He will graduate this June and within just a few short weeks will leave for army boot camp. When he returns, he will be a different human being. That’s what service does for us.
I’m so glad we did this project.
Life for mom and dad will definitely change. Their son will come into his own in a great way. And Mom and Dad are going to be fine. They’ll be just fine.
by Shelly | Feb 22, 2016 | senior gals, senior portraits |
If there ever was an All American Girl, it would be Caroline!
How lucky am I that I got to create her senior portraits? 
Caroline will graduate this spring from Cinco Ranch High School where she’s been involved in so many activities I can hardly keep track.
She plays clarinet in the band. She’s a member of the Good Sportsmanship Club, the Cinco Sweethearts, Senior Women, and she’s been a Cougar Challenge Officer for three years, reaching out to other schools about ways to help ensure that all students feel accepted and included.
I love to see how the most involved and well-rounded students are the ones who reach beyond their own communities!
Not too long ago, Caroline and her mother took small group of swimming instructors to Brazil because they had learned that the incidence of child drownings there was very high. These women worked to teach young moms in the villages how to swim and more importantly to teach them how to train their children how to respond if they fell into the water or got into a dangerous water situation.
She may never know how many young lives are saved because of this trip, but I’ll bet it makes a huge difference in the lives of several families.
After graduation, Caroline is Baylor Bound where she plans to study marketing.
While she could go to work in her family business, she is keeping her options open.
After all, there’s a big bold world out there with opportunities we have never thought of yet.
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Caroline. I can’t wait to see what you do with your brains and your sweet spirit.
Thank you for allowing me to create your senior portraits for you. I hope you and your family enjoy them for many many years!
by Shelly | Dec 10, 2015 | senior gals, senior portraits |
As soon as football and marching season ended, Elizabeth blazed her trail over here for her senior portrait session. She didn’t have any time to lose, because Color Guard never rests. Even before the playoffs end for some schools, Guard members are back at it, practicing throughout our chilliest months for their most intense specialized competition.
In addition to her super-busy Color Guard schedule, Elizabeth works part time as a cashier at her neighborhood Kroger. While she enjoys her job up front, she REALLY loves busy holidays when she gets pulled into the floral department. That’s a fabulous outlet for her artistic and crafty talents. She spends as much time as she can perusing Pinterest for party themes and craft projects, and that’s probably why she’s such a wiz at decorating for holidays like Christmas and at baking goodies for friends and families.
After graduation, Elizabeth plans to attend Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, where she will study to become a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher. I think I want to be a kid again and go to her classes. I think I’d learn bunches!
There’s a saying that goes something like, “she who leaves a trail of glitter will long be rememberered.” That’s so very true. I’m still finding shiny bits of blue, green, purple and silver, and it always makes me smile because I think about our fun time together.
