by Shelly | Jun 24, 2014 | senior gals, senior portraits |
The ADORABLE Ilyssa is now officially a Taylor High School Graduate, and I’m thrilled share a few images from her senior portrait session.
You’re gonna absolutely fall in LOVE with this sweet, casual, and very laid back girl.
Personally, I think she was born for the camera. She stepped right into the lights and immediately took posing direction like a pro.
We completed her entire session with several outfits right here at the studio where we offer a quiet and private place to change outfits between scenarios as well as an ever-changing variety of exclusive custom-designed background sets
In just a few short weeks, Ilyssa will head to Austin for Rush and then for classes at The University of Texas at Austin — my own Alma Mater.
Since I tend to think of my seniors as my own kids, I couldn’t be prouder of her choice! Hook ’em Horns!
by Shelly | Jun 17, 2014 | senior gals, senior portraits |
Pretty Fun, that’s how I’d describe Cayla’s senior portrait session.
There’s no doubt that Cayla is drop-dead gorgeous, but she was also so much fun to work with as we laughed and played our way through a recent afternoon.
How I wish I could be all chit-chatty about this lovely girl, but I’m so far behind on my blogging right now that I’m just proud to be sharing her photographs.
A picture really is worth a thousand words, so I’ll just let them speak for themselves.
Scroll right down …
slowly because you won’t want to miss a thing.
In only a few short weeks Cayla will head out of town to start her college experience at Texas State…
but in the meantime, I know that she will be creating smiles and memories for her family at home and on vacation … wherever she goes!
CONGRATULATIONS on your graduation from Taylor High School, Cayla. I know that college will bring you a great experience.
Enjoy — and soak up every joyful moment and every new opportunity. You’ve got this!
by Shelly | Apr 16, 2014 | musician, senior guys, senior portraits |
Ahhhh Travis, even though he was the very first senior from the class of 2014 to walk through my doors, for some reason I am just now getting around to blogging his portrait session.
Mea Culpa! What can I say?
This is one of the most fantastic guys I know. Not only is he smart, talented, creative, and very handsome, he gets extra points in my book for hanging out in the kitchen and visiting with us one day when his mom had me and a few other women over for coffee. That’s one of the bravest things a guy can do, and I’ve gotta hand it to him.
APPLAUSE APPLAUSE APPLAUSE
Musical talent?
He’s got it. Not only did I get a nice guitar serenade during our session, Travis also plays violin in the top orchestra at Katy High School — a group that performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City earlier this year. Take all that musical talent and tie it in with his love of steampunk and a little time to play around in the studio, and we came up with some mighty fun images for him, don’t you think?
I also LOVE LOVE LOVE his sense of style. With his suspenders and bow tie, Travis joins a long list of notable leaders, celebrities, and commentators who could probably run the world if they chose to.
He’s in good company!
He also volunteers with an EMS team and in a clinical setting at one of our local hospitals.
I’m beyond impressed with Travis and so excited to see what life after graduation has in store for him. THRILLED that I got to be the one who created his senior portraits.
Congratulations, Travis!
by Shelly | Mar 5, 2014 | senior guys, senior portraits |
It’s official! My seniors simply have the most beautiful smiles. That’s all there is to it.
Meet Maggi. Taylor High School Class of 2014.
I’ve known Maggi for several years. She is one of “MY” Color Guard Gals, and I’ve always been in awe of how photogenic she is from that movie-star smile to her sparkly eyes. You can imagine how thrilled I was when she called to schedule her portrait session.
We had a little bit of fun. Maggi is quite the fashionista!
I fell in love with her gold and taupe maxi dress. It’s dressy and casual at the same time. She could wear this absolutely ANYWHERE and be the picture of class. It looked great both in the indoor studio . . .
and outside in the warehouse.
Even out in the garden . . .
Then after a quick change we hit the SPCcreative Beach House. Quaint, huh?
Her breezy orange and white top, paired with white jeans, was perfect for the beachy setting, but I’ll never be able to look at these pictures without suddenly craving a big juicy Whataburger.
Yep — Whataburger . . . that was her word, not mine. Cutest Whataburger gal I’ve ever seen.
Maggi has a style and personality that can pull off any look, from Golden-Globe-Worthy couture right down to Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Chic, and it’s been a joy to follow her through her high school career and to create her senior portraits for her.
Congratulations, Maggi, on your upcoming graduation. Spring break is just around the corner, and I hope you have a FABULOUS time and that you get in some good R&R.
The next few weeks will be a whirlwind, but at least your senior portraits are one thing that’s in the bag and crossed off your to-do list. Now, go have some FUN!
by Shelly | Feb 4, 2014 | family, special project |
Meet The DunGums. They’re a fascinating family. Cobbled Together, Empty Nested, and Widely Scattered. I adore them!
I can hear you now. “What kind of name is DunGum, anyway?” you’re asking.
Well — it’s like this. A few years back, Mr. Dunn, the father of three teen-aged sons met and married the gorgeous, sassy and over-achieving Ms. Mangum who came as a package deal with two sons of her own, and they all piled into one big testosterone-laden house. Before long, the older kids started heading off to college, and soon even the younger ones followed. Somewhere in those family formative years, in an attempt to make everyone feel equally a part of their combined family, they light-heartedly took on the name DunGum.
There, you have it. Better than the Brady Bunch, huh?
Of course as time passed, some of the sons started adding special young women to the fold, and for several years we have tried to get everyone together for that iconic family portrait. We came pretty dang close once, too. Pulled their living room sofa out into the front yard and piled it full of people, but still someone was missing and it never seemed right to produce the canvas.
With kids off at colleges all over the country, and holidays split with among other parents and new in-laws and out-laws, ski trips, and knee replacements, anyone else would have given up, but not Lynet. Kudos to her for being open to a new approach.
We realized that we’d just have to catch everyone when we could and build from there.
Our portrait session spread out over several months, but eventually we captured each individual as well as the married and/or engaged couples. together. We shot with two backgrounds every time. A simple black backdrop and a brick wall. Just a little variety but enough consistency to tie everything together.
Once all of our images were created, we selected a wall sized image of each individual or couple as well as smaller secondary prints of everyone. Lynet wanted a variety of shapes and sizes to hang together on one wall, and my print lab did a beautiful job of formatting the selections into thin-wraps — lightweight, ready-to-hang frameless photographic prints with a mounting block centered on the back.
I’ll have to share a picture of the finished wall at a later date. It’s very nice. While it is not a single traditional family portrait on one canvas, the DunGum’s portrait wall does capture the essence of the entire family at this one stage in their life. Isn’t that what a family portrait is all about anyway?
