by Shelly | Jan 6, 2013 | men |
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! 
by Shelly | Jan 2, 2013 | family |
Talk about HISTORY! Kim Stowers and I go back a very long way.
Like, back to Brownies and Girl Scouts at Rusk Elementary, High School Band, Family Water-Ski and Camping Trips, and a High School Graduation Trek across Europe, one that we started planning in fifth grade. We called each other “Sis” and we called each other’s parents Mom and Dad… But all that was a very long time ago.
Fast forward through college, kids, marriages, achievements, heartaches, illnesses, the untimely deaths of half of our parents, and in general… LIFE. While we never actually lost contact with each other, we didn’t stay in touch as well as we should have either. The last time I saw Kim’s girls, Liz and Katt, they were about kindergarten/preschool age. Now they are are just about grown.
My, how time FLIES!
What an honor it was to get to photograph this amazing and fun-loving bunch not so long ago when I was back in Midland.
Still, the things they say about old friends are true. You honestly do get to pick up where you left off — and it is OH SO SWEET!
Yeah… Time Flies, but we won’t let so much of it get away from us from here on out, will we?
LOVE YA SIS!
by Shelly | Dec 30, 2012 | senior gals, senior portraits |
It’s nearly the end of 2012 and now that the holiday craziness is settling down, I’ve started cleaning up my desk and sorting out some files.
While I’m going to be the first to admit that I’m a delinquent blogger, you’ll probably wonder like I do how I could have POSSIBLY missed a chance to blog this beautiful senior from… YES… I’m SO EMBARRASSED to have missed it… the class of 2012.
By now, Rachel has already finished her first semester at my own Alma Mater, The University of Texas, and is probably getting ready to go back. In any case, here’s a look back at a super sweet and oh-so cute Seven Lakes graduate from nearly a year ago.
For What it’s Worth… My New Years Resolutions include taking the time to attend to details like BLOGGING MY SESSIONS so that you don’t miss any of my favorite images like these in the coming year.
by Shelly | Dec 27, 2012 | senior gals, senior portraits |
Okay… so yesterday I shared a post with images from a portrait session that we did with Ashley.
What you didn’t get to see was how we built a custom album for her.
Sometimes — oh, okay, nearly always, a session produces more images than you can feasibly hang on the wall, and it’s oh so hard to make a decision.
Fortunately, with our gorgeous professionally-produced hard-cover books, you don’t have to decide! Just pick your favorites and we’ll do the rest.
If there are meaningful quotes that are important to you — as Ashley did — we can include those too.
Pithy quotes, Bible verses, song lyrics, or even just a private joke that makes you smile. Every book is individually customized.
So… Here’s Ashley’s album! I hope she enjoys it for years to come… as for you?… Enjoy today!
by Shelly | Dec 26, 2012 | family, senior gals, senior portraits, women |
Ashley, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, porcelain-skinned beauty, graduated last spring from Taylor High School. Her senior year was so incredibly full that the senior portrait session before graduation just didn’t happen. Next next thing we knew she was off to a summer studying in Paris — and NOW she’s living the dream as a Freshman at New York University. Just because we missed the traditional pre-graduation time frame, it ABSOLUTELY DID NOT mean that she and her family would have to go without some gorgeous portraits to commemorate this eventful year in her life.
Because of weather issues, we shot the entire session indoors at my studio. I tucked my own canine studio mascots, Addie and Lucy, safely into their kennels with pillows and chew sticks so that Bluebell, the adorable Shi Tzu, could feel right at home.
To top off our session, Ashley’s parents, Steve and Angela joined into the action for a few extra images.
Christmas cards? Check! Heirloom Wall Portrait? Check! Gifts for grandparents and a touch of home for the dorm? Check!
I had Sooooo much fun photographing Ashley and creating some gorgeous wall portraits and albums for her and for her family. Yeah… I really do love what I do!
