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 | 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.
by Shelly | Dec 7, 2015 | relationship, senior gals, senior portraits, special project, women |
Hair and Makeup by Rachael Elise Walker — Elise Artistry
Some people are simply so full of life and adventure that you never know what’s going to happen when they get creative, but you know that it’s going to be fun. Originally we had planned to only photograph Mary, the mom in this series. BUT — as we worked through our consultation, we realized that we would all be missing out if we didn’t bring her daughter into the session as well — and I am so glad we did.
This is something I believe EVERY mother and daughter should do tpgether. Not only did they get to spend an afternoon laughing and playing “dress-up” together, they both looked AMAZING when they left the studio for dinner..
I secretly wished I could have tagged along just to watch people’s reaction as they walked by. Stay with me, and you’ll see why!
AND _ to top it off, they’ll have fabulous heirloom images of each other to treasure for ever.
R is a gorgeous young teen. She is sweet, quiet and soft-spoken … UNTIL she unleashes her inner goth. It may seem like an oxymoron, but when she turns on her dark side, THAT is when she really lights up.
We started out our session with a nice casual feel, and with the help of our in-studio makeup artist and stylist, Rachael Walker, we worked our way up from there.
Mary took a more formal route . . .
Isn’t she lovely?
But she was a great sport about letting R play out her inner rock goddess complete with blue hair extensions and super-dramatic makeup.
Very moody, huh? 
Because Mike Chetty and I raised five sons, we have a collection of old band instruments in our closets.
Most are in better shape than this old French Horn that had been previously destined to the trash heap, but I love how well it played into our theme. We didn’t have to worry about damaging it, and I am super glad it found its way into my prop closet!
This was by FAR one of my favorite sessions in a long time. I can’t wait to do another concept escalation based on creativity and dreams. There’s one in the planning stages now, and I would love to create one for YOU as well.
by Shelly | Dec 2, 2015 | baby |
I can hardly believe it’s been more than a year since these yummy little girls came into my world and into my heart. Watching them grow and explore is such a joy.
It really feels like it’s only been a week or so since they were tiny squirmy newborns in the studio, but they have already celebrated turning one. . They were born only a few minutes apart, but on both sides of midnight, so they each get their own official birthday. These escapades actually happened a little while back, but the delinquent blogger strikes again — and we are sometimes slow to the blogging board.
Still — they are absolutely too gorgeous not to share here. 
As they say, Better late than never!
Happy belated birthday little ladies. You are always welcome to come play in Miss Shelly’s studio playhouse with me.
