by Shelly | Oct 9, 2014 | women |
Ladies, I’m going to ask you a very important question.
When is the last time YOU took the time to have photographs taken of yourself?
I don’t mean just a quick vacation snapshot or a bathroom selfie. I mean, when is the last time that you put the effort into it and worked with a photographer who would consult with you on wardrobe then bring in a hair and makeup artist to enhance your very best features — a photographer who would take the time to coach you on posing and who would light you beautifully?
Chances are it’s been a very very VERY long time if EVER!
After all, you’ve got other things to worry about. The kids are growing up and about to leave the nest. You work full time and then you volunteer for umpteen organizations that push you and pull you every which way. Or,maybe you think a special portrait session would be nice, but you’re uncomfortable because this would be pampering in the ultimate form — and you would feel a little bit narcissistic going in. And of course there are those extra few pounds that you want to drop first. — Yep. I know. I’ve heard it all.
But think of it another way.
What would you give to have a collection of lovely photographs of your own mother or your grandmother at the age you are right now. Being photographed at your best — at the age you are NOW is probably one of the greatest gifts that you can give to yourself AND to the people who love you the most. HECK! If you’re fortunate enough to still have your mother or grandmother, wouldn’t you love to have a collection of beautiful portraits of them NOW?
So… let me tell you a story about something that happened not too long ago in my studio.
Thanks to the social media phenomenon, I reconnected by Facebook over the past few years with some people that I had not heard from in a long time. Among them were people that I went to high school with.
One night I received a private message from one of my classmates asking if I would take pictures of her. Honestly, I didn’t think it would happen. We went to high school together in Midland, graduating about 35 years ago. She’s a nurse, living and working in Fort Worth. My studio is in Houston. Texas is a huge state y’all. That puts us at about a five hour drive apart.
We talked, and she confided that she was nervous about the whole concept but that she felt like she could TRUST ME with her image. Like so many women, Tami is very good at caring for other people as a critical care nurse. She has spent countless years putting the needs of her patients and her family before her own. She had not been good about treating herself with the respect she deserved. She was one of the myriad of women who struggled with body image and with not feeling pretty — OH MY does that sound like YOU? I can certainly identify!
We scheduled an appointment, and consulted further by phone.
AND THEN —
IT DID HAPPEN.
Tami took my advice. She shopped for new clothes and accessories. She had her hair cut and colored and she got a manicure too. She made arrangements to come to Houston and to stay in town the night before and the night after our session so that she would be rested and relaxed the morning of our appointment. I cleared my schedule so that we could preview her portraits before she had to go back home.
AND THEN She drove from her home in Fort Worth to Houston.
BEFORE — well sort of. This was actually a snapshot of a happy Tami the day AFTER our portrait session. This is how she looks on a normal good day. Don’tcha just love that sweet smile?
A huge part of our Elegance portrait sessions at SPCcreative Photography is a professional hair and makeup session, and one of my favorite makeup artists is Rachael Elise Walker, owner of Elise Artistry. Rachael comes right to my studio where she brings her sweet calming personality, her airbrush makeup tools and her arsenal of colors and brushes and hair tools and her amazing skills. Her work is nearly magical!
As we previewed the photographs the next day, I caught a tear sliding out of Tami’s eye, and my own heart danced as I reached for the Kleenex box. — YES! Tami finally saw how beautiful she really is and THAT is the most joyful part of my job. THAT is what I strive for every day.
It was so much fun catching up with Tami after all those years. Yes, we both still have remnants of our 17 year old selves, but we both have developed deep rich character traits that only come with age and experience. I learned about her family, and how much she absolutely ADORES her neices. We caught up on mutual friends — and decided that the folks who grew up with us in Midland, Texas back in the 70’s are genuinely a special lot — and that we are indeed blessed.
Looking at these images makes my heart happy. I want to do it again but this time I want to do it for YOU. Give me a call. Let’s talk!
by Shelly | Aug 31, 2014 | musician, senior guys, senior portraits |
For some high school seniors, the year is so hectic and crazy that they get all the way through the year and past graduation without ever slowing down enough to complete a senior portrait session. Keenan was one of those busy kids, so we took his portraits in the summer AFTER graduation — and that is absolutely okay.
After all, the images we created represent him at this particular stage in life — and when you’re looking at heirloom photography that will last a lifetime, what difference is just a few months?
Still, to avoid that crazy rush at the end of the year, it’s a very good idea to go ahead and schedule portraits NOW so that you’ll be ready to play by the time Senior-Itis kicks in. 
Of course any senior fortunate enough to drive an shiny red BMW like this one would want to include it in his portraits, so we shot his entire session at a local park rather than in the studio.
Keenan is a musician who was a member of the Taylor High School Band, but he really excelled and was happiest playing his guitar alone and with the THS Jazz Band!
Of course, I asked him to play for me just a bit while I photographed him. I always do that , and the TALENT kids have never ceases to amaze me.
THEY. ARE. GOOD!
I talked to his mom just the other day, and learned that he is already moved in and settled in his dorm at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. That’s just up the road and on the other side of Table Mountain from the neighborhood where I lived with my boys many lifetimes ago.
I know that if he ever gets a chance to look up from his books, he will love the laid-back Rocky Mountain Lifestyle that Colorado has to offer. I have a feeling that several ski outings are already on his agenda.
Happy Trails to you Keenan! Enjoy your time in college and study hard. You are very smart, and you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. YEP — YOU’VE GOT THIS! 
by Shelly | Aug 4, 2014 | senior gals, senior portraits, sports |
Have you noticed a trend with my seniors lately?
Scroll back through my last few senior posts… Beautiful… Sweet… GORGEOUS… SUPER COOL… Amazing…Stunning.
Well, here’s another. Meet Maddi! She ABSOLUTELY SPARKLES on her own, but having Cintya Velderrain bring her professional hair and makeup skills to the shoot — PURE WIN!
I first met Maddi a year ago when one of her friends came to view and select his senior portraits at SPCcreative Photography. You can probably imagine how THRILLED I was to see her walk through my doors again!
Get a load of those EYES! Oh MY!
Because she swam with the varsity swim team at Seven Lakes High School, Maddi and her mom wanted to create some fun and unique images that highlighted her swimming talents, so we decided to incorporate her bright green flippers and her goggles with a white formal gown. How cute is THAT?
Maddi has spent a good part of her summer coaching a kids’ swim team in her neighborhood,
but as that is wrapping up, she’s packing up her room and getting ready to head off to college where she is bound to be a head-turner.
Congratulations on your graduation, Maddi, and BEST Wishes for a great first year of college. When the finals drive you nearly batty, just come back and see me at the studio
where
LIFE’s A BEACH!
by Shelly | Jul 25, 2014 | senior portraits |
To the incoming seniors who still feel like high school will grind on forever, I PROMISE – PROMISE-PROMISE that even though we’re in the depths of summer, graduation day will be here before you know it.
In this part of the world, kids don’t typically get excited about senior portraits until springtime when their schedules are TOTALLY SLAMMED — And that’s when we see waves of panic-stricken seniors and parents wanting to get into the studio at the very last minute — but it doesn’t have to be like that!
We are offering an added incentive to plan ahead just a bit. This really is the best deal EVER at SPCcreative Photography, and it only happens once a year. Here’s how it works. You call before the end of July and reserve your senior portrait session. We schedule to shoot before December 31 — and YOU GET $75 credit toward your order. It’s as simple as that.
The really cool thing about this special is that we don’t have to actually take your pictures yet. I don’t love to sweat any more than you do. Going outside and trying to look great is HARD! Of course, if you don’t want to go outside, we can stay in the air conditioned studio and still get amazing images, but that’s missing half the fun. Why not choose a beautifully crisp autumn day instead? You probably already have your school schedule and calendar so you know what time you’ll be out of classes. You know when the UIL contests and scheduled games will be. You know when you’re leaving town for Thanksgiving.
No Excuses!
Our studio offers an amazing collection of background sets both indoors and out — or if you’d prefer to be photographed in a park, or at your home, or at your ranch, or HECK — even at the State Fair of Texas or on Times Square in New York City– by planning now we can handle that.
This is the best sale EVER — and it goes away after July 31.
So, what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and give us a call. We’ll answer all your questions and build a senior session just for you… whether you just want a 30 minute in and out appointment with one outfit or the full day go and play with in-studio hair and makeup and multiple locations — or something in between.
Do it!
(small print — session retainers are not refundable, but appointments may be rescheduled with with advance notice)
by Shelly | Jul 19, 2014 | musician, senior gals, senior portraits |
Creating Shana’s senior portraits made me SUPER happy for several great reasons.
First, she and her mother came to my studio just a few years after I photographed her older brother as a senior. It’s just so encouraging to receive that extra vote of confidence when clients come back again.
Shana first caught my eye and attention when she was a typical Freshman and a member of the Taylor High School Color Guard. I’ve photographed that group since before she entered high school, and it’s been fun to see her become such a sweet, gentle, and self-assured young lady.
She always had a big sparkly smile for me both from the stands and from the field when I was covering the high school football games. Well, maybe she wasn’t looking for the camera from the field. She was concentrating on her show — as she should be — but I loved watching for her because she was definitely one of my favorites.
She’s probably one of your favorites too, if you’ve had a chance to get to know her.
I’m very excited to watch the next phase in her life as she heads to North Texas State where she will study … WAIT FOR IT . . . .
WAIT FOR IT — WAIT FOR IT–
Where she will study PHOTOGRAPHY! That’s it! A girl after my own heart!
So, Shana — I expect you to bring back your portfolio and come visit when you get home at Christmas time because I want to see what you do! Deal?
