by Shelly | Nov 14, 2014 | family, men |
This family! Oh my — THIS family is one of my favorite that I ever have photographed!
What do you do when you have two swoon-worthy college and high school aged sons and it’s been a while since you’ve had family portraits made?
YOU DO IT!
You get a date on the calendar and you make it happen. NO EXCUSES!
It’s no small feat when school and work activities and travel are chaotic. It takes an extra level of commitment to clear the schedule and get everyone into the room in good clothes all at one time, but it is Sooooooooooo worth it.
Kudos to the K family! They DID IT!
Setting up family portraits with older boys takes a special skill because showing a strong and fun relationship in an age-appropriate way can be tricky. What works for toddlers or ten-year-olds tends to fall apart and smell sorta cheesy once the kids are taller than their mother — and I LOVE that challenge.
We were facing some weather challenges and we couldn’t let that stop us either. So, rather than dodge thunderstorms, floods, and mosquitoes, we got a little bit creative and shot in the atrium of Mr. K’s office building. It turned out to be absolutely perfect — and we had air conditioning! That’s such a nice thing to have in this part of the world and it was a HUGE bonus for us!
These boys are handsome. They’re cool. They get along beautifully, and they like to be a little bit silly and goofy too.
Thank goodness! Laugher can carry a family a long long way.
THAT is what I wanted to show.
In a very short time, these boys will both be out of the house and living on their own, but the K family will always have some great artwork on their walls capturing these fleeting and very special days.
I’m so proud of them for making the effort to spend an evening in front a camera, and I am delighted that they spent that evening in front of MY camera because we had one heckuva good time together!
Does your family need portraits one last time before the kids scatter into their own grown up lives? Call me today. Let’s make it happen!
by Shelly | Oct 14, 2014 | baby, family, maternity |
What’s on my mind tonight?
It’s this super sweet family. Tomorrow they will increase their family size by FIFTY PERCENT! 
That’s right! Fifty percent! Sometime tomorrow Baby M and Baby H will join their two big brothers in one of the sweetest young families I’ve met in a very long time.
“OH Daddy, what have we gotten ourselves into? I don’t know, but it’s going to be SWEET! “
Tomorrow is going to be a great day for being born! Friends, please join me in praying for a safe and healthy delivery for two new little Aggie Girls!
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 9, 2014 | pets, special project |
I did something just a little bit different this week, and as a result, I fell a little bit in love.
I went to meet and photograph some cats that really would like to go home with a human and STAY.
Oh my catnip, was it fun!
For starters, let’s meet BOOTS —
Boots is a big gorgeous two-year-old hunk who would do well in a home without human kids – — or at least someone who is a real neatnick.
You see, he has a tendency to play with things and eat them. Things like toys and yarn.
As much as he loves hanging out with the staff at Green Trails Animal Clinic in Katy where he’s staying, he says he’d much rather not have to do that surgery thing . . . AGAIN.
OOPS! BURP
So, how did I chance upon Boots and his buddies?
There’s been a sign about adoptable cats on the door at our veterinarian’s office for so long that I almost quit noticing it. Then the last time I stopped in to pick up some meds for our geriatric Aussie, I learned that the clinic currently has 10 cats and 16 kittens that will need to find fur-ever homes.
The kittens aren’t quite ready to go yet, but all the rest of these guys can go home with you TODAY. They are all HEALTHY.
They’ve been spayed or neutered and micro-chipped . . . and they get handled and loved on every minute that the staff can spare.
Oh, and did I say . . . they’re HEALTHY!
So let’s meet some more of this gang.
Seventy is a lovely two-year old Saraparilla Sweetheart. She loves her catnip mouse, and she tells me that she’s really ready to trade in her clinic crate for a cushy pillow in front of someone’s television. She especially likes to watch old sappy chick-flics but says she could learn to like football and WWF.
-MEOW-
Now, if you’d like a cat that’s going to keep you laughing, then you should meet 116
He’s just 19 weeks old. He’s a big lover, and probably the most playful in the bunch. Oh so active. This guy will keep you hopping.
He’s also the brother of 115 below:
115 has a purr motor that you can hear across the room. He’s extremely curious about things, but very cautious at the same time.
Smart Kitty!
I personally think that 115 and 116 would love it if they could stay together.
—PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR—
So, have you noticed that not all of these cats have real names? Their numbers started remindnig me of Jean ValJean, the hero of Les Miserables —
Valjean, known only as 24601 before he re-entered the free world once told Marius “You have love. That’s the only future God gives us.”
—
This is 107. She’s a playful 10 month old female tabby who needs love. She needs a future. Do you see some Cosette in her eyes?
I do.
meow meow meow
And now there’s ALICE.
Alice might be a Maine Coon Cat. She’s a big ol’gal at 13 months.
She’s got that deep growly kind of meow — the kind that says she knows what she wants and you ARE going to get it for her.
She’s very vocal, a big lover, and playful too.
If I could take one of these kitties home, I think Alice would be my choice but our geriatric Aussie would probably think we were breaking in a replacement for her, and it’s just not worth the trauma.
-PURR-
Our next guy is #76.
He’s a two-year old tabby with piercing green eyes. In addition to lots of love, he needs a special diet because he’s prone to urinary problems, but the clinic staff says that as long as he stays on that diet he is as good as gold. I only told you that in the interest of full disclosure, but SERIOUSLY, it shouldn’t be a huge issue in finding his new home.
-MEOW-
Awww ——— Next we have 113. He’s just 18 weeks old, and he’s a sweet mellow bundle of love. I think the 13 moniker makes him a lucky charm for somebody.
PURR-PURR-PURR
Our next guy, who looks like a Russian Blue, probably needs a Russian name.
But he’s shy and he doesn’t speak Russian — OR English for that matter.
He probably wouldn’t care if you named him Sobaka, which means DOG in Russian. He will just be happy for you to notice how ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL he is.
In the meantime, we’ll just call him 120.
-PURR-MEOW-PURR-
And finally, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Snow White. She’s a two-yearol Blue Point Lynx who finds great comfort in her very own cardboard box.
Yep — a cardboard box. She’s NOT a high maintenance gal.
She’s a bit cross-eyed, but she’s a sweetie who deserves a Happily Ever After.
Dontcha think?
-MEOW-
ALL of these cats are safely tucked away waiting for you to come visit during business hours at Green Trails Animal Clinic.
They’re at 19825 Greenwind Chase, Houston, 77094.
You can talk to their caretakers by calling 281.492-6100.
Again — they’re all healthy, spayed and neutered, microchipped in case they happen to go wandering — and they just want a home to call their own.
Go take a look. If you don’t take home a new family member, you’ll at least leave a little bit of your heart behind — and there’s nothing wrong with that.
MEOW!
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!
