Birdseye Photography

Change

2008-09-11T15:30:00.003-06:00

You may be wondering 'where the noodles has Julie been?!'

Well... here.

That's right, the Birdseye blog version 2.0 - bigger, better, and just beautiful, if I may say so myself.
:)

www.birdseyephotographyblog.com

** Be sure and update your bookmarks list on your computer with the new address! This one will be scarce...indefinitely....

Prized Possession

2008-09-04T15:12:00.005-06:00

K & T wanted to show off their 2-month-old baby brother, Q, to me, so we had a playdate!

These boys were so sweet. They showed me their room, the play room, the TV room, and all of their prized possessions in between. (most notably, Q)

These squishy cheeks and lips are so kissable! I love this age. They are just mush in your arms to cuddle to your heart's content. (Or more realistically, until your arms get tired if they're a sweet chunk, like Q.)

He had so much personality. Well, both of the big boys did. They were just typical, happy, little guys excited to have some one to show off for!

Mom & Dad caught a quick moment alone which I think lead to a case of the giggles...

K has double the super powers: to crack me up and take flight at the same time!

Q's most effective super power is flashing that grin. I'm sure that has a stronghold over Mommy, making her heart weak.

*Aren't "Q" names rare? You want to know what his name is, don't you... It's a cute one, but I've never heard it before, and I instantly loved it.

September Cover

2008-09-04T10:43:00.003-06:00

For the September cover of the Denton Connection, I had the privilege of photographing Denton's new mayor, Mark Burroughs. He was a very easy-going subject, as the editor of the magazine and I trekked with him all over City Hall. It was a pleasure working with him, and getting to chit-chat about the new, exciting things that are making their way to our corner of North Texas.

Q & A

2008-09-04T10:30:00.006-06:00

Question:
What is your favorite working environment?

My Answer:
Windows open on a cool, breezy day, sipping a (all-time-favorite-seasonal-drink) pumpkin latte.

Oh, what's this???....

Um, this would be happiness...

*What is your favorite working environment? (I know not everyone - insanely enough - enjoys a latte.)

Skin to Skin

2008-09-01T22:13:00.002-06:00

M has just a couple days left to soak up all of the only-child life he'll ever know.

His beautiful mommy is carrying a very best friend for him.

Baby brother M will be here very soon, and this sweet little trio will have one more to share the love and laughs with.

While M is not used to having to share the limelight, his daddy is, after having been an accomplished TV & film actor in LA for 18 years! (Impressive, much?!!)

(This shot cracked me up! M found his ears!) So sweet how daddies let their children humble them.

It was a drizzly morning, but this umbrella livened things up outside for us!

Can't wait to see you again to meet the new addition!

NEW LOGO

2008-08-29T11:30:00.005-06:00

If you have picked up your September issue of the Denton Connection, or the DFW Kids Directory, you have already met my new love, so now it's time to introduce her to the blogging world.

Meet the new face of Birdseye.

She has inspired change around here. Big things are in the works! In the coming weeks, we'll reveal our new blog and website. Stay tuned...

Catch Me

2008-08-29T11:23:00.004-06:00

This shot cracks me up, from the session below. And ironically enough, this shot was taken in the EXACT location as my last blooper I posted. I suppose by the time we reach that locale, the kiddos are d.o.n.e.!

German Parts

2008-08-27T17:21:00.010-06:00

After having to reschedule 3 times, the heavens finally opened up and allowed us to meet! (Well, ironically, one of the reschedulings was actually due to the heavens opening up...), but other than that, with the kiddos being sick, and Mom taking a pretty serious fall in the back yard, (she is healing perfectly now), two months from the time we booked the session, I was anxious to get to meet my new friends whom I talked with so much on the phone!

And look at the precious family who greeted me...

I look over, and while settling down with their boys, Mom & Dad start snuggling. That's how much love is there. Random snuggles at random moments.

Happy toes.

10-month-old L is a giddy little guy! He would just stare at me and smile.

And then turn to Momma and give her big, wet kisses!

M needed a snack break to feel like himself again before the tickle monster could come out to play.

And when she (the tickle monster) did, he was all smiles!

Daddy's nuzzles look so good on L.

I think...pure speculation here....that M may have an affinity for trains. Just guessing.

Can you crawl like a bear?

Daddy is a native of Germany, so these little guys were "made in the USA, with German parts".
:)

I had a wonderful time getting to meet you all! Thank you for that sweet invitation to stay for dinner, I'm sorry I had to miss out!

Pinkie Performance

2008-08-25T19:58:00.007-06:00

Another sweet Chickadee planner has hatched, and at 6 days old here, what a precious, fresh little chick he is.

Unless my memory is failing me, I think he is my first newborn with cloth diapers, and can I tell you, I have ALWAYS thought this is such a smart idea for so many reasons, and after chatting long & hard with baby N's momma, I am sold. There are so many positive aspects - saving money, the Earth, and your baby's soft hiney, to name a few - that (while it's easy for me to say now - the child-free woman that I am), the inconvenience of it is a small price to pay. (Not to mention how they're so cute & colorful!)
Yes, I know, we shall see though.
:)

He already knows who Daddy is, looking him straight in the eye.

Baby N's "rogue pinkie" - according to his father.

That little pinkie showed up several times during our shoot. And it didn't matter which hand, right or left, both of them made several solo performances.

Big yawn. Poor guy. He fought so hard to stay awake, while we tried so hard to lull him to sleep. His momma said he later crashed hard the rest of the day. I'm sure we wore him out!

Um, I think the sweetness level of this image is about all I can take without physically driving over to him right now, and scooping up and cuddling his beautiful, little self.

Dusting Off the Santa Hat

2008-08-21T21:55:00.014-06:00

I have a feeling that Alyssa may be receiving some thank you calls after this Christmas season from all of the delighted grandmothers who received what's inside of this box from their grandloves.

So.....(building suspense)...... what joys may a little, obscure, dark box contain?

Let's peek inside...

Birdseye is now offering albums!

(And might I add, I would be just as satisfied with this swanky box it's coupled with...)

Who am I kidding, look at this plush, leather album! (And the sweeties it contains!)

*I love that it has a little window in the front, just to give you a nibble of the goodness inside.

The smooth leather texture lets you know you are holding something delicious.

(But, forgive me my green friends, I am still one of you! It's just that if you saw the joy this display of kiddos' smiles brings their mom, you would want her to have it, too. Promise.)

This particular album, at 20 pages thick (holding 40 pictures), is the big brother of the bunch. That is the most one album can hold! The smaller albums include either 20, or 30 prints.

The size of the pictures can either be a 4x6, 5x5 or 5x7.

The images are secured in the album with a sturdy black mat, making each capture like its own little work of art.

(It's like he is peeking out of the album....)

Please contact us for pricing on all of our album options.
And, this is a warning, have your tap-dancing shoes on hand when you see how easy it is to have your grandparent Christmas list complete!

This is just one of the fun, new happenings around the Birdseye office!
Stay tuned - in September we will reveal our new logo, which to me, every time I look at it, it reminds me of a spa. It just has a relaxing, modern feel to it, (though how I equate a logo on a computer screen to the spa, I don't know. Maybe it's because I have not seen a spa in years, from working behind the computer so much. So much so that staring at a good design is evidently now the way I relax!)

I Don't Wanna

2008-08-20T14:50:00.004-06:00

This outtake, from the session below, makes me laugh out loud!
I just had to post it.

(click on the image to see that pouty lip in all its cuteness)

Grandparents to the Greath Degree

2008-08-19T21:08:00.007-06:00

Miss Personality, R, was the star of our show a few weeks back when we photographed her whole paternal side of the family.

She looked at me with her hands up like this, and I was puzzled for a minute as to what she was doing, until I realized she was mimicking me! A little photographer-in-the-making! Cute, imaginative, 2-yr.-old!

Daddy is proud to show off his 3-month-old boy, D, along with Daddy's grandfather, and father, making that D's great-grandfather and grandfather! 4 generations of men in this family.

D instantly snuggled into Pop's chest.

(Gotta love a precious, baby faux-hawk!)

Mommy got some one-on-one time with her little man. Poor D needed his batteries re-charged from all of the action!

Why does every toddler know how to perfect that innocent expression?

But, judging from these pictures....

....you cannot get much sweeter than this.

Later, after photographing R & D with their mommy and daddy, we walked up the stairs to find the two great-grandmothers just chatting away and giggling like they were hanging out a soda shop after high school! It was adorable.

What do you think R is deep in thought about? The ponderings of a little one.

R was fun entertainment for everyone, watching her toss change into the fountain.
All together, there was Daddy, great-grandfather, the two great-grandmothers (one holding D), grandfather & grandmother, uncle, aunt, R, & Mommy.
R & D are blessed kiddos to have so much love surrounding them.

Open-Mouth Smiles

2008-08-13T11:05:00.006-06:00

Last week I got to play with J who is now almost 6 years old!
When I first walked up and said "Hi, J!", he said, "I didn't think you'd recognize me." (because he had grown so much. Stinker.)

And those eyelashes? Turns out I'm still obsessed.

I love how he can turn on the cool guy charm, and then....

....snap back in to the silly 5-almost-6-yr.-old he is.

Oh, and look who decided to join us since the last time we met!

HAPPY brother F ! You just give a hint of a grin to this 4-month-old sweetheart and *instant* smiles are all over him.

It's so cute when babies have those big, open-mouth smiles and their whole body just decides to follow suit. Like his happiness just takes him over!

Big brother is quite the happy guy himself.

But I just can't get over 'em lashes.

Happenings with a Pink Chair

2008-08-11T12:56:00.005-06:00

Beautiful A has turned one!

I love getting to watch my Chickadee Planners grow.
Look at this big girl standing! Any day now she'll be walking all over the place.

Definition of giddiness: your smile is so big, you can't see through your squinting eyes and scrunched up cheeks.

Here, A is doing her "bull face". She has done it since she was a wee thing. She squishes up her nose and snorts through it, like a bull!
I wish I could have caught it on video to share. It makes all who are around her smile!

...toes

2008-08-11T12:47:00.006-06:00

Being that these are the FIRST FOUR images shot of her session...I'd say A is accustomed to having a camera around. Her little personality turned right on from the beginning.
What a cute starlett - sharing her tootsies with me!

*(Click on the image to see it larger!)

Summer Drink

2008-08-08T18:45:00.008-06:00

On the morning of J's senior session, we had a bit of a weather issue. The minute his session was supposed to begin, the heavens open up. No problem, his mom and I, after talking on the phone, agree that we'll just wait in our cars a bit to see if it clears up as the radar claims it would shortly. The rain does stop pretty quickly, but it is still thundering and lightning heavily, so we wait a bit more in the safety of the car. After 15 mins. or so of no rain and just thunder/lightning, we decide to go ahead and risk being zapped and start his session. We happen to meet on the Denton square under an awning, (there are only awnings over a couple stores where we were), and as soon as we're ready to head out, RAIN starts again! Thankfully we have shelter, and there are actually a couple places to shoot where we were stranded, but the dark skies limit my complete potential! After 10 or so more minutes, it is still raining, but just a sprinkling, and with the humidity creeping up, (aka: sweatiness), our best option was to just go with Mother Nature and embrace her gift of the summer drink.

And here are our results:

Can I just say thank you to the rain for creating this beautiful light?!

**(Which actually brings up a good point: if it is raining on the morning of your session, I will call you, and depending on how long it appears the rain is going to stick around, we do not necessarily have to reschedule. And I would never cancel an entire day before a shoot because rain is predicted, you never know what our fickle weather will end up doing!) -- Sorry for the tangent there!

J was a tough cookie to get to crack a smile. What you don't see here is his mom, to my right, who just accidentally slipped, which of course forced him to give way to the pearly whites!

I think I've stated before how when we have urban sessions, and my clients are following me, I sort of become a sporadic driver, based on what we happen upon during our drive. (My shoot locations are thought out generally, but I'm always open for something new!) For this shot, we were leaving the parking lot of another destination when I see these awesome, painted curbs! Of course something as fun as this made my arms decide to whip my steering wheel over and park oblongly to get to photograph here. (I'm sure J, driving behind me, probably thought I forgot something at our last locale causing me to come to such a halt!)

J's class of 2009 is the first graduating class of students at Denton's new Guyer High School to start as freshman and graduate as seniors.

I don't know why, but each time I look at this picture, I think of going through a box of old pictures in your grandparent's attic, and finding a picture of your grandfather in the 1930's playing football. It just has an "old-timey" feel to me.

Congratulations, J!

Brain Freeze

2008-08-07T17:26:00.019-06:00

rainbow popsicle + cute, 18-mon.-old bare tummy = SUMMER!

I love this series of faces! I think he enjoyed his cold treat...until the brain freeze hit!

Contentment.

Uh, Mom, this is cold...

Such a sweet, sticky mess. (Dean, that is, not the popsicle!)

Gotta get this one last drop...

....there! Got it!

This little angel was using his sign language to ask for more "please"!
Precious.

And of course, how better to work off the colorful popsicle running through your veins... play chase with sticks!

Happy summer, Dean!
(I have to sniffle one more time as I realize it's been a year since we first met...)

Stockpiling Photos

2008-08-02T06:32:00.006-06:00

Hellooo!
Well, another week has flown by, and 5 sessions later, I am getting behind again on this blogging thing! I successfully caught up this week with getting orders out to clients and posting sessions from when I was out of town the week before in NY. But now today, I am leaving again for 5 days to see family in Missouri! This is definitely the last trip of the summer, (well, except for a 2 day excursion the hubby & I are taking in 2 weeks to see our favorite band .....twice), so hopefully the blog won't get behind again until...Christmas season!

I'll return next Thursday to share more pictures of this popsicle-lovin' cutie with you...

Have a good week!

Angel

2008-07-27T18:39:00.007-06:00

Meet newborn, precious G. She is so sweet and easy-going.
I love that little hand poking out!

A little 'behind-the-scenes' shot...mommy looking on.

Her mommy brought cute, girlie outfits for her, like this adorable little dress!

Though I think mom's & grandma's favorite shots were of their sweetie as bare as could be.

This beautiful family endured a life-changing event this year as G's daddy is now in heaven. Grandma and mommy are here to love on G doubly, and this little girl will grow up knowing she has an extra angel watching over her.

Grandma's arms are a good place to be.

Introducing...

2008-07-25T12:50:00.003-06:00

Alyssa!

...my new, wonderful assistant!
I am so excited to have her join the ranks! Yesterday we started working on fun, new things which we'll be introducing in just a couple of weeks! BP is going to get a new look, from top to bottom, just in time to ring in the beginning of our holiday season!

Our holiday sessions will officially start in September and run through mid-November. (Though the mommies of my "big kid" clients this summer have already efficiently noted that their summer session is going to double as their holiday session! I think it's so fun when instead of receiving a family in sweaters on a Christmas card, you get a family in bright tank tops! Changes things up!) Of course we have adorable, new holiday cards for all you cute families who need to show off your little ones!
Our last weekend session date to have prints made in time for Christmas is November 15th, and we only have 8 Saturdays open between now & then!
For our sessions during the month of August, we'll be giving out a gift to all you early birds who are on the ball and have your holiday session then! What might this awesome, one-time-only gift be? Since we love to make new friends, you'll just have to email us and ask.
:)

Cuzzin' Session

2008-07-24T15:16:00.012-06:00

On Saturday, before the wedding in NY, I had a mini-mini-shoot with my cousin's two children.

First up is 10-month-old, big-brown-eyed beauty Amelia:

Her big brother, Charlie, is 2 and on the move!
(This was him pre-bubble-eating...)

Being just 18 months apart, little "Mia" is in for some brotherly teasing! Soon enough though, she'll be able to retaliate with the inevitable annoying little sisterly ways, which I may have perfected myself as a child.

Daddy looking on...

Daddy and his "mini me" are such good buddies. It's cute to watch them interact! From what I hear, Charlie is a great helper all around the house when his daddy works on projects and such. Charlie loves Bob the Builder, so working with hammers & tools + Daddy = a good day.

Family Vacation

2008-07-23T15:42:00.021-06:00

Hello All!
Last night we got home from a great week with family in upstate New York - the land of greenery, mountains, clean air, and mosquitoes! I love going to visit up there. It's just so different than our beautiful, flat home state. Lush, lush, lush - the only word that keeps coming to mind!

We arrived late Wednesday evening after a day of traveling and rested that night with wood-fired pizza at my grandmother's home. She was actually in the hospital that day, and had been since the previous Monday. We went to visit her the next morning, and she was doing better and was released the next day, Friday.
On Thursday, after spending the morning/afternoon with her, we visited my cousin who lives in Albany and stayed with him that evening.

Do you know what makes you feel like a kid again in .28 seconds?.... a TRAMPOLINE!

And oh.my.word. After about 2 mins. on the thing, my heart was pounding and I was a sweaty mess! We had a trampoline as a kid and we'd bounce and jump on it for hours and never stop. It was insane to me how worn out I got so quickly on it last week! Not how I remember at all! Things have changed since my childhood.... (my metabolism!)

Crack the egg...

I commented that we were getting pricked by little sticks that were falling on the trampoline, thinking my cousin would go get a broom or something...oh no, he comes back with a gas-powered leaf blower! He makes me laugh.
Oh, and see his shirt, "Microbiology Lab - STAPH ONLY"....he's a pharmacist...
:)

My cousin's little boy had his blocks out, but after he went to bed, somebody stole them... see his concentration!

So proud of his masterpiece!

Guitar Hero Challenge!

Friday morning we loaded up the car and went on our scenic journey to Cooperstown - The Baseball Hall of Fame!
The husband's portion of the trip. He is a lifelong baseball fan, so being so close to the "mecca", of course we had to treat him, and it was a wonderful day!

My little brother looking at historical gear. That is my favorite in museums - when you actually get to see old artifacts. To look at them and think, 'somebody ___ years ago actually used this!'

We took a break after looking around the first floor of the museum and left for lunch. Cooperstown is SO quaint! It is such a cute little city, with tree and flower lined streets, and little cafes and shops....adorable! We ate at the Doubleday Cafe, named after Abner Doubleday who is credited with inventing baseball in 1839. (See what going to the HOF will teach you?!)

Just outside of a little shop - yes, everything there is pretty baseball-related!

When we re-visted the museum post-lunch, we walk up to the next floor and an elderly worker starts telling the crowd that 'in just a minute, there will be a speech about ballpark-goers' favorite foods at a ballpark, and how much a hot dog cost at different times during baseball's history', etc. So we walk over to see this kid dressed in a deli-looking outfit, and he stares at us. We 4 (myself, the hubby, my little bro & his wife), stare at him. I think the kid who was supposed to give the presentation wanted to talk about the history of hot dogs as much as we cared to listen to it! It so awkwardly funny...so he pulls out his sheet of facts and starts reading. After a couple minutes of listening to how certain foods became synonymous with baseball, and what odd foods are served at different ball parks around the country, there came a lull in the conversation, so I jump in, "well, thank you, it was good talking with you!", and he says " wait, I'm not through!" We were trapped! It was like he didn't really enjoy doing this part of his job, but he was told to do it, so once he got through his paper-o-facts, he was free to be finished with it for the day. So we stuck around and heard more about what hot dog toppings are most famous, then the kid said "you guys can go if you want", making us all feel bad! So then, to complete his job, we join in group participation! My little brother was told to (and did it!) yell right there in the museum "GET YOUR HOT DOGS!" Then my husband got to pick up a hot dog carrier and feel how heavy it really is....

...that was clearly Stuart's highlight...
As soon as the kid finished our presentation, he took off his deli hat and jacket and left! He had done his requirement for that portion of his day!
:) *When we walked out of the museum to leave at the end of the day, the same kid was then performing a different task of his job requirements and was a greeter at the door. We caught each other's eye, and stared for a minute - he looked different without his deli hat & jacket! - then we smiled knowing that we shared a funny (awkward!) time inside.

Next to his childhood hero's plaque - Nolan Ryan.

My little bro pointed this shot out - it's kind of hard to see the engraving on the wall of the HOF emblem, but I love how the lines/shadows turned out.

Making his best old-timey ball player face...

Resting in the kids area. I need a baseball glove chair in my house, it was comfy!

The entrance to the museum.

On Saturday, the main reason for our NY visit, one of my cousin's was married!
In the church before the ceremony...

At the reception, I look over and see this - my husband was helping my cousin push his niece...I thought the three of them made a cute, little family.

The reception was on some family land. They put up a tent, and let the beautiful landscape decorate itself. Gorgeous.

They gave the kids bubbles, and my cousin's boy decided that the only way he could get the bubbles to come out is if he put his mouth RIGHT ON the bubble stick.

He made himself a bubble goatee from all of his bubble eating. It was funny to see the faces he made while tasting the soapy mess!

On Sunday, on the way to our family picnic, we stopped at my grandfather's grave site.
This is my cousin with his boy, telling him of his namesake.

On Monday, we just relaxed at my grandmother's home, and my father and husband decided to play landscaper. My dad looks like a fierce hedge-trimmer here!

The family homestead. This home was built in the 1800s. My grandparents moved here in the 60's, when my dad was a kid. I think it's neat for him to get to visit the home he grew up in, and of course this home contains all of my memories with my grandparents.

They didn't have a ladder, so this is their effort to clip the top of the bush...

Just some of the scenery as we drove around Monday evening near my grandparent's home.

They live out in the country, about an hour south of the city-life in Albany.

Just a random, pretty home, but it sums up how their "neighborhoods" look around there. A house in the middle of tons of acreage!

Pulling up to my grandparents' farm...

Well, that's it! It was good to see our loved ones, but of course, it's also nice to return home to our puppies.

Thanks for looking through my trillions of pictures! It was a fun week, but man, it's overwhelming to return to work with a hundred emails and patient clients waiting for their pictures! I'm anxious to catch up. I'm working on it!
:)

Orchestrated

2008-07-18T07:23:00.000-06:00

My best friend's little sister is getting married!
I first met A when she was in the third grade, and because of the sweet big sister that she has, I remember A playing with us from time to time in their neighborhood growing up.

She has found her match! C is such a sweetie. He is a funny, outgoing guy, but also so cute with her, the way he cares for her, and makes sure that she is happy all the time.

This is their wedding color scheme: pink, orange, & green - Spring!
(They're getting married 3.7.09)

They met while studying across from each other at the UNT library, so of course we had to include that locale in our shoot!
I think the way they met is a neat story, and just meant to be: they had never seen each other on campus before, but after seeing each other in the library the first time, they ran into each other again that same night at a computer lab across campus from the library, and then bumped into each other a third time the very next day while passing each other on the campus sidewalks!
(After seeing this girl for the third time in two days, C realized that he should probably get her number!)
UNT has 35-40,000+ students... I'd say this match was orchestrated.

Congratulations, friends!

Exciting News!

2008-07-15T14:22:00.004-06:00

BP has a new Chick!

After realizing that working 7 days a week, and well into the evenings on a regular basis isn't normal.... I decided it was time to hire some help! I now have a new editing assistant, who started with me this morning, and oh, just knowing that she is here is SUCH a blessing! I am so excited to be able to have a faster turn-around time for my clients, and MORE BLOGGING! I know the blog has been scarce lately, and therefore looking like it has not been hectic, but ironic that it's just the opposite! Trying to get sessions out to clients is a little higher on the priority list than blogging, so that's where the time goes.

Anywho... I meant to take a picture of her this morning, but we were too busy working! I will introduce her when I return from my trip this week. I will be out of my office for the next week, but I am going to delay some blogs so they get posted while I'm gone, and then I'll post about my trip when I return!

Off to finish up work and pack, but I'll leave you with another picture of sweet K, from her Arboretum session last week... she needed mommy's help climbing the steps...

Family who plays together stays together!!

2008-07-12T20:37:00.012-06:00

Today was an eventful family day for the 'ole Birdseye house.... a FAMILY FEUD day to be precise...

Yes! "Crazy" your thinking?! or "Who actually does that?!" I know! I still can't get over that we actually went through with this and auditioned!
Let me tell ya, it was So.Much.Fun.
Our team was: my mom, my sister-in-law, my little brother (behind John O'Hurley), my hubby, and myself.
My sister-in-law saw that they were having Dallas auditions and got the ball rolling. Before-hand, I was a little reserved, thinking, 'it will probably end up as a nice family afternoon together - most likely won't make the show', but it ended up being a FANTASTIC experience, and to-boot, I think we stand a chance at making it!

Take a look at our enthusiasm, if you will, and be the judge...

We always cheered after everyone's answer and said "good answer, good answer!!!"

We gave high-5's and hugs to each other if someone got the answer right, and if they got it wrong, we still cheered them on...we gave so much energy that it wore us out when we were finished!

Look at us clasping our hands in support of her answer! (We always wanted to look active, we tried to not just stand there with our hands at our side. Oh yeah, we had a strategy!)
:)

It was a room of about 30 families, or so, and two families took turns playing against each other in a mock-game, (you only played once as a family, they just paired you up with a random family.) We were asked two questions, so each family in the round had a chance to play, and our final question was "What is a bird that cannot fly?" It was the other team's turn to have all their players give an answer, which means our family had the chance to steal their points if they did not get all the answers. Well, they did not get all the answers, and so for our steal, my mom came up with "jailbird", and not only was that the correct answer, but the host said no one ever gets that part of the question!
I'm tellin' ya, we did so well!

We were funny, clever, entertaining, and not a bad bunch to look at, if the American audience will have us! It was SO FUN! We find out in a couple weeks if we made it, and I certainly will let you know!
*Oh, so my husband, wearing the Family Feud hat, was 1 of 2 people who got a hat! You only received the hat if you were a fun contestant, and had enthusiasm, and I think it bodes well for us that he was given one! The host of the show liked him because you know how, (if you're a Family Feud watcher), at the end of the round, when the host calls out the answers on the board that were left, as-in the contestants did not get all the answers, and after the host calls out the unnamed answers, the audience repeats what he says in a slow, monotone way. Well, my hubby had that down the whole time we were there, and we had a front row table, while the other families were competing, so we were in the view of the host and talent scout the whole time! It got to where, if there were a lot of unnamed answers at the end of the round, the host turned to my hubby, (we had name tags on), and said "Stuart, get ready, there's a lot to call out!"

AND.... since the Family Feud plays on channel 33 in Dallas, the news crew from that station was there! With us sitting in the front of the room, the cameraman taped us several times, and the camera was in my face, so it wasn't like I didn't know what was going on, so yes, we laid the cheering on THICK when the camera was in our face!

Turns out, we made the evening broadcast!

I am the one whooping my arm in the air yelling "let's go Keisha!" Do I know who Keisha is? No, but she was my co-auditioner, and the camera was in my face:

The screaming, cheering, clapping that is going on in the audience was done the whole two hours we were auditioning!

Fun was had.

Water Baby

2008-07-11T13:21:00.006-06:00

Earlier this week I met this 20-month-old beauty at one of my favorite places to shoot.

She was a joy to be around as we cruised through the gardens looking for fun spots to play.

Just say the word "water" and she is captivated! They have large pools around the greenery, and if her mommy wasn't there to hold on to her, she would have dived in!

I think I made a friend.

Kisses Are "A-OK"

2008-07-05T21:14:00.015-06:00

Baby A is 3 months old and the pride of her family, (betcha can't tell!)

While her Aunt J gives her kisses, A decided to give the "OK" symbol with her little hand! She just wanted to let us know that life is good with her family around.

It was a windy morning when we met, and A needed a little lovin' from mommy & grandma every now and then to remind her that the harsh, blowing wind was not a form of torture! The poor thing, it took her breath away!

Oh, you may have noticed that she has filled out quite a bit! Her mommy & daddy sure are doing a good job! She has so many adorable rolls, I just wanted to squish her precious thighs!

While I wish I was entertaining enough to be able to claim that my clients crack up at me this much - this hysteria is due to baby A's stroller rolling down the hill, gaining speed, then toppling over in to the Denton courthouse bushes! Perfect timing!

* (I woke up the morning of their session with the thought 'ottoman' in my mind - random! The ottoman that A's stylish grandma is sitting on is my very own from my living room! My husband gave me a funny look as I requested his help loading it into my trunk, but I'm so glad I did! It came out exactly like I had envisioned upon my awakening. Does that ever happen to you guys? Some mornings, when I'm still in a half asleep/awake mode, ideas about my business, or about anything I suppose, will come to me, and they're usually pretty successful! Weird... maybe I should sleep more. Or, in spurts, possibly, so I'd have more of those "waking up" moments more often....anyways, enough rambling!)

Oh. My. Goodness. Do you see that lip? 3 months old! She has me wrapped around her finger and I've met her twice! With pouty faces like that, mommy & daddy don't stand a chance.

We had a really fun morning together. They are a sweet family!
I loved that they wanted to do all different sorts of groupings between the 6 of them. It allowed me to keep the locations spontaneous!

Precious! Rolls, rolls, rolls.
*I played with a different coloring feature that I didn't know I even had! Sort of that vintage/fade/wash look. I like it!

So this is a zoomed-in crop of the original of the picture above. I have never had this happen before: I was looking at this picture, and saw a black mark on her shirt and thought it was a tear. When I zoomed in closer, I saw that it was a bug in flight! What are the timing odds?! Well, like I said, it has never happened to me before! Obviously I took it out of the edited picture, but I thought it was fun, so I wanted to share the original!

10 fingers, 10 toes, 1 miracle

2008-07-01T12:30:00.005-06:00

Last week, I was invited to play with 5-week-old Z!

His mommy and daddy consider him their little miracle. They tried several fertility options, and just when they thought they may start a different route, he came in to their lives.
It was sweet to see his mommy's interaction with him. He's here, he's perfect, and she is in love!

*The Shot!!!* We tried so hard to capture this image and I'm so pleased with how it came out!
I happened to arrive as he was waking up from a nap, so we got several awake pictures, but I knew I wanted to try and capture this part of his room, and his mom loved the idea as well, but doing this shot with an awake baby just doesn't quite work as well as when they are asleep and unaware that they are lying on an armoire! (We tried awake in this shot, didn't happen!) It had been a couple hours since my arrival, and we knew he was getting sleepy again, so after we were finished with the rest of his shoot, between Mom and Grandma, they fed him and rocked him off and on until he was finally out enough to make this shot happen!
Not only did Mom want this captured because his room is so gosh darn cute, but because there are several heirlooms in this image. The armoire he is lying on is 60 years old, the little clown doll to the right was his grandfather's doll as a child, and the silver bowl and spoon to the left was also his grandfather's.

Congratulations on your healthy, handsome, baby boy!

July Cover

2008-06-30T11:48:00.002-06:00

Have you received your July edition?
(you North Texas locals....and by North Texas, I mean Denton...)

This was a fun shoot! We have been using young children on the cover for a while, so I loved the idea of using teenagers, and even the homeowner's cat showed up! It is very summery, comfy, home-like, Southern & casual. I think it turned out great!
It makes me look forward to snuggling on a blanket while watching fireworks and eating fried chicken, and well, watermelon!

Yay for summer!

Slideshow

2008-06-29T17:41:00.006-06:00

Remember these two cuties...?

Well, I have wanted to make a slideshow public so you all can have a look into a complete session, and upon their mommy's approval, their slideshow is now viewable by all of you!

When you have a look:
- turn your volume up
- make sure you have a couple minutes to sit back because there were too many adorable pictures to narrow down greatly, so there are quite a few!

Click here to enjoy the show!

Emerald Eyes

2008-06-25T17:17:00.010-06:00

On Sunday evening, I had the pleasure of meeting A, (and her hubby), so we could update her head-shot for her portfolio.

She is a beautiful, local actress whom you may have seen on a commercial for this company!

Gorgeous eyes!

We had a fun time romping about my town. Sometimes I have a location in mind that I want to shoot at, and then other times, as it happened on Sunday, if a new locale catches my eye while driving, I whip over and decide we're going to shoot there!

Thank y'all for coming up, I enjoyed hanging out!

Baby Boy Diaper Covers

2008-06-25T08:42:00.006-06:00

Moms of little guys! I know there are so many choices for little girl diaper covers, with their names embroidered on the hiney, and frilly cute lace, etc., but then when it comes to boys, there are not too many options!
Well, I found this store on Etsy that has baby boy boxers and...yes! They embroider his name on the hiney as well! So cute!
When I have home sessions, I love to get babies naked so we can see their little fat rolls, and all the baby cuteness, though I'm not brave enough to get them completely in their birthday suit, for fear of an accident! So rather than seeing a diaper with Winnie the Pooh on it, it is much much cuter to see your little guy in tiny skivvies, and especially if it is personalized with his name on it in a bright, fun font!

Okay, enough chatter, here are some pictures from the store's page...

*I don't know why one picture is tiny, and the other huge!*

I just wanted to pass this find along! To get this cuteness, go to the store's page here.
*(Well, and of course the store has absolutely precious little girl diaper covers as well!!!)

Thoughtful Provider

2008-06-24T16:30:00.012-06:00

V's friend purchased our Chickadee Package for her as her baby shower gift.

You know what that means?!
I am the lucky one who gets to watch this sweet couple grow in to a family.

V has had a wonderfully smooth pregnancy with their son, N.

In fact, she has not even had any cravings or any of the typical changes that a woman may feel while pregnant. Her husband, though, was looking forward to running out and fulfilling her every whim, caring for her, and making sure she is pampered, the way she deserves.

One late night, he asked her if she wanted some ice cream, thinking that is a normal pregnancy craving, and V honestly answered that she didn't really care for any. When she saw that he was really hoping she would have said yes so he could go get it for her, she changed her mind and complied that ice cream sounded great. So, the dutiful husband went out on a hunt to satisfy his with-child wife, but being that it was so late, the fast food chains were closed, so he resorted to the second-best and returned home with several ice cream options he purchased at a gas station! He succeeded in providing for her, though!

*(Um, so urban maternity shoots are my new favorite! V did great finding a dress. I had a vision in my head of a downtown location, with her all glammed up, and she rocked it!)

Not only is she glowing, but the daddy-to-be is definitely glowing as well.
I am looking forward to seeing them again in just a couple weeks when their son has made his entrance into this world!

*(Doesn't beautiful V look like Claire Danes??)*

9th Day in Love

2008-06-20T14:26:00.005-06:00

As of my visit yesterday, baby H has only been in this world for 9 days. He had many loved ones waiting on his arrival, including his soon-to-be friends pictured above on his "buddy board" that his mommy made!

While changing his outfit, his mommy noticed his sweet, curly legs and said "come look!"
So brand new.

While I was photographing H & his mommy, I caught his daddy gazing on, and when he noticed that I started to include him in the captures, naturally, he thought he was in the way and moved out of the shot, to which I stammered, "no, come back!"

What chiseled, wooden table is complete without a handsome, little man?

This shot was his mommy & daddy's idea. I love the different textures. The fuzzy pillow, hard wood floors, colorful tapestries, and the freckled cowhide. Not to mention the cuddly sweetheart.

I love wedding photos or wedding rings in shots with newborns.
Because of their love, he is here.

Grandma's Touch

2008-06-19T21:02:00.004-06:00

This little girl is a sweet, small bundle. She may look like a newborn here, but she is really 4 weeks old, and just around 7 lbs. It's funny though, because while she is small like a newborn, after 2 weeks, babies' features start to change already! They lose the wrinkliness of skin, and curliness of their legs and arms, and don't sleep as heavily. She was so good to me though. We got her to catch a couple naps during our session, so we were able to capture sleepy and awake pictures!
*Normally with a brand-new-born, it's hard to get them to wake at all. It's either we want the babies to give some awake time, or sleepy time, we are hard to please grown-ups!

She is blessed to have all of her mother-figures as a part of her life.
This is grandma #1, then...

Grandma #2, and great-grandma were there also! (Of course with her proud daddy.)

And not to leave out the woman who actually carried her!
(I loved the monkey on the door! She has a cute monkey-themed nursery.)

Great-grandma loves to hold and help out with her every chance she gets.

And even their doggie wants to be a part of the caring-for-S activities!

A happy place for S.... lying on her soft monkey chair with the warmth of mommy and daddy.

We will get to watch her grow together!
See you again soon, S!

Catching Up!

2008-06-17T14:29:00.016-06:00

Bloggy Land! I have not meant to forsake you! Things have been super busy around here and I just don't know how photogs who update every day do it! I would love to, that's my goal, but unfortunately, until I hire an assistant, that probably will not work out as such!

Well, first of all, Happy (belated) Father's Day to you daddies! I hope you had a wonderful time with your kiddos!!!
We celebrated with my dad and family a week early because this past weekend was my hubby's birthday, (but we'll get to that next.)

The fam came up to our home and my wonderful chef of a husband made a delicious spaghetti lunch (with from-scratch sauce!), and garlic rolls, and salad, and I made the dessert. (An angel food cake cut into layers with a filling of Cool Whip, vanilla pudding, and crushed pineapple mixed in between the layers, then topped with strawberries. Yum-O!)

After lunch we hit the 'ole horse shoes in the backyard, (a new addition)! My mother-in-law gave us the horse shoes for Christmas two years ago but we had never gotten them out because my husband sort of has a vision for landscaping our backyard, and he wasn't quite sure how to incorporate the horse shoe set-up. Well, we have friends who live on some land in Sanger, and in exchange for my husband helping them landscape their yard, (his favorite pastime!), they let him have some of their flagstone rocks that grow out of their land! So with the rocks, my husband made two horse shoe pits as a new, permanent fixture in our backyard.

He got a ringer!

Afterward, we just relaxed and talked on the porch for a while until it was time for them to leave. A wonderful, family day!

This past Saturday was my husband's 26th birthday. He loves to go camping - strictly the traditional, tent sleeping-grill cooking- fire building type. So we went! We left Friday afternoon for Lake Tawakoni, east of Dallas.

In the past when we've gone camping, we have left our dogs at home with a doggie-sitter, but we knew they would LOVE it, so we caved and took them along this time. They were pretty good. I know they had a great time! Around our campsite we left them off their leash, just to see what they'd do, and surprisingly they stayed pretty close to us and would obey us if they strayed and we called them back.
Oh boy, when we first arrived, after the 2 hour car ride, they bolted out of the back and straight in to the trees and down to the lakeside. Pearl, our wily one, ran headlong into the lake water! It was so funny though because I don't think she's ever been in a pool of water before, to where she could actually splash about, and boy did she splash! She stomped around and ducked her head under water, and kept opening her mouth, like she was biting the water! It was hilarious!

Here is a video of it - (After we saw her reaction to the water is when I thought to get the camera, so she's a little simmered down by this time!)

We took several walks around the park. Their beach area was beautiful! Everything was so clean and well-kept. There were several little guys buzzing around on their bicycles and you could hear laughter from the boats on the water. By the lakeside there was a breeze and it felt wonderful to sit at the picnic table and relax.

I would have liked to go swimming, but we couldn't, so we just dipped our feet in the water. (A little ailment of having the puppies with us - dogs aren't allowed in the beach area, so we would have had to tie them up if we went swimming, and with Pearl's barking maniacally, that would have lasted for about .36 seconds.)

Stuart cooked a wonderful dinner of steak and grillin' beans.

Steak tongs compliments of the Great Outdoors...

Highlight of the trip: spending quality, fun time together in the fresh air.
Downfall of the trip: ....remember that video of Pearl pouncing around in the water? Well, not only was it, oh about, 118 degrees in our two-person-sized tent at night with no air moving whatsoever, but throw in two stinky, sweaty, fur-shedding dogs, and well, that's a night that could rival the luxury of our last trip away.... kidding... of course....

Today, I got a new summer do, hairdo, that is!

How is it possible to take a hand-held-self-snapshot without it looking like you're 12-yrs.-old, taking the picture for the sole purpose of your friends on Myspace?
Well, now that I mention it, sort of similar situation here, being that blogs are the adult version of Myspace, (equal amounts of addiction and life-neglecting while perusing the sites), and I took the picture for the sole purpose of showing you all!

...this was the least cheesiest shot...

And then tonight, to top off these fun past couple days, I invested in the Canon 5D!

I'm so thrilled I could giggle! I have a busy week of shoots, and not to mention a wedding this weekend, so she will be broken in quickly!!
Hoorah, indeed.

Summer Lovin'

2008-06-12T23:24:00.003-06:00

Remember this little man?

I think it's safe to say he's put on a few pounds in the past couple months!

W is now a growing 7-mo.-old, sitting up like a champ, and drooling with the best of 'em!

We had a fun morning last Saturday, playing at a park near their home. (I love his summer hat!)

It was hilarious - as soon as W got up on his daddy's shoulders, he just started cracking up. Like, 'what's this new world up here?!' Pretty exhilarating for a little guy! (And for daddy, getting to make his buddy that happy!)

He has definitely discovered his feet! I love that trait at this age.

Go for it, W, never again will they taste so good! Wait... that sort of sounds like I would know based on trial and error... W, that was just an assumption on my part.

Happy summer, little man! Enjoy this new world of the warmth of sun on your face and the coolness of water splashing between those toes.

2.5 Memories

2008-06-09T09:16:00.010-06:00

Meet 2.5-yr.-old, T, perched on his daddy, holding the simplest, most enjoyable, natural, outdoor toys! (It's so cute how most little boys all gravitate toward the same instinctual behavior...jumping, picking up sticks, looking at rocks, rough-housing with daddy, finding lizards, etc. Little boys just being themselves!)

Though his baby sister, 9-mo.-old, E, is too small for most of those toddler activities, she certainly enjoyed being outside as well, and was good at hunting for pieces of grass, or other various items that, when you are pint-sized, sitting on the ground merely inches from the world below, need to be inspected! (We just tried to keep Mother Earth out of her mouth.)
But look at those sweet, baby teeth! She has to keep her gums soothed somehow!
:)

The main goal of our meeting was for a precious family tradition. Being that T is 2 & a 1/2, it was time for his portrait to be hung on the wall next to his daddy's and other family members who have had this time captured as well at this age. What a wonderful family tie that these kiddos can pass down to their children, going to Gramsy's house comparing the portraits of loved ones during their toddler years.

Who wouldn't want to preserve this fun-loving age?!

(Oh, little E, I envy your outfit selections! Your mommy has you in the cutest clothes, just so you know...)

Before you know it, it will be this beauty's time to share in this 2.5 tradition, (though she'll never be this precious age again, as well, so here's to being almost 10 mons.!)

Pink Bundle

2008-06-06T09:31:00.006-06:00

Meet our newest Chickadee Planner, beautiful K - resting as snuggly as she did in her mommy's tummy like in her first photo framed behind her.

She was so calm and content for her whole session! Her mommy timed it just right that she was a full, happy baby during her morning shoot, which made her so easy to mold and curl as only newbies can.
(This is the hat she was given in the hospital. Love little mementos like that!)

Oh, that foot! Precious.

As you can see, she's already melted her daddy's heart.

We wanted to be sure and see those pretty eyes for some shots, so we woke up K at the end of her session, and she was happy to see her mommy!

Sweet 16 + Smart Guy & Tiny Dancer

2008-06-03T17:27:00.004-06:00

Last week I met this fun-loving family, (with a mommy that has awesome style for matching everyone in a non-matchy way!)

This 8-yr.-old little man was truly that... a little man! Speaking with him, he is so intelligent and we had a logical, mature conversation about the difference between girls that are friends and a "girlfriend". (His friend at school is a girl that is a friend because she is good at playing games, and fun to hang out with, but she is not his "girlfriend" because he does not love her. You have to love her if she is your "girlfriend"....)

He is a big help with his little sister, as well. She took a little while to warm up to playing together while we took pictures, but big brother explained matter-of-factly that "she is 3, and is kind of shy at first."

The two little ones share their mommy & daddy with cousin J. Having a teenager to look up to is something they will never forget, well at least brother is old enough to remember, but I know that little M loves having a sister-figure around as well!

J is 16 and loves the color lime green! She was excited when she moved in with her aunt & uncle because she was able to paint her room any color, and of course she chose lime green!

And ballerina, M, is the life of the party! She danced for me, and we sang "The Wheels on the Bus", and she introduced me to her security blanket, Ninny, oh and her Island Princess Barbie... or the doll had some title of that nature...

The family finished our morning with playing Frisbee on the courthouse lawn - great idea, S!
It was a wonderful morning, and I had a fun time meeting you all!

love of b/w

2008-06-02T22:52:00.005-06:00

I adore black & white images.

As much as I love the bold colors of childhood that pop in a primary-toned environment, black/white's drama and emotion evoke the softer, and sweeter side of portraiture.

While editing away this past week, I decided to share my favorite black/whites of recent clients' sessions. There are several, so scooch down in your chair, and get comfy...

*This one was actually an outtake. We took the blanket off and pacifier out for the 'real' shots, but I loved how sweet and serene she looked here, so I kept it! I love that... when outtakes become one of my favorites.

Playing Chase

2008-05-29T16:02:00.007-06:00

A and his mommy met me at the playground a little while ago. Since he just turned one, and is walking like such a big boy, this adorable guy needed to have this time captured!

He liked to chase my camera! He was such a cutie. I would try to put him in a general area with his mom, and of course .6 seconds later, he was up and we were off playing chase!

And 'the tongue', as his mommy would say!
I love little traits like that which are so fleeting and true to babyhood.
:P

What a sweetie.

Peaceful Babe

2008-05-27T22:46:00.004-06:00

M and I met when we worked at a preschool together. She was a teacher, and I was in the office, right across from her classroom. She asked me then to take some pictures of her, her boyfriend, and his daughter. Soon, she and her boyfriend became engaged, and she asked me to take her bridal portraits as well as their engagement pictures. Months later, I photographed their wedding. Now 2 years have passed, and a new, little life has entered the picture. Baby D has arrived, allowing me to photograph this sweet family once again.

This little guy was so calm and cuddly. It was hard to keep shooting and not just stop and snuggle with him!

I think he may grow to be a funny little boy! Already making silly faces...

And of course, Daddy couldn't be more proud.

As an Atlanta Braves fan, daddy will soon have a slugger on his hands.
(I love his painted nursery! Not only a jersey for dad, but on the other wall, there is a jersey for mom, and one for baby D, with their names on the back. Such a cute idea!)

An Important Quality for Marriage...

2008-05-22T22:04:00.005-06:00

... is to be able to make each other laugh.

M & G have that quality solid! They are so goofy with each other, that just looking at each other makes them giggle. When I asked M to make a serious face, she couldn't do it! She was laughing too much. So then, to bring the laughter down, she says, "okay, think about dead puppies".... which of course is such an absurd thought, that it made all of us crack up even more!

We had their session at the site where their wedding ceremony will be. Well, not right here on this dock, but behind them, across the lake, at a friend's home overlooking the water. How lovely does that sound?!

The sun rose fast during our morning shoot, which is normally a troublesome feat during a photo session with toddlers. Though when adults are the subject, and they will actually sit still for you, I love the halos that result from the backlighting the overhead sun gives my subjects. It adds a little pop!

G & M, good luck with the final details, and we will see you 6.21!

Chosen

2008-05-20T14:38:00.005-06:00

This baby girl is very special.

Her parents wanted her for years, longed for her, dreamt of her, prayed for her, and gave so much of themselves knowing that one day, she would come.

Baby C is adopted.

She is a part of such a caring family who will love her and provide for her with all their heart and soul for the rest of their days.

And she even has a big sister now, (who responds to 'Heidi'.)

C's mommy and daddy were both born in Italy, but they met in the US. Her mom's parents live close to home here, but her daddy's parents still reside in Italy, and came to visit her while she is still brand new.
It was fun being in their home and all six adults speaking only Italian to each other. Even the dog only knows Italian! The one word I walked away with that day was the word for 'little hat', (which I thought was 'cappellini', but after doing an Internet search, evidently it's 'cappelletti' - which also is the name for a type of pasta, so I may have this wrong all together.)

A & F - I am so happy for you that your blessing has arrived! She is a beautiful little girl, and rightfully so, that she is welcomed into a beautiful family, inside and out.

Windy Times

2008-05-16T11:50:00.014-06:00

K is graduating from high school in just a couple of weeks, and of course, couldn't be more excited!

She wants to attend the Art Institute of Austin to study graphic design.

(Can I just say that Denton never ceases to amaze me with AWESOME urban session locations!?!)

K is very creative - I loved her colorful outfits & jewelry!

She has great, full hair, and as a member myself of the thick-hair-club, being that it was a windy evening when we had her shoot, I knew the wind would most likely be our enemy. But too, like in the picture above, the wind worked with us, and was at times a mighty friend!

She was so easy to photograph. She was relaxed and, I think, had fun giving me great posing and natural smiles.

Go to the "Flying the Coop" gallery on my site to see some more of my favorites of her! There were too many!

Sonora swells my heart!

2008-05-16T08:21:00.004-06:00

Meet my niece, Sonora!!!

She was born this past Tuesday, the 13th.
She is the first baby in our family, so you can imagine how we've all anticipated her arrival and already shopped, shopped, shopped for her! She does not live here, so I have not seen her, until I was sent this picture today. She is beautiful!
My mom is with her and my brother and sister-in-law now, and oh, how I wish I could be there too! The rumor is, that my brother and his new family will be visiting in September, so I will just have to count down the days until then, and continue shopping for my gorgeous niece!

Love you A & N, and beautiful Sonora!

Big Accomplishment

2008-05-15T15:53:00.007-06:00

M is officially a TWU graduate!

She called me a couple of weeks ago because she wanted to take portraits in her graduation garb to have cards made to send to family announcing her big accomplishment!
She double-majored, and is looking to begin graduate school soon!

I have seen quite a bit of M lately! This photo shoot was on her campus last Friday, then at her graduation ceremony last Saturday, I ran into her there as she was lining up with her classmates while I was photographing for her school, and then again this afternoon, when I was at her school's library on a shoot for them, I saw her there! Three times in one week on her campus.... I said to her that she must think I never leave!

Congratulations and good luck in your bright future!

Baby Doll Eyes

2008-05-14T10:53:00.008-06:00

I haven't seen Miss E since she was a newborn, but at 6 months old now, that newborn look has faded, and she has become a little doll baby!

I think she just has that porcelain skin, and bright blue eyes that you see little toy baby dolls have. Precious!

Big brother, E, loves "baby sister"! He gave her lots of hugs and kisses and had no problem snuggling next to her!

I couldn't decide the cropping on this picture. I like how in the full-length version, you see brother holding her hand, and her cute, curled toes...

But in this one, you see brother's cute expression more, and I just like the cropping better in general... I was torn, so I just posted both!

*My friend, K, and her little Andrew are here now, and we are going to spend the afternoon together. More blogging tomorrow!
:)

1 month later, and already grown

2008-05-12T12:54:00.008-06:00

I photographed A one month ago, but we decided to cut that session short and try a re-do.

And what a re-do we had! He was such a happy, little guy, and definitely wins the award for great eye contact! My littlest clients are usually too interested in mommy & daddy to look at the crazy lady wielding a camera in their face, (and of course, how can I compete with their favorite people?!) But A was a pro. He'd play with mommy and daddy, smile, then look at me!

Love that finger! Sweet little guy is pondering something.

Can't you tell he's grown?
I sure can.

What happens when you put a little guy down that learned a new trick?

2008-05-12T11:33:00.002-06:00

R.E.L.A.X.

2008-05-09T10:25:00.017-06:00

(I feel like I need to fill you in on our anniversary events since I let you know that it was our day!)

"Relax" - that was our theme.

The morning started off with my hubby bringing me flowers, a card, and making our favorite breakfast.
Then I had a shoot later in the morning, then when I got home, I had to finish packaging some orders, and we had to pick up some pictures from my lab and mail them out on the way to our destination. (Work doesn't stop just because it's a special day!)
But after we arrived, it was all about relaxing...

We booked a room at Hotel Zaza in uptown. It was wonderful, to say the least! We walked around the swanky hotel and felt so spoiled just getting to be there! (We never splurge on ourselves. We're really quite easy to please and simpletons, *see extravagance of "favorite breakfast" listed in the paragraph above*, but giving ourselves some R&R was deserved, we felt.) We were pleasantly surprised with how nice our room was. We didn't splurge too much and get a suite, or anything, just their standard room, but even that was nicer than other "4 star" hotels we've stayed in! We had dinner reservations @ 7, so we didn't have too long to lounge, but one of the reasons we booked Zaza was because of their pool area, (or the "Urban Oasis" as they have dubbed it), so we made our way down to the pool to what....? RELAX before dinner. (Oh, one of our favorite things was that in the lobby, they provided little chocolate mousse/fudge/truffle bites, which we probably took more than the average person should, but they were there for the sampling, and we were treating ourselves, darn it!) Down at the pool, the water was too cold to get in, so we rested in the hot tub instead. We put a towel under our heads as a pillow, sipped tea, and let our bodies float carelessly. Oh my, I'm missing it already...
After laying out to dry off, we went up and got ready for dinner.

The restaurant was one block from the hotel, so we just walked over there. It was so fun being around the new buildings in uptown, and the busy-ness of being in Dallas. We really never go down there to hang out, so it was like we were visiting from out of town! (When we came home Thursday, we both said 'I feel like I've just been on a road trip', like we went on vacation!)
Our dinner at Sambuca was absolutely delicious. It was kind of funny.... I ordered lamb chops, and Stuart ordered a rib eye, and as soon as our food came out, after we tasted our own dish, we both gave each other a bite of the other's, and Stuart looked at me, (after I had figured out I evidently wasn't quite a fan of lamb), and asked if I wanted to trade! So as our waiter walked by us to see how we liked our food, I was fishing my lamp chops off my plate and putting them on his, as he was shuffling his steak onto a side plate to give to me. A little comical, but it worked out!
One of the best parts of the restaurant is they have a stage for live music! It sort of seemed out of place, because the decor inside is very "posh", but we really enjoyed the one-man-acoustic-guitar performance we had! He played the whole time we were there. (We left after a couple hours, but he was still playing!) He played songs everyone would recognize and we hummed along to ourselves. After we finished eating in the first hour, our waiter pointed out the little alcoves/nooks they have on the side of the dining room with pillowed seating to lounge and ...what..? RELAX. Of course we took him up on that offer and spent our second hour there in that corner all to ourselves, sipping our cocktails and listening to our acoustic concert. Yes, it was as serene as it sounds.
Relaxing does make a person tired, letting your body know just how hard it has worked when you actually stop and don't let it work. (Does that make sense?) So we made our way back to our hotel and fell asleep at the crazy-party-animals-that-we-are hour of 10:30!
After sleeping in until 9:30 the next morning, (Yes! 11 hours of sleep!) we went back down to the pool and just waded our feet in the water and laid out as we read the paper and drank coffee for an hour or so. (RELAX) Check-out was noon, and we were walking out of the door at noon! (We wanted to soak up every ounce of the Zaza goodness!)
After we left, we drove down to the place where Stuart was going to pick out my anniversary gift to him. Knowing that he loves getting his hair cut where they put a hot towel on his face, and spend a little time pampering him, (... yes! I was surprised to find out as well that men like to be pampered! And why shouldn't they? I think the "macho" thing is all for show...) I thought he would enjoy this store. We got him "the 4 elements of the perfect shave" combo. (He used it this morning and loved it!) And with a purchase after a certain amount in the store, he can go back and get a traditional barber shop shave for free, (the real reason why I wanted to get him something from this store, because I know he'll love getting that shave!)
Anyways, so we walked around the mall there, and had lunch, (more relaxing...) then made our way back to Denton. After dropping our things off at home, we went to see Baby Mama! (I know, the fun doesn't stop with us!)
:)

So our amazing 1.5 days of anniversary celebration has certainly set a precedent for future anniversaries!

Now it is back to work. Which we are blessed to have such amazing clients who I cannot wait to photograph in this soon-to-be-summer sun!
Did I mention we're pretty booked?! If you would like a Birdseye session, we are currently booking mid-June. (5 weeks out)

Also, for newborn and maternity sessions, please book those as soon as you know that we are the photographer for you. For maternity, we want to try and capture you in full bloom, but before it gets to be too uncomfortable for you to move around easily, (34-36 weeks) - so those, of course, are very important to be scheduled timely! We try to reserve some slots for last minute maternity sessions, and surprise newborns that come early, but we only have a few that we are able to hold.

And now, some snapshots from our past two days:
(bear the poor point & shoot camera quality!)

(yes, I'm blinking, but it's the only one of the front of the restaurant... I should stay behind the camera...)

With This Ring...

2008-05-07T00:13:00.002-06:00

3 years ago today, as I was preparing to walk down the aisle to my favorite person in the world, I was nervous, excited, and ready. I could not wait to be with this wonderful man every day for the rest of my life. And at that time, I didn't even know the extent of my man's wonderful-ness, as I do now.

He: takes care of me, provides for us, makes wise decisions, always makes me laugh, gives good shoulder rubs, loves our puppies, knows how I like my hamburger, is a good driver on road trips, loves the same music I do, has such a dry sense of humor that often no one but me knows that he's joking when he is being his sarcastic self in public -(love that!), rides the big tall roller coasters, slow dances with me in our living room, sings in the shower, is understanding if I have to work late into the evening, knows that I love celebrity gossip and will fill me in if I've missed the latest headline, cooks for me everyday, goes on walks with me and the dogs in the evenings even though he is tired from his day, will change the channel off of sports if I sit to watch TV with him to find something that we will both enjoy to watch, will run errands with me just so we can be together, and of course the list could go on, but most importantly, he loves me.
(And I him!)

Happy Anniversary, my special someone!

New Guy in Town

2008-05-06T22:07:00.010-06:00

Remember these gorgeous brothers from last summer?

Well, there is now a new 7 lb., 15 oz. surprise sleeping in their house.

And what a wonderful surprise he is!!!

I think he looks like the perfect mix between his two older brothers. That is so fun to think about....that middle brother, M, is now a BIG brother himself! I remember holding him when he was the size of new baby brother, M.

For the first half of our session, he just wanted to eat and eat. According to his momma, he'll eat 'til it's leaking out of his nose...hungry, little guy! But once we got his tummy good and full, he slept so sweetly for us.

Quite the opposite of his two big brothers!!!
These goofy guys are best friends, and at only 19 mos. apart, they get to grow up in life going through similar stages. What a lucky baby brother they have who will glean double the wisdom from two loving, intelligent, and sweet little men.

Did I mention goofy?! All I asked them was to lay on the floor here, and of course that translates into, "one of you play dead, and the other start snoring!"
They make me laugh.

May Cover

2008-05-05T11:33:00.005-06:00

I love getting to work with the fabulous women at the Denton Connection. I've heard some horror stories of working with publications, (like arguing over the style of images, disagreeing about the content of the cover, the cropping, etc.), but my past with the DC has been nothing but fun memories and great friendships!

Look at sweet baby R and his mommy that made the May/Mother's Day cover! I love that it's a black/white cover! That is not very common, which to me, makes the cover bold, and POP all the more!

Yummy!

Capitol City

2008-04-30T11:26:00.006-06:00

Hey there!
Sorry it's been quiet for the past couple days. I have a couple sessions to blog but I've been too busy shooting and editing! (A familiar feeling.) Just a quick note as I'm tying up loose ends...I am about to go to Austin for a few days. Remember my amazing workshop I attended in San Francisco? Well, it has arrived in Austin and I am going to assist as staff! I'm looking forward to meeting Cheryl again and all the new workshop-goers!

I will return phone calls and emails next Monday.

Have a great weekend in this gorgeous weather!!!

... I leave you with some pictures from when my hubby and I went to Austin last December...

*Evidently my lack of blogging caused me to overload you with random pictures you probably don't care about!

A + A = July 19, 2008

2008-04-27T16:57:00.005-06:00

Yesterday morning, this sweet couple let me take them all over town to capture this time celebrating their engagement.

My husband and I will be photographing their wedding in July.
A (and A) is counting down the days! They are both teachers, so with the major plans in place, the details will be finalized once summer hits, (and more time!)

The soon-to-be-husband asked "do you do those jumping shots at the wedding?" He is not a fan, so that is his one request to have not happen. That cracked me up because I love it when clients are straight forward with me! I'd much rather only do what you want, after all, it's for you!

Good luck with the remaining details - see you in July!

Giggles at the Playground

2008-04-24T17:28:00.009-06:00

Remember these two happy gals from last fall?

They have grown and it was time for some spring/Mother's Day pictures.
We started out with some posed-sister-time at the park, then went on to the fun stuff....

Look at her dancing! She is so goofy! I said to mom and dad that she must be pure entertainment at home, and they replied, "entertainment is not the word!" She always cracks me up!

Big sister, M, is such a pretty girl. I think she is the more reserved of the two, but don't ya know you need that in a sibling to balance you out!

I love playdates. I had such a fun time, (and I think the girls did too!)

Little Rockstar & Co.

2008-04-22T14:16:00.011-06:00

Last Saturday I met cuties B & N for a Mother's Day session.

N is quite the girlie girl, and loves all things Hannah Montana! For this picture, all she was told is to stand by her mom, and these rockstar poses just kept coming out of her!

It's so sweet to see boys lovin' on the most important woman in their lives.

(Not that little girls don't spoil their mommy with loves, too!)

Dad popped in for this hilarious family shot. They are such a sweet, happy family!

Comfy Spot

2008-04-20T21:48:00.006-06:00

I am loving my new Chickadee bundles that are hatching!

Last week I met precious, baby T. (His mommy did such a cute job decorating his puppy-themed nursery!)

I think I must say, newborns are quickly becoming my little comfy spot in my photography. Their tiny bodies let me mold them in different little spaces, and their sweet, baby features make me swoon with each click of my camera. I also love them because each one is different. Some let me have their little, naked bum on display, in all its cuteness, and then others think it's a torturing device to leave their new skin bare in this cold, non-womb, world.

But none-the-less, they are absolutely precious no matter what setting they are in. Though sometimes, I get lucky by chance, when like baby T here rested his sweet, little hand on his face, all by himself.

Oh, and T 's proud, new daddy? He did this sweet cuddle all by himself, too. What a moment.

'Cuz Cousins Are Fun!

2008-04-16T20:11:00.007-06:00

A couple of days ago, I met 3-yr.-old A, and her mommy....

.... and her cousin, 11-month-old J, and his mommy, at the Arboretum.

These cousins were so sweet together and flashed me gorgeous smiles while playing about in that beautiful garden.

We were supposed to meet a couple of weeks ago, but the rain told us to wait a little while longer, and in return, we were blessed with a gorgeous morning.

I love how J and his mommy are making the same, cute expression here.

These pictures will be Mother's Day gifts, and with beautiful children like this, how could it be called anything other than just that, a gift.

Sweet Baby Girl

2008-04-14T23:49:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday morning, I met 2-week-old A, (in her OH-SO-CUTE nursery).

Look at those precious lips!

We had wonderful lighting; a beautiful, little one; and colorful spots to make up this perfect session. Baby A was a very content little girl - so long as the mean photographer lady didn't put her on hard surfaces. I love to use shelves, and nooks in my babies homes, but sometimes I forget that laying on a hard bookcase is probably not so comfy...*but that shot came out so cute - trust me*!!!

Mommy and Daddy are so proud...

A just wanted to tell everyone 'hi.'

As a new Chickadee Planner, we will get to watch her grow!

Shots Can Thrown Off Your Game

2008-04-09T17:48:00.013-06:00

Remember this mommy from her maternity shoot, and her little man from his newborn shoot?

Well, A is now 6 months old!

I love his tiny hand wrapped around Mommy's finger!

A went to the doctor the day before his shoot for his 6 month checkup, and that threw his schedule off the morning of our shoot, from getting shots and what-not the day before. That would certainly make anyone wake up out of their normal, happy self, and be a little tired, because shots just do that to you!

So in the end, we decided to cut his session a little short and try a reschedule because he just wasn't feeling like himself that morning.

But after looking through the pictures that we did get....I'm thinking if this is the worst this kid can do, Mom & Dad may have a little star on their hands.

"Poop Happens"

2008-04-08T13:05:00.013-06:00

Since my friend, K, gave birth to baby Andrew, I have so been looking forward to this session!

I met her cuddle-bug last Friday, exactly on his 3-week birthday. I love his nursery-rhyme-themed room, but especially the "poop happens" tile hanging on the wall next to the table..... so true...

He is quite the sweet and handsome little fellow.

This shot was a quick snap! Andrew was completely safe with mommy standing by, and I love how it turned out! I'm so happy we were swift and caught this little shot. Newborns are so tiny for such a short time.

*How cute is the picture of his mommy and daddy on the shelf below him from when they were just a dating couple? Sweet to look at them then, and now their new, baby boy.

Andrew has a thoughtful daddy. After he was born, his daddy went out to get his mommy some much-needed dinner, but when he returned and she reached into the bag for her food, she instead pulled out a small, blue box with this necklace inside. Not only is that gooey sweet, but the bean-shaped necklace is symbolic because all through their pregnancy they called the baby their little "bean."

I think when a 21-day-old-person is giving you the "evil eye".... it may be time to leave.

Note Cards, Especially For You

2008-04-01T14:28:00.010-06:00

One of my favorite things is personalization. I love having items embroidered for the gifts I give at wedding or baby showers. It just makes it that much more special and unique, having someone's own name on it, making it just for them and no one else.
That is the idea behind my stationary. You and I create a one-of-a-kind card picked from your favorite image, accented with a favorite color, and personalized with either your's or your children's name on it.

Here are some samples:

(The watermark of "juliebirdseye.com" will not be printed across the front of the cards!)

- a note for your child's teacher and friends

- stationary for your little girl to invite friends over for sleepovers, or to say thank you for a fun afternoon

- stationary for Mommy of her new little one

- for the senior to send thanks for her graduation gifts

- for family thanks

- for baby shower gifts

- for birthday party gifts

And of course these do not only have to be ordered by the client themselves; they can also be ordered as surprise gifts. If someone you know has had a Birdseye Photography session, and you would like to order stationary for them, simply send an email with the client's name and then you will be able to view a gallery of their images to choose which you would like to have made into note cards for them.

The cards are 4 x 5.5 in., and are printed on watercolor paper for a unique texture. They must be ordered in sets of 25 and are $40 per pack.

If you have an idea for a type of card that I did not show a sample of here, let me know and I will email a sample to you.

Happy personalizing!

Sporty & Girly

2008-03-27T21:29:00.009-06:00

This morning I met M, (and her mom), for her high school senior photo session. As you can see, she is a softball gal!

It was fun shooting some action shots!

She is such a natural beauty.
We first did a couple portraits at my studio, then went to the softball fields, then downtown for some urban time, and lastly finished up @ the TWU gardens. It was a full morning!

*She kind of looks like Hillary Swank here....? Maybe?

Workshop Shoot (part 2)

2008-03-24T13:54:00.016-06:00

I'm short on words today. I am busy editing, editing, editing! I completed my SF workshop images!
Finally, here are the rest from that awesome weekend:

This expression kills me with *cuteness*!

School No More....Almost!

2008-03-21T14:27:00.009-06:00

Yesterday I met up with S for her college senior photo session.

We found a lot of awesome, new locations to capture her personality and what she loves about her college town. That's what photo sessions are all about: your memories - past and present, for your future keepsakes.

She graduates from UNT in May! That's not far away at all, but I'm sure to her, in the middle of her 20 hour course load this semester, that still seems quite distant!

From talking to her though, it sounds like she is getting great grades and is such a good time manager. This is her Spring Break week, and she is spending it studying and getting ahead in her classes so she won't have to stress as her final semester ends. Talk about will-power and a good head on her shoulders!

Well... she's studying, and also hanging out with me. A girl needs a break to wear her favorite outfits and model about town at cool locales!

Our last stop was the courtyard behind the restaurant where she works. A great idea on her part to finish up where she spends a lot of her time!

Congratulations, S, on your soon-to-be degree!

Gawsh...

2008-03-20T12:39:00.003-06:00

I typically ask the parents of my little subjects how they heard about Birdseye Photography. It's nice to get feedback since I have ads in various places around town, and so it is important for me to follow up with that. Well, I asked B's mommy how she heard about us, and here is her sweet reply:

" I always pick up the advertisements at [B's] daycare, and there were some cute pictures, but never what I wanted, and I decided I really wanted some good pictures since he was turning a year old. I would religiously look through those books for someone, but unfortunately they are only for Dallas and McKinney areas, so I went to local.yahoo.com and typed in photographers and any city I could think of and I went to their websites. I'm a big website person, so I do want to say, I think you have a great one, and I don't know why anyone would choose someone else after seeing it! "

So, just reading that made my day and I thought I would share.

That makes me think of the power of saying "thank you" to someone. Anyone! The clerk at a dept. store that helps you find your size, the elderly man that held the door open for you, or your spouse who brought you something from the other room so you would not have to get up after a long day at work. It really is such a simple phrase that holds so much meaning and power. Hearing a "thank you" not only fills your giving tank, but makes one want to do more kind things for others, and thereby beginning the pay it forward theory. If we all do one kind thing for someone, and instead of having them pay us back with a kind action, if they do a kind action for someone else, then in the end, we all have a kind thing done for us and we do something kind for others, the whole world over.

I must say that I love what I do, and so hearing those words from B's momma encourages me even more to use my photography as a service, and continue to donate sessions to families who may not be able to afford custom photography, or have urgent ailments.

This Easter weekend, with the theme of re-birth, I hope we all are reminded how important it is to say thank you for our blessings, to each other and our Lord, and help those who may not have the bounty of gifts which with we are abundantly blessed.

Mother's Day Tweet!

2008-03-16T21:57:00.026-06:00

Birdseye Photography will be offering Mother's Day mini-sessions for the month of April! Yes, a whole month! .... Well, until the slots are full, anyways!

Mother's Day Package:

$150

* 20 Minute Session at a Denton Park

*Personal Online Ordering Gallery

*1-4 Individuals Photographed
(additional subjects, $15 each)

* (2) 8x10's and (3) 5x7 prints

Session numbers are limited and your session must be completed by April 30th to receive your prints before Mother's Day.

Be like little B and and stop by and say hi to us this spring!

Mommies will thank you.

Mommy & Her Men

2008-03-14T14:13:00.020-06:00

So the day after my last shoot @ the Arboretum, I returned the next day to meet this sweet family! (Who you may recognize from our time together last summer. The boys were just 3 yrs., & 6 mos. old then.)

Yeah...we had fun!

Look how big little J has gotten! 13 mos. old and walking like a pro!

Four-yr.-old A sang Itsy Bitsy Spider with me.

Doesn't he look like a little Baby Gap model here?! Striking a pose.

Their daddy was able to join us this time. And let me tell ya, baby J is a daddy's boy! When Daddy took A to the restroom, his mommy and I were joking because J was wandering in circles looking to see where his daddy went!

Not that the boys aren't sweet on their mommy, too! She's a great playmate and her boys, (all three of them - as she calls them), relied on her for the flow of our session. (No one can multi-task like a mom!)

Story Board

2008-03-13T16:03:00.002-06:00

I love story boards.
They do just that - tell a story.
Any amount of pictures can be combined to tell however great or small of a story. Personally, I think short and simple is best. When you can see the love in a family's images, the story tells itself.

You will see more of this family tomorrow. I was working on their images and these three stood out to me, so I just had to share.

Mean Green Baby

2008-03-11T22:46:00.010-06:00

I met little B and his folks @ the Arboretum this morning. We had gray, foggy skies and damp grass, but B's laugh brightened up the whole park!

His mommy and daddy both graduated from my Mean Green alma mater. It was fun thinking back (from a whole 4 years ago) on my days in college. Wait...has it already been 4 years??? It's amazing how fast time goes once you're out of school. During high school and especially college, it seemed like my years of homework were never going to end, and now it's hard to remember what having a paper due is like!

B is turning one in just a couple of weeks, and walking with mommy and daddy's help like such a big boy!

Mommy was quick with the hat! Most little guys don't appreciate their cuteness when they have a little hat on, and rip it off before I can even get my camera to my eye... B being one of them. But leave it to his momma to distract him for .3 seconds so we could snap a couple shots!

While his mommy was changing his shirt, I just had to take a time out and capture these adorable rolls in all their glory! Oh my goodness - I could play with him all day.

He laughed for us the whole session!

That is, when he wasn't on the go!

Workshop Shoot (part 1)

2008-03-10T21:40:00.007-06:00

I'm sorry I've been so slow posting images from my workshop! It's been hard for me to get back in the swing of things for some reason since my return, and then with the snow at the end of last week, we just stayed in all weekend like the homebodies we are!

But, finally... here are a couple shots from our shoot during the workshop. We went to different stations around a block where several adorable children were playing about, and we photographed them as we would a regular session. We spent about 15 mins. with them and gave them some light directing, but mostly just interacting with the situation we were given. These rough-and-tumble boys were my first group.

Wonderland of Winterness

2008-03-06T14:17:00.013-06:00

IT'S SNOWING!!!

....currently, actually!

When the hubby came home for his lunch break, not too long ago, we took our pups on a walk in the snow! We did that last year, the two or three days it snowed, and so now it must become a tradition. It sure isn't often we get to make these memories!
(I wanted to take a walk on his lunch break and not wait until he got home for the day because I didn't know if it would last that long! You definitely have to catch it while you can here! But turns out, it should stick for a while! Maybe a second walk this evening?)
With our temperatures in the mid-70s last week, I had (obviously) assumed that no snow day memories would happen for us this year. Man, we live in a crazy-weather state!

I love Pearl's cute, little coat! I haven't found one for Macy yet, so she just gets to be a normal dog and shake the flurries off her back herself.

After he had to go back to work, I wasn't done playing yet!

Can you spot the Pearl?

Macy thought it tasted good!

There is at least 3 times as much snow on the ground right now than in this picture, from about 1 hour ago.

I guess Pearl worked up a thirst. Oh, what's that? Why, yes, that would be our Christmas tree stand that she is drinking out of...suppose that may need to go in the shed finally...

Brace Yourself

2008-03-05T01:28:00.010-06:00

R's mom emailed me the night before we booked his session to see if I could squeeze some portraits in the next day before he got his braces put on the day after that!
As a prior member of the
my-teeth-hurt-because-I-have-braces-but-my-smile-
will-thank-me-later club, how could I resist?!

Being 13, it's normal to have to live with the cute, multi-colored rubber bands that are the only fun part of braces, but R has something much more fun to get to come home to...

He lives on a ranch!

His father said their horses are so tame, they're like puppy dogs.

*I don't know that I've ever seen a blue-eyed horse before! Though I'm not around horses very often...

R certainly has a special bond with them.

I hope you are adjusting well to your new "hardware". As I said, your smile will thank you later!
:)

Lifted

2008-03-05T01:19:00.002-06:00

As a propeller of renewal, I gave my blog a lift!

The girl in the header was one of the children we photographed on Saturday during our shoot @ the workshop. This was shot with some of the new techniques I learned from Jinky, and I love how it came out!

I'm looking forward to my shoots next week!

*But first*.....

Meet R...

Left My Heart In....

2008-03-04T10:36:00.005-06:00

.....not really, but you know how the song goes.

So, I am home, refreshed and renewed, and SOOOOOO excited to begin this new year. (Yes, technically the year is in its third month, but I feel as though it's the beginning.)

I will post my official San Francisco report later because right now I am going to post the session I had last week right before I left, but first, let me introduce you to my new best pal, (I'm not sure if she's aware of our "best pal"-ness).

more to come....

Flying the Coop!

2008-02-29T05:19:00.004-06:00

WILL RETURN MONDAY!!!!
:)