Summer Vacation '09...

For those of you wondering why no one is answering our phone, we are currently on day 10 of our 23 day Summer Vacation... Currently in Olympic National Park, Washington. They are having a heat wave here (low 90's), but for us Texans that's cool. We've been through 6 states and will finish up going through 8 before we get home. Washington state is beautiful. Today we went out to the Coastline and combed the rocky shoreline for sealife. We saw all kinds of stuff... The image posted below is from this morning... nothing like getting up at 4:30 am and driving up a mountain in the dark... But for this image, it was worth it....

Noah's turning 1....

Matt and Andrea have been clients of ours for about 3 yrs now. Their firstborn, Noah, is turning one. It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since we did his newborn portraits. It's also hard to believe he's changed that much. He's the cutest lil' chunk out there (of course both of his parents are endurance athletes so we know where he gets it from). We had a great time photographing him, and his mom and dad got a work out in the process... Below are a few from the session.... Happy First Birthday Noah....

BreeAnna...

BreeAnna is one of my Senior Reps from JM. I had the privilege of having her in one of my classes a couple of years ago. She’s not only smart, but talented as well: she’s also the Colonel of the dance team. She is one of the sweetest young ladies I know. We planned this mini-session at the Japanese Tea Gardens is SA (it’s been fixed up after years of being abused and abandoned). Some of the images look like they were taken in Hawaii… Anyway, the session went well, and we got some fantastic images… More on the site…. Enjoy…

Alex(andra) the great...

Alex is a Senior at JM. I had the fortune of having her in one of my classes way back when... She's actually been in several movies and does some radio advertising, as well as acting. Alex is a joyful and friendly young lady. She does have her blonde moments, but her honest disposition and charm trump them as soon as they happen. I asked her where she sees herself 10 years from now, she says in California with her family (I assume acting in big time movies). We had a cool front blow in so our normal 103 temps weren't abundant, it was a cool 98 degrees (we'll take a few degrees cooler any day). Alex had the 6 outfit package, so we planned to start inside and then go out as the sun got lower and temps dropped a little. Her tutu was adorable. I've never seen a grown person look so cute in one of those before (remember, I don't get out much). Anyway, all of her outfits were excellent choices. As we were coming back into the studio after it got dark, Alex mentioned that her hoodie outfit would go great with the Graffiti wall. I thought, "It's totally dark outside, what is she thinking?" Then I reached back into my brain and grabbed all of that Strobist info I always seem to love to browse through and I told her okay. Five strobe flashes and one flashlight (for focusing) later, and wall-lah. Those images are totally cool. I don't think I took one bad image (of course I did, but no one will ever see them). To wrap it up, I learned a few of Alex secrets; her beauty secrets to be exact (don't worry, I'll never tell). The session was a blast, and the images are even better... Posted a few on the site... Enjoy....

Little Miss Sunshine....

Shannon is my Sr Rep from RHS. She's a little barbie doll. We scheduled her mini-session this morning at 6:30 am (yes, that's right, AM). The weather was heavily overcast, but she was full of sunshine, so I didn't worry about the light (it just radiated off of her). She's got golden hair (I mean golden and lots of it), so I figured we'd use the golden grass we have (golden due to it being dead, we haven't had rain in forever). I also included the gold chair. Her favorite color happens to be yellow (you see where I'm going with this). The images turned out fantabulous and I was really pleased. I think she'll like 'em too. I posted a few more on the web... Enjoy...

Back from PPO in OK....

Just returned from a week long PPO School (Professional Photographers of Oklahoma). I spent the week with world renowned photographer Hanson Fong and commercial Photographer John Woodward. My brain is on overload... but I have some new ideas, and I'm refreshed learning and mingling with other photographers as well. While there, we had a contest... it was to take several images while at the school and submit them for offical PPA judging. I didn't take mine thinking I'd win (which I didn't), I just created this for IMPACT (which is exactly what it did). I'm about doing things a little different, so that's what I did... I titled it "Many Me" .... Enjoy....

2010 Seniors are here......

Tonya is one of our 2010 Sr Reps from JM. She's in PALS and a wonderful young lady. I'm sure she'll represent us well and be a real go-getter... We had a mini-session yesterday, and this was one of my favorites....

June Wedding....

Tom and Martha were married at the La Sonterra club on a beautiful June day. It was hot, but the breeze kept it from being one of those "sweat box", South Texas heat weddings. I work with Tom at JM so I knew him more so than most grooms. I also know one of Martha's daughters (had her in class a few years back). The ceremony was as beautiful as the scenery. Afterwards we did the formals right on the course at the top of a hill. This image was kind of a grab shot (after the wind busted my umbrella-flash outfit), since I was using my strobist brain to plan the image. Right when I took it, I knew I had an artistic image (oh, the possibilities). Afterwards, the reception took place in the elegant dining area... Congratulations Tom and Martha, may your future be filled with many more blessings.....

Katie...

Katie's my last '09 Senior. She is a "girlie tomboy". I say that because she's a mix of, "ew, get that bug away from me, but when I go hunting, I can completely field dress your game". She made me laugh throughout the session with her silliness and sometimes coordination imbalances (hehehehe). Her beauty and genuiness made it easy to like her, which built a rapport that led to wonderful images. She plans on attending Texas A&M Corpus Christi in the Fall. Since she's a true outdoor girl, we planned many different locations to help portray her personality. We used the haybarn, open fields, swing, a different part of Cibolo creek, and the car. We then tried to emulate an image that would hang in her home resembling her mother's and grandmother's graduation portraits. I truly enjoyed Katie's session, I hope she feels the same way... More images on the site.... Enjoy....

Amanda B....

Amanda is an '09 Senior from Steele HS. We had her scheduled back in March, but due to the weather, and lack of flowers, we didn't reschedule until now. Amanda has a cute and bubbly personality. She was kinda quiet around me, but I know she's more outgoing around those she knows well. We started at the creek, then made our way to the swing, front yard, then finished up outside with the car. Her selection of outfits was right on. Her black dress really looked great with the car. And it fit her well when we put her on stage. Amanda wants to own her own salon some day. I think she will and do it in style. Hope she likes 'em. More on the web... Enjoy...

Morgan...

Morgan is a graduating senior from Smithson Valley HS. She’s a girlie girl for sure. I asked her to describe herself and her response was fun and outgoing. When I asked her mom to describe her she said, “She’s the sweetest girl in the whole world”. She has a genuiness about her. She’s her ‘lil niece’s favorite Aunt. I can definitely see why. Morgan’s mom brought a ton of clothing selections. Browns, blacks, pinks, etc… So our options weren’t limited. It had been raining the whole afternoon. We pushed back the starting time, and good Lord parted the Heavens and allowed us to get the session in. Her selection of outfits fit her well. She’s a shop-a-holic, so fashion isn’t something she needs help with. A cute black top with jeans went well in the natural light we used. Her black dress suited the black car, and her white top and shorts were perfect for the beautiful, post rainy saturated landscape. Her images turned out fantabulous, and I’m sure she’ll love’em…. More on the site…. Enjoy….

Laney....

I’ve had the pleasure of having Laney for two years in my classes at JM. She falls in between a Tomboy and a girlie girl. She’s all about being outdoors, on a ranch, or just having fun outside. Laney invited me out to her father’s ranch-hand place. There are numerous animals (horses, miniature horses, llamas, longhorn cattle, and ducks, to name a few). There’s also a small lake on the property as well. When I arrived it was really hot, and the sun was slightly hazy. We started out with the miniature horses next to the windmill. We then proceeded to the stables, front porch, and then headed out to the lake. The longhorn cattle were grazing right where we were (we had planned on using them in a few images), so we had her dad put out some range snacks (I don’t remember what they called them). The longhorn cattle were huge. Their horns stretched out at least 5-6 feet on some of them. Laney would get close and they would smell her hand. At one point, they all gathered around her, and two of them came right up to her, she was nervous. The cattle had a million flies all over them, so they would swing their heads from side to side to swat the flies away. Well, Laney was right there and one of them swung the horns around and just caught her forearm. Luckily, no damage was done (maybe a bruise in the morning). It was a little scary standing around these 2000 pound beasts with long weapons. We also used some of the natural flora (i.e. cactus and oak trees). Then we finished up at the lake and pier. Laney pulled out her competition shotgun, while wearing her dress and boots. It was a sight. I thought we’d have a great sunset, but a thick hazy cloud settled just on the horizon, so I thought my hopes were sunk. All of the sudden, those hazy clouds lit up and “BAM”, there’s this gorgeous sky. We got some pretty cool images. This session really pushed me (photographically speaking); I haven’t photographed on location in a while. I really like her images… Hope she will too…. More on the site… Enjoy…

Elizabeth....

Elizabeth is a senior at JM. She’s a very cute, intelligent, and determined young lady. She has aspirations of becoming a doctor. We rescheduled her session due to in climate weather about a month ago, so she’s been excitedly waiting for a while now. Her selection of outfits is very fashion oriented. Her first top was a black printed blouse with multicolored flowers in them. #2 was a white short dress, and finally, #3 was this fabulous blue formal mini dress. We started with natural light in the studio, due to the 100 degree weather outside. We then made our way to the garage, front yard, the swing, then finished up inside. The new (made by yours truly) fashion light was pulled out and the rest of the session speaks for itself. This is the first time I used the FL so there were some kinks to work out, but the images were spectacular. I really like her images… I hope she does too…. More on the site… Enjoy…

Recent Coast Trip....

For a much needed break, we took a trip down to the Texas coast a few weeks ago. We normally go twice a year (April & October) and camp right off the beach in our Chalet trailer. We normally just stay at the beach and never leave (while we are there), but this time we decided to go to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi (about 30 miles away). It was pretty cool. Seeing all of the marine life was incredible. The dolphins stole my experience. You could see them above the water and below (so cool). After the show, right before they closed, we went back down to see them under the water. While we were there, the trainers must have come out (above the water) to run some last-of-the-day training routines. Landon just happened to be standing right by the glass when all three of them did there thing. I love this image.... It was a very relaxing, enjoyable, and much needed break. Anyway, back to business. Enjoy the image.....

An Aggie through and through.....

Brittany is a senior at JM. I have her in one of my classes. She's in Ag and raises pigs. She's so much into AG that she wants to be an AGGIE (Texas A&M for those not from these parts). She just got a horse a few months ago, so she wanted to bring him out to our place. She would've loved to have images with her pigs, but she doesn't have them any more (the season ended a few months ago). Brittany is a fun young lady. She's peppy and quick witted, and has these incredible blue eyes. We started in the hay barn, then her horse took center stage. The backlit images of Brittany and her horse turned out fantastic and are some of my favorites. We finished with her A&M jersey. I forgot to mention, as we were putting the horse back in the trailer, Cimarron left his mark on our driveway. Colby was standing right there and was astonished to be that close to fresh p.... (you know). I teased him about it afterwards... Hope she likes 'em.... More on the site... Enjoy....

Girlie Girl....

Jackie is a senior from JM. Even though I’ve never had her as a student, I’ve had some of her friends, so it’s like I know her (through them). Jackie is a girlie girl. She likes to shop, hang out with her friends, and of course look nice. She’s outgoing, fun, bold, and bubbly. The three outfits that she choose fit her well (very in style). Throughout the session we joked around and I told my cheesy jokes. When the smiles started to slip, I would just say, “Give me a June bug smile”; she would laugh every time. You see, June bug is our new code word to remind her of a story she told me about a friend of hers. I won’t get into details, but it was pretty funny. We started off the session in her jeans and fashiony top. The color almost matched the color of the barn so we started there. A change into a yellow top found us near the blooming cactus, some of my favorites. Finally, she changed into this coral dress. The color was remarkable. The swing, the field, some tall grass, and finally the hay barn finished things up. We had a great time and the images are even better. I hope she likes ‘em…. More on the web… Enjoy…...

Liz...

Liz is a senior at JM. I had the privilege of having her in my class last year. It doesn’t seem real that it’s already time for her to graduate. Anyway, she is a very humorous and artistic young lady. If she could have lived in any decade in U.S. History, I think she would’ve lived in the Sixties. Of course, she will not agree, she’d rather have lived in Medieval times or maybe even the Renaissance Age. Most of her outfits were flutter or fluffy sleeves, tight midsection and very Groovy. Too bad I didn’t have any beads to hang in a doorway (hehehehe). We started down at the creek, then back to the Swing, out in the fields, then inside. Her mom put on some of her music, and BAM, she thought she was PINK (whoever that is). I think she had a really good time, she definitely kept me entertained the entire session. The images turned out wunderbar (is that how you spell it?). I think she’ll like ‘em, I really do…. More on the site… Enjoy….

Natalie....

Natalie is a JM senior. She's in the top of her class, involved in STUCO, and also has a job to add to her involved "busyness". She seems very soft spoken, maybe it's just me, but she also has a genuine"ness" about her. If I could describe Natalie with one word, I'd have to use NATURAL. We rescheduled due to in climate weather, and got (yes, you guessed it) WIND. I'm slowly learning to curb my prejudice against Mother Nature's blustery billows. Natalie chose the perfect red patterned dress. It seemed to fit her personality and charm very well. We started with natural light (garage then inside the studio). Her black top went well with her look. Next came the perfect dress. We chose the brick of my MIL's house, then on to the her front yard. The images turned out fantabulous, some of my favorites this year. She then wore a cool white blouse and we finished up with that. I had a really good time working with Natalie. Occasionally, I would show her an image from the back of the camera and she would giggle, get excited, and smile like a child on Christmas morning. It really made me feel good and laugh. The images are out-of-this-world.... I hope she likes them as much as I do.... More on the site.... Enjoy.....

Jordan...

Jordan was so much fun to work with. She is from Steele HS. Her mom and sister McKenna came with her, and let me tell you, there was never a dull moment. Between mom razzing Jordan and her sister doing the Elvis dance (among other things), we laughed and stayed entertained the entire session. Did I mention the goats? Anyway, Jordan is a witty, intelligent, and fun person to be around. Her hair is to die for (again from a woman’s perspective). The only thing bad about being a true redhead is, as her mom says, “she’s burns in the shade.” Her eyes were a blue from another planet. I tried in almost every image to really focus and get light into them. Jordan’s three outfit selections were, for her casual, a brown Hollister top with a brown and blue striped undershirt. We took some images in the garage, then in the hay barn. I thought the brown in her outfit, red hair, and color of the hay would be a good combination. The images turned out really nice. She then changed into a turquoise top. This really made her eyes stand out. She suggested the graffiti wall. Some of those images are my favorites. Her last outfit was this stunning black dress. We used the old car for this, and the images really blended well. This was an entertaining and fun session (thanks mom and McKenna). The images are fantabulous… I hope she likes ‘em. More on the site… Enjoy….

Dani Girl.....

Dani is a senior at JM. I have her in my class. When I first met her (at the beginning of the year), I thought “this girl is special”. She's always wanting to help others… Why can’t we all have this kind of attitude? Anyway, I’d call her mother hen, always tending to others. Since then, we’ve formed a special friendship… M says she reminds her of Minnie Driver. Dani wanted something different. I informed her of the current fad “trash the dress”, and her eyes lit up like a like a firecracker on the 4th of July. She wanted to use a gorgeous dress that she had previously worn. There was a stain on it, so she got the okay from higher authorities. We planned her outfits (a sun dress, shorts and her Texas State t-shirt, and TTD prom dress). She wanted to display a necklace that her grandparents had given her (swarvorski or something like that), with her sun dress. She also wanted to have some images taken of her fishing, since she is a true outdoors woman. We started inside for some close-ups of the necklace and dress. We then went outside to the swing and tree. She changed outfits, then we went to a pond (thanks D), where she could fish. The light there was simply amazing (weather forecast – gusting winds 35mph, but the good Lord held it off until evening). We were truly blessed with the weather (perfect). We made it back to the studio for some cheerleading images. Finally, all the planning and organizing came to fruition. She put the dress on and we headed over to my friend’s house. We borrowed his four-wheeler and headed to the area. I soaked down the dirt area and turned it into a perfect environment for a beautiful girl in an elegant dress to dirty it up (yeah!!). As Dani was rolling around in the mud to dirty herself up, I thought “Isn’t there a place where people go to get famous mud baths?” Well, now we have the famous “Woman Hollering Mud baths” (that’s the name of the creek near by). Dani even said that it smelled really good (must be a girl thing). Anyway, we had the time of our lives… Dani was totally covered in mud, and I was just enjoying her enjoying riding the four-wheeler. She was doing spinouts, mud was flying everywhere, and I was smiling, snapping away. When we finished, her mom sprayed her down with the hose, and that was hilarious. I will have to say, this session has to be one of the most enjoyable, exciting, and satisfying I’ve ever done. The images are out of this world…. I know she’ll love ‘em. I love ‘em…. Dani, as they used to or still say (remember I’m out of the circle) “You are the bomb.” More on the web…. Enjoy….

Sara...

Sara is a senior at Steele HS. She’s an avid swimmer, and her mom thinks she can compete at the next level. She has a bubbly personality, and is full of smiles. Sara really liked the swing, and the creek (however, I’ve taken a leave of absence from there until my allergic reaction goes completely away… read previous blog entries for detailed information). Sara loves the computer and talking and texting on her cell phone. We started in the studio with a laptop. She then changed into her swimming shirt and letter jacket. We used the brick wall, I thought it would go well with her jacket (and it did). The light changed and it was time for the red dress and the swing. When she came out, I asked her what her name was again…. She looked at me thinking, “How could he forget my name already?” I quickly responded the reason I asked is ‘cause she didn’t look like the same person. Simply stunning would be adequate words to describe her. We had a blast on the swing. Walking back, I noticed the remnants of a spectacular sunset, so we quickly set up the strobe in the front yard. Sara was laughing, dancing (can-can), and just having a good time. We finished up inside with her swimming medals and close-ups. I think she’ll like the images. I have several favorites… More on the site… Enjoy…

Old Friends, New Family.....

Scott and Chelli are an amazing couple. We first photographed their incredible wedding back in 2004 (the one with the bride coming up the river on the boat). And since became friends and kept in touch. Anyway, they moved to Washington state, and have now returned back to Texas... They brought along two lil' ones with them. M is two, and H is 7 months. Chelli has been keeping up with their portraits, and now back in Texas, she gave us a call to continue this portrait journey. She had so many ideas. Between feedings, crankiness, silliness, an outside family portrait, and trying out a ton of outfits, we finally ran out of time. We got some wonderful images, ones that will stand the test of time. Below are three from the session. Hope you like 'em... Enjoy....

Big Jake....

Jake is a Senior at Reagan HS. He’s only been in Texas for about 3 years (but I think plans to stay here forever), and he absolutely loves the outdoors. He’s an avid hunter and fisherman, plays guitar, trumpet and drums, and likes to spend time with friends at the beach. If I had to describe his personality, I’d say he’s simply bold. I had another one of those “small world” stories with him. He’s taking one of my former students to his prom (she goes to JM). Anyway, Jake’s mom probably had to threaten pull teeth to get him here, so I bet there was a compromise on what he had to wear. He choose a more casual look; long-sleeve shirts with jeans and boots. We started out with natural-light, first the garage, then into the studio. I have to mention, his friend Tucker, kept texting him the entire time, so M started calling him Tucker by accident (that was after she called him Patrick, after Patrick Dempsey from Gray’s Anatomy). It was pretty funny. Tucker, if you read this, Jake says you’re a “good ‘ol boy”. After a wardrobe change, we went to the hay barn, the garage wall, and then changed again and did some indoor studio stuff. Jake did well, all for the sake of mom. The images turned out great, and I think his mom will like’em. More on the site…. Enjoy…..

Simply Jess.....

Jess is a Senior from ECHS. We’ve been acquaintances for a few years now. Her mom is great friends with our Sister-in-law in Florida. I remember her coming out to my in-laws home in the summer when she was about 12 (boy, does time fly or what?). Jess is an outdoorsy, extroverted, and resilient young lady. When she first arrived she was kind of quiet, but just like our previous senior, she came alive, got excited, and left with anticipation of viewing the images. I don’t know what I’m doing lately, but it seems to be working. We went down to the creek and while driving up, M spotted the backlit field of white flowers. I noticed the interplay of shadows and highlights, so we started there. We then made it to the water area. Took some images there and came back to the studio. I have to mention that the last time I was down at the creek, I got into some poison oak. Let me tell you, I’ve had it many times in my life, but this time I swelled up like a puffer fish (that is, the areas affected – I’ll spare you the oooozing details). We got back to the studio just in time for sunset. We sat Jess against the white fence and took some more images. The weather was windy (what do you expect, this is the year of the wind here in TX). The weird thing was, it was warm when we went to the creek, but when we returned the temp. dropped pretty quickly. Hopefully, the goosebumps aren’t too visible (hehehehehe). We finished up inside. I felt this is one of those sessions that I was blessed. The images truly captured Jess’s beauty. Hope she likes ‘em. More on the site. Enjoy…..

Jackie Q....

Jackie is a Senior from JM. She's the real deal (intelligent, fashionable, and active in her school, not to mention the obivious). She’s wanting to attend Stanford University in the Fall. Most of our Seniors show up excited and full of energy. Jackie, on the other hand, showed up tired and about to fall asleep. I had the perfect cure for this situation, cold creek water. Jackie got more excited and energized as we went along. And before we finished, she was excited and full of energy (if only all my clients could be like that). We started down at the creek. This is the first time a senior actually got in the water. Of course it’s Spring, so it’s starting to warm up. As the images convey, we had a blast. We photographed in and around the creek. We found some wildflowers and a tree budding with flowery, pollen buds. We then returned to the studio, where she changed in to a multi-colored, cool top and jeans. We finished up in her royal blue prom dress. It was a fun session (which usually winds down toward the end), and Jackie made it exciting & lively the whole way through. Forgot to mention the frog nibbling on her toes in the creek (hey, if I was a frog, I’d mistaken a pretty, well-pedicured toe for scrumptious food too – hehehehe). The images turned out amazatastic. I hope she likes ‘em. More on the site…. Enjoy….

Ardently Avid Amanda....

Amanda is a teacher at a local high school here in town. She’s an only child and her parents wanted some nice portraits of her to celebrate her upcoming birthday. I don’t photograph many adult individuals, but both of her parents are cancer survivors, so taking these portraits of her took on an entirely different meaning. This session caused several problems for me…. First, I didn’t know where to put her on my web site; she’s not a senior, not a model (even though she could be), she didn’t fit in any of my categories…. Second, there were so many fantastic images I racked my brain just trying to pick a few to put on the web site (that is, when I finally figured out where to put her)… Third, and this is really not a problem for me, but her enthusiasm and excitement was contagious…. The session went so well, and so long (I kept coming up with ideas; actually she came up with the ideas, I just pushed the button on the little black box), that she probably missed her date she had scheduled that evening…ooopsie...... Sorry about that Amanda…. (I know, I know, poor me..... starving people in the world, financial crisis, violence everywhere, I know there are some people reading this feeling sorry for me and my problems now...NOT). She was so excited she brought tons of ideas and things to go with them. Her dog was hilarious, it’s like he never saw open country before…. He ran and jumped, and played, and did the typical dog stuff… he’d run off, and when we couldn’t find him, he’d come back because he was so tired of running off…. Amanda had so many cool, fashionable, outfits… We had a blast, the images turned out fantabulous, and we made a new friend…. Amanda, now that you’ve gone through the experience, remember us when your students want cool and different senior portraits (plug-plug)… You're our new offical CK liason (did I spell that right?)for RHS. Thanks again, it was one portrait session we’ll never forget…. Hope you like the images… More on the site (under people/models/acting link)….. Enjoy….

P.S. Forgot to mention the funniest part of the session, I won't get into to details, but I know Amanda is glad I was the only one taking her picture that day.... hehehehehe.....

Lauren H....

Lauren is another JM '09 senior. She's on the Dollie Dance Team. She says that she's not graceful, but every time I asked her to change her position and pose, she'd get in this elegant, feminine position. I guess her dance background is such a part of her, she does it instinctively. The session was rescheduled (due to my illness back in Feb.), and the forecast for her session wasn't promising. It had been in the 80's all week, then boom, out of no where comes this 40 degree high, rainy, blustery day. Of course we made the best of it, but let's just say, we didn't spend that much time outside (burrrrrr...) The other thing that really stands out about the session was how nincompooped (yes, my spelling of it) I must have looked. Every time I made an adjustment (tried to block the wind, put a board down, adjusted a light stand, tried to get the gel color on the light to look right, etc...) something happened. I felt befuddled. To make a long story short, I stepped on a nail (yes right through the shoe and into the foot, tetnus shots aren't too painful), had a board come crashing down (no injuries), knocked a fastener off my lightstand, and the gelled light didn't look quite right. I just laughed and thought, "they must think I'm one of the three stooges." It was like the Apple Dumpling Gang met Dumb and Dumber. Enough of my rambling... The best part of the session was the fact that the images turned out great. You'd never know any of it happened.... got that Lauren (none of it happened... you had the best time of your life...... hehehe). Hopefully, mom likes the images..... More on the CK site.... Enjoy....

Sandra and Michael's Wedding....

Sandra and Michael were married last weekend. Both graduated from TTU (get ur' guns up). Michael reminds me of Matt Bonner of the NBA Spurs (hey Michael, don't hang out after a Spurs game or you might have to sign a few autographs... hehehe). They were married in a church on the West side of San Antonio. The reception was at Pedratti's Ranch. The bridal attendants wore pink and black strapless dresses, alternating pink with black, and black with pink. The floral arrangements were stunning, all done by the bride and friends. The groomsmen were mostly from West Texas, you could tell by their accents and mannerisms. The session started with the typical groom with groomsmen and family, then bride with hers. We did the First Glance, and finished up before the ceremony with the formals of the entire bridal party. The ceremony was beautifully quick, and the family formals finished out our work at the church. Pedratti's is a Western style ranch used for receptions and the like. On the bride's cake, Sandra had put a bride and groom ornament on top. What was different about it was the bride was grabbing the groom's behind. It read "To Have and To Hold". Her creativeness didn't stop there. She had a candy table for all of the guests. It was elaborate. All different kinds of candy. The guests couldn't wait to dig in, but they had to wait on us to photograph it (sorry folks). Finally she created a slideshow of her and Michael growing up. It was a beautiful wedding, and I hope the images portray it. Congratulations Sandra and Michael. May your wedding be just the beginning of a beautiful and blessed life together.

Miss Congeniality...

If there's one word that would describe Ashley, it would have to be involved. Not only is she in the top 10% of her class (missed the top five by just a few points), but she's involved in STUCO & PALS, the JM Mascot, JM Homecoming Queen, a member of the National Honor Society, and the Manager of the Girls' Basketball team. She's outgoing, amiable, and reminds me about what's good in the world. She's decided on attending Texas A&M in the Fall, in particular, the College of Business. Our session was rescheduled, due to the predicted bad weather, so we moved it up. It was overcast and windy (you'd think we live in West Texas this year). Ashley wanted outside portraits in her coronation dress. We started inside with the vintage chair (came with the couch). The gold in the wall really complimented her purple dress. We then moved outside to the swing. Changed outfits, then high-keyed the do-it-all JM accessories. Finally, we finished up outside with her sundress. The images turned out fantabulous. More on the CK web site.... Enjoy.

A West Texas Gem....

Kolby is the third young lady from West Texas to drive in for her senior portraits in the last year and a half. She described herself having "honey brown" eyes. I didn't know what color "honey brown" was. Well, now I do.... and I'll always think of Kolby when I see anyone with extraordinarily, golden-glowing, honey brown eyes (absolutely gorgeous). Rodeo is a major part of her life, so I planned much of the session to incorporate it (it's a shame I couldn't photograph her with her horse). If I were to describe her, I'd say, being tough is important to her. She's got a long list of injuries due to her participation in rodeo. The thing I like best about her is her honesty. It may come across a little rough at times, but you can always count on her telling you what's on her mind. The day started out rainy and overcast, but later turned sunny. The only problem was the wind, 20-30 mph (a photographer's nightmare). Wanting most of her portraits outside, I made a plan, and fortunately for the first part, had two extra people to help with all of the photographic accessories. We went to the creek, then the hay barn, then on to the old barn a few miles up the road. We finished up inside... Kolby and her mom are troopers... at the end of the session they looked like they were exhausted. Fortunately, they weren't driving all the way home. I think I captured some portraits of her that show her personality and true beauty. For some reason, I love West Texas, and getting to know people from there, makes me want to visit more and more.... Enjoy.... more on the site......

The Glow.....

It never ceases to amaze me when we are commissioned to photograph an expecting mom-to-be. She was radiating with that Glow that you always hear about. Melissa and Ben are past clients of ours, we photographed their wedding over 3 years ago. Ben is a firefighter and Melissa a teacher-in-waiting. They are such a fun couple. Melissa has the hair do die for (I guess if I were a woman I'd be envious). She brought a lot of cute ideas. One of which was a blue ribbon (below), symbolizing the present they have been blessed with. We used our new (old - but new to us - vintage looking couch) furniture with our freshly painted wall. Tried some new lighting techniques, and just were blessed with such a beautiful mom-to-be. The images are out-of-this-world. I know they'll love them.... More on the site... Enjoy.... Congratulations Melissa and Ben, I know you'll treasure all these precious moments, we are truly happy for you.

Gavin...

Gavin is a JM Senior and played football. He seems like the kind of person you'd want to be friends with, laid-back, accepting, and likes to laugh. During the planning session, G's mom loved an image with one of the old cars we used with a few previous year's seniors. We decided on it and I set it up. The weather was kind of weird. It was sunny, but became overcast right at sunset. The wind was blowing about 25 miles an hour which made the low 50's temps seem a lot colder. When we came back in from the session, everyone's noses were a little red. Gavin's session went well, and we captured a lot of really nice images. Thanks D for letting us use the car... Enjoy....

Anniversary Portraits.....

Toby and Kristine are celebrating 10 years of marriage bliss.... They wanted to commemorate it with a nice portrait. Kristine wore a traditional Korean dress and Toby chose a black suit. They are a fun couple. Their rapport together shows how special of a relationship they really have. We did some traditional images then created some elegant images of Kristine in her dress. I think they turned out really nice.... I hope they like 'em... Enjoy....

Mr. Madison 08-09

CK sponsored the Mr. Madison contest again this year. Larry Lee was this year's winner. I had the privilege of having him in my Health class his freshmen year. He's a character. He hasn't changed a bit, still silly and quick-witted. His ability to make funny faces reminded me of a young Jim Carrey. We discussed the session and planned on using the Madison flag as the main focus. LL is a horseman for Madison (one of the guys who does the pushups and runs with the flags at football games). I picked a spot a few miles from the studio that the sky would show up in the background. We got there just in time for the sunset. The setting sun wasn't as spectacular as it's been in the past, but it still turned out nicely. We had fun, and the images turned out pretty cool. Enjoy......

Top 5 Families....

The Tangs are one of my all time favorite families. They are so much fun. I have photographed Lauren's engagement and wedding, and Ricky's engagement. I've also photographed the family once before. Since the family has grown (two marriages), mom wanted another family portrait. With only a short window of time to set this up, the day came before I knew it. Mom wanted to have an indoor session due to the unpredicatable weather we've been having lately, so we decided on a morning session. Everyone arrived in great spirits. Lauren was her typical sharp-sense-of-humored self. Ricky and Layla were laughing. And dad was also in a chipper mood. I decided to use a new background I recently acquired with the couch. Trying to fit 6 people on that couch is a feat in and of itself. The image turned out really cool (see below). We finished up with everyone wearing their college shirts. It was so funny when Ricky and Layla tried to do their thing. Let's just say we were all cracking up. The Tang's are such a great family. If all my families were that much fun, I'd have a permanent smile on my face 24/7..... Enjoy.....