CATEGORY baby

The E family drives past these cabins in the Spanish Oaks neighborhood in Bee Cave, Texas frequently and sees all their buddies with family photos in front of them, so this year is their turn. Getting ready for the holidays with the whole family smiling in one shot is the holy grail of family photography, and with young children is difficult that it’s incredibly rewarding. I love working with families, the interaction with the parents and playing with the kids, and children of these hobbyist photographers knew the drill and did a fantastic job.

I have been with this precious family since maternity photos for her first child. These were taken at their home in Spicewood, Texas. Certainly I hope this won’t be the last session with this gorgeous group of people: even their dog smiles well. This is their fall holiday card, 6-month baby, 3-year toddler shoot: multi-tasking!

This gorgeous little family was in town visiting from Europe and had a photo shoot at the Spanish Oaks cabins in Bee Cave with their adorable daughter and another on the way. Mom used to work as a candy developer with a food science background, and raided Big Top Candy for fun and colorful edible photo props. I love using props, but especially when the families bring items that really convey a part of their family identity. Good luck on the upcoming addition, and hope you have fun finishing off all those props!

Dripping Springs has some fantastic central Texas landscapes for photos, and the Highpointe community has a beautiful pond, trail, and park path system with gorgeous photo ops. The only thing that could make it better is a gorgeous family to go in it! With two incredibly happy smiling boys, we spent a lot of time trying different sets and poses because they were so cooperative. Here are some of my favorites.

We’ve been following Baby McD and his family since his mommy’s maternity session, and he is now almost 3 years old (I can’t believe it, but I have a daughter the same age, so I guess I have to). He just welcomed a baby brother into the world! It’s uncanny how much they look alike, I felt like I stepped into a little time warp at first glance of this new little one. The mood of a first-time mom and a seasoned pro was very different this time around, as big brother kept us company playing and laughing most of the time. When his dad distracted him by inviting him to watch the drag race on TV, he bid us farewell saying, “I have to go watch the dragons racing!” This baby was also exceptionally calm, spending long periods of wakefulness just chilling out. I stayed after a bit to teach mommy how to use her various baby slings, and the duck in water saying comes to mind. What an adorable little fellow!

This sweet 6-month-old is the cutest perfectly chubby little girl I’ve seen in awhile. She is the classic little beauty, very happy and fun to photograph. Her mom had some great outfits and accessories picked out to enhance what nature already gave her. Capturing this age can be difficult if they’re not sitting up yet, but she was strong and happy to lay on her chest and smile away at us.

A great looking family, a fall scene (and let me tell you, fall color is pretty difficult to find in central Texas!), and beautiful warm autumn colors with a warm sunset thrown in, and here’s what you get! All available light, I didn’t even have to break out my softboxes. Isn’t it great when mother nature and children cooperate? A 4 year old plus 1 year old twins, let’s just say cooperation was not a given, but a privilege they bestowed! Especially as they discovered little one had a fever after returning home. Happy Holidays!

We used some awesome vintage buildings in downtown Dripping Springs, Texas on Mercer Street for a family session tonight. Four young children always makes for a fun challenge in family photography, but as I am a family photographer I enjoy the challenge! Having five young rowdy kids myself, and my kids make these look tame, I can also fully appreciate the importance of putting in the time and effort of getting family photos done. I’ve been there: the stress of finding suitable clothing without stains, the aggravation of being in a hurry, the annoying dad who gets grumpier than the wee ones (I’m talking about my own man, er, not any other dad I’ve ever worked with!) So I definitely get the hassle, which makes each and every family session precious to me.

Despite all the hassle, it’s also my job to create FUN once the family arrives! Tickles, cuddles, playfulness not only makes for more fun at the session, but far better photos afterward! These kiddos did an outstanding job, holding still, following instructions, natural smiles almost on cue, and check out the outfits! Tell mom way to go!

Baby Gavin arrived a little bit early, so his mommy’s maternity session turned into a newborn session! That happens sometimes, and we’re just happy baby is healthy and had no NICU stay. I, however, arrived just on time as he had just fallen into a deep slumber, and allowed me to pose him like Gumby for some precious naked sleep baby poses. The white comforter did end up in the laundry, of course, as did most of our clothing. He made up for it by being very cooperative and happy the entire session by willingly rolling into a little ball most of the time. Congratulations to Jane and Gareth! Thank you for letting me get my baby fix for a few hours, he was a joy. And I am still waiting for my photographer of the year award for posing a newborn and a big puppy into one photo! A few massages should cover it.

My first shoot with this family was a maternity and baby’s first year package for their first, long awaited child. Now he is two years old and expecting a new sibling! I think we’ve had 8 or 9 sessions together in the past 2 years between baby portraits, family shoots, and holiday cards, and the personal friendship we’ve developed has been such a welcome blessing! I can’t wait to start all over this spring with your new addition. Happy birthday and congratulations!

Our friends added a last little baby to their family this week, a little sister for her three big brothers. A tiny but perfect little creature (a slightly early C-section tends to create those gems) she is dainty and delicate and girly, which cannot last growing up the smallest among all those brothers! Congratulations to Ruth and Shaun on their beautiful bundle of fluff.

Two months old, and already looks so different from a typical newborn session! While it followed the same pattern of awake, fussy, hungry, happy, tired, screaming, deep sleep that newborn sessions always have, it was odd to be able to make funny faces and kissy noises during a “newborn” session and have him actually respond with smiles and eye contact! Still, while most of the important photos were made while deep in sleep, we got more than the usual share of smiling happy shots.

I loved using mom’s crocheting and dad’s music equipment to really show some personality. Congratulations to Sam and Melissa on your first beautiful baby after so many years of waiting, and he is a beauty!

A year goes by so quickly, and it’s incredible to watch baby McD grow from a wriggling newborn to a laughing, running toddler! Babies grow so fast, it’s like watching mold in a petrie dish (except a lot cuter!) This family shoot was the culmination of a year’s portfolio from maternity, newborn, holiday card, 6 month, to 1 yr. Happy first birthday little man!

Hard to believe that just a few days ago this little guy was inside mama’s belly! They seem so tiny, yet considering from whence they came, it’s one enormous miracle! Congratulations to the S family, and welcome earthside, newbie. With brothers A, B, C, D, and now 5th little son E has arrived!

When will I learn that newborn shoots are a painful marathon with the sweetest moments at the end? The general pattern seems to be arrive to a sleeping baby whom I promptly wake up while trying to photograph sleeping while mom gets her make up on because I forgot again to warn her that she’d likely be in the the photos. Then the wriggly baby gives me some weird faces and postures before turning into screaming baby who nurses despite not really being hungry. For just a bit, I get active baby who makes great eye contact with the camera, or at least the appearance of it, for the “money shot” for the birth announcement. Then wriggly baby returns and swaps place on and off with screaming baby, who finally gets very hungry, and while stressed mom lamenting that her newborn won’t “cooperate” settles in for a long nursing saying, “We should have something decent by now, maybe we should call it a day?” But I persevere and assure her this is where it finally gets good, hours 2-3. Nursed and relaxed baby falls asleep and allows all sorts of prodding and repositioning. Finally, we’re shooting nothing but net! Thanks for putting up with me hanging at your house, even if we nurse and talk as much as shoot!

Uncle L and little nephew N catching some outdoor activity together. Can you see the family resemblance?

An uncooperative dad and an uncooperative baby requires a creative solution: no faces! After I got him to relax a bit so he didn’t look like he was palming a basketball, this sweet shot speaks volumes, and no one can tell the baby is shrieking! And because it was my husband rather than a client, I wasn’t exactly in the most patient mood either! But patience and endurance always pays off in the end!

My new “baby” arrived a few days before my baby arrived: a Nikon D300! I am officially a geek photographer carrying 2 giant cameras around because “They both do different things!” I was able to squeeze in one session with this adorable six-month-old little guy before taking an extended maternity leave.

Often photographers report that capturing non-walkers is the most fun and easy stage because they stay put! But I just love walking after a newly land-legged toddler exploring her world from a completely different angle. This photo conveys that sense of curious discovery and motion, of life happening in front of the camera rather than for the camera. The biggest challenge is finding a location with enough beautiful backdrops to allow free wandering with no cars or strangers corrupting the shot!

All packages include
sitting fee
1 hour travel
all images individually edited
up to 5 images digitally enhanced by request
$25 a la carte credit
$10 per digital file
Each a la carte or pakage print comes with the digital file

1/2-hour Mini Session $75 suitable for individual head shots or 1 location and limited poses
2-hour Standard Session $200 suitable for individuals up to 3 clothing changes and 1 location, families up to 5 with group and individual shots, group shots only, or real estate
3-hour Extended Session $300 suitable for large families up to 10 with large group and individual shots, or groups/reunions with small group shots
Newborn Sessions Having a baby is such a unique experience every single time. I should know, I have had five of them! My experience with newborns personally and professionally puts you and your newborn in capable, calm, and patient hands. There are several packages to suit your individual family. After booking an approximate date, please call as soon as you are home from the hospital, when baby is about 3-days old, to finalize the session time. Newborn sessions are for babies 5-10 days old. Newborn and Family Small $300 We spend a lot of time during these sessions at your home changing, nursing, feeding, burping, rocking, screaming, soothing, so while they last 3 hours the actual photography time totals an hour. The package includes the 3-4 hour session with 5 favorite images as digital negatives. Newborn and Family Regular $500 The same loving atmosphere with as much time as it takes to capture the images we need as the small package, but all images individually edited as digital negatives on a commemorative DVD. Maternity + Newborn and Family $800 2 sessions for the price of 1 with all images individually edited as digital negatives on a commemorative DVD. A 1-hour maternity session designed to make you feel beautiful, as well as a newborn-only session after the birth. Maternity + Birth + Newborn $1000 This package includes the Maternity + Newborn as well as my being on hand during the birth at the hospital, center, or your home to capture the arrival, day or night! All images from all 3 sessions included, individually edited as digital negatives on a commemorative DVD.

A la Carte Services

Printed Invitations (available with my photos or another photographer’s with release)

all cards include custom-designed graphics, white envelopes, identical design for each batch of 50
call for bulk pricing over 50, or wedding invitation extras like foil envelopes, double envelopes, full-color front and back design, etc

25 4×6 flat $50, 50 $85
25 4×6 folded with interior design $75, 50 $140
25 5×7 flat $100, 50 $180
25 5×7 folded with interior design $125, 50 $225
colored envelopes, add $25 each 50
return address printed envelopes, $25 each 50
recipient address printed envelopes, $50 each 50

Prints & Enlargements

4×6 $10
up to 300 4×6 proofs from session, $75 (included free in wedding packages)
5×7 $15
8×10 $25
11×14 $35, artboard $50
16×20 $45, artboard $80, canvas wrap $150

Montages and Scrapbook Layouts

8×10 or 11×14 custom photo montage $100
12×12 or 8.5×11 scrapbook page $50

Albums and Frames (available for my photos or another photographer’s with release)

4×6 proof sleeve album $10
4×6 frame album $30
4×6 keepsake box with all proofs from session, $100

5×7 bound album $45
framing $35 up to 8×10, $40 up to 16×20, $50 20×24 with 16×20 mat
10×10 10-page (20 layouts) bound, hardcover album $200

DVD’s and Keepsakes (available for my photos or another photographer’s with release)

DVD photo-music slide show $150
all images 4×6-quality high resolution on DVD $250 w/ personal reprint rights
up to 100 images enlargement-quality high resolution on DVD $350 w/ personal reprint rights
100+ images enlargement-quality high resolution on DVD $500 w/ personal reprint rights
all images enlargement-quality high resolution on DVD $1000 w/ commercial reprint rights

Sitting fee due at time of session, remainder due at ordering consultation.

Print prices are honored 90 days from portrait session. Digital negatives are stored for 90 days from portrait session, and 2 years for negatives selected for prints.