This adorable trio we shot at Bee Cave Central Park just outside of Austin and Lakeway  just may have been the best behaved, most cooperative little group I’ve worked with. When I complimented them on how well they were doing, mom whispered to me that she’d been prepping them for weeks! It certainly paid off with their great smiles, eye contact, and close poses. She wanted tight head shots in black and white canvas gallery wraps to update some she’d had done six years ago for a previous father’s day gift. It’s a surprise, so shhh! don’t tell!

What a spunky and funny couple, it was almost hard to take photos because we were all laughing so hard! I think it was the first reception I’ve attended where cowboy hats and Texas accents were mandatory (yes, we had the DJ call them all out for a group photo!) Yet especially later in the evening, once the happy couple was ignoring us and we went into stealth photo ninja mode, there was such a lovely tender affection and sense of relief that it set my own heart to melting. My own 13th anniversary was the day after the wedding, and I thank you for giving me the perfect reminder of how wonderful it’s been! And thanks to Tyler Schmitt who is such an experienced and expensive wedding photographer for agreeing to come be my second: you were amazingly easy and fun to work with! Betcha didn’t know he was hiding back there!

View their full galleries for the wedding and the reception

http://palphotoart.com/tomasroppolowedding/

http://palphotoart.com/tomasroppoloreception/

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!

A 4×6 holiday card custom designed from scratch. 150 of these babies and some envelopes, and Christmas couldn’t be merrier!

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!