CATEGORY digital art


Miss K is getting ready to party hard with these designer custom photo invitations from our session last week. Do you think I’ll get invited? ;)

Jeremy K. Frost of Keller Williams Steel Action Team is offering 321 Abbey Dr in Austin for $359,000. A beautiful and meticulously kept 3474 sq ft 5br, 3 1/2 bath single story in an outstanding master-planned community and exemplary Dripping Springs school district. Photography and flyer design standard in real estate package.

A vintage style wedding photo montage, which goes perfectly with her netted veil and red roses, and the old world feel of the outdoor Chapel Dulcinea.

Today about 3pm I got a call asking if I could create a memorial montage for Joe Karam who recently passed away. She sent the photos immediately, and I set to work. His family had a photo of this billboard, and thought having him looking down from heaven would be mor appropriate here than even in most cases. So I dusted off my digital scrapbooking skills and created this. The funny thing is, she said she found me by Googling Austin Graphic Designer, and I was the only listing to come up. I figured that couldn’t be right, Austin is a big town, so I tried it and was no where on the (huge) list. But my mother recently passed away at the same age, 1943-2008, and it seems even Google knows what is meant to be. I really enjoyed creating this and so appreciate the family inviting me into their lives at this tender time.

With a few days left to get holiday cards in time to be mailed out for Christmas, this weekend has been a push to get sessions proofed and cards out to the printer! Here are some from recent family and Santa party shoots.

It’s December 12, which means there is about 1 more week to get your family photo taken and get your printed holiday cards in the mail! Procrastination has paid off in your case.

Mini sessions are about 30 minutes, 1 location, 1 outfit, and 1-2 group poses (but don’t worry, everyone in your family gets their own outfits!): perfect to get that family photo you’ve been dreading because your husband can’t sit still any longer than your toddler. No need to fall back to a pocket camera snapshot. Short, sweet, fun, and will net you a fantastic artistic family portrait, mini sessions this December have no sitting fee! Proofs are ready in a day or two, purchase only what you love, and your cards or photo gifts will be ready to go just in time.

Rush cards w/envelopes prices are
25 4×6 flat $50
25 4×6 folded $75
25 5×7 flat $100
25 5×7 folded $125

Third year running and I always love designing the promotional and program graphics for our stake Christmas production. I sang in the choir again this year, though at the last minute I wasn’t able to go because I booked a company Christmas party instead. Oh, well: I went to the dress rehearsal to do the still photography with video production courtesy of Iron Rodd Productions, who very cleverly recreated my graphics in the lighting scheme on the wall behind the performers. Everyone who attended the night of the performance said it was outstanding. I’m sure they were talking about my lovely programs, of course.

Texas Neurorehab Center had its annual holiday party at the Omni Hotel Southpark (does the first one in 3 years count as annual?), and I was expecting a bunch of middle-aged psychiatrists. So to my delight the place was filled with an amazing crowd of fun people with personality and outfits that make we wish I didn’t have such boring fashion sense! I printed holiday cards I designed right at the event, flirted with the waiters, laughed more than one should while on the clock and sober, and worked some Photoshop plastic surgery magic for a few brave souls! Just think, all these people are actually in charge of others’ neurological health. Can’t wait for next year!

From my family to yours this holiday season, wishing you much peace, happines, and true joy. This is what brings me joy: my beautiful, loving, wonderful family, and creating art for others and myself to enjoy. I am thankful to all of my family, friends, and clients for allowing me to be a part of your lives!

If you see my 5×7 card around Austin, San Antonio, or Dripping Springs and book a wedding, let me know where you found my card and ask for a 10% discount on all wedding services!

The R family, owners of Austin Signco, found my portfolio online through our local Dripping Springs homeschooling group, and this shoot was the first time we had met in person. Their twins are absolutely delightful! Adorable, well mannered, full of exuberant energy, and the parents were down to earth and incredibly friendly. I always try not to show just how much work a photo shoot is, managing everyone and capturing not only their emotional interactions while making them all look good, but a family like this makes it fun. Honestly, I can’t wait to get to know them better and let our daughters play.

As I’m gearing up my business, now was the time to rename and redesign the look I want, before I delve too deeply into soliciting clients for the new season.

The business name describes what I do, and says more about the services I offer: I am a photographer who goes beyond the photo to create keepsake art. The logo reflects that also by using photography-related artwork. And it cleverly incorporates my statement in a sleek way: the lens in the letter p, the box that is reminiscent of either a photo, a piece of framed art, or a camera, and even a little “shutter button” up top! (Look closely to find our family “happy face” logo.) It can also redesign into components for many configurations on business cards, letterhead, envelopes, etc. Because I do business makeovers with photos, fliers, brochures, logo design, and related artwork, I need to represent myself well in that category. Thanks for your support as we grow!

My husband’s brother called and asked if I would design his wedding invitations, and since I wasn’t able to attend the ceremony and do the photography myself, it was quite literally the least I could do! These were 5×7 press-printed cards with a front and back (a little formal, a little fun! The best of both worlds). They printed beautifully. I am looking forward to using the photos (that other photographer took) to create some great artwork for a keepsake album. Perhaps the best compliment was from my husband’s other brother who, upon seeing them, called to ask, “Why didn’t we have you design ours? What were we thinking?!” So even if you aren’t in Austin, I can use your photos to create stunning designer invitations for your wedding!

Baby A has made her arrival to join her sisters. I love children, and I love babies, (I have 5 of them myself!), and while I do not yearn for more, quite the opposite, I absolutely adore my “play dates” with these precious newborns. It’s a miracle every time. Ranked up there with weddings in the privilege and “don’t screw up!” factor of capturing this fleeting, never-come-again moment, I am honored to share in such amazing pieces of others’ lives.

I contract as a design and technical instructor at a graphic-design firm specializing in digital scrapbook graphics, and recently our team redesigned our company logo. Several of us suggested designs, but we had a hard time getting in everything we wanted about our company while keeping it sleek (a typical logo design woe.) After almost choosing a design that no one was truly crazy about, I finally submitted a design I felt was bold and memorable and described our company well, and another team member refined it to this finished version. It came back to me for final clean up in Illustrator, and we all love what we created. It breaks down into components very well for different versions on cards, brochures, banners, letterhead, and email signatures. Now it adorns all of our packaging and promotional materials, and is a big part of defining our brand.

Ho, ho, ho! Especially for this Santa event and Christmas party for Belterra homeowners at KC Memory Lane in Wimberley, TX, I designed 8 greeting card borders to be printed on site for our guests, which was a huge hit. Of course, my family had to test out the setup, lighting, and printer, who else? Merry Christmas!


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!

Black and white lent a more classic yet contemporary feel for the Hart’s 11×14 wall montage shot at the San Antonio LDS temple.

An addition to my own family, and I can attest that the most challenging newborn photo shoots are those for our own children! This baby is exactly 1 day old and wide awake! My husband took all the kids out, so with 2 hours alone and the baby in a good mood, I thought, “Why not?” Her hands are so young they’re still a tad purple, and all her wrinkles not yet filled out with chub.

This announcement is created as a standard 4×6 print using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. The small mouse hiding in the vines is symbolic of her Chinese zodiac sign in honor of her 08 08 08 birthday, and the 5 symbolizes her birth order in the family.

A traditional, romantic montage for a musician, shot at the LDS temple in San Antonio, Texas.

I received an email about redoing the promotional poster for our church holiday music program. The videographer took this photo, and we put together this simple buy lovely image. I don’t sing well, and haven’t been in the choir in years, so it was fun to contribute in an area where I’m able.

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!

Scrapbook pages or photos enhanced with digital graphics make a big impact in an album or on a wall, and are a great way to display multiple photos in one space.