Category Archives: Couples Photography

Let’s Do a Family Portrait

LET’S CHAT

It starts with a quick chat on the phone. Once you know we are the right fit, we will work together to make sure the experience and artwork we create is custom to you. We want to get to know all about your family so we can create an experience catered to them that results in artwork that will blend seamlessly with your home. We can discuss clothing, location, style, etc. Our phone number is 972-335-3686.

YOUR SESSION

Your session is designed just for you and to be FUN! You will play, laugh, and be yourselves in front of our camera. Worried you won’t know what to do? We have your back and will make sure to photograph you and your family authentically. With over 30 years of experience photographing people, we make sure everyone looks and feels great.

ORDER APPOINTMENT

The moment you’ve been waiting for! Sit back and relax as we project your images larger than life on our studio wall. Many times our clients are absolutely shocked at how great the images are. We love this!!!We will hold your hand throughout this process, from choosing your favorite images to selecting wall art to perfectly made to complement your home. We want you to leave with wall portraits to give your home a look you’ll love for generations.

ENJOY!

Depending upon what you ordered, we ship your portraits directly to your home. Most of the time, you will receive your printed order within a two week turnaround. We do provide digital images of anything you ordered from and those will be emailed to you before your printed portraits arrive.

The Halverson Family photographed in October, 2024 by Kurt Nelson, Innovative Images

Why Print Photos in the Digital Age?

In today’s digital age, we are surrounded by an abundance of digital photos stored on our smartphones, computers, and cloud services. While the convenience of digital photography has its advantages, there is a growing concern that we are losing an entire generation of photographs due to the lack of printing.

Let’s explore FIVE consequences of not printing portraits and the importance of preserving our images/memories in tangible form.

The Fragility of Digital Data: Digital photographs are susceptible to loss or corruption. Hard drives can fail, memory cards can get damaged, or files can accidentally be deleted. By not printing portraits, we place our memories at risk, relying solely on fragile digital files that can easily disappear.
The Joy of Tangible Memories: There is something magical about holding a physical photograph in your hands, feeling the texture, and reliving the moment it captured. Printed portraits allows us to create tangible memories that can be displayed, shared, and passed down through generations. It brings a sense of nostalgia and connection, evoking emotions that digital images alone cannot replicate.
The Importance of Archiving: Printing portraits ensures their longevity and preservation for future generations. By printing and archiving photographs, we create a tangible legacy that can be enjoyed by our children, grandchildren, and beyond. These printed portraits serve as a bridge between generations, fostering a sense of belonging, and allowing our stories to live on.
The Loss of Personal Touch: In the digital realm, our photographs often remain hidden within the confines of our devices (think about yourself trying to find one single image on your iPhone). Printed portraits allows us to showcase our cherished memories in our homes, creating a personal touch and a sense of warmth. They serve as conversation starters, sparking stories and connections with our loved ones. Without printed portraits, we miss out on the opportunity to share and celebrate our lives with others.
Preserving Cultural Heritage: Printed portraits are not just about preserving our personal memories; it is also about safeguarding our cultural heritage. Family portraits capture moments that define our identities and histories.

As we continue to navigate the digital age, it is essential not to overlook the importance of printed portraits.

Preserving our memories in tangible form allows us to safeguard them against technological failures, relish in the joy of physical touch, and create lasting legacies for future generations.

Let us not allow an entire generation to be lost in the millions of digital images, stuck on a device.

At Innovative Images, Kurt is a PRINT ARTIST. Now you know why!

It’s time to give your walls a story to share.

Lets get it all figured out

1. Prefer text? Text Kurt at 972-335-3686

2. Prefer email? Email: Kurt@innovativeimagesphotos.com

3. Prefer a call? Schedule your call here: https://calendly.com/innovativeimages/portraitphoneconsultation

Taylor & Gage

Engagement photo sessions are truly special! There’s much less stress on everyone involved than at a wedding. It’s a casual, fun experience that results in portraits that will be treasured for a lifetime. Every couple is different and we strive to capture the special bond and happiness that is evident during the engagement time. Some couples prefer a dramatic look and others want to express who they are in a more casual way. Either is great! Taylor and Gage chose to keep the clothing very basic and focus on each other and their love of the outdoors. This is an amazing couple and we wish them all the happiness this world can bring!

Here are just a few pics of this absolutely lovely couple…..

Giselle, SR 2025

We had such a great time capturing Giselle’s senior portraits! She timed the session perfectly in late spring/early summer because the weather and natural backgrounds were absolutely stunning. We were able to do both classic indoor portraits and gorgeous outdoor photos. She was fun to work with and very photogenic!

Here is a small sample of a few of the portraits we took of this wonderful senior!

Family Portraits Indoors

For the past twenty years or so, most families desire their family portraits to be taken outdoors in nature for a natural, casual style that look great on display on the walls of their homes. We agree that this is a stunning look that will be popular forever.

In the 70’s, 80’s and before, families went to their local photography studio similar to Olan Mills, and did their family portraits inside a studio on a painted background. Most families dressed in their “Sunday best” with no regard for blending with one another. It’s easy to spot one of these portraits and often they are pretty funny. I’m sure you have some of these gems in your attic or on the walls at Grandma’s house.

Today, there is a healthy blend of many types of family portrait locations both indoors and outdoors. There are some indoor studio family portraits (although these are few and far between because there aren’t many photo studios with adequate space and photographers who understand indoor lighting.) We still do this type of photography and the results can be absolutely stunning. Another style of indoor family portraits is the location session inside the client’s home. This can be a wonderful idea because it documents the family’s life inside their own setting therefore the results looks incredible on display in gorgeous family portraits on their walls. Another advantage is there is no weather to deal with so hair and light is always great. Many clients have said there is no good spot in their home. Some are surprised to see that an experienced photographer can look for angles and areas that photography beautifully!

We absolutely love outdoor photos but indoor family portraits have their advantages. If it’s time for your next family portrait and you want to do something different this time, we suggest an indoor session. Take a look at this recent session at the client’s home. We love the windows providing exquisite lighting and the clothing which blends with their decor.

Create a Gallery Wall in an Apartment

Creating a gallery wall in your apartment is a wonderful way to infuse your space with personality, style, and visual interest. This versatile design element allows you to showcase your favorite artworks, photographs, and treasured items, turning a simple wall into a captivating focal point.
In this ApartmentGuide article which we were featured in, we share nine expert tips to help you design a stunning gallery wall that reflects your unique taste and creativity. So whether you’re selecting the perfect pieces for your rental apartment in New York, NY, or your townhome in Boston, MA, these tips will ensure your gallery wall becomes a striking and cohesive statement that enhances the beauty of your apartment. Be sure to check out Artful Arangements: 9 Expert Tips for Crafting Your Apartment’s Gallery Wall.

Article written by Ryan Castillo/Redfin with collaboration from Innovative Images and other photographers.

What to Wear in a Family Portrait

In the old days, photographers might have told a family to wear something like all white and denim or all black. Easy, YES, but good, NO! Seriously, how many families go around looking like clones? We want your family portrait to be a natural look but there are things to consider. Here are some do’s and don’ts!

*DO these things:

1.Come up with a plan for the portrait session. Do not allow each person to just show up in their favorite clothing. Color harmony and mood is important.

2. Wear colors that would look like a great accent in your home. In other words, if you decorate in gray and blue, don’t wear colors such as red, hot pink, burgundy, etc. Stick with neutral tones that will blend with your home’s decor.

3. Wear clothes that somewhat match each personality yet blend with the family. Solid colors mixed with very small prints containing the solid color choice and jackets, vests, etc. are usually a nice look.

4. Wear layers, jewelry, etc. to highlight each person’s unique style.

5. Women should wear a little make up! You can look sick and pale with nothing to highlight your face! I know you want to look natural, but a little makeup is a great thing.

6. Wear a variety of textures.

7. Wear colors that go with the natural background of the season. (Ex: Do not wear springlike colors in a fall landscape)

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*DON’T do these things:

1. Wear bold patterns ESPECIALLY bold stripes!

2. Wear WHITE especially if you’re the only one! You’ll be too bright and overpowering.

3. Wear short sleeves if you are even a pound overweight. Trust me on this one. We can help the situation in the retouching process but help me by not doing it and help yourself because your arms will look bigger than you think.

Wear socks that will show such as little white athletic socks!

Wear a mix of light and dark colors. Choose either light or either dark or all neutrals on top. PLEASE AVOID SHIRTS LIKE NAVY AND WHITE STRIPES, ETC. This is an absolute killer.

Use this chart to help you come up with a color scheme!

This family did a beautiful job of mixing textures (sweaters, lace, quilted vests, jacket, etc.) In addition, they look perfect in the fall background. There are at least 3 people in off white which is good because if there were only 1, that person would have been the focus of the group. Everyone has on a NEUTRAL color scheme that is similar to option 6 above. They go together but each has their own look! What a gorgeous family portrait!

You have family doctors, dentists, and stylists, but who do you have documenting your family’s journey? Who is capturing your milestones? Your biggest moments? The cherished times that you want to be able to press pause on, and savor? If you don’t have a family photographer, now is the time to change that.

Imagine, having one person, who knows your family, memorializing your legacy. We cherish our lifetime clients. Getting the opportunity to celebrate the moments that make life so beautiful, year after year, is what makes our work incredibly meaningful.

We took this sweet young lady’s senior portraits.

Fast forward several years, and we were capturing her engagement.

And now we have the absolute pleasure of taking both of her daughters one year old portraits. And we are looking forward to being there for many more precious moments to come.

We’d love the opportunity to be your family photographer. We are experts in preserving Your life, your love, your legacy.

Bluebonnets – a Texas Tradition

“Where flowers blossom, so does hope.” ~ Lady Bird Johnson

Spring is just around the corner, and we are all patiently, (or in my case, not so patiently), awaiting her arrival. For Texan’s, the official announcement of spring will be broadcast by the spectacular Bluebonnets adorning our fields and roadsides. We’ve endured a wet winter, which should ensure massive amounts of bluebonnets to enjoy as the sun returns. Many Texas families have made a tradition of taking family pictures amongst the fields of blooms. If you haven’t joined in this fun Texas tradition, it’s never too late to start!

Bluebonnet Fun Facts:

In 1901, the bluebonnet was adopted as the state flower.

In the 1930’s, the Highway Department began planting bluebonnets along state highways.

Texas was the first state in the nation to plant flowers along the highways.

Texas State Wildflower Day is celebrated every April 24.

Bluebonnets peak bloom season actually is May to July

There are actually five species of bluebonnet, and all are accepted as the state flower.

In the 1970’s, Lady Bird Johnson, encouraged all Texans to scatter wildflower seeds along the highways, resulting in the remarkable display of bluebonnets along our roadsides.

This is the year to join in the fun, and document Spring with this longstanding Texas tradition.

Keeping your LOVE Alive in Portraits

February is upon us, and love is in the air. Everywhere we turn we see hearts, flowers, and chocolates. But do we see our love documented in current portraits? Or do we have to reach back through the years to that engagement photo, or wedding album? Of course we cherish those memories of days when our love was young, but what about now?

Years of marriage and togetherness have deepened our love, given us a new definition of romance, and probably a very different idea of what, “Happily Every After,” truly looks like.

Celebrate your love, at every stage.