Category Archives: Photography

How to Prepare for an ENJOYABLE Family Portrait Session

People tend to get apprehensive, anxious, even panicked when they decide to schedule a family portrait session. Sadly, many people chose not to document their lives, and milestones, because of the stress they feel it will bring. This is a decision that they will undoubtedly regret, when the kids have grown, and the time has passed.

We are here to tell you that planning, preparing, and the entire portrait experience can actually be enjoyable, and a whole lot of fun. We’ve been in this industry for 25 years now, here are 5 simple tips to take family portraits from stressful to successful!

1. Keep it SIMPLE : Clothing should be simple, no bold patterns or bright colors. Medium tones, such as shades of gray, blue, or beige are great choices. You can add accessories, such as hats, scarves, jackets, or, necklaces to make the wardrobe more unique.

2. Consider your home Decor: Your family portrait is a piece of artwork that you will proudly display in your home. Clothing choices that compliment your style, and color palette are ideal. Will you be hanging this portrait in a room that is formal with ornate decorations? Or will this portrait lovingly adorn the walls of your intimate living room that is very casual? Answering these questions will help you decide how to dress for your portrait.

3. No Coaching: Refrain from trying to prepare the kids with specific instructions for the portrait session. Our experience has taught us that kids who received, ‘smile coaching’ from loving parents prior to the session, don’t do as well as those who just show up, and go with the flow.

4. Give Yourself TIME: Allow plenty of time to prepare on theday of the session. Unnecessary stress prior to the session affects the entire mood of the family, and in turn, the feel of the portrait.

5. Unplug: Leave cell phones and tablets in the car. Sessions are only one hour. It is a great time to connect, reflect, and be present with your family.

Family Portraits can be an exciting, and fun experience. Step back and consider how precious capturing this moment, forever in time, truly is. Choose to make it enjoyable for yourself, and your family. Set the intention when you book to fully enjoy the process of documenting your legacy. That’s a choice you certainly won’t regret.

Maternity Session

Had such a great time capturing these photos in a field near Frisco. So cool that this week I met the Miller’s newborn baby girl, Sanaa Elise, and did portraits of her. She joins big brother Cameron to complete the family. The Miller’s ordered a really cool framed collage of these images and it turned out AMAZING! Next we are going to do a gorgeous, custom album mixing some of the maternity and newborn photos. Can’t wait to see the finished products!

The Family Photographer

I have been doing this family’s photos for 20+ years. Baby photos, children’s photos, family photos, senior photos and anything in between. I am their FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER. Having a photographer document your life, your love, and your legacy is important. The images created for this family tell their story and have engrained memories for all. I know each family member’s personality and this helps me successfully create images they will treasure. Just as a family chooses other professionals like doctors, dentists, etc., a family photographer should be considered. This is the generation that takes lots of photos- and that is great, however documenting milestones and family portraits should be left to the professional so that the images will become a tangible part of their history. Otherwise precious memories will literally get lost in the “clouds.”

Family photo on location in Fairview

Frisco Photographer Photographs Kendall

We recently photographed Kendall for her senior photos. She was lots of fun and the results were stunning. She isn’t a “country” girl, so we decided to do part of the shoot near downtown Dallas. Kendall has a great smile but can pull off the more serious poses too. Her favorite activity in her spare time is watching Netflix. She has a chocolate lab named Cocoa Bean, a whippet named Jasper and a german shepherd named Charlie. Her favorite season is FALL and a place she would love to visit is Spain.

Business Photos

They say that a good headshot is the new handshake. Think about how much people nowadays are looking at photos….putting a fresh, friendly, professional face out in print and online is VITALLY IMPORTANT to business. What constitutes a great business photo? 1. It reflects your unique brand. 2. It is current – avoid using something that is over 5 years old. 3. It reflects who you are and what you do.. 4. It conveys Quality and Professionalism. 5. It establishes eye contact. Eye contact draws people in and engenders trust. Are you starting to see the importance of your headshot? How do you get a quality headshot? CALL A PROFESSIONAL! It is obvious when someone is using an unprofessional image with poor quality. I recall seeing an ad for a local insurance agent recently that read, “Unsure? Insure! The picture of the agent was completely awful with an expression that portrayed uncertainty. There is no way I would have called this agent for insurance when she looked absolutely unsure and unhappy.

Hallie

In the spotlight today is Plano West senior, Hallie. Hallie is a member of our model team. Her senior session was done in June before things really heated up.

Hallie’s Mom, Sondra, and I are from the same small Oklahoma town – Duncan, OK. I have done several kids from Duncan through the years and it is always a honor for me to get to work with people from my hometown.

Get to know Hallie –

Favorite thing to do in her spare time is SING. Her favorite musical artist is John Mayer. She loves the bible verse, “Come to me, all those who are weary, and I will give you rest. ” Matthew 11:28

What a great kid with a bright future and so photogenic! Here are just a few of the images from her session.

Senior 2016

Had so much fun doing these senior portraits for Claire. This is a small sampling from her session. Talk about photogenic!! We did photos at the studio, in my garden and on location. There are so many great ones!!

Back to Texas

What a neat couple! I met them on a photoshoot to take pics for their Christmas cards. They have recently relocated from the Big Sky country to Texas (again)and wanted their cards to scream TEXAS so we incorporated the longhorns into the photos. It is so refreshing to spend time with people with such a positive outlook on life and obvious love for one another.

Families, Families and more Families!

I love this time of year because I get a chance to have a glimpse into the lives of so many amazing families. I love watching the interaction amongst family members and creating something they will treasure in the years to come. Besides my studio and garden I have found some awesome places for family pics this year. Hope your family enjoys the season together this year and everyone realizes how important they are to one another!

Casual or Formal

Once upon a time almost every family that showed up to do a family portrait came in their “Sunday best.” Now it seems more families desire a casual look. Both looks can be appropriate and the outcome is usually quite different. If you are questioning what kind of family photo you want, begin by asking yourself some of the following questions……
*How do I tend to decorate my home?
If you have a very casual home, obviously, an outdoor portrait with casual clothing in colors that coordinate with your home is the best look. If you have more formal areas in which you desire your portrait to be hung, an indoor, dressier look may be the best option.
*Does your family regularly dress up?
If not, a formal portrait wouldn’t represent your family very well.
* How old are your children?
If you have kids under the age of 12, you should probably stick to your favorite option (indoors or outdoors) and avoid doing too much with changes of clothing involved.
*Do you take family photos regularly?
If you do not, then you should choose whichever style you like best and suits your lifestyle the most. If you do take lots of family portraits then you can try something different that you normally do just for variety.

The good news is that we can do any style VERY WELL. We offer in studio, studio garden or location!
Bottom line is that your family portrait should represent your family in a true way. Every family is different, so let your portrait reflect who you are!

Innovative Images

Your Life, Your Love, Your Legacy