NEW 2009 Holiday Cards

October 1 is tomorrow. Yes! You know what that means?? The holidays will be here before you know it! Of course, you need to get your family photo taken, so book that NOW (and I don't care if it's not with me. Just do it. Photographers are CRAZY busy in October and especially November). You wouldn't believe how many people will call my in DECEMBER for family photos and expect a card to be made and shipped to them in 24 hours. Not gonna happen:(

So, although I absolutely love photographing, I've also found that I enjoy making cards, announcements, and books for people. For the past 3 years, I've quietly designed special products like this for people and now this year I've decided to promote holiday cards.

Anyway, here's a sneak peek at a few of the 2009 holiday cards. This is NOT the entire collection, so contact me if you're interested in seeing more: lmdabney@comcast.net, http://www.leslidabneyphotography.com/. You can also see a few of the 5X7 folded cards and flat cards here: www.pickyourholidaycard.com/5x7_folded and www.pickyourholidaycard.com/5x7_flat.

If you already have a favorite photo that you would like to use on your cards, that's fine!

Send it to me along with a copyright release (if it was taken by a professional photographer).

Orders will be taken until November 21. After that, a rush fee will be applied.

Oh, and here's the most important part: If you order $100 or more during the month of October, you receive a 10% discount. Just mention that you read this on the blog or Facebook. How's that? Now get moving! Happy holidays!

Giving

My sweet friend Robyn is one of the founders of an organization called Girls Run located in The Woodlands. Their motto is "I Am One Young Voice, But I Can Change The World." The group's mission is "to empower girls to be leaders in their community, fundraise for local and national cancer initiatives all while developing and instilling an enthusiasm for fitness and running."

I've always known Robyn as a huge supporter of the fight against cancer. She is one of those people who gives. A lot. I would be willing to bet she is also a very content person. In my latest Professional Photographers of America newsletter, this was the lead-in sentence: When you give from the heart, you get back more than you expect. Along with many other resolutions for the up-coming months (I don't wait until the new year to make them!), one of my goals is to give more; however, I'm not expecting to get back anything other than the satisfaction that I helped someone else in a small or big way.

So, I did donate a gift certificate to the Girls Run fundraising auction this weekend (thank you for telling me about it, Robyn!)

If you're interested in learning more about Girls Run, visit the website: www.girlsrun.net.

Meet Elizabeth--SENIOR 2010!

Sooo. . . how many times did I say, "Oh, this is so cute!" after snapping a photograph of Elizabeth?? I wish I wouldn't look at the LCD screen so much! I can't help it! Cute really isn't the best word for Elizabeth. She's more than cute! She's. . . lovely. But that would've been weird to say, "Oh, you're so lovely!" over and over again. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut until I have something profound to say? Yeah, right.

Elizabeth is the drum major at her school as well as the editor of the literary magazine. Impressive! However, I was even more impressed with her demeanor during the photo shoot. She's easy-going, yet poised. A very confident girl with a creative flair that ranges from music to photography. I must say, I'm at ease when I think of young people like her as our future!

Thanks to her mom, Allison, for choosing me to photograph this beautiful young lady!

Happy Birthday, Arden

Our air conditioner quit on us tonight. Perfect timing: we are moving AGAIN to another rent house. Soon. In about 1-3 weeks? I can't sleep. No surprise. Most nights I crawl into bed with Arden. "Mommy, will you lay down with me?" is her whimper. I tell her she's too big for me to sleep with her every night. But secretly I don't mind. I grab her hand, and she falls asleep quickly while I stare at the dark ceiling trying desperately to remember everything I can about her as a baby.

We were in the 1915 Bethlehem house. Her crib and room furniture were black, walls light pink, carpet taupe. I remembering photographing her for the first time when she was only 2 weeks old. I used my 35mm camera with black and white film. I framed the pictures. I still like them. She had this doe-eyed face, observant. I loved laying her out on the floor after a bath and massaging her little body while lullabies played in the background. She would kick her legs with delight and coo. I'd stare at her and ask her who she was going to be when she grew up, what was she going to sound like. I longed to hear her talk. How would she sound? Those evenings were so calm and peaceful. I can't get that time back.

We were in the front living room of the Bethlehem house. The large-paned window let the light in and I held 5 month old Arden in my arms as we waltzed around the room to George Strait's "You'll Be There." She sometimes fell asleep while I danced with her.

These times have passed, and I can't get them back. I can't stop thinking about this, even though I know you are supposed to "live in the moment." What's done is done. There's no turning back. But I'm afraid I am a person of memories. I can't let them go. I long for those days, but I know I will one day long for today. So, I guess it's true. We should live in the moment.

My first-born will be 5 on August 14. She starts kindergarten August 24. Here's to you, Arden Jean. I love you!

Amazing Gracey

Little Miss Gracey was a joy to photograph! She's 2 and her grandmother Nancy, dubbed Lolli by Gracey (and grandpa's name is Pop!), wanted me to photograph her and make a book about being 2. She stole the show as we all watched her "barbeque" and "cook" in her play kitchen, read to us from one of her many books, play with her princesses and castle, look at herself in the mirror, twirl and dance in her precious pink/purple tutu, play the piano, and last but not least--pose on my vintage suitcase.

I've known Nancy for a while. She's so easy to talk to, very classy, and extremely down-to-earth. And what do you know? Her son Brad and daughter-in-law Melissa are the same way! Oh, and of course, Gracey was a delight. She never had a single meltdown and remained calm and compliant for the entire session!!! Amazing! Okay, Lolli (sorry if I spelled your name wrong!), Mom and Dad, here's a sneak peek. The slideshow/gallery will be ready by the end of the week:

Strike a Pose. . . Vogue!

Okey, dokey. Here's my last post of the evening before crashing, getting a few hours of sleep, and heading off to Playa del Carmen, Mexico! There's no way I could leave without posting about these two beauties. Kelly and Maggie called me about taking their senior pics after they saw their friend's pics that I took. I love to get clients through word of mouth because that means they've seen my work and like my style. Chances are we will work well together because of this. And we did! Both Kelly and Maggie were wonderful models! They were very enthusiastic and had their own ideas about what they wanted, even suggesting poses. They really got into the session and gave me some amazing expressions, as evident in these shots:

Maggie's brunette hair and Kelly's blonde hair look very chic when paired together:

I couldn't stop admiring Maggie's shoes. I'm sure she got tired of me asking her to show them off in the pics! I love this one of Maggie. She looks so serene and beautiful.

Kelly was a master at giving me some great expressions. This one is fabulous:

Ladies, your slideshow/gallery will be live when I return later next week. Congratulations on your graduation and future at Texas A&M!!

Come Together

I'm off to Mexico tomorrow morning for a family vacation, but I didn't want to leave without posting sneak peeks from two of my sessions last week. This one is the Richardson/Haack family. They came together to celebrate Katy HS senior Matte's graduation. I had the pleasure of photographing Matte last summer! She's an outstanding athlete (going to play softball for Kansas!) and a really beautiful young lady. Leslie, her mom, was definitely the coordinator of this event. When I arrived, she had it all planned with a written list of who was to be in which picture. It was a relief for me because there was absolutely no chaos at all. Everyone was calm and did exactly what she said. . . would this have anything to do with her being a principal??

I also must mention that Leslie and Matte have helped me tremendously with my high school senior photography business in Katy. Thank you very, very much! Here are just a few of my favorite photos:

All of the kids in this family are not only adorable but so well-behaved! I couldn't believe how cute and sweet they were while waiting for their pics to be taken. I started out photographing babies and children, so I automatically try to get shots of them!

This is Leslie's family:

I especially like this pic because it's Leslie, her two sisters, Leann and Laura (I apologize in advance if I spelled names wrong), and mother. Very sweet:

And this one is so pretty of the three sisters:
I love this one of Leslie's mother-in-law and John, her grandson (I hope I got that right!):

After the family session, Leslie asked me to take a few pics of Matte in a field near the Katy water tower. Matte had a couple of gorgeous dresses, her Kansas shirt, and graduation gown that she wanted to wear. This pic of Leslie and Matte makes me think of my own daughters and how fast they will grow up and become lovely young ladies. Sigh. I just love this pic:

Matte looking fantastic in blue:

Thanks, Haacks! I promise to have the gallery ready when I return from Mexico later next week!

Thelma and Louise

So, I'm still a little freaked out that my best friend (since 7th grade) Lori and I are actually mothers and have two daughters each that are about the same ages. For the longest time, Lori and I were partners in crime. We were FAR from being domesticated mothers. We were Thelma and Louise (in a non-violent way. Oh, and we definitely did not run into anyone as hot as Brad Pitt is in that movie. Unfortunately.) Let's just say that Lori and I had too much fun together to settle down and be moms. No. Way.

So, Lori took the plunge first, having Ella in April 2003. She asked me to be present at the birth, if possible. What??? Ummm. . . okay. I made it. It wasn't so bad. In fact, it took a lot of mystery out of the concept of labor/delivery. In August 2004, I had Arden. Fast forward to 2009 and Ella is 6, Arden 5. This was our 2nd visit to the Hyatt Lost Pines in Bastrop, TX. The girls have so much fun together! Oh, and we have two more: Lori's Addie, who turned 2 in March, and my Tess who turns 2 this July. Whew! We're still trying to decide if we should brave it and bring all four girls to Lost Pines next summer. . .the grandmas may have to go on that trip for back-up!

This pic cracks me up because all I see is a little version of me on the left and Lori on the right:

Arden, trying to give the perfect expression:

Ella, close up:
Ella and Arden hanging out before going to "camp" so Lori and I could go to the spa!

This beautiful owl was perched on a post in the Hummingbird Garden located outside our room. He never moved! I was literally this close to him. No zoom lens needed!

Piff, Paff, PUFF

I couldn't sleep Saturday night, so I watched a Swedish IFC film on pay-per-view called Everlasting Moments http://www.ifcfilms.com/viewFilm.htm?filmId=1216. I chose it because the synopsis is "Sweden, early 1900s. In a time of social change and unrest, war and poverty, a young working class woman, Maria, wins a camera in a lottery. The decision to keep it alters her whole life. The camera grants Maria new eyes with which to see the world, and brings the charming photographer "Piff Paff Puff" into her life. Trouble ensues when Maria's alcoholic, womanizing husband, feels threatened by the young man and his wife's newfound outlook on life."

I was profoundly moved by this movie, not because it was about a woman's discovery of photography and how empowering it was for her, although that was intriguing. The characters are wonderful and the acting superb. There's one moment when Maria tells her photographer friend, Mr. Pedersen, that she doesn't want the camera anymore because it takes her away from her children and responsibilities. To watch her become so taken in by the Contessa camera she uses is extremely poignant for me because I feel the exact same way. I have a love/hate relationship with my art because I can't live without it (or writing), yet it takes so much out of me and leaves me with little to offer my family once I've set out to create something. And you do learn a lot about yourself in the process of exploring your creativity. On the one hand, I can't imagine not photographing or writing. But, as a mother, I do feel very guilty at times because I devote so much time to my art.

The cinematography in this movie is equally breathtaking. It has a vintage, warm look to it and the settings are beautiful. I would have to say Everlasting Moments ranks as one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Pause

My sweet neighbor asked me if I would photograph two 2 1/2 year old twins (J and J) who are about to go up for adoption. She and her husband are foster parents, and they wanted to help the mom find a good place for her two boys. Of course, I said yes. The mom wanted pics of her boys and of herself with them before they go away to live in another place. I have no idea what her circumstances are, so I am in no place to judge.

I walked over to my neighbor's house with my two daughters (ages 4 1/2 and 22 months), and my 2 cameras strapped across my shoulder. J and J were typical toddlers: rummaging through toys, drinking from sippy cups, running around. I took some photographs indoors of them with their mom, and then we went outside on the front porch and took some more. As young as they are, I could still sense their apprehension. Kids know more than we think. When I got home and really looked at the pics of the two boys, I paused. Their faces took my breath away. They know what's happening. Their lives will forever change. They love their mama. The eyes said it all. What innocence, yet what realization. Still, children are amazingly resilient. I hope J and J find a loving home and enjoy their childhood.

You never know how what you do may impact someone later on. I hope the pics I took will stay with the mom and these two boys forever. Isn't that really why I do what I do?

Back to My Roots

I started out photographing children. This family was one of my first clients. I photographed their beautiful little boys--Will and Sam--when Will was about 2 1/2 and Sam was 4 months old. Now, Will is 6 1/2 and Sam is almost 4! Unbelievable! So, needless to say, when mom Maureen called me to photograph baby Alice, I was very honored to do so. It is uncanny how much she looks like her brothers. I even included some pics of Sam when he was her age, just to show how similar they look!

Watching Alice was like traveling back 4 1/2 years ago when my older daughter was a baby. Alice loves the pacifier, and so did my daughter. I loved listening to her make cooing sounds as she sucked on the paci to calm down. Strange how little things like that bring back huge memories. Alice made me very nostalgic for the days when I was in awe of this little person I brought into the world. Maureen was right when she said she wanted to capture Alice at this age because it is so fleeting.




Here's Alice's brother Sam when he was almost exactly her age. See what I mean about the resemblance:

This was my favorite pic of Sam. He's still a cutie pie with curly blonde hair. I'm hoping Maureen will let me photograph him and big brother Will soon (hint, hint):

Beauty AND Brains

I loved it when Shannon emailed me and said, "I'm not so good with the serious faces" referring to some of my senior pics where the subjects have a serious expression. Ummm. . . Shannon, I hate to break it to ya, but you ARE good with the serious faces!! I have proof. Right. Here:

Now, back to my observations of today's session (Yes, today's!! I'm leaving town for Memorial weekend, and I can't bear to make Shannon wait to see some of these gorgeous pics until Monday!) So, Shannon is the kind of girl who makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. She met me wearing this fantastic green dress and a dazzling smile. I absolutely LOVE photographing seniors who are excited about their photo session! Shannon brought the perfect wardrobe--lots of color, jeans, dresses. Oh, and she brought her lovely personality. It doesn't get much better than that!

Shannon, a Katy High School senior, has been accepted into the veterinarian program at Texas A&M University, thus, my blog title: Beauty and Brains. This program is extremely prestigious! I've heard from many people that it is very, very difficult to get in, even with good grades. I know her mom and dad are so proud of her!

This is one of my favorites (among many):

My veterinarian saved my dog's life in January. He had to have major surgery. She spent 3 hours working on him, and I'm happy to say he's made a full recovery and is like a new dog! I am still in awe that she was able to save him. Shannon, you will touch many people's lives as a veterinarian. It was my pleasure to photograph you at such a special time in your life! Best of luck to you!