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.