A week and a half ago I got to go all the way out to Midlothian and photograph adorable baby Aubrey! She was so sleepy and sweet during her whole session. We got to do lots of stuff with her! Her mommy and daddy love her so much already! Her dad is a basketball coach so we had to incorporate her very first basketball into the shoot. Thank you so much for having me out! Enjoy your sneak peek!

When it comes to portrait sessions, it’s not too early to start thinking about fall and even the holidays. Lots of people want to give photos as gifts, not to mention send out  personalized one-of-a-kind custom photo cards to their friends and family. If you’re one of them, I only have a handful of openings left in September, October, and November, and they’re likely to fill fast.

This week, Jennifer Minor of Minor Impressions Photography gets in the fall mindset with some great layered looks.

Here’s what Jennifer had to say:

Here in Texas, it’s still HOT, and the thought of putting together an outfit for the fall just seemed downright dreadful! If you’re anything like me, you like to procrastinate a little bit, and you can’t help but laugh (or cry) at the thought of planning anything for the holidays already. But it’s already September, and most photographers are beginning to schedule those family sessions right now. So don’t wait too long and miss out on your chance to have the holiday card everyone is talking about!

Alright, now that you’ve scheduled your family session, what to wear? You would think that it would be easier to just have everyone wear the same color shirt and be done with it, right?! Not so fast — it is almost always inevitable that someone purchases a cream shirt instead of a white one, or maybe their black shirt is a little more faded than yours, or your idea of red is a little bit closer to maroon than cherry. It’s usually MUCH harder to match  the same color instead of coordinate around one outfit.

In the outfits below, I picked out a dress for the girl that has multiple colors. Everyone else has a shirt or sweater that compliments at least one of the colors of the dress. Add a few accessories and you have a matching ensemble without trying to “match” four shirts of the same color.
Shopping List:

Girl’s Outfit
Sweater Dress – JCPenney – $19.99
Boots – Kohls – $39.99
Headband – LovMely Accessories – $15.00

Boy’s Outfit
Polo – JCPenney – $7.99
Jeans – Kohls – $17.99
Shoes – Kohls – $34.99

Mom’s Outfit
Sweater – Old Navy – $34.50
Jeans – Old Navy – $25.00
Boots – Kohls – $28.99
Bracelet – JCPenney – $10.99
Earrings – JCPenney – $8.99

Dad’s Outfit
Shirt – Kohls – $27.99
Jeans – Kohls – $36.99
Shoes – Kohls – $39.99

Last week one of my Baby’s First Year babies came over to my house for her three month session. Baby Cassidy is so stinking cute! Her hair is so beautiful and she has the biggest eyes! She gave us lots of smiles (ok she mostly gave them to her silly mommy). We also took some pictures of her and her daddy at the end of her session. I love when dads are willing to take their shirts off to hold their babies. It is so beautiful! (and no dads, you don’t all have to be buff like Wesley =P). Enjoy your sneak peek and I will see you soon sweet girl!

About a week ago I had the pleasure to photograph my friend Lindsay Horn and her extended family! We laughed and laughed and two hours flew by and before we knew it we were out of light! We did have some gorgeous lighting while the sun was up though. Their wardrobe was awesome and they are all so photogenic. Lindsay and her three sisters are so beautiful and fun to photograph. Laughter is just infectious in this family and they make you want to join and be part of it. I am in love with the pictures I got of little Miss Emory with her great grandparents! She was being so good considering how late it was. Oh, and it was over 100 degrees this day but you can’t tell by their smiles, huh? Thanks so much Lindsay and I can’t wait to do ours next month!

Babies and Toddlers can definitely be the hardest age group to photograph. Between the spitting up, drooling, crying, and running away from the camera it can get pretty difficult. However, when you get that great shot of a challenging toddler all the hard work pays off! But dressing your baby/toddler doesn’t have to be hard! This is the one time in your child’s life that they won’t have a strong opinion about what you dress them in so go for it! I give you permission to go crazy and get your toddler something ridiculously cute to wear to their session! I put together some great outfits below that are full of personality, color, and layers – all things we have been talking about every week in our Wardrobe Wednesday posts. Of course, I would never spend $100 on an outfit for my little boy to wear everyday but I do splurge for his photo shoots. Why? Because it totally makes the pictures come alive! For babies and toddlers make sure to try their outfit on ahead of time to make sure it fits them just right (even if it means buying the size they are about to outgrow!). It is always a good idea for a toddler session to bring a snack and drink for them so they can take breaks during their session (being that cute is hard work!). A really good trick to get portraits of your baby/toddler holding still is to bring something for them to do. We had a fantastic post a few weeks ago about props and toddlers are a great example of how a prop can make a picture. I added a few pictures below of toddlers in action with their props. Often we can save the prop for the end of the session when they are bored with it all and it gives the child an extra boost of energy and smiles! Remember toddler photo shoots don’t always go as planned but just relax and try to have fun!

Featured Stores:
www.miniboden.com
www.ralphlauren.com
www.littleboychic.com
www.oldnavy.com
www.babygap.com

A few weeks ago our good friends Lindsay and Ross invited us to their family’s ranch house for a fun and relaxing weekend. We had so much fun playing games, swimming, grilling, riding 4-wheelers, and of course dressing our kids up for an adorable photo shoot. The ranch is near an old ghost town (can you believe that?). It was so awesome and I wish I could take all my clients there! =P Their daughter Emory is almost exactly one month older than Tristan and they play so well together. I know they are destined to be best friends! =) She is the sweetest little girl and if we ever have a girl I hope she is just like her! We stopped on the way and bought Tristan some western attire. He is 21 months now and getting so big!

Right after I got back from my vacation I got to zip over and photograph sweet baby Elle who decided to show up while I was gone. She was such a good girl for her session! She would fuss a little bit when I moved her but she would go right back to sleep. We even got to use a special baby prop that was her daddy’s when he was little. Her mommy and daddy love her so much already and I am pretty sure she already has her dad wrapped around her little finger! Thank you so much for letting me spend the day with your sweet baby girl! Enjoy your sneak peek! =)

For James & Natasha! Thanks for letting me capture your special day! More coming soon! =)

This week’s fantastic Wardrobe Wednesday post is brought to us by guest contributer Stacie Hawley of Stacie Hawley Photography. She put together an awesome post about choosing the perfect wardrobe for any session.  So often I get to photograph babies and then the kids don’t have a photo session just for themselves until they are seniors! What about all of those fun years in between? Of course you get some photos of your kids alone at family sessions but individual sessions are all about them and capturing their true personality. That means a fun wardrobe, a unique location, and a full session specialized just for them! You might be surprised how much fun your 10 year old son could have at a photo shoot just for him when you incorporate things he loves. Trust me, you won’t regret it! Don’t forget individual child sessions are also a great gift for mom, dad, or grandparents. So make sure to read what she has to say because it has some valuable information in it!

“My favorite people to shoot, you ask?  KIDS – of course!!  They are so fun, spunky and full of personality.  Even better, they don’t mind being goofy and crazy – they welcome the unusual – and they love to be unique.  That’s why when I give style suggestions for kiddo shoots I always recommend these FIVE things.
1.    Go for the BOLD…

It’s all about the color and pattern!  There is no better way to show off their bright shining personalities then through their clothes!  Colors should be bold – not neon.  If it even remotely resembles the oh-so-famous (could they get any brighter?) yellow/pink/green/blue/etc. school highlighter – it’s a no go.  Deep strong color is key.  Also, patterns can be your friend.  Thick stripes, large polka dots, and chunky plaid are all great!  Just make sure to stick with one bold pattern per outfit.
2.     Three’s Company…

This is a simple rule and I have no idea where I heard it, but I live by it.  It’s all about coordinating your colors.  You wonder – how in the world do I know what color goes best with what?  Ack.  It can be very intimidating.  I’ve been there.  But don’t worry – breath – what I tell you next will free your mind.  Are you ready… ANYTHING GOES TOGETHER.  Did you get that – I know totally mind boggling.  But it’s true.  Anything goes as long as the colors appear a few times throughout your outfits.  For example, in the pictures below –so graciously borrowed from the miniBoden website (love their style) – you will see this rule used over and over again.  Yellow, brown, blue, burgundy – WHAT?  They can’t go together you say – oh yes my friend – they can!!  Yellow appears in the jacket, tights, and hat.  Blue appears in the tights, skirt, and jeans.  Burgundy/brown appears in the shoes, tights, hairclip….etc.  I usually suggest 2-3 main colors and then have them appear 3 or more times throughout the outfits.  Easy Peasy lemon squeezy.  Right?!!
3.    One Singular Sensation…

When building an outfit, pick one thing your child likes – this could be a hat, necklace, jacket, tights, boots, shirt, etc. – and build up.  If it’s a hat, then look at it, find the colors in it, and then add to the outfit by following rule number 2.  For example, I heart the little grey kitten shirt below.  If I started with this, I could then build up my outfit using the colors within, which in this case are blue, red, and white.  Adding a jacket, jeans, shoes, and then creating a complimentary look following rules number 1 and 2 leaves you with the completed look.  Bravo miniBODEN.
4.    Layer Cake…

Now that you’ve got your colors squared away, just make sure to layer…layer…layer.  Chunky layered looks add dimension and spunk – especially when you use various textures.  Add a fun jacket, a sweater, a vest, a belt, a hoodie – well the list goes on and on.  Just do it – I promise it will be just what the doctor ordered!  Check out the cute dudes below, layered to perfection!
5.    Comfort Zone…

Last but definitely NOT least – make sure all clothing is comfortable!!  Kids want to be able to move and groove as they normally would, and as the photographer, I want them to too.  When they feel comfortable in their clothing it shows, again letting their personality shine through.  Then I can do my oh-so-fun job of capturing them dancing…jumping…laughing…being themselves – being kids.
Well – I hope this helps ya’ll!!  Happy Kiddo Stylin’!!
All outfits can be found at www.miniboden.com.  They are awesome for way cute kid fashion.  Plus sometimes most of the times – they do the hard styling work for you – fancy that! Ha ha!”

My last session before my vacation was with the {L} family and 6 month old Rayli. What an awesome session to send me off on vacation too! Rayli was SO adorable and such a happy little girl. She didn’t want to smile much at first but she really liked taking pictures with her mommy and daddy. Her eyes are so beautiful! We used a new spot for me and I was so excited about it! It is definitely going to be one of my favorite locations I think! I loved it! Thank you so much for letting me take your family pictures. Enjoy your sneak peek! =)

Oh, and check out their awesome wardrobe mom assembled after reading my Wardrobe Wednesday posts. It is working!! =)

My Favorite…