At home with Jake, Bradley, and Shannon

It may sound cheesy or clichéd, but being a family photographer is an honor and a privilege I don’t take lightly. There is so much trust that comes with capturing these precious moments. And it’s even more special when people, especially strangers, invite you into their home.

Several months ago, these three sweet, kind, funny, and handsome guys did just that and I’m finally getting around to blogging their session (sorry, guys!). And thank goodness, because look at them. Could they be any cuter?!

I’m so happy I could capture these tender moments at home for them. Adorable Jake had just turned one and a couple months after the shoot, the family moved to a new home. And even though time and lighting constraints meant I couldn’t photograph more of their home than I usually like to, in the end, it really didn’t matter. They still have some of those early days as a party of three at the old house captured forever.

And that folks, is why I do what I do.

Want your own session at home? In addition to my Fall Pop-Up Portrait Sessions, I’m also offering some special at-home sessions, so get yours today, they won’t last forever!

Adventures with Eddy + Garret

I’m always torn between at-home sessions and getting out and about with my families. On the one hand, there is probably no place else that means more to you and your children than home, where your family’s story unfolds most, both the big and small moments.

But it is definitely not the only place where your family’s memories are made and new stories are written. Especially in an outdoors-y city like Austin, many families have special spots around town that mean as much to them as their home and I love getting out there and playing and exploring with them. And after this sweet daddy and daughter session, I just want to get out there even more.

Garret is good friend of mine and one of the best compliments I’ve received so far from our fellow friends has been how ‘Garret’ these photos are — meaning they reflect who Garret is, what kind of father he is (pssst, he’s pretty awesome), and how he and his daughter like to spend time together.

Authenticity and love. And of course, lovely images. That’s what I strive for each and every family session. And putting together this post of some of my faves, I think I nailed it this session, if I do say so myself.

Now as awesome as our friends’ response has been, by far the very best compliment was when Garret texted me after getting the full gallery and said that it made him tear up. That’s not uncommon to hear from the mommas, but I don’t hear that very often from the dads, which of course makes it all the sweeter.

Want your own adventure session? In addition to my Fall Pop-Up Portrait Sessions, I’m also offering some special adventure sessions, so get yours today, they won’t last forever!

5 Stress Relieving Tips to Not Have A Breakdown During Your Session

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This post is part of an ongoing series focused on getting you and your family ready for a photo session. Read other installments on the Do’s and Don’ts of What to Wear, 5 Stressing Relieving Tips To Not Have A Breakdown During Your Session, and 3 Things to Help You Get Over Your Fear of Being Photographed, and check back for more soon.

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Since my new Pop-Up Portrait Sessions are coming up (psst, have you booked yours yet?), I thought this would be an excellent time to start a series of blog posts to get y’all ready. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while but, well, haven’t. Hashtag blogging is hard, y’all.

As family photo season fast approaches, I imagine there might be a few of y’all out there that are beginning to feel the first tingles of stress.

Family photos are wonderful for so many reasons. Duh. Not only do they document family growth and milestones, but they help us create fond memories, too. Not just for the parents and the grandparents, but for the children, grandchildren, and generations to come.

Clichéd? Yes. True? Yes.

But, this day can be very stressful, too. I get it.

And I want to do all I can to make sure this experience is as stress-free as possible. Because as many of longtime clients will have heard me say, if y’all are stressed and anxious it will show on your face and in your body language, and your kids will most likely pick up on it, too. We want your photos to be carefree, authentic, and full of love.

So I’ve put together a little list of five tips y’all can use leading up to, and especially on, picture day to help everyone relax.

Is this list also a little clichéd? Probably. Still true and helpful? Probably, and most definitely can’t hurt to try.

1. Take some deep breaths. A common relaxation method, deep breathing can quickly calm your stress level, you can do it anywhere, and is a great place to start when managing anxiety and stress.

Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth, counting slowly down from 10 in your head while letting it all out and taking a deep breath between each number. If you’re still feeling super stressed, repeat the process again.

Another technique to relieve stress and muscle tension is to use your finger to trace a figure eight on the palm of your hand. Or before your session, try some simple stretches or yoga poses to release any tension and stress in your body.

Just because these are simple techniques, doesn’t mean they don’t work.

2. Laugh. Laughter is a great way to release stress and tension. It will also help the whole family relax before the session, as well as results in genuine smiles and interactions during the shoot.

I’m a big fan of the good ol’ fashioned tickle-monster or a good snuggle sesh to get those smiles and relieve a bit of stress.

Still working on your stand-up? Me too. So instead of jokes, for some reason having everyone pretend to laugh feels so ridiculous that everyone ends up actually laughing for reals.

These sorts of things can help to ease the family into relaxation mode before and during the session. It’s also good to remember that every photo doesn’t have to be the traditional everyone-looking-at-the-camera-and-smiling shot. It’s great to have a little variety and capture your kids being kids and reflect your family as perfectly imperfect as they are.

3. Distract Yourself. If someone is being shy, isn’t into taking pictures, is having a meltdown, or in some other way not cooperating* and you can feel your blood pressure rising, I encourage you to take a little break, maybe go for a walk or try busting out some dance moves. This will help alleviate some of your stress and the kids’ excess energy, as well as give us some good interaction shots. Another thing you can do is to simply take a step back and outta frame and let me focus on shooting other members of the family for a little bit.

*I hate to use that word, as well as break it to y’all, but when there are tiny humans involved, these kinds of things tend to happen more often than not. And don’t worry, it is TOTALLY NORMAL. I promise. So please, pretty please, don’t be embarrassed, anxious, or stressed. I get it and have seen it all.

Ahead of your your session, it may help to think of a short game that your family enjoys and can help relieve stress and loosen everyone up – it could be something as simple and silly as duck, duck, goose, or dancing to head, shoulders, knees, and toes, etc. Don’t overthink it and don’t worry if you don’t think of anything.

Still stressed? Try the old technique of going to your ‘happy place’ and try to take yourself out of the present situation and let your mind wander. 

4. Lots of XOXOs. It seems too easy and obvious, right? But not only will these make for the sweetest shots, hugs are another excellent stress reliever.

And so are kisses.

So gather your crew up in a big group hug or give your sweetie a kiss and I bet y’all feel some of those worries melt away.

If you’ve worked with me before, you know I’m a big fan of everyone touching and loving on each other. Not only do we get gorgeous images that reflect your family’s love, but it just feels good and helps everyone relax.

5. Let it go. One of the biggest stress relievers, but hardest to do, will be to try to relax and just let me take the lead.

So try really hard to keep the following in mind.

Don’t ask anyone to smile.

Don’t fix anyone’s hair.

Don’t point at the camera.

Just be, relax, love on your people, and let me do the rest.

Trust my process, hand the reins over to me, take a break from the rules, and just have some fun with your kiddos. Let it all go. I plan on covering this in more depth in another post soon, so hold tight.

So there y’all have it. Take ‘em or leave ‘em. But as my momma always says, it never hurts to try. And above all, please remember that I’ll be doing everything I can to help y’all relax and have a great time during our shoot.

I’ll be back soon with more good stuff to help y’all get ready for your close-up’s, including tips on what to wear and the eternal question of whether ‘to bribe or not to bride’ your kids.

XO

At home with the Hewitt Family

Lucky me has had the honor of working with the lovely Hewitt Family for several years now.  Fun, laid-back, and oh so nice, they are one of my many wonderful longtime clients.

Usually we meet at out and about at a park or some place else outside, but with a tiny new member of the family, I happily met them one morning for an at-home session.  The Hewitts had just moved back into their recently remodeled home, but we also wanted to capture sweet Mei Mei while she was still little, so we worked around the boxes and hung out in their new upstairs.  Who needs furniture when you've got a room full of love.

Here are some highlights of our time together.  It's been an honor to watch this beautiful family grow and I look forward to our next time together.

At home with the Tune-Loeb Family

I first met my friend, Tara, during summer school at UT - Austin.  I can't recall the class, but I do remember we clicked instantly.  But like many friendships, the relationship ebbed and flowed over the years as our lives took us in different directions.  We reconnected while we were both living in NY, but lost touch again soon after.

So, I was so happy to bump into her at the park a couple years ago, but such is life that we didn't actually get together for a session until almost a year after that.  Now we have two sessions under our belt and I couldn't be happier to have reconnected with my old friend once again.

I happily met them one early morning for an at-home session at their beautiful home, located in the historic Clarksville neighborhood in Austin.  We played.  We read.  We blew bubbles.  We took a walk around the neighborhood.  We did it all.  As you do when toddlers are involved.  Here are some highlights of our lovely time together.  I'm already looking forward to our next session.