Sizelove Baseball Engagement Session in Arlington

I met Andi about nine months ago when she was referred to my photography services by a mutual friend, Yoamy. We sat down for a wedding consultation and didn't leave for two hours! Why? Because we hit it off so well! We had so much to talk about. She and her fiance, Josh are planning a spring wedding with accents of their mutual love for the sport of baseball and their favorite team, the Texas Rangers. I was all over it. So we planned for this baseball engagement session and in November, we were finally able to do it. Chris and I had such a great time getting to hang out with Andi & Josh and taking their pictures. I can't wait to see what beautiful gown she has picked out when we shoot her bridal session in the next few months!

Preview of the Manderscheid Family Session in Rowlett

Cute baby alert. And he's in a Santa suit. :) Let me just say I was soooooo honored when Jeneill messaged me about setting up this family portrait session. We were photographers at our high school yearbook together, both in the health, science, technology program and members of the Health Occupations Students of America club. Hey, we had common interests in high school! Haha. Anyway, everyone loves Jeneill. For real. There is nothing not to love about this woman. She's the cutest AND sweetest AND smartest.

She and her husband, Bryan (who recently celebrated five wonderful years together) decided to start a family portrait tradition now that they've got their adorable baby boy and I am so happy to be a part of the beginning of such a sweet thing. Oh! I forgot to mention another reason why I love Jeneill: She reads my blog! Sometimes I wonder if anyone really reads this... and now that I know she does, I'm a little more encouraged to write. So, thank you, Jeneill for being one of my dearly-cherished supporters. Here's a preview of your family session. I hope these two images make you smile and I can't wait to get to edit more for you to see!

Preview of Amy + Zeb's Denton Engagement Session

So I discovered this earlier while creating a folder for this session: Amy and Zeb's names go perfectly together. Three letters. A and Z. Annnddd, Y and B are kind of opposites because Y is the second-to-last letter of the alphabet and B is the second letter in the alphabet. That may only make sense to me, because I'm weird but, I like to think that it means they're meant to be together. Only Amy and Zeb will get that joke, but it's cracking me up as I type. Speaking of jokes, Amy and Zeb are THE most hilarious couple I've ever photographed. They're just so giddy in love that they laughed at their inside jokes the whole time and were playful and it was fun to photograph. Well, before I say too much, here are just two images for now. You'll see in the rest of their session what I mean. Their photos are full of natural and genuine happiness, and it's the kind of happy any couple wants to feel. 

Belen + Noah's Portrait Session in Rowlett

Either Noah's going through a silly stage or he's developing a life-long persona of charm and charisma. I can't say enough about how sweet and lovable this kid is! Not too long after his mom, Belen scheduled this session, I saw a facebook status update that she wrote about Noah starting to learn T-ball. I thought it would be different to shoot some of the session on a baseball field to commemorate this cute, little milestone for him. He was adorable running around the bases and throwing and catching the ball.

After an outfit change we went to a different location nearby and took some portraits of Belen and Noah together and then later, some of the two of them with their friend, Maggie. Belen and I went to high school together and she was always so sweet to me. She first booked with me last fall when I was preparing to study abroad (didn't happen. :/ ) and it was so nice to see her with her little boy. And that little boy is growing up so fast!

Belen, I appreciate your support! It really meant a lot to me that you booked a second session and I'm thankful to be able to capture these precious years go by for your family.

Denton Wedding at the Oakmont Country Club

I was going through some weddings that I shot earlier in the year with Nichole and came across this June wedding at Oakmont. Looking back on this year, I can't believe how lucky I was to be able to learn so much from her about wedding photography. Aside from the obvious reasons for photographing weddings in pairs, (covering more angles, back-up images/files) I realized that an added bonus to photographing with another person is that whenever you take a photo that you really like, you can immediately share that with someone who gets how you feel. Usually when I shoot, there are a few images that I right away get excited about. On this particular day, the ones that I saw on my LCD screen and were happy and excited to share are the ones I've posted below. It's too bad it took me four and a half months to take the time to blog about them! I had a favorite, and liked it better in black and white, and since I'm posting just a handful, I decided to make the rest black and white to match. Hope you like them!

Preview of Belen + Noah's Portrait Session in Rowlett

This is the second time I've gotten to shoot for Belen and her adorable son, Noah. When I met him last year, he was quiet, shy and sweet and this time he was still sweet but he's also so funny! He is such a goofball and so cute. You have got a great little boy, Belen! Here's a preview that you can see until I can get you the rest. 

Wildwood Inn Wedding in Denton

I absolutely loved this country wedding at the Wildwood Inn. Take a look at some highlights from the day and let me know what you think! :)

Preview of Jennifer & Allen's State Fair Anniversary Session

So remember when I did that contest over the summer for the couple who got the most votes on their photo? Here's your winner! We met at the State Fair for photos of their first wedding anniversary. I hadn't been to the Fair in years and I really want to go back now. There are so many opportunities for vibrant backgrounds and there's so much going on, so if you want a session there before it closes, let me know quick!

Jennifer is one of my favorite clients. From the very first time she booked with me last November, she has been such a sweetheart and whenever any special event happens in her family, she always calls. I really am thankful to have that trust and support from her. She and her husband, Allen worked so hard to win the contest for this free session. I hope y'all love the images! For now, here's a sneak peek to hold you over :)

Princess & Life

It was nine years and 10 months ago that I first laid eyes on her. She fit in the palms of my eleven-year-old hands and squirmed and shook and sniffed. She was going to be mine if I wanted her. As a birthday present, my mom got me a puppy. I was told I could choose between her or her brother, Chewbacca. Unlike her brother, she didn't yet have a name. I chose her quick and named her Princess, true to the nature of my 6th grade heart. 

She doesn't fit in the palm of my hands anymore, but she still fits in my arms. Her nine-pound little body still shakes and squirms and sniffs.

Last weekend as I left my mom's house for my apartment, I reminded my family that we're going to celebrate Princess' 10th birthday in a few weeks. I've ordered her a gift and I'm shopping for a puppy cake. No, I don't always do this. It's the first time I will really celebrate her birthday, but I just want to. I just love her. My first years as a pet owner were no good. But with each year that's passed, I grew more responsible and more in love with her.

I leave Princess every Sunday night when I leave for Denton. I say goodbye knowing that each week she gets older. I got bad news Monday. Princess wasn't walking. She wouldn't stand up to go outside when my mom called for her, and when my mom got home from work she found her laying at the foot of my bed, like she does at the beginning of each new semester when I move back to Denton. She took her to the vet and the truth is hitting me harder now. Her age is starting to show and we're going to have to take some precautions to preserve her health. 

It's hard not to feel completely defeated right now, but I'll just have to remember that  she's in good hands. As you can imagine, I'm extra eager to see her tomorrow. And I'll celebrate her birthday in 11 days, celebrate the day I met her in 46, and celebrate the day I got to bring her home in 66. 

Pamela + Nelson: Wedding Part II

I left off on Pamela and Nelson's wedding blog post  with Pamela reaching the end of the aisle. Here are some more images from their Dallas wedding day at the historic Warwick Melrose Hotel and reception at the original Dallas Trulucks in Uptown.

 The picture below is one of my favorite images of the day.

 Isn't this a cool picture? Nichole took it!