2012 Wrap Up / 2013 Resolution

This time last week, I was going through my personal photos from 2012 and reflected on what an amazing year it's been for me. Then I wrote a message to my 2012 clients and thanked them for their support, and while doing that, I realized all of the beautiful parts of life I got to witness through this business. Here's part of what I wrote:

"This year, I witnessed couples pledge their wedding vows, young adults graduating high school and college, and families cherishing their newborn additions. I celebrated engagements, pregnancies, first birthdays and anniversaries. I photographed families for the second and third years in a row and got to see how babies have become big kids and how beautiful it is to remember those changes. I captured smiles and laughs and tears, and from behind my camera, I smiled and laughed and cried tears of joy with you."

I am SO fortunate. And I thank all of you who keep up with me, refer me to your friends, book with me and cheer me on. While this year was a whirlwind (I graduated college with my BA in Journalism, moved from an internship to a full time position at an amazing company, took a trip to northern California and continued to slowly but surely grow this business), it was full of beautiful gifts. 

At the halfway point of 2012, I decided I would try to blog at least once a week but was unsuccessful. Because of this, I only put up maybe one or two previews for each photo session on my Facebook page and didn't even get to write full blog posts for them! So, I picked my favorites and piled them all on to this post! Yay! Haha... It took forever so I hope at least a handful of people see it. And because it took me until 9 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2012 to get to it, my resolution for 2013 is to blog more. So we'll see how that goes. 

I hope this year was great for you, but if it wasn't, tomorrow's a brand new start. Enjoy the evening with your family and friends and be safe!

Support your favorite small business

This November 24th is Small Business Saturday®, a day to celebrate and support the local small businesses that boost the economy and invigorate neighborhoods across the country.

Cristy Angulo Photography is proud to take part in Small Business Saturday, and we’re encouraging everyone to Shop Small® here on November 24th.

Plus, we’re having a special Small Business Saturday offer! Comment with your ideas for freebies/discounts/specials and we'll make the announcement tomorrow!

Most importantly, get out there, Shop Small, and let’s make this November 24th the biggest day of the year for small business.

To learn more, visit ShopSmall.com.

Annndd... Here's a little early happy Thanksgiving picture from me: starring my dog who refuses to look at the camera (or even face the camera) and myself, smiling way too big.

Here in Your Arms

2009.

I fell in love, in love with you suddenly now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms. 

Dan's 1st Birthday Session in Dallas

You may remember this cutie from November, when I photographed him and his parents for their very first family portrait session. Back then, he was only five months old and here we are now, looking at a one year old! I got to photograph him on his exact birthday too! So Jen & Bryan will always get to remember that he was exactly 365 days old in these photos. 

Congratulations, Jen & Bryan, on your first year as parents!

Isabella's Newborn Session in Rowlett + Tales From My Mother

Last weekend my mom saw me importing the images from Isabella's newborn session.

"What a beautiful baby girl," she said, "how did it go?"

I told her it went fine, and that I got a few really sweet portraits and some nice moments because the baby really only wanted to be in her mother's arms.

"Is her name Cristy?" my mom asked.

"No! Why?"

"Because I couldn't put you down when you were a baby. All you did was cry and cry unless you were in my arms. If I let anyone else hold you or try to put you down, you'd start crying immediately."

Hmm. That definitely wasn't telling of the next seventeen years. I was a brat. A mean one too. A horribly belligerent girl to my mother, even as her only daughter. And then something changed. Sometime in my first semester in college I was finally able to understand her. In the four years since then, I've gotten to actually know her, and admire her. And when the summer and winter breaks were over and I'd move back to my apartment near my school, I'd cry while driving away, not wanting to leave my mom's reassuring embrace.

Funny how you can be mama's girl at two weeks old and 22 years old just the same.

Nicole, I hope the next 22 years of Isabella's life go by slowly for you and your husband! Congratulations on this wonderful beginning. I hope you'll look back at her newborn photos and remember just how tiny, how sweet, and how beautiful she is today. I bet she'll realize how lucky she is to have great parents like you a lot earlier on than I did ;)

Jennifer + Paul's Colorful Dallas Engagement Session

Jennifer and Paul are HAPPY and they share the kind of love which can only be illustrated in bright, bold, vivid and HAPPY colors. So we picked out a few locations and prepped for the engagement session. I had it all planned out and had posing ideas in mind. And with the first click of my camera, I knew I was lucky. Lucky because the couple I got to photograph was so honest and proud of their love. They laughed and hugged and held onto each other, and every smile showcased how excited they were at the idea of sharing the rest of their lives together. 

It's easy for that kind of happiness to rub off on you. 

So to my beautiful cousin Jennifer and her soon-to-be husband, Paul:

Thank you for reminding me to cherish what an amazing thing it is to be in love. I'm so glad I'll be in the audience next Spring when you marry each other, on what I'm sure will be the most exciting day of your lives!

Hope you love these pictures. :)

Baseball-inspired wedding in Garland

It was sometime in March 2011 that I got a call from Andi. She had been referred to me by a friend (shoutout, Yoamy!) and she was going to be married the following March and was interested in my photography info. When I got the call, I was in the middle of writing a news assignment for class while at work in the Maclab.  It was the spring of my junior year of college and even though I knew working toward my degree was important to me, all I wanted was to devote more time to my photography. I was hoping and working and hoping and working to book another wedding. It's basically all I thought about (still do.)

So I printed a copy of my contract and forced confidence out of my voice to prepare for my meeting with Andi. I was nerrrvous! And when she sat down at the table across from me for our meeting, she described her ideas for her wedding, shared with me about herself and her fiance, and we talked details.  But really, we just had a great conversation! She was open and easy to talk to, she was funny, and we shared so many commonalities in our style! AND, she was a fellow Garland High School alum! I was so excited about the idea of working with her. And when she decided that yes, I would be the right fit for her big day, OMG. A year could not go fast enough for me. But it did! Six-months-later, we were shooting a fun engagement session at a replica Texas Rangers ballpark. A little while after that, we shot her bridals at the Dallas Arboretum, and soon enough, it was the big day.

I told Andi over and over on the day, that I was in AWE of her decor. I mean, there was not a single thing I would have changed, had it been my wedding. They are detail by detail, the exact things I would have chosen. Totally my taste, my style. I lovvvvvveeeeddddddd her centerpieces, her roses, her hair accessory, the lights, her cake! And guess what. Her entry table, her candy bar, her centerpieces...decked out with detail after detail, was all her handiwork. Everyone congratulated Andi on making her wedding day beautiful! It was obvious she put so much hard work into it. Among others who helped put together their awesome wedding day were:

Floral arrangements: Buds & Blooms in Garland

Cakes: Stephanie & Sabrina at Simply Sisters in Keller
Dress: Terry Costa in Dallas by designer House of WuHair: by Franchesca at Yolo Salon in Garland - also owned by a fellow GHS alum!
Venue/Lighting: The Atrium in Garland by Mark & Matt
Popcorn at the candy bar: Popcorn Papa at Firewheel in Garland.
DJ: Eddie Renz

I'm waiting to find out who the exact Ebay seller was for the awesome baseball cufflinks! :) (Check back later) 

Anyway, here we go!

The engagement & bridal photos I shot were used for decor around the reception! I loved it. ;)

Andi's mama was so sweet! When I  saw this expression,  I clicked before the moment was gone! I love this one.

I thought this was cute. They went down the aisle after Andi & Josh. Aren't they adorable?

Chris was definitely a fan of the cufflinks! He wants some too now. 

See? She had every detail covered! From the frame, to the peanuts, the baseball, and all of those candles. Beautiful. 

Simply Sisters did a great job. The cake matched the style of the room perfectly!

As Chris and I were leaving for the night, we spotted the jersey Andi & Josh set out for guests to sign. Look at how many people love you guys!