I figure since it’s already the 2nd month into 2019, I might try to dust off the old blog. This session was from a while back, but I’m just going to go ahead and make an attempt to start catching up, little by little. I’ve been working with this awesome family since he was just a few days old. I love that mama isn’t afraid to use color and she made this photo session so authentic to their family with the sweet moments in the house, riding bikes, and sweet, fun treats at the end!

Since I’ve blogged TWO days in a row, that makes me officially “on a roll!” I loved the amazing color and vibe this family wanted to incorporate into their photo session in a relatively new part of Austin. Both girls are highly involved with musical theater (which holds a special place in my own heart) and there was no shortage of beauty or personality in these portraits! The hardest part of the photo session was everyone (including me) getting distracted when an adorable doggo would stroll by (they had to leave their own pupper at home for this adventure). Next time, they should definitely bring their furriest family member!!

No one pass out, but yes, I’m still here. I’m actually here! And blogging…really blogging…for the first time in quite a while. I can’t even begin to count how many sessions I have to catch up blogging-wise from as far back as 2017, but I’m not going to focus on that right now. Instead, I’m going to focus on the thousands of incredible memories I have made over the past few years, working with hundreds of wonderful families…like this one…and their fantastically creative Gatsby family photo session we did at Chateau Bellevue earlier this year. These three are near and dear to my heart and every year, I love creating with them! It is always a visual and artistic treat! This one was probably one of the most detailed photo sessions they’ve ever put together, don’t you agree?

I had been seeing these really neat pics of displays overlooking various cities pop up all over my Instagram feed and I thought they were so clever and creative. I just about passed out when, on my morning run in downtown Austin, Texas, I stumbled upon one of those displays…just sitting there…waiting to be photographed. It was only up for a short amount of time, so I had to find the perfect family to “frame” and fast. I think Gillian from my Modo Yoga family in Austin and her family have the PERFECT vibe for such a photo shoot, wouldn’t you agree? And thanks to HomeGoods #GOFINDING for thinking outside the box in your advertising and creativity. You all knocked this one outta the park for sure!

This family seriously requires no posing. They just do. They just are. They are so comfortable with one another and who they are as a family. I love that more than words can say.

Once again, cute couple alert!

Cute face alert times two!

Love that we can see some missing teeth up there :-).

And of course…gotta do a little yoga, too. Another fav from this set HERE.

She really, really wanted me to take pics of her by the water, which I did, but I couldn’t help but to be captivated by her gorgeous eyes and those perfect freckles!

Sweet, sweet boy.

And I LOVE that they all wanted to show off his awesome blue nails!

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Oh! WAIT! Before I forget, I’m doing something pretty cool at Modo Yoga THIS Saturday, if you want some cool pics of YOU doing yoga AND to help out the Jeremiah Program in the process! Learn more HERE!

{Post 3 of #40B440}

{Post #2 of “40 B4 40” = 40 blog posts before I turn 40 ;-)}

So I understand these adorable fall/winter dresses might seem out of place when we’re already in triple digits in Texas right now, but I figured the next session I should blog as part of my “40 B4 40” (see previous post) should be theirs since I’m currently editing their pics from this year, lol. I had never been to The Pearl in San Antonio, but wow, I didn’t want to leave! It was so overwhelmingly photogenic (just like this amazing family, really) and I loved the mix of old and new, machinery and organic materials. Of course, I love seeing these personalities as the girls grow up as well. I’ve known them since they were each tiny babies and just look at them now!

From mama:

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? Cooler weather is always a treat here in south Texas, So we typically try to shoot in the fall or spring. {Side note: the original date we had for this session was COOOOOOOOLD and blustery (funny, huh?). I am sooooooooo glad we made the call to move it to another date because it was gorgeous out!}
Where was your session held and why? The Pearl in San Antonio. The Pearl is a multi-use development with lots of superb architectural components, beautiful landscaping set on the San Antonio River.
What was your favorite part of your session? All of it. From start to finish. {same}
Advice to other families before their photo sessions? Relax. Act as normal/natural as possible. And let Michele work her magic.
What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? We have been using Michele for 8 years. Enough said. {<3}
Describe your favorite image from the session and why it’s your fav: My favorite picture is the photo of Blake and I running up behind the girls and grabbing them. The smiles on their faces were priceless. {same; another fav of mine HERE}

Since we are getting ready to do their 2018 family photo session, I thought it would be a great time to blog their jewel-toned, desert-themed shoot we did at Enchanted Rock last fall. Mama did an incredible job outfitting everyone, though I remember she struggled with the decision to wear this dress, but I’m so glad she decided in favor of it because it set off the overall feel of the session perfectly. The kiddos LOVED exploring with us and they especially thought it was funny when I (being silly) knelt on a cactus. It was totally worth it for the laughs and pics. I really, really loved the images around the big tree. One of my favs HERE.

From mom:

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? We always love to schedule our family photos between August and October to capture our kids birthdays and also try to make it the less “hot” as possible for DD!;)

Where was your session held and why? Enchanted Rock in Fredericksburg, TX. Jeremy and I have hiked there and always thought it would be be a cool place to come back to once we had children!

What was your favorite part of your session? Michele always makes everything fun and relaxing! We loved the adventure and beauty of our surroundings!

Worries, concerns before the session: The night before our session, I had a nightmare about Ransom falling off a boulder or getting bit by a snake! However, Michele has always taken safety first! {Note from Michele: Oh my word, Joy! I had no idea!!! I’m so glad none of those came true, but I must admit to those same worries myself at times. But we were all totally safe. Well, except for me and that cactus.}

Funny stories or interesting happenings related to your session: It’s not really a funny story, but Michele took several cacti injuries during our shoot and was a champ! She totally takes pain for the fame!!!!

Advice to other families before their photo sessions? I would suggest that you are prepared with outfits, snacks, locations, etc. Aside from that, let go of all control and have fun! Michele is an artist and sees things you and I could never dream of! Trust her and go with it!

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? Everyone has something they invest in and investing in our family memories is priceless to us!

Describe your favorite image from the session and why it’s your fav: I love the photo of all four us with Enchanted Rock in the background, the photo of myself with my children and the photo of my husband and I together. We are so blessed and grateful.

I don’t normally post full slideshows on here, but when you watch it, you’ll understand why I couldn’t resist. I must say that we *always* have incredible experiences when we all get to put our brains together, but this amazing family’s photo session held out at Chateau Bellevue in Austin, TX was “the bees knees,” so to speak. With the help of Julie at Lightbulb at 3 a.m. and some impressive bargain shopping for outfits, etc., this shoot was like heaven on earth here for me! Enjoy this little throw back in sepia and let that tide you over until I blog the images in color (which, in my humble opinion, are soooooo spectacular). Featuring a fabulous car from Leaf Limo (which was amazing as well!).

I’m almost embarrassed to point out how long it has been since I have blogged, but let’s just say busy season came roaring in on a freight train last year and I was doing my best to hang on for the ride. I’ve certainly been shooting a lot and have quite enjoyed these mild Texas winter temps (with the exception of a few snow storms). I will probably *never* catch up with all the work I didn’t get around to blogging last year, but I’m going to try, starting with this STUNNING at home family session from last fall…

This little guy was not having the best day and I felt so bad for him. At one point, he just gave up on us all and laid out on the steps. Bless his little heart! Turns out, there was a good reason why (see below).

I was very happy that his mommy could comfort him in front of the most INCREDIBLE WALLPAPER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!!! Yeah. I think we were both equally excited about getting to feature it as a backdrop for the last part of their session. Mama has impeccable taste when it comes to wardrobe and interior decoration!

My personal fav from the session is HERE 🙂 (and another HERE), but find out Mama’s favs in her words:

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? We were just about to celebrate our 10 year anniversary and were in the mood to celebrate! We were just feeling so unabashedly proud of our little family, ten years in- in awe of our kids and grateful for each other.

Where was your session held and why? At our home in Rollingwood. We thought being in our natural habitat would make the kids feel more comfortable in front of the camera- and make for more believable smiles 🙂 Also, I recently wallpapered my bedroom with this dramatic floral print so I wanted to use that as the backdrop for some of the photos.

What was your favorite part of your session? My favorite part was the ease with which it came about! We just got dressed, went downstairs and started playing! While we certainly aren’t all coordinating in wardrobe (or mood) any time other than when we’re having our picture taken, the photos totally capture the spirit of our family, which is fun and loving.

Funny stories or interesting happenings related to your session: Well, we were pretty sure there wouldn’t be a single picture of Griffin smiling, as he was welcoming a new molar that day… But, naturally, at the end of the session he just turned into this totally animated kid. How you were able to get so many shots of his cute smile from before those last five minutes was a huge surprise to us!

Advice to other families before their photo sessions? Have a joke on hand to tell your spouse who is uncomfortable smiling for long periods of time 🙂

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? A friend had used you for newborn shots, which were gorgeous, of course. I didn’t know if that would translate well to full family photos, but one trip through your website and I was sold!

Describe your favorite image from the session and why it’s your fav: It’s so hard to choose! I love the one of us lounging on the backyard sofa, taken from above the string of cafe lights- I remember that we were just sitting there talking and laughing. We have so many photos of the four of us sitting together, posed stiffly, uneasily. This one is us actually being a family, so it’s really special.

And how could I not choose the one of Rob and Sloane twirling in the living room? That picture is never coming off the wall!

Things to know about this fabulous family’s very lifestyle photo session:

1. Those little boys are as charming as they look.
2. Mama is incredibly organized and creative!
3. Dad is super patient and such a good sport!
4. “Super Hero Chase” is a real game that they really all play together and I think that is the coolest thing ever!
5. Fav image HERE.

First of all, reality check here in realizing I’ve been working with this sweet girl since she was a baby. And in seeing her again during this photo session, I got to bathe in her vibrant, exuberant, loving, cheerful, sassy personality…and she reminded me SOOOOOO much of my own daughter. Strength and confidence and the unapologetic beauty that comes with them.

I know we (I) tend to get hung up on trying to figure out the perfect photo session location, but the truth is, as long as you’re with the people you love and you’re being your authentic selves, any location can be the perfect location. We were actually planning to meet elsewhere for this photo session, but I happened to take a wrong turn during one of my runs in downtown Austin and this alleyway took my breath away. Who would have ever thought?? But honestly, we could have done all of our photos next to dumpsters and the light and love of this family would still shine through. In fact, here’s my favorite image from the session…photographed in a literal mud puddle.

Reeling from tragedy after tragedy in recent months and days, it is sometimes difficult to find reasons to smile. I am so grateful that I get to be surrounded by and photograph the simplest and purest joys–my clients and of course, my family, help remind me that wonderful things do still exist in this world. There is still beauty. There is still LOVE.