It’s been a while since we’ve had a good batch of bluebonnets *right* in front of the Pinkle Toes Studio, so it was amazing to get to take advantage of this! And, for the first time ever, I found an amazing field of Indian Paintbrush nearby, too! I can’t believe we were able to catch these flowers because shortly after their session, we got that downpour and they all faded away. One of my favs of big sis is HERE. Girl can pull this look off, am I right?

From Mom:

1) Tell us a little bit about your family… I’ve been married for 9 years and we just moved back to Texas from Minnesota last June. Our daughter is 5 years old and our son is 2 years old.
2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? It’s been a year since the kids pictures have been taken and we have always had the cold or snowy pictures; so we really wanted the Spring sunshine and flowers!
3) Where was your session held and why? Outside in the middle of the wildflowers!!!
4) What did you like about your session location? It was beautiful and gave us a bit of the country vibe we were looking for!
5) What was your favorite part of your session? Watching my kids run wild and explore!
6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? I was a little worried my son would want me to hold him the entire time…but Michelle worked her magic and he warmed up right away!
7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session? We started out using a wagon for my son to sit in (which he was really excited about), while his big sister pulled him for a ride. Almost immediately the wagon tipped over and the right side of his face was all scratched up! We had avoided having any bumps the entire day and now we had a very obvious one for the entire session! He handled it like a champ though!
8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Make sure you feed the kids first and tell them something that will make it fun. Instead of saying we are having pictures made tell them they will be going on an adventure!
9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? I heard very positive things from people and really loved the website!
10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? Look at those magical times you all shared!

I have visited this family out at their ranch several times over the last few years and each photo session is gorgeous and so much fun. This year was no exception. Really loved how we started this one off!

That dress, Mama. Yeowza!

The sweetest sisters! SOOOOOO lucky to have each other! 

My fav from the hammock HERE.

But then feeding Nilly was definitely the highlight of the evening!

From Mom:

1) Tell us a little bit about your family… A tight knit family where little house on the prairie still lives!
2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? Knew the grass would be nice and water would be pretty.
3) Where was your session held and why? Family ranch
4) What did you like about your session location? Familiar and meaningful
5) What was your favorite part of your session? Feeding Nilly!
6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? No
8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Be comfortable!!!! Not hungry or tired! Let Michele lead littles!!!! 🙂
9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? 4th year. Easy and painless for kids, and husbands! :))).
Michele is a total pro!
10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? Favorite times of our lives!

I am beyond thrilled that we were able to work out this maternity photo session for her because LOOK at how gorgeous everything turned out to be! Seriously, her wardrobe choices were on point (Boho chic, defined!) and I’m pretty certain that little baby is going to be here any day now so thankfully, we were able to check this box in time ;-). I cannot wait to see who this new little person is! Love the color version of THIS image, too, BTW.

I’ve worked with him and his family for years. It was jarring to me realizing that this would be the year we would have to do SENIOR PORTRAITS. While no tears were shed at the session itself, I know that this journey is going to be equal parts thrilling and heartbreaking for his mama. I may or may not have gotten choked up a couple of times imagining myself in her shoes in just a few very short years. And whoa…I know she has GOT to be so incredibly proud of him!

Listening to the soft sounds of him playing the ukulele at the end of our session was a tremendous treat. The joy on his face and the feeling of peace that washed over all of us, I will never forget. My absolute FAV image during this time is HERE.

This silhouette might be my second favorite image from our private concert.

But THIS was definitely my favorite moment of the entire session right here. His mom’s look. Sigh…

And speaking of his mama, the session in her words:

1) Tell us a little bit about your family… Its just the three of us – Preston, Parker and myself. Life raising two boys has been such an adventure. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? For Preston’s Senior portraits, I had no hesitation in booking Michele. It is such a bittersweet time – with Preston being my first born leaving for college. She has captured my family so perfectly, I would entrust no one else for a time as important as this.
3) Where was your session held and why? We held the session in downtown Austin. We have done a family shoot on South Congress (a favorite spot of ours) and one in Georgetown where we live. Preston loves the urban setting of downtown Austin, and despite of where he decides to spend his next four (or six!) years – Austin will always be *home* and he has always said he wants to come back to Austin at some point after he starts his career. We wanted the backdrops of his shoot to mirror the different shades of his personality and his passions. Knowing that there might not be too many other opportunities for a portrait session with him by himself – a senior portrait is much more significant than just about a kid graduating from high school. It captures that moment of transition from childhood to adulthood. It captures 18. It captures those last moments that a senior has at home before taking those significant next steps in life.
4) What did you like about your session location? I was thankful that Michele was able to find a location for us that in a short amount of time gave us such varied backdrops for Preston’s shoot. It will give Preston and I so much to choose from. In coming to know my family and describing Preston’s personality and passions, she was able to choose a location that would be the best fit.
5) What was your favorite part of your session? My favorite part was watching Michele enjoy Preston playing the ukelele during the shoot. Not just posing with it. I loved watching her ridiculous and awesome creative skill kick in – working to capture his personality.
6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? Not one thing.
7) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Trust Michele. Let her do her magic. Follow her advice. Enjoy it. It is an investment you will never regret.
8) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? I was a portrait photographer when my babies were babies. I am very particular and know what I want the end result of a shoot to be. In researching photographers after I moved to Austin, Michele stood out amongst them all. Her shoots capture personality. Capture life. Capture relationships.
9) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? It’s not even a hope…I *know* that years down the road, we will look back and the series of photos of each shoot will take us back to that time in our lives. The images are like a little time capsule of memories that we will have to treasure forever. My only regret is not discovering Michele and her talent 10 years ago.

I first met Kari at the start of the year…she was one of my most favorite Pure Barre instructors…she was funny, down-to-earth, had a very unique look (something I’m always drawn to as a photographer) and most of all, she did a phenomenal job of encouraging me to believe in myself and gently pushing me beyond my limits at Pure Barre. I’ve had this need pulling at my soul for quite sometime to do something creative and different…fine art photography…reaching above what is typically “my day job.” It sounds so silly to me now, but I really wanted to work with Kari on this project and I was so afraid to approach her about the idea.

When we first started discussing our goals for this collaboration, we tossed out words that were inspiring to us at the time. I have lately been drawn to watercolors and the desert. Kari was inspired by her time at Burning Man and the need to show her strength and independence, but softer side at the same time. Slowly the ideas started forming and it was then I decided to invite my dear friend Katie (Modern Muse Beauty) to work with us–there was no one else I would trust to be able to follow our creative vision for this project, but to be able to have her own take as well.

I wish I could describe this night so you could understand how it felt. How was it possible for three very different women with very different backgrounds and points of view to work so perfectly together??? The hair and makeup, the costuming, the location, the photo session itself…everything was so organic…not forced…it just happened. It was like we all had the same need to tell the same story. Kari and Katie: I cannot thank you two enough. I am seriously so grateful to know you both and to have had the honor of working with you as artists.

While I was able to get very creative with the actual photo shoot, I also wanted to experiment with the image editing in post. I struggled for a long time to be able to translate what I was seeing in my mind’s eye to the images on my screen, but finally, I landed on these “watercolors.” I’m almost embarrassed to say that I have twice as many images as shown here. I will probably have to come back and blog the non-watercolor images, too, because there are some super cool shots! And, this is only the first of what I hope to be several more photo shoots in this series. Meanwhile, please enjoy the first installment of Firebird Rising: Cracked Earth in Watercolor.

Oh, and do not miss my personal favorite from this segment HERE.

I honestly don’t even know where to begin as I have been positively ITCHING to finally get to these photos and at last, here we are! I’ve known Katie with Modern Muse Beauty in Austin, TX for what seems like an eternity now and I think of her as my creative partner in styling for photography. {As a stylist, makeup artist, balayage and unicorn color expert, I hope most of my clients have already had the chance to meet/work with Katie. If you have not and you have a session coming up with me in the near future, do yourself a favor and book Katie NOW.} Katie is a Type A creative, just like me and she just gets it…she understands the artistry of photography and she’s so much fun to conceptualize with. When it came time for her family photo session this year, location was a big factor. You see, I don’t know if you remember it, but last time, we were at a castle, which set the bar ridiculously high for this next shoot. At one point, I think we had talked ourselves into driving out to Marfa, thinking that was what we needed to do to “top” last year’s session.

Turns out, we only needed to drive to Fredericksburg, TX. I’m SO glad Enchanted Rock was our destination, because it. was. gorgeous! I never knew a place like this existed in Texas and it had everything we were looking for in this particular shoot. I’ve been very inspired by the desert lately (as evidenced by THIS and THIS…a project in which Katie happens to play a huge role) and Katie’s styling just set the entire atmosphere for what ended up being one of my most favorite sessions to date. In my mind, this just might have topped the castle.

This image…I adore. And I can’t decide if I love it more in black and white or in color.

She is sooooooo lucky to have her Nonnie with her. Soooooooo lucky.

The light at sunset was just beyond!

Ohhhhh….I spy some pretty awesome Kendra Scott up there ;-).

There is soooooo much more I want to say about this evening out at Enchanted Rock, but my words escape me right now. ‘Tis the season. But I’ll leave you with this: 1. Katie is stunning. 2. Her daughter is pretty much an exact replica of her husband. 3. Katie should seriously consider adding styling to her list of services and talents. 4. I’m so thankful to have Katie as my creative partner and friend. xoxo, Katie! I hope you love these just as much as, if not more than, your castle shoot.

This session was the perfect celebration of family and their beautiful new home. I LOVE so much that mom wanted to do the s’mores at the end. The kiddos were SO into it and it was the perfect reward for their amazing job they did during the “boring” part of the session. My fav from the campfire is HERE.

When it comes to photographing twin toddlers, I have had quite a bit of experience (considering my sweet nieces ;-), but I do know that it can be challenging at times with busy littles on the move. Turns out, these two were perfect little angels and getting them happy together and in the same frame at the same time was the least of my worries. I hadn’t been to this particular location in YEARS and while it is a beautiful spot, we were totally not prepared for the awful, horrible, inescapable mosquitoes that hunted us down relentlessly the whole 40 minutes we managed to stay there. Oh, my word! I’ve never felt so sorry for myself or for my subjects as we tried so hard to find a place to hide from those little monsters. I mention the mosquitoes because in spite of it all, the babies couldn’t have been more amazing! I really want to brag on how adorable and cheerful and patient they were as us grown ups scrambled around trying to escape the bugs. And so, while we may have had a very small window in which to photograph, these darlings made it possible. I know they won’t remember this photo session, but their mommy and daddy sure will and when they look back on the images, hopefully, they’ll laugh about the bugs, but more importantly, smile and be proud of their beautiful, perfect children!

Oh…there was this game that we ended up playing with the babies that had us ALL cracking up. I’m pretty sure I took a video, but while I go dig that up, here’s my favorite image from that moment.

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Reposting: The FINAL WEEKEND of the Kids-Only Holiday Mini sessions starting Friday and running through Saturday. We have a handful of openings left and I can squeeze you in if you want your kiddos to play in Santa’s Workshop! The session + one digital file of your choice is FREE to all clients who book a full session for 2016. Please message us for more details and do so quickly before all the spaces are gone!

Ten years ago, they began their life together when they married right here at Old Glory Ranch in Wimberley, Texas. We went back to that beautiful, charming place as they marked this momentous occasion and celebrated their 10 years as husband and wife and reflected on what must have been one of the most challenging years of their lives. The trials they faced in 2015 only made them stronger and more loving and more appreciative of the simplest and purest joys. In the years that I have known them, I’ve seen their connection and how they adore their family, but this year in particular, after surviving two of the biggest scares imaginable, that glow has been magnified times a thousand…

Wearing her mother’s wedding dress. I certainly hope that one day, if she gets married, these images are on display at her wedding.

One of my FAVS HERE.

These are also the pink Converse her mommy wore when she got married!

Just a few days after our time here at Old Glory, Amy got the most miraculous news: her tumor is gone! I can’t even tell you how loud I shouted when I read that wonderful, wonderful news. I am just blown away by the grace and determination with which Amy defeated this cancer. She is the ultimate inspiration!

My, oh my, it is crazy to think I’ve quite literally watched these little ones grow up on my camera. And how awesome it is to get to see their baby features melt away and their little personalities shine through–even if it’s with that pretty impressive pouty face Mr. Man is giving me up there ;-0.  It didn’t last long, though. Once we made our way back to their home and he could “grill” for his Papa, all was right with the world again. Of course, the pupster, Troop, always makes an appearance in their family photo sessions and he happens to be in my favorite from this session HERE.

And from the beautiful K, herself:

1) Tell us a little bit about your family… We are a fun but crazy family of 4 (5 including our awesome dog, Troop) trying to juggle it all! With 2 active kiddos, we enjoy the outdoors and exploring Austin.
2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? We love our yearly family photo sessions with PT! I cherish all the memories we’ve had Michele capture for our family, dating back to when Kline was just 7 days old.
3) Where was your session held and why? We chose Laguna Gloria this year because their grounds and facilities are so beautiful. We had a session here in the past and absolutely loved it (minus the crazy curator monitoring our every move)! Even though we didn’t get inside this year (their Solarium is my fav), we found some cool spots outside.
4) What did you like about your session location? I loved how it was casual and stress-free this year! We ended the session on our top floor roof deck, eating popcorn and drinking punch while the sun set.
5) What was your favorite part of your session? Just being together as a family on our deck. It was obvious everyone was back in their element and super relaxed. Great way to end the session!
6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? I was a little nervous that our youngest was going to get distracted and run the opposite direction or have a pouty-face the entire time. He’s my moody one….
7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session? We had a little run-in with some fire ants by the water at LG. It could’ve been a disaster, but we escaped with only a couple whelps.
8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Don’t stress and HAVE FUN! As easy as that may seem, I’m usually guilty of stressing over outfits, last minute details, are we going to make it there on time?, etc. This year I took a step back and just let it flow …..without any increase in my heart rate. Success on my end!
9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? Because Michele is truly a genius behind the camera and she loves us for who we are – a real, crazy, wild family.
10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? Oh man, probably that my kids will look back and say “you dressed me in that?!”.