Archive for 'Modern Muse Beauty Makeup and Hair'
Oh my gosh, I could not get over how amazing the sky was during our entire session! Not only that, but the temps were so fall-like for September in Austin, TX. It was a treat simply getting to work with this family, but with the spectacular sunrise and the city as our backdrop, I was in photography heaven.
I mean, look at those gorgeous rays of sunshine framing his delighted smile!
And the relationships between the older siblings and the younger twins would make anyone’s heart melt.
Four. 😉 Get it?
The skies were really THAT blue! Love how it made the colors in their outfits really pop. My FAV cloud image HERE.
These two are really amazing together.
So were these two…
And these two…
She was really wanting to be the star of the show, so we let her. And then she got all bashful ;-).
Her little shoes…I die.
Okay, I had to throw this one in there. We asked her to give her brother a kiss and he was having no part of that. But then seconds later, he was playing and laughing with her. Sigh…sibling love!
This guy has got skillz!
Little guy’s suspenders = perfection!
And I want to point out that Katie with Modern Muse Beauty was up before the sun came up, too, in order to do makeup/hair. She’s pretty awesome like that and I know mom sure appreciated not having to worry about that part of the session. It takes so much as it is to work out wardrobe and to get everyone dressed and fed and ready for the session, the last thing you want to have to fret over is makeup/hair. Wise choice, Mama!!!
And, from mom, herself:
Tell us a little bit about your family…
Well, there’s 6 of us; we get along great in that we’re so close we’re not afraid to give one another “the business”. My older two are from a previous marriage but they’ve had Mark in their lives for almost 10 years. We’re silly and (when we have time and our schedules allow) we like to have game night complete with cheating scandals.
What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?
We have never done a family session and with the twins able to walk we thought it would be a good time. This year will be our FIRST ever family Christmas card.
Where was your session held and why?
It was held on the rooftop of the parking garage of the long center because I hate nature… Grass creeps me out, true story, and the family indulges me, God love them. My poor children.
What did you like about your session location?
I loved the contrast of the beautiful sunrise with the concrete; it was SUCH a pleasant morning and the view of the city in the distance was amazing. [my kinda girl!]
What was your favorite part of your session?
our photographer!! What else. Honestly, you put us at ease (we’re awkward people in front of cameras) and you were so great with the little ones, and won HUGE points with the older ones for knowing something about a “whip” and a “Nene”??? [#imthatcool]
Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
I was worried that we’d all be/feel awkward having our pictures taken and be left to our own devises to come up with poses etc.
Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?
Yikes – it was all such a rush and I hadn’t slept much the night before I don’t really recall. I do remember feeling like the vampy mom with the JCrew family. Then later that day, Marky (baby, not hubs) broke his leg and I kept telling the entire family, “HE’S FINE!” even though he wouldn’t walk… Tuesday (TUESDAY) I finally took him to the doctor and had a cast put on. I felt badly. I have withdrawn my submission for Mother-of-the-Year. [Oh, P…poor little guy! But try not to feel too badly…at that age, it’s really hard to tell when something is wrong sometimes. I hope he has a quick recovery!]
Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
Oh my.. just relax and enjoy the ride because they’re in GREAT hands!!!
What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?
I stalked the blog and I loved ever last little thing about the pictures and the photographer and I have no regrets!! Can’t wait to do this again for senior pictures or something fun. 🙂
What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?
I hope they remember how much fun we all had; even coming up with what to wear was silly and fun because of all the drama coming from the boys… I dare say they were better dressed than me. [I think you ALL looked amazing!]
So, if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this:
Followed shortly by this:
Okay, his mommy and daddy and his two big sisters are beautiful people, there is no doubt of that. However, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that this little dude kinda steals the show no matter what he does! Whether he’s acting like a puppy dog (as demonstrated by lapping up the water in the fountain) or snuggling with his mommy or making funny faces, he is always 100% in the moment and 100% exactly who he wants to be at that time. And I have to admire that. I wish we could all continue to hold onto our childhood imagination as well as that inability to hide emotions. It just dawned on me that he is probably the most authentic he will ever be. As he gets older, social customs and expectations will start to take over and little by little, he will be more and more like a grown up. I don’t mean this to be all melancholy, but man, sometimes I do wish I could live more in the moment like little kiddos do. I think I’m going to try to take a page out of his book. If I feel like barking or whimpering like a puppy, maybe I will. Of course, at my age, that could land me in some trouble, couldn’t it. Okay, maybe I’ll just do it at my photo sessions ;-).
Torn on my favorites, by the way. It’s between the water fountain pic or THIS ONE. What about you? Do you have a fav in this bunch?
{Hair and makeup for the gals by Katie with Modern Muse Beauty, whom I am seeing tomorrow. What should I do with my hair? I’m soooo tempted to get some crazy color done!}
I find it difficult to believe it was more than a year ago when we were celebrating the time they were waiting for her arrival (maternity photo session). And now here she is…a whole year old and she is a complete honest-to-goodness doll baby!
From mom:
Tell us a little bit about your family…
Family of 3 with two furry kids that didn’t get to participate in our session. A is our treasured gift. We love the outdoors and love going on family adventures.
What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?
First birthday!
Where was your session held and why?
Pinkle Toes Studio. We wanted some outdoor nature shots as well as intimate indoor pictures.
What did you like about your session location?
The greenery, the nursery and the ability to have indoor and outdoor option.
What was your favorite part of your session?
Capturing A in her pink dress.
Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
Nope.
Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
Just trust Michele. She will capture your family regardless of location, weather condition or any other challenges.
What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?
Returning client. Did maternity photos with Pinkle Toes.
What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?
Despite all the rain, we managed to have a great session and start a tradition.
Is she NOT a carbon copy of her dad??? LOL. I was totally expecting dark hair and dark eyes and I kept giggling at how wrong I was!
One of my favorite mother-daughter images is HERE. At the end of the session, she had worked pretty hard by that point and was very hungry. I love, love, LOVE that we got to have a little down time while her mommy nursed her. Their connection during this time? You can FEEL it in the images:
[Makeup and hair by Modern Muse Beauty]
From the moment we stepped onto the University of Texas campus to the time we closed their engagement photo session down, all eyes were on these two. And it’s not hard to see why! They are lovely and IN LOVE! I could have played all evening and we pretty much did. The sun finally had its way and we had to stop, but I was so thrilled to get to help them celebrate their engagement.
Oh, the light!
Loved when she did this!
Yes, I like to use this courtyard a lot. Because it’s tucked away and GORGEOUS!
Yes. Seriously beautiful people!
This is how he proposed to her. And I thought it was AWESOME!
Her idea and a great one at that! HERE’s another take on it. Hook ’em!
Well, I guess even the sun going down couldn’t stop us. It was just too perfect of an evening! Congrats to you both and thank you for letting me tag along and document your little world together. [As always, flawless hair and makeup by the wonderful, talented Katie of Modern Muse Beauty!]
Her high school senior photo session was absolutely incredible. I mean, wow, everything came together perfectly…a lovely young lady who really let her personality sparkle, perfect weather, beautiful light, amazing hair and makeup (as always) by Katie with Modern Muse Beauty, and the height of wildflower season. Could not ask for anything more to feed my creative soul!
Lensbaby, you did not disappoint:
I think she resembles Lana Del Rey a little here?
Oh, this dress was divine! And the back, too! Wow!
By the time we got done with the bluebonnets, it was dark :-(. But not to worry. The greenhouse and a little off-camera lighting made for some really cool nighttime portraits:
You can see the setup here.
Not sure I could pick a fav from this session, however. I mean *maybe* this one HERE, but really, she kinda nailed them all!
Like, literally chillin’ – as in what is up with this Texas weather because it was reaaaaaally cold during our session. But that’s okay, the girls managed to have fun and let their true, energetic, sparkling personalities shine through the brisk wind that followed us up and down the streets of Georgetown.
I love this giggle shared above between Mama and baby girl, who, by the way, I guess isn’t a baby anymore because we were technically celebrating her ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY! My, my, my, how Baby Q has grown since her newborn photo session:
This series above cracked me up. I told her mom there is no shortage of personality in any of these images!
Cinderella kept losing her shoes 😉
Sometimes, I enlist the help of older siblings to get mom and dad to relax while I’m taking their photos. Usually it results in a photo bomb or two:
Such a sweet moment!
And really, it’s a toss up between this one above (look at Q’s face…she is SO done with us) and THIS one as my fav family image from the shoot. Thank you again, guys, for having me document these days for you. Your family has grown into such a beautiful, fun little brood! [And once again, hair and makeup rocked by Katie with Modern Muse Beauty!]
When Katie and I first discussed the family photo session we were planning, she asked me, “If you could shoot anyplace in Texas, where would that be?” Simple. “A castle,” I replied. “Find me a castle and we are good to go.”
And find me a castle she did.
It feels like ages of planning went into this session and with our Type A personalities, I actually think it did. When she showed me that amazing gold sequined skirt she was planning to wear, I was ecstatic!!! It doesn’t take much for Katie to be comfortable in front of the camera (she knows this), but I was little worried about her daughter opening up and being able to relax in such an overwhelming environment. Totally unnecessary worry, it turns out, as she embraced her role as Mommy’s and Daddy’s little princess and totally let herself get wrapped up in the fairytale atmosphere. And what about that completely unplanned Cinderella moment up there when our little princess lost her shoe while dancing? My heart just melted.
My heart also melted when she did this.
Katie, you did a phenomenal job pulling all of this together and making all my photographer fairytale dreams come true. Thank you for helping me close out 2014 floating on a cloud! (Another full shot of the castle for you to enjoy.) Can’t wait to see her again this weekend for our .emme. boudoir Snow Angels marathon!!
she thinks I dread her family session every year, but honest truth, I do not. Sure, her kiddos have a lot of energy and sure I have to stay on my toes to come up with ways to keep their focus (for example, this year, I drew a mustache on my face with a marker; I did NOT however check to make sure it was washable before I did that, but turns out, I was safe), but I LOVE working with them. I especially loved that we came back to their home for this session. The place where everyone feels comfortable and relaxed and the kids are in a familiar environment already filled with things to entertain and contain ;-). I love the quirkiness of our sessions and the personality that comes bursting out of their children…they can’t hide it. They are 100% themselves, 100% of the time and that’s actually quite refreshing.
Most of all, I love the tender moments we are able to catch, supposedly in between shots…the way baby girl started stroking her mother’s cheek and snuggled up full force into her arms. The pure concentration when big brother was writing his name at his desk. The way they positioned themselves around the kitchen island for a mid-session snack. The look of pride when dad got the sweetest little kiss on the cheek from his daughter. This sweet face contemplating dance moves to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it And at the end, looking through all of their family albums from the sessions we’ve had together over the years and being completely enthralled with how little they once were.
And that’s what I love about working with the Parks family. And I hope they and ALL of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, taking time to unplug for a bit and reflect on all the things (more importantly people) for which we have to be thankful.
xoxo,
Michele
{Once again, mama looked gorgeous, with only a little help from Modern Muse Beauty. Oh, if only I could pull off that awesome lipstick!}
Austin newborn photographer
Oh, she has moved in on their hearts and taken over, of that I am certain. What a sweet, sweet baby girl! Even more amazing was that as tough as it can be sometimes to get older siblings to take part in a photo session that isn’t quite all about them, this big brother shared such a sweet and tender moment with his little sister. It lasted a few seconds, but it was a perfect preview of a lifetime of love between the two of them. And doesn’t she have the cutest little pout, too? What a beautiful newborn baby!
A HUGE thanks once again to Katie at Modern Muse Beauty for taking care of mom’s hair and makeup so she could have one less thing to worry about trying to get ready for their newborn photo shoot that morning. I so wish I had someone to take care of me like that when I was getting my family ready for our newborn photos back in the day. Mom looked refreshed and was positively glowing while gushing over her newborn daughter!