This family is certainly no stranger to the Pinkle Toes blog and when mom first contacted me about their upcoming session, she mentioned that they wanted to do something different and fun. Over the years, they have set the bar pretty high (exhibit A), so I was a little nervous that we would be to do yet another session that would highlight this dynamic crew properly. But when mom brought up the idea of using color powder, I knew it would be a huge hit with the kids and make for incredibly bold, colorful, and creative family photos for them.

On the evening of our session, before breaking out the color powder, we started with some traditional family portraits:

And then we had a costume change to serve as a blank canvas for the colorful splash we were about to make! We picked a place where the sun would shine through the trees and allow the vibrant colors to contrast beautifully against the natural Texas landscape. Mom had a great idea to put the powder into squeeze bottles and on the count of three, everyone squeezed their bottles into the air creating a burst of colors that looked simply magical. Kids and grown ups alike were screeching and giggling and having an amazing time, and I could tell that this was going to be an awesome session.

One of the things I loved most about this shoot was how unpredictable it was. You never knew exactly how the colors were going to mix, and every photo turned out differently. It was a welcome challenge as a photographer to capture these ever-changing and fleeting moments.

Even their wonderful nanny jumped into the action!

The leaf-blower was the icing on the cake for me :-).

It’s safe to say that their color powder family photo session was a huge success, even if it took quite a while to clean the powder out of our hair and teeth. We were all thrilled with the photos, but I think the memories created will have an even deeper impact. I can’t help but to imagine these kiddos all grown up, flipping through an album of these images and talking to their own children about this awesome day where their parents willingly let them make a gigantic mess! I can’t wait to see what other creative ideas my clients will come up with for their own family photos.

P.S. As promised, a behind-the-scenes look of the aftermath:

On this cold, rainy day in January, I am inspired to tell the story of another rainy day that nearly ruined an incredible trip to Colorado one summer. My whole family had driven up to Denver and then to Crested Butte to visit with loooooooooongtime friends (and clients). To give you a clear picture, there were SIXTEEN of us total…staying in the same house. 7 adults and EIGHT children and one ADORABLE baby. Oh, wait: this doesn’t include the two doggos :-). The adults were definitely outnumbered, but somehow, we managed to spend the first several days enjoying the cooler temps, hiking through the mountains (ALL 16 of us!!!), swimming in mountaintop lakes, exploring the charming town that is Crested Butte, and feasting…there was a LOT of feasting…and a lot of great laughs. I cannot even begin to describe how many memories were made on that trip. My eldest son christened the two other dads in the house with us were the “cool dads,” while his own father was just “dad.” It truly was something spectacular that we all managed to share that space together and have such a lovely time, working together as a team to manage meals and clean up (sister wives aren’t such a bad idea).

We had plans for all of us to drive up to this one particular spot way up in the mountains to do family photos. While it was indeed a bit of a drive from our home base, I had heard so many wonderful things about that place, I couldn’t wait to see it with my own eyes. Spoiler alert…the images above are NOT from this specific place. “Why?” you ask? Well, we had ALL piled into three cars (my mini van, included) and began our trip up the winding roads. It was cloudy, but not terrible as we started out. Rain was predicted to start later that evening, but we thought we could squeeze in the sessions before it got bad.  Everyone was already dressed and made up (a Herculean effort in itself!)…there was no turning back now.

I honestly don’t know how long the trip took us, but it felt like forever, especially when we got to the part where we tried to get my van up through the mud-covered roads. The van briefly got stuck in the mud and at that point, we decided it wouldn’t make it any further. My family would make the rest of the trip on foot while I hitched a ride to the top with the others. I should mention that by then, I was very, very car sick and growing very concerned about the storm clouds that were rolling in. “This better be worth it,” I thought.

We *finally* made it to this mystical meadow between the mountains and my word, yes, it was every bit as breathtaking as they told me it would be. I could see the storm clouds building up and I knew we wouldn’t have much time, but I thought if we hurried, maybe we could make something happen. I think I was able to get like 5 photos taken and then it started raining. And raining. And raining. And it just wouldn’t let up. I kept refreshing the radar and it kept telling us that it was going to clear, so TWELVE humans and the TWO doggos all piled into ONE vehicle to wait out the storm (I’m SO glad we attempted THIS us-ie).

We waited. And we waited. And the rain just wouldn’t stop. And now, there was virtually no daylight left and everyone was tired, and cranky, and hangry and defeated. I don’t know about you other photographers out there, but I have this recurring nightmare where I’m in a BEAUTIFUL place with BEAUTIFUL subjects and I’m so overwhelmed, I am physically not able to take any photos. I’m frozen in my dream as I watch the sunlight disappear and I’ve missed out on the perfect opportunity. *This* was my nightmare actually coming true :-(. Through tears, we called it a night and decided to go on with our dinner plans and figure out another day/place for family photos.

At dinner (and I was *still* crying), we worked out a new game plan which would involve us getting up *very* early to catch sunrise the next morning. This was not an easy sell as we were all exhausted from our travels and the rain that evening, but it was our only shot. We were “do or die.”

After a few hours of sleep that night, these guys somehow rallied and managed to look just as beautiful and put together as the day before! We stumbled upon this gorgeous little flowered meadow practically in our backyard and we. made. magic. HAPPEN! I was so thankful for the sunshine that peeked out through the mountains! I was so AMAZED that the kiddos were able to give us their all in spite of the rough evening and very little sleep! I’m so grateful that we were able to let go of our previous vision for the session and embrace this new one. I’m so glad we persevered in spite of it all!

Most of all, I absolutely treasure the memories we made through our struggles the night before. The photos we took had so much more meaning because of that experience. And oh, how we laugh and laugh re-telling the story! Very, very grateful for all of it…the good and even the not-so-fun parts.

And now, a different take on Rosemary Beach! Seriously, can’t you see why I can’t wait to go back?

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have other things I should be doing besides dreaming of Rosemary Beach, but I’d also be lying if I said this magical place wasn’t on my mind constantly these days. About a year ago, some dear friends/clients introduced me to 30A and pretty much as soon as I got back home to Texas, I booked a trip for my family to go out there. Let me tell you, our vacation cannot come soon enough!!!

So while I’m taking a break from studying and counting down the days until we go back, I’m going to be posting pics from the family photo sessions that we got to do during that stunning Florida beach trip last year.

These sweet sisters. I’ve been photographing them since they were born! And they have each grown into these bundles of love and energy and beauty and life and we had so much fun getting to play together and twirl in lovely dresses on white sand beaches with the ocean sparkling like a jewel behind us! The town of Rosemary Beach itself is like no other place I’ve ever seen before, too. Breathtaking. I did not want to stop taking pictures…I truly did not. (Remember this?)

Gosh, I think I’ve known Sabrina for almost 5 years now, which seems like so long and also not long enough. She is INSANELY talented and has an incredible eye for color and design–as evidenced by her gorgeous home that they completely renovated in mere months. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty and attention to detail in their home…there are so many stories to tell and very personal and thoughtful details throughout. I am amazed at how it all came together, how hard they worked to make all of these visions come to reality.

Sabrina is a funny, warm, easy-going person and I feel incredibly blessed call her a friend. We were treated to the most delicious meal (her hubby is an excellent cook) and relaxing evening at her place and I don’t know if I could ever thank them enough for that. She also happens to be a fantastic travel companion and I’m hoping to figure out a way to run a destination half marathon with her in the very near future (hint, hint).

Thank you so much, Sabrina, for inviting us into your colorful, loving world and for even thinking to document this time with your kiddos as their mommy. They are pretty lucky to have you!

{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.

To be honest, I can’t believe we managed to pull this one off. We got together in the wee hours of the morning for our annual summer family photo session in an effort to catch the sunrise and beat this awful Texas heat. I knew I was in trouble when I got to my car in the dark and drove all the way out to their house (about an hour) and my windows *still* were foggy from the humidity. Yikes! I intentionally kept my camera in the way back of the van so as not to make my lenses too cold otherwise they would never defog when I needed them.

When I got there, we found the spot where we thought we would catch the best light (nailed it!), but I made the mistake of wearing flip-flops and was slipping all over the dew-covered grass. So, off went my shoes and I prayed I wouldn’t step on anything pokey (I’m NOT a barefoot person at all). Just as we got the twins settled on the that gorgeous red sofa (which can be quite challenging when you have two very active little girls!) and we were ready to bring in big sister, she managed to find a fire ant mound, bless her little heart.  It’s times like this when I wonder why in the world I still live here in Texas.

BUUUUUT, you know what? It came together. Everyone rallied and we were able to get all the necessary birthday photos on that lovely red couch in spite of it all. I was WAY impressed with the patience of mom and dad (I know you have to be when you’ve got three busy kiddos) and their patience helped *me* to relax. We were even afforded the opportunity to switch gears to do some more casual photos at their favorite park. Of course, these are always the times I like best…when I get to kind of sit back and watch families play together and just enjoy being a family.

I truly was amazed watching them all in action. Twins ain’t easy, that’s for sure, and it never feels like you have enough arms. But these parents are doing an incredible job and it has been my extreme honor watching this family (and these beautiful girls) grow each year!

So maybe we missed a stunning sunset (thanks to a major flight delay for fog in Austin ?????), but the sunrise the next morning was a close second. My only regret for this gorgeous beach family photo session in Florida was that I wasn’t able to stay with them longer. I don’t have the brain capacity right now to say the right words to tell their mommy just how magical that day was, but I think she already knows. And I think she and I would both come back here in a heartbeat to do it all over again. xoxo, girlie! (Favity fav HERE.)

I adore this lovely lady and her beautiful family and I was very excited to get to come work with them in their gorgeous new home in Houston. Most of all, I was excited that she thought to invite her mom and grandmother to the session so that we could photograph four generations of women together. That photo they are holding/looking at is the very first picture they took in the United States after immigrating from Russia and that photo speaks volumes of history and bravery and love to me. THIS image also says love to me ;-).