It won’t be long before we get the good news that baby #3 has arrived. And it is still hard to fathom that this little Maverick has risen from some of the most difficult times this family has ever faced. However, it was nothing but smiles and joy on this evening as we celebrated this incredible blessing (well, except for the part when we had to duck into a building to hide when the tornado sirens went off ;-)…false alarm).  I know his big brother and sister and mom and dad and all the rest of us are very, very, very eager to meet him. One of my many favs HERE, as well as HERE and HERE.

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.

Do not let their normal, ordinary, everyday family appearances fool you. Trust me. I know for a fact that these people are SUPERHEROES. How do I know that? Read on and you’ll see…AND…make sure you go ALL the way to the bottom of this post. You will NOT want to miss it ;-).

Sure. In the images above, they look simply like a beautiful, loving family you might see hanging around the streets of Austin–and they are–but now I can reveal to you their TRUE identities….

Get…

Ready…

To…

Be…

Amazed…

When…

I present to you…

SUPER MOM! IRON DAD! AND ROCK STAR!!!!

I mean, seriously? How FUN is this?! This little lady is sure lucky to have parents willing to be seen on the streets of Austin in their Super Hero Attire ;-). I loved this idea and I am SO happy we got to make it come to fruition. Mom did an incredible job pulling everything together for it.

 FYI, that tattoo is actually her daughter’s writing. Definitely. Copying. That. Idea.

 She can fly!!! You won’t want to miss my FAVORITE version of this image HERE!!!!

Super. Perfection.

From Mom:

Tell us a little bit about your family…

Well it’s Brad, Addie and I…oh and 2 dogs (Incy and Stella) and 2 guinea pigs (Pickles and Hazel). Poor Brad…he’s the only guy in the mix. I LOVE my family…it’s my life…really.

What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?

No special occasion…just what is becoming our annual family photo session with Pinkletoes. Now the challenge is to find something unique and creative to do each year. Poor Michele doesn’t realize what she’s getting into…well maybe a tad bit after this session.

Where was your session held and why?

After much thought we decided to start on the UT campus and then hit the drag. We had 2 different themes going on so it was a perfect fit. Brad graduated from UT so having it there was special for him. And the drag…. well it’s the drag. You never know what you’re gonna get there…superheroes fit right in. 🙂

What did you like about your session location?

The UT campus is amazing…and BIG! Did I say big?? There are SO many fun and unique little spots and Michele seems to know them all. And the drag is just SO Austin-y.

What was your favorite part of your session?

I can’t pick a fav part…sessions with Michele are just plain downright fun. I think you gotta do one to understand. And that’s not just my thoughts…driving home we all talked about what a fun experience it was yet again!

Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?

Well yeah…parading around downtown Austin in a superhero costume…and it’s not Halloween. But needless worries…see above. Well we did get a few stares. But who cares?? Not us!

Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?

Addie loves it when Michele burps…and she didn’t disappoint. These are some serious burps guys! And then there was the moment it came time to change clothes so we popped into some random building on campus…maybe the only one without a bathroom to be found. So Michele stood guard while we donned our superhero costumes in a little alcove…kinda like our own little “phone booth”. [This was my fav part, too! – M]

Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?

Just go into it with an open mind and trust that Michele is awesome at what she does. Have fun and know that the product she delivers will far exceed any expectations you have. ***Repeat customer alert*** Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?

Like I mentioned earlier this was our annual Pinkle Toes gig…a family tradition that we hope to continue indefinitely. And it’s not just her work…that speaks for itself. It’s also her business model…all of the little extra touches that mean so much. Thank you Michele…it doesn’t go unnoticed! [Aw, man…this means the WORLD, Karen!!! – M]

What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?

I read once that a photo is a “return ticket to a moment otherwise gone”. They are. My dad was killed in service when I was 4 and I treasure the few family photos I have. I want our photos to help Addie remember random moments in her childhood that pieced together show her that we lived and loved and laughed and had fun while doing it! She IS the center of our universe and I want her to know that. [Actually, THIS means the WORLD, Karen!!! – M]

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!]

I lived in Virginia growing up, but had several visits to TX throughout my childhood. Every now and then, I would get a chance to hang out with my cousin near Fort Worth. I regret the fact that while I was all wrapped up in my tween-ness, since she was a couple of years younger than me, I never really took the time to get to know her personally. I so touched and honored that she asked me (me???) to do an engagement photo session for her and her fiancé last December. After my time with them that evening, my childhood regret grew quite a bit as I realized just how much I missed out in not hanging with her more often. She is graceful, confident, brilliant, beautiful, funny, engaging, charming and caring.  We were able to pick up conversation like we were life-long best friends (family is always family) and that evening shared with the two of them over at my place will forever be a joyful memory. I very much look forward to many more years of gatherings like that. And I mean it, you two!!!! Congratulations on your engagement and I cannot wait to see your beautiful wedding photos!