I'm sitting here listening to it POUR right now and it's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, Austin had emerged from this somewhat cold winter into full on springtime! We had the best time bathing in the sunshine and soaking in the mild, warm weather that evening. Love, love, loved the colors she chose for her family and how they totally fit in with the mood of the session and the city that evening. Now that I think about it, it's also hard to believe that I first met them when mama was still pregnant with her baby girl--I tried to dig up all the old posts, but my brain just gave up ;-). And now to have documented the first few days and the first year of his life, too, truly means the world!
FYI - if you've been thinking about a session this year, a heads up on my calendar:
Feb - full
Mar - full
Apr - 4 openings
May - 1 opening
June - 2 openings
July - CLOSED
August - open -
Sep - filling up *very* quickly
Oct - filling up *very* quickly
Nov - too late for holiday sessions
Dec - too late for holiday sessions
Okay. Think I'll turn off the computer and rest my eyes for a bit while snuggled up listening to the rain...
I loved the deep, rich, bold colors of his session. I loved the relaxed nature of his parents. I love that he had that relaxed nature, too. *These* are the kind of newborn sessions that make me wish I had hired a newborn photographer for all of my babies.
I love that it was such a contrast to the misty, wintry feel of her maternity pictures:
[Though it seems like forever ago in looking at the newborn pictures, I vividly remember the day she came out to the studio for her maternity session...it was so grey and cold outside...I swear it could have snowed. When she showed up in the grey sweater dress, I thought it suited the mood and showed off her beautiful belly so perfectly!]
When I crested the hilly road on my way to their home, the sun was just barely peeking over the mountains. Okay...there aren't really any mountains here in Austin, but I was speechless as the fog rolled in over the hills and the sun cast a golden glow in the valley. I knocked on the door and said, "We've got about 10 minutes left before we lose this golden opportunity...do you think we can make it out to the hills in time?" They sure did their best to rush out of the house and oh, I was so excited to catch that beautiful "mountain" view!
As the morning progressed, the scenes were just as beautiful. Their home glowed with sunshine and love. Don't those children have the most compelling eyes?! I love that they're almost the same ages/genders as my own kiddos and it's wonderful to see those big brothers dote on their sweet baby sister. They love her fiercely ;-)
- It was cold. Really cold. They were brave. Especially their mama in that cute little dress.
- Her boys are used to being in front of the camera (mom's a photog) and they made it much too easy for me.
- Her and her boys are beautiful beyond words.
Day one was lots of chatting and headshots...
Pretty group, huh?
Day two was PACKED full of events including our in-home family newborn photo session demonstration for the amazing photographer, Scott, and his sweet baby girl:
Behind the scenes....
Followed by an in-home family photo session demonstration for a dear client/friend:
Behind the scenes...
(Why yes, this would be where I made my "unlawful entry" as referenced today on Facebook ;-) Forgot to mention that I also thought I had locked my keys in the car and we all spent about 15 minutes looking for them only to find them in my camera bag where I had deliberately placed them. Must have been getting a bit loopy by then.)
Day two is not over yet...now it was time for the ladies to practice some of their new techniques...
(Families and models: I'm going to start sending out your pics soon...hang in there ;-)
See? I told you Day 2 was a monster, but dinner that evening was simply wonderful and we all got rested up for our last day of proofing and wrapping up.
The workshops are equally exhausting and rewarding for all of us, I think. I love that we become such a close-knit group and stay in touch long after the workshop is over. I love the surprise of seeing the images the attendees create in my e-mail inbox--their work was absolutely amazing, by the way...so impressed with what they're able to do under a bit of a pressure situation. I love that we've actually organized a reunion/charity project for the Pinkle Toes "Class of 2011" and I can't wait to tell you all about that after the event! (Ladies of 2012...keep that in mind.)
Members of Pinkle Toes 4 Photographers: there are only TWO openings left for workshops in 2012. That's it. I'm currently not planning to offer any more workshops this year or next. Please visit this page for details.
