I’ve been lucky enough to get to work with Jennifer and her family on several occasions now and when going through the process of trying to cull the images from our most recent photo session, I realized 1) I was having a hard time narrowing them down because 2) the images made ME smile and they’re not even my family!! I got to thinking why they looked so happy in their images and I realized it was because they WERE! So we had a MAJOR rainstorm just before our session and it turned our “sunny” morning into something that looked like Forks, WA? So it was was really, really humid out? So we had to walk through a LOT of silty mud to get to our various destinations along the creek bed? It just didn’t matter because here they were…together…in one of their most favorite places in Austin…hanging out as a family…exploring…and the icing on the cake, Jennifer and her hubby just let the girls BE THEMSELVES! That is what will make or break a photo session. If mom and dad are relaxed and just let it happen, the kids will be relaxed, too, and you can ALWAYS tell it in the images. So, Jennifer…thank you for letting the session happen so organically. You really did make this photo session beautiful and fun for not only your family, but for me, too!

 I couldn’t get over how GREEN everything looked after the rain!

 Oh, this whole series we did on top of the falls was so lovely and romantical! One of my FAVORITES is HERE.

And I think we need to take a minute to talk about Jennifer’s arms. I mean, goodness gracious, she is stunning and she is such a wonderful example of being fit and healthy and looking like a million bucks! I strive to have arms like her one day, but I think in order to do so, I’m going to have to face my CrossFit fear ;-).

 I’m not going to tell you or show you why they (we) were all giggling so hard here, but just know that it’s all fun and games when splashing in the creek until someone loses their balance ;-).

Sisters….sigh…

I’ve worked with this amazing family for several years now and I have to tell you, each session seems like a dream to me…as in a dream come true (remember that time we got to photograph them with their horse in downtown Austin????). This family is so connected with one another. These sisters are so connected. The love and closeness is almost tangible in their images. I literally could not stop smiling and gasping while culling their images from the session.

 Real, true expressions and emotions. THIS is what makes my soul jump for joy and I’m always completely honored when families are willing to open up like this for me.

 Again…this is REAL. These two are SO in love!

 I mean, no words. Just…sigh…and then there was THIS.

The following images were also very dreamlike to me. I kept thinking about the visual pull of The Tree of Life (and oh, how I loved that movie. Didn’t fully understand it, but did it ever inspire me!) when processing them…

 Childhood…girlhood in it’s richest form. Dance, play, spring air and flowers. Hair wild. A halo of sunshine.

Shelly…thank you so much for trusting your family photographs with me. Thank you for being so comfortable as a family and letting your girls be themselves. My time with you never disappoints. xoxo

Their trip from New Jersey to Austin, Texas had been planned forever it seemed. And of course, as their travel date approached, so did some yucky looking weather. Even the day of their session, the weather could not make up its mind what it was going to do and I was so very thankful that they were incredibly flexible and understanding (well, mom *is* a VERY talented photographer herself in the New Jersey area) and somehow, the Texas weather (and wildflower) gods smiled down upon us and gave us amazing temps and the perfect amount of cloud cover to take advantage of my favorite creek and frolic in some beautiful flowers!

As with most siblings, whenever one got to be the star of the session, the other wanted a turn, too. There was a lot of switching the focus throughout the session which I think the kiddos will appreciate in looking at these photos years down the road.

 Loved these interactions between mother and daughter!

And how sweet was this between mother and son?

He had us both cracking up because he was taking his kite flying *very* seriously and wanted to find the best direction, lol!

They were having SO much fun with their dad!!!

Finally, we let them get in the water. They had been chomping at the bit since we first arrived. Their patience paid off! And her dress? WOW! My FAV dress pic is HERE.

What? Is that the sun poking out for like 20 seconds?

It’s always so magical for the kiddos when their parents join in on splashing in the water. Delightful!

All of my newborn photography clients qualify to add on unlimited mini sessions for their baby’s first year. It’s a wonderful way to document those major milestones in a child’s first year of life and experience all of the beauty in Austin’s “seasons”. This beautiful baby girl’s 7 month mini session happened to fall right in line with peak wildflower season, so at the last minute, we changed our location from downtown Austin to this incredible wildflower field filled with Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush. This family is completely gorgeous, but what I want to know is how mom was able to coordinate their outfits to PERFECTLY compliment the orange and blue hues of the flowers we were in? I don’t recall telling her what kind of flowers were here, but maybe I did? Or maybe she’s just that awesome? Yeah, I think she’s just that awesome. My favity FAV is HERE!

For so many reasons (far too many to list) this bunch is near and dear to my heart. I am truly blessed to know them and to have watched these kiddos grow and each time I see them, it brings me tremendous joy. Their energy and free spirits inspire me and make my soul happy.

His facial expressions are out of this world!

 Pure. Love.

 I don’t know why, but I adore this shot above.

 This light!!!!!!!!

She’s an old soul.

And how lucky were we to find these amazing bluebonnets!?

 Love.

 This image above just happened. The kids ran off, wild and free. It spoke to me and made my heart happy and ache at the same time.

SOOOOOO much personality in this family!

I was laying down on rocks for this shot. A few days later, I couldn’t figure out where all the bruises came from on my arms and legs until I remember this image, lol. #worthit

YES!

There is NO denying that these three are sisters. There is no question that they are STUNNING. There is NO doubt in my mind that dad is going to have his hands full when they are of dating age ;-). But for now, I think we can just appreciate this perfect, beautiful little milestone session just as the Texas wildflowers were starting to bloom (the last time I saw them, the caboose was just a few days old). These little beauties rocked it in every way possible and brought their A game to the fields! LOVED this image, but THIS might be my personal fav.

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!]

Bless her heart, Lauren and her fam made the trip to Austin (and back, no less) from way down in South Texas in just one day. It’s funny because I was just talking to some photography friends (we are getting ready for our 4th–really FOURTH?–Annual Pinkle Toes Photography Workshop Reunion in Charleston, SC in May) about how you can drive and drive all day and never actually make it out of Texas. But Texans are used to those kinds of road trips I guess. Anyway, I was quite impressed that she AND her hubby AND BOTH kiddos were in such amazing moods even after all of that driving. Really, her daughter just marched right up to me when I first got there and chatted like we’ve known each other all our lives. And I could not get over baby boy’s infectious, whole-body grin! The four of them are so laid back and had absolutely no troubles settling into playing together while I happily photographed them. Hmmmm…and if I had to pick a favorite, I think it would be THIS one. But I don’t know. I could change my mind in the next five minutes. Again.

[Side note: pssst…hey…did you see my last post about Denver?]

I’ve had the joy of working with this family several times over the years and every session has been magical to me. Our evening at McKinney Falls in Austin was no exception. I’m embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t been there before, so it was amazing exploring a new place in Austin. So many different types of landscapes…walk a few feet in either direction and you could be standing at a creek, in the woods, atop a waterfall, or on a rocky limestone expanse with neato reflecting pools hidden here and there.

While location is certainly key to helping set the mood and provide a fun, engaging, beautiful backdrop for a family photo session, is is definitely the subjects that give it passion and energy. Watching these four interact they way they do–full of love and joy in life–is inspiring. That’s what makes pictures emotional and beautiful, so thank you guys, for letting me hang out with you once again. [Session FAVORITE!]

In case you missed the announcement, I will be in Denver, Colorado for a couple of days in March and am accepting a very limited number of family photo sessions. If you would like more information (dates, etc.), let me know as soon as possible!

When photographing little kids in downtown Austin, it’s usually a pretty good idea to have something to help keep them engaged and occupied and entertained and happy. When I met with their mama before the session, we came up with the great idea to give them bouquets of yellow flowers! And it DID work very well…the girls quite enjoyed them. Maybe a little too much as they were SO into the flowers (and leaving an adorable trail of petals all over the park), it was tough to tear them away (and also, we ended up with lots of yellow pollen on noses and chins, lol). But I LOVED how it added a touch of spring to an otherwise drab winter landscape this time of year and I’m glad that the girls had such a fun time with their little bouquets and sprinkling magic every where we went. Favorite image from the session? Right HERE and I knew the instant it happened it would be my favorite. And also, I loved the outtake at the end. Sometimes riding on dad’s shoulders doesn’t quite work out as planned 😉