There are 34 entries in the running to become the 2013 Pinkle’s Pic of the Year. These images were selected by the clients themselves for your consideration to become finalists. Here’s how it works:

ROUND ONE – NOW thru midnight central on Feb 5th

• This year, you will have THREE chances to vote!
  1. The poll below
  2. “Liking” your favorites on this official Pinkle Toes Instagram page (to view all of the entries, search the hashtag #pinkletoesPOY13Round1).
  3. “Liking” your favorites on this official Pinkle Toes Facebook gallery
• You can vote for more than one image AND you can vote in ALL of these three places, but you can only vote one time.

On Feb 6th, 10 finalists will be announced here and on Facebook, selected as follows:

1. The top TWO images from this online poll.
2. The top TWO images from the official Pinkle Toes Facebook gallery (if already selected in the online poll, we’ll move on to the next image)
3. The top TWO images from the official Pinkle Toes Instagram page (if already selected in the online poll or Facebook, we’ll move on to the next image)
4. TWO images selected by a panel of professional photographer judges
5. TWO images selected by me. I may even throw in a few surprise images just for fun.

I worked with her brother when he was just a wee babe 6 years ago and it was such a blessing to get to work with her now! Is there anything better than seeing the bond between a big bro and his baby sister? Reminded me so much of how my oldest was when his baby sister was born. Another fav of mom and daughter HERE.

Not me, not me. But gosh, I can imagine how I would feel if I were picking up my family and moving to a new city in a new state and leaving behind this amazing city we call home. We managed to squeeze this session in literally days before their big move and I loved how they wanted to capture the funky Austin vibe with their family photo session. I hope they’re staying bundled up all the way up north (even though we *are* in the middle of an Ice Apocalypse here in Austin right now, LOL. Hey…did you see my song?) and I hope I get to see them when they *must* come back down to visit family someday 😉

Another one of my family lifestyle photo sessions (in Austin) last year. I felt like I could relate so much to the mommy of this family: super busy, two energetic boys, a sweet baby girl to complete the picture, and just plain, all-around quirky family fun (see what I mean?). I love that you can see mom’s joy with her amazing life in every one of these images!

I know I will want to update you on the past few weeks and I have a LOT of blogging to catch up on, huh? But like my daughter says when I ask her how to eat an elephant, “…just one bite at a time.”

So, let me begin with this family…my last family photo session of 2013, as a matter of fact. These boys couldn’t have been any sweeter or more fun to hang with

I will be posting many more images from the last part of 2013 over the next few days, so stay tuned to the blog.  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday break and that your 2014 is off to a great start.

Pinkle Toes Photography will be closed Dec 20-Jan 12 so that I can step away and spend some long overdue time with the fam. I will not be checking/answering e-mails or phone calls or other messages during that time and I apologize for any inconvenience. But if I’ve learned anything during this tumultuous year, it’s that time with family and friends is fleeting and not guaranteed, so I’m going to make the most of it. On that note, I wanted to leave you all with a little treat to wrap up the year…a compilation of photos from ALL of the families and babies and children and seniors that I’ve had the extreme honor of working with this year.  Thank you all for being a hundred points of light during even the darkest of times for us. You have each touched my heart and I’m so lucky to know you.

XOXO and Happy Holidays,

Me

She turned five. And I still can’t get past it. Tonight, on the eve of another arctic cold front, she allowed me to take her out just before sunset to capture something magical…fantastical. I love this girl. She is my world…

[For more on the “snow” see here.]

This session, my friends, was a DREAM come true! I’ve been working with this beauty every birthday since she turned 5 (a little bittersweet to me realizing that her mommy and I first started talking when I was preggo w/ my own daughter 5 years ago). I know her mommy (owner of Haute Child in the City, a children’s boutique in Austin, TX) had the concept for this session in her head for a loooong time and it was just amazing that it was finally the right time for it to come to fruition.

The theme for this shoot was “Dressed to the 9’s” and my word, our model couldn’t have been any more perfect! She has got the sassitude to pull this off, that’s for sure. I have LOVED watching her grow into a little lady over the past 4 years!

Side note, in case you missed the announcement, you you might want to consider following me on Instagram because I’m going to be giving something away that will only be announced on there. First clue coming December 1st!!!!

Another side note, I have just a *few* openings left for the holiday minis (one tomorrow and then a couple next weekend), so you can snag one if you’re quick.

See you on the other side of the holiday minis!!!!

In spite of what my daughter might have everyone at her preschool believing, it was NOT to photograph Michelle Obama ;-). But it was close ;-). A looooong time ago, I had a session scheduled here in TX for none other than Rachel Brenke–author and The Law Tog. Right before we were scheduled to do her session, she found out she was expecting, so we decided to wait a little bit and make it a maternity session. Fast forward a few months after that and it turns out, she had to move to NoVa! Amazingly, we were able to work it out so that I could come up there (during busy season, even) and I’m sooooooo glad we worked it out.

She coordinated her session so beautifully…not surprising since she’s a photographer. And I can’t even believe we were able to get all four of her children in the same frame! This precious baby boy is fitting in quite nicely with his family and he is obviously very loved. It was amazing how he was equally alert and sleepy. He made me look like I had planned it that way ;-).

Now, I hesitate to post the next series of images because Rachel *might* kill me, but I’m just gonna go with it. I present to you, the many faces of Rachel Brenke:

Hmmmmm. Even when she’s making a silly face, she’s still adorable. Now how does she manage that????

And on that note, I leave you all to have a Happy Happy Happy Thanksgiving! I’m not going to dwell on all of the things that have gone wrong this year and instead, I will be more thankful than I’ve ever been in my life for my family, my friends, my health and their health.

XOXO,
Michele

It was soooooooooooo cold the morning of her session, but it was soooooooooo awesome because frost was everywhere and went so perfectly with her adorable hats and outfits! She was a champ…always is…and it’s been such a joy to watch her “grow up” over the past year. One of the happiest babies in the world!!