International Destination Maternity Photography

This week I had the great pleasure of shooting a Corporate Vacation for The Delta Companies on one of the Turks & Caicos islands.  Congratulations to Brandon Boyd for working hard enough in 2013 to win the vacation.  He and his wife Kerrie, also an employee at The Delta Companies, are expecting twins in just 7 short weeks.  While we were having a day on the beach, we made time for a mini maternity session.  Here are a few of my favorites from that afternoon.  The turquoise water is absolutely staggering there!  Bermuda triangle be damned!  It's worth the risk!  Stay tuned for some breathtaking moments from the rest of the vacation coming soon.  Meanwhile, enjoy! 

DFW Baby Photographer

It's Baby Smash Cake time again!! Ellie Sapio turned one this past week, so we got to do one of my favorite things in the world...a Smash Cake Session.  One Year Old Baby Photography Sessions are some of my very favorite, but especially when it is one of my favorite little people.  Eliana is a little slice of awesome!

Some babies take the eat every morsel approach.  Ellie favored the popular finger painting option.  

Whatever babies do with their cake it is adorable.  

Smash Cake Images are my favorite way to capture the One Year milestone.

I find my self wondering when I am taking an image like this, "Are my clients going to think I suck or be mad because I've just cropped their babies head out of this image?"

Oh well.  Perhaps, but they are still some of MY favorite images.  Not sure why...just seems even sweeter for some reason.

Who doesn't like baby bum's? (Unless it's your turn to change them of course!)

...and why does crawling in a tu tu make me so happy?  "These are a few of my favorite things." 

...and even the back of your head is so adorable, I feel like I better capture that too!

The obligatory "It's my party, I can cry if I want to!"

I often get asked how I can do what I do.  Even during this shoot Ellie's Mom, Melissa, voiced that wonderment.  I understand the sentiment, because I feel that way about teachers.  I thank God for teachers every day, because I know I do not have what it takes to do what they do.  ...but what I do?  Sure it takes a fair amount of patience when babies and kids, and sometimes even adults don't want to follow directions; But then something amazing happens, like Ellie decides to take her first consecutive steps right there in my studio, and I'm thinking "What's the opposite of FML?"

It brings me great joy to be able to capture some of the happiest moments in peoples lives.  My life is Awesome.  Thanks for sharing it with me. 

Newborn Photographer

The holidays have me running so crazy that I have trouble finding the time to blog about my photography sessions.  It's ironic, because that is the time of year that I am shooting the most portraits and events, and also the time that I share the least about.  It's unfortunate, and I intend to have someone helping me post blogs by the next holiday season.  

Here's an attempt to make up for it.  This is one of my favorite holiday family portrait sessions from this season.  It is a combination newborn photography and family photography session.  Perhaps it was my favorite because it happens to be my brother, my sister in law, and my nephew welcoming my newest nephew.  I adore newborn photo sittings, but it is infinitely more special when the baby is family.

Welcome Atticus "Vaughn" Mrnustik.  What a gem!

Check out this wing span!  Basketball for sure.  No boxing young man!  Your mug is too cute!

I love the juxtaposition of Mom laughing and baby crying.  Marvelous.

Um, this may be one of the sweetest Daddy/Baby pictures ever...oh wait...look at this next one!

Oh how I love this image...let me count the ways!

Just a sweet sleeping 6 day old!  Have I said I love my job lately?

"This is my baby brother!"

Little cowboy in training.  How delicious.

DFW Newborn Photographer

I got to meet a beautiful new family this past weekend.  The Dave family came to my studio for a newborn session.  I adore shooting newborns, and I especially enjoy first time parents.  It is such a joyous (even if a little sleep deprived) time.

Kavita and Tejas welcomed their first baby, a precious girl named Vidhi, last month.

Little Vidhi did not appreciate being knocked off of her routine, and let us have it for a good portion of the session, but as always, we managed to get some good stuff anyway.  You definitely have to be prepared to bend to a newborns needs, as a parent, AND as a photographer! In both cases, it's totally worth it.

Here's a little something you may not know if you have never done a newborn session with me.  In order to get beautiful "naked baby" images, it can get a little messy!  In almost every instance, someone is going to be the victim of a little accident.  In this session, it was all of us!  Clients are sometimes surprised when I expect them to look and smile anyways.  Hey, if the baby is happy, anything for the shot.

The good news is, in todays technological world, I can use photoshop to disguise anything unsavory that may occur during a newborn session.  Witness above the before image.  Not super obvious, but I had to remove a little "tinkle" off of Dads tummy.  Also what new parents learn quickly...parenthood is glamorous stuff!!

...but again, totally worth it.

Love the expression on baby's face in this one.  I have some shots that are more natural looking, but I think this one is hilarious.  Lot's of personality coming out.

Look at this perfect swirl of a belly button.  Absolutely perfect, just like it's owner.

My thanks to the Dave family for sharing their precious little family with me for an afternoon.  It was a pleasure meeting you guys.

DFW Baby Photographer

Last weekend I got to share my birthday weekend with Blake Willard.  He turned One on August 10th...my birthday too.  I've just celebrated it a few more times than Blake!

Here is his big brother Logan.  Ready for a pool party.  I love that he will wear his sunglasses at all times.  My twelve year old still wont wear sunglasses regularly, much less my two year old.  I think it is awesome!

I would title this one "Peace!"

I love getting to be there when babies eat cake for the first time.  They get this look like "Seriously?  What have you been feeding me for the last year, and where has THIS been???"

Cake makes me happy too.

Mom, Sinead, with the birthday boy.  Sweet stuff.

Dad, Wes, and Logan.  

Logan was really tickled about shooting himself and everyone else with his squirt gun.  

This was the first time I've ever encouraged anyone to squirt me while I was holding my camera.  Don't tell MY kids.  They don't need any ideas!

"I'm so confused about what's happening right now.  Mind. Blown!"

The whole family.

Daddy's boys.

The Willard's live on a great property out on the lake.  I love that we got to do the cake shots outside.  Something about it looks kind of timeless to me.  This looks like a Hallmark card.

I love First Birthday Photography Sessions.  Weather it is "Smash Cake" in the studio, or getting to be a part of the first birthday party.  Happy Happy Joy Joy!  Thanks to the Willard family for letting me share the happy day.  

Dallas Family Photographer

It seems I inadvertently took the summer off from blogging.  Let's face it, I can always find something more fun to do during the summer than sit at the computer.  But here we are, back to fall, and back to the grindstone.  Doesn't feel like Fall outside yet.  Can't we just let the summer continue?  For me the Fall means no more rest until after Christmas.  Heavy sigh.

On a lighter note, I got to spend a little time with some of my favorite people last week.  Eliana Sapio is six months old, so it was time to capture her adorableness again.  What a beauty...and a sweetie!

Luke & Leo.  Proud big brothers.  "I wanna hold her hand! No, I wanna hold her hand!"

Here is a classic example of why I think boutique photography is so much more priceless than a photographer in the box.  If you go to the mall, this image goes in the trash.  For me, this is the image that is going to make you laugh the hardest is twenty years.  No family portrait collection is complete if one of your kids doesn't get captured with their finger up their nose!  Awesome.

What a little love.  She was smiling through the whole shoot.  I just want to stick her in an ice cream cone and eat her!

I love getting to hang out with the Sapio's.  Always a laugh, and never a dull moment.