Jenny and Xavier, Schreiner Park Vow Renewal

In the midst of the devastation being wreaked by Hurricane Harvey, recently, I set out to Schreiner Park in Kerrville, Tx to shoot a wedding vow renewal and create some professional portraits for Jenny and Xavier. Although our hearts were breaking for our fellow Texans in our beach towns and Houston, and ALL of the areas affected by this natural disaster- this vow renewal was a joyful moment in the midst of chaos.

Jenny and Xavier had a very casual wedding ten years ago, and for various reasons, they decided not to have a photographer that day "which we regretted immediately," she told me. "We will always have the memories of our first wedding, but memories have a different kind of detail than a photo. I have always wished we had a beautiful wedding photo to frame for the wall, or to display on the mantle, but we made the wrong decision," she said. So, these photos were very important to both of them.

During my three hour drive to Kerrville, I crossed my fingers and prayed for a brief respite in the persistent rain, as they were hoping to recreate the day as close as possible to the original. Luckily enough, it cleared up just before the outdoor ceremony began, and they were able to go barefoot in the outdoor amphitheater, just as they did the first time around (although this time their feet got a bit muddier, haha!). Jenny reconstructed the her original wedding dress into new one, and even sewed Xavier a bow-tie out of the extra material.

It's no secret that marriage can be rough, but when my husband and I look back on our own wedding, we always use the word "perfect," to describe the day. Looking back on photos of our day, I am reminded of the promised I made to him, and the promises he made to me. I am reminded that we agreed to stick together, no matter what, and I can literally SEE that "perfect" and giant love that we knew (and know) can make it through anything. We can literally SEE how happy we make each other. I am elated that Jenny and Xavier now have wedding portraits of their own to hang on their wall, and remind them daily how special their love is.

( P.S. click the photos to see their love even larger!)

Dark Beauty Editorial, "Veiled."

Who's gearing up for Halloween? 

I love doing costumed shoots, dark themes, and headdresses... and this time I made the headresses myself! I'm very pleased with the results. Of course, when you have an amazing makeup artist like Susan, and amazing models like Madison, Ayla, and Stephanie, the photos are bound to come out awesome, no matter what the headdresses look like, haha. (Seriously, these ladies are legit- hit them up if you need makeup or models. I've linked them for you. For Madison, contact Debby.) Anyway, now that I've tried my hand at these, I'm itching for more. The creative juices are flowing!

Thanks to Beau Nu Magazine, who recently published these photographs in their "Dark Beauty," issue. Be sure to check them out on Facebook, and if you'd like to purchase a digital or print copy of the magazine. You can preview this issue or any of the previous ones on their Magcloud site. Enjoy!

P.S. Click the images to see them larger. :)

Maternity Photoshoot with a Mexican Flair!

Has it really been over a year since I made a blog post? I suppose that is what happens when you are a stay at home Mom.

But...

We did it!

We finally put the little guy in daycare!

Hopefully, this means you can expect a lot more from me, from here on out. I have tons of free time for marketing, editing, blogging, and all of that jazz, now. I'm so excited to share my work with you, again!

This is my friend and client Claudia. If you are familiar with my work, you may have seen her before. I was thrilled to be able to capture this special moment in her life. Claudia is always beautiful, unique, and genuine not only during every photoshoot, but in everyday life. She makes me laugh, she is incredibly supportive of everyone around her. She is patient, kind, and always positive. I can't wait to see her be the amazing Mom I know she will be!

Since this shoot was pre-daycare days, I took Logan with me. Claudia's husband Ted was a wonderful entertainer for Logan, while we worked. He will be a great Dad, for sure. Logan adored him.

We also had our friend and professional makeup artist and hairstylist Fabian Alejandro Diaz on site with us. He is responsible for this gorgeous headpiece, as well.  Thank you Fabian!

I hope you all enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.