Donna Beard Photography

Faith West Academy - Softball Tournament

2010-03-30T10:54:00.002-05:00

This is just images from the final game - I've got several hundred others that I'll be putting together in the next week or so. I hope you enjoy it! They won the tournament - actually, they won EVERY game that they played during the tournament. They were absolutely amazing!

Putting it all together... for your enjoyment

2010-03-06T00:14:00.006-06:00

I had to put something together for an event...and so I went back and picked some of my favorites and am sharing them... I hope you enjoy!

Where the heck have you been?

2010-03-06T00:00:00.003-06:00

That'd be 'me'... not you! Although...where have YOU been???

Made a trip to the Final Four with the girls... shot a school full of 7th graders...and ambushed one of the teachers and made her pose... which resulted in another teacher scheduling a session....and then my 2 year old decided she needed photos....then I shot the AMAZING !mpulse Dance crew.... had an AMAZING session with them....then tried to do a session with my 12 year old... and just for those moms who get frustrated about taking photos of your own kids... don't think it's any different for me... it's HARD to shoot your own kids.... and then it's on to softball...

So here are a few shots... I hope you enjoy!!

Gorgeous teacher.... would you believe she teaches math...and has four kids??? I almost want to hate her for that... but she is SO sweet!

This is also a teacher... she teaches Bible... and is one of my favorite people...we are both VERY much alike...

My youngun...

She's a bit of a ham...

This is for her daddy....who is currently deployed...

!mpact Dance Crew:

Group shot:

So.... say hi on facebook: Donna Beard Photography
Call for YOUR session!!!

Faith West Lady Eagles

2010-02-22T08:36:00.005-06:00

The girls and I made a road trip on Friday night to San Antonio with our good friend Icee (and her son Hunter). We watched the Lady Eagles play the Austin Regents in an amazing game. Our girls won. They are headed to the Final Four this Friday....where they will win...and play on Saturday...where they will win again! ;-)

This is a video with images from the game. I hope you enjoy it!

And because the first part of the images are a bit fast... here's our team:

Faith West Lady Eagles v. Brazosport Christian

2010-02-11T10:59:00.002-06:00

It was a great game! I had a blast watching these girls play.

I hope you enjoy!

Sarah

2010-02-10T21:31:00.002-06:00

My darling 2 year old managed to get a double whammy - she picked up HMFD from daycare... brought it home... mixed it with her already existing ezcema...and contracted impetigo.

Needless to say - it made for a rough week.

But today in the mail, a package from Brad arrived - and she got a brand new Teddy Bear from Hard Rock Cafe - in Kuwait.

So, in typical photographer kid fashion... 'Mommy, take a picture!'... so I did...

Fixing the bears 'hoodie!'

They had to take a photo 'together!'

And 'more pictures mommy!'

The bear had to have one by it's self!

And then I realized that I was being manipulated by a 2 year old... who didn't want to go to bed... 'more pictures' mommy.... and with that... it was lights out!

FWA LADY EAGLES v. POPE JOHN

2010-02-10T21:13:00.001-06:00

The Varsity Girl Lady Eagles are an extremely talented group of basketball players.

Mr. & Mrs. Arizpe

2010-02-10T21:12:00.002-06:00

This is from the gorgeous couple that I had the honor of photographing their wedding in December. I posted this for the bride/groom/family - but hadn't posted it to the blog.

It was a gorgeous wedding!

Where have I been?

2010-02-10T21:06:00.004-06:00

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since December! Holy cow, has it been busy.

Let's see - no particular order!

Tori played basketball - which means that I shoot basketball games!

And more basketball games!

Elizabeth Fike Bridal Portraits

2009-12-20T00:38:00.004-06:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph Elizabeth's bridals. We are cousins... sort of... I can never quite get the whole family relationship straight. Her grandmother, and my mother are sisters. That makes us cousins, right?

Well - regardless - she's beautiful...and we had SUCH an amazing time doing her bridals. I had the pleasure of photographing her wedding tonight... so I can release the bridal photos for all of you to see.

I'm going to post the slide show that I played at their wedding for their enjoyment... it has engagement photos, and the bridal portraits.

We have a couple of thousand images to sort through but will start posting wedding images in the next few days. They are such an amazing couple, with a wonderful family that supports them. Both dad's gave their kids toasts at the reception...and both dad's were so loving, and amazing in how proud they were of their children. It was so wonderful to be just a small part of their day.

I hope you enjoy!

Christmas Open House - Military

2009-12-14T12:17:00.004-06:00

I had an 'open house' for the military families that have done an Oplove Session with me, or qualified, but haven't done one yet. This was just a short session... to get some 'holiday' images to send to their soldiers.

I made a big pot of Chicken & Sausage Gumbo... and we just had fun and got some AMAZING photos!!

Ms. M is now eight and a half months old and is ADORABLE!!

She wasn't QUITE sure what to think about this guy...

This little guy is adorable! He was quite excited to come take photos!!

His mom wasn't prepared to take photos....but I didn't let that stop me! ;-)

These guys are twins, and are deployment experienced! They were under 3 the last time... so this time has proven to be MUCH different for mom.

I am so grateful to have such an amazing group of women to spend time with, who are dealing with the same issues that deployed families deal with. And we had a wonderful time eating wonderful Gumbo... and just spending time together!

It's not to late to get your Christmas Photos taken! Contact me today!

Pathfinders Christmas Party 2009

2009-12-13T09:15:00.000-06:00

These gorgeous people are my Sunday school class.

I know... I know....it's called Adult Bible Fellowship... or some other 'grownup' term.

It's Sunday School folks.

It's been Sunday School for decades....it's STILL Sunday School... ;-)

For those who don't have a church home - check out the photos - our church (Second Baptist) is an awesome church, with amazing opportunities for Fellowship.

The kids events - WOW!! My daughters are excited to get up on Sunday and go to church...and that just makes me smile!

The Melton Family: Christmas Session

2009-12-01T11:36:00.005-06:00

Ms. Melton was Tori's 5th grade teacher a couple of years ago - and one of my first portfolio building clients. She has two amazingly adorable daughters - and we did a 'not so christmas' Christmas session over the weekend.

I hope you enjoy!

They loved the Santa Chair!

There was also a white carriage that we 'borrowed' for a few moments:

Loved how their outfits matched!

You want to know how you get a young 'un to smile? Tell them not to smile....then grin at them like an idiot... ;-)

My favorite... they are such a beautiful family!

This was after the session... mom and I were visiting while the girls were playing on the rocks... I got two amazing photos that I loved!

Mom saw this one... she was sitting so perfectly....and I called her name... and she looked at me.

Thank you so much for letting me spend time with you - I always love hanging out with the girls - they are hilarious!!

Thanksgiving Vacation

2009-12-01T10:10:00.003-06:00

We spent four precious days with Brad before we came home. This will be the last time we see him for several months. We rented a home through VRBO.com - and had a wonderful experience.

The owners were amazing - they called to check on us as we had several hours of driving to arrive - and the property manager called to see if we needed anything while we were there.

There were quite a few memorable moments...

Getting up the hill into the garage the first night on an icy driveway....we slide back, into the snow...and had the good luck to have someone drive by that helped us push it out. We ended up using the water hose as a 'rappelling' rope to get the girls and I into the house before Brad attempted the driveway by himself.

Listening to Tori tell Sarah: Look Sarah - those are mountains!! And that's SNOW!!!
And then pointing out every bit of 'snow' for the next hour...

Listening to Brad tickle the heck out of Sarah...and then Tori ...and listening to Tori try NOT to laugh in the usual 'teen angst' manner...

Walking in the snow in Taos...

Enjoying warm soup with Brad and Sarah (Tori was still snowboarding)..

Stretching a 7.5 hour drive into a 12 hour drive because of frequent stops on the way back... finding a park and playing for half an hour...

Watching Brad say goodbye to a sleeping Sarah....telling her he loved her...hugging Tori, and telling her to not grow too much....the drive back to the military facility, holding hands...and hugging him tight before driving off in tears.

I'm just one of several thousands of families who told their soldiers goodbye the last few days.

I was recently asked, by Kat Cooper who writes a blog at the Chron.com, to give her one word that I thought of when I thought of "Deployment"... my response: Sucks.

It does.

It sucks to have to remember to take out the trash, cause he always does it. It sucks to have NO one to hand off the boisterous 2 year old to at the end of the day. It sucks to have to go to bed at night and miss him.

It sucks.

But I support his involvement in the United States Military. We re-enlisted just a short time ago - and it was done after very long, careful consideration to what it would mean. He might have been the person putting the signature on the paperwork, but being part of the military is a 'family' issue. We knew a deployment was a very likely possibility - but there are some men & women who were created to defend our country. I think my husband is one of them. He is an amazing man, a wonderful father, and an incredible husband....and he is an American soldier.

I'm going to be working with our military unit's Family Readiness Group in collecting care package items and sending them to the soldiers in the early part of next year. If you would like to participate - please contact me directly - my information is at the bottom of the blog.

Here are SEVERAL photos from our vacation, in no particular order:

The C. Family Session

2009-11-15T12:33:00.004-06:00

Mom saw photos from one of my recent sessions - and touched base to talk about what she wanted. We found out we are both military wives, and we are both always trying to catch up with all of the stuff that comes with kids, and husbands, and...yes, deployments. Her husband has done a couple, and she survived, and gave me some WONDERFUL ideas to help the girls make it through the next few months.

The kids are Kelsey, Colton, Amanda. They were alot of fun...and made us work for the smiles a bit.

I have to confess...there was a 'little' bit of torture going on...

I got a couple of smiles when I least expected it....she was actually getting a rock out of her shoe...

And she had that 'senior' look down to a 'T' already... *grin*...

Colton didn't do so bad himself either....can you believe he's only 7??

This ended up being my favorite image - because in 15 years, when all of them are off at college...or where ever life may find them....this image is going to be priceless. I loved how they were hugging daddy...

Thank you SO much Amy for inviting me to photograph your family. I truly enjoyed meeting all of you...and must say...you've got your hands full!

Senior 2010 - Ali

2009-10-18T21:33:00.003-05:00

I had a blast this afternoon spending time with Ali & her mom. Ali is one of my wonderful senior reps - and does she make me look good.

She is absolute gorgeous! These are just a few of my favorites!

I think this one might be my favorite... loved the look!

Sorry guys... I 'think' she's taken.

This one... is not going to be a 'dad' favorite... but mom knew it was going to look good.

If you are a senior, looking for your senior portraits - give me a call. I like to fit sessions to your personality. That means if your more laid back, easy going...we'll take a trip out to a park... or if your a downtown kind of gal... we'll take a ride into Houston.

The goal - as always - is to get images that suit YOUR personality...

Thank you so much for spending your Sunday afternoon with me!

Connections: Why they matter ...

2009-10-13T09:14:00.007-05:00

I know I should cease to be amazed by this... and yet somehow each time I find this situation recurring... I am in awe at what can only be an overall plan for having the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

Most of you are not aware that in October of 2004, at the age of seven, Tori was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. She was complaining of chest pains, so we took her to her pediatrician, who sent us to Texas Children's Hospital. They did an EKG, and they diagnosed her with Right Ventricle Hypertrophy. That just meant that her right ventricle was enlarged - cause was unknown.

She saw a cardiologist the first part of December - and was diagnosed with Sinus Venosus Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), which is a hole between the right and left atrium of her heart. Sinus Venosus tells you where the whole is. Here's a great diagram to show you what it looks like:

Tori attended Trinity Lutheran School at that time, and her very best friends name was Rebecca. Rebecca was also born with a congenital heart defect - one much more serious than Tori's, and over the kindergarten/first grade summer - she had her 2nd open heart surgery for her heart condition. Tori didn't understand all the words associated with what was going on, but as far as she was concerned, it wasn't a big deal. Rebecca had it, and she was just fine.

Rebecca's parents were amazingly supportive - and their calm approach helped me stay focused, and deal with problems as they occurred. There is a certain level of comfort when you know another family has gone through the situation you've gone through... and came out the other side just fine.

Tori had the surgery - came home 4 days later, and promptly got into trouble for climbing up on the top bunk bed. She's had follow ups since then, and has to get checked out every few years, but is a very healthy, very tall, beautiful young lady.

Fast forward 4 years, and one of those really awesome people you meet by chance... a random item that you buy from them off of Craigslist... who ends up becoming a friend. You have kids just a few months apart - and she's really nice! She lets you know she is taking HER daughter to Texas Children's for an EKG. Her daughter has a heart murmur... and she's worried, just like I was. I let her know about Tori's heart issue... something we hadn't talked about... that she was completely suprised about. She writes an awesome blog - http://ourcozynest.wordpress.com/ - and she's becoming a really wonderful photographer!

The people that are in your life - right now - are there for a reason. Maybe you don't always know WHY... maybe you won't ever know why. But they are there for a reason. Appreciate them for what they bring to your life. It might be that thier relationship with you, somewhere down the line, helps someone else. Or maybe your relationship with them will help you a few years from now in a way that you can't see right now.

It is the books you read, and the people you meet that make the most difference in your life.

I put this together - out of a few years of pictures of Tori. She is growing so fast, and I know that in the blink of an eye, she will be headed for college, and start a life on her own. We are so amazed at how wonderful she is, and hope that she knows it!

The Stewart Family

2009-10-10T21:33:00.002-05:00

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting the Stewart Family this afternoon. Shannon was doing a search for photographers in the Katy area, stumbled upon my 4th of July fireworks, checked out my website, and contacted me about doing her family session.

We had quite a few laughs over the phone talking about kids and husbands and work... just life in general.

So - we headed out to one of my favorite locations - and spent some time together. She has two absolutely gorgeous daughters... Ms. A and Ms. T... they were hilarious and did I mention gorgeous???

I think Dad will probably be meeting any future boyfriends at the door... and having long discussions with them before they are allowed to leave the house... ;-)

I love this photo! Love it!

There's a park close by... and the girls had to have this upside down photo... we had to work on it a bit... but it ended up being one of my favorites!

Okay... it's the age old dispute... color... or B&W. I love this photo... it has to be one of my favorite family shots... I told them to get close... and this was what they did... and I just pushed the button. Love the leaning... and the expressions.

Thank you SO much for spending your time with me, and for giving me the honor of photographing your family. I really enjoyed it!

Saying Goodbye.

2009-10-08T22:18:00.005-05:00

The soldiers of 72nd reported for duty, hugged their families, and loaded onto buses that took them to catch a flight. An event that has been coming for over a year, is now a reality. There are thousands of families across the state of Texas who will be missing someone very important.

There are times I am conflicted as a photographer... sometimes I feel like I'm 'intruding'...and sometimes, when I get home, and load the images into my computer... I know... that if I hadn't 'intruded'... that moment might only be a faint memory.

Here are a few of the soldiers... these guys were the first of many to roll out...
They are loved... they are missed...and we pray for their safe return.

OpLove Session: The B Family... or is it the S Family?

2009-10-06T23:23:00.004-05:00

The information about Oplove Sessions has slowly made it's way to the families... and the mother of a soldier emailed inquiring on whether I could fit them in before her daughter deployed.

I took off 2 days this week to spend time with my family... but I know how precious these sessions are, so I made arrangements with mom to get together with her family this afternoon. Fortunately, we all happen to be located in Katy, so it was a quick trip to the location, and we were done in about an hour.

I knew mom and I were going to get along quite nicely - we hugged when we met... lol. It's a southern thing...

Anyway... Ms B is deploying very shortly... and we managed to get some amazing photos of her and her family. I hope you enjoy!

She does serious... quite well!

This little guy was adorable... took him a bit to warm up... but he is well loved and KNOWS it!

Michael is Mr. Cool... caught him off guard with this one... his sisters were joking with him... and uh-oh... I caught a real smile!

I'm keeping the gagging photos to myself... they were quite hilarious!

It's all about the attitude! (and the boots got REALLY muddy after this shot!!) OOPS!

Boys will be boys... this was after we were done... walking back to the cars... he liked this part best!

Maybe we should have let him run like this to BEGIN with!

This is my FAVORITE shot of the day! LOVED this one! Loved it!

Okay... this one was really good too darn it!!

The whole family!

Let's just say that I'm very glad she's on OUR side! ;-)

All joking aside - this was an incredibly sweet family that I was quite happy to spend time with prior to their soldiers deployment. Thank you so much for honoring me by spending YOUR time with me.

72nd Deployment Ceremony

2009-10-05T16:15:00.003-05:00

I, along with several thousand others in Houston, was proud to attend the 72nd Deployment Ceremony yesterday at Minute Maid Park.

The weather was rather foul - it rained... and rained... and rained...

But there were American Flags all over the place. These are just a few of the hundreds of images I took... but I thought I'd share:

Marching onto the field:

Lots of soldiers

Lots of cheering friends and family:

My soldier! ;-)

During the ceremony:

Mayor Bill White:

They let the kids run the bases... not sure if you can see the big cheesy grin on Sarah's face... she LOVES to run! Tori does such a great job with her!

Our little one found daddy....and was holding on tight!

One of my favorites:

This one - is a panorama image - this is the VERY small version:

If you'd like a link to the full sized image - let me know - it's HUGE! 27 MB - so be prepared if you do not have a fast connection. It's a pencil portrait version of a larger photo. I liked it...

Support them... They support you.

2009-10-02T12:09:00.004-05:00

If you are unaware - there are more than 3000 soldiers deploying very shortly from Texas. This is the largest deployment of National Guard soldiers since WWII from Texas. It is going to leave giant holes in families all across our state.

If you know someone who has a family member who is deploying, or is deployed - PLEASE contact a Oplove photographer in your area and utilize their services. These are priceless photos - and the albums sent to the deployed soldier is one of the most prized possessions while they are deployed.

The reason for this blog entry however, is that if you know someone who has a family member who is deploying or is deployed - please - reach out and support them.

It's my personal experience that the family members left behind have a harder time than the soldiers who deploy. We try to keep 'home' together, when there is a big part of what is 'home' thousands of miles away. There is no one coming home at the end of the day to lend a helping hand with the two year old... or to stop by the grocery store on his or her way home. There is not one to just give you a hug at the end of the day... when it's been a rather rotten day. The person you talk to... you tell about the things your kids did that drove you bonkers... you get to talk to once a week... if your lucky.

It's the little things that you don't always appreciate occurring, that make the biggest difference when the soldier is deployed.

So, if you know someone... if someone you know - knows someone - invite the family to dinner... invite him or her to do something with just the boys... or just the girls.... offer to take the kids to the park so they can have a couple hours of quiet time...

Support the families... so that they can support the soldiers.... so that the soldiers can do their jobs, and support our country.

www.oplove.org

Oplove: The G. Family

2009-10-02T11:48:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of spending a couple hours with the G. Family last night as part of the Operation: Love Reunited group that I participate in.

I must admit to my house being entirely chaotic when they arrived. Between the office makeover, my husbands military gear, and a cardboard boat race... the house is a disaster. Quite seriously.

But they were absolutely wonderful. I grabbed my camera, and we took off for parts unknown... cause quite seriously, I usually tend to go to area parks for outdoor sessions...but we were missing a family member who was headed our way just as soon as he got done with soccer.

And wow... we had fun... and got some AMAZING photos! I love them!

These next few require a bit of explanation... Mr. Trey is a typical boy... mom and dad were trying to keep him calmed down enough... and out of the dirt enough... and... well... he's a boy, you get the point.

So he picked up acorns... and went adventuring... and told mom to see how far he jumped...

He is all boy... and mom will LOVE these photos about the time he gets to his big brother Zane's age... ;-)

Now... this next one... he told me to get one of him jumping... so I did... but didn't expect to get what I got...this kid could JUMP! Holy cow... look at the air on it?

A couple with 'just the boys'... aren't they cute???

And a sweet one of mom & dad:

New office... and a new baby! Meet Ms. Juliana

2009-10-01T15:58:00.002-05:00

Ms. Juliana and her mom came by to help me break in my 'new' office.

My brand new french doors... that I installed myself! ;-)

And now to the important photos:

Mom swears she had NEVER been up as long as she was during her first photo shoot...guess that means she's gonna be a model! ;-)

The Boldt Family Session

2009-10-01T15:47:00.003-05:00

I had a fabulous time with the Boldt family this last weekend... but we were NOT happy with the heat wave that decided to make it's way through while we were doing this.

But oh my, this is a gorgeous family!

This is the oldest... Ms. M:

These guys here... not sure who is the oldest... and the youngest...

I like it in color...

and I like it in B&W!

Mom & Dad:

Daddy's home... for a few days

2009-10-01T15:42:00.003-05:00

My husband is part of the Texas Army National Guard, and is deploying with the 72nd. He has been gone for 3 weeks of training, and will be home for a short period of time before beginning a one year deployment.

Sarah, our 26 month old and I went to meet him at the armory when he arrived back in Houston.

She likes to walk with Daddy!

And Daddy HAS to carry her! And tickle her! ;-)

Cardboard Boat Races!

2009-10-01T14:52:00.003-05:00

My oldest, Tori, participated in the Cardboard Boat Race at her school. The goal, build a boat out of cardboard, ducktape, paint and a few other ingredients, and paddle it across the lake.

This thing was HILARIOUS!

I almost swear I always pee'd in my britches I was laughing so hard at some of the going on's... (yeah, I know, how professional a photographer would I have been doing that??)

Tori & her friend Olivia built a cool boat with the help of Olivia's dad... but had a design flaw issue...

Notice the duck tape at the back?

Uh oh...

The waters DEFINITELY in the boat....

The teachers participated:

The titanic II ran into it's competition...

Leaving it floundering...

Before it came apart...

The girls had fun though.... and it was a great event for the school!

The M Family: Animoto Style Video

2009-09-08T23:28:00.002-05:00

The M. Family has had to postpone their proofing session due to the fast arriving deployment, and mom is going to be induced this weekend. So - I'm posting this for them to see their images from the session - I hope you guys enjoy them!

712 Dance Crew: New Dancers!

2009-08-30T22:02:00.003-05:00

I had a blast this afternoon with the members of the 712 Dance Crew. This is a dance crew started by a young man by the name of Brandon Washington. He spent the last 5 years on the Jump Team with Second Baptist, and danced for years before that. He graduated high school in the spring, and started moving forward with establishing his own dance crew.

These are the original members:

Brandon:

Ali:

Alex:

Auditions were held in August - and the auditions were tough. I went for 2 hours, while they learned a dance from an amazing choreographer, and then danced for the judges - hoping to make the crew.

Today, I had the pleasure of photographing the new members of the 712 Dance Crew:

Colleen:

Melissa:

Olivia:

Ashley:

Sarah:

Lily:

Samantha:

These are the craziest shoes....

Brandon is getting a bit outnumbered with girls at this point... he and Alex need some more male dancers!

This is the NEW 712 Dance Crew:

Check them out at www.712dancecrew.com!

OpLove Session: The M Family

2009-08-29T20:56:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of spending my Saturday mid-day with the M Family. They brought their gorgeous 5 month old daughter with them - and oh, we had such fun!

I realized something - somewhere between the beginning and the end of their session - which really isn't as eye opening as you might believe - but I absolutely LOVE being a photographer. I love it. I love meeting new people... and spending time with them getting those perfect images... it's just outright fun!

So without further delay - here is the M Family! Okay... just the littlest member of the M Family. This is Ms. Mikayla. And we had fun today!

Okay - I need some help. I love this photo. LOVE this photo. In fact... I can't decide... do you like it like this....

or like this? I like the color version... but oh... look at those soulful little eyes! This one needs to be BIG!

Mr. & Mrs. M - he had a gorgeous set of dress blues that he was wonderful enough to bring with him. They make a gorgeous couple!

Mikayla likes dog tags. I mean - REALLY likes dog tags. She made us work to get this one image of her holding them... and looking at me... *grin* But it was worth it!

Isn't mom gorgeous!

I've got to divulge a photographer's trick for you mom's out there - find the most obnoxious sounding squeaky toy and use it sparingly. I have a chicken that - quite seriously - sounds like you are strangling it. It's horrid - but kids (some kids!!) absolutely LOVE it! Mikayla was one of those kids.

Well - as usual - I went over my '3 or 4' image preview - but hey... it was a great session... and I'll let Mikayla tell you guys bye bye!

The adorable Lizotte kids!

2009-08-20T14:24:00.004-05:00

I had a wonderful afternoon with mom and these two gorgeous kids this week. I had the pleasure of doing mom's maternity portraits a while back:

She was so adorable pregnant!

So she brought the newest addition by, with his big sister, and we had fun! We had to work a bit for this one... but I think it was worth it!

He was checking stuff out!

But once you got him smiling!! Ain't he adorable?

I love overalls on kids.... if I put overalls on 'my' little girl... she looks like a boy. But Ms. C has gorgeous long hair... so she could pull it off quite nicely!

My favorite.... I love this one! She was having fun... amazingly enough. But this look was so 'right' for the 'I'm out of here' image I was going for...

Sara - thank you for bringing your gorgeous little ones by to allow me the pleasure of taking their photo! I hope you enjoy these!

OpLove Session: The K Family

2009-08-17T22:46:00.002-05:00

I had a wonderful evening with the K family - I absolutely LOVE people who are just down to earth. I got a couple bonuses with this family... they have a gorgeous brand new 2 week old daughter.... and a gorgeous 16 year old daughter.

The thing that amazed me most was their eyes. They all have these seriously intense blue eyes... that were just gorgeous!

So - without further delay:

They are a gorgeous family!

She is so tiny... and she kept posing for me... it was so adorable. She also did an amazing job of keeping all the 'baby poop' in her diaper... *grin* She was AWESOME!

Must show off the dog tags... when she's 5... dad's going to look at this photo and look at her... and be amazed at how much she's grown in such a small time...

She smiled for me... isn't she adorable?

I've got several 'serious' images with him... but this one, seriously, was my favorite. That smile... it was real... and perfect... and I am the photographer, so I get to post my favorites! *grin*

This young lady is 16... and does she have gorgeous hair and eyes or what? She was just as sweet as she is pretty. She was wonderful helping her mom with the little one. Absolutely awesome!

I had a wonderful time with the K family tonight! Thank you guys for coming and spending time with me... and enjoying it (or at least laughing often enough I 'think' you did!). I hope these photos do the beauty of your family justice!

The Seeton Family

2009-08-09T00:18:00.002-05:00

I spent the afternoon with one of my favorite couples.... Jeff & Sara Seeton. They brought along some family members... and we had fun at Molly Pryor Orchard.

This is my favorite one of the session...

I love this shot!

Mom and Dad! They were hilarious!

Giving kisses to my little sister... (hey, it kept her from crying!)

This is great grandma.... and she's so elegant!

Isn't she adorable?

Sometimes... you think behavior like this... it's a unique thing...

And then you realize... it's genetic!

Okay... I like this one too... !

I had a wonderful afternoon with this family. They are a close knit bunch... and it's always good to see that!

The Marcolino Family - Maternity Shoot

2009-08-09T00:10:00.004-05:00

This gorgeous couple came over this morning and spent time with me. Mom is around the 34th week (I believe!) and is ALL baby. And wow - is she gorgeous.

I swear - I've read in books how 'pregnant women' are just gorgeous. I know when I was pregnant - I didn't spend a lot of that 9 months thinking - oh wow - I'm gorgeous. Mainly I felt fat... and tired. But there is just something about a pregnant woman... I try to capture that beauty... and when I get pretty momma's like this one... I really enjoy it!

Just to warn you... before you scroll down... there is one seriously hot image of the soon to be mom and dad... *grin*

This pink background just complimented her skin so much!

Apparently she looks good no matter what she's in... loved the purple though...

Simple...

For some reason I keep thinking 'madonna' when I see this... but not 'Madonna'... she just looks gorgeous!

And my absolute favorite...

OpLove: Reunited

2009-08-05T21:47:00.003-05:00

I was recently approved as a photographer with Operation Love: Reunited. It's affectionately called: OpLove. As a member of Oplove - I offer free sessions, and a free album to the families of deploying, deployed, or returning from deployment soldiers.

As the wife of a soldier - I know how precious photos are when you are apart. As a photographer - I feel it's my responsibility to provide support in a very unique way to our soldiers. As an American, I feel that they are owed more than any of us can ever pay for the sacrifice they, and the soldiers before them, have made for us.

I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a GORGEOUS couple tonight. Because you don't know these folks up front, you never know what they are going to look like when they knock on your door.

You should have heard me when I opened my door to this gorgeous family. OH YEAH!!! ;-)

Mr. T is a rambunctious 5 year old - who did really well, as long as I promised he could go outside to play! So we got a few images with him... and then sent him out to play.

One of my favorites - I told him to 'look serious'... but he couldn't do it!

This is the gorgeous couple - I love the emotion in this image.

It looks sweet...and serious... I'm glad I'm a photographer, and not a videographer... cause the moment after the shutter went 'click' they cracked up... 'You were breathing!'... I'm not sure when 'breathing' became funny... but I cracked up along with them.

This one needs no explanation...

And okay... so... I have a thing for pregnant women. I love - LOVE maternity photos. So... you get two of mom... deal with it! Ain't she gorgeous!!!

I had SO much fun getting together with you guys this evening! I can't wait to meet the new addition to your family!

My soldier... and my daughter

2009-07-23T23:13:00.003-05:00

My husband deploys with the Texas Army National Guard in a fairly short time frame. So photos of him and the girls... are especially sweet. I setup tonight and took some shots of him, and our 2 year old daughter Sarah for fun.

Look at his crossed arms...and the look on his face... and HER crossed arms... lol... think they are related? ;-)

My favorite of the night however... was this:

Fireworks: Katy Mills

2009-07-05T01:57:00.002-05:00

The family and I headed over to Katy Mills to watch the fireworks show. It was Sarah's first year to see/hear them... we had debated taking her out with us, because it was so late, but decided to at the last minute.

A few things about 'almost' 2 year olds... a.) the noise is a bit scarey... b.) the fireworks are really cool... and c.) the drive home was amazingly long with her in the back seat saying, again, again, again, again, again, again....

We weren't sure if she was saying 'again' because she kept seeing them, or because she WANTED to keep seeing them.

I was able to setup my tripod and get a few fabulous fireworks photos though, here are a few of my favorites!

This is one of my personal favorites - I love the uniqueness of it.

On a more serious note - I hope you celebrated the 4th of July. As the spouse of a soldier in the Texas Army National Guard who will be deploying for a long period very shortly, the 4th of July is pretty special to my family. I recently made the decision to become a photographer with OpLove.org - an organization that offers photography both pre-deployment, and post deployment to our nations military.

Each of you has a special gift... mine is photography. Give back... it makes a profound difference for both the giver... and the recipient.

Introducing Ms. Lauren

2009-05-31T23:06:00.003-05:00

The last time I saw Ms. Lauren.... she was hanging out with her mom:

I made a trip (they live a LONG way from me, it takes every bit of 10 minutes to get there!) over to meet Ms. Lauren... and she's so darn cute. It's hard to believe, as mom and I were discussing, that our own little ones (her older daughter is 20 months) grow up so fast.

SO without further delay... Ms. Lauren:

She enjoyed hanging out in the luggage a bit.... Mom said she normally is NOT this awake... she stayed up special to play with me though!

Look at those little chub rolls!!! Just makes you want to cuddle with her!

She is so sweet... she finally got tired of modeling for me... and went to sleep!

And the whole family.... beds are awesome places to take photos... especially with toddlers... getting on 'mom & dad's bed' is FUN! I kept threatening to tickle her... or daddy... and she would grin and run back to her daddy... it was adorable!

Thanks so much for letting me come over today! As always - it's a blast seeing you guys and the girls!

Senior Session: Miss B

2009-05-24T01:03:00.004-05:00

I had a great time with Miss B & her mom! We managed to get ourselves around town, avoid the rain, and enjoy a lunch in the Galleria.

It's late, so I'm posting photos, and then am off to bed! I had a GREAT time with these two today!

I loved this little jacket she had on!

We enjoyed these gorgeous trees!

And this is what it's all about! She's graduating, 2009! Her mom is so proud of this young lady. She will be attending college, pursuing a business degree.

I had such a blast with you both! I look forward to seeing you again soon!

Presenting: Mr. & Mrs. Flowers

2009-05-23T00:43:00.003-05:00

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the wedding of the new Mr. & Mrs. Flowers. I love people who are head over heels with the person they are marrying.

Ms. K is so down to earth that it was just a joy to hang out with her. Mr. T (ha!) seems the quiet type... but I'm sure it was just me. I was able to get him to laugh a few times.

So, without further delay...

This was the gorgeous sky that greeted my arrival at the church:

And this is the gorgeous bride... took a few tries to get that bubble that size. It wasn't a 'bubble gum' kind of gum...

Dad and his daughter walking down the aisle. I loved the total look of contentment on her face. They wrote their own vows, and they were gorgeous!!!

The new Mr. & Mrs. Flowers:

Now dad says he's 'not a photographer'... he's 'just a dad'... but I think he's hiding his talent a bit. This is one of HIS photographs of his daughter and his new son-in-law.

Hanging out in the bride's parents backyard. It was gorgeous!

They just fit each other so perfectly!

Cutting the cake... amazingly enough, they didn't shove it into one another's faces... it was great... cause I think some people were expecting it... but they were nice to one another!

And a closer look at the cake (with another of dad's - 'I'm just a dad' - photos of the couple:

And an unusual photo to include in a wedding set, but one of the groomsmen had a rather interesting tattoo... that I thought was worth photographing... and posting. Every where I go it seems people have such interesting body art.

On a funny note - I've decided it's a rather small world... despite how big it seems. When I arrived at the church, I saw a familiar name on one of the doors. I mentioned that I thought my cousin went to this church. Turns out, the pastor that performed the ceremony is my first cousin's husband. It was wonderful to be able to say hi to them.

Thank you T & K for allowing me to capture such an important occasion in your life. I really enjoyed getting to know you.

(oh, and for all of those reading this, we might be doing a "Trash the Dress" with K a bit later!)

Miss I: Senior Session

2009-05-20T17:48:00.002-05:00

I had a BLAST with Miss I recently. She is a graduating senior, who will soon be building some GORGEOUS buildings. She was just so unique, and full of laughter... we had a blast! I hope you enjoy the photos!

A gorgeous park in old town Katy!

We had to throw some attitude with those glasses....

We found a gorgeous field...

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Jones

2009-05-17T22:08:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing a very special person's wedding this weekend. My nephew Eric married Alyssa on Saturday. This was my first time meeting Alyssa, and in my 'Aunt' opinion, she is a perfect match for Eric.

The wedding was gorgeous - the weather was beautiful - and I believe that in all of the weddings I've attended, I've never heard a more perfect, and God honoring, set of marriage vows than the ones that they exchanged.

I hope these photos do them justice.

Alyssa is a beautiful bride...

The weather was beautiful - but it was still rather warm to be in a tux jacket. We took a walk down to the lake.. it was gorgeous.

Now - if the Dad of the groom gets his way... grandkids will be a few years off.... but seriously... that kid is almost guaranteed to have gorgeous eyes! Look at how beautiful!

And - you know what - I'm the photographer, so I get to pick the photos to preview. This is my older brother Jeff... and my very grown up nephew. I have a photo of him, at age 4, dancing at my wedding. He has always known how to wear a tux wonderfully well.

I wish you and Alyssa a lifetime of happiness.

Love you both!

Beautiful Chelsea - Senior 2009

2009-05-09T17:23:00.003-05:00

I spent my first morning back with a gorgeous senior! Chelsea is 18 years old, and will be headed off to college this summer!

It was really fun to spend my morning with Chelsea and her mom. We hit a few wonderful locations out in West Houston, and were able to get some amazing images for Chelsea's senior portraits.

I hope you enjoy this sneak peak!

I loved - LOVED - this outfit! The white dress with the cowboy boots... she was rocking it!

Texas School of Photography - I survived!

2009-05-09T17:07:00.002-05:00

I just returned from a week long intensive at the University of Arlington, at which I sepnt the entire week with two brilliant photographers. Sarah Petty, and Vicki Tauffer - I loved it! Had a blast, and learned SO much.

I am so excited to be home, and had scheduled a session at 9am this morning to immediately jump back into it!

I met quite a few new people, and made some great new friends! Enjoyed some great get togethers, and just had a blast with my fellow photographers. I learned ALOT as well! It was one of the most intense weeks that I've had.

If you happen to be in need of a photographer up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and (of course!) don't want to drive to Houston for my wonderful photography services... - check out Claudia Hinojosa at the Urban Shot - she has such a natural ability with the camera that I was amazed. Her work was simply - pure - there is no other word for it. She captures those moments in time that are just unposed... and aren't constrained... Gorgeous work!

Ms. E and her family!

2009-04-25T22:07:00.002-05:00

Ms. E and her parents spent a couple hours on this GORGEOUS Saturday afternoon with me. We had a blast....and managed to get finished JUST as it started raining.

These are just a few of my favorites from the session!

Gorgeous family....

This was a GORGEOUS dress.

The tiara.... she's mom's little princess. I'm gonna have to get one of those Tiny T's for a couple of other sessions. This was SO cute...

And what session would be complete with a little street art...

Thanks so much for spending your Saturday afternoon with me, I really enjoyed it!

Update:

2009-04-25T13:48:00.001-05:00

After some great feedback from several folks in my industry, I've decided to edit Mr. J's shot a bit. He was kind of lost with all that pretty blue sky above him....

Baby J - 9 Days Old

2009-04-24T22:49:00.003-05:00

I had a great time with mom, grandma and baby J. He is SO tiny!!! OMG!! Unbelievably so! He was a bit early..... and only weighed 6lbs.

This is my favorite of the bunch. I know I normally post more than one, but in this case, anything I post after this one will pale in comparison. It is a fantastic photo of this little guy.... if I do say so myself!

See what I mean? Adorable little baby that he is.

I will not participate in this recession!

2009-04-23T12:29:00.004-05:00

Okay - seriously off topic for a photography blog - but important enough to myself, and my clients ability to afford my services for me to post it.

It's a free event, tonight at 7:00. Go to www.townhallforhope.com to find a location near you.

712 Dance Crew Session

2009-04-19T22:41:00.002-05:00

Oh boy - did I have fun today! I meet the dancers from the 712 Dance Crew and we headed downtown...or is that midtown? for a session.

This is Stefan, Alex, Brandon, and Allie... Sarah was not available to join them.

Stefan is somewhat of a jokester....okay...not 'somewhat'.... he is hilarious.

Brandon is one of the most awesome young men that I know.

He's 16.... I'm not joking.

She is simply gorgeous! I had lots of fun with her!

Check this move out.... how long do you think you could hold that position?

I gotta give credit to my brilliant daughter on this one... the address is 'actually' 3000...but she said, it'd be cool if it said 712.... so that's what it says now....

Thanks for giving me the honor of photographing your dance crew - it was an absolute pleasure!

Maternity Session: Jeff & Sara

2009-03-29T22:07:00.002-05:00

One of the most frequent questions I get asked as a photographer - is 'what kind of camera do you have?'. It's a well known fact that Canon users....and Nikon users.... are like oil and water. They just don't mix!

Well - Sara and I are hoping to do away with that awful situation and prove to the world.... that we do not need to be divided by our camera brands.... (it's after 10pm, and I've had a long day, I hope you are at LEAST cracking a smile for me!).

I had SUCH fun with Sara and Jeff today... and their adorable little girl. They are expecting another little girl in a short few weeks!

Look how well you can see this little one!

It used to be 'Indian style'... but I've been informed that the correct term to use now is 'Criss Cross Apple Sauce'... cause none of the kids know what 'Indian style' is....

Whatever it's called... it works. She has the most perfect baby belly!

This one is my 'runner up' favorite. I love the look... love the light...serious... intense...

One of my favorite maternity images of all time. It puts the focus where it should be... right on that beautiful little belly!

Jeff & Sarah - Thank you SO much for sharing your Sunday afternoon with me! I really enjoyed it!

Family Portraits & Senior Session! Two for One!

2009-03-22T22:01:00.004-05:00

I am always amazed at how I meet such awesome people in my day to day life. I don't live an extraordinary life, but I meet so many extraordinary people.

Mr. B works at one of my favorite places to visit. Starbucks. We made arrangements for him and his wife...and their adorable 'almost' one year old to get together to do Senior portraits.

They are both graduating high school this year, and I enjoyed getting to know these 2 amazing young adults. They just loved their little one, and he so darn adorable.... check him out!

Picking out just 3 is always so darn hard. I have a dozenx2 favorites!!!

Isn't he adorable???

Thanks so much for spending your Sunday afternoon with me! I enjoyed it!

Sarah & Serena

2009-02-28T20:15:00.002-06:00

They are just 2 weeks apart, and are so darn cute it's just unbelievable. Serena wore her beautiful gown (mom and I have been planning this session for a little while now!)... and Sarah wore her $6 dress that I picked up at Walmart today. I picked it up because I knew it would match my background.

I hope they make you smile!

Ms. Sharon

2009-02-21T14:00:00.002-06:00

I had the best time this morning! It's my first senior girl, and did we have fun! Sharon, her mom Connie and I hit a few gorgeous local spots around our area, and I have to say, girls are SO much fun to photograph. Actually - SHARON is so much fun to photograph.

She is such a naturally pretty young woman and I am in awe at her perfect smile. She is one of those young ladies that we all hope our daughters grow up to be.

So... put one one beautiful senior to PLENTY of outfits, one really talkative mom and me with my camera. Does it get any better than that? I have tons of favorite shots from this sessions, trying to get it down to just a few was impossible.

So, Ms. Sharon, I hope that I caught 'you' with my camera. You are truly a young lady with a heart for God, and I enjoyed spending time with you this morning.

Trip to the Houston Zoo

2009-02-13T15:48:00.003-06:00

I had the opportunity to accompany my daughter's class on a field trip to the Houston Zoo. I took quite a few photos, but thought I'd share a few of my favorites.

Father Daughter Dance 2009

2009-02-07T17:35:00.002-06:00

Just a few images of Tori and her dad before they took off for the dance.

Brandon Senior Session: Part 2

2009-01-10T23:48:00.003-06:00

We broke Brandon's session up so that we could get some pictures of one his favorite activities, which is going to the gym.

I think this is my favorite of the day:

We also had a bit of fun with the full moon outside...Brandon's mom and his friend spent quite a few minutes laughing at this:

And one more serious one (Brandon LIKES serious looks!)

I hope you enjoyed a peak into Brandon's Senior Session! If you need to book yours, contact me!

Brandon - Senior 2009

2009-01-10T17:46:00.005-06:00

Brandon had the luxury of being my first senior session in 2009. That means that we tried out a few places.....considered jumping over a few fences (okay - HE considered jumping over the fences while I explained the legal implications of doing so!)....and realized that Houston is on the 'grafitti' removing wagon. But we managed to find some... I won't discuss the fact that it was under an overpass... or that Brandon's mom thinks I've truly lost my mind...all for the sake of a grafitti picture...

We started out at the school and got a few football shots (he LOVED playing football!)....

and then headed out to check out a few of the local Katy sites. We ended up down in Houston...

Even had a really nice lady who saw us taking pictures in this gorgeous sculpture ask Brandon if he'd like to take a picture on her bike.... Houston is interesting!

I hope you guys truly enjoyed your session! I had a ton of fun!

Tween Session

2008-12-22T23:16:00.006-06:00

Teenage Angst... even though she's not 'quite' a teen yet. There is a look that only the young can give you.

Did I mention she's only eleven?? Her dad is making sure his guns are clean... I know he is. I think I'll help him.

Pretty in Pink....

2008-12-17T23:57:00.002-06:00

It's been a bit busy around here, getting ready for Christmas. Last minute sessions, and a couple of NILMDTS sessions, and I'm editing around the clock!

I had the best time with these two little girls and their mom. Believe it or not, mom is a 5th grade teacher (I know, she barely looks old enough!). We had a great time at one of my favorite locations, Terry Hershey...

This one... is my favorite... well... at least it is until I get to one of the others..... then THOSE are my favorites. They just loved playing together.

Away go the pretty pink dresses... and out come the cowboy boots, and cowboy hats! They sure make Texas look good don't they?

This one might just be my favorite....

Thank you so much for sharing your Saturday morning with me! I had a wonderful time and I hope you enjoyed your session!

The McElroy Family Christmas Session

2008-12-07T19:02:00.002-06:00

I had the pleasure of spending Sunday afternoon with my friend Lisa & her husband Braden... and their gorgeous daughter Mara.

We have lots of bow pictures... (mom likes bows!) and lots of 'no bow' pictures (dad doesn't like bows!)...

But all in all, we have one really gorgeous family!

This Winnie the Pooh, if I'm keeping my story straight, is dad's, from when he was a kid. Mara loved it!

Gorgeous Family shot, in front of their tree:

I'll be posting a couple of images from the early part of our session later tonight or tomorrow.

Thank you SO much for letting me hang out with you guys today....

Max & Maya

2008-12-06T01:22:00.003-06:00

You might recall one of my first maternity sessions with a wonderful mom and dad.... who subsequently asked me to come to the hospital when her two babies were born.

This was Maya...

and this was Max...

And this is Max and Maya now:

Two beautiful babies... one beautiful family!

Thank you for continuing to allow me the wonderful opportunity to photograph these cuties!

Tis the Season

2008-12-03T23:44:00.003-06:00

I belong to quite a few online forums, one of which brought me this wonderful little boy and his family. He was the happiest baby... although he didn't like one of my baskets that much.

Thanks so much B for bringing your wonderful family by! It was wonderful!

The Browns

2008-11-26T13:43:00.004-06:00

I had the pleasure of photographing the Brown family today. Coach Brown was Tori's cross country coach, and my first experience with sports at school. I have to say that she made it a pleasure. She's one of those people that you KNOW they are where they should be. She loves the kids - and after meeting her family - I realized.... goofiness must be hereditary.

All 3 of her boys have J names.... and all 3 of them are seriously goofy in a very good natured way. They were cutting up and giving each other a hard time...

This is 'my' favorite of the day...I handed them all these little sparkly gifts and said: Give them to your mom... and the laughter started...

They are definitely a gorgeous family though...

Their youngest (he is on the right) - enjoyed the 'no smiling, give me some attitude' part!

These three.... they defined 'brother' to me...

Thank you so much for letting me take your family photos - it was a pleasure!

Ms. T & Mr. S

2008-11-08T22:07:00.003-06:00

I had the easiest photoshoot ever this morning. Ms T & Mr. S are the children from a former high school classmate of mine. We decided to meet at Terry Hershey Park to do a few shots of the kids. I hadn't met her kids yet - in fact - we haven't seen each since high school. Would you believe that she looked exactly the same?

Ms. T wants to be a singer... she definitely has the personality for it! Very friendly, and just super sweet!

Her little brother now....S just made my day. He reminds me of myself - even today. I want to know EVERYTHING. And he asks LOTS of questions.

Both of them were just wonderful to work with.

Here are just a couple of shots from today's session!

Look at this smile... does it get anymore sweet than this?

And Mr. S....

Thanks so much for hanging out with me today - I had a blast!

Homecoming 2008

2008-10-25T22:35:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of photographing some of high schoolers from my daughters school. Friday night was their homecoming football game, and they won 28 to 18. Saturday night, they were enjoying it. These are just a few of the photos - I took more than 200.

Here is a group shot at the Galleria:

These kids were alot of fun. They had over an hour wait for their table at their restaurant in the Galleria, so we wandered around the mall for a while.

While we were waiting for the limo to arrive....

The galleria is full of all kinds of fun spots to take pictures in.... this brick wall just screamed out: I'll look fabulous in pictures! And it did.... the girls made it look pretty darn good too!

Ms. R has such classy style.

You guys were wonderful! Thanks for letting me hang out with you for a while. I hope you enjoyed dinner and your dance!

The Bryant Family

2008-10-25T13:29:00.003-05:00

I had the joy of spending my Saturday morning with the Bryant Family. Rosana works with my sister in law Kelsey, and graciously offered her family for portraits.

The Bryant's have two GORGEOUS little boys who are a HANDFUL! Dad let it slip that their oldest is affectionately called 'Stitch'.... I think I was able to figure out why.

This is their littlest, he is 9 months old. He is one of most beautiful little boys I think I've ever seen.

This is the big brother. He likes sticks, and rocks, and moving... LOTS of moving.

A quiet moment with them all sitting down....it lasted about a minute before "Stitch" was up and moving again!

Thank you SO much for joining me at the park! I had a wonderful time meeting the entire family!

Meet Mr. Carter....

2008-10-22T22:46:00.004-05:00

Carter is 2 weeks old. I did maternity photos for his mom in August. So today I went over to meet Carter....with my new lens....and I absolutely loved it!

These are 3 quick edits because I told his parents I'd try to get a preview up for them. Mom & Dad are wonderfully sweet people.

Dad is an amazing artist and their house is full of gorgeous paintings! You can see some of his work on his website at: www.timnewtonart.com

Mom is a website designer who does freelance work.

I've seen her work as well - and they are both very creative individuals who are both delightful to meet and know.

Check out mom's work at: www.creativeleakdesigns.com

Apparently they did a pretty good job when they co-created this little man.

Carter has beautiful eyes... and a full head of hair. It's amazing! He was a very aware young man.

He is only 2 weeks old.... and he does NOT like being naked... which he very loudly informed me of when I stripped him down for this shot.

But he is so adorable....and loves being held by mom or dad.

Thanks so much Tim & Nicole for giving me the pleasure of photographing your newest addition!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-19T16:57:00.004-05:00

The weather is definitely changing and my friend Stacy and I took the girls over to the Pumpkin Patch in Katy. We had quite a bit of fun, but Jonathon was not a willing participant for pictures. So we let them play, and I snapped a few here and there when I could catch him smiling.

I really enjoyed it, and the kids left with a GIANT pumpkin that had to be carried out in a wagon!

Here are a few from yesterday:

This is Jacob:

Doesn't he have gorgeous eyes?

This is Jonathon... this is the one picture him that was worthwhile the wait I thought....

This is one of my favorites.... I think I like it more because of how contrasty it is....

Awwwww.....

And of course Ms. Sarah was with me!

She liked the Pumpkins..... she tried to eat the stems.....teething sucks.

Hope you are enjoying the fall weather!

The Moon from Katy, Texas

2008-10-18T12:50:00.003-05:00

This thing was taunting me as I drove home last night from the Faith West Football game. They won! 14 to 7! It was hanging there....gorgeous....

So I went out and shot it! I had to do it. It made me!

I hope you enjoy the result!

This is 100% crop of the same image....cropped a bit differently of course.

My wonderful husband inquired... I wonder if the view is as beautiful from the moon. It took me until this morning to get the compliment... *lol*

The funny thing though - is that you can't copyright protect this type of photo without ruining it for the viewer. So honor system here folks - don't steal my picture! If you want to use it - just email me! Donna at dbeardphotography.com .

The Boone Family Photos

2008-10-06T09:02:00.005-05:00

I had an absolute delightful time with the Boone Family this last week. We headed over to Molly Pryor Orchard at Terry Hershey Park. Gorgeous afternoon.

Carrington is one of my daughter's teammates on the FW Cross Country team.

It was also quite hilarious, because I've met dad....and I knew mom.... but I never knew that THIS dad was married to THIS mom. So I finally paired them up!

This family is SO sweet - the kids are funny, but still kids. And the parents....the parents cracked me up. I had them standing up, and sitting down, and laying down.... and they just went along with it all. I hope all my 'future' families sessions are like this.

I wanted to do something a bit unusual for this family...because they were just so real.... so I did:

This is Carrington. Good looking young guy!

I don't think I've ever seen someone as comfortable in front of a camera as she was. She just looked dead at me.... and grinned. Beautiful!

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to photograph your beautiful family! I truly appreciated it!

A few favorites

2008-09-24T21:31:00.003-05:00

A few of my favorites that I hadn't shared before on the blog.

Beautiful Jay & Helen. I had so much fun with them!

This is what us Texan's do before Hurricane Ike stops by. Great cloud cover for pictures!

Total laughter.

One of my recent weddings - they had the most beautiful children!

And some of the most interesting characters.

NILMDTS Annual Fund Drive

2008-09-24T11:45:00.003-05:00

With the Month of October being recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, The Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation holds its Annual Fund Drive for six weeks starting in mid-September and ending in October.

President Ronald Reagan enacted Proclamation 5890 in October of 1988 to recognize that each year, approximately a million pregnancies in the United States alone end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a newborn child. Reagan stated, "A national observance offers us the opportunity to increase our understanding of the great tragedy involved in the deaths of unborn or newborn babies. It also enables us to consider how, as individuals and communities, we can meet the needs of bereaved parents and family members... " To read the full Proclamation signed by Reagan, CLICK HERE.

If you are in a place to make even a small contribution to NILMDTS, please know that doing so will continue to allow the organization to provide improved resources, training, communication, and other tools necessary in support of our amazing contingent of professional photographers who provide the gift of free remembrance portraiture to families in need.

Our next project we are working on is an online, interactive webinar version of our Formal NILMDTS Training taught by Co-Founder Sandy Puc' allowing anyone in any country with access to a computer to complete the course online. Donations help make programs like this a reality!

Your Donations Support the Organization in Many Ways -

* By supporting the continued education of our volunteer photographers
* By allowing us to further our outreach to hospitals and hospices across the world
* By offsetting the costs associated with outreach efforts including Formal NILMDTS Training Seminars
* By supporting the Family Forum which creates a productive and supportive haven for healing
* By supporting the Photographers' Forum which provides a helpful environment for our member photographers to express their feelings and receive advice on the various issues that they face in this noble work
* By supporting the day to day operations of our Headquarters Offices

Beautiful Trees

2008-09-10T12:17:00.002-05:00

We went to a cross country meet in South Texas, and I was able to get a few amazing photos of my husband. He normally isn't able to go with us, so it was quite fun to have him along.

He also managed to get the camera away from me long enough to get a picture of... me.

Ms. Sarah

2008-08-24T22:02:00.004-05:00

I realized that I don't have a picture on my blog of my littlest one. Her name is Sarah...and watch out for this one. Simply adorable, simply delightful, simply rotten. But she's so darn cute...it's almost impossible to tell her no. We try... I promise we do.

But look at this face....

Matthew

2008-08-24T21:06:00.005-05:00

I hardly ever get to photograph boys...but this is Matthew. Matthew has been my summer babysitter for Sarah. Yup - you got it. He is the sweetest kid that I've ever met. My DH had reservations about Matthew watching Sarah - that whole 'he's a BOY!' thing... well - I agreed to change all the diapers (I work from home) while Matthew was here. He has just been phenomenal in so many ways and we feel so absolutely blessed to have had him care for our daughter. He gives me such hope for our future and for my kids.

It was one of the best decisions we've made. Friday was his last day - he starts high school as a freshman tomorrow. I can see the good looking man he will be... some girl is going to get very lucky with him someday.

These first two are my absolute favorites....

This one #1 Favorite - he was JUST getting ready to crack up... I had backed up... so I could get his 4" tall hair into the frame... *grin*...

Oops...cut off the hair... *grin*

I made him kneel down.... he's like 5'10 or something....wears a size 12 shoe...

He's into Manga ... and a whole host of other stuff that I don't quite get... but he liked the sound of 'emorific' in my LR presets... so I did this one...and he liked it...

So enjoy your first day of high school Matthew!

Sometimes....

2008-08-20T12:00:00.002-05:00

people are just awesome. It's always a risk, I think, to offer to photograph someone you don't know when you are portfolio building. All kinds of potential issues....but I have been so blessed to meet so many wonderful people. I ran into T & N at BabiesRUS while I was looking for something for Sarah. Dad was pushing around the cart, in a rather 'end of the long day' fashion, and mom was shopping in that 'nesting' kind of way. My first thought - wow - the are absolutely adorable.

It's amazing how you see people differently when you are looking at them from a photographic perspective...

They are the perfect height for one another....they both have beautiful smiles...and they were just both sweet (sorry Dad!) looking.

So... I offered her my card...told her I was portfolio building and would love to photograph her. We set up a time, and they came over last night. I had the most fun. They are both down to earth - and just seem like they will make awesome parents!

Dad loves basketball...so we had some fun with it...

Have you ever seen a cuter couple?

And Mom is so absolutely tiny...there is nothing but baby there...

Sarah wasn't too happy with me when I started picking up her blocks....but they were actually bought for this very purpose....Sarah just gets to play with them in their 'off' time. ...

Baby Sebastian

2008-08-14T11:28:00.001-05:00

After my NILMDTS session, I was so very thankful for my neighbors having perfectly scheduled my opportunity to take photos of their new beautiful baby boy.

His name is Sebastian and he was absolutely adorable. He managed to Christen one of my blankets quite nicely...and fell asleep in my basket...probably one of the most aware infants I have ever seen.

Dad & Mom are just as nice as well! (I always leave them out!). I had a bit of fun with editing...

NILMDTS

2008-08-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

I'm very honored to be an approved photographer for the NILMDTS organization (www.nilmdts.org). I had my first session this last weekend for a beautiful angel girl. While I must admit that it has had a much deeper impact than I expected, I am so very thankful that I was able to provide images for the family. In each of our lives, there are somethings that are never forgotten, and I am so thankful that I was allowed to be a small part of helping preserve her memory for her parents.

If you know someone who will need the NILMDTS services, please contact the coordinator for your area to arrange services.

Beautiful Annie

2008-07-28T22:10:00.000-05:00

There are times that I'm really glad I meet people....and times I am REALLY glad that I meet people. This is definitely one of those times. So everyone....this is Annie. She's 19 years old, and absolutely adorable. We did a surprise session at the house tonight...thanks to Matt & Tori for helping me get ready for it. Aren't they sweet? They did the dishes and picked up the laundry...so that the house wasn't wrecked when she got there!

I like 'em this way! First Wedding

2008-07-24T10:48:00.000-05:00

Okay - I have to say that Joe and Mandi absolutely made my first wedding wonderful. Mandi is absolutely gorgeous. She has such a warm inviting personality - and her girl friends - a good group of friends. Joe has a good sense of humor and was just an all around good guy. The best part though - she was SO willing to try all sorts of stuff. These are just a few of the gorgeous images that I was able to get.

I also had the pleasure of working with Wharton Photographer John Dettling - a friend of the bride and groom - who was absolutely hilarious.

Beautiful Couple....Beautiful Family

2008-07-20T18:46:00.001-05:00

After finding out about the nightmare issue with my new email (I had FIFTEEN photography related emails that hadn't been sent!!) - I was finally able to repost the pics of J&H to my new flicker stream.

Let me just warn you - this couple is gorgeous! Both of them.

Welcome

2008-07-15T13:27:00.000-05:00

Thank you for checking my blog out. I'll be updating it over the next week or so with recent sessions. I hope you enjoy the photos, and I look forward to getting to know you!