THE LIEGGI FAMILY: OLD TOWN SPRING, TX

I had the pleasure of working with The Bergstroms a couple of weeks ago and was thrilled when they called to tell me how much their family loved the pictures.  The family was visiting from San Diego and wanted to do a portrait of everyone together.  Since they were leaving in a couple of days we knew it would probably be impossible to work out.  Well, just call me 'Fairy Godmother!'  I make wishes come true!

We discussed a few options and were able to get their session scheduled the night before they were returning to California.  I was thrilled to be able to do this for them.  Thank you Lieggi Family - it was so nice to meet you all!  Thank you for sharing your last evening in Houston with me.

Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from their portrait session.

THESE SHOES WERE MADE FOR WALKING... OR NOT

It was my first wedding of 2011.  The sun was shining, the sky was blue and it was hot.  The kind of hot, humid day that us Texans know all about.  Sticky hot!  I arrived at the venue early, as a I always do, to allow myself time to get a feel for the venue and visit with the bride, the groom and their families.  I was immediately struck by just how gorgeous this venue is during the day and could not wait to see if after sunset.  It was picturesque.

While visiting with the bride and her sisters I commented on how sassy their high heels were.  I LOVE high heels, but know better than to wear them while working an all day wedding.  So while I envied their gorgeous shoes, I walked around in my plain jane simple flats and welcomed the comfort they would provide later in the evening.  Well... not exactly.  A few hours later I could feel the blister forming, the burn and ache on the side of my heel.  Even the bandaid I found for relief was no match for the pain.  Honestly, maybe I should have worn my trusty heels!  They've never given me a blister!!

It was a gorgeous wedding, a perfect day and a warm welcoming family!  I can't wait to get the photos ready for the bride and groom.

And, go shopping for new shoes!


I'll have the blog post featuring the wedding of Julie and David soon!  Here's one little sneak peek...

Autumn + Chris: A Galveston Engagement Session

She became his unofficial tour guide and helped him navigate his new home after he moved to the US.  They started off as co-workes, as friends, and it grew into something more.  Watching Autumn and Chris together, how they light up when they talk to one another or sneak in a kiss between shots, this is the stuff the greatest love stories are made of.

Galveston was covered in a thick blanket of fog (at 4:00 in the afternoon), but it did not put a damper on the day.  The sun played hide and seek, making a just few appearances here and there.  We began in historic Galveston, among the beautiful old homes, historic mansions and tree lined streets.  Thank goodness Autumn is somewhat of a local to Galveston and knew exactly where to take us!  After strolling around the residential area we headed to The Strand.  We made a stop at a local candy store to pick up some fudge and take a quick break.  Galveston really was a perfect place to shoot and Autumn and Chris were a joy to photograph.  I can't wait for their wedding in August!  

So many trees in Galveston were lost due to Hurricane Ike.  Around the city many have been preserved by creating these gorgeous carvings.  We had the pleasure of meeting the owner of this one and he was so gracious to talk to us about it and let us admire the tree and his beautiful home.  Thank you to Autumn for suggesting this as a location for a picture.

Simply... gorgeous!

Shopping for fudge at La King's Confectionery! 

One of my favorites.

Our last shot of the day!

WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?

Whether it is an engagement session or family portraits I'm often asked:  "What Should We Wear?"  I'm always happy of offer suggestions to clients who need guidance.  I think there is a time, a place (and family) that could not be happier with khaki pants and white shirts.  When working in Charleston that was the time honored tradition for photos on the beach.  And yes, I love it.  But I really enjoy when my clients represent their style in a unique and fun way.

I personally don't believe that the entire family has to match.  But they should coordinate.  Photos come to life when there are different textures and patterns that coordinate with a specific color palette.  A quick internet search of 'what to wear for family pictures' will give you lots of images for inspiration.  Fashion boards are a great way to see an entire 'look' for the whole family.  I've had the pleasure of photographing some wonderful couples and families recently and they are great examples how to coordinate, not match, for your photos.  You can look through some old blog posts or visit my website for photos.

I've been participating with a great photography site called i heart faces and they just posted a Blog about this topic.  So if you are asking "what should we wear?", check out the fashion boards below for a little inspiration.  Courtesy of i heart faces and Melinda Brookshire.

Thanks for stopping by
~Kelly

 

FAMILY AND FRIENDS: HELEN'S GARDEN: LEAGUE CITY, TX

Three best friends:  Nadia, Mindy and Tiffany.  It goes without saying that they are all gorgeous!  They have been the best of friends for 17 years.  Nadia was driving down the road one day and saw Mindy standing on the sidewalk.  She was on her route for Meals on Wheels and decided to pull over and ask this stranger to hop in her car and join her.  All three lovely ladies were attending Texas A & M and sisters in Alpha Phi Omega.  This chance meeting is where it all began.  The rest is history.  A history full of fun stories, special secrets, weddings and babies being born.  Nadia and Tiffany are even Godmothers to Mindy's 2 oldest children.  It is the type of friendship we all yearn for, one that has endured laughter and tears, highs and lows, but no matter what comes their way they are there for one another.  

And let's not leave out Mindy's family.  Her husband Lance, and their 3 wonderful kids (Riley, Colette and Amelie) were a true pleasure to photograph.  I spent a little one on one time with each of the kids for their individual portraits and let me just say that they are all amazingly beautiful inside and out, not to mention, very bright and polite!  A true reflection of their awesome parents!  Just take a look at some of the photos from our session and you can see LOVE jumping off of the screen.  This family was truly a joy to photograph and one of my favorite sessions ever.  I could feel the love they share for one another and it was my great pleasure and honor to work with them.  Thank you all for sharing your afternoon with me!

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN!

In this crazy busy life we all live, work, carpool, activities with the kids, cooking, cleaning and the list goes on... and on... and on... We need to take some time out to have a little fun!  Yes, I have laundry piled up, and a house that is looking less than perfect.  There will always be things that need to be done.  However, I've decided that taking time precious time to just have fun is more important.

My daughter is on Spring Break this week.  She will be a teenager in a few months and I know that our "mommy and me" time is most likely hit is high point.  There will come a time when spending time with friends, and heaven forbid - boyfriends, will be much higher on her list of priorities and I'll have plenty of time to do the laundry and clean the house.

So.  Today I'm taking the day off and enjoying this gorgeous TX day to hang out with my daughter.  Just the two of us.  We are going to do what girls do, eat, shop and gossip!  And to top it all off we are doing this at Kemah Boardwalk.  So I can pretend to be a kid again and ride the roller coasters like I did with my parents when I was young.  And I must give a big shout out to some dear friends from Austin.  They are taking some time to have fun with their kids and coming to Houston.  We are looking forward to having dinner with them tonight.

So... what are you waiting for - take some time out to just have F-U-N!

The Bergstrom Family: Old Town Spring, TX

It was a perfect sunny Sunday afternoon in TX.  A mild 65 and just perfect for strolling around Old Town Spring, TX.  The streets were filled with the sounds of families talking, kids laughing and a local band playing music on the corner.  The air filled with the scents both savory and sweet coming from local vendors.  It was a perfectly relaxed and fun afternoon with family.

I had the pleasure of sharing all of this with The Bergstrom Family.  It was a wonderful afternoon!  I had a lot of fun interacting with all four boys and seeing each of their unique personalities come to life in front of my camera.  As you can imagine keeping four boys all focused on the same thing at the same time was challenging, but I LOVE that you can really 'see' each of the boys and get a glimpse into the joy each of them bring to their parents.  Thank you all so much for allowing me the pleasure of sharing your afternoon.

Here is a sneak peek of their family photo session!