Photojournalism | i heart faces | Dallas Area Portrait Photographer

Telling a story with an image...it is the part I like best about my job. 

These were taken at my daughter's birthday party within moments of each other.  You can see the players at the first table were enjoying the conversation even more than the game.  Of course, there are many residents at the assited living center that take a game of BINGO very seriously.  Can you feel the anger boiling just below the surface in face of the lady in the sweater?  I have to say, that over all everyone had a wonderful time. 

In the end I was thankful that I hadn't talked my daughter out of her unusual choice of party location.  I believe it benefited everyone involved.  If you want to know more about her party, I blogged about it here.

Be sure and visit I HEART FACES this week.  There are some incredible images this week.


Terry Family | Mckinney TX Maternity and Family Photographer

I met Esther the last time she was expecting. My husband and I signed up to be a part of a life group Aaron and Esther were leading.  At our first meeting we discovered that 5 of us were due within just a few months of each other and there were only about 7 families in the group!  Friendships developed quickly among our group, although one of my new found friends threatened to quit...she already had 4 kids at home.  It was a fun joke, but she soon learned that leaving was never really an option, since number five was already on the way. :)  We have all since moved on to other lifegroups, but the bonds we formed during that time will last forever.  I cherish my friendships with these ladies, even if we don't manage to get together quite as often as we would like for our girl's night out.
Thank you for squeezing in a quick session Friday night.  Esther, you looked stunning as usual.  No one would ever guess that you had just spent your first week back with a classroom full of little ones.  And Aaron, thanks for pushing back your appointment.  I am so glad we finally managed to get some pictures of your beautiful family.  It only took us a year of rescheduling!! Now we just need to find a day to get some good out door shots of the girls.  Love you guys.

Better Late... | Frisco TX Child and Family Photographer

I guess the first week back to school through me off more than I thought.  As I prepared to post a session from this weekend, I realized that I never posted an actual sneak peek for the Melanshekos from last weekend.  Let's just pretend this is last week and they haven't already ordered.  LOL!!!

Fix It Friday | i heart faces | North Dallas Portrait Photography

I don't usually participate in the Fix It Fridays challenge, but I really liked the photo they chose for this week.  (not to mention I have a ton of house work I am putting off...lol)  A big thanks to Angie Arthur Photography
for the use of her image for this week's challenge.


The first thing I did was pull it into lightroom and made some basic adjustments.  Working with a jpg isn't the same as starting with a raw file, but it still worked.  I upped the exposure, brightness, and recovery slider a little and then used the brush to bring down the sky and lighten some of the shadows and then used then just warmed it up a bit.  I used that version to make some more adjustments in photoshop.  The one with Florabella actions is processed with Cosmopolitan set at a lower opacity in one layer and then duplicated on an even lower opacity set to screen.  The last version is sharpened with an unsharp mask and then I ran TRA free Slice Like a Ninja (lowered to 25% opacity) and added a light haze.

Click the link at the top to go see some of the other creative ways to fix it!

Teacher Gift Idea - Sticky Note Holder | Mckinney, TX Family Photographer

Ok...I absolutely can not take credit for this idea.  I actually received one as a gift and thought it was too cute not to make for the beginning of the school year.  One of my friends and I spent an afternoon and made enough for each of our daughters' teachers and her coworkers (since she is a teacher).  It was easy and a lot of fun!

Supplies:  clear frames from Wal-mart or the Dollar Store
                coordinating scrapbook papers
                ribbon
                sticky note pads
                clear pens (we used Pentel RSVP)
                glue or sticky dots
                paper cutter

Cut your paper to fit the frame.  Ours were 4x6 but 5x7 would be good, too.  We then cut two sizes of rectangles the largest being 2.5x2 and the other 2x1.5.  A cricut would have been perfect to cut the monogram, but since we don't own one...we just did it by hand.  We just glued these pieces on the 4x6 sheet and then slide it into the frame upside down, which allowed the frame to sit at an angle.  Two sticky dots on the back of the sticky note pad held it in place.  Terifically Tacky Tape from Michaels would work as well.  We finished up by using the ribbon to make a bow.  Last, but not least. take a 4.5 inch strip of scrap paper, roll it up, and slide it into the barral of the pen and you have a perfectly coordinating set!  A small piece of velcro would work perfectly to hold the pen across the bottom of the frame.

You can order bags here if you can't find any at Michaels.  Just slip them in a tie with a matching bow!

Back to School

Summer flew by and today it was time to send my oldest back to school. I still can't believe that she is in 3rd grade already. She was excited about school and extra excited about getting to ride her new bike. We found a pink and black one...her favorite color combination. I am so blessed to have her for a daughter. I pray great things for this school year!

Beach Fun | i heart faces | North Dallas Portrait Photographer

I love the beach. Some day, I would love to spend my summers some place like the New Jersey shore. For now, I look forward to the times I get to visit my family on the Oregon coast. We don't get there as often as I would like, but I treasure the times we do. It has been a little over a year since our last trip. My girls loved walking along the shore with their Grandpa Walker. This was one of my favorite pictures from our trip and it just happened to be taken with my little point and shoot. (Guess dad had my good camera at the moment.) Proof that the camera doesn't make the picture!


Bobo | North Dallas Pet Photographer


I wanted to share a couple of images that I took of my friend's sweet dog. I happened to have my camera while visiting recently.  Since he is getting older, she wanted to make sure they had some good pictures to remember him by in the years to come.  He hadn't been recently groomed, but I thought that made it even better.  Just look at his sweet face!

Pure Sweetness... North Dallas Infant / Baby Photographer

Sunday night at 7 it was still around 100 degrees outside. We were all pouring sweat, but this sweet baby girl still managed to smile. It wasn't long before the warmth lulled her to sleep. Three month pictures are often tough. Newborns are tiny and posable. A six month old is stronger, can often sit up, and smiles a lot. Well, now I will look at 3 months sessions in a whole new light. I love these!

Gotta love the team rivalry!

got to wear shades | i heart faces

Something a little fun and different for this week's i heart faces challenge.  They are heading inside to meet their friends for prom.  Be sure and check out some more of the fabulous entries!

Sharum Family | Frisco, Tx Newborn and Family Photography

This gorgeous  family came to my small in home studio this past Saturday.  Their tiny little guy seemed to be captivated by the camera.  At less than two weeks old, most babies don't make eye contact, but it honestly seemed like he was looking for the camera.  Such pure sweetness! 

Osgood Family | Dallas Child and Family Photographer

This beautiful family was visiting  from New York this summer before moving to London for two years.  I didn't get to meet Mr. Osgood, but I have a feeling he is going to love these images!  The interaction between brother and sister was such a joy to watch.  They were just so cute together!  A sweet friend of Lyndsey's let us use her gorgeous home.  I knew from the moment I saw it that it would be the type of place that I would love to own. :)  The setting definitely made outfit changes and feedings easy.  Thanks again Lyndsey (and Sarah) for an enjoyable morning.

Suprise | i heart faces


What a fun theme this week at I HEART FACES. Suprises are fun at any age, but when you are two, they come about so often! Bubbles are one of my little one's favorite things, so you can just imagine the surprise when she managed to make this giant bubble with her new bubble wand. Makes me smile just thinking about it!




Growing Up | Frisco Family Photographer

I had the opportunity to take pictures of my good friend Angie's family again this year. It was about 5 years ago this month that God brought her into my life. We taught 4th grade together and formed a bond quite quickly, especially after we discovered we were both pregnant. Our girls were born in the same hospital only days apart. After Mia went to be with Jesus, I was so grateful to have my friend's daughter around to watch as she grows up.  Because of her, I can picture my middle daughter as she might be now, instead of only seeing her as a tiny two month old.  At this year's shoot, Angie realized part way in that she forgot to bring the blanket that had made its appearance at every session the last four years. She was less than six months old when they let me "practice" with my new camera and now look at her...so big she no longer needs her security blanket only one year away from kindergarten and soon to be a big sister!  We have all grown a lot these past five years and I am thankful that our friendship has continued to grow, too. Thanks, Ang, for being such an awesome friend. It was great finally getting to meet your mom, too!

P.S. Sorry about the bug bites!