The summer season is in full swing! We leave next week for our annual “date week” in Austin, while Kasey attends University of Texas swim camp. But, to get you in the mood for beach weather, I want to share one of my very talented friends line of beach cover up. Simple and sophisticated, I love everything about Treva’s beach wear! Check out her gorgeous website to see some of her creation here! Or just scroll down to see highlights from our most recent photo session! Love you Treva! Enjoy!
I have to admit it…. I am obsessed with Austin, Texas! The food, amazing… some of my favorite restaurants include Eddie V’s, Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, Garridos Austin for atmosphere and great food , and Blue Dahlia Bistro just to name a few! The people are so genuinely nice and have such great style, the music scene is exceptional, the landscape is amazing for photography AND you can walk everywhere in the city… a huge plus. Not to mention that it is my son’s dream to swim for University of Texas.
Over the last several years both my kids have gone to swim camp at University of Texas and Bob and I have spent the same week exploring the city. It has been our “date” week. We love it so much that in the future we would like to live there part time. Really, can you imagine calling Laguna Beach and Austin Texas both home??? Pure bliss. And we have been so lucky to make friends in Laguna who also call Austin home, The Sadler family. If you want to really know what the people in Austin are like, you have to meet Frana! She is an amazing ball of energy and positive vibes. She has been so generous with our family, helping set up reservations at The Austonian for us, recommending great things to do and places to go, etc. Her kids are just as amazing as the rest of her family!
So, thank you Frana! For being a great friend, and raising amazing kids. I can’t express how grateful we are to you! Enjoy!
Wow, this has been a busy week. Just this weekend I shot a styled session, a wedding, a newborn baby, a family and an engagement session. Gotta love the diversity of my photography life. Here is a quick preview of Jake, volleyball player, beach lover and off to University of Arizona this fall. Enjoy!
One of the best things about being a photographer for me is variety! I love waking up and knowing that today will be completely different than yesterday or tomorrow. I may end up at the beach, at an amusement park, at a baseball stadium, you never know. I am the kind of person that always tries something new on a favorite restaurant menu, or takes a different driving route home, just to mix it up.
I believe all my clients deserve the same thing. I have literally photographed 100s of family sessions, high school senior sessions, and weddings. Many times they are in the same location that I have used numerous times in the past. So how do I prevent every image looking the same, with only the subject changing you might ask? Simple, I give myself a little assignment at every session.
For example, if I am shooting on a beach that I have used several times before, I challenge myself to find one totally different background that I have never used. Since I photograph using a very shallow depth of field, I don’t need to find a huge spot, just a little corner somewhere that is entirely new to my photography. Changing up poses and clothing can also help create an entirely personalized look for my clients.
This is also really important as the majority of my Blue Sky’s clients, take family photographs with me every year. I can promise you that in most cases they want something original each year that help celebrate and document this time in their families history. Sometimes that is a tall order for me if I have been shooting the family for 10+ years. By constantly keeping my eyes open for new places to shoot, keeping up with the latest clothing trends and investing in the best camera equipment, I have managed to successfully offer original photography every year.
Here is a recent example of a senior session, at one of my common photography spots. I used lots of flowers to differentiate this session from my previous work at this location! Enjoy! ;)
Each and every year for over ten years I make my entire family get together for a family photo session. Not just my husband and kids…. but my mom and dad, my sister and her family and my brother and his family. We pick a color scheme, a location and we spend about two hours creating beautiful portraits, as well as some very funny memories. I then spend my last spare moments during the holidays putting together either a coffee table book or an album for everyone for Christmas. Every time we get together as a family, the kids sit down and look through the years of their albums and books and laugh. I am so very glad that I MADE everyone join me, even if it was a really busy year, even if I had to stay up until 2 AM to finish the albums and that I have these precious memories to enjoy year and after year.
That is why I always encourage all my clients to do the same thing, document their family each year and put together some kind of book or album. Sometimes in the moment, it seems like a real hassle, or like a large investment, but in the end it is one of the best gifts a family can give themselves.
Here is the beautiful Hawkins family that I documented for the first time last year. I loved how different all the boys personalities were and how much they all loved each other. Enjoy!
