I love photographing families and always aim to make them look fun and natural! My goal is to capture both posed (everyone looking at smiling at the camera) and natural+connected, candid+playful images of your family. The natural images are the ones I always seem to choose to hang on my own walls at home..just us being ourselves and loving on each other (but with prettier clothing and nice hair and make-up!). The key to taking genuine and authentic family photos is knowing how to pose clients in a way that makes them look their best while having fun. Part of my job as your photographer is to coach your family into poses that both look beautiful and feel natural.

If you’ve never taken professional family photos before or if you simply want to improve on your last session, here are my my favorite suggestions on how to pose that will leave you with beautiful family portraits.

Get Close

The last thing you want is a family portrait that looks stiff and awkward. The secret to creating a beautiful, intimate family photo is to get close. Snuggle up with the people you love if you want the best photos. If there are people of varying heights in the photo, take a few photos on the same level so that you can get your heads close together too.

Have Fun

Your photos always look more authentic when your family is genuinely having fun and laughing. Spend time talking about your favorite vacation or a memory that makes you all laugh out loud. These candid moments always make for the best photos.

Keep it Natural

When you overthink posing, it takes away from the genuineness of your photos, which is why it helps to shoot your family photos in a setting where you’re all comfortable and where you can go about your lives as naturally as possible. For example, if you’re in an outdoor setting, take your little one for a walk. If you’re shooting at home, bake something together or snuggle up for a story. 

Use Your Surroundings

Very often, standing upright in the middle of a room or garden will make your photos look and feel stiff. Use your surroundings to make yourselves more comfortable. For example, if there’s a wall in the vicinity, lean up against it. If there’s a couch available, pose on that for a few shots.

Make Use of Props

If you would like to change things up a bit or give a younger child something to do, you can also always incorporate a few basic props into your photos to get a few non-standard shots. 

If you still have questions about your upcoming photo shoot with us and how to make the most of it, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you with additional tips. 

Y’all, this family has been with me for years…they were one of my very first clients when I first started my business when their oldest daughter was just 6 months old. I adore them more than words can express. They are always styled so well, EASY, happy, and just a dream to photograph. I look forward to their sessions every year because their sweet girls are so much fun and photogenic. I can’t say enough good things about them, I just love them!

We did their family portrait session at my favorite beach location south of Houston and the evening light was incredible. The sunset creates the most beautiful purple and pink backdrop over the water, which blended perfectly with their outfits. The beach also happened to be mostly empty this evening, so that meant I didn’t have to edit out anyone in the background….a big win for me! I can’t wait to see their family again later this ear!

Meet baby Ari! What a cutie pie he was! We photographed his newborn session around 10 days of age in our new Pearland studio. He was one of the first newborn sessions we photographed in the new studio space and it felt like a dream to be able to use both natural light and studio light for this session. Baby Ari was not only adorable, but also a happy little guy and gave us several little smiles! He happened to wake up mid-session so this gave us the chance to capture some amazing awake photos…while we love a sleeping baby for most of the session, we also adore those open eye photos of our littlest clients. Enjoy a sneak peek of this handsome guy’s perfect newborn session!

If you’ve recently booked a family portrait session with us, we are so excited to meet you soon! But, you may be feeling a bit apprehensive wondering how your children will behave during the session. I also know first hand how stressful it is getting everyone ready and out the door on time! This is why the below tips will definitely come in handy before your upcoming photo session. 

1. Don't make a huge deal out of it. If you're stressed out and cranky, your kids will usually pick up on it and act accordingly. Their behavior will usually be better if you are relaxed and having fun. You may have to make some compromises to keep the peace such as letting your energetic daughter's hair stay straight instead of curling it into because she won't sit still. Focus on the big picture and don't sweat the small stuff. 

2. Make it fun. Let the kids have a couple “fun pictures” where they get to pick their own pose or props. You get to keep the more serious photos while they get to keep their silly photos. This way everyone wins.  If you are struggling to get your kids to sit still, turn the photo session into a game. Simon Says usually works like a charm. 

3. Be prepared.  If you're going to be out for several hours, ensure that your children are well rested and have had their nap. Bringing some snacks and activities along is also a great idea. If you are having your own photos taken too then you might want to bring a babysitter or family member along to watch the kids. If you happen to be shooting in a remote location, you never know when you might need something like bug spray, tissues or a first aid kit so bring that along too.

4. Be patient. Save your sanity by trying not to control the photo session too much. Sometimes the best photos come from kids just doing their own thing. Work with your photographer and your photos will look fantastic. 

5.  Have a chat. Get your children talking to both you and the photographer about topics such as school or their favorite songs. This allows them to feel more comfortable around your photographer and will also give your photographer a chance to capture a few candid and cute expressions.

Photographing newborns is truly a joy for me! I love the creativity of setting up each session with various colors, textures, props…the possibilities are endless, especially with the large prop collection that I have acquired over my years of business. This sweet girl came to visit me in my new studio location in Pearland and gave me a chance to really utilize my new space. I am now able to pose my parents and families on a bed prop, the new shiplap wall, or with studio light.

This family is equally as gorgeous as they are precious. I had the honor of photographing their family with their first baby girl a few years ago (the sweet toddler you see in these photos) and was so thrilled when they asked me to photograph baby girl #2 and her first year of life. There is no greater honor than when clients come back to me year after year for their portraits. We chose my favorite beach locations in Seabrook, TX and the weather was absolutely perfect. This particular location produces the most dreamy sunsets with a watercolor purple and pink sky. Hair and make-up was done by the amazing Sunkissed and Made-up, and they always amaze me with their talents!

We’ve been living in quarantine for what feels like a year, even though it’s only been a little over 5 weeks now. And, while most of the time, we are enjoying the slower days and home school life, we sure do miss seeing our friends, sports, and our daily routines. Since we’ve been spending so much time at home lately, and my last baby (Ledger, 2.5 years) no longer lets me snuggle with him, I started to get the crazy idea to get a new puppy. And believe it or not, my husband was actually on board with the idea! So now we are crazy dog people who have 3 dogs. Let’s do some simple math…. 3 children + 3 dogs, + 1 turtle = a little crazy but lots of FUN around here! We decided on a blue heeler puppy because our first fur-baby is also a heeler and she has been the absolute best dog EVER! She is now 16.5 years old and still trucking along, even if she’s deaf, very arthritic, and losing her sight. We also have a sweet lab mix named Greta who is 7 years old. The big kids and I drove 3 hours one way about two weeks ago to pick up Luna in Dawson, TX, and it was such a fun experience for them! It also got us out of the house for a while, which was nice. She’s super cute (some may think she looks like a raccoon or opossum, but we think she’s precious) and has a FUN personality to go along with her cute face…we just love her so much! She also has her wild puppy moments where she nips at our ankles and talks back when I tell her to stop. Oh, the joys of puppy-life! I took her to the studio 2 days after we brought her home to take her “newborn” photos when she was almost 11 weeks old. I was sweating bullets by the time we finished because she made me WORK. I am so happy with the way they turned out and grateful that she finally went to sleep to allow me to capture some sweet sleeping puppy photos too.

Valentine’s Mini Sessions are coming to the studio!  They will be held Saturday February 1st starting at 10am in my new Pearland studio location. Photos will be edited and delivered within 48 hours.
–$200 plus tax  ($50 is due to book your session, the remaining balance is due the day of your session)
–10 minute sessions
–Includes a minimum of 4 digital images by digital download AND wardrobe for girls.
–Sign ups will open on Monday January 20th at 7pm and the link will be sent out through my newsletter.
–Space is limited!
–These sessions are for children only and I can accommodate up to 3 siblings together in a session. Babies must be sitting independently or able to sit in a prop.

We can’t wait to see your little lovies for this fun mini session event!

We invite you to celebrate the NEW studio grand opening on Saturday January 25th from 10am-12pm! We are now located at 3532 East Broadway, across the street from Killen’s BBQ. We hope you will make plans to stop by and say hello, explore the new studio, meet me and Jenna, and enjoy some mimosas and light snacks. We will be giving away TWO Valentine’s mini session spots to those who attend (Valentine’s minis will be held on Saturday February 1st, more details to follow). We look forward to seeing you!

Kollins Six Month & Family Session

Oh, my goodness, y’all – cuteness overload! I love this family so much, and I’m enjoying watching their two sweet kiddos grow. Baby Kollins came back to see me for her six-month milestone session, and Mom decided she wanted a family session outdoors this time. Kollins’ six-month birthday happened to land right around fall time in Texas, so we had some lovely cool weather with a gorgeous fall sunset the night of their session.

Although it comes in a very small window, fall is always one of my favorite times to do outdoor portraits in Texas! You can definitely see how much personality baby Kollins has in these images. She loves the outdoors, and she was full of smiles, which made it such a fun session! (I think it might have had something to do with her playful brother being by her side.)

She borrowed a few wardrobe options from my studio collection as well as the adorable floral crown. Baby girls and flowers are always a perfect combination in my opinion! She has the most gorgeous blue eyes I’ve ever seen, so the light blue, coral, green, and pink colors really made them stand out even more. What a beauty!

We made sure to capture both family images as well as several individual photos of Kollins during this session. I always encourage families to participate in their baby's milestone sessions as it helps baby adjust to the situation AND creates gorgeous family memories for them to cherish and look back upon. These sibling portraits are priceless! I know their parents adore them, but I guarantee they’ll be equally treasured by Kollins and her brother when they grow up. Their bond is something special, and what an honor it was to capture these moments for them.

Happy half birthday, baby Kollins! I can’t wait to see this crew back in a few months.

Matteo Newborn Photos

 Just look at these sweet little lips and big, dark eyes!! Matteo came to visit me in Pearland from our neighbor town of Friendswood. He had such a precious face and a head full of hair. At the beginning of the session, he woke up and gave us some precious wide-eyed photos, always a sweet surprise with newborns. I usually try to get lots of sleepy and posed newborn photos (since they don’t stay in these curly positions long), but I'm also happy to catch those bright eyes and cute wiggles when baby allows. (Usually waking up means it is time to eat or change a diaper, but this little guy just wanted to check out his surrounding for a few minutes.)

I loved getting to know his family and can't wait to see them again soon for his six-month milestone session. I’m sure I’ll be amazed by his new skills and budding personality. We’ll get lots of playful, interactive shots then! His older siblings will be joining us for that session, too, so I look forward to meeting them!

For Matteo’s newborn session, Mom picked out a gorgeous selection of sets and outfits for her handsome little guy. With the studio all warmed up, we did a few simple, classic photos to show off his soft newborn skin. We kept the background neutral with tiny dots for some texture. I really wanted to capture all of his precious features: the fuzzy shoulders, wrinkly skin, and plump cheeks.

Then we moved on to a few themed photos. They’re big Astros fans, so I loved the knit baseball outfit they brought. For the others, we included deep red, plaid, and gray color schemes. The newborn caps fit his head perfectly, so we incorporated several of those in, too. He looked adorable no matter what we put him in, and he went right along with the flow, snoozing away until the end.

Welcome home, baby Matteo! Can’t wait to see them back in a few months.

Weston Newborn Portraits

It seems like just yesterday I was photographing this big sister’s newborn portraits, and now it’s her brand-new baby brother’s turn! What an honor it was to be asked to photograph this family again!

I photographed Weston’s sister's newborn session just 18 months prior to his session, and for an 18-month-old, she did amazingly well for their sibling photos – better than some preschoolers even. I know this made their mommy so very happy! You just never know how a toddler will act for photos...sometimes they are willing to participate and other times they are less than enthusiastic. But this sweet girl is already so enamored with baby Weston. She gently patted his fluffy hair and rubbed his soft skin, which lulled him into an even deeper sleep.

It’s fun when kids are this close in age because they will truly grow up together. I can’t wait to watch their relationship grow in these first special years. Of course, they’ll have their share of squabbles as they learn to play and get along, but I have a feeling they’ll also be each other’s best friend and greatest supporter!

Brother was so handsome with enviable lashes and kissable baby lips. His detail shots are so sweet! And I just love the boy colors in this session with hints of blue and lots of dark woody colors to contrast the lighter neutrals. Mom did a great job of coordinating and letting me know what they like! I had so much fun putting this together for them. Weston is just as sweet as can be, and I know this family will enjoy looking back on these memories for years to come.

Documenting your children’s first years of life is so important. You already know how fast the time goes, and preserving those precious moments and details on your smartphone is just not enough. Down the road, you’ll want beautiful, high-quality heirloom collections that can be shared, passed down, and enjoyed. Click [here] to learn more about our services and products.

League City Baby Photographer

And here she is! Ellis is six months old – and so full of personality! If you missed it, check the previous post for her adorable 4thof July themed newborn and family session! This gorgeous girl has grown so much since I last saw her. She transformed from a sleepy little snuggle bug into a bright-eyed wiggle worm! The six-month milestone is one of my favorites because they’re so interactive and curious, wanting to explore anything they can get their hands on. The toothy grins are my absolute favorite!

For baby Ellis’ milestone sessions, Mom requested that I come to their gorgeous home in League City and photograph their family in their "natural environment.” Lifestyle sessions are some of my favorites because I can really capture the full personalities of each member and the sweet candid moments of everyday life together. We really did it up, and I had so much fun being a fly on the wall as they did their thing, which meant lots of smiles and tickles on Mom and Dad's bed, an extra bubbly bath with popsicles, strawberries for snack time, and some naked baby fun in Ellis' nursery! Not to mention that her outfits were cute as can be! Look at Ellis’ beautiful velvet headband and floral PJs along with her older brother’s cute striped jammies!

No matter what fun activity was next (or what mess was being cleaned up), there was SO MUCH LOVE in this house. I truly feel like this session was pure magic, and I hope other families will want to do in-home lifestyle baby sessions more often! The love and priceless moments together far outshine any imperfections you might see when you look at the house. (I get it, I’m a mom, too. But trust me on this!)

Happy six months baby Ellis! So much love to you all!

Kollins Newborn Portraits

This little cutie patootie put on an endless show of priceless expressions for me to capture – both awake and asleep! What a fun baby girl’s newborn session at the studio!

I've known this family for many years, and it was so great to reunite with them again. I grew up with her sister (we were cheerleaders together in high school), and we’ve all kept in touch some over the years. When she contacted me to let me know she wanted me to photograph her new baby girl's newborn photos, I was so ecstatic! I couldn’t wait to catch up and reminisce a little.

They came to my Pearland studio and were amazed at the number of props, headbands, wraps, and beautiful things I had in my studio collection for newborn sessions. (To be honest, I’m such a sucker for those things, and my collection just keeps growing!) After learning her style and how she has the nursery decorated, I kept the session very sweet and girly, with lots of pinks and floral details. Some photos are bright and cheerful with lots of bright pink, teal, and peach, while others are softer with blush-colored hues. Her baby girl is so gorgeous a looked so sweet in whatever set we put her in.

Check out her adorable faces below! She squinted, puckered, smiled, and snoozed. She even gave us a glimpse of her big beautiful eyes. Big brother was super sweet and very proud of his new sister. Some of their photos together are my favorites, and I have a feeling they’re Mom and Dad’s favorites, too – what a joy it is to watch sibling relationships bloom! I can already tell he is going to be the best big brother – and she will be very protected as she grows up!

I’m was so excited (and honored!) that they chose to book a baby plan, so I got to see them every few months for their baby girl's milestone photos. She is so beautiful and still so full of smiles! Check back in to watch her grow!

Hatfield Family Pregnancy Announcement Photos

The first couple months of pregnancy come with a certain unique type of excitement. The expecting couple knows their little secret, but the rest of the world is completely unaware. Sometimes it’s kind of fun having big news that no one knows about, but at the same time, the couple is just counting down the days until they can announce it to the everyone! (I once had a client who shared the news with unsuspecting strangers while running errands around town because he just could not contain his excitement about their pregnancy, and he wasn’t allowed to share with family and friends yet – adorable! ) Bringing a tiny human into the world is no small thing!

The Hatfields are new clients, and they booked me so they could announce their pregnancy to their family and friends in a fun way! We shot this in my favorite field just south of Houston. I love this area because it feels so peaceful and quiet. The hanging moss makes the trees appear so enchanting as it blows in the breeze – a perfect backdrop for this sweet couple to savor this experience together.

They brought along a cute letter board and balloons to the session, so we had some options to share their exciting news. I love that they incorporated the sunshine yellow into their session. It really popped against the darker natural colors of the field and trees for bright and lively photos.

This is their first baby so it was a very exciting & special time for them! They ended up booking a baby plan so I had the honor of photographing their maternity and newborn session a few months later. Their little man had the best lips I have ever photographed on a newborn, so I'll be sure to share those in a later blog post! Stay tuned for this sweet story.

League City Newborn Portraits

I've known this awesome family for many years as they are not only former clients but good friends! They truly are some of the nicest and most welcoming people you will ever meet. They were blessed with two handsome boys for their first two babies...so when baby #3 came along, and they found out it was a sweet baby girl, there was tons of excitement!

I was so grateful they trusted me with photographing baby Ellis’ newborn session, and mom and I worked hard to coordinate ideas and plans for her session. She was born right around July 4th so we made sure to incorporate that theme into a couple of her photos. They wanted classic yet unique photos, and I’m in love with how they came out – so perfect to show off all of little Ellis’ beautiful features. We also did lots of lovely pinks, pastels, and lace. She looked like a little doll snoozing away in her basket, and my heart melted when she showed off a sleepy little smile – a rare thing at a newborn shoot!

Ellis’ big brothers were so proud of their new baby sister, and their beaming adoration made from some seriously adorable sibling photos. Both handsome boys have such striking eyes, and the photo of the three of them together was pure perfection. I can’t wait to watch their sibling relationships develop over the years. This is one protected and loved little girl! They’ll be off like the Three Musketeers in no time. Have I mentioned how much I loved this family?!

Crazy enough, it has already been a year since this newborn session. They booked a Baby Plan, so I got to watch Ellis grow up this year, and it was such an honor and joy! She is a gorgeous baby girl with such a fun personality – she will keep those big brothers of her on their toes for sure!

Natural Light Houston Maternity and Family Photography | Konen Family

Outdoor sessions are my favorite, especially when the weather is perfect. The fresh air and natural scenery just have a way of helping people relax and be themselves. On this particular evening with the Konen Family, we couldn’t have asked for a prettier day. A light breeze blew through the tall green grass, and we had the space all to ourselves as we explored our little area of the park.

The Konen’s are expecting their second little one…and it's a boy! I had the pleasure of photographing their daughter’s newborn session a few years ago so I've got to watch their family grow! This is definitely one of my favorite parts of my job! How much fun it will be to watch this brother and sister grow. After photographing so many families, I’ve noticed that brothers and sisters have such a sweet, unique bond. It’s funny to watch them play with trucks and tutus interchangeably, and it’s fun for the parents to watch their kiddos' own unique personalities develop, too. I’m so excited for them to meet their little man!

We shot these in League City at a park that offered a boardwalk surrounded nature and gorgeous evening light. Their little girl was adorable and full of personality. I’m so glad they brought her along, too, to capture this sweet transition and growth in their lives as a whole family. She is a hoot and her cute expressions and antics made for some adorable family images – lots of laughs caught on camera! I love the photos of her kissing Mom’s tummy and the two of them dancing on the path. She’s still pretty young, but I think she’s warming up to the idea of having a baby brother. I can tell already that they are going to have so much fun together, and he will have a hard time keeping up with his energetic sister! Check out their adorable maternity and family photos below!

Galveston Beach Maternity Session | H Family

Oh, what a glorious evening for this dreamy sunset maternity shoot. Who says you can’t get some stunning beach shots in Texas?! This was as peaceful as it gets.

This glowing mama-to-be is one of the most outstanding baby planners I know. She provides supportive and knowledgeable maternity consulting for families who are expecting. I hope she has had just as much support from family and friends throughout her pregnancy as she gives to others.

This is their first baby, and I was honored to photograph their announcement photo a few months earlier. Both of them are so easy-going and fun to work with. This beautiful couple is so in love as they eagerly wait for their little one to arrive, and we thought a beach session would match their personality perfectly. Plus, it served as a relaxing getaway for the two of them to spend some quality alone time together. I am so in love with this peaceful maternity shoot!

This beach was GORGEOUS, especially on this particular evening, and made for some magical maternity images. The waves lapped gently on the shore as layers of pastel blue, pink, and purple painted a marvelous sunset behind them. She wore an elegant dusty blue lace dress that really made her dark hair and beautiful features pop. Then, as it got darker, she switched to a flowing white gown that accentuated her bump perfectly. I love the bright white against the setting sun – it really highlighted the two of them and her growing bump.

I could not be more excited for this lovely couple.They will be the most wonderful parents to their little one, and I can wait to meet their bundle of joy in just a few short months.

Ready for your own relaxing maternity shoot to capture this exciting time as your family grows? Let’s get in touch!

Houston Newborn Photographer | Sweet Savannah

This little beauty is the queen of sleepy smiles! Normally, it’s pretty hard to catch one of those rare moments, but baby Savannah gave us several. She absolutely lit up the room with joy and what a pleasure it was to have her family in the studio.

The Matheson Family is new to the Houston area, so I was honored they chose me to be their newborn photographer. This is their first baby, and with all the transitioning between moves and having a baby, she was a little bit "older" in terms of newborns when she came in for her session.

I typically recommend scheduling newborn sessions within the first two to three weeks when babies are still in their sleepy, easy-to-pose phase.  Savannah was closer to four weeks but she was still a dream to work with. She didn’t have any trouble snoozing her way through the swaddled egg and froggy poses – she was just adorable. This proves that even older newborns can be photographed. Some poses need to be adjusted as the baby grows, but beautiful images of your baby can be done at any age and I would never want a family to miss out because they missed “The Window”! After all, life happens and babies create their own schedules.

For this lovely session, Mom and Dad wanted to keep it simple and classic yet distinctly feminine. We used lots of dusty rose, mauve, pastel peach, and subtle floral prints so that her beautiful complexion and tiny features really stood out as the focus of the pictures. I loved the soft sets they chose. She looked so sweet and snuggly there as she slept with her little teddy bear. I’m not going to lie, the hardest part of being a newborn photographer is resisting the urge to snuggle those little cuties!

Welcome home, little one! What a joy is was to photograph this sweet princess.

This was our last session of 2018 and, coincidentally, scheduled it on the client's wedding anniversary. We all thought it was so neat! This is their first baby, so these sessions are held so dearly.

Have I mentioned how much I love doing boys’ sessions?  Most people think that little girls have more options (which may be some truth in that) but can we just stop and say that little boys steal so many hearts… usually for their whole lives?!  And being able to document that thud of a family’s heartbeat brings so much joy to me.  Jenna and I decided to stick with mostly neutrals for this session and decided to have fun with some prints for hat selections.  Mom and dad also loved this session, so I feel that we hit it out of the park with this one!  Giles slept so well and was such a chunk.  This combination makes for the most fun newborn sessions.

We stuck to neutrals when it came time to do the parent portraits.  These are timeless and classic- which generally never go outdated.  Since I specialize in displaying my artwork of your moments in your homes, I do like to get those timeless and classic shots. My goal is for you to be able to display them for years to come. Your portraits should grow with you as your family grows!

That said, I do love adding in those pops of colors to give your session a fun and artistic look to it, which is precisely what happened with that mustard and navy combination.  Great for a little boy and beautiful and fun to look at.

Side note: Giles’ name is special in that it came from relatives who had fought in the Texas revolution. How cool is that?  I love learning about my clients and their most precious, so do not be alarmed when I ask you these types of questions.  Happy Wednesday friends! <3

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