Bluebonnets | Family Portrait

It is springtime in Texas. For a mother, it means, among other things, beautiful fields of bluebonnets to take the quintessential family portraits. For little boys, it means racing through those fields at the speed of light. As I chased, stooped and crawled my way through the shoot, I was nervous about the outcome. But when he was in his mother's arms, I was blessed with the sweetest of smiles, the most infectious of laughs, and several wonderful slice-of-life images. For the family of a deployed soldier, it can be difficult to find those blissful moments amidst the seemingly endless days apart, so I was pleased and gratified to be able to capture a few of them for this beautiful family!

An Encouraging Start | Adult Portrait

He is a young musician. He laments how out of tune his guitar is, but I don't hear any of that. Instead, I see how the discomfort of being in front of the lens eases as he strums, and, later, as he sings. I see a young man with aspirations, talent, and great promise. He is pursuing his dream, and I find a wealth of inspiration in that.

Fix-It-Friday #89

This week's Fix-It-Friday image (provided by Dana Suggs) was a bit more challenging than it looked. I really struggled with composition. If I tried a close portrait crop, he looked too hunched over. If I tried to create more space in front of the subject, that big white door was a major distraction. So, instead of focusing on "dead" or "active" space, I focused on leading lines, which meant leaving in the brick wall and the chairs.

SOOC:

Color Edit:

Cocoa Edit:

To see other great entries, or join in on the fun, visit I Heart Faces. :)

I Heart Face Photo Challenge-Anything But A Face!

This week, we were challenged to enter a photo that does not have a face. I am a picture-taking maniac, so I have my fair share of hand, leg, shoulder, and feet shots. But as I was going through my recent photographs, I had to stop and take a moment when I came across this one. It is a picture of my husband lacing up his boots in preparation for his return to his overseas deployment. He was sitting on the floor of our son's room, amidst the bright, scattered toys. My heart was aching when I took this picture, and I have mixed emotions about it as I look upon it now.

To see other great entries, please visit the I Heart Faces website.

Fix-It-Friday #88

This week's Fix-It-Friday image was provided by Angie Arthur.

SOOC:

There is really very little lacking in this image! Whenever we get an easy-fix image, I tend to want to flex my creative muscles. Time to have some fun!

Color Pop:

Hot Cocoa:

To see other great edit, or to join in on the fun, visit I Heart Faces. Have a great day!

Texas Winter Is Unkind To Aspiring Photographers

A few days ago, we had gorgeous weather. It was bright, warm, inviting, all the components of a perfect day. Unfortunately, errands hindered my desire to drive around in search of subjects to photograph. As I type this, rain is pouring from a vast gray sky, turning the soil beneath the hard brown grass into a soupy muck that I will inevitably have to mop up in the wake of our hapless dogs. Such is the unpredictable nature of Texas winter. It discourages potential clients from setting up sessions, as there is no telling if there will be a sudden cold front bringing icy wind and sleet or a lovely, balmy, breezy 80-degree evening that yields much more desirable photographic results. Without sessions, it is difficult to build a portfolio, and without a portfolio it is difficult to book sessions. It's a Catch-22.

Despite the uncooperative weather, I realize it is in my best interest to post samples of my work. While I wait for Spring, I will be doing small projects to pass the time. You can also follow my Project 365 here. Hopefully, there will soon be some session sneak-peeks in the midst of the I Heart Faces' Fix-It-Fridays and Photo Challenges!

Fix-It-Friday #87

This week's Fix-It-Friday image was taken by Andrea Riley. It is a beautiful image, and really just needed a few little tweaks to make it workable, so I took this week's image as an opportunity to be a little more creative.

SOOC:

Golden:

Glow:

Hot Cocoa:

To see other great edits, or join in on the fun, visit I Heart Faces!