A COLD Day at McKinney Cotton Mill {McKinney Photographer}

Friday was such a fun day!  I have been dying to do a session at the McKinney Cotton Mill and waiting for the person willing to do it.  The Cotton Mill is not climate controlled, and precious Ashley braved 40 degree temperatures to have her senior pictures done.  I was so cold...I can't imagine what she was feeling but I never heard one complaint and we got some amazing pictures.

I had the hardest time picking my favorites, but here we go...







The Cotton Mill is very dark and moody inside.  We wanted some picture that reflected the nature of the mill itself.  I thought this one turned out very old move glamour style.

Can anyone say "model"?  She is gorgeous!


Mom carried balloons all over the mill waiting to take these pictures at the end.  The wind got to us but they still turned out pretty cute!


Thank you Ashley for a fun day!  I can't wait to show you the rest of your pictures!

Braving The Cold

Whew...winter is upon us.  First, I must say I am way behind on blogging and have several families that I owe a post to for their sessions.  Thanksgiving week was a whirlwind with sessions every day, trying to decorate my home for Christmas, and FOUR people down with the stomach flu including me.

Anyway, this dear mother and daughter braved the cold the morning after Thanksgiving at 7:15am to have their pictures done.  We were COLD, but they were troopers and we got some great shots.  They are so sweet and this session was just a joy to do!

How wonderful a fire was lit that we could use to warm up a little bit.  Isn't she beautiful?!  I love the color in her sweater.  Color is GOOD!




I could just tell that mom and daughter really love each other.  I have many outtakes of them laughing together.  Even when I asked them to look off in the distance, joy radiates from their faces.  You gotta love that.


We had fun taking pictures with the guitar.  I just had to throw the artsy shot in.


Anyone that braves 40 degree weather and is willing to take her shoes off and get in the frigid water gets a gold star in my book.  I sure wouldn't have done it.  But what a cute shot!


Thanks guys for a fun morning!  I hope you enjoy your photos!

Cutie Pies....

I had a series of mini Christmas sessions this weekend and this couple brought two of the cutest dogs I have ever seen. And what a sweet couple...they were so nice and willing to do anything.  These are a few of my favorites...but with a couple as cute as they were, it was hard to choose...











And this is my favorite picture from the day.  It probably isn't the one they will want on their Christmas card, but I thought the dogs were hilarious.  Too cute!




Thanks guys for a fun session.  I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Second Time Around....

Ok, so last Sunday my session with this sweet couple was abruptly ended with the monsoon of the year.  It just so happened that I had some mini sessions scheduled in small town Collin County yesterday and I had an opening that I could fit them in.  We had a wonderful time strolling around the downtown area and taking advantage of the great crumbling architecture.

This time we remembered to bring squeaky toys to keep Miss Bella's attention on the camera.  I love this picture.  The family looks fabulous and the reflection of the buildings across the street in the windows is wonderful!



We had a good time just strolling downtown and looking in the windows.  Bella liked being a bit free for a few minutes as well.  She is only 9 months old and doesn't like to be forced to sit still!



What a great and fun couple!



Thanks guys for a fun time and for your patience and willingness to drive so far again to finish your pictures.  I hope you enjoy them!

A Great Fall Day {McKinney, Plano Photographer"

I had the honor of doing a session with a friend of mine this afternoon.  We were a little concerned about the weather, but everything cleared up beautifully for our afternoon session.  The family were all troopers today as we did have to trek through some mud and water to get to the good locations.  Somehow though, I think I was the only one who ended up with mud all over me.  Good thing!

We got lots of great shots of the family.  I chose these because they were a little bit different than the traditional family shots.  I love the more casual, relaxed look of this picture.  The fall colors are outstanding!



I love the beauty and serenity of this shot.



Smiles are so hard to get at this age from boys. However, they will pose for the serious look.  Boys, wooden fences, and the outdoors just go naturally together! 




I can tell you my kids wouldn't pose for the camera with their arms around each other.  I loved their willingness to be together.  What beautiful children and so photogenic!





This shot was actually taken in my front yard.  The family was nervous about taking the puppy to the session...and with all the mud, it was a good thing we didn't.  So, after the session, they grabbed the dog and came over to my house for one last picture with "Lucy".    I have to say I love that dog.  She is a mess, but totally precious and the most wonderful big dog I have ever had the pleasure to meet!




Thanks "K" family for a fun afternoon.  I hope it wasn't too painful sitting for photos!  I hope you enjoy your sneak peak!

Foiled By The Rain {McKinney Photographer}

This couple and I have had a date on the books for pictures for quite awhile.  I knew the rain was going to come in, but we decided to talk one hour before (as they were driving quite a long way to get to McKinney) and make the call.  When we talked, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in sight.  We decided to go for it.  Sure enough...when the time for our pictures came around an hour later, the clouds were onimous and the sky was dark.  We decided to shoot for as long as we could and got about 15 minutes into our session when the rain started.  So...here are my favorites from the few shots we got.  We will try again later....

I was afraid to use my flash for fear of freaking the dog out. She is a puppy and a little spastic anyway. Next week the lighting will be better to capture her face a little bit more clearly....



I love this picture. I asked them to look at each other lovingly and they started laughing...which is what my husband and I would do too. I love spontaneous laughter!



Fall is my 2nd favorite time of year. I love the colors!



Thanks for trying guys. I hope you enjoy your pictures and we will try again this weekend!

Can you say "photogenic family"??!!!!!! {McKinney, Plano Photographer}

I have known this family for many years and watched their daughter grow into a beautiful young woman.  We decided to use the Gaylord Texan as the backdrop for this session and had tons of fun as there are so many great backdrops.  We were less than thrilled to see that on November 8, they had already decorated for Christmas, but we found quite a few backdrops without Christmas decorations that worked.  The family wanted Christmas pictures, but no one wants to look at Christmas decorations in their family photo all year long!  Here are a few of my favorites....

Can you understand my title now?  They all look fabulous!






This was one of those unposed moments that I just love.



I am thinking GAP magazine layout here :-)


Simply beautiful!!!!





I found a new texture on line by "essence of a dream".  I really love what this does to a picture. I wanted to give the creator credit for their work.  Of course, when your subject is this beautiful, it makes everything better!




Thanks "C" family for a fun fun day. I hope you enjoy your pictures!

Dreamy

Ok...I had to upload one more from Sunday's session. I love this picture. The dreamy nature of it just leads me to think of stories from my childhood...of secret gardens and hidden places, of princesses and castles...of all things little girl. How wonderful to remember little girl dreams again....

Beautiful Kiddos...{McKinney, Plano Photographer}

Once again, I am photographing beautiful kids. I am convinced there is something in the McKinney water that is producing such gorgeous children around here! This family goes to school with my boys. They are a sweet and precious family. They agreed to try out a new location for me. I love the results...of course it would be hard for them to take a bad picture wherever we did the session!

I just love the fall colors in this picture!


I think this was one of my easiest sessions. She was a natural in front of the camera!


I just adore this child. He is truly as sweet as he looks!


LOVE the water and the rocks!

This is my future daughter in law! Kidding (sort of).....

What a fun afternoon! I hope you guys enjoy your pictures!

Urban Oasis {McKinney, Frisco Photographer}

What a fun time I had with this family in a great urban location in North Dallas. I have been looking for buildings like this for a long time and was thrilled when I stumbled on it. The "W" family were such great sports and mom was ready for anything. Here are some of my favorites....


















This downtown area really needs to be revitalized, but it would ruin some great pictures. Thank you to the "W" family for allowing me to spend time with you and capture some great moments. I hope you enjoy your pictures!

After School in the Woods {McKinney, Frisco Photographer}

I had the joy of spending time with a beautiful family yesterday afternoon. I have to say that this family has some of the most polite children I have met. The oldest children are in classes with my boys at school, so I have watched them over time. They are respectful, patient, and full of self-control. (Although I have to say the little man can be quite a hoot when he gets going). I think there must be something in the water in McKinney as I just keep getting to photograph such beautiful children!

Here are some of my favorites from yesterday...



This little guy is so adorable. I can tell that he has been hanging around my son a lot lately. They have the same expressions - not sure who picked them up from who (or whom? I am soooo not an English major!) I loved this expression - he is so precious!



This little one challenged all of my "mommy" abilities. I could not get her to warm up to me and smile. When she finally did, she figured out it was funny to smile and laugh when the camera was down and get serious as soon as I picked it up. No matter though...she is beautiful even without a smile.



This one was quite the opposite of her sister. Giggles abound! I was excited to use my new bench for the first time. I picked it up last weekend in Wimberley and have been waiting for the right setting. Love it!



All I can say is BEAUTIFUL!



Could I get four kids looking at me at the same time? NO!!!! But...I still love this picture. I wonder what she discovered around the tree?



I want to express my thanks to the "G" family for allowing me to take your pictures. It was a joy and honor and I hope you had fun!

Fun Family! {Allen, McKinney Photographer}

I had the privilege of photographing a dear family. I met "mom" when my younger son was only three weeks old. I was overwhelmed and needed a little tiny bit of a break, so I enrolled my then three year old in Vacation Bible School in a church down the street from our house. The woman who was my son's teacher was so warm and gracious and she really was a ray of sunshine in my sleep deprived, dead on my feet life. She welcomed me every day and made my son feel welcome in a church where he knew no one.

That fall, I enrolled my older son in a preschool program. Guess who was there...yep...the same beautiful woman who had taught him in VBS! Her son was in the same class as my son. To make a long story short, our boys have grown up together and I count her as one of my dear friends. I am thrilled to share some of the pictures from our photo session yesterday.

I think this one is my favorite. I love all of the colors on the wall in the background...oh yeah...the family looks great too!






This one may be my second favorite. "Mom" wanted natural shots of the boys just being brothers. I love the deep concentration of their conversation and the reflection of the morning sun on the water is stunning.









I love to see brothers who appreciate each other. These are two very respectful, well behaved boys. Ms. W is an inspiration to me as a mother.



Thanks "W" family for a wonderful morning!