It all started with the dresses, which after countless hours, were found on Etsy and eBay (both one-of-a-kind/handmade). Finding models also presented a challenge. There are lots of models in Austin, but finding ones that suited the look I wanted and fit my dresses (with minor alterations) also proved to be very time consuming. All this being said, I was so elated when I found Maddison and Jess last fall.

An important part of this shoot was to play with lenses and light. For over half of these shots, I used an all-manual Zeiss (Nikon mount) lens, shot at 1.4-2.0. My eyes grew tired quickly, but the colors, contrast, and sharpness (when you can get the focus right on) that this lens yielded were mind blowing. Most of the images below are SOOC (straight out of camera). They needed hardly any adjustments at all. The most I did to the images was lighten them by about half a stop. I must admit, this happens, but not nearly enough when I shoot a wedding. Having the time to really focus so intensely on composing an image (which I usually don’t have the luxury of doing at weddings), allowed me to get the lighting and depth of field just how I wanted it in the camera. I was so happy when I opened all the images on my computer and didn’t have to fuss with them. The end result was marked by images that were clean, sharp and true to life colors.

Things I learned-
• A grid in a soft box can truly do wonders when trying to direct light.
• Don’t be afraid to put your subject in a dark spot.
• Reflectors are great tools when used inside and near a window.
• If you bring a box of Tiff’s treats to a shoot, you will probably be the only one eating them. I take that back: you and the pregnant make-up artist.
• If you are putting together a shoot with models, make the time and effort to meet beforehand to try on clothes and accessories. I did this, and it made me feel so much more prepared the day of the shoot.
• Bouncing flash backwards and into a reflector that is pointed towards your subject can yield some nice natural light. It’s also a quick solution if you don’t have time to set up off-camera lights.
• Doing something like this is lots of fun, and I should try and do it more often.

Envisioning a portrait’s color palette ahead of time is not always possible, but really important. Figuring out which scenes are most fitting to a subject (I’m talking strictly about colors) was a little bit of a task, but well worth it. For instance, I specifically used Jessa (not Maddison) in the scene with the rod-iron fence because I knew her black hair would tie in so perfectly. The juxtaposition of the black hues with the peach tone of her dress and the sunset light all came together to create, in my opinion, a really great painterly feel. Another example are the images of Maddison in the courtyard. Once outside, we made the decision that changing her lip color to a deep plum would create an interesting juxtaposition against the rest of all the colors, which were all very light grey (the bog and masonry) and ivories (her dress and hair), and all very closely related. This monotony of colors was absolutely intentional. Yes, you can try and achieve the same thing in photoshop with a filter that masks everything, but the end result is very different, and in my opinion, doesn’t have the same depth. I had these image’s colors in my head before I shot them. Some turned out exactly how I had envisioned; some weren’t as successful. Either way, thinking about all the elements before-hand gave me a “sketch” to go off of before I began to photograph, which in turn gave me confidence to carry it out on the day of the shoot.

I didn’t want this to be a huge styled shoot with a large team of collaborators, nor did I want this to focus my efforts on a lot of stuff (no cupcakes, balloons or old suitcases on this shoot). My intention was to focus on colors, light (both natural and flash), the composition of portraits and experimenting with different kinds of lenses. In a nutshell, I just wanted to play and have fun. That being said, there were a few very important collaborators who made this day successful, in addition to making the day a lot of fun. I approached Maris Malone-Caledron to do make-up. Working in the wedding industry, I have the pleasure of working with great vendors. When it came to finding someone to do make-up, MMC is simply one of the best, and I was so grateful that she was so excited to come on board for this shoot in which she knew nothing about. I told her what kind of look I was going for and what kind of make-up I thought would look best, and she executed it perfectly! I had never worked with Erica Gray (hair stylist) before, but she came highly recommended by a colleague, and she also did a fantastic job. I have to send out a special thanks to my friend Allen Doberenz, for bringing his lights and reflectors and being one of the best Sherpas around. Allen really helped me with setting up, adjusting the lights, and holding a reflector like nobody else’s business. Lastly, a big thanks goes out to Beth Walker for bringing her dog out for a few pics. It was so much fun shooting with him, and I think he made a great addition to the session. I can’t get over how beautiful that dog is!

Thanks again to all of those that came on board for this session when I had nothing really to offer except a verbal description of what I was wanting to shoot, which was rather vague. I had a blast and hope to do another one soon.

Stay tuned for Part 2! There are lots more photos. Although similar in content, I’ll be posting some variations on posing and color processing.

When we started looking at houses, I soon realized that I simply wasn’t going to find a house with the finishes I wanted, and I didn’t want to pay a premium for another person’s remodeling. So, the most important thing was to find a house that had the “bones” we needed, and then we could fix it up. Easier said than done. We looked for so long. Houses were either out of our price range, in a different school district (we didn’t want to move Elliot), or didn’t meet our needs in terms of size or layout. Our wish list was to have at least three bedrooms and an office. I really needed a floor plan that had a room near the front of the house to accommodate meeting with my photography clients. Hardest of all was finding a house that didn’t have travertine tile, granite counter tops, limestone exterior, and beige walls and beige carpets (of which I have a strong aversion to).

After looking for almost two years, we found the one! Let me tell you, this was a real fixer upper, but that’s exactly what I wanted. This little gem came up on the market. Well, I say gem: my realtor literally told us to run the other way. But, I saw so much possibility in our new house. Of course, we had no idea we would end up having to do as much work as we did. They always say when it comes to remodeling, plan to go over budget, and let me say, that is the absolute truth.

We expected to do a lot of cosmetic work, but once we got started, the snowball grew exponentially. I would have loved to have kept a blog throughout the past year with real-time updates, but as a full-time working photographer and mother of two boys, who also wore the hat of contractor and designer for this whole project, blogging was just not a possibility. Anyhoo….let’s get to the pics. I hope you find these images fun to look and even inspirational! Just a heads up: my style is a little bit eclectic. Sort of a blend of modern and traditional, but most importantly, full of soul. I don’t like things with too much “slap you in the face” trendy.  Many of the things I have in my house, I’ve had for quite a while. If I bring something in the house, I want to make sure it will last awhile. It’s borderline simple, but with my life being so busy and full, that’s the way I like it.

Let’s start with the “After”…

Before
During
To say it was hard for me to find the right colors for the house (interior and exterior) would be the understatement of the century.  I had made so many trips to Home Depot, that by the time I was done the Behr rep actually asked to come to our house to see how it all turned out.  None of the colors I ended up using were Behr formulas.  They were all hand mixed by me combining many custom samples.  I’ll admit, it was a little ridiculous, but the end result was just what we wanted.   Hey, I’m a photographer so I’m allowed to use the “I’m sensitive to color” excuse.   The exterior is a combination of a medium warm blue and grey.
The interior of the house is mostly a very light “warm dove grey”.

So this is kind of funny.   Well, I thought it was funny, but my painter was extremely patient with me on this one.  Let’s just say that my little painted sample turned out way more green than we wanted.  Yes, we painted our house (3/4 of it) twice to get the right color.  Here was the first attempt.  Too green and to me and a color that was just too predictable.


The “before” of the kitchen doesn’t look too shabby, but trust me, in person it was really bad.  The tile was cracked and the floor was uneven.  The cabinets were 30 years old, painted white and hardly functional.  The counter top was homemade “Granicrete”.  So we pretty much tore everything out.  To achieve a more open concept, we raised the header and doubled the size of the doorway to the dining area.  In the dining area, you’ll notice there was a fire place, which is now gone.  It also needed a lot of work and we decided we wanted to use that space for a dining area instead.  I know it sounds loco to tear down a fireplace (a decision we wrestled with for ages), but it was the best decision we made.
I could write an ENTIRE post on how much I love Caesarstone counter-tops and this “zero radius” sink.   Ikea was having a great sale and we got our counter tops 40% off.  They are no-fuss and SO easy to maintain.  The color is “Rosemary” and could not be more perfect against the white cabinets.  Still working on back-splash tile.  The best part about this sink is that is is a whopping 16 inches deep!  So what?  That means I can have tons of dirty dishes in the sink and that don’t pile up above the counter.  That is pure heaven for me.    This photo also shows the trim we used throughout the whole house (around the windows and baseboards).  It’s simply 1×4’s, 1×6’s and 1×2’s.  Love the simple clean lines.  Probably because we have so many toys and stuff around the house, I gravitate towards finishes that are very minimalist and not too busy.
There was a another doorway on this wall that lead to the formal dining room.  We closed it off and that room is now my office.



Fireplace gone.  Added drywall to the loft area.  Designed a wood “screen” structure to keep kiddos safe.  Our good friend Jonathan and woodworker extraordinaire made it for us.
A few of my favorite things.  I don’t have a lot of “things” in my house (my boys take care of that department), but a few meaningful favorites of mine are 1) Joyous tea cups Chris bought me. 2) My “Grey Lady” painting.  Been in my family for over 50 years.  I was given it when my Grandmother passed away.  Makes me so happy.  3)  My dresser I bought an an estate sale for $20 over 15 years ago.  Vintage wasn’t all the rage back then, so they were basically trying to “get rid of it”.  Lucky me.  It’s absolutely most piece of furniture in the house. 4) Cuckoo clock Chris bought me for my birthday. 5)  A large original photograph of my grandfather and great aunt.  Frame is also cool for being over 90 years old. 6) An original print with my favorite colors.
I know…they’re just stairs.  But if you knew how hard it was to get these done you’d know how much they mean to me.

The best part of the hall bath is the ginormous drawers this sink vanity has.  Holds TONS of stuff.
Half the master bath.
Just had to throw one of Milo in here.  He followed me everywhere throughout the house while taking pics and gave me some great poses.
Elliot’s room.

Graham’s room.
Front entryway and hallway..   Who doesn’t love driftwood?  Picked these great pieces up on a recent trip to Colorado.

Phew!! That’s it for now.  Hope you’ve enjoyed.  Love to hear your thoughts!  Pics of the office coming soon.  Feel free to drop me a line if you need any remodeling advice.  From appliances, windows, siding, HVAC, to hardwoods and counter tops….I have learned a lot and am more than happy to share.  Peace.

What a pretty fireplace. Cookies for Santa (did not last long), bags below stockings for overflow and 3 foot nutcrackers.

Christmas morning. Kids just wake up too early on Christmas day (I remember what that was like). Most of us could hardly keep our eyes open.






A fun drive through the hills. You can tell the fire hit here (a mix of burnt shrubs and new growth).

Cuteness.



Appreciating the local skaters. Chris used to skate and still loves to admire.

Hubby Chris….sigh

A sign a of true man…sigh again

Rob and Dawn.


Mike and Marta. I asked Marta to take her hat off. Yes, it was cute, but it was covering her face which is way more pretty. A fun series came out of it.


Cousins.



We mustn’t forget the beloved Sunshine.

Absolutely sunny days, except the last was completely fog and rain. Funny how it so often works out that way.



More cuteness.

Thanks for a wonderful week everyone. Looking forward to the next trip.

See me in the mirror taking a pic of Chris?

Yes, that’s my husband. Yes, he is totally so good-lookin’.

We  were lucky enough to get a private tour of the Donald Judd installation.

I love watching Chris and Elliot talk about art…such an intellectual bonding experience. Graham…not so interested.

Graham’s first gallery opening. A little bit of a sore thumb. Oh well…kids gotta learn about art too. I say start ‘em young.

It’s a good thing I went out of my way and got us a rustic little house with no tv. We had our iphones, laptops and Nintendo. We are so addicted….

So the owners of the Continental Club are opening a cool little bar called Padres in Marfa. It looks like it’s going to be a really cool place to hang out. They let us have a sneak peak and gave Elliot first dibs to play on their awesome collection of vintage pinball machines.

Can’t get enough of the big open skies! Too beautiful.

Just a side note about baby equipment. I always tell my friends not to skimp on strollers. This is a Mountain Buggy. Sort of the SUV of strollers. It’s a little pricey, but soooo worth it. There’s no way we could go places we want to go (and baby be comfortable), if we did not have such an awesome stroller. Going over terrain like this was smooth sailing.

Speaking of strollers…Elliot was so proud to be driver for the first time.

Emergency Response Studio

Maybe I should not admit that one of the best pics here was taken by MY 5 YEAR OLD SON! Elliot is getting so good with a camera.