Kate and JJ's Engagement Portraits

It’s been months since my last post, and a lot has been happening around here!  I’ve got a lot of work to post from the last several months, and am excited to finally get it up on my site.  Stay tuned over the next couple weeks, we’ll be updating the blog and website with new work from this year that has not yet been seen.

 Also, some news from the studio...I now have a Studio Manager!  Kara started working for me in late October, and has been doing a wonderful job.  She is extremely talented, and has a natural eye for photography and design.  She’ll be helping me to get in a regular routine of posting to my blog, among lots of other things!

 

To start it off, here is a shoot from early November with Kate and JJ.  We had such a great time taking these photos.  On Friday, we headed to Kate’s family ranch, and began shooting Saturday.  I brought all of the tintype gear, and we spent the day on Saturday taking 8X10 tintypes.  For sunset we ventured up the hill to a place we had scoped out earlier in the day, and photographed until after sunset.  We had the most incredible light, and Kate and JJ did awesome!  Every time I look at these photos it makes me want to head back to the hill country.  After a great dinner, I made Kate and JJ pose for me one more time before going to bed, and we got the shot with the stars.  Being in Houston, I forget that all of those stars are up in the sky.  What a beautiful weekend.

 

On Sunday morning we got up early for sun rise.  It was cold, but well worth it.  The warm colors of the early morning were magical.

 

It was a wonderful weekend, and I have to thank Kate and JJ, and Kate’s family for hosting us all weekend.  They were such gracious hosts, and made our stay so comfortable and fun.  Also, a big thanks to Ed Cowan, who gave me a hand that weekend.

Scan of the original tintype plate

 

 JJ with his new pistol...Kate's family gave JJ this as a gift.  Welcome to the family, JJ. 

Scan of the original tintype plate

Scan of the original tintype plate

Lauren and Bryan's Engagement Portraits

In May, Lauren, Bryan and I headed out to downtown Houston to take their engagement portraits.  We had a blast photographing at Discovery Green and Minute Maid Park, then stopping along Allen Parkway at the water fountain where Bryan proposed.

Lauren and Bryan tie the knot this weekend at Rice University.  It will be a beautiful and exciting day!

Here are some of my favorites from their engagement shoot.

Melanie and Matt's Engagement Portraits

These were taken of Melanie and Matt way back in January, when it was still cold!  Melanie and Matt are getting married later this year on a destination wedding, and needed some engagement portraits.  I was so happy they called me!  I had a blast photographing them in Uptown Park, and found out that Matt plays in the Wade Bowen Band (how cool!).  Check out Wade Bowen and his band, they've got some great music.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the shoot.  I hope you all enjoy.  Have a great weekend!

Erin and Daniel's Engagement Portraits

This past weekend I met up with Erin and Daniel at Herman Park to take their Engagement Portraits.  Then we hopped over to the museum area, and photographed in the sculpture garden andin front of the Contemporary Arts Museum.  We had a great time, and wonderful weather.

Here are some of my favorite images!

 

 

 

Have a great weekend!  If you're heading to the "Before You Say I Do" Bridal Soiree at the Houstonian on Sunday, be sure to stop by my booth!  I'll be there all day!

A Beautiful Day in Chappell Hill- Part I- Kate and Garner's Engagement Portraits

One of the tintypes we took in front of Kate's family's home.  The tintype process is a 19th century photographic process where pictures are exposed onto sheet metal.  Check out my blog for some more information about tintypes.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I headed to Chappell Hill, TX to photograph some engagement and family portraits.  Chappell Hill is a beautiful little town located near Brenham, TX (home of Blue Bell Ice Cream!).  Kate's family lives a short walk from downtown, so we started photographing at their beautiful, historic house, then walked down the street into town.  We had beautiful weather, and even took a couple tintypes!  I thought the historic setting was a perfect reason to bust out all of the tintype gear!  Kate and Garner did a great job staying still and not blinking for the 6-8 second exposures!

We were only able to take a couple quick exposures inside this church before we had to leave.  I wish we could have spent a bit more time taking photos inside, but there was a meeting scheduled to take place while we were there, so we took what we could get!  The church, located downtown, is a historical landmark, and is more or less the original structure, with very few changes since it was built.

The first tintype exposure, a bit over-exposed.  Because the "film speed/ISO" of a tintype is so slow, you can't accurately meter the light of a scene like you would with a normal camera.  Trial and error is the best way to get a correct exposure.

Kate's family's home is absolutely gorgeous.  After purchasing the home they did an incredible job restoring this piece of Texas history.