My Favorite Images of 2017

Every year this is one of the hardest things for me to do. I agonize over this task because I love so many of the photos I've gotten to take over the course of the year. And this year was no exception. The first cut of this group was over 60 photos, and I agonized over removing each photo to try to get down to 10. And I (finally) did! And then I found one more that I just couldn't cut. So yes - I can actually count to 10. I just couldn't cut any more. Click through the photos for descriptions of each. And thank you so much for to joy and honor of allowing me to create these images in 2017. I'm looking forward to a 2018 full of memories and even more images to share!

This was a shot shot early in the summer of Madison, a Brenham High School cheerleader. Her cheer portraits were awesome, but it's this shot that I just love. I don't know whether it's the frozen motion or the troll hair or the silhouette, but I think it's fun.

This amazing sunrise was shot in Cancun, Mexico in April on the morning of Katie and Johnny's destination wedding. It was the perfect beginning to an amazing day - a day that was supposed to be rainy and ugly but that turned out gorgeous!

This is one of my absolute favorite shoots of the year. This was from Kayci's 14-year-old portrait session. She has a quirky, elegant style that is just beautiful. It was a tough choice between this shot or the one where she's holding a painted turquise pineapple. But those eyes...

We shot Katie's bridal portraits on an overcast day at the Zilker Arboretum in Austin, and I think the weather added a beautiful, elegant moodiness to her photos. She was such a beautiful bride!

This photo, shot in late January in West Texas, was one of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen. But it literally only lasted for a minute. Almost as soon as the sun crested above the horizon a thick layer of clouds rolled in and the day turned cloudy and gray. I was glad to have been there to witness this brief burst of color.

This photo was shot in March at Brenham Crossfit. I didn't know it when I shot this, but this man was in the midst of training to compete in a Crossfit competition. He worked out so hard that he just laid on the floor while he regained the strength to get up.

Hannah knew exactly where she wanted to shoot her senior portrait - in front of her favorite mural in Houston. I absolutely love the color of this photo and her decision to wear her prom dress in front of the wall. It has an elegant and very sweet feel that I just love.

Alex and Laurie just got married in December and I haven't shared these yet because of my sabbatical. But their engagement photos are some of my favorite ever. This image was shot at thre Veritas Wine Bar in College Station. I just love the elegance of this image, from the color of the wall behind them to the reflections of the bar top. I'm looking forward to sharing more form this session soon!

This image was shot in Durham, North Carolina in March. This little guy was hesitant to have his picture taken. But most 7-year-old boys love to jump and play, so I got him to do just that. I simply love the action in this photo and the joy on his face as he launches himself into the air.

This image was shot in Carborro, North Carolina in March. My favorite part of this image was that just as I pushed the shutter a burst of wind came along and sent his bowtie flying sideways - a perfect addition to the shot that I couldn't have planned.

This is the shot I just couldn't leave out. It was shot in April near Canton, Texas, Several strong tornadoes ripped through the countryside, leaving paths of destruction in their wake. This is a country homestead that was destroyed and all the leaves stripped from the trees, leaving a dead and otherworldly-looking scene behind. I was stuck that among the bent-ver fences and tangles of barbed wire and debris that an old tractor sat in the field, undisturbed. Smoke in the air from burn piles nearby gave a hazy glow to the sunset, and even though seeing such distruction breaks my heart I still find the contrast of dark brokenness and the light of hope beautiful.

Christian S. {maternity}

Almost five years ago I was just starting out as a professional photographer when Christian asked me to take her maternity portraits - some of which are still among my all-time favorite photos. So I was thrilled when she asked me to do another round of maternity photos for her second baby!

Christian brought patience and flexibility to a whole new level on this shoot, too! You can't tell (except maybe for the ice on the ground in some of the shots), but it was 23 degrees at Independence, Texas when these photos were made. That's pretty cold for Texas, folks! But this gorgeous mom-to-be ROCKED it and I'm so happy to share some of my favorite shots.

Thank you yet again, Christian, for trusting me with these important times of your life. I hope these photos are a reminder of this time for years and years to come!

Lauren Svoboda {bridal portrait}

The wedding is over and I'm proud to post these elegant photos of this beautiful bride!

Congratulations, Lauren Svoboda Schroeder!

Adrienne Cummings {bridal portrait}

The wedding is over, so I'm very happy to finally be able to share Adrienne's bridal portrait!

These were shot at the Royalty Pecan Farm in Caldwell, Texas on a hot summer Texas afternoon. The temperature was 106 degrees, but Adrienne was a trooper! She had such a great attitude throughout the entire shot, and I think her bridals really capture her beautiful and fun spirit!

The Salas Family {video}

Radcliff Family {Portraits}

I don't even know where to begin with this great family. This shoot was so great. It consisted of a lot of running around, singing "Let It Go" and (a lot) of laughing.

Thank you so much to the Radcliffs for allowing me to spend a beautiful fall Sunday evening with y'all. I hope you love these photos as much as I I loved shooting them!

These are a few of my favorites from the shoot. See more from this shoot here.

Three Days at Tamara Lackey's Studio

Last week I had the incredible opportunity to attend a 3-day workshop in the North Carolina studio of one of the leading kid and family photographers in the world, Tamara Lackey. I've been a huge fan of her work for a few years and met her after attending her presentation last year at Photoshop World in Las Vegas.

For three days I and twelve other people got to watch her shoot, shoot alongside her and get pointers directly from Tamara. To say it was amazing experience doesn't even touch it. There's absolutely no doubt that it'll change the way I shoot forever. I learned new techniques and got to practice others that I thought I had covered. I learned so much.

We got to shoot in a variety of conditions and with several kids and adults. These weren't models - they were real kids just like yours (and mine) who don't want to do what you want them to do or sit still and get bored. And as if that wasn't challenging enough, we even added a puppy to the mix!

If you ever have the chance to learn directly from someone who is a master at their craft - do it!

These are a few of my favorite shots that I shot at the workshop. I'm looking forward to taking the knowledge I learned over these three amazing days and bringing it home to Texas to capture some beautiful, fun moments in the lives of families here!

E-mail me to book your kid or family session!