I was so excited when one of my past senior clients Jenna contacted me about doing a session in the bluebonnets with her sister.  First, I love working with past clients!  Secondly, I am very blessed to have three sisters myself who are my best friends, so I thought it would be really fun.  Apart from the VERY windy and kind of chilly conditions, it was fun!  We made it just in time too – it started raining on me about two minutes after I left.  These two are absolutely gorgeous!  I just can not get over their stunning blue eyes.  They were so sweet, and I’m sure there are going to be some sad moments ahead as Jenna goes off to college in the fall.  That’s the beauty of sisterhood though, it only gets better as time passes.  Thanks for braving the wind you two, and enjoy your sneak peek! 

Ummm, hello, model pose! 

“We’re up for anything.”  Ahhh, that is music to a photographer’s ears!  As soon as Mom told me that, I knew this would be a fun session.  It definitely did not disappoint!  After a reschedule from earlier in April, we were able to get some bluebonnet shots at just the right time, and then we went over to a nearby nature area.  I was so excited to use my new prop (well, new to photography – I actually had this couch in my room when I was in high school), and it photographed even better than I thought!  We really did have so much fun – as you can see, we tried out a few new ideas, had some running and jumping competitions, and definitely had some good laughs.  A.J. and Dani were so great with each other – it was really sweet and made for some great shots that would melt any parent’s heart.  Mom and Dad were a little nervous as they hadn’t had family portraits taken in a really long time, but just as I assured them they would, they totally rocked it!    Thanks for being “up for anything,” and I hope you guys had as much fun as I did!

Yep, Dani had already sneaked a peek at what was going on back there, and this was what she thought about it.  Priceless!

Off to the races!

If being an NFL quarterback doesn’t work out for A.J., I think he could safely have a career in modeling. 

I finally broke through the “cheese” grin to get the good stuff from Dani – so worth it!

This was planned all on their own – now those are two siblings who are on the same page!  I love that they nailed it!

This week’s fabulous installment of Wardrobe Wednesday comes to us from my good friend Erica of Erica May Photography.  I love all of the great textures she used!  A good mix of different textures can add a lot of depth and make your images even more visually interesting. 

Erica says, “This week I went with a Blue theme since it is my favorite color and it looks great against many different backgrounds.   This could be used as an idea for a couples session, a family session, or a sibling session.   The shoes can easily be changed out if you already have ones that work too.  For dad I added a hat but it could also be used for the little boy if dad is not a fan of hats .  When thinking about coordinating outfits I always start with one color (for this instance it was blue) and go from there.   Hope you enjoy it!”

Man:
Shirt – GAP – $39.50
Shorts – GAP – $27.65
Shoes – GAP – $34.50
Hat – GAP – $24.50
 
Woman:
Shirt – Banana Republic – $69.50
Pants – Banana Republic – $24.99
Shoes – Old Navy – $19.50
 
Girl:
Headband – DolceVitaMia Etsy Store – $11.25
Dress – GAP – $29.99
Shoes – Payless – $17.99
 
Boy:
Shirt – GAP – $26.50
Shorts – GAP – $29.50
Shoes – Payless – $17.99

Feeling inspired?  Contact me at lindsay@lindsayhorn.com today to schedule your session!

It seems as though the I Heart Faces themes always line up quite nicely with whatever I’m working on – very convenient!   This week’s theme is Smiles, and if you’ve seen Kim’s sneak peek, you have already seen what a killer smile she has.  My favorite smiles are the completely natural mid-laugh smiles … it’s one of those rare moments when the subject’s guard is completely down. 

To see more great Smiles, head on over to I Heart Faces!

Since I have been asked this many times over the last several weeks, I think I should clarify.  No, I don’t have some super-awesome secret editing technique to make all of these senior girls look absolutely gorgeous, they just are!    Kim was certainly no exception.  She has the most infectious smile and laugh, I felt like the three of us (Mom came along too) giggled our way through the whole session.  We had to reschedule her bluebonnet session from earlier in the month, and I was so glad the bluebonnets still looked awesome.  We went from there over to a nearby nature area which had so many great spots.  We actually lucked out that it was kind of overcast as it gave us lots of flexibility!  She brought a great wardrobe to choose from too, and of course, the red chair made an appearance as well!  I had such a fabulous time with you Kim (and Mom) – enjoy your sneak peek!

If you saw my bluebonnet post, then you know that I promised you would see more of this beautiful young woman, and I never disappoint!    After an intial reschedule we were finally able to squeeze in her session last week.  It actually started sprinkling again right as I pulled up to the location, but luckily it only lasted a couple of minutes and then moved on.  I loved all of the great colors that Emily wore in her different outfits, and she looked fabulous in all of them.  We hit a couple of totally awesome locations, and the big red chair even got to make it’s Highland Park debut (to the amusement of some passing walkers).   Emily is such a sweet girl and talented gymnast, and doesn’t she just have the most gorgeous blue eyes?  I really enjoyed our evening together (with both you and your mom), and I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Have you been waiting for this week’s installment of Wardrobe Wednesdays with as much excitement as I have?  Our contributor this week is Jennifer of Minor Impressions Photography, and she has put together an awesome maternity session wardrobe.  Go check out her blog and leave her some love! 

Jennifer says: “Normally I suggest to my clients that for family photo sessions, the wardrobe should revolve around the kiddos. I usually pick out one outfit (normally the little girl’s) that brings together everyone else’s attire.  This week is a little different though because I decided to pick a wardrobe for a maternity shoot.  Of course, this revolves around the mama, so everything I picked out was made to go with the her outfit.  The great thing about this plaid shirt is that there are so many colors to choose from for the kiddos and the dad to match, and just like last week’s suggestion, you still have a great wardrobe even if you only have the dad (or boy or girl) and mom in the picture.”

Here’s where you can find these great oufits!

DAD
Blue Shirt: Old Navy, $20
Yellow Shirt: Old Navy, $8.50
Shorts: Old Navy, $19.50
Shoes: Kohls, $29.99
 
MOM
Shirt: Motherhood Maternity, $24.98
Pants: Kohls, $26.40
Shoes: Payless, $19.99
Earrings: Kohls, $8.04
 
GIRL
Dress: Target, $14.99
Shoes: Target, $14.99
Headband: Etsy, $5.50
 
BOY
Shirt: Children’s Place, $12.50
Shorts: Children’s Place, $10.00
Shoes: Kohls, $21.99

And just in case you needed a little more inspiration, book a maternity session with me before next week’s Wardrobe Wednesday post (i.e. schedule your session and pay your deposit), and get an extra $30 print credit! 

This week the theme over at I Heart Faces is collages.  I LOVE collages that are a sequence of images, and I had a senior client from last week who indulged me in a little sequence I wanted to try out!  I mean, with hair that gorgeous, you have to flip it around, am I right?    I absolutely love how these turned out, so thanks Rachel! 

Head on over to I Heart Faces to see more great collages!

I had such a fabulous time shooting Rachel’s senior portraits last week in McKinney.  As you can see, she has a killer fashion sense and brought along some great outfits – all completely accesorized!  They fit perfectly with both the urban and more natural surroundings.  Not only were her outfits gorgeous, but she was too – what a great smile!  I was really excited to use these two new locations, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how everything turned out.  Well, other than Rachel having to combat the bugs at our “outdoorsy” spot (and she assured me that she is not an “outdoorsy” person).   Thanks for being so fun and laid-back at the end of a very busy day, Rachel.  Enjoy your sneak peek!

Last Saturday evening I had the pleasure of shooting my bluebonnet mini sessions with 6 fabulous sets of clients!  After a little anxiety over the late-blooming bluebonnets, Saturday rolled around and they looked great!  Definitely not as good as last year, but that was an exceptional crop (thanks a lot stupid March snow).  Other than being a little on the windy side, the weather was perfect.  And, of course, my clients were perfect too!  I was a little nervous as to how things would play out logistically, but thanks to everyone being a little early, we actually wrapped everything up with time to spare.  Y’all are the best!  Now it’s time to meet the bunch …

Emily & Cason {Cousins}

These two were absolutely adorable!  Emily was one of my first bluebonnet subjects ever last year.   She was not interested in sitting in the bluebonnets at first, so the red chair came to the rescue!  Mom and Dad said she had been practicing her smile, and she nailed it!    Cason was not a big fan of the wind, so he wanted to keep his head down the whole time despite our best efforts.  I knew he would pop up for a few though, and we even managed to crack a smile out of him at the very end.  And oh my, that smile is precious! 

Lily & Wyatt {Cousins}

Next up was another sweet set of cousins.  Lily did great (especially for a two-year old) staying put long enough for me to get a few shots of just her.  She has such a great big smile, and a great sense of humor – whenever I asked her to look up (at me) she would look straight up into the sky and giggle.  Gotta love that toddler humor!    She was also very sweet with her little cousin Wyatt (as you can see below).  Wyatt was missing his nap during this time, but he was a trooper!  I don’t think he knew quite what to think of all of those flowers at first, but all it took was a little sweetness from his cousin (and the collective efforts of 5 adults off camera) and he really loosened up.    You didn’t need to worry, they both did great!

The Bryan Family

This family is totally awesome!  They were so laid-back and absolutely hilarious, I’m pretty sure we were laughing the entire time.  Well, maybe except for Mom and Dad when they ended up on the bottom of the pile.    I certainly giggled my way through editing their pictures!  You may recognize big brother Jonathan from his senior portraits last month.  His other two siblings were just as goofy!   You five were an absolute joy to photograph – that last shot pretty much sums it up!

The Becker Family

I was so excited to get Miss Evelyn in front of my camera again – she was the subject in one of my first newborn sessions (and the winner of my 2009 Photo of the Year Contest)!  Oh, how the time flies.  Even though she had not been feeling well the night before, she still had some smiles for us.  I’m also grateful to Mom and Dad for being up for trying out a few things … that last shot took a few tries to get the positioning right, but I just adore how it came out.  What a beautiful family! 

Maci, Tucker, & Kennedy

How lucky am I - Kennedy is another returning newborn client!  It’s so fun to photograph these kiddos at different ages.  As you can see, she is growing into the spitting image of her big sis, adorable red hair and all!  These three were so well-behaved, and Mom did give up her secret – the ultimate bribery of pizza and ice cream.   It worked!  Well, except for Kennedy.  As she’s not yet consuming pizza and ice cream, she was a little more reserved with her smiles.  I’ve named this last shot (one of the last of the session) “We’re calling in our bribe!”  You three were just wonderful! 

Emily {Senior}

While you will be seeing much more of this gorgeous senior soon from her full session last week, she wanted to get some bluebonnet shots too.  I’m glad she did – her eyes looked just stunning against the bluebonnet backdrop and she definitely got to reap the benefits of the late time slot and beautiful golden light.  She has such a great smile, and I really can’t wait to share more from her soon!  I knew after this session that her full session would be a blast, and it definitely was!   

Phew!  If you made it through this epic post, you deserve a round of applause!  I need to give a big thank you to my mom who came out as my assistant for the evening, and to my husband who gave me an excellent back rub when I got home – my back was killing me!!!    I should have a few more bluebonnet sessions to share in the next week or two, so stay tuned!