It was such an honor this year to work with the young ladies (and moms) of the Richardson chapter of the National Charity League.  What an amazing group of seniors!  I had the opportunity to spend a little bit of time with each senior over several different days during the late summer, fall, and winter months.  It was exciting to see each girl’s take on their official white senior presentation dress, and it really pushed me creatively to try to capture each girl’s personality and interests in our short time together.  I truly enjoyed myself so much, and I count it a great blessing that I got to work with such a wonderful bunch.  I know that these girls have great things waiting for them just around the corner, and I wish the best of luck to each of you as you move on to the next phase of your lives!

We had our annual little mini family shoot for my parent’s Valentine’s Day card, and it was just surreal to see all of these grandbabies really starting to add up. Just as my parents absolutely lived for my sisters and I growing up (and still do), they are just as devoted to their growing numbers of grandchildren.  All girls of course, one of these days someone is going to have a boy and none of us will know what to do!  It’s amazing to see families grow in this way, and I pray each and every day that our own little family enjoys the same love and longevity over the years.  Love you Mom and Dad!

Well, I’ve had this for a couple of weeks now, but I just haven’t had two seconds to step aside and get it posted.  I was so incredibly excited to get a package in the mail and open it up to find my first official published work!    You may recognize Mr. Albert Cheng from the headshots I took of he and author Del Hayes back in February.  I love the shot they chose for the back cover.  A couple of other photos appear within the book as well.  I’m so very proud to have been a part of this project – Mr. Cheng truly has an incredible story.  If you’d like to read about it for yourself, the book is available for purchase on Amazon.   And can I say, that it made me childishly giddy to see my name and information on the copyright page? 

I was beyond thrilled when our friend Mary contacted me to shoot headshots of Albert Cheng for the soon-to-be published book about his life.  Having known some of Albert’s background, I was so honored to be involved.  Albert is from Cambodia, and the road he took to get here today is definitely worthy of writing about.  Having escaped from a communist concentration camp, here is where he found himself next: “Emaciated and exhausted from four years of forced slave labor by the Khmer Rouge and barely alive from the past three months of seeking freedom running barefooted through the jungles of Cambodia, 24-year-old Albert Cheng had arrived perhaps 100 yards from the border with Thailand, and freedom. Yet, the danger was not over. Buried in the field before him were landmines and oft-times poisoned bamboo “punji” sticks. Behind him came Khmer Rouge troops and before him amidst the trees were Thai soldiers, all ready to shoot anyone they saw attempting to cross the border. Going back, staying put, were not options. Cheng thought to himself, “If I can cross, I can be free. But if I die, at least I will die free.”  He did survive that treacherous journey, but he was only one of two who made it across.  The book Grace Will Lead Me Home chronicles Albert’s journey both physically and spiritually that brought him to the United States and to the discovery of Jesus Christ.  He is truly a remarkable man.  Meet Albert:

This is Albert and the author of the book, Del Hayes.  This bay window was the place where they conducted almost all of their interviews during the writing process, and therefore became a very special place to both of them.  If you are interested in learning more about Albert, than you are in luck!  There is a pre-publishing special going on until March 31st.

Thanks again Mary, Del, and of course, Albert for allowing me to be a part of this project.  I look forward to seeing the final product in print!

My very beautiful and talented sister-in-law Angela asked me to take some head shots for her for some of her upcoming theater auditions.  Seriously, remember this face, because you will probably see it on a playbill one day.  We ended up having a really awesome session where I got to try out some new things.  She was such a pro – I had to give her almost no direction!  She totally spoiled me.    I also had some fun with the editing.  I tried some new things and played around with some textures on a few of them.  I would still love to take your pictures when you’re famous Angela, so don’t forget about me!    Hope you enjoy them!

And, no, she is not a senior or a teen, but the type of photography is similar.