Meet My New Nephew - Jensen Duke

Jensen Duke was born Sunday afternoon weighing in at 9 pounds 1 ounce and measuring 20 inches long.  Our family was so privileged to be able to visit him in the hospital the very day he was born!  My sweet husband drove most of the 16 hours it took to get us there in time for his birth.  Though I tried to contribute, I thought it best to leave the driving to him after I started to doze off after only 2 1/2 hours at the wheel.  It was a long week!

I grew up in Indiana but moved to Texas in 1997 after college to start a new career.  Being so far from family has been very difficult at times. I knew that missing out on most of the family gatherings and special events would be part of the deal, but that hasn't made it any easier.  

I have 6 nieces and nephews (now 7) and have never been able to be there for any of their births.  So, when I found out my brother and his wife were expecting their third child, it became very important to me to plan a trip up north to experience this wonderful family event first-hand.  It was such a special time! 

What a joy to be able to welcome Jensen into the world and to hold him in my arms on his very first day.  And to give my brother and his wife a big hug right then and there - that was just icing on the cake!  Even Stephen Jr. and Alden were able to meet him.  My husband was so awesome to allow me to plan our vacation around Jensen's arrival.  It truly brought tears to my eyes to be able to experience such a special day.

Our children didn't really know what to think when they first saw baby Jensen. I should have known, though, that Alden would show the most interest.  In this next image, you can even see Jensen "looking" toward Alden as she peers through his bassinet.  Precious! (Maybe she should be a big sister.)

The beauty of my new camera.  This top image was taken indoors with no flash at ISO 1000.  Below I shot at ISO 400.  I can hardly believe how sharp both of these are.  For that feature alone, this camera was well worth all the hard work it took to earn the money to be able to pay it off.

I just love newborn feet.

Congrats, Phil & Shari and Josie & Layton.  We love you!  Welcome to our family baby Jensen!

Baby Gavin: 3 Weeks {Dallas/Allen Newborn Photographer}

The teachers at my son's school recently got together to give fellow teacher, Miss Megan, a newborn photo session for her Baby Shower. I'm always thrilled to photograph newborns and was especially looking forward to meeting baby Gavin and getting to know Megan. 

Gavin is three weeks old and such a handsome little fellow.  Though it was dreary outside, we were able to find a small patch of light in his mommy's bedroom to hold his newborn session.  Gavin, like most newborns, was drawn to the light.  We didn't have much luck drawing his attention away from the window.

Distracted little man aside, the session couldn't have gone any better. With only a small break to drink a bottle, Gavin was such a good sport. And that good behavior apparently lasts all through the night.  His mommy says he's only waking up once in the middle of the night to eat. I'm thinking I'd like to know her secret (IF - and that's a big IF - I ever end up needing it again).

Could he be any more precious!

sigh...I just love these tender moments between mother and son.

Gavin's sweet Aunt Rachel was on hand all day to help out her sister. Gavin adores her, and I'm pretty sure the feelings are mutual :)

Higher ISO = Increased Grain

One advantage to increasing your ISO setting is the ability to photograph in lower light without using flash.  However, doing so will most likely result in increased graininess in your images.  Higher ISOs (especially in later model cameras) give an image a foggy, fuzzy look.   

Graininess is not all bad.  In fact, some photographers purposefully choose a higher ISO with the goal of increasing the grain to creating an old-time feel to their image.  Graininess can also give an image a romantic feel.  Remember those old Hollywood portraits?

With the newer SLR models coming out, grainy images at higher ISOs are all but a thing of the past.  In order to get that dreamy, grainy, romantic look photographers will now have to turn to editing software. Chances are, however, that most of you won't own one of those cameras any time soon, so I thought a little "visual" was in order to help you see the affect ISO has on your images. 

Below are three very similar images all shot at different ISOs.  The first image was shot at ISO 100, the second at ISO 400 and the third at ISO 1600.  You can really see the grain in that last image.  If your goal is crisp and sharp images, shoot at the lowest ISO possible.  If you like the softer look of grain in your images, shoot at higher ISOs.  Just remember to adjust your other settings accordingly.

ISO - it's really just another tool to allow your creative juices to flow.

Newborn Twins and A Big Sister

On Tuesday I had the privilege of photographing Miss Aubrey and her new baby brother and sister, Parker and Piper.  Their mommy is doing such a wonderful job with all three of these little ones.  I was truly impressed!

I have to say, this week feels a little like Sesame Street with the number of the week being TWO.  Not only did I just photograph Parker and Piper on Tuesday, but I will be photographing their friends Ani and Tomas on Saturday, another set of twins.  This morning I photographed two brothers, and I'm also very excited to be photographing twin boys - Seniors in HS - in the very near future.  

But, the most exciting TWO of this week is reserved for our precious daughter who turns two on Sunday.  I can hardly believe how fast she is growing up!  I'll be sure to post her 2 year old pictures in a week or two after I post all my client sneak peaks.

For now, enjoy sweet Aubrey and Piper, their handsome little brother Parker, and their very capable and beautiful mommy.

Splish Splash

During a recent session with baby Kaci, I was thrilled to be present for her first bath.  Little Kaci came about three weeks early.  We had planned that I would be on hand to take pictures in the hospital after she was born, but since I was out of town I sadly missed out on that event.  Mom and Dad graciously agreed to leave her hospital bands on until I could get there to take pictures at home, so we still got a few great keepsake shots.

Watching Kaci's parents give her a bath brought back fond memories of my son's first bath.  We have it on video.  It really is quite hilarious. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I had printed out a step-by-step guide from Martha Stewart's website on how to give your newborn a bath. Surely, you can imagine how the rest of that story played out.

All that to say, I remember how unprepared and ill-equipped my husband and I felt caring for our new precious little one.  Every touch was gentle and tender.  If you look closely, you will see this same new mommy and new daddy tenderness in the images below.  I love how baby Kaci is holding on to her mommy's hand...precious! And don't you just love the little legs sticking out of that enormous baby tub? Priceless.

One benefit to giving Kaci her bath at the kitchen sink was the gorgeous natural light pouring in from the kitchen window.  It was actually the best light in the whole house.  What a great start to her session - and she was squeaky clean to boot!

New Beginnings

I've been a blogger for the past year now.  It has been a great way to document the special times in my family's life.  Having a place where I can celebrate, contemplate, dream, and even vent is good for my soul.  It has also been a great way to stay connected with our loved ones who live so far away.  I love it!  It's high time I start a blog for my photography business as well.

Photography is so much a part of my life now.  It just makes sense that I should document the stages of this wonderful new adventure of mine - this business that I can call my own.  I want to be able to look back years from now and remember how far I've come - and from where I came.  Like other things in my life that are important to me, I also want to share this experience with others - especially with those of you who help to make this business such a success - and a joy.

So, welcome to my newest baby - my photography blog.  You will find some of my favorite images from recent sessions, news of upcoming events and special offers, and from time to time even a helpful photography tip or two.  So visit often and stay awhile.

In honor of this new beginning of mine, here are some precious pictures from a recent newborn session.  What better way to celebrate a fresh start!