Oh my goodness, these two- I just loved shooting with them so much! Right from the start it was like we were on the same page, and their session went so smoothly. Exactly the kind of experience I'd want for every couple. They're temporarily in Lubbock for law school but will be headed back to the Austin area to get married! I loved so many of the images we shot- get ready for my favorites!
Aaron + Melissa • Engagement • Lubbock, TX
2 CommentsThese two have roots in Lubbock but came up from Dallas to shoot their engagement session- thankfully, we had a beautiful day and they were up for anything! I can't wait to shoot their wedding this May- knowing them, it will be a lot of fun filled with family and friends.
We began our shoot in a dirty alley- no, I am not kidding. The light there was terrific- and they totally worked it!
Thank you guys for a wonderful shoot!
cooper cosby • newborn • lamesa, tx
CommentThe last time I saw Matthew + Kaci they looked like this:
But this time, they brought me to their home in Lamesa, where things looked a little more like this!
Baby Cooper is here! He was the most patient, sweet boy through the whole photoshoot. And just so you know, I'm about to post a LOT of pictures. They were too hard to say no to.
Cooper's room is just so awesome- Kaci and I have a very similar style, so you can imagine my excitement when I walked in and saw all the goodness!
They brought this bassinet to their maternity session, so it was neat to see it finally filled!
the "b" word
2 CommentsThis post is about a word that has been known to madden, frustrate, and have me running for the hills...BUDGET. Surely you weren't thinking of another "b" word, right?
Why, might you ask, do I care to write about such a boring and dull thing on my blog which is mostly filled with lovey-dovey couples and weddings? Because with every wedding comes a budget.
And every marriage comes with a budget. The first few months that Shawn and I were married we realized that neither of us had paid much more than a cell phone bill monthly. We were paying-the-bills virgins. We had several weeks where we were totally, completely broke...and several where we lived like kings. (These were usually after the paychecks came.) Then one day we realized, "Hey, we get these same bills every month- and they are due on the same day every month...what if we figured out the best order to pay them? And then set aside some money so that we made sure they all got paid?"
DUH. And so our monthly budget was born. We realized that we'd rather keep our lights on than go out to eat one more time. Of course we wanted to go out to eat, but keeping the lights on had much better long-term benefits. :)
I now embrace our monthly budget- and am empowered by it, in fact. Shawn and I sit down monthly to review our spending and set new goals for our future. Doing this has helped us achieve things financially that we never would have been able to without some intentional foresight.
Loose flowers in thrifted vases from Jeff + JoAnna's wedding earlier this spring.
I'm posting today because I realize just how important the same foresight is with a wedding budget. I have heard of (or spoken with) too many couples who have decided to cut or reduce their wedding photography budget in order to compensate for other items competing for those precious dollars. Please know that I am not writing out of spite or desperation- just a desire to see every bride and groom have the very best images they can afford!
Here are my tips on your wedding budget:
1. Sweat the small stuff.
The shoes, the favors, the monogrammed this-or-that...it's all small stuff. Every wedding-oriented magazine or website is littered with tiny reminders of things you "need" to buy. Do you already have some nice shoes that would work with your dress? Could you borrow your mother's earrings? Could you make your own bridesmaids' gifts? Each of these small items can really add up and end up demanding a huge portion of your budget. Before you make any decisions, sit down with your fiance and make a list of priorities- determine which items deserve a larger portion of your budget and which are not-so-necessary. Doing this will keep you grounded when you're confronted with additional "must-have" items like the disposable cameras on the reception tables...seems like a good idea until you spend 130.00 getting them all developed to realize your cousin's 5 year old stole them all and took pictures of the floor all evening. :)
2. Choose an artist.
I have always felt a little lucky to start out my career as a photographer in West Texas because, well, it's ugly. And flat. We have about 10 trees here, and they are surrounded by yellow grass. I feel that if I can make that scenery look great, I will have mastered my craft. :) It's a journey I embark on with each shoot, and it truly pushes me to be more creative.
Someone once told me that it is wiser to spend $10 on an ugly cake and $100 on a photographer that can make the cake look amazing, than it is to spend the $100 on an amazing cake and $10 on a photographer who will make it look ugly no matter how amazing it really is.
It's so important that the vendors you choose are artists- a talented florist can create a beautiful bouquet with the flowers picked from their backyard, and an experienced videographer knows to watch for your mother's face during your dance with your father. Whenever you are hiring someone with a skill, you will most definitely get what you pay for.
3. Go for impact.
There are so many things you and your guests will remember from your big day- the shape of your customized champagne glasses probably won't be at the forefront. When you're deciding on where to spend your budget, think backwards. What will have mattered the most? A beautiful location or a great band, perhaps the smell of your bouquet or the look on your groom's face when you see him for the first time. If you don't intentionally set aside funds to ensure that these elements will be part of your day, you may find they fall by the wayside. Your guests may have M&Ms with your name on them, but your bouquet is small and the flowers are the wrong kind. You may be wearing those "special" wedding undies, but the DJ was obnoxious and the photographer didn't know to capture your groom's expression as you approached.
Take some time to make sure your vision will come to fruition and invest in the elements that will make the most impact looking back.
Handmade paper airplanes on vintage maps from Hunter + Amanda's wedding in May.
As always, I am a BIG fan of DIY projects, and thankfully, the wedding blogosphere is full of ideas these days. Brides are really getting creative and filling their weddings with sentimental and beautiful touches that they've handmade. Here are a couple of blogs I love that are based on the bride who is on a budget and creating much of it herself:
OnceWed- popular for their used wedding dress boutique
100 Layer Cake- they recently opened up a marketplace where brides can resell their wedding creations like these super cute table numbers:
Hope you enjoyed this post- the "b" word doesn't have to be a bad one!
amarillo mini-session dates! *UPDATED*
1 CommentI have had several requests for Mini-Sessions in Amarillo- so I've added sessions on Sunday, November 6th. There are only a few spots available, so please contact me if you are interested! (You can use the contact form above)
CLICK HERE to see the info on Mini-Sessions.
Mini-Sessions in Lubbock may be booked on any day I'm available since I live here. :)
Sessions in Amarillo are booking quickly- for those that have asked here are the times I currently have available:
9:00 AM AVAILABLE
9:45 AM AVAILABLE
11:00 AM BOOKED
1:00 PM BOOKED
1:45 AVAILABLE
2:30 AVAILABLE- Pending
3:15 AVAILABLE- Pending
4:00 BOOKED
4:45 BOOKED
brian + jennifer • engagement at the capitol • austin, tx
1 CommentShawn and I spent some time in Austin this last weekend to photograph Brian + Jenn's Engagement session at the Texas State Capitol. I'm excited to be photographing their wedding there in just a couple of weeks!
We began the shoot at a park where they like to take Jenn's dog, Lola (which is the best dog name ever). It was so beautiful out- and we had a great view of the city from there.
Brian works in Politics and even officed out of the Capitol for a while, so needless to say he knew who to call to get us access to this rooftop view of the Capitol. It was beautiful- the sun was setting and putting off this yummy golden light.
Then we got the ultimate Capitol tour- these were shot on the balcony overlooking Congress St.:
What a fun night! B+J- thanks so much for showing us around, and for dinner too!
2011 Christmas Card Collection
CommentWow- I can't believe it's that time again! I enjoyed designing these cards so much- I even turned on my favorite Christmas album and drank a cup of coffee (ok, the coffee thing isn't just seasonal).
These cards are offered to my clients and feature images from their sessions (past sessions, or any session booked before Dec. 1).
I will be booking the ever-popular MINI-SESSIONS from now until December. (This is the only time this year they will be available.)
Your Mini-Session Includes:
• 30-45 Minutes of shoot time with Lissa
• 1 location, 1 outfit
• No limit on number of people
Cost: 60.00 + tax
Please note that Mini-Sessions, unlike regular Portrait sessions, do not include any print credit.
You will be able to purchase prints from your session (regardless of whether or not your order Christmas Cards) from your online gallery, which will be posted about a week after your session.
A special rate of 250.00 (normally 500.00) is available for those who wish to purchase the digital negatives.
Christmas Card and print pricing can be found HERE.
I have a special plan for any revenue from my Mini-Sessions this year-
It is likely that Shawn and I will have the opportunity to go on one (maybe two) missions trips this year, and so of course I am doing my best to prepare financially. I'm hoping to shoot enough Mini-Sessions this year to cover our expenses, so instead of keeping our lights on you'll be buying some VBS materials for kids in Europe. :)
If you'd like to book a session, please contact me through the "Portraits" Contact form in the menu bar above.
Now- on to the designs! I pulled from two of my inspirations- illustration and the art deco style. I hope you love them as much as I do!
TEMPLATE 1
Front:
Back:
TEMPLATE 2
Front:
Back:
TEMPLATE 3
Front:
Back:
TEMPLATE 4
Front:
Back:
TEMPLATE 5
Front:
Back:
TEMPLATE 6
Front:
Back:
TEMPLATE 7
Front:
Back:
TEMPLATE 8
Front:
Back:
I'm also offering something new this year- Boutique Cards!
These cards feature unique shapes and have been very popular this year. Here are a few templates designed with a boutique card shape:
A couple of notes for my clients:
• The templates' colors, text, and wording may be altered to fit your family's style and images.
• The templates may be created in a 4x5.5, 5x5, or 5x7 format.
• You have your choice of watercolor, linen, pearl, or matte paper.
• All cards come in sets of 25 with envelopes.
erik + courtney • engagement • lubbock, tx
1 CommentErik + Courtney will be getting married soon on the island of Grand Cayman, and while I don't get to be there to photograph it, I was lucky they called me to shoot their engagement session. We had a very nice morning on the Texas Tech campus- the Matador statue had been freshly wrapped for the game, and it's finally cooling off around here! These two met in law school, and after being friends for a while decided it was time to date. The rest is history!
shaun + elizabeth's fancy booth
CommentThese two law school grads and their families brought plenty of laughs to their Fancy Booth. I had so much fun photographing this crew!
Elizabeth asked if it might be possible for us to have a "Shaun beard" so we made it happen!
tyler + mary kate • engagement • lubbock, tx
2 CommentsI was so excited to hang out with Tyler and Mary Kate before their wedding in November. They are both super cool and easy to talk to. We had a beautiful day to shoot their engagement session, which began at Texas Tech, where Tyler proposed. This was also the day I realized Lubbock actually has a rush hour- it took us way longer than it should have to get to our next location- but it was totally worth it! Thanks so much you guys- I had a great time!
Mary Kate, you're gorgeous!