Baby Makes Three!

A little over three years ago I received an email from a photographer looking for work as a second shooter. My good friend and fellow wedding photographer, Jennie Tewell, sent him my way. I had been looking for someone to work with me on a few weddings, so the email was quite timely. We arranged a meeting at Carpe Diem. I didn’t know what to expect. At the time I was an associate photographer with Jennie’s business and new to weddings. I wasn’t even sure how I should conduct the meeting. Was it an interview? That didn’t seem right. I finally decided to approach our meeting as I would if I were just grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend.

I walked into the crowded coffee shop in Springhill and found him sitting at a table by the front window. “Hi, I’m Jacob,” he said as he reached out his hand to shake mine. I don’t remember how long we met for, but I do remember that about five minutes into our conversation I found out Jacob is from Memphis. “I have family up that way,” was my reply. That led to Jacob asking me if I was related to a Michael Gelineau. I love small-world moments, but this one had me in disbelief. It turns out that Jacob grew up playing baseball and my uncle, who lives in Memphis, was one of his coaches. How in the world do our paths end up crossing out of all the other photographers in Mobile he could have contacted?! I took it as a sign that we were meant to work together.

Three years later, Jacob and I have photographed a slew of weddings together. In fact, I think I’ve worked more weddings with him than I have with any other photographer. At this point, he can practically read my mind. One thing I learned about Jacob at our first meeting, is how much he adores his sweet wife, Aubrey. He absolutely lights up every time he talks about her. I felt like I knew her long before we actually met. Last fall, Aubrey worked as my assistant on one of my weddings. It was so much fun working with both of them on the same day!

At the end of an insanely busy season last fall, I told Jacob that I wanted to do a portrait session for him and Aubrey as a thank you for all his hard work throughout the year. As it turns out, they had a special surprise to share by the time that session date arrived. On our first wedding together for this year, Jacob told me that Aubrey is expecting their first child! I am SO excited for these two and was so happy that we could incorporate some baby announcement photos into their portrait session! Talk about perfect timing!

Now that they have shared the news with their family and friends, I’m excited to share some of my favorites from their session. Fun fact, even though Jacob is a photographer, it’s been quite a while since he and Aubrey have had a formal portrait session! Jacob said it was definitely weird being on the other side of things and not having a camera in his hand. I absolutely LOVED getting to photograph them during this special season in their lives. I am so thankful to call them friends and can’t wait to meet their little one later this year!

Carpe Diem is one of Jacob and Aubrey’s favorite spots in town. They’re regular visitors to this little coffee shop, so of course we had to work it into some of their portraits. I still can’t believe that we were able to get a few shots in without anyone on the porch. This place is always so busy! These turned out to be some of my favorites too!

Aubrey’s Hair Styled by Mackenzie Smith at Cara & Company Salon

A First Birthday Celebration

I love working with couples on their wedding days! I also love getting to know my brides during the months before the big day. Houda is one of my former brides who turned into a friend. We’ve stayed in touch since I photographed her wedding a few years ago. I’ve worked with her family several times, including photographing two of her cousin’s weddings! I was so excited for her when she shared the exciting news that she and her husband, Abrar, were expecting little Naia. Last year I photographed her maternity and lifestyle newborn photos, so when she emailed me saying she wanted to mark Naia’s first birthday with some portraits, I was totally game. And, bonus, I got to celebrate with the whole family at Naia’s first birthday party!

This little princess truly was the star of the birthday festivities. Before guests arrived to celebrate with cake and presents, we did a mini family portrait session. We took the portraits at Houda’s parents’ home…in the same spot where we took many portraits on wedding day and their maternity session. It holds a special place in Houda’s heart and I love that sentimentality of returning to this same location for more milestones. I also love the gorgeous window light in this room. Talk about a photographer’s dream!

There is something so special about working with the same clients over and over again. In many ways you start to feel like you’re part of the family. Naia probably won’t remember her first birthday party. Our memories don’t tend to go back that far. But one day she’ll look at these photos and she’ll see just how much love her parents have for her. She’ll see how much JOY she’s brought to their lives. And she’ll laugh at how thoroughly she enjoyed her “cake smash” – the party’s big finale.

During their maternity session, Abrar shared with me an old Arabic saying. The phrase translated into something like this: God loves him most who gave him daughters. I immediately loved that quote and came home to write it in my journal. I couldn’t help but thinking of that beautiful phrase as I took these photos. Naia, you are so loved by your family! Happy First Birthday!

Y’all isn’t she just a doll?! Her daddy certainly knew how to make her giggle!

You know I couldn’t do family portraits without working in a few of just mom and dad! These two are such pros at being photographed by now. I love every chance I have to get them in front of my camera!

A Texas Sized Surprise

We were on the way to ballet class when my mom told me my cousins were moving to Texas. I was about eight years old. Laura was the girl cousin closest to my age and her brother, Chris, was only a few months older than my sister, Katherine. I remember I immediately started crying. Katherine would say that is because I am the dramatic one, but I know it was because even at that age I knew that I’d miss them so much! We were always doing stuff together and I couldn’t imagine them not being in Mobile. Texas seemed so far away!

After the move we all stayed close. Every time we get together we always have fun and usually a lot of laughs. One year, our extended family traveled to Texas for Thanksgiving. It is still one of my favorite holiday memories! Over all the trips I’ve made to Texas over the years, the one I made last month is definitely my favorite! I was sitting in my office working on some editing the day Laura called with the plan. I knew she wanted to give her parents (my Aunt Shari and Uncle Ike) a portrait session for Christmas, but I had no idea that Uncle Ike had figured out the surprise early. Isn’t it just like dads to guess their presents?!

Laura revealed that Uncle Ike had figured out the surprise and then they both revealed they had an idea to take the surprise to the next level. What if they secretly flew me to Texas so that I could take the portraits? Talk about such an amazingly fun idea?! I was of course DYING to go and do the session for them, but we had one problem. I was in the midst of busy season and booked solid. We also had to plan around Uncle Ike’s travel schedule. He was due to be in California for a month for business. There was literally one week where we could make it happen.

We settled on the dates. Laura booked my plane ticket. Then, between the booking of the plane tickets and the trip, my grandmother passed away. Aunt Shari made many trips to Mobile during those final weeks Granny was in the hospital. I just knew I was going to accidentally say something about the trip. Somehow, we all kept the secret, even when the entire family was together for Granny’s funeral. Aunt Shari suspected nothing.

Finally, December arrived. I was flying into Houston in the early afternoon. Silly me thought that would beat rush hour. But I was thinking in Mobile traffic terms. I had no idea that I was putting us right in the midst of Houston rush hour with my arrival time. Uncle Ike and Lauren, Chris’s girlfriend, picked me up. The plan was for us to get back to the house before Aunt Shari returned home from work. But the traffic derailed those plans. We came up with Plan B. When we pulled onto the street, Uncle Ike let Lauren and me out of the car two houses away from their home. I walked up to the front door and rang the bell, completely forgetting that would cause the dogs to go into all-out protection mode!

Aunt Shari cracked open the front door and I could immediately tell she was surprised! If you want to see the video of her reaction, you can find it on my Facebook page. Y’all, it was just THE BEST! I am SO thankful that Lauren videoed the whole thing! The next day we headed out first thing in the morning to location scout and we found an amazing spot just a few minutes from their neighborhood. We also lucked out with the most perfect weather and beautiful light! I was only in Houston for one full day, so we really needed the weather to be cooperative. Everything fell into place so perfectly! Praise the Lord!

I absolutely LOVED getting to do this portrait session! Of course I had a horrible time trying to narrow down photos for this post because I had too many favorites! I decided that since this was a Texas-sized surprise that I’d do a Texas-sized blog post! Enjoy!

Y’all know I had to work in some couple portraits for Chris and his sweet girlfriend!

I’m obsessed with this one! I love all the giggles!

Laura and Lauren…say that three times fast!

The difference between a photo with your sister…

And a photo with your girlfriend…

Akira is my god-dog. Yes, that’s a thing. She’s always trying to steal the spotlight. 🙂

How sweet is this little gazebo?! Wishing I could have brought this park back to Mobile with me!

Laura is a veterinarian, so the day after the family session we did some portraits of her and her fur-babies for her bio page on the vet clinic website. This trip was my first time to meet Chuck, Laura’s massive German Shepherd. We’re now besties just in case you were wondering.

But Akira will always have my heart! How could you not love this sweet girl?!

Pets & Their People

Confession, I’ve never had a pet (not even a fish). I’m pretty sure it’s because I had allergies from a very young age. For my whole life I’ve just adopted other people’s pets. My first adopted pet was Thor, a large, older German Shepherd that lived in the backyard behind us when I was a kid. I loved that dog. I remember I’d run up and down the fence line and Thor would chase after me. I pretended he was my dog. He never seemed to be the guard-dog that most German Shepherd are. Maybe he was just used to me.

I loved Thor, but I feared the Doberman Pinschers that lived next door to us. They always figured out how to escape the confines of their yard and were seemingly always on the verge of an attack. One of them snapped at me once, scratching my face just below the eye. It cemented a fear of the breed in my mind to this day.

Despite the unfortunate experience with the Dobermans, I have always loved dogs and animals in general. I just have too many allergies to have one living with me. I do, however, love when my sweet clients bring their adorable, loving and friendly pets to their sessions. I love these furry clients! I also love how excited their parents get about including their fur-babies in their portraits. If I were a dog mom I’d want my pup included in my portraits too!

Dogs are the most popular furry friends amongst my clients, but I also adore horses. I have always been fascinated by their regal nature and intelligence. Plus, I’ve yet to meet a horse that was not photogenic. I pinch myself every time a client asks to include these beautiful animals in a session. I had two sessions with horses this year!

As we celebrate what a great year 2018 was, enjoy this look back at some of my favorite sessions from the year, featuring some of the sweetest pets around! Also, scroll to the bottom of this post for my tips for including your furry friends into your portrait session!

When the sweetest pups ever make an appearance on wedding day, it’s just the best! I’m pretty sure Nova and Elliot would be friends if they ever met!

My cousin, Laura, is a veterinarian. She has always had the sweetest dogs! I call her German Shepherd-Husky mix my “god-dog” because I’m just that obsessed with her. When I flew out to Houston this week for a surprise portrait session for my aunt, I got to spend lots of time with this sweet fur-baby. I also got to meet her brother, Chuck, who is such a gentle giant. We were instant besties. Chuck obviously took posing lessons from his sister because he nailed the whole “smile for the camera” thing.

Tips For Including Your Furry Friends In Your Portraits

1. Let your photographer know in advance you want to include your pet. I always advise my clients to not begin the session with their furry friend present. It’s best to get warmed up and in the groove of the session before trying to get those shots with your furry friend. It will make you both more relaxed.
2. Bring treats and a special toy. We all get a little nervous in front of the camera and so do your pets. Treats and/or a special toy will go a long way towards getting your pet’s attention. It’s also nice to be able to reward them for a job well done!
3. Bring water, especially if it’s hot outside. Pets often get so excited with the activity of a portrait session;. All that excitement can also make them thirsty. Be sure to have some water on hand in case they need it.
4. Bring a friend to help. I recommend arranging for a friend, or family member, to bring your pets by for a portion of the session. This way you can focus on your portraits and not be worried about your sweet pet needing attention.
5. Don’t worry if your pet won’t sit still. When working with animals, I like to see what their natural personalities are like. Some are great at sitting still for a posed shot and others are more likely to want to explore! It’s best to work with their natural instinct.

Little Point Clear Senior Portraits

I met Mary Kathryn when she was a freshman in high school. Her mom, Kathy, hired me to photograph her annual cotillion ball that is part of her National League of Junior Cotillions program. Mary Kathryn was and still is her assistant for the ball. I always thought she was such a hard worker and mature beyond her age. I have seen this young lady grow up over these past four years and cannot believe how fast those years flew by! Mary Kathryn is such a joyful girl and I knew that we were going to have such fun at her senior portrait session! I also knew that Little Point Clear would be the perfect location for this shoot. I am so thankful that scheduling worked out for us to shoot there!

Getting together for a portrait session with Mary Kathryn was just like a visit with friends where you happen to take pictures. Mary Kathryn is my second senior portrait client this year that is a horseback rider. She rides competitively and says that she hopes to one day turn her love of animals into a career. I love hearing high school seniors talk about what they are passionate about. I have no doubt that whatever she ends up studying that she will do well.

Photographing this session at Little Point Clear was such a treat. I have photographed a portion of a wedding day at this venue, but hadn’t had the opportunity to do a portrait session there before. I love the all-white exterior and the lush greenery that spills out of the flower beds. It rained the afternoon of this session, but you couldn’t tell by the time we arrived for the shoot because the sun dried things quickly!

There is something extra special about getting to work with the same families year after year. I could barely contain my excitement when Kathy emailed me about this shoot. Thank you Mary Kathryn for such a fun senior portrait session! I hope it was a great start to a fabulous senior year!

Looking for a fun senior portrait experience? Contact me for availability for senior portrait sessions!

Now booking for fall 2018 and spring 2019!

Special thanks to Little Point Clear for letting us shoot at their beautiful property!