Terra & Megan

Terra and Megan brought one of their babies along for the session, and if you haven't looked at the photo thumbnails yet, know "baby" is code for "dog baby."

He stole the spotlight, that's for sure! I love putting pups and other pets into photos. They're family, after all.

But doggie aside, I had a great time with Terra and Megan. Perhaps one of the coolest parts was discovering that Terra and I went to the same high school, although at different times.

Anyway, once again, I chose White Rock Lake for the session, but we stayed relatively close to Mockingbird Point Dog Park, so their little one could swim and play. We walked across the bridge, took some shots in the blistering sun (or whatever shade we could find) and dodged bikes on the path. It was adventurous, but never dangerous!

James & Miguel Strike a Pose

Posing. Is.

Difficult.

It's difficult for the people in the photos. It's difficult for the photographer.

That's because staring into a lens and pretending to act natural is one of the most unnatural things you can do. That and most of us aren't models.

Well, James and Miguel are making the rest of us look bad. I never had to pose them once. They knew exactly how to stand, where to look, and where the light was.

They were so much fun to work with and I just know they have a really great future to look forward to.

Stephanie, Joe, and Downtown Dallas

Stephanie and Joe had a cool idea to have two engagement sessions. Session number one took place at the State Fair of Texas. And session number two took place in and around Downtown Dallas. We went to Thanksgiving Square, the Dart Rail, the Dallas Museum of Art, and a few other stops.

Stephanie and Joe also had another cool idea. They brought along their sweet doggie! She might have had more fun than all of us (except when she wasn't the center of attention, that is).

Stephanie, Joe, and Big Tex

The State Fair of Texas is known for fried food, butter statues, and live shows. It's also a great place to take engagement photos, so I was totally excited when Stephanie and Joe wanted to shoot their first engagement session there.

We went on a Wednesday night and fought the crowds. It wasn't an easy thing to do, but we made out with some pretty awesome shots. I can't wait until their second session. And then the wedding.

Congrats, Stephanie and Joe!

Josh proposed to Julie.

My husband's college roommate from yesteryear invited us out to Amarillo for Fourth of July weekend.

He also told us he was going to propose to his girlfriend. Luckily for Josh and Julie, I happen to be a professional photographer.

So a small group of us watched fireworks from the lake, and then walked back to Josh's house. On the way back, he dropped to one knee, I grabbed my camera, and the rest of the crew lit sparklers.

It was really fun playing a role in their engagement. And I can't wait to see them get married. Congratulations, you two!

Ideas For Your Photo Sessions

Many photographers offer wedding packages. And most of these packages come with one or two separate photo sessions. Usually, these are for a bridal or engagement photos.

But what should you do if, say, you have a friend doing your bridals? Then you have this extra photography session laying around that you don't really want.

Well, trust me, you want it.

Try something different.

Get Spicy with Boudior Portraits

Ladies and gentleman, what better photo could you give your partner besides a sassy, sexy, playful photo of yourself (or several).

Nothing; trust me. Use one of your included sessions and take some boudior photos. They can be shot in the comfort of your own home. Or rent a fancy hotel suite for the day.

Take After-the-Wedding Portraits

Many brides feel a bit of post-wedding-partum depression in the weeks following the big day. Give yourself something to look forward to. Either the day after the wedding or even a few months after, use your photo session to take more in-dress portraits. Heck, both of you get gussied up again, only more casual.

Maybe wear some funkier shoes than you were comfortable with wearing on the big day. Or try something crazy with your hair. Let your imagination run wild ... in a wedding dress ... downtown, perhaps.

Get Family Portraits

From wedding to reception, it's usually a time crunch to get portraits of the entire family. An uncle ran off to sneak a taste of the cake. The children are no where to be seen. And extra people sneak into the photos.

While everyone is in town, get them all together the morning (or early afternoon) after the wedding and do some more organized and fancy family portraits. It works especially well for people with large families.

Plus, it lets each family have the chance to get some individual family portraits. Consider it a gift to everyone for helping out with your big day!

Have "Prom" Photos at Your Wedding

This is something that I wanted to do at my own wedding (but unfortunately didn't get the chance). Have a corner or separate room set up as a photo booth ... prom style! Your guests can get fun portraits done. You can have props, backgrounds, you name it!

It's also another great way to keep guests entertained during the cocktail hour. And kids LOVE it.

Courtney and Ryan

My favorite place to take pictures right now is in Uptown in Dallas. With the Katy Trail, the American Airlines Center, and the McKinney Avenue Trolly, a photographer has it all! So when it came to taking Courtney and Ryan's engagement photos, I lured them to my neck of the woods. And I think we're all glad I did!

They are so easygoing, so much fun, and so refreshingly in love that I almost feel guilty taking credit for these photos. Courtney and Ryan are almost mind readers; as I was about to ask them to move an arm or stand over there, they would ask me first! Their session was a delight and I'm honored to have been their engagement photographer.

Adrienne and Bill

Meet Adrienne and Bill. They're getting married soon and needed to practice having a camera in their faces all afternoon. So we went to the Dallas Arboretum. It ended up being an extremely busy day so our little photo session was getting tons of attention and even more walk-throughs! You'd think people would take the extra ten seconds to walk around! Anyway, the pictures turned out great regardless.

Amity and Andrew

Third time's a charm, right? After rescheduling Andrew and Amity's session twice due to wet weather, we finally got some sun. Truth be told, it started raining during their session again, but you'd never know by looking at the photos!

We went to St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Plano. It's the location with literally everything. Maybe next time it's dry, the camera and I'll go back.