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.

Red Bull Ross

I'm so proud of Ross. He's a fantastic artist. And his latest work is being featured in Red Bull's Art of the Can. Honestly, his painting is far too good to be an ad for an energy drink (in this humble artist's opinion).

Anyway, Ross needed a bio photo. So we took half an hour and came up with these.

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.

Feeling bubbly?

My husband and I have all of these leftover bubbles from our wedding. I'm more than happy to give them away to anyone who would like them. The blue, yellow, and green ribbons can easily be replaced with other colors.

I'd hang on to them for next Easter or something, but we don't have too many little ones in our family right now (at least locally). I thought they'd be cute for a baby shower or something, too.

Family Time

My husband and I crashed the party at my aunt and uncle's house this weekend. They were playing lacrosse, my younger cousin's newest passion. My husband was quite the player back in the day. So he's excited to have a lacrosse buddy in the family.

I gave it a go myself, but no one in the family felt comfortable enough using my camera to get too many photos of my (awesome) abilities. Oh, well. Perhaps they should sign up for my photo workshop.

Jon is going to graduate.

Jon is tall. He's very tall. He's not even out of high school yet, and he's a walking tower. So it only made sense to take his photos in the downtown area--where all of the tall buildings are. That and Uptown has so much to offer photo subjects. There's nature, there's urban settings, there's even billboards.

So that's where we shot. Amidst the birds and buildings of Uptown. Not a bad way to spend a lazy Sunday morning, really.

I was a bride!

It was a warm and sunny 31 degrees outside. Luckily, the kind folks who work inside the various shops and restaurants in the Bishop Arts District took pity on this bride and offered her (and her wonderful assistants) the chance to warm up. If you haven't guessed already, these photos are of me, Veronica's Camera herself. My co-photographer Jordan took the shots.

How do I use this thing?

I often hear, "That's a really nice camera. I would be lost using it."

That's partially true. You would only be lost for about two minutes--that's it. Cameras aren't difficult, but there is a bit of a learning curve.

In fact, those easy-to-use point-and-click cameras that everyone has can do some pretty cool things, too. The problem is that no one really knows how to use them (which is why they all now have face detection, etc., which isn't without it's flaws, as well).

I want to host a workshop where people can bring whatever camera they have and I'll show them how to work it. It'll be cheap, it'll be fun (organized activities!). I just don't know when it will be. I guess I have to get enough interest before I schedule something.

I shot myself.

Well, sort of. Since I'm a photographer, people love to ask me who's shooting my bridal portraits and our wedding. It makes sense. After all, I'm going to be picky.

So my awesome assistant and I shot my bridals. And I really want to post them, but I'm not married yet. And I REALLY want to share them with my favorite person in the world (my one-and-only), but he's the one person I can't show.

This is so hard! But it's only 33 days until the reveal. So be looking for my own bridals soon.

A Handy Trick for White Dresses

Being a bride myself, I've been a little concerned with things showing through my white dress (like undergarments). White stands out like a lamp. Nude shows. Something blue definitely shows. But red doesn't.

It sounds insane. It sounds really insane. But for some reason, red disappears under white. So if you're a bride, and you want to wear something under your dress that doesn't show, go for a pair of sassy red underwear. After all, who doesn't feel sexy in red?

Derrick and Emily, Husband and Wife

As I edited the photos from Derrick and Emily's wedding, I found myself smiling. I found myself smiling often.

Because they just look so in love. Revisiting their day on my computer (even two weeks after the event), I could literally feel the energy of their affection.

Perhaps that's cheesy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Congratulations, you two crazy kids. May your future glow like your wedding day.

The Best Gift for Grandma and Grandpa

Rumor has it that the absolute best present one can ever give his parents is a grandchild. The second best present? Photos of that grandchild.

So when grandchild becomes grandchildren, it's time to get everyone together for a family photo.

I took the Dewbre family's portraits on a sunny Sunday at Riverchon Park in Dallas. I love how they all wore white shirts and jeans. And the little ones did really well (after all, being a model isn't easy).

Portrait Tip - Bring a Friend

It's weird staring in to the big, gaping maw of a huge camera. And unfortunately, that weirdness can appear in photos. This is where friends come in handy.

If you bring a friend with you, there's someone to relieve the pressure, make you laugh, and possibly distract you from the menacing click click click of the camera.

If you're a bride, bring your maid-of-honor. If you're a high school senior, bring your BFF. If you're a mommy to be, bring along daddy-to-be or a good girlfriend.

Whoever your buddy is for the day, make sure he/she is someone who can comfort you. Someone who doesn't make you nervous and self conscious. You'll thank them when you see your beaming face in pictures.

Texas Pride. Texas Bride.

Star Hill Ranch Bee Cave, Texas

Admittedly, we were all a little timid about shooting Kristen's bridal portraits on such a gloomy, cloudy, wet day.

But with the wedding quickly approaching, we decided to face the storm.

Kristen chose cowboy boots in lieu of her strappy sandals and we did our best to keep her dress clean (with success, by the way).

The pictures turned out FANTASTIC. The only time she looked more beautiful was her actual wedding day.

Congrats, Kristen. You are Nigel are in for the time of your lives.

Does your fiance know you're here?

Introducing Veronica's Camera Bachelorette Paparazzi Service. Just like in Hollywood, you tip us off 20 minutes before you want the paparazzi to show up, and then we will. You're bachelorette will love it!

We'll enter a club (pending the club's permission, of course), we'll wait outside the front doors, we'll get her exiting the limo. We'll shout questions, we'll scream out rumors (provided by you, of course), and most importantly--we'll capture every moment.

Whatever you want!

Make her night memorable. Contact us via our website for more info.

Sweet Carolina

(Pronounced Caro-leen-ah) Baby Carolina is so precious and perfect, words are useless.

On the other hand, cameras are rather good at interpreting beauty when language fails.

And with that, here's what the camera says about perfect little Carolina on her seventh day.

Kris & Mitch are Hitched

On September 12, I watched Kris and Mitch get married through the lens of my camera. And I'm very glad I did.

In the hours I spent with them and their loved ones, I remembered why not only weddings, but marriages are so special. You see, they only cared about getting married. Kris didn't fret over teensy wardrobe mishaps. They didn't have to blow the budget on orchids. And the pouring rain didn't cast a shadow on the joy they felt that afternoon.

Every couple should be this happy, carefree, and all-around relaxed the day they get married. I hope I am.

Congratulations, Kris and Mitch. May you share a lifetime of smiles and laughter.

About Kris and Mitch:

They were married in the Worship Center at the First United Methodist Church of Carrollton. This is their first (and only!) marriage which is very cool considering they aren't the typical twenty-something couple. And they had the coolest kids in their wedding.

Will Work For Pizza

Little known fact about me: I love pizza. It's my favorite food. It will always be my favorite food. I'd do nearly anything for a good slice of pie.

Which brings me to Olivella's. If you live in the DFW Metroplex, do yourself a favor and have lunch, dinner, whatever at Olivella's. You won't be sorry.

Prodding, Poking, and Incentivising

A side note before I begin: I can't believe "incentivising" is a real word. At least according to the New Oxford American Dictionary. Anyway, it's time to start spreading the word about Veronica's Camera. So here's the deal.

Get a friend to use Veronica's Camera and you will get the following FREE:*

One 11x14 print

Two 8x10 prints

2 5x7 prints

Four 4x6 prints

8 wallet prints

Don't you just love freebies?

Want to know the normal rates? Feel free to give me a shout.

*Standard session fees apply. Offer not valid with any extremely discounted service. Blah blah blah.

Amity

I've been so eager to post Amity's bridal portraits! But I've a strict policy about posting the bride before she's married. So now that Amity is a wife, I can finally show off her beautiful photos. We got such a variety of shots, it's impossible to pick my favorite. Although I love how her bare feet peek out in a few of the photos showing off her carefree nature.

These were shot in Turtle Creek, Lee Park to be more specific, on a sunny-then-cloudy-then-sunny day.