I love this family, and so appreciate teenage boys who are willing to show up for their mom like this. We had a great time highlighting their loves: guitars and shoes!
Category: Families
K+T
One of my favorite secret spots!
Holidays
A few selections from various holiday mini sessions!
L+S
I love these kids, this family, and most importantly, that turtle.
S+S+A
So. Much. Fun.
A
I really enjoy photojournalistic sessions, where I get to just photograph the normal aspects of everyday life. Most clients want to make the most of their sessions, with planned outfits and a fancy location, and I get that… but there’s real beauty in the daily routine, and it’s worth catching. I love doing these in black and white to cut down on the visual distractions, and it gives them a timeless feel.
K+T
Another great session with my lovely clients!
Quarantine
It has been quite some time since I’ve been able to photograph anyone else! My poor kids have HAD IT! Regardless, I was able to take them to a new location and we got some lovely shots out of it.
O + E
I laughed the entire time I edited this session. The girls are super cute, super funny, and love taking photos. Add a favorite location in the mix, and I ended the weekend on a very happy note!
I + N
I really love my clients- this family is big on authenticity, which really resonates with me. The kids are allowed to pick the clothes and activities. We get a few more “formal” group shots, and then I get to record them being kids. I’m consistently pleased with the shots, and I know they are, too.
S + S + A
Another year of knowing these fabulous, hilarious kids! Also grateful for an ever-changing Menil Museum, giving me a refreshed spaces and new backgrounds.
A + E
I’ve known these adorable boys since they were newborns, and it always gives me great pleasure to see them again! We headed to Buffalo Bayou park and took some photos while they explored. I love my clients- particularly the ones who have continued to share their journey as parents with me!
M + A
I was super honored to join some old friends in celebrating the adoption of their beautiful children! An excellent time to be a photographer, for sure.
O + T
I’m in a fortunate position with my business: I don’t actively advertise, instead choosing to meet clients organically or via word of mouth from other clients. It results in a really cool group of people that I am always happy to run into and interact with. I get super attached to watching the kids grow up, too! I really enjoyed this particular session because we were at a new-to-me location, Buffalo Bayou Park. It was a beautiful fall day, made better by spending time with great clients!
O + R + E
This job is special because people I normally wouldn’t get to see often pop back in to my life like clockwork once a year. They’ve moved on to other parts of town, other jobs, or have just been busy! I am so fortunate to be able to meet back up with them and catch up while we work. I love that part of this job, and I am always so happy to hear from old friends!
C + R
Had a blast at Rice doing a quick holiday session for this family and their sweet pup! We’ve done Rice a few times, but there’s enough variety there to keep it interesting.
W + A
I love newborn sessions. They’re so laid back. Second (third, fourth) babies are always fun, too, because the older kids get to be involved as well! I like to time the sessions so older siblings are either just waking up from a nap or are coming home from school about an hour into the session. It gives us time to focus on the new baby and lets the older siblings feel like they are a part of the action, too.
S + T
I love this family; I get to see them every year and I’m always blown away by how much the boys have grown! I always love chasing them around, and Hermann Park was a great spot to do so this year.
T + M
I’ve photographed this family for a few years now. They often bring their parents and siblings along for a few photos, which I love. It’s so nice to have a record of your extended family, especially for the kids to see as they grow. In a rare move, I invited these clients into my house (something I generally only do for headshots!), and we had a fantastic session out of the heat.
O + S
I met up with Ollie and Sonny (and their parents!) for a morning session at the zoo. The weather was overcast and a little cool, which is my favorite type of weather to shoot in. For such little guys, they really hung in there, cooperated, and we had a great time!
The Teeds
The Teeds are so fantastic: they welcomed twins last April, and they are such great little friends and companions to their big brother! We spent time at the Heights Boulevard gazebo and headed over to the 11th street park to get some group shots of the family. Of course, I couldn’t resist a few individual shots of the kids as well!
B + C + N
I had so much fun photographing these twins, their adoring sister, and their fantastic parents! We went to the 11th Street Park to play around in our neighborhood wilderness. We had such a great time together!
Grace
Grace (and her amazing family) have been my clients for over 3 years. I am alway so happy to see them, and I’m always amazed that Grace is growing up so quickly! They’re a very special group, and they always have interesting new locations to show me. This session was done in Sugar Land, and I keep wanting to go back and explore the area more.
The Nashes
These longtime clients have become friends. I love them so much! We did a very quick evening shoot while the bluebonnets were still out, and I was very happy with the results: mostly because I feel like the emotions we captured were genuine and authentic! I always love seeing this family!
O + B
The weather was so cold and unpredictable that my clients and I decided to head over to Fill in the Blank Studio for their session. This was actually an extended family session- all of the out-of-town relatives had come in and my clients wanted to have photos of everyone- but we also took some time to do a few shots of the kids. I am so glad we did, because they were hilarious!
D + J
My parents spent some time in Houston this winter, so I begged them to take a few photos with my kids. I love how they turned out! I feel like these images really show the relationship they have with my kids… And my kids are obsessed with them!
A + A
I love it when a client asks me to photograph their extended family. It’s a great opportunity to take advantage of an out-of-town visit. I generally like to take a few shots of the clients’ immediate families since we’re all together anyway. It feels like they get two sessions for the cost, time, and effort as one. Easy! Fun! Hilarious!
Evan
I often have clients who just want a few photos instead of a more complex photo session. Instead of offering mini sessions only once a year, they are always an option when you book. I love doing that, because it gives people a chance to see if they click with me, and it also means I get to see clients more often than I would otherwise! I was so happy to meet back up with sweet Evan and his awesome parents for a quick session at Menil Park.
Theodore
It was nice to see Theodore again after photographing his newborns! He is growing so quickly, and he is such a sweet kid!
Anja
I love a good milestone session! It was Anja’s birthday, and she wanted to show off her fancy new tricycle! Who can blame her- it’s awesome!
H + W
The great thing about having photographer friends is that you can sometimes swap sessions with them and try out new places or techniques. The kids all play together, and everyone has a good time. Shooting at the zoo is a bonus, because it keeps the kids interested and decreases their fatigue during a session. A winning combo!
Theodore
I was so excited when my friend called to tell me their baby had arrived! These images were taken last March, and you wouldn’t believe how much this kiddo has grown! I love these newborn sessions- I get to visit people in their homes and talk to them during those magical early moments when their entire lives are changing. I know that’s sappy, and I don’t care! I love it!
Naomi Turns One
I love this family! They joined me at Casa Water Oak to celebrate Naomi turning one! Congrats, little Naomi! We ended up at Water Oak thanks to some pretty ridiculous rain- we’d planned to be outside, and I think it rained for exactly the length of the session and then stopped! I loved sharing this space with them and getting some fun, laid-back shots.
The K Family
I did this session back in July of 2016, but I wanted to share it because of a few things. First off, I love this family so, so much. They were my very first clients, so they will always hold a special place in my heart! Secondly, I love this session as an example of what happens when you rent a studio space for your session. Because it’s so miserably hot at this time of year (and the rain is hard to predict, too), it’s a really safe bet to rent a studio space for your session. This one is Fill in the Blank Studio in the Heights area, and I love it so much! I always feel bad when a client spends time and money on hair and makeup, only to have their session postponed due to weather. Here are a few of my favorite images of this sweet family!
Grace
I did this session back in February, when I was 7 months pregnant. I really love shooting when I’m pregnant, because it makes me think out of the box about how to approach a session. Typically, I’d be lying on the ground, etc to get the right shot, and that’s just not feasible with a big belly!
Luckily for me, Gracie is always a pleasure, and we got some of my favorite shots of the season during her session. As a reminder, you can click to enlarge these images for easier viewing. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m back!
Hello! So I’m back, not only to blogging for Water Oak, but also back to shooting again from a brief maternity hiatus! Above is the newest addition to our family- Joey is a sweet little thing, and we are so happy to finally meet her.
While I was pregnant with Joey, we were also in the middle of another substantial project for our family… We built a house! We’re now settled in, having moved everything two weeks before the baby came. It was a wild time, and I am so glad to have things just be calm now. That said, blogging my sessions definitely went by the wayside, as they tend to do when things get hectic!
I’m going to be blogging various sessions, all out of order, and talking a little about how I love them, so look for those posts in the future! I’ve missed blogging and I REALLY missed my clients while I was on leave! Glad to be back!
Since tomorrow is father’s day, I’ll leave you with these images of my own guy and our little dudes.
Kemly
I’m very lucky to know this family! They are kind, funny, and always a hoot to photograph. I am always so happy to hear from them. For this session, we went to the Houston Zoo to get a few maternity shots as well as a couple of final photos as a family of three.
February Favorites
Here are a few of my favorite shots from February 2016! It was hard to narrow it down, but I really loved these sessions. The weather was starting to get warm, and we welcomed a few new babies (and anticipated the arrival of one more!) and enjoyed a birthday or two.
I find myself being drawn to many of these images because I feel like they’re authentic expressions of moments- less formal and posed, and more about having fun or feeling love in the moment. My favorite sessions are ones where we work together to create special moments that are focused on the great emotions that come with raising kids: love, excitement, hilarity… It’s all good!
Overall, it was a wonderful month for Water Oak Families!
January favorites
Okay, so we all know I’m not great at blogging on time. I’d love to talk about each session in depth, but I think it’s going to be easier for me to get caught up if I can change it up a bit. So let me show you a few of my favorite shots from January 2016.
The first three months of the year are historically slow for my business, because we’re coming right off holiday card season and everyone is recovering from the stress and travel. I was lucky to have a few adorable newborns, including one with a hilariously angry-looking cat! I was also very honored to shoot some maternity shots for dear friends of mine, who now have the sweetest little baby (you’ll see him later). Finally, I ended the month with a Valentine’s day photo booth. An unusual event for professional photos, maybe, but we had a super fun time and, aside from Halloween, it’s my favorite booth event I’ve done.
I’ve been asked about doing more booth events, because they’re so affordable for parents and you get some interesting shots. I’d love to do more of those, but my pregnancy has really reduced the amount of long days I can do! We’ll see how I’m feeling in January, perhaps.
(As always, click to enlarge these photos!)
The Blocks | Houston Family Photographer
I loved this session from the beginning of 2016. The Blocks are so funny, so sweet, and so in love with their daughter! We had a great time at the park, and had some lovely images of their very happy baby!
D+K
Things I love: Adorable children. A love story. My first ever clients. Engagements. Rice University. Beautiful, happy families. I was super honored and so happy to be a part of this day and this engagement! I am not a sentimental person, but give me an engagement or wedding, and I cry every time without fail. Congrats to two beautiful, in-love people! You are the best.
Matilda | Houston Newborn Photographer
This session is particularly special to me because I’ve known this couple for nearly 15 years! We were at the same residential college during our time at Rice. More importantly, I really connected with them because Brandi ended up in the antepartum ward at Texas Children’s Women’s Pavilion- the same place I spent 2 months while pregnant with my own son. I can’t imagine how hard it was for Brandi and her family, because she already had one son “on the ground”. We were able to do their photos in various areas in the hospital, which created an unusual and fun challenge.
And a few short months later, I was back with the family to photograph baby Matilda! She’s so sweet, and so loved by her family (especially her brother!). We’ll be seeing more of this lovely family with a bluebonnet session soon!
Meredith | Houston Newborn Photographer
Last November, I had the chance to photograph a newborn session for little Meredith. This session was awesome- partly due to older sis being hilarious and fun, and partly due to Mom and Dad being super cool human beings (and also from Ohio, so bonus points!) Rock on, little Meredith! O-H! I-O!
Ansel | Houston Newborn Photographer
We’ve had some serious rain down here in Texas, so what else is a gal to do but update the old blog? Ansel’s newborn session is being blogged out of order, because I just love it so much, I had to share it. 2016 has stood out as The Year of the Amazing Rugs and The Year of the Awesome Dogs. My clients are so stylish… And their pets are cracking me up! Ansel’s family is no exception. Enjoy!
Holiday 2015 Superpost!
Okay, here’s the big Holiday 2015 Superpost! I had so many images I wanted to share, but I narrowed it down to just a few… It was a wonderful season with old and new friends, and I am always so honored to be a part of people’s holiday cards and memories during that special time of year. Thanks to everyone who joined me for 2015!
The Birons | Houston Family Photographer
I LOVE this family! 2 parents, 4 kids, 11 grandkids… A giant bunch of awesome people, who were cracking me up the whole time we shot. We spent the morning at Rice, and although it threatened rain the entire time, everyone was fantastic and fun.
Charlotte | Houston Maternity Photographer
I love maternity photos, but it’s even more fun to shoot maternity sessions for second/third/more babies. I love the expressions of the siblings-to-be, and the “calm in the chaos” chill of parents. It was an honor to be able to shoot Charlotte’s maternity photos, because she is a very close friend of mine, and a fantastic person.
