Katy Family Photographer | Warming up a cool morning...

Saturday it was a little chilly in the morning.  When I arrived at LaCenterra Mall for this family photo session, I stayed in the sun waiting for the family to arrive.  The stores were not open yet but the farmer's market was setting up.

If you aren't from the area, you may not know that it is the time of year for the Houston Rodeo.  Well, These guys looked like they were ready to go - all in their cowboy boots and jeans.  I LOVE these wooden doors at LaCenterra.

What a cutie!  By the end we were friends...he even let me hold his hand as we walked from spot to spot for the pictures. I think he figured out that a portrait session with me is more like a play date...lots of running, dancing, hiding, and even a song or two.

And his baby sister, who turned one in the fall, wasn't about to let him have all the fun.  She could run with the best of them.  She was funny too about her hair...she kept patting it back into place!

I really wanted to take advantage of this really cool window (while the restaurant was closed) and since this little girl was petite for her age, it was the perfect opportunity to use it.  Don't worry though, mom was less than an arm's length away just to the left so she could grab a hold if she tried to get down!

And a quick one of mom and dad.  We only got to take a couple before we had to go chase down the kids...I bet they keep them on the move at home too!

Interested in learning more about our portrait sessions?  Visit our Katy Family Photographer website for more details.

Fairhope Family Photographer | Guest Photography

Last year while visiting my sister-in-law, a Fairhope family photographer, I was a guest photographer on a shoot she had scheduled for a family with 5 kids!  Going into the session our game plan was to have me photograph the three girls, and she would take on the parents and the two boys..and we worked as a team to get all 7 of them (and their dog) photographed!

I feel so lucky that I got to meet this beautiful family.  Folks in Fairhope are just, well, so nice! And all three girls were a delight to talk to and photograph.

Add in that the family has a gorgeous home, and a beautiful yard and I was definitely happy to be helping out during this session.

 

It was interesting to see a family with such a wide range of ages...I think the youngest was around 3 years old...and the oldest in her early 20's.  They all seemed to get along so well and there was so much energy around them.

I plan to do more guest shoots in Fairhope this year. I was had a shoot in Fairhope with my niece in downtown Fairhope during that same trip: Fairhope Portrait Photograher | Growing Up Fast...

If you are interested in a guest session in Fairhope, be sure to sign up for our email newsletter, and visit our website to learn more about us: Houston Family Photographer | Bubblegum Tree Photography.

Good Things Come in Threes - revisited | Houston Baby Photography

Remember these sweet little triplet boys I photographed at the NICU in November?  Well they went home shortly after their pictures and mom was feeling ready to have me come tackle them at home for some new pictures!

First, let me point out how absolutely fab mom looks with her three sweet babies!

The boys are now about 5 months old but their adjusted age is only 2 months. So they are at that awkward age to photograph.  They can't hold their heads up yet and they don't sit up yet but they were so sweet during their session and made LOTS of eye contact.

This was baby S then.  He was a good eater then, and he is still a good eater now.  I saw him knock back a bottle faster than his two brothers!    He was so active during our pictures and loves to KICK.  He's going to be one busy boy!

Then there was baby W.  He didn't care much for having his picture taken last time.  And he wasn't that into it this time although I did get him to smile a bit for me!  When I didn't have the camera he was giving me GIANT smiles.  So sweet.  Here he is now - a big boy!!

Last and certainly not least...Baby A!!!  He was the last one to come home from the hospital, and is smaller than his two brothers.  But oh my!!! He is so alert.  I remember when I did the pictures at the NICU he was all wide eyed taking everything in.

...and he hasn't changed.  He was wide eyed and relaxed during his part of the session.  He had excellent eye contact the entire time.  And he listened to me just talk and talk! 

Isn't it amazing how much he's grown up!  And he has the finest blond hair...so sweet.

I really enjoyed hanging out with these guys this morning.  Mom handles it all with such grace and beauty.  I would be a basket case, for sure.  Mom offered to make me a sandwich (the shoot lasted just shy of 4 hours)!  I thought, surely she has enough to do with these three!

And because I can't resist, another of mom with her boys together!

7 Days New | Houston Newborn Photographer

This little guy was wide awake when I arrived this morning.  At 7 days old he had already had a solid 6 hours of sleep the night before so he took a little while to settle down.

 

After some snuggle time with mom and dad he finally started to relax and settle down (that, and several feedings!).

We moved into the family music room.  I LOVE that they have a music room.  I'm sure they'll have many sweet family events around the piano!  I loved the painting hanging over the piano too!

Dad is in a band.  He had a couple of guitars hanging around.  And I couldn't resist putting the baby in one of them!

 

Precious sweet newborn baby!  Love newborns!

Gah!  Super cute. It was so hard to narrow it down to a few pictures for the sneak peek.

By the end we finally wore him out and he rested for us.  We think he also liked being swaddled.

I've photographed mom and dad as a pre-baby couple, mom when she was pregnant, and now little baby first baby boy.  I love being a part of their special family moments!

Custom & Photo Valentines

With February knocking on our door, we know the Valentine's Day parties are around the corner.  Rather than getting the same old Valentine's day cards from the local super store, why not get a custom Valentine's day card?  And if you didn't get your Christmas cards out on time, what a great way to surprise your friends and family with a card in the mail!

We've had great luck ordering custom items from both of our partner vendors (Minted and Tiny Prints).  And both are offering both photo and non-photo custom Valentine's Day Cards!

Winter Garden Portraits | Houston Portrait Photographer

So on Saturday the weather was warm but overcast and I decided I wanted to take my kids out for some serious outdoor time.  After realizing it had been quite a while since I had been to Mercer Botanical Gardens, I packed a picnic lunch and headed out with the kids.

We started our adventure at the Botanical Gardens side.  My son loves to read the maps and ask where we are on it and where will go we go.  My daughter just wants to follow him around.   And there are large swings scattered throughout the gardens that the kids enjoyed pushing each other on.

I have a large canvas of my son for his 3 year portraits wearing a certain velvet blazer and kept it so that I could take some pictures of my daughter in the same coat so I brought that along and a tutu for her to wear with it to girl it up!

There have been some really major changes to the botanical gardens over the last  year or so.  Hurricane Ike took out a number of their mature trees so the area that used to be like a forest is now much more open.  And now there is a new large water feature that is like a free standing waterfall! BEAUTIFUL! 

Frequently January is a VERY quiet month for photographers and mostly we are glad about that.  We need to recover from the holiday rush and get our business in order so we can start the new year out right.  And that is certainly what I've been up to.  But I did miss getting out to take some pictures and although my kids suffer from PCS (photographer's child syndrome) I was able to take a few casual pictures of them.

Even in January the botanical gardens look beautiful.  While maybe not as colorful as they will be in April, we were really able to take a look at some different areas of the park.  The moss growing on one of the rock walls was especially vivid!

 

At the end of this big rock wall is like a seat built into it.  Abby LOVED being up on that seat - she didn't want to leave.  I let her take off her cowboy boots so she could feel the cold rocks and moss on her little feet and that made her especially happy!

This shows that even in the winter, we can enjoy the outdoors in Houston and get some great pictures!

Last Chance Digital Portrait Sessions | Houston Child Photographer

Transition Promotion

As we return to our traditional pricing model, we have decided to have a one time promotion as a farewell to the digital by design sessions.  We will accept ONE digital by design reservation per month for all of 2010.  So, if you know you want to book a portrait session for 2010 and that you'd prefer the $495 for a disk of 25 high resolution fully edited images, visit our new pricing information page and scroll to the bottom to choose the month you would like to reserve from the available months.   Upon completion of your reservation we can schedule a specific time and date during the month that you reserved.  Our newsletter subscribers were sent out this promotion late last week and we have already booked January, April, October, and November sessions!

New Site Launched | Houston Portrait Photography

Yah!! Our new website has launched.

 

Our new site has more detailed pricing information, galleries, information about our different session types, and our updated polices.  And not only do have a fancy flash version, there is a version for the iPhone so if you visit http://www.bubblegumtree.com on your iphone you'll see a version of the site optimized for your phone!

Private Individual or Group Photography Classes

Over the last two years we have been offering public group photography classes for moms that are looking for knowledge on how to get more out of their cameras.  However, as they year progressed last year we found that more and more people were looking for either a private class, or a group class with a group of friends.  So this winter and spring instead of trying to offer the public classes that don't always meet with your schedule, we are going to focus on the private individual or group photography classes.

Interested in a private individual class?  The private one-on-one photography class is a great way for a mom to get help with her specific camera.  We'll cover the basics of what goes into an exposure, go over the features of your camera, and suggest when to use certain features of your camera to allow you to take better pictures.  We'll also cover the differences between different lenses and which lens is best during different circumstances.  A three hour class at your home or mine is $250. Contact me to schedule a class date/time that will work for you!

Interested in a private group class?  These were super popular during the fall!  Get a group of your friends together for a mom's night out at someone's house, or a daytime class while the kids are at school.  We'll cover:

• 10 Tips for Taking Better Pictures of your Kids
• Introduction to Exposure
• • ISO
  • Shutter Speed
  • Aperture
• Training Wheels
• • Using your camera’s program setting.
• Lens Overview
• • What do all those numbers mean on the lens?
• Options for sharing and printing

The three hour group class is $100 per person with a minimum of three participants.  Each person will receive a textbook to keep as a reference.  The class lasts for 3 hours for 3-5 people, and can be extended to 4 hours for over 5 people (due to the extra questions that may come up for a larger group size).  If you are interested contact me with some possible dates/times that work for you and your friends so we can coordinate the class.

Updated Site & Pricing

For 2010 we are returning to our roots and going back to a traditional portrait photography model.  Therefore, effective immediately, all new sessions booked will have our new 2010 pricing in affect.  

The overview of the new pricing:

$200 Weekday Session Fee (for full length sessions, 25-35 proofed images)
$250 Weekend Session Fee (for full length sessions, 25-35 proofed images)
$100 Weekday Session Fee (for mini sessions, 10-15 proofed images) *not available on weekends

(Location fees may apply for certain locations with the Houston metro area.)

The session fee includes the time and talent of the photographer and does not include any digital files or prints. After the session, the best images will be edited and presented in an online gallery.  Orders for prints or digital files can be made via the online gallery, email, or an in-person ordering session.

Print and digital packages start at $495 for a full length session, and $265 for a mini session.  Ala carte items start at $45 and may be purchased only after the purchase of package.

We are putting the finishing touches on our new website which will feature a new gallery and updated pricing and policies.  Also, please note that we have decided to discontinue the associate program and will no longer be offering the Digital by Design sessions.  At least one digital file is included with all of our packages and most include a mix of digital and printed images. 

All future sessions will be held with the owner, Jessica Grieves.