Children have those photos of being pensive, inquisitive, mischievous and you look deep into their eyes and see their souls. Yet, it is the photos where I see sheer joy and immeasurable happiness that I always remember.  I’m glad I get to photograph happy people preserving happy memories!

Be Good!

Seriously, the best babies ever.  This session was easier than some of my single baby sessions.  As long as they were next to each other they were happy.

Be Good!

So let me set the scene for you . Meet Conrad.

He graduated a couple of years ago. Life happened and he never got around to ordering portraits from his senior session. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, his brother grew up and is graduating this year.  I photographed him in the fall and applauded him for getting his senior photos done early!  Meet Caleb.

Both brothers along with their very sweet mother were at the studio for one giant ordering session.  Each brother couldn’t wait until we viewed the other brothers photos so they could take jabs at each other.  There was a lot of laughter, a few punches in the arm and the occasional compliment.  It was Caleb’s turn and his images are flashing across the screen and we get to this one…

 Caleb quickly dismisses it, but his mom and I intervene.  So here comes the awkward moment…. how do I say he looks good in this photo, that he looks “sexy” in front of his mom.  So I simply say, “as a female I appreciate it”.  Later on his brother nicknames the image, “juicy lips”.  And now I can’t imagine this photo by another name. Thank goodness for super cool clients!

Be Good!

What’s not to love.? Next to newborns this age, 6-7 months, is my favorite age.  Great expressions, easy to make smile, a blossoming personality are a few of the reasons I love them so.  You begin hearing infectious giggles and in the same breath you witness some heartfelt tears.  Case in point, the photo below.  When clients call in and ask me how long my sessions are I always answer the same way.  The child will let me know when they are finished.  In this case Colin was done.

Be Good!

Baby Kendall was born last Tuesday.  Kendall was funny, she had these very expressionistic facial expressions that said, “I’m not going to sleep – you can’t make me”.  And like all newborns, when she finally relented, she was an angel.  She was a baby that liked it extra warm. She loved falling asleep in her father’s arms and she was soothed by her mother’s gentle voice. She was in one word… beautiful.

On a different note, for those of you who have followed me all along, I’m excited  about my blog again.  I gave it a face lift, one that I hope will match my new website I plan to unveil by the end of the month.  Over the past year, I have fallen in love with bloggers all over again.  That’s right, instead of writing on my own blog, I got lost in other blogs.  I looked forward with anticipation for a new post from those blogs I followed.  Slowly but surely, I was once again lured to this side of my business.  One might say I have been suffering from writers block.  All I can say is that I lost the words for a little while.

I have always been very personal on my Marie Q blog.  I have included deeply personal stories in the past- some happy and some sad.  I will continue to share them because I do feel that my experiences and my life make my vision different from everyone else’s. I hope to hear from all of you again and I hope to find some new friends along the way!

Be Good!

I will be at The Waxahachie Junior Service League’s Christmas Market on Saturday, December 3rd, between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm. Christmas Market will be held at the Waxahachie Civic Center and admission is $5 and kids 10 and under are free. This will be a charitable event benefiting  The Women’s Resource Center.  We are asking for EITHER a Baby Blanket OR a $10 cash donation per child. In return you will receive a complimentary 5×7 per donation.  Photos will be available for pick up here at the studio on Tuesday, December 13th and Thursday, December 15th, between the times of 5:00-6:30. At pickup we will be offering packages at significantly reduced prices. We have a great Santa shown in the photos above who is THE BEST with kids. Please stop by and get your photos with Santa and take care of a cold baby this winter too!

No appointments necessary, this is a first come, first serve event.

Be Good!

#1 – Cookie Cutter is out – Buying matching pumpkin outfits may seem like the easy to go.  It may also get us an automatic blog entry on www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com.

Instead try a mix and match approach of pairing complimentary colors together.  The most important thing to consider is tone. Want to make it easy….stick with solids.  One of the first things I was taught was to lay all the outfits out on the bed or dining room table.  Walk away from it for a while.  When you come back to it where does your eye go.  If it goes to a certain outfit or piece of clothing that is the piece that doesn’t flow.  Your eyes should move from one side to another without stopping.

#2 Monochromatic – Pick your colors and layer, add textures and dimension, add prints, just keep it in the same monochromatic family. The look below makes it easy to add a bold accent color.  Experiment with turquoise, yellow or fuchsia.

#3 What’s hot now… Layers, layers, layers.  You just cant walk out the door with just jeans and a t-shirt now. The look above does a good job of showing an example of layering.  But I posted one below for examples of layering using more than one color.

#4 – If you want to go for something different – embrace it and do it all the way!  Bold bright colors add dimension to your photos and enhance your good looks.  I guarantee that everyone will say how wonderful you looked in the photos.  It will draw their eyes to the photos and make them look at your family!!

See all these cool outfit ideas, I borrowed them all from www.pinterest.com.  If you haven’t been invited yet, shoot me an email and I’ll send you an invite.  You can’t join without having an invite.  Search for family portrait outfits and see the examples for yourself. Want to narrow it down, just add the color you are using and take a look.

We still have a few fall outdoor mini-sessions available this weekend. It’s $99 and includes the session fee and a 24 pack of 5×7 holiday cards.  Call us at the studio to reserve your spot today! 972-937-9511

Each year we try and come up with a theme for my daughter and the twins for Boo @ Marie Q.  It is always a last minute decision.  Always a scramble to find what we need. And always a race to the printers.  So this year we decided to try and make “American Gothic” our own.  After all, we have twin boys we need to incorporate. In a few years I may have to adopt honorary studio children.  The bribes are becoming more elaborate, the shoots are becoming shorter, and we’d probably be nicer to other children than our own. I’m already stressing about what we’ll do next year.

Details about Boo @ Marie Q

When: Monday, October 31st 2:30-5:00 PM during Trick or Treat on the Square

Where: Marie Q Photography- 213 S. College St Waxahachie, TX 75165 – 972.937.9511

Why: Benefiting Local Charities Waxahachie Care and The Light of Gabriel Foundation

What: Bring your child/ children in costume along with two canned goods and $5 cash donation per child and receive a complimentary 5×7 (to be picked up on November 9th or 10th).

See you there – Be Good!

It’s been a busy day, but I couldn’t wrap it up without posting this sweet little punkin’

Enjoy this beautiful weekend.  Be good!