OK So other than all the other stuff that goes on during the weekend we have started with the holiday portraits too.  We had the pleasure of chillin with a bunch of pretty cool people this weekend and wanted to share them with you. 

First up was the ever beautiful Tasha and Chris.  This couple was very sweet.  They were excited about their baby to come and Chris enjoyed the cookies.  It was especially neat to see how much Chris loved the way Tasha looked during the session.  Dads sometimes seem to enjoy this session more than anything. 

Next up was the ever spunky and silly vanRavenswaay girls!  This is a rock-in roll family and they know what fun and family is all about.  Of course this is just an all out sweet image of these little girls.  The younger sister Andy is a real character.

As soon as these crazy kids left the studio another group of wild cats rolled in.  The Carter family partied with us for a while.  We got all the usual family portraits but the very last image was my favorite.  This big group of hugging love was too fun. 

Once the Carter family left my kids showed up and we played for a little bit.  A good friend of mine Kathi ran into a pinch with the weather and asked if she could use our studio for a bridal session.  Since you can never take too many pictures we got ready and did an all out bridal shoot.  I got in on the action and took a few as well.  Bridals are fun but the brides are usually getting to know all the uncomfortableness of their dress. 

I first setup a little crazy white blown out look.  This is super funky and not your average looking portrait. 

We also went the traditional elegant path and this bride was just stunning. 

I pulled out the big ladder and took a couple from up high on the funky couch. 

It was all cool and fun but a long day.  I'm ready for some Sunday church, football and sitting around. 

Posted by danny at 07:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Like most I too get sucked into the marketing strategies of companies through their ever repettitve blasts of 30 second pop culture.  Apple has this down to a knack with our desire to follow like a bunch of lemmings.  Every time I see that commercial of the new Nano Video I keep wanting to go get that 1234 song from Feist. 

I was on the phone with Farrah Braniff the other day and heard this whaling in the background.  After inquiry, she informed me that she was listening to Feist.  So naturally I went and downloaded it to check it out myself.  Overall its pretty good.  Very mellow but toe tapping is appropriate and recommended.  This LP is definitely one to have on while mulling through images to design albums.

The Reminder reminds me of a mix of Fiona Apple, the Pretenders and Bjork. So pick it up and enjoy.  There is even a little diddy that is a remake of Nina Simone's See Line Woman.  And if you dig Nina Simone your in good company.

Posted by danny at 08:45 AM | Permalink

I am a photographer not a writer so here is my review of the latest LP I purchased from ITunes. 

It rocks, get it and your day will be a little more laid back, chilled out, and all out cool with the weather the world and what your gonna do on Saturday night. 

Todd Snider hails from Portland Oregon but he is a whole more Texan than most.

This is a new category to our blog.  Its all about music and what we are jammin too.  If you have a recommendation than lay it out here on a comment or shoot me an email.  We will check it out.

God Bless Texas and God Bless Johnny Cash!

Posted by danny at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last Wednesday afternoon I headed to The Methodist Hospital to photograph a newborn client.  Mommy came in a few week before for her maternity session.  We had a lot of fun but you could tell this day couldn't come soon enough.  Needless to say Dad called me in the AM and I showed up some time later that afternoon. 

These sessions are called our babies first day sessions and are quickly growing in popularity.  Basically I provide an on location session in the hospital within the babies first 24 hours.  The family also receives a slide show set to music.  The best part is that we also host the images on Collages.net for the family to share with others. 

JG arrived around 9:00 on Tuesday night.  So right now he almost exactly 7 days old.  Man the weeks fly by fast!  He was such a sweet little guy and there was lots of family around to celebrate.

His grandmother was glowing with excitement.  She was first up for the photo op.  She was smiles from ear to ear.

Next up was JG's big uncle.  He was pretty excited and totally comfortable handling the little guy. 

Dad got in the pictures and couldn't help but kiss the little guy.  These are such awesome images because I know I am truly capturing those first moments of bonding. 

JG awoke and was aware of his surroundings.  He wasn't too thrilled with the flash but did a great job modeling.

Being a star is a bit boring and who could resist a baby yawn!  Oh to be 15 hours old again.  THOSE WERE THE DAYS!

Dad was pretty tired but managed to swaddle JG and get him ready for feeding.  This little guy had some real personality.  And if he is anything like his dad he will be a total riot.

Once settled in with mommy JG went right back to sleep.  We left shortly after this and can't wait to see them back in the studio for their newborn studio portrait. 

We are glad your hear JG!

Posted by danny at 08:00 PM | Permalink

A couple months back I worked with our neighbor Toni Whitaker on a fall line invitation.  Toni brought a pretty cool concept to me and we put this ultra hot photo together for her invitation.  Basically the shoot included existing clients and her beautiful designs.  It was a pleasure meeting all these elegant ladies and having the opportunity to do something a little different from our daily grind. 

Toni made this elegant backdrop for the shoot and the props were provided by our neighbors from Found In The Home.

Last week was the actual fashion show.  Denise and I were excited because we felt like we played a big part in the festivities.  Toni asked if I could photograph her event so I obliged. 

It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed visiting with all the lovely guests at the event.  The clothing Toni put together for her fall collection were impressive.  Some of my personal favorites are shown below.

This one boilin hot!

The last one was really cool with a Texas flare.  The boots were from another designer out of Austin.  The line is from WURD Texas and they were sportin some tight boots and bags.

A few more from the night.

The night was a lot of fun and I might have to get one of the rockin black dresses for Denise and take her out for a night on the town.  We were proud of Toni and know that is was a successful night!

Posted by danny at 09:12 PM | Permalink

Little Ms. Vivian's parents came by this week to see the photos we did.  Some of our favorites were of her dancing around the studio.  I don't know what it is but little girls just love to twirl on the big painted backdrops in the studio. 

Twirling is something to be proud of and most of these little girls are VERY proud.

Keep on dancing Vivian!

Posted by danny at 11:00 PM | Permalink

One of the perks to being a photographer is that you never really have to get in front of the camera.  But once in a while you find the need to get your portrait taken.  For a photographer this can be a rather difficult situation but fortunately we have good friends like Farrah Braniff that can help.

Denise and I needed an updated portrait for the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep website.  In return I photographed Farrah for her new upcoming site.  Her site is really slick so we had to do this image up right. 

We started in the studio and it was just a little too stuffy for Farrah.  She had a hard time relaxing in front of the camera. (By the way, she is going to be pissed I am putting this on the blog.)

Since this was a little difficult we headed outside.  I wanted to shoot in Toni's shop but she was busy getting ready for a big fashion show I was shooting that evening.  So we went next door to the coolest store called Found for the home.  This joint is real neat and has tons of high end antique furniture.  They were nice enough to let us cruise around and take some more photos. 

Found is located in the old Houston Staple Company building across the street from us.  We wanted to get a studio space in there but it just never worked out. 

If for any reason you are looking for something to get me for Christmas please consider this "Huge Wooden Mallet"  Literally the tag said "Huge Wooden Mallet".  Oh and notice the biting of the lower lip. 

After we exhausted our efforts it was time for Denise and I to get in front of the camera.  Of course whenever I get to be in front of the camera I have a hard time not laughing.  But the coolest thing is that my woman was looking good and I was happy to let her hang on me.

Sometimes its hard not to act goofy in front of the camera.

 Then it was my turn to hug.  James taught me this one. 

Getting serious.  Not much fun but it had to be done.

But we can't stay serious for long.

And then it just got worse before it got better.

Posted by danny at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wednesday September 19th is Talk Like a Pirate Day!  So enjoy me hardies!

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

Posted by danny at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Among all the typical chaos that occurs on Saturday we had a little gathering for our good buddy Luke.  This little guy is one of our kids that we photograph for their first year.  It seems like it was yesterday I photographed Luke's mommy when she was pregnant. 

To set this party off right I picked up a cake and a little gift for Mr. Luke.  All boys love trucks and man I can tell you Luke is probably still playing with Grave Digger now!.

I added his name to the cake early Saturday morning.  From what I can tell Charm City Cakes doesnt have to worry about me competing with them.

Luke has grown so much in the last year.  When we first photographed this little guy he was just a runt sleeping in this red chair. 

Now the boy acts like he owns it!

Luke's daddy brought his little vintage fire truck.  This thing was awesome and we just had to take him outside.  We got a bunch of super cool images of Luke but I think this is one of my favorites.

After we played outside a little we headed back indoors and went after the cake.  Luke enjoyed every bite of the sugary treat.  Mommy and Daddy even got in on the action.  These guys are the coolest family.  They are very happy and aren't shy about having fun in front of the camera. 

I hope to see this family more.  The best thing about what I do is get to watch these kids and these families grow.  My buddy Farrah and I have started a wedding venture together called Better Together.  This little family opitimizes our philosophy on weddings and family.  People like Bill and Misti are better together when they bring a rock in roller like Luke into this world.  Happy birthday little big man!

Posted by danny at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Come on Humberto,  show us what you GOT!

This evening Denise and I hung out at the studio after hours to participate in the first Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Board of Directors meeting.  Denise and I are members of the Board of Directors and have been given the opportunity to extend our volunteer work globally rather than just locally.  Currently our organization is in desperate need of funds so feel free to visit the website, learn about our organization and donate whatever you can to help support our efforts. 

Aside from holding up in the studio we were busy watching the unfolding drama of Tropical Storm Humberto.

With the nervousness of a storm right out the back door we did manage to enjoy a little pecan pie from Goode Co. 

We are located on the same street as the BBQ joint and the fabulous Armadillo Palace.  If you ever want a tasty slice of pie, a cold beer or some of the best chili on the planet just hustle your bustle in there and order one up.

So the storm is on it way and we are busy indoors. If for some reason something does go down here in Houston just remember, No news from John and Mica is good news....

Posted by danny at 07:16 PM | Permalink

 

Posted by danny at 06:21 PM | Permalink

OK, Before I begin I must say this guy knows how to party.  He is definitely a Clark boy.  If he wasn't my son and I met him on the street, I would definitely want to hang out with this guy.  Happy birthday Super Man! 

Today was a real roller coaster ride.  The first half of the day was spent getting ready for the big Par-T.  James spent most of the day hanging with Mommy while Whitney and I ran errands. 

The party theme was Bob The Builder and if you don't know who he is you just might be living under a sink somewhere. 

We also had the ever famous Tumble Bus come to the house.  Mr. Dirk with Tumble Tykes has the coolest buses.  They are setup as a gym on the inside.  If you are ever looking for a really cool party idea give us a shout and we can get you in touch with Mr. Dirk!

A bunch of James' buddies came to party.  And even a few of Whitney's old classmates came by. 

The kids all had a blast jumping around on the bus and playing fun games with Mr. Dirk.  Whitney loves jumping around.

Christian was busy sporting the look!  He is going to be a real ladies man. 

James was all over the place.  He couldn't burn the energy fast enough.

Andrew was most careful to keep his hands and arms inside the bus at all times.

Just another example of hysterical excitement.  Oh to be a kid again!

I thought it would be fun to take a portrait of each kid in front of the Bus so I brought home some equipment and we had a little photo shoot.  These are my favorite types of portraits.  I shot these in the bright part of the day but with a little lighting trickery we can make it look like night.

Fist up was Stuart.  He wanted to show me how big his beach ball was. 

Next up was little big man himself.  The party boy was good enough to throw out a point just like a candidate for the Presidency.

Big Christian rolled out next for a taste of the pointing action.  He quickly tired with the whole deal and wanted back on the bus.

Whitney was up with a little attitude.  She wanted to cross her arms and act kewl.

Sayer came out and joined the forces of kewl kids in the neighborhood. Apparently the arm cross is a big deal.  There is definitely a fine line between looking cool and just plain hugging yourself.

Baboo wanted to go out with the ever tight Reservoir Dogs walk off.  Nothing is quite this slick and only a kid like that could pull it off.

KEEP YOUR HANDS AND ARMS INSIDE THE BUS AT ALL TIMES!  Andrew is a neat kid.  And if you are ever looking for his dad Jason, he looks just like Andrew just taller.

I think if I was as quiet and small as Sammy I would be nervous too.  Especially when someone asks me to stand in front of this giant bus and smile!

Here is the always cool Pickle.  Apparently he is going to start giving workshops on how to be suave and hang with the ladies.

Notice how the Giant bus and odd angle makes Dan look thinner. 

Farrah jumped in front of the camera.  They say it is good luck for a photographer to be photographed by a photographer.  We will see....

Taylor wasn't going to have any of this.  She got the task done and quickly moved on.

I asked Mr. Dirk to get in on the fun too.  He is one cool cat pointing his finger at the camera and all.

The Myers drove by and asked if we were having a party or taking pictures.  I told them we were doing both then asked if they wanted in on the fun.  So they did.

And finally we were graced by the joyful laugh of Dorothy and a fairy princess. 

After all this we headed indoors for a little Kids Mix that Whitney helped me cook.  This is a pretty simple deal.  Its a bunch of cereal, candy raisins and pretzels all mixed together. 

Next up was a little singing and playing with fire.

Then we all got busy eating cake and ice cream

Kids are so cool.  They definitely can get away with more than the adults can.  Growing up sucks sometimes. 

James got a bunch of awesome new stuff for us to play with and mommy to step on.  My favorite was this sweet apron to help Daddy cook. 

And last but not least.  Don't ever let Stuart or Stephen teach you how to dance.  Mr. Roboto is so 1983.

Posted by danny at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Friday was James, Birthday and a crazy day at that.  First up for the day was a quick session with two very cute little ladies.  These sisters were a delight to have in the studio and as always I captured some giant baby faces.

This little one was just a hoot.  Poor thing was sleepy and had a hard time towards the end but we managed to have a little fun.  She got a big kick out of the camera in her face.  This is one of my favorites.

Her big sister was super cool and had a great personality.  Isn't that the prettiest red hair you have ever seen in your life!

Cutting loose at the studio is always cool on a Friday morning.

After this session I raced off to gather goods for James party on Saturday.  In addition we are working on some new packaging and promotional stuff involving our yummy cookies. Clients always ask if we sell the cookies.  We tell them the only way we will sell the cookies is if they let me take a picture...

We are working on names for these cookies.  Here are three of our top "sellers"

Super Freak Chocolate Chip

You Java Bean Crazy White Chocolicous chocolate Chip

Your gonna Cranberry in your mouth Oatmeal, white chocolate cranberry.

After all this hoopla we managed to order pizza for the kids, make a cake for James and party like a 3 year old.  Our good buddy Molly came over and played for a little bit.  James got a new umbrella, a Jeep and golf set.  He was stoked about the Um-Brel-La-La. 

Posted by danny at 12:54 PM | Permalink

Now that school is back in session we are ready to donate.  Many times throughout the year schools and churches contact us to donate to their fund raising auctions.  We have a lot of different ways we can help so give us a call and lets chew on some crazy creative ideas to bring in some moolah for ya!

Posted by danny at 10:41 AM | Permalink

I have found a new calling and I wanted everyone to know about it.

ROCK ON!

Posted by danny at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well for James' last day of vacation we took it easy during the day because we were really going to cut loose that night at Sayer and Finn's house. 

The night before I picked up a little Cup Cake Kit for Whitney and James.  I explained to them that you never go to a dinner party empty handed and cup cakes would be a nice treat.  We gathered all the supplies and the kids chose the Colorful Cake Bouquet. 

I made the kids do everything from pouring in the ingredients to filling the cups with batter.

The cup cakes were cooked and ready for the next day.  We decided it would be a lot more fun decorating them with our friends than just taking them to the party.

When we got to Finn and Sayers house we first chowed down on Pizza and then got a little play time in.  Isn't it cool the way kids like to eat surrounded by their toys.

Whitney showed everyone her new dance moves form Dance class earlier that day.  She is very excited about school and Friday was even better when she found out she had dance.

After a little play time we busted out the supercilious yet very unappetising cup cakes.  These were more like little sweet muffins than cake.

The kids decorated the cakes with sprinkles, jelly beans and icing.  Apparently the icing was much better than the cake.

Finn had Blue icing.

Whitney went nuts over the green.

James took yellow to town.

Sayer showed red a thing or two about a thing or two.

Shortly after this sugar feast we actually did decorate a few cakes.  I helped Sayer with his masterpiece.

But I left the eating up to him

Whitney showed off her delicate flower just before she engulfed the little nugget of sugar bliss.

After the kids were good and jacked up on sugar they got back to playing.  Whitney enjoyed snuggling with FiFi (actually its Phoebe) but with Whitney's ears ringing from the sugar load I can understand her confusion.

Sayer, James and Finn went off to play with trucks and stuff.  Sayer is one of the coolest kids and is a total Spider-Man fan.

Shortly after this, the boys decided kicking each other around on the furniture was a good idea.  Good thing photographers were around for encouragement.

And if that wasn't enough Farrah decided to just help the little guys out and throw them around a bit.

We had a really good time but it had to end.  James was really tough to deal with when we got home but he managed to work his way into complete slumber. 

So this ends the week vacation with James.  If you would like to see a little slide show we did of the fun Friday night feel free to click the link below. 

Slide Show Link

After putting this entry together I realized that our children are completely spoiled.  What two sets of parents feed their kids unhealthy amounts of sugar and then let them jump on furniture with glass all around them!  Oh well, its all game tokens and the ride goes around only once. 

Posted by danny at 07:48 AM | Permalink