Posted by danny at 08:53 PM | Permalink

Come join the fun.  Its going to be a fast furious two days. 

Posted by danny at 08:38 PM | Permalink

Wouldn't it be awesome if we all walked around with smiles like this every day.  Of course people would think you are crazy and sometimes that would be okay.

Lukas, you done good buddy!  Hope you get to feeling better too!

Posted by danny at 01:06 PM | Permalink

Every once in awhile I will see an image in a shoot that I think is rather funny, print it with the inscription on the back "1000 words".  I usually give this to one of my staff that thinks I am crazy already.

 Today I came across this lovely entry for 1000 words. 

The Kegg family rocks the house and was a lot of fun to photograph.  This was one of the first images I took to make sure the lighting was right.  Fortunately for me I think it speaks a 1000 words about family.  Its never a dull moment with lots of kids especially when one of your young-ins has four legs and refuses to look at the camera. 

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone, and keep an eye out for 1000 words.

Posted by danny at 11:17 AM | Permalink

Posted by danny at 11:44 PM | Permalink

We had our last session for the year today and it couldn't have been a better way to cap everything off.  Mary was the last on our list for the day.  She actually graduated from high school last year but her mother still wanted to get a portrait done. We noticed that Mary had a real cool Meryl Streep look so we kicked out a few classy stage images that totally rock her beautiful look.

Mary was down with a little something different so we played around and decided not to worry about the details and just take some great photos.  We had a lot of fun telling GREAT JOKES but I think everyone is tired of my jokes.

I love the next images.  It is just real easy going and pretty much no frills. 

Kristen thinks Mary looks like Dakota Fanning in the next images.  I don't see it but then again there is a lot I miss on a daily basis.  Good thing I have people like Denise, Kristen, Leanne and Keri to point those things out for me. 

Thanks for kicking out the jams with us Mary.  It was a lot of fun!  Safe travels back to Chicago!

Posted by danny at 09:19 PM | Permalink

Today we went out to Clear Lake to photograph the newest Texan we know.  Mr. Frederick comes to us just before Christmas with squishy cheeks and a super dooper head of hair! 

Mommy did a great job and the happy couple couldn't keep their eyes off the baby.  Both Valeria and Fred were so easy going and happy.  It makes my job more fun and rewarding to help record this very special day.

Baby's First Day portrait sessions are one of my favorite products we offer.  Its cool to see dads get mushy about their little babies for the first time.  Everything is new and everyone is getting to know each other. 

Welcome home little big man!  We are excited you have arrived to help brighten our world!

Posted by danny at 03:54 PM | Permalink

Recently, the Weber boys came to the studio for their portrait.  Monica is always fun to watch with these four boys and she manages them quite elegantly.  She told me that her oldest was giving her grief one morning last week while getting ready for school.  It was the typical battle that happens with most families on school day mornings.  In an attempt to show his hierarchy in the family, he was disagreeing with the clothes that were handed to him for the day.  Monica decided he was just going to be late for school that day and moved on to the other three boys.  Her son ended up getting to school at almost 9 AM that day and Mom made him walk by himself to the office for his late slip and on to his classroom.  That afternoon, when Monica picked up the kids she learned what her son told the school the reason for being late, "I'm sorry I am late, my mom has too many kids."

We feel lucky to have the Webers as clients.  James is so happy to have "the boys" down the street.  They are a great bunch.

Besides being an awesome mom of 4 boys, Monica is also an interior designer.  She was responsible for helping us re-design our client review and consultation room with beautiful modern custom made furniture.  If you are looking for an interior designer for your home or office, we highly recommend Monica.  She can be contacted at:

 M. Weber Designs

713-419-4200

Posted by danny at 08:22 AM | Permalink

At times we get a little to extravagant with our style of photography or even our poses and it tends to become a little mundane after a while.  Recently though I have enjoyed the comfort and simplicity of a portrait.  No props, no fancy lighting, no crazy backdrops or colors.  Just a simple portrait that really shows character in the family and child. 

The Raymond girls rolled up on our studio this past weekend and we managed to grab a few of these very simple portraits.  These two girls are beautiful and have great spirit!  

There tends to be a calmness in the portraits.  Something we all need on a daily basis.  Of course getting crazy, jumping around and wearing fabulous clothes for a portrait is fun too.  Don't get me wrong, we were plenty goofy during this shoot.  And these girls yucked it up pretty good with us!  Thanks for coming in girls, we hope you had as much fun as we did!

Posted by danny at 09:36 AM | Permalink

Each day brings us something new and today was no exception.  The studio was humming with guests today and our last session was the beautiful Mrs. Bailey and her fabulous parents.  She was a little shy at first but man did she turn on the charm in her little Marry Poppins coat and handbag. 

We kept everything pretty simple so that nothing distracted from the enormous amounts of cuteness!  Thanks for coming Bailey, we hope you had as much fun as Leanne, Kristen and I did today.  Hope you don't get sick eating all 13 servings of your giant lollipop today.

Posted by danny at 10:23 PM | Permalink

We are busy getting the studio ready for the Girls Night Out Event on Saturday and wanted to officially announce our Big Sale, which will only be offered to those attending the event.  In honor of the charity of the evening, we are going to have our very own bake sale to benefit the Texas Center for the Missing.  Danny has been baking up a storm and we will have lots of bags of his famous original giant Chocolate Chip Cookies for $5 a bag (value priceless). 

We will also be selling $100 Danny Clark Photography Gift Cards for $75.  That's $25 free for every $75 purchase.  

We look forward to seeing you Saturday. 

Posted by Denise at 06:47 PM | Permalink

If you are expecting or are looking to re-decorate your little one's room, Nest & Cot is a “must” on your to do list.  Located at 2402 Rice Blvd in the Rice Village , this store has everything a baby (and mommy & daddy) needs. 

Sister duo, Whitney Janke and Ramsey Miller opened Nest & Cot in August 2005.  These native Houstonians, and University of Texas graduates, felt there was a need for wonderful, different and unique children’s furniture, bedding and accessories.   Whitney and Ramsey enjoy working together, both bringing a different aspect of business to the table.  Whitney is the creative mind and heart of the business, while Ramsey focuses on public relations and advertising.  “We believe that Nest & Cot provides the best customer service and uniqueness to the baby and youth market that no other store provides in Houston .”  The sisters have made the perfect baby & decor design boutique.  I can't forget to mention Lauren, the store manager.  She has also played a role in the success of Nest & Cot and can answer just about any question regarding the product lines and custom nursery designs and consultations. 

Nest & Cot concentrates on making your baby’s nursery a “dream land” but also provides design services for all walks of life.  From baby, teen, to adulthood, and even empty nest, they can do just about anything on any budget.  You will love their extensive selection of fabrics, accessories and furniture.  One of the most popular linen and bedding lines, which is not only for baby, is the Belle Notte brand.  Many of their room designs will have the delicate florals and soft fabrics of Belle Notte included. When in the store, you’ll even see a few awesome frames and portraits (by Danny Clark!).   Nest & Cot’s exclusive line of furniture is now a national brand.  Each piece in the collection refers to the birds that are found in children’s nursery rhymes.  “The sentiment and care that goes in to each piece stops nothing short of the fairy tale ending.” 

Nest & Cot has the latest and greatest baby items, too!  Soft blankets, even softer plush animals, stroller accessories, baby carriers, and more, line the walls.  Some items that you must have (and they will bring to GNO) are the Lexie Rose Line of cute fashionable infant and toddler car seat covers (above) and Sophie La Girafe.  Sophie is a the perfect baby's first teething and sensory development toy.  We got one for Baby Zoe and she absolutely went gaga over it.  It's shape is perfect for little hands to grasp, it squeaks and it has a very distinct smell for baby.  The store can't keep Sophie on the shelves.  

Their infant clothing is “awwww” worthy.  If you are looking for a baby gift, Whitney and Ramsey have it.  Be-Jeweled pacifiers, silver rattles, mary jane socks and adorable baby crib shoes are just a few. 

It is easy to get caught up in all the baby gift goodness.

Danny surprised me while in the hospital with the best Dwell Diaper bag, but they also carry Bumble Bags and MZ Wallace.  Moms no longer are stuck carrying Disney or Winnie the Pooh character bags.  We can now also be fashionable with our mom purse and accessories.  The coolest new mommy must have is the diaper and wipe bag.  It's perfect when you are just running a few short errands and really all you will need is a diaper change.  They are perfect to keep in the car also.

 

Nest & Cot is our final small business highlight for our Girls Night Out THIS SATURDAY!  Make plans to join us, Whitney & Ramsey and all of our wonderful business owners Saturday, October 17^th from 6:00 – 9:00pm.  Be sure to register at www.gnohouston.com and you will be entered to win the grand door prize of the evening.  We can't wait to see you there!

Whitney Janke & Ramsey Miller Nest & Cot

2402 Rice Blvd.

713-429-5246

www.nestandcot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Denise at 09:16 PM | Permalink

Alan Cable Jewelry has a sign on the window, “Hand crafted silver and gold jewelry, No Tricks.”  This one metal smith shop is true to the statement, but it should also say “most unique and cool jewelry in Houston.”  When you walk into the rustic shop you see true craftsmanship first hand.  And, on most days, you’ll meet the sweetest dog Charlie too!

Alan Cable has always been an artist, sketching and building things from a young age.  He was a “rocker” during the 80's as the lead singer of the band “The Refuge” (some native Houstonian’s might remember hearing them at dances and parties).  As a young adult, Alan found that jewelry design was a relaxing, creative outlet.  Before mastering metal smithing, he designed pieces that were produced in Indonesia.  He loved the country and people so much he built a house in Bali where his business was headquartered.  In the early 2000s, Alan decided to shut down his jewelry import business and began creating his designs himself.  Completely self-taught (aside from a few diamond setting classes and books) Alan created his first pieces “trial by trying.” 

Posted by Denise at 08:13 PM | Permalink

I was so excited when Keri suggested Greenpark Pharmacy & Gifts as one of our invited vendors for Girls Night Out because as many of you already know, I am actually a pharmacist and Danny's Dad and Uncle are also.  (In fact, a little tid bit of trivia about Danny and I- we had 8 pharmacists in our wedding including all my bridesmaids.)  But enough Clark family facts.  Let me tell you about this hidden treasure in the neighborhood.

The running joke between Nancy and Ken Hughes is “Do we own a gift shop or pharmacy?”  The answer is BOTH!    Eighteen years ago, Nancy and Ken bought a “typical” pharmacy in the Greenpark professional building near the medical center.  Ken, a pharmacist, always wanted to offer compounding drugs.  Doctors send their patients to Ken when mass produced medications don’t work.  Soon the Greenpark Pharmacy was exclusively compounding prescriptions.  Nancy saw that the space filled by over the counter medications was just getting dusty – people bought their Tylenol and Advil other places.  That is when the “Gifts” were added.  Since moving to their Bellaire Blvd. location 5 years ago, Nancy and Ken’s shop has flourished. 

Posted by Denise at 08:55 PM | Permalink

 

 

 Clare Devlin was looking for something to do that would allow her a flexible work schedule and more time with her young daughter and husband.  A friend of hers in California told her about this relatively new company.  Clare grew up in Northern California where wine and wine making were family interests.  She has always been the one who picks the wine for friends at dinner.  “It's what my parents exposed me to that I suppose I am passing on to friends- opening up your palette to new varietals.  Educating friends on what they are consuming is something I did on my own so, why not get paid for it?”
 

Posted by Denise at 10:14 PM | Permalink

Our lives are busy.  Family, work, and everyday life can “get in the way” of fun!  Ladies, especially moms, never seem to take time for themselves.  Arbonne International carries a variety of skin care and nutritional products to help all of us feel and look better, and pamper ourselves in the process.

The company, founded in 1975 by biochemists, biologists and herbalists in Arbonne , Switzerland , came to the United States in 1980.  Arbonne International has grown from a handful of employees to one of the largest home based businesses in the country. 

Cecilia Notzon began selling Arbonne products after using them.  “I was amazed at the results using the MutriMinRe9 body set, after only one week I got smoother skin on my arms, legs and specially my dry feet.  Also, I used the 7 Day Detox in the SeaSource Spa line combined with a well balanced diet, the Figure8 line yummy shakes, and exercise and lost 5lbs!"  Convinced by her personal results, Cecilia, a wife, mother of two, and architect by profession, began sharing her new favorite products with friends.  She started selling Arbonne after her husband was laid-off supplementing the family's income.  It has been a fun and profitable business for Cecilia, "I believe in the products and they are selling themselves!"

Arbonne products are formulated in Switzerland and produced in the U.S..  The “pure, safe, and beneficial” motto resonates throughout each product line.  Something for everyone, Arbonne caters to babies, teenagers, women and men, from skin care to make-up and weight management. 

 

Arbonne Baby Care Set

 

 

 

 

 

The FC5 skin care line uses the groundbreaking encapsulated fruit and vegetable nutrients to hydrate, cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize.  The moisturizer also has a SPF 30.  All of the products in this line have a light and refreshing kiwi scent.

An Arbonne exclusive is the new Revelage product line.  It was formulated to brighten the skin, reducing the appearance of age spots and freckles.  It corrects skin discoloration and gives an even tone.  Revelage has a hand therapy lotion – great for Houston drivers (when isn’t the hot sun shining down on our hands in the car?).

 

One of the Arbonne favorites is the SeaSource Detox Spa line.  This line was formulated to combat internal and external toxins that can lead to fatigue, stress, skin breakouts, weight gain, premature aging, etc.  All of the products smell fabulous and feel luxurious.  The Detox sea soak pampers your skin.  The Re-Mineralizing body lotion smells fantastic and moisturizes your skin for 24 hours. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Detox sea soak pampers your skin.  The Re-Mineralizing body lotion smells fantastic and moisturizes your skin for 24 hours. 

 

 

 

Cecilia is passionate about helping clients feel better about themselves, through outer beauty and inner health.  She will have all of these products and more for you to try at our Girls Night Out.  Be sure to check out the “only during the holidays” products and gifts. 

 

Cecilia Notzon

Independent Consultant

Arbonne International

713-252-4046

mcnotzon@sbcglobal.net

Posted by Denise at 08:42 PM | Permalink

Located at 2434 Rice Blvd, Raspberry Rose has been a Rice Village mainstay since 1983.  Owner Carrie Schwartzenburg grew up in the chic retail boutique learning the retail industry from her mom.  Opening as a resale store at its original location in 1976, Raspberry Rose has evolved into a hip and cool “go to” shop for casual to work attire.  Raspberry Rose clothing lines cater to ladies in their twenties to sixties (I’m sure a few hip “mature” ladies we know shop there too!).

The store is nicely arranged to easily find favorites and must have pieces.

You’ll find the latest and greatest styles from designers Michael Stars, Ella Moss, Bailey 44, XCVI and more.  One favorite this season is the Johnny Was embroidered shirt.  It looks great layered, belted or just worn with a comfy pair of jeans.

Another favorite is the LillaP Origami Wrap (seen below).  This top is one clothing item with infinite possibilities.  It can be worn as a halter, tunic, long sleeve wrap, and more.  It looks great worn alone or layered with a tank or under a jacket.  Raspberry Rose has the long sleeve Origami Wrap in many colors for your fall wardrobe.

Check out this chocolate colored leather jacket and scarf.  It is hard to imagine "cold weather", as we are in the midst of this heat, but what better way to look cool in the cold?

Raspberry Rose’s large selection of belts and scarves can finish your look over clothes, but undergarments are also important!  Plenty of tanks and shape wear line the back walls.  When an outfit can’t “support” a regular bra, NuBra is your answer.  These self-adhesive bra cups stay put all day, can be washed and re-used.  Hanky Panky panties are also a fun, colorful and lacey way to complete your outfit.

Alongside fabulous clothing lines are displays of jewelry.  You can create your own necklace with chains and drops from local designer Monica Haff.  The San Benito charm necklace from Virgin Saints and Angels is a best seller.  Necklaces designed with precious and semi-precious stones and metals from another local designer, Rebecca Lankford Designs can be layered or worn alone to compliment any outfit.

Next time you’re shopping in the Rice Village stop by Raspberry Rose.  You’ll find Carrie there or across the street at Loop.  Loop is Carrie’s newest venture and will be opening soon!  There you will find fashionable AND affordable shoes and accessories.   So check out all the latest fashions on either side of Rice Blvd.  And don’t forget, to come see all the best Raspberry Rose has to offer at our Girls Night Out October 17th!

Carrie Schwartzenburg, Owner

Raspberry Rose

2434 Rice Blvd
Houston, TX 77005-3203
(713) 529-2260

Posted by Denise at 09:18 PM | Permalink

As promised, I have all the details for Next week's Curly Girl Party for those of you with curly hair. 

Curly Girl Party with Hairsylist, Gerri Curtis

Sunday, September 20, 2009

2:00 to 4:00 PM

Danny Clark Photography Studio

2427 Bartlett

R.S.V.P. to Gerri at 832-647-5420 or hairbygerri13@aol.com

Food, drinks, door prizes and product discounts!

Gerri will be teaching some cool curl tricks and sharing special curly hair product knowledge.  This year she will be raffling off a chance to take home a Deva brand Hair Dryer (valued at over $180).  I want one!

We hope you can come and don't forget to bring a friend! Curly girls need to stick together and spread the word.  Curly friends don't let curly friends go frizzy.  Please be sure to RSVP.

Posted by Denise at 12:21 AM | Permalink

Like many small business beginnings, Angie Jackson saw something she liked and made it better.  She found a recipe in the newspaper and tried it out.  Her family loved it, her friends loved it and everyone wanted more…Angie’s Cakes was born.  

 

Cake Balls can be arranged in boxes or platters for a beautiful presentation for a special gift or party.  Angie’s Cake Pops are the same delicious cake balls, but on a lollipop stick. With these she makes themed baskets for any special occasions. 

 

Angie is bringing her Cake Balls and Pops to our Girls Night Out.  She will have a supply on hand for purchase and will take orders for more.  She promises to have plenty of samples to taste! 

Angie Jackson, owner

Angies Cakes

832-347-4987

To learn more about the Girls Night Out and the other businesses that will be there, don't forget to check back and often here on our blog.

Posted by Denise at 08:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We have been working hard for the last few months planning a special evening  for ladies only.  Mark your calendars for the evening of October 17^th, 2009 for our First Annual Girls Night Out at Danny Clark Photography Studio.  We have brought together some of Houston’s hottest and most popular small businesses and boutiques for an evening of shopping, socializing, and plain girl fun.  Admission tickets will be $10 (donation) and best of all, 100% of ticket sales goes directly to support the Texas Center for the Missing.  This organization is dedicated to finding the missing quickly and lending support to their families.  Houston Amber Alert is administered by Texas Center for the Missing.  They train law enforcement on the local Amber Alert system, provide 24-hour support for alert issuance, and deploy trained search-and-rescue experts upon request.

Posted by Denise at 04:57 PM | Permalink

We look forward to having your little ballerinas in to have some dancing fun with us.  Please feel free to call us to learn more.  We are happy to answer your questions.

Posted by Denise at 09:25 PM | Permalink

The Blackberry cell phone has some how intertwined itself into our everyday lives in today's world.  It was really the precursor to the current texting mania of the youth (and many others).  Take a flight today and I challenge you to count less than 8 people around you that quickly take out their Blackberries when the plane has landed.  Danny had a "first generation" Blackberry seven years ago...you know the one that looked like a big pager with a keyboard? I hated it then too.  It is really a love-hate relationship.  I can't live without it, but I can't stand the accessibility either.  It is addicting to constantly check your e-mails on it.  The little red blinking light is like a beacon to the Blackberry-addict.  Danny was even checking his Blackberry when we were in the hospital delivering Whitney.    Well, now we have come full circle. 

Danny stayed home today and the kids and I went to church this morning.  It was promotion Sunday and the kids got to go to their new Sunday school classes.  James was very excited because each year they have a little train ride for the kids.  Whitney on the other hand, really didn't want to go and kept begging to come to "my church", which means service with me.  So after Sunday school, I decided to bring Whitney with me to the service.  She did O.K..  She spent part of the time working on the bible activity sheet and a little while playing a video game, BrickBreaker, on my Blackberry.  Besides her constant movement, she was pretty well behaved.  Fast forward to the call to Daddy on the way home.  It went something like this:

Mommy:  "Hello Daddy, we are on our way home now." 

Daddy: "Did you know Whitney called me from church?"

Mommy: "What?"

Daddy:  "The phone rang and I answered and there was Whitney whispering, "Hi Daddy" and I could hear the pastor speaking in the background"

It is amazing that I didn't know.  She was sitting right next to me.  So keep that evil Blackberry away from the kids in church.

Posted by Denise at 06:43 PM | Permalink

Today was the first day of second grade.  I am not sure about you all, but the humidity and heat didn't make the morning drop off any easier.  All the kids were perfect this morning getting up with the wake-up call and getting out of the house on time. 

Whitney wore a new "cool" rocker outfit that she bought for back-to-school and evidently Daddy is the only one that knows how to fix the tie right.  We tried not to embarrass her too badly and when Daddy asked her if he could take a pic of her in her new classroom, he was quickly told no.  Notice the unhappy face below?  Compare this big girl to the one just 2 short years ago.

So we were off to get James to school for his first day back at Southampton, but first 2 shots of the girls...I don't think they will be able to deny that they are related.

Later in the day, Danny was able to pick up Whitney from school in our new car and when he got to the carpool line they asked, "what's your child's name?"  Danny replied with, "Whitney, but she has never seen this new car."  So the teacher with the bull horn proceeds to annouce, "Whitney Clark in a new car!"  Whitney was not only excited to get into the shiny new vehicle, but very loudly told Daddy that "2nd grade is awesome!".  I hope that her feelings stick around longer than a day.  She loves her new teacher and being a bigger kid this year. 

Posted by Denise at 07:48 PM | Permalink

More good friends came into the studio today to view and order their portraits.  Matt, Allison, Gianna and Nicholas were in to see his four month portraits.  When I saw the onesie that Baby Nick was wearing I had to get Danny to get a photo for the blog.  Isn't he a cutie?  He already knows what he likes. 

Thanks for coming in today.  We had fun.

Posted by Denise at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

One of the great parts of my job is to be able to see new families as they begin and grow.  Many times we are given the opportunity to take the maternity portraits, then a few months later we meet the little one.  As the baby grows we are able to follow their progress, which becomes the baby's first year album.  We would like to introduce you to 2 of the newest, cutest additions to our Houston community.

Maximilien was born July 29th.  Denise and I have to say that we admire Monica's endurance.  This sweet bundle of joy was born with no pain meds through a long labor.  Congratulations guys!  Try and get some sleep.

Later this week we had Sara and Dan to photograph Lukas.  Denise used to work with Sara back in her pharmacy days.  We remember Sara coming to visit us at home when we had our first baby, Whitney (who by the way, just turned 7 on Friday).  It is amazing how quickly time flies.  We are so excited for Sara and Dan to join the Parenthood Club.  Club dues are progressive and start with sleepless nights and I'm told later will become gray hair.  Sara, we hope you get the hang of the napping.  It looks like Lukas can give you a few pointers.

What a beautiful family.  Congratulations...and welcome to the best club ever! 

Posted by danny at 06:44 AM | Permalink

A couple weeks back we held a special event at The Houston Met Dance School.  They are in the process of moving to a new facility and we wanted to help wit a little fund raiser.  There were lots of super cute kids that came by to have a portrait done in the Big Studio.  I just love the way this studio looks with its bright glass lights and old wood floors. 

Here are a few of my favorites.  Unfortunately I can't put every little ballerina on the blog but they were all very pretty and very elegant. 

It was fun watching Michelle of the Met work with each of these little girls  She is truly passionate about dance and you can see it in the concentration of each student.

As the day goes on the light changes in the room.  Sometimes it has a neat brownish look.  Other times it has a real glowy bright appearance too.

Even when the little ballerinas were not "posing" or "dancing" they looked beautiful.

My favorite shots were those of these young ladies in motion.  It was not easy for them because every detail of their posture and facial expression is scrutinized by Michelle and myself.  In the end we captured some fantastic images of ballerinas in motion.

Sisters were a big hit.  I hope my two little girls get a chance to dance together.  That day will just melt my heart for sure!

These two were real characters.  The little sister was all smiles and giggles while the older sister was all business. 

We had a super fun time photographing all the little ballerinas at the Houston Met.  We are considering doing one more day in September so if you missed the event and want to get in on the action before this studio is torn down, keep an eye out here or join our mailing list and we will keep you up to date. 

Posted by danny at 09:05 AM | Permalink

As the days get hotter we thought we would share some summer fun from a couple weeks back. 

We don't do a lot of outdoor sessions in the summer but when we get to play in the sprinklers we are all down for some fun.  The Allen girls and their cousins hosted an event at a friend's house for summer time photos.   

This is one of my favorites.  When is the last time you threw your hands in the air and just let the water hit you? 

We had a great time with these kids and enjoyed the day.

Keep thinking cool thoughts!

Posted by danny at 11:59 AM | Permalink

Last week I was at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company shooting Ballerinas for an exclusive event being held in this fantastic studio.  We have not set any dates yet but most of our promotional materials will be going out soon.  The shoot included some extremely talented dancers and beautiful costumes.  The images below are just a sample of what I took. 

We had wee little ones like Maggie.

Awesome Jumpers!

Katie was like a feather.

And she is the sweetest big sister too.

Can you hear it.  I want to live forever!

If you looking for a great summer dance program the Houston Met is where it is at.  They teach the real deal and don't hold back.  Whitney loves the studio and everyone there creates such a positive environment.

Posted by danny at 01:05 PM | Permalink

We wanted to thank everyone who braved the weather and came out to hang with us during our open house.  This past weekend was a real challenge with all the flooding and torrential storms.  But the cookies were eaten, the car was painted and everyone seemed to have a good time.

All the kids did a great job painting the Camaro which gets lots of looks on the road.  Gonzo mentioned today that the car looks like urban camouflage.  We especially love the Darth Vader, The Hip Hop Lollipop Logo and the H.F.G. Tag.  Thanks again and keep on rollin with the art!

Posted by danny at 10:34 AM | Permalink

Posted by danny at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In a few days we will be expanding our studio next door.  Everyone at the studio is excited about our new challenges and growth.  We are planning on some new changes in the studio to get even more creative! 

This also gives us a reason to have some fun and invite the world to our Open House on April 19th and 18th.  During the Open House we are offering "End of School Year Portraits".  We will have a set ready for your kids to have a quick Danny-Style school photo done.  The charge for the portrait is $50 and you get the image on a CD (1 child per sitting).  Part of the proceeds will go directly to the Texas Center For The Missing.  In addition, we will be giving out Child ID Kits, cookies and laughs. 

We are also going to have our newest little project art car available for everyone to come and decorate.  So if you want to get creative and would love the opportunity to paint on a car stop by and give us your best work.  

We hope to see you there! 

Posted by danny at 03:25 PM | Permalink

Things are getting back to normal at the studio so keep an eye out here for more blog updates.  Have a great week!

Posted by danny at 07:36 AM | Permalink

Each year we go through and revamp our price list right around the end of February.  Denise and I go through and evaluate our products to see what has sold well and what didn't sell at all.  We also listen to what all our great clients tell us they would like to see more of. 

The cover photo of our price book changes each year as well.  Before Zoe arrived we alternated James and Whitney as the cover image.  This year Zoe gets to be the cover girl.  Of course this only means that she won't grace the cover again for three years.  This little nugget is growing up fast.  She is about 7 weeks old in the photo below.  

For 2009 we have lots of really cool new stuff.  We also brought back our packages to make life a little simpler when selecting your images.  If you would like us to send you a copy of our price book for 2009 please feel free to give us a call at the studio or just shoot Denise an email at denise@dannyclarkphotography.com

And be sure to bring those smiling faces by during our open house April 17th and 18th!

Posted by danny at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

On most days we get to hang with some pretty fun kids and parents around the studio.  Most are pretty excited to be in the studio to have their portraits taken.  Recently we had Austin in the studio but he just wasn't himself.  He had recently fell ill from a vaccination and we think it took a little wind out of his sails.  We tried and tried and tried to cheer the little guy up but he just wouldn't budge.  At least not until his mommy brought out this super crazy cool Hook and Ladder truck. 

 Austin livened up and showed us how every one year old dude should be, 100% chilled.  Of course a little while later mommy also jumped in front of the camera to give us a hand with the giggles. 

Austin was a tough nut to crack but I think he did a great job.  We hope you feel better big guy!  Keep on rockin n' rollin.

Posted by danny at 03:05 PM | Permalink

This past weekend Christina and Conner brought their precious little Ava in for her newborn portrait.  Most little three week old babies are pretty much jello but Ava is ready for the world with big bright eyes and an awareness like no other. 

She slept hard for a good while allowing us to get plenty of beautiful images of her slumber.  Little did we realize she was getting ready for the real test when she woke up. 

Once she woke up she was all about charming the camera and having her way.  Daddy wanted an image of her smiling and I was happy to see we actually have one.  Of course the impish smile I received was one that I am sure will get her in trouble for years to come.  She was in complete control throughout the session with her sweetness. 

Watch out Christina and Conner, you got a wild one there!  Thanks for sharing your wonderful new family with us.  We had a lot of fun!

Posted by danny at 08:32 AM | Permalink

Last night at the Aerosol Warfare shop, Gonzo descended on the art car for its official makeover.  The night was a huge success with lots of excitement and spectators. 

First on the agenda was to mask off the car for painting.  Earlier in the day I removed a lot of the chrome and preped the paint for painting.  Once the car arrived we started masking everything off.  The wind was not helpful either.

After the car was ready Gonzo had to get his game face on.  That's not gatorade either.

Before any paint hit the car Gonzo did a little Roberts Elementary marketing.  The raffle tickets were officially on sale!

Before any craziness was to really get down Gonzo had to get rid of that brown. 

Once the brown was gone it was time to get intimate with the car.  There was no stopping the creative flow at this point.

The toy box of colors came out.  Not even Gonzo knew what was going to happen. 

As time went by you would notice the car taking on a stellar intergalactic look.  The car was poppin and looked happy.

Due to the wind Gonzo had to work on one side at a time.  Gonzo put the final touches on the passenger side and then we got the car turned around for the driver side.

The Wagon was evolving into something more.  Maybe it was the international space station that was flying over head.  There was definitely a funky, spacey feel to the area.

One of the spectators came up to Gonzo with a couple of decks for him to sign.  In the ever spirit of Gonzo he managed to take it a step further and completely blow the decks up with color.

At last the Wagon was complete.  We stripped the paper off the windows, sat back and reveled in the flow. 

It was an exciting night for everyone.  The show was fabulous.  The art was creative and the party was a lot of fun. 

This morning my kids ran outside to check out the wagon.  My son said it was the coolest car EVER.  He asked why it didn't have flames on it.  I told him that if a spaceship had flames they would look like that.   

Thanks for rockin the wagon Gonzo, we enjoyed every spray of the can!

Posted by danny at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You see that sweet little boy?  Well he is the newest addition to the Weber crew.  David came aboard a couple weeks ago and joined us in the studio for his first photo shoot with mommy.  Little does he know that his three older brothers are anxiously waiting for him to be able to play.   

Before David was born we had the family in for a maternity portrait.  I love big families that like to have fun together and the Webers we not short on fun.  Mommy wanted a sweet photo of her little men all together.  That was easy, what was easier was getting them all wound up being gross.

Congratulations guys and thanks for having fun with us in the studio!

Posted by danny at 06:23 AM | Permalink

We have known Sarah and her family for a long time.  She has always been a great cheerleader for our studio since we started.  Recently her family stopped in to get their portrait done (FINALLY).  It wasn't until AFTER they came back did I realize we never put a preview of their images on the blog.

Its amazing to see how grown up her two daughters are.  It really seams like just a couple years ago they were running aroung the playground at Bethany.  And manners!  Let me tell you, these two girls are the model of lady like.  Their parents should be ultra proud.

We are thrilled they finally came in for a family portrait.  Thanks for being such a cool family Sara!  And thanks for choosing us of that other guy!

Posted by danny at 01:57 PM | Permalink

We have been super busy recently but we couldn't pass up the first day of December!  There are only 24 days left until Christmas and we love the music this time of year. Sunny 99.1 is on all the time.  Michelle and Gonzo are tired of hearing the music in the studio. 

One of my favorites is an old school throw back from when I was a kid by The Caroleers.

Fortunately the version I have is a LP on vinyl.  But you can also grab all the cool songs on ITunes.  Just look up The Caroleers and you will be in bad studio recording heaven!  These songs are the best when sung out loud to your kids.  They will be totally disgusted with you!  So get out there and teach your kids about "The Day Before The Night Before Christmas" with a little Caroleers Lovin.

Posted by danny at 01:10 PM | Permalink

Right now we are getting all our 2009 high School Models geared up!  Recently Kellye came in to be a shining star for our 2009 ads.  She did a great job flashing her beautiful smile.  We hope you had a great time Kellye!

Recently I went a little nuts and painted a few walls around the studio.  Kellye was the fist to try out the look.

I love to make animated images.  Especially when we are trying to be silly. 

Here is one for mommy and daddy. I don't know how I am going to handle my little girl being in high school.  That time will be here sooner than we think.

I love photographing High School Seniors.  They are a lot of fun and are having the best time of their lives. 

Posted by danny at 09:58 PM | Permalink

This afternoon AJ came by the studio for a portrait session.  AJ is a fitness trainer and competes national in fitness events.  In a couple weeks she will be competing in a national event that could promote her to a much higher level in her class.  AJ has worked hard to be in tip top shape and she should be proud of herself.

While I was getting ready for a different lighting setup Gonzo popped in to see what was going on.  He wanted to compare his guns with AJ's.

Gonzo refused to concede that AJ had a little more muscle than he did so AJ proceeded to teach Gonzo a lesson in manners.

Seriously though, no employee of Danny Clark Photography was seriously hurt during this session.  However the bottom right image was a real strangle on Gonzo and I take no responsibility for his injury. 

We had fun AJ.  Best of luck on your upcoming competition!

Posted by danny at 11:21 PM | Permalink

I don't do a lot of outdoor sessions but when the Greibels called I couldn't resist watching their boys run around the park.  I have had the pleasure and honor to photograph this family over the last couple years. 

These three boys are the sweetest around.  Evan has his hands full with his two baby brothers. 

Evan is super cool and didn't slack in the swag department.  He knows hip and he knows how to skate too.

 Aaron and Cade are now how to have fun.  They are all smiles and giggles.  It was non stop with these guys too. 

These guys had so much fun they decided to just get in the water at the park too.  Gotta love that carefree spirit!

Thanks for sharing your family with me Abby!  We are so excited the boys are happy and healthy!

Posted by danny at 09:34 PM | Permalink

We were looking through our schedule this morning and discovered that we only have a few Saturday left have booked all Saturday sessions for the year.  If you are planning on coming in this season please call soon to book your appointments.  We still have plenty of weekday sessions available so no need to freak out just yet!  If you want to be added to the Saturday wait list please let us know and we will try to squeeze you in!

Give us a shout at the studio (713-942-2272) and bring on the Holiday cheer!

Posted by danny at 11:07 AM | Permalink

On Halloween Danny Clark Photography and Hip Hop Lollipop are hosting a fundraiser for Hermann Memorial Children's Hospital.  In addition, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will have a blood mobile on-site ready to SUCK YOUR BLOOD!

Here is how all this wackiness will work. 

When:  From 2 until 9 PM on Halloween day (That's Friday, October 31st)

Where:  Halloween Portraits will be taken inside Hip Hop Lollipop:  Located at 6207 Edloe. 

How Much:  Each person in the picture must provide a new children's book to donate to the Hermann Children's Hospital Library or pay $5.00. 

What you get:  Aside from the warmth in your heart from helping children, you also get a 5X7 super creepy portrait per person in the portrait.

Now how about that BLOOD?  Well we also hooked up with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center to collect blood donations from 4 to 8 PM.  Here is the cool part. ----->  If you donate blood we will give you a $100 Danny Clark Photography gift certificate for your use any way you like.  (This certificate has no cash value and can only be used towards services and retail products at the studio.  Can not be exchanged for cash-- Legal stuff we gotta say) and a discount coupon to Hip Hop Lollipop.  If you plan on giving blood, please call us at the studio to schedule a time. 713-942-2272.

Help us meet our goal by filling every 15 minute slot available.

This is going to be a lot of fun, so bring out the family in their cutest, scariest, silliest costumes you can find.  And you never know.  We just might give a little something extra for the best costume of the night. 

To get the full detail flyer please check out THIS CREEPY LINK.  Its printable so feel free to pass it around!  Have fun and give for a wonderful cause.

Posted by danny at 05:33 PM | Permalink

Last Thursday , Friday and Saturday we had a super silly good time with all the little ballerina's that came by for our Ballerina Day Promotion.  As we have been working on the images I went through and picked some of my favorites!  We hope all the tiny dancers enjoyed their sessions!

The Allen girls waltzed in with beautiful smiles and wonderful personalities!

Little Miss Ari was melting everyone around her with those beautiful big brown eyes.

Chunk Alert!  Whitney was a chunky little one like this when she was a baby.  Calleigh is such a sweet little thing with the coolest family.  Her brother Dax helped me take these pictures too.

These two little princesses are always a lot of fun to photograph!  Abigail is the bomb with her daredevil self standing on the stool.

A couple more little sisters came by to enjoy in the dance off.  These two girly girls were so different it was cool.  The younger sister, Samantha was an enthusiastic poser.

Stella had the most beautiful curly hair and stunning blue eyes.  I tried to explain to her that I have naturally UNcurly hair but she was not very amused. 

Towards the end of the day we had back to back Reagan's join us.  The first Reagan was quiet, sweet and subdued.  She was an experienced ballerina and knew how to be poised. 

The second Reagan that joined us was a ball of fire!  She was ready to have her picture taken and couldn't be sillier.  Her mom and dad had just as much fun watching her dance around as I did photographing her.  I think this was the only image taken of her not moving or talking. 

That is all for right now.  There are lots more to get to but I will have to update this post later.  Hope everyone that came had a great time!

Posted by danny at 01:45 PM | Permalink

Friday night my last session of the day was of the wonderful Firat Family.  These guys came in all the way from Turkey.  They even weathered the storm with their family that lives here in Houston. 

I love meeting couples that have been together for a long time (even if I don't speak the language).  I wanted to know all about their wedding and the fun that they have had.  These two kids have been married for 37 years!  I think that is pretty cool especially when I found out that their wedding had almost 1000 people!  Talk about a party!

I think these two images tell the rest of the 13,504 days they have loved together. 

I'm sure when they got married they would never have thought that in 37 years they would be in Houston for one of the worst hurricanes ever.  But it is just one of those things that makes hanging with you spouse that much better.

Keep on rockin the love Ibrahim and Munibe we are glad you are here!

Posted by danny at 08:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I can't tell you how happy we were to see this sign in front of our house today.

These guys working were all business.  The tree crew was form Florida.  I didn't bother them at all.  These guys looked tired and they had plenty more trees to cut down.

The electric crew was from Iowa.  They too were pretty tired of climbing the light poles.  Apparently our part of the city is unique in that way.

Luckily behind my neighbors house there is an empty lot.  They were able to get their bucket truck in there to get some of the work done.  It takes almost 2 hours per pole to fix.  I couldn't imagine the number of these that had to be repaired in our part of town.

Thanks guys for getting in there and getting the lights back on! 

Posted by danny at 08:40 AM | Permalink

Some great friends of ours in Friendswood have an extremely successful studio that was destroyed during the hurricane.  Unfortunately they are having to move everything that was not effected out and into their home until they can get their business going again.  When Denise and I flooded after Allison we couldn't appreciate the help from friends more.  There is so much stuff that needs to be done you almost feel paralyzed.  I headed out to Friendswood to give Adam and Trish a hand with the cleanup.  Here are a few images of their aftermath.

Basically what happened was their roof ripped off the front of the building and then was tossed into the back.

Once the water starts to come in the ceiling just caves. 

The biggest damage was done in their production rooms.  This is where images are worked on digitally and then prints are mounted, framed and packaged.  Almost everything in the rooms were soaking wet.  The insulation was everywhere and didn't make the cleanup any easier.

The roofing metal was tossed to the back yard and basically cut into this set of trees.

Doing everything you can to save your equipment in critical.  It can always be replaced but it is not something you want to deal with.  Most of this stuff was drying out but it has lost a significant amount of life in the long run. 

Overall Trish and Adam were in good spirits.  They are grateful they made it through the storm and are ready to get back to work making families happy with beautiful images.

Posted by danny at 07:32 AM | Permalink

Since most of the kids in the neighborhoods are without electricity they are doing a pretty good job of driving their parents nuts!  Denise and I noticed this growing trend so we decided to provide a little relief. 

In our studio we have a large room that has no windows and is completely white.  I setup our computer with a projector and borrowed a sound system form the Chris Newlin of Eclectic Productions for a little family movie night. 

We had a few people drop in to say hello and few that hung out for the duration.  This kids watched Nim's Island while the parents hung out in the other various studio rooms enjoying wine brought in by Farrah. 

One of my assistants and awesome artist Gonzo of Aerosol Warfare painted his truck for the occasion.  Before the sun went down we had a little photo session.  The kids were all super silly!

Everyone else gathered round the newest baddest Art Car in Houston.

Eric just moved here from Florida and was no stranger to Hurricane weirdness. 

This one is for his Myspace page.

Farrah and Steven could resist the romance.

Gonzo made it a point to pose like a real gangsta with his woman.

 The whole night was a lot of fun and we are now planning on doing this once a month.  So keep your ears on for the next big event. 

Posted by danny at 08:48 AM | Permalink

Our first night staying at the studio was good but it is still not home.  On the way back to the house this morning Denise took a few images of damage along the way.  This is the South Hampton Pool.  It looks like everything is okay other than a really nice fence has gone down.

The gas station by our studio had the entire top canopy flip over on top of a van.  They have already cleared this as of last night.

James loves vans and was disappointed to see this one crushed.

On our way to the house we stopped by the Oubres to check in on them.  They were excited we stopped by.  The kids stayed with them while Denise and I continued to clean up at the house. Before we left David was busy teaching James how to put together a marshmallow gun.

Whitney had a super silly time with her good buddy Molly. 

The kids dressed up and then acted out their favorite books for us.  It was really funny watching them put the whole little story together.  When we returned from cleanup the kids were all outside playing.  They had painted their faces and were running around like a bunch of monkeys.

James was painted like Octopus Prime (Actually Optimus Prime from the Transformers). 

Molly was a fearless Tiger! 

All the kids played for the entire day and there was not one bit of drama to be found. 

I don't think James or Whitney even once came to us complaining or crying.  Its nice to see kids that can just chill out and have fun rather than bicker or manipulate each other. 

Later this afternoon I ran back to the studio to take care of Milo (our dog).  On my way there I came upon this lovely "Yard of The Month"

Back at the Oubres we were cooking chili with a defrosted roast.  I used to cook CASI chili with a wild guy named Rob, who called anything made on the fly "Throw Down."  So we made ourselves some hard core Throw Down Chili.  We all sat outside in the front yard like a big humanitarian family and celebrated one of the neighbors 72nd birthday.  She was tickled that somone found a cake because she had not had a birthday cake in almost 50 years. 

The day was actually pretty fun and I think the weather had something to do with it.  It is pretty mild here right now so everyone is in good spirits.  Curfew was upon us so we had to get back to the studio.  Even with all the fun, the images of sadness are around us.  We have not forgotten all those that are lost, confused or without homes today. 

The electricity is supposed to be back on some time in the next few days.  Once that gets done, there should be more gas stations available so we can get to those that need our help.  I have two good friends that lost their home and both their businesses in Friendswood.  I spoke to them on the phone yesterday and could hear the sadness in their voices. 

If you have electricity and can get gas please reach out to those that need help.  This is going to be a long road to recovery that can be very trying on a mind.  When Denise and I flooded from Allison we were numb for weeks.  I still don't sleep if it rains at night.  Any help you can give to someone, helps them get trough all this and helps you make a better community. 

God Bless Texas and God bless people helping people!

Posted by danny at 04:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well we are back.  A little banged up, a little wet and a whole lot more grateful.  The last hurricane I went through was Alicia as a little kid.  I remember it but I don't remember it being quite that scary.  I hope everyone else made it through the storm safely.  Our ceiling at the studio has a fair amount of damage but everything was packed away safely.  The house fared well but we did have some large trees fall in the back yard.  I guess all those years of cutting mesquite at the ranch with Uncle Jimmy paid off.  Here are a few images for your enjoyment.

Our Street Before the storm:

And After the Storm:

The other side of the street before the storm:

And after the storm:

This is at first light on Saturday morning. 

 Here is our back yard:

These trees were tall.  I never really liked them, they had these awful little leaves that just got everywhere in the winter. 

These were quite loud when they hit during the storm.

We all need to rest but there is still plenty of cleanup to be done.  Hopefully the studio back up and running by Tuesday.  WE still don't have power at home but everyone is safe.  A little tired of been around each other, but still safe.

Posted by danny at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

While we are praying that everyone is completely safe during the impending hurricane in our awesome city, I thought it appropriate to provide some much requested information about how to handle damaged photos. 

PLEASE NOTE:  THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS AND DO NOT GAURANTEE THAT A PRINT IS GOING TO BE SALVAGED.  IN THE EVENT YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH HANDLING DAMAGED PRINTS, PLEASE SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP FROM A LOCAL PHOTO LAB OR PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO. 

In the event you find yourself a little waterlogged and your family photos get flood water on them please do the following:

Portraits in Frames 

1. IMPORTANT - If you can get to these first please do so.  The water in the frame will cause the emulsion on the print to stick to the glass. 
2. Try to take the frame apart and remove the print and glass from the frame.
3. Soak the glass and print in clean water for a few minutes so the emulsion can slide away from the glass. 
4. Once you have successfully removed the print, either hang the print to air dry or lay face up on a tea towel.  If you place the print on a tea towel check often to see if the print is dry before moving forward with any further restoration.  IF you need to stack the prints up after drying you can do so with pieces of wax paper between each print.

Prints and Negatives that are stuck together

1. IMPORTANT - If the prints are stuck together, do not try to pull apart.  If the prints are still wet you may be able to separate them for soaking them.
2. Get a large flat container full of cool clean water.  Agitate the prints in the water and repeat until all the debris has been removed.  You will need to change the water out often.
3. Either hang dry the prints indoors or do the same as number 4 above.  NEVER DRY YOUR PRINTS OUTSIDE.  The air will dry them too fast and make them curl.

CDs that are stuck together

1. Images on CDs are very fragile.  More fragile than prints or negatives.  (This is why we always recommend that you print all your family snapshots.  Don't leave them in the camera, hard-drive or on CD without a hardcopy print)  The metal sticker that holds the data on the CD is extremely thin and can be destroyed quite easily.  DO NOT TRY TO SEPERATE THE CDS WITHOUT WATER. 
2. Get a bucket of cool water and place your CDs in the water for a few minutes.  If there is paper stuck to the CD, don't try to remove it until it is easily removable.  Many people don't realize that the information is actually held on the BACK side of the CD and NOT the side that everyone tries to clean on their shirt when it scratches. 
3. After agitating and replenishing your bucket with cool water, the CDs should fall apart on their own.  If they don't you can try to remove them underwater or let them continue to soak until they can be separated. 
4. After separated, it is best to let them air dry on dry on a tea towel.  Don't try to hand dry them. 
5. Once this is completed you should try to read the CD and then make a new fresh copy as soon as possible. 

I hope this information is helpful but never needed.  Everyone be safe and keep a positive outlook on the storm.

Posted by danny at 02:34 PM | Permalink

Yesterday Alexandria Richard was brought into this world with a good set of lungs and a dad that has one heck of a fantasy football team. 

Jennifer and Keith were super excited to finally have this little girl here.  I showed up about 12 hours after her birth and we grabbed some super sweet images.

 I love being around first time parents.  Every touch, sounds and smell is new.  Instincts are in full gear and everyone is on a cloud.  These sessions are one of my absolute favorites because I get to share the fun with the family and help capture images that most people are not able to get. 

Keith is a lot of fun to hang out with.  I love photographing the dad in this session because they finally get a chance to be a part of what they started....

Keith and Jennifer are going to be great parents.  We are glad they are part of the family and look forward to watching this little girl grow up.  Congrats Richard Family!

Oh and Jennifer informed me that what I charge for this service is not much more than what the babies first day photos cost so I plan to increase my prices!  Thanks for the heads up Jennifer!

Posted by danny at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

After we left Prada Marfa we headed to the Davis Mountains and the McDonald's Observatory.  Unfortunately due to the cloudy weather we were not able to witness the star party.  My little brother Stuart was so sad he climbed the walls to beg for blue skies. 

 The good thing about cloudy skies is that there are no shadows.  This makes for great portraits of two of the sweetest kids on the planet.

Every once in a while they can be sweet to each other too.

Cold and hungry we headed back to Fort Davis for dinner and some family fun.

If you are ever in the area check out the star party and the observatory.   The site is the highest, darkest, pollution free point in Texas.  You wanna see a big Texas Sky this is the place to see it.

Posted by danny at 07:42 PM | Permalink

For this recent trip to the Big Bend area I had a little entourage with me.  Everyone was itching to see this Prada Marfa deal I photographed back in June.  I got word from James Evans in Marathon that the storefront was vandalized.  Lee Millazo of the Samuel Owen Gallery in Marfa told me the town was not planning on restocking the storefront. 

As we drove up I hoped it wasn't true but sure enough the store was empty. 

The ominous sky made the whole site just seem sad and deflated.  My family had fun but Jimmy and I were disappointed that they didn't get to see the store in all its glory.  Even the Davis Mountains seemed a little sad. 

We did manage to get a quick photo of the flight crew before we headed off to the McDonald's Observatory.

Hasta Prada Marfa, it was fun while it lasted...

Posted by danny at 07:27 PM | Permalink

Well we are back in Houston after a long weekend in the Big Bend Area.  The weather and country looked completely different from my trip last June.  I have a bunch a new images but it will take a few days to get them up online or back from the lab.  Here is a little sampling while I get some needed rest and catch up at the studio from being away. 

This was the last hour of my trip leaving Marathon on 385 headed north.  The image is facing the Sugar Loaf Mountains.  All weekend the sky was dark and cloudy.  This morning I was given a gift of a magnificent West Texas sunrise. 

 God Bless Texas and God Bless my cell phone alarm!

Posted by danny at 08:45 PM | Permalink

This week I had the pleasure to photograph little Violet for her 7th month on planet Earth.  This is one little cutie patootie.  I just love to photograph really happy babies.  They can really light up a room.  I hope this little lady helps put on smile on yer mug.

Violet also has the coolest big sister. She was uber-excited to see that we had a little princess dress that fit her too. 

I can just imagine what trouble these two girly girls are going to get into.

Posted by danny at 01:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This weekend I had a couple of clowns come by the studio for a project I am working on.  These two were a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed photographing them.  Its funny to watch them work.  Their costumes are incredibly detailed and their makeup is very messy. 

The other day Denise stopped by this little shop near my studio called Impromptu.  They have a lot of great gifts for hard to buy people.  Denise grabbed these hilarious folders which were great props for a clown.

Just think, you can make a good living clowning around.  Its the big shoes that are hard to fill.

Posted by danny at 07:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday afternoon Sara and Dan rolled up on the studio to bring the sexiness.  We took the standard fun stuff with their puppies but I soon found out they had never been in a photo booth.    So I threw up some high key light and made them act like fools for the camera!

 I had a crazy good time hanging with you guys!   

Posted by danny at 03:31 PM | Permalink

Mr. Connor came by with his mom and dad Saturday to get his first portrait taken. 

He was such a sweet little guy and ate A LOT.  His bodily fluids were rather active too but dad rocked with coolness and ran with the whole mess.  You did a great job dad!

Mommy looked great and did a great job showing some love to the new man of the house. 

 These babies in the studio make Deinse and I just goofy about our third on the way.  

It was a long session but worth every minute photographing Connor.  We hope you love your preview guys! 

Posted by danny at 12:00 PM | Permalink

About six months ago Jennifer came by the studio for her maternity portrait consultation.  This Saturday she came by for the big day and was super excited.  I had some much fun with Jennifer and her husband Keith.  They were so funny and easy going.   We started with Toni Whitaker's awesome dress concept first. 

We are still working on some adjustments but I just love the way this dress allows the figure to be shown.

I think my sides hurt after this session.  Jennifer and her husband were so funny.   Not a second went by without a belt of laughter from someone. 

I hope you had as much fun as I did guys.  Can't wait for the phone call to meet the new baby!

Posted by danny at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

The other day Denise received a beautiful plaque from the wonderful people at Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep honoring her as the volunteer of the month.  I am ridiculously proud of her and I know there are countless others around the world that agree she is a top notch volunteer.   

Denise has worked tirelessly for NILMDTS and deserves every bit of recognition.  She is passionate about this organization, what it provides to families and changing the way health care deals with bereavement.  Without Denise NILMDTS in Houston would not be where it is today.  To make such a change on so many lives with photography is pretty darn cool.  Oh and I think she is hot too. 

Posted by danny at 08:14 PM | Permalink

Now that the LolliPop Days are over we are gearing up for the Holiday Season and Ballerina Days.  Much like the LolliPop Days, we are having a special three day event for those little girls that love to dance. 

These sessions are a real blast and produce some beautiful memories every mommy and daddy will want.  This is another special discount pricing event that you don't want to miss.  Since the dates are during the school year we are even adding an extended day to catch those little girls that want to come by later in the evening. 

Feel free to take a gander at the price sheet for available prices and packages.  Be sure and call soon to get your spot reserved before the big event. 

Posted by danny at 08:12 PM | Permalink

Well our LolliPop Days are over for 2008.  We had a super fun time playing with all the great kids that came by.  We visited with some old friends and met a bunch of new ones.  Below is a little sample of my favorites.   We will have another LolliPop Day over at Hip Hop LolliPop some time next year.  Keep an eye out for the big fun!

Posted by danny at 08:14 PM | Permalink

We had a great time hosting Gerri's Curly Girl Party this past weekend at the studio.  We had a full house as you can see.  In fact it, was comforting to see so many others with curly hair.  Gerri brought lots of goodies for the attendees and we had some lucky ones that picked up gift certificates for portrait sessions and complimentary Deva products.

As I mentioned previously, Gerri is great at teaching her clients how to care for their own hair.  She says her biggest accomplishment is seeing her clients with beautiful hair outside of the salon.  She demonstrated how to use her favorite curly hair products by Deva and quick and easy ways to put your hair in an updo when you don't have time to do the full regimen or for a special night out.  It was amazing how simple she made it.

This is one of my favorite before and afters of the day because this is Rebecca one of our neighbors that I have been trying to get to go to Gerri for at least a year.  Doesn't she have gorgeaous curly red locks?

We want to thank everyone that attended.  We hope you had an enjoyable time and look forward to hosting more events like this one. 

Posted by danny at 08:11 PM | Permalink

Earlier this week I had to roll into Dallas for a little Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep training class.  While there I embarked on the Greenways to grab a few images and squeeze on the newest Greenway boy. 

Zachary was the happiest little chunky monkey.  He was so happy, even vomited on me.  Nothing is sweeter than the smell of warm regurgitated milk on your shoulder in the hot humid outdoors of Texas.  YUMMY!   

 Apparently this is the outfit that Zack likes to wear on the golf course.  I think the course was somewhere in Tennessee, Arkansas or Mississippi. 

Dixie is pregnant with puppies so we threw down a little maternity session.  I may be one of the first photographers to ever do a maternity dog portrait.  This may be the beginning of an entirely new specialty.

Micheal cracks me up.  This little guy has tons of great expressions.  The one on the left reminds me of his grandfather Chuck.

Jacob is a sweet little man too.  He is a huge Batman fan so we were in good company.  He even knows every word to the Batman theme song!  

Kari keeps pretty busy with these three boys.  I was keeping close attention to how she handled them.  Lots of notes were taken...

Cousin Beth chilled with the boys too.  Here we have a little game of hide and sneak behind Beth.  Very fun but VERY scary for Zack.

James tagged along with me to Dallas to chill with the Greenways.  He hung out with them and had a great time while Daddy worked. 

 A little Beastie Boys Watch'cha Want camera action. 

Micheal and James were daring little guys.  Getting injured rarely crosses our minds during a shoot. 

Thanks for the good times Kari and Beth!  We miss you all!

Posted by danny at 10:35 AM | Permalink

So the last time I posted was when I had taken photos of my kids in a rather traditional fashion.  The only real thing missing was a big green furn in the background.  This got me to thinking more about cool portraits so I decided to dust off the old 4X5 large format camera and take a bunch of Polaroids. 

My neighbor Chris came by and so I took his portrait first.  He is always a sport about things like this.  After that I told him to bring his son by and we would do the same thing.  It is fun to see the comparisons.

 As always my kids are trusted to get in front of the camera too.

Our assistant Michelle enjoyed the big funny camera.

The Carter family arrived yesterday evening for a big family portrait.  After we were done I grabbed a couple of a grandmother and her first grandson.   They were from LIttleton CO!

This afternoon Chris and I ran over to the Camera Co-Op to grab some film.  I took a stab at running a few print negatives but we won't have those results for a few days.  As always we ran a few Polaroids first so I can show those. 

The one of me is not as blown out.  My scanner just auto adjusted for some reason.  Here is Denise and Punky.

So there we are.  Lots of fun with film.  I am sure we will be doing more.  Have a great weekend everybody.

Posted by danny at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Recently I grabbed this cool little effect to make your images look like they came out of a view master camera.  I remember when Astroworld was around you could get this little plastic key chain with a photo inside.  Good times...

Top left is the Marfa Courthouse, Top right is a storefront in Marfa, bottom left is a house in Valentine and the bottom right is a house in the middle of Marathon. 

Posted by danny at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

He was a happy chunky little guy.  Mom and dad are awesome and were very calm during their session.   I love newborn shoots because the lighting is so much more dramatic and the attention to the relationship is being captured. 

Welcome Mr. Kyle, we are so happy you are here to make this world a great place!

Posted by danny at 02:25 PM | Permalink

If you have ever been in our studio you couldn't miss the 40X40 prints of giant baby faces.  I think the face of a one year old is priceless and should always be enlarged.  They are so full of life and excitement.  Could you imaigine what the world would be like if everyone ran around with the expressions of a one year old?

This week my man Jack came by for his one year photo.  He was super energetic and loved the camera. 

Jack had so many great expressions for us.  It was a lot of fun and I hope mommy and daddy like the little preview.  And if the next four images don't just make you smile you got some real issues.

Posted by danny at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Warning -  This is post by Denise NOT DANNY!

For all you girls that checked out the article on my hair stylist Gerri Curtis and her amazing techniques with curly hair, I have great news!  Gerri is going to have a Curly Girl Party at our studio on July 20th!  Below is the information from Gerri.  Please be sure and RSVP with her.  This is her annual event so don't miss out!

Posted by danny at 06:09 PM | Permalink

In this month’s small business review we are featuring a great little boutique smack dab dilly in the middle of West University.  If you are familiar with the late JMH Market (a little trivia for you…Danny used to work at JMH when we were in high school), you won’t have to look hard to find Hip Hop Lollipop. 

Hip Hop Lollipop is the cutest little party place in town.  If you have little girls ages 3 to 12, then this is the place to shop and party.   

Diane Sizemore has owned and operated Hip Hop Lollipop for the last year and a half, specializing in full service girly parties, gifts and clothing.  The customer service and attention to detail is what sets them apart from other similar shops in and around the Houston area.  It’s also a huge plus that you can avoid mall madness!

They have a magical party room available for the ultimate girly girl parties. 

Hip Hop Lollipop has six different party themes that any little girl would just love.  If your princess likes to be pampered, than a Spa Day Party Package with mini facial and pedi/mani treatment is the thing to go for.  There is a great little area for makeup, dress-up, and all the fixins. 

I’m sure the imaginations run wild in the room during a party.  Everything is decorated gracefully with plenty of room to sit and enjoy.  Can’t you just hear the squeals of delight while they play dress up! 

You can see all the different party packages here or just give them a call and they will be happy to go through the options with you.  Whitney will be having her Hannah Montana party at Hip Hop Lollipop in August and she is beyond excited.  Stay tuned for party pics in August.

Hip Hop Lollipop can also make your little girl’s party a hit with custom invitations, decorations, party favors, refreshments, cake and even a gift registry! 

The front of the boutique is chalk full of great gifts and clothes for babies and hip little boys and girls.  They haven’t forgotten mommies either.  They have an entire line of fashionable clothing and gifts for us too.

Some of our favorite items we found were these wonderful plush little lovies.  They are so soft and sweet, so my recommendation is to probably get two, so you have one as a back-up when your child wears it out or even worse, loses it.

They also have these great necklaces that are magnetic bottle caps to coordinate with any outfit.  These are really popular and were invented by a 12 year old girl.  Isn’t that cool?  Our daughter Whitney saw these necklaces and just fell over in love with them.   

 

Another great product for your girly girl or even the jet setting mom is these train cases.  They come in many different coordinating colors and styles.  This is the perfect accessory to anyone that needs essential items for that slumber party or camping trip. 

 

The coolest of the cool were these jeans that have removable, interchangeable beaded designer cuffs.  
  

As you can see, Hip Hop Lollipop has something for everyone with a bright and cheery environment.  If you need help finding the perfect something for your littleone, Diane and her staff will be happy to help you.   Be sure to go by and visit Hip Hop Lollipop in West University and tell them we sent you.

6207 Edloe
713-218-7800

Posted by danny at 09:08 PM | Permalink

Recently I spent a few days in the Big Bend Area specifically heading towards Valentine, Texas to photograph the Prada Storefront.  A number of friends an relatives were shocked to see this wonderful piece of work in the middle of West Texas. Therefore without any hesitation, I gathered all the information I could and decided to explain the Prada Marfa Storefront in detail.

The storefront is a permanent installation of art off Highway 90 just West of Valentine, Texas.  In 2005 a pair of Berlin artists named Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset developed the installation with the help of The Art Production Fund and Ballroom Marfa.  

The building is not opened and the doors have been sealed shut.  There is no intention to keep the installation updated and will eventually deteriorate over time.  Shortly after the development of the storefront vandals broke in and stole the Prada shoes and Handbags.  Soon after the foundation had an alarm system installed and replaced all the shoes.  The original intent was that the storefront would deteriorate with age rather than at the hands of vandals. 

At the actual Prada Site there is a small plaque with the following information:

**************************************************** 

PRADA MARFA

 Established: October 1, 2005
Artists: Elmgreen & Dragset
Commissioners/Producers:  Art Production and Ballroom Marfa
Architects: Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello; Joerg Boettger
Construction: The Maxwell Company

Art Production Fund and Ballroom Marfa present PRADA MARFA, a site specific, permanent land art project by artists Elmgreen & Dragset.  Modeled after a Prada boutique, the structure includes luxury goods from the fall 2005 collection.  However , the sculpture will never function as a place of commerce, the door cannot be opened.

Art Production Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to realizing ambitious projects by contemporary artists.
Founders: Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen
Project Coordinator: Casey Fremont

Ballroom Marfa is a non-profit space in Marfa, TX dedicated to contemporary art culture.

This project is made possible through the support of local communities.  The family of the late Walter Alton "Slim" Brown, (Trucker, Rancher, Roper, Friend), has generously contributed to the project by lending their land.  Many thanks to Fondazione Prada for their support and in-kind product contribution.  Boyd Elder, artist, has overseen the project as our Project Site Representative, with additional support from his family Sahula Elder and Flaunn Elder Jamison.  Use of the Prada logo is made courtesy of Prada, Milano.

*****************************************************

So there are all the facts (or at least what we perceive to be the facts).  The Prada Marfa storefront was impressive.  Not the size or the luxury fashion in the shop but the simple fact that something so unique and different can be collectively placed in a location that so few will ever see.  The country around the storefront is wild and what I always imagined Texas was like years ago.  It was simple and strange.  To me the storefront made me think of what is old and new.  It makes me want more of less.  Life can be simple and beautiful and strange all at the same time.  I think that is pretty cool and worth moving forward every day. 

Along the ledge of the storefront people place small gifts, shoes, and business cards.  I went through and photographed each card that was there with the intent of contacting these individuals with one questions in mind.  I would like to know what PRADA MARFA means to them.  What they thought when they left their mark and do they ever plan on going back.  Hopefully some of them will leave their thoughts here on this blog entry.  Others may just not respond all together but lets hope not.

I hope that helps answer a lot of questions.  If you ever get a chance to see PRADA MARFA please let us know.  And remember, Texas is the State of the Arts. 

God Bless Texas and God Bless PRADA MARFA

Posted by danny at 08:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Well our first run of the Lollipop Days are over and they were a huge success!  We had all ranges of ages come in.  We had big families and little babies too!  Thanks goes out to everyone that stopped by to hang with us.  We had a lot of fun and can't wait until July. 

If you didn't make it in to see us in June make sure and sign up for your July session.  There are a few slots left so get on it quick.  Give us a call (713-942-2272) and check out the prices.

Posted by danny at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Check Check Checkity Check it!  We are busy laughing and eating candy today.  There are a few slots left for Saturday so call quick if you want in on the fun and games.  And if anyone knows how to get candy out of your shoes please let us know.

Posted by danny at 10:36 AM | Permalink

We just got a few of our new frame samples in for our Lollipop Days and they are yummy scrumptious and fun!  We can't wait to show everyone the hundreds of crazy ways we can customize these frames. 

There are only three days left until the June Event.  If you can't make it in for June give us a shout and try to come in for the July event.  Its only 20 bucks a kid!   Here is all the info in case you missed it on our newsletter.  Or click this link to see the PRICES TOO!  Give us a call to reserve your spot before they all run out! 713-942-2272

Posted by danny at 10:12 PM | Permalink

Wednesday I took off to go to Valentine Texas to photograph an art installment called the Prada Storefront.  My uncle and I leftThursday morning and have had a great time.  I wanted to update with a few images so this is brief and short (wifi is really slow). 

It was raining in Corpus

 Bridge over Pecos River near Mexico

Gas station in Langtry (and the sell film)

Lobo Texas - www.lobotexas.org

Prada Storefront (we are hitting the sunrise in the morning).

Shoes at the Prada Storefront

Road to McDonald Observatory

Scenic road up the Davis Mountains.

We spent the night at the Gage Hotel.  This was our pace for the morning.

Right now I am in Marfa.  We are staying at the Thunderbird Hotel which is a minimalist hotel.  VERY MINIMALIST.

Thats it for now.  gotta go!

D

Posted by danny at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Holly was a super sport and came by the other day after she saw the premier of Sex In The City for a little fashion shoot.  Toni changed our awesome maternity dress up a little for this shoot.  We have some really cool things in mind so keep an eye out.

We are actually looking for maternity models so if you or someone you know would like to join the fun and games at the studio give us a call and we can discuss it. 

Thanks for coming to play with our dress Holly.  I hope you like the pictures!

Posted by danny at 09:15 PM | Permalink

We photograph a good number of maternity sessions in the studio but we rarely show images on our blog respecting the wishes of our clients to keep these images private.   Today was a little different. 

This morning I was having coffee with my good buddy Toni Whitaker discussing fabric for maternity wraps.  She set down a wicked little design for a maternity portrait dress and about half an hour later she walked into my studio with it on a hanger.

Maren and her husband are expecting a little one in about two weeks and came by for their maternity portrait.  I told them about the maternity dress and they were excited to try it out.  This is a first run, but we think the images were pretty cool.  We found that this little dress gave the mommy an alternative to the nude or semi nude portrait, while still getting that full image of their figure. 

I hope you enjoy the images.  Toni is going to make a few adjustments and then we will bust out with some variations.  Thanks Maren for being such a trooper, you look beautiful!

Posted by danny at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This past Saturday we had another Pet Portrait event here in Houston at the Hollywood Frame Gallery.  Over 40 dogs came by to hang with me and get a few images.  Below are some of our favorites for your flea biting enjoyment. 

Like children some dogs need their special lovey or stuffed animal with them all the time.

This little one bites...

These two were just real easy going.  Good thing because they collectively weigh about 200 pounds.

We brought out the old red chair too. 

This little one reminded me of something in of Star Wars. 

If you ever wanted a good ranch dog, this would be the one.  He was all about a good time and loved to get all up in my grill.

Some of the puppies were not too sure about the whole "picture" thing.  They felt better being held by their owners.

And then there are others that if they could speak would probably be yelling all the time!

Some liked to pose with sweet smiles.

And others liked to just quietly watch me work and pretend to be a toy on the floor.

Some would rather be hunting.

While others were in love with the camera.

And then there were some that looked sad only because they wanted more treats.

Or just wanted to be loved more...

So this concludes our dog day in review.  We would like to thank all the great people that came to see us and all the dogs that enjoyed our treats, smelled our lenses and licked our faces.

Posted by danny at 07:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today one of James' little classmates came by with her mommy for a maternity portrait.  Taylor is about to be a big sister and she is super excited about it.  She is going to have a little brother soon so she had to bring on the girlie girl big time in the studio.

Posted by danny at 01:03 PM | Permalink

June 20th and 21st and then again on July 25th and 26th we are having a super fun special featuring giant lollipops. Our sessions are filling fast and we have not even had time to send out our mailer to everyone. 

To get a copy of the price list click here.  These prices are about 60% less than what we normally charge so get them while their hot!  We are also going to be featuring a bunch of really cool frames that these images will look great with.  Some Shabby Chic some retro cool and some like you have never seen before!

Posted by danny at 11:11 AM | Permalink

You know I think if I was ever going to have a band I would name it "Big Mac and the first Communion."  Sounds like a great 80's cover band.  And if I was going to have a band like that I would definitely want my album cover to look like this.

Mackenzie came by today to get her first communion portrait done.  These were a lot of fun because you can tell the kid was just dying to cut loose while she is all dressed up.   I had a lot of fun hanging out with the Johnson family.  They Rock The Casbah! (one of the covers for my new band). Have a great weekend everyone! 

Posted by danny at 09:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Earlier this month Gillian came in to get her portrait taken and things didn't go very well.  You can read about it here.  Well today she came back and was all smiles.  Dad''s going to have a tough time choosing one of these images. 

It was fun Gillian, come back anytime!

Posted by danny at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This week we had two out of town families come in for their family portrait.  Alice Flusser wanted photos of her grandchildren so she brought them in while they were visiting from out of town.  I love photographing families that can't stop laughing. 

While we did manage to get great images I wanted to show a couple of the really funny and fun ones.  This was the crew from Boston.  They were not told they were having their portrait taken until they arrived at the studio.  Talk about pressure.  But these kids were keeping their parents young with their personalities. 

 The second crew that came in was from Jersey.  We had a ridiclously silly time with these kids and the parents were just as silly.  The next portrait cannot be planned.  Dad is wondering why the kids can't hold still, mom is just trying to focus on the camera and the kids are pretty much in complete control. 

we have these personality panels in the studio that are pretty cool for animated kids like these.  I basically sit them down and get a bunch of silly faces from them and we put them together in a panel.  It has to be planned out and Margaret wanted this for her grand kids.  These kids were too goofy. 

I hope these families get to come back soon.  We hope you like your preview Alice!

Posted by danny at 05:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We just wanted to wish everyone a great weekend.  Enjoy the day with great golf, great tennis or whatever makes you happy.  And get plenty of rest.

Posted by danny at 03:09 PM | Permalink

Yesterday my good buddy Tim came in all the way from Manhattan to hang with us for the afternoon.  While he was here I put him to work helping me install a new wood floor in one of our studio rooms.  Later this summer we are planning on having a ballerina promotion so I wanted to make a better presentation for the portraits.

Lucky for us Little Miss Landry came by this morning to be the very fist ballerina on the dance floor.  For the month of April we are doing free sessions during the week.  Landry was our first today and we had a great time. 

 I photographed her brother when he was the same age, and I can tell you these two kids are related.  I love silly baby expressions and Landry was chalk full of them.

 Kimberly and Bo are great parents and have the happiest babies I have seen.   I hope you guys  love your sneak peak!

Posted by danny at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Friday was a light morning with mainly paper work and phone calls but the real fun started at noon.  I was asked by the guys over at The Hollywood Frame Gallery to photograph two dogs and a cat for an art piece Jim Tweedy was working on.  I headed over to the house and found the funniest little white dog,

the toughest little red dog

 and a black cat that could care less I was there.

After the shoot I had to rush off to pick up Whitney at a High School Musical 2 party.  Roberts had let out at noon Friday and the Kindergarten Girls were having a little "get together"  When I got to the party local Whitney and a bunch of other little girls were all standing in front of the television singing and dancing.  It reminded me of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.   Whitney and I headed off to get groceries to feed the Charnquist/Braniff crew.  Farrah and I were shooting a wedding Saturday so we usually get together the night before to go over stuff.  As always, Farrah is a horrible influence and encourages my kids to jump on the furniture.  She will be updating her blog with the events that evening but let me share at least one image with you.  I title this "Total Loss of Control" by Farrah Braniff.

Everyone left too late, too tired, and too upset but all had fun and were ready for a wedding shoot.

Posted by danny at 08:59 PM | Permalink

This morning little Juliet came by and really brightened up my day.  She was such a happy little three month old. 

The best thing about Juliet was that she reminded me of Whitney when she was three months old.  Big blue eyes, chubby little body and she smiled whenever I looked at her.  Juliet melted our hearts like Whitney did not so long ago (Whitney still melts my heart though).  We hope you had as much fun as we did Juliet. 

Posted by danny at 12:36 PM | Permalink

Monday was a real disaster of a day.  Denise was out of town and I was struggling to get the kids to school.  The struggles from that made my delay to the studio even more devastating.  One of our favorite families had a session at 10:00, I was caught on Kirby in that ridiculuos traffic and my assistant was MIA.  Needless to say not even Little Gillian was in the mood for photographs. 

We tried everything to get Gillian to relax but it just wasn't going to happen.  I think the best of the bunch is the image of her chubby little toes.  Even angry and upset this kid is sweet.

The best was when Gillian waved goodbye with big alligator tears in her eyes and said bye bye after an hour of avoiding any eye contact.  She thinks she won but I got more tricks up my sleeve.  Gillian has brought the challenge so let the games begin... 

The point of all this is that it doesnt matter how many great cameras you own light equipment you have strung up everywhere, or countless hours of photography under your belt, if a 2 year old has your number on a Monday morning by gosh your gonna get it.

I just have to keep telling myself, it's a camera not a wand. 

Posted by danny at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

About a year and half ago I was called to The Women's Hospital of Texas to help a family through Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.  The Griebel family had delivered triplet boys on October 9th; 14 weeks earlier than they should have.   Sadly, Landon did not survive thus the reason I was asked to come to the hospital.  When I arrived at Landon's bedside I found this sweet gentle family that had suffered a great loss.   We visited for a moment and I photographed the family with little Landon as best I possibly could.  I could tell this family was going to pull at my heart but I did my job, got the images they requested and left the hospital. 

On most occasions I do pretty good keeping it together after these sessions.  I have done so many that I have a hard time remembering the families and babies but I think that helps me keep going.  The Griebel family is a little different.  They keep creeping back into my world and keep pulling at my heart every time. 

Three months after I photographed Landon, Abby called me and asked if I could photograph their family including Cade and Aaron home from the hospital.  I was more than happy to do this and was thrilled the family was doing well.  We enjoyed our morning photographing the family and added a portrait with a yellow rose for Landon. 

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep has been a large part of our life over the last few years.  Having the opportunity to help families through art is a tremendous honor and gift.  Knowing families like the Griebels makes it all the more rewarding. 

Last week Abby Griebel called me and asked if I could help them with an image for their March of Dimes fund raiser.  She was putting together a slide show about their time in the NICU with the boys.  The slide show is wonderful and everyone should take the time to see what a family goes through with children in an intensive care unit. 

The Griebel family is trying to raise $2000 for the March of Dimes March for Babies on April 27th.  The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature births, and infant mortality. Please take the time to watch what the Griebel family went through while fighting for their boys.   If you can donate a little cash that would be great.  But whatever you do make sure and hug your children every day and be thankful they are here whatever the circumstance may be.

To donate to the Griebel families team go to the following link:
http://www.marchforbabies.org/personal_page.asp?w=71002884&u=grieblets

On behalf of my family and the Griebel family thank you for your support.

God Bless Texas and God Bless The Griebel family

Posted by danny at 09:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The last couple of weeks have been nuts around the studio and home so the blog has been a little stale.  I hope to fix that with a few posts over the next few days. 

McLary came by this week to rock some portraits.  She is working on a modeling career and I think she will do great!  I have a few of my favorites her but there is a little slide show video with the a bunch more for your enjoyment.  You did a great job McLary! 

She has such a great smile!

Gotta love that long hair too!

Click on the little green arrow to see the cool video.

Posted by danny at 08:49 PM | Permalink

I had the privilege to photograph Jordan for her Sr. Portrait.  She is a very talented student and athlete.  She wanted to incorporate her track and field work in her portrait so we did a little something unexpected for the shoot.  I hope you enjoy the photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them.

These shoes had the sharpest spikes that have ever had been imbedded in my hand!  Whitney dropped one on her foot and quickly stopped playing with them

We hit the portrait with a little fashion high key as well.

And lastly the jumping over me with the sharpest spikes on the planet. 

Posted by danny at 11:20 AM | Permalink

Saturday afternoon I headed out to Quail Valley for a portrait of the Graves family.  We took the portrait on a golf course that I used to play all the time when I worked for Prudential Insurance back in the early 90's.  Its funny how you can remember almost any course you have ever played. 

The Graves family was a lot of fun to photograph.  Especially the little ones.  They were high energy and full of life.  We got this great portrait of the kids and their grandmother all snuggled up. 

My favorite portraits were of the little ones.  I love to get them to try and peer into the camera.  The sky was an awesome blue Saturday evening so we had to capitalize on it.

Posted by danny at 10:08 PM | Permalink

Little Gianna came by the studio today for her 8th month portrait.  She is turning into a real fire cracker like her old man Matt.  Gianna wasn't feeling too good today so we kept things pretty simple.  I just love this curly little hair and those big blue eyes.

Thanks for coming by Gianna!  I hope you had fun too.

Posted by danny at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last night when I got home my new camera was there waiting for me.  Denise put me on a waiting list for the New Nikon D3.  The cool thing about this rig is that it handles low light very well.  It also has great detail at a high ISO with very little noise in the image. 

Whitney got out of school today at noon so she was my little model while we waited for mommy to pick her up.  The new camera does great with low light.  These two images are done with just window light and a little reflector.  I softened her skin a touch but other than that it is pretty much directly out of the camera.

My little girl is getting big every day.  On the way to school this morning she was reading a book to me.  Pretty soon she won't want anything to do with me but right now I get every little bit I can.

One last note for the technical kids.  The last image was shot at ISO 3200 at 1/125 second and f9.  While I probably wouldn't enlarge this too much, it was still very sharp with little noise.  We have a busy weekend ahead of us to be on the lookout for more images.

Posted by danny at 02:45 PM | Permalink

This afternoon we hung out with Courtney from Bellaire High School for her Senior Portrait.  She was a lot of fun and had a fantastic smile.  This time of year we get all our new backdrops and props in,  so we had fun trying new color combinations today.  Here is a quick glimpse of our favorites!

We hope you enjoy your sneak peak Courtney!

Posted by danny at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Recently we received a message from one of our favorite customers, Margaret Freeman, that her beloved Lilly has passed away.  Lilly was a sweet old dog that got real excited when I made my Turkey sounds in the studio.  Lilly had this great smile that not all dogs have.  Even though you could barely see her eyes and mouth she had a lively look about her.   

Like all dogs, they can't really tell us when they feel bad.  When they suddenly fall ill its sometimes harder to deal with.   In the short time I was around Lilly, she was a super fun dog.  She was well taken care of and loved tremendously.  She will be missed by many, especially us at the studio. 

Recently my Uncle Jimmy's dog Molly also passed away.  I was on the phone with him a few days back when he told me that she was in the vet's office having some trouble.  A few days had passed and my cousin Chad called to tell me the news that Molly had died.  Looking back now I realized it was not any different from any other loss in a family.  Molly was a great dog.  She was a Black Lab that lived the life of 20 black labs.  She was never far from Jimmy, a pool or the ranch.  Molly, while owned by one, was loved by hundreds.   

Soon I will be heading to the ranch for a weekend away.  I know it will probably be a little strange not seeing molly run by every now and then.  She was a part of my family and we are sad she is no longer here.  But I know this, the turkeys aren't getting any rest and the pools have a lot of dog hair floating in heaven now that Lilly and Molly have moved in. 

God bless Texas and God bless those flea biting dogs!

Continue reading "That's no dog that's my family" »

Posted by danny at 02:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We photograph a lot of newborn babies here in the studio but I think the 2 month olds might just be my favorites.  They are just so chunky and squishy!  Recently we photographed this little one and the parents were just too cool.  We hope you guys like the hair because it was full of life!

This hair has no product in it!  Awesomeness at its finest.

Comfort comes in many forms. 

Posted by danny at 11:30 AM | Permalink

A couple weeks back we photographed the Walton family.  Brandon and his dad had a lot of fun goofing off in front of the camera.  I promised them I would put something up on the blog for their family to see. 

Brandon is a great kid with an absolute love of life so we had to throw down a little silliness.  We chose probably the worst combination of fabrics for the little hat trick imagery.  This is a good example of why you don't mix patterns in an image.   

 We had a lot of fun hanging out with the Walton family.  I hope you guys enjoy your images!

Posted by danny at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Recently Denise purchased Lightroom for me to use to manage our image files.  I have been reading up on preparing for the transition and it does not seem all that easy.  Basically Lightroom is a complex asset management tool that is supposed to help with work flow and image editing.  While I trust that it is helpful and cool I do not look forward to the turmoils of changing my work flow. 

While preparing my images for the new transition I came across a bunch of images i took with my buddy Kenneth in Beeville.  He was in the middle of his corn and grain harvest so I jumped aboard his 13 row combine and hung with him for a couple days.  It was a lot of fun but going back through the images a few years later was even more fun. 

Here is a little sample of a few of my favorites.

Old barns and sheds are cool.  They are like windbreakers in the fields and weather like a old cowboy.

This is one big tractor.  I didn't get to drive it but I did get to sit in the copilot chair and gnaw at Kenneth's ear asking questions all day.  I think we were taking a break here.  Kenneth's wife made us these awesome turkey and onion sandwiches on white bread.  I think I may be making one for lunch today.  Here is the recipe in the event you want to join me.

2 slices white bread
A bunch of turkey
A couple slices tomato
A couple slices of onion
Mayonnaise

Put it together and eat it.  You will need some sweet tea to wash the bread glue form the roof of your mouth. 

Here we are inside the machine getting after that harvest.  Its relatively loud and dusty. 

Here is my man Kenneth.  If you notice we are hauling through this corn.  You would think this would be slow but when there is a rain a coming and bills to pay you push the machine to the end and see what falls out later.

These farmers chase around the storms and there had been a bit of rain that day.  The clouds let up and I thought it was rather cool that the sun was glowing on the storage containers off in the distance. 

Inside the containers there is a large sifter.  I climbed in through this little hatch to get a few images inside.  The gold stuff on the ground is called money. 

Hope you enjoyed the little farming tour.  And make sure and have that turkey sandwich.  And the next time you eat corn just remember where it comes from. 

Posted by danny at 09:32 AM | Permalink

Last week my buddy Chris Newlin from Eclectic Productions needed some portraits done.  Most photographers despise having their photo taken and Chris was no exception.  So we had to cool it up a bit and come up with some real sexy images for his new website.

Right now the weather here is awesome and so we take advantage every chance we get.  We took a few outside.  This is one large camera. 

This is Chris in his "I am a sexy hotty hot hot and you all know it" look. 

Then finally we pulled the "I won't take crap off you or anyone else in this room" look.

Chris had a few others but he wouldn't show me.  He said they were not ready for the public yet.  I'm sure his modeling career is going to take off like a rocket now but I try hard not to take credit for that. 

If your looking for video production work than this is the guy in town to work with!

Posted by danny at 10:07 PM | Permalink

We wanted to introduce to you our latest smile to join the crew at Danny Clark Photography. 

Brittany is a student at the University of Houston working towards her degree in Business Marketing.  She will be helping us around the studio and working on our high school seniors marketing programs.  I think her hardest job is going to be making sure I don't do something silly or double book an appointment.  So far she has made it through a number of Chris Newlin's (from Eclectic productions) jokes so I am sure she will do just fine.

Posted by danny at 09:07 PM | Permalink

Today I had the honor of photographing Violet's first day.  She was actually born on January 7th but I got there within the first day.  Everyone was all excited about the new baby.  I love these sessions because we really focus on Dad. 

This little one was pretty easy going.  She had a beautiful round head too with lots of soft wispy hair.

Dad was all smiles and we enjoyed playing with the window light. Here is a little fun we had with a few of the images.

Welcome to the world Violet.  We are happy you made it safely.

Posted by danny at 10:48 PM | Permalink

Recently I had the honor of visiting Whitney's class and telling them about my job.  I explained to them that my job in the community was to take pictures of what was important to people.  As a little project I gave each child a little disposable camera to go home and take photos of what was important to them. 

The results are in and I have to say there is some pretty cool art among each child's portfolio.  I went through and grabbed an image from each set and made a little black and white art print. 

While looking through the images, keep in mind that the kids were asked to photograph what was important to them. I hope you enjoy the tour of Ms. S. Wilson's extremely artistic group of kids.

Posted by danny at 12:20 AM | Permalink

It has been a few days since we updated the blog so we will be pushing out a bunch of new updates over the next few days.  The holidays didn't stop the camera shutter so we have lots of cool stuff to show everyone. 

The other day Will Sexton rolled in to get a quick portrait taken.  I had photographed his little sister a few months back and her dad wanted to get a duplicate portrait with his son. 

Will is going to school in Austin.  He is working on a Digital Media Business degree which sounded really cool.  I have a BBA from UH and would have loved to specialize in Digital Media.  We wish Will the very best in his future! 

This was one of our favorites from the session. 

After we were done with the stuff his parents wanted we went nuts and coolified a portrait in front of his sweet ride.  Nothing better than a little fly Texas Monthly shootout!  Thanks for coming by Will!

Man I wish I had a picture like that when I had my 1978 Sky Blue Ford Fairmont.

Posted by danny at 10:27 PM | Permalink

If you haven't noticed I am a little behind in our blogging but we are getting caught up. 

With all the families and kids coming in this week here are a couple of my weekly favorites.  The Johnson family brought their 93 year old grandmother in for a family portrait.  She was a real hoot and I could only imagine what their Thanksgiving was like.  It is wonderful to see families together for Thanksgiving.  The Johnson's family portrait was one of my favorites from the group. 

Tiffany's brother seemed a little nervous getting his portrait taken.  I think of all the images we made this was one of my all time favorites.  They all just looked so happy to be together.  Do you think he is the favorite Uncle?

As usual, we had a lot of fun with this group!

Earlier we also photographed the Sherman family.  This group of kids really made my day.  Each one of them had a great attitude and awesome smiles.  They also got a big kick out my turkey call.  As usual we had to get a few cool images.  This is one of my favorite group shots.

Yep you guessed it.  Five kids with the youngest being 8. 

I couldn't imagine what it would be like being the youngest of these five.  They were all a lot of fun.  I especially love getting those sweet sister moments too. 

This family was a tight bunch.  I actually had a hard time getting them to NOT smile.  Hope you guys all had a great time!

Posted by danny at 07:16 PM | Permalink

My favorite thing about this week is getting to visit with all the families.  Some would say I enjoy this time because I get lots of new audiences for all my silly jokes.  Either way it is fun. 

The Carmenates family came by with all 15 yes that's right 13 people. 

We originally wanted to do this outdoors but the weather was not going to cooperate with us so I came up with something different.  When you have groups this big you can't get too creative.  Sticking with the technical is important so everyone works together. 

Janet is the godmother of our two little ones.  She recently got married and we were happily part of the wedding party. 

Janet's brother Nelson is a real cool cat like Janet.  They are a great family with two beautiful children.

Their youngest looks like a mini-Janet.  She had these great big brown eyes. 

Janet's sister Maria was there too.  This family reminds me a lot of mine with teenage kids.  Its always fun hanging with teens because they usually think your a dork and that just gets me going more. 

The family got together for Janet's mother who is the sweetest lady.  Janet's dad is a just as cool too.  Of all the pictures we took, I think this one is my favorite. 

We hope you guys like your preview Janet!  Happy Thanksgiving Carmenates Family.

Posted by danny at 06:57 PM | Permalink

Jasmine and her little sister Maya got an early Christmas gift this year.  They got a new little brother!  This little guy was just a little over two weeks old and the girls couldn't stop loving on him. 

They were both so excited about Devin that it showed in their eyes. 

Maya is one of Whitney's old classmates from Bethany.  These girls have all grown up so fast!

Jasmine and Maya will be awesome big sisters.  I am sure Devin will give them a run for their money.

Posted by danny at 01:27 PM | Permalink

We photographed Greyson when he was just little guy and last week he brought by his little sister for a photo shoot. 

Landry was the coolest little newborn with mucho chunk on the arms!  We love the chubby babies!  I love this picture of her.  She looked like she wanted to throw a punch at the camera man. 

Greyson is a great big brother now and is getting to be as cool as his dad. 

It was great getting to see this happy family once again!  We hope you all love your pictures!

Posted by danny at 11:54 AM | Permalink

We interrupt this afternoon with an image that is best viewed while listening to loud music 

Thanks for stopping by this morning Ike!  We had a blast!

Posted by danny at 02:38 PM | Permalink

Tonight we hosted a party for the ever famous Maroon Monkeys end of year event.  It was a nice little change of pace for the Clark crew and everyone seemed to have a great time. 

My little man James was my Chocolate Chip Cookie Tester.  He tore that cookie up!

We had Double Dave's Pizza brought in and a big box of pizza rolls.

We also made this awesome salad that my cousin in Dallas hooked me up with.  Thanks Kari for the great recipe!  Everyone enjoyed the salad.  As promised I said I would include the recipe here on the blog. 

Click here to get to the recipe for Southwest Cornbread Salad.

I bought a bunch of soccer balls for the girls to sign as a gift.  Each girl signed each ball to go along with their trophy. 

After we ate and the girls ran around the studio, we took a few portraits of each girl.  Trying to get them to look tough wasn't hard but couch was a little nervous about being cool.

I tried to get a tough look and sweet look from each girl.  Tough looks were hard to come up with and we were all stocked up on sweet.

Little Ms. Evan's sweet look.

Tough Nike look! JUST DO IT!

Christina was super intimidating with those big eyes.  Don't let the sweet smile fool you.  She can take your shins out with one full sweep!

Sweet Look!

Adidas Tough Look! IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!

Selena was a real tough one on the field.

Sweet Selena!

Tough Under Amour Selena! CLICK-CLACK!

Little Ms. Mackenzie was all smiles on the field. 

Sweet Mac!

Tough Umbro Mac!  CONTROL FREAK!

Sarah had this great Monkey dance she did for us while warming up on the field.

Sweet Sarah.

Tough Reebok Sarah!  I AM WHAT I AM!

And lastly we have little Maddie.  She looks sweet but I saw her hunt down another player like a wild monkey hunts down whatever it is that wild monkeys hunt. 

Sweet Maddie!

Tough PUMA Maddie!  EVERY 96 HOURS!

And lastly we had the whole team get together for group tough shot.  Man is this a mean looking group of soccer fans!

But we couldn't end the evening without the sweetest couple of girls around.  Whitney and Molly got to play together today too and they were excited to get their picture taken. 

Thanks everyone for coming to the studio.  We love our print and its going on the wall first thing in the morning!

Posted by danny at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My man Jason came by the studio today to get his portrait taken.  This little guy was lookin slick in his holiday gear.  Mom had to help us out a little bit at first but he loosened up and we got lots of really great images.  Here is your sneak peak mommy! 

Jason was a little shy but he was willing to help me get a good picture of our teddy bear.  I told him the bear wanted to get his picture taken so we needed him to hold him very still.  This was one of my favorites. 

We finished off the morning with a lolly pop and great game a peak-a-boo. 

Jason's dad wasn't able to be there today because he was traveling.  Hope you like the preview dad and you get home safely!

Posted by danny at 08:55 PM | Permalink

A few weeks back Farrah Braniff and I had the honor of photographing Aichell and Christopher's wedding. 

The wedding was at The Holy Rosary Catholic Church downtown.  This old church was pretty and the coolest thing was the organ player.  I hung out with her in the balcony waiting for the ever popular "first kiss".  The Organ player was quite interesting and had specific instructions on how close I could stand to her or her organ...  Oh and an organ is much louder in the balcony than on the floor of a church. 

Chris was ready much earlier than his groomsmen but he helped get everyone around him.  Here he is helping one of his groomsmen fix his tie.

Chris was surrounded by a bunch of people that helped keep him entertained.  These two guys were a riot.  The guy on the left LOVED the camera and the one on the right was a little more subdued.

After we took a bunch of preliminary portraits I headed over to see what the girls were doing.  I told Whitney before I left that I would make sure and take a picture of the flower girls dresses.  This little flower girl was in another world with her little wedding dress and the huge mirror. I couldn't tell if she was pretending to hold a champaign glass, martini glass or a petite-four sandwich.

The wedding went down without a hitch and we headed over to the party.  The reception was held at The Gallery.  The Gallery is a very cool reception facility with lots of great places to take portraits.  Before the reception got started Aichell and Christopher were off in another part of the building having a little quiet time.  This is a good time for us to regroup with the bride an groom and get a few fun photos of the rings.

The party got kicked off and these people liked to dance.  Its fun to get right in the middle of people celebrating.  Lots of great energy in the room!

This little girl danced the night away.  Literally she was on the dance floor almost the entire night and man could that girl MOVE!

Occasionally the bride and groom will peal away for a few seconds to just enjoy a little quiet.  I grabbed a couple quick shots of the happy couple just before the evening ended.

Congratulations Aichell and Chris!  Thanks for letting Farrah and I be a part of your special day.

Posted by danny at 09:32 AM | Permalink

Little Ms. Morgan came by to visit us today.  This little Gerber baby is just too perfect.  She was in a great mood then got really silly after she had a BM.  Like it or not the Christmas season is here!

Posted by danny at 12:55 PM | Permalink

Sometimes dogs just get the right owners and Izzy sure picked a good one. 

Margaret was so excited when Izzy's artwork came in today.  We took her photo with the 60X40 gallery wrap so she could show her friends.  We absolutely love it when our clients get to see their images in print.  Especially when they are enormous!

Posted by danny at 04:46 PM | Permalink

Sunday night I had the pleasure of photographing a private party at Anderson Fair.   

 My neighbor Chris got me involved with this party (Thanks for letting hang with you guys).  The party was a surprise so that always adds to the fun.

This was actually the first time I have been to Anderson Fair.  My other neighbor Bruce Bryant is working on this great film about Anderson Fair and the birthplace of some of the greatest music ever to hit your ears.  The documentary is called "For The Sake of The Song".  Check out the website and donate to the Anderson Fair Project!

One of my favorite things about the place was this great wall of portraits.  Having the opportunity to photograph someone that is influential in the arts is pretty cool.  When I grow up I want to be the guy all the musicians want to have their portraits done by.  Until then I will keep playing with my Wide Angel Toys and photographing families!

The guys from Goode Company BBQ catered the party.  Good BBQ, good music and a fun atmosphere makes for a pretty good party. 

That Pecan Pie is just awesome!  You can order them direct.  They also have these great tents setup right before Thanksgiving where they sell them fresh. 

Our studio is on the same street as the BBQ restaurant so we always eat their grub.  Tuesday and Friday's smell pretty good in our parking lots.  That's when the smokers get really fired up. 

The best part was that Adam Carroll was the guest performer for the party. 

If you are not familiar with Adam Carroll you really should.  He is a great song writer and has a pretty easy going humble personality as well. 

We had a great time and captured some fun images.  These are the types of things we really look forward too.  The only thing is I wish Denise could have been there.  This was the second time was listening to Adam Carroll and she couldn't be there.  The last time she was 8 months pregnant with James and I was throwing a private party for Uncle Jimmy.

Posted by danny at 02:26 PM | Permalink

This morning we had 5 young ladies from St. Thomas Episcopal school come by for a portrait party.  These are a lot of fun especially when the kids are as cool as these.  Usually it takes a good hour just to get the kids to relax and have fun but these girls dove right in.  They all went to breakfast at the 59 diner first then joined us at the studio.  Apparently they are all big fans of The Next Top Model.

They even let me play with my wide angle adapter on them.  I made each one do something silly for their big head portrait!

We all had a lot of fun but they really tired me out.  The best was when they were stopping traffic to tell them they were Vogue models. 

We even got out the Texas Monthly Lighting with lots of great attitude. 

Thanks for coming by girls!  We had a blast!

Posted by danny at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mark was a great father and a very loving husband.  He has two great sons, Mark Jr. and Andrew that are as easy going and charming as their dad.

Words alone cannot express how sorry we are to hear this news.  With his unexpected death, we ask everyone to keep Mark's wife, Monna and her entire family in your prayers.

Posted by danny at 03:46 PM | Permalink

One of my favorite thing about the holiday season is getting to see all the families from previous years.  Its nice to watch these families grow up. 

Cam and Nash showed up this week to party with the Clarks. 

These boys are growing up and Nash is full of energy.  He is really talking up a storm.   

Cam is probably the best kid in the world. I don't think we have ever had a kid so well behaved in all our years.  He knows how to have a good time too. 

It was great seeing these guys again.  Cool kids and cool parents, what else can a photographer ask or.  Thanks for coming by guys! 

Posted by danny at 03:39 PM | Permalink

Recently we have started photographing more and more weddings and with that comes the need for new toys.  One of the needs is for super wide angel shots.  The only problem is that the lenses for this only have about a 5 image use in a wedding.  So the expense to use ratio is silly.  However, having a studio next door to guys that have really cool video production toys have pointed me to another fun solution. 

I purchased this crazy little wide angle converter.  It is not as smooth and sharp as a true super wide angle lens but it definitely will get the effect.  So like any other photographer with children we try all our new equipment on them first. 

Don't you just love giant kid faces!  Especially little Batman's face!

The coolest thing about this adapter is that it creates this razor thin depth of field when you shoot wide open.  Can't wait to use it on our next crazy wedding adventure!

Posted by danny at 08:48 PM | Permalink

We enjoyed the company of Jack the other day here in the studio.  Jack and his parents were a lot of fun to hang out with and he has really grown over the last few months.  The love sac was a big hit with everyone!

 Jack got his two front teeth but he still can't whistle. 

I love this next picture.  It looks like he was holding the camera and taking the picture himself. 

Jacks mom and dad brought in a traditional Korean suit.  It was very colorful and fun but Jack wanted nothing to do with the costume.  I think it was the hat.

We laughed a lot and enjoyed the afternoon.   Thanks for stopping by Jack!

Posted by danny at 01:20 PM | Permalink

Recently we purchased a giant bean bag like chair called a Love Sac.  These are giant pillow like chairs that are really comfy.  A lot of our clients have small children that vary in age. 

A lot of times we get a 6 month old with a 2 year old.  Its tough to rely on the older siblings to carefully hold or sit together.  So we got this giant sac that will fit four adults or a bunch of little kids.  The nice thing is that we get to use our play room more with natural light.  All these images were taken with morning window light and a big 4X6 reflector.

I got home really late last night from shooting  wedding so Whitney and I skipped church to go get some work done at the studio.  Below are some of the fun images I took of my sweet baby girl.  I think Adam Carroll said it best when he said "I love the way that your dirty blond hair never hides your pretty face."

She has her Papa's eyes.

Oh and pictures are always better with a tutu.

Posted by danny at 10:56 AM | Permalink

Denise and I grabbed a couple cameras and raced over to the West University Little League fields to catch a quick glimpse of the Maroon Monkeys.  We helped sponsor the team and have been wanting to get a little personal time with these fine athletes.  The sun was leaving us fast so we had to improvise on the exposure.  It was a blast watching the game and we wish all these girls the very best!

Coach was giving the girls a little pep talk.  Some were not too interested in what he had to say.

Apparently the Maroon Monkey battle cry is one that strikes fear in the hearts of their opponents.

The game was rather intense and basically consisted of a series of sideline kicks with bursts of energy. 

Evan was ready for the challenge and took a ball head on like a real champ.

Each kick was a tense moment. Every now and then someone would get hurt but there was always another eager girl on the sidelines ready to play.

Yet another corner kick.

Half time rolled around and the girls were excited to be refreshed. 

Sometimes coach has to stop being coach and be daddy.  We can't always have fun on the field.

Coach had to hold off on the daddy work and go over the multitude of plays and strategies for the second half.  I think it went something like this, "These girls are fast so run hard and kick the ball." 

 We had a great time and can't wait to do it again.

Posted by danny at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today was the first day of the pet portraits at the Hollywood Frame Gallery.  We had a lot of fun but tomorrow is going to be crazy.  Throughout the day I grabbed a sample of some of my favorites.  Every one of these dogs had a unique personality.  We have a full load tomorrow from 10 to 5. 

This big yellow dog was pretty sweet.  He liked to play and really liked our treats!

This was Sir Winston.  He was a pretty cool little dog and was even sporting a little bling.

This was another one that had super personality.  He had a hard time paying attention but managed to give me that "you done taking my picture dude" look.

We had three Golden's that were rescue dogs.  Each was pretty sweet and very excited.  Its funny how they calm down once we take the cameras away.  Still they put out some pretty good smiles.

This guy was a pretty cool dog.  He was a little wound up but had a great smile.

This next little girl was an old dog.  She couldn't use her back legs but she sure was loved.  Everyone enjoyed watching her get her portrait taken.  She even threw us flashy smile.

This next little one was pretty funny.  It was an odd mix but knew how to give a high five.

This awesome guard dog came in.  He look really tough but was just a big ham.  His dad had these great boots so we had to get them in together. Very cool.

After lunch Boudreaux came in and was super excited to smell the burger on my breath.  Note to self, don't eat a burger while photographing dogs.

Lucy came in later this afternoon.  She was one of our favorites and was sporting this very slick spiked pink collar.  Unfortunately her head is bigger than her neck and you don't really get it here.

Our last couple of dogs for the day were all white so the paper wasn't' going to work.  Since we were closing it up for the day I tried out a new drop Denise bought the other day. 

So tomorrow is a full day and we are going to have fun.  Hopefully we won't be over taken by slobber and dog treats.  Keep tuned in for more tomorrow.

Posted by danny at 06:10 PM | Permalink

This week has been a bit of a wild ride.  First up this week were the Johnson girls.  These characters were what we like to call Photo-generous!   Not only were they ultra cool kids but they loved the camera.  

Little Morgan enjoyed the bright lights and camera glare.  Dad was a real sucker for this smile and I can totally see why.  What a personality at such a young age!

Abigail was all business with her tough girl looks.  She wasn't too excited about the hat but did enjoy our conversation about Hannah Montana!

Mackenzie is ready for the fashion world.  She was all rock n roll with the camera.  The best part is that she is one of the athletes on the soccer team we sponsor.  That's right she is one other than a Maroon Monkey!  Go Maroon Monkeys!

Soon after the Johnson family one of James' teacher came by with their new little man. 

Kamron was a pretty special guy and really did not want to go to sleep.  We spent more time trying to get him to sleep than actually taking photos. 

We still had fun and everyone couldn't stop laughing wen Kamron decided to pee all over dad.  Fun for everyone!

Welcome to the world Mr. Kamron!  We are all glad your here.

For the next two days we will be photogrpahing a bunch of puppies at the Hollywood Frame Gallery. 

It is going to be a crazy couple of days but we will survive.  If your in the area stop by and check things out.  I will be at 2427 Bissonnet all day Friday and Saturday.

Posted by danny at 05:26 PM | Permalink

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)

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!

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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!

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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)

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

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

A few days after I shot some film outside at the house I decided to try a little out in the studio.  Having a controlled lighting environment usually ends up with pretty good results.  Unfortunately the technician that was scanning my negatives was busy eating powdered donuts while working.  I can only assume this due to the number of large white specks on the scans. 

My lovely subjects were Whitney and her buddy Kara.  Kara and her family had portraits done a week earlier and came by the studio to review their images.  Sometimes this can take a long time so while Denise is busy with the parents I get to entertain the kids. 

Kara and Whitney were in the same class at Bethany United Methodist for the last few years.  They are pretty close and recently have split up to go to different schools.  Hopefully we will continue to see Kara and her family.

These girls sometimes can't stop giggling.  Whitney is a real ham and loves to make everyone around her smile.  They were both a little over loaded with candy when we took these pictures. 

Have a great year at your new school Kara!  We are going to miss you!

Posted by danny at 08:10 PM | Permalink

I had a hankering for nostalgia and shot a couple rolls of film a few weeks back.  Notice I said "a few weeks back"  this is because in our fast paced world it takes almost a month to get a couple rolls developed and scanned.  Also if you ever thought that getting a good scan was easy its not.  The images looked great and had that cool saturation that black and white film has.  The scans on the other hand were a little flat with a lot of grain.  It made for some cool effects but I could have shot this in digital, used a photoshop action and bought the family dinner.

I shot all these with a digital wide angle lens so it has this tunnel effect with a large vignette that I thought was rather cool. 

This is Milo.  He is the oldest child in our house.  This is the look on his face when we read to him about Micheal Vick.  He was very annoyed...

Santa Clause brought James a set of drums last year for Christmas.  These are very popular with my brother Stephen.  Apparently he doesn't realize he is much too large for the set. 

James and Stuart played football outside.  I love this little pout look he has right before he takes a swing at you. 

Stuart has been working out for the ladies this summer. 

Napoleon Dynamite is one of our favorite movies.  Dan is very talented at tetherball.  He too is better at itthan James and makes sure that we all know this. 

If you have been following along lately I mentioned James bites his lower lip like his Pa'Pa'.  Notice the teeth digging into Dan's lower lip as he attempts to hit the photographer with the ball.  Very talented there Dan.

Posted by danny at 01:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So I recently have started using a new tool that makes on camera lighting a little softer.  The tool is a diffuser by Gary Fong.  The intent of this diffuser is to broaden the light and wrap it around the subject.  I was a little skeptical at first but went ahead and bought one. 

A few days later my new toy came in and I took tests of the kids.  The diffuser works well and I am excited to use it at my next wedding event.    We will probably use it more on our Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep sessions.  These sessions are almost always in low to mixed light and a tool like this can really make things work better. 

For my test I had the kids bring out Hungry Hungry Hippos. 

 It is an old time favorite but James tends to get a little over competitive.  He told me he was going to whoop up on me.  He said "I'm gonna whoop you daddy!"  Little did he know I have been banned from playing Hungry Hungry Hippos in 5 different counties.  We call it Triple-H down at the club...

 James was busy getting his game face on. 

I was marked the yellow hippo Harry.

James decided he was going to be two hippos.  Henry and Homer.

 And of course Whitney was the pink hippo Happy.

The competition was rather heated and I had a little trouble laying on the floor, holding my camera and hitting the hippo tail.  

After the first round the kids counted out their balls to see who was the winner. 

After the first round I took the lead.  Apparently James doesn't think anyone else should so he was rather upset.  I know he is only three but this is Hungry Hungry Hippos we are talking about.  No rest for the weak.  If he wants to run with big dogs he can't pee like a puppy... 

James finally decided that crying about it wasn't going to work so he did just like his uncles and started to cheat.  He reached over to my pile and grabbed all my balls. 

James looked me in the eye and said HE was the winner.  Shortly after that he kicked me in the face, looked at me with shock and then grabbed my neck and said he loved me.  He is growing up to be a real Clark boy that's for sure. 

Posted by danny at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After a few scary moments and a lot of restores to the blog I was able to get the comments section working again.

Play Nice!

Posted by danny at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

This afternoon we had five kids from Lamar High School come by for a portrait party.  These are a lot of fun because we get to hang out with five kids that truly like being together.  Sometimes the kids are a little quiet or unsure of what we are doing.  Eventually they warm up and relax.  This gang of kids had a tough time at first but after this group shot they loosened up.

Just imagine how different all their lives will be in about 6 months.  I am NOT looking forward to my little ones growing up!

Posted by danny at 07:47 PM | Permalink

Well we finalized the ad for the Pet Portrait event.  We have already had quite a response and are considering opening it up for another weekend some time late December.  The ad will run in the September issue of Pet Talk Magazine.  The event will be held at The Hollywood Frame Gallery.

Posted by danny at 12:51 AM | Permalink

The first weekend in October we are doing pet portraits at our good friend Ricky and Kathleen's shop The Hollywood Frame Gallery .  For the event Kathleen wanted us to do a full page ad in a local pet magazine.  So we started looking around for a "pet model" that would be good for the advertisement.  Denise found Linus, the 2 month old miniature daschund who's grandmother lives down the street from us.  Denise asked if they would let us borrow Linus for a full page ad and they were excited. 

Linus was so kind to grace us with his presence today.  He was an energetic little dog that really enjoyed playing with my camera. 

I had a great time playing with this little guy.  He finally was worn out and we called it a day.  The good thing was there were no accidents and everything was back to normal relatively quickly.  Its times like this that I get a real kick out of what I do. 

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Well today is the day that out first advertisement in the Bellaire and West University Buzz goes out.  We had a few clients call us to let us know they got their magazines and loved the ad.  I thought we would share it here since a lot of our BLOG guests are not in Houston. 

This local magazine is a nice little 4 color rag that we pretty much read every month.  Right now we are sticking with a quarter page ad but we may increase that to a full or half page right before Christmas.  We may also run a big special in September.  

Posted by danny at 02:18 AM | Permalink

About 3 months ago Denise ordered some Tutus from another photographer here in Houston.  These were special because they were very soft, fluffy and beautiful.  Well we got our order in today and the first thing we did after school and work was run out to the park and photograph Whitney and her buddy Molly in the dresses.  They were a lot of fun and the girls loved the skirts.

Molly and Whitney have been together since they were three months old.  They are a day apart in age and a little too similar in personality.  After this year these two girls will no longer be in school together but we are happy to say they live close by. 

We are thinking of doing a special promotion or ad for these skirts before school starts.  It will be a big hit in the spring too. 

Posted by danny at 03:39 AM | Permalink