Baby | Her Side Project

Archive for the ‘Baby’ Category

Baby Boy!

Posted in Absurdly Adorable, Baby, Clientele, Current Work, tagged 7 months, Arboretum, Austin, baby boy, Blue Eyes, photo shoot, Photography, red hair, smile on March 14, 2012 | 8 Comments »

There’s something to be said about spending time with a baby. While I don’t have any children of my own, I love being around little ones. I like observing the way they take in the world, making new discoveries and trying everything. “Oh, that blade of grass looks interesting. I’m going to put it in my mouth” (natural next step, no?).

For those of you who have met me, you likely know I LOVE red hair! That’s one of many reasons I’m thrilled to share this adorable baby boy photo shoot with you today. He’s the cutest thing with deep blue eyes, a sincere curiosity for the world around him, adorable dimples and the happiest smile I’ve ever seen up close.

We had a wonderful shoot in the morning light at the Arboretum. Here are the results:

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Mist Can’t Hold Us Down

Posted in 2011, Absurdly Adorable, Baby, Clientele, Colleagues, Family, Holiday, tagged Austin, Baby, christmas cards, Family, holiday, rainy day, Texas on January 31, 2012 | 1 Comment »

I don’t know about you, but the first month of 2012 was SO BUSY. Between getting back in the swing of things at the office, having a full agenda almost every weekend, and somehow acquiring strep throat (yuck), I haven’t had a moment to take a deep breath, much less write a decent blog entry.

All excuses aside, I’m finally sharing the results of a sweet family photo shoot I captured in December. Melody, one of my colleagues, asked me to photograph her, her husband, and their brand new baby boy for Christmas cards. From the moment I found out Melody was pregnant (through Facebook of course), I could not WAIT for her to have the baby. Melody is incredibly smart, beautiful, funny, successful and nice — and I just knew any child of hers would share the same qualities. Needless to say I was thrilled to document their first holiday season as a family of three.

Guys, I knew he’d be cute, but I didn’t expect the chubby cheeks, dark, inquisitive eyes, and keen observation skills as he carefully takes in the big world before him. I am just in awe of this little guy!

The day of our photo shoot had less-than-ideal conditions, but we made it work. It was a stormy weekend, with overcast grey skies and off and on showers. We noted the forecast and bravely stepped outside in the mist anyway. After strolling through their neighborhood, taking in the holiday decorations, passing families out and about enjoying their Saturday morning, and enjoying the quiet, sleepy streets (the best kind of qualities a street can have on a Saturday morning), we wrapped the shoot with lots of great images, and memories for a lifetime.

Melody, thank you again for the privilege of documenting your family’s first holiday season. Maybe next time, we’ll get a few more smiles out of him!

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Hello 2012

Posted in 2011, Baby, Businesses You Should Know About, Clientele, Documented Events, Editing Soundtrack, Engagement, Family, Her Side Project, Katie Was Here, Kids, Music, Personal, Really Random, Scenery, Senior, Vacation, tagged 1940's, 2011, 2012, Austin, Austin City Limits 2011, Bridal Shower, child photography, Colorado, engagement photography, Family Photography, food photography, Gerber Baby, Halloween, Her Side Project, Hill Country, Look Back, New Orleans, newborn photography, Pennybacker Bridge, Photography, portraits, senior photography, The Broadmoor, TX, Wedding, Year in Review on January 3, 2012 | 5 Comments »

Oh 2011, what a whirlwind. Life is good, I couldn’t be happier.

This year I made new friendships and strengthened old, traveled extensively for work, stood by my best friend as she got married, moved out of the Treehouse and into the new condo (name TBD), helped a friend propose to his now-fiancée (who just so happens to be one of my very favorite people in the world!), felt overwhelmed with gratitude that a very special person came into my life and… last but definitely not least, photographed some of my most amazing clients to date. As always, a million times thank you from Her Side Project.

Here are the highlights:

1940s inspired photo shoot.

Snowy day in our beloved Treehouse.

My best friend got engaged!

Fun trip with friends & family to NOLA.

Break from the city with a trip to the Hill Country.

Befriended the neighborhood goat, Nik.

Photographed Slave to Fashion’s lovely family!

Miss Kayla basks in the sunlight.

Co-hosted a bridal shower for my sweet Christine.

Met a real-life Gerber Baby.

Couture & Country engagement photo shoot with one of the best couples I know, Ashley & Jack.

P made ordinary days, fun.

Chris & Amanda got engaged! I helped execute Chris’ mission: surprise proposal.

ACL 2011.

Adventures in the kitchen: Brinner.

Something new. Very new.

Childhood friend, Sam, got engaged!

Halloween-inspired child photo shoot.

The Domestic Darlin’, y’all.

Incredible getaway trip to The Broadmoor in Colorado with friends and family.

Iconic Pennybacker Bridge photo shoot.

My lovely little cousin, Madison, senior portraits after graduating from high school.

Hello 2012. Here’s to the beautiful New Year.

Love,
Katie

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Moments to Remember

Posted in Baby, Clientele, Family, Stuff To Think About, tagged Austin, Family, home session, natural light, newborn photography, TX on October 11, 2011 | 4 Comments »

I’ve written several posts about the importance of capturing memories. Life gets busy, and goes by too quickly. We all need photos to help keep our memories alive. For this very reason, I always encourage frequent family portraits.

I consider the following shoot one of the most important ones I’ve done to date. Just two weeks after their son was born, this father headed overseas for work for the next twelve months. This was really the only opportunity for a family photo shoot for the next several months. So many emotions: parents for the first time, meeting and loving their newborn son, growing in their relationship as a couple and family of three; but facing some harsh life realities and a long time apart. I’m glad we were able to capture these important moments leading up to such a big transition for these wonderful people.

I love the simple, clean look of these photos. At-home sessions are awesome because they depict real life in real environments.

I’ll end post with a note from the mom after she reviewed the photo shoot results:

Thank you again for capturing our family, I am truly grateful to have photos of these early days.

A thousand times you’re welcome.

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Gerber Baby

Posted in Absurdly Adorable, Baby, Clientele, Colleagues, Family, tagged Austin, Baby, Blue Eyes, Butler Park, Chubby Cheeks, Family, Gerber Baby, Her Side Project, Loving Family, Texas on June 21, 2011 | 5 Comments »

That’s really the only way I can begin to describe Blakely, quite possibly the most gorgeous, happy baby I’ve ever been around. Her striking eyes, big smile and curious disposition make her as picturesque as the iconic Gerber baby.

I’m so glad her mom, my colleague Janey, asked me to document this stage of their lives. Not only did it give me the opportunity to get to know Janey and her husband (Walker) a little bit better, but this was their first official family photo shoot! I was (and still am!) so honored to help create and preserve memories for these first time parents and baby Blakely.

Without a doubt, this girl has two wonderful parents who love her very, very much. Can you blame them? Just look at this little face!

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Sunset Field

Posted in Absurdly Adorable, Baby, Clientele, Colleagues, Scenery, tagged Austin, Baby, Blue Eyes, Easter Dress, Field, Sunset, TX on May 20, 2011 | 10 Comments »

For months I’ve had a very clear vision for a photo shoot on my mind. A big open field with wildflowers. A pretty baby with big blue eyes. At sunset. I was determined to turn my vision into reality.

Luckily, my friend and co-worker, Sarah, has a nine month old little girl who was perfect for the concept.

I’ve taken pictures of Sarah’s family many times, but haven’t since Kayla was only a tiny three months old. After seeing how much Kayla has grown (via Facebook), I knew I wanted to do another shoot with her ASAP. After telling Sarah about my vision, she graciously let me borrow her little one. We scheduled a date and I set out to find the perfect location.

Easier said than done. After many weeks of patiently waiting for wildflowers to pop up (and practically driving to Marble Falls and back to find a spot that apparently doesn’t exist) I finally found what I was looking for. Looking at these pictures, you might think we were out in the middle of nowhere. In all actuality, we were very close to one of the busiest streets in town: South Congress. So close to home and everything… funny how that happens.

As the sun set a glorious glow took over the fields and I got exactly what I was hoping to capture.

Sarah was very prepared, dressing Kayla in her Easter Sunday best, bringing toys and blankets and a little stool to perch her on. A cute idea in theory, it didn’t really work in practice because after about 10 seconds she toppled over and landed in the soft grass (she wasn’t hurt). It might sound funny to say, but I’m glad it happened. Otherwise some of my favorite pictures from the shoot wouldn’t exist!

The weekend is upon us! Go make something beautiful happen. The possibilities are endless.

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Emma

Posted in Absurdly Adorable, Baby, Clientele, Current Work, Family, Kids, tagged Austin, Baby Girl, Baby Sister, Big Brother, Brown Eyes, Grassy Hill, Town Lake, TX on April 26, 2011 | 1 Comment »

When EJ’s mom, Bev, told me she was expecting baby #2… and it was a girl, I couldn’t wait to schedule a photo shoot. After working with EJ, I knew I would have just as much fun with his baby sister. By the end of March, Emma turned three months old and was ready to make her photo shoot debut. She arrived decked to the nines with her mom and big brother, and we ventured to a grassy bank overlooking Town Lake.

Conditions were perfect. It was warm, without being too hot or humid, and there was just enough cloud cover to create soft light. Emma was very well behaved, awake and smiling for at least thirty minutes, then took a peaceful nap at the end. I won’t pretend we didn’t face challenges trying to wrangle two little ones in the open outdoors. At one point, EJ tossed a ball down the hill and it actually went all the way into the water. Bev dodged shirtless runners and battled the elements to climb down to retrieve the ball. Now that’s what I call a Super Mom! While she was off making EJ proud, I had the privilege of holding Miss Emma. I didn’t want to let her go! She is such a sweet baby.

I’m excited to say this precious baby girl now has several portraits to look back on as she grows older. I’m glad she’ll have these to look back on her infancy – and be proud to show others how unreal adorable she was! Proof is in the pictures.

EJ jumped in for some shots. So many sweet moments!

Thanks again, Bev! Had a wonderful time as usual with your sweet babies. Looking forward to the next shoot already.

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A Little Red Chair

Posted in Absurdly Adorable, Baby, Clientele, Current Work, Family, Her Side Project, Holiday on December 1, 2010 | 2 Comments »

A thousand times thank you to Chris, mom to Nola, a precious baby I had the privilege of photographing a year ago (has it really been a year?!). She is one of my favorite examples of the power of word of mouth.

After our photo session, she shared the results on Facebook and Flickr, providing photo credit to Her Side Project on each individual photo. I appreciated it at the time, but it wasn’t until several months later that I experienced the true magnitude of her actions. Whether realizing it or not, (although I’m pretty sure she knew what she was doing!) she increased my exposure and provided opportunities for me to meet future clients.

The first photo shoot I had based on her referral was terrific. This time was no different. Cue: the Sabin Family. Friends of Chris who are now friends of mine.

Oh how I adore this family for so many reasons. A few can be found on the list below.

They were:

SO happy and willing to try anything for the right shot
Genuinely excited for me to be there, photographing their sweet son, Devin
Loving to one another
Gorgeous house
Incredible family unit: Dad, Mom, Grandma, Baby and two adorable dogs
Good, positive attitudes
Willing to shoot the entire time, not in a hurry to end the session
Had the most perfect little red chair I have ever seen in my life to take photos of little Devin

I delivered these photos to their doorstep the day before Thanksgiving. As I dropped them off, I couldn’t help but feel extra thankful for my life, the wonderful people in it, and the network that has risen to meet me in Austin over the past year. I’d always hoped for support and engagement like this, but never dreamed it could happen so naturally. An large part of this success is due to those who have and continue to spread the word. Thank you, Sabin Family, and all others in my life who make Her Side Project everything that it is. I appreciate it more than you can possibly know.

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One Family, Two Sessions and a Pumpkin Patch

Posted in Baby, Clientele, Colleagues, Current Work, Family, Holiday, Kids on November 5, 2010 | 3 Comments »

Remember Sarah, her husband Russell and their little girl Leah? A short seven months ago, these three were eagerly anticipating the newest addition to their family: Baby Kayla. Well, Kayla’s here! Now that she’s three months old, it was time for another round of family portraits.

We began the shoot around 7:45am on a Saturday morning. The sun was rising over the city with the most brilliant orange glow cast in the sky. Fall is here.

The girls were so well behaved as we took pictures in the newly landscaped backyard (way to go, Russell!) and on the sidewalk in front of the porch. The lighting was to die for, and I couldn’t wait to head over to the nearby pumpkin patch to grab some seasonal photos.

Much to my dismay, the very same clouds creating a nice softbox for the early morning photos decided to cause some trouble. A few drops turned into a steady mist, which turned into a slow drizzle… which turned into a downpour. We headed indoors for shelter and used the minutes waiting for the rain to pass to take portraits of Kayla by herself. We waited and waited, even sat ready by the door to leave, but the rain refused to slow down. We had no choice but to scrub the shoot for the day.

I was really disappointed. We were on a roll and I wanted to take pictures of the family at the pumpkin patch! It didn’t take long for me to suggest returning the following morning to resume the second half of our session. Sarah protested a little bit, but I insisted. I knew there was more to capture!

6:30am rolled around far too soon again but we all made it to the patch by 8am. As we turned the corner to reveal the location, I was instantly thrilled. The sky’s orange glow was back, paired with a picturesque scene of pumpkin piles and lights strung across the grounds. Just beautiful!

And just like that, the session was saved by a new morning, Radio Flyer wagon and a sea of pumpkins. Can’t wait until the next shoot!

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On the Other Side of the Lens

Posted in Baby, Clientele, Colleagues, Current Work, Family, Kids on October 29, 2010 | 5 Comments »

It seems to me nearly all photographers suffer from the same frustration. While taking beautiful photos of people in our lives is rewarding (and a gift we’re more than happy to share) it’s bittersweet when we realize, for the most part, no one is capturing the same kinds of memories for us.

One of my colleagues and friends, Alan, is a fellow photographer. While he has thousands upon thousands of photos documenting his wife and 1 1/2 year old daughter, there are only a handful that actually include him. Knowing that I most likely face the same never-in-pictures dilemma, Alan approached me with a bartering agreement. In exchange for me taking pictures of his family, he offered to take pictures of me. That’s right! There may be some recent, professional-quality photos of yours truly coming soon!

Xiomara, Alan’s beautiful wife, Alan and their precious daughter, Sophia, are an endearing and gorgeous family. Sophia was so cute the morning of the photo shoot, softly repeating my name a few times after meeting me. So sweet! If you look up “family” in the dictionary you might find one of the photos below next to the definition. They’re incredibly picturesque. At the risk of embarrassing them, I will tell you I had several colleagues express utter delight when I announced this photo shoot was coming up. (okay okay, I was thrilled too!)

This was my first time to meet Sophia in person and I was surprised to learn she has different colored eyes: one green and one blue. As I edited the photos, I realized Sophia’s eye colors match the exact shade of her parents: green for Alan and blue for Xio. How rare and stunning.

I’m so happy with all of the results. I’ll keep y’all posted on the results of my shoot after I step on the other side of the camera.