Misses L + J | Dallas Child Photographer

I had the joy and pleasure of spending a few hours with these adorable little girls on Sunday afternoon (before the thunderstorm rolled in!). They were seriously so much fun and so full of personality, the whole thing was a piece of cake! All I had to say was the word "BOYS!" to send them into a fit of giggles and beautiful, toothy smiles. I should also add that they are both so sweet and well-behaved that their parents deserve a round of applause. These good apples are falling just where they should.

Note: These photos were taken at the playground at Church at the Cross in Grapevine, TX and at Southlake Town Square in Southlake, TX.

Dallas Arboretum {Storybook Playhouses} | Dallas Child Photographer

This afternoon, my family ventured out to the Dallas Arboretum to spend some time amid the flowers. This year's juried playhouses are based on famous children's stories, so it feels very whimsical throughout the grounds. Fun! Anyway, here are pics of each of my children. They are the reason I love to do what I do!

Red | Dallas Child Photographer

I had about 20 minutes to kill this morning before picking my son up from camp, so I grabbed my camera and we went to our neighborhood park to check out the light. It was already very bright out at 11:00 in the morning and probably already over 95 degrees. There is a lovely wooden wall that is covered with lush green vines there, but alas I discovered that it is also home to all of the local mosquitoes and bees! The next time I try to take photos there, I'll have to go equipped with bug repellent! This is the only shot I got from our little foray this morning.

Silla Soup {Still Life Session} | Dallas Photographer

My awesome friend runs an Etsy shop called Silla Soup and she makes the most amazing hairclips. Lucky me that I got to take photos of some of her stock yesterday! Some of these are pieces she's been making for a while and some will be debuting on her site soon. If you have a need for 100% handmade, artistic, and beautifully crafted hairclips, please visit www.sillasoup.etsy.com!

Business

I received my business cards from www.moo.com today! I decided to go with the MiniCards because of the smaller, unique size, as well as affordability. They're super cheap at $20 for 100! Anyway, I chose 20 of my photographs and received 5 of each one. The downside was that I couldn't use my logo on the flipside, but I got over it. I love how they came out and I'm so excited about them! It makes this whole adventure feel so much more... official.

Playing with Pearls | Dallas Child Photographer

My daughter was bored this afternoon, so we had a little photo shoot, complete with "authentic imitation" pink pearls (haha!) and a pink feather boa. After just a few snaps, she ran off to have a chocolate cupcake with her brother instead. Oh well!

Peace, Baby | Dallas Child Photographer

Soon after I set up YLK photography, I had walked into a hamburger joint called Peace Burger. My husband and I had heard that the food - fusion Mexican hamburgers - was really good. As I waited for our food, I looked around and immediately thought, "This place has perfect light for photos." I loved the colorful walls and the retro tables and chairs, too. There was a Jimi Hendrix poster up on a wall. So for the first time, I gulped and said to the cashier, "I'm a photographer and I was wondering if I could bring someone in and take their photo here. Do you think the owner would mind?" She shrugged and said, "No. Go right ahead!" SCORE, I thought.

Not long after that, I spoke with my friend and neighbor and asked if she'd mind loaning me one of her kids for about an hour to take some photos. She was so great and even went out and bought Miss H (featured here) two new outfits to fit the theme and mood of the location. I had an awesome time with Miss H, as she is a complete natural in front of the camera. Not only is she beautiful, but she is so well-behaved and sweet. It really was a favor to me that she and her mom agreed to let me do this. I learned a lot from this shoot... about light. Thanks, guys! You ROCK!

Oh, and by the way, the Peace Burger and Carne Asada Fries at this place are phenomenal!

Baby Liu | Dallas Child Photographer

Last week, I had the lovely pleasure of meeting a sweet baby girl from San Diego who I will call Baby Liu. She is six months old and had come from sunny Cali with her mom to celebrate her auntie's 40th birthday. I was so flattered when her mom called me from San Diego to set up a session for Baby Liu! She had seen some of my work through a few of our mutual friends and that made me jump for joy. I love "word of mouth"! Anyway, she was such a good sport and had the sweetest of cries. She wanted nothing to do with bubbles, feathers, or fake silk flowers, that's for sure! But it was a fun morning and most of all, I loved hearing the jovial laughter of her mom and auntie throughout the shoot. Our "studio" was the Irving Bible Church in Las Colinas, TX...