Fun & Funky | McKinney Children's Photographer

I had the pleasure of spending some time with these gorgeous girls at a custom tailored "fun and funky" session at Storybook Ranch in McKinney, TX. It's been months and months and this post has been long coming. I am fortunate to know these sweet and sassy girls, most of whom are models for The Campbell Agency and Kim Dawson Agency. Their moms were just sweet enough to let me "borrow" them for a couple of hours... all because I had an "idea" and wanted to see how it would turn out. Thank you all for your time and effort!

Make-up was provided by Kristin Jacobson-Estell, Independent Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. Hair accessories were provided by Silla Francis of Silla Soup. Wardrobe and styling was a joint collaboration by the moms of these phenomenal girls. And a big thank you to Lynn Kim Miller who allowed us on her property for this shoot!

Mr. T & Co. | Grapevine Family Photographer

Back in April, I had a session with this happy family of three. Grandma came along for the ride too because she is one of Mr. T's caregivers and his mom not only wanted to have some photos of herself with her mom, but also wanted to document her special place within their family. The relationship between grandma and grandson was immediately apparent when she stood behind me, making this shy, sweet boy giggle and chuckle... the only way a grandmother can.

Now here's the fun part. Through the course of our conversation, we figured out that my parents have actually known them for a very long time! In fact, Mr. T's mom had been a patient of my dad's as a teenager and she was kind enough to share with me her high esteem for him as a doctor. Just another "small world" story, I guess.

Anyway, here's a sneak peek at our session in Grapevine...

Bluebonnet Mini-Sessions | Las Colinas Children's Photographer

Some of you already know this, but I have been ill for the last couple of months. No fun. Well, three days before I got my diagnosis (mononucleosis) I had a line-up of over 10 families for these bluebonnet minis on a Saturday in mid-April. The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing was that there was so much RAIN AND MUD! I ended up only being able to shoot three families that day and everyone else was so sad. I guess it ended up being a "good" thing for me, seeing as I had mono at the time and didn't even know it. Sigh.

Anyway, I have been on sick leave from photo shoots and editing so that I could concentrate my efforts on recuperating and on my family. I'm back now, and ready to use my creative juices again!

Here are a few shots from the bluebonnet minis...

PAF Fairy Tale Tea Party 2010 | Colleyville Event Photographer

I volunteered my services at a fundraiser for the Princess Alexa Foundation last Sunday and it was so much fun! This was the first annual "Fairy Tale Tea Party" and there were so many adorable kids who came to support PAF, it was awesome.

If you have never heard of the Princess Alexa Foundation, I hope that you will click on the links to find out a little bit about this worthy cause.

"Celebrating the childhood spirit of seriously ill children through dress up and play."

Dolly 'n Me | Dallas Children's Photographer

My little girl is turning 6 on Monday and she's having a birthday party with some of her cute little friends at The American Girl bistro tomorrow. My awesome friend Silla of Silla Soup created these matching clips for her and her doll and they could not be cuter! Silla Soup ROCKS!

(P.S. Silla Soup is also on Facebook!)

Class of 2011 Senior Reps Contest!

Happy Mother's Day | A Freebie for My Friends

As a little Happy Mother's Day gift for my friends out there, here is a high resolution freebie from me to you! Save it, print it, make a card out of it, or stick it in a frame! It's cropped to print to 5x7. When you click on it, it will take you to my Flickr site. Above the photo, click on "All Sizes" and then choose "Large" before right clicking and saving to your desktop. Enjoy!

Class of 2011 Senior Reps Contest!

COME ON AND REPRESENT YLK PHOTOGRAPHY AT YOUR SCHOOL!

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO:

First of all, you must be an entering SENIOR in the fall of 2010, fun, laid-back and OUTGOING, reasonably (haha) photogenic, and comfortable in front of the camera. You have to be willing to trust me, which might mean getting dirty (I literally mean dirt... like, maybe taking off your shoes and wading into a creek bed somewhere, etc.)... basically, you gotta' want to have fun and at least fake a smile at my lame jokes. ;)

Secondly, send me an email to YLKHSK@YMAIL.COM with ONE pic of yourself that you believe is the best representation of YOU. Introduce yourself with details, like about what you like to do, hobbies, activities, etc. I'll need your name, email, phone number, as well as your Mom and/or Dad's name(s), and the name of your high school.

Thirdly, if you aren't already, BECOME A FACEBOOK FAN (OR "LIKE" MY FAN PAGE) and SUGGEST MY PAGE TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! As I receive your submissions, I will upload them to an album on my page. THE PERSON WITH THE MOST LIKES WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CHOSEN! But that's just a bonus because I'm going to choose a few others anyway (both girls and guys, from a variety of schools).

HERE'S THE DEAL:

You get a full senior photo session with me which includes 3 outfit changes and a variety of outdoor, natural light locations. We will discuss what overall "looks" we will be going for and figure out what backdrops will work best. And this will all take place during the upcoming summer months, by the way.

My regular 2010 senior session is $350, but for my reps, it will be $250 which includes the session and a disc of 20+ fully edited high resolution images (chosen by me) with copyright release. I will also give you re-sized, watermarked images for use on your social networking sites and blogs. You will also receive REP CARDS with your own images and my information, which you will hand out during the first few weeks of school in the fall.

For every friend that you refer who books a session with me, you/your immediate family will receive a $25 credit toward a future session with me (up to 10 credits, totaling $250).

This contest will run through 11:59 PM on FRIDAY, MAY 28TH, so get on it and tell your friends! Thanks, guys!

Two Boys in Their Easter Best | Fort Worth Children's Photographer

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting these two rather well-behaved gentlemen and their beautiful mother. We met in the garden of their church, Trinity Episcopal, in Fort Worth and had ourselves a laid-back little session as they showed off their Easter best and educated me on the eating habits of dinosaurs ("Herbivores are too nice.").

A couple of months ago, their mom, Dr. Shannon Baker, wrote a diary entry for Fort Worth Child and you can read it here. If you are located in the Forth Worth area and are in need of a family physician, look her up! She's affiliated with Medical Clinic of North Texas and I can vouch for the docs over there - they're awesome!

Happy Easter | Grapevine Family Photographer

We are so thankful. From my family to yours! Happy Easter!