Don't Blink

“Trust me friend a hundred years goes faster than you think so don’t blink.”

— Kenny Chesney

I absolutely LOVE this time of year - the kiddos goes back to school! While I joke about them being out of my hair for seven hours a day, five days a week, for nine months out of the year, I have another reason I love this time of year.

I love this time of year for “nerdy” reasons. I love new supplies, especially fun pens. I love cute notebooks so I can make daily lists. I just love the back to school aisles at stores! Shopping for supplies with kids is a chaotic nightmare, but yet at the same time it’s so awesome to see their little faces light up and get excited about school. I love this excitement!

At the same time, this time of year saddens me to a point. The first day of school slaps me in the face with the realization that my babies are quickly growing up as I snap that notorious “first day of school” photo. Then the Facebook Memory pops up showing me the previous “first day of school” photos over the years. THIS makes you realize just how fast they are growing up!

When my daughter, Lily, started preschool I decided to start a tradition in which I would use the same location each year to document the year to year changes. She looks forward to this almost as much as I do every August!

Lily - 3 years old. First day of Pre-K 3

Lily - 4 years old. First day of Pre-K 4

Lily - 6 years old. First Day of Kindergarten

Lily - 6 years old. First day of First Grade

Lily - 7 years old. First day of 2nd Grade

My little Lilybug has changed SO much over the years! Her face has changed every year. She’s obviously growing a lot from year to year. I hope to think that one day she will look back at these photos and be grateful that she has them to document her growth from year to year.

The days are long, but the years are short. Don’t blink.

Contest Winner

The end of August is one of my favorite times of year!  It is time to go BACK TO SCHOOL!!!  As a former teacher, I love the excitement of getting ready for a new school year.  As a photographer, I LOVE seeing all the photographs of kids on their first day of school!  It never gets old!  

This year I decided to have a contest which featured some kids on their first day of school.  Parents just had to submit a photograph to me and at the end of the submission window, I uploaded the photographs into an album where family and friends could vote on their favorite by "liking" the photograph.  This year the winner of the FREE Limited Edition Session was the Watkins Family from Hallsburg, Texas!

Meet Chris and Hunter Watkins - the WINNERS!

Meet Chris and Hunter Watkins!  Photo credit:  Jennifer Watkins (mom)

We will begin with Chris, the oldest of the two brothers.  Chris Watkins Jr. is currently an 8th grader at Riesel Jr High.  He was recently inducted into the NJHS (National Junior High Honor Society).  He plays football for the 8th Grade Riesel Indians and sports #77 as a Right Tackle for the team.  Some of his hobbies include fishing, hunting, two-stepping to country classics and spending time with family.  Chris wants to be a Texas Game Warden.  

Next, let's meet Hunter, the youngest of the two brothers.  Hunter Watkins is currently a 5th grader at Hallsburg Elementary.  He recently won a 3rd place medal for UIL Spelling!  His favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys.  Hunter's hobbies include fishing, karaoke, watching YouTube, playing Xbox and spending time with family.  Hunter wants to be a police officer.

When I asked mom what they were planning on doing with the gift certificate they won, she told me that they "would love to use our gift certificate to have a photo of the boys together. Although they are 3 years apart, they are the best of friends and we would like to capture that bond in a photo to treasure. We are excited to have this opportunity. Thank you so much!!"

Thank you Jennifer for sharing your handsome boys with us!  I can't wait to photograph them and provide you with that very special photograph that you are looking forward to!

Fall School Portraits

Well, it's that time of year again...time for those Fall Back to School Portraits.  Back to School portraits have definitely evolved over the years, but Back to School portraits that take place at the school are still relatively unchanged.  Many parents and guardians want a fun, creative photograph of their child entering a new grade as a keepsake that shows their child's personality.  I love those sessions!  The parents are excited and so proud of their kid.  The kids are equally excited, if not more so, which allows their true personality to shine!

This is my daughter, Lily.  She started preschool this year.

After the school year officially gets started, the school takes Back to School portraits for the fall.  These portraits are posed headshots and they although some feel they are boring, they serve rather important purposes.  One, they too are a keepsake.  These portraits are posed basically the same way each fall which allows us to compare the child's growth from one year to the next.  I love those collages that are compiled with an image from each grade level!  Two, these portraits are fairly close-up which allow you to focus on the child's face.  The administration at the school needs these for their records and teachers like them for art projects throughout the year.  Those art projects are another type of keepsake.  I have boxes upon boxes of beautiful art projects from my kids!  I am actually pretty sure our storage unit is about half way full of them.  Three, these portraits are perfect for yearbooks!  The portraits are nice and close-up of the child's face so their friends can look back through their yearbooks and remember what their friends used to look like when they were younger. 

On Wednesday, September 23rd, 2015 we will be taking the Fall Back to School portraits for Hallsburg Elementary.  I am very excited about this venture!  If your child attends Hallsburg Elementary, look for the order information early this week.  I worked with Hallsburg administration to keep prices extremely affordable and I hope the parents will appreciate the savings and flexibility I can offer. 

Throughout the year we will take other school portraits at Hallsburg Elementary including basketball photographs, Spring Individual portraits (those will be more themed), class photographs, and graduation portraits for the itty bitties and the big kids.

Here is a handy tip sheet for school portraits:

School Portrait Tip Sheet

I am looking forward to September 23rd and I hope you are as well!  If you have any questions about upcoming school portraits at Hallsburg Elementary, please don't hesitate to contact me.