Due to COVID, I wasn’t able to work with Denise on her wedding day; however, I did get the pleasure of capturing her bridals! We met at the ever beautiful Gruene Estate (which happens to be one of my all-time favorites) to take her portraits.
Category: Portraits
Audra’s Cake Smash
This was my first time to work with the Miller family—and let me tell you, Miss Audra was a basket full of giggles. To commemorate her first birthday, they met me out at our property for a sunrise session under the big pecan trees. Not only did Audra like the beautiful homemade cake her mom made, she LOVED it (as you can tell from her very enthusiastic expressions after each bite). We even got a few of her with her big sister helping between outfit changes.
Sam + Valerie
Aside from a crazy amount of mosquitos that evening, Sam and Valerie’s engagement session out on our property was quite literally picture perfect. I adore photo sessions that incorporate my couple’s or family’s fur babies and this one had an added bonus —they brought their horse, Jam, as well as their sweet pup, Pistol, along for the session. We had one of those magical nights without too much wind and some beautiful light as the sun started to set. It was so hard for me to even cull through the images on this one. I liked them all! I’m 100% sure that Sam and Valerie’s wedding next year will be amazing. They are one sweet couple 🙂
Catalina Maternity
A sunset maternity session on gorgeous land with a ton of baby calves running around…yes, please! I had the best time driving around and chasing the sunset with Cat and Tommy during her maternity session. Scroll down below to see some of our favorites from the session.
Marisa Sweet 16
I had the pleasure of meeting Marisa and her family at the McNay Art Museum to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. It was so much fun to walk around goof off for a bit with her mom, dad and sister in tow. Thankfully, it was a gorgeous afternoon that proceeded a bleak and rainy morning.
Stefany Maternity
I had a wonderful time working with Stefany and Quinton for the first time this spring. We met at the Brakenridge Park in San Antonio one evening just before sunset. I’ve never photographed there before, so we just spent some time walking around and exploring the area. I loved the access to the water and some of the dreamy light we found along the walking paths (not to mention some of the cute ducks waddling in front of us)!
Lee Family Session
Lifestyle photography at a family’s home is simply the best! I love this approach so much more than the typical studio newborn session because it gives you a glimpse into those first few months as a family together. It was really hard to pick my favorites from this one. Not only because I’m biased (James and Piper are wonderful friends of ours), but also because Miss Evelyn is so stinking adorable! I love how their fur babies also decided to join in a bit. Scroll down below to see a sampling of what we captured!
Brody’s Cake Smash
It’s a messy job, but somebody has to do it! I can’t even begin to describe how precious Mr. Brody was during his baseball themed cake smash session. It was a little cold outside, but he rocked it! With eyes that truly sparkled, he did so great at making direct eye contact with me here and there. It just took a little bit of ‘Baby Shark’ to coax those smiles out of him. Scroll down below to see some of our favorites!
Piper Maternity
Piper and James met me in La Vernia on a clear Sunday evening so we could drive out into the field searching for that gorgeous light seeping through the trees. Three things were clear right at the start. 1) Piper looked stunning in her pale pink maxi dress; 2) The colors in the sky were hinting at what would become a fierce sunset; and 3) I knew we’d have fun because James and Piper are an awesome couple and they also brought two special props for the session with the cutest backstories.
Justin + Erica Engagements
Working with both Justin and Erica for the first time was a blast! I met them at their wedding venue, the Happy H Ranch in Comfort, on a beautiful January afternoon to explore the property and take their engagement photos. Pulling into the main entrance, I was met by curious deer and a sweeping landscape topped with a large cross at the crest of a hill. The owners were incredibly accommodating and allowed us to meander around the event space and even took us up to the cross to captured a gorgeous sunset.
Keaton + Chelsea
With the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area less than a 30 minute drive from Fredericksburg, it’s not only an amazing place for hiking but it’s probably one of the most fun (albeit challenging) places to take photos. If you are up for a little bit of a climb and it’s a nice evening, the sunset from atop the rock is well worth making it up the half mile incline! The colors illuminating the evening sky just before sunset were simply breathtaking.
Hajovsky Family
I had a great time, as always, with the Hajovsky family this fall. This is my third year to photograph them and I can’t believe how much the boys have grown. They are getting so big! The best part of working with many of the same families year over year is getting to see this first hand. We had so much fun running around, climbing trees, running up rock piles and throwing leaves into the air. Scroll down to see some of our favorites!
Puhlmann Family
Sometimes, I’m lucky enough to meet a family that I connect with instantly and this was definitely one! The Puhlmann family met me out at our property for a weeknight sunset session right after the time change this year. We all jumped in their truck and headed to one of my favorite spots out at the back of our land. This place is magical to me because it’s where we grew up ‘exploring’ the dry creek bed and open fields. It also has gorgeous light if we are fortunate enough to have a bright day. We were blessed with sunshine and given how unpredictable November can be in Texas, we were actually feeling hot and sweaty towards the end. Fast forward just a few days and we are looking at freezing temperatures. You just never know! Scroll down to see a few of our favorites.
Latham Family
I met the Latham family out at the LaVernia C of C Hall to photograph them beneath the trees and gorgeous light out there near sunset. When the light is right, it’s truly a magical location. I love the way the sun pierces through the leaves at just the right time. Scroll down to see a sampling of our favorites!
Baby Perez! It’s a…Girl!
Congrats to new parents Oscar and Annjannete who just found out they are having a baby girl!!! Scroll down to see a sampling from their beautiful gender reveal party that ended with a BIG pop of PINK! Between the confetti and the smoke bomb, I’m not sure which had a greater impact. This one was so much fun to photograph!
Parker is 1!
I recently met one of my favorite families out for an extended session to take birthday photos of the two most adorable boys. And, we totally lucked out! In Texas, you never know what the weather can bring from one minute to the next. We already had to postpone their session once due to heavy rain and it wasn’t looking good the night of this session either. But, we were fortunate and even briefly had bursts of sunlight between a few rain drops here and there. By the time I left, it was completely pouring!
Caitlin Bridals
I was so excited when Caitlin told me she’d like to take her bridal portraits at the Polley Mansion near Sutherland Springs, Texas. This historical gem dating back to 1847 is actually located just miles from my hometown. With the original 18″ stone walls still intact, every room in the two story house tell a story. And don’t get me started on the beautiful textures!
Hollstin is 4!
I love working with the Pierdolla family! For this session, it was time to celebrate Hollstin’s upcoming fourth birthday. Although…I’m not quite sure how it was already time because it really felt like we just did his three year photos a few months ago! He’s growing so fast and is now a great big brother. Close to sunset, we met out at the Walnut Springs Park to run and play by the water for a little while. We were even able to sneak in a few family pictures along the way. Scroll down to see a few of our favorites!
Jackson is One!
Warning: this post contains the cutest little man and may actually cause elevated levels of happiness. How can it be that Jackson is already one? It seems like yesterday that I was taking his newborn photos. For this session, I met Jackson and his parents out at the always lovely Pearl in San Antonio. A little nervous at first, I drove through some nasty rain storms on the way in. Lucky for us, it cleared up just in time and we were able to use some of my favorite spots near the Stables away from the craziness of the farmers market. And let us all just take a minute to soak in how stinking cute he looked in all his little outfits — but, that JACKET! C’mon, can there be anything more adorable?!? Scroll down to see more…
Rease is 4!
I was able to spend some time with this sweet little girl recently to capture some portraits commemorating her fourth birthday. Individual portrait sessions are often one of my favorite things—especially with younger kids.
Carly Barton Photography 