We were finally able to reschedule Celina and Brett’s engagement session after a few missed tries due to the craziness of the 2020 pandemic sweeping the nation. And…it was worth the wait! To stay away from public places, I met this sweet pair out on our family property in La Vernia, Texas. Sessions out there are always my favorite because I get to showcase some of the gorgeous hidden spots on the land where I grew up. We were blessed with pretty light and no mosquitoes this evening — but, we did have to combat some CRAZY wind bursts and grasshoppers jumping all around. Both Celina and Brett were troopers and we had fun trying to find ways to keep Celina’s beautiful wrap dress from blowing away while photographing.
Tag: Our Place
Kayla Maternity
Something about a beautiful sunset and maternity photos goes SOOO well together—don’t you agree?!? Kayla and Andrew met me out in La Vernia on our family’s property for a perfect October evening to take her maternity photos. We had little wind, gorgeous light and no mosquitoes (so I’d say it was near perfect)! Kayla was ever the glowing mom-to-be and her floral dress was just right against the backdrop of the greenery as the sun set through the leaves.
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 🙂
Rease is 5!
Oh my goodness…I can’t believe this precious little girl is five already! I’ve been taking photos of this family for years now and I’ve had the pleasure of watching her grow up in front of my lens. To celebrate her fifth birthday, we had her ‘all about me’ photo session in a beautiful field of wildflowers. She did amazing as usual and I can’t believe how grown up she looks! Scroll down to see our favorites.
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.
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.
Zadie is One!
It’s hard to believe this beautiful little girl is one. I’ve seen her grow through photos and social media posts but it was actually my first time getting to see her in person! Miss Zadie did amazing for her one year session and LOVED her cake. Scroll down below to see a sampling from our time together. Yes, we were crazy to pin large balloons to barbed wire — but it worked! Well..at least they held up long enough for us to get a few shots before they popped 😉
Calvert Family
For my first time photographing the Calvert family, they came out to our property for a beautiful sunrise session. The boys did so great! We had fun playing on the road, heading out to the tank and then ending the morning with them playing on our little swing set. I’m thankful that the sun decided to peak out behind some of the early morning rainclouds for our session. It was muggy for sure, but fall in, Texas is always so unpredictable that you never really know what the next few days or weeks will bring. As I sit here drafting this post, we have had nearly a 40 degree shift in the temperature in one day!! Thus, I feel we were truly blessed with great light and little wind for this one. Scroll down to see a few of our favorites.
Jameson Turns One!
Yes, I’m biased. But—isn’t my nephew the cutest!?! We were able to sneak in his one year photos and cake smash this weekend amidst birthday festivities for our kids. He did amazing. In just a few short minutes we were able to capture all that we needed. Not only was he super smiley, but he LOVED the cake. The nautical theme was completely adorable as well. Who says the girls can have all the fun when it comes to props and photo sessions? Navy and red are one of my favorite color combinations outdoors. Scroll down to the bottom to see a sampling of our favorites. As an added bonus, we even got a few extended family shots in there as well!
Saylor 6 Months
It’s hard to believe Saylor is already six months old! It feels like just yesterday when I was taking their family/maternity photos. For this session, we met out on our property in La Vernia to take advantage of the open shade created by the large pecan trees in the field between our house and my parent’s. It was a surprisingly pleasant morning considering the temperatures crept up to near 100 later that afternoon. Miss Saylor was a bit stingy with her smiles, but in the end, we coaxed a few from her with the help of everyone and her big brother Luke. The two of them make the most precious pair with the bluest of blue eyes that simply sparkled in that morning light. Scroll down to see a few of our favorites from the session.
Juliann Maternity
Juliann looked absolutely stunning in all of her maternity pictures. Spring sunset sessions can be so unpredictable. For weeks, we were looking for the perfect location with wildflowers; however, they just weren’t blooming enough when it was time for her session. I wasn’t sure if the weather would cooperate for us when we decided to take the photos at a secluded spot at the back of our property–but, it turned out to be a truly picturesque day. We had an absolutely immaculate sunset and no wind!
Jonas Family
Everything about the Jonas’ family session worked so perfectly! With toddler age kids, you just never know if we’ll be able to keep their attention and get genuine laughter and smiles. We were blessed with an abundance of them this time thanks to the hard work of Hayden’s grandma. She was amazing at hiding behind me and jumping out just at the right time. Those of you with kids, know we’ll do what it takes to get those natural expressions of true joy. Scroll down to see a sampling of what we captured. Definitely one of my favorites from this fall!
Lindsey Family
I’m loving these shots of the Lindsey family. As with most families living with an active toddler, we were reminded that they rule to show when it comes to family photo sessions. Miss Maisyn kept us on our toes this time, but candy and simple bribes won out in the end! We even captured a few unposed moments with laughter and hugs. And when all else fails, we go to the swings! Scroll down to see a sampling from their session this fall 🙂
Latham Family
Warning: these photos are dripping with cuteness and sunshine! It was pretty hard to pick out just a few favorites from the Latham’s family session. We had such a great time walking around being silly while the kids played — and it resulted in some precious little moments. Take a look by scrolling down to see a sample of what we captured.
All About Hillary!
This is my niece, Hillary. At age 9, she is tall and beautiful just like her momma. She also has naturally curly hair—very, very curly hair. After a few days of swimming and playing outside, it became very tangled. So, during a visit to our house, my husband (the big softy that he is) decided to take the girls to the salon to get their hair done while I was away at a conference. After a couple of hours of brushing, conditioning and blow drying it was finally done and completely straight for the first time.
The Schmidt Kids!
I had some fun taking pictures of my nieces and nephew before a pool party we had this weekend to celebrate Jathan’s (aka Bubby) birthday. They are growing up so fast. I can’t believe how grown up each of them look in these pictures! I’m so thankful that I’m here to see it. Five years…
Sydney & The Beast
In our house, not only do we play dress up–we use our imagination to design an All about Me styled photo shoot. What can I say…this girl is a mess. A sassy, crazy, funny girly girl. She oozes personality and it’s hard not to find yourself laughing when she’s being a ham. One afternoon, I asked her if she could dress up as anyone, who would it be? Her answer—Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
Ryker and Family
Ryker and his big brothers came out to our family land in La Vernia for a cake smash/family session close to sunset
Carly Barton Photography 