Judy and Gary had a very simple ceremony
surrounded by their children
and a few other loved ones.
It was a cool, but lovely day.
They hired me for one hour.
Enough time to photograph their ceremony,
a few family images
and a sweet couple's session.
I think their gallery is so beautiful!
​Congratulations to this sweet pair!!

Click HERE to see my Wedding & Elopement pricing.
To book your own fine art Wedding/Session, contact me HERE.

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I'm going to try my best to convey
the beauty and romance of this past weekend
with Hilary and Lee.
There are certain couples you meet
that you can just feel the connection.
These two individuals
share a powerful love.
They've been together over six years.
When they were writing their vows separately,
they wrote about the same, exact memory.
What are the chances
with all they have experienced together,
that they would reminisce about the same day?!
They are so in tune with one another.
They know what the other needs.
They handle tough situations with humor
and kind words.
I believe in their happily ever after.
​And I am so honored
to have been a part of this wonderful new chapter
in their love story.

To the Bride's mother Maria,
thank you for being so sweet and considerate
all weekend.
You are just a high class woman!
You had us laughing so hard.
I know the Bride and Groom
truly appreciated your support and humor!

To the Groom's mother Dawn,
it was due to your generosity that we had
this incredible hotel rooftop as the setting
for the ceremony and dinner.
Your personality had a huge impact
on the day.
​I will never forget all you did.

The hotel was so lovely.
And I can not say enough good things about the staff!
From the valet Luis,
to the server Juan.
​And the event coordinator, Krystal.
You were all very understanding
and such a gracious group.
I wish I had learned more names!
Those in the service industry
work their tails off and
are not always treated the best.
They definitely don't always get
the recognition they deserve.
So I want to make it a point to say
a special thank you.
We all know that without you,
the wheels would come off.

A sincere thank you to our Park Ranger tour guide
at The Missions park, Kate, as well.
She was so accommodating.
Please, be sure to get the proper permits
when using these stunning locations
for special occasions.
Out of respect for the hard work
put into preserving them.

Lastly, I want to give a BIG shout out
to the Bride's sister Brittany.
I have known this gorgeous lady for six years.
She is one of the most supportive and calming forces
anyone could have in their life.
I can't tell you how many fires she put out
to try and selflessly make her sister's
dream come true!
No one can relax Hilary,
like Brittany can.
She added greatly to the couple's 
happiness that day.

By the time we sat down to dinner
on the picturesque rooftop of the Mokara Hotel & Spa
in downtown San Antonio;
I was tired and sore.
I had blisters on the bottoms of my feet,
gravel embedded in my knees
and I realized I hadn't eaten a thing all day
while working in the scorching Texas heat.
And I wasn't mad about any of it.
I worked my booty off for this couple,
because I wanted to!!
Because they treated me like family
and I just adore them!

I hope I did you justice Hilary & Lee!
I'm wishing you a lifetime of laughter
and love (and lightweight chairs, lol. Sorry Lee)

Click HERE to see my Wedding and Elopement pricing.
To book your own fine art wedding, contact me HERE.
>>>   <<<

Venue :: Mokara Hotel & Spa
and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Wedding Dress :: Lulus.com
Bride's Shoes :: Allegra K
Bridal Jewelry :: Cazenovia Jewelry
​Hair & Make-Up :: JAX Studio
Groom's Suit :: Haggar
Wedding Rings :: Nasr Jewelers
Flowers :: Evember Florist
Cake :: Infinity Cakes & More
Calligraphy Vows :: Kelsey with Calligrapeau
Officiant :: Suzanne Benson

Phew, now that I've covered the mandatory snorefest schtuff,
let's dive right in.

"Do your sessions/weddings come with a copyright release?"

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked this question.
The answer is always the same.
"No, they do not."

Yet, as the British would say
"don't get your knickers in a twist, darling."
(You read that with an accent, didn't you?)
That's because you're still getting all the rights
you probably want and need already.
The technical lingo is just a bit different.

When it comes to client galleries and ownership
there can be some common misconceptions.
One of the biggest and most frequent
is the difference between
a copyright release and a print release.

Copyright, Print Release, what's the big deal?
Aren't they basically the same thing?

Negatory!
There is, in fact, a huge difference.

A COPYRIGHT belongs solely to the person who creates the art.
Whether that's photographs, artwork, writing or music.
The moment you create something,
you alone have the right to say
​how that work is used and distributed.
In the case of images,
the photographer is the only one with the right to edit them.
And the only one who can legally sell
​or make a profit from those images.

A PRINT RELEASE is different.
It gives someone, other than the creator,
the right to reproduce the artwork for their own personal use.
​Personal use includes the UNLIMITED printing of images
and sharing with friends and family,
both tangibly and on social media platforms.
That is something most artists actually encourage!
We want you to print your images.
To share your memories!
However, a print release
does NOT allow for the adding of IG filters,
which thereby alters the creator's original work.
It does NOT allow a client to enter images into contests
to win any money or prizes for said images.
It also does NOT allow a client
to offer images for use in a commercial setting.
Such as in a magazine or for use as stock photography.
​The images are not the client's work,
​therefore they have no legal right to sell them. 

The wording may not seem like a huge deal,
but when it comes to protecting the rights of the artist
​it is a priority.

So the next time you have a photography session
be sure to ask for a print release.
And by all means, feel free to plaster the walls
with your bright, beautiful smiling faces!

​>>>   <<<

Check out my post on Aspect Ratio
​for the best ways to print your images yourself!

Emily and I go way back.
​She hired me for the first time ​in 2012.
Since then, we have done multiple sessions together. 
She has been one of my biggest supporters
since, close to the beginning.

On my website's contact form for this session,
under things you want me to know
she put down "you're only my favorite."
And when we got done shooting for the day
she told me how much she loves everything I do.
That she can't even look at any other photographer's work
without comparing it to mine.

I'm going to tell you a secret, so pay attention
(are you ready?)
here it is...
Art, is, subjective.
There it is. Not everyone loves the same things.
Not everyone looks at my work
and thinks it's good.
And that is OKAY!
I believe there is a photographer out there for everyone.
Someone to suit everyone's taste, budget and personality.

But as an artist, when you do find those clients,
the ones who appreciate you.
And I do mean YOU.
I could say "appreciate your work",
but so much of me is tied up with my work.
I give a lot to this job.
Time, energy, creativity, finances.
I love it and it's exhausting.
It fulfills me and it's emptying.
It fuels me and it depletes me.
There are times I can't look at another photographer's work without comparing it to mine either.
Those were her words, but they're my words, too.
There's so much buzzing around us constantly,
it gets easy to not feel good enough.
I get down, on myself and my work, 
In those moments, all I need is just that little nudge
to remind me of the love, the fulfillment.
To refuel.

That's the kind of person Emily is.
She lets you know how much she appreciates what you do.
And she's the kind of person
that you only wish good things for.
I've seen her life change over the years
and I can honestly say
I am absolutely overjoyed to see her happy with Chuck.
He is very kind and considerate.
I hope her future with him
​is as bright and lovely as she is.
Congratulations to this thoughtful pair!
​I am rooting for you and your new life together!!

And thank you for trusting me to document your love story.

To book your own engagement session,
contact me HERE.
To see my engagement gallery and pricing,
click HERE.

>>>   <<<

I have so much to say about this fun maternity session!!

First off, Sydney found me on a local moms FB group.
I can't express enough
just how appreciative I am to all my clients
that have, and continue to, recommend me.
Without your word of mouth and support
I would not be in business, truly.

Secondly, when we were booking this session,
Sydney asked if I would mind driving to
Hamilton to do it.
To the place where she and Justin got married.
I had never heard of it before, but I loved the idea...
and even more so when I got there!

This property is just adorable!!
When you pull in, it feels like a trip back in time.
The town moved all the old historic buildings
onto one property, so it's like walking into an 1800's village.
There's a one room schoolhouse,
a general store, a covered bridge, a gazebo.
Just too many cute things.
Not to mention the goats, a miniature horse and a donkey!

We had such a great time just walking around and chatting.
I love how authentic and real these images turned out.
That's because the moments weren't forced at all.
That laughter isn't posed.
From when little Maisie said she wanted to name
the new baby "toothpaste"
to when she was playfully
wiping off her parents kisses
or started splashing in puddles, we just had fun.
And it definitely shows.

I love working with kids!
I love the way they see the world.
I'm so excited for this family and their new addition.
And I would bet money
that little "toothpaste" will be just as "bright and bubbly"
as big sister. Ahahaha
I had to. <3

To book your own Maternity/Newborn session,
contact me HERE.
For Maternity/Newborn session pricing,
click HERE.

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