Apel Fam

This family is so special to me. I feel like I've practically been there for every stage in their lives (almost:).

I first knew Charlie through church. He was a single lad at the time.......a very popular single lad.

And then along came precious Kirby. She made her way into our hearts and has stayed in mine since I first met her.

I was blessed beyond words to be able to take this couple's engagement pictures. They were my first ever engagement session and took the risk of letting me experiment (thanks guys!) . They made 'the pose' famous. The pose that I shot of them on the railroad tracks with the rr centered and them off to the side with Kirby looking lovingly down at Charlie, has been requested by many couples. And what I really can't believe is that I shot all their e-session with film- 3 whole rolls to be exact! Praise you Jesus for digital.

And then I was super stoke to be able to take Kirby's bridal portraits. She was a stunning bride as you can imagine.

I was at their beautiful wedding when they said 'I do' and here they are.......parents! They are amazing parents.

See, I told you I've been there for a lot of stuff with this couple.

Asher is their adorable 1 year old. He was all boy at the park picking up every leaf, rock, and stick insight. We caught a lot of him in action.

This goes along with my philosophy of taking pictures of kiddos- especially 1 year olds! Find something that they enjoy and let them roam. It is so difficult to get a picture of a new walker when you restrict them to a studio. I say,"Let them play!"

Here are some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy!

Carter

This little guy is precious! He belongs to some very dear friends of ours.

Photographing him was a sweet moment for me because the first 'real' photo session that I did as a professional was Carter's brother and sister. They have since added to their family and allowed me to capture their newest addition.

I had the blessing of photographing him on Sunday along with another sweet family that we are friends with (stay tuned for that one also).

Babies are always extremely interesting to photograph because you don't quite know what to expect. You just have to be prepared for anything and willing to hang out and wait for the right moment.

We used tons of great window light. This is always best in order to capture a more natural look. If I can avoid using my flash, I will at all cost. All that you need is a really great lens and lots of good light and you are good to go. Remember: a camera is only as good as the lens that is on it!

He was a great little model. We managed to get some really great shots of him. His mommy and I were both sweating by the end of the session.

Check out Carter!

Her Cuteness!

My sister and bro-in-law came to Brenham to visit us. They only live 30 minutes away, but it was fun that they came to hang out on the farm with us for a few days.

Of course I couldn't resist taking pictures of my adorable niece, Ava. This girl is precious. I just look at her and start smiling. Ava has the sweetest personality and is the most laid back baby in the ENTIRE world.

Laney Rae and Ava are in the same preschool class at church on Saturdays. When I dropped off Laney Rae at her class, Ava was sitting in the Bumbo chair as happy as can be. And........when we came back to pick them up after church was over, she was still sitting the Bumbo chair. The teachers in there said that she didn't even make a peep the entire time. Typical.

Here are some recent pictures of her! She will be 6 months in a few days.

Enjoy! She makes me look good.

Bacak Family and other news

I'm sorry for the lack of posts here lately. Yep, like since before Christmas! Shame on me.

I did a lot of shooting right before Christmas and throughout Christmas. So stay tuned for more action!

The photo opps that I had during the holidays were all special to me mainly because they were close friends and family.

The Bacaks are sweet friends of ours. We have been blessed by their friendship in so many ways.

Their children are a big ball of fun. Really. I have never experienced such excitement and adrenaline all in one session! Each one is unique and fun in their own little special ways. They are all so different......yet hilarious. They do have that common denominator. The Bacak kiddos are total hams in front of the camera!

In other photography related news, I'm in the process of evaluating where the Lord wants to take me in 2008. I currently have two weddings booked this 2008 (which I'm super excited about because one is in Brenham and the other is at an amazing resort in San Antonio). I quit booking weddings this year and cancelled a few others because I'm not quite sure where the Lord is leading me.

I want to be in His total and perfect will and right now in this season of my life, I don't know if it is a full fledge photography business. I have been overwhelmed and blessed at the response of brides and grooms that have fallen in love with my photos. I have fallen in love with them as well and their friendships. In the process, I have walked away with some pretty incredible people in my life that I will forever call friends.

Don't misunderstand me here. I know that the Lord will use this gift He has given me. I will never be able to walk away from photography completely. Besides, I have some pretty great models that live with me and hundreds of animals dying to get their picture taken as well. Add amazing friends and family to the mix, and I will always have something to shoot!

But, I believe He is steering me in the direction of assisting my husband more out here on the farm by creating some marketing stuff, getting the word out about our products, creating amazing brochures...t-shirts...business cards, help get a website up and going, and capture pictures of things going on out on the farm. As you can see, that is plenty of stuff right there for me to do. I want to use my gifts to be an asset to Jason.

Who knows what the Lord has in store for me. But, I do know that it should always align with His plan and perfect will. And being a wife, I know that always includes being a helpmate to my husband and putting my family first. Everything else is secondary.

I'm not sad in the least because I have much comfort in knowing that this decision will be blessed.

This blog will continue to exist because my passion and love for photography will always exist. Stay tuned for more photos to come. I still have plenty from Christmas stuff to post!

Here are a few of my favorites from the Bacak session.

Treston



Brothers

Daddy & T Bear

The Girls

The Bacak Nation

Daddy & Jax

Brothers & Sister

Justus

See, total hams!

Emma loves horses!

Image X

For the photographers out there that read this blog, listen up!

There is an upcoming workshop in New Orleans would be amazing to attend! It offers some of the MOST incredible photographers all in ONE workshop. And New Orleans is not that far from us. It is better than driving to SoCal.

This is very advanced notice, but my hunch is that it is going to fill up so fast. Some of my all-time favorite photographers are going to be there.

This is a little too far for me to plan my life around- Oct. 08. I might even have a baby on the way by then. Who knows! But, I wanted to put this info out there because I feel that there may be someone itching to go.

CLICK HERE to find out more details.

If you are a photographer who reads this, would you give me a shout out and let me know you exist! Leave me a comment. I would love to keep in touch and read your blog if you have one.

Peace and Love!
Lyns

Luke & Melissa: e-session

Meet Luke and Melissa!

These two are so fun. They have such a relaxed and easy-going spirit. I literally felt as if I have known these two for years and we just met!

The photo shoot was in Independence at the Old Baylor Campus and the railroad tracks nearby. For some reason, I thought it would suit these two. When Luke showed up in a cowboy hat, I KNEW it was perfect.

We almost had to cancel due to a storm approaching, but it took a turn to east and gave us the most gorgeous sky and clouds.....a photographer's dream. However, it did not bring the wind with it. It left that in Independence with us.

Overall, I was super excited at how their pictures turned out. Here are some of my favorites from the day. Thanks for such a fun time!