Have you heard of the Flower Vault? It’s a temporary art installation full of fake flowers. They have one location in San Antonio and just opened a second spot in Austin at the Domain this season.
With eight flowery backgrounds for October and plans to swap in more holiday themed settings in November/December, it’s a fun spot to explore and be photographed in.
Kids 10 and under are free with an adult ticket (cost is $20/adult).
Swinging and dancing are encouraged.
If you’d like your own family portrait session in this location, check out my blog post with details or just view the available mini-session dates for October on Calendly.
Cost
It’s a $50 deposit (includes tickets for two adults) to save your date/time
Remainder of fee due at your session: $275.
It’s a very fun place to play! To see the rest of the photos from this session, check out the (password protected) full gallery HERE.
1. How do you know Stephanie Friedman Photography?
Stephanie has been a co-worker of mine for many years. She also took pictures of my oldest when she was 1. That was 7 years ago!
2. What was your favorite part of your photo session?
The venue was really cool and engaging for the girls. But mostly it was how great Stephanie was at putting the girls at ease and also letting them have fun. They immediately felt comfortable with her.
3. What advice would you give to other families planning a photo session?
Don’t be pressured to get that perfectly-posed shot. Often the best pictures are the candid ones when you didn’t even realize you were being photographed. I think kids need to be captured when they are having fun!
4. Anything else you’d like to add?
My kids are much more likely to participate when I bribe them with ice cream after the shoot. 🙂
If you’d like to book a family photo this season (not necessarily at the Flower Vault), you can see my remaining dates in 2019 HERE. You can also contact me below:
Click on the calendar below to book your Fall Family Photo Session this September, October or November 2019 in Austin, TX. A $50 deposit is required to hold your spot. The remainder of the fee (package information here) is due following your session.
Questions? Interested in another type of photo session? Contact me below first:
It’s always an honor getting to work with another photographer’s family. You get to collaborate during the session, and trust Natalie to find all the best golden hour pockets of light. Another bonus, it’s extra special when you’ve known the mom since you were both teenagers yourselves. Back in the day, we both did the high school musicals. And around the 46 minute mark you can see one of our dance numbers together in Pippin (Natalie is on the left, I’m in the middle).
But back to the present, Natalie is just as fun and adorable as always.
Over Memorial Day weekend, we went to St. Edwards Park to check out the wildflowers in bloom.
I loved getting to capture each girl’s personality.
And the family dog’s personality as well 😉 Hi, Satsuma!
The wildflowers were putting on quite a show.
Which meant we had to put on a show back 😉 Or at least the only one wanting to do splits would…
Thank you, S. Family!
And thanks to Natalie for taking some behind the scenes pics as well.
Please enjoy this sneak peek of their Spring session images. To see all the photos and purchase prints from the gallery, click HERE.
1. How do you know Stephanie Friedman Photography?
I have known Stephanie for more than 20 years! We both grew up in New Orleans, and went to high school together where we were both in the drama club and performed in shows together. 🙂
2. What was your favorite part of your photo session?
The location Stephanie suggested was spectacular.
3. What advice would you give to other families planning a photo session?
Let Stephanie direct you! She was great at moving us around, telling us where to look, and how to make ourselves feel as natural as possible while she was shooting.
4. Anything else you’d like to add?
It was so much FUN. Stephanie is such an easy person to be around and completely put our whole family at ease!!
Due to some recent work and family travel, I’ve gotten to photographseveral members of my department. In addition to being a family photographer, I also work with a group of image acquisition specialists for an educational publisher. For these family sessions, I’ve flown to Orlando, driven to Pflugerville and Tayler, Texas, and this last trip took me to the Chicago/Evanston area. After some discussion over where to meet up, we went exploring on the Northwestern University Campus for their family photos.
Lia was a great sport as I stuck her in various trees and plant-life.
And the weather couldn’t have been nicer for this Texas visitor as we walked through the campus buildings and gardens and viewed the Lakefront.
And thanks to another one of my co-workers (Shout Out to Jenny!) for capturing some fun behind the scenes pics as well.
1. How do you know Stephanie Friedman Photography?
I work with Stephanie. I’ve always loved her photography, I follow her on Instagram. I’m impressed by the artistic quality of her family photo sessions; the photos turn out so natural and candid.
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2. What was your favorite part of your photo session?
Getting to see Stephanie in action. She’s very energetic, and she’s great at generating ideas for where to take photos. I really liked it when we found a building on the campus near Northwestern that looked like a Harry Potter backdrop with it architectural features. Also, I enjoyed when she used all plants and flowers that she could find as we were walking along the paths.
“Harry Potter” looking building on campus
3. What advice would you give to other families planning a photo session?
Just do it! Quit stalling and enjoy yourselves while capturing some memories. We hadn’t had a photo session since my daughter was in pre-school. Time passes quickly.
4. Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks so much, Stephanie!
Please enjoy this sneak peek of their family portrait session images. To see all the photos and purchase prints from the gallery, click HERE.
If you’d like to book your own portrait session in Austin (or want to know if I may be traveling soon to your neck of the woods), contact me:
What does the promise of a trip to the Arcade get you?
Cooperative children for 30 minutes in the beautiful fields of wildflowers at St. Edwards Park in Austin this Spring.
This year has been so glorious for wildflowers (the best one in the last 10 years), and when I saw this field of flowers popping up online and then went on a hike by myself to scout – I raced home, got the kids dressed and told them we could go to Pinballz if they’d pose for some shots.
St. Edwards Park was already one of my favorite spots for family photos, but this Spring it really took the top honors for favorite Austin location.
Dodging sticky burrs, we explored the horsemint (the purple ones), the Mexican hat (the yellow ones) and Indian blanket flowers (the red and yellow ones). If you want to see what will continue to bloom for the next few months (heat notwithstanding) – check out the Wildflower Center’s bloom chart.
Later that weekend, the boys were interested in helping me edit their pictures.
Though if you let an 8 year old boy in Photoshop, be warned for what he might create:
Potty humor aside, they were really good sports during our location scouting.
So, Arcade achievement unlocked. And a few days later, I made good on my promise.
ps. Thanks to Max for taking the photo of me in the wildflowers below
“Where should we take photos this year?” (is a conversation Truman’s mom and I have every Spring).
Well, let’s all pause for a minute to appreciate flashback Truman first (circa 2012).
Same winning smile, just lots more freckles these days.
Anyway, we’ve done bluebonnets (as seen above), the UT campus, Lady Bird Lake, etc. Where to go to next?
This year, the Austin Central Library was the winning choice. We met up before the library closed to get some interior shots before heading outside to explore that block.
We tried to find a copy of one of Alison’s books for Truman to hold (no luck) – hence all the covers turned away from the camera.
Also, the children’s reading porch is such a great spot for images.
Grandma requested lots more close-ups this year – so I was glad to oblige:
Alison kept us all laughing with her stories.
Truman helped us explore all the way up to the roof.
And back down again.
And it wouldn’t be our yearly Spring photo session without a jump shot at the end. It’s tradition.
1. How do you know Stephanie Friedman Photography?
Paul and I have known Stephanie for years. We went to each other’s weddings, started a crafter’s club together, and I think we were among her first clients when she decided to move into kids and family photography. We needed some photos after a rather disastrous kid’s photo session in Dallas, and we knew we could trust her. (Edit: They were indeed the first “real” clients I had when I started back almost 8 years ago & RIP The Crafty Beavers)
2. What was your favorite part of your photo session?
We are a family that doesn’t like to have our picture taken, so knowing that Steph would make us and our son as comfortable as possible was and continues to be a huge part of why we love her. She puts up with our whining, and she always manages to get great photos of our son. She’s talented and creative. I am an author and asked Steph to do my author photos in 2015, and I am so happy with how they turned out. I love knowing that I have decent photos to use for PR purposes. (I’ve also been photographed enough to know that her shots are terrific.) We also appreciate how fast she works and how flexible she is. She’s always trying new things, and she’s incredibly patient with kids. (Edit: You all make it easy – Alison and Paul are not afraid to act silly or tell crazy stories that get all those natural smiles and laughs)
3. What advice would you give to other families planning a photo session?
Trust Stephanie and her suggestions about clothing, locale, etc., but don’t be shy about bringing your ideas and suggestions to the shoot. She’s very collaborative, and she’ll speak up if she thinks an idea might not work or won’t showcase the subject(s) in the best way possible. (Edit: I love it when families bring their ideas to a shoot as well)
Please enjoy this sneak peek of their family portrait session images. To see all the photos and purchase prints from the gallery (password protected), click HERE.
If you’d like to book your own portrait session in Austin, contact me:
