Click on the calendar below to book your Spring Portrait Session this March, April or May 2020 in Austin, TX.
A $50 deposit is required to hold your spot. The remainder of the fee is due at your session (package information here).
Trying to decide on the best time for your family…
…and you want bluebonnets – last week of March/first week of April are usually the best bets – but I’ll be keeping a close eye on the available fields and giving you updates if we need to move up or move back a session date.
…and you want wildflowers in general – end of March through beginning of May should be fine.
…and you want a road trip – check out the Tulip Farm in San Antonio – only open from now until the beginning of March (*additional travel fee will apply)
…and you don’t require flowers – starting Saturday, March 7th through May 23rd is your time window for Spring. Let me know if you’d prefer an urban setting or a park. And if you have any locations in mind or want suggestions.
Next steps:
Contact me for questions, then book online directly.
You have 48 hours in Houston without kids – what do you do?
If you’re me, you make Art the theme of your trip and hit the road.
Color Factory exhibit
Here’s a sample itinerary:
Friday – Drive to Houston from Austin (making sure to stop at Buc-ee’s on the way). As you look at all the merchandise – ask yourself – Is it Art?
Is it Art?
Once you get to town, head to the Menil Collection. The Menil includes 30-acres of art space to house their 17,000+ collection. There is no admission (and no photos allowed inside) – and you can see work from the Prehistoric to the Modern including one building just to house works by Cy Twombly.
Menil Collection
If it wasn’t under construction, you could then head down the block to visit the Rothko Chapel. It’s due to re-open this summer.
Between their Planetarium, Butterfly Center and Theater – inside their 16 permanent exhibits, you can explore everything from Faberge eggs to Prehistoric Man (flying through the air) to Space.
Faberge Egg
Sorry, Prehistoric Man. Better luck next time.
Space Exhibit
And make sure you take a long stop at our favorite area – the gems and minerals.
Hall of Gems and Minerals
If after experiencing all that Science you need a change of pace, and the weather is delightful, you should walk up another block to Hermann Park.
McGovern Centennial Garden
The McGovern Centennial Gardens are a delightful stop. If you have your kids with you, you might also go to the Zoo near there. Then after a good night’s rest, you’ll be ready for Day 2.
The Color Factory is an interactive exhibit with palettes and projects inspired by Houston. You’ll be given treats along the way, and you can use your token to get your photo taken at various spots in the exhibits.
Color Factory, Houston
You will still take a million photos because you can’t stop smiling and it’s just so photogenic.
Color Factory, Houston
You may also want to pack a rainbow dress for pictures 🙂
Pic taken courtesy of the Color Factory, Houston
You make sure to save all your colorful treats to share with your kids once you get back home.
Color Factory treats along the way plus the colorful calendar you bought in the gift shop
You still have time to fit in another Museum. This time you choose the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. You will be visiting one of the largest museums in the United States. Their permanent collection spans more than 6,000 years of history with approximately 64,000 works from six continents.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Now saturated with art and inspired to create, you get one more good night’s sleep and then plan to drive back home to Austin. You’re already thinking about another trip and all the Museums you didn’t get to visit…this time.
If you’re lucky to have family in town or kids old enough for sleep-overs or to stay home by themselves – you may not need this advice. And while we have some favorite babysitters, we’ve also been checking out the local Parents Night Out options around town. So I wanted to share what I’ve researched. Here are some options if you want your kids to get a night out at the same time as you get a date night:
Thinkery
Location: 1830 Simond Ave, Austin, TX 78723
Age range: 4+ years old (must be potty-trained)
Cost: $45 first child, $25 each additional child ($5 discount for Members)
Details: Kids have the museum to themselves and live it up with pizza, hands-on STEAM activities, exhibit exploration and MORE!
Extra perks: Check out the special discounts offered in the Mueller community for your date night
Details: Night out of fun that includes gymnastics, trampoline, pit time, recreational swimming, games, snack, and a full length movie (G-PG) on a HUGE movie screen (includes a mid-evening light snack and a drink). Don’t forget to bring a bathing suit and a towel.
Schedule and to book:Saturday nights once/month 6:30pm – 10:45pm (Registration for each Kids Night Out starts TWO weeks before the date of the night.)
YMCA
Location: various
Age range: 3 – 12 years old
Cost: $30 members ($60 non-members)
Details: swimming, gym games, pizza, crafts and more
Details: Date Night is a 4 hour guided play session run by our professional and experienced staff. During these 4 hours your kids will climb and play in our awesome Pandamonium room! Kids will have toys, games, and all the climbing they can handle! Our classes are capped at 6 participants to ensure that your child gets plenty of attention and supervision. Crux will provide cheese/ peperroni pizza for your kids for no additional cost!
For my last photo shoot of 2019, I went downtown with Paper Sister for a band portrait session. If you’d like to hear their music, their Instagram bio has the most current local show dates or you can check out their Soundcloud.
We explored the Seaholm and Central Library downtown area during their session. They were good sports about being stuck in some plants as well 😉
I hope you’ve enjoyed these sneak peeks from their band photo session downtown. To see all the (password protected) images, visit their gallery HERE.
1. How do you know Stephanie Friedman Photography?
Stephanie and I met through the amazing Etsy Austin group a little over ten years ago. I made jewelry at the time, and she made sewn art and prints. Even though we aren’t crafting anymore, it’s great to see we’re both keeping up with creative ventures.
Slightly out of focus but still having fun Stephanie and Camille at an Etsy Austin show in 2010
2. What was your favorite part of your photo session?
It was reassuring that Stephanie had a strong vision for our photos. She had so many great ideas, knew where to take pictures, and gave us great direction. I struggled with finding examples of what I wanted before the session, and it was so helpful to have decisiveness and clear direction from Stephanie.
3. What advice would you give to other groups planning a photo session?
Try to find inspiration for your photos ahead of time. Even if you can’t find many examples of what you want or don’t have a clear vision, Stephanie can fill in the gaps.
If you’d like to book your own photo session, please contact me below:
