by admin | Feb 6, 2019 | photography
If you live in or around Austin, and are interested in a family photo session this Spring during March, April or May – now is the time to book.
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 don’t require flowers – starting Saturday, March 9th through May 19th 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.
The best light is right around sunrise or 1-2 hours before sunset. So in Spring, you’re looking at starting around 7:30am/8am for morning sessions and starting around 4:30pm/5:30pm for evening sessions (time can vary depending on location).
Next steps:
Contact me and we’ll book your time, date and location.
by admin | Feb 1, 2019 | advice / tips, photography
Having small children is exhausting. They have so much more energy than we do. To burn off that energy, we take ours on hikes or swimming or have family dance parties. But then I often say to my husband:
“Tire out the children and you tire out yourself“
But a post I read recently reminded me of some ideas of how to play with your children when you also really, really want to lie down with your eyes closed.
So I present to you: “10 Fun Games for Young Children with Exhausted Parents” – in order of when you’re most tired to least tired
Reverse Bedtime
- Reverse bedtime – the kids get to put you to bed. Here’s what you do:
-Lay down in your bed (the most magical instructions of all)
-The kids are in charge of putting you to sleep, they need to bring you blankets and sing you lullabies and tell you a story.
-You can really get into character by asking for water or a bedtime snack or “just three more stories!”
2. Visit the Doctor/Dentist
Besides boxes, rocks and sticks, if it doesn’t have a screen, my kids next most favorite toy is flashlights. For this game you:
-Give the children any flashlights you have in the house
-Lay down on the floor or couch with your eyes closed
-Kids take turns shining a flashlight into your open mouth, into your ears, etc.
-They can also use any doctor kit supplies you may have around.
If your kids are anything like mine, be ready for some hard truths: “Mommy, why are your teeth more yellow than Daddy’s?”
3. What’s on my butt? / What’s on my stomach?
I saw this idea on Say Yes who got it from the Longest Shortest Time podcast (and it inspired this whole blog post of ideas).
-Choose if you’d rather lay on your stomach or your back, eyes closed, no peeking.
-The kids have to slooowly choose objects around the house that they will then either place on your stomach or your butt and you have to guess what they are.
-Take your time guessing.
4. Light show
Flashlights are really wonderful toys. Here’s another idea with them (Pink Floyd soundtrack in the background is optional).
-Turn all the lights off.
-Lay on your back, this time, eyes are open.
-Give the kids flashlights.
-They are in charge of creating a light show on the ceiling, finger shadows are encouraged.
5. Measurement game
-Give the children a ruler and/or measuring tape.
-Lay down with your eyes closed.
-The children are responsible for measuring how tall you are and how long your different body parts are.
If they’re old enough, they can also fill out a data log on you. (ex. Mommy’s feet are 8 inches long, Daddy’s nose is three inches long).
6. Day Spa
-Give the children your hairbrush, and any hair accessories you have on hand.
-Lay back on the couch with your eyes closed.
-They are in charge of brushing and fixing your hair.
-Ooh and ahh when they are done.
7. Guessing Game
-Lay down on your stomach with your eyes closed.
-Have the children trace different letters or shapes on your back.
-You have to guess what they are drawing.
Variation: You can also ask the children to walk on your back.
My niece walking on my husband and sister-in-laws backs one past Thanksgiving visit.
8. Scavenger Hunt
This game may involve a little pre-planning and some talking.
-Give the children a bag and a list of 10 things they need to find around the house (ex. something red, something fuzzy, something magnetic).
-Lay on your back with your eyes closed telling them you are going to count to 200.
-Children need to run around finding all the objects and can’t come back until they’ve found all of them or you reach 200.
9. Art Studio
-Give the children some art supplies, tell them you are going to be a “still life.”
-Lay down with your eyes closed. (The children can feel free to add props on top of you).
-Have the children draw your portrait.
-Hang it up on the fridge when done.
Variation: If you don’t mind getting messy, give the children washable markers to draw on you (another variation is giving children makeup to apply on your face).
10. Erupting volcano
(Requires some movement)
-Lay on your back with your eyes closed.
-The kids are responsible for covering you with as many pillow and blankets they can find in the house.
-When you’re good and covered – ERUPT – and all the pillows and blankets go flying.
-Repeat until they tire of the game.
Be prepared for the children to want a turn as well.
If you are too tired to move, but still want to play with your kids, I hope you find these games helpful.
😉
by admin | Jan 20, 2019 | location scouting, photography
As part of the booking process, I ask questions to determine the best location for a family.
- What part of town do they live in?
- Would they prefer a nature or urban setting?
- Do they have a favorite spot to go as a family?
- Any other details to help determine where to go?
For an extended family session next month, I was asked for a spot that is wheelchair-accessible, close to Pflugerville and has space for 14 family members.
Challenge accepted!
First step, Google image search.
Second step, start scouting.
I decided to go visit the Green Red Barn in Heritage Park in Pflugerville with my sister-in-law. Thanks so much, Allison!
- Handicap accessible in multiple spots? Check
- Variety of backgrounds for multiple family combinations? Check
- Easy parking, away from the road and restrooms for the kids? Check
- Lots of space? Check
- Ding, ding, ding – we have a winner!
Between the Red Barn as a backdrop, to the metal building next door to the Heritage Museum on the same lot – lots of good options to be found at this location.
When we went to location scout, it was VERY windy.
And I think I would go back 1-2 hours later in the day to get some different light options (closer to golden hour).
If you’re looking for a similar spot, make sure to check out the list of events around town – this space is also bookable (used for Farmer’s Markets and Weddings, etc.)
And if you live near Pflugerville and want your own family photos, contact me:
by admin | Jan 18, 2019 | photography, spring
What are my favorite locations for Spring Family Photo Sessions in Austin?
Hint: They involve wildflowers.
If you’re looking for a spot for your own family photos – and remembering that wildflower crops can vary from year to year, going from North to South, here’s where I recommend:
1. Balcones District Park
12017 Amherst Dr, Austin, TX 78759
My favorite bluebonnet spot in North Austin is Balcones District Park. You can find a large field that runs against Duval Rd. as well as bluebonnets near the playground closer to Amherst Dr.
Parking: yes, parking lot
Bathrooms: yes
Kid and pet-friendly: yes
2. Northwest Park
7000 Ardath St, Austin, TX 78757
On the Shoal Creek side of this park, you can find bluebonnets and then mixed wildflowers growing under and around the metal bridge throughout the Spring season.
Parking: yes, lot and street
Bathrooms: yes
Kid and pet-friendly: yes
3. St. Edwards Park
7301 Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78759
In Northwest Austin – you can visit St. Edward’s Park. Along their trails you can find large patches of wildflowers – peaking closer to May.
Parking: yes
Bathrooms: no
Kid and pet-friendly: yes
4. Southwest Greenway at Mueller Development
2501 Tom Miller St, Austin, TX 78723
The Southwest Greenway at Mueller has restored Texas blackland prairie that incorporates native plants in partnership with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Parking: street
Bathrooms: yes but not very close
Kid and pet-friendly: yes
5. Lady Bird Lake
Hike and Bike Trail – park near Austin High School (1715 Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78703)
My favorite bluebonnet spot farther South is along the hike & bike trail. If you park near Austin High School and walk on the hike & bike trail towards the baseball fields – just beyond the baseball fields, you’ll find a large patch of wildflowers.
Parking: yes, school lot on weekends or pay for street parking during the week
Bathrooms: yes
Kid and pet-friendly: yes
6. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
4801 La Crosse Ave, Austin, TX 78739
Multiple spots at this botanical garden can provide beautiful backdrops for your photos. The Wildflower Center has an admission fee as well as a photography fee if you’re hiring a professional. Make sure to read their guidelines here. They also have a Bluebonnet FAQ.
Parking: yes
Bathrooms: yes
Kid and pet-friendly: kids – yes; pets – service animals only
7. Circle C Metropolitan Park
6301 W Slaughter Ln, Austin, TX 78739
In the same neck of the woods as the Wildflower Center down South – you can visit the Circle C Metropolitan Park. Along their trails you can find large patches of bluebonnets.
Parking: yes
Bathrooms: yes, near the sports fields
Kid and pet-friendly: yes
Other good locations for Spring wildflowers (some outside of Austin) include:
- Brushy Creek Park – 3300 Brushy Creek Rd, Cedar Park, TX 78613
- Old Settlers Park (by the intramural fields) – 3300 E Palm Valley Blvd, Round Rock, TX 78665
- McKinney Falls State Park – 5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy, Austin, TX 78744
- Pace Bend Park – 2011 Pace Bend Rd N, Spicewood, TX 78669
- Wildseed Farms – 100 Legacy Dr, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
- St. Edward’s University – 3001 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
- 45th and Bull Creek – Austin, TX 78731 (now under renovation as The Grove)
- Sweet Eats Fruit Farm – 14400 East State Highway 29, Georgetown, TX 78626
Sweet Eats Fruit Farm – peach trees in bloom
Texas Parks and Wildlife also has you covered with their Pinterest Page with Where to See Wildflowers.
If you’d like your photos taken in the bluebonnets or just want a Spring Family Photo Session, contact me.
Hope to see you in the flowers!
by admin | Jan 10, 2019 | location scouting, photography
Bull Creek District Trail
One of my New Years Resolutions is to go on more hikes. The kids love them (collecting sticks! throwing rocks in creeks! climbing over boulders!) – and this time of year (January – April) is one of the most pleasant seasons to be outside in Austin (if you’re not in a body of water).
And besides enjoying the trails, visiting these spots doubles as location scouting since all of them make great settings for family photo sessions. Things I keep in mind when picking a place to go as a family – we want easy parking, bathrooms if possible, not too crowded and trails around 1-3 miles long (your own criteria may vary).
If you’re looking for kid-friendly hiking spots in and around Austin (or want ideas for where you next family photos should be), here are my Top 10 favorites:
Bull Creek District Trail
1. Bull Creek District Trail
Bull Creek – Our favorite and most visited park. There are boulders you can climb (near the small parking lot). There’s about a mile hiking trail that goes along the water. Bull Creek is also a favorite location I use for family photo sessions. (We’ve had our own family photos taken here twice)
Address: 6701 Lakewood Dr., Austin, TX 78731
Parking: two lots
Bathroom: yes
Balcones District Park
2. Balcones District Park
Balcones District Park – Another kid-friendly park with a small playground and pool (only open in Summer). It’s also where I take 75% of my wildflower portraits each Spring.
Address: 12017 Amherst Dr, Austin, TX 78759
Parking: yes
Bathroom: yes
St. Edwards Park
3. St. Edwards Park
St. Edwards Park – This 80-acre park has criss-crossing trails that can take you by the water or not. Keep an eye out for their small waterfall.
Address: 7301 Spicewood Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78759
Parking: yes (small lot)
Bathroom: no
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
4. Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve – Wild Basin is part of the Balcones Canyonland Preserve, and it’s 227 acres of Hill Country woodland. Did you know you could apply to be an Artist in Residence there? (which led me down a rabbit hole of researching other Texas artist residency programs – see some options here).
Address: 805 North Capital of Texas Highway
Parking: yes
Bathroom: yes
River Place Nature Trail
5. River Place Fern Trail
River Place Fern Trail – We’ve only made one trip out to this trail so far, but have plans to definitely head back soon. There’s a lovely playground across the street we ended up at as well.
Address: 8820 Big View Dr, Austin, TX 78730
Parking: yes
Bathroom: yes (at playground across the street)
Common Ford Ranch Park
6. Common Ford Ranch Park
Common Ford Ranch Park – Large open field, boathouse and dock on Lake Austin – never crowded. You can also rent the ranch house/pool there.
Address: 614 N Commons Ford Rd, Austin, TX 78733
Parking: yes
Bathroom: yes (port-a-potty)
Lady Bird Lake – Hike and Bike Trail
7. Lady Bird Lake – Hike and Bike Trail
Lady Bird Lake – Hike and Bike Trail – Honestly it stresses me out a little to take the kids hiking here since it’s always so crowded – so we’re more likely to rent canoes and enjoy the lake from the water or just hit the patches of wildflowers by the baseball fields instead.
Address: multiple entry points
Parking: yes
Bathroom: yes
Circle C Ranch Park
8. Circle C Ranch Park
Circle C Ranch Park – A bit south for us to go regularly, but still a nice walk and does get lovely wildflowers some years.
Address: 6301 W Slaughter Ln, Austin, TX 78739
Parking: yes
Bathroom: yes
McKinney Falls State Park
9. McKinney Falls State Park
McKinney Falls State Park – Roughly 20-30 minutes from Austin, and it has an admission charge. But enjoy nine miles of trails to explore around Onion Creek. Good for bluebonnets as well.
Address: 5808 McKinney Falls Pkwy, Austin, TX 78744
Parking: yes
Bathroom: yes
Pedernales Falls State Park
10. Pedernales Falls State Park
Pedernales Falls State Park – Roughly an hour drive outside of Austin, also has an admission charge – but such a beautiful spot! I can’t get over the stunning color of the water. Swim, hike, climb over the limestone rocks – and then hop over to the Hill Country Science Mill in Johnson City to make a full day of it (a winning combo we’ve done at least three other times).
Address: 2585 Park Rd 6026, Johnson City, TX 78636
Parking: yes
Bathroom: yes
Those are our Top 10 favorite hikes in and around Austin.
Other spots we’ve enjoyed that I recommend visiting with kids are Inks Lake State Park and Enchanted Rock State Park.
Inks Lake State Park
Enchanted Rock State Park
And finally, five more Parks near Austin on my list to explore this year include:
- Pace Bend State Park – Better save with one for the summer when we can go swim as well.
- Bastrop State Park– We could also visit Bastrop’s Dinosaur Park since we’ve never been there either.
- Palmetto State Park – We could all take portraits by the dwarf palmettos. It’d also be fun to rent a paddling boat or canoe for the paddling tour
- Lockhart State Park – Need to add a stop for BBQ in town as well
- Westcave Preserve – Heart eyes seeing pics of that grotto, need to see it in person – they only offer guided tours.
Have a spot to recommend or want to book your own family photos in one of these locations? Contact me.
by admin | Jan 2, 2019 | advice / tips, photography
Happy New Year! Are you a fan of New Year’s Resolutions? I am, I like to think of them as a great time to make a list and plan for the future. I start with the “what.” As in, WHAT do I want to get out of this year?
For me, it’s to learn new skills, grow my business, create often and feel a part of the local community.
Then comes the “how.” As in, HOW am I going to reach these goals? I want to be specific and measurable. Well, here’s what I have in mind…
Join a Creative Community
Join a local creative community and attend 4-6 meetings/year. Some groups I’m considering in the Austin area are: Rising Tide, Creative Mornings, ClickinMoms (I went to a few meet-ups last year – it’s a very friendly bunch), BossBabesATX, ATXconnection mixer. Let me know if you’re a member of any of these groups (or have another one to recommend). Next steps, RSVPing for a January meet-up.
Take photo classes
Take one photo class per quarter (either in-person or online). Some places I’m considering for online classes are Creative Live, Click Photo School and Lynda.com. Next steps, making a list of classes I’d like to take.
Keep doing personal work
Keep doing personal photo work every month. This could be documentary photos of the kids or portfolio building with new locations or ideas I want to try. Next steps, list and calendar out project ideas. (I have that colored powder I bought for the holidays just asking to be photographed with).
Get in the photos
Get in the photo myself – at least once a month. As the family documentarian, I am woefully underrepresented in our year-end albums. I need to give up some of that control and hand over the phone (to family) and hire a professional (at least once a year) so I’m a part of my family’s story. Next steps, book our 2019 family photo session and hand off my phone this week.
Volunteer as a photographer
Volunteer my photography skills to the kids’ school. I plan on (continuing to) photograph the class parties this year as well as donating a family photo session to the school fundraiser. Next steps, think about other ways I can volunteer my photo skills to the school community.
Find better light
It’s safe to photograph in flat light or golden hour. I want to seek out shooting at other times of the day – and play around more with light. This includes: practicing with double exposures, shooting through prisms, and photographing a high noon. Next steps, block out time to experiment with light.
Blog consistently
Most of last year, I would only blog when posting a photo session. But last month, I started writing blog posts with other types of content – Exploring Art in Austin with Kids, Throwback Thursday About Me, and How to Build a Photo Story. And I loved it. So this year, I want to continue that trend (blog family sessions but also write about other photo topics that interest me). Next steps, write out a list of 10-12 topics I want to blog about this year.
Book more Sessions
Last November, I shared some metrics on my Instagram feed. I wanted to look at my numbers around bookings, expenses and profits. One of my take-aways from that analysis is that I’d like to increase my bookings by 10-15%. Next steps, keep learning, shooting and sharing and plan that more business will come.
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What are your goals for 2019? Contact me if they include photography.
Having small children is exhausting. They have so much more energy than we do. To burn off that energy, we take ours on hikes or swimming or have family dance parties. But then I often say to my husband:
