First off, our apologies for the lack of updates lately–we spent the last week in San Diego with James’ entire family, celebrating his grandmother’s 90th birthday and just generally having fun.  Stay tuned for images from that, as well as more updates about what else has been taking up a good deal of our time lately–moving into the new Enchanted studio (again, stay tuned for images!).

Now that I have that off my chest, on to more important things, like the lovely Perdue family.  We knew photographing this family would be a fun challenge, as they described wanting anything but “typical.”  They showed up fabulously frocked and up for anything; when I say anything, I mean anything.  Their session was on one of the windiest days in recent memory.  Thankfully a little wind and chill didn’t intimidate them!  We ended up down by the train tracks, and found a spot under the bridge that we first went to in an effort to block the wind, but found out it had more merit than just blocking the wind.  Just for fun at the end, we went further down the tracks.  Literally a minute or two after telling them that trains never come by when we’re down there, lo and behold, a train began approaching.  Jackpot!  Our favorite images (and theirs) of the day came as a result of this happy accident.  I should also mention, even though obvious through the images, that miss S was quite the show-stopper.  Thanks to the Perdue family for sticking with us through the cold and wind–it was worth it!  In fact, we loved one of their images so much that it is hanging in the gallery of our new studio…

Meet Isabel.  When we met with her at her design consultation, she brought a wonderful variety of outfits, from soft to edgy to editorial/catalog looks. Every one perfectly planned, we made sure we matched the environment to her look.  Ran into some interesting “onlookers” downtown that gave us a laugh, then it was out to the fields for a softer look.  Thank you Isabel for being so confident in front of the camera, it really showed in these images.  Here are some faves.

Meet Taylor, class of 2011.  Knew this was going to be a fun session when we spent just as much time discussing America’s Next Top Model as we did Taylor’s clothes at her design consultation.  And it showed.  She certainly had no trouble in front of the camera. And those boots…

Fantastic job Taylor, see you at sushi!

Faves.

Meet Kelsea.  Kelsea came to us in an unusual way, her aunt went to high school with Stef and saw our work on facebook.  Crazy small world.

Now on to Kelsea.  Bravo on her outfits!  I really had a tough time not spending too much time with that purple hat…gorgeous!!  And then of course the cowboy hat…

We spent the afternoon running through every possible emotion to get these incredible images.  Confident, whimsical, curious, vulnerable, beautiful…she got them all.  Grandma was along for the session and was just as excited about it as Kelsea.  Thank you both for this great time.

Some faves.

Afin d’être irremplaçable, on doit toujours être différent.  “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”  – Gabrielle Chanel

Meet Lindsay, class of 2011.  And different she was.

Full of international inspiration, everything about Lindsay’s session seemed editorial.  From the moment we met her, we could just tell she was ready to get out and see the world.  Between Lindsay and her mom, I don’t know who was more excited about her session.  It of course went swimmingly, and Lindsay was full of surprises.  Super animated!  We kind of lost track of time and shot till the sun was gone, but she was a trooper and braved the chilly temperature and the dark.  I’m glad she did.

Here are some faves:

Round two of our castle senior sessions this time starring Kyla, a ballerina.  I will admit, it did take some coaxing to talk Kyla’s mom into a senior portrait session in a dilapidated castle but when she arrived, she knew we were all in for something special.

It took no coaxing at all however for Kyla to dance and float about room to room (yes including the haunted one) and give a stunning performance in front of the lens.  The light and texture of this place is always incredible and it contrasted fantastically with Kyla’s wardrobe.  We photographed until dark (even a bit later than that) and still didn’t even scratch the surface of this enormous building.

Thank you Kyla for your gracefulness and your fearless attitude, it was another magical day for me.

Some faves.

Meet Kayla – class of 2011.  Fashionable and fun, Kayla brought lots of clothing/accessory goodies to her session.  And those wedges…

Once again, there was more light chasing and some travels down alleys.  Her makeup was generously provided by her aunt and it was gorgeous!  Thanks Kayla!

Some faves.

Meet Jessie – class of 2011.  Jessie had a few different looks in mind for her session so we mixed things up a little.  We started around town and for the most part, I looked for interesting places while Jessie got into the role.  Then it was off to the grassy fields for a softer look.  She brought her older sister Tara along who acted as wardrobe assistant, hair advisor, and yes, a mobile clothing rack.   Tara was also supposed to be an expression coach but as you can see, Jessie did quite well on her own.  I thought she did a fabulous job pairing her clothing with the environment and expressions to match.  The session ended with us literally chasing light before it disappeared, and we caught some magical moments.  Here are some faves.

Meet Ciara – class of 2011.  A future beauty school student, Ciara really knew how to tailor her look.  She brought the perfect clothing for a mix of some studio drama, and then it was outside to chase some light.  I particularly liked her dreamy look in this set.  Great job Ciara.  And thanks Julia B for the recommendation!

some faves.

Meet Jaimie, class of 2010.  Yes…class of 2010.  We were quite surprised this year how many last minute 2010 seniors there were.  Jaimie was referred to us by her cousin Kayla, who is now undoubtedly packing for University of Oklahoma.  Thanks Kayla!

Once again, Jaimie knew the look she was after and planned her outfits perfectly.  It also helped that the sun completely cooperated and was glowing in exactly the right places.  And how about them boots!  Jaimie acted quite shy at first, but in no time at all was easy to coax out some of these incredible looks.  She also brought some friends along to make sure she was being herself.  Thanks Jaimie!

Some faves.