Mom's Cruise 2014

I just got back from my cruise to Cozumel with 21 other crazy and fun mama's from Austin, TX. It was so fun to get away, sleep in, be served breakfast, lunch and dinner and not have to think about doing one errand, chore or clean! The weather was a bit iffy when we left Galveston but by the time we made it to Cozumel it was hot, sunny and perfect. A group of us had booked a beach get away from the cruise ship and it was awesome! We did get a bonus day on the ship due to heavy fog once we returned to Galveston. They had closed the port so we couldn't dock so we literally got to stay an extra day/night on the ship. Here's a few pics from my trip taken with my point and shoot camera :).
The hairdryer looked like a small vacuum attached to the wall.

I'm Back!!!

I'm back from my cruise and I've hit the pavement running. I'm trying out a new lead distributor called Thumbtack: Brandi Nellis Photography, LLC. Have you heard of them?

Out of the office

I will be out of the office from Thursday, February 20th, 2014 through MOnday, February 24th, 2014. I will be returning to work on Tuesday, February 25th.

Lisa's 50th Birthday Bash!

I photographed a fun 50th birthday party last week and wanted to put a few shots up on the blog so they could see. The ladies all looked so pretty, the fire was burning in the fire place, the bartender was shaking up the cocktails and there was a lot of laughter going on!

Spring Waterways Magazine Cover

The spring issue of Waterways Magazine came out this past week so I wanted to share with you my latest cover that I photographed. Eloise DeJoria is the model and they wrote a really nice article about her and all of her work she's involved in. Unfortunately, I didn't recieve both pages to the cover story so I can't post that but feel free to go to the Waterways Magazine website and view it there. We did the shoot on her 96 acre ranch out in Dripping Springs, TX where they are raising exotic animals. The view from their home is the background you see in the cover shot. The house sits upon a huge rock cliff and has that amazing view of the Fitzhugh River...stunning! Once again, I found myself in the most precarious spot during the shoot(on the edge of giant cliff) to get that "money" shot.

Flower Power!

Every month, I compete in a print competition with my peers in the Austin Professional Photographers Association. Usually, I'm under the gun and flying by the seat of my pants so I'll just pick a photo that I've taken recently that I think might do well in the competition. WEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLL, our association keeps growing and there are quite a few people competing and the competition is tough so it's time for me to step up my game. I've decided I'm going to have to put more effort into it if I'm ever going to win again. This was my first attempt at putting together a shoot specifically for the competition. While I didn't win, I love how these photos turned out of my friend Vicki. She looks so beautiful and did an amazing job modeling for me that day!

New Year Headshots

Noemi and Corey are good friends who have a lot of fun together. Noemi contacted me about setting up some headshots for her friend Corey who's thinking about dabbling in some acting/modeling. I met them a few weeks ago at the park and our adventure started. Well, my adventure actually started a few hours before hand...this was my first week back to the gym and I had done BodyPump two days before. My muscles had been sore the day after my work out but nothing too crazy. Friday rolls around (which is the day of our shoot) and I feel great! I run a few errands, do some photo work and about 2 hours before my hip starts to smart a bit. Then, as I try to come down the stairs I realize I have to hop on one foot b/c I can't put any pressure on that leg. It's excruciating! I'm like, "What the hell did I do to my hip? And, how am I going to get through this shoot if I have to drag one leg behind me like a ghostly Halloween creature?" I pop some ibuprofen and decide to weather through the pain. On arrival, I'm meeting Noemi and Corey for the first time and they are two young pups in their mid 20's and I have to let them know up front why I may be dragging my right leg around during our shoot and that they may have to rescue me if I fall down and can't get up! We ended up finding some nice spots in the park by the water, by the trees and some good sun reflections and all the while my leg quits hurting. At one point, Corey changes into his jeans and drops trow right by the road while a Circle C mom drives by in her suburban giving a big honk on her horn and I truly believe it was out of approval and not to give notice that a car was coming. Haha! I had a fun time with these two and we had a lot of laughs and got a lot of great shots. I ended up taking a few "friend" shots at the end and I think they sum up their relationship that is filled with alot of laughter! With out further adieu, here's Corey & Noemi! Oh, and by the way my hip never hurt again. It was the weirdest thing ever!