Austin

The Family You Choose

After almost 15 years, the categories of photography in which I've earned experience points are almost too many to list. 

Hey, let's try, though: Wedding, concert, event, sports, newborn, maternity, family, engagements, proposals, product, lifestyle, landscape, pets, corporate head shots, food, senior portraits, and real estate. 

Then of course there's the newer categories like dating profile portraits and social media brand photography. But one of my favorites that I rarely get the chance to shoot is the elusive "best friend shoot."

The first time the idea was posed to me, I asked for clarification. I met Laura and her best friend at the National Zoo in DC, followed them around for an hour and documented what they did, with a few posed shots sprinkled in.

Fast-forward a few years to my time in Austin, and the friends shoots have kept coming, but this time set against the backdrop of Ladybird Johnson Lake, South Congress, and the East 6th Street Murals.

Above the Boardwalk

Almost two years ago, I visited Austin, Texas, for the first time. And one of the first things I did was check out the Boardwalk along Ladybird Lake/Town Lake /the Colorado River. (We really need to make up our minds.) 

Today marks exactly one year that I've been living in Austin, and what better way to commemorate it than with a maternity shoot on that same Boardwalk. We got started a little late for this sunset shoot, but Emily glowed nonetheless. 

A DC Tog in Dixie: Feeling Rustic in Wells Branch

It's 2018! But I want to write about last November! #laterblog

November 2017 was a marathon month of family photography sessions, which gave me the chance to explore new locations outside of central Austin. My favorite, up in the 'burbs, was Katherine Fleischer Park in Wells Branch.

It's kiiind of a hike from one end to the other, but it's packed with things to do - playground, pool, community center, and all manner of sportsball fields and courts. But the big draw for me was a gorgeous covered gazebo and the rustic backdrop of the Gault Homestead, located near the entrance. 

Huge kudos are due to Trudy Y. and her family, not just for introducing this Austin-area newbie to the park (sometimes referred to as simply Wells Branch Park) but for their impressive color coordination.  Click through to view some of my favorites from the day below!

A DC Tog in Dixie: Another City, Another Capitol

Having moved Time and Place Photography from our nation’s capital, it almost feels like kismet that my first session in Texas would take place not only in the capital city, but at the Texas State Capitol building.

With business ramping up before I had the chance to buy a car, I had to bike to the center of downtown Austin on the morning of my shoot with Komal and her family. Approaching the capitol from the north, I was taken aback. My plan had been to shoot the family’s portrait in the main walkway leading to the entrance, but I found myself distracted by the tree-lined paths, the deep, rust-colored façade, and the unexpected scale of the building itself. To call the Texas State Capitol Building a smaller version of the U.S. Capitol is both unimaginative and incorrect.

Fortunately, there was no shortage of opportunities to explore. Komal, her husband Vinesh, mother, and two children came prepared with outfit changes, and our session was the family’s third visit to the Capitol that week alone. I was in the driver’s seat, but I had a car full of knowledgeable navigators.

Family Portrait Texas Capitol

In the end, I got my shot in front of the Capitol, but, as with all my shoots, the most beautiful moments were the unexpected – Komal’s two children embracing on a secluded bench, and the family prepping for their next shot in front of a historic tree.

My favorite? This gem of the family finding something new and surprising in a place they already knew so well, forgetting for just a moment that I was there.

Komal and Family Texas Capitol 2

 

I understood how they felt. As I continue to settle and build my business in Austin, the Capitol feels familiar, reminding me of my own Capitol back home, but new, thrilling me by the possibilities of what’s ahead.

Family Shoot Texas Capitol

A DC Tog in Dixie: Welcome to Austin

Confession: Despite six years as a journalist and another five as a copy editor (AKA "rehabilitated journalist"), this is my first blog. 

Yes, with a glass of wine (not my first) close by for safety, I'm sitting down in my new apartment in Austin, Texas, to blog for the very first time. I ask all three of you reading to bear with me. 

2017 has been a year of firsts for me - as every year should - including my first time living off the East Coast. After five years in Florida, 20 in Virginia and five in Washington, DC, I have officially become a Texan. An Austinite. A North Looper, to be specific. As such, naming my blog "A DC Tog in Dixie" seemed only fitting. 

Time and Place Photography is new to Austin, but my portrait work has a long life. I focus (pun absolutely never intended) on natural, candid moments and try to bring out the best in my sessions by keeping them relaxed and fun. Expect to see examples of my work here, along with continued self-deprecating comments about my blogging abilities. 

Looking forward to getting to know you, Austin!

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