I love it when my friends call me to take their photos. Not specifically Jake and Jess, but in general. It takes pressure off of me, there's usually a lot of laughs, and more often than not, they end up being my new favorite photos. Enter Jake and Jess. We tentatively planned their maternity shoot, because Jessi's water broke super early during her first pregnancy, resulting in a month long hospital stay, ON BEDREST, NEVER LEAVING THE ROOM. Hud was born at 33 weeks, and today, you would never know he was born a second earlier than full term. In spite of all the muck of the first pregnancy, we have all remained cautiously optimistic about the new baby making it full term. So far, so good! Once we realized Jess was going make it past 33 weeks, we scheduled the shoot for 33 weeks, 1 day, which is when Hud was born!

Much of the shoot involved Jessi alternating rolling her eyes between me and Jake for our hysterical, albeit sometimes terrible jokes. Attempting to pose them was the bane of my existence, as Jake kept saying things like "I feel like this pose makes us look like we're just friends..." or "Does this pose showcase my mustache?" Eventually, I figured out that if Jacob was in the photo, all I had to do was wait for him to do something natural, then yell "DON'T MOVE."

Jessi is a natural and I didn't have to coach her at all. This shot was actually totally candid, as Jake hopped in the shot to be funny and she was relaxed and waiting for me to set light. I don't know why, but it's one of my favorites from the entire shoot. 

The recent rains gave this shot an illusion of water, which was more than dreamy for these dock type shots. I loved the overcast sky, partnered with the red foliage and creepy shack in the background.

Candid black and white photos. Few things bring me more joy.

I would summarize this shot as 95% of the pictures on the card when I uploaded them. Get it together, Jacob. 

To Summarize: You are Beyonce. Always.

I love you guys. I can't wait to see that sweet boy and capture your "Fresh 48!" Which, contrary to popular belief, is not a shoot based on the murder show. 

Life in the Fast Lane(s)

It is sincerely the utmost compliment to my work when client's call me for repeat photos. You kind of come to expect people use you once, then see another photographer's work pop up the next holiday season. I don't necessarily find this to be a bad thing, either. A different photographer is going to catch different sides to your family. I love that aspect. I love celebrating #communityovercompetition. But if we're being honest, it will always thrill me when you message me for another set of photos.

When I met Cody and Grace last year, she was annoyingly tall and had the sweetest little baby bump. I took one of my top three favorite maternity photos to date that blistering July day, and when her name popped up on my phone in January, I jumped up and down with glee. Because despite the fact that they're both devastatingly beautiful, they're genuinely good people. They're hysterical, and their bloopers are almost always better than their portraits. They are welcoming, humble, and an example of the friends I try to keep around me. And as if that wasn't enough, Grace just gave birth to the squishiest, sweetest, most precious baby in the land, Weston.

I love you, Lanes. I'll take your photos for as long as you'll let me. Also, here's a side-by-side of that famous photo, and sweet Weston in his Mama's arms. Can't handle it.

Sara is FINALLY engaged!

Let me tell you a little story.

Once upon a time, in a tiny town in Texas, there lived one of the sweetest little country boys around...We'll call him Gustin Jarrett. Gustin was in love with a girl named... Fara... and dated her for literally ten million years. Eventually, their beloved friends and family began to tease about when the two would get engaged. A year or so later, the teasing became legitimate questioning. Then the questioning became righteous anger. 

Eventually, a certain number of months later, a certain photographer... let's call her Baylea... intervened. She started viciously harassing Gustin about proposing, and exactly five hundred years later, he text her one day. "Hey, it's going down on Sunday. Wanna be my picture taker?" and then Baylea fell down dead in the floor. May she rest in peace.

Of course, none of this story is real. It was just a short story.

Except it was partially true. I'm still in total shock that SARA IS FINALLY ENGAGED! I was so happy and elated and blessed to capture the whole thing. That Justin. You made it all worth the wait. You little charmer, you. 

This was the set-up. This question mark was made by Justin and I get weepy each time I look at it. One of their family members remarked that the same question mark could be used at a gender reveal for a future baby Garrett. And I'm basically still in a puddle on the floor. 

Because what is life without a ring shot? On a bible. In a horse shoe. STOP IT, JUSTIN.

Sara saw me and instantly started crying. She knew what was happening. We've both informed Justin over the past ten million years that if he didn't call me when he proposed, she would say no. Fortunately for us, he didn't call our bluff. 

Sara had no chill, and it was adorable. 

About this point, Sara looked up and into the barn and saw her ENTIRE FAMILY there watching the whole thing go down. It's my very favorite picture of the night. 

Hi, family!

Then we of course took some portraits with the world's most photogenic horse, the sunset, and her man's handy work. It was the perfect proposal. Done at just the perfect time. Despite our grumblings. Stay tuned for more of these two! Their engagements will be stunning... cause, I mean, look at them.