Every now and then I like to take a break from talking about newborn photography stuff and just post some regular tidbits from my life, so today I thought I’d offer up my personal review of Stitch Fix. Stitch Fix is, according to their website, “the affordable and accessible personal styling service” that sends five items to your doorstep for $20. You can use this $20 to purchase item(s) from your box. If you purchase all 5 items in the box you receive a 25% discount off your total bill. Any items you don’t purchase can be sent back to Stitch Fix completely free in a prepaid envelope. So basically if you hate everything in the box and return all items you are only out the $20 styling fee. If you love everything you are out whatever the cost of the items is, minus your existing $20 investment. I heard buzz about this company for years now, but given that since 2011 I’ve been at home I did not really think it was something that I could justify spending money on. However, the buzz has grown stronger and louder over the past few months, and I recently got involved with a Facebook thread in my Moms League group where a bunch of Stitch Fix users were talking about their experiences. I decided to take the plunge and go ahead and schedule a Stitch Fix box. [Read more…]
Roanoke Family Photographer l Blurb Book Review
I wrote a few months back about how I prepare a family yearbook and have it professionally printed. I am a huge advocate of printing and organizing your family photos–whether that means just printing stacks of 4x6s and putting them in archive boxes or preparing a family yearbook album the way I do. The only downside I have found to my family yearbook strategy is that the books are so expensive, even when on sale or using my photographer’s discount, that I really have to be choosy in what images I want to place inside. So, I have been on a quest to find an alternative way to print out lots of images per year and keep them all together. Thus, when I came across Blurb books I was really excited. [Read more…]
Roanoke Family Photographer l Being In Your Family Photos
Me & my mom, circa 1985.
I kicked off Mother’s Day weekend with a “Muffins with Moms” program at my son’s preschool. He is 3 and this was the first time I’ve actually seen him sing during a program instead of standing there like a deer in headlights, so it was pretty fun actually. Plus it was pretty cool to enjoy the happiness part of letting my son eat donuts and muffins and then leaving him at school for his teachers to deal with the chaotic sugar-high aftermath—he he.
Here is our “Muffins with Moms” selfie:
We are so fortunate to have access to amazing technology that allows us to take selfies with our kids. In this particular photo I am wearing makeup and have my hair done, so I look like an actual person. There are many days at home though where I’m not quite as camera ready and I still try to take photos with my son. I may not share those on Facebook or Instagram, but they exist for our family documentation.
I want to encourage moms this Mother’s Day to make certain you take photos WITH your kids—not just OF your kids. Much of a mother’s work goes unseen—most people don’t see the behind the scenes work: all that time I spend price-matching groceries week to week so we can have affordable, healthy food; hunting down coupons for StrideRite so we don’t pay our mortgage away for my son’s XL wide shoes; setting up dentist, doctor and other appointments for everyone in the family; scouring the Internet for hours researching schools, vacations, developmental milestones; putting together teacher appreciation gifts; planning birthday parties; staying up during bad weather so I’ll be alert and ready if my son is scared or if we need to take shelter; grabbing tickets to the Thomas the Train ride before they’re sold out—all of this is mostly invisible. I’m sure some of this is recognized on a level, and having a happy, healthy little boy is all the thanks I ever need. But, it is important to have some documentation of me sitting right beside the rest of my family and not just being the behind the scene production manager. I know I can’t be here forever and no one knows how their days on Earth are numbered, so I want to make sure I have something tangible to offer of our memories together. There are times I am not perfect to look at, but that’s okay. I need to get over myself because it’s not just about me being perfect—it’s about how just being together is all the perfection we need. [Read more…]
Ft Worth Newborn Photographer |2015 Bluebonnets Holden
Trophy Club Newborn Photographer l Behind the Scenes Editing Showcase
Final Image
I’m just getting started with processing Miss A’s newborn session gallery and had to share this behind the scenes editing showcase video. Technology is so nifty–with the help of my awesome hubs, I was able to record my computer screen while editing an image from my most recent newborn session. Of course, I sped things up a bit for viewing, but it is so cool to go back and watch the editing process. Hopefully this isn’t a huge bore to my non-Photoshop aficionados.
Miss A is so precious she really didn’t need any actual editing, so what you are mainly seeing is me working with some overlays, vignettes and gradients to give the surrounding blanket some extra buttery softness. Enjoy this peek behind the scenes of my newborn editing process!
H. Parker Photography specializes in newborn, baby and child photography in Trophy Club, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, Ft Worth and Roanoke.
Trophy Club Child Photographer | Holden, 3 Years Old
Sorry in advance for the over-sharing, but as a Momtographer, how could I resist posting photos from my own little dude’s 3 year session?
His birthday is technically tomorrow, but I know I have some special things planned for him and I do not plan on being around my computer so today is my day to blast the world with some cuteness overload.
I actually took these photos toward the mid/end of November right after a horrible cold snap. I know, I was a bad photographer Mom for not planning enough in advance to beat the cold and windy weather, but October and November are my super busy season and it was everything I could do to squeeze in an afternoon of photos with my own boy and husband. This is a yearly tradition for us–indulging the Mama in a big photo spree–part to document Holden’s birthday each year and also to capture some Christmas card worthy stuff of the family. Photos were taken at the Bear Creek Park, just a short drive from our home in Roanoke, TX.
I have been extremely careful NOT to teach Holden the word “cheese” for photo-taking. It only produces fake smiles and is really one of the worst things you can do as far as capturing candid, organic moments with your kids. Unfortunately, my attempts have been in vain because someone at his school DID teach him “cheese” and now any time I attempt to take a picture I get that same plastered grin. It’s just the age he’s at, and I accept that…but I was still glad I brought along a fun pedal car from Rent My Dust and some tasty marshmallows and gingerbread cookies to encourage his sweet smile.
Enjoy the abundance of photos from my little guy’s three year session. To see more, CLICK HERE.
H. Parker Photography specializes in newborn, baby and child photography in Trophy Club, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, Ft Worth and Roanoke.
Trophy Club Child Photographer |Miss A’s Simply Sparkle Mini
A big thanks to my lovely model, Miss A, for visiting this morning and demonstrating my “Simply Sparkle” Christmas Mini 2014 setup. Christmas Mini’s will be held November 16th at my in-home studio in Roanoke. I have four remaining slots, so make sure to book ASAP if you want to grab a spot. Just a quick FYI- sessions are 20 minutes long, so if you have more than 3 kiddos you will need to grab two spots back-to-back.
H. Parker Photography specializes in newborn, baby and child photography in Trophy Club, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, Ft Worth and Roanoke.
Trophy Club Family Photographer |Parker Beach Trip 2014
I can’t resist sharing some photos from our recent family vacation to Orange Beach. We had a lovely time traveling with our good friends and their little boy, who is 1 1/2.
This was also a great chance for me to try out my latest lens acquisition–a Sigma 8-15mm f/2 fisheye! I took both my pro camera and my backup Rebel, but I ended up shooting almost exclusively on my Rebel just because I would hate to get sand in my pro equipment. So, the fisheye lens effect is significantly lessened on my Rebel/crop frame (excuse the technical jargon, but’s it’s for my photog friends out there). I know my images would have had that gorgeous fisheye effect with my usual camera, but again, in the end I just couldn’t stomach potentially damaging my top notch equipment. Anyway, here’s what a true fisheye effect looks like:
View from pier toward Gulf Shores, AL.
I was still pretty pleased with the results, but I really missed having my pro camera in the post-sunset hours. My Rebel just couldn’t get the job done with that low-lighting situation. Thankfully though, we had LOTS of sunshine during our trip to the beach and I was even able to get the settings together for my husband to take some photos of me and my son. That’s a tough job, because even if I get the settings right the hubs still has to get the focal point correct, and frame the scene how I want. We get in regular battles over this, but I would like to applaud him for his improvements over the past year. He’s learning 🙂
We spent the majority of our days playing at the beach, swimming in the pool and hanging out at the condo splash park. Holden really loved having the waves crash at his feet, and he loved making “sand soup”–a mixture of water, sand and seashells. We had a few activities outside the ocean, including a Nature Center, the Gulf Shores pier, lots of restaurants, a BIG splash park, bumper boats, go-karts and the zoo.
Now, on to the photos!
I can never resist taking photos of these curls!!
Holden & Daddy looking at the waves.
Lovely sunset view from our balcony.
Baby-zilla climbing the condo.
What is it about boys and rocks? I swear he found the one rock on the beach to throw.
Family selfie!
Making sand castles with my man.
View from our condo balcony.
Our awesome traveling companions!
Peek-a-boo.
H. Parker Photography specializes in newborn, baby and child photography in Trophy Club, Texas and surrounding areas including but not limited to Dallas, Ft Worth and Roanoke.