MGS Fotografie

Love is in the air...

2011-06-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

I know I've been terrible at updating but I do plan on updating much more frequently. If you follow my personal blog you know that I am pregnant and will soon be expecting my first child. I will be a stay at home mom and hope to concentrate more on my photography. It was really difficult to focus on my photography while working full time and I hope to put my efforts into my business more fully now.

This is the most recent session I've had and it was so much fun! I really love the way the pictures came out and if I wasn't expecting to pop at any moment I would be shooting this lovely couple's wedding next week. Alas, I had to turn it down but at least I got to spend a warm Sunday afternoon with Anis and Nasaem before their big day. Best wishes!

Lila Louise

2010-09-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

This little cutie pie is Miss Lila Louise, my new niece! Isn't she so sweet? Just wanted to share a few from her first official photo shoot!

San Francisco

2010-08-13T20:41:00.001-07:00

Taken at the Conservatory of Flowers on my recent trip to the Bay Area.

New Print Available in the Shop...

2010-08-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

Picture of the day

2010-08-10T20:10:00.001-07:00

Taken in Muir Woods, California

Judah, a year later...

2010-07-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

It took a while to schedule the session, but finally Miss Kellie and little Judah met me at Northpark Mall to have his one year shoot done! How adorable is he? I can't believe how fast he's grown!

And look at those teeth!

New in the Shop...

2010-07-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

Available here...

austin lights

2010-07-15T20:13:00.001-07:00

I have a couple of new prints available for purchase in my shop. Both images were taken in Austin, Texas.

Available for purchase here.

Picture of the Day

2010-06-30T19:56:00.001-07:00

Snapped this today in Oak Cliff. I happened to be driving by and glimpsed these popsicles out of the corner of my eye and had to pull over! It's a local artist group that does graffiti around town. They have a show up right now at my fave store We Are 1976.

Check them out here: sourgrapes13.com

Colorado

2010-06-23T13:51:00.001-07:00

My husband and I took a road trip to Colorado for a long weekend last weekend. We camped for a few days, took in nature, and enjoyed not melting :) This little birdie kept stopping by our campsite and hanging out.

Peonies

2010-06-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

I love peonies so much. They're gorgeous and they smell lovely. Looking at them just makes me so happy! I've added several images of peonies to my shop and I wanted to give you a preview of them here.

If you would like to purchase a print, please visit my site and click on the Fine Art Photography gallery.

Baby Presley

2010-06-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

I had the great joy of being able to photograph little Presley earlier this week. I met her family at the PCD dance recital a couple of weeks ago and her mother called me to set up an appointment to have her picture taken. I was able to capture this adorable smile during the shoot.

Picture of the Day

2010-06-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Picture of the Day

2010-06-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Today I checked out the tiny snow cone shop near my house. The watermelon flavor didn't taste much like watermelon, but it was a welcome relief from the Texas heat.

Picture of the Day

2010-06-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

I found out the hard way that my yard does not get full sun like I thought it did...The only thing still growing is my lavender which I planted from seed...the beans and tomatoes did not grow taller than a few inches and it's too hot for the lettuce and they all died. This is all I have left!

Dancers in the Dark

2010-06-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

Had a great time at the Preston Center Dance recital...Can't wait for next year's recital!

Exciting happenings going on!

2010-05-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since my last blog post. I am finding it harder and harder to keep up with blogging since there's so much going on! My biggest announcement is that I am partnering up with PCD Photo + Video! Our first joint venture will be to shoot portraits at Preston Center Dance's spring recital which is coming up in a few weeks. I'm incredibly excited about the opportunity!

Here are a few portraits to get you ready!

And because it's not all about ballet...

Monsieur Judah turns 9 months

2010-02-24T15:37:00.000-08:00

Just a few from Sunday...Such a happy piece of pie :)

Stay tuned...

2010-01-26T18:45:00.000-08:00

I have something very exciting in the works for broke brides! If you know any brides who can't afford a photographer, tell them to keep their eyes on this page for an exciting announcement!

Wondering What to Wear?

2010-01-26T10:24:00.001-08:00

I know it can be nerve-racking trying to figure out what to wear for a photo shoot. You don't want to look sloppy but you also don't want to look uncomfortable. Here are some tips from a fellow photog out of Phoenix, AZ, Jeanette LeBlanc. Check out her work here.

You are what you wear.

A little cliché? Perhaps. But when it comes to portrait photography, clothing plays a huge role in the success of the finished product.

Before we get going – let’s be clear what you’re clothing does NOT need to be:

1. Brand New

I’m down with your favorite ripped jeans, retro band T’s, and worn converse shoes - as long as you know how to rock them in your own fabulous style.

2. Fancy-Schmancy and Uber-Expensive
Unless it’s your thing (If it’s really your thing, then by all means baby, bring on the bling). If you’re not normally a dress-up kind of person, don't feel like you have to be one for your session.

3. Matching
No need to focus on matching everything from the color of your fuchsia headbands to the stripes in your socks. In fact, I beg of you, please, please don’t. If you’re heart is set on everyone in white button downs and khaki pants, I’m probably not your girl.

4. Stressful
No need to worry about each and every item, or fret about the suitability of each accessory. This is supposed to be fun. If you’re unsure – call me, and together, we’ll make sure you look fabulous. I promise.

I want you to be happy, thrilled, over the moon about your images, and I know that this is much more likely if we take the time and work together to help you choose clothing that fits these few simple rules:

Feels Good.
During your shoot you could be sitting in a pile on the grass having a tickle battle, rolling down a hill with your fiancé, throwing your kiddos in the air or climbing a tree. Wear clothing that lets you do all that (and more) comfortably.

As for the kids? Well…uncomfortable kids have a tendency to look…uncomfortable, and are often cranky to boot. Happy kids make for happy pictures.

Bottom Line: Don’t choose outfits that make any of you feel constrained, stiff, itchy, scratchy, like you’re dressed up for Halloween, or that leave you with a nagging worry that a button might pop if you bend the wrong way. Trust me.

Looks Good.
This can be tricky, looking good is totally subjective - right? If you’re not a Carrie Bradshaw fashionista in real life, you might want to pull in some extra help from a straight-talking friend or your trusty photographer (that would be me) who knows about such things and has plans in place to help.

Sometimes last year’s of-the-moment dress has already become hopelessly untrendy. Sometimes the current fashions just don’t look or feel like you. Sometimes outfits that look good in the mirror might not be ideally suited for photography. If you’re really looking for extra help, I can put you in touch with some incredible folks who make people look good for a living.

Bottom Line: If you don’t feel fabulous-fierce-take-on-the-world gorgeous in your outfit, you’re not going to love, love, love the end result – and I’m all about you love, love, loving the end result.

Makes Sense.
Here’s where we pull it all together. It’s not just enough that everyone look good and feel good – you’ve gotta look and feel good together AND the outfits should fit with your location and the desired mood for your portraits.

Glup. That seems like a lot, doesn’t it? (quick – revisit #4 in the top list, and remember, don’t stress).

Before you even begin figuring out your wardrobe, we’ll have an in depth consultation to narrow down what you really want for your pictures, choose the perfect location and make sure you have an understanding about how that all comes together in the finished photograph. I’m with you every step of the way.

Bottom Line: It’s easier than it seems.Think twice about having Emma in a lace prom dress if you can’t get Tommy out of his spider man cape and favorite Star Wars pajama top. If we’re going to be running around in a park, you’ll likely not decide to wear your starched Sunday best. Hate the way stripes and plaids look together but Dad has his favorite stripped polo ready to go? Best steer mom away from her beloved family tartan. Easy-Peasy. [unless Mom is really attached to that tartan, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it).

~~~

If you’re still not certain, and you can’t decide between the yellow wrap dress with your red heels or your dark skinny jeans and purple belted shirt – I’ve got good news. You don’t have to decide. Bring lots of options. Heck – throw your whole wardrobe into the back of the car. When we get to the session we’ll wing it all with fabulous results. Trust me.

Now take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Imagine how blow-everyone-away-fabulous-ready-for-America’s-Next-Top-Model you’re all going to look in those pictures….

Can you see it yet? I totally can. OMG, you look INCREDIBLE!

I can’t wait for your session.

New Pretties

2010-01-10T08:47:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to let you know I have added some new images in the fine art gallery on my website. Everything in the Fine Art gallery is available for purchase, just click on the little shopping cart icon in the left bottom corner of the image you would like!

These are just a few of the new images available...Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-07T09:47:00.001-08:00

Just a quick FYI, I have updated pricing on my website to reflect 2010 pricing! Just visit the website, click on Things You Should Know, and then click on Pricing. Let me know if there is anything confusing or if you have any feedback!

My year has started out wonderfully and I hope all of you feel the same way! Here's to a brand new year and a fresh start!

Happy Monday!

2009-12-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Monday & happy holidays! I just added a few new images to my website under my personal portfolio gallery. As always, all images under my personal portfolio are available as prints. Just click on the little shopping cart icon on the image(s) you would like to purchase.

Enjoy!

A Family Affair

2009-12-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

This image is from a shoot I did with the Moayad family. I've known these lovelies almost all my life & I'm very blessed to know such wonderful, gracious people. It was a pleasure to work with them & I hope I was able to capture just a bit of there loving personalities on film :)

Busy Busy Busy!

2009-12-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posting! I started a new job right after Thanksgiving and have been struggling to get everything together! I just wanted to share a quick image from one of the shoots over Thanksgiving...

This was an official shoot with Noah & Lindsay and their two older brothers...I also did some full family shots, but I love love loved this one of the four!

Happy Holidays!

2009-11-30T10:04:00.001-08:00

Last week was busy busy busy what with the Thanksgiving holiday & baking and cooking and roasting + all the photo shoots! The first two photos I will share are from a shoot I did on Wednesday of Kellie, Tim + Judah at their new house. Congratulations guys!

The Savvy Photographer

2009-11-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

This post is mainly for other photogs or those getting into the portrait biz. I stumbled upon a great resource called The Savvy Photographer. They highlight all the things we use including templates, workshops, etc. and even offer free goodies and giveaways!

Definitely check it out for ideas and resources!

News Flash!

2009-11-22T10:02:00.000-08:00

I closed down my Etsy shop a few weeks ago without another way to purchase some of my personal images. Well I have some good news! I have updated my website with a shopping cart and a gallery for my personal images. This way you can order my photos through my website.

There is still time to purchase photographs for the holidays!

Spread the word!

Happy Monday!

2009-11-16T07:52:00.001-08:00

Here's to a swell week!

Happy November!

2009-11-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

This year is floating by so quickly! I can't believe Halloween is over and it's almost Thanksgiving! But there is good news for you if you've been thinking about taking some portraits...November Specials!

This months specials are:

* a free 11x14 print when you book a portrait session

* a free mini album when you book a newborn session

* $150 off any wedding package over $1000

Session must be booked in the month of November in order for special to apply. Please contact me ASAP to book your session!

Now for a little eye candy in the form of adorable 1-year-old Evan! You may remember him from a shoot we did back when he was 6 months old...How he's grown! We went out to the pumpkin patch from some lovely fall colors and some Halloween costume action. Enjoy!

Pie!

2009-10-25T14:15:00.001-07:00

I had the interesting experience of babysitting little Judah ALL BY MYSELF! I really don't have much one-on-one experience with babies but everything went well. I managed to keep him alive until his daddy was able to pick him up and I got a few adorable smiles out of him in the meantime :)

Fair Days!

2009-10-07T19:25:00.001-07:00

If you don't know, now's about the time the State Fair sticks around Dallas. In my eight years of living in the DFW area I had never been to the fair...until last Saturday! My parents are in town so we thought we would do it real big and take them to the Fair. It was lovely early in the day, but by the time we left it had started to rain...great timing on our part :D Enjoy the photos!

Three little girls, 20 minutes and a rain storm

2009-10-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

These three photos were taken on a photo shoot I did a few weeks ago. This was the shortest photo shoot I have been on in my life! It wasn't meant to be so short, but almost 20 minutes in it started raining and we had to run for the cars. Luckily I was shooting almost continually and was able to pull out tons of great images. It helped that the girls were so photogenic! Here's to little girls, rain storms, and my Nikon!

Exciting news!

2009-10-02T20:36:00.001-07:00

My website is now live! It went live tonight and I'm super-duper excited about it! Make sure you check it out and share :)

CLICK ME!

The Way You Look Tonight...

2009-09-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to be a second shooter at a wedding a couple of weeks ago and snapped it up in an effort to grow my wedding portfolio. The venue was quite different from Crystal & Francis' venue, but I am definitely learning how to adapt quickly! I am still editing a few of the pics but these are some of my favorites...

A few edits...

2009-09-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

These are a few edits I'm doing from the wedding...hope you like!

Puppy Power!

2009-09-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

As I haven't had a shoot in a week or so, I have made good use of my pups at home! I did an impromptu shoot with them this morning, much to their dismay. They do not much like having their photos taken and it's a challenge to get good shots of them. Especially of Spock! As you can see from the look on his face he was displeased that I kept flashing a bright light in his face as he was trying to chew on his nylabone.

Marzipan, on the other hand, was just wanting me to play fetch and kept bringing her ball and placing it at my feet. This shot was taken as she watched it roll away.

Crystal + Francis Get Married...

2009-09-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be referred to this lovely couple as a photographer and was booked to shoot their wedding last Friday! The two met almost a year ago at Bible study and made an instant connection. They were both very gracious and loving and I wish them all the best in their new life.

Monsieur Judah Turns 3...months!

2009-08-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Remember Judah from my newborn shoot 3 months ago? I had a lovely time taking his photo this afternoon while eating pie with Kellie & Tim. We had a grand ol' time and I got some lovely shots of little Judah in between his feeding, nap and a bit of spitting up :)

N + L

2009-07-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

I had the great fun of babysitting for a couple of kiddos I've known for quite a while. I used to therapy with children with autism, and Noah was one of those children. When I first started training to be an ABA therapist, I actually witnessed a session with Noah within the first several months of his therapy. Little did I know that I would be working with him a couple of years later! To see him now and the journey he has made is amazing to behold. Here are some photos I took of Noah & his twin sister Lindsey last week, one from the time I was working with Noah, and a short slideshow his Momma put together regarding the struggles they went through.

L & C + 3

2009-06-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

I had a great time shooting this gorgeous little family. It was a bit of a crazy day because just as they arrived at the meeting spot, my husband called to let me know that our home alarm was going off! So I had to run home and shut off the alarm (my dear husband had set the alarm, started the Roomba and left the house for the afternoon...a neighbor called us to let us know about the alarm). Luckily they were very understanding and we spent the next two hours hanging around White Rock lake, posing and playing and having a grand ol' time.

Wise Men Say...

2009-06-01T04:08:00.000-07:00

Remember Jon & Phoebe from a previous engagement session? They were married Memorial Day weekend in Plano, Texas! The actual wedding photography was done by the talented Josh Rodriguez, so that I could be a proper guest seeing as Jon is my brother-in-law. It was a lovely wedding and I know these two will be happy for a very very long time!

Baby Judah

2009-05-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

You may remember the maternity shoot I did with Kellie and Tim a few months ago...Well here is what popped out of Kellie's belly! Baby Judah decided to wait 4 days before arriving so that he could let Mama sleep before he arrived! He is a little firecracker and about 7 days old in these pictures. I look forward to spending lots of time with the three of them!

Baby Momma

2009-05-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

I had the great joy of photographing a coworker this weekend. Latoya has always been a snappy dresser and is not letting maternity cramp her style! She was all done up and looks fabulous as usual, and was very obliging in whatever I suggested as you can see from the gorgeous bubble gum picture! She is expecting her baby girl in 2 short months and I wish them all the best!

Chubby Cheeks

2009-05-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

Meet baby Evan! He is the 7-month-old cutie of a good friend from work. Poor Evan was a bit bored after the drive to our location, but his momma worked hard and coaxed some sweet smiles onto his face. He was so adorable in his little Levi overalls and even survived a couple of ant bites without so much as a tear! All in all we had a great time and would love to take his photo again!

Marzipan

2009-05-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

Just a little sugar for your week...

Amelia Bedelia

2009-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

I would like to preface this by saying this was an experimental shoot. I don't have a studio set up yet, and saw this very cool idea regarding using patterned paper as backdrops...well I went a little crazy with the cheez-wiz at Paper Source and would up with a bunch of different gorgeous papers that you will see more of in the near future. This top image was actually taken in my office which is painted a lovely lovely coral-y type color. While we were shooting we got a little wacky and Amelia (my lovely, patient, accomodating cousin) started tossing her hair around which was how I got the 2nd image which I LOVE LOVE LOVE! So many many thanks to Amelia with whom the second image would never have happened...

Poseur

2009-05-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last but not least we have Jaxon! This cutie spent most of the shoot doing "tricks" and posing for the camera! The top picture was taken when Jasmine wouldn't let him on the swing...look at that little bottom lip sticking out!

Spring Chicken

2009-04-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

You probably recognize Jasmine from my last blog post. She was so adorable in her little flower print dress! When I took the second photo she was trying to get me to look at the snaps on the back of her dress and was twisting her dress around so she could see too! Stay tuned for a couple shots of her brother Jaxon...

The Good Life

2009-04-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

I had a great time taking photos of this fantastic family. The kiddos were such fun, and full of energy! It took everything to get them in one place for these family portraits. All in all, the effort was worth it as you can see!

Sister + Brother

2009-04-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

These two lovely faces are my much younger cousins, Melody and Kian. I took their photographs at a recent family gathering while they were riding around in the driveway on scooters. I was able to get them to stop long enough to snap these two images before they jumped back on the scooters and made a mad dash!

At Last

2009-04-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Meet Jon & Phoebe. These two lovely people were engaged on Christmas Eve 2008 and are currently preparing for their wedding in May. I had the pleasure of taking their engagement pictures and seeing how in love these two really are. Congrats to them both, they are lucky to have found each other!

Baby Love

2009-04-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

I recently had the immense pleasure of spending time photographing Kellie & Tim. They are a fantastic couple who are about to make room in their life for little Judah. These two have so much love in their lives, Judah could not have been blessed with a better family.