Emily, 9 months

You may remember Emily from earlier posts, or from my website. This is our fourth time to photograph her (if you count the maternity photos!) Here are some favorites from this most recent session:

We took a trip to the Dallas Arboretum and started by the various wooden playhouses they have set up. Here is the pretty lady on the porch of one of the houses:


I forgot to mention, we brought a whole entourage of family and friends. August is $1 admission days at the Arboretum. Here Emily has an audience while Rochelle gets some shots:


one of Rochelle's resulting images:


When we shot newborn Emily, we placed her inside a tiny pink bucket. Inside the house, we found a larger pail, and attempted to revisit the idea. At first, Emily was confused:


but before long she grew more comfortable:


across the lawn, we popped Emily into a windowsill. Surprise!:


A friend had acquired one tutu and made another. We saw some dreamy lighting on a bench and started shooting:


Emily has a very quirky personality. Here's one of her trademark faces:


A closeup of the beautiful girl:


Then we found a lawn and changed into the blue tutu. Here's another silly face:


By this point, Emily was tired, and had just about had enough. We took a couple shots of the tears:


then it was time for a nap:


After a break and a brief nap, we made our way to the exit, while Emily played with my lens hoods in her stroller:


Emily was a great model, and we look forward to our next shoot!

Rasy Ran Photography
www.rasyran.com

The Opiela Family

Meet the Opiela Family!

This past weekend, we photographed Pete, Nichole, and their three beautiful children.

Here is Darcy:


David:


and baby Ava:


We started our shoot in their beautiful backyard, where we encouraged the children to play around. Here is Pete giving David a piggyback ride:


After some nudging, the two kids began having some fun on the outside play structure:




Then David was eager to show us his hula-hooping skills. The kid's got talent:


Afterwards, we moved inside and out of the heat. David peeps out from behind a couch cushion:


and before long we have the whole family on the couch:


We have a brief storytime:


and then took some shots of Ava while Darcy went to change into her dance costume:




Darcy was quite the ballerina. Here are some images of her in her outfit:






While outside, she showed us some fancy footwork on the stone path:


Then it was back inside, for some good old-fashioned jumping around:


The aftermath, right before we packed up to go:


It was nice to work with the Opiela family, and it was pretty easy to evoke some great smiles!

Rasy Ran Photography
www.rasyran.com

Teagan and Nels' Engagement

*Just a reminder; you can click on any image to have it open without the text, and to see it larger*

This weekend we met with a young Denton couple, Teagan and Nels, who are getting married on Halloween. After packing up our equipment, we headed off onto some back roads in Teagan's SUV to take their engagement photos.

Here is the lovely couple:



As most of you know, the North Texas weather has been an interesting mix of rain and sunshine for the past few weeks, so we were greeted with a gorgeous sky that later gave us some nice surprises. For our first stop, we walked down some country train tracks, surrounded by green fields and billowing clouds:



We set up a simple lighting system to create a dramatic film noir look in some of the shots, such as this one:



Here Teagan's engagement ring peaks out between fingers:



Before long, the sky grew darker and more ominous:



After a few more shots of the couple together, I pulled Teagan forward and took a few of her by herself, while Nels looked on, entertained by her poses:





It began to sprinkle as we wrapped up the first location, and Nels held the umbrella while keeping a watchful eye on Teagan's tall heels, ready to catch her should she stumble on the rails:



Our next stop was a lush field, and, by the time we parked, the rain had slowed down once again. Replacing heels with cowboy boots, Teagan made her way out into the field with her fiance, where the two shared a kiss:



or two:



Growing nearby were some sunflowers, which served as a wonderful surprise prop:



For a moment, the clouds separated to welcome the sun, and we were blessed with a brilliant rainbow:



The bright sun and dark clouds complimented the grass and trees in the field, and gave several of our shots a very sunkissed, romantic feel:







Teagan and Nels were very easy to photograph, as the two were always smiling with and laughing at one another:



As the couple shares a moment in the field, the clouds begin to close in once more:



The clouds grow heaver and loom overhead, but Teagan and Nels look forward to the storm:



Before long, the clouds open, and rain begins to pour down. Last year, after graduating, Teagan embarked upon a long mission trip to several third world countries, and became close friends with the others on the trip. Teagan asked us to take some photos of her spinning in the rain, because the others on the trip had told her if they could picture the free spirited woman in any way, it would be in a dress, in the middle of nowhere, spinning in the rain:



Instead of fearing the rain, we embraced it, and were able to get some great shots you don't always get in most traditional engagement shoots:





After we were all thoroughly soaked, we made a quick stop back by Teagan's house, so she and Nels could dry off and change.



Then we were off to a local ice cream parlor, where the owner generously welcomed us to use his colorful wall, on which was painted a Texas flag. Teagan and Nels sat down and quickly began devouring their ice cream:



Almost done with their ice cream, they pause to lean it for a picture:



The walls all around the booth were covered with handwritten graffiti, which gave the small room a unique feel. Here the couple shares a laugh, after finishing their ice cream:



Then Nels moved the the floor, for a different perspective:



We had a blast shooting Teagan and Nels, and look forward to both Teagan's bridals and the couple's wedding day in the next few months.



Congratulations on your engagement, Teagan and Nels!

Rasy Ran Photography
www.rasyran.com