Ramineh's Maternity Session

There are three people that I used as models when I first started taking pictures that really influenced me to pursue photography as a career. All three of these girls Monica, Ramineh and Sarah (my sister) are absolutely gorgeous. They let me dress them up and take silly pictures with my little Minolta 35mm camera that my brother bought me as a Christmas present. Having moved 800 miles away from my hometown in Texas, I was pleasantly surprised when Ramineh asked me to take her maternity pictures. Ramineh is one of the most beautiful people I know. She has a passionate personality that you don't see in many people. She finds things that she loves and loves them with all of herself. I know she will make a wonderful mother and will love Zephyr with all of her heart.

Pregnant women are so beautiful. There is just something so sweet and delicate about them.

I generally don't like to post two pictures of the same pose on my blog, but I loved these two so much that I honestly couldn't pick between the two.

Maternity pictures are a celebration of a woman's changing body. Feel free to show off how beautiful your body is when you are pregnant!

This next one is an image that my sister Sarah (always so helpful) picked out for this shoot. She found it on Pinterest. I absolutely love the way it turned out.

This is James the love of Ramineh's life. They are so cute together.

I love a couple that can laugh. So cute!!

Thanks again Ramineh! I can't wait to take Zephyr's pictures.

Wilhelmina Denver Models - Fashion Photography

I recently had the opportunity to photograph models from Wilhelmina Denver. I was really excited to dive into the world of fashion photography. I believe that my photography already had a bit of a fashion flair to it, but working with these Wilhelmina Denver models was loads of fun, and I am extremely happy with everything that came of it. When I scheduled the shoots with the booker Katie at Wilhelmina, the sun seemed to be setting a bit earlier. So we planned to shoot between 5-7pm. The sun actually ended up setting around 6:30-6:45, so I got to play around with low-lighting, and I feel like it's one of those happy accidents that needed to happen. My favorite images from the shoots are actually the ones we took in the dark.

The first shoot I had was with Dana Egleston. We started the shoot off next to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver. The textured walls in the area were perfect, we then literally ran up to the Denver Millenium Bridge to catch the setting sun. I didn't know what to expect with Dana, I am used to giving tons of direction and it's actually something I enjoy doing, but Dana barely needed any. There was a lot of, "Yes...keep doing that, perfect, awesome, you look great!" I absolutely loved working with Dana and I have no doubt that she will go far.

Here is one of my favorite pictures from her shoot, this one was taken at the Denver Millenium Bridge after the sun set.

Here is another image of Dana, and Jordan Casey. It was ridiculously windy when I did Dana's shoot, but I love working in the wind. The images are often more dramatic than they would have been otherwise. I just love the way Dana's hair is blowing in this picture.

Jordan Casey was a pleasure to work with. She is absolutely gorgeous! She has the most amazingly beautiful eyes. We randomly found this tiny patch of grass near a railroad. I wanted to make it look like she was out in the middle of no where. This was also after the sun went down. Nature compliments Jordan very well.

You can really see how stunning Jordan's eyes are in the picture below. The other model in the picture below is Tessa Collard. Tessa is hardcore. It was so cold and windy outside when we shot her pictures, and she didn't complain at all. She not only made it seem bearable (I was wearing both a sweater and a jacket, the Texan in me can't deal with the cold), she looked beautiful while enduring it.

Ok, so I generally don't take pictures of people laying down. It's not always the most flattering position for pictures. I asked Tessa to do it because I loved the the colors with her outfit. She looks so pretty next to the green grass. Thanks again Tessa for complying with my whims. Lynsey Knapp is the model in the picture below on the left. We had so much fun at her shoot just finding little places to shoot. We got off to a late start, but again I had fun working with the sun going down.

This set of pictures is another example of why I am now slightly obsessed with night photography. Girls, you are fantastically beautiful and I wish you the best.

I also want to thank all of the parents that so willingly helped out on these shoots. You are awesome.

The Great Sand Dunes

I have been in search for cool locations for my photography. Travis and my cousin Gavin suggested that we try out the Sand Dunes. They really just wanted an excuse to go hiking i'm sure.

I had no idea how difficult it would be to climb to the top. Even driving up to the dunes and seeing them next to the mountains didn't put things into perspective for me. The groups of people returning from their hike, panting, and covered in sand didn't really clue me in. It was the two hours of sliding backwards with every step that did it. Yep, I am out of shape. Travis and Gavin just bounded up to the top leaving me to my shamefully slow ascent.

All in all though, I am extremely happy with the pictures we got. The view from the very top was well worth the effort it took (even if I thought my lungs would explode).

This is my cousin Gavin. He got out there and surprised me by strutting around in front of my camera like he'd been modeling for ages. I couldn't believe it!

This one is my favorite. This is Emily. She graciously agreed to let me take her pictures, and hiked all the way up the sand dunes in this dress. The wind really started picking up when we were wrapping up her part of the shoot. It stung our legs and nearly blew away some of my equipment. I am happy it did though. The blowing sand and wind caught dress make this picture in my opinion.





Here's another one of Emily. Isn't she lovely?




Last but not least, the darling and handsome Travis. He reminds me of Indiana Jones! He actually offered to carry me down the sand dunes on his back. What a nice boy.

Heather's Bridal Portraits

Bridal Portraits are my favorite sessions to do. I love being able to make a bride feel and look beautiful in her dress. Heather Young was especially fun. She had this little model inside just waiting for the opportunity to come out and play. She wanted to try out the locations in Glen Rose so that we could utilize the studio. I am so glad she did. I was really happy with the way the studio shots turned out.

This bridal session turned out to be a real test of my patience. I loved the shoot so much, but I had to wait until her wedding day passed before I could post anything. So here you go, Heather's bridals. Let me know what you think.

Heather was such a trooper. I'm pretty sure laying on a rock like this for any amount of time can't be fun. She didn't complain even once. I'm glad she didn't. I love the hard and soft features in this picture.

I love catching the moon in pictures. So romantic!

Here is one of those "working it" shots. I feel like Heather should be in magazines. Gorgeous girl.

Jason, Cassie, and little Liam

Gosh, I love working with Jason and Cassie. They are always so much fun! They definitely make it look easy. This is my first time to work with sweet little Liam. He was so adorable. He seemed a little sleepy during the first part of our shoot. My favorite shot of him is the one right after he is guided down the slide. I love the enthusiasm!

He looks uncannily like Jason. Like if Jason or Cassie were mad scientists, I would probably have to fight the urge to look further into it. Lucky Man. I'm pretty sure I got all the recessive genes my parents had to offer. I'm not sure which parts of me would carry on. Probably my smile. Everyone in the Holder family has a really big happy smile.

Speaking of smiles, watching family videos online has been making me so happy lately. It's just amazing to have the opportunity to be allowed a glimpse into someone else's life. I hope that you understand what I mean when you watch this video. My little sister Sarah helped me with the video and actually took all the pictures with the exception of the very last heart one.

Maternity and Newborn Sessions

We have gotten to take so many wonderful Maternity pictures this year. Here are a few of our favorites, starting with my very own little sister.

Schedule maternity sessions four to six weeks prior to birth date.
Schedule newborn session before the baby is born.

We capture all of the details of this beautiful extraordinary moment in your life, your rounded belly, your baby’s wrinkled skin, pouty lips, and tiny toes. We create one of a kind pieces of art to suit you and your baby.

We also design personalized birth announcements and invitations using your photographs.

Shannon's Outdoor Bridal Portraits

Chelsea and I loved doing Shannon's bridal portraits! We met up in Frisco over by the Babe's Chicken Dinner House and the Frisco Heritage Museum. Shannon stepped out of the car and we were stunned by how gorgeous she looked.

I love finding wonderful backdrops for pictures in places you would least expect to find them. We were really happy with the way the pictures from this shoot turned out. The rustic country look she based her wedding on was really easy to create near the museum.

We took a little road trip down to Waco to meet Michelle Mackenzie and Maryssa, the Simpson sisters. One of the first things we had them do when we met them was take off their shoes and jump. They were ready. Chelsea and I had so much fun. We came up with ideas and they ran with them. We even ended up taking pictures of them positioned around the famous Judge Baylor at the Baylor University.

Here is a shot from a wedding we did at The Victorian House in Kaufman Texas. Chelsea and I were both teary eyed as Ryan saw Rachel walk down the aisle during their private revealing. Moments like that show us that we have one of the most special jobs in the world. We get to be a part of one of the most important days in a couple's relationship.

This is a shot from one of the programs at a wedding we did for two really great friends of mine Trey and Shadan Price. They were married at the Red Museum in Dallas. It was one of the most fun weddings I have been a part of. I remember the day I heard that Trey was proposing to Shadan in New York on vacation. I was so excited for them! It is wonderful to be able to see them so happy and in love.

We have done a lot of senior shoots since I last updated the blog. This one of Alexis is definitely one of my favorites. We shot this at the Stockyards in Fort Worth. We even got pictures of her on top of a long horn. It really helps you to realize how large those animals are when you see a little girl perched on top.

Katy and I both went to high school at Billy Ryan in Denton. She sang in choir with my little sister Sarah. I always thought she was such a beautiful girl. You can imagine how flattered I was when she asked me to be her photographer. Katy and Kyle Longworth, highschool sweethearts. They had an unimaginably beautiful wedding and a gorgeous reception at the Marriott in Fort Worth.

Kyle and Katy chose to do their exit scene with sparklers. After the couple left, we had volunteers from the guests join together to spell out the name Longworth with the light. Every person either claimed or was assigned to a letter. It took us a couple tries to get it right.

Melanie Adams, needed pictures for her modeling portfolio. We were happy to help her on her way.

Erin and Barry Williams are the first couple I have met that found each other on eHarmony. After seeing their interaction with each other, it gave me faith in that site. I mean you hear the commercials, but it's totally different to meet people in real life who fell in love that way. Erin was one of the first brides we booked. She found us when we still went by Jessica Elysse Photography. It has been nothing but a pleasure being able to work with the Williams. Barry definitely kept us laughing. I just hope we will be able to work with them again someday.

My Favorites from this month

This past month has been so much fun! I was able to go to Cozumel with family, then stay in Galveston for Eriel and Matt's wedding, I have had tons of shoots with some really awesome families, and I had the honor of taking Glen Rose High School's superlative pictures for their yearbook. Here are some of my favorites from this month:

This first one might need an explanation. It was the one we chose to represent the two seniors voted most unique at the Glen Rose High School.