.

Austin Newborn Photographer | meet.miles

2009-10-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

He's new here.....

He comes with his own (impossibly sweet!) entourage.....

These two....what a pair!

Happy Weekend, all!

Happiest.Father's.Day

2009-06-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

A little father's Day tribute.....

(and I have to give props to the originator of the idea....but can't remember who it was. Please know it *was not* my idea, but simply my take on the genius. I've waited a whole year to put this together!

Also? Not sleeping that much :D)

sneak.peek

2009-01-17T21:33:00.000-08:00

bad, bad blogger.
that's me.
no time for more right now, but here' s a early look for the big fam from a bit back.....
enjoy....the gallery should be up by the morning!

happy.boy

2008-11-06T14:09:00.001-08:00

I had the pleasure of spending a recent morning with this adorable little guy. He was FULL of energy! We checked out the pumpkins, took a walk, and left no corner of the place unexplored. Below is a preview slideshow for L's family. Enjoy!

pppb

Have a great day, everyone!

birth.day

2008-11-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

My baby girl completed another trip around the big star.....Of course I couldn't let the occasion pass without a super-sappy photo montage thing of her year in pictures....

In other news I have a *ton* of fun stuff to share from recent sessions.....but that will have to wait until another day...

Go kiss your babies....

LIVE! { Austin Children's Photographer }

2008-10-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Finally, *finally* the new site is up and running! The music still isn't working quite right, so it's a little quiet, but that's ok.

Above is a screenshot of the new splash page, featuring our splash image winners. The circle on the left takes you to the flash site that has automated slideshows and lots of fading in and out and color-shifting. This section is recommended for high-speed internet connections. The center button links directly to the Eavesdrop blog, and the circle on the right takes you to the HTML site, which is the same as the flash, with less motion and.....flash, lol. This section is recommended for dial-up internet connections, so you don't get frustrated waiting for the images to load.
From now on all proofing will be done through this site, so so much easier!

Go on and click on the link there to the right. Take a look....you might see a familiar face or two ;)

This beautiful young lady will be our new-site-proofing-section-guinea pig. Isn't she gorgeous? We had a great time at the park a while back, and even though she's already seen these, I still wanted to share her beauty with everyone.

It's.HERE!

2008-09-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Detailed info on the 2008 Holiday Mini-Sessions can be found below, but here are the high points of the package:

When: Saturday, November 1, 2008 beginning at 8:15 and running until 3:15.
Where: a super-secret creekside location within the city limits
Cost: $275

20 minutes of photography time
5-10 proofs presented in a private online gallery
25 custom-designed cards
your choice of any 3 print units
10% off of any and all other products we offer

THE DETAILS....
Session and Proofing
Your reserved slot includes 20 minutes of photography time for a single session type. Due to the limited time, I will focus on capturing the type of session images you specify: single child, OR siblings, OR family, up to four people. As time allows (and children cooperate!) I MAY be able to get some additional images, but I can't guarantee that in this timeframe. Each additional person over the original four will add $25 to the session fee, and the entire session fee is required to reserve your timeslot and card design.

Your proofs will be presented to you in a private, password-protected gallery that only you can see. I guarantee at least 5 proofs, but there may be more than 10.

Holiday Cards
Your mini-session includes 25 custom-designed cards with envelopes. I've designed 20 cards, all in 5x7 flat format, and each card design will only be sold once ensuring that all clients get unique designs. You will choose your design when you book your session, and then choose your image(s) when you see your proofs. Cards are press-printed on heavy card stock through my professional lab. These are NOT printed on photographic paper - the result is similar to a high-end greeting card. Each card comes with a coordinating back that has a spot for one small image. One revision is included in the price after the initial viewing of your card with your chosen image(s). You have the option of choosing linen, pearl, or glossy finish for your printed cards. Additional sets of 25 cards can be purchased for 10% off the regular list price. (Contact me for more information if you don't have a copy of the 2008 Price and Products List.)

The 20 designs are shown below.

Gift Prints
Your mini-session also includes 3 photographic print units to keep for yourself or to give as gifts. A print unit is one mounted 8x10, OR two 5x7s, OR four 4x6s, OR eight wallets. You may choose any combination of these units to make up your three. Additional prints, albums, canvases, and storyboards are available for 10% off the regular list price.

I'm sure there are other questions that will pop up, and I'll try to address those in future posts. Until then, check your calendars and reserve your time!

it's.beginning

2008-09-26T00:59:00.001-07:00

...to look a lot like Christmas!

At least in the retail stores, anyway. Even though Autumn has officially begun, here in Texas we won't see actual fall weather for many weeks. But it *is* time to start planning for those Christmas card sessions.

I've gotten so many inquiries about holiday shoots that I've been feverishly working to put together a plan for how to make it all happen in a timely, organized manner for everyone! I've just about got it nailed down, and wanted to give you all a head's up that it's coming.

Here's the lowdown:
Holiday mini sessions to be conducted in a one-day blitz, and the package includes cards, gift prints, and a discount!

We're headed to Big D for my 20 year high school reunion (!!!), but I'll be back on Monday with the details.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

splash.makers

2008-08-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

WOW! You ALL take your voting seriously!

As of midnight last night, there was a total of 15,282 votes.....wow.
The top three all received over 4000 votes: Image 2, Image 9 and Image 10. These are the three that will be featured on the new splash page, and the 8x8 bevel mount. The other runners-up will rotate through as the featured images as time passes. Thank you all so much for voting!

I'm off to pack more boxes....

Have a fabulous day!

re.move

2008-08-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

As in....move....again!

Hey all!
I can see that you all have been busy voting in the contest, and that's great! I will keep the voting open until Wednesday, and then I'll announce the winners.
Until then, (and after also!) I'm going to be buried in moving boxes, packing tape and the like: we are scheduled to move back into our house on Saturday! We are very excited to be going *home*. Apartment living has been a great adventure that none of us will ever forget, and the kids made great strides in their swimming skills, but I'm ready to be back in my house.

I'm over all of us being on top of each other all the time and having no place to put anything. (Those of you who know me know that I like for everything to have it's place....I'm hoping the twitching will stop soon after we're back home, lol.)

I'm tired of housing my 'office' on a 4 foot folding table that's shared with another computer and printer in the corner of the living room.

I'm weary of having to get down on my hands and knees to see what's in the back of the fridge here.

I'll happily say goodbye to the 'th-dump, th-dump' sound made by every.single.vehicle as it comes through the entry gate that's just below our bedroom window.

I will sing praises when I no longer have to play garage door roulette to see just how many times I'll have to push the remote button for the door to go all the way down. (Over the course of the entire summer it's gone down on the first push a mere 5 times. The record is 17.)

And these guys.....

need the structure, routine and familiarity of their own home, belongings and surroundings.

I'll be back!
Keep Voting!

new.view

2008-08-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

Time for a contest, people!

I've got a new website in the works, and need to update the splash page images. There are three slots, so we'll have a contest to determine which three will be the chosen ones. I've chosen 10 of my favorite images from the past year, and you all get to cast your votes! (That part was actually verrrry hard - I had to list all of my favorites on slips of paper, and then I had my kids draw out the first 10. Please don't feel offended if *your* image isn't among those here....I can guarantee you it was likely in the original pool of 26 entries!)

The 3 images with the most votes will be featured on the new splash page! The winners will also receive a complimentary 8x8 bevel mount of their winning image.
You can vote as many times as you wish, and be sure to send your friends and family by so they can cast their votes too!

Let the voting begin!

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6

Image 7

Image 8

Image 9

Image 10

deja.vu

2008-07-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

Can I just say how much I looooove working with models old enough to drive?

I LOVE IT!

We started with Miss H., the graduate , who was the perfect, drop-dead-gorgeous subject....

...set up in an amazingly lovely back garden...

....took visual advantage of the wonderful pool...

...added in some fabulous evening light....

...and finally, we mixed in the super-beautiful siblings for a hike to the creek...

...to result in the perfect session! It was getting really dark by this point, about 45 minutes after the sun went down. The light was still wonderful, but we had to hurry!

The age spread of these guys mirrors that of my own kids. Photographing them and working on their images was a little like looking into my own future! I pray my own children grow into such promising young adults and have a bond as strong as these three.

L., I'm looking forward to showing you all the rest tomorrow!

Have a faulous Monday, all!

insurance.agent

2008-07-16T04:15:00.000-07:00

.....aaaaaand we're back.

Well, mostly.

For those of you who know the history, I've almost completely recovered or re-created all of the business stuff that was lost in the hard drive crash of last month. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the short version. The hard drive on my working PC died, taking with it most of my business files that had been altered since January, and a good portion of my photoshop files. Think contracts, logos, order forms, price lists, collage templates, slideshows, dvd templates, texture files, brushes, background papers, working storyboards.....the list goes on and on....
...and on.

I keep 'finding' things that are missing.

I panicked. Then I cried. Then I checked to make sure all client files were safe. (They are, whew!) I cried some more. And then I took a deep breath to get started on the hours and hours (and HOURS) of work to be done to recover.

And then we went on vacation! It could not have come at a more perfect time: with our house still under renovation, our current living space of small square footage (1 apartment fridge +5 people = NO bueno), and Grant's crazy travel schedule, we ALL needed a break.

To Florida we went. Stayed at the beach house of some dear friends, and had a fantastic time. The kids loved the sand, shells, alligators, and the airplane trip.

I've just about got everything that's 'vital' to the business of doing business back online.

But that's not what this post is about.
This post is about that picture at the top. Isn't it pretty? I love it. I took it of my kids on the beach at sunset on July 1, 2008 in Marco Island Florida. My babies are 5, 4 and 2.5 years old. My older son starts Kindergarten in 6 weeks, my middle man will start his last year of Pre-K, and my baby embarks on her own preschool journey.

They love being together, the linked hands show that. They were playing a game to see who could get closest to the waves without the water actually touching them. They also drive each other crazy: see that one there in the middle? He's holding on *just a little* too tightly, lol.

This picture says all that to me. It is the perfect representation of their lives and personalities at this point in time. Do you have one of these of your kids? If you don't, I can help with that, but that's not the purpose of this post either.

This post is about how sad would you be if you lost *that* photo forever?

You see, along with the business files (which are religiously backed-up after every session) that were lost in the hard drive crash, I lost the bulk of the personal photos I've taken since January. I take pictures every.single.day. Those, sadly, were not backed up. Hundreds of images.
Gone.

That my friends IS the point of this post. Go out today, buy yourself a spindle of dvds and start backing up those personal pictures. You'll be glad you did if the day comes that *your* hard drive decides to take a nosedive.

I'll be back in a few days with some images of some fabulously beautiful college kids, so stay tuned.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

pink.pink

2008-05-30T04:00:00.001-07:00

We're off to a wedding for the weekend, but I wanted to give Mama S. a little bit of beauty to hold onto until I can get back to the other fun images we got of her 6 day old twin girls.
They were wakeful pretty much the whole time, but I think we managed to get some really nice stuff. This was the only one I had time to work on....and I think I had way too much fun!

S. when it gets crazy, look at this....they are both quiet and still.
Have a wonderful weekend all!

shiny.bright

2008-05-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

The title describes the day, as well as their personalities: so much fun! I had the pleasure of spending last Saturday morning with a very fun family. Here's a little sneak peek for the B's.

These two children have the most amazing blue and green eyes. It was a pleasure to edit every single one of these images!

Little Miss A. was not quite sure about me and my big camera, but I discovered that she's a huge Dora fan, and I could get some smiles by shouting "vamanos!"

Couldn't you just swim in those eyes?

Little brother F. was all about the rocks....

...and I had to include this one, just because it makes me laugh!

I wish you all a fabulous Monday!

happy.family

2008-04-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, things have really been busy! I have so many pictures I want to show, but I just can't seem to find the time! My family and I spent the entire weekend at a retreat on the Guadalupe River, and it was wonderful. Lots of swimming, canoeing, and catching up with friends. Not much time for taking pictures, though, but I'm sure there are a couple of good ones;)

The other morning, I had the pleasure of spending time at the botanical gardens with this wonderful threesome and their mom. What a great group of kids! And their mama did a fantastic job of matching the boys' shirts with their eye color - simply gorgeous. Here's a little preview for you:

There are more cute families to come - stay tuned!

so.big

2008-04-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

He's TWO!!!
It was a morning full of fun...

...we played in the wildflowers

...took a wagon ride....

....did some light reading....

....hung out with the pup.....

...and finished up with a rousing game of peek-a-boo.

Stay tuned....he's going to be a big brother soon - times TWO!

green.world

2008-03-29T04:57:00.000-07:00

I'm such a bad blogger!
Spring has definitely sprung, and it's been lovely here. I would much rather spend the afternoon outside with the kiddos than sitting inside working at the computer! But I did spend just long enough to get these images ready for the M family. We met up at the park, took in a peacock show, and had some snacks. There was picture-taking involved, also;)

These cuties have their mama's gorgeous deep brown eyes...

...like pools of chocolate.

and I could have listened to this little guy's laugh all day! So adorable.

It's supposed to be a fabulous weekend, and I hope everyone gets out and enjoys the beautiful weather!
Happy weekend!

lovely.ladies

2008-02-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of spending a recent morning at the Capitol with this gorgeous trio of ladies.

The girls gave the session to their mom as a birthday gift, and they figured out that it had been almost 20 years since their last portrait together.

They all have the most amazing blue-green eyes, but I really loved the way the black and whites came out.
We're off to Big D for the weekend to see friends. Maybe I'll have some fun pics to share upon our return;)

I wish you all a wonderful weekend.

sweet.baby

2008-02-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

Isn't she just the yummiest? She was so good and patient with us, also. I swear it makes me want another one!

Here's a little preview for the H family....soak in the lusciousness:

And then there's the gorgeous big sister, who loves dogs of ALL kinds....

...can you tell which pup is the real one?

Have a great day, all!

new.

2008-01-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

new year.

new month.

new semester.

new life.

This little guy was the absolute best baby imaginable.

At only 6 days old, he slept when we wanted him to sleep, and was awake for just long enough to get some good face shots.

His parents are blessed!

His beautiful big sister was very patient with all the hullaballoo, and even gave up a few good poses herself!

K, I'm getting your gallery set up right now. I'll let you know when it's ready!

Have a great day, everyone!

Creek Rats

2007-12-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of spending Sunday afternoon with this great family! They were such fun, and I'm really pleased with how the photos came out. And S. no one will EVER know that they wanted nothing to do with taking pictures by looking at these! Here's a little preview:

S, I'm calling you *right now* to set up our proofing session!

Have a great evening!

Family Time!

2007-12-03T03:28:00.000-08:00

I had a fun morning the other day with the lovliest of families! It was soooo cooooollllllldd, but they were real troopers and indulged me.
C & T, I'm just about finished, so let's schedule our proofing session. I can't wait for you to see them all. In the meantime, here's a little teaser:

Happy Monday, all!

Giving Thanks

2007-11-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for my own family, for they make me smile.

I am thankful for the health of all those around me, for tomorrow it may be different.

I am thankful for all the parents out there who love their children unconditionally, because it's what all children deserve.

I am thankful for the families that let me take a peek into their lives, for it truly makes me happy.

I am thankful that I am able to pursue this love and share it with others, because it makes my soul smile.

Here's a sneak look for the B Family. I'm having a lot of fun with your images, and I'll be ready soon for you to see them all!

There's more to come.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Time Flies!

2007-11-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

My baby had a birthday. Two years has passed so quickly! See her year in pictures: 11.04.06-11.04.07. Have a great day, everyone.

Shades of Autumn

2007-10-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

...but not actual Autumn weather yet, of course! Here in Texas we won't even see hints of actual fall color for several months.
I'm in a fall-ish mood these days, and so I brought along some gorgeous Honey Crisp apples to play with on my last shoot. Little C. seemed to like throwing them more than anything else, and he had a pretty good arm, too! We got to play on his actual half birthday: 18 months.

How cute is he?.....and how much would you pay for those gorgeous, thick lashes?
I would pay tons;)

Have a great weekend, all.

Friday Fun

2007-09-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the little cutie I got to spend Friday morning with!
I had so much fun, and so did she....right up until the moment she took a nosedive into the front walkway and busted her lower lip! Poor little bean, I know it hurt like crazy, but she really took it like a champ. And Mama H., we *definitely* got more than enough wonderful shots to choose from! Here's just a preview of the first ones I've run through.

The rest are going to be so fun to edit!
Have a great week everyone.

Senioritis!

2007-08-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind summer, and now, finally, school has begun again.
I had my first high school senior session of the season a few nights ago, and I had so much fun! While I love capturing the little guys, I have to say that working with single subjects and people who actually do what you ask them to is very refreshing! Here's a sneak peek for K and her family. Isn't she beautiful? I'm having fun working on these, and I'm sure there will be more to come soon.

Welcome!

2007-07-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the newly launched Ellie Mac Photoblog!
If you've found your way here, it must mean that the new website is up and running! Yay! I have to give props to my husband Grant, who worked long and hard to get it the way I wanted.

The link that brought you here was "eavesdrop" because that's exactly what this site is about. Check in to take a look at what I'm up to, get a sneak peek at your session proofs and to learn about any specials or promotions that Ellie Mac Photography is currently offering. Drop in often! I'll probably leave this post up for a while until it gets established....we'll see how long that takes.;)
Have a great day!