Family Pet Photography

I love taking family portraits.  No two families are ever the same, and that certainly keeps my job interesting!  And perhaps because my own little furry babies are such an integral part of my family, I am always excited when a client wants to include his or her pets as part of a family session.  

I recently met Ms. A, who was fostering three sweet puppies for POODLE RESCUE HOUSTON until they were old enough to be adopted.  She asked me to do a photo session for her so she would have pictures of her foster pups as well as her own dogs; and I was more than happy to oblige!  So, I traveled to her home where I took both posed and candid photos.  These are a few of my favorites:

First, we have the "family portrait" where I managed to get everyone to look at me at the same time - no small feat!

Here are a couple of photos of the adorable foster pups, who have since been adopted and are now living in their forever homes:

This is little Monique, who is clearly the independent one of the trio!

And here are roly-poly Christopher and sweet Chanelle.  Aren't they adorable?!

Next up are a couple of photos of Ms. A and her "grown-up" babies:

We wanted to include casual, every day photos.  So Ms. A. sat down and played with her four-legged family members while I took pictures.  I love the results!

Look at the love and devotion on this girl's face for her human mama!

Remember, a family doesn't have to be human.  Families are not just made up of people related to you by blood or marriage.  Families are comprised of those you love, who love you back.  To me, that includes pets and lifelong friends.  When is the last time you had family pictures made?

Back to School - Rheagan and Reese

My dear friend, Heather, recently asked if I would be interested in doing a back-to-school shoot with her two daughters.  Those of you who know Heather - know that she is immensely talented and creative.  I am in complete awe of her skill with all things scrapbook and paper related.  (If you don't know Heather, trust me, you have to check out her BLOG.  Seriously, do it!)  So, of course, I jumped at the chance.  I knew that a photo shoot with any member of her family was sure to be fun.  And I was not disappointed!  Heather's girls showed up with bright colorful outfits, lots of sweet smiles, and a little bit of sass!  

We started by setting a scene with a school desk piled high with the girls' favorite books...

...and included a few fun props like bright pink glasses.  Little Reese looks both smart AND stylish!  

Big sister Rheagan is a girl after my own heart...

Why, you ask?  Well, not only did she have a super cool book selection, but check out her feet.  That's right, her shoes are OFF!  She was determined to enjoy the freedom of summer and no shoes until the very last second!  I can definitely identify with that!  

She also scored an "A+" using the pink glasses as a fashion accessory.

We made sure we took photos of the girls together.  (Don't you adore their coordinating outfits?!)

And, of course, we took lots of individual photos, too...

Heather wanted an extended photo session with the girls, so we did an outfit change and then it was off to the park...but that is a story for another day...

Don't worry!  I will be back soon with Part 2.

To be continued...

(I am now booking Fall and Christmas sessions, and I am still doing Senior sessions.  For more info, please feel free to check out my website - www.kcmckeephotography.com.  Or you can contact me directly by email at kristinclarkmckee@gmail.com.)

One of a Kind - Back to School Session

My daughter is her very own unique person, there is no doubt, with her own sense of style and her own ideas.  And, at age 14, she is a little bit pouty and a little bit stubborn (on her good days) - LOL!  So, the day before school, we had a conversation that went something like this:

Me:  School starts tomorrow.  Let's get some photos of you today while the light is still good so we won't have to worry about it in the morning.

Daughter: *rolls her eyes*

Me:  C'mon.  I'm serious.  You are starting high school.  I want to get some pictures of you.

Daughter: *letting out a long suffering sigh*

Me:  Seriously, let's go.

Daughter:  Okay, but can I just wear the clothes I already have on?

Me:  Yes, if you promise to smile in at least a couple of the pictures.

Daughter: *another eye roll* Okay...

(This is why photographers will often pay other photographers to take pictures of their own children.)

So, we went and took photos in a location close by; and I even got a couple of genuine smiles (along with a genuine pout or two).  But I love them!  They represent my teen girl in her sometimes moody, sometimes angsty, sometimes goofy, sometimes happy glory - and isn't that the point of a photo session?

Have you had your child's photographs taken recently?  Not posed portraits, but everyday lifestyle portraits that really allows his or her personality to shine through?  If you live in the Houston or San Antonio area, I would love to create those portraits for you!  For more information, please check out my website: http://kcmckeephotography.com/

Rachel and Steffan Engagement Shoot

This is a story as old as time.  Even so, it never gets boring.  It is never the same.  This is a story about a boy...

...who met a girl....

They became the very best of friends...

...and fell in love.

Rachel and Steffan wanted a simple engagement shoot in a relaxed outdoor setting.  And, truthfully, that was all they needed.  Their love for each other clearly took center stage!  Don't you agree?

Here's to Rachel and Steffan - and their soon-to-be happily ever after!

If you are in Houston or surrounding areas, I would love to help you create lasting photographic memories that you can share with family and friends.  Feel free to email me at kristinclarkmckee@gmail.com, or you can send me a private message via my Facebook business page found HERE, or you can simply leave a comment on this blog with your contact information.

Have a great weekend, and stay tuned for some upcoming pics from an adorable back-to-school session!

This Happened...

These last couple of months have sure been busy for me!  For those of you wondering where I have been...this happened...

My daughter Lou and my son-in-law recently purchased their very first home.  It has a great floor plan and is in a wonderfully established neighborhood.  But, it is an older home that needed a little love.  And I have been helping give it some TLC, in the form of sanding and painting walls and, currently, taking kitchen cabinet doors off and sanding, deglossing, and repainting them.  It has been a lot of fun, and I have been so happy to be able to help them.  

I also just finished directing my first play at one of our local community theaters - which I absolutely loved doing!  We had sold out performances almost every weekend for five weeks and got great reviews.  I definitely can't wait to do that again!

But, my favorite thing - my very favorite thing lately - has been growing my little photography business.  I was recently asked by a good friend of mine, who also happens to be a photographer, to take pictures of his three daughters.  Like many children, they don't always want to smile for their dad.  So I was recruited to take some headshots and generally updated photos, and the results were wonderful!  

Without further ado, here are a few of my favorites of the three beautiful, vivacious Rule sisters...

The oldest insisted she was not photogenic.  I beg to disagree!  She is so pretty, and her personality clearly shines through in these pictures!

The middle daughter is quieter - a little more reflective.  She knew exactly what she wanted to try with her photos, so I just followed her and clicked away.

And the youngest, she just wanted me to finish taking her photos so she could run around in the grass and do cartwheels.  But she did manage to stay still long enough to get the shots her family wanted.  She is such a little cutie pie!

Like my photos?  If you do, I would love it if you would "like" my Facebook page - KCMckee Photography, which can be found HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by!