But seriously, it was a blast to spend some time with him and his parents in the midst of bluebonnet season, which was phenomenal this year! He reminded me so of my own little boy at that age which actually made me sad just a little bit. Just miss that age, the antics, the funny things they say…Sigh, now I’ve got the Blues after all.

So MOMS, step away from your camera, the one you always hide behind taking pictures of the kids. (You know who you are!)

This time it’s YOUR turn, your time in the spot light! I know… it might not be your most favorite thing to do. (I already hear the chorus, “Oh, I hate being photographed.” I never like my pictures!” “I need to loose those last 10 pounds first.”) But trust me, once you did, you’ll be glad. Your love for your children is worth it. To be held onto forever. To be captured, shown off, displayed in your home. Your children know how much you love them and they really don’t care what your hair looks like. They want to see YOU in a picture with them! Let’s celebrate motherhood!

So for a limited time… Mother’s Day is May 13th for you dads that need a reminder I am offering “Mommy & Me” Mini sessions:

I also loved watching their bond, these two seem to be tight despite their age gap. I could have watched them forever playing their little games, singing songs together. They even have their own secret cheer routine they’ve come up with! This is the stuff you want to remember down the line! As always we’ve had fun, exploring the colors, textures and unique flair of Soco. Always fun hanging out with this beautiful family! And L., great job on the outfits!

So I am opening up spots for bluebonnet minis both this weekend as well as next week and weekend. Who knows how long they will stick around but by my estimation they are still in the beginning stages and we may get another 2-3 weeks of beautiful blooms. I don’t know if it will be as big a year as 2010 was (remember that?) but after last year’s drought this crop is surprising!!

So, if you ‘ve always wanted to do a bluebonnet session for your kids or family, now is the time! Limited spaces available, please contact me through the contact form on this blog or via e-mail (info@heikemurphy.com)

I loved this session so much (despite the extra humid and HOT spring morning) because we just let her do whatever she enjoys so her personality really came out and I think we’ve got so many happy candid moments captured.

Imagine how hard it was to narrow down the images from this session. Yep, almost impossible. So I apologize in advance for the length of this post. Pretty sure though she’ll capture your heart just as easily and you won’t be able to stop looking

With a bit of patience and improvisation we got it all worked out in the end. Kudos to mom and dad for being flexible when it came to Miss L. clothing choices. In the end a brand new princess dress that was supposed to be a birthday present saved us from a serious toddler tantrum and made for some darling sibling shots!

On another note, I was amazed how gentle big sis was with her baby brother. She was holding him so well and didn’t even get frazzled when he got a little restless in her arms. If that’s an outlook to things to come, she is going to be an awesome big sister.

I got a little teary eyed looking through these images, just reminded me so much of my little girlie holding her baby brother just like that. SIGH, where does time go???

She came to the studio a few days later and what a difference! HUGE “light up the sun” smiles and she was so much happier. That just proves that sometimes you just need a “reset” button and give it a fresh start. I love this family so much!!

We are fortunate that LISD has these random three days in February that are off school which is perfect for a little trip or to do things like this. We’ve had fun three days together, visiting the Witte museum and Alamo in San Antonio, the Waco Zoo, logging some volunteer hours at the Humane Society and I took her to her first ever horseback riding lesson. I had no idea how she would do and honestly I was a little nervous for her but I should have known better. The first 30 min or so she disappeared into the stable with the instructor and I was not allowed in there. When they reappeared with this sweet horse “Cinnamon” in tow she was all ready to go. She told me later that she learned about all the different parts of the horse and the “gear” and she got to brush and clean it. She was so excited about it! Then they went on a little trail together, Isa in the saddle and the instructor leading her around. Right after that they came inside this fenced training course and that’s when the instructor told her she’d be riding on her own now. And without hesitation or any signs of fear, she did. It looked amazingly easy and she was quite comfortable up there. Leading her horse all around the course, making her stop and turn. I was amazed! I know her horse was so sweet and patient and probably didn’t need that much direction or skill but still, she rode a horse all by herself in a matter of an hour!

We’ve always known that she has a special connection with animals, really of any kind even the ones most people are afraid of. It seemed that she was at such ease with her new friend Cinnamon and she was just beaming with pride and excitement when she was done. This feeling of accomplishment, it’s not something we could have ever bought her with another toy. It’s so much better and longer lasting! I want more of that for them!

To me a lifestyle session is all about capturing your life in the moment. It’s NOT about having everyone sit pretty, smiling and looking at the camera. I know everyone *wants* a shot like that and we’ll definitely include it. It’s what defines traditional portrait photography, we are all *programmed* to look for that image where everyone is looking, smiling, happy. It’s the image you send to the grandparents, put on your holiday card, put in a frame to proudly show off on your desk. BUT is it the image that makes your heart sing? Does it show your connection, your love? To me, it’s hard to convey that connection in an image like that and this is exactly where lifestyle photography comes in. Here the focus is on emotions, true connections and interaction between family members, siblings, dads and daughters, moms and sons. It’s capturing that very moment you are in, the little games you play, songs you sing, expressions and little faces the kids are making and yes, even your toddler’s tantrums! You think those moments might be mundane, ordinary but they will be the exact things you will miss a year from now, gosh… 3 months from now when the kiddos have moved on to something else. I always felt that those ordinary moments are worth capturing, remembering, they are what defines our life.

Is it easy to do a lifestyle session? Yes and no, I think it’s certainly challenging and definitely requires some planning but if you are able to relax and let go of preconceived notions what a photo session should be like, it can also be a lot of fun. And you’ll be amazed at the results.

How do you best display images from a lifestyle session? There’s certainly not an one-fits-all type answer but I think arranging the images into an album or coffee table book is a wonderful way to keep them together. They belong together to tell your story. And when you page through that album a year or 10 years from now, it’ll bring you right back to that moment. I guarantee it!

Here’s a lifestyle session from last fall that I really loved. I ‘ve known this family since their daughter was a newborn and it’s certainly a privilege and honor to be able to see them grow. I loved hanging out with them and capturing some of those precious moments for them!

If you are interested in booking a lifestyle session for your family, I’d love to hear from you! (Contact me through the contact form above)