The Sillimans are welcoming a baby boy in October, and in Houston can still be very much summer even far into the "fall." As such, it was WARM for their session, but these two rocked it! And we had a slight cloud cover at the beginning of the session, but the sun peeked out just in time for the kind of light that makes me do a happy dance. :) 

So many people hesitate to go for a sunrise session (and I get it - it can make for an early morning!) but I love it when clients decide to go for it! There's something so perfect about that soft morning light that just warms everything it touches, it's magical.

Mike & Kristin, I'm thrilled for you guys as you welcome a new little person into the world! 

I loved watching the twin's interactions with each other and their parents! They definitely had their best smiles when they were looking at each other or their mom and dad. Kisses and flying up in the air also were favorite activities for Zeke and Connor! And the second they were on the ground they were both off in different directions. The family photos were the first part of their session (the cake smash + fruit bath photos will come in a later post!) and it was such a joy celebrate the twins being a part of the Foran family for a whole year!

The balloons were definitely a hit for the boys! I love including special toys or ones that kiddos play with frequently in their session, so it was so fun that Ashley brought their wagon along for the shoot! 

Robert & Ashley, thank y'all for trusting me with your family session! Your little guys are SO much fun, and they were fabulous little models! :) 

Hannah was a dear friend in high school and since, and it was such a joy to be able to photograph this time for her sweet family! (They've actually had their sweet babe, and I recently shot their family in Minnesota - but I thought I should share their maternity before their family...at least, that made sense in my brain. :) ) 

Hannah & Connor, love you guys and your sweet little person! He has great parents already!!

Joni and Michael welcomed little Evie into their family this year, and it was SUCH a joy to photograph their family! Kensie is the perfect big sister, and it was so fun seeing how excited she was to have a baby sister (although there may or may not have been gold fish tucked into sister's blanket at one point to keep her interested in playing with baby)  David family, congratulations on your beautiful baby girl! 

In a gorgeous country church in Fulshear, Texas, Jessie and David stood before their family and friends and promised their lives to each other. Each part of the day was filled to the brim with joy - from preparation, ceremony, reception, and being thrown and jumping into the country club swimming pool, to closing out the dance floor together soaking wet, their happiness and love was an honor to photograph!

Jessie and David's ceremony took place in Guardian Angel Catholic Church. Guardian Angel is the church that David grew up in, and holds many special memories for his family, including the weddings of other family members! 

Jessie and David opted to not do a first look, but instead to see each other for the first time when Jessie was walking down the aisle. So, we took a bit of extra time after the ceremony for couple portraits! There was a gorgeous stair case leading up to the balcony that was perfect for some intimate couple shots. 

The rest of the wedding party photos, as well as the reception, took place at Weston Lakes Country Club. It was a gorgeous venue for both! 

Jessie and David, your day was truly beautiful, and I'm so thrilled for you both as you start married life together!

//Vendor Love//
Coordinator: Lean On Me Events, LLC
Floral Design: Petals by Design
Catering & Reception Venue: Weston Lakes Country Club
DJ: DLF Entertainment
HUMA: Your Beautiful Face
Cakes: For Heaven's Cake
Bride’s Gown: David's Bridal
Photography: Ashworth Imagery

Julie wanted the setting for their session to include nature elements without being out in the woods, and Eleanor Tinsley Park was perfect!  Green + the downtown Houston skyline. :) 

The outtakes, the real life interaction, the laughter, all my favorites. 

Note to future me: check with one of the family members on HOW ticklish someone is before telling other family member to tickle said person.  

This one might actually be my favorite of all. The only instruction I gave was, "Now we're going to do an awkward prom photo pose." And this gem was the result! 

To finish out the session, we did a quick head shot update. Because, why not?  

Fullerton family, you guys are dream clients + dear friends, and I absolutely LOVED your session! 

Little Benjamin was exactly one week old for his first photo session! He did a fabulous job being a little baby model, as did his big brothers! 

It was so sweet how excited the big brothers were for their new sibling! 

Josh and Lisa, congratulations on your beautiful baby! He's darling! 

In February of 2014 they reconnected. They went to Chelsea Wine Bar on Taylor Lake for their second first date, and were inseparable from that point forward!

Fast forwarding to September of 2015, Ray took Gina out to dinner then back to Chelsea Wine Bar. Some wine and stargazing later, Ray suggested that they go stand by the water before they left. There they shared their first kiss, and Ray knelt and asked Gina to share his forever. She said yes!

On March 4th Ray and Gina stood aboard the Tall Ship Elissa in Galveston Harbor as they promised their love to each other! Writing their own heartfelt vows, Ray promised to make Gina laugh every day, and Gina pledged to always be a safe place for Ray’s heart. The end of their sweet ceremony was punctuated by rain, but the skies quickly cleared for a lovely outdoor reception on the docks.

Gina and Ray got ready at the gorgeous Tremont House in Galveston! 

Gina and Ray choose the rooftop bar of the Tremont as their first look location, and it was a perfect choice!  

Gina and Ray, thank you for giving me the honor of documenting your love and the day you committed yourselves to each other! I hope you’re able to enjoy each moment you spend together for the rest of your lives!

Many thanks to the fantastic vendors that brought Gina's vision to life! 

Coordinator: Polished Wedding Planning
Floral Design: Downtown Blooms
Catering: Tastefully Yours Events
Photo Booth: Fun Fab Photo Booths
DJ: Bo’s Music Factory
HMUA: La Bellalee Makeup
Cakes: Cakes by Jula

Leah and Hudson added a fur baby this past year, and it was so fun to have Hutch as a part of their session! I firmly believe that dogs match their owners, and Hutch is the perfect dog for the Smiths - he's fun and energetic, and the sweetest puppy! 

image by Leah Ashworth

Leah and Hudson, your session was a blast! Merry (belated) Christmas! 

Leif Raice Ashworth

Born: 4:39pm on November 4, 2016

Birth weight: 7lbs 9 oz

Length: 20 inches

Labor: just under 12 hours, start to finish! Aaron delivered Leif at home, and everything went very well! I'd say according to plan, but I didn't really have a plan other than to get him out, so I'd say we were successful. ;)

Looks like: a nice blend of Aaron's and my baby pictures, although I think he's going to look exactly like Aaron! Give it a few months. :) 

Leif (pronounced LAYF. Yes, I've said it "wrong" my whole life, but as it turns out that's the actual Norwegian pronunciation so that's what we're going with! :) ) is doing fabulously, and is an adorable baby! He's nursing like a champ, and wants to eat all. the. time. Leif exceeded his birth weight in less than a week! He's starting to get little rolls everywhere, which I think is completely adorable. :) He's a pro at tummy time, and likes to show off how he can hold up his head on his own! Leif has also rolled over multiple times, but I'm hoping its still accidental at this point. :)

Aaron and I are pretty obsessed with this little person, and we're pretty sure he's the cutest baby in the whole world. We're so grateful he's here safely! 

image by Leah Ashworth

image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth image by Leah Ashworth

A completely different set of photos was planned for this session (some of which will be shared in a future post!) but these images just kind of happened, and I love them! 

If I had to pick, I'm pretty sure squishy baby kiss faces are my favorite! 

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Here's to fall, and one of the most precious relationships in the world!

I'm officially on maternity leave! It's been so much fun to have time to go back through and edit personal projects, do some much needed organization, and prepare for the future of Ashworth Imagery after the baby comes! Also, it's given me time to actually write blog posts, and I'm ecstatic to be able to share some gorgeous images in the near future! Without further ado…

image by Leah Ashworth

(I promise I don't typically have this much lint/dog hair on my clothing!)

Baby's News:

Weeks? 39

Size? a small pumpkin. Approx. 7 lbs, and 20 inches

Happening this week? Just growing, getting fatter and cuter! :) All major milestones and developments have been passed and completed, and it's up to baby as to when he'll make his appearance! Baby has LOTS of hiccups, and that typically happens 20ish minutes after I finish eating. From how strongly I can feel them, I'm pretty sure he inherited his dad's violent hiccups, which is adorable. :) He also moves the most if I haven't eaten in awhile or a bit after I've eaten (already a big fan of food!), when I'm still, or when Aaron talks. :)

He? Yes! Baby is a boy! At least, that's what we've been told and are banking on. If he's not a boy there will be a great deal of surprise…and an emergency shopping trip! ;) 

image by Leah Ashworth

Leah's news:

Feeling? ready to have this kiddo on the outside! Rather large and uncomfortable…basically like a small whale. (Aaron said he's going to make me a tshirt with a whale on it. I'm not sure if I would laugh or cry!) The last couple of weeks have been especially rough, because apparently everything is stretching and preparing too much and bones are separating. Fun stuff.

Cravings? Still nothing that I've sent Aaron to the store in the middle of the night for! Oreos are fabulous, pizza with pineapple and Canadian bacon, grapefruits, Costco's pumpkin muffins, sesame balls, and cold things. 

Blacklisted foods? Not really anything that I can think of right now! Although that's subject to change at a moment's smell. ;)

I promise my face doesn't look that fat in real life! I am, however, to the point where my wedding rings no longer fit. So I have another ring I'm wearing in the meantime (because it just feels weird to NOT have one on my finger!) I do, however, still have defined ankles! So not completely puffy. Also, Schatzi REALLY wanted to be in the picture, so...

image by Leah Ashworth

(Baby stuff is exploding all over the house! ;) The gorgeous blanket was handmade by my fabulous sister. :) )

Other FAQ's:

How's Aaron doing? Great! He's ready to meet baby, and pretty excited. :) He likes to lay his head on my belly because baby will kick it. :) He's also doing his own form of "man nesting" - vent covers replaced, air filters, random other misc projects. :)

Speaking of nesting, how is your nesting going? Pretty fabulously! Cleaning, organizing, getting the nursery situated…the only super frustrating thing is that Schatzi is shedding her summer undercoat, so there's dog hair EVERYWHERE. Hopefully that will end soon though!

Nursery theme? Nautical and sea creatures. It's mostly practical right now, but I do have decorating plans that will start tomorrow if baby hasn't yet arrived! ;) The longer he waits, the more will get done…mostly because I'm trying to fill all the extra time with projects so I'm not as impatient for his arrival!

Baby name? I think we've finally decided! but we're keeping it a secret because something has to be a secret, and he'll be born any day, so… ;)

Anything else? The realization that there's a person inside me that HAS TO COME OUT hit me a couple of weeks ago. That was kind of an emotional day. Also, newborns look huge. And go call your mom, and thank her (especially if you weren't her first baby!)

Here's to hoping that the next update has baby pictures! :D

This session was so much fun, and the kiddos were such troopers (despite the HOT morning!) I love photographing extended families - it's a joy to see families that love being together, and make documenting moments in life a priority. 

Special thanks to the stranger in the park who hung out for a few minutes with her dog! Your puppy was perfect for getting the little people's attention, and I'm grateful for your kindness! 

When photographing groups that include little people, it's a given that at some point in the session, one of them will decide that cooperating and smiling isn't fun any more! Some of these shots completely crack me up - sometimes so much that I include them with the family's gallery! ;)

Adkins family, thanks so much for trusting me to document this beautiful time in your lives! I'm so grateful to have been able to capture these moments that you were all together, and I hope the images are treasures! :)

Due to bad traffic and a delayed start, it ended up being almost noon by the time we began the session! I was grateful for some fabulous trees with lots of open shade! 

Powell family, it has been so fun to document your family through the years, and this session was no different! Thanks for being in front of my camera and in my life! :)

Baby's news:

Weeks: 17

Size: a white onion. 5.1 inches and 5 oz. 

Happening this week: Baby is practicing breathing movements! Also has well formed lips and mouth, and is swallowing, yawning, and hiccuping. Taste buds are fully developed, but the nerve connections won't be mature enough for baby to actually taste for another few weeks.

image by Leah Ashworth

Leah's news:

Feeling: Steadily better!

Crazy cravings? Not so much. I've had a few, but nothing that was an "I must have this or someone will die" experience. From what I'd heard I really thought it was much more like that!  Favorites this week have been peaches, mangos, and these amazing chicken avocado burritos. 

Blacklisted foods? Eggs, lettuce, broccoli. Also anything with weird textures.

Anything else? I started feeling Baby move this week! It's super exciting, but also a bit weird. I can feel movement the best when I'm laying on my back, and especially if I've just had something fruity/sweet. Also excited to find out SOON if Baby is a boy or girl! :) :) :) 

image by Leah Ashworth

Baby's news:

Weeks: 15

Size: a pear (or avocado, but since those sound disgusting right now we went with pear.)

Happening this week: Baby's facial muscles have developed enough for it to start practicing making faces! Fingers can move independently of each other, and Baby can grab its feet with its hands. Its skin is still transparent, and this week Baby's head is smaller than the rest of the body.

Leah's news:

Feeling: Still slowly improving! Sometimes I feel like it's taking forever to get through the morning sickness stage, but if I compare how I'm feeling now to how badly I was feeling even a couple of weeks ago the improvement is huge! So there's hope for feeling well again. :) I actually feel the best outside, so I've been hanging out a lot on the porch.

Food: is starting to be a good idea again! This week the things that were essential were chili cheese hot dogs, mac 'n cheese, Pad Thai, and a turkey BBQ stuffed baked potato. Also a watermelon lime drink that Aaron made (four or five times this week I think?) that is amazingly delicious!

Nasty foods: I made a deer roast earlier this week. After smelling it for three hours I couldn't stand the thought of eating it, which was sad because Aaron said it tasted really good. Most meat still doesn't sound good, especially if I have to be involved in the cooking process. 

Will you have a birth photographer? Not planning to. I've photographed numerous births and absolutely LOVED the ones I've attended. There are definitely moments that I would want documented, so I'll have my camera out/available. But at this point I'm also thinking that I only want a minimal number of people around. However all this could change. 

Books: My favorite one currently is Pregnancy Day by Day. I love having daily blips to read, it goes through the entire 40 weeks, and there are tons of pictures. I'm absolutely open to books suggestions if there are any fabulous ones? 

image by Leah Ashworth

Anything else? Schatzi is being SUPER protective of me. Not sure if she knows or if she just knows something is different? It's sweet, but sometimes annoying if I'm trying to do something and she's right on top of me. But whenever I get annoyed with her she smiles like she's done absolutely nothing wrong (see below)

image by Leah Ashworth

That's all for now! Happy Saturday!

I always love it when my clients mix things up on their own! Because sometimes people end up climbing trees, and super fun photos occur that reflect personalities perfectly! :)

Hudson and Leah, it was a joy to photograph y'all!  Thank y'all so much for not only being fabulous clients, but dear friends! :)

Sooo, on the morning that we found out that we were going to be parents, of course I couldn't keep that secret either! :) Aaron and I both had to work that day, and I'd thought that maybe it was a possibility…but I didn't want to say anything to Aaron if there wasn't anything to say! So I'd intended to get up early, take a test, and then if it was positive we'd have a moment before he left. Well, I missed my first alarm, and barely had a chance to take a test and stash it under the sink (you know, to wait the two minutes or whatever it was) before he got out of the shower. I started the stopwatch on my phone, and then promptly got distracted doing other things… Aaron left for work, and I went back to check on the test, and there were two lines (insert scramble for the directions, because what did two lines mean again?) But when I looked at the stopwatch, the time had gone over, plus it was a dollar store test, and of course if it's only $1 it's probably not accurate. Four dollar store tests and one "real" one later, I called Aaron. :)

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Life has been pretty crazy since then, and I'm sure things will be a whirlwind from now on! Aaron and I are both ecstatic, and can't wait to meet our little one! :) I know I've been pretty quiet around the blog lately. Between maintaining service standards for my fabulous clients as well as dealing with morning sickness, my plate has been pretty full! What that does mean though is that there are many many fabulous sessions of gorgeous people that I can't wait to share, and I'll be working to update with those sessions as I can. :) For now though, baby news!

(our social media announcement photo!)

Baby Ashworth:

Weeks old: 14

Due: beginning of November

Size: a large lemon. Or a beet, or a house mouse. But lemons are the easiest to find/hold, and taste good in water, so I pick lemon. ;) 3.4 inches and 1.5oz. 

image by Leah Ashworth

Skills and facts:  Swimming around (during our appointment this week, Baby kept trying to avoid the dopler - lots of movement! Or it could have been because of the tea and coffee I had before the appointment?) Baby is starting to be able to hear outside sounds this week! So I can really talk to it without feeling silly. :) Its thyroid is developing, kidneys are functioning, and fingers are well differentiated. 

First ultrasound: happened March 19th. Yes it was early, but I needed to see the munchkin/hear a heart beat, and scheduling the ultrasound was absolutely one of the best decisions ever! Plus it's nice to be able to look at pictures after throwing up, and remember that there's a really fabulous reason that all of the yucky stuff happens.  image by Leah Ashworth

(our precious little gummy bear alien's first photo session :) )

My news (and answers to questions)

image by Leah Ashworth

(self-portraits are hard - next time I'll have Aaron help!!!)

How are you feeling?   Slowly getting better! Still throwing up, but there's definite improvement! (Which is a wonderful thing, because it's never fun to watch what you just ate come right back up…tmi?) 

Showing yet?   Depends on what I'm wearing! I think absolutely, but it could also look like too much cake. 

Food cravings?   Not so much cravings as "these things I can eat and these other things I can't stand!" Yogurt is good, string cheese, biscuits, pancakes, chicken salad, snickers bars, cold liquids…and Sunday the only thing that sounded good was a bbq stuffed baked potato. And I've wanted a chocolate cake donut for almost two months, but the one time we tried to get donuts the drive thru person gave us a chocolate glazed instead of chocolate cake donut. Which was slightly devastating. 

Horrible/awful/terrible/foods?   Most meat, eggs, anything that smells strongly, crackers (threw them up one too many times)…coffee for awhile, but this week that has been OK again, so that's exciting! :) 

Maternity clothes?   A few. Funny story, I actually had some already (they tend to be cute, soft, and be longer so they work better with my long waist. Plus thrift stores, so…) Most of the time I'm wearing athletic shorts/yoga pants and a comfy t-shirt. I did buy a couple of pairs of pants though, and am having to do the hair tie trick with regular pants.

Hospital, birth center, or home?    Home. Unless there's a reason that we'd need a hospital. We found a fabulous midwife (who's a CNM and RN - if you're in need of one in the Houston area, I'd be happy to send info!) and between her, her assistant who is also an RN, and Aaron (RN, paramedic, and just generally fabulously skilled) I'm completely comfortable and very excited about being at home!

Finding out if it's a boy or girl?   We're absolutely planning to find out! We'll wait until the next ultrasound though (I CAN wait a few more weeks! At least I keep telling myself that…)

Names?   We actually came up with a list of baby names on our honeymoon. Slight problem, I have no idea where the list is! The name will be a secret though until Baby makes it's appearance. :)

Bought any baby clothes yet?   Not yet…but oh so tempted. I did buy a blanket that fits perfectly with the baby room color scheme and some receiving blankets though. 

Nursery plans?   Yes, but also just normal house project plans. House remodeling projects kind of ground to a halt after we moved in last March, so there's a ton of detail stuff that needs to be done (trim, this one closet we never got around to ripping carpet out of/painting, painting a bookshelf, a bathroom remodel and flooring) so we'll be super busy! 

Still shooting?   YES! :) Although I most likely won't be taking any sessions after mid-October and before February. 

Anything else?   I cooked yesterday for the first time in over two months. I felt like that was an accomplishment!!!

Until next time….

I love being able to shoot growing families in places that hold meaning for them. For the Wrights, there are many hours of joy and laughter in and around the swing in their front yard. We also just happen to have a shot in the  very same place right after James was born, so it's fun to continue the setting for baby number 3! 

Typically, newborn sessions will have a transition from posed baby shots to incorporating more of the family. The Wrights chose instead to focus on family interactions. So, the main transition in their session was from outside to inside! :)

Congrats again, Grant and Laura! You have a beautiful family! :)

Grant was so wonderful to Laura, supporting her through each contraction, and being so attentive to whatever she needed. Their daughter, Eden, wanted to help as well, and was so sweet to her mama. Grant and Laura decided to wait to find out the gender of the baby until she was born, and Eden's big job was to tell everyone whether the baby was a boy or girl!  

Beautiful rest between contractions...

Welcome to the world, little Isabel! And congratulations, Grant and Laura! :)smile emotico)

Rachel and Dan, I'm so excited for y'all and your upcoming wedding! I'll be cheering for you from Texas, and praying that you have a wonderful wedding day, and a beautiful lifetime together. :)

I know he loves me because he comes with me to shoots, even though he knows it always takes longer than I say, and there are lots of other ways he could spend his time.

image by Leah Ashworth

I know he loves me when he cheerfully stands in random spots for light/exposure checks. 

I know he loves me because of the way he listens as I plan out a shoot. 

image by Leah Ashworth

I know he loves me when he's willing to shoot with me, even if it's freezing outside and I've said "just one more pose" a dozen times. 

image by Leah Ashworth

I know he loves me because of the way he supports my dreams, and encourages me to pursue them.  image by Leah Ashworth

I know he loves me because he's willing to carry my coffee as well as his. 

image by Leah Ashworth

I know he loves me because he goofs off to help calm my pre-shoot butterflies. 

image by Leah Ashworth

image by Leah Ashworth

I know he loves me because he's always willing to carry my gear bag, a prop bag, and a blanket, even though I bring the whole house along to a session and he knows it! 

image by Leah Ashworth

Aaron, I know I couldn't do what I do anywhere close to as well as I do it without you. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you! 

XOXO,

Leah 

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It's so fun to watch my brother be a dad!

(C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery And, when a bunch of family is together, family photos are always necessary... (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery

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Happy first year, Arlynn! I can't wait to watch you grow, and am thrilled to be your aunt. :)

Brandy and Randy were married on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, surrounded by close family and friends. 

Brandy's daughters were both part of the wedding party - one as bridesmaid and one as the flower girl. The floral design on the flower girl basket, as well as the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, were both designed and made by Brandy! 

Every detail in place.

Personalized vows for a unique couple... (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery

After the wedding, everyone went indoors for the reception! (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery

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After the traditional first dance of the bride and groom, Brandy and Randy then had a family dance with the girls, to include the girls and show their new family. :) (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery

I'm always glad for a helpful groom! :) (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery

Mr. and Mrs. May, it was an honor to photograph your wedding day! Congratulations!

Many thanks to the vendors that contributed to the wedding:

Venue: Huntsville State Park

Event Planner: Ginger Shepherd of Class Act Designs

DJ: Greg Ripley of Greg's Mobile Entertainment

And then after that, there's the "To Do" list that's a million pages long, laundry that hasn't been done for awhile, (let's be real - that line dry load hasn't been washed since before Christmas) and just general life to catch up on…and photo sessions from all the way back to August that haven't been blogged yet.

However, even though January can seem like a let down and completely overwhelming, I wouldn't trade any part of the months prior, because so much of the busyness is due to time spent with family. And I'm grateful, because even though things that seem essential are no where near completed, relationships are the most important, and laundry can always be done another day. :) 

Every year for Christmas for the past several years, my family has gathered in my parent's front yard for THE Christmas picture (the one that goes on the Christmas card.) My family has a difficult time being serious most of the time, and when there's a camera around, even more so. The way these sessions typically go is that I grab a sibling to come outside with me and help me double check lighting, placement, etc. The rest of the family filters out, and I try to start positioning….which never quite goes as planned. Finally, everyone is in place, I start the timer, and then RUN to get in my spot (and also adjust the people right around my spot, because there was too much/too little space left.) The shutter clicks, I go to check the image, and we need a redo…repeat 5-10 times, or until the cooperation is too far gone to continue. :) Every year though, we seem to get a decent shot, and it's been really fun to see our family grow through the years…and to be able to shoot in a place where there are so many memories! 

image by Leah Ashworth

This year, we were also able to get a photo with Aaron's family! The process went similarly to my family's photo process, but less people = less crazy. :) Hopefully this is a tradition we're able to continue with them through the years as well! 

Lastly….our Christmas photo. Which, believe it or not, actually got sent to a lab and Christmas cards were printed. However, that same stack of Christmas cards is still sitting on my desk. So…I could send the cards now, and they'd just be really late. Or maybe, since there's no date on the card, I could save them for next year! Or send them now and just be really early for next Christmas…hmmmm….

My littlest brother Jared shot this image for us. We had about a five minute time window, so I fixed the settings and handed him the camera. Our puppy just happens to LOVE Jared, so she was happy to look at him/the camera. :)

image by Leah Ashworth

Sooooo…..Merry (a little late, but late is better than never, right?) Christmas! :) I'm excited to start this new year, jump right into the crazy, and see what 2016 has in store!

Although technically a Halloween wedding, Becky simply planned for gorgeous colors and simplicity in decor, and the result was lovely!

I think that the measure of someone's love might just be shown in how early they're willing to wake up in the morning! Even at 6:30am, preparations were underway and people were bustling about getting ready!

Becky opted to do a first look with Chris, and for the majority of the photos to take place before the ceremony. Although we'd discussed the first look going down at a nearby park, the couple was so excited to see each other that the day of the wedding they opted to do the first look right outside of the church, with their families observing from a distance.

The wedding party and family made their way to the park, where the rest of the formal photos took place. Although it was a beautiful sunny morning, it was freezing! My Texan fingers and camera weren't quite prepared for the Pennsylvania cold (which, apparently, was actually mild for this particular weekend, as it had already snowed a week or two prior to the wedding!) In spite of the cold, the smiles were warm. :)

Becky is one of ten siblings, and it's so much fun to watch their family interact! The niece and nephews have many playmate options with all of their aunts and uncles. :)

The kiddos definitely added an extra element of fun to the photo time!

The wedding took place in the family's church, and Becky and the church ladies did a beautiful job transforming the sanctuary and basement into a lovely wedding venue! 

The couple opted to do pies for dessert in lieu of a traditional wedding cake. All of the pies were home made by Becky's mom and sisters.

During the reception, I snuck the bride and groom outside for a few more photos. :)

After a fond farewell, Chris and Becky left for their honeymoon in Missouri! 

Mr. and Mrs. Noa, thank you for the honor of documenting your love and your beautiful wedding day! 

Many thanks to:

Grace Fellowship Church: www.gfchazleton.org

and Diane Bott (their fabulous wedding coordinator!) 

Ashley and Chris wanted to include their furbabies in their session as well! While they weren't incredibly cooperative pups, it was fun to have them involved as well! :)

Ashley and Chris, it was an honor to document this special time for you both, as well as your precious babies! I can't wait to meet them! 

Prior to Leah's head shots, my indoor/studio work has mainly consisted of photographing newborns or family lifestyle sessions. However, when Leah contacted me about shooting head shots indoors, I was excited to create a new set up! 

Leah, thanks so much for your patience with me (and the constant tweaking) throughout your session! It was an honor to photograph you! :) 

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As their wedding begun, I realized that I didn't see a photographer, even from my point of view (standing in the back) Realizing that there could very well be a photographer who was simply being very discreet, I decided to shoot some…but keeping a look out so that I could be sure to stay out of the way of the photographer, if he/she started moving around. 

As a photographer, I constantly go back and forth on what to do when I am a guest at a wedding. To bring the camera or not to bring the camera - that is the question! The choice I made for Kate & Nate's wedding was to bring it, and I'm so glad I did! As it turns out, there was a bit of a mix up, and while there was a photographer for formal shots after the ceremony, there was no coverage of the actual ceremony! Never in my life have I been so happy to have brought a camera. 

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(C) ashworthimagery The ring bearers carried little swords - it was adorable! 

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Kate was glowing as she and her dad prepared to walk down the aisle... (C) ashworthimagery ​...and her groom had eyes for her alone. :) (C) ashworthimagery

During the wedding, some guys on four-wheelers came up on the road behind the wedding. I don't think they realized they were crashing a wedding until they were too close to do anything about it! Kate and Nate just laughed and rolled with it. (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery

When you don't have a ladder, and do have creative groomsmen. :) (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery (C) ashworthimagery

During the past several weeks one thing that has occupied many of my thoughts and many conversations with Aaron has been the concept of being intentional. Being intentional with relationships, with work, and with purposeful down time is challenging for me, because it's easy to get distracted and focus on the non-essentials rather than things that have true value. Yes, I'm busy (who isn't?), but that should never bump priorities into secondary positions, or give fluff a value it doesn't have. 

I look forward to sharing more thoughts on this subject, as well as practical ways these thoughts end up working out in my little family! For now, though, here's to fall weather, giant cups of tea, pumpkin everything, and making the most of the time I'm given! :) image by Leah Ashworth

This gallery had some gorgeous light! I really enjoyed the ability to photograph in Steinway's Houston location.  

The details that go into creating one of these pianos is incredible. Probably even more incredible is the beautiful sound that is created when a musician plays... 

While shooting, I had the opportunity to see some of the "guts" of a piano that was being repaired.  

This shoot definitely added a Steinway to the list of things that will someday (hopefully) end up in my home! I had a wonderful time photographing these beautiful pianos, and for the variation that product photography provides. :)

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Beth, thanks for the honor of photographing your bridal images! :)

One of my favorite of our family traditions is the annual trip to Brenham in the spring - bluebonnet season, to be exact. :) We bring a picnic, the guys play football, we take pictures, and spend the day together. It's always a special time, and this year was no exception. :) This year was the first grand baby's first year to come, so she pretty much stole the show. ;)

How many people does it take to make a baby smile? 

'Til next year! 

Isaac is graduating high school, but is also going into his junior year in the engineering program at McNeese State University. Congrats on all of your achievements, Isaac! It was great to get to know you better through your shoot!

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Our location for the shoot was Hermann Park and the area surrounding, and I loved having such a broad range of park personality to accommodate different parts of the shoot. 

Happy graduation, Moriah! :)

Congrats on your graduation, Trent, and best of wishes in your post-high-school pursuits! 

Rachel and I had just finished with a shoot, and had about 20 minutes of light left in the evening. We'd been trying to figure out a good time to shoot her senior pictures, and decided to take advantage of the light we had to shoot! It was one of those perfect sessions, where we could read each other's minds and move seamlessly between poses. Twenty minutes later we had some lovely images!

Proud big sister moment - I'm so excited about your upcoming graduation, Rachel! And, for part 2 of your senior session. :)

Rachael had told me about the details of her dress, but I couldn't imagine how stunning it would look! It's always amazing to me to see the personality of a bride reflected in her wedding choices. :)

Here are a few of my favorite images (the rest can be viewed here) 

Vendors:

Dress: BHLDN

Makeup: Tabitha Huerta

Hair: Toni & Guy

Floral: Petals by Design 

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I absolutely love watching guys before they propose. They're goofy, fun, all smiley, and pretty much acting like they're going on their first boy scout camping trip. Their girls are trying to figure out what in the world is going on. It's fabulous. :)

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Rachael's reaction was precious, and she said yes!!! :)

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Kaleb and Rachael, it was a joy and honor to shoot this special moment in your lives. I can't wait to photograph your wedding tomorrow! :)