PA Mini Sessions: Abbie & Gabby

OK, y’all, it’s about to get sentimental up in here. These are my baby sisters. Yes, I said baby sisters. They don’t look it though, right? I know…because they are so grown up. It’s kind of breaking my heart. I want to go back to the days of Hannah Montana karaoke in the living room and Barbie dream houses. You know, when they were in diapers and they idolized me. Click here for a sneak peek of those days! But, those days are gone. Now, these buttheads are all about making fun of me for wearing skinny jeans and tennis shoes and I kind of hate it.

I blinked and now the both of them are about to make their way to the adult table and I’m just so “shook” by how fast the time has gone. I swear I could’ve cried when I saw them during this last trip home. I just cannot believe they are 11 and 13.

Abbie is all attitude but in the best way possible. No one is going to tell her what to do. She has a mind all her own and she isn’t afraid to let you know how she feels. She is kind and generous, constantly thinking of others. I find myself in awe of her more times than not. During this shoot in particular, I was so proud of how she took charge. She was constantly corralling the younger girls with a patience and grace that I wish I had at her age.

And, then there is Gabby. She is still my wild child of a baby sister. She is constantly climbing trees and barns and about anything she can find. I really hate that she is growing up. All these years, she’s been the baby and now I’ve got to find a way to stop treating her like one because the fact of the matter is, she isn’t one anymore. She’s this ridiculously smart and charismatic kid who is on the brink of the dreaded JUNIOR HIGH! Though life is moving so fast all around her, she still manages to stay grounded, holding on to that unyielding sense of humor and I just love this about her.

This shoot was a little different than most, in that Jaime Lonigro of Lonigro Photography , was along for the ride. She set us up at the most amazing backdrop, her aunt’s farm in Marguerite, PA and brought her camera along so we could take advantage of second shooting for each other. Boy, was I glad she was there. I am always snapping photos of the girls but I never get any of the 3 of us and Jaime made sure to snap a bunch of us three together.

We worked our way up to the field above the farm for some photos in that golden wheat. It wasn’t the prettiest of days but the fall foliage was lighting up the trees and those cloudy skies cut the afternoon light and really created a different mood for the shoot. We told them to dance together and they interpreted that as square dance together. lol That’s Southwestern Pennsylvania for ya!

Before we finished up, I had Gabby pose with the umbrella for a few shots. The result was magic. Though we ended up missing the rain, the umbrella against her blue dress and the overcast sky made for an incredible portrait.

I was so thankful for yet another wonderful shoot with these girls. It is always a blast when I get to let them skip school and have a few photography lessons with me and it really melts my heart that they have taken a liking to portraiture. This year for Christmas, I hooked them up with their very own camera. They have been such a huge help with my shoots every time that I come back home and I just love watching them enjoy the process of posing clients and knowing which lens to use in which situation. I cannot wait to see where their camera takes them!

For information on how to book your unique Portrait Session here in Texas or when I am traveling in Pennsylvania, inquire with Angelina at therustienailhead@gmail.com. I would love to hear what you have in mind!

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Family Portrait Session: Meet Baby Sage

Hey guys! Meet the sweetest little family in the whole wide world, the Plourdes. Just a little over a year ago, Mama, Lisa, and Daddy, Jeff, welcomed their bundle of joy, Sage Marie, into the world. During our last trip back to Pennsylvania, I had the pleasure of meeting up with this adorable trio and capturing their Family Portraits.

We met at Laurel Valley Country Club in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Lisa’s Dad is the Greenskeeper there and we had exclusive access to the property. It didn’t hurt our case that it pretty much poured down rain all day so we knew that no one would be on the course. In fact, we spent the majority of the day crossing our fingers in hopes that the rain would let up so we might be able to capture this family’s first portraits.

To our surprise, the rain did let up and the overcast skies held out for over an hour. The light was perfect, the baby was dressed and ready so off we went! Laurel Valley is a little slice of heaven in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. This course was the site of a Major Senior PGA some years back and to boot, Arnold Palmer’s statue will forever look out over the greens from the Clubhouse. The greens would be the perfect backdrop for this trio’s portrait session.

I’ve known this sweet little family for quite some time now. The long story short is that my husband met Lisa when he first moved to the southwestern PA area and I knew Jeff as a fireman who came into the bar I worked at during college. We introduced the two of them at a Halloween party and then came the magic. They met, hit it off and tied the knot. Within a few years of wedded bliss, they were blessed with news of a baby girl. And, then came Sage, a giggly, gorgeous ray of sunshine!

This curly haired cutie just turned ONE year old and we can barely believe it. She is a quiet little thing with a big personality. Mom and Dad informed us that little Miss had just began to walk. They even remarked on her skills by saying “she walks like E.T.” which we all got a kick out of once we saw it in person!

Sage is a joyful baby. She is sweet and seriously so beautiful! It was so wonderful to see these guys together! Both my husband and I love Pennsylvania and seeing these crazy cats made us nostalgic for the good old days when we first met. We talk about coming back and living through all the seasons again and it makes us miss these guys so much.

Lisa, Jeff, & Baby Sage live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. During our session, we got to see melting snow, old Dutch-inspired barns and the first signs of spring. I am so happy that I got to photograph this family during our last visit and I cannot wait to see them again! Lots of love Plourdes!!

Did you know that The Rustie Nail Creative Studio is heading back to the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania in May!?!

I will be hosting Spring Mini Sessions on Sunday, May 27th, 2018 at two different exclusive locations in the Laurel Highlands! Sessions will be 25 minutes long, all images will be edited and delivered electronically and the price is just $80! We only have a few slots left so book yours today by emailing Angelina at therustienailhead@gmail.com. 

 

 

Girls’ Day at the Tulip Farm

Ahhh, Texas Tulips! This place never disappoints. Since moving to the North Texas area, I have made it a point to plan a visit  to this magical place at the beginning of the spring season. Located in Pilot Point, about an hour North of DFW, this Dutch tulip farm is known for its colorful display of blooms!

Last year, Tiffany, of @WanderlustFlorals, and I headed to the Tulip Farm for a day of frolicking and picking out a few of the gorgeous stems. You can read all about that trip, how muddy our boots got and see the variety of blooms here.

This year, I had the opportunity to visit the Tulip Farm with a few first-timers. My dear friend, Jenn, and her daughter, Emma, met me in the wee hours of the morning for a hearty breakfast and then a quick drive north for their first glimpse at the rows and rows of petals popping up at the farm.

Jenn had mentioned that Emma had an interest in photography and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to let her try out my Canon Mark iii 5D. Plus, I needed a new headshot and Emma didn’t disappoint. She really has a good eye at the tender age of 15 and I cannot wait to see where her new found love for this hobby will take her.

Her Mama, Jenn, came dressed and ready for flower picking. At $2.50 a stem, Jenn’s basket soon become a treasure chest of every color, size and variety of Dutch tulips! I was loving all of her choices so I just kept following her around and grabbing compliments to her bouquet.

We had a blast catching up and I was so glad that they didn’t mind me documenting their first visit to the farm. Jenn and Emma are an adorable Mama/Daughter duo and I was so happy that they allowed me to photograph them enjoying their first experience in Aubrey.

I was equally impressed by the blooms. In the past, I had visited the farm in April when the tulips had been picked through. Though the fields are never scarce, it was really nice to see the fields in such good condition. Each variety had just popped and were bursting with color. The pinks were perfect, the reds were vibrant and the purples were on point!

Towards the end of our visit, Emma was sweet enough to model for me. At 15, this girl is a heartbreaker and I was over the moon to get her in front of my lens. She had all the right poses. She was serious in some and goofy in a few. Emma is a fair-haired beauty and I hope I have the opportunity to photograph her again in the future!

As promised, I made Jenn jump in for a few photos and I couldn’t be happier with the result. These two have such an incredible bond and it really shines through in these portraits. I was so happy to have a day of hanging with these fun-loving girls and I cannot wait to see what adventures we come up with next!

Meet the Grasmick Family!

Hey guys! I know, I know. I have been blowing up your timelines with all the Portrait Sessions from my last trip home but seriously, they all turned out so cute! In fact, the family featured on the blog today scheduled their session one day prior to the actual shoot. Totally impromptu and completely adorable. Meet the Grasmick Family!

I was introduced to Colby through our mutual friend, Kelly, and we immediately hit it off. Once she found out that I was a portrait photographer, she asked if I might be able to fit her family in the next day for a quick Mini Session. I told her to be there by 5:30 and we would make it work! I love having the chance to shoot an new client while in the Latrobe area.

Little did I know, Miss Colby just so happened to have recently become Mrs. Grasmick. She married a childhood friend of mine, Dave…aka “Doobie”. He had played football for my dad as a kid and in high school, his cabin was the place to be on a Friday night. I was so excited to see that Doob had settled down with such a lovely lady and even more excited to find out that they had recently had their first baby.

To celebrate their little guy’s 1st Birthday, we headed to the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve at Saint Vincent College. They have a small pond located on one of the walking trails and Mama Bear thought it would be cute to put Baby Dean in a fishing hat and give him a little pole. Seeing that Baby Dean isn’t the best walker yet, I was worried we may not be able to get a photo of him holding the rod but sure enough, this baby boy was over the moon once we put the pole in his tiny hands!

After throwing his hat in the water and hamming it up for the camera, we headed to the Lochry Block House to snap a few photos of this Mama and her boys. After surveying the grounds for that perfect light, I made sure to get individuals of both Miles and Dean with their sweet Mama.

And, then it was Daddy’s turn for photos with boys! While Doobie lugged the baby around like a football, older brother, Miles, helped by tickling Baby Dean and making funny faces at him. The boys were perfect. Not too smiley, not too tough, just the right amount of boyish charm in each photo. I mean, look at those blue eyes!! Colby better watch out, her little guys are going to be a lady killers!

I can’t stress enough how beautiful this backdrop was. The flowers are so vibrant in the Laurel Highlands this time of year. I didn’t want to do anything too girly because of the boys but I did want Colby to have a few classic images in this collection so we headed into the adjacent garden. I told Colby to just love on her baby boy. Baby Dean was wiggling and dancing around in her arms the whole time. He was all smiles for his Mama.

I stood back for awhile and watched them all together as a family. Colby, the carefree boy mom, and Doobie, the first time Dad, are just about the best contrast. It may be that they have boys and Moms and Dads of boys tend to be a little more lax about getting dirty but I think it’s also just their personalities. Both Colb and Doob are loving parenthood. They have figured out how to give each child the right amount of attention and how not to sweat the small stuff.

Their love story isn’t half bad either. They met on the street at the 4th of July parade in downtown Latrobe and a few months later, they headed back to the same spot to get hitched. Colby’s son, Miles, stood by and smiled as he gave his Mom away to his new step dad. Simple, sweet and absolutely perfect.

Yeah, so you could say that these two seem to have it all figured out. Or at least, they look good while trying to figure it out. Doob rough-houses the boys while Colby sits back and gingerly smiles at her new husband with their children. If I had to guess, I would say that their chance encounter in front of BC Kenly’s just might have been destiny playing its’ hand.

We worked our way from the garden to the big red barn located near the entrance. Miles climbed up on Doobie’s shoulders for the photos which I thought was such a great touch for the photo. From their simple wardrobes to the genuine smiles on their faces throughout the shoot, you can see that this session was a piece of cake. We were in and out of the park in less than 30 minutes; just a family of 4 taking a walk around the park. It was an absolute pleasure meeting and spending time with the Grasmick’s and I hope to have many more chances to photograph this family when I am in the area.

To book your unique Portrait Session or to inquire Pricing, Packages and/or Travel Mini Dates, shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com. I would love to hear your vision and help bring it light!