DFW Graduation Portraits: Hannah

It is with the happiest of hearts that I can announce that my sweet friend, Hannah, is officially done with her Bachelors degree in Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington! This Saturday, this gorgeous, semi-genius, kind, world-conscious and wanderlusty lady is going to walk across the stage and we could not be happier for her! Congratulations Hannah! We are so very proud of you. Check out our last session with this southern belle here.

I could not be happier that our sweet baby has someone like Hannah in their life. Hannah is strong and smart and the kind of girl we need more of in the world. I mean it when I say that we are incredibly blessed to have such a strong role model for our sweet Lucy to look up to. Hannah exudes grace and humility while constantly aiming to shatter glass ceilings. So, remember girls, you run the world but don’t forget the little girls out there who are looking at you to change it.

Congratulations to the UTA Graduating Class of 2019!!

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Dallas Blooms: Hannah’s Portrait Session at the Arboretum

Hey guys! I am so pumped to share this session with you because this sweet girl is literally one of my favorite people on Earth! Her little hippie heart had a vision of capturing portraits while being completely surrounded by flowers and you could say, she chose the right person for the job, Ya’ll, Meet Hannah!

Hannah is a young girl attending the University of Texas at Arlington for her Engineering degree and I could not be more proud of her. I met Hannah a few years back when she started working at Piccolo Mondo (my other side gig) and we became fast friends. It has been such a joy to see her tackle school and work and play in such a graceful manner.

For awhile now, I have been bugging her to allow me the chance to photograph her portraits. I knew she would be the perfect model and man, was I right or what?

We met for brunch that morning and began a leisurely start to our day. After chowing down on some delicious Breadwinners, we jumped in the car and began the long haul from Keller to the Dallas Arboretum. She wanted flowers and I knew that there is no place better than Dallas Blooms in April.

Hannah had brought a few outfits with her and I was so glad because each complimented different aspects of the surroundings. Her purple top worked wonders in the lilac and wisteria patches. Even the sunglasses she brought were a perfect touch.

As we walked around the park, we took time to enjoy the scenery and had time to choose which setting would provide the best lighting. Hannah was patient and relaxed throughout the shoot and I was thankful for her trust. She listened to direction and when things got a little tough, posing-wise, she would flip her hair or go totally serious on me for a completely different kind of look. The result was simply stunning.

Though playful and wild, this girl gets things done. For real, ya’ll should see her planner. It is insane how much she packs into a week and I admire her for all her hard work. She is giving 150% to her schooling, busting her butt at not 1 but 2 jobs and in her spare time, she hustles for charitable functions in her sorority. Did someone say Rockstar?

This shoot was the perfect opportunity to unwind and have a little fun playing with my camera’s settings. I owe a huge thanks to Hannah for trusting my creative vision and speaking up for what she wanted out of the shoot. She must have said ten times that her Mom was going to cry when she saw this and I won’t lie, I kinda did. But, I am 5 months pregnant and love this girl to pieces so I have a semi-excuse for the tears.

We ended the shoot by circling back around to a tree that Hannah just loved and I am so glad we did. I love this image so much. The tree was dramatic and provided the perfect backdrop for her curls and that pretty red sundress.

Our last stop was the petunia house. I’ve been to the Arboretum for Dallas Blooms before and seen some pretty amazing displays but these houses were seriously so awe-inspiring. I captured a bunch of Hannah in the house and then I let her have the camera so my sweet friend could capture my little baby bump and those images will be some that I will cherish forever. It was a joy and a pleasure hanging with my girl for the day and I hope I get to share more from her in the future. Thanks Hannah! Lots of love to you my friend!

 

Greensburg Salem Class of 2017: Kiara’s Senior Session

This lady is no stranger to the Blog. Kiara has been featured in family portraits and I have had the great pleasure of helping her build her modeling portfolio on more than one occasion. This go-around in front of the lens would be different. This shoot was all about this baby girl graduating high school in a few short months. Que the tears. She’s my little cousin. As in, she was born when I was already half grown so the fact that she’s graduating high school is kind of a reality check. Holy crap. I’m really 29. She is really 18. What is happening??? I mean, really guys. There is a story about us that gets told at every family function and to this day, still pains me.

It was my first time changing a baby’s diaper. Her grandmother had told me to lay a blanket down on the table and lay her down on her back, grab the wipes, blah blah. I was 11. I wanted to show her that I knew what I was doing. Everything was going fine. Until, I forgot to grab the diaper. So, I placed my hand on her belly to prevent her from rolling off the table and reached with my other hand for the diaper.

In those 2 seconds, this sweet little baby reached her tiny little hand around and grabbed the closest thing…a steaming hot cup of coffee. It spilled all over the table and down her teeny tiny back. I did my best to clean her up and calm her down but she kept screaming. I felt like I had burns all over my body. That’s how bad I felt. It was killing me to see her in pain. I was cursed. I was never going to touch another baby again.

After rushing her to the ER, they confirmed she was gonna make it. Or at least that’s how it felt to me that the time. Within a week or so, her baby soft skin had healed itself. We all forget how resilient kids are. We drill into them to get back on the horse. So they do. And they come back bigger and stronger every time. The reason I am telling you all this is because this girl right here is a fighter. Even as a toddler, she was sassy. She seems real quiet at first, minds her Ps &Qs, but just give her the chance to say what’s on her mind, and you all are gonna see the world a little bit differently. She is strong, kind and probably the biggest klutz I know but she has very bright future ahead of her. Congrats Kiara. I cannot wait to see where this journey takes you. And, I am officially stating how sorry I am for traumatizing you as a little one. Think of it this way, you’re still cute so we’re square. Love you Kiki!

Do you have a Senior graduating in 2017? Are YOU graduating this year? We offer Graduation Portrait Packages for every price point because we know how hard you’ve worked and that should be documented. I wanna hear your vision. Shoot me some ideas at therustienailhead@gmail.com because I’d love to hear what you’ve got in mind. Let’s start off the last half of your Senior Year with a photo shoot to highlight your achievements and get onto those Senior Week Trips and College Applications!!

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SIDENOTE: Yes, we did go down the humongous slide and it ended up being soaking wet. Still fun though. This huge slide is located at Mammoth Park near Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Words of advice: Bring wax paper and a little Pam and maybe, a pillow to land on at the bottom. 🙂