Rainey’s Senior Session

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of photographing my ever-so-sweet sister in law, Rainey. After 4 years of busting her butt in College Station and Stephenville, this chica is about to graduate from Tarleton State with a degree in Nursing and we literally could not be more proud of her. To celebrate this awesome milestone in her life, we headed out to River Legacy Park in Arlington, Texas to snap a few photos of Rainey before she walks across the stage.

Going into the shoot, I was sure we would head to the park and see how many smiles I could get out of Rain Dawg. You see, my sister in law is kind of a tomboy. No thanks to my husband, most days, you can find her in jeans and a T-shirt (my kinda gal). Truth be told, you are more likely to see her out hunting in West Texas or kicking up dust at Larry Joe Taylor than shopping at Sephora or cruising the racks at Nordstroms (probably my favorite thing about her). This chic is always down for an adventure!

With that in mind, I was sure that Rainey might be a little apprehensive in front of the camera. She is characteristically hiding when it comes time for family photos. One and done is kind of her style so I figured that would be how this would go. I had a plan in mind, move quickly and keep it interesting. I figured if I kept her busy, she wouldn’t notice how many photos we were taking. To my surprise, when I walked through the door, I was greeted by the bohemian chic version of my sister in law. She was all dolled up; cute black booties, a great lavender scarf over a solid black swing dress. I loved it all. From the Opal Kendra Scott earrings to her eye shadow, Rainey looked smoking!

She didn’t have a whole lot of ideas in mind but luckily, her momma did. My mother in law had an interesting vision in mind for the shoot. We scoured their house to find the perfect chair to use in a set of images and man oh man, did we luck out. We found a dusty rose colored wingback and a bright red and violet oriental rug that would be perfect.

Rainey’s only request? She wanted to incorporate her graduation gift, a new Jeep Wrangler. So of course, we had to snag a few photos of her and her new baby. And what kind of shoot would it be if we didn’t get a shot of this cowgirl’s boots?

Once we finished up with her Jeep, we headed to the East side of the park, where the paddling trails are. I’ve shot here before and I love that the boat ramp gives you easy access to the water. Seeing that Rainey and I share a sense of adventure, I knew she wouldn’t mind getting in the water. We headed towards the loading ramp just as the sun was setting. After I busted my butt falling down a mud-laden hill, we headed to the bridge over looking the Trinity River and chose to close up shop.

Overall, what a great day with the Norris gals! From the brightly colored poncho blanket she brought to the cross she wears around her neck, this girl stayed authentic and true to herself and it really shined through in these images. Puds, you are going places…so go, do, dream, wish, believe and anything you want sweet girl, will be within your grasp. I am so humbled that you asked me to capture this special time in your life and I cannot wait to see where this awesome journey is about to take you! Congratulations!

 

To book your Senior Portrait Session, shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com. This year, I have had the best group of Seniors with some really crazy fun ideas. I’ve tackled Twins + Smokebombs, Indian Lake + Bowling Alleys and even a Flower-filled Meadow. If you have a vision for your Portrait Session, let’s make your photo shoot the most fun and unique experience! Bring it on 2017!

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Senior Portrait Session: The Tucker Twins

Hey guys! Happy Friday! This week on the Blog, we are highlighting the Tucker Twins Portrait Session at Beaver’s Bend State Park in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. I had the great pleasure of meeting and photographing one half of this duo, Raina, back in the spring. You can view that session with her puppy dog, Pumpkin, here. Since then, I have been itching to get this sweet girl in front of the camera. Luckily for me, Raina and Brooklyn found themselves in need of Senior Portraits and knew just who to call! I was over the moon when Raina reached out to ask about having their photos done in the fall. As the summer months went by, Raina and I kept in contact discussing their vision for the shoot while impatiently waiting for the leaves to change in Hochatown.

Overall, the girls were pretty laissez-faire about what they had envisioned though they did throw a few curveballs at me. Their requests were simple, they were both hoping for rain and they wanted to incorporate smoke bombs and smores! All of which was going to be a challenge but I was up to it and so were they. When we started shooting, I was sure that the girl’s dreams of a rainy shoot were out the window. It was a beautiful fall day. It had been all week. Russ and I even managed to get a kayak trip down the Lower Mountain Fork the day before. After scoping out a few different areas with good light, the girls threw me one last request. “Any chance we could take a few pictures in a canoe?”, they asked. Insert me jumping for joy! I was stoked. I love water shots. I love the way the water plays with the light and how the prisms bounce color and flare  highlighting the golden arch of fall in the Ouachita Mountains.

Once the girls finished up with hair and makeup, we headed to Beavers Bend Paddle Floats to jump in the canoe. I was totally blown away when they got out of the car. Both of them looked so great. Brooklyn was wearing a sheer maxi dress, black booties and her ombre made the oranges and reds in her dress pop every so beautifully. Raina showed up in an olive green mini, black knee high boots and a black and white striped top. I was so surprised by how different they both were but how comfortably they complimented one another. As the girls paddled around the cove and swim beach, I got in chest deep to capture the magic that was unfolding before me. As the sunset over the Ouachita Mountains, we made our way to the second shoot location.

We stopped by a dirt road for a few good lines and eventually made our way down to a pavilion area so my hubby could get to work on building us a fire for our smores shot. We decided to try our luck with the smoke bombs before we lost the light. This was soooo fun! Raina and Brooklyn brought white, blue and orange bombs and stated that they preferred the shot to be in a wooded area. These girls were specific about their vision and it was much appreciated. We scoped out an empty creek bed and decided it would be the perfect place to set off the bombs. We tried the white first and after we put out a small fire, we had gotten the hang of how to set up the second one. The colors were so vibrant and the girls had posed in juxtaposition which made the shots that much more dramatic. Though we scared half the park with the smell of sulphur, the images turned out beautifully. Word to the wise when it comes to using smoke bombs, read the instructions, have water available and be ready to think fast. Before you know it, the smoke dissipates so make sure to have your models ready and willing to move on a clear path.

We blew up the last bomb and made our way to the pavilion to change outfits. As we began our way back to the campfire, the first crackle of thunder made its debut. Turns out, the girls’ dreams were coming true. We were going to get rain! I quickly turned my reflector into an impromptu umbrella and we made our way to the firepit. Both of them showed up in carefully worded t-shirts, flannel and jeans. Even with the rain dampening their perfectly coifed hair, these girls braved the lightning to get a few cuddly campfire photos. We burnt a few marshmallows and then closed up shop.

At one point, Raina kept asking me about her makeup and I couldn’t quite understand why. She looked great. It wasn’t until after the shoot that I realized that my makeup was ruined, mascara running down my cheeks and my hair was a mess. What can I say? To get these shots, I had to be willing to swim in a river, run from the flames of a smoke bomb and get soaked to the bone in a full blown Oklahoma thunderstorm. All in all, this was seriously the most fun I have had on a shoot. I love that these girls provided such a heavy-duty challenge and I am grateful that they trusted me to capture these images. They say you should put your dreams out into the universe and that they will come back to you in greater folds. This shoot is proof that no matter the obstacle, one can always rise to the occasion and sometimes, even surpass it!

Sarah’s Senior Portraits

Meet Sarah! This girl is a firecracker. She’s got an amazing sense of humor and a even greater sense for adventure. I met this young lady when she wasn’t but knee-high to a grasshopper. Her mom used to bring her into the restaurant I worked at in college. I was that waitress always giving out popsicles to the kids who came in regularly. It was my genius plan to keep business coming back to the Brick. If I gave the kids a treat at the end of the meal, they’d be sure to tell their parents how much they wanted to come back. It’s fair to say that I had Sarah on the hook at a young age.

This sweet girl and I immediately bonded over our love for, don’t judge me, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Every week, her family would come in and every week, we’d catch up on our preteen TV show drama. It became a bit of ritual and I’m happy to say that all those visits turned into a great relationship. I’ve been lucky enough to see Sarah grow from being a little kid to a beautiful lady. She approached me shortly after starting my business to discuss having her Senior Portraits taken and I was over the moon.

I knew Sarah would show up in the style and I knew she’d be comfortable with me. We laughed and joked around as we strolled through the Park at Indian Lake. Her mother was cracking up as we took off under a bridge and up a huge hill to snag a few photos. I seriously could not have asked for a better session with a more beautiful client. Sarah, you are smart, sweet and kind. Please don’t lose your sense of adventure or that laugh, it’s perfect and so are you sweet girl! Let’s hope we have many more photo shoots in the future.

Senior Potrait Session: Dawson

Part II of our trip to Oklahoma consisted of meeting Dawson, a bubbly little thing straight out of Broken Bow High School. This curly haired brunette was interested in having a few Senior Portraits taken before Graduation the following weekend. She arrived in a delicate pink dress and light wash denim jacket looking the perfect picture of 18 years young. From the minute we started shooting, I knew that this shoot was gonna be a breeze, which rarely happens. Dawson was very comfortable in front of the camera and had this mega-watt smile to match.

 Turns out, Dawson just so happens to be the cousin of our first model, Raina (check out her session here) and we managed to snag a few photos of these 2 silly girls together. It was really interesting to see how different these girls were in personality. Raina, the quiet, dramatic fashionista and Dawson, the happy go lucky homecoming queen (I don’t actually know if she won, but I’d of voted for her). These kids were so comfortable together that it made my job a piece of cake. I kept hearing them telling little inside jokes and cracking each other up, which made for some awesome candids. I almost wish all of my Seniors could bring a few friends along for those giggly shots! It was a fun night chalk full of gorgeous sunset silhouettes and wet toes as we jumped in the lake towards the end of the shoot. This gorgeous gal is headed to Oklahoma University in the fall and we wish her the most amount of luck as she tackles this next big adventure!

To book your 2017 Senior Portrait Session, email therustienailhead@gmail.com for any and all Inquiries! We look forward to helping you and your family document this major Milestone! Best Wishes as you embark on the next step!

Florals graciously provided by Wanderlust Floral Designs. Check out their page here.