Dallas Fort-Worth Holiday Portrait Session: The Auten Family

Hey guys! We are back with another Dallas Fort Worth Holiday Portrait Session! This time around, I met the kindest family at River Legacy Park in Arlington, Texas for an early morning Holiday Photo Shoot!

Mom, Victoria, reached out in the fall after having won a Rustie Nail Gift Certificate in an auction at a Save-the-Boobies event to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. My good friend, Cassie (who is about to be up on the blog with her adorable family and maybe even a few chickens), helps coordinate this event each year and I am always happy to donate a Portrait Session to help raise money for this cause.  I was over the moon that this family had bid and won so I wanted to make sure they had a great experience!

It was an early Saturday morning when we met and I was….wait for it…..late. I HATE BEING LATE!! Seriously though, it is the worst especially after Mom had warned that the boys would be cranky having to have gotten up so early on a Saturday. I even left my house super early so I could scope out the scene and check my lighting but go figure, Dallas-Fort Worth traffic got in my way. Thankfully, these guys were so great about it. They were calm and cool and ready to go from the beginning.

I met their youngest, Vaughn, first. He is a quiet little guy. Like most guys, he’s not too keen on smiling. He’s content being himself and confident in the way he presents himself which is something I really admire about him. Big brother, Josh, has the craziest head of curly hair and a really great smile when he busts it out. This guy is on the precipice of adulthood and you can totally tell that he’s ready for the next adventure.

On to Mom and Dad…these two are seriously so ga-ga for one another. When I ask most couples to impromptu dance in a field, they hesitate and fumble with how to hold one another or spin around but not these two. From the minute I asked them to pair up, they began twirling and laughing together. The way Norman looks at Victoria reminds me of the way Noah looks at Allie and I kinda love it. (#theNotebookisstilltheBESTmovieEVA)

After running around near the paddling trails of the Trinity River, we started making our way towards an open field with a few Christmas trees because I freaking love Christmas and these guys came prepared to hike around with me!

Again, these two with the dancing. Could they be more adorable?

Once we’d manage to snag individual shots of everyone, I wanted to make sure  we got good ones of Mom with her boys! This was the moment that Vaughn gave me the biggest smile. His Mom just gave him a big bear hug from behind and low and behold, the boy was grinning from ear to ear!

After snagging a few shots of Dad with his boys, I set out the blanket that Mom and Dad had brought along so we could grab a few more of this sweet family all together. You would never have guessed it but we are right next to a major highway and that’s another thing I love about this job. Sometimes it is about creating an illusion and other times its’ about overcoming that obstacle but regardless, I love the challenge and this sweet family had the notion to trust my vision.

As we came to the end of our session and we were making it back to the car, we stopped one last time to take a few photos in front of the changing leaves. Fall in Dallas-Fort Worth doesn’t last very long and Victoria kept that in mind while planning her session so I made sure to get her some really bold photos with those golden leaves in the background.

I could not have dreamt up better clients to take a hike with on a chilly fall morning in Texas. Thank you to the Auten family for allowing me to document this special time in your lives and thank you for your generous donation for Breast Cancer Research. Every little bit helps and we are so thankful for people like you who donate your time, energy and love towards a cause that affects us all.

If you would like to donate to Breast Cancer Research or to inquire how you can help at next years Save the Boobies event….head here.

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Dallas-Fort Worth Holiday Minis: Brit + Mia

Dallas Fort Worth Holiday Mini Sessions are in full swing and I could not have asked for a better dup than this Mama and her sweet honey child, Mia, to be my first sessions of the season! We met in Keller, Texas for a fun day with the Thompson gals! (you can see all the flowerchild greatness here.

This isn’t these gals first rodeo with The Rustie Nail. I actually consider Mia to be one of our Milestone Sessions because I have been photographing this little lady for quite awhile now. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting her Christmas Photos and every now and then a fun floral themed shoot in the Spring, including the Sunflower field disaster shoot. It has been such a joy to see her grow up over the years!

Mama, Brit, arrived with 2 of the most adorable little outfits for her baby girl. One was the gorgeous lace dress and the other was a simple black tutu and a jean jacket and both looked absolutely perfect on Miss Mia! This Mama always hits the nail on the head in the fashion department which is why I always look forward to these sessions so much!

I told Brit that I wanted to do something a little more bohemian for this particular shoot and she was happy to oblige. She even brought along a few dreamcatchers for the girls to twirl around with. And get this guys, she DIYed the dreamcatchers!! Is there anything this Mama can’t do??

I had such a good time catching up with these lovely ladies but I bet this won’t be the last time this gorgeous duo graces the blog! Stay tuned for the many adventures of Brit + Mia!! We still have a few Dallas Fort Worth Mini Session dates available for anyone who might be interested. Email therustienailhead@gmail.com for booking inquiries, packages and pricing!

Winters Family Christmas Minis

YASSSSS!!!! We are finally in the Ugly Christmas Sweater Season! Lord have mercy these we’re good ones too. Over Thanksgiving Weekend, I met the Winters Family at Adams Falls in Linn Run State Park. You’ve seen some of these guys on the Blog before during their Family Portrait Session and during a shoot with their eldest daughter, Kiara and son, Keon. They’re back and hitting us with their Christmas cheer!

Mama Bear, Lori, had the idea to collaborate her 3 with their cousins for an ugly sweater shoot. It was a cold and wet day but we were going to make the most of it. We hiked the trail to Slippery Rock and stopped along the way to let this family love on each other. Lori came prepared. She had brought a blanket to wrap the kids up in, umbrellas just in cases and a stuffed donkey to bribe one of the kiddos with. Because of the weather, we kept the shoot short and sweet. After listening to the youngest rattle off her name as if it were a song “Annabella Harper Hunter“, we made our way to an old abandoned settlement and took a few photos in front of the decaying fireplace. These guys are so fun and they make my job so easy. I get to just hang out with them and crack jokes. You guys really are the best! Merry Christmas!!

Up NEXT?? Kiara is finally graduating and we had the chance to shoot her Senior Portraits at Mammoth Park in Mount Pleasant, PA. And yes, we did take a ride down the slide. Next time? Bring Wax Paper!! Keep and eye out for her Portraits in 2017! Until then…

For Information on how to book your unique Portrait Session, shoot me an email at therustienailhead@gmail.com. Throughout the month of December 2016, I am offering $150 Mini Sessions in the Dallas Fort Worth area. These sessions include a 45 minute session within DFW, 15-20 Digital Images delivered in an Online Downloadable Gallery and Print Release. Perfect for Christmas Card Photos, Surprise Holiday Proposals and even Gifts. You can buy this deal for a limited time as a Gift Certificate in 2017!