We had the privilege of shooting the Cose family when their 1st son was young, now we got to shoot a family-of-4 session! We cannot believe how much time has flown by. After re-scheduling for months due to snow, rain, ice, and mud, we finally got the photoshoot they were hoping for. It's such a joy to chase after happy children with a camera - enjoy a peek of the session!
Allyson + Jacob
What a lovely Downtown photo shoot of a lovely couple! Congrats you guys!
Location: Klyde Warren Park, Dallas
Little Ones
We do an annual Fall Family Promotion and it seemed that most of our families were celebrating their child's first birthday at the same time. Enjoy some of our favorite moments of these little "one"s!
Kali+Eric
Kali and Eric were married in Beaumont on a rainy Saturday. Rain stopped the outside wedding party shoots, but didn't stop everyone from having fun and looking beautiful!
When you ask most people, "what's your favorite part of a wedding?", many of them will answer "the look on the groom's face when he sees the Bride". And we can't disagree!
The rain delayed the photo shooting schedule so much that by the time the wedding was over it was already dark outside. But, who needs the "golden hour" to capture beautiful moments?
Congratulations you guys!
5 Tips for Young Family Photos
Every year, we've been privileged to do Fall Family Shoots. This year has been no exception. We love how excited people get for the fall and for the upcoming holidays, but we get just as equally excited to shoot the love and laughter between families.
But sometimes, when dealing with little ones, parents don't feel joyful or full of laughter - they are stressed. Here are a couple helpful tips to help you help yourselves when planning a family photo shoot with little ones.
1. Timing is everything.
You know your kiddos best and you know when they are the happiest. We don't mind waking up early on a Saturday morning, if that means that everyone will be all smiles. We don't mind navigating the harsh overhead midday sun if that means that your toddlers will be happy and relaxed. Plan your photo shoot around their natural schedule.
2. Practice beforehand.
In this day and age, everyone has a camera handy all the time, so use that cell phone camera to your advantage. Get your little ones used to having a camera nearby, looking up when you say their name, sitting still for a moment when you have a camera out. Even just letting them get familiar with the 'clicks' a camera can make can make a world of difference on photo shoot day.
3. Giggle.
We know your child's laugh is that one thing you want captured in a photograph - but we don't know their favorite song, silly sound, or beloved noisemaking toy that will get their giggle out. You do. Figure out what will always get that laugh and bring it with you. We promise no judgment will be passed if you're doing a crazy dance, saying a silly word, or belting out Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - we'll probably join in!
4. Relax.
It's heartbreaking to us to capture that perfect expression on a young child's face, only to see that the parents have looks of worry, stress, and anxiety on theirs. Relax. We'll get the shot. But you need to be ready for when we do. Look at the camera when we're shooting. Hold your child in a way that feels comfortable for you. Just because someone else precariously balanced their child on a shelf for their photos, doesn't mean that you have to ; don't ever attempt anything that feels dangerous or uncomfortable. It's more important to us that you're enjoying the moment, than worrying about how the moment will look on camera.
5. Be yourselves.
As beautiful as all those perfectly-staged pinterest-inspired toddler photos are, not every kid is going to smile on a bench while having a tea party with an overstuffed teddy bear. We get it. Your kid likes to run. Or climb. Or eat fistfuls of dirt. It's okay. Let them run, climb, cling to their ratty blanket, put things in their mouth and get dirty. This is who they are today. This is your reality. And it's beautiful. Let us capture these moments - those dirt-eating pictures will be fond memories in the future.
Happy Birthday Ruby Mae!
Maternity shoots are always such a joy to shoot because what can be more joyful than the celebrating of new life? Since little Ruby was born today, we thought we'd share some of our favorite maternity shots!
Kali Shines Bright
We had met Kali at a previous wedding and we knew she had a contagious smile and a sweetness that was going to make her bridals a lot of fun to shoot.
Her only request? Let's not be too serious, I want to laugh
Kasey + Matt
Obviously we love weddings. We love them because they are unique and natural, just like our creative vision. Kasey + Matt's wedding had so many hand-crafted details - we were over the moon to shoot their big day!!
Location: Poetry Springs, Poetry TX
There were many hand-painted signs all throughout the evening!
Each table had a unique centerpiece and different types of flowers - some with song lyrics to country love songs. Most of the arrangements had their initials on them.
The bride's brooch bouquet included family heirlooms and gifts from loved ones.
Kasey and Matt's wedding also included several family traditions. We don't think there was a dry eye in the room when Kasey's grandfather put a special family coin in her shoe, as he has done for many other brides in their family.
If you remember the engagements that we shot for Kasey + Matt, they wanted it to be Superman themed. Their wedding day was also filled with Superman and Cinderella details!
Boutinneres made from comic book pages!
But, as always, our favorite part was just being there to see the love between these 2 lovely people.
Everyone enjoyed a beautiful night!
Kasey
You might remember the fun Superhero themed engagement shoot we shot with Kasey + Matt a few months ago. If you do, then you know that these two are fun people with a lot of personality. We were so happy to be able to spend a day with Kasey making her smile!
Laura+Chris
Laura and Chris had a beautiful day wedding filled with laughter, swing dancing, and sweet moments. Enjoy the peek into their happy day!
A ring "bear" - how creative! We just love these Unique + Natural moments!
We really love the idea of the "Last Dance" - once all the guests have exited, the couple has some alone time to enjoy their wedding before it's over.
Backyard Love - Kacy+Collin
Here at Elizalde Photography our motto is "unique + natural" and we are so thrilled to share Kacy + Collin's backyard wedding photos with you. It was intimate and elegant, filled with personal touches, and ended with an all-night backyard party. It was everything we love - unique style, lots of love, and of course natural and silly photos!
We love this reaction to him seeing her for the first time!
Relax and Enjoy
You may have seen this jaw-dropping photo on another part of our website - and we are so proud of it! But, believe it or not, this was not our favorite part of Gary + Victoria's wedding.
We've all seen it - maybe we've been there - the awkward smiles, the tense shoulders, the fake laughs, the serious wedding photos... And when you look back on your day, all you see are nerves! You've hired professionals to make your cake, officiate your wedding, and take your pictures
So, relax, enjoy, and let us do all the work!
Gary and Victoria did a great job of enjoying their day and their photos are just as fun to look at as they were to experience firsthand!
If you'd like to experience more of this wedding, their album is available for a limited time here: http://elizaldephotography.pass.us/victoriagarywedding-1/
Welcome Little One!
When Elizalde Photography was just getting started, we did some lovely engagements, bridals, and a wedding for Stephanie and Daniel - a happy, joyful couple who are now happy, joyful parents. Welcome their little one with us!
Graduations
We love celebrate life's achievements and graduations are no exceptions.
Enjoy this collection of graduation portraits we've shot with some wonderful high school and college graduates!
Kasey+Matt Engagements
Sometimes it's hard for clients to feel comfortable in front of a photographer - but this was not a problem for Matt and Kasey! Look at how playful and joyful they are together!
Matt and Kasey also wanted to show their alter ego side - Superman and Lois Lane!
Congratulations you guys! We can't wait to be a part of your wedding!
Morgan+Read
We at Elizalde Photography LOVE spending wedding days with our clients, especially when they have been friends first. This was indeed a joyous day, something that you can see in the expressions of Morgan and Read on their wedding day.
Location: Ashton Gardens, Denton TX
They printed our engagement shots in black and white so we did a lot more in black&white just for them and we love the way they turned out!
These adorable triathletes celebrated their lovely wedding day at Ashton Gardens in Denton, TX and we love their personal touches. Congrats you two!
A Long-Awaited Addition
One of Michelle's longest and closest friendships throughout college was with Jonathan Jordan and she still remembers when she met Christa how she talked about hoping to one day adopt. After being roommates, Christa helping with our engagement, and attending Jonathan & Christa's wedding, the Elizaldes consider the Jordans our family. And, boy have we all waited for their first addition!
Jonathan and Christa decided to adopt from Japan and have boldly made their journey very public to help educate and encourage others into adoption (see their blog here: http://spoonfulofjordan.blogspot.com/2013/03/guess-what.html). After a year of prayers, tears, fundraisers, and hopes, baby Kai Samuel Jordan was brought home. Elizalde Photography was lucky enough to be at the airport for the homecoming!
Although there were TONS of cameras at this homecoming, Kai immediately fell in love with our camera and we have a feeling that we'll be documenting his growth for a long time!
Welcome home Baby J, we're so glad you are here!
Love is in the Air
When you think Spring, what to do you think? Flowers? Sunshine? Here at Elizalde Photography, we know that Spring means LOVE! Many people plan Fall weddings, so we have the joy of doing engagement sessions during the lovely spring weather!
