Fun with my Sis

Last night, my sister (in-law) Jessica and I decided to go out and shoot a little. She is a photographer herself so it was was fun to be able to shoot each other. We started outside taking turns modeling. When the sun went down, we started painting with light. It was a fun and hilarious evening that even her husband, Clay joined in on.

Here she is beating up her honey.

Jumping on the bed is ALWAYS fun!

Still in Dallas

Hey everyone! Well, I came to Dallas last weekend for a short meeting and was ready to head back on Tuesday when my car decided it wasn't done visiting Dallas. A part in my transmission has gone out. So, I am still in Dallas. I should be able to come back this weekend. Just keeping everyone informed!

After OSP Dallas

For the past two days, I have been in Dallas for a little OSP get together. We met on Sunday for lunch at Champs in Las Colinas. Everyone just happened to pull up just right for me to take this pic! Starting from the back, we have Chet, Bob, Clay (my brother-in-law and model), and Sam. Then, we were off to take some pics of my sister-in-law, Jessica, and her husband, Clay, at the Las Colinas canals.

Then we went downtown to shoot Jess & Clay in their wedding attire.

The next day, Sam, Jess, Fred Egan, and I met at IHOP for breakfast. We discussed marketing, photoshop, etc. Then, Fred, Jess, and I went and shot at the Galleria parking garage.

It was a fun and informational two days. It was nice to meet all of you! And, Fred, it was great to see you again!

OSP Dallas - For Photographers

I am a member of a fabulous forum called Open Source Photo (OSP). It is a community of amazing photographers from around the world that share ideas and help. We hold little get togethers every now and then around the nation. This weekend - April 22 & 23 there is a get together in Dallas. So, if you want to come and learn and shoot with a group of photographers, feel free to join us! Here is the itinerary. Feel free to email me for maps and directions! Hope to see lots of people there!

Matt & Lindsay - April 21, 2007

Matt & Lindsay are getting married tomorrow at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church! They will be having their reception at the Watson Building. I am so excited! I am heading out now to photograph their rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. I hope that this weekend is everything they have dreamed of!!

Evelyn

I had the absolute pleasure of photographing Evelyn yesterday. She is truly a miracle. She was born in December but was not supposed to get here until this month. She weighed under 2 pounds when she was born. She just got home a few weeks ago. I am so blessed to have met her and her family. She was such a great model!

Update

Hello everyone. Wow, it has been a whirlwind lately. Things are very busy around here. I have been out of town every week over the past month or so. And, I am getting ready to go again! Whew!

I have so many great images to share; however, many of them are bridal portraits for brides getting married this summer. Therefore, I can't show them to you yet. Don't worry...I will post them later.

While I am finishing some editing, I wanted to share a few fun images. Here are my sweet girls. They are so much fun! Gracie is getting used to having a sister around. They play hard and sleep even harder. I love them SO much!

A shot from my backyard

Wedding Faves

Ladies, are you looking for a totally different style of wedding gown? If so, you should check out Stephanie James Couture. Her style is very vintage, and her dresses are fabulous. Still trying to find the perfect bridesmaids' dresses? Check out Bella Bridesmaid. She carries modern gowns that your bridesmaids will love!

Mother's Day Contest

Ok, I have never really done any kind of contest before, but I had an idea for one as I was thinking about my family today.

Mothers' Day is approaching quickly...May 13th, in case you were unaware. And, I realized I have never really said much about my wonderful mother before. So, to kick things off, I would like to share a little about my mom.

My mom, LaVern, has been my biggest fan and cheerleader throughout my life. I am constantly astounded by the selfless acts that she gives to others. I have never met anyone with a kinder, more loving, servant's heart. She has done more to uplift others than anyone I have ever met. She has been an integral part of every aspect of my life, even my business. Those of you who were clients earlier in my business have seen her helping me out...fluffing gowns, carrying equipment, getting me water at receptions...the list could go on forever. I absolutely could not have done it without her. She is a woman of amazing integrity and strength. She inspires me to be better everyday. She is my best friend, and I want to thank her by giving her a makeover and a photo session. I would like to give the same thing to one lucky mom.

I know why my mom is special, but I want you to tell me about yours. Write in with your stories about your mom and tell everyone what your mom has done to impact your life as well as others? The mother of the winner will receive a makeover - hair and makeup, a free 1 hour photo session and $100 portrait credit! It is her day to feel like a queen. Everyone can enter - so, kids (and adults) of all ages, tell us about your mom. Entries are due by April 24th. Please submit your stories by email (shan@shanrenee.com) and include your name, your mother's name, your email, and a phone number. Please put "Mother's Day Contest" in the title of your email. Entries will be posted anonymyously on my blog, and my blog readers' will vote by email. In the event of a tie, my mother will be asked to vote to break the tie. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me by email.

Inspired

Lately I have been totally inspired by Zack Arias and the One Light Workshop as well as The Image is Found. They play with off camera flash and using alternative lighting sources. So, I decided to do the same. I took Kendall out to play this morning. Here is what we came up with...

New in Weddings...

Hey ladies...I don't know if you have heard about this or not, but I want to share an idea with you. It is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. One of the new things to do after you are married is a "trash the dress" session. Basically, if you don't mind your dress getting messy, we go out and take pics of you and your new hubby in places you wouldn't take your gown before the wedding! I know how important the gown is; so, this is not something you probably want to consider prior to your wedding day. If you would like to see ideas and portraits other photographers have done so far, just go to www.trashthedress.com. And, if there is a couple that is interested, I will do my first trash the dress session at no charge!

Another option I have offered but have only had a few takers for is the post-wedding couple session. The bride and groom get dressed up again and we go to lots of fun places and shoot more couple shots. I know how hectic a wedding day is so I have decided to offer this session to give you even more options. If you are interested, please let me know!

A Few More From Vegas...

I absolutely love this shot taken of me as I was out shooting. In the Bellagio
One from the shoot with my roomies

Kendall - Easter Portraits

You may recognize this adorable face from a post last year. I photographed Kendall last year when she was just 1 month old! I could not believe how much she had grown. She is such a pretty little girl. Her mom, Holly, called and wanted Easter pictures made. She even had an adorable bunny outfit! They were supposed to be a surprise, but Holly was too excited and shared them with her family. So, I decided to share them as well. Here are a few of my faves!