Hensley Photography

The Baby Collection

2012-01-15T11:45:00.002-06:00

The new year has inspired us. Over the past few weeks, we have done several newborn and baby sessions. We also added a few of our past favorites.

Pole Fitness, Boudoir and Pin-up

2012-01-14T10:14:00.002-06:00

Shanna is a pole fitness instructor who wanted some example shots of moves for her students. After finishing with those, we did some boudoir and pin-up photography with her. Then just for fun, added a little makeup and got her to help us out with our new fantasy series. There are more of Shanna at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.304733069570738.76145.110725648971482&type=1

Valentine's Pin-up Photography Special

2012-01-11T11:18:00.000-06:00

All boudoir sessions receive a complimentary consultation to decide on the look that is right for you. Mention this ad at your consultation and receive $50 off of your package price through February 4.

Valentine's Pin-up Portraits

2012-01-08T22:36:00.001-06:00

Your man would love a special photo of you for Valentine's Day. We offer a variety of looks and gift options to suit every style starting at just $199. Whether you want an old-fashioned cute pin-up look or your own personal Victoria's Secret shoot, we offer intimate portrait with women photographers and professional retouching to make you look and feel your best. Book your Pin-up or Boudoir session now to have it back in time for Valentine's gifting.

Merry Christmas to All!

2011-12-23T16:58:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone for a great year!

Charlotte & Ashley

Christmas baby

2011-12-11T23:14:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Kori and her mom for bringing little Kallie over for photos today. Merry Christmas to all!

Classic Car Pin-up

2011-11-24T22:04:00.002-06:00

We met Elizabeth and her husband Orazio along with his '54 Chevy Bel Air, Elvira, at the Magnolia Lounge in Fair Park to do some classic pin-up. Elizabeth was adorable with her 1950's hair, makeup and dresses. As a former ballerina, that woman had amazing legs! Actually, she was pretty amazing in general. We just couldn't help include Orazio when he broke out the tool kit for "Hell Air" and held up the hood for our shot. Then at the end of the shoot, we got one of our favorite family portraits ever. Thank you for recommending your wife, Orazio! Your family rocks!
For additional photos from this shoot see our Facebook page.

Fun with Photoshop-Fantasy Series

2011-11-03T19:44:00.001-05:00

Engagement Photos at the Dallas Arboretum

2011-10-30T14:16:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Emily & Brad!

Sharing some love in Ellis County

2011-10-08T10:29:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Don and Kristen!

New Print Credit Plan

2011-10-07T08:04:00.000-05:00

We have recently restructured our pricing plan to allow more freedom of choice and greater value for our customers. The portrait plan is already in place, and we are working to have the wedding plan ready for the Duncanville Bridal Show October 16.
By the way, we'd love to see you all there at the show. It is at the Duncanville Hilton Garden Inn from 1-4.
http://www.duncanvillebridalfair.com/index.html

A Love Story & Fairy Tale Wedding

2011-09-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

Wedding at A & M Gardens in Azle

2011-09-21T15:32:00.000-05:00

We love working with couples as much fun as Jamie & Archie. We got to the amazingly beautiful A & M Gardens early enough to catch Jamie getting her hair done while her bridesmaids finished filling the goodie bags. The evening ceremony in the gardens was beautiful, and the reception indoors was rocking. Congratulations, Jamie & Archie!

For the rest of the preview shots check out Facebook.

Bridal Show

2011-09-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

We had a fabulous day at the Waxahachie Bridal Extravangaza today. We couldn't have gotten it all set-up without help from Matt & Caroline, and thanks again to David for building the big, blue wall a couple of years ago. We enjoyed seeing some of our favorite wedding vendors (Hey, Linda!).
Of course talking to all the brides was the best part of the day.We really hope to see those coupons come in soon!

Waxahachie Bridal Extravaganza

2011-09-11T20:51:00.000-05:00

We hope you'll come out and see us Sunday April 18 from noon-5 at the Waxahachie Civic Center. We'll have a little of everything from bridals and weddings along with some boudoir to show off. I'm busy gathering everything together and making discount coupons. Look for our big blue and white wall son-in-law David made me for last year's show.

Bridal Portraits at The Ballpark in Arlington and the Fort Worth Water Gardens

2011-08-07T23:32:00.002-05:00

We're so thankful that Summer came to us after her original photographer flaked. (Not that we'd wish having to find someone at the last minute on anyone.) She's such a fun, brave woman. We started at the Fort Worth Water Gardens last week about 9. By the time we moved on for a couple of shots in the middle of Main Street in downtown Fort Worth, the temp was easily 100. Btw, standing in the middle of the street was her idea, but I totally loved it! Finally we headed over to the Ballpark in Arlington where she and her fiance' spend a lot of time. We did some outside shots with some of the props Summer brought. Finally, we came back Monday afternoon when it was, no joking, 107. But it was so worth it when Billie Ball, the tour coordinator for the Texas Rangers, took us down through the tunnels into the batting cages, the media room and finally into the dugout. We're excited to share a sample from our marathon shoot, and look forward to photographing their wedding in a couple of weeks.

Tattoo portraits in Deep Ellum

2011-07-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we met Caleb in the industrial area of Deep Ellum for a portrait session. He's an Army Reservist who spent a year in Iraq. Now he works in the family business in Plano and is an aspiring model. For some of the more artistic angles, check out our Facebook page .

Party on! DHS high school reunion

2011-06-28T15:01:00.002-05:00

Saturday I did double duty. After Jamie's bridal portraits I was happy to serve as photographer for my class reunion at the Dallas Executive Airport. We had a great time and reconnected with our past. That's me out directing everyone for the group shot. (Yes, I'm that old.) The guys (and Susan) in the band were awesome! A little reminder of the 70's, and more than a few could still shake it up on the dance floor.

Fort Worth Bridal Portraits-Botanic Garden

2011-06-27T23:38:00.000-05:00

We did Jamie's bridal portraits Saturday and just want to put a little preview out there without giving away her dress. She was absolutely beautiful and a joy to work with! We can't wait to shoot her Sept. 10 wedding at A&M Gardens in Azle.

Calendar Girl Boudoir

2011-06-19T23:59:00.001-05:00

One of our former brides decided to bring the drawer full of cute lingerie she got as shower gifts and make a gift for her husband. We were more than happy to oblige, and after seeing the photos, we figure he's going to be pretty happy with the results.

Scarborough Wedding

2011-06-13T10:30:00.000-05:00

Here's a short clip from Mayan and Kiani's Renaissance wedding.

Kiani's & Mayan's Scarborough Faire Wedding

2011-06-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

We couldn't have shot a cuter and more pleasant couple out at Scarborough Faire this season than Kiani and Mayan who came in from San Antonio to get married at this year's renaissance festival in Waxahachie. Their family and friends all found the costume shop as they entered and came dressed as everything from belly dancers to a Viking queen. Everyone obviously enjoyed themselves with feasting after a combination traditional and handfasting ceremony in the Rose Garden. King Henry VIII and his wife even stopped by for a toast. Long live the newlyweds in blessed bliss!

A Personal Note

2011-05-31T10:04:00.002-05:00

Handfasting ceremony at Scarborough Faire May 30, 2011

Argghh! The pirate ship captain blessed their wedding with a pirate toast

Mother son dance to the band Sloan Wolf

Matt & Caroline with their awesome cake by Renaissance Pro

My family

Matt, Phillip & Logan (I made the green vests)

Ashley, David and Colten

Ashley & David leaving their wedding

2011 DHS Swingers Show Choir in Deep Ellum

This is the last week of school, and my underclass photo kids are finishing projects allowing me to put in a quick entry. Congratulations to my seniors and the senior yearbook, newspaper, show choir and swim kids who I have watched grow up these past few years of team shots. May your camera always be close. Congratulations to my son Matt and his bride of one day Caroline and to my daughter Ashley and her groom of a week David! Thank you to my oldest son Phillip and his wife Rose who loaded baby Logan up and drove in from Houston two weekends in a row to help with all kinds of wedding preparation and clean-up. Thanks also to all my family and friends who supported me through this crazy year of three children getting married and the birth of a new grandbaby on top of school and the photo business. So ends year three of the five year plan and twenty-eight years of teaching with two more to go. I am ready for the summer!

Ashley's Bridal Portraits-Dallas

2011-05-22T21:25:00.001-05:00

Whenever anyone heard that Ashley was getting married, they asked if I was shooting her wedding. I am so thankful that we hired Chris & Angie from Lucky Pro to take care of that since I was a little busy and emotional being mom, but I did do her bridals. We started out the day we picked her dress up from Margo's Bridal Alterations in Deep Ellum. Ashley was so excited to have her dress ready that she put it on and we played around in Deep Ellum then in the McKinney Street area. Her formal bridals were in Las Colinas on the only cold, rainy day in weeks, but it was the only day the schedule worked. After we finished there though, we ran into the Dallas World Aquarium and the Dallas Musuem of Art for a couple of quick shots. We have found that hardly anyone can say no to a bride. : )

Scarborough Faire Wedding

2011-05-19T21:14:00.000-05:00

Suzy and David came all the way from the Boston area to get married at Scarborough Faire. Their family joined them from all over the country. Suzy used to live in the Dallas area and said she always thought a wedding at Faire would be fun, and I knew from our first contact that she would be fun to work with when she told me this wasn't her first rodeo. But I could tell by the loving looks, the new "David" tattoo, and the way their families had already begun to blend that this will be her last. Their friends and family obviously felt the same way as they came together first on Friday night for a celebration dinner at the Dove's Nest in Waxahachie where one of her oldest friends gave everyone gifts of honey from their hives in Maine. They then all donned Renaissance garb for the wedding Saturday where the same friend officiated. The amazing folks at Renaissance Pro did a fabulous job with a cake designed as a castle covered in dragons, and Suzy made the most amazing book used as both their guest book and during the ceremony. Congratulations to Suzy and David! Slainte!

DHS Art Show 2011

2011-04-20T13:39:00.000-05:00

I'm so proud of my photo students! This is just a sample of what they will have on exhibit at this year's art show. Come by the Duncanville High School cafeteria Thursday April 21 from 6-8 to see these and others. Free admission and cookies!

Scarborough Faire Bridal Portraits

2011-04-18T21:35:00.000-05:00

Caroline and Matt have a fairy tale love story, so it makes sense that they are having a fairy tale wedding. Two years ago they met while serving at other people's weddings at Scarborough Faire Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie. On Memorial Day, other people will serve the Lord and Lady at their own wedding at Scarborough, so of course the only place to do Caroline's bridal portraits was Faire on opening day this year. We tried to balance traditional bridal looks with the fun of festival. One of our favorites is the pirate bride since Matt is wearing a similar hat at the wedding. Thanks to the young woman passing by who loaned us this one for the photo since the idea just came to us as we passed the pirate ship. Every one we asked to help us out, like the Queen's guards, smiled and happily cooperated. We can't wait to take the wedding photos. Congratulations, Caroline and Matt!

Senior Portraits Maggie

2011-04-10T22:37:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I went with Maggie to the Cedar Ridge Preserve, formerly the Dallas Nature Center, for her senior portraits. It offered a lot of interesting settings and a place where she could easily change clothes to get a variety of looks. Within a couple of hours, we had so much variety, I had a hard time choosing for the blog. Even though the bluebonnets were stunning, I think my favorite was in a field of tall grass. I was so glad that Maggie was so natural and easy to work with. When I asked her to go sit in the field, she didn't even hesitate. Maggie is planning to study anthropology at SMU starting in the fall. Congratulations on your graduation! I know you'll love SMU!

Senior Portraits-Sarah

2011-04-03T11:42:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Sarah and her mom came by after school for senior portraits. We went to Lions Park in Duncanville, one of my favorite on-location sites, where Sarah rocked her letter jacket along with a couple of simple clothing changes. We had to pause a couple of times because it was the windiest day of the spring, but overall the wind just gave her hair a little something extra. Once we started with cap and gown photos, we used the back of a nearby business to get a vibrant red wall background since Duncanville High School's colors are red and blue. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Sarah!

Wedding Photography at White Chapel Estates & Gardens in North Richland Hills

2011-03-24T16:40:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to John and Amanda Bear who got married March 11! Their wedding was beautiful and fun, and we are proud to have been a part of it. Their location just outside of Fort Worth advertises as being just like in the movies and had so many lovely details that help create a dream wedding. Amanda entered the chapel down a sweeping staircase, and the couple's first dance was in a twinkling gazebo under a half-moon. Their family and friends participated as part of the wedding party and in the party following their ceremony. John's frat brothers, who call him Bear, surrounded him for a traditional song during the reception. Amanda's maid-of-honor caught the bouquet. Since John was a groomsman in one of our previous weddings, we hope to be on hand for the next one from this great group of people.

http://www.whitechapelestate.com/

Tattoo Boudoir Photography

2011-03-20T21:32:00.001-05:00

While Stephanie was home from Austin for spring break, she came in to have some boudoir photos done. With 5 tattoos, we had a challenge showcasing them all, but her amazing rose sidepiece was definitely the showstopper. She was amazing to work with and was beautiful in her photos.

First Birthday Portraits

2011-03-13T13:59:00.000-05:00

Kallie just turned one, so her mom brought her in for a photo session with a whole assortment of cute clothes. We had a regular baby fashion show. It was amazing how well that little girl played dress up! The only time she got cranky, mom popped a couple of StarPuffs in her mouth. I am adding those things to my recommendation list for toddlers. She also brought a quilt a friend had made for her as a baby gift along with assorted hair bows. The hat, flowers, and pearls were things I had. By the end, it was hard to pick just what to showcase. Happy Birthday, Kallie! All we were missing was the cake.

Newborn portraits

2011-03-08T21:06:00.001-06:00

Congratulations to Luke and Hannah on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Zoe! Zoe was a wide-eyed wonder during our portrait session. Unlike most newborns, she stayed awake the whole time taking everything in. When we put flowers around her, she grabbed them with her tiny hands. We were impressed that she didn't cry at all. I think they have a charmer on their hands. She really is a little doll.

Senior Portraits-Let your personality shine!

2011-03-02T21:52:00.001-06:00

Hey, seniors! Spring means spring fever, spring break, and the last semester of high school life. You've changed so much this year. Save the memories and celebrate your graduation with a senior photo session that includes your hobbies, your passion, and your personality along with your cap and gown. Bring your guitar or your trumpet, your bat or your toe shoes, whatever it is that has been important to you these past four years along with several outfits that show the many sides of you. We'll go wherever you want in the DFW area. If you saw a picture in a magazine or online, show it to us, and we'll help tweak it to suit you. Our goal is for you to enjoy your session and end up with a variety of looks to please you and your grandparents. Book now for only $150 and get a print package along with a mini-accordian book that highlights several of your best shots or extra wallets to pass out to all your friends. College seniors can use this as an opportunity to get personality shots, cap and gown and even some headshots for job interviews.

Photo Booth Vegas Style

2011-02-17T06:54:00.001-06:00

A little late, but thanks to the Dart banquet with their Vegas themed anniversary party. Everyone seemed to enjoy having photos made with friends in the photo booth and gambling with money that didn't break their own personal accounts. Doorprizes and dinner rounded out a great night. We enjoyed being on hand to record it all.

Snow Day

2011-02-05T00:42:00.000-06:00

After a week of being iced in, I went for a walk to the park and played around with the lens baby. Then while editing, tweaked a little color balance on a couple.

Valentine's Boudoir Sessions

2011-01-14T13:37:00.000-06:00

This year give your man a Valentine's gift he'll never forget! A boudoir session is a great opportunity to feel great about yourself as well. As women photographers, our goal is to make you look and feel like a Victoria's Secret model. Your two hour session allows for several wardrobe changes. We also have a collection of sheers and hats available if you choose to use them. We can come to you or set up the studio for your personalized session. We'll even do your makeup if you want. With the winter special, the session is only $150 and includes a two hour shoot, a mini-accordian book with a dozen photos in it, an 8x10 and a custom cd of your edited photos. Book your session by February 8 to get it back in time for Valentine gifting.

Newborn Portraits

2010-12-30T21:00:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Phillip and Rose on the birth of their new baby boy, Logan! When we got together to do some portraits, it was obvious from the Dallas Cowboy's apparel and the old sports gear that this baby is bound to follow in dad's footsteps as an athlete.

Congratulations to Teri & David!

2010-10-17T09:05:00.001-05:00

Teri married David in a beautiful, touching ceremony at their church in north Dallas Sept. 18 followed by the reception she had always dreamed about at the historic Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas. Every aspect of the day was personalized to suit the couple with the help of Teri's friend and event planner, Kristine Schwope. Each had nieces and nephews as part of the wedding party along with family and life-long friends. Their black and white theme was enhanced by vivid rainbow colored flowers. David's love of bells was reflected in the small bells on each table which were rung in appreciation throughout the night. Their shared passion for Egyptology showed throughout with a hummus station as one of the many food stations, a "Dance Like an Egyptian" dance-off (a shout out to Tyler Paul their awesome DJ,) and hand-made pyramids filled with confetti to throw as they left their reception and headed off to their honeymoon in Paris.

10-10-10

2010-10-10T21:13:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Brittney & Chris who got married today! They picked today's date for the luck it brings. Brittney brought Chris along for her unconventional bridal portraits taken at Saints & Sinners Tattoo in the Bishop Arts District of Dallas in first a vintage bridal dress then her blue Betsy Johnson reception dress. Thanks to S&S for letting us have the run of the place for the shoot. One guy was even getting a tattoo while we were there.

Chris' & Brittany's Pink & Green Wedding

2010-10-03T22:38:00.000-05:00

Brittany planned an amazing wedding that focused on family, friends and fun. She included 4 kids and her dog along with 6 attendants each. One of her brothers even officiated. They each had college buddies who showed up to perform sorority/fraternity rituals at the reception. The dj kept the dance floor full all night, and when the couple left, they fired water pistols at the bubble blowing well-wishers. Congratulations, Chris and Brittany Wilson!

Hot fun in the summertime

2010-09-15T19:25:00.003-05:00

Ashley is a handbag designer for her own company http://www.ashardrichley.com/ . She and her handsome hubby were the perfect couple for some sultry, sunset "Trash the Dress" photos at Joe Pool Lake. Thank you, Ashley and Richard.

Get the Bridal Portraits of Your Dreams

2010-09-13T22:17:00.000-05:00

We are proud to announce our article with tips for bridal portraits was published in the September/October issue of the Ellis County "Living" magazine. You can see the online version at http://www.living-magazine.com/online/publish/wedding/Get_the_Bridal_Portraits_of_Your_Dreams.shtml .
We want to thank Meghan, Shanna, and Ryan for allowing us to post their photos in our article and ad.

We also have a booth at the Waxahachie Bridal Extravaganza October 31 from noon to 5 at the Waxahachie Civic Center. Yes, we know, a bridal fair on Halloween is a little different, but we hope to see you there.

Country Beauty

2010-09-01T22:02:00.001-05:00

In our journey across Ellis County with Alyssa, her something blue was her grandmother's blue boots. We drew looks in downtown Red Oak and had the sheriff slow down for a closer look as she posed in front of the hay stacks in a field. After we waved, the sheriff went on his way. Best wishes to Alyssa, our country beauty.

Brittany's Bridals

2010-08-10T08:58:00.005-05:00

Brittany Utley got married last Saturday to Chris Wilson. These were her bridal portraits taken at the Dallas Arboretum in July. She brought along her mom & dad and Bebe, one of her her bridesmaids. The fishing pole was because her new hubby likes to fish, and that girl can jump higher than anyone I've met that wasn't still in high school. Their wedding was all about family, friends and fun. Congratulations to Chris and Brittany. Here's a preview from her pink and green wedding.

Extreme Trash the Dress in Deep Ellum

2010-07-18T15:42:00.017-05:00

Sebrina Parker rocks! Sebrina is a freelance graphic designer/planner (www.mismikadocreations.com) who got married in Hidalgo, Texas May 29 and told us she was up for pretty much anything when we discussed a trash the dress session. So we came equipped with plenty of tempera paint and a drop cloth when we met her Friday morning at the Mokah Coffee Bar in Deep Ellum, an awesome place for artists to meet and hang out.
Sebrina started getting looks and waves as soon as we hit the streets, but by the time we set up in front of the iconic Malcolm X Street mural, we were literally stopping traffic.

She kept her smile and sunny disposition as we continued to add paint to her wedding dress while temps soared to 100 plus. We heart you, Sebrina! Thanks for helping us create a work of art!

Trash the dress at the Fort Worth Water Gardens

2010-07-10T15:10:00.006-05:00

Randi Anderson got married in April in San Antonio, Texas. Now living in Fort Worth, we were happy to meet Randi at the Water Gardens one morning in June. Her mom was concerned about her ruining her silk shantung dress, so she just got the bottom wet. We loved the opportunity to do something so much fun with her, and Randi made a beautiful mermaid. Congratulations, Scott & Randi.

Shelby's Graduation

2010-06-27T12:37:00.004-05:00

My niece Shelby Anderson graduated from Champion High School in Boerne, Texas. Congratulations, Shelby!

Congratulations to Matt & Caroline

2010-06-15T18:50:00.004-05:00

Matt and Caroline met while serving at weddings at Scarborough Faire, a Renaissance festival in Waxahachie, last year. This year they got engaged just before Faire started. Next year they're getting married in costume at Faire. Congratulations! We look forward to shooting a wedding with swords and harps.

New listing on Big Day/Small World

2010-05-26T08:13:00.001-05:00

We are a top wedding photographer in the Duncanville, Texas Wedding Photography guide on BigDaySmallWorld.com.

Duncanville High School Swingers Show Choir

2010-05-20T17:16:00.003-05:00

Congratulations on a great show last weekend. The 50's music was great. The kids were so cute when we took the pictures. We went to the front of the original Duncanville High School and borrowed a classic car to go with their costumes.

Bobby Knight's Fieldhouse Grand Opening

2010-05-02T15:52:00.005-05:00

I was excited to have the opportunity to shoot the grand opening for the new sports center in Duncanville.
Check it out at http://bobknightsfieldhouse.com/

Fashion/Boudoir

2010-03-08T20:51:00.005-06:00

Weddings

2010-02-21T10:32:00.005-06:00

Congratulations to Shanna and Ryan (top) as well as to Luke and Hannah.

Let it snow!

2009-11-27T12:10:00.002-06:00

The Duncanville High School Show Choir were the perfect subjects for our snow extravaganza! They were adorable in their seasonal costumes and REALLY enthusiastic about throwing the snow and snowballs. It took several shots to get everyone to show up through all the flying snow.

Congratulations to Bryon & Lauren

2009-11-14T06:16:00.004-06:00

Newborn portraits

2009-10-18T13:28:00.006-05:00

Meet Colten. We used exactly the same yellow flower in the maternity shoot. It was doing OK until Colten got hold of it.

Maternity

2009-10-05T20:12:00.004-05:00

We started with a studio shoot then moved to the Fort Worth Watergardens. Ash was a trooper-eight months pregnant and climbing up and down stairs.
She had them printed in metallic which turned out gorgeous!

Kim & Nathan

2009-08-27T12:35:00.006-05:00

Kim & Nathan are young, fun, and adorable. They are getting married in late September. We took engagement pictures where they had their first date, then a couple of places I suggested. My favorite part was when they broke out these homemade thank you signs that they intend to use for their thank you notes. We traipsed through the woods to get to a creek, climbed on the playground and ended up with a memorable set of pictures.
For her engagement pictures, I had traveled earlier this summer with Kim and her parents to her grandfather's farm about an hour away. It was completely worth the trip because she used places that meant something to her that also offered a variety beyond anything we could have found locally.

Why you need prints as much as a cd

2009-08-23T11:02:00.002-05:00

In my class blog I tell a true story about a friend who still has not printed any pictures of her daughter's wedding months afterwards. I do understand. Life gets busy and complicated. I am often guilty myself, but I have tried to be more conscious of this. I admit that I haven't printed but a couple of big prints from my dream vacation. I do have big prints on the wall from my children's engagement sessions. But I haven't printed an album lately. I encourage people to invest in an album or a book to have memories to share not just to email or post in a photo bucket. It is these hard copy pictures that you will still be able to find and view years from now. Computers crash. Folders get deleted. Technology changes. Save your memories-print your pictures.

http://virtualphotographystudio.com/photographyblog/2009/08/11/photographers-the-history-killers/

The flash site is up!

2009-08-13T21:29:00.001-05:00

We have finally gotten the new flash site up in a test version. Let us know what you think. We hope to finalize early next week.

Grunge filter

2009-08-02T22:02:00.006-05:00

Still working on getting the revamped site to work right. I've decided to move to the flash site sooner than expected, so it's almost ready to go. But in the meantime, I've been playing with grunge filters. We saw a lot of interesting filter effects on pictures at the Dallas Bridal Show. I think seniors would like the look as well. Here's one example.

Website Issues

2009-07-30T22:23:00.002-05:00

If anyone has tried to follow the link to our website, fair warning it's completely screwed up right now. My mom & I have been working on redo-ing our website, but unfortunately technology has been fighting with us. We have our new html site ready to upload, but we seem to be having issues with the uploading process (Frontpage is being difficult). We are hoping to figure this out & get it fixed soon.

This is all still very much a learning process for us to have a website. It's kind of been trial and error so far, but we have made progress over the past year. We are hoping to eventually switch to a flash site, but that's a whole other issue.

Ashley

Our First Blog

2009-07-30T18:43:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our blog. For a year people have been telling me to get one, so I spent that time looking at others trying to decide what to put in it. This should be one of the few times it will be primarily musings, an opportunity for you to get to know us better, for me to say more than I would on the About Us page which is also new. My hope is that in the future this page will include examples from shoots we don't post on the pages, a few family photos, and some school projects-photography by high school kids who often amaze me with their visions, cool projects we are working on, maybe the odd photo tip or two.

August 2009 begins my 22nd year to teach photography. I have watched my program grow to fill six classes then dwindle back down to four. I have been proud to see many former students succeed professionally in the business, hope that at the least most have better family pictures than average, and occasionally moan that kids walk in and tell me they have a camera in their phone so they don't really need another one or ask what is there to learn about photography, it's just taking pictures. We do both film and digital in a digital age, but there is art in both that I hope to share and maybe inspire future photographers to explore more deeply.

It took having all my children graduate from high school and my daughter choosing photography as her profession for me to start a business that has been part of my life since my grandfather gave me an SLR in high school. When you look at our work, Ashley's are the more obviously edgy looks, but I am learning from her to break my preconceived notions about angles and cropping and to see the beauty of a purposely blown out image or a color shift just a little off the normal scale.

After a year of growth, we look forward to expanding our business with your help and hope to open a studio by the end of four more years. Until then, we will bring our lights and backdrops to your home if you want, or we will bring you to my home where the studio has been set up in the living room and several backdrop options and props are available. We will travel to a location that you love or take you to one of several we love. We are happy for you to send or bring example photos that have sparked your imagination. We welcome you to say, "How about if we try this?" It's your photo shoot. We want to make it special and to give you pictures you can't get at the mall. We work with a variety of vendors to find equally unique products for you to choose from.

Thank you to those who have been our customers this past year. Thank you to friends and family who may get tired of our constant obsessions about photography and our business. And thank you to those who choose us to record your memories this next year.

Charlotte Hensley