Winter Wonderland in Texas | Pflugerville Area Family Photographer

It's true we don't see a lot of snow in Central Texas, but that doesn't have to exclude us from some fun, snowy, Christmas portraits.  We had a Christmas Mini-Session in our indoor studio this month and got a realistic winter forest backdrop from Photo Pie to set the scene.  Our families came dressed "warm" but maybe could have dressed even warmer for the weather.  Here are some of our favorite shots from the day.

For some of the shots we had a "snow thrower" standing high on a ladder to throw the snow into the pictures.  This got a lot of genuine smiles and laughs.

This family coordinated their clothing so well, to create some beautiful family photos.

Big Sister, Little Sister | Pflugerville Area Photographer

It's really fun to see your clients' families grow and change over the years.  We had the privilege to take pictures of Big Sister two years ago.  And then Little Sister when she was just 13 days old.  Mom wanted to tie in the style of the session for this session that we did for Big Sister.  So we used the same backdrop and velvet chair to get some coordinating images of Little Sister. 

We wanted to go for a soft vintage feel.  Using a repurposed sewing machine case, we made a "nest" for Little Sister to snuggle in.  And we had an old scale to get a few images when Little Sister finally fell asleep.

  It was a fun time to laugh and have fun.  Thanks for letting us do this session with you Andersons!

Tutu Skirts and Poodle Pups | Pflugerville Area Photographer

Sisters are a lot of fun.  I have two of my own so I know.  These two sisters clearly had a fun time at their session.  Ready to go, they came dolled up in their cute tanks and girlie girl tutu skirts.

The Hello Kitty tattoos were a fun addition too.  These sisters had gotten those on vacation a few days before and they were proud to show them off in their photos.

Though you can't tell it here, Little Sis was having a bit of an attitude problem, at first.  Everything we asked, she would frown and not want to do.  So we tried the reverse psychology trick.  It worked like magic!  "K, whatever you do, don't smile.  Don't do it!"  "K, do not hug your sister.  Don't do it!"  Etcetera.  You can tell she really obeyed or words.  Nope.  But we got what we wanted anyway.

We have our dogs with us at work, so they were present at this particular shoot too and the girls wanted them involved.  Our newest poodle addition, Rhino (the chocolate one) didn't mind being carted around in the pictures--though he doesn't look too thrilled here.  But the image with our white poodle, Kobe, is the one that really makes me laugh.  They are loving him so tightly that it looks like his eyes are bugging out! : )

All in all though, we got some really fun images, their parents were pleased, and no poodles were harmed in the making of these photos.

Europe Close to Home | Pflugerville Area Photographer

One of our specialties, at Mr & Mrs Smith Photography is using realistic backdrops in new ways.  Our cute friend, Heidi, came ready with braids and a perfect wardrobe.  For the first set we "went" on location to a beautiful European town square.  Heidi was a wonderful model, full of smiles and creative poses.

Next, we traveled to The Netherlands for some shots by the old windmills.  

And then made a quick stop at the lavender fields in France.  

We all had a lot of fun and we can't wait to do another shoot with Heidi soon!

Desert Storm Troopers | Pflugerville Area Photographers

Backdrops can be a lot of fun.  These 3D-like backdrops seem to envelop the subjects and make it feel like you are actually in that environment.  Not everyone has a desert complete with dunes in their backyard, however, with scenic backdrops like this, you can make the desert come to you. These two brothers played their nomadic part very well, and with the correct lighting mimicking what you see portrayed on the backdrop, you can make it seem like they are actually experiencing the heat of the desert.

Later we had them do some poses on a plain background.  In post production, we added the background (a digital backdrop) and added their Storm Trooper bodies in different poses.  There's even a trick to making a realistic light saber.  These brothers thought that the results were entertaining for sure, and it was a lot of fun to produce too.

Back in Texas | Pflugerville Area Photographer

Hi folks!  We have been living in Washington, DC for the past year where we weren't really doing much portrait photography as Mr & Mrs Smith.  Thus the dearth of blog entries.  But, as of March 2012, we are back in the great state of Texas and back in the photography game.  Please browse our blog and comment--and let us know if you need any pictures.