We held our last round of the Austin 2009 Xpressions Sessions today and all I can say is, "Wow!" I cannot even begin to tell you how beautiful all of these families were, how wonderfully charming the kiddos were, how kind and patient the parents were, and how absolutely outstanding my baby sis/assistant was. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who made these Xpressions sessions FANTASTIC!  As always, the images shown have only received basic edits to enhance contrast/color, but no full retouching.  I’ll show you an example of the difference at the end of the post.  Also, before I forget, if you’re pregnant in the Austin area and want maternity portraits and are due in February, March, or April of 2010, you can get a FREE mini maternity session (kind of like these Xpressions Sessions) in January. And, I *still* have a few spaces open for the Xpressions photo sessions in Washington, DC and Richmond, VA in December.  Meanwhile, to continue these awesome sneaks:

And to illustrate the difference between the digital negatives (the files that are sent on CD with the Xpressions sessions) vs. the files that are fully retouched (prints ordered through me or those that are available as part of a Premium Session):

Oh, I cannot wait to go through all of these images! Today was a great day all around. Thank you all again!  I’m so honored to get to do this for you.

If you’re pregnant in the Austin area and due in February, March, or April 2010, you can receive a FREE mini maternity session when you book your newborn session with Pinkle Toes Photography.  I’m so excited to be partnering again with Austin’s premiere baby boutique, Baby Coco.  What could be better than getting some amazing maternity images added to your newborn CD for FREE? If interested, please contact me ASAP because spaces (as always) fill up very quickly.

And now because I’m bummed that this afternoon’s session is going to be rained out and because I need a quick break from proofing, here are some completely random pics for you (and by random, I mean, 100% random):

1. Wreath-keh at my front door. ;-)

2. Miss November.

3. Catalog Choice – I don’t know how it happened, but overnight, I got on *everyone’s* catalog mailing list.  I abhor junk mail, in any form, but especially in paper form. Every day, my mailbox is stuff with a bunch of stuff that I will never look at and it just ends up in the trash.  Even worse, important mail gets mixed in with it and I have sift through everything oh-so-carefully so as not to accidentally throw away something I might need. So, for the past few weeks, I’ve been collecting these catalogs with the intention of calling/e-mailing each company individually and getting removed from the mailing list.  The pile on my kitchen counter started to get a little ridiculous and finally, I sat down yesterday to make the calls.  Instead, I stumbled upon Catalog Choice.org and hmph, within 1 hour, I had sent requests to 37 different companies.  If it works, it will be totally worth it (I’ve heard back from 6-7 already that I’ve been removed).  Amen!!!

4. However, there are some things I do enjoy getting in my mailbox, like the latest Boden catalog, Rangefinder Mag, and a beautiful necklace from my sweet friend and talented photog, Kristi.

5. This is Snippy.  Snippy is a Brazilian Rainbow Boa and was recently acquired during a "boys only" outing to a reptile show in San Antonio. I was not happy about it, especially considering the zoo that our house is already. But Snippy is sweet and Snippy is pretty and Tristan LOVES him, so I’m putting up with it for now.  Sadly, Snippy had an accident this morning involving duct tape [don't ask--you wouldn't believe me even if I told you] and got hurt pretty badly.  I am embarrassed to admit, I actually cried over the little guy. But if you’re a reptile-lovin’ kind of soul, please pray for a full and speedy recovery for Snippy.

6. My husband and I used to read a book series together by Robert Jordan. The newest book just came out (even though Mr. Jordan has passed) and while I haven’t been able to finish a book that doesn’t involve werewolves and vampires in forever, Virgil has been immersed.  But, we noticed something so funny. Amry was *really* into looking at the pages of the book…she was particularly fond of the symbol.  Every time Virge would sit down to read it, she’d crawl up to him and demand that he show her the symbol. When she’d spot it, she’d point and squeal with delight.  I found that terribly ironic since Amerlyn’s name was derived from The Amyrlin Seat in that very book series. 

Okay. That’s all I have. No brilliant words of wisdom to end this post. Guess I gotta go back to work now. Stay dry!

A quick note to let you know I have just a couple of openings left for the October 4th Xpressions Sessions in Austin.  There are also some spaces left for the December Xpressions in D.C. and Richmond. If you’ve been thinking about it, you’ll definitely want to snag one before it’s too late.  I’m making an exception for the D.C. and Richmond Xpressions: I will do them for families of up to 5…you’ll just need to pay for additional people.  Please contact me if you want to talk more.  If you’ve already booked, I’ll be in touch with you soon to finalize all of the details.

How do you like this pic my hubby snapped of me and the girl at the Wildflower Center?

Photographing a c-section birth is such a vastly different experience for me. Without the jitters of wondering how mom’s labor will go (or when), I can relax a little bit and take the time to really observe the relationships and everyone’s reactions to what’s going on. I can also get pics of the things mom isn’t able to see while she’s recovering. Wow, V!  How exciting (and scary) it must have been to know that you were going to go into that room with one child and come out as a mother of two, with a brand new baby. Just like that! From my perspective, it was so very peaceful, so quick, so miraculous. I was honored to have been part of that beautiful day and to document this for him and his family–especially the part where the brothers meet for the first time.  It always cracks me up how the siblings just aren’t too sure what to make of this new, wrinkly toy! (Oh yes! A special thanks to Lyndsay for inspiring the door shots ;-).

 (Link not working? Try this.)

If you are in the Austin area and would like to have your birth experience photographed, please contact me as soon as you can as I can only cover a limited number of births at a time.

Limited engagements in Austin, TX, Washington D.C. and Richmond, VA. Learn more!

(Photogs…even if you’re not interested in a session, do check it out if you want to get together for a "meet & greet" lunch December 20th in Richmond).

…that this little one is simply precious.

P.S. If you’ve written to me about getting together in DC/Virginia in Dec. and I haven’t gotten back to you yet, I will.  To be honest, I’m just overwhelmed with the response.  Wow, I had no idea!  I truly hope to be able to figure some way out to meet up with everyone.

If you are planning to have photos done in time for the holidays for cards, gifts, etc., the time to schedule your session is now. September is pretty much booked, October is on it’s way, and in November we reach our holiday card/product ordering deadlines. (Stay tuned to the Session Openings Calendar for updates).

I mentioned this before, but a reminder: as a special incentive, I am offering a set of 24-5×7 flat holiday cards with CD purchase to anyone who holds their holiday session in August (you can choose from a handful of designs).  This offer is good only while openings are available, so jump on it NOW! If you already have a session booked in August, you can receive these cards. If you’ve already booked your holiday session for Sept, Oct, or Nov, and move it to August, you can take advantage of this offer, too, but again, only until August books up.

Also in August, our Senior Xpressions for Austin area seniors graduating in 2010. Details.

(How do you like this moldy oldy? Our holiday card, circa 2007)

While proofing this guy’s birth, saw this pic, thought of this caption, and I decided I liked it. A lot. Just wanted to share. (Be sure to check the calendar for birth photography and other session openings. Not many left in ‘09, that’s for sure.)

P.S. I just realized I’ve held true to my Pinkle Toes namesake lately. The past 5 out of 7 posts have featured feet, toes, or shoes. ;-) Go me. 

Every time I get one of these books in from the printer, I hold my breath.  And every time I actually get to flip through it in person, it makes a session so much more real…more tangible.  And every time, I get a little sad because it marks the end of that session.  But, every time, I get hopeful that I’ll get the chance to do this again in the future. (Now, if I can just remember to take pictures of these books every time ;-)).

Speaking of the future, don’t forget, the Mini Maternity Sessions are coming up next Saturday, July 18th!  There are still some openings if you want to play. 

Also, still have some stuff available (I moved it to it’s own page).  If something’s out of your price point, please, please, please feel free to make an offer.