At long last, we are ready to start booking for our 2010 Xpressions Sessions! To see the dates and all the info, visit THIS PAGE (we’re doing some new things this year, including special discounts AND themes!).  These openings are very limited and will fill up quickly. Graduating high school students in Austin…now is the time to book your Xpressions session for senior portraits! Also, clients who have already booked a 2010 Premium Session or who had a Premium Session in Nov. or Dec. of last year qualify for special discounts and get first priority on our openings. 

I’ve been meaning to blog more images from our last round in Fall 2009, so I figured now would be a good time. So many incredible families and oh, we had the most perfect weather and light! I can’t wait until we start doing this again this year…especially with the fun new themes and seeing new places all over Austin. (As with all of our Xpressions sessions, these images have not been retouched.)

This was the second opportunity I got to spend time with this family. They are close to my heart because I can completely relate to mom’s love for her sons and deep connection with her new daughter.  And I love to see how baby girl’s brothers interact with her. Reminds me so much of my own family. But they are also close to my heart because when they are in front of the camera, they are just themselves. Natural, beautiful, and bonded as a family. Getting to capture intimate moments like these is what makes family photography so precious.

This was the stunning and perfectly peaceful scene when I walked in to photograph this homebirth. Seriously? So beautiful.

And the end result? Just as beautiful. Just as peaceful. All is right with the world. Congratulations again on your new arrival!

As I continue my proofing, I have to sit here in anxious anticipation, phone by my side, camera at the ready for the next baby to hatch. Who’s going to be first? All bets are off when it comes to predicting labors and the suspense is killing me. Here’s to many safe, quick, and [relatively] painless deliveries any day now!

(If you are in the Austin area and would like to learn more about hiring a professional birth photographer, please see this link.)

This beautiful mommy-to-be (who is due to give birth any day now) will receive and 11×14 canvas of this image AND a $500 gift card for a 2010 Pinkle Toes Premium Session.  Congratulations, J! 

We also have two runners up, who will each receive $100 gift cards for a 2010 Premium Session:

and

Congratulations once more to winners and all of the nominees who ran a very close race.  Thanks so much to everyone who took time to vote and help make this tough decision. I can’t wait to see what kind of images 2010 turns out for us!

To help get YOU motivated to be the 2010 Pic of the Year winner, I have a VERY limited time special offer:

Book your Premium session by NEXT SATURDAY to be held in April or May 2010 and receive a complimentary leather accordion album featuring 14-4×6 images from the session! (Not valid with any other offer. While supplies last.) Contact me to set up your session now!

This little lady’s mama said she had been stalking the blog forEVER before she finally decided to take the plunge and have her own family photo session done. I’m glad she did. I’m pretty sure she is, too!

It was an honor to spend such a lovely Austin afternoon with this family and I can’t wait to see these puppies printed up in their "awethome" coffee table album soon!

Speaking of puppies, did you know that TODAY is the last day to VOTE FOR PINKLE’S PIC OF THE YEAR?????!!!!! 

Yeah. It’s true.

Winners will be announced tomorrow.

So let’s get your vote on:

Working on their session right now and it is rockin’ my world. I had to share this one real quick.

My temp gauge in the car read 18, yes 18, as my sis/assistant and I set out for Baby Coco bright and early yesterday morning. All of these adorable expectant moms sure made it worth it and they braved the cold beautifully. We’ll be seeing everyone again soon when these babies start "hatching," as my middle child would say ;-). Just a few quick peeks for the mommies and of course, the newest Baby Coco model is featured above. I think we could have stayed all day and played with her…she giggled and cooed and smiled pretty much the whole time.

[Voting ends THIS Friday for Pinkle's Pic of the Year!]

Still catching up from 2009, I was so excited to be asked back by this family to photograph their newest addition! He was such a good baby…especially with all that was going on having his two older siblings bounding around in the house. I guess that’s just how 3rd babies are. Laid back, content, and cute as can be. And I was totally impressed with older bro.  He has matured so much and grown into the sweetest big brother ever!

Baby T’s older sister was a model for Baby Coco back in the days before she had hair. Just look at her now!

[Quick link to choose YOUR fav for Pinkle's Pic of the Year 2009]

So the Horns didn’t win. I’ll just post pics of this little cutie pie so it doesn’t seem quite so bad. I’m going to be catching up on old posts I started before the holidays here, so get ready!

[There's still time to vote for Pic of the Year 2009]

Yesterday’s session was really hard. Hard to leave, that is. He was PERFECT newborn sweetness and I couldn’t get enough!

Note: We’ve had more than 800 votes for Pinkle’s Pic of the Year and it is CLOSE, CLOSE, CLOSE! Let your voice be heard if you haven’t already voted.