JENNY + BEN

I really wish I could find the email that Jenny sent me to ask if I'd be available to photograph her wedding. It made me laugh out loud. She knows that I don't typically shoot weddings. But she reassured me that this would be an intimate, casual, gathering, and she would be the "least bridezilla bride" to ever walk this Earth. Pinky promise. Or something to that effect. 

She was on point. Jenny and Ben did an incredible job focusing on the truly important parts of a wedding: the triple threat of good company, good food, and good drinks! Their close friend, Jeff, officiated a lively ceremony in their own backyard, and the festivities continued at Jacoby's with a gorgeous family-style dinner at sunset.  

And while the wedding ended up being quite a bit larger than expected, the feeling of being surrounded by the closest of loving friends and family was palpable all evening long. May you both always continue to focus on what's most important in life. Thank you for including me in your wonderful "non-wedding" wedding! 

CASIE, NOLAN, + CALEB

Have you ever planned for something so diligently that you can only laugh when the day arrives and it turns out the universe has vastly different plans? And after a few brief moments of anxiety that things aren’t following a carefully constructed blueprint (at least, not your carefully constructed blueprint), you realize that the new circumstances are even more marvelous than you possibly could have planned for?  

When Casie got in touch about photographing an intimate wedding in November, I was delighted to be a part of it. November is a gorgeous time to get married in Austin (though maybe I'm biased because that's when I got married).  We scoped the grounds of the Wildflower Center for all its lovely nooks and crannies, searching for ones with the ideal lighting for portraits. We found, if I say so myself, some perfect spots. Fast forward to the week of the wedding. Freezing. Rain. Cold. Wind. The morning of, I arrived to the Wildflower Center early.  Not a ray of sunshine to be found. The wind was so strong that the original ceremony location was out of the question unless the lovebirds wanted to end up in Oz. 

But when Casie, Nolan, and Caleb arrived, the sun came out. We found a beautiful spot for the ceremony that shielded everyone from the strong winds, and we scoped out even MORE incredible locations with delightful light. Everything was different than we’d planned, but it was just as it should have been. 

May your wedding be a testament to how you will face the unexpected in your journey as husband and wife- with grace, adaptability, and of course, lots of laughter.  Thank you for letting me be a part of your amazing day!

ELINA, ROSS + ARI

Be still, my heart! When I look back at this post, one word repeatedly comes to mind: richness. 

Yes, there is the superficial component of richness in vibrancy and color. Most of Texas does not see a fall with the colors that adorn the trees in the Northeast!  But there is so much more than that. 

My friendship with Elina has a truly multi-layered history. Our families knew one another even before our individual journeys to the United States.  After thousands of miles of travel and resettling, we managed to end up in the same city. Fast-forward through junior high, high school, college, and beyond, we have still managed to preserve a rich connection.  It is difficult to verbalize the warmth that I feel seeing the growth of Elina and Ross's family, and the wonderful life they have created for themselves.  I met and befriended their incredibly sweet son Ari who enhanced this friendship even further (after spending a couple of days with them, I have even added some super secret new words to my [toddler] vocabulary!). I hope we continue to be involved in each additional chapter in our respective histories!  

NELL'S FIRST BIRTHDAY FIESTA!

It has been a really long time since I have been to a birthday party where I was equally excited to be photographing, and equally sad that I could not participate in all of the festivities. Birthday girl Nell's mom, Christina, was the creative mastermind behind a party that was full of color, fun, and lots and lots of love. Behind the scenes, dad Caesar, brothers Nolen and Elias, and many other friends and family members contributed to making sure Nell Belen had a 1st birthday fiesta fit for a reina! 

Pinterest, eat your heart out!

 

NISA, BRYCE + WOLFE

I met Nisa several years ago when I was looking for a makeup artist for my wedding day. Nisa was a makeup extraordinaire working with weddings, fashion shoots, and everything in between. Fast forward to today, she has added yet another, but most important, job to her schedule: being a mom. 

The day that we scheduled to photograph, Nisa and Bryce planned on giving baby Wolfe his first solid food. The million dollar question: What kind?? After some discussion (and intense Baby Book research), a unanimous decision landed on avocado (appreciating good guacamole is every Austinite's right of passage, after all). 

Thank you, Nisa and Bryce, for allowing me to capture some history in your first home as a family.   Here's to making wonderful new memories in your new one... give me a call when we're at the breakfast taco stage! :) 

GETTING BACK TO MY ROOTS

 

What does your day look like?

Does it look like enjoying an almond croissant and a cappuccino at your favorite local bakery? Or does it look like tripping on a thousand lego pieces when you get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom? 

Or, does it look like fixing little kids' teeth because you're their dentist? (Or maybe that's just me).

Between all of those grand appearances on the red carpet that you tend to post on Facebook, are those in-between, sometimes far less noticed moments that we call life. Those moments can be joyous, melancholy, loud, tender, calculated, chaotic, momentous, or subtle...  they can be all of those things at once, or described with a completely different set of adjectives altogether. But they are your own. And their presence will always be unique to you and your family.

Today I want my photography to return to the concept that inspired the birth of Sousous in the first place. The fleeting moment. The step in between the steps that people ooh and ahh on the big stage. I want to capture every adjective of your life in a way that is real. Because real is beautiful. And because your kids will look back one day and treasure the look on your face when you tried to keep from cursing as you stepped on that last lego. 

These are my favorite pair of shoes on the planet.  They're no Louboutins, but I love everything about them and wear them just about every day. I'd love to walk a day in your shoes. Just as long as there are no heels involved.

These are my favorite pair of shoes on the planet.  They're no Louboutins, but I love everything about them and wear them just about every day. I'd love to walk a day in your shoes. Just as long as there are no heels involved.

Write here...

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...

I'm still here! It has been an extremely productive couple of months "offline", but I have also taken the time to relax and find fresh perspective... Let me tell you, a road trip down the Western coast will inspire just about anyone! I can't wait to share new things in store for SousouS... In the meantime, just a little somethin' pretty to hold you over : 

NATALIYA, ERIK, VITO + MATTEO and fam!

I send parents a questionnaire prior to every family session. It helps me be attune to subtle family dynamics so that my photographs reflect that family's one-of-a-kind spirit.  Natasha's answers to the questionnaire left me in stitches, particularly the gems describing what the children enjoy: " Vito - Everything about trains (he was born with a Thomas the Train in his hands) and Matteo - Cars, Cars, Cars - he sometimes thinks HE is a race car," as well as their challenges as parents: "We torture our kids with food. They really are not big eaters." I can imagine that Mom's Ukranian heritage and Dad's Italian heritage don't leave much wiggle room for picky eaters! 

Natasha mentioned that the kids might be shy at first, but within two minutes of my arrival, the boys asked "Tzotzya" (Auntie) Yana to watch cartoons with them, Vito sitting on one knee, and Matteo on the other.  The rest of the day was filled with Russian and Italian in the air, complete with a lovely Italian meal (thanks Erik!) and quality time with nona Marilena, nono Alberto, babushka Valentina, and dedushka Valeriy. 

Natasha reflected on our time together: 

We knew Yana for many years and thought that taking documentary style pictures would be very comfortable with her. We didn’t know our two monkey-sons (ages 3 and 5) would misbehave and run all over the place... With all the patience she had, she made it so much fun for them, and with a great talent she made the pictures look fantastic, capturing the exact goofiness of this cute age with all the faces and poses. With the precise artist eye she took candid shots without us even knowing, and as the result we got a glimpse of our own week-end life in the glamorous pictures.  Three generations of our family spent a fun day and now we have beautiful portraits for future generations to cherish.

Thank you for the kind words and your hospitality! I hope to see you all very soon.

SAMANTHA, ROSS, HARLAN, JOSHUA, + KENDALL

There is no doubt that photographing this family was one of the best workouts I’ve had in a long time. But it was also the most fun I've had working out in just as long! If Kendall's temperament is anything like that of her older brothers Harlan and Josh, she’ll sprint past the whole walking bit and go straight to… uhm… sprinting :) 

Between ninja duels, Hulk vs. Ironman competitions, frog leaping contests, and many subplots in between, our choose-your-own-adventure day never saw a dull moment. Samantha — the mother/executive producer of this acting troupe — touched on the daily adventures of her family after our session came to a close:

"As far as our family dynamic, we feel we are unique because Ross is our stay at home parent, and we spend a lot of time in our house.  Because we spend so much time there, the toy situation has become the focus of our home decor, but the kids use their imaginations so well when they are making a mess that we try not to interfere.  Life is different than I ever expected being a working mom, so every second I am at home counts toward making a happy family."

Handling three active kiddos who sometimes pull in three different paths isn’t easy, but Samantha and Ross were a great team, keeping the whole gang together AND happy.  They’ve recently taken their traveling band of improv artists to Atlanta, and I wish them the very best as they open their new act! 

KELLY, BRENDAN, LYDIA +ASHER

Kelly and Brendan have called Austin home for many years. This is the place where they embarked on new career adventures, vowed to spend the rest of their lives together, and started their beautiful family.  Soon, they will be beginning a new journey in Colorado. It was really important for me to make photographs that would help the family remember the place where they began their story.

When I knocked on the door early that Sunday morning, I was greeted by a curious Asher and a really excited Lydia.  Lydia had on an oversized T-shirt that read I'M SO TIRED, but immediately exclaimed, "I'm so happy that you're spending the morning with us!!" I didn't stop smiling the rest of the morning. I hope that these photos and those Texas waffles always remind you of the wonderful moments in your Austin home, and of all of the people here that miss you. Ya'll come back now, ya hear?