Austin Wedding Photography: Thomas & Randi

Sneak peek from Thomas & Randi's wedding on November 28, 2015. This rustic, cowboy style wedding took place at the Wildflower Barn in Driftwood, Texas. It was raining off and on and very chilly outside, but that didn't stop the party. I had so much fun, these people know how to have a great time! Thomas & Randi are down to earth, warm and welcoming--they are perfect together. I am so happy we were able to document their love and capture their special day. Thanks for letting us be a part of it!

Pedernales Falls State Park

Photos taken during sunset/dusk at Pedernales Falls State Park in Johnson City, Texas. I got to use my new Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens for these shots. It's an awesome addition to my gear!

Austin Portraits: Samantha

Sneak peek images from an individual portrait session at Mayfield Park in Austin, Texas. Samantha Kelly is an establish and talented actress from L.A. who recent relocated to Austin. She's appeared in various short films. You can learn more about her work on her IMDB link. These are my favorites from the day!

Austin Wedding Photography: Carlos & Ashley

Sneak peek from Carlos & Ashley's wedding at the Red Barn in Pflugerville, Texas. This adorable couple tied the knot with their friends and family on Oct 23, 2015. Amazingly, this DIY theme wedding was planned in only 3 months. They even had their son as the ring bearer. So sweet! I had so much fun capturing their beautiful and special day. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Austin Couples Portraits: Yutong & Andy

Sneak preview of a couples portrait session with the lovely young couple, Yutong & Andy. Photos were taken at the East Metropolitan Park in Manor, Texas. They are very sweet and down-to-earth couple. I am happy I had the opportunity to meet and document these moments with them! Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

Lunar eclipse photography

Photos taken on September 27, 2015 during a total lunar eclipse at Georgetown Lake in Georgetown, Texas. A total lunar eclipse can happen only when the sun, Earth and moon are perfectly lined up. The next lunar eclipse will not be visible until the year 2033.

Aperture: f/5.6, Shutter speed: 25 sec, ISO 100

Aperture: f/10, Shutter speed: 30 sec, ISO 200

Aperture: f/13, Shutter speed: 8 sec, ISO 100

Austin Couples Portraits: Elexis & Larry

Sneak preview from a couples portrait session with my dear friends, Elexis & Larry. These two got engaged and are planning a winter wedding. I'm so happy I was able to capture these moments between them. Congratulations you two! We are so happy for you both :) Here are my favorites from the day.

Inspirational photography quotes

For all my photography friends—here are a couple inspirational photography quotes I designed. As photographers, artists, designers, and creators it's important to draw inspiration from the world around us. ~Martina

This quote was inspired by Ansel Adams.

The art of story telling & capturing emotion.

Austin Couples Portraits: Nikki & Mark

Photos from a couples portrait session at Walnut Creek Park in Austin, Texas. I had the opportunity to get to know and photograph this adorable couple! They were fun to work with and, they are very much in love. Here are my favorites from the day!

What to wear at your next portrait session

Here is my top ten list on what to wear at your next portrait session.

1. Remember to wear simple clothes, darker colors work best.
2. Avoid wearing all white, neon colors, busy patterns, bold strips, plaids or polka dots, clothing that’s too tight or too baggy. These all bring more attention to your clothes, rather than your face.
3. Avoid clothing with pictures, writing or large logos on them (for example, graphic t-shirts).
4. For group and family photos, wear similar colors (they don’t all have to match) but be party of the same color family/theme.
5. Pick colors and clothing that’s comfortable and looks good on you.
6. Avoid wearing watches or hair ties around your wrists.
7. Wear minimal jewelry: 2-3 pieces at the most.
8. If possible, remove glasses before the session, as they catch reflections that can cover your eyes.
9. Don’t forget to wear shoes and socks ;)
10. Bring a great attitude to the portrait session. If you are relaxed, and your eyes and smile are genuinely friendly, your portrait will be too!

3 things you didn't know your camera could do

If you are like me, learning all the features of your DSLR or Mirrorless camera can seem like an impossible task. There so many options, features, and settings to pick from, especially on the newer models. It seems like there is always something new to learn as the technologies evolve. Below I will discuss three settings you probably didn't know your camera could do that can help improve exposure compensation and your photography skills. 

1. Metering - metering is used to help determine exposure. Your camera will balance the exposure based on which area is selected (spot, center, or multi-point). There are three types of modes: spot, center-weight and matrix mode. Spot metering only measures a very small area. It is very accurate and is not influenced by other areas within the frame. It can be useful when shooting very high contrast scenes. Center weight is when the meter focuses towards the central part of the viewfinder. It is less influenced by small, bright areas at the edges of the viewfinder. Matrix (multi-point) metering is the measure of light intensity in several points in the viewfinder and then combines the results to find the settings for the best exposure. This option is located under the custom menu settings.

2. Multiple exposure (bracketing) - many photographers use automatic bracketing to ensure that at least one shot gets exposed properly. This is helpful when you don't have time to adjust the exposure or review the image. It works by shoot the same subject multiple times, slightly varying the exposure settings for each image. To use this feature, you must be in one of the four letter modes (P, S, A, or M). Go to your custom menu settings and look for bracketing/flash. Then you need to select whether you want to bracket for the exposure (AE), white balance (WB), or active D-lighting (ADL). Please refer to your user manual for specific settings how to use exposure bracketing on your camera.

3. Active D-lighting - active d-lighting is used to help balance elements that are shaded in the foreground. It utilizes technology that optimizes high contrast images to restore shadow and highlight details that are often lost between bright and dark areas of the image. It can also readjust mid-tones, making the image look more natural. Using matrix metering in combination with active d-lighting can help balance photo exposures while maintaining detail. To enable the active d-lighting, go to your custom menu settings. You can active the d-lighting settings in your camera before taking the picture or after taking it, in Nikon's optional camera retouch menu.

Rain photography

Photos taken during a rain storm in Austin, Texas.

Aperture: f/1.7, Shutter speed: 1/60, ISO 1250

Aperture: f/1.7, Shutter speed: 1/60, ISO 800

Aperture: f/1.7, Shutter speed: 1/60, ISO 1600

Aperture: f1.7, Shutter speed: 1/60, ISO 100

Aperture: f/1.7, Shutter speed: 1/60, ISO 1000