It’s been a fun Fall so far. I wanted to share some photos from nearby adventures we’ve taken. First is from a play day at the Mueller Park. Another weekend we drove to San Antonio to visit family and check out the DoSeum. We’ve also made multiple trips to check out Fortlandia at the Wildflower Center in South Austin. And finally, last weekend, we visited the pumpkin patch at Barton Hills Farm in Bastrop, TX. I highly recommend ALL of these spots.
Day out at the Mueller Development
DoSeum, Spy Room, San Antonio, TX
DoSeum outdoor playground, San Antonio, TX
DoSeum, Sliding Through the Fruit Field, San Antonio, TX
DoSeum outdoor playing area. San Antonio, TX
Fortlandia, Wildflower Center
Swinging in the trees at Fortlandia, Wildflower Center
This talented high school Junior sings, dances and acts. For her portrait session (with all of South Congress as her stage), we made sure to get a wide variety of headshots and poses she can use for her auditions. And since her name is Lucy, one of my favorite moments was her dancing backwards in front of Lucy in Disguise. She was a pure delight the whole time we photographed (and being an excellent older sister, double checked to make sure she could make it to her brother’s band concert by the time we were done – which she did.)
1. How do you know Stephanie Friedman Photography?
I know Stephanie Friedman Photography because we live in the same neighborhood
2. What was your favorite part of your photo session?
I honestly don’t think i can choose a favorite part of the photo session. It was incredibly fun and I felt at ease the whole time, there was never a moment where I felt uncomfortable. As we went along, being shown the pictures was amazing, I’ve never been able to really like myself in a photograph until I saw these pictures.
3. What advice would you give to other High School students planning a photo session?
I think the most important thing for High School students to remember is that they should be themselves and just have fun with the session. Don’t stress about whether or not they will look perfect, because if you relax and just have fun with it, the photos will undoubtedly turn out stunning
Please enjoy this sneak peek of her Portrait session. To see all the photos and purchase prints from the gallery click HERE.
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Part of the Class of 2020 and thinking about Senior Portraits?
If yes, I offer a Senior Portrait Package (price list) with open dates starting January 2019. Just contact me for availability.
It’s Halloween season. Your daughter is dressing as the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland. You are brainstorming where her Halloween photo session should be… How about a Rose Garden? Yes! After a third reschedule due to weather, we gratefully headed to the Zilker Botanical Gardens with lots of fun props.
If you would like advice on how to channel your own Red Queen, please do the following:
Practice saying: “Off with her head!”
Don’t forget your flamingo and hedgehog croquet.
Brush up on your reading to really get into character.
Practice your royal expression.
Remember that you hold all the cards.
Then you’ll be ready to be a Red Queen as well.
So for the last few years, I’ve had a lot of fun working with this mom to design a custom session to showcase her daughter’s costumes. Last year’s downtown Wonder Woman was pretty hard to beat. But I think we captured the Red Queen’s Halloween spirt. I just love getting to brainstorm on props, locations and poses.
1. How did you choose Stephanie Friedman Photography?
Stephanie has been taking photos of my daughter and me for 6 years now. I initially chose Stephanie Friedman Photography because of the passion she puts in to ensuring your photo shoot is as easy and smooth as possible, with resulting photos that are simply breathtaking. For example, I came to Stephanie with my daughters Halloween costume idea and within a week she had scouted multiple locations that would provide the perfect backdrop for the costume theme. She also helped me choose props to accentuate the impact. As a repeat client, some of the things I value most out of our professional photography sessions are Stephanie’s interaction with my 6-year old daughter, goofing when necessary, being kind and warm with instructions, her creativity and dedication to quickly setting up the shot, and having the magical ability to capture the perfect instant on camera.
2. What was your favorite part of the session?
I appreciated that Stephanie had already scouted the location so when we showed up she had multiple specific ideas and placements for our photos. That being said, when my spunky kid had new ideas, Stephanie graciously accepted each request.
3. What advice do you have for other families looking to book?
Share your ideas for themes or props before your shoot and let Stephanie collaborate with you on a location and how to accentuate your original thought. And always discuss your outfits prior to the shoot, particularly if you have multiple people in the photos.
===== stephanie friedman. austin family photography. your life. close-up =====
So one of my goals for next year is to attend another photo workshop. In the past, I’ve gone to the Maine Photographic Workshops (where I shot film, ate a LOT of lobster and focused on fine art photography), the Santa Fe workshops (shot film, ate a lot of green chili and focused on landscape photography), Click Away (shot digital, ate a lot of Tex-Mex and focused on family photography) and some smaller ones locally with Color, Inc. (shot digital, ate a lot of cookies and focused on family photography).
For next year, I’d like to try someplace new. Since I was doing the research for myself, I thought I would share what’s on my list of possibilities.
Bat watching boat cruise on Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas.
Looking for things to do in Austin with kids? I’ve lived here since 1994, and while I’ve seen it change a bunch, I wanted to share some of my current favorite things to do with kids throughout the year. Whether you’re an Austin native or visiting from out of town, I recommend the following places to visit. So grab your camera & your kids to explore all year long…
Johnson City Science Mill
JANUARY – Visit Museums!
In January, the weather may be iffy, so it’s a good time to explore some indoor options. Some of our favorite museums in Austin (and nearby) to visit with kids include:
Hill Country Science Mill– located in Johnson City, TX. Great hands-on science experience (and their cafe has A+ mac and cheese)
DoSeum – located in San Antonio, TX. We spent over four hours there recently.
St. Edwards Park
FEBRUARY – Go on a Hike!
In February it’s not too hot to be outside (like over half the year in Austin). So take this opportunity to go on some hikes with your family. Kid friendly hikes can be found at each of the following:
St. Edwards Trails – also fun to visit in the summer to splash in the water, but lovely throughout the year.
Balcones Park – also good later in Spring for wildflowers
Emma Long Park – multiple trails, small stretch of beach on the shores of Lake Austin
Common Ford Park – nice dock for fishing, scenic old barn good for photo backdrops
Sweet Berry Farm strawberry, Marble Falls, Texas
MARCH – Pick Strawberries!
Spring is a great time to go pick your own fruit. Some farms we really like include:
Sweet Eats Farm – in Georgetown. Also fun to visit in the summer to pick peaches, wade in the river and ride the ziplines or to visit in the Fall for Pumpkins.
Sweet Berry Farm – in Marble Falls. Also fun to visit in the Fall for Pumpkins, pick your own flowers and Corn Mazes.
There are also loads of kid-friendly events during SXSW over Spring Break.
Mix of different colored bluebonnets
APRIL – Bluebonnets!
The wildflowers are out – go visit the Wildflower Center and admire all the bluebonnets, indian paintbrush, primrose, poppies and all the other Texas natives in bloom. And it’s tradition to get your photos taken in the flowers.
It’s still hot but being on the water is always nice. Try a Bat-watching boat tour on Lady Bird Lake. We got tickets to the Lone Star Cruises – and it was a hit with all ages. Cost is $12/adult; $7/kid; $10/seniors. The tour lasts about an hour, runs from March – October, but if you go in August, the bat colony is a real sight to see. You can also rent a kayak or canoe and hang out under the bridges at sunset.
In celebration of Back to School – Visit the Downtown Central Library. The kid’s area is amazing. Board games to play, books to read, toys to play with and lots of computers. I also want to try theirCookbook Cafe with rotating cookbook menus.
Pumpkin Patch at Barton Hills Farm
OCTOBER – Pick Pumpkins!
Sure you could go to the grocery store and spend under $20 on a fresh pumpkin – but what’s the fun in that? Get dressed up in your costume, drive a bit out of town and explore nearby farms – and then buy your pumpkin.
