Enrique & Mary Sarah: in love {dallas engagement photographer}

I think I started laughing about 5 minutes into meeting up with these two, and didn't stop until I left. The first few minutes of conversation with Enrique and Mary Sarah went something like this...

{introduction/small talk}

Me: "So I always ask my couples at the beginning of each session what they're comfortable doing in the pictures, are y'all ok with holding hands, kissing, etc.??

{Laughter/blushing/eye rolls from both of them.}

Mary Sarah: "Oh yeah, we're great with all of that."

Enrique: "What about you? Do you kiss your boyfriend??"

Me: "Uh, I don't have a boyfriend..."

Enrique: "Really? Would you like me to get you one?? I have several friends that I'm sure would be happy to date you. How do you feel about Mexican men??"

And that's when the laughter started, and I knew we were going to have a fabulous time. ;)

People watching has always been a favorite pastime of mine (or as my mom likes to put it, "Jessica, stop staring at/analyzing them...it's rude ;) and one of my favorite parts of getting to work with couples is observing how each of them interact differently. And after watching these two for the almost 2 hours I was with them, I wished I could hang out with them all night because they were just SO MUCH fun. Enrique is a total crack up, and I loved how Mary Sarah thought he was the funniest person ever...and laughed at pretty much everything he said.

And they also happen to both be raaaather good looking, making my job easy peasy ;)

These two aren't engaged yet, but I'm preeeettty sure that's coming. And since Enrique lives far away and isn't able to come into town very often, they wanted to get some pre-engagement pictures done now while the weather was nice and it worked for everyone's schedule!

This was what I got to see pretty much the whole time.

Enrique would crack a joke, and chuckle at his own witty-ness, while Mary Sarah diiiiied with laughter ;)

I love them :)

They couldn't even kiss without laughing ;)

Enrique liked Mary Sarah for a while before she actually liked him in return. Mary Sarah told me that she was with another guy when she first met Enrique and he started liking her, "but Enrique was persistent, and it didn't take me long to flip for him!"

Enrique said that while he was getting to know Mary Sarah at one point he asked her what her long term goals were and she said that what she wanted the most was to be a wife and mother. "That's when I knew, I'm gonna marry this girl! Because it's not very often that girls will say that, and I was impressed with one that was brave enough to be honest about that!"

About halfway through the shoot we walked past this cute little bakery/cafe and Enrique decided we needed to take a break so he could treat the two of us to dessert. Mary Sarah, I think you've got a winner ;) My mouth still waters every time I think about that amazing cream puff I got...

Enrique laughingly warned me near the beginning of the shoot, "I don't really have a filter on what I say, I just say whatever I'm thinking...and sometimes I guess it's not the best, but it's just the way I am." Pretty sure Mary Sarah has become his little filter, he would say something and she would playfully hit his arm or roll her eyes (and while apologizing to me) she would laughingly tell him to cut it out.

I just laughed harder...and took more pictures ;)

Mary Sarah, I love the way you light up around him, and your adorable laugh that never seems to end. You are just so stinking cute.

And then, just when I thought they were the cutest laughingest couple I've ever seen, they pull out the we're-so-cool-model looks for me, and I wonder if they can get any perfecter?!?

Are they not the cutest thiiiings?!?!

Hey you two - I think you're pretty stinkin' amaaaazing, and if all my couples were as funny as you two I would have some pretty toned abs just from laughing so hard all the time!

Can't wait to see what God has for the two of you in the year ahead, and to hang out with y'all again for my laughing fix! ;)

Much Love.

Jessica Shae

Ben & Jordan {anytime}

Since when did this little dude . . .

. . . grow up to be this big dude??

I tweeted a few weeks ago about how I was in Philly taking pictures of the cutest couple ever. And while I don't normally pick "favorites" out of my clients - I think I'm pretty justified in saying it this time. Because that dude's my brother. And that girl? Is just about the cutest sweetest darling I have ever met - and my brother's girlfriend ;)

My brother and I drove out to New Jersey a few weeks ago, I was there to shoot this wedding and my brother was there to - well, hang out with his favorite person ;) One of the days we were there we spent in Philly (side-note: the geography in all these little north-eastern states amazes me. Somehow I never realized that everything was so close together. Jordan lives in Jersey, but can be to Philly in 30 minutes, to NYC in an hour and a half, the ocean in 45 minutes, and DC in less than 3 hours. Who wouldn't want to live there?!?) . . . anyways, I decided to take the opportunity to take some pictures of cuteness things one and two while we were walking around the City of Love. (Yes, I know it's technically the "City of Brotherly Love", but I like the "City of Love" better - and it's my blog. So sue me ;)

Although they had been good friends for months they had only been "officially" girlfriend/boyfriend for all of about 2 days (He had asked her to court him 2 days before on the beach at sunset ;) when we took these pictures and it was just soooo stinking cute to watch them together. Smiling and blushing and laughing. I like these two people, alot. And I'm so glad that God decided to put them together :)

Can I just say, that while it was a little bit surreal to be taking pictures of my little brother and his girlfriend, I had more fun taking their pictures than I ever have with anyone else.

These two are my fav fav fav's. Especially the one on the right. Don't they look so happy?? Any girl that looks adoringly at my brother like that must be amazing ;)

I also got to take some pictures of just Jordan one night when the light was so yummy and warm I couldn't not take pictures of something - or someone. Doesn't she look just like a little wood fairy or something? Not that I've ever seen one before . . . but this is what I imagine one would look like ;)

I met Jordan last spring when I visited my brother at school, after he gave me the whole "I'm interested in this girl and I want to know what you think about her spiel." I told my mom after spending a few days with her "I don't care what Benjamin decides, I want to be that girls next best friend" ;)

She was just that amazing.

And I'm happy to say that she's now one of my dearest friends.

Ben and Jordan - thanks for being so cute and amazing. If I have anything to do with it, y'all are going to have the best documented relationship of anyone I know. Even if that means regular flights to New Jersey. I don't mind . . . no really I don't ;)

Much Love.Jessica Shae

Random is my life: personal

This blog post is what most people call random.

And while random is not something that you can write a cute little blog post about and tie it up neatly with a bow - random is exactly what my life is made up of these days - so that's what you're going to get ;) It's kind of like my life threw up on my blog, or something. So settle in (because I have alot of randomness - therefore the post is rather long) and try not to be to bored.

I went to New Jersey last week - another state to check off my I've-been-there-list! I actually drove up there with my brother. Alllll the way from Dallas. Yeah, it was a crazy long trip but so much fun :) What could be better than a 24 hour road trip with your best friend, fun music, almost zero sleep, stopping for food at 10 PM in a scary little town in TN, being awake for both the sunset AND the sunrise, and playing with your new iphone?!? Very few things I tell you.

One of the main reasons I went to Jersey was because I was shooting a wedding there last Saturday, with a wedding party of - 24 people. Oh yes, we definitely had fun with that! Can't wait to post about it :) You can see a few more pictures of their wedding on my facebook page.

While we were in Jersey my brother and I stayed with friends that live there and they took us to Ocean City the first night we were there - If you could package up Summer, all the sights and smells and beauty of it, I think it would turn out looking alot like this place at sunset. It was just so gorgeous.

And my favorite picture that I have taken to date with my cell phone.

Oh laaaands, I just love it so so much.

And then another day we went to Philly - a place full of amazing sights and history, and I got to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall for the first time! Admitting that that was exciting for me probably classifies me as a total nerd, I know ;)

Some of you may have read my tweet about being in the "City of Love" (and my brother corrected me later and said that it was the "City of Brotherly Love" - but I like my version better ;) photographing the cutest couple ever. Yes, they were definitely the cutest - and I'm going to be nice and let you see a little sneak peek of them.

On another completely random note: I've started trying to take more nature/detail pictures. Taking pictures of flowers and the gorgeous outdoors is what originally got me hooked on photography, but these days I feel like I don't do nearly enough of it.

This beautiful girl (yes, the same one in the picture above) let me take some portraits of her one night when all this yummy light was just kiiiilling me. . .

. . .and then in turn practiced some of her amazing photography skills on me :)

And that is just a peek into the random-ness of my life right now. I'm also playing Soccer mom to 5 little rugrats - er - darlings for a week while my parents are in Colorado celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary! Mom (I know you're reading this;) and you'll be proud to know that I've kept them all fed and clean(ish) for the past 3 days, and I forgot Emma at the store yesterday but realized within 15 minutes that she wasn't in the car so it was no biggy really.

I kid, I kid, it was more like . . . ten, at the most ;)

Much Love.

Jessica Shae

***Update: I was toootally kidding about leaving my little sister somewhere, but apparently alot of people thought I was serious. I was a joke people - it was a joke. I'm waaaay to responsible for that! ;)

Denver Portraits: Ayon Kids

I call them my Colorado family.

I've always loved the Ayons, (pronounced I-own, like "I own you" ;) Krista has been one of my best friends since I was 17, and after visiting them 5 times over the course of the last 9 months (usually for about two weeks at a time) they definitely became more than just good friends, they became family.

So getting to take individual pictures of all the kids while I was there last time to update Mrs. Ayon's wall of pictures in her living room was obviously so much fun. Who wouldn't want to take pictures of gorgeous/handsome people with great smiles?! We ended up taking the pictures over several different days because everyone's schedule was different and we couldn't get everyone together at the same time, which meant that I wasn't able to get any group shots. But that was fine because all they really wanted were individual pictures of everyone to frame.

Desiree

She laughs alot (but then again, everyone in the Ayon Family laughs alot! ;) sings beautifully, has blonde moments just like me and Krista, and can quote You've Got Mail and every other important chic flic that you should have memorized right along with the best of us. I like her alot ;) She is married to a youth pastor and lives in Oklahoma (doesn't she look like the most adorable little youth pastors wife?!) and I was so glad that it worked out for us to both be visiting Denver at the same time last month.

They can work it as good or better than any models I've seen! Look at the fierceness ;)

Stephen

Stephen and I were a part of the same graduating class in '07 (Woot Woot!) and have been good friends for years. He puts up with mine and Krista's non-stop laughter when we are together, he valiantly ate burnt pancakes back in the day when Krista and I decided to try our hand at cooking. (I can cook people . . . my defense still remains that I was working with faulty pots and pans ;) And every time you hear his laugh you want to laugh too, even if you don't know what you're laughing about. He's a pretty awesome dude.

Krista.

My dear darling best of friends, laughing buddy, chic flic quoting, gorgeous, matter of fact, hilarious friend. I have so many good memories/inside jokes/and embarrassing moments with this girl. It seems that every time I'm with her something crazy happens. She is almost 4 years younger than me but that has never hindered us being the best of friends and having the greatest times together. (In fact, I think I like it because it gives me an excuse to pretend I'm in Highschool all over again;) I can't believe that she's all grown up now and headed to college this fall...now who will I come visit in Colorado?!

Eric

So one time I visited them, and he was just a little 12 year old boy....I come back 2 months later and he's grown a foot, gotten braces, and all of a sudden doesn't look so much like a little boy anymore! How on earth did that happen? Eric is fun, because he lets me treat him like one of my little brothers. I tease him, and he teases right back. He also happens to be a pretty good lookin' dude, a heartbreaker in the making ;)

Janelle

Better know as Nellie (unless of course she's in trouble) and this little girl is just about the cutest thing you will ever see. I know I say alot of my clients are cute, and they are! But honestly....she tops them all. 3 going on 25 she has me (and everyone else pretty much!) wrapped around her finger. She knows how to get what she wants, (like the time Krista told her that if she wanted ice-cream she was going to have to give her daddy puppy dog eyes, so Nellie promptly turned to her dad and started barking and blinking her eyes. Pretty sure she got the ice-cream ;) and she alway has a very clear idea of what exactly it is she wants. Namely: "yip-gloss" (translation = lip-gloss) preferably pink, with sparkles in it. You will notice there are just a few more pictures of her than anyone else in this post . . . because I don't think anyone can argue the fact that she's the cutest ;)

Please note the shiny pink lip-gloss that had to be applied before pictures began. I'm not even kidding . . . she insisted.

I love my tiny friends . . . I think Desiree is about as short as me. And even cooler actually ;)

Everyone has different things that they notice first about people, and I'm pretty sure eyes are one of those things for me. I think it's so amazing how different everyone's can be, the different shades, and ways they can change colors etc. Well, Nellie here wins the award for the absolute coolest eyes I have ever seen, because they are completely black. Honestly there is no color difference between the middle of her eye and the ring of color around it . . . it's so amazing!

I told her to open her eyes bigger for me . . . she's so obedient ;)

This is my favorite of Stephen . . . just chillin in the front yard.

I think people are going to start getting suspicious that I make sure and pick model-ish looking best friends just so I can take gorgeous pictures of them and have an awesome portfolio. I promise that's not what's going on . . . it just happens! Lucky for me ;)

I think every boy should have a pair of converse, or "cons" as Eric calls them.

No, not praying, just . . . blissful?

That's it . . . I want to eat her up she's so stinking cute.

Aaaaand my favorite favorite favorite. :)

I had to add this picture that my friend Evy took of us when she flew out to Denver to second shoot a wedding for me. I love getting pictures with all of my friends whenever I can - because I'm usually the one behind the camera.

I Heart these people - alot.

Much Love.

Jessica Shae