The Excavation of a 12-year-old Girl's Room {New Braunfels photography}

My oldest daughter went away to camp this week. Having her out of the house has brought sunshine and lollipops to the household. Actually, I exaggerate, it just brought a little less squabbling among siblings and more food for the rest of us. While the child is out of the house I decided to descend into the forest of crap that is her room and try to bring some order to the hovel.

I was so overwhelmed with the disaster that I decided to make a little list of some of the more bizarre items I came across while cleaning The Room.

-- Crab claws under the bed. Yes, you read that right. Crab claws. Some even had a twine tied to them. Okay?

-- Half eaten Girl Scout cookies under the bed. I guess I should count myself lucky that they weren't gnawed on by rats. They were a little stale and dusty, but otherwise in okay condition. I didn't sample them, by the way, I'm only assuming they were stale.

-- The long lost Toy Story DVD that my boy really wanted to watch about 6 months ago but nobody could find. I returned the DVD to its case after wiping something sticky and booger-like off the back of it. The Boy was no longer interested in watching it and suggested I put in Snoopy Come Home instead.

-- Partially digested cat food. I'm not even gonna go there.

-- Several stacks of kindergarten worksheets, unworked, rescued from the trash on the last day of kindergarten in 2005. I can only assume she had hoped to practice over the summer break and decided otherwise.

-- Hard boiled Easter eggs. Eww.

-- Socks. Millions and millions of socks. She comes to me every couple of months begging me to buy her new socks because she has none to wear. I wonder why.

-- A pair of underwear brand new in the package that Santa left in her stocking in 2006. Alas, she no longer wears toddler sizes.

-- Rocks. In every nook and cranny. She went through a phase where she liked to pick up every pretty rock she found. She stashed them in every little space she could find.

-- Empty soda cans.

-- Half empty soda cans.

-- Cheese. I think.

-- Bedazzlers that never made it to the bedazzler. Did you know they're quite painful when pressed against a knee?

Altogether, I filled our garbage dumpster with trash and the back of my mini van with donations to the thrift store. I'm still puzzled about a few things I found that I can't quite classify and I hope to present to her when she returns home. I'm satisfied with the results. I can actually see the floor and the bottom bunk is now sleep-over ready, for the first time in 8 years.

Next on the agenda is The Boy's room. Wish me luck!
Lisa On Location Photography

A love letter to brides everywhere {New Braunfels wedding photography}

I have decided that I love weddings most of all. I get excited when I have a wedding weekend ahead of me and I start planning all the fun shots I'm going to try. What a fabulous job I have that I get invited to some of the biggest parties of the year and everyone actually wants their photograph taken!

One of the most interesting things about most weddings is that -- most of the time -- the bride and/or the groom have never been married before. They've never been in the position of bride or groom before so when it comes down to it, they don't know a lot of the little details. Almost every wedding I shoot, the bride turns to me to ask "which leg does the garter go on?" or at cake cutting time, "how are we supposed to do this?" Thankfully, I've photographed enough weddings to know some of these little details and if I don't, I tell them "make up your own rules, start a new tradition."

The days of Emily Post's wedding etiquette are fading fast and more and more brides are using common sense as opposed to written Victorian norms to establish their own methods and traditions. The modern bride is more concerned with having a memorable day that's special to her and her new husband. Wedding photography has changed a lot since my own wedding 15 years ago. And I'm thrilled to be in the business during such a romantic and fun-loving era in weddings. Today, wedding photography is about story telling and romance. Bridal images are softer and more artistic, and it's all about capturing the emotion of the day.

There are some things the bride can keep in mind before and during the big day that will make her wedding images come out amazing.

-- Hire a professional. I've heard the story repeated time and time again. "My friend had a really nice camera so I let her take the photos at our wedding." This line is often followed by tears as I hear all about the lack of nice photographs they have from their wedding. I've had tearful brides call me to ask me to "fix" the wedding photos they have because their "Uncle Bob" really didn't know what he was doing after all. I've had brides schedule after-the-wedding sessions with me so they can get some decent images because their friend the photographer fell short.

-- Stay out of the sun for at least a week before the wedding. This means grooms too! Sunburns don't photograph well and they really show up against that white dress. It also adds a lot of time to my post processing trying to zap that red from your face.

-- Don't spray tan for at least a week before. I know that sounds harsh. I'm telling you to stay out of the sun and I'm also telling you not to spray a tan on. What's a pale bride to do if she wants a sun tan for her wedding? Plan ahead. Get that suntan going with plenty of time to spare. Or better yet, don't. Your skin will be lovely whether it's ivory white or dark as it gets. Spray tans show up in the camera as orange and once again, it's more time I have to spend in post processing to try to get rid of that orange.

-- Please please please plan to spend at least 15-30 minutes alone with me after the formals to shoot just the bride and groom. These are when the absolute best images of the whole day will happen. There's nothing more romantic than a man and woman who have just been married cuddling together and getting used to the idea that they're hitched now -- without the chaos of family and friends around them.

-- Let me get creative with the bridal and the groomsmen images. We don't have to stand assembly line style anymore. We can be silly, sexy, strange and outrageous. It's all in fun and those images show your personality more than any stale posed shot ever could.

-- Choose a nice location for the formal family images. Gone are the days when we have to stand at the front of the church after the wedding. The world's your oyster. Do you know a really cool park a few blocks from the church? Is there a lovely view at the reception hall? Who says they have to be taken at the altar? And make sure Grandma Bertha knows you want her to stick around for photos. She may be heading out the door and hitting the margarita machine at the hall as soon as the man says "kiss the bride."

-- Last but not least. Have a good time. Let the events unfold as they happen. Don't stress if the church is locked when you get there (I've seen it), the maid of honor rips her dress in the bathroom (I've seen it), the ring bearer is throwing a temper tantrum (been there), the make-up artist is an hour late (been there too). The wedding will happen and the evening will end with laughter and happy memories. Relax and don't worry about the photography, I'll be there to capture it.


Lisa On Location Photography

If not for you, do it for those who love you {New Braunfels Photography}

Today I read something in Dear Abby that touched me. It's a short one so I'll just copy it here with a link to the posting:

"DEAR ABBY: A dear friend, "Harold," passed away suddenly from a heart attack. Since we knew his wishes, he was cremated. Harold always hated having his picture taken, so the only photo available for display at his memorial was his driver's license photo, and he looked like a deer in the headlights.

I wish we'd had a few candid shots of Harold to remember him by. I would have loved to have kept one for myself. Please urge your camera-phobic readers to permit family and friends to snap a shot or two of them every once in a while, before it's too late. Thanks. -- MISSING HIM IN ILLINOIS"

I'm reminded of certain people in my life -- and you probably know a few as well -- who see me with my camera and run the other way. When I aim the lens in their direction, their hand goes up to block their face. They claim they are "not photogenic" or "hate photos of themselves" or are "having a bad hair day." But whatever the excuse, these people have no idea how selfish they are being to those who love them. My mother-in-law is one of these people -- yes I am naming names and pointing fingers. I can't count the number of photographs I've taken of that woman's hand.

At the last photography conference I attended I sat in on a presentation by the amazing Master Photographer David A. Williams and was brought to tears by his stories of life and love and loss. One thing he said that I often repeat to others is that photos exist of people because they are loved. Throughout time from the very earliest sketches on cave walls, or crude canvas to the finest modern portrait masterpieces, pictures are made of individuals because somebody loves them. So to deny others a photo of you is to deny them that little piece of you that they may cherish someday when you are gone.

The photo I'm sharing with you above is a photo of my daddy. It was taken with a cheap little point and shoot camera by my mother when they were enjoying a lazy afternoon at home and my father reached down to pet his cranky Siamese, Skuzzy (yes, that's really her name). It was one of the last photos taken of him before the cancer overtook him and prohibited him from enjoying the last few months of his life. This photograph, where he appears healthy and strong and happy is one of my most treasured photographs. It ranks right up there with the images of my children when they were born, the 1973 photo of my mother and her beehive hairdo cuddling me close, the photo of me and my sister in 1977 smiling and hugging each other because my mom threatened us if we didn't. The photo of my daughters holding their newborn baby brother -- all smiles -- before they decided he was yucky and needed to be forbidden from their rooms. The photos of me and Jayme on our honeymoon, stopping at every "Welcome to *insert random state here*" sign we passed.

I remember a conversation I had with a friend a few years ago. We were discussing the items that we would grab if we had 5 minutes to evacuate (after, of course our loved ones and pets). The first thing that popped into my mind was the big tub of negatives and discs full of photographs that I keep under my bed. My friend said the first thing that popped into her mind was insurance paperwork -- oops, that didn't even occur to me.

Keep those cameras up and point them at those you love!

Lisa On Location Photography

The Gruene Grapevine in a whole new light {New Braunfels Photographer}

So I found myself in Gruene the other evening, just a little bit before sunset with nothing better to do than take a few pictures. With my trusty infrared camera and no great urgency, I wandered around a bit, enjoying myself as the oppressive heat of the day drained away. The Grapevine in Gruene has always been a favorite of ours--it's the only place around here that we can reliably find muscadine and fruit "country" wines in addition to the great vintages from Texas vineyards--so it seemed a fitting subject. There's no deep reason or story behind these photos. I feel they turned out nicely and want to share them with you good folks: A New Braunfels landmark presented in a way rarely seen. Enjoy!

Lisa On Location Photography

Boulder Springs Special Events Center {New Braunfels Wedding Photographer}

Boulder Springs Special Events Center opened in June of 2010 just outside of New Braunfels in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Already it has become a favorite of area brides, with the venue booked solid for the upcoming Texas wedding season this fall. And that's without a major marketing push by the Boulder Springs management. If the rustic limestone hall looks a little familiar, it should--it shares the same floor plan as Sage Hall at Texas Old Town in Kyle, a sister site to Boulder Springs.

Like Texas Old Town, Boulder Springs features meticulous landscaping, with beautiful green lawns, large oak trees and a man-made stream complete with lily ponds. Foot bridges cross over the water, leading visitors to the outdoor wedding gazebo. The grounds are picturesque and tranquil, the perfect setting for a wedding. The interior of the hall is what caught my attention, though: Boulder Springs has the single nicest dedicated Groom's Room I have ever seen in all my years of assisting Lisa with wedding shoots. That's it, below, with a framed Texas flag above the sofa just out of view. Normally, the groom and groom's men have to get dressed in the equivalent of a broom closet at most churches, or even a hotel room if the church has no space for them (this happens far more often than you would think). Boulder Springs, on the other hand, has this spacious area reserved for the second-most-important member of the bridal party, with a private rest room, wall hangars, mirrors and pretty much everything else a nervous groom would need. The bridal room is even larger, with more mirrors, a dedicated vanity area for applying makeup and plenty of tables and chairs for the bride's maids to spread out. I have to say, the folks behind Boulder Springs knew what they were doing when they designed this place!

The hall itself is based on the blueprint of Old Town's Sage Hall. The dance floor is open and spacious with a stage perfectly suited for a band or D.J. at the far end. At the opposite end are two long, built-in serving tables and the grand staircase which allows the newly-married couple to make quite an entrance! The hardwood dance floor is American red oak, and the limestone walls are lines with windows to let in lots of natural sunlight for fantastic photos! One of the best features of the hall (other than the great lighting conditions) is that it can be configured quickly for an indoor ceremony in case of bad weather, which is very important if you know how quickly Texas thunderstorms can pop up.

Boulder Springs has proven such a popular wedding venue in so short a time that expansion plans are already under way. Construction will begin on a second hall in a month or so, with completion expected by March 1, 2012. They're already booking dates! The new hall will follow the same floor plan as the first, with the exception of the walls which will feature a rustic wood style rather than limestone. Future expansion plans call for two more additional event halls for a grand total of four: Two limestone and two wood.

No tour of a Central Texas wedding venue would be complete without a few infrared shots. I can't help myself--the landscaping around the hall (above, top) and the wedding gazebo (above, bottom) cries out for the ethereal white, fairy-land effect of infrared photography. I haven't had the chance to shoot a wedding since I had my camera converted, so I cannot wait to photograph a lovely bride in a glowing white gown amongst that amazing background. If you want that bride to be you, give Boulder Springs Manager Anita a call at (512) 585-5899 or drop her an email. While you're at it, make sure you get your wedding booked with Lisa as well, to ensure exceptional photography from the most romantic day of your life!

Lisa On Location Photography

The adventures of the most boringest summer ever {New Braunfels photography}.

"This summer is so boring," my 12-year-old daughter/assistant confessed to me while on the way to our most recent photo session. She squeezed the rubber chicken prop she held making that sickly squawking sound the children in my sessions love and that drives the adults crazy.

"Excuse me?" I asked. Surely she was joking. Surely she couldn't be serious. Forgive me for my ignorance. I was under the assumption that "boring" meant absolutely nothing to do. My summers were often spent at home locked out in the backyard with a water hose and a barbie doll because my dear Daddy didn't want us watching endless hours of Alice and The Jeffersons in reruns. Don't get me wrong, Barbie did plenty of swimming and waterparking those summers in my back yard. We turned sprinkler games into an art form and found 101 places to tinkle in the woods behind our house without having to beg to go inside. But after endless day after endless day, that my friend, got boring.

This summer we started out fresh from our Spring Break cruise to Jamaica. Boring, my daughter tells me, except for the times she was with the teen club on the ship. Then we whisked away across the country to visit the Grand Canyon ("boring"), Las Vegas ("yawn"), Route 66 ("please"), Meteor Crater ("it's just a big hole"), the Petrified National Forest ("when will be actually see the forest?") and Roswell ("okay that was cool").

We then whisked her away to a week of Hermann Sons Camp after which she cried all the way home because she didn't want to come back to us. She has had sleepovers, movie dates with friends, swim team, pizza parties, went to the midnight opening of Harry Potter and has season passes to Fiesta Texas, which we use quite frequently. Up next on the agenda is a week of Girl Scout archery camp and more sleepovers.

I'm baffled at what it takes to entertain an adolescent child if my feeble attempts at summer fun are falling short. On the plus side, she said she's ready for school to start. She prefers the drudgery of math class to the water slide I suppose. I know some day she'll appreciate the fun she had this summer. I took plenty of photos to remind her of all the stuff she didn't do these past couple of months.

Me, I'm exhausted. It's a lot of work keeping three children busy for three months, and we're only halfway through. I don't know how their teachers can stand it. How many days until August 22?

Lisa On Location Photography

Wedding photojournalism: It's what we do {New Braunfels wedding photographer}

Lisa On Location specializes in photojournalistic-style wedding photography for New Braunfels, San Antonio, Austin and the surrounding area.

That's all fine and dandy, but what's it actually mean? "Photojournalism" is a term tossed around quite a lot these days, but from comments I've seen online and elsewhere, it's clear that many people don't understand the term. It might be best to backtrack a little and start over with a phrase that more accurately reflects what Lisa does (and I do, too, on those occasions when I assist her). "Photojournalistic-style wedding photography" is an approach to photographing a wedding and related events with minimal reliance on formal posing and instead captures events and emotions as they happen, so as to tell a story of the entire day. Simply put, instead of the photographer directing the action and arranging and posing people throughout the day, the photographer strives to be unobtrusive, documenting scenes as they unfold with little direct influence.

Unfortunately, photojournalistic-style wedding photography doesn't have a very good reputation in some circles. The late, legendary wedding photographer Monty Zucker once famously dismissed a bride's request for photojournalism by abruptly snapping her picture with a Polaroid. He handed her the unflattering shot with the explanation (and I'm paraphrasing here), "That's what you get with photojournalism." With all due respect to the late Mr. Zucker, horsefeathers. Zucker was of the school of formal photography, in which he'd spend 10 minutes setting up the perfect lighting and getting the pose just so before shooting a single frame. That one image would be perfect for what it was, but it certainly lacked any spontaneity. Zucker created many thousands of gorgeously posed images in his lifetime, but he missed far more beautiful moments as they happened, because he did not understand, nor was he capable of photojournalistic-style wedding photography.

Wedding photojournalism is not simply taking a bunch of candid snapshots. A photojournalist has to anticipate the action, because if you wait to see something interesting before you trigger the shutter, the moment's already gone. A photojournalist has to understand light--both natural, artificial and supplemental--in order to capture accurate, flattering images. A photojournalist has to know his or her equipment and understand its limitations to ensure the bride and groom are presented with the best possible photographs from their wedding day.

Weddings are unique. Family and friends who haven't seen each other in years--if not decades--gather for a joyous celebration, and afterward may never see each other again. Yes, the "big moments" such as cutting the cake and the proud father walking his daughter down the aisle are important. No wedding album is complete without them, for obvious reasons. But for us, the "little moments" are important as well, those fleeting scenes and chance encounters between young cousins and great grandparents, the best man calming the groom's jittery nerves, the bridesmaids laughing as the bride touches up her mascara. These are the memories that fly past the bride and groom in a whirlwind of excitement, that they may never notice, may never recall unless we preserve snatches of scenes for them to enjoy afterward. Weddings are a celebration of two people joined in love, but that joy and wonder affect so many more!

Ignorance in one subject does not automatically make a photographer an expert in another. A would-be wedding photographer isn't a "photojournalist" because they don't understand how to pose people. Declaring themselves a "natural light" photographer doesn't absolve them of not knowing how to use supplemental strobe lighting. Saying "It's the photographer, not the gear" that is responsible for quality photos does not change the fact that using a f/5.6 kit lens in a dimly-lit church will result in dark, blurry photos.

True photojournalism is not easy, despite popular misconceptions. It is actually one of the most difficult photography disciplines, because the shots are taken in uncontrolled circumstances in conditions that are far from ideal. Yet they still have to get the shot--a good shot--and have it in before deadline. Remember, Lisa and I both have backgrounds in print journalism, and have spent long hours developing film in the darkroom. Photographing a wedding isn't challenging in the same way shooting a college football game in mid-afternoon, a 5-alarm fire at midnight or a traffic accident in pouring rain are, but when things go wrong with a wedding (and trust us--something always goes wrong during a wedding) it's nice to know your photographer isn't going to grow flustered and lose perspective.

For the record, Lisa can and does shoot formal, posed wedding portraits with Rembrandt lighting just like Monty Zucker likes. But she really enjoys adventurous couples, who'll cooperate with her on outside-of-the-box poses and concepts that make for some truly striking imagery. That's why she's not a member of the Wedding Photojournalist Association, as they tend to disapprove of anything outside of a strict photojournalistic style.

Formal, photojournalistic or a combination of both, rest assured that Lisa On Location knows the difference, but more importantly, can deliver the high-quality wedding photography you deserve!

Lisa On Location Photography

Sleeping Like a Baby -- Yeah right! {New Braunfels Baby Photography}

Some of the images in my newborn gallery are a lie. There it is. I said it. I am lying to you. You think that sweet baby in the photo above is sound asleep? Think again. What about the baby below? Nope.

The thing about babies is, they do what they want to do when they want to do it. I, as a baby photographer, can predict certain things when it comes to shooting newborn session. Number one, it's going to take a long time and we're going to get very few images that are useable. Number two, you will get wet. Number three, in all possibility, baby may not want to sleep during the session. There are things we can do to encourage baby to sleep. There are times of the day that are better than others. There are conditions we can put in place to persuade baby to sleep. But in the end, it only matters what baby wants. And in a lot of sessions, he wants to stare in wonder at the shiny camera thing in front of his face.

It's easy for sleep-deprived moms to get a bit frazzled when faced with a newborn who won't sleep for a session that requires a sleeping baby. But frazzled moms make baby more awake than ever! Not to worry. Photoshop to the rescue! If baby won't close his eyes, I can close them later. If baby won't stay still, I shoot away and work my magic in post processing. I can remove mom's hands in a snap. I have had easy baby sessions. A few times. There was the time I photographed my cousin's newborn. She slept on a stack of towels and didn't budge. She wore pink fairy wings and didn't wake up. That was the exception not the rule.

Babyies are a breeze to photograph. When they turn 1, however -- well that's another blog entirely.

Lisa On Location Photography

Watch the skies {New Braunfels Photographer}

Profound isolation is the most immediate sensation you experience when visiting the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array. That's a far cry from what you might expect. The famous observatory has been featured in countless movies and documentaries for good reason--it's 27 antennas boast dishes 25 meters across, towering over the desert floor and dwarfing any human standing beneath one. Specially-designed rail cars move them along nearly 23 miles of railroad tracks laid out in a Y formation for precise observations of the heavens above. The antennas, operating in parallel, function as one enormous radio telescope. And that's the crux of it--even an 82-foot-wide dish, massive though it may be, appears tiny on the horizon when it's seven miles away. Approaching the VLA along U.S. 60, the remoteness of the site sinks in. The San Agustin Basin is flat and featureless, desert scrub as far as the eye can see, ringed by low, distant mountains. There are no people--saying the area is "sparsely populated" is being generous. The VLA is first noticed as a speck in the distance, distinct from the mountains, rising from the desert floor. As you approach, more become visible, spaced at regular intervals. Eventually, they resolve into great dish antennas, and you suck in your breath when you realize you are still miles away.

No other humans are visible when you drive up to the simple, unstaffed visitor center. Maps are available to purchase on the honor system. This is not, it becomes clear, a high traffic tourist trap. It is a working research center. The silence is almost tangible. Walking along the self-guided tour, the wind is steady. A tumbleweed rolls past, only to hang up against a fence. There are trees around the buildings, the only trees in the entire basin. Jackrabbits scamper away, startled by the sudden interruption of their privacy. They don't scamper very far, though. A lone pronghorn antelope grazes on the desert grasses that grow in clumps here and there. Suddenly--and so quietly you almost miss it--the antennas move. It's not a quick, jerky move, nor is it a ponderous, turtle-slow move. It's steady, deliberate. They rotate and lift smoothly, refocusing their collective gazes with a soft hum. For something that massive and metallic, a deep rumble, or at least a rhythmic banging would seem more appropriate. But no, the movement is accompanied by a soft hum. Wait a while, and they do it again. Finishing with one observation a hundred million light years distant, they pivot, lift, and find another piece of the sky worthy of their keen gaze.

As the sun dips below the horizon and the good light fades, you bid farewell to the array, the jackrabbits and even the pronghorn. You have not seen another person. The experience is humbling, hypnotic. This is what the world will be like long after humans are no more. Our creations will carry on our work, our studies, our explorations. They will not complain, or argue, or shirk. They will study and learn, because that is what they have been built to do. To these tools and servants of ours, at least, we have bequeathed the best parts of ourselves. And that, in itself, is satisfying.

Lisa On Location Photography

Meet Lisa on Location's 2012 Senior Rep for Canyon High School {New Braunfels senior photographer}

Taylor is one of the sweetest young ladies I've met. She's extremely bright, yet quiet and shy. She's one of those girls who is beautiful -- inside and out -- yet doesn't realize how beautiful she is. I really enjoyed photographing her the other night -- the first senior session for the class of 2012. I just shot my last senior session for the class of 2011 a couple of weeks ago.



Taylor's job as the senior rep for Canyon High is to promote Lisa on Location to her friends and classmates at school. Yes, I'm already talking about the next school year. I know you're groaning. Summer just started, you're saying. Don't worry, you're still safe! There are no back to school sales in the stores yet. Just give it another week, however and the back to school flyers will begin arriving.



There is still time to get senior portraits scheduled before school starts. Once it does start the time flies with sporting events, meetings, competitions, and homework assignments. I'm so excited to have Taylor out there representing me to her friends. Call soon Class of 2012! I'm ready!





Lisa On Location Photography