Harry Potter Awaits {New Braunfels Wedding Photography}

Here we are! As promised, I am revealing to you -- my beautiful readers -- at exactly the same time as I'm revealing to my children where we are going for our vacation. It's Universal Orlando, specifically for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The kids love that series. They've read it over and over. We've been first in line at the midnight showings. We've had Harry Potter movie weekends in which we watch all the movies and must speak to each other in British accents all weekend. The kids have their own wands -- collector's editions with certificates of authenticity.

I'm writing this a week and a half before the reveal so I can't tell you for sure what their reaction was because it hasn't happened yet, but I can honestly tell you -- They. Were. Thrilled. I know I can safely say that before the moment because I know them so well.

Here's approximately how it went down. Now keep in mind I'm writing this before it happened yet you're reading it after it happened so don't get confused. I printed up authentic looking acceptance letters just like Harry got -- even going to several stupid scrapbook stores looking for just the right kind of parchment and just the right kind of envelopes. I hunted down that stupid waxy looking seal like a madman.

I kept them hidden until the moment we pulled into the place. We drove past Disney on purpose just to fool them into thinking that's where we were going. Oh you should have seen the look of confusion on their faces as that park went by -- well I haven't seen it yet as I write this, but I can picture it in my mind. Then we drove another few miles to Universal and Harry Potter. I put on Hedwig's theme on my MP3 player, pulled out the stuffed Hedwig that's been riding on the rear-view mirror of my van for the past 10 years, and had that silly stuffed owl toss each child his or her acceptance letter.

And the crowd went wild.

Or so I imagine.

So as you read this, if you read it the moment it went live, we are barreling into Universal Orlando, whipping through the superhero section and the Cat and the Hat land -- we'll return to those later -- and hitting Diagon Alley. We're exploring Ollivandar's wand shop and sipping butter beer at the Three Broomsticks. We're having a great time I'm sure. I'll be posting photos soon. Right now I'm on a roller coaster with my kids.
Lisa On Location Photography

The most beautiful thing in this museum is not the artwork {New Braunfels Wedding Photography}

I'm always thrilled by the friends I make through my wedding photography. I really get to know my brides and grooms after following their romance for months and photographing their engagements, bridals and weddings. And nothing thrills me more than when their friends and family call on me to photograph their weddings as well. That's how I came to meet Coryanne. I photographed her brother's wedding this past spring. So I was thrilled to get the chance to work with this beautiful family again.

The only drawback was the drive to Dallas, but she and her fiance were so worth it. Luckily I happened to be in Dallas in early May for the Texas School of Photography -- a week-long learning cram session that taught me so much about thinking more creatively with my lighting. While I was in the big D-town Coryanne was happy to let me play a bit with my strobes to create some unique images for her bridal session at the Museum of Biblical Art. It's a gloriously beautiful building full of amazing and priceless works of art. But Coryanne proved to be even more beautiful than the artwork.


I'm so excited to finally be able to share these images with you. I had to set this blog to go live right after the start time of the ceremony so that neither the groom nor anyone else could get a peek at Coryanne's wedding dress until she walks down the aisle.


Coryanne's session has a different feel to it than many of my previous sessions. I feel like I've matured as a photographer and I've finally broken out of my comfort zone a bit with off camera lighting. In the past I had used it sporadically and found that I'd loved what I photographed, but still didn't grasp the details. Now I can look back and say this was the first in a series of sessions at which I challenged myself to break away from the old standard and set a new standard for myself.

Thanks so much for trusting me Coryanne! I can't wait to show you what I capture from the big day itself!


Lisa On Location Photography

Lisa on Location to the Rescue {New Braunfels Emergency Wedding Photography ;-)}

It was a dark and stormy afternoon.

Sounds corny, but it's true. It really was a dark and stormy afternoon just a few weeks ago when my phone rang. Dena called with an emergency. She'd taken her daughter, a beautiful June bride, to get her hair done, her make-up done and her nails done in preparation for her bridal session only to hear from their photographer that he wouldn't be shooting her session after all because it's raining. Never mind that it had been raining for most of the evening and all of the morning. It was literally a few minutes before the session was supposed to start.

They were frantic. "What are you doing right now? We love your work, can you possibly photograph my daughter, like soon, like now?"

I was a bit taken aback at first. I was enjoying a leisurely afternoon of editing a wedding from the weekend before and sipping on some cappuccino while enjoying my Pandora channels and listening to the rain.

But something about the tone of her voice touched me. She described to me their situation. I could just picture these lovely ladies. The bride all niced up with professional hair, make-up and nails. They were sitting in their car in the rain with their wedding dress packed in a bag in the back seat. The wedding day was just three weeks away and it was now or never. They'd taken the day off work just for the session and spent a small fortune on stylists.

Of course I was going to help them. How could I not?

I made a call to the Faust Hotel -- the perfect indoor location for a rainy day - and then a call to Jayme to get the kids after school, and then I was off.

We created some lovely images staying out of the rain in the Faust and were pleasantly surprised when the sun came out and dried up the sidewalks outside. We hit the gazebo in the center of the plaza and shot some more.

It turned out to be an amazing session. Jessica, the bride, looked gorgeous. They were fun to work with, and willing to try anything I threw at them -- even getting silly on the luggage cart. Looking at the images from her session, most would never guess the stress that went on before it. They asked me if I was available to shoot the wedding as well -- they were considering replacing the photographer who stood them up. But, alas, I am booked at a wedding for another gorgeous bride on their day. I'm actually setting this blog to run at exactly the moment Jessica's wedding begins so her lucky husband to be can't see her in her gown before the wedding!

Good luck Jessica! I'm sure your day will be just lovely no matter what the weather (or anyone else for that matter) throws at you. With such an easy going personality, you'll be fine!

Lisa On Location Photography

I've Got a Secret {New Braunfels Wedding Photography}

So far this summer has been pretty cool. Business slows down a bit at the end of May. All the 2012 seniors are pretty much done and it's still a bit early for the 2013 seniors. Weddings for the summer are all booked and we're just waiting for the big days to roll around. All that's left to do is finish up a few orders, build a few albums, shoot a family session every now and then and spend the rest of the time chilling.

We have passes to Schlitterbahn, which is fun to do on a lazy mid-week afternoon. We avoid the weekends and we spend just a couple of hours, tops, on any given day.

We took a little mini vacation to Houston last weekend. The Beach Boys are having their 50-year reunion tour and we wouldn't have missed it. The Beach Boys' music is an iconic symbol of summertime so we couldn't think of a better way to kick it off with the family. We also caught a live performance of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and hung out at the Houston aquarium for a while.

But that's just the start of our summer fun. The big grand vacation to talk about will be in about a week or so. It's so amazing the kids will drop their jaws and scream in hysterics. And the reason I know they will is because they have no idea what it is yet.

I thought it would be fun this year to plan our vacation without telling them a thing about it. I've given nothing away. I'm horrible at keeping secrets. When I give presents away I usually can't stand the suspense and give it to them early. That's why I'm so proud of my resolve on this issue. They have no clue! Our conversations about it usually go something like this:

Them: "Are we flying or driving?"
Me: "Yes"
Them: "So which is it, flying or driving?"
Me: "One of those options."
Them: "Is it Disneyworld?"
Me: "Maybe"
Them: "Is it Hollywood?"
Me: "Maybe"
Them: "Is it a cruise?"
Me: "Maybe"
Them: "You're mean."
Me: "I love you too."

So that's pretty much our daily conversation on the topic. I will say that I'm impressed with their guessing ability. One of them has actually guessed it among the hundreds of guesses that have been made. But I didn't give it away.

And now you can wonder as well. "Where oh where is Lisa taking the family for their vacation this summer?" How about this: I'll write a blog and set it to post at exactly the same moment that the kids find out where we're going -- like when we actually arrive there. That way you'll find out at the exact same time as them. I'd hate to have you sit in the dark for all that time waiting for our return to find out where we went.

But until then I'll give you a hint. It's going to be So. Much. Fun!

Lisa On Location Photography

Transit of Venus {New Braunfels photographer}

Sometimes, when faced with a once-in-a-lifetime event, you don't let anything so mundane as blistering Texas heat, a cloudy sky or a tragically cracked telescope mirror get in the way. There are other, better photos of the transit of Venus across the face of the sun out there, but not so many from New Braunfels and not so many taken under circumstances as trying. Years from now when my eyesight's failing and I'm not able to look through a telescope (broken mirror or not) I'll cherish these photos all the more.

P.S. Venus is the circle in the upper right. ;-)

Lisa On Location Photography