Golden Lass at Golden Hour

When Kerianne inquired about a Creative Portrait session, I was joyfully surprised! And I didn’t hesitate to respond, “YES, let’s do it!!”

I then asked her a question that I ask all of my clients, “What are you hoping to gain out of this session? How do you want to feel when looking back at these photos 20 years from now?”

She said, “I want to feel beautiful as I am right now, at this moment. I want to capture myself today in the midst of a pandemic school year, juggling my career and raising my children, getting back to my post-baby lifestyle, and managing my health… This is me — the good and the not-so-great. And I want to remember that despite the obstacles and wavering self-esteem, I am beautiful, I am strong, I am blessed.”

Despite knowing this beautiful woman for almost 15 years, the entire session I was in awe of this empowered goddess.

We went to a lovely park in Katy during golden hour - the time and light befitting this Queen. And believe we achieved the results she was looking for.

I mean just look at her!

You don't need a holiday or a special occasion to have your picture taken. If you are looking to feel empowered and beautiful, let’s plan a Creative Portrait session.

Kwinton on the Town

This might be my favorite shoot so far! I was super excited for 2 reasons:

1. I rented a lens to test out for this session - the Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens.

2. My friend Kwinton brought 👏 it👏!

First off, I really enjoyed this lens. It was my first time using a 50mm prime lens and my first time renting. It was sharp, let in beautiful light on a gloomy day, and paired with my crop-framed camera, it provided portraits with a creamy, out-of-focus background and plenty of bokeh. I may do a proper review of it on another post.

Back to my awesome model: Kwinton kept his wardrobe a secret, so I was pleasantly surprised when he arrived in this killer blue suit with a pop of red. I was worried about the dreary weather we were facing, but this suit was a beautiful contrast to the dull, gloomy day.

We hit several locations this afternoon, starting at Jones Hall, then walking around the downtown, stopping wherever we felt inspired. It was a fun, easy-going session and I am thrilled with the results!

Whether you want photos for graduation, maternity, model portfolio or “just because”, treat yourself to a creative portrait session with me.

Leah Arceneaux | LA Spiritual

I recently had the opportunity to style and shoot a Branding session for my dear friend’s business. We returned to Brazos Bend State Park and spent afternoon getting in touch with our inner goddess. As you can see from our session, Leah is quite the goddess!

Leah Arceneaux is a Psychic, Spiritual Guide, and Transformational Coach, here to mentor anyone who has had a spark of spiritual interest and wants to deepen their spiritual practice and create an unbreakable connection to source and self. She helps you reconnect with your intuition and gifts while also giving you the tangible steps to create a practice of spiritual wellness.

Her company, LA Spiritual, is about creating an intuitive foundation for you to get back into your own energy so that you can have self-trust, connection to YOUR truth, and to finally hear your inner voice loud and clear.  

Whether it be in a group program or working with Leah 1:1, LA Spiritual is for the person who has a willingness to be expansive, and to be open shifting and changing their perspective based on what they discover internally. This is for the person who is devoted to showing up for themselves, and ready to change the narrative when it comes to being psychic and intuitive.

By guiding her clients to become an embodied version of their highest self, they are reconnecting to the version of themselves they always dreamed was possible. They are loving deeply and receiving that love abundantly from partners and clients; they are aligning with the purpose in career and business, crafting the professional life that lifts up their soul; and most of all they are opening up the gifts that have laid dormant their whole life!

Finding the joy, finding yourself, and using your intuition as a jumping-off point is what LA Spiritual is all about.

You can check out her website www.laspiritual.com for more information about her signature course, Clair Camp: An 8 week course to reconnect with your intuition.

If you are interested in a portrait session or you need photos for your business, contact me today.

All photos were taken on Nikon D3500 camera body with the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8g lens.

Ashley in the Forest

Just in time for Halloween, Ashley is delivering major witchy vibes. This was shoot was intense because there was rain quickly approaching. I was hoping the sun would break through beneath the clouds during golden hour, but no luck. We lost the light very quickly.

Also, as a new photographer, I learned an important lesson about watching where you step while looking through the lens. Thankfully, I think all the ant bites have finally healed.

Enjoy this witchy photoshoot and Happy Halloween!

All photos were taken on the Nikon D3500 with the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G.

Cowboy Baby • At home with Kiersten

My current camera was a Christmas gift from my family last year. I was pregnant with my little boy and had been wanting a new camera for some time.

With out little man on the way, I figured I was would be take tons of pictures of all the cuteness. And I was correct.

They say when you’re a photographer, there’s always an opportunity to practice taking pictures. Lucky for me, I have the cutest in-house model!

He’s a little distracted, sometimes whiny and sleepy. He eats, farts and poops on the job. And he often tries to take my own camera away from me! Honestly, if he wasn’t so dang cute, I’d probably fire him.

But he’s my son and I absolutely adore him. Enjoy our latest photos from his 9 month photo shoot.

All photos were taken on the Nikon D3500 with the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G.

Hannah in The Woodlands | Headshots + Portrait Photoshoot

Hannah and I have been best friends for almost 15 years. So you can imagine this session was a ton of fun. My goal was to make her feel beautiful and confident, teaching her some poses that would be flattering but also just fun to try!

Hannah and I decided to use this session as an opportunity to accomplish 2 tasks: headshots for her LinkedIn profile and a fun, dreamy portrait session. Turns out the Woodlands Waterway was perfect for both!

The headshots were taken just down the ramp of an office building off of Waterway Avenue. Then we ventured to the Waterway and The Koi Garden for the rest and finally finished at the gorgeous Waterway Court Town Center.

Headshots

Portraits

If you enjoyed these photos, please feel free to like and comment below. If you are interested in more information about working with me, please email hello@kierstenortiz.com or complete the Contact Form. Thank you so much!

All photos were taken on the Nikon D3500 with the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G.

Date Day at the Museum • At home with Kiersten

As new parents, we quickly learned the importance of taking opportunities to spend quality time together, sans baby. In the time of COVID-19, that has been quite the challenge.

Luckily, we found a moment. We recently took a vacation day to go on a day date to the Houston Museum of Natural Science (that’s right - we actually had to take PTO just to go on a date). Since we’re members of the museum, we try to make it there at least a couple of times a year. (And we cannot wait until we can take Liam to the Butterfly Exhibit!)

This day, we explored Death by Natural Causes which was equally terrifying and fascinating. Additionally, we took a trip to Mars, visited the vast array of Texas Wildlife, and admired the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 55 exhibition.

We ended our date with a fun photography session. Exploring Herman Park and HMNS’s architecture, I gave my husband a brief tutorial about lighting, composition, and how to use my camera. The photos you see of me here and on my About Me page, were taken by my wonderful husband. Not too shabby!

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Robyn in Spring | Portrait Session

Robyn and I work up early on a Sunday morning to meet in Spring, TX. While these photos were captured in the heat of Texas summer, the end results feel a lot more like a songbird in Spring.

Robyn was a such a joy to shoot. She kindly volunteered to assist me in building my portfolio. Little did I know her poses were fire! Pulling knowledge from her model brother’s experience, Robyn needed very little direction.

We were like kids in a candy store at Mercer Botanic Gardens. Everywhere we turned this Sunday morning, was another beautiful photo opportunity with gorgeous lighting.

These were random pencils sticking up from the ground in a children’s garden area. Look at that bokeh with light coming through the trees. I was in heaven!

When we entered this fern garden, I swear it was major Jurassic Park vibes. The theme song was definitely playing in my head the entire time.

If you enjoyed these photos, please feel free to like and comment below. If you are interested in more information about working with me, please email hello@kierstenortiz.com or complete the Contact Form. Thank you so much!

All photos were taken on the Nikon D3500 with the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G.

Kwinton on the Roof | Portrait Photoshoot

I don’t what compelled us to take photos on the rooftop of a parking garage during a heat advisory in Houston. Regardless, Kwinton and I had so much fun with this urban vibes, tackling harsh lighting and intense heat. The orange attire coupled with the brilliant blue backdrop gave us major college flashbacks. Go Bearkats!

If you enjoyed these photos, please feel free to like and comment below. If you are interested in more information about working with me, please email hello@kierstenortiz.com or complete the Contact Form. Thank you so much!