Houston, Katy, Fulshear Texas newborn, maternity, and family portrait photographer.
Category: Portraits
Whether you’re looking for professional headshots, family portraits, or individual portraits, MJ Photography is here to capture your personality and essence. Book your portrait session today and create cherished memories that will last a lifetime.
What is the thing that helps us remember our childhood? Portraits. What is the one thing we hold on to when we lose someone? Our family portrait. It is so important to get photos as a family, but I think there is one thing that we forget. We need pictures of our children with their grandparents. Not only are our children getting older, but so are our parents. We need to make sure to take the time to get those very special portraits with them as well. We need something to pass down to our children when they are grown.
Katy family photographers
I took my own advice and dedicated a shoot for my Mother in law, Kay, and my daughter, Emma Lyn. They had a lot of fun and I am so glad they we captured these priceless moments. It is so important to get Family Portraits.
My daughter is now 7 and I adore going back to these images and seeing the bond that they have always had. Both have gotten older, but their bond has gotten stronger.
After London, we flew to the Netherlands capital, Amsterdam. There were so many beautiful things about this city. Flower shops are everywhere, its quite a site. Fresh flowers line the streets.
I was so shocked at the amount of people who bike there. They definitely rule the roads there. I will never again complain about loading my child into the carseat of my car in Killeen and going grocery shopping. These mommas head to the grocery store, kids in tow on the bike…while it’s raining!!! Then their groceries either hang on the handlebars or sit in a basket on the front. Did I mention it was like 30 degrees and raining. Wow. Hats off.
Jordan and I did a lot of walking. We walked the streets up and down. Some people live on boats in the river. House boats. I was amazed, I have never seen this. Of course I had to photograph it. Nice and neat, tucked away.
House Boats in Amsterdam-Cypress tx family photographerRiver in Amsterdam-Cypress tx family photographer
We also ventured into the Red light district…I had to see it, just for a moment. No pictures are allowed there of course. I walked the street once and was done. Prostitution is legal in Amsterdam, as well as weed. So if you didn’t know already, that is the basis of the Red light district. A whole different world that my mind cannot comprehend.
One of the most memorable sites that we saw was the Anne Frank house. The line wraps around the building, so if you decide to go, buy online. When we went inside, it’s like a time capsule. You are instantly taken back to the 1940s and you feel a lot of emotions. The house where they hid has been kept exactly like it was, unfurnished by the wishes of Otto Frank, but even the magazine clippings that Anne had hung are still there. If you ever go to Amsterdam, this site is a must. Pictures are not allowed inside, but below I will post an iPhone picture of the outside.
Anne Frank house-Cypress tx family photographer
Anne Frank house-Cypress tx family photographer
Here are some more random photos that I took. I hope you enjoy them!
To read more about Amsterstam, below is a link.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam
Amsterdam streets-Cypress tx family photographer
Want to book a session? Click the link below to see my website and message me!
Every couple of years my husband and I decide to travel. Most of the time it is throughout Europe, this time was no different, but of course we traveled to different places.
We started our trip by flying to London. We stayed 3 nights total. It was everything I imagined. Beautiful city! If you ever have the chance to go, do! Of course the first thing you notice is the cars traveling on the opposite side of the road and the vehicles have the steering wheel on the opposite side as well. Every time we crossed the street, I was so confused!
We visited some amazing sites while we were there. The Tower of London was an all day affair. It was fantastic. In the states, we don’t have things that date back that far, so it is always amazing to see them in person. It dates back to to 1078AD. Insane! It was used as a prison for a while and you could see the markings people left while being detained. Prayers, pleads, confessions of innocence, you name it.
Here is an picture I took just as the sun had set.
Tower of London-Houston Photographer
Here is one of the torture methods they used at the Tower of London. It was a stretcher…
Torture equipment at the Tower of London
Ravens are seen all throughout the Tower of London. They are not afraid and come quite close. Their presence is traditionally believed to protect the crown and the tower; a superstition holds that “if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravens_of_the_Tower_of_London (for more information)
We also walked around the city streets in London. Westminster is a popular place to go. It is known as the Parliament of the UK. Of course it also has Buckingham palace, where the royal family lives! I didn’t take any professional images, but we of course snapped some selfies 😉
MJ does Houston newborn photos. I live for the sweet baby poses. I had the honor of taking Tyler’s newborn portraits. He was 8 days old at the time of his shoot. His big sister, Emma, is two and was amazing for newborn and sibling shots.
He wasn’t having the sleeping part at the beginning, but I love awake shots just as much as those sleepy poses. If you do not know how to swaddle, learn! It is so important for those times where baby just wants to be awake. Embrace it. He was awake for a good solid hour. We went ahead and did sibling shots, family shots, and then moved on to swaddled poses.
Baby Tyler was awake for a good portion of his Newborn session. How could you not love those eyes? Houston newborn photos
Newborn photography is unpredictable. You can have a plan, but that doesn’t mean you will get to follow it. The babies run the show, we just follow their lead. You have to learn to be able to adapt to any situation and learn how to pose each individual baby. Once Tyler fell asleep, he let me pose him whichever way I wanted. So we did around 5 poses in 30 minutes. Just in time for him to have to go, if you know what I mean, and wake himself up!
Here is one of my favorite shots from Tyler’s newborn portrait session at my in home studio in Houston Texas. The taco pose. This pose is no easy task, if you have tried it, then you know!
Tyler’s newborn portraits. The taco pose. Newborn photography tyler tx
Another helpful tip. Do not get frustrated or stressed. The newborn can sense this and it will only make matters worse. Stay calm, play white noise, keep it warm, and if all else fails, swaddle them up!
Here are some more images from Tyler’s newborn session. I love changing out wraps and poses.
Houston newborn photos
Most of all. Remember to be safe. No pose is worth the risk.
I am a Cypress family photography. I service Central Texas which includes, Katy, Cypress, Fulshear, Weston Lakes, The Woodlands, Conroe, Sugar Land, and Pear Land.
I get a lot of requests to take clients sessions at certain times of the day. I always reply with ” I hold all of my portrait sessions during the Golden hour.” I then explain why. So for people wondering what the Golden hour is and why I choose to shoot then, here you go!
The golden hour is that hour before sunset (or sunrise…but most people do not want to get up that early). It provides that soft, dreamy, golden hazed light that I live for. I love the effect that it gives to my images. Sure some of those can be achieved in photoshop, but it is not the same. The golden hour changes with each season, so there is not an exact time year round.
Are there any exceptions? Sure there are. If it is a cloudy day or if the portraits are going to be taken indoor(I mostly do newborns sessions and sitter sessions indoor). If it is cloudy, the sun will not produce that harsh sunlight, so it is then possible to shoot outside of the golden hour.
Will I really decline a session if the client insists on shooting outside of that time frame? If it is not cloudy, then yes I will. Professional portraits are an investment and are timeless. I strive to make every image worthy of hanging on your wall for years to come and if the lighting is not there, it is limited. If you are going to pass down your family portrait to your children, it deserves to be perfect. I am a family photographer that strives to create that perfect piece of art for your family.
I am going to show a couple sessions that I have taken during the golden hour, here in Killeen, Texas. I will then upload an image that was taken at noon, when the lighting was harsh. If you look for it, you will immediately notice the difference in the skin tone.
MJ’s Photography |Cypress family photography| Sugar Land family photographer|
Cypress family photography – MJ’s Photography
Now for the noon session. Notice the shadows, the highlights, and his skin tone. He is still cute, but imagine what the image would like like with amazing light.
Birthday pictures taken around 1230pm. You can see where the harsh light is really casting shadows onto his face. If this had been taken in the golden hour, the lighting is much softer, preventing those harsh shadows, highlights, and casts of uneven light.
I decided today…I do not take enough pictures of Emma Lyn playing…being herself. I am always so busy building my business in Fulshear that I sometimes forget why I even started this. Her. I love what I do, but it is so time consuming. There is no time outside of her and photography. I miss a lot of events, get togethers, and friend time because I want to be successful. I can deal with that. But I cannot deal with missing all of the little moments she provides for me. So I’m not. I will capture more memories of my own daughter. Her silly expressions, her personality, and most of all her heart!
Mom’s have it rough. We want to do something other than be a mom, but when we do, we feel guilty. At least I do. Everyone says we can’t have it both ways. But can we? Can we do both? I think so. I think it is tiresome and I think your free time will be non-existent (not that there was much to begin with.) But I think if you want something, go for it. Our kids are not holding us back, they are why we are doing it! (Don’t worry, I have to keep telling myself that too 😉 )
Here she is today peeping at the neighbors in Fulshear. She swears they have a dinosaur.
Fulshear family photographer
Want to book a session? Fulshear family photographer – MJ’s Photography
I am a Weston lakes newborn portraits. Alisia was such a doll during her newborn session. Her mommy traveled from Temple, Texas. She slept so well and even at the very end when she was awake, she had the cutest expressions! Daddy wasn’t able to make it down to Killeen, but he was so in love with the portraits of his brand new daughter. <3
I typically do all of my newborn sessions under two weeks of age. When babies are under two weeks, they go into these nice sleepy poses pretty easily. The older they get, the more alert they become. I have an in home studio in Katy Texas, which is where I photograph newborns and their families.
Newborn photography is such a wonderful way to capture those adorable early moments in your baby’s life!
Here are some of Alisia’s newborn portraits at two weeks old.
Miss Savannah was born with a hole in her heart. Here is her story from her mommy as well as some photos from her “My scar is beautiful” session.
Savannah. She just went through heart surgery! We are showing off her scar with a photo shoot!
Heart Surgery Photo Session
“Savannah was born with AVSD, atrioventricular septal defect, or better known as a hole in her heart. The main side effect Savannah experienced with AVSD was poor weight gain (only barely reaching the 3rd percentile for her age on some occasions) and even with the medications and extra calories added to her milk, her little heart was working overtime burning those calories. She would become tired quickly, therefore not eating as much as she needed to grow. We decided to ahead with the surgery to repair her heart when Savannah was 7 months old and with a great surgeon and God’s hand, Savannah’s surgery was successful and we do not anticipate any future surgeries. She gained a whole pound in less than 2 weeks post-surgery and is now in the 28% for her weight and age!”
Best photographer cypress tx – MJ’s Photography
“Mary Ann (MJ’s Photography) did Savannah’s newborn photos and at the time I did not share her condition but when her Daddy was able to take emergency leave from his deployment, to be with Savannah during the surgery, we had a small window for a family photo session that of course we asked Mary Ann to do. At that time we shared with her the circumstances and Mary Ann offered to do a special session for Savannah after her surgery and at first I was hesitate. I know my daughter will not remember her time in the hospital or the many prayers over her, but she will always have her scar. Savannah will always have these beautiful photographs showing the beauty and strength she has had since she was a baby and she does not ever need to hide or be ashamed of her scar.”
MJ’s Photography captures Weston lakes photography in the Houston, Cypress area.
I finally took some time to take some pictures for me. For my soul if you will. Sometimes you just have to pick up your camera and see where it leads you. Usually it leads me straight to my two year old, Emma Lyn. I usually get her running around, as two year olds do. But this time, I wanted some close ups. Some that really capture her beauty and her soul.
Little back story. She tells everyone, “mamma takes pictures of babies.” (although I do all portraits and not just babies lol) She is always curious about the beanbag I use for the newborns, the wraps, the outfits. Anytime I drop her off with daddy or at Mothers Day out, she says its because I am taking pictures of babies. She is obsessed!
Capturing newborn, children, and family portraits is my speciality, I love capturing each child’s personality.
If you are in the Weston Lakes area, check out my website!
Now back to her photos. I asked her if she wanted to get on the beanbag and act like a baby for me to take pictures. Her little eyes lit up and she was so excited! So I stripped her down and swaddled her up(with a maternity gown ha ha) I placed a 12 month knitted bonnet on her and posed her! She followed my instructions and of course pretended to sleep for some. This only lasted 5 minutes, let’s be serious, she is two! But it was enough for me 🙂
Meghan and Jeremy wanted to get their family portraits done before he deploys. They of course had to bring along their fur baby, Melvin, who was quite the model. 😉 Meghan ordered a 20×30 canvas of her favorite image for her fireplace and it is stunning!
Houston family photographers
I love taking family portraits. Capturing your family exactly how it is, is what I aim for. Capturing each personality is my goal.
I aim to capture that perfect portrait for you to hang on your wall for years to come.
Want to book a session with MJ’s Photography?
Houston family photographers- Wall art is a favorite here! At MJ’s Photography, I strive to bring you an amazing portrait experience, this is all about YOU. Time and again, I have seen clients go through the entire photography process to fall short, with a lackluster set of photos gracing their homes. That is why we will meet for a consultation before your photography session so that I can understand what you are in search of. We will discuss your vision for your portraits, see the beautiful heirloom albums to the exquisite wall art, as well as review your future investment.
