Though my focus now is on family photography and all that encompasses, I do occasionally find myself making bridal portraits, covering events, fidgeting with things in a product shoot or working on personal photo projects. I really enjoy how broad a field photography is and love to pick my camera up and do something different.

I’ve decided to showcase some of the different types of work I’ve done here. I always learn something new with each project or job I do and that influences how I approach my lifestyle photography and portraiture.

Here is a bridal portrait session I did a while back. It was a very cold winter day and she spent a lot of it outside in a dress made for spring. I was cold and I had a coat and hat on. She was amazing, you’d never know how cold it was by looking at her.

One of her favorite activities is Spa Day. This was introduced when her older brother went on his first sleepover and she was devastated that he was gone. We gave each other mani-pedis and applied face masks. It was a major success and mitigated all sadness from her brother’s absence. Now she asks for Spa Day at least once a week.

A recent discovery of hair rollers, I purchased for a costume, has sent the game into the BEST GAME EVER category. I don’t know how I’m going to top it.

Winning a FREE Mini Portrait Session from Deborah Lykins Photography in the Be Mine Sweetstake!

The Mini Session dates for spring are March 31st and April 14th in Austin, TX.
(Or a to be determined date in Champaign, IL in summer 2012.)

What am I winning?

A short and sweet Mini Session! It’s a 30 minute shoot at a specified location and 3 rights released images delivered on CD. Mini Sessions have a 7 day online gallery for proofing and ordering add-on images or packages. These sessions are for children and babies (who can sit independently.) In addition, the Be Mine Sweetstake winner will also receive one 8×10 print.

How do I enter?

Glad you asked, the first way to enter is to Like Deborah Lykins Photography and Design on Facebook then come back here and leave a comment telling me you did. That’s it! Super easy, huh?

Want more chances to win? Check out three more ways to get extra entries. One extra entry per option.

1. Share this post and leave me a comment on how you shared it. (i.e. shared it on FB, emailed link, tweeted it, pinned on Pinterest, etc.)
2. Wander on over to Sacred Streams Yoga on Feburary 11 to check out their open house and fill out a Be Mine Sweetstake‘s entry form.
3. Like Sacred Streams Yoga on Facebook and leave me a comment here letting me know you did.

If you do each of those you will get four chances to win!

**UPDATE**

Be sure to come back here to comment after you like or share because your entry is not complete until you let me know in the comments.

New Way to Enter!

For those of you not on Facebook. You can enter through the entry form below. One entry per person.

Details: Any one person can have a maximum of 4 entries. The drawing will be on Feb. 14th, 2012 at noon. Entries will be accepted until noon Feb 13th, 2012. The winner will be contacted by email (so be sure to give me a valid email address when you comment) and announced here on my blog. I value your information and will never sell it or use it for nefarious purposes!  The winner must be able to be in Austin,TX on the specified dates or in Champaign,IL at a TBD date summer 2012. The prize is non-transferrable.

Sunday, March 31st and Saturday April 14th. Two days only. Limited 30 minute sessions.

Spring Swing is the theme!

Book your session now!

For more info contact me!

It seems that I am rarely around tiny babies, not even newborns. At birth, my kids were in the 8-10 lb range. And most other babies I’ve had the privilege to know and photograph are generally around 8 lbs as well.

There is something so sweet and special about those little ones, this wee baby was barely 6 lbs when we had our session and I admit I may have taken more time than necessary cuddling and nuzzling him.

We had a good time with these photos, his daddy was a Marine and it was fun to compare Dad’s hat to Baby M’s size. There was also a plethora of beautiful blankets hand knitted for him. Definitely a little one who is surrounded by love.

When we arranged this portrait, his mom mentioned that she wanted photographs of her son “just being a little boy and enjoying nature… he is growing up so quickly, so I just want to freeze this time in my mind forever.”

I loved this description and excitedly set to work on our concept.

We met at one of their favorite hiking parks and started the session BUT about 20 minutes into it, as we were walking along the creek bed (one with actual water in it) our little guy climbed up onto a sideways growing tree that hung out over the water. (You know where this is going…) I was moving around taking photos, trying to get a good angle, and when he started to climb off the tree I asked him to wait just a second in order to get one or two last shots. Then, through the viewfinder, I saw his head s-l-o-w-l-y sink out of sight. He was sliding off the tree, down the creek bank and into the water!

Aaak!

His mom and I rushed to get him out of the ankle deep water, no worse for wear but definitely wet. What to do?

Ooops! Sometimes sessions don't go as planned.

Luckily, they live around the block from the park so we headed to their house for dry clothes and to finish the session. At their house I met a couple of very sweet dogs out in their great backyard and we ended up with this fantastic little photo story about a boy and his love for his dogs and nature. (I kept thinking about “Where The Red Fern Grows” while editing this.)

This mom is one of the funniest women I know, she kept everyone going and happy by making jokes, quoting silly movie lines (re: the post title) and goofing around. That’s what a photo session should be about… fun, laughter, camaraderie and beautiful light. We had it all this evening.

Generally, when making portraits, I like to set up situations and then step back and photograph things as they unfold. I love the organic energy that is found in letting people connect with each other and try very hard not to direct too much. These natural interactions really shine in these portraits. There is no lack of energy here! One of the many reasons I love these guys!