i had the pleasure of working with kassidy recently on a trash the dress photo session. this is the first time i have done trash the dress photography, which is weird since it's right up my alley, but i was a nervous mess about trying to keep the dress fairly clean against the grungy backgrounds. kassidy was a trooper though and even climbed up on some ledges.... in heels and a wedding gown! as always, Tenya Du out did herself with the hair and makeup for the bridal photography session and major props to my husband for helping me with some new lighting techniques. i could not have been more excited about the results!





we ran across this beat up, painted bus that said "follow me" on the back, and immediately my mind went to twitter of course. obviously, this photo needs ot be sent off to steph, our graphics guru, because my poor attempt at photoshopping our twitter address onto the photo is pretty dismal. but you get the point....





i've noticed recently that kevin always takes photos of me working when he's behind me. then i noticed the funky face i'm making whenever he takes it from the front, and it makes complete sense. who wants to take a photo of the girl with a scrunched up face behind the camera? no one. feel free to make fun of it if you're doing a photo shoot with me.













i have another trash the dress photography session coming up in october with randi and curtis, who you may remember from their engagement photography. we're going all out with a fountain and i can't wait!!!

it was the most frightening moment of my life. the voice on the other end of the phone was shakey and solem, and not at all a tone i recognized. "aunt cathy was taken to the emergency room last night. she fainted in the middle of the night and lost a lot of blood." tears and oxygen escaped my body before i could even the ask the question - "did she make it?" my mom's confirmation that she was stable did very little to comfort me. tests were ran, and showed a large cancerous tumor - likely in stage 3. the doctors suspected she had been living with it for about 2 years, unknowingly.

my family is small - my parents, my husband, and my aunt and uncle. we're close and rely on each other more than anyone else in the world. and when it comes to my personality, i am an image of my aunt...

easily sensitive, but slow to show it.
green eyes - the only ones in the family.
love dogs, but kids... well... that diaper doesn't sound fun.
gas? in my car? i thought i could go a few more miles.
the bed only needs made if company will be coming over... even then it's optional.
"i love you" can never be overused.
best friends are as important as family.
and compassionate to a fault...

it's been 7 months, 1 surgery, 29 external radiations, 3 internal radiations, and countless prayers since i received that phone call. another surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy are forecasted in the near future. our hopes and prayers are stronger than they could ever be as our family and close friends fight this battle together.

like every other year since i was 16, i am supporting a cancer walk, except this time there is personal meaning. i am a captain for Hitachi's team in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on October 2nd and i am asking for your support by making a donation to help beat this disease. it has touched us all in some way, and i pray that it will never touch your family as closely as it has touched our small family of 6.

a couple of weeks ago i had the pleasure of taking some engagement photography in houston for randi and curtis. we scheduled it early in the morning to try to beat some of the heat, but it was HOT outside anyway. randi and curtis were awesome though and never complained about the heat. we wandered around downtown houston and took some edgy stuff as well as some more traditional photos to some variety. by the end of the shoot, i was completely covered in dirt from crawling around parking garages and utility areas getting unique angles - somehow, they managed to keep looking fabulous throughout the entire thing - heat and all.

i have to say - randi is a girl after my own heart. after getting to know her, i found out she loves classic coktails. we had an email chain going back and forth for a few hours one day about our favorite drinks. AND she got me hooked on iced chai. LOVE that girl!
 
their untraditional wedding is in october and we'll meet up a few days later for a trash the dress photography session in houston or galveston - can't wait!!

below are a few of my favs from their session - i could have kept shooting all day!



i love this photo that kevin got.







if you've done an engagement photography session with me, you know that i always try to have one photo with your wedding date. :)





i looooooove this photo of randi - obviously, curtis makes her laugh.... a lot!



and my fav for last.... we ran across this old VW beetle and it was just too perfect to pass up!



thanks you both such a fun session!! see you soon for cocktails!

over the past month, i have been attempting to put together an online portfolio of my boudoir clients. i have always had this fear of it - like i'm being disrespectful. at the same time, i know women want to know what to expect when booking me as their boudoir photographer... boudoir photography is an intimate thing and women need to feel like they can trust me to get a flattering angle. so it put me in a weird spot.... the thing is, when i asked a few of my clients if i could post a couple photos, the response was not at all what i expected "yes! please, feel free to  use whatever you'd like!" whatever i'd like!?!? really?!?! well ok then! my clients rock!! of course, i would NEVER post ANY boudoir photography from a client that was at all hesitant about it. it's a very intimate thing, and i would never want to show any disrespect to any of my clients.

about a month ago, lady j came in to the houston studio take some boudoir photogaphy as a wedding gift. weddings and photography just seem to go together - it's one of the most celecratory days of your life and between boudoir and wedding photography, it's great to have your memories documented through the lens of your photographer.

here are a few boudoir photos from lady j's session - and thank you miss j for letting me post some photos! keep an eye out for some complimentary product in the mail next week! :)

i loooooved this outfit! she brought along the tie that her husband was going to wear for their wedding, and paired it with some bridal lingerie. i always recommend bringing along the hint of a man for one of your photos. it reminds your guy that you had him in mind when you booked your boudoir photography session - even the centerfolds in every playboy issue have the hint of a man somewhere in the photo..... and yes.... i do consider that magazine a business expense. ;)
 

 

ok pretty ladies! J.Vallecorsa is setting up another boudoir photography marathon playdate this summer so be sure to get signed up soon since spots are limited and tend to fill up quickly.

this one will be held in the historic downtown Houston studio on August 28th and every package includes:
-30 minute make up session
-1 hour photo session
-unlimied outfit changes
-use of our intimate studio location
-online viewing gallery with print options
-and as always, mimosas and music will be free flowing to help calm the nerves!

i hope to see you there! and remember that i always offer a 10% discount when you book with a friend - so bring a group of your fav ladies and make a day of it. you can even head over to the spa afterwards in the same building as the studio for some extra relaxation and pampering! cheers!