If you have been searching for a photographer in Anna, TX in recent months, you probably know how tricky it can sometimes be to schedule during the heat of the summer. Don’t get me wrong, summer in Texas can be gorgeous: golden light that practically drips from the sky, pretty grasses and fields, sunsets that seem to stretch on for miles and miles. But….that heat!!

With days that keep giving us temps in the 90s even well beyond sunset, scheduling a photo session can often be intimidating. For that reason, for this family session, we decided that scheduling a session at sunrise might be best. Luckily, the weather and the light were on our side.

Being a photographer in Anna, TX, I try to get out and regularly survey local spots to see which ones will work best for each particular session. Sometimes fields that I have used in the past won’t work well for lighting at different times of the day. For this particular session, however, I knew that one of the local fields would be perfect, as the sun rises just behind it, making for some beautifully back-lit shots.

One thing to be aware of when scheduling your own sunrise session is that the timing works opposite of a regular session. For example, when I work with families during sunset, I can usually set up my safer, ‘smile and look at the camera’ shots right at the beginning of the session when we are all getting to know each other. Families tend to ease into their session at the same time that the light gets prettier, making for some gorgeous golden images right toward the end when everyone is in a playful mood. For sunrise sessions, however, we have to work quickly to get all of the must-have shots in right away, as the light is best at the very beginning. The longer the session goes, the higher in the sky the sun will climb, making for more contrast and harsher shadows and highlights.

With all of that being said, the trade off is usually worth it to try to schedule a sunrise session in the height of Texas summers. Looking for a photographer in Anna, TX? I would love to hear from you! Be sure to get in touch and let me know what you are envisioning!

Christina Freeman is a family photographer based in Anna, TX, serving Melissa, McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Prosper and other north Texas communities.

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This is a post I meant to write…well, at the end of 2021. But life has gotten in the way, so here we are. With my recent cancer diagnosis, I have decided to take on a lighter workload this year, with the exception of blogging. I love to blog, but usually find it difficult to balance it with my regular sessions. So before I move into blogging into individual sessions, I wanted to write out my thoughts about 2021.

2021 Started Off Strong…Until It Didn’t

Like so many others, I started off 2021 full of optimism. It was one of the first years since I had moved to Anna that I was kicking the year off with sessions on the books–something that doesn’t always happen during the barren winter months. On a personal level, I had lots of creative ideas that I was eagerly churning out. And bolstered by several big successes that I had earned with photography competitions in 2020, I felt confident enough to apply for my very first photo gallery exhibit. I felt so optimistic that I would be accepted, so receiving a rejection letter was like a punch to the gut.

I wish I could say that I brushed it off and kept doing what I do, but I had a hard time shaking that rejection. I had had so many strings of successes in a row that I suddenly felt like I had hit an unexpected brick wall. And that was difficult to get over. I spent much of the first part of the year languishing, which I found out from the New York Times, was an emotion shared by many of my fellow Americans.

In June, after a year of mostly staying home, my family got to travel

One of the things that helped kickstart my creativity again was finally getting out to travel. While I am a natural homebody, I hadn’t realized just how much I had craved novel experiences again. We were able to get away for a week to visit family up in Arkansas–a week in the mountains and hills was like a balm for my soul. And later that month, my husband and I booked a solo couple trip to visit some friends back up in Virginia. Being near the ocean and around so much COLOR again was amazing. I will never stop saying it, Texas NEEDS to bring back color. Sometimes I feel like we are living in the Drab City from Care Bears. Photographing color helped light a creative spark that I had been missing from much of my work the first half of the year.

When I returned, I realized I wanted to create novel experiences with my sessions as well.

When you are doing multiple sessions each week, it is SO easy to fall into a comfortable routine. While that might be convenient, unfortunately, doing the same thing day in and day out is an easy way to grow bored with your own work and eventually burn out. I did not want this to happen with my sessions, so for the second half of the year, I challenged myself to change things up. While clients often hire me for a particular look which I strive to always deliver, I decided to make sure I attempted one new thing each session. Whether it was photographing an old place in a new way or challenging myself to try a new technique, just adding the challenge of achieving something new with each and every session helped make it feel fresh again. I also strove to get back to capturing more ‘in-between’ moments–those beautifully candid moments that happen in-between the set shots that tend to capture family’s personalities.

Overall, 2021 was a year of growth and pushing myself to think creatively.

I am so grateful for all of my amazing clients and the amount of love and support they poured into my business. 2021 was my busiest year yet, and I never stop being thankful for all of the wonderful people I get to meet and work with each and every year. I am excited to share more sessions from this year, but in the meantime, here is a quick 2021 year in review–one photo from all 81 sessions! Here’s to a new beginning and wonderful 2022!

Thinking about booking a session in 2022? I would love to work with you!

I currently have 5 session openings for spring 2022. The first opening is in March of 2022. Be sure to get in touch to get first dibs on dates!

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Fall is in full swing here in McKinney, Texas, which means we are gearing up for all the traditional things: pumpkin patches, Halloween, outdoor cookouts with warm apple cider, and of course….fall family photo sessions. If you are finding yourself planning your own family’s session, here a few tips to keep in mind to make sure you have the most fun family session you possibly can!

Let Go of Perfection

Let me get this one out of the way upfront. If you are envisioning an entire session of perfectly posed, Vogue-style perfection, you may have come to the wrong place. While I 100% appreciate the beauty and talent that goes into these types of picturesque photo shoots, that’s not really what I offer. Of course, we will get at least one beautifully posed, smile-and-look-at-the-camera shot. I mean, you went through all that effort to select great outfits and wrangle your kids into the car, right? But that’s not where we’re going to stay, because that’s not what life with little kids is like. Over the years, I have found that when parents are worried about keeping their kid’s hair perfect and shoes unscuffed and constantly smiling for the camera, things go downhill fast. Kids pick up on their parent’s tension like a sixth-sense, so if you find yourself tense and snapping, those little guys are going to hand it right back to you. So make sure that you are ready to loosen your grip on controlling everything that will happen, because right when you do, that is when the real magic starts to happen.

Get Ready to Play

This is my number one tip to families of all ages. I don’t care if you are 2, 40 or 80 years old. You are never too old to play and have fun. For families with young kids, this one is a no-brainer. I mean, kids are just made to play, right? If you tell your kid to go off and do something serious, they’ll probably skip the entire way there. Kids just have a way of turning every task into a game. So for one single hour, I ask you to show up and be ready to bring out your inner kid. If you think you might have a hard time being silly in front of a camera, think about things you love to do with your family, times when you can relax and be yourselves. Maybe it involves a game of chess, or sitting around a campfire, or shooting hoops. Guess what…we can incorporate those things! I promise you that if you show up ready to play with your kids, they are going to have the time of their lives. And you will love the images we capture.

Show Off Your Talents

Oh my goodness, this is one that I wish more people would do! Have you ever felt like family sessions start to all look like each other after you see a whole bunch of them? Be willing to break that mold and show off what makes you unique. If you love to play guitar and sing for the kiddos, bring it along! Have a kid that can do the splits or a back flip? Let’s show that off! Do y’all love to go for evening bike rides or all have a thing for skateboarding? Please please please, bring those along!

One of the things I loved most about this particular fun family session was how they incorporated elements from their own story. The mom and dad had met in college at a swing dancing club, so they practiced some of their old moves in front of the camera. And the kids LOVED seeing their mom and dad dancing together.

In case you can’t tell, I love to show off what makes each family unique. So show up and let’s capture the essence of what makes you you!

Pile the Kids On

Okay, this one is a lot of fun if you don’t have any physical issues that prevent you from doing it. Moms, dads, grandparents…get ready to be the bottom of a kid pyramid. We can do this both sitting down or standing up, but it’s always fun to let the kids just pile onto laps, backs, shoulders. The more kids there are, the more fun it gets.

Show Affection

And my final tip for a fun family session…be ready to show affection. At some point during your session, I will typically try to guide you into some close poses where you can be free to hug and kiss. Some kids love to do it in a silly way, getting chased for hugs and kisses and tickles. Others love to sit in Mom and Dad’s lap and are happy to hide from the camera by snuggling into their arms. Whatever your child’s natural inclination may be, lean into that. If they love to snuggle, make sure you stroke their faces, move their hair out of their eyes, put your face close to theirs. If your child is a wild one, make the most out of the moments when you finally catch them, spinning them around and really teasing them with big hugs and kisses.

And of course, it’s important to catch some moments alone with just your significant other. Again, we will play off of your natural ways of interacting with each other. If you love to dance, let’s make sure we get photos of you dancing. If you love snuggling together on the couch, let’s make sure we sit you down and let you lean into each other. If you love to go for walks together alone, let’s make sure to capture that. Again, this is all about photographing what makes you unique.

Ready to schedule your own fun family session this fall? Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based out of Anna, TX, but serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out this details page for an idea of general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start your own process of booking today!

The post How to Have a Fun Family Session appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

So here we go. When you’re ready, click the buttons to go directly to the calendar and grab your spot. Once your time is claimed and you have received a confirmation email, I will send you a link to pay your $50 deposit that will officially reserve your time slot. 

Thanks so much, friends–I’m excited to see and work with you all again!

Mini Sessions at the Heard Craig Center for the Arts

Saturday, October 16th
3:00 – 6:30 pm

$250 + tax
20 minutes
5 digital images

This year, I am excited to partner with Heard Craig Center for the Arts to provide an afternoon of sessions on their grounds. The Heard house is a beautiful historic home located in the heart of downtown McKinney. We will have access to the exterior of the home and gardens, or we can hop on over to some of the surrounding historic downtown areas if you would love to incorporate more urban textures and backgrounds. Each session can utilize each element to your liking. I’ll include some images from past sessions held in the area to give you an idea of some of the backdrops available in addition to the grounds themselves.

Mini Sessions in Plano, TX (SOLD OUT)

Saturday, November 6th
4:00 – 6:30 pm

$250 + tax
20 minutes
5 digital images

**I am editing to add that these sessions are now sold out. You can still get in touch to book a full session at this location at a different date**

These sessions will be held at a beautiful location in Plano, TX. Please note that the location we will be shooting at provides a water backdrop and is about a .3 mile (10 minute) walk from where you park. In case of rain in the days leading up to the session, I will be sure to visit the site to ensure all is still suitable for photos. If the location turns out to be muddy, I will provide an alternate location in the days ahead. At the time of this blog post, there is only one spot remaining for this particular location.

Looking to book your own family photographer for fall mini sessions? Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based out of Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out this details page for an idea of general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start your own process of booking today!

The post Fall Mini Sessions 2021 appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

I am always interested in hearing how families find me. Many seem to stumble upon my work through recommendations on facebook or instagram, or through google searches. When Media contacted me letting me know she had been searching for a family photographer in Plano TX, I was thrilled to find out that she had come across my work on pinterest of all places.

Pinterest has been one of my favorite photography tools for a while now. Not only is it great for local searches (searching ‘Family photographer in Plano TX, for example brings up a good sampling of local work), but it also familiarizes you with a photographer’s overall style and interests. I try to keep my pinterest page full of current samples of my work, in addition to lots of ideas that might be useful for my clients. By checking out my pages even before getting in touch, she was able to ensure that my style was along the lines of what she was looking for. Specifically, she sought out the types of locations I tend to photograph in, the way I use light, and how I pose and prompt families. She could also see the types of images I personally am inspired by, which is something a typical search engine can’t really tell you.

I continually try to add inspiration images to my outfit pages to help clients brainstorm ideas for their own outfits. And while pinterest is great for discovering photographers and looking for session outfits, I also love to use it to bounce ideas back and forth with clients via private mood boards–on these boards, I am able to see the colors they are drawn to, the types of locations, the level of posing. By using shared boards this way, I can make sure I am customizing a session that will truly capture what each client is envisioning.

Using Pinterest in this way helped me create a vision of the outdoor session that Media was hoping for. We held this particular session outdoors in early spring, and Media utilized some of the ideas she found to coordinate her family’s outfits beautifully with their surroundings.

Looking to book your own family photographer in Plano TX? Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based out of Anna, TX, but serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out this details page for an idea of general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start your own process of booking today!

The post Media | Family Photographer in Plano TX appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other north DFW communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!

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I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase ‘If you don’t like the weather in Texas, wait five minutes,’ and the day we held this little first birthday session really proved that phrase to be true.

If you have followed my work for any length of time, you have probably noticed that I love to photograph outdoors. I love integrating nature into my sessions–I love the changing of the seasons, the light we work get to work with, the beautiful sunsets we often manage to capture. I’ve also noticed that if we manage to photograph in a quiet area, clients (and kids especially) seem to open up and feel more comfortable where there is room to run and play. And since businesses reopened after Covid-19, I have tried my best to photograph almost exclusively outdoors.

The one drawback to these outdoor sessions, of course, is the weather in all of its unpredictability. Being in Texas, we *usually* have temperatures that we can work with, and we tend to be pretty lucky when it comes to rain (knocking on wood right now). But every once in a while, we do get torrential downpours and storms, and this happened to be one of those days.

This sweet baby girl’s mama and I had been in touch in the days leading up to this first birthday session, simply keeping our eyes on the weather and trying to figure out a few backup plans just in case we got rained out. I usually will encourage clients to wait until the day of the session before we make a call–I can’t tell you how many times we have had awful weather up until the hour or two before a session, only to have it clear up and have gorgeous weather after that. So if we can be flexible, we will usually try to wait it out.

This situation was a bit trickier, as the family was planning on driving in from the other side of the metroplex for their session. And honestly, we nearly called it off–it was still pouring off and on just right up to the hour before. But we went ahead and gave it a chance based on what the radar was predicting, and I’m so glad we did, as we honestly had one of the most beautiful evenings of light I have ever enjoyed at a session.

So when it comes to weather, here are just a few tips I try to incorporate with my sessions:

–First of all, safety absolutely comes first. I will not photograph if there is any lightning or torrential rain, as well as any heat, wind or flood advisories for the area. My priority is keeping you guys safe.
–If rain is forecast for the day of your session, I recommend trying to wait it out. As I said earlier, more times than not in the years I have been photographing, the weather forecasts do not turn out to be accurate. We will usually stay in touch and make a call within an hour or two of your session.
–If I can work weather into your session, I will try to do that. If it has rained earlier in the day and the ground is still wet, we may consider moving your session to downtown–reflections in the streets can make for some beautiful images. Fog, mist and wind may not seem ideal at the time, but can all create some gorgeously moody photos.
–When possible, try to adapt your outfits for the possible weather. For windy days, long flowy dresses in the right setting can be beautiful. For light rain, umbrellas and rain boots can be fun. When we keep our options and minds open, we can create some beautifully creative images together.
–And of course, when worst comes to worst, we will absolutely reschedule your session if the weather does not cooperate. For the time being, I am simply rescheduling sessions when possible. In the future (post-Covid), I will be able to offer indoor sessions at the studio in The Cotton Mill.

If you are looking for a photographer for your baby’s first birthday session and think we may be a great fit, please be sure to get in touch today!

Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!

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Every year I look forward to doing a year in review, and each year…well, life hits. This year has definitely been no exception, because, you know….2020. But even in the midst of the edits, and the cleaning and the repairs of shower curtains that the kids have pulled down (yes….that just happened about five minutes ago), I am finally making myself sit down and write out my thoughts and memories of the past year. Hopefully this will be the start of an annual tradition.

So, where to begin. I started 2020 off at an all-time high. I had taken the last two weeks off in December 2019, which was so nice to focus solely on my family and the holidays. I also love to spend the last week of December reflecting back on the year and looking forward to the new one, and I had had ample time to create new goals for myself. I was so excited to start the new year and these projects I had created for my business.

And then I got sick, the very first week of January. At the time, I thought it was maybe a really bad case of the flu. High fevers that kept coming and going, absolutely no energy to do anything at all. And every time I felt as though I were getting my feet back under me, it would hit all over again, and I would be laid out on the couch with no energy, sleeping the day away. It took me nearly two months to start feeling like myself again. Looking back now, it makes me wonder if it was the flu after all or if I maybe did manage to pick up one of the early Covid strains during our holiday travels. Who knows.

But the point is, by March I finally had started to get my energy back and was so excited to start tackling some of my photography projects that I had laid out for the new year. And then Covid hit, and everything shut down.

Like many of you, I had no idea what the future held for my little business. I was certain, absolutely certain, that it was done for the year…and maybe for good. Which is why I was shocked when the quarantine lifted…and people started to get in touch with me. Not only did my photography business stay afloat, it actually turned out to be the best year I have ever had. I had the same number of sessions in just seven months that I had had the entire year prior.

So thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for turning out to (safely!) support my business. It feels so wonderful to be able to make money doing what I love. I know that sounds cliche, but it is the absolute truth. I love providing these images for you, and it means the world that you entrust these memories with me.

That is the main thing I really wanted to touch on about this year. You are what makes my business. With your support, I try to spend my down time with my family, as well as educating myself further, so that every year that you return to me, it will be an even better experience. You help make that a possibility.

And while every year is full of its disappointments and fallen attempts, and this year has seemed to have more than its share…there have been some achievements that I am also proud to share with you.

1. In March, I was thrilled to be listed by Clickin Moms in their annual ‘100 Female Photographers to Watch‘ list. I’m not going to lie, this is a goal I had hoped to achieve someday, but really didn’t expect to actually happen. I can’t describe what it meant to see my name listed amongst so many of my personal photography heroes.

2. I was also excited when Click magazine contacted me to do a very short writeup in their May/June 2020 edition. Another goal of mine that I had not expected to happen this year!

3. I decided to enter the Shoot and Share contest for the second time. I’m happy to say that I had four finalists and one top 100 that placed #29 out of 47,626 images in its category.

4. I also submitted to the Voice photo competition this year, and had 2 images selected as top 15 within their respective categories, as well as 3 other semifinalist images.

5. And on a personal note, I finished my third consecutive 365 project, which I hope to do a blog writeup about soon (crossing fingers).

Thanks so much for sticking with me in this year in review and celebrating these little wins with me. While they are so exciting, they also don’t show just how much time is spent feeling like I’m slogging through mediocre image after mediocre image. But I guess that is what keeps us going. Every once in a while we as photographers make another image that excites us and keeps us going. So thank you again for sticking with me this year and entrusting me with your memories. I can’t wait to see what is in store for us all in 2021.

Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!

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When I first started dabbling in family photography, I didn’t know much about what I was doing. My first ‘session’ was photographing friends, just following them along as they played on the beach. I didn’t know much about controlling the light or my settings, so I kept my camera close to automatic the entire time and focused on the moments as they unfolded before me. I walked away with lots and lots of imperfect photos, but some that I still loved just the same…authentic moments that seemed to truly capture the love and the playfulness of that sweet family. Without realizing it, I had just photographed my first storytelling family session.

As I began to get more serious about photography, I learned more about technique–I got the camera off of automatic mode, started using my meter and learned how to use the elements around me to help reign in the light. I learned to start posing people in more flattering ways. I started to actually achieve some of the visions I so often had had in my head but hadn’t known how to achieve. But along with this new knowledge of technique, I found myself sometimes losing a bit of the essence that had come naturally in the beginning…being able to observe and capture authentic moments as they unfolded before me.

And so I discovered that ebb and flow of my photography…sometimes it’s easy to get so caught in the moment that I forget technique. And sometimes it’s so easy to focus on the technical sides of things that I miss the moment. It’s a constant reigning in and refining of this art.

Through it all, I have discovered much about myself as a photographer. I have learned that capturing the picture perfect moments are never enough for me. It needs to be more. Families are constantly evolving, changing. One month from now, they may look and feel different than they do now. So it’s important to me to capture the essence of who they are, right at this very moment. I have found that the best approach to my family sessions is using a storytelling approach.

Capturing these moments for Joana was such a meaningful experience for me. Observing and documenting their beautiful family in this midst of change…as they currently are, but also looking forward to the anticipation of their growing family. Not quite knowing what that will look like months and years from now. It’s a beautiful time in a family’s life, and I feel so honored that I had the chance to document it, even for just a few moments.

At the end of the day, that is what I am really about. Of course I will always strive to capture the picture perfect moment for you. But even more than that, I will also try to go deeper, to see the beauty in the moments that are caught in between the poses, the moments that show who you really are when no one else is around.

If you would love to give this approach a chance, please be sure to get in touch. I would love to get to know your family more and start planning a customized storytelling family session with you today.

Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!

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Christina Freeman is a Plano family photographer based in Anna, TX and serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. Please be sure to get in touch if you have loved everything you have seen so far and would love to start a conversation.

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