That Girl Looks Like God :: February Fail for Success:: Houston Photographer

So I ultimately failed at putting together my "That Girl Looks Like God" post for February. Between sessions, weddings, computer problems, WPPI, and the month being short, I just didn't prioritize it, and therefore, it didn't happen.

But I am going to declare that this fail is ultimately a success. Here is why:

On Sunday Night at WPPI I attended Justin and Mary's Freshman Soiree which was a fundraiser for an AMAZING girl. I got to sit with Mary for quite awhile (let's be honest, I was really into the conversation, and pretty much just dominated her time - Sorry about that!) and was able to hear a lot about Vivienne - a nine year old girl who is making a stand against slavery. (Read about her in this news article from 2012: Click Here.)

So while I did not personally get to meet Vivienne, and I obviously didn't get to photograph her, I know That Girl Looks Like God. And I am glad to be able to pass along her story to you - even if it isn't in my own words.

Read more at these links below.

Make a Stand Official Website.

Recent Article by The Daily Beast. 

Book Written by Vivienne and Her Mom.

Teri :: That Girl Looks Like God :: Smith House Photography :: Houston Photographer

Mix two girls with ice cream and an entire room full of chocolate, and good things happen. Always. My afternoon with Teri was no different. 

But before I introduce you to Teri, I think it is important that everyone has read this short passage from Matthew 19. 

13 Then some children were brought to Him so that He may lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 

It may seem pretty straightforward as to why that passage is so important to have in your mind when you meet Teri. She loves children. And Jesus loves children. And this blog series is, indeed, called "That Girl Looks Like God". Simple. Blog done. 

Not really, though, because there is so much more.

You see, I asked Teri to be a part of this blog series because I saw something that simple in her. I have known her since high school, haven't seen her in years, but I follow her on Facebook. It is so easy to see her love for children, and for the nations, through her "public life". But sitting with her on Sunday afternoon in The Chocolate Bar, I saw so much more. 

Children flock to her. Literally. As we were sitting at our table two little girls walked in. They were walking around looking at chocolates, and before I knew it, Teri was their best friend. She was laughing with them about the chocolate toothbrush, and teaching them about the names of the instruments in the store (chocolate instruments of course). And she was so in love. She wasn't just being polite, she truly wanted to be a part of their day. 

I know so many people, myself included, who would have been annoyed very quickly with these two girls interrupting their day. We would say "These kids don't have any manners. Can't they see that we are having a conversation? Where are their parents?" But then we would be the disciples in the above story, and we would be making a huge mistake. 

Children carry a joy, a faith, and a love that is unparalleled. This is why Jesus says the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. He even says we should become like children* in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. So why are we trying to turn children into adults? Why do we ruin their joy and rain on their parades? 

Teri doesn't. She shows them Christ. 

Seriously, y'all, this doesn't even scratch the surface. I showed up on Sunday eager to hear about Teri's amazing time in Haiti and her love for the nations. I even recorded our entire conversation so that I could go back through to quote her and piece together the perfect story. But I haven't even listened to it again! I came home thinking "She doesn't even need to use words". 

That Girl Looks Like God. 

One thing that Teri said that really stood out to me, and has been stuck in my head since Sunday was this: (This isn't a direct quote, because like I said, I haven't listened to the recording.)

God has told me that if I want to only serve in one place, that is fine, but there is so much more that he can do if I will open my heart to all the nations. Honestly, Becki. Coming home sucks. Leaving the orphans [in Haiti] isn't fun. But right now, I can't stay there. 

Ugh. Heartbreaking. Seriously, as she said this (after telling me about a newborn that she was able to care for during the first days of his life) her eyes welled up with tears. She spread so much love in Haiti, and to so many children. But she is SUCH A GOOD LISTENER. God told her, Not now, and she listened. 

I don't want to speculate on what God is doing in her life, or what he will use her for, but I will leave you with this: What Teri showed me is that loving on the children and orphans in all the nations is so important. Hearing her stories of Africa, and of Haiti, we were able to talk about the call to spread the Gospel to all the nations, and the importance of it. 

But we can't choose to only love the children and the orphans when we leave the country. The children right here in our own nation are just as important. Teri reminded me of that. I hope you will take it to heart as much as I did, and go love some children! 

*Matthew 18: 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." 

Check out Coreluv, the organization behind the Haiti orphanage Teri has in heart. 

Know a Girl that Looks Like God? Nominate her by e-mailing Becki. 

Best of Houston :: Smith House Photography :: Houston Wedding and Portrait Photographer

To go along with my FAVORITE new shooting location in Downtown Houston, I figured I would share a few of my other Houston Favorites with you in various categories. 

Restaurant

Local Pour

Okay. You can argue that this is a bar and not a restaurant... until you have the Pretzel Bun, or the Spicy Salmon Salad, or the Chicken and Waffles, or the Breakfast Tacos, or the Aoli Sauce. Seriously, if you have never had a meal at Local Pour, you should. 

Dog-Friendly Bar

Little Woodrow's

If I am being totally honest, we don't take our dogs out that often. They are crazies in public. But I love taking them to Little Woodrow's in EaDo because Miley will just sit in the booth with us like a person. And Watson thinks that looking over the top of the booth to the people passing us on the street is almost as great as having his head out the window during a car-ride. Plus they bring the dogs water and treats. 

Clothing Store

LMD Boutique

This boutique - particularly the River Oaks location - never seizes to amaze me. They have incredible prices, but their clothing is not cheap quality. This is my go-to store when I am needing to add something to my closet. 

Artsy-Outlet

The Mad Potter

You are totally right. I am bias about The Mad Potter. BUT - I think the fact that my friends like it as much as I do means that it can stay on the list. Painting + Wine (+ beer when the husband comes) is a perfect night. Date night. Girls night. "I-need-a-gift-and-don't-know-what-to-buy-so-I-will-make-them-something" night. 

Realtor

Brittany Taggart

This may seem like a random add to the list, but I assure you, it isn't. We bought our house last summer, and not only did we end up in the perfect neighborhood for us, we have also been introduced into a whole new social realm from Urban Leasing happy hours, events, etc. Connect with Brittany - or one of the other ULR realtors. You may not be looking to rent or buy right now, but surely you will at some point. So make lots of new friends and try out new things in the meantime. 

Shop to buy Gifts

Impromptu 

This amazing little shop in Rice Village is so perfect. I don't know how else to describe it. It is a gift-shoppers dream. You will find things you didn't know that you always wanted to give someone. Plus the people are amazing. You will leave with a new friend, also. 

That's all for now. 

Cheers. 

Faces :: Smith House Photography :: Houston Photographer

My Junior year of college I did a project in my Intro to Photography class called "Faces". The project required me to venture out into Houston and ask people if I could photograph them. I was to take five consecutive shots, each from a different perspective. This was truly a "think outside the box" project. How can you take five completely different photographs of someone's face (just their face). It is harder than it seems - I truly encourage anyone who is interested in photography to try it.

Image from my Original "Faces" Project in 2009

Anyway. Ever since this project, I have had a thought in my head that I could make this into something more. I didn't know what. Truly. I had no idea. But I couldn't get it out of my head, and it has been YEARS now. So at the end of 2013, as I was gearing up to start my radical giving year for Living Water International, I decided that it would be a good idea to have a second goal for the year (I'm probably crazy. But go big or go home, right?). 

So I did a lot of "talking it out" with this project. Luckily, I have a husband who not only puts up with my rambling brain, but who actually encourages it, and is pretty good at helping me piece my thoughts together. (He also makes a pretty good model.)

Here is what I came up with for "Faces - The Extended Version": 

1. I want this project to be more than just the photos. I want to actually show the person behind the face.

2. These faces are reflections of God. Every single one of them. A friend at Ecclesia, Donald Collins, is a quick-sketch artist. When you ask him what he is doing, he says he is drawing the face of God. HOW AWESOME. And how true. We each reflect God. I want to display that, too. 

Yes, this list is still very vague. But those were my must-haves that have now been chiseled down even more into:

That Girl Looks Like God will essentially be a "brand" separate from Smith House Photography. It will be an interview and a mini-session with girls who truly exemplify Christ in some facet. I truly believe that each one is going to have its own unique flair, because that is how we are as people. But I also truly believe that each one will point straight towards the Lord, because that is also how we are (and should be) as people. 

As I am gearing up for my first interview, I am excited to be refining what I want this to look like. My plan is to feature a girl each month; to tell you about their experiences, their love for Lord, and how they serve. I hope that they will be an inspiration to myself, and to each of you who follow along. Maybe not an inspiration to follow in their footsteps, but to look introspectively, and figure out exactly how we are reflecting the face of God in our own lives. 

So if you know a Girl that looks like God, please, send me an e-mail with her name and a way to contact her. I am truly excited to see God in twelve different, unique ways this year. (Well, more than twelve, but twelve that will be featured here.) 

And be sure to Like my Facebook page, or to subscribe to my blog so that you can see when my first feature, which will be coming up by the end of January. 

Cheers. 

Lauren :: Bridal Portraits :: Smith House Photography :: Houston Wedding Photographer

I am so thrilled with a new location that I found hiding in my own backyard. (Literally, this place is three blocks from my home.) Also, this location is DOWNTOWN. Yes. Believe it. There is rustic love in Downtown Houston. 

Having a beautiful bride and amazing light made this location even better. Lauren is SO amazingly beautiful. And the detailing in the bodice of her dress? To die for. Here are just a few shots from her session on Saturday. 

Cheers.

Smith House Photography

Saturday at The Smith House :: Smith House Photography :: Texas Photographer

This isn't what Saturday morning always looks like at this Smith House, but I wouldn't be upset if it did! Ryan and I had a bit of a lazy morning. My sweet husband even made me chocolate chip pancakes before I headed out for my bridal shoot (don't worry - you'll see the bridal portraits on the blog soon!). 

I do battle my grandmother, Noreen, for slowest eater in the world. So Ryan occupied himself with ESPN scores while he waited for me to finish. (He doesn't have anyone to play the "spoon" game that my mom and her siblings played growing up. Maybe I'll give the rules to it on here someday for anyone else who has slow eaters in their house.) 

Hope you all also had an incredible Saturday! 

Cheers. 

A Year for Living Water :: Portrait Session Financial Details :: Houston Wedding and Engagement Photographer

As promised in my last blog, below is the breakdown of a session fee. This is an estimate, and I will aim to re-evaluate and update at the end of the quarter when I have the first three months to look back on. You will see that I am not paying myself anything this year for photography. My time is completely donated to the raising of funds for Living Water International. 

Portrait session: $300

Taxes $83

The best advice I have received so far is to immediately save 30% of what I make to pay taxes at the end of the year. This amount will go into a savings account. Should my taxes fall below the saved amount, the remainder will be donated to Living Water at the end of the year. 

Equipment $80
As I mentioned in my prior post, I have been renting lenses up until this point but hope to purchase new ones this year to cut down on this expense. The amount shown is the cost I would be spending to rent two lenses per session. Half will go to continue renting lenses, and the other half will go towards my purchases. Once new lenses are purchased, this amount will drop to $25, which will cover upkeep and routine cleaning of equipment throughout the year. 

Business and Learning Expenses $22

This is an average per session based on my yearly costs and my goal for number of sessions for 2014. This includes my LLC fees, business insurance, website and e-mail fees, Wedding Wire, workshops and other miscellaneous business expenses. 

Donation to Living Water $115

In order to meet my goal of $30,000, I will need to book 260 portrait sessions this year. 

If you have any additional questions about my year for Living Water, or really questions about anything, please send me a message. 

Cheers.