First birthdays are really special milestones. One minute you are holding a tiny fragile newborn in your arms and then they just sit up, scoot off your lap, and start running around every where! I have tried to slow down time for Makenna just a little this past year by photographing her when she was 3 months and again at 6 months. Little Makenna turned one just a few days before her first birthday session and I was happy to see their family again! Thank you to Vanessa, Doug, and their little girl for letting us be a part of your daughter’s first year. Happy first birthday!

I shot a fabulous family session recently with two awesome sisters Aimee and Ashleigh! They wanted to surprise their family with a personal and thoughtful Christmas gift they would really treasure and decided to book their first joint portrait session since middle school. Aimee and Ashleigh want some fun colorful images that really showed their personalities and their close relationship. Congratulations girls – I think you accomplished your goal of making your family cry happy tears this Christmas!

And the Slideshow:

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with both our website and our email. Our website is down and we can’t currently receive email. While we work to fix the problem you can still view our work on the blog at www.tiltshiftstudiosblog.com and facebook – www.facebook.com/tiltshiftstudios. If you need to contact us please call or text 325-200-6404.

On the second Thursday of every month I pack up my family and we all head to downtown Abilene for the celebration of creativity and culture know as ArtWalk. The Center for Contemporary Arts is always a favorite stop because I’m a huge fan of modern art and I always have to checkout the exhibit in their dedicated photography gallery.

This month I was excited to see the retrospective of fine art portrait photographer Eleonora Ghioldi. While wandering through the gallery looking at the painterly silver gelatin prints I heard a woman huffing in disgust. I turned around to look and saw a woman with two tween daughters. One girl pointed at an image and said “Look Mom, she doesn’t have any clothes on.” The woman grabbed the girls hands and ushered them out of the gallery ranting about how The Center “shouldn’t have such exhibits because children could walk in there”, and she was “going to find someone to talk to about this”!

I looked around the gallery for the obscene images the woman had labeled “filth” and couldn’t find them. All I saw were haunting beautiful images of what it means to be a woman in the quite, private moments. Ever since then I haven’t been able to get the incident out of my head. I wonder what was so objectionable? There was nothing salacious about the images. Unless the mere fact that they contain partial or implied nudity is it’s self objectionable?

The unclothed human form has been used in art to portray vulnerability, innocence, purity, love, lust, and pure celebration of God’s design since the beginning of time. I wonder if in the age of TMZ celebrity sex tapes we have lost the ability to distinguish between the lurid depiction of teen sex used to sell clothing at the mall and the sensitive portrayal of the female form used to illustrate her vulnerability and inner thoughts and feelings.

I wonder if the reason that nudity in art is subject to censorship is because we never see any positive portrayals of nudity apart from indiscriminate sex in movies and tv. I intend to continue taking my children to gallery openings and exposing them to art in all it’s forms. And I hope that when my daughter reaches an age when she starts to wonder about her worth and place in the world as a woman that the years of exposure to work like that of Ghioldi will counterbalance the influence of Go Daddy ads and People Magazine covers.

Maybe we could all benefit from viewing a little more art and a little less Desperate Housewives.

"Cigarrillo" by Eleonora Ghioldi

On the Monday after Thanksgiving your holiday shopping can be as easy as a click away. For one day only, Monday November 28th you can purchase a $100 gift certificate for only $50 from Tilt Shift Studios! A gift certificate from Tilt Shift Studios is the perfect gift for anyone on your list – or even for yourself! To order your gift certificate visit www.tiltshiftstudiosblog.com/giftcard. This offer is good for Monday only, so stock up and start checking those names off your shopping list!

Other details:
* Gift Certificates may be used on any session – weddings, senior, family, boudoir, and more!
* Gift Certificates may be used on any product – albums, prints, wall art, and more!
* Gift Certificates include free shipping and never expire!
* Gift Certificate Sale is limited to $1,000.00 in added value and can not be combined with any other offer.

Call 325.200.6404 or email kim@tiltshiftstudios.com for more information.

Ashley and Rene’s gorgeous wedding and reception took place at the Grace Museum in downtown Abilene. We had a fabulous time documenting their beautiful day and I am in love with the images we captured! Below is a selection of our favorites that we just couldn’t keep to ourselves. We hope you enjoy this preview and we would love it if you would give our adorable bride and groom some love in the comments!

The Brownwood Art Association will be seeking entries for their first ever Christmas Photo Contest in conjunction with the Christmas Under the Stars Festival on December 2nd and 3rd at the Depot Civic and Cultural Center, 600 E. Depot St.

The contest is open to photographers 8 years old and up with prizes awarded in categories of ages 8-14, ages 15-20, ages 21 and above, and professional. Special prizes for People’s Choice and Best “Scared of Santa” photo will also be awarded.

There is a $5 fee per entry, and photographs will be accepted at the Depot on Monday, November 28th from 1-4pm and Tuesday, November 29th from 6-8pm. All photos must be framed with wire or hook and be ready to hang.

The photos will be on display at the Depot on Friday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 3rd from 4-8pm during the Christmas Under the Stars Festival.

For more information, contact Kim Hurt at 325-200-6404 or go to BrownwoodChamber.org.

You can pick up an entry form at the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce or download it here.

I am so excited to share the photos from the engagement session we did a couple of weeks ago. When I asked Ashley and Chris what direction they wanted to take with their photos they told me they wanted to go for a day out in the big city with a worn-in vintage feel. I of course loved this idea and was completely on board. We had so much fun taking our time and hitting a few sweet spots. Ashley and Chris are such a wonderful couple! Their photos and relationship dynamic show that romantic can still be really fun and playful…at least that’s what I think. So here’s a look at the little jewels from the day!

Have you heard about the Escape to Fabulous Ambush Makeover? Sponsored by Spa on the Creek the Escape to Fabulous Ambush Makeover is a contest through which you can nominate a deserving friend for a free head to toe makeover, fashion update and photoshoot from Brownwood very own glam squad: Spa on the Creek, Dazzling Divas, and Tilt Shift Studios!

The winner will receive a full head to toe makeover from professional stylists at Spa on the Creek including: Xtreme lash eyelash extensions, spray tan, manicure, pedicure, makeup application, hair cut & color, massage, facial, and all the advice and care products to keep her new look fresh! she will then be treated to a complete outfit and fashion tips on how to flatter her figure from Dazzling Divas. Finally to finish the star treatment the winner will receive a one on one glam photoshoot with yours truly and a book of all the images to remind her of the beautiful woman she is inside and out.

If you know a woman who deserves a relaxing spa day, makeover, and a style update so that she can pamper herself for once stop by Spa on the Creek and nominate her or call 325-646-0293 for more details.

It’s another picture of a mound of dirt but this one is inside a tent! Bruner Auto Group is expanding its footprint and building a new auto dealership complex in Early right across from Heartland Mall, and we were there once again under threat of rain to photograph the ceremony. This time for the Toyota dealership.

I was honored to be asked to photograph the groundbreaking, and I’m excited to see the new building and lot once it is finished. Congratulations Bruner!