Monthly Archives: November 2010

Nov 30 2010

Tidbit Tuesday #51

Posted in Personal

The other day while in Urban Outfitters, Dylan convinced me to buy the following sweater. There were absolutely no mirrors in the entire store, save for the fitting rooms. And with the chaos of Black Friday, I wasn’t about to shimmy my way into one. So instead, I did what no girl should ever do: I trusted my husband as a human mirror. I bought this sweater, and now I look like a zebra walking on its hind legs. Not quite sure how to feel about that…

Have you ever met the acquaintance of someone you could swear you know somehow, but there’s absolutely no way you actually do? Well, last weekend’s wedding was FULL of these people. As in, the groom, the groom’s father, AND the groom’s sister. Talk about déjà vu!

Yesterday, I spent seven hours cleaning. SEVEN HOURS. Use your imagination for an idea of how this place looked beforehand. :)

The Morrissey family is expanding! And before you jump to any conclusions.. My brother-in-law is now engaged to his beautifully sweet fiancé and we are all SO excited! Plus, it’ll be great to have another Morrissey newbie in the fam. :) Congratulations to Josh and Jenn!

Remember our Harry Potter fiasco? Well as it turned out, the day it actually opened, I was too drugged up on antibiotics to go. Which is actually super funny considering our track record. BUT, we finally saw it on Friday! And as many times as I had to ask what on earth a horcrux was (having really no familiarity with Harry Potter), it was totally entertaining. I also jumped out of my seat at two completely inopportune times and based on all those laughing at me, it’s safe to say I was pretty entertaining myself.

Song of the Week: The Cave by Mumford and Sons. This band is quickly becoming a favorite-favorite. It’s banjo meets indie meets four-part harmony. And seriously? Banjo? It’s only the sweetest instrument known to man. You WANT to check out this song.

I have a crush.. A girl crush. Ya’ll know you have them! That one girl (if you’re a girl) or guy (if you’re a guy) that you’d let autograph your forehead in permanent marker… Over and over again. Who’s mine, you ask? Genevieve Gorder. HOLLA if you know who I’m talking about! Genevieve is a designer for HGTV‘s Dear Genevieve! She has AMAZING hair and a brilliant mind for all things design. And I totally want to be her best friend. Forever.

My question for you is this: Who is your girl/guy crush, and why? Yes, I just went there and you know you want to play along! Ain’t no hating over here. And if it helps, Dylan totally has a man crush on Jon Acuff. Just sayin’. :)

I leave you with a few images from our most recent bridal shoot. Meet Sara, quite seriously one of the sweetest people I’ve met since moving to Houston. She and Chad got married this past weekend, so consider this a small taste of Thursday’s post. :)

Happy Tuesday!

by Alyse

10 comments

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December 6, 2010 - 8:29 PM

Dulcinea - Just FYI–we have the same taste in music :)

November 30, 2010 - 3:53 PM

Abbey - dear alyse,

i think your sweater is cute. dylan is a good human mirror. :)

love,
abbey

November 30, 2010 - 1:50 PM

Kate =D - I love mumford and sons. just lovee.

November 30, 2010 - 1:25 PM

Alyse - @Kathy – Bahahah!! You are SO right. And actually, that might make me like it a little more. So thanks! :)

November 30, 2010 - 1:23 PM

Kathy B. - Hmmmm…the sweater is a bit, isn’t it. If not a walking zebra, then possibly a topographical map of somewhere you’d like to be.
Genevieve is one of my favorites from HGTV.

November 30, 2010 - 12:42 PM

Jess S - I had the same Harry Potter experience! Though I only jumped totally out of my seat once – in my defense, I really hate snakes… :-) I also have no Harry Potter history but some of my hubby’s family is into it, so we went for Thanksgiving. I’m sure I drove my sis-in-law crazy with questions but it was entertaining!

PS — I like the zebra sweater. It’s funky and I’m sure you rock it!

November 30, 2010 - 12:21 PM

HilarieMae - Sweet land of the living! I just listened to about a million songs by Mumford & Sons. It feels like love to me <3 Thanks for the new music addiction, Alyse!

November 30, 2010 - 12:11 PM

Jessy - Hey Alyse, I have been stalking your blog for a little while now and I just wanted to let you know how great it is :). I passed your website on to a friend of mine who is getting married next year. Anyways, keep up the good work and welcome to Houston, hope you are enjoying it so far! p.s. i totally have a “girl crush” on you :)

November 30, 2010 - 12:10 PM

stephanie - dear sara, i love your hair. and your glasses. and your dress.

dear lysiie, genevieve used to be a designer on trading spaces and she was always my fave! also, i miss you.

December 2, 2010 - 5:08 PM

Sam Houston Park Wedding: Sara & Chad | Alyse French Photography | Houston-Based Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer - [...] a very relaxed time of primping and prepping, I gave Sara a look at her bridals which we’d shot earlier that week. It was fun to watch her reactions to her complete and [...]

Nov 28 2010

Before Meets After #3

Posted in Photography

It’s been a looong while since I last posted a Before Meets After, and today’s as good a day as any to break the streak! Some of you might recall my love affair with Totally Rad Actions. Lately though, I’ve sort of been cheating on TRA with Kubota’s Image Tools. For much too long, I’d been toying with the idea of purchasing from Kubota, and now that I’ve taken the plunge I can say I absolutely CANNOT believe I waited until now. The combination of TRA and Kubota has streamlined my workflow incredibly, and I’m telling you right now: If you are a photographer who has been uneasy about dropping the dough to buy these action sets, DO IT ANYWAY. 1) It will blow your mind how easy and quick it is to enhance your images. 2) The efficiency these resources will inject into your workflow is worth every. single. penny. Times 17,293,532.

This is an image taken at yesterday’s wedding, SOOC (straight out of camera). Promptly after the ceremony, Sara and Chad whisked themselves away for a quiet moment alone. I suppose I could have followed with my 50mm to get all up in yo’ grills, but instead, I stood far enough away to use my 70-200mm at its longest focal length. (P.S. I know I should have said “their grills” but “yo’ grills” just sounds cooler.) Now ordinarily, that big red piece of “art” in the lower-right might have scared me, but I also knew I loved the way Chad and Sara were framed by the trees, creating a very natural vignette. I decided I wasn’t about to try a different angle because THIS was IT. Plus, I also knew Big Red wasn’t anything my clone tool couldn’t handle. So I shot away, and am SO happy with the outcome of this image! Take a look at the “before,” and then the explanation following the “after.”

BEFORE:

AFTER:
BAM! My immediate reaction to the SOOC image was this: Overly Magenta. Modern art fail. Beautiful moment. Love how nature is framing the subjects. All in all, there was some good and some bad to the initial image. But I knew it was completely salvageable! The “after” image is a result of Photoshop’s clone tool, color-correcting via curves (which was also used to control image contrast and levels), Kubota’s Daily Multi Vitamin at 25%, TRA’s Grandma’s Tap Shoes at 15% to add a slight vintage feel, and finally, Kubota’s Magic Sharp – my all time FAVORITE.

Keep in mind this was a pretty extreme Before Meets After, and I only utilize the clone tool when it’s an absolute MUST. But I thought it might be fun to see something so blah become so polished. At least, I sort of think so. ;)

More of Sara and Chad this coming week! Happy Sunday!!

by Alyse

6 comments

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December 3, 2010 - 7:57 PM

Janice Rowland - That is amazing the before and after. The way you totally got rid of that uguly red thing. I was curious, if you could maybe do some touch ups on me, in their wedding photo’s. Chad is my beautiful son, well his mother is not so beautiful, and you know, this is the most important day of his life. ???

Just kidding,… maybe…anyway you are very talanted, and I have already told everyone at simplecharlotte (where I work), how great you are. I told everyone, if any of their friends or family are planning a wedding to go to your blog. We have about 100 attorneys we work for and I told them too.

Sincerely,
Janice

November 30, 2010 - 2:20 PM

Randi-Michelle - Neat! I think learning some of your secrets is fun. You should post more of these.

November 28, 2010 - 9:26 PM

Alicia - Love it!

November 28, 2010 - 6:59 PM

Noël - Pretty neat!!

November 28, 2010 - 5:25 PM

Diane - wow..that’s crazy stuff

December 2, 2010 - 5:14 PM

Sam Houston Park Wedding: Sara & Chad | Alyse French Photography | Houston-Based Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer - [...] away for a moment alone. But it was nothing my 70-200mm couldn’t stalk a little. ;) Read *HERE* for the Before Meets After featuring this image! Loved how unique the table decor was! Each [...]

Nov 25 2010

Houston City Hall Engagement: Kata & Drew

Posted in Engagements

Miso soup. Skinny mirrors. And towels straight from the dryer. Faux leather. Gelato. And mineral powder in light ivory. These are the things I’m thankful for.

But mostly? I’m thankful for a merciful God in constant pursuit of my heart. And for the Grace that is Jesus. I’m grateful for a husband who is cleaning the house as I type, without prompting. He is the greatest companion I’ll never deserve. I’m thankful for a family who lets me call nearly every day of my life. Three weeks will quickly reunite us! I’m thankful for a job that lets me live my passion. To create art.. I’m beyond grateful for my blogging community. And I’m both honored and completely humbled by my clients. All thanks belongs to them, for letting me in on their lives. And for inviting me to be part of their stories…

On this Thanksgiving, I’m especially thankful for Kata and Drew and the way their love is so easily captured because it’s so readily on display. I’m also thankful I finally learned that it’s “Kate-Uh,” and not “Catta.” But mostly? I’m thankful that “We’re totally camera shy” really meant “We’re total rock stars and we will BLOW. YOU. AWAY. with our fierceness.” Word. We spent Tuesday afternoon shooting it up at Houston City Hall, and it was GAH-mazing.

K & D: For a lack of other words, thank you! I had a blast shooting with you guys and sweet, BIG Henry. Can’t wait for February! XOXO!!

First, meet Henry. Kata and Drew’s American Bulldog. He made us many friends that day. :)
The future Mr. and Mrs. The smiles between these two seriously never stop.
I’m pretty positive Kata has to be some sort of fashion-guru. I mean, f’real.
Ahh!! Drew looking studly. And Kata looking GORGEOUS. I love this shot. :)
There’s something about this image that makes me so happy inside. The warm and fuzzy kind of happy.
Aaand BAM. Good Lawd, let me wake up and have Kata’s legs.
LOOOVE.
Kata, you are breathtaking. No. Matter. What.
I just loved watching Drew admire his girl. :)
Isn’t she some sort of European supermodel or something?
This moment? It was as real as they come. I’m so thankful for the honor it is to capture real love in this way.
And I leave you with a couple more of Henry, downtown Houston’s favorite dog.

Happy Thanksgiving!! Feel free to leave Kata and Drew some love, as well as letting us know what you’re thankful for! :)

by Alyse

9 comments

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December 1, 2010 - 8:53 PM

Jim and Raylene Oden - There is nothing more beautiful than young love being shared by such a handsome couple We wish you much happiness. We love you.

November 30, 2010 - 10:21 PM

melissa - being kata and drew’s close friend, these pictures are such an accurate portrait of their love and relationship!! so fun and obviously SO in love. and henry, he always takes the cake!! great job with the pictures!!

November 30, 2010 - 2:45 AM

rae - i LOVE these. prob one of my favorite shoots you’ve done. they belong in a magazine. you should be in magazines cled.

November 27, 2010 - 10:20 AM

Mischelle Morgan - What amazing photographs!! And I am in love with that dog!!

November 26, 2010 - 1:40 PM

Noël - Great pictures Alyse!!!!!

November 26, 2010 - 11:55 AM

Diane - A very good-looking couple! Such a cute dog…bet it makes you even more excited about your “Sully” dog :)

November 25, 2010 - 8:28 AM

Heather - BEAUTIFUL photos(as always),stunning couple and Oh-So-Adorable pup!!! Love him!!! Today, and everyday, I’m THANKFUL for my AMZING family, my incredible friends, being able to truely live out my life’s passion through my work and amougnst MANY other things I am THANKFUL to be constantly inspired and challenged by such talented photographers such as yourself!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

February 24, 2011 - 9:30 AM

The Parador Wedding: Kata & Drew | Alyse French Photography | Houston-Based Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer - [...] Kata and Drew‘s wedding was one I’ll remember always. Yes, because of the images. Yes, because of the cuh-razy dance party it became. But mostly because of how it made me feel to be a part of it. There is power and joy in choosing to love. In choosing to honor. In choosing to celebrate. And in the words of Kata’s father, “There’s a big difference between happiness and joy. And today? We feel joy.” Nothing could’ve been more true. [...]

February 22, 2011 - 11:22 AM

Tidbit Tuesday #63 | Alyse French Photography | Houston-Based Wedding and Lifestyle Photographer - [...] leave you with this image taken mere seconds after Kata and Drew‘s amazingly sweet first look before their beautiful wedding this past Saturday. There is much [...]

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