Eweni & Thompson Engagement (and Family) Portraits

Published on August 14, 2017 by Phoenix Rhys ArtistryLeave a comment

Amber & Ashton, high school sweethearts, live in the DFW area with their adorable toddler Jace. They’re both from Tyler, TX so they are getting married in their home town at the Tyler Rose Gardens on August 20th!

All of my wedding clients receive a complementary engagement session and with their wedding FAST approaching we had to coordinate them in the dead heat of summer with 100+ degree temps + 90% humidity. (Good thing they’re Texas natives 💁)

Blog4 — Here they are looking cool as a cucumber….

I’m originally from the DFW area and most of my family lives there, so I immediately thought of the Dallas Arboretum but then I was warned about how much more humid it is in the gardens. 😫 Wilted clients are just not cute (or happy). After talking it over with some other photographers Amber and I decided on the Fort Worth water gardens, thinking that it “might” be cooler if we happen to have a breeze. WHEW we lucked out and although it was hot as….well you know those sayings…. we did manage to occasionally catch a breeze.

Safety is a big concern at the water gardens especially with a toddler in tow for the shoot. There are some deep (but beautiful) fountains with motors that have a lot of suction. There is no swimming signs posted everywhere. Jace however was the most well behaved toddler that I have every seen in a public place. I was sorely tempted to see if Amber & Ashton wanted to trade a toddler for a teenager!

I loved how Jace’s outfit coordinated with mom and dad. Bringing in elements of both of their wardrobes brought the whole look together without looking too “matchy”.

Their wedding is THIS Sunday (and the temps are supposed to be in the 90s 😬) So stay tuned for what is sure to be some beautiful wedding portraits at the Rose Gardens!

My Philosophy : Pictures are our way of capturing a sliver of time, a moment, so that we can tell it back to ourselves later. It’s my job to capture that moment for you in all its intensity and beauty so that you can hold onto it through times both bad and good. My passion is storytelling, I just use a camera instead of a words.

Criss can be found floating around on her Website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts when she’s not running around the house in her cape or digging in the dirt in East Texas.

Sangria After Dark Series (Copyright)

Published on June 2, 2017June 2, 2017 by Phoenix Rhys ArtistryLeave a comment

SO…. there I was, lying in the bathtub with a nice glass of Riesling near at hand and it comes to me (as things always do when one is having a nice relaxing bubble bath, right?) that I really need to have a series for my readers. All 32 of you now! So here is the new Sangria After Dark series. It will be full of sarcasm, maybe some NSFW material and lots of wine.

SDRandCo (6) — It’s getting so crowded in here! Image via morguefile

Do you have a job and some people seem to have no idea of all the things that you do or how any of it works?

That’s probably everyone right?

SAHM’s seem to have that problem a lot. You’re just a housewife. You lie around, watch All My Children every day and feed the kids some Benadryl in cheese so they nap well.

They do that right? …..

How else can one watch their stories in peace? …..

No?……

Clearly they don’t do that AND I would make a horrible SAHM. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that I am raising little assholes that act like….. their father….

Brianna — I said “Look at me” not “look like the spawn of Satan”

So what’s something no one understands about my job and how it works?

WHO OWNS THE IMAGES THE CLIENT PAID ME TO TAKE

Why do I need a print release?

Why can’t I scan these and then have Walgreens print them?

Why does it say I can’t alter the image?

There’s this REALLY AWESOME filter I’d like to put on my image on Instagram and I like it more than I like your filters. GAHHHHH

My frustrated look… also the look when someone tries to talk to me before I’ve had my coffee in the morning. It’s a versatile look.

Then I realized that none of my clients are photographers and very few are artists in general (and I love the clients I have) so HOW WOULD THEY KNOW?

Copyright is really Property Law

A photographer owns any photograph, or other work of art, they create the moment they click the shutter on the camera (paint it on a canvas, etc).
FROM HERE ON OUT WE WILL SAY HOUSE because it’s property, just like my house.
Even though you are in the house (photograph), I still own the house
You cannot paint, move walls, or share the house (even online) with other people without my permission
You may pay me to share my house (photographs) with you but you still do not own the house.
If you would like to do any of the above, I have to sell or lease partial or full ownership (ie: print release) of my house (photographs).
It is cheaper to rent the house than to own the house. (although I WILL totally sell it to you if you want!)
If I want to make more money on the house with you in it, I have to have your permission. If you want to make money on the house, you have to have my permission! (selling the image of you to an advertising agency for example)

Here’s a link to the FULL US Copyright law.

What CAN you do with the images? (Please read your contract, every artist is different.)

If you received digital images from me, you will receive permission to print them at any consumer printer of your choice up to 11X14 in size (anything larger has to come through me & that’s a whole different post). You may also share them online with family and friends provided they are not altered in anyway and you tag PRA in them.
If you received wall art or albums you may decorate your home, or your loved one’s home with them!
If you see your image on my social media TAG, SHARE, COMMENT, SAVE! Please do not alter the images in any way (like cropping out my logo) or attempt to print them. Online images are very small and would look distorted if printed.

So remember, in most instances, photographs belong to the individual who took the image and not to the person(s) in the image.

What’s the one thing that people don’t realize about your job? Tell me down in the comments!

Follow below to get notified when the next Sangria After Dark is posted!

About the Author: Criss is a full time mother, public servant and artist. She has 2 kids, four rescue dogs, a rescue fiance, a rescue horse that she can’t ride and 49 and counting chickens. She has a passion and love for preserving history and storytelling. Follow her antics on Facebook & Instagram!

Mr. & Mrs. Harrison Travel Back in Time

Published on August 1, 2016January 9, 2017 by Phoenix Rhys Artistry2 Comments

When I first met with the elegant Ms. Rachel and she informed me that their July 2nd wedding would be 20’s themed, I squeed inside. You know what a squee is….. that happy voice in your head (squeeeeee) while you’re calmly sitting there with a polite look of interest on your face when you really want to jump up and down on the table and yell SIGN ME UP! No….you don’t do that? Well I do when I can already envision the awesomeness that will be a Roaring 20’s themed wedding!

And they did NOT disappoint at all……

They found a beautiful venue in Bullard, TX called The Dewberry Plantation. The Dewberry Plantation was built in 1854 and is the only two story pre-civil war era house standing in Smith County. This made the perfect backdrop for their beautiful wedding!

dewberry-plantation-photography-bullard-tx — The inside of the home is absolutely gorgeous and very well preserved!

Rachel & Don’s day would not be complete without their flapper bridesmaids,

and the dashing groomsmen (and woman)!

The ceremony went off without a hitch!

Rachel’s dad Sam walked her down the aisle and delivered her into the waiting arms of her soon to be husband.

After some laughter and tears when the vows were being read, they finally had their long awaited first kiss as husband and wife.

The reception was full of more laughter and even a few tears as Rachel’s son gave a speech and told everyone how Don was the best dad anyone could every have. Okay they were my tears but still! so sweet….