ELI Photography

My name is Erica L. Myers (soon to be Ille) and I'm a photographer in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. This is where I blog about my awesome clients, and give some helpful tips. ELI Photography Visit my website!

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We have moved!  Please update your bookmarks to our new blog.

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Photos with Ashley, Dillon, and Blossom Rose

Last week I had the pleasure of taking photos for my florist friend, Ashley.  Her business, The Shabby Rose, is based in McKinney, TX and she is amazing!  Her and her boyfriend's new puppy, appropriately named Blossom Rose, is The Shabby Rose's new mascot.

This was one of the most fun photo shoots I have done!  Ashley loves vintage and shabby-chic things just as much as I do.  Her and her boyfriend, Dillon, are so cute together too.  I love seeing this amount of happiness on her face.  It's adorable.

Fun fact: Blossom Rose was adopted from a Boxer rescue.  I think she found a great home!

Thanks, Ashley, for letting me a part of your lovely family.  I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors!  Check out The Shabby Rose.

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I just ordered a set of 80+ actions for Photoshop!!!  What does that mean, and why am I so excited?  It cuts my editing time in half and makes photos (like the above example) look amazing!  Can't wait to try out this bad boy. 

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Family photos with Jordan, Tara and Caleb

I've known Jordan and Tara for 7 years or so now.  I met them when they were engaged, and I even took their engagement and wedding photos.  It's so great to see them again with their growing family.  Their little boy, Caleb, is a doll!

Caleb is 2 years old now.  I can't decide if he looks more like Tara or Jordan.  Either way, he's one handsome fella!

Caleb loves his trucks.  He wasn't so big on posing for pictures though.  That's ok, even when he was pouting it was down-right adorable.

Mom and Dad did everything they could think of to make him smile.  Overall, it was a good day!

Playing in the leaves is always fun!  

What a beautiful family.  Thanks for letting me take your Fall photos this year, I had a blast!

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This what what happens when you hire two photographers for your wedding day.  Photos galore!

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Moore Wedding

On Friday, November 1, 2013 Kendall and William were married at the Ruth Jackson Center in Grand Prairie, TX.  This place was gorgeous!  Not to mention I love a fall wedding.  The leaves are changing, the weather is just right.  It was a beautiful day to get married.

My dear friend, Junalyn, was there to help me take photos of the big day.  We decided to divide and conquer... I would follow the bride and she would follow the groom.  Together, we got some fantastic photos!

Kendall had Starbucks write "Bride" as her name.  Love it!

I know I mentioned before how in love I am with her dress, but it just reached a whole new level when I saw that it had pockets.  Pockets!  Genius.  Almost as genius as bringing an umbrella to hide herself from the groom when walking around the building.  Kendall, you are too cute!

Something old: her brown cowboy boots, something new: her dress, something borrowed: a pearl necklace, and something blue: a hankie pinned to her dress.  Lovely!  One last hug from dad, and she was ready.

Such a beautiful and emotional ceremony.  Will started to cry when he saw his bride for the first time.  It melted my heart.

If you ever want to know why you should hire two photographers, this is why.  Same event, two different shots, and both are lovely.  Thanks again, Junalyn!

Please welcome Mr. & Mrs. Moore!  This was right out of a fairy tale.

The Best Man was Will's brother, and the Maid of Honor was his wife.  So sweet!  Almost everyone at the wedding was family.

How amazing is this... four generations of wives.  Mother, daughter, grandmother, and great grandmother.  Unbelievably cool!

Their first dance was just beautiful.  Their expressions were priceless.  So in love.  Kendall danced with both her dad and her step-dad.  So sweet!  I love father/daughter moments.  Will's mother seemed to have a hard time getting around so they couldn't dance very much.  But as they stood on the dance floor, she began to speak to Will and you saw tears stream down his face.  It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen.  Makes me teary-eyed just thinking about it...

Seriously, stop it.  Ya'll are too cute!  I can't handle it.

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Moore!  I wish you all the best in life, and hope that you are filled with happiness every single day.

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Bridal Portraits with Kendall

Kendall and Will were married on November 1, 2013.  Which means I finally get to share her bridal portraits... hooray!!!  Seriously ya'll, it's been killing me.  Not only is Kendall a beautiful bride, but The Ruthe Jackson Center in Grand Prairie is breathtaking.  

See what I mean?  The rustic stone and wood meets chic and sophisticated with the chandelier and twinkle lights.  Gah... gorgeous!

I could go on and on about her dress.  The lace with the champagne rhinestone belt is just fabulous.  And I'm a sucker for cowboy boots too.  

Her flowers were the perfect mix of fun and fall.  She is a smart cookie, using fake instead of real.  It saves so much money, and these looked super realistic.

Congratulations, Mrs. Moore!   You were stunning.  Stay tuned for wedding pictures.

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It's my favorite time of year.  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!  (And yes... I made my fiance dress up.)

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Engagement Pictures with Kendall and William

Remember when I had that Facebook contest?  You know, the one where I was giving away free engagement pictures to anyone who got engaged on their birthday?  Well meet our winners, Kendall and William.  Will surprised her with a ring on her birthday.  How sweet!  

When I asked where they wanted to go for photos, they mentioned the Fort Worth Stock Yards and I was immediately excited.  What a fun place!  I fell in love with this location.

They're a little bit country, and all-around sweethearts.  Kendall was full of great ideas, and Will was the perfect gentleman who agreed to everything she asked of him.

Congratulations Kendall and William!  I'm thrilled to be a part of your wonderful story and I look forward to your wedding on November 1st.

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Bridal Portraits with Diana

Diana Friesenhahn is one of my best friends!  We met through our better halves, Roman and Robbie.  She is marrying Roman on October 12th, where Robbie is their best man and I am one of their bridesmaids.  It's truly an honor.

Diana is a country girl at heart, so what better place to take her portraits than Penn Farm at Cedar Hill State Park.  Just like Diana it's rustic, full of charm, and has southern style.

Fun fact: Telling Diana to visualize "sexy Roman" at the altar made her laugh.  A LOT!

Congratulations, Diana!  You look so beautiful, and I cannot wait to be a part of your special day!

Flowers provided by The Shabby Rose Florist.

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Carroll Wedding

On Saturday, August 10th, Chris & April were married at the Los Rios Country Club in Plano, TX. What an amazing day it was! The weather was beautiful, their colors were gorgeous, and their wedding party was awesome.

I loved hearing that Chris had an older son (who was their groomsman), April had a daughter (who was their flower girl/junior bridesmaid), and they had a son together (who was the ring bearer/cutest kid I have ever seen). What a beautiful family! This was a celebration where everyone was coming together.

Fun fact: Chris surprised April with his choice of recessional song. “The Imperial March” aka Darth Vader’s theme song. Can you say genius!? Their laughs were priceless.

Like I said… cutest kid ever. And awesome wedding party.

Love these suits and glasses. The hat made the outfit.

I think the heat was getting to me, because I at one point I told the groomsmen to act like April’s secret service bodyguards. Hey, at least I got a laugh out of it!

Best part of the day? We got to drive golf carts!!! What can I say, I’m easily entertained.

Their first dance was precious. The look on Chris’s face while he danced with April took my breath away. It’s amazing when you can literally see the love they have for each other. Then their son, Matthew, joined in and made silly faces. Gotta love it!

I was getting ready to leave, when the wedding party pulled me aside to tell me they were decorating Chris & April’s car. Did I mention they were awesome!? Highlights include sayings like “Groom (Owned)” and “Bride (The Boss).” Complete with ball and chain, bright colors, and whipped cream. It was greatness.

Thank you Chris & April for including me in your big day. I had a blast!

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This is exactly why I tell my clients they can have the best of the best and not ALL of their pictures. Haha!!!

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Congratulations Chad & Stephanie Ille

They were hitched Saturday, July 13th.  We had a fabulous time at the wedding!  Can't wait to marry into this wonderful family.

Left to Right: Me, Chad, Stephanie, Robbie

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Bridal portraits with Stephanie

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of taking some bridal portraits for my future sister-in-law, Stephanie Malik.  We decided to go back to Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, where we did her engagement pictures, because it's so beautiful out there.

Stephanie was a champ.  Even though it was one of the hottest days, she didn't complain once.  Then again, she's getting married on July 13th so I guess it was good practice!

Fun fact: Although Stephanie is originally from California, she's really a Texas girl at heart.  She loves Mexican food, country music, and her cowboy boots!

Congratulations, Stephanie!  I'm so excited for you and Chad.  You make one beautiful bride!  

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Planning a wedding can be stressful.  You want it to be beautiful but also stay within budget.  I'm currently planning my own wedding and I was stressing over finding a florist.  After receiving some shocking quotes (because let's face it, flowers are one of the more expensive items) I turned to a friend who recommended The Shabby Rose over in McKinney, TX.

I was thrilled to meet Ashley Stephens, owner and florist of The Shabby Rose.  She immediately understood the look I was going for, and was so enthusiastic and passionate about my wedding!  Understand, I know nothing about flowers.  In fact, I have a black thumb.  So when I met with Ashley and she started throwing around various flower ideas simply based on my wedding colors I was amazed.  By the end of our discussion I felt so comfortable with her and so calm, because I knew my flowers would be breathtaking.  She is truly a gifted talent!  And the best part... her prices are hands-down unbeatable!!!  She sent me a quote that night, I was so impressed.

So if you're in a similar situation, and live in the DFW area, I would wholeheartedly recommend Ashley Stephens and The Shabby Rose.  You won't be disappointed!

Website: http://www.theshabbyroseflorist.com/ Tumblr: http://theshabbyrose.tumblr.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheShabbyRoseFlorist

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Go shorty, it's your birthday!

On Sunday, June 16th I'm turning 29.  No, really!  Although next year I may be 29 again.  Just sayin'.

I'm throwing a Luau to celebrate.  Complete with swimming pool and an outdoor movie of Joe versus the Volcano.  1) Because it's luau-themed, 2) Because I'm a sucker for 1990s movies starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan (pre-nose job).  

And because I'm one of those people that has a birthday month week I also celebrated by hosting a contest on Facebook.  I asked if anyone got engaged on their birthday, and the first person who told me about it would receive free engagement pictures.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner!  Meet Kendall & William.  They're getting married November 1, 2013.  Here's her story:

I got engaged on my birthday!! We ordered the rings a couple weeks before but he told me he wasn't going to propose for a few months. Then on my birthday, when I least expected it, he popped the question!

Aren't they the cutest!?  Can't wait for their engagement and wedding photos.  Congratulations Kendall & William!

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Printing Your Photos

I get a lot of questions regarding printing photos, because I only sell the digital images.  One of the best websites for professional printing is Black River Imaging.  Not only are they affordable, but they offer amazing quality.  Check out the metallic photos, they're my favorite!  

http://www.blackriverimaging.com/prints-features.asp