Diliberto Photo and Design

A Prom Photo Session

Chris — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:20:04 +0000

We recently had a pre-prom photo session with two awesome groups of students from Oak Ridge High School here in Texas. Pre-prom shoots are a lot like wedding day shoots, there’s a time crunch, dresses and tuxes to fluff and smooth, and everyone seems just a little nervous. But these students were complete troopers and it shows in their photos.

A Glimps of Vermont, Winter, and Peacefulness

Chris — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:15:57 +0000

I was pulling together a few photos from Vermont for a friend and stumbled upon this one. I realize I was supposed to share more from my Vermont Trip this February, but it just hasn’t happened yet. I’m sorry. I’ve failed.

When I ran across this image, as I was digitally shuffling through so many of them, I was instantly reminded of the peacefulness I felt in Vermont. Since I got back from that trip I’ve been going non-stop with photo sessions, graphic design work, etsy sales, events for family and friends, birthdays, anniversaries, more photo shoots, travel, and just life. It’s gotten really really busy. And I’m not complaining at all, I enjoy it, but I’d lost sight of the clarity I found in Vermont.

We’ve got a few more trips planned in the coming weeks and I’m hoping to find that clarity again, to escape for a bit and refocus. To breathe again.

Also, I want to do a photo session in the snow. It’s on the bucket list.

5 Things: Raw Milk, Ten, Yard Work, Youth, Puerto Rican Food

Chris — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:13:11 +0000

1. Raw Milk- I spent all of last Thursday on Gramen Farm in Tomball, Texas, starting the work on a brand new project. A cow licked my arm. Their tongues are HUGE. I learned tons and tons about raw milk and farming. I met some really amazing folks who I think will become fast friends. Best of all I came home with a trunk full of delicious raw milk, kefir grains, soap nuts, local honey, and farm made soap. It was a good day.

Making kefir with raw milk and kefir grains.

2. Ten- Ten is the number of photo sessions I did in April. (Also, how the heck is it already May? When did that happen?) For a lot of studios 10 is a measly number, it may be the number of sessions they do in a day. But considering I’m a 1.45984 man operation boutique photography studio (Bill helps out when he can, which is reason for the decimal) and I spend at least 2 hours prepping for a shoot, 2+ hours on the shoot, 4+ hours editing, 2+ hours putting together custom artwork, not to mention client meetings, answering e-mail, and actually placing orders to our vendors as well as all the other stuff that goes with running a business, it’s been a crazy busy month. The thing is I LOVE IT.

Part of my workspace, it's definitely not always this clean.

3. Yard Work- When I was not working I’ve been outside. We’ve spent a lot of time working on the yard. At dinner Bill and I planned out our dream back yard, I even sketched it out. Our vegetable garden is flourishing and we had an influx of plants after the Plant Swap on Saturday. Bill makes fun of me because I just go out there and stare at it. But it’s relaxing and it makes me smile.

Our current project, making a path around our raised beds.

4. Youth Group- Our youth group is growing. Oh yeah, Bill and I lead a small in home youth group (it’s hosted by another family). It was an opportunity based out of a desire of a few kids that sort of just fell into our laps. We’ve been doing it for almost a year and last night we had 23 students. In a living room. Twenty-three. What? Yes. 23. It’s blowing my mind that A. that many kids want to listen and have discussions with us. and B. See reason A. I’m amazed.

5. Puerto Rican Food- My best friend is Puerto Rican and we have some very good friends here in Houston who are also Puerto Rican. And they have been teaching me how to make Puerto Rican food, which is delicious and makes me happy in a way I can’t describe. So a few weeks ago I took on the task of feeding 12 people with what I’d learned from my friends. The verdict was I succeeded. Rice, beans, flat steak and Tostones (twice fried plantains). My next task, Mofongo!

Yummy Puerto Rican Food

Making tostones, Bill did the smashing.

Jaclyn ~ A Senior Photo Session With Horses

Chris — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:01:42 +0000

When Jaclyn e-mailed me and said she wanted to to her senior photo session at her horse stables I was a tad giddy. I love horses. My uncle shoed them for a living when I was little and he had a horse named Major and I would go with my uncle to the stables and ride. And then he would let me clean Major’s stall. I was quite proud of myself every time I looked into the stall after I had cleaned it. Little did I know I was doing an unwanted chore. And I’m about 99% sure my uncle had to go back into the stall and redo everything because quite frankly I was little and poop is heavy. And thus my love for horses was born.

Bill wasn’t quite sure about the horses. He’s from Philadelphia and I guess in that city horses aren’t as natural an occurrence as they are here in Houston and the surrounding areas. When we met Jaclyn’s horse I walked right over and pet his head. Bill stood back and stated quite frankly, “wow, that’s a big animal, I’ve never been this close to a horse.” He eventually warmed up to them and both of us stood in awe as Jaclyn maneuvered her horse and went soaring through the air as they jumped over a fence we had placed in the middle of the field.

Here are a few of our favorites from her photo shoot.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the shoot! Leave us a comment.

How to Reuse Used Candles

Chris — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:25:31 +0000

If you’re like me you have about a million of these hanging out around your house.

Dead candles. You know, the ones where the wick has burnt all the way down. Or the ones where the wick has buried itself in wax. Most people toss these. I have a box in the garage where I toss them for later use. The wax is still good. Real good. Good enough to make more candles with. And here’s how…

You’ll Need:
-Old/used candle wax
-An old pot, one you don’t plan on cooking in, hit up a thrift store for a cheep one
-A metal container like a coffee can
-Pliers
-A Glass or metal jar or container
-Candle Wicks (you can get these at your local craft store)
-Wick holders (you can get these at your local craft store)
-Wax paper
-Dish cloth

1. Break up your wax and put it in the coffee can. I had a pirouette can so that’s what I used. Crimp the side of the coffee can so it creates a hand pour spout. Fill your pot 1/2 way with water and put your can full of wax inside. Turn on the heat and get the water boiling. Your can may float a bit, stick something heavy on top to keep it from floating.

2. Once the wax melts use your pliers to pull out any old wicks and wick stoppers.

3. While you’re waiting for wax to melt, prep the rest of your project. Put your dish town on your counter top and cover it with wax paper. This is to make any spills easy to clean up (and reuse).

5. Put your wick in the wick stopper and crimp it closed with your pliers.

6. Grab your glass jar or metal container (tin cans work wonders). I used a jelly jar. Measure your wick in your container and leave a good amount of space at the top. Tie it off to a pen, screwdriver, popsicle stick, whatever. This is to keep the wick from sinking in the wax as it dries.

7. Pick up your coffee can full of melted wax with your pliers (CAREFUL it’s HOT). Pour it into your jar. Insert the wick and let the pen rest on top of the jar. You may need to adjust where you tied it off. (See how I spilled on the wax paper? Yeah that happened because I didn’t crimp a pour spout. You just let that wax dry and then slide it into your melted wax can for use later.)

8. Let it dry overnight. Don’t let the wax fool you. It will look dry in a few hours. You’ll take off the pen holder. And when you wake up in the morning your wick will have sunk in the wax.

9. Note, you may want to go back after a bit and do another refill. The wax tends to contract when it’s dry.

10. Enjoy your new candle!

There are 100s of ways to change this up. Most craft stores carry molds where you can make more pillar candles. I only buy unscented or vanilla candles so I didn’t have to worry about mixing scents. BUT you can always add more scents too (also found at your craft store). You can play with the containers, add coloring, whatever. But the best part is, you’re reusing material (wax, coffee cans, jars, etc.) instead of throwing it away. Go you!

Melissa ~ Whimsical Senior Photo Session

Chris — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:51:27 +0000

Melissa and I worked together to style her senior photo session. The goal was dreamy and whimsical with a touch of mystery. She has a great eye for fashion and picked out all her clothes. This was actually the same location we did the photo session with Tiffany and her girls, but to our surprise all the the tall grass had been mowed which completely changed the landscape of the location. It also revealed a plethora of blackberry vines which Melissa, Bill and I ate from throughout the shoot. Oddly enough, Melissa eats blackberries every morning and so it made the session even more “her”.

This lady is a fantastic woman. There is so much about her that reminds me of myself at that age. She’s beautiful and thoughtful and just all around awesome. And I’m in love with her photos…

(Because I take a feet shot of every client. It’s kinda my thing.)

(This one was an artistic experiment, I’m still not sure if it works.)

(Berry Picking)

And that is Melissa.

PS. I’d love to hear your feedback on these images; which is your favorite, likes, don’t like, etc. Just leave it in the comments.

Five Things : Galveston/Anniversary, Busyness, Photographer, Garden, Fabric

Chris — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:00:30 +0000

1. Galveston- Just after Easter Bill and I went to Galveston, TX to shoot Riann’s one year photos and decided to use the time there (since we had to get a hotel anyway) as a mini anniversary getaway. Our 3rd anniversary was actually this past Tuesday but Bill is in Atlanta for work so we thought it was appropriate to celebrate a little early. We stayed at the San Luis Resort and I highly recommend it. All the rooms have a balcony view of the ocean, they’re huge, and the pool has a swim up bar. Awesome. We spent a lot of time exploring the island, looking for shoot locations and trying out the local fare. I always forget how great Galveston is, I spent a lot of summers there as a kid, and it’s a stones throw from our house (or like an hour’s drive). I need to take advantage of that more.

1. Our feet in the sand (I need a pedicure, don’t judge). 2. The view from our room at the San Luis Resort. 3. A DELISH shrimp Po-Boy from Shrimp N’ Stuff, go there, it’s AMAZING. 4. Breakfast at ShyKatz Deli, adorable little place, great food, great atmosphere. 5. Bill drinking a giant orange juice at Easter breakfast with mom before heading out to Galveston. 6. The new Pleasure Pier, opening soon!!

2. Busyness – In high school I went to a church by myself, not that my parents didn’t go to church I just really liked this one church so they let me go there. It was them allowing me to define my own path and faith. Anywho, on father’s day they gave all the dads this book called The Man in the Mirror. Somehow I ended up taking one home and since I read just about everything back then I thought hey, why not. One of the main things it mentioned was that it was ok to be busy but you had to be busy and balanced. It’s something I’ve always strived for but I think the busy has been outweighing the balanced lately and I’m working on that.

3. I am a photographer. – When there is a desire deeply rooted in your heart it becomes the thing you question the most about yourself. It’s personal and it’s tied to you. I constantly have to remind myself that I am a photographer. When people ask me what I do and I say it out loud I always sound silly to myself, or like I’m faking them out. But I really am a photographer (along with a lot of other things: wife, counselor, graphic designer, christian, daughter, gardener…), and sometimes it surprises me. For example I did a photo session with Tiffany and her two adorable girls and I don’t know if it was their beauty, or the location, or that it was the magic hour or a combination of all of those things but when I finally got the photos on my computer a few of the images made me gasp. I questioned if I actually took them. I don’t mean to sound conceited or anything but they blew my mind a bit, I surprised myself. This both frightens me and excites me, because I think it may mean I actually am a photographer. (You can see more images from their session here.)

4. My Garden Is Growing – We planted our veggie garden a few weeks ago and it’s doing VERY well. I’ll actually be picking our first banana pepper sometime this week. My parsley, cilantro, cucumber, and basil that I planted from seed all came up. I worked in the rain on Sunday putting weed block (that black plastic stuff) all around the outside of the raised beds so I can eventually build little pathways around them. The whole thing makes me SO happy that I just sit out there and stare at my plants. (This picture is actually from two weeks ago.)

5. I Have a Fabric Addiction – I bought more fabric recently from Five Monkey Fabrics on etsy, from Paper Thread Fabrics and Joanne’s. I have about 5 or six sewing projects going all at once. The quilt for the living room, a second quilt (though it’s just in the planning stages), the fabric rose tree skirt, reusable swiffer dusters, a vintage half apron, and this tutorial from A Beautiful Mess. I have SEVERAL others in the hopper too (top of the list is this burp cloth tutorial from Made for all my friends who are about to pop out kiddos). Basically my pinterest has been filled with sewing ideas and fabric swatches.

Riann’s One Year Photo Session

Chris — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:15:08 +0000

I can not believe Riann is a year old.

It seems like only yesterday we were at the farm shooting Kristen’s maternity photos and Riann’s newborn pictures (even though she was several weeks old cause decided to come extra early), and then her six month pictures. I’m going to blink my eyes and then I’ll be shooting her senior graduation photos. Where does the time go?

It’s been so fun to watch her grow and develop into this little lady with her own personality and a complete honor to photography her through the stages. It was so fun to be a part of her one year photos too. We decided to do her one year session on the beach as a nod to her surprise birthplace in San Fransisco. It was her first time in the sand and surf and it was so fun watching her experience it all. She was very clearly a lover of the water…here’s a lot of images.

She did indeed ride the waves.

We’d sit her down for a shot and within seconds she’d be crawling back into the surf!

(In case you forgot we’re in Texas.)

Happy birthday baby girl, I’m so glad I get to know you and your awesome parents!

Family Ties ~ Tiffany and Her Little Ladies

Chris — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:15:30 +0000

Tiffany is a gem. I think we had to reschedule her session…three…no…four times. Between travel schedules, a ton of rain, and kid schedules it’s amazing we finally got to do this session. I can’t thank her enough for her flexibility and her willingness to try a new location and to just play and have fun during her session. Her girls are freaking beautiful and there is so much love and joy between the three of them. We really worked together to style her session and I love that she was able to bring her grandmother’s antique tea set for our impromptu tea party. Her youngest, Angelina just loved Bill, reaching out for him to pick her up on more than one occasion, and then calling him monkey after he picked her up. Adorable. We had so much fun.

Thank you for scrolling through all these images. There were about 40 more that I could have posted, there were just so many lovely photos from this shoot, these ladies are just so beautiful.

Five Things : Tulsa, 27 Gigs, RAM, Babies, To Do

Chris — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:24:32 +0000

1. The Tulsa Trip - It was a great success. Lots and lots of photo sessions. Lots of good quality time with some friends, leaving me incredibly thankful for the people in my life. To those I missed this trip I’ll be back with Bill in tow in June. By day two Tulsa’s AWESOME tree pollen had me blowing my nose every five seconds and wishing the itchiness in my throat would subside. I’m now about three hours back in Houston and I’m already starting to feel better.

2. 27 Gigs of Photos and Video – I did a lot of photo shoots this weekend. I have a looming 27 gigs of photo and video to mull through but I’m saving it for tomorrow because…

3. To Do List – My to do list is about a mile long. I’ve got tons of client e-mails to return and meeting to set up and graphic design work to finish. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be playing catch up for a few days. If you’re waiting on a response from me on something please know I will get back to you shortly.

4. New RAM – I’m thrilled because when I do eventually get to those 27 Gigs life will be sweet because my good friend Joel installed some more RAM in my computer this weekend and it goes lightening fast. I’m in awe. I’ve also given another year or two to the life of my computer. Yay!

5. Babies – I got a good healthy baby fix this weekend. I got to spend some time with a few of my friends’ BEAUTIFUL children. They’re so squishy and wonderful and cute and just fun. Thanks for letting me play with your kiddos. It made my heart very happy.