Welcome to my Blog!

Seniors! Get your groove on!

2010-03-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

Just in time to celebrate the warm weather, here are this season's senior specials!

Graduation Announcements!

Senior Books

New house

2010-03-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

For those of you wondering where I've been, I recently moved across town to NW OKC... and I'm still unpacking and making the new house more homey. We're doing some renovations, and we've been working our tails off! So far I've been painting the ENTIRE house (every wall and every ceiling)! Oh yeah, that includes the trim, which is the most boring and worst part of painting a house. Brandon's been busy too, he's knocked out 2 walls, including a load bearing wall. My brothers came in town for a week in January to help us out, that was a big relief! They helped us knock out the walls, drywall, texture, and paint. We were blessed to have a lot of help from new and old friends during the move. Thanks to all those who helped!

This weekend was awesome, I finally got to go outside, sit underneath the patio and look through magazines to get ideas on how we are going to landscape. It's only half acre, but it feels huge compared to our other home in Moore. I can't wait, I'm so excited.

As far as photography goes, now that the warmer weather is almost upon us, I am going to get ready for the new season. Stay posted for specials and updates!

We're far from done, but I will post before/after pictures of the house. Here's a recent picture of us in my new backyard.

Senior: Meet Erica

2009-10-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well summer is over and the fall is here. School has been keeping me so busy! I always look forward to spring and fall... it's the dawning of a new wardrobe! I love dressing in layers... matching shirts and sweaters with scarves... I love it! Although it takes me about at least 15 minutes longer every time I make a trip to the closet :)

So check out this senior photo shoot of Erica, which we shot over fall break. She's one sassy senior and absolutely gorgeous. She looks good in any outfit and has modeled for me before last year. She's planning on going to BYU upon graduation. Best of luck and congrats Erica!

Be sure to LEAVE A COMMENT!

Sean & Lauren: Wedding

2009-07-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

She knew the day would come, but when it did, it surprised her that it came in such glory. As she went through the pre-ceremony motions, there was only one thing on her mind... Sean. As the makeup artist finished bringing out her beauty, she started to light up the room with her radiant smile as she thought of being called, Mrs. Callahan. Lauren enjoyed the pampering, having champagne early in the afternoon while getting her hair, nails, and eyes done... all while having her best friends by her side. Once all dolled up and inside her parent's home, Lauren shared some smiles and giggles, and even a few tears with her bridesmaids and mother. As last minute details were being pulled together, the girls were clickety-clacking their heels across the hardwood floor, when the stretch limo pulled up.

At the winery, large clouds had crept into the sky, and everybody's eyes were constantly drawn upwards hoping and praying for a dry day. With a few sprinkles here and there, the nerves were tensing... almost as if an angelic choir had begun singing, the music started to play and Lauren walked down the aisle into the wooded gathering, and the sun broke free of the clouds.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and thanks to Sean & Lauren for letting us document their wedding, their friends and family were lovely as they came together to host an awesome wedding.

I've attached this link to view the slideshow. You'll have to download a plugin, just click through the prompts. Check out the slideshow! AND LEAVE A COMMENT! :)

Wedding & Mini-vacation

2009-06-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

Okay peoples, I'm heading out tomorrow for Sean & Lauren's wedding in Delaware. I'm making a pit stop back home in Arkansas. My mother-in-law is flying in tomorrow so we're dropping Coco Chanel (my big chocolate lab puppy dog) off with her to stay. I wish I could stay longer in Fayetteville, I miss it so much! They'll have a lot of fun, my mother-in-law is tiny like me, but she and Coco will have a good time together, right Yvonne? :) haha, Coco just tries to jump up and kiss all over her.

Well, I've got about a million things to do tomorrow and here I am writing still... sigh. I have made the commitment to get on the horse again with my workout regimen. Brandon has been kickin' my butt at it, he swims and works out every day. I just need to get some new running shoes, maybe that's it.

So if I'm not real prompt at returning emails or phone calls, it's because I'll be at the wedding or on the beach. :) I wish it were longer, but I'll be back by Tuesday. By the way Imelda & Noe, here's a picture of your beautiful daughter, more come when I get back!

Just look at her, she's so young and got into this pose all by herself! Amazing!

Same with this one, I just love the pigtails.

Feel free to leave a comment though, it was bugging out on me earlier, but I fixed it! See ya'll next week!

Troy just turned 1, Happy Birthday Troy!

2009-06-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

I wish I could remember what it felt like to be one year old again. I'd just eat and sleep and not have to worry about... well... anything! I think I'm in the need of a vacation soon. And not a wimpy one week-er either, I need a flat out 3 week doing nothing constructive and turning off my phone and computer. I don't think I'd make some people very happy though! I shot some pics of my friend Whitney and her family a while back, check it out. Troy is such a big boy now.

Sean & Lauren: I do!

2009-06-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

Meet Sean & Lauren, they are such a cute couple. Sean is an officer and a gentleman and Lauren is a successful accountant. They come to us from back east where they met in college at Villanova. These are a few of the engagement pictures of this cute couple. We had to do our homework to find a place with lots of trees in Oklahoma, and we found a forest. I know it was a forest, because there was actually a sign that said it was a forest. And then we took a few steps in someone's wheat field! OOPS! That was a first, and a last :) It did make for some good pics though. I can't wait, I'm so excited! Only 1 more week until the wedding, and I'll be shooting their wedding in Delaware, maybe even find some time to laze on the beach and have some fresh crabcakes. Thank you Sean & Lauren, and we'll see you soon! Enjoy the pics everybody and leave us a comment!

Cutie Patooties.... The Sargents

2009-05-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time taking pictures of the Sargents. They're such a cool family, I decided to pick up some balloons for the girls to play with and they were so cute with them! Maria is an awesome mom and the kids are so well behaved. No matter who's reading this, I can almost guarantee that Jason is in better shape than you! Every time I log into facebook, he's off to a 50 mile bike ride, or a triathalon, or something crazy like that. I think I'll stick to my 1.5mi run in the park :) We took tons of pictures and there were so many good ones, but these are a few of my favorite.

Totally GQ

Can you believe she's a mother of three?

One of my favorites of Brea

And this one too... one of my fave

I think my eyelashes used to be this long once!!

Isn't she adorable? I think she got into that pose all by herself!

Nathen is one smart kid!

All in a day's work...
Now leave me a comment! (Pretty please)

Lindsye's Family Portraits

2009-05-20T21:14:00.000-07:00

Soft light from dawn's early rays peeked into my bedroom this morning and I sleepily opened my eyes around 8:00. I took another precious half hour to roll out of bed and took my time getting ready for the day. It was quiet and the cool ambient breeze gave me the chills as I opened the back door to let Coco outside. I even had time to cook myself a hot breakfast, a breakfast burrito and hashbrowns. It's the kind of morning that Hemingway could write an entire chapter about. Pure bliss. I'm so relieved to be finished with finals and school, this semester was particularly draining since I hardly ever got to see Brandon because of his night classes. Since classes have been out I've been able to unwind and let down my hair and it's been good... and my family is coming in town! Actually both of our families are coming! I love to play host/hostess to our families, we always have tons of fun! I can't wait.

Well this last week I was able to do Lindsye's family pictures. Once again we had a great time together, laughing and joking. Check out these pictures from the photo shoot! And LEAVE US A COMMENT! Or else... :D

Lindsye and Kyle

2009-05-13T21:39:00.001-07:00

Lindsye and Kyle were so funny, they were just setting me up to post their funny comments, but she promised me not to embarrass her! One thing that I love about Lindsye is that she's an excellent cake decorator and is very creative! Check out these pictures of these two lovebirds, they are high school sweethearts and are just loving life. Leave us a comment!

Meet Ashleigh

2009-05-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

Ask anybody who's been in Oklahoma for more than 10 minutes... we have the craziest weather. It can be sunny and 72 degrees then in the same hour it can drop 15 degrees. Well, that's pretty close to what happened recently during a photo shoot, but it didn't stop us... no way Jose.

Meet Ashleigh, she's a senior from Moore High School. She was so much fun, and was very spunky. We were laughing it up enjoying ourselves even though the temperature was steadily dropping. She had such cute outfits and we even walked through some mud! Check out these great pics and leave us a comment!

Maternity Session: Krystal & Tyson

2009-03-24T19:01:00.000-07:00

Cravings to eat cardboard? No way! Okay, so I have heard some strange cravings that women get when they're pregnant but when Tyson and Krystal told us of some of their friends having cravings to eat cardboard... I can only hope for the best when I decide to have children. Sometimes I question my self control... I'm such a sucker for desserts... any kind of chocolate, especially Godiva... ahhh... it trumps anything... sorry Brandon, you're second place :D kidding. Once I'm pregnant, I probably won't be able to hold myself back from a big tasty cardboard box.... or whatever my weird craving will be. Anyone else hear of weird cravings??

Okay so Krystal and Tyson have such a rockin' house, I walked in and couldn't believe they had only been there like a week or so, it was really organized. I think I was living out of boxes for like the first month when we moved into our house! What was especially nice was a pond right out their back door, made for some great pictures. Krystal is going to make a cute mom, and I can't wait to see little Bella! What a pretty name! Here are some pics from their maternity session... thanks Krystal & Tyson! LEAVE US A COMMENT!

Meet Nikki & Brian

2009-02-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

So you may have noticed that I'm not honoring my commitment of keeping up with my blog, but there are plenty of good reasons. Now that winter's here in Oklahoma, warm days are few and far between, so I'm determined to finish my degree. When Brandon asked me to marry him, I transferred schools to be with him, and then when we moved to Oklahoma after he graduated, I once again transferred schools. I lost so many credits... it's ridiculous! I'm enrolled in a couple courses this semester, but I am really excited about the upcoming season!

Here's a photo shoot we did on a colder day... we were so surprised! The weather forecast called for 65 degrees, but it ended up feeling more like 35!! My fingers were so cold, but Nikki and Brian were champions, check out how beautiful their pictures came out! Nikki is so sweet, she has such a contagious smile and a radiant personality. She and Brian make such a cute couple! Let me know what you think and LEAVE A COMMENT!

Meet Adam & Whit & baby Troy!

2009-01-17T12:32:00.000-08:00

Here's some recent pictures (I say recent, but I think these were from last year... Dec 2008) of Adam & Whitney & little Troy. I've been so busy with the holidays... I'm just now posting these. We met them earlier this year through a friend. Adam is in dental school and doing very well. Whitney is the cutest mom! She makes the neatest baby blankies! Check them out at www.babyblankies.blogspot.com, I can't wait to have a baby so I can start buying cute stuff like this! Well, here are several from the photo shoot! Enjoy and Leave a comment!

This is another favorite

Definitely a top favorite

This has to be my favorite, I love how they came out.

Love this one of Troy... I love the colors and his big eyes!

He's having so much fun with his soft blankie! Many thanks to Baby Blankies

Personal: Brandon's Trip to Wind Farms

2008-12-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

I've taken several road trips across the Great Plains and I always seem to "wake up" right as we're driving by the wind farms. Never fails. This las trip to Albuquerque I suddenly realized why. As we were driving, I could faintly hear the soft sound of the radio disrupted periodically by the crunching of sunflower seeds as I dozed in and out of consciousness. Suddenly an ever-so-slight swerve and the deafening rumble of the tires as they cross the shoulder... I jolted to attention and look over at Brandon with his silly cheesy grin and then he says, "oops... Love you." It suddenly dawned on me... I should've known! I bet he purposely did that just to wake me up so he point to these big giant FANS! If there's anything that has to do with electrical engineering, he tells me all about it.

So for the next hour I got to hear about his recent field trip to the Centennial Wind Farms in Oklahoma. I got to hear how Brandon fell asleep and then woke up with his head on another guy's shoulder. Now you know how I feel Manalo! I got to hear that there was almost a brawl in the restaurant with an anti-wind farm enthusiast, or in Brandon's terms, "an electric throw-down." In my best judgment I'm assuming he was exaggerating. As for the in-depth academic portion of the trip... well... instead of explaining what I haven't the slightest clue of, visit the Centennial Wind Farm--wikipedia site. It's pretty cool what technology offers these days, especially when I can get electricity even cheaper! :)

Here are a few pics from the field trip... taken by the 2nd best photographer :) Check out our website and be sure to LEAVE A COMMENT!My favorite:This is his Electric Transmission class that attended the field trip:
There's my cute hubby :)No idea what all of this is? Something that has to do with electricity!This is ridiculous... he spent all day sleeping on the drive out there and back, and then comes home and sleeps with Coco! Apparently being a passenger is pretty strenuous...I had to post this one just so you all wouldn't think that I had a hideous looking dog and husband... the picture above is just their sleeping faces!

Meet Kevin & Katee & Family

2008-11-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

When we moved to Oklahoma, we found out that our church in this area has around 300 members, and every Sunday the building is packed. We've been here a year and still don't know a lot of people! Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot the Bailey Family. Before the photo session I think I said "Hi" to them once or twice in passing, but I never really met them. We had so much fun during this photo session, they were delightful and their kids were cute. Katee had went out and got new outfits and they looked GREAT! Since the photo shoot, we've become great friends and talk or email just about every other day. She has a wonderful personality and a beautiful family. These are a few of my favorites!

Meet Adam & Liz & Family

2008-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've always wondered what it would be like to have twins, but it never crossed my mind that they wouldn't be identical twins. This is Adam and Liz and their three kids: Leland, Lola, and Brooklyn. Leland and Lola are such cute twins, and Brooklyn is so precious. They are such a beautiful family. We had a great time shooting their family portraits! Thanks Adam and Liz!
Isn't she just adorable? I love her big beautiful eyes!Isn't it obvious why their kids are so good looking?Haha! I can't remember what Brandon was doing, but this was a cute shot!One of my favorite shots, the lighting was perfect.

Eric & Sarah

2008-11-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorites of Eric and Sarah. They've known each other for a really long time and they make such a cute couple. I went to beautiful Fayetteville, Arkansas to shoot their wedding. Eric is the oldest of five kids and Sarah is the oldest of four. If you can't tell, there is a family resemblance between Eric and Brandon... they're brothers! Congratulations Eric & Sarah!Sarah had some gorgeous shoes!That's little brother helping big brother get ready, cute huh?
That's right, Brandon gave Eric a ringpop instead of the wedding ring... it was absolutely hilarious. I knew Brandon was up to something but he wanted to keep it a surprise.
And a surprise it was! Eric had no idea what to do, he was a good sport though. Don't worry, he gave him the real wedding ring a few seconds later, though to Eric it probably felt more like hours!I present to you, man and wife. Check out that smile, genuine happiness :) This is the Springdale Stake Center of the LDS church where they were married. Eric has a pretty nice Caddy and this grooms' cake was a little gift from the Bramwell's, many thanks to them for a beautiful and delicious cake!
This is definitely one of my favorites... After the reception was nearing an end, Eric took the mic and started singing to one of his favorites. I have many more embarrassing pics but I almost feel bad about posting this one... almost ;)

Personal: What a wonderful weekend!

2008-11-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

With only a few hours to go until my awesome weekend is officially over, I'm going to take a few minutes to reflect upon a great weekend. Although I didn't have any monumental experiences, it's the small things that sometimes leave the greatest impressions upon the heart. This weekend I was able to go on a nice date with my husband. We went to Jazmo's Bourbon St Cafe and I loved the hole-in-the-wall atmosphere. They had live jazz music, nothing to shake your booty to but definitely something relaxing and upbeat. The food was my favorite part, I had the crab cake pasta and OH MY GOSH, my taste buds have found their fix! Okay, I lied... come to think of it, my favorite part was the fact that I finally was able to go out on a real date with Brandon. Between Brandon's job (he's an Air Force officer), his master's degree program, my job, and church... there usually aren't enough hours in the day to have time to play. It was refreshing :)

Next up, we were able to hear the wonderful and talented The 5 Browns. Get this, they're all siblings that have attended New York's Juilliard School. Although they normally perform in a five piano ensemble, we were able to hear from them individually. Their performance was incredible yet reverent. We were fortunate enough to hear them bear testimony of Jesus Christ and how He has touched their lives. It was very uplifting and spiritual to be at their performance.

Last but not least, I put up my Christmas tree! I'll have pictures of it once I'm done, I've got to go and get some more decorations, but it's going to be fabuloso. My friend Katee took me to
North Pole City in OKC. We walked around getting ideas of how to decorate our Christmas trees. It was amazing how they decorated their store, it's an experience just to walk through it. Think of anything that has to do with Christmas and they have it.

Anytime: Meet Conny

2008-11-13T21:28:00.000-08:00

Conny is such a pretty girl, she was a natural in front of a camera. We took her portraits a couple months ago, I'm just FINALLY getting around to posting them! I'm almost caught up... story of my life :) So let me know which one is your favorite!

Finally! MY family pics!

2008-11-13T19:52:00.001-08:00

I was thrown into the photography world when my husband Brandon bought me a Canon Rebel XT as a gift. I just wanted to develop a hobby and always have nice pictures for us. I waited 3 LONG weeks to get the order processed and shipped and once it was in my hands, I was hooked.
I loved the way I looked with a DSLR camera, and I loved the way people would say, 'WOW' when looking at my pictures. I haven't turned back since, it's become my passion!

So finally we've turned the camera on ourselves. I wanted a picture of Brandon and I with my doggy, Coco Chanel (cute name, huh?). Check out this picture, we bought a 30x40 of it and are going to hang it above our fireplace mantle. It is replacing the t.v. as the centerpiece of our living room. I'll post pictures of my living room once it's hung! Brandon had to pack his pockets full of treats to make Coco stay, especially since a 10-sec timer isn't very long! Doesn't Coco look like a model for Beneful or something????

Geraldine and Luis

2008-11-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

On one of my many trips back to Arkansas, we did this photo shoot of Geraldine and Luis. It was early in the morning and the mini hike to the waterfall was very rewarding! The little girl was so precious, she had a lot of fun running away from her mommy. This pic was just by luck but it's like a mini-Marilyn Monroe!

This was the trail that took us up to the waterfall. It was very mystical, the way the lighting changed once inside the coverage of the trees. This is my favorite from the photo shoot!

Not too excited about having to wake up so early :)

Anytime - Meet Shelby

2008-11-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

You know the kind of person that you look forward to seeing if you've been having a rough day? That's Shelby. She is so sweet, definitely one of the nicest girls I know. She's a basketball star with a contagious smile. Check out our favorites from the session, isn't she just beautiful?

Seniors: Meet Brandon

2008-11-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

An avid golfer and certainly an incredible young man, Brandon is a senior at Southmoore High School and will graduate May 2009. I had a great time shooting Brandon's senior portrait session, he has such a calm and collected air about him, his poise strikes you as one who's destined to achieve greatness. He's a great guy and has a great family! And always a plus, he's handsome! :)

Greeting Card Special

2008-11-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

As the weather cools and Thanksgiving grows closer, it's that time of year to start thinking about greeting cards. I love getting greeting cards with a friend/family picture on it... these are the ones I always end up keeping! It's like I get to see distant relatives every year or watch my cousins, nieces, and nephews as they grow! We have a full collection of greeting cards with different sizes and styles.

This month's special is 25 Christmas Cards for $25!! For more details, contact me through my website, www.bychavezphotography.com. The deadline to submit print orders for Christmas cards is Dec 1.

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

I took some pictures of the trick-or-treaters that came to my house on Halloween night. All the kids had really good costumes and luckily there were no tricks, just treats! If you're a parent visiting to get your free picture, please email me info@bychavezphotography.com . I'll send it to you in an email. It looks like my blog cuts off part of the picture, but once I send it to you, you can see all of it! Feel free to leave comments or to browse through my website, www.bychavezphotography.com Thanks!

Meet Erika

2008-10-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, meet Erika. She's from Fayetteville, Arkansas. We did this shoot in the latter part of the summer. I remember quite clearly how hot and muggy it was. I love this picture, it's so urban-ish. We had a good time at this photo shoot... walking up and down the streets of downtown and the old town square of Fayetteville. It makes me miss that college town :( Luckily, we have Norman, OK close by... we can still make the short drive and feel at home. Be sure to leave a comment, let me know what you think!

FREE 16x20 from your engagement session!!

2008-10-28T17:27:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love free stuff? I always put an emphasis on Thanksgiving, somehow it takes precedence to Halloween... although I love the chocolate that I get from leftover trick-or-treaters. :) Just as the years past, I am extremely thankful and blessed for everything I have. In this spirit of thankfulness, I am going to offer a FREE 16x20 ($175 value) of an image from your engagement session if you book a wedding, it can serve as a display at your wedding. This offer only applies to an album wedding package. This special expires November 30, 2008.

Mary and Hector

2008-10-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Forrest Gump's mother was right. Life is like a box of chocolates... you never know what you're gonna get. We had an engagement session earlier this summer with Mary and Hector. Right when they pull up to start the photo shoot, Brandon walked across the street to check out a red 1959 Cadillac El Dorado. I'm a girl not very interested in classic cars, but even this car caught my eye and turned my head around. Here are some of the pictures from their shoot.

This is Brandon and Hector's favorite... go figure! ;)
They were so much fun to take pictures of... they are deeply in love. Hector would secretly flirt with Mary under his breath... I couldn't help but try to listen, they were so adorable!

At the time, they weren't engaged yet... I wonder if my pictures had anything to do with it.... :) Just kidding.

Meet Erica and Emily

2008-10-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures of Erica and Emily awhile back, but I just wanted to show off how pretty these two sisters are. They are very spunky, and were eager to do different poses. I'm glad that we were able to get some shots on the old truck before somebody saw us!

How to Submit an Order Online

2008-10-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

OK, so I decided to make things a little easier on everybody! With the help of my technology savvy husband, this is a video that shows how to submit an order online through my website. Once I've finished editing your photos, I provide you with a password to enter your personal gallery. Watch the video, and leave comments, let me know if it was helpful! Just click on the picture below to get started.

About Me -- First for everything

2008-10-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to my brand spankin' new Blog! My name is Yareli and I am a wedding and portrait photographer. My husband is Brandon, hence the name, BY Chavez Photography :) We live in Moore, OK with our chocolate lab Coco Chanel. We enjoy doing a variety of things. Brandon likes to play and watch sports, I love to dance. We enjoy running with Coco and working out together. I love going out to eat and indulging in chocolate!

Thanks for visiting, the journey has just begun. We’re very excited that you have found us, and we look forward to developing a relationship with you. Make sure you visit our main site, www.bychavezphotography.com We will be adding more and more to it, as well as to our blog. Bookmark our blog and our website to stay updated with us! Make sure you leave comments! THANKS! B&Y