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October 22, 2017

Portraits | Houston Family Photographer

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. Tara Flannery Photography specializes in family portraits. See more family photos in the gallery. Contact me to book your family portrait today!

Portraits

Family portraits are so important! Every time I walk by my annual family portrait, I smile. When friends and family come to our home, they comment on the family portraits. I have a huge canvas over my fireplace of my two kids – my daughter kissing her brother on the cheek with a surprised look on his face! It’s absolutely priceless. I can never re-create that moment and I’m so grateful that I have it hanging on my wall. I know its hard to coordinate everyone’s schedules and find something to wear and get everyone happy and to the session location. But it is so worth that effort when you see the beautiful photographs hanging on your walls. These cherished photographs will last for generations. In the end, family is the most precious gift and you deserve to have a gorgeous portrait of your family.

Family Portraits with the Grimland Family

A new location spot with the Grimland family resulted in some fantastic family portraits! The Grimland family is a blended family but their interactions would tell you that they’ve been together for a very long time. Joking and teasing, they made each other laugh and had a great time during our session. Mom warned me that the oldest and the youngest fight the most. She knew, though, that a family portrait would tell a fantastic story. She will be thrilled to have these hanging in her home of her beautiful family.

Canvas Collage for family portraits

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. Tara Flannery Photography specializes in family portraits. See more family photos in the gallery. Contact me to book your family portrait today!

- INSTAGRAM -

@taraflanneryphotography

At the end of the day, it’s not about the title—it’s about what the photos actually do for you.

For most teams, the hardest part isn’t getting the photos taken… it’s coordinating everything around it.

Schedules, availability, keeping the look consistent across everyone—it adds up quickly, and it’s usually why it gets pushed off.

That’s exactly why I created a Corporate Team Headshot Planner—to make the process simple, organized, and easy to execute from start to finish.

📥 If updating your team’s photos has been sitting on your to-do list, this will help you finally get it done—link in bio.

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If you’re planning a branding session and not sure where to start, my Branding Guide walks you through everything—from outfits to planning your shoot so your photos actually work for your business. Link in bio.

What you wear to your branding session isn’t just about looking good—it’s about representing your brand clearly.

The goal isn’t one perfect outfit.

It’s variety.

When you bring a mix of looks—something polished, something more relaxed, and something that reflects your personality—you end up with images you can actually use across your website, content, and marketing.

And the small details matter more than you think…

(hair, nails, lint, fit—those are the things that show up in photos)

A little planning ahead makes the entire session easier—and the final result that much stronger.

If you’ve been putting off a branding session because you don’t know where to start, this is your sign to start planning it out. Send me a DM when you’re ready!

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If headshot lighting feels confusing, I put together a guide with 3 simple setups that will get you consistent results—link in bio.

If your headshots feel a little “off”… it’s usually not your camera—it’s your lighting.

Here are 5 mistakes I see all the time:

1️⃣ Lighting from below
Creates unflattering shadows. Keep your light slightly above eye level.

2️⃣ Too much (or too harsh) light
Softer, controlled light will always look more professional.

3️⃣ No direction to your light
Flat lighting = flat images. You need some angle to create depth.

4️⃣ Mixing multiple light sources
This is how you end up with weird color and inconsistent tones.

5️⃣ Ignoring catchlights
Small detail, big impact—this is what brings life to your subject’s eyes.

Lighting doesn’t need to be complicated… it just needs to be intentional.

Curious—what’s been the hardest part about lighting for you?

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I put together a Guide to Photography Gear for those of you who need some help deciding what is actually worth investing in (and what`s not). The link is in my bio!

Lighting is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re starting out… but it doesn’t have to be.

At the end of the day—light is light.

You don’t need the most expensive setup to get good results. What matters more is having something reliable that you understand how to use.

Especially if you’re shooting outside… the last thing you want is a $2,000 light going down in the wind.

Start simple.
Focus on gear you can trust.
And build from there.

Curious—what lighting setup are you using right now?

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18124927108663241

I put together a Guide to Photography Gear for those of you who need some help deciding what is actually worth investing in (and what's not). The link is in my bio!

Lighting is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re starting out… but it doesn’t have to be.

At the end of the day—light is light.

You don’t need the most expensive setup to get good results. What matters more is having something reliable that you understand how to use.

Especially if you’re shooting outside… the last thing you want is a $2,000 light going down in the wind.

Start simple.
Focus on gear you can trust.
And build from there.

Curious—what lighting setup are you using right now?

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you want the full breakdown of what’s actually worth investing in (and what’s not).

If I was starting photography all over again, I wouldn’t buy everything.

I’d buy intentionally.

It’s easy to feel like you need all the gear to be “legit”… but most of the time, it just leads to spending money on things you don’t fully understand yet.

A solid camera, a really strong lens, and a reliable lighting setup will take you a lot further than a full bag of random equipment.

The goal isn’t to have more—it’s to have what you actually know how to use.

Start simple. Learn your gear. Build from there.

🤔 Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18117379670509149

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you want the full breakdown of what’s actually worth investing in (and what’s not).

If I was starting photography all over again, I wouldn’t buy everything.

I’d buy intentionally.

It’s easy to feel like you need all the gear to be “legit”… but most of the time, it just leads to spending money on things you don’t fully understand yet.

A solid camera, a really strong lens, and a reliable lighting setup will take you a lot further than a full bag of random equipment.

The goal isn’t to have more—it’s to have what you actually know how to use.

Start simple. Learn your gear. Build from there.

🤔 Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you’re trying to figure out what’s actually worth investing in when you’re first starting out.

Because the truth is—you don’t need everything right away.

When you’re new, it’s easy to feel like you need all the gear… but really, it comes down to a few key pieces.

A solid camera body and a really good lens will take you further than a full bag of equipment you don’t know how to use yet.

If you’re deciding where to spend your money, start there.

A 24–70mm or 70–200mm lens will cover more than you think—and give you the flexibility to shoot a wide range of sessions without overcomplicating things.

Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 17980146186029923

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you’re trying to figure out what’s actually worth investing in when you’re first starting out.

Because the truth is—you don’t need everything right away.

When you’re new, it’s easy to feel like you need all the gear… but really, it comes down to a few key pieces.

A solid camera body and a really good lens will take you further than a full bag of equipment you don’t know how to use yet.

If you’re deciding where to spend your money, start there.

A 24–70mm or 70–200mm lens will cover more than you think—and give you the flexibility to shoot a wide range of sessions without overcomplicating things.

Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

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Serving the Greater Houston, Texas Area

tara@taraflannery.com

713-412-5437

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Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers of America PPA.

Tara is a Certified Professional Photographer.

Tara is a member of TPPA Texas Professional Photographer's Association.

Tara has earned her Master of Photography degree.

Tara has earned her Photographic Craftsman certification.

Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston PPGH.