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August 22, 2018

How to celebrate a milestone birthday | Houston Event Photographer

Tara Flannery is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. Tara Flannery Photography specializes in event photography and can help with how to celebrate a milestone birthday. See more event photography in the gallery. Contact me to book your event today!

How to celebrate a milestone birthday

Milestone birthdays are the big ones! When you become a teenager at 13, that’s a big one. When you’re old enough to drive, another big one. Legal voting and drinking ages, more milestones. Then the big birthday milestones start to spread out a bit. When you’re 40 and then 50, you get to celebrate as an adult and it’s a lot of fun! First, gather your friends and family for the celebration. Make sure there’s plenty of food and lots of music. And drinks if you choose. Then, just enjoy! Enjoy the relationships you’ve made and the friends around you. Enjoy the accomplishments of hard work and sacrifice. Celebrate life!

Celebrating 50 Years with Roger

Roger’s wife planned a beautiful celebration for his 50th birthday. Friends and family gathered at The Woodlands Country Club. A beautifully planned and executed evening filled with love and laughter, food and drinks. The live band was fantastic and made sure there were plenty of people on the dance floor throughout the night. And the cake was just gorgeous. You have to have cake to make it a celebration. Everyone had a great time and I enjoyed capturing it all. The final touch for celebrating a milestone birthday is having those memories in pictures so you can revisit them again and again.

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

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@taraflanneryphotography

I’m gonna let you in on my secret… 👀

These are the camera settings I use as my starting point when I’m shooting during golden hour:

☀️ APERTURE
For one person: f/2.8–f/3.2
For families or groups: f/5.6

A wider aperture gives you that beautiful separation and soft background when you’re photographing one person. With a group, I stop down to help keep everyone in focus.

☀️ SHUTTER SPEED
I start around 1/160 sec—but if I have kids running, a couple moving around, or anything else with more movement, I’ll increase my shutter speed to keep everything sharp.

☀️ ISO
ISO 400 is my starting point, and then I adjust up or down depending on how much light I have.

The biggest thing to remember? These aren’t magic numbers you have to use every time.

Golden hour changes quickly, and your settings should change with it. Use these as a starting point, watch your light, and adjust for the people and movement in front of your camera.

And if you’re building your photography kit and wondering what gear is actually worth investing in, I put together my Photographer’s Gear Guide with the cameras, lenses, lighting, and equipment I use in my own business.

Grab your free copy through the link in my bio! 📸

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 17868705066644933

I’m gonna let you in on my secret… 👀

These are the camera settings I use as my starting point when I’m shooting during golden hour:

☀️ APERTURE
For one person: f/2.8–f/3.2
For families or groups: f/5.6

A wider aperture gives you that beautiful separation and soft background when you’re photographing one person. With a group, I stop down to help keep everyone in focus.

☀️ SHUTTER SPEED
I start around 1/160 sec—but if I have kids running, a couple moving around, or anything else with more movement, I’ll increase my shutter speed to keep everything sharp.

☀️ ISO
ISO 400 is my starting point, and then I adjust up or down depending on how much light I have.

The biggest thing to remember? These aren’t magic numbers you have to use every time.

Golden hour changes quickly, and your settings should change with it. Use these as a starting point, watch your light, and adjust for the people and movement in front of your camera.

And if you’re building your photography kit and wondering what gear is actually worth investing in, I put together my Photographer’s Gear Guide with the cameras, lenses, lighting, and equipment I use in my own business.

Grab your free copy through the link in my bio! 📸

“What are we all going to wear?” 😅

It’s usually one of the FIRST questions families have after booking their portrait session—and I get it. You’re not just choosing one outfit. You’re trying to make an entire family look coordinated without looking like you tried too hard.

The good news? You don’t need matching outfits or a brand-new wardrobe to photograph beautifully.

Swipe through for some of my favorite ways to plan outfits that feel cohesive, comfortable, and still look like YOUR family. And save this post for when it’s time to start digging through everyone’s closets!

Want help with everything else, too?

I created my Family Session Welcome Guide to take the guesswork out of preparing for your session. Inside, I cover styling, choosing a location, what to expect from start to finish, posing, session prep, ideas for your finished photos, FAQs, and more.

🍂 Fall family portrait season is here! Grab the guide through the link in my bio and start planning your session.

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Class of 2027, the clock is ticking! 🎓📸

Yearbook deadlines are getting closer, which means there’s not much time left to get those fall senior portraits on the calendar.

Senior photos are about so much more than checking a yearbook photo off the list. This is your chance to capture their personality, style, interests, and who they are during one of the biggest years of their life.

If senior portraits are still sitting on your fall to-do list, this is your sign to get them booked!

🎓 Now booking fall senior sessions. Head to the link in my bio to get started.

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18136071466547138

Class of 2027, the clock is ticking! 🎓📸

Yearbook deadlines are getting closer, which means there’s not much time left to get those fall senior portraits on the calendar.

Senior photos are about so much more than checking a yearbook photo off the list. This is your chance to capture their personality, style, interests, and who they are during one of the biggest years of their life.

If senior portraits are still sitting on your fall to-do list, this is your sign to get them booked!

🎓 Now booking fall senior sessions. Head to the link in my bio to get started.

Come spend a headshot + branding day with me! 📸

One of my favorite things about on-location sessions is getting to step into a client’s space and create images that actually feel connected to their business.

We can capture updated headshots, team photos, working shots, office details, and plenty of branding content—all without your team having to leave the office.

A lot goes into a shoot day, but this is the fun part: turning an ordinary workday into a whole new library of images for your brand.

Need updated photos for your business or team? Let’s plan your session! Click the link in my bio to get started! 🔗

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If your kids are still living under your roof, take the photos. 🤍

You hear people say you only get 18 summers with your kids, and now that mine are grown, I understand just how quickly those years really go. Once college, work, relationships, and their own schedules enter the picture, getting everyone together at the same time gets a whole lot harder.

So don’t wait for the “perfect” year for family portraits. Document the family you have right now—the missing teeth, growth spurts, changing personalities, and even the little bit of chaos that comes with it.

Because one day, getting everyone in the same place for a family photo might be the hardest part.

🍂 Fall Family Portrait Weekend Availability:

September 20
October 3, 10, & 17
November 7 & 15

If family portraits have been on your list, grab one of my remaining fall dates before they’re gone.

📸 Book your session through the link in my bio.

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18078038348373172

If your kids are still living under your roof, take the photos. 🤍

You hear people say you only get 18 summers with your kids, and now that mine are grown, I understand just how quickly those years really go. Once college, work, relationships, and their own schedules enter the picture, getting everyone together at the same time gets a whole lot harder.

So don’t wait for the “perfect” year for family portraits. Document the family you have right now—the missing teeth, growth spurts, changing personalities, and even the little bit of chaos that comes with it.

Because one day, getting everyone in the same place for a family photo might be the hardest part.

🍂 Fall Family Portrait Weekend Availability:

September 20
October 3, 10, & 17
November 7 & 15

If family portraits have been on your list, grab one of my remaining fall dates before they’re gone.

📸 Book your session through the link in my bio.

Fall family portrait season is officially here! 🍂

I keep a limited number of weekend dates open specifically for family sessions each fall—and once they’re booked, they’re booked!

Whether you’re thinking ahead to holiday cards, finally updating the family photos on your walls, or simply wanting to document this season before the kids grow another inch, now is the time to get your session on the calendar.

My current weekend availability is listed above. Save your date before someone else grabs it! 🤍

📸 Ready to book? Head to the link in my bio to get started.

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18637704010049958

Fall family portrait season is officially here! 🍂

I keep a limited number of weekend dates open specifically for family sessions each fall—and once they’re booked, they’re booked!

Whether you’re thinking ahead to holiday cards, finally updating the family photos on your walls, or simply wanting to document this season before the kids grow another inch, now is the time to get your session on the calendar.

My current weekend availability is listed above. Save your date before someone else grabs it! 🤍

📸 Ready to book? Head to the link in my bio to get started.

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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.